David Guzik's Commentary on 1 Chronicles

1 C HRONICLES 1 – F ROM A DAM TO A BRAHAM

A. From Adam to Abraham.

1. (1-4) From Adam to the Sons of Noah.

Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham,
and Japheth.

a. Adam, Seth, Enosh: The opening verse of the Books of Chronicles indicates something of
their focus. We know that Adam and Eve actually had three sons by name (Genesis 4:1-2,
4:25) plus many other unnamed sons and daughters (Genesis 5:4). Yet in this first verse we
read nothing of Cain or Abel; only of Seth. This indicates that the Chronicler was inspired by
God to make a selective genealogy for a specific purpose.

i. The Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally one book, and focus historically
on King David and his dynasty after him. The actual history begins with the death of
Saul, but the stage is set with these genealogical tables. The story continues until the
return of the exiles from the Babylonian captivity, leading many to think that the
Books were written by Ezra or at least in his time.

ii. “Since Chronicles appears to be the work of an individual writer, who was a
Levitical leaders, some identification with Ezra the priest and scribe (Ezra 7:1-6)
appears possible from the outset.” (Payne)

iii. We can imagine the importance of these genealogical lists for the returning
exiles. The message of the continuity of God’s work through the generations was
important for them, as well as helping them to affirm their own place in that flow of
God’s work through the ages.
 iv. “The principle design of the writer appears to have been this: to point out, from
the public registers, which were still preserved, what had been the state of the
different families previously to the captivity, that at their return they might enter on
and repossess their respective inheritances. He enters particularly into the
functions, genealogies, families, and orders of the priests and Levites; and this was
peculiarly necessary after the return from the captivity, to the end that the worship
of God might be conducted in the same was as before, and the by the proper
legitimate persons.” (Clarke)

v. “These books of the CHRONICLES are not the same which are so called, 1 Kings
14:19, and elsewhere, (because some passages said to be there mentioned are not
found here,) but other books, and written by other persons, and for other ends.”
(Poole)

vi. “It was not in fact until the fourth century that A.D. that Jerome, the famous Bible
translator, first applied the term ‘Chronicle’ to these books. . . . The mediating
influence came from Luther, whose German title, Die Chronika, passed into English
with Bible translations proliferated during the Reformation period.” (Selman)

b. Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: This father and his three sons – each survivors of the
flood – became the basis for the nations in the post-flood world.

i. The span from Adam to Noah and his sons is common to all humanity. This first
chapter is “A summary of the ‘generations’ of Genesis, from Adam to Edom/Esau,
shows that all the nations were God’s creation and therefore part of his special
purpose for Israel.” (Selman)

2. (5-7) The descendents of Japheth, the son of Noah.

The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of
Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshishah,
Kittim, and Rodanim.

a. The sons of Japheth: It is commonly supposed that “The seven sons of Japheth founded
the people of Europe and northern Asia.” (Payne)
 From Javan came Greek Ionia

From Gomer came the ancient Cimmerians of the Russian plains

From Madai came the Medes and Persians of Iran

From Tubal and Meshech came the inhabitants of the Turkish plateau

b. Kittim, and Rodanim: These are respectively the islands of Cyprus and Rhodes.

3. (8-16) The descendents of Ham, the son of Noah.

The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah,
Sabta, Raama, and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. Cush begot Nimrod; he
began to be a mighty one on the earth. Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the Caphtorim). Canaan begot Sidon,
his firstborn, and Heth; the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; the Hivite, the Arkite, and
the Sinite; the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.

a. Ham: The descendants of Ham are the peoples who populated Africa and the Far East.

b. Cush: Apparently, this family divided into two branches early. Some founded Babylon
(notably, Nimrod) and others founded Ethiopia.

i. Clarke cites an early Jewish Targum regarding Nimrod, who began to be a mighty
one on the earth: “He began to be bold in sin, a murderer of the innocent, and a
rebel before the Lord.”

c. Mizraim: This is another way the Bible refers to Egypt. Put refers to Libya, the region of
North Africa west of Egypt. Canaan refers to the peoples who originally settled the land we
today think of as Israel and its surrounding regions.

i. From whom came the Philistines: “The Hamitic Philistines were ‘sea peoples’
before settling in Palestine, coming from the Casluhim, who were of Egyptian origin
 but are related to the Minoan culture of Caphtor (Crete) and the southern coast of
Asia Minor.” (Payne)

4. (17-27) The descendents of Shem, the son of Noah.

The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one
was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother‟s name was Joktan. Joktan begot
Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir,
Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg,
Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram, who is Abraham.

a. The sons of Shem: From Shem came Elam, who was an ancestor to the Persian peoples;
Asshur, who was the father of the Assyrians; Lud was father to the Lydians who lived for a
time in Asia Minor; and Aram was father to the Arameans, who we also know as the Syrians.
Arphaxad was the ancestor to Abram and the Hebrews.

i. Significantly, these included the nations from under which the people of Israel
were largely exiled (the Persians). As the Chronicler includes lists this sweeping
panorama of all the nations as a part of God’s plan, it assured Israel that they were
still part of this plan and so were the nations to whom they had been exiled.

b. Uz: Later, a region in Arabia was named after this son of Aram.

Job came from the land of Uz (Job 1:1).

i. “Uz gave the name of the home of the patriarch Job (Job 1:1), who may thus have
been an early Edomite descendant of Esau (cf. Lamentations 4:21).” (Payne)

ii. Some think that Jobab is another name for Job, but their names are actually quite
different in the Hebrew. “Supposed by some to be the same as Job, whose book
forms a part of the canon of Scripture. But in their names there is no similarity.”
(Clarke)
 c. And Shelah begot Eber: “The name Eber forms the root of ‘Hebrew’; but this patriarch
was the ancestor not only of Abraham (v. 27), but also of a number of other unsettled people,
know in ancient history as Habiru or Apiru.” (Payne)

d. Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided: This seems to refer to the dividing of the
nations at the tower of Babel described in Genesis 11:1-9.

B. The sons of Abraham and their descendents to David.

1. (28) The sons of Abraham.

The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.

a. Isaac: This was the son of promise and the covenant, whose birth was announced in
Genesis 17 and 18 and whose life is recorded in Genesis 21-27.

b. Ishmael: This was the son born of Hagar, blessed as a son of Abraham but not an heir to
the promise or the covenant (Genesis 16 and 21).

2. (29-31) The descendents of Abraham through Ishmael.

These are their genealogies: The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel,
Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the
sons of Ishmael.

a. These were the sons of Ishmael: God promised to make a great nation through Ishmael
(Genesis 21:18). These descendants were the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise,
ultimately fulfilled in the Arabic peoples.

3. (32-33) The descendents of Abraham through Keturah.

Now the sons born to Keturah, Abraham‟s concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian,
Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Midian were Ephah,
Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

a. All these were the children of Keturah: This was the second wife of Abraham, taken
after the death of Sarah (Genesis 25:1-4).

4. (34-42) The descendents of Abraham through Issac’s son Esau.

And Abraham begot Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. The sons of Esau were
Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zephi,
Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek. The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah,
and Mizzah. The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. And
the sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; Lotan‟s sister was Timna. The sons of Shobal were
Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Ajah and Anah. The son of
Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. The sons of
Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.

a. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel: Of these two sons, only Israel was chosen as the
son of the promise and the heir of the covenant of Abraham. Nevertheless, the sons of Esau
still were important to God and had a place in His eternal plan.

5. (43-54) The Kings and Chiefs of Edom

Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the
children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. And when Bela
died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. When Jobab died, Husham of the
land of the Temanites reigned in his place. And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad,
who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith.
When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. And when Samlah died, Saul of
Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place. When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor
reigned in his place. And when Baal-Hanan died, Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his
city was Pai. His wife‟s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
Hadad died also. And the chiefs of Edom were Chief Timnah, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth, Chief
Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, Chief Magdiel,
and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

a. These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over
the children of Israel: It seems that the kings of Edom came into power before the kings of
Israel. In this, the Chronicler reminds the reader that God’s ways have their own timing and
wisdom; a timing and wisdom which is sometimes apparent and sometimes not.

i. This list of the kings of Edom shows that Esau was indeed a blessed man (Genesis
33:8-16, Genesis 36), though he was rejected as the inheritor of the covenant of
Abraham.

b. Bela . . . Jobab . . . Zerah . . . Husham: The steady repetition of the names may seem to be
an irrelevant blur to the modern reader, but they have an important place in God’s plan of
the ages. If nothing else, they demonstrate the reality of prior generations and our connection
to both them and God’s broader plan – just as a walk through a graveyard can speak the
same things to us.

i. “This is an ancient graveyard. The names of past generations who were born and
died, who loved and suffered, who stormed and fought through the world, are
engraven on these solid slabs. But there is no inscription to record their worth or
demerit. Just names, and nothing more.” (Meyer)

c. These were the chiefs of Edom: The chapter closes without a mention of the name of God
in the entire chapter. Yet, as the Chronicler mentions these men as quoting from the sacred
history of Genesis, God is the unspoken main character in the entire sweeping drama.

i. “This chapter has therefore become a panoramic view of God’s dealings with
humanity in both creation and redemption. God’s name does not actually appear, of
course, but his activity is visible everywhere to the discerning reader.” (Selman)

ii. We see God almost everywhere in this chapter:

We see God calling out for Adam, hiding in his shame.

 We see God blessing the birth of Seth, providing a son to replace on
murdered and the other a murderer.

We see God walking with Enoch.

We see God calling to Noah and shutting the door of the ark.

We see God speaking to the sons of Noah and making His covenant with
them.

We see God as the Most High, dividing an inheritance to the nations

(Deuteronomy 32:8).

We see God dividing the earth at the tower of Babel in the days of Peleg.

We see God choosing a Babylonian from an idol worshipping family named

Abraham.

We see God stopping the sacrificial knife held over a surrendered Isaac.

We see God orchestrating the choice of Israel over his brother Esau, despite
all fleshly efforts of man to do otherwise.

We see God blessing Esau and his descendants, as He promised to do.

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 2 – D ESCENDENTS OF A BRAHAM AND J UDAH

A. Descendents of Abraham.

1. (1-2) The descendents of Abraham through Israel.

These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph,
Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
 a. These were the sons of Israel: The line of the patriarchs began with Abraham, and was
passed down to Isaac (and not Ishmael) and then to Jacob/Israel (and not to Esau). Yet with
the sons of Israel, all the sons were chosen as inheritors of the covenant.

b. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali,
Gad, and Asher: These twelve sons of Israel actually became 13 tribes of Israel, because two
tribes came from Joseph (Manasseh and Ephraim).

i. “The order of names follows Genesis 35:23-26, with one exception. Dan is
expected after Benjamin, and no convincing reason has been put forward for the
change (cf. also Exodus 1:2-4). A different order is used in the following chapters.”
(Selman)

2. (3-17) The descendents of Judah to the family of Jesse, the father of David.

The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of
Shua, the Canaanitess. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so He
killed him. And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah
were five. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan,
Heman, Calcol, and Dara; five of them in all. The son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel,
who transgressed in the accursed thing. The son of Ethan was Azariah. Also the sons of Hezron
who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. Ram begot Amminadab, and
Amminadab begot Nahshon, leader of the children of Judah; Nahshon begot Salma, and Salma
begot Boaz; Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse; Jesse begot Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab
the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, and David
the seventh. Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai,
Joab, and Asahel; three. Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

a. The sons of Judah: There were twelve sons of Israel, and thirteen tribes from those
twelve sons. Yet the tribe of Judah received first attention from the Chronicler.

i. “Judah heads the tribal genealogies, and receives more extensive treatment than
any other tribe. The reason for this special prominence is to be found in the central
position of David’s line (2:10-17; 3:1-24).” (Selman)
 ii. “But while our Chronicler lists all twelve of the sons of Israel-Jacob, his attention
quickly focuses on Judah (2:3), the description of whose tribe occupies the next two
and one-half chapters.” (Payne)

b. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so He killed him: This
listing of the line of Judah also includes those with a darker testimony of life, including Er,
Onan, Tamar, and Achar (also known as Achan in Joshua 7:24-26).

i. “Achan was also guilty of ‘unfaithfulness’, a key term in Chronicles . . . This word
has the nuance of depriving God of his due, and is Chronicles’ favourite explanation
for the disaster of the exile.” (Selman)

c. Jesse begot . . . David the seventh: This section of genealogy deals with the line of Judah
to David, the founder of the Davidic dynasty that ruled over Israel and Judah.

i. Abishai, Joab, Asahel, and Amasa: “The genealogies of these four warriors, made
famous under their half-uncle David (cf. 2 Samuel 2:18-19; 19:13), are not drawn
from 2 Samuel 2:18 and 17:25; but apart from this later passage, we would not have
known that their mothers, Zeruiah and Abigail, were step-daughters of Jesse, born to
David’s mother by her presumably earlier marriage to Nahash.” (Payne)

B. Other descendents of the tribe of Judah.

1. (18-24) The family of Hezron, a grandson of Judah.

Caleb the son of Hezron had children by Azubah, his wife, and by Jerioth. Now these were her
sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. When Azubah died, Caleb took Ephrath as his wife, who bore
him Hur. And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezalel. Now afterward Hezron went in to the
daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she
bore him Segub. Segub begot Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. (Geshur and
Syria took from them the towns of Jair, with Kenath and its towns; sixty towns.) All these
belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead. After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah,
Hezron‟s wife Abijah bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
 a. Caleb the son of Hezron: This traces a side-line in the tribe of Judah, separate from the
line that culminated in David.

i. “In practice, the otherwise unknown Caleb son of Hezron is probably distinct from
Caleb, a Kenizzite and son of Jephunneh, who is frequently said to have ‘followed the
LORD wholeheartedly’ (e.g. Numbers 14:24; 32:12; Joshua 14:6, 13-14).” (Selman)
Caleb the Kenizzite seems to be mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:15-16.

b. Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon: These obscure names connected with the tribe of Judah are
listed for an important general reason. Most of the returning exiles in the general time
Chronicles was written were connected to the tribe of Judah.

i. “The land that was occupied by the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian
exile consisted primarily of the tribal territories of Judah and Benjamin. Also, the
people who make up Ezra’s community were largely from these same two tribes
(Ezra 1:5; 10:9).” (Payne)

2. (25-41) The family of Jerahmeel, a great-grandson of Judah.

The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were Ram, the firstborn, and Bunah, Oren,
Ozem, and Ahijah. Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of
Onam. The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. The sons of
Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur. And the name of
the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. The sons of Nadab were
Seled and Appaim; Seled died without children. The son of Appaim was Ishi, the son of Ishi was
Sheshan, and Sheshan‟s child was Ahlai. The sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, were Jether
and Jonathan; Jether died without children. The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These
were the sons of Jerahmeel. Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an
Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as wife,
and she bore him Attai. Attai begot Nathan, and Nathan begot Zabad; Zabad begot Ephlal, and
Ephlal begot Obed; Obed begot Jehu, and Jehu begot Azariah; Azariah begot Helez, and Helez
begot Eleasah; Eleasah begot Sismai, and Sismai begot Shallum; Shallum begot Jekamiah, and
Jekamiah begot Elishama.

a. The sons of Jerahmeel: This traces a side-line in the tribe of Judah, separate from the line
that culminated in David.
 3. (42-55) The family of Caleb, a great-grandson of Judah.

The descendants of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha, his firstborn, who was the father
of Ziph, and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron. The sons of Hebron were Korah,
Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. Shema begot Raham the father of Jorkoam, and Rekem begot
Shammai. And the son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur. Ephah,
Caleb‟s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran begot Gazez. And the sons of
Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. Maachah, Caleb‟s concubine,
bore Sheber and Tirhanah. She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of
Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. These were the
descendants of Caleb: The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, were Shobal the father of
Kirjath Jearim, Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader. And Shobal
the father of Kirjath Jearim had descendants: Haroeh, and half of the families of Manuhoth. The
families of Kirjath Jearim were the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites.
From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. The sons of Salma were Bethlehem, the
Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahethites, and the Zorites. And the families of
the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These
were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

a. The descendants of Caleb: This traces another side-line in the tribe of Judah, separate
from the line that culminated in David.

i. “Caleb’s ‘daughter’ Acsah was only a distant descendant of Caleb the son of Hezron,
though she was an immediate daughter of Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the faithful
spy (listed in 4:15). She is remembered as the bride of Othniel, the first of the judges
(Judges 3:9-11), having been promised to him for his conquest of Debir (Joshua
15:15-19; Judges 1:11-15).” (Payne)

b. These are the Kenites: “The Kenites were originally a foreign people (Genesis 15:19),
some of whom, by marriage or adoption, became incorporated into the tribe of Judah.”
(Payne)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 3 - T HE R OYAL L INE OF D AVID AND THE H OUSE OF J ESSE

A. The descendants of David.

1. (1-3) The wives of David and their sons.

Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon,
by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; the third, Absalom
the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of
Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah.

a. Now these were the sons of David: David had several wives (seven are listed here;
Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, Abigail the Carmelitess, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah,
Bathshua). These were in addition to his concubines (1 Kings 3:9).

i. Daniel: “In 2 Samuel 3:3, this person is called Chileab; he probably had two names.
The Targum says, ‘The second, Daniel, who was also called Chileab, because he was
in every respect like to his father.” (Clarke)

b. Eglah: Most suppose that this is another name for Michal, the daughter of Saul.

2. (4-9) Sons born to David in Jerusalem.

These six were born to him in Hebron. There he reigned seven years and six months, and in
Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. And these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea,
Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon; four by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel. Also there were Ibhar,
Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet; nine in all. These
were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.
 a. And in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years: The reign of David can be divided into
these two parts; before he made Jerusalem his capital city and after.

b. Bathshua: Most suppose that this is another name for Bathsheba.

i. “Bathshua is probably an alternative pronunciation for Bathsheba, perhaps

influence by 2:3, though Solomon is described unexpectedly as her fourth son (cf. 2
Samuel 12:24-25).” (Selman)

B. The royal line of Judah after David.

1. (10-16) The line of David unto the time of Judah’s exile.

Solomon‟s son was Rehoboam; Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, Joram his
son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, Ahaz his
son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, Amon his son, and Josiah his son. The sons of Josiah
were Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth Shallum.
The sons of Jehoiakim were Jeconiah his son and Zedekiah his son.

a. Solomon’s son was Rehoboam: This section traces the descent of the line of David from
Solomon to the time after the exile, when Chronicles seems to have been written.

i. “All the Davidic kings are here, and only Athaliah, Ahab’s daughter (cf. 2 Kings 11)
is missing.” (Selman)

ii. “Josiah’s firstborn son, Johanan, is not mentioned elsewhere and may have died
young.” (Payne)

iii. Selman on Shallum, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah: “The information here cannot be
reconciled with what is said about their ages in 2 Kings 23:31, 26; 24:18, and it is
easiest to assume some scribal error in connection with the numbers.”
 2. (17-24) The line of David after the time of Judah’s exile.

And the sons of Jeconiah were Assir, Shealtiel his son, and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar,
Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons
of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister, and Hashubah, Ohel,
Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed; five in all. The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and
Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of
Shechaniah. The son of Shechaniah was Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah were Hattush, Igal,
Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat; six in all. The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hezekiah, and
Azrikam; three in all. The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan,
Delaiah, and Anani; seven in all.

a. And the sons of Jeconiah: These were the descendants of the line of David born after the
fall of Judah. They carried on the royal line of David.

i. “Jeremiah has said (1 Chronicles 22:30 ) that Jeconiah, or, as he calls him, Coniah,
should be childless; but this must refer to his posterity being deprived of the throne,
and indeed thus the prophet interprets it himself: For no man of his seed shall
prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah.” (Clarke)

ii. “Through this multitude of largely unknown names, the Chronicler points out that
God’s election purposes were still at work despite the vicissitudes of Judah’s history
(e.g. 2:3,7) and the exile (e.g. 3:17-24).” (Selman)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 4 THROUGH 8 – T HE T RIBES OF I SRAEL AND THEIR
D ESCENDENTS

“How barren to us is this register, both of incident and interest! And yet, as barren rocks and sandy deserts make
integral and necessary parts of the globe; so do these genealogical tables make necessary parts of the history of
providence and grace in the maintenance of truth, and the establishment of the church of Christ. Therefore, no
one that fears God will either despise or lightly esteem them.” (Adam Clarke)

“Here tribes, and individual men, are seen as gaining importance and value in proportion as they co-operated in
the purpose of God.” (G. Campbell Morgan)

A. The tribes comprising the later Kingdom of Judah.

1. (4:1-23) The descendents of Judah.

The sons of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. And Reaiah the son of Shobal
begot Jahath, and Jahath begot Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.
These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their
sister was Hazelelponi; and Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah.
These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah the father of Bethlehem. And Ashhur the
father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni,
and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, and
Ethnan; and Koz begot Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. Now
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying,
“Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would
bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would
keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. Chelub
the brother of Shuhah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. And Eshton begot Beth-
Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-Nahash. These were the men of Rechah. The sons
of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel were Hathath, and Meonothai who begot
Ophrah. Seraiah begot Joab the father of Ge Harashim, for they were craftsmen. The sons of
Caleb the son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was Kenaz. The sons of
Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher,
and Jalon. And Mered’s wife bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. (His
wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Sochoh, and Jekuthiel the
father of Zanoah.) And these were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered
took. The sons of Hodiah‟s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and
of Eshtemoa the Maachathite. And the sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and
Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth. The sons of Shelah the son of Judah
were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the
linen workers of the house of Ashbea; also Jokim, the men of Chozeba, and Joash; Saraph, who
ruled in Moab, and Jashubi-Lehem. Now the records are ancient. These were the potters and
those who dwell at Netaim and Gederah; there they dwelt with the king for his work.

a. The sons of Judah were: Since the focus of these genealogies is the dynastic line of David,
it makes sense that the tribe of Judah is listed first.

i. “Ezra expected his readers to recognize (from 2:5, 18, 50) that the five descendants
of Judah, from Perez to Shobal, were not brothers but successive generations.
‘Carmi’ must therefore be a scribal error for Caleb.” (Payne)

b. Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers: This man Jabez is one of the more
interesting briefly-mentioned people of the Old Testament. We only know of him from this
text, and from the town of scribes that may have been named after him or associated with
him (1 Chronicles 2:55).

i. “While through these genealogies, and indeed through all the history, we are
occupied with those connected with government and the procession of events
leading to universal issues, it is refreshing to be halted by the story of one man who
took his need directly to God and obtained the answer of God’s grace.” (Morgan)

ii. “On these accounts he was more honourable than his brethren. He was of the same
stock and the same lineage; he had neither nobility of birth, nor was distinguished
by earthly titles; in all these respects he was on a level with his brethren: but God
tells us that he was more honourable than them all; and why? because he prayed,
because he served his Maker, and because he lived to do good among men; therefore
he received the honour that cometh from God.” (Clarke)

c. His mother called his name Jabez: This name is associated with pain or sorrow. For
some reason, probably surrounding the circumstances of his birth, his mother named him
this. Because of the strong importance of the idea of a name in ancient Hebrew culture, this
idea of pain was heavy with and upon Jabez – perhaps especially in his growing up.
d. And Jabez called on the God of Israel: Jabez was honored, and we know little more of
him than that he was a man of prayer and that his prayer was answered. One way to gain
honor in the Kingdom of God is through prayer, instead of through ambition and
achievement. Jabez had four basic requests in his prayer.

i. First, Jabez prayed to be blessed indeed. There are many who are blessed, but
they are not blessed indeed. That is, they have something that is in one sense a
blessings (such as family, salvation, wealth, fame, health, security), but yet because
of fundamental dissatisfaction in their life, they are not blessed indeed.

Even worse, sometimes blessings turn out to be a curse to us in that we

make an idol of the blessing. In this, we see the great wisdom of Jabez’s
prayer.

In the same way, many things that are outwardly curses end up being
blessings indeed to us.

ii. Jabez prayed for enlarged territory. Virtually all older commentators agree with
Matthew Poole that Jabez called on the God of Israel “when he was undertaking
some great and dangerous service,” in particular the conquest of the land of Canaan.
Therefore, when he prayed “enlarge my territory,” it was to “drive out these
wicked and cursed Canaanties, whom thou hast commanded us to root out, and
therefore I justly beg and expect thy blessing in the execution of thy command.”
(Poole)

Adam Clarke quotes a Chaldean translation of this prayer, with the line: and
enlarge my borders with disciples. This, together with the scribal city
associated with his name, indicates (but does not prove) that Jabez’s desire
for more territory was not only to displace the wicked, but also to advance
the cause of godliness through the multiplication of disciples.

iii. Jabez asked that the hand of God would be with him. “The ‘hand of the Lord’ is a
biblical term for God’s power and presence in the lives of His people (see Joshua
4:24 and Isaiah 59:1).” (Wilkinson)

The phrase the hand of the LORD is used many times in the Old Testament,
and often in a negative sense – that is, in the sense of God’s hand being
against someone in judgment. Here Jabez prayed that the hand of the LORD
would be with him.
 In Psalm 77:10, the Psalmist wrote: I will remember the years of the right
hand of the Most High. Here Jabez prayed in advance for something to
remember later – to see the hand of God with him now.

iv. Jabez asked to be kept from evil and that he would not cause pain. Some other
translations render this with the idea that pain Jabez did not want to cause was his
own. “He used this expression in allusion to his name, which signifies grief; Lord, let
me not have that grief which my name implies, and which my sin deserves.” (Poole)

In this Jabez recognized the evil in this world, no doubt because he had lived
through much pain in his life.

In this Jabez recognized that he needed God to keep him from evil.

In this Jabez recognized that the hand of God to bless us can transform the
evil and pain of life.

e. So God granted him what he requested: This, of course, is the measure of effective
prayer – that it is answered from heaven (allowing that “No” or “Wait” can also be an
answer). Yet when we are close to the heart of God and pray for the things important to Him
and His kingdom, we expect that our prayers will be granted (1 John 5:14).

i. “If we take up the character and conduct of Jabez in the view given by the Chaldee,
we shall not only see him as a pious and careful man, deeply interested in behalf of
himself and his family, but we shall see him as a benevolent man, labouring for the
welfare of others, and especially for the religious instruction of youth. He founded
schools, in which the young and rising generation were taught useful knowledge,
and especially the knowledge of God. He had disciples, which were divided into three
classes, who distinguished themselves by their fervour in the worship of God, by their
docility in obediently hearing and treasuring up the advices and instructions of their
teachers, and by their deep piety to God in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit. The
spirit of prophecy, that is, of prayer and supplication, rested upon them.” (Clarke)

ii. “Reader, imitate the conduct of this worthy Israelite that thou mayest be a
partaker of his blessings.” (Clarke)

f. And these were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took: “The
wife of Mered here intended is Bithiah (v. 18). Her identification as a daughter of Pharaoh
would locate this event during the early part of Israel’s sojourn in Egypt (before 1800 B.C.),
the union probably being made possible because of Joseph’s prominence.” (Payne)
 g. These were the potters and those who dwell at Netaim and Gederah; there they
dwelt with the king for his work: Since the broad focus of these chapters is to point to the
tribe of Judah and especially to the family of David, these receive special mention because
they worked for the king and lived with the king. Charles Spurgeon preached a wonderful
sermon on this verse, with four points under the title With the King for His Work!

i. Our King has many kinds of servants. He has soldiers, watchmen, heralds, scribes,
musicians, house servants, gardeners, servants for the children. We should therefore
value the different servants and understand and value our own place of service.

ii. All who live with our King must work. “They did not live on the king’s bounty and
dwell on the king’s country estates to do nothing, but they dwelt there for his work. I
do not know whether all that call my Master ‘Lord’ have caught this idea. I have
thought that some of our church members imagine that the cause of Christ was a
coach, and that they were to ride on it, and that they would prefer the box seat.”
(Spurgeon)

iii. Those that work for the King ought to live with Him. “Now, those that live with
Jesus Christ have a sort of secret alphabet between themselves and him. Oftentimes
when a Christian man does the right thing . . . Do you know why he had that knack?
He lived with his Master, so he knew what you knew not. He knew the meaning of
his Master’s eye, and it guided him.” (Spurgeon)

iv. We are working for the King. “And after you have received Christ then you shall go
forth and serve him. Put out an empty hand and receive Christ into it by a little faith,
and then go and serve him, and the Lord bless you henceforth and for ever.”
(Spurgeon)

2. (4:24-43) The descendents of Simeon.

The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul, Shallum his son, Mibsam his
son, and Mishma his son. And the sons of Mishma were Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, and
Shimei his son. Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many
children, nor did any of their families multiply as much as the children of Judah. They dwelt at
Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth
Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of
David. And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan; five cities; and all the
villages that were around these cities as far as Baal. These were their dwelling places, and they
maintained their genealogy: Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah; Joel, and Jehu
the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah,
Adiel, Jesimiel, and Benaiah; Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son
of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah; these mentioned by name were leaders in their families, and
their father‟s house increased greatly. So they went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east
side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. And they found rich, good pasture, and the
land was broad, quiet, and peaceful; for some Hamites formerly lived there. These recorded by
name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and they attacked their tents and the Meunites
who were found there, and utterly destroyed them, as it is to this day. So they dwelt in their
place, because there was pasture for their flocks there. Now some of them, five hundred men of
the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, having as their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah,
and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. And they defeated the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped. They
have dwelt there to this day.

a. The sons of Simeon . . . these were the dwelling places: Simeon and Levi, two of the
sons of Jacob, massacred the men of the city of Shechem (Genesis 34:24-30, 49:5-7) and
were therefore cursed to be scattered. Therefore, the tribe of Simeon did not have a province
to call their own, only these cities, villages, and dwelling places.

i. “Simeon was granted lands in Palestine only within the arid southwestern
portions of Judah (Joshua 19:1-9; cf. 15:26, 28-32); and it campaigned cooperatively
with Judah in their conquest (Judges 1:3).” (Payne)

ii. “For after the division of Solomon’s kingdom in 930 B.C., elements of Simeon
either moved to the north or at least adopted its religious practices (cf. the inclusion
of Beersheba along with the shrines of Ephraim that are condemned in Amos 5:5) . . .
Other Simeonites carried on in a seminomadic life in isolated areas that they could
occupy, such as those noted at the close of this chapter.” (Payne)

iii. “This genealogy is very different from that given in Genesis 46:10, and Numbers
26:12. This may be occasioned by the same person having several names, one list
taking one name, another list some other, and so on: to reconcile is impossible; to
attempt it, useless.” (Clarke)

b. But his brothers did not have many children, nor did any of their families multiply
as much as the children of Judah: The census data both at the beginning and the end of the
Book of Numbers indicates that the population of the tribe of Simeon decreased radically
during the wilderness years of the exodus. They were among the largest tribes at the
beginning and among the smallest tribes at the end.
 i. “Of this tribe was that shameless fornicator, Zimri (Numbers 35), as also Judas
Iscariot, as Jerome affirmeth.” (Trapp)

B. The tribes of Israel settling east of the Jordan River.

1. (5:1-10) The descendents of Reuben.

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; he was indeed the firstborn, but because he
defiled his father‟s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that
the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and
from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph‟s; the sons of Reuben the firstborn of
Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his
son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, and Beerah his son, whom
Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria carried into captivity. He was leader of the Reubenites. And his
brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was registered: the chief,
Jeiel, and Zechariah, and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in
Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. Eastward they settled as far as the entrance of the
wilderness this side of the River Euphrates, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of
Gilead. Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and
they dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead.

a. Reuben the firstborn of Israel; he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled
his father’s bed, his birthright was given: This answers the question, “If Reuben was the
first-born son, why is he not listed first?” It was because of the sin described in this verse,
which disqualified Reuben from being first among the sons of Israel.

b. Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites: “The Hagarites were tribes
of Nomade, or Scenite, Arabs; people who lived in tents, without any fixed dwellings, and
whose property consisted in cattle. The descendants of Reuben extirpated these Hagarites,
seized on their property and their tents, and dwelt in their place.” (Clarke)

2. (5:11-22) The descendents of Gad.

And the children of Gad dwelt next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salcah: Joel was the
chief, Shapham the next, then Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan, and their brethren of their father‟s
house: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jachan, Zia, and Eber; seven in all. These were the
children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the
son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was
chief of their father‟s house. And the Gadites dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and in its villages, and
in all the common-lands of Sharon within their borders. All these were registered by genealogies
in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. The sons of
Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and
sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war,
who went to war. They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. And they were
helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with
them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust
in Him. Then they took away their livestock; fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and
fifty thousand of their sheep, and two thousand of their donkeys; also one hundred thousand of
their men; for many fell dead, because the war was God‟s. And they dwelt in their place until the
captivity.

a. For they cried out to God in the battle: As these men of Gad did what God called them to
do, they trusted in Him in the midst of the battle. Because they put their trust in Him, God
delivered them in the battle.

i. Trapp on for they cried to God in the battle: “So did Jabez (chapter 4);
Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20); the thundering legion; the late king of Sweden,
whose prayer before the great battle of Lutzen – where he fell, - was, ‘Jesus
vouchsafe this day to be my strong helper; and give me courage to fight for the
honour of thy name.’ Prayer alone he held the surest piece of his whole armour.”

b. Also one hundred thousand of their men; for many fell dead, because the war was
God’s: This describes the unique wars of judgment God called Israel to bring against the
Canaanites when they came into the Promised Land.

i. “This was a war of extermination as to the political state of the people, which
nothing could justify but a special direction of God; and this he could never give
against any, unless the cup of their iniquity had been full. The Hagrites were full of
idolatry: see 1 Chronicles 5:25.” (Clarke)

3. (5:23-26) The descendents of the eastern tribe of Manasseh.

So the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land. Their numbers increased from
Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir, or Mount Hermon. These were the heads of their
fathers‟ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty
men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers‟ houses. And they were unfaithful to the
God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God
had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that
is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of
Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day.

a. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers’ houses:
These original settlers of the eastern tribe of Manasseh were godly and bold men. Their
desire to settle east of the Jordan River did not reflect an ungodly desire on their part.

b. And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the
gods of the peoples of the land: Despite the good start for the eastern tribe of Manasseh,
this is how they ended up. Their distance from the people of Israel in general and the
spiritual life of the nation in particular seemed to weaken their devotion to God and
strengthen their attraction to the gods of the peoples of the land.

i. “The remaining verses of chapter 5 describe an early, joint military campaign (vv.
18-22, elaborating v. 10) – in which God rewarded their faith and their prayers with
a great victory over the Ishmaelites – and their later deportation to Assyria (vv. 25-
26), as the result of collective apostasy.” (Payne)

C. The tribe of Levi.

1. (6:1-30) The descendents of Levi.

The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar,
Hebron, and Uzziel. The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of
Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Eleazar begot Phinehas, and Phinehas begot
Abishua; Abishua begot Bukki, and Bukki begot Uzzi; Uzzi begot Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begot
Meraioth; Meraioth begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok
begot Ahimaaz; Ahimaaz begot Azariah, and Azariah begot Johanan; Johanan begot Azariah (it
was he who ministered as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem); Azariah begot
Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Shallum; Shallum
begot Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begot Azariah; Azariah begot Seraiah, and Seraiah begot Jehozadak.
Jehozadak went into captivity when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity by the
hand of Nebuchadnezzar. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. These are the
names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar,
Hebron, and Uzziel. The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Now these are the families of
the Levites according to their fathers: Of Gershon were Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his
son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. The sons of Kohath were
Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his
son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. The sons of Elkanah were
Amasai and Ahimoth. As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah were Zophai his son, Nahath his son,
Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. The sons of Samuel were Joel the firstborn,
and Abijah the second. The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his
son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

a. The sons of Levi were: This chapter describes the descendants of Levi and of Aaron. The
entire tribe of Levi had a special place in Israel, given over to the service of God generally.
Within the tribe of Levi was a special priestly family descended from Aaron. All priests were
therefore Levites, but not all Levites were priests.

i. “It has been well remarked that the genealogy of Levi is given here more ample
and correct than that of any of the others. And this is perhaps an additional proof
that the author was a priest, felt much for the priesthood, and took care to give the
genealogy of the Levitical and sacerdotal families, from the most correct tables; for
with such tables we may presume he was intimately acquainted.” (Clarke)

ii. As previously seen, Simeon and Levi were both cursed to be scattered because of
their massacre of the men of Shechem (Genesis 34:24-30, 49:5-7). God did in fact
both divide the tribes of Simeon and Levi and scatter them among Israel. Yet the
way it happened for each tribe was different. The tribe of Simeon, because of their
lack of faithfulness, was effectively dissolved as a tribe, and the tribe of Simeon was
absorbed into the tribal area of Judah. The tribe of Levi was also scattered, but
because of the faithfulness of this tribe during the rebellion of the golden calf
(Exodus 32:26-28), the tribe was scattered as a blessing throughout the whole
nation of Israel. Both were scattered, but one as a blessing and the other as curse.

b. In the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem: “So called to distinguish it from the
second temple, which was built or in building when these books were written.” (Poole)

c. When the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity by the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar: According to pattern, the inspired historian saw the hand of God even in
the great tragedy that still afflicted Judah at the time of writing Chronicles. It was not the
Babylonian Empire that carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity, but it was the LORD.
 2. (6:31-48) The musicians for the House of the LORD.

Now these are the men whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the
LORD, after the ark came to rest. They were ministering with music before the dwelling place of
the tabernacle of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they
served in their office according to their order. And these are the ones who ministered with their
sons: Of the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,
the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the
son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the
son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph,
the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. And his
brother Asaph, who stood at his right hand, was Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea,
the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah,
the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the
son of Gershon, the son of Levi. Their brethren, the sons of Merari, on the left hand, were Ethan
the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah,
the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer, the son of Mahli, the son
of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. And their brethren, the Levites, were appointed to
every kind of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

a. Whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the
ark came to rest: The dramatic entry of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem is described
in both 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 15-16.

i. The fact that David appointed these men over the service of song shows that the
musical worship of God is important, it is worthy of attention, and should be
organized. In fact, it is specifically said they served in their office according to
their order.

ii. It could perhaps be said that the artistic temperament resists organization, and it
is certainly possible to be too ordered and too rigid, refusing to allow a proper
flexibility in the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, organization and order remain part of a
good music ministry.

iii. They were ministering with music: Their ministry was music. It was sacred
service before the LORD, worthy of their dedication and hard work.
b. Heman the singer: This man is mentioned several times in connection with temple
worship in the days of David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 15:17-19, 16:41-42, 25:1-7, 2
Chronicles 5:12-13). He was an important part of the ceremonies connected with bringing
the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and the dedication of the temple.

i. Psalm 88 is attributed to Heman: A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief
Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A Contemplation [Maschil] of Heman the
Ezrahite.

ii. Psalm 88 shows us a man well acquainted with sorrow and trouble: For my soul is
full of troubles (88:3) . . . I am like a man who has no strength (88:4) . . . Your wrath
lies heavy upon me (88:7). Some of the sweetest songs come from the heaviest
sorrow.

iii. Psalm 88 also shows us a man who could take his grief to the LORD: But to You I
have cried out, O LORD, and in the morning my prayer comes before You (88:13). It is
not a confident or triumphant psalm, but the undercurrent of trust and refuge in
God runs through the song of sorrow.

c. And his brother Asaph, who stood at his right hand: Partnered with Heman the singer
was Asaph, making for one of the great worship-leading combinations in history.

i. This is the first mention of Asaph in the Bible; the Asaph listed in 2 Kings 18:18
and 18:37 is a different man. Asaph was a man of wide and long-lasting influence
among God’s people.

1 Chronicles 15:17-19 mentions Asaph as a fellow singer with Heman and

Ethan.

1 Chronicles 16:5 describes Asaph as the chief at the ceremony bringing the
ark of the covenant into Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 16:7 says that David delivered a psalm to Asaph and his
brethren at that ceremony. Apparently, David wrote the psalm and Asaph
and his brethren performed it.
 1 Chronicles 16:17 says that Asaph was left with the responsibility to daily
minister before the ark of the covenant when it was brought into the
Jerusalem in David’s time.

1 Chronicles 25:6 says that Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman served in music
under the authority of King David.

2 Chronicles 20:14 and 29:13 indicate that the influence of Asaph lasted far
beyond his death, in that future worship leaders and musicians were known
as the sons of Asaph, even to the days of Ezra (Ezra 2:41, 3:10; Nehemiah
7:44, 11:17 and 22).

ii. 12 Psalms are attributed to Asaph (Psalm 50 and Psalms 73 through 83).

d. Appointed to every kind of service of the tabernacle of the house of God: The Levites
served God in almost every conceivable way, both practical and spiritual in appearance.
Every kind of service is important and precious to God.

3. (6:49-53) The family of Aaron.

But Aaron and his sons offered sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of
incense, for all the work of the Most Holy Place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to
all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. Now these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his
son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, Meraioth
his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.

a. But Aaron and his sons offered sacrifices on the altar: The priesthood descended from
Aaron and Aaron only. He, his sons, and their descendants were the only ones authorized to
offer sacrifices on the altar.

b. And to make atonement for Israel: Only an authorized priest could make atonement.
Though Jesus was not descended from Aaron, He was nevertheless an authorized priest
according to the order of Melchezidek, not Aaron (Hebrews 7).

c. Now these are the sons of Aaron: Not listed are the two disobedient sons of Aaron
(Nadab and Abihu) who were judged for bringing a strange fire of corrupt worship to the
altar (Leviticus 10).
 4. (6:54-81) The cities and common-lands of the Levites.

Now these are their dwelling places throughout their settlements in their territory, for they were
given by lot to the sons of Aaron, of the family of the Kohathites: They gave them Hebron in the
land of Judah, with its surrounding common-lands. But the fields of the city and its villages they
gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. And to the sons of Aaron they gave one of the cities of
refuge, Hebron; also Libnah with its common-lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its common-lands,
Hilen with its common-lands, Debir with its common-lands, Ashan with its common-lands, and
Beth Shemesh with its common-lands. And from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its common-
lands, Alemeth with its common-lands, and Anathoth with its common-lands. All their cities
among their families were thirteen. To the rest of the family of the tribe of the Kohathites they
gave by lot ten cities from half the tribe of Manasseh. And to the sons of Gershon, throughout
their families, they gave thirteen cities from the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from
the tribe of Naphtali, and from the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. To the sons of Merari,
throughout their families, they gave twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad,
and from the tribe of Zebulun. So the children of Israel gave these cities with their common-
lands to the Levites. And they gave by lot from the tribe of the children of Judah, from the tribe
of the children of Simeon, and from the tribe of the children of Benjamin these cities which are
called by their names. Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath were given cities as their
territory from the tribe of Ephraim. And they gave them one of the cities of refuge, Shechem
with its common-lands, in the mountains of Ephraim, also Gezer with its common-lands,
Jokmeam with its common-lands, Beth Horon with its common-lands, Aijalon with its common-
lands, and Gath Rimmon with its common-lands. And from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner
with its common-lands and Bileam with its common-lands, for the rest of the family of the sons
of Kohath. From the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh the sons of Gershon were given Golan
in Bashan with its common-lands and Ashtaroth with its common-lands. And from the tribe of
Issachar: Kedesh with its common-lands, Daberath with its common-lands, Ramoth with its
common-lands, and Anem with its common-lands. And from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its
common-lands, Abdon with its common-lands, Hukok with its common-lands, and Rehob with
its common-lands. And from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its common-lands,
Hammon with its common-lands, and Kirjathaim with its common-lands. From the tribe of
Zebulun the rest of the children of Merari were given Rimmon with its common-lands and Tabor
with its common-lands. And on the other side of the Jordan, across from Jericho, on the east side
of the Jordan, they were given from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its
common-lands, Jahzah with its common-lands, Kedemoth with its common-lands, and Mephaath
with its common-lands. And from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its common-lands,
Mahanaim with its common-lands, Heshbon with its common-lands, and Jazer with its common-
lands.
 a. Now these are their dwelling places throughout their settlements: According to
Numbers 18:20-24, the tribe of Levi had no province of land as the other tribes did. Their
inheritance was the LORD Himself and the tithes that the people of God brought to them.

b. They gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, with its surrounding common-lands:
After this pattern, the Levites were “sprinkled” throughout the land of Israel by giving them
cities in the different tribal provinces, cities together with surrounding common-lands
(Numbers 35:1-8).

D. The other tribes of Israel.

1. (7:1-5) The descendents of Issachar.

The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron; four in all. The sons of Tola were
Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father‟s house. The sons of
Tola were mighty men of valor in their generations; their number in the days of David was
twenty-two thousand six hundred. The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah, and the sons of Izrahiah were
Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Ishiah. All five of them were chief men. And with them, by their
generations, according to their fathers‟ houses, were thirty-six thousand troops ready for war; for
they had many wives and sons. Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were
mighty men of valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all.

a. Thirty-six thousand troops ready for war: “For Israhiah and his four sons, even with
‘many wives,’ to have ‘36,000’ warriors seems unlikely, as does the total (vv. 2-5) of 145,600
for just one tribe of the Twelve. This appears to be the first of nine passages in Chronicles
where elep (‘thosuand’) might be better interpreted as allup (‘chief’).” (Payne)

2. (7:6-12) The descendents of Benjamin.

The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael; three in all. The sons of Bela were Ezbon,
Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri; five in all. They were heads of their fathers‟ houses, and they
were listed by their genealogies, twenty-two thousand and thirty-four mighty men of valor. The
sons of Becher were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jerimoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and
Alemeth. All these are the sons of Becher. And they were recorded by genealogy according to
their generations, heads of their fathers‟ houses, twenty thousand two hundred mighty men of
valor. The son of Jediael was Bilhan, and the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud,
Chenaanah, Zethan, Tharshish, and Ahishahar. All these sons of Jediael were heads of their
fathers‟ houses; there were seventeen thousand two hundred mighty men of valor fit to go out for
war and battle. Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, and Hushim was the son of Aher.

a. Ehud: This was the famous leader for Israel noted in Judges 3:12-30.

b. The son of Aher: Many believe that is better rendered the sons of Aher and is a veiled
reference to the tribe of Dan, who is not otherwise mentioned in this genealogy.

i. “The sons of Aher; but divers take the Hebrew word aher for a common, not proper
name, and render the words this, another son, or the son of another family or tribe, to
wit, of Dan, as may be gathered.” (Poole)

ii. There are at least four things that support the idea that this is a veiled reference
to the tribe of Dan:

In Genesis 46:23 Hushim is mentioned as the son of Dan.

The next verse in 1 Chronicles (7:13) mentions the sons of Bilhah, who was
mother to both Dan and Naphtali, also mentioned in that verse.

Otherwise the genealogy of Dan is left out.

Hebrew writers sometimes used the word another (aher) to describe “an
abominable thing which the writer disdained to mention; whence they call a
swine, which to them was a very unclean and loathsome creature, another
thing.”

iii. “And it must be remembered that the tribe of Dan had made themselves and their
memory infamous and detestable by that gross idolatry, which began first and
continued longest in that tribe, Judges 18.” (Poole)

3. (7:13) The descendents of Naphtali.

The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

4. (7:14-19) The descendents of the Western Tribe of Manasseh.

The descendants of Manasseh: his Syrian concubine bore him Machir the father of Gilead, the
father of Asriel. Machir took as his wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose name was
Maachah. The name of Gilead’s grandson was Zelophehad, but Zelophehad begot only
daughters. (Maachah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh. The name of
his brother was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. The son of Ulam was Bedan.)
These were the descendants of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. His sister
Hammoleketh bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. And the sons of Shemida were Ahian,
Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

a. But Zelophehad begot only daughters: Zelophehad is one mentioned in Numbers 26:33,
27:1-11 and 36:1-12 when the question came to Moses about female inheritance rights.

5. (7:20-29) The descendents of Ephraim.

The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eladah his son, Tahath his
son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. The men of Gath who were born in
that land killed them because they came down to take away their cattle. Then Ephraim their
father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. And when he went in to his
wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy had come
upon his house. Now his daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and
Uzzen Sheerah; and Rephah was his son, as well as Resheph, and Telah his son, Tahan his son,
Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Nun his son, and Joshua his son. Now their
possessions and dwelling places were Bethel and its towns: to the east Naaran, to the west Gezer
and its towns, and Shechem and its towns, as far as Ayyah and its towns; and by the borders of
the children of Manasseh were Beth Shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and
its towns, Dor and its towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph, the son of Israel.

a. The sons of Ephraim: “The Ephraimites were famous for their wealth, power, and
prowess; but withal they are noted for insolent, proud, and quarrelsome.” (Trapp)
 6. (7:30-40) The descendents of Asher.

The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah
were Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. And Heber begot Japhlet, Shomer,
Hotham, and their sister Shua. The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These
were the children of Japhlet. The sons of Shemer were Ahi, Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. And
the sons of his brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. The sons of Zophah were
Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Jithran, and Beera. The
sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara. The sons of Ulla were Arah, Haniel, and Rizia.
All these were the children of Asher, heads of their fathers‟ houses, choice men, mighty men of
valor, chief leaders. And they were recorded by genealogies among the army fit for battle; their
number was twenty-six thousand.

a. Their sister Serah . . . their sister Shua: “The rabbins say that the daughters of Asher
were very beautiful, and were all matched with kings or priests.” (Clarke)

7. (8:1-40) The descendents of Benjamin.

Now Benjamin begot Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, Nohah the fourth,
and Rapha the fifth. The sons of Bela were Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,
Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. These are the sons of Ehud, who were the heads of the fathers‟
houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and who forced them to move to Manahath: Naaman, Ahijah,
and Gera who forced them to move. He begot Uzza and Ahihud. And Shaharaim had children in
the country of Moab, after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives. By Hodesh his wife he
begot Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sachiah, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of
their fathers‟ houses. And by Hushim he begot Abitub and Elpaal. The sons of Elpaal were Eber,
Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns; and Beriah and Shema, who were
heads of their fathers‟ houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove out the inhabitants of
Gath. Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, Michael, Ispah, and Joha were the sons of
Beriah. Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Ishmerai, Jizliah, and Jobab were the sons of
Elpaal. Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the
sons of Shimei. Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Antothijah,
Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah,
Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. These were heads of the fathers‟ houses by their
generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem. Now the father of Gibeon, whose wife‟s name
was Maacah, dwelt at Gibeon. And his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab,
Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, and Mikloth, who begot Shimeah. They also dwelt alongside their relatives
in Jerusalem, with their brethren. Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan,
Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal. The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal
begot Micah. The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. And Ahaz begot
Jehoaddah; Jehoaddah begot Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza. Moza begot
Binea, Raphah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son. Azel had six sons whose names were
these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of
Azel. And the sons of Eshek his brother were Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet
the third. The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor; archers. They had many sons and
grandsons, one hundred and fifty in all. These were all sons of Benjamin.

a. Now Benjamin: The tribe was already mentioned in 1 Chronicles 7:6-12, but is given
more attention here. One reason for this is because the most of these settlements were in the
area of Jerusalem, which was the main area that the returning exiles came to in the days
Chronicles was written.

i. “Chronicles elaborates this material, not simply because of the significance of King
Saul and his family, as it continued a dozen generations after him, but primarily
because of the importance of Benjamin as a tribe, which ranked second only to
Judah in postexilic society.” (Payne)

b. Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul: “This Ner is also called Abiel (1 Samuel 9:1). The
Hebrews tell us that his proper name was Abiel; and that he was called Ner – that is, a lamp
or torch – because he outshone in holiness.”

c. The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal: “The same as Mephi-bosheth; for, as the Israelites
detested Baal, which signifies lord, they changed it into bosheth, which signifies shame or
reproach.” (Clarke)

d. Azel had six sons whose names were these: “Of the six sons of Azel, mentioned 1 Chron
8:38, R.S. Jarchi says that their allegorical expositions were sufficient to load thirteen
thousand camels! No doubt these were reputed to be deeply learned men. There was a time
when the allegorizers and metaphor-men ranked very high among theologians, even in our
own enlightened and critical country. At present they are almost totally out of fashion. May
they never recover their footing! But what a shameful hyperbole is that of Jarchi! The
writings of six men a load for thirteen thousand camels!” (Clarke)

e. The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor; archers: Archers is in “Hebrew, that tread
the bow; for the bows of steel, which these used, required great strength to bend them;
which therefore they did by treading the bow with their feet, and pulling the string with both
their hands.” (Poole)
© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 9 - L EADERS IN J ERUSALEM

A. Leaders in Jerusalem at the return from exile.

1. (1-2) Summary of the genealogies.

So all Israel was recorded by genealogies, and indeed, they were inscribed in the book of the
kings of Israel. But Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.
And the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israelites, priests,
Levites, and the Nethinim.

a. So all Israel was recorded: The first eight chapters of 1 Chronicles list these genealogical
records. These records were inscribed in the book of the kings of Israel, but these are not
the same books we know today as 1 or 2 Kings.

i. “Not in that sacred and canonical book so called, but (as hath been oft observed
before) in the public records, wherein there was an account of that kingdom, and of
several families in it, according to their genealogies.” (Poole)

b. But Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness: In
one sentence, the Chronicler reminds is that it was the clash of empires or the intrigues of
the geopolitical scene that doomed the Kingdom of Judah. It was their unfaithfulness to
God. If they had remained faithful, God would have protected them amid the rise and fall of a
hundred powerful empires.

c. And the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were
Israelites: The Chronicler completely skips over the 70 years of captivity between verses 1
and 2. His interest is not only in the past (demonstrated by 8 previous chapters of
genealogies), but also in the present and in the future. The Israelites were back in the land.
 i. “All this means that Chronicles has taken the history of Israel a stage further than 1
and 2 Kings. Although 2 Kings end on a note of genuine hope (2 Kings 25:27-30), it is
restrained and Israel is still in exile. But now winter is over, and these lists are a
definite sign that spring has begun to arrive.” (Selman)

ii. No longer was there a kingdom of Judah and another kingdom of Israel; now they
were all Israelites. “Called here by the general name of Israelites, which was given
to them before that unhappy division of the two kingdoms, and now is restored to
them when the Israelites are united with the Jews in one and the same
commonwealth, so that all the names and signs of their former division might be
blotted out.” (Poole)

d. Who dwelt in their possessions: The idea is that the people of the tribes of Israel came
back to their ancestral lands, promised to them by God and first possessed in the days of
Moses and Joshua.

i. In their possessions: “‘Their ancestral land’ (NEB; their own property, NIV) is a
term rarely found in Chronicles (only 1 Chronicles 7:28; 2 Chronicles 11:14; 31:1. Its
occurrence here evokes its frequent use in the time of Moses and Joshua.” (Selman)

ii. God kept the land empty for them during the exile. “A wonderful providence of
God it was, that as the land kept her Sabbaths for those seventy years, so the country
should be all that while kept empty, till the return of the natives.” (Trapp)

d. Priests, Levites, and the Nethinim: These were three categories of workers at the
temple, who had the work of restoring the temple and its worship in the days of Ezra.

Priests were the descendents of Aaron who had the right to offer sacrifice and take
care of the Holy Place in the temple.

Levites were the much broader class of religious workers, who served in many
ways: practical, artistic, and spiritual.

The Nethinim were special servants given to the temple.

i. “The ‘temple servants’ were literally ‘given ones.’ They might consist of captives
who had been spared but enslaved to temple service. Early Hebrew examples
include the certain Midianite women (Numbers 31:35, 47) or the people of Gibeon
 (Joshua 9:22-23), but their organization as a class is credited to David (Ezra 8:20).”
(Payne)

2. (3-9) Leading post-exilic citizens of Jerusalem.

Now in Jerusalem the children of Judah dwelt, and some of the children of Benjamin, and of the
children of Ephraim and Manasseh: Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri,
the son of Bani, of the descendants of Perez, the son of Judah. Of the Shilonites: Asaiah the
firstborn and his sons. Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brethren; six hundred and ninety. Of
the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah;
Ibneiah the son of Jeroham; Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; Meshullam the son of
Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; and their brethren, according to their
generations; nine hundred and fifty-six. All these men were heads of a father‟s house in their
fathers‟ houses.

a. Now in Jerusalem the children of Judah dwelt: This begins a list (1 Chronicles 9:2-17)
that is in some ways similar to a list in Nehemiah 11 and in some ways different. Biblical
researchers debate if the lists are more similar or more different, and the exact points of
connection and difference can be difficult to assess.

B. Other post-exilic leaders in Jerusalem.

1. (10-13) Leaders among the priests.

Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin; Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam,
the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the officer over the house of God;
Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai the son of Adiel, the
son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; and their
brethren, heads of their fathers‟ houses; one thousand seven hundred and sixty. They were very
able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

a. They were very able men: This same phrase is translated mighty men of valor in many
other Old Testament passages (Joshua 1:14, Judges 6:12, 1 Samuel 16:18, and many others).
It shows that when it came to doing the work of the service of the house of God, it takes a
man of strength and courage, the same qualities that are needed in a warrior.
 i. “The phrase ‘very able men’ means ‘might men of valour’ and is so rendered in this
historic connection in Nehemiah (11:14). The description is usually employed with
reference to military men, and that makes its use here the more arresting.”
(Morgan)

2. (14-16) Leaders among the Levites.

Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the
sons of Merari; Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the
son of Asaph; Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and
Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

3. (17-34) Levite gatekeepers and temple workers.

And the gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brethren. Shallum was
the chief. Until then they had been gatekeepers for the camps of the children of Levi at the
King‟s Gate on the east. Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his
brethren, from his father‟s house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service,
gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of the
LORD. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the LORD
was with him. Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was keeper of the door of the tabernacle of
meeting. All those chosen as gatekeepers were two hundred and twelve. They were recorded by
their genealogy, in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their trusted
office. So they and their children were in charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, the
house of the tabernacle, by assignment. The gatekeepers were assigned to the four directions: the
east, west, north, and south. And their brethren in their villages had to come with them from time
to time for seven days. For in this trusted office were four chief gatekeepers; they were Levites.
And they had charge over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. And they lodged all
around the house of God because they had the responsibility, and they were in charge of opening
it every morning. Now some of them were in charge of the serving vessels, for they brought them
in and took them out by count. Some of them were appointed over the furnishings and over all
the implements of the sanctuary, and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the incense
and the spices. And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices. Mattithiah of
the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the trusted office over the things that were
baked in the pans. And some of their brethren of the sons of the Kohathites were in charge of
preparing the showbread for every Sabbath. These are the singers, heads of the fathers‟ houses of
the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were
employed in that work day and night. These heads of the fathers‟ houses of the Levites were
heads throughout their generations. They dwelt at Jerusalem.

a. And the gatekeepers were: This describes the re-institution of the organization of the
temple work and workers in the early days of the second temple. They were anxious to
organize things in the same manner as King David did originally.

i. It also denotes that there was definite organization and division of labor among
the Levites. “When the morning broke, it called to duty first the porters who opened
the House of God; and then, after due ablution, each band of white-robed Levites
began its special service. There was no running to and fro in disorder, no intrusion
on one another’s office, no clashing in duty, no jealousy of each other’s ministry. It
was enough to know that each had been appointed to his task, and was asked to be
faithful to it. The right ordering of the whole depended on the punctuality, fidelity,
and conscientiousness of each.” (Meyer)

ii. “Since both Meshelemiah and Zechariah served under David (1 Chronicles 26:8-
11), this ‘Tent of Meeting’ would seem to refer to the curtained form of God’s house
erected prior to Solomon’s permanent temple.” (Payne)

b. Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the LORD
was with him: The Chronicler remembered the faithful work of Phinehas in the days of
Moses (Numbers 25:7-13), and linked his faithfulness to the work of the gatekeepers in the
days of Ezra.

i. “The fact that the LORD was with him [Phinehas] indicates that the Lord was also
with those gatekeepers of the Chronicler’s day who followed in the same living
tradition of divine service.” (Selman)

4. (35-44) The ancestors and descendents of King Saul.

Jeiel the father of Gibeon, whose wife‟s name was Maacah, dwelt at Gibeon. His firstborn son
was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. And
Mikloth begot Shimeam. They also dwelt alongside their relatives in Jerusalem, with their
brethren. Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and
Esh-Baal. The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal begot Micah. The sons of Micah
were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. And Ahaz begot Jarah; Jarah begot Alemeth, Azmaveth,
and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza; Moza begot Binea, Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, and
Azel his son. And Azel had six sons whose names were these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael,
Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.

a. Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan: For emphasis, some of the genealogy of the
line of Saul (both before him and after him) is listed. This was to emphasize the fact that God
did not wipe out the line of Saul, and that his descendants lived to the days of Ezra and the
return from exile.

i. “Since the genealogy continues for twelve generations after Saul, the fact that his
dynasty crashed and his kingship was transferred to David did not remove his
family’s place in Israelite history. They too had lived in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles
9:38), and though we do not know whether this continued after the exile, even for
them there were signs of hope.” (Selman)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 10 - T HE D EATH OF S AUL

“Having established Israel’s historical setting and ethnic bounds in the preceding genealogies, the Chronicler
now enters on his main subject, the history of the Hebrew kingdom, with its theological conclusions.” (Payne)

A. The death of King Saul.

1. (1-2) The battle on Mount Gilboa.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines,
and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And
the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul‟s sons.
 a. Now the Philistines fought against Israel: The Philistines were an immigrant people
from the military aristocracy of the island of Crete (Amos 9:7). Small numbers of Philistines
were in the land at the time of Abraham; but they only came in force soon after Israel came
to Canaan from Egypt. They were organized into five city-states. Archaeologists tell us two
other things about the Philistines: they were hard drinkers, and they were the first in the
region to effectively use iron, and they made the most of it.

i. The Philistines were a sea-faring people, and traded with distant lands. Therefore
they imported newer and better military technology from the Greeks and became a
powerful enemy of the people of Israel. At that time, Israel could compete on more
equal terms with Moab and Ammon, but Greek military equipment (helmets, shields,
coats of mail, swords and spears) made the Philistines much more formidable
opponents.

b. The men of Israel fled from before the Philistines: The Philistines had attacked deep
into Israeli territory (1 Samuel 28:4), and Saul’s army assembled and prepared for battle at
Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:4). Because of his deep rebellion against the LORD, Saul was not
ready for battle: When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart
trembled greatly (1 Samuel 28:5). It doesn’t surprise us that with such a leader the soldiers
of Israel could not stand before the Philistines.

i. “Wonder not that Saul fell by the hands of the Philistines, who were armed against
him by his own sin and by God’s vengeance for it.” (Poole)

c. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons:
Tragically, Saul’s sons were affected in the judgment of God against their father Saul. The
brave and worthy Jonathan died as he had lived - loyally fighting unto the very end for his
God, his country, and his father the king.

2. (3-6) Saul dies in battle.

The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers.
Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these
uncircumcised men come and abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly
afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was
dead, he also fell on his sword and died. So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died
together.
 a. The battle became fierce against Saul: Saul, struck by many arrows and wounded,
knew the battle was completely lost. He pled with his armorbearer to kill him, and when he
would not, Saul killed himself (Saul took a sword and fell on it).

i. “The flower of his army lay strewn around him; the chivalry of Israel was
quenched in rivers of blood. Then, leaving all others, the Philistines concentrated
their attack on that lordly figure which towered amid the fugitives, the royal crown
on the helmet, the royal bracelet flashing on his arm.” (Meyer)

ii. In the way most people think of suicide, Saul‟s death was not suicide. Clarke explains well:
“He was to all appearance mortally wounded, when he begged his armourbearer to extinguish the
remaining spark of life . . . though this wound accelerated his death, yet it could not be properly
the cause of it, as he was mortally wounded before, and did it on the conviction that he could not
survive.” (Clarke on 1 Samuel)

iii. Taking the Bible‟s teaching on this point in its entirety, we can say that God does regard
suicide as sin; it is the sin of self-murder. Yet, we are wrong if we regard it as the unforgivable
sin, and anyone who does commit suicide has given in to the lies and deceptions of Satan, whose
purpose is to kill and destroy (John 10:10).

iv. “Suicide is always the ultimate action of cowardice. In the case of Saul, and in
many similar cases, it is perfectly natural; but let it never be glorified as heroic. It is
the last resort of the man who dare not stand up to life.” (Morgan)

b. So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together: So was the tragic end
of this first king of Israel, who started with great promise but ended his reign in disaster for
himself, his sons, and his kingdom.

i. There were still some surviving members of Saul’s family, yet “Every branch of his
family that had followed him to the war was cut off; his three sons are mentioned as
being the chief.” (Clarke)

ii. “The Amalekite’s story of Saul’s death in 2 Samuel 1 is ignored, perhaps because
its authenticity was doubted in ancient as well as in modern times.” (Selman)
B. The aftermath of King Saul’s death.

1. (7) Israel is defeated in battle.

And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and
his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; then the Philistines came and dwelt in
them.

a. Saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead: When the
leader (King Saul) was struck, it spread panic among God’s people. Jesus knew this same
principle would be used against His own disciples: Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be
made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the
sheep will be scattered.’” (Mark 14:27)

i. Saul’s sin, hardened rebellion, and eventual ruin affected far more than himself
and even his immediate family. It literally endangered the entire nation of Israel.

b. They forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them: The
victory of the Philistines was so complete that even those on the other side of the Jordan (1
Samuel 31:7) fled in terror before the Philistines. With the Philistine army occupying
territory on the other side of the Jordan they had cut Israel in half, drawing a line from west to
east. The rest of the nation was ripe for total conquest by the Philistines.

2. (8-10) Saul is further disgraced after his death.

So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and
his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and
sent word throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols
and among the people. Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods, and fastened his head
in the temple of Dagon.

a. To proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among the people: Saul’s tragic
death gave opportunity for the enemies of the LORD to disgrace His name. First, they gave
the ultimate insult to Saul; in that culture, to have your dead body treated this way was
 considered a fate worse than death itself. Second, Saul’s death was used to glorify pagan gods
and to mock the living God.

3. (11-12) The courage and faithfulness of the men of Jabesh Gilead.

And when all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men
arose and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons; and they brought them to Jabesh, and
buried their bones under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

a. And when all Jabesh Gilead: These heroic men are recognized for their gratitude. Many
years before, Saul delivered their city from the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:1-11), and they
repay the kindness God showed them from the hand of Saul. Upon taking the throne, David
rightly thanked these valiant men for their kindness to the memory of Saul, Jonathan, and
Saul’s other sons (2 Samuel 2:4-7).

b. All the valiant men arose: In a time of disgrace, loss, and tragedy like this, God still has
His valiant men to do His work. The men of Jabesh Gilead took down the bodies of Saul and
his sons from their place of humiliation and gave them a proper burial.

i. God always has His valiant men. When one servant passes the scene, another
arises to take his place. If Saul is gone, God raises up a David. If the army of Israel is
utterly routed, God still has His valiant men. God’s work is bigger than any man, or
any group of people.

4. (13-14) The spiritual reason for the tragedy of King Saul.

So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did
not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he
did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the
son of Jesse.

a. So Saul died for his unfaithfulness: The story of King Saul is one of the great tragedies of
the Bible. He was humble at his beginning, yet seeming to lack any genuine spiritual
 connection with God, he was easily and quickly corrupted by pride and fear. Saul becomes a
tragic example of wasted potential.

i. “Saul was a man than whom no other had greater opportunities, but his failure
was disastrous. Of good standing in the nation, distinctly called and commissioned
by God, honored with the friendship of Samuel, surrounded by a band of men whose
hearts God had touched, everything was in his favor. From the beginning he failed;
step by step he declined in conduct and character, until he went out.” (Morgan)

b. But he did not inquire of the LORD: Saul did not have a genuine connection with God
and did not seek God for the difficulties of his life. He consulted a medium for guidance,
but not the LORD God.

i. “When a human being is called of God to service, there is always given to an one
the guidance of God, in direct spiritual communication. If there be disobedience, this
guidance is necessarily withdrawn. Then, the forsaken man or woman, craving for
supernatural aid, turns to sorcery, witchcraft, spiritism; and the issue is always
destructive.” (Morgan)

ii. It does say in 1 Samuel 28:6 that Saul did inquire of the LORD. “Such an
inconsiderable and trifling inquiry as Saul made, is justly accounted to be no inquiry
at all; as they are said not to eat the Lord’s supper, 1 Corinthians 11:20, who did eat it
in a sinful and irregular manner.” (Poole)

c. And turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse: In 1 Samuel 13:14 God
promised to take the kingdom from Saul and give it to a man after His own heart. This took
many years to become a fact, but at the death of Saul, David became king over Israel.

i. “Upon the whole subject of responsible service, the story of Saul throws the light
of the most solemn warning.” (Morgan)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 11 - D AVID ’ S R EIGN AND M IGHTY M EN

A. David becomes king over Israel.

1. (1-3) The elders declare David king at Hebron.

Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your
flesh. Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and
brought them in; and the LORD your God said to you, „You shall shepherd My people Israel,
and be ruler over My people Israel.‟” Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at
Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. Then they anointed
David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.

a. Then all Israel came together to David: Prior to this, only one of the tribes of Israel
recognized David as king. The other tribes recognized the pretend king Ishbosheth, a son of
Saul. Ishbosheth was murdered is recorded in 2 Samuel 4 - so now the tribes turned to
David.

i. “It is significant that the chronicler makes no reference to the seven years in which
David reigned over Judah. He begins with the crowning at Hebron, when all Israel
acknowledged his kingship.” (Morgan)

ii. This was actually David’s third anointing. The first was before his family and
Samuel when David was very young (1 Samuel 16:1-13). The second was an
anointing and recognition by the tribe of Judah after the death of Saul (2 Samuel
2:4). This third anointing was after the defeat of Ishbosheth, a son of Saul who
claimed the right to the throne.

iii. It is sad that the tribes only turned to David when their previous choice
(Ishbosheth, a son of Saul) was taken away. On the same principle, it’s sad when
 Christians only really recognized Jesus as king when other choices crumble. We
should choose Jesus outright, not just when other options fail.

b. We are your bone and your flesh: The elders of Israel received David’s leadership
because he was an Israelite himself. This was significant because for a period of time David
lived as a Philistine among the Philistines. The elders of Israel put that away and embrace
David as one of their own.

c. You were the one who led Israel out and brought them in: The elders of Israel received
David’s leadership because he already had displayed his ability to lead.

d. The LORD said to you, “You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over
Israel”: The elders of Israel received David’s leadership because it was evident God called
him to lead.

i. These three characteristics should mark anyone who leads God’s people.

A leader must belong to God’s people in heritage and heart.

A leader must demonstrate capability to lead.

A leader must have an evident call from God.

ii. The elders of Israel received David’s leadership when they saw these things in
David. When we see these same things in leaders we should also receive their
leadership.

iii. “The image of the shepherd, who in ancient times was normally an employee or a
dependant, also confirms that David as king was answerable to Yahweh for his
flock.” (Selman)

e. According to the word of the LORD by Samuel: This was prophesied by Samuel in
passages like 1 Samuel 13:14 and 16:11-13.
 2. (4-9) David takes control of Jerusalem, making it his capital city.

And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the
inhabitants of the land. Then the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in
here!” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). Now David
said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.” And Joab the son of
Zeruiah went up first, and became chief. Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they
called it the City of David. And he built the city around it, from the Millo to the surrounding
area. Joab repaired the rest of the city. Then David went on and became great, and the LORD of
hosts was with him.

a. David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus: To this point Jerusalem was a
small Canaanite city in the center of Israel. Some 400 years after God commanded Israel to
take the whole land, this city was still in Canaanite hands.

b. You shall not come in here: Because of its location, Jerusalem was an easily defended
city. This made the Jebusites overconfident and quick to mock David and his troops.
Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion: Despite the difficulty, David and his men
took the city.

i. At this time Joab the son of Zeruiah was captain of David’s armies, yet David said
that whoever led the charge into Jerusalem’s walls shall be chief and captain. It
may be that David hoped that someone would replace Joab, but the stubborn Joab
successfully first broke into Jerusalem and retained his position.

c. David dwelt in the stronghold: Jerusalem became the capital city of David’s kingdom. It
was a good choice because:

It has no prior tribal association and was therefore good for a unified Israel.

The geography of the city made it easy to defend against a hostile army.

d. So David went on and became great: David knew greatness, but he was by no means an
“overnight success.” David was long prepared for the greatness he later enjoyed, and he
came to the place of greatness because the LORD of hosts was with him.
 i. In God’s plan there is almost always a hidden price of greatness. Often those who
become great among God’s people experience much pain and difficulty in God’s
training process.

B. David’s mighty men.

1. (10) David needed these faithful men for his success.

Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves
with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD
concerning Israel.

a. Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had: It’s important to
understand that David was nothing without his mighty men, and they were nothing without
him. He was their leader, but a leader is nothing without followers - and David had the
mighty men to follow him. These men didn’t necessarily start as mighty men; many were
some of the distressed, indebted, and discontent people who followed David at Adullam Cave
(1 Samuel 22:1-2).

2. (11-14) Two of David’s mighty men.

And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a
Hachmonite, chief of the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him
at one time. After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three
mighty men. He was with David at Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for
battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. And the people fled from the Philistines.
But they stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines.
So the LORD brought about a great victory.

a. Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains: This man is also mentioned
in 2 Samuel 23:8 records a slightly different name for this man, and records that he killed
800 instead of three hundred here in 1 Chronicles. The difference is probably due to scribal
error in copying.
 i. The fact that Jashobeam was a chief of the captains shows that he was a leader
among leaders. This means that even leaders need leaders. Also, his victory alone
was counted, showing that numbers are important, but they are not the only
measure.

b. After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite: This man led a singular battle
against a far more numerous foe, so much so that his hand was stuck to his sword (2 Samuel
23:10).

3. (15-19) David’s might men and the mission of the water of Bethlehem.

Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and
the army of the Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was then in the
stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David said with
longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is
by the gate!” So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of
Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would
not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. And he said, “Far be it from me, O my God, that I
should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at
the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done
by the three mighty men.

a. Into the cave of Adullam: David spent time in this cave when those who would become
his mighty men first came to him in 1 Samuel 22:1-2. This passage describes something that
happened either during that time or a later time of battle against the Philistines when David
went back to the cave of Adullam.

b. The garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem: This shows how extensive the
Philistines had invaded Israel in the days of Saul.

c. And David said with longing: Hiding in Adullam Cave, David nostalgically remembered
the taste of the water from his boyhood village. He probably longed for it all the more
because it seemed that he couldn’t have it.
 i. We can be caught in the trap of these wistful longings. “Sometimes longings like
his take possession of us. We desire to drink again the waters of comparative
innocence, of childlike trust and joy; to drink again of the fountains of human love;
to have the bright, fresh rapture in God, and nature, and home. But it is a mistake to
look back. Here and now, within us, Jesus is waiting to open the well of living water
which springs up to eternal life, of which if we drink we never thirst.” (Meyer)

ii. Instead, we should look to the Lord right now with confidence for the future
instead of dreaming about the past. “Purity is better than innocence; the blessedness
which comes through suffering is richer than the gladsomeness of childhood; the
peace of the heart is more than peace of circumstances.” (Meyer)

d. So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines: In response to David’s longing
- which wasn’t a command or even a request, just a vocalized longing - three of David’s
mighty men decided to give him what he was longing for. They had to break through the
garrison of the Philistines to do it, and to bring the water all the way back to Adullam Cave.
It was a dangerous and difficult mission, but the courage and persistence of the mighty men
made it happen.

e. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD: David was so
honored by the self-sacrifice of these three mighty men he felt that the water was too good
for him - and worthy to be poured out in sacrifice to the LORD. He believed that the great
sacrifice of these men could only be honored by giving the water to the LORD.

i. “The point of David’s pouring Bethlehem’s precious water on the ground is

threefold. It highlights a great act of Israelite bravery, it exalts David’s ability to
inspire extraordinary loyalty, and it was recognized as an act of worship.” (Selman)

4. (20-25) Other accomplishments of David’s mighty men.

Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another three. He had lifted up his spear against three
hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. Of the three he was more honored
than the other two men. Therefore he became their captain. However he did not attain to the first
three. Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done
many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a
lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, five
cubits tall. In the Egyptian‟s hand there was a spear like a weaver‟s beam; and he went down to
him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian‟s hand, and killed him with his own spear.
These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. Indeed
he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed
him over his guard.

a. Abishai the brother of Joab: This leader among David’s mighty men was famous for his
battle against three hundred men. His leadership is also recorded in passages like 1 Samuel
26:6-9, 2 Samuel 3:30 and 2 Samuel 10:10-14.

b. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada: This leader among David’s mighty men was famous for his
battles against both men (two lion-like heroes of Moab . . . an Egyptian, a spectacular
man) and beasts (a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day).

5. (26-47) The honor roll of David’s mighty men.

Also the mighty warriors were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of
Bethlehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbechai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the sons of
Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth
the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of
Shageh the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, Hepher the
Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, Joel the brother
of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite (the armorbearer
of Joab the son of Zeruiah), Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of
Ahlai, Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite (a chief of the Reubenites) and thirty with him,
Hanan the son of Maachah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the
sons of Hotham the Aroerite, Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, Eliel the
Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel, Obed, and
Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

a. Also the mighty warriors were: These remarkable men were the foundation of the
greatness of David’s reign. They did not come to David as great men but God used his
leadership to transform them from men who were in distress, in debt and discontented, who
met David back at Adullam Cave (1 Samuel 22:1-2).

i. “More than all his victories against outside foes, the influence of his life and
character on the men nearest to him testify to his essential greatness.” (Morgan)
 b. Asahel the brother of Joab: As recorded in 2 Samuel 2:18-23, Asahel was tragically killed
in battle by Abner, who was the commander of Ishbosheth’s armies (this was the son of Saul
who tried to follow him on the throne of Israel).

c. Uriah the Hittite: He is notable among the mighty men because he was the husband of
Bathsheba. When David heard of Bathsheba’s relation to Uriah and Eliam and Ahithophel
(2 Samuel 3:11) he should have put away every idea of adultery.

i. The list of David’s mighty men recorded in 2 Samuel 23 ends with the mention of
Uriah the Hittite. This list adds a few more names. “But here some others are added
to the number, because though they were not of the thirty, yet they were men of
great valour and renown amongst David’s commanders.” (Poole)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 12 - D AVID ’ S A RMY

“Every word of this chapter carries the mind on to great David’s greater Son, and the men He gathers about
Him.” (G. Campbell Morgan)

A. The devotion of David’s army.

1. (1-2) Even the Benjaminites, the tribal relatives of Saul, come to David.

Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the
son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, armed with bows, using
both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of
Benjamin, Saul‟s brethren.
 a. Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag: David’s time in Ziklag is
described in 1 Samuel 27 and 30. This was a time when David lived in the territory of the
Philistines to escape the murderous pursuit of King Saul.

b. They were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, armed with bows, using both
the right hand and the left: During David’s time in Ziklag, certain mighty warriors came
and expressed their allegiance to David and his cause. This was especially remarkable
because they were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren and therefore had much to gain from
Saul’s continued reign. They chose David over Saul because they knew that God was with
David.

i. Judges 3:15 and 20:16 make special notice of left handed warriors; how much
more if the soldiers can use both the right hand and the left!

2. (3-15) David’s diverse army.

The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons
of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite; Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among
the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; Eluzai,
Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer,
and Jashobeam, the Korahites; and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. Some
Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for
battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as
swift as gazelles on the mountains: Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Johanan the eighth,
Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh. These were from the sons of
Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand.
These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its
banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

a. A mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty: As mentioned in the previous
chapter, David’s army seemed to be organized in groups of thirty or the leaders of thirty. In
the same way, a Roman centurion was supposedly a leader of one hundred soldiers.

i. “Certainly ‘Thirty’ is not to be understood in precise numerical terms, as the lists

demonstrate, and either is a rather elastic number, or refers to a special kind of
military leader. The word ‘Thirty’ may in fact mean an officer of some kind, either an
 ‘officer of the third rank’ or a member of a special three-man squad directly
answerable to the king.” (Selman)

b. Mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear,
whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the
mountains: These Gadites were impressive soldiers.

Mighty men of valor: They were men of courage and of a warrior spirit.

Men trained for battle: They were men who paitently received the training they
needed to be mighty warriors.

Who could handle shield and spear: They were men who were skilled in the use of
their essential weapons (both defensive and offensive), with skill gained from their
training.

Whose faces were like the faces of lions: They had the calm demeanor of men who
were confident in God; they had the countenance of fierce and calm warriors.
“Undaunted, fierce, and terrible to their enemies. They durst look death itself in the
face upon great adventures in the field.” (Trapp)

And were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: They were mobile, active men,
ready to fight wherever they were needed.

i. “The grace God can make us like them. The grace of God can make us brave as
lions, so that, wherever we are, we can hold our own, or rather can hold our Lord’s
truth, and never blush nor be ashamed to speak a good word for him at all times. He
can make us quick and active too, so that we shall be like the roes upon the
mountains.” (Spurgeon)

c. These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had
overflowed all its banks: As an example of the might of these men, the Chronicler records
an instance when these brave warriors crossed the Jordan at a dangerous time (Joshua 3:15
and 4:18).

i. Adam Clarke on the first month: “Perhaps this was the month Nisan, which
answers to a part of our March and April. This was probably before the snows on the
mountains were melted, just as Jordan began to overflow its banks, it made their
attempt more hazardous, and afforded additional proof of their heroism.”
 ii. “These Gadites likewise furnish us with a noble example of strong devotion. When
the eleven men determined to join David, they were living the other side of a deep
river, which at that season of the year had overflowed its banks, so that it was
extremely deep and broad. But they were not to be kept from joining David, when he
wanted them, by the river. They swam through the river that they might come to
David.” (Spurgeon)

3. (16-22) David receives loyal soldiers at Ziklag.

Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. And David went
out to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me,
my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in
my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.” Then the Spirit came upon
Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: “We are yours, O David; we are on your side, O son
of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.” So David
received them, and made them captains of the troop. And some from Manasseh defected to
David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them,
for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master
Saul and endanger our heads.” When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him
were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands
who were from Manasseh. And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all
mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army. For at that time they came to David
day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.

a. And David went out to meet them: This shows both David’s large heart and his trust in
God. He received these soldiers whom he had some reason to suspect. In his words to the
sons of Benjamin, he appealed to God for wisdom and righteousness.

b. Then the Spirit came upon Amasai: Literally, this “The Spirit clothed Amasai.” This Old
Testament phrase is only used Judges 6:34 and 2 Chronicles 34:20, but it may have been in
the mind of Jesus when He promised that His followers would be clothed with power from on
high (Luke 24:49).

i. “Amasai might be identified with Amasa, Absalom’s army commander who was
later reinstated by David (2 Samuel 19:13).” (Selman)

c. For your God helps you: Whatever the sons of Benjamin knew about David, they knew
that God helped David. This made them want to follow him.
 i. “We have observed God’s singular and gracious care of thee, and kindness to thee,
and if we should oppose thee, we should be fighters against God and his word and
providence.” (Poole)

d. The lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement: During his time in Ziklag,
David attempted to fight with the Philistines against Saul and the army of Israel. The
Philistine lords, fearing that David planned to defect to his master Saul, refused to allow
David and his mighty men to fight in the battle (1 Samuel 27).

e. Until it was a great army, like the army of God: Under the hand of God and His servant
David, these mighty men – who began as disaffected people with no where else to go (1
Samuel 22:1-2) – developed into an amazing force. David and his mighty men needed each
other and were each nothing without the other.

B. The royal army at Hebron.

1. (23-37) The army of the tribes of Israel.

Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at
Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD: of the sons
of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war; of the sons of
Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred; of the sons of Levi four
thousand six hundred; Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven
hundred; Zadok, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from his father‟s house twenty-two
captains; of the sons of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, three thousand (until then the greatest part of
them had remained loyal to the house of Saul); of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight
hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout their father‟s house; of the half-tribe of
Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king; of
the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their
chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; of Zebulun there were
fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men
who could keep ranks; of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand
with shield and spear; of the Danites who could keep battle formation, twenty-eight thousand six
hundred; of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, forty thousand;
of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the
Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war.
a. Of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred: Some think that the Levites were
prohibited from going to war, but this is not specifically stated. Numbers 1:47-53 says that in
that census they were not to be counted among the other tribes when the men ready for war
were numbered, but it does not say that they could never fight for Israel.

i. “The Levites were never prohibited from engaging in the military activity, despite
their religious duties.” (Selman)

b. The sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought
to do: Some ancient traditions attribute this understanding of the times to skill in
astrology, yet there is no foundation for this speculation. Instead, we should simply see that
these sons of Issachar were men who supported King Saul up until the right time, and at the
right time gave their support to David.

i. “And particularly they showed this point of their wisdom at this time; for as they
had adhered to Saul whilst he lived, as knowing the time was not yet come for David
to take possession of the kingdom.” (Poole)

ii. “Such as well knew what was to be done, and when to do it, by a singular sagacity,
gotten by long experience, rather than by skill astrology.” (Trapp)

c. Stouthearted men who could keep ranks: The idea behind the word stouthearted is
that these were men of a single or whole heart in their devotion to King David. This is
reflected in several other translations:

They were not of double heart (KJV)

To help David with undivided loyalty (NIV)

Helped David with an undivided heart (NASB)

Completely loyal to David (NLT)

i. “We read in verse 33 of Zebulon, whose warriors were not of a double heart; the
margin says that they were ‘without a heart and a heart.’ The double-minded man is
 unstable in all his ways; he is not to be relied upon in his loyalty or service to his
king.” (Meyer)

ii. Because they were completely committed to their king, they could also keep
ranks – that is, they stayed tight in their formations even under the heat of battle.
Their single devotion to their king made them able to stay together as a single unit.

iii. “Too many like to break the ranks, and do God’s work independently. Fifty men
who act together will do greater execution than five hundred acting apart. . . . Unity
is strength; and in their efforts to overthrow the kingdom of Satan it is most
essential that the soldiers of Christ move in rank and keep step.” (Meyer)

2. (38-40) Their great support of Israel’s great king

All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David
king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. And they
were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali,
were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen; provisions of flour and cakes of
figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.

a. To make David king over Israel: This celebration came late (some seven years after the
death of Saul), but it did come. The people of God together recognized David as their king.
Significantly, David would not force his reign upon the people; he waited until they were
willing to make David king over Israel.

i. “From the whole it appears most evident that the great majority of the tribes of
Israel wished to see the kingdom confirmed in the hands of David; nor was there
ever in any country a man more worthy of the public choice.” (Clarke)

b. For there was joy in Israel: Receiving their rightful and anointed king brought joy to
Israel.

i. “The paragraph as a whole, however, shows that the people of God are the real
heroes of the chapter. Those Israelites exemplify the principle that when God’s
 people become committed to one another in obedience service to God’s chosen king,
they find both unity and joy.” (Selman)

ii. “The enthroning of David was the uniting of the kingdom. Herein is the secret of
the unity of the Church. We shall never secure it by endeavouring to bring about an
unity in thought, or act, or organization. It is as each individual heart enthrones the
Saviour that each will become one with all kindred souls in the everlasting
kingdom.” (Meyer)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 13 – K ING D AVID B RINGS THE A RK OF THE C OVENANT TO

J ERUSALEM

A. The attempt to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.

1. (1-4) The plan to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.

Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. And
David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of the LORD our
God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with
them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may
gather together to us; and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it
since the days of Saul.” Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right
in the eyes of all the people.

a. David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every
leader: Notably, the text does not say that David consulted with the LORD. A group of godly
men with good intention would soon make a significant mistake because they took counsel
with each other, but not with the LORD.

i. Payne on to our brethren everywhere who are left: “Literally ‘our brothers that
are left.’ This may reflect something of the seriousness of the third major Philistine
 oppression against Israel, 1010-1003 B.C., which David had just broken (2 Samuel
5:20, 25).”

b. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us: This was the ark of the covenant, which God
commanded Moses to make more than 400 years before David’s time. It was a wood box (the
word ark means “box” or “chest”) completely covered with gold and with an ornate gold lid
or top known as the mercy seat.

i. The ark of our God was 3 feet 9 inches long, 2 feet 3 inches wide and 2 feet 3
inches high. In it were the tablets of the law that Moses brought down from Mount
Sinai, a jar of manna, and the Aaron’s rod that miraculously budded as a
confirmation of his leadership.

ii. The ark of our God had come back from the land of the Philistines some 70 years
before this (1 Samuel 7:1). In those years tt sat at the house of Abinadab, but now
David and the people wanted to bring it back to the center of the national
consciousness.

c. For the thing was right in the eyes of all the people: The idea of bringing the ark of the
covenant back to the center of Israel’s consciousness was good; their method of bringing it
would soon be exposed as faulty.

i. It was good for both David and for the Israelites to have the ark in Jerusalem. “He
knew that not he, but Jehovah, was their true King. His own rule must depend upon
the will and counsel of God. This it was not only necessary for him to know, the fact
must be recognized by the people.” (Morgan)

2. (5-8) The procession of the ark from Kirath Jearim.

So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor in Egypt to as far as the entrance of Hamath,
to bring the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim. And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to
Kirjath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who
dwells between the cherubim, where His name is proclaimed. So they carried the ark of God on a
new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. Then David and all
Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed
instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.
a. To bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who dwells between the cherubim,
where His name is proclaimed: The ark of God represented the immediate presence and
glory of God in Israel. David considered it a high priority to bring the ark out of obscurity and
back into prominence. David wanted Israel to be alive with a sense of the near presence and
glory of God.

b. So they carried the ark of God on a new cart: Transporting the ark on a cart was against
God’s specific command. The ark was designed to be carried (Exodus 25:12-15) and was
only to be carried by Levites of the family of Koath (Numbers 4:15).

i. “There it was expressly ordained that the Ark should be carried on the shoulders
of the priests, because the cause of God must proceed through the world by the
means of consecrated men, rather than by mechanical instrumentality.” (Meyer)

ii. We can imagine what these men thought. “Look - we have a new cart for the ark
of God. God will be very pleased at our fancy new cart.” They thought that a new
technology or luxury could cover over their ignorant disobedience.

iii. “The long neglect of the Ark may have rendered these men unfamiliar with the
very explicit commands concerning the method of its removal. Or they may have
grown careless at to the importance of attending to such details.” (Morgan)

iv. The Philistines transported the ark on a cart in 1 Samuel 6:10-11. They got away
with it because they were Philistines, but God expected more from His people. Israel
was to take their example from God’s Word, not from the innovations of the
Philistines. “Israel got into difficulties because they failed to recognize that worship
of the true God meant they could no longer simply follow contemporary pagan
practices.” (Selman)

c. Uzza and Ahio drove the new cart: The meaning of the names of these sons of Abinadab
paint a meaningful picture. Uzza means “strength” and Ahio means “friendly.”

i. Much service for the LORD is like this - a new cart, a big production, with strength
leading and friendly out front - yet all done without inquiring of God or looking to
His will. Surely David prayed for God’s blessing on this big production, but he didn’t
 inquire of God regarding the production itself. This was a good thing done the wrong
way.

d. Then David and all Israel played music before God: Judging from the importance of the
occasion and all the instruments mentioned, this was quite a production. The atmosphere
was joyful, exciting, and engaging. The problem was that none of it pleased God because it
was all in disobedience to His word.

i. We are often tempted to judge a worship experience by how it makes us feel. But
when we realize that worship is about pleasing God, we are driven to His word so we
can know how He wants to be worshipped.

ii. “If you read the story through, you will see that it appears to be an affair of
singing, and harps, and psalteries, and timbrels, and cymbals, and trumpets, and of a
new cart and cattle; that is about all there is in it. There is not even a mention of
humiliation of heart, or of solemn awe in the presence of that God of whom the ark
was but the outward symbol. I am afraid that this first attempt was too much after
the will of the Flesh, and the energy of nature.” (Spurgeon)

B. The death of Uzza and its aftermath.

1. (9-11) Uzza touches the ark and is killed in judgment.

And when they came to Chidon‟s threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the
oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him
because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. And David became angry
because of the Lord‟s outbreak against Uzza; therefore that place is called Perez Uzza to this
day.

a. When they came to Chidon’s threshing floor: At a threshing floor the whole stalks of
wheat are gathered and the chaff is separated from the wheat. There was a lot of chaff in this
production, and God would blow away the chaff at Chidon’s threshing floor.

b. Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark: This was strictly forbidden. Regarding the
transporting of the ark Numbers 4:15 says, they shall not touch any holy thing lest they die. He
 did it because the oxen stumbled (perhaps seeing the grain on the threshing floor) and he
feared that perhaps the ark might fall of the new cart and crash to the ground. He believed
that his hand on the ark was better than the ark on the ground.

i. Uzza made a decision in a moment to disregard God’s command and do what

seemed right to him. This shows us that even our decisions made in a moment
matter before God.

c. He struck him because he put his hand to the ark: God fulfilled the ominous promise of
Numbers 4:15 and struck Uzza. David wanted Israel to know the presence of the LORD and
God showed up at Chidon’s threshing floor - but not in the way anyone wanted.

i. The sin of Uzza was more than just a reflex action or instinct. God struck Uzza
because his action was based upon critical errors in his thinking.

Uzza erred in thinking it didn’t matter who transported the ark.

Uzza erred in thinking it didn’t matter how the ark was transported.

Uzza erred in thinking he knew all about the ark because it was in his
father’s house for so long (2 Samuel 6:3)

Uzza erred in thinking that God couldn’t take care of the ark of Himself.

Uzza erred in thinking that the ground of Chidon’s threshing floor was less
holy than his own hand.

ii. “He saw no difference between the ark and any other valuable article. His
intention to help was right enough; but there was a profound insensibility to the
awful sacredness of the ark, on which even its Levitical bearers were forbidden to
lay hands.” (Maclaren)

d. David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak: David’s anger was based in
confusion. He couldn’t understand why his good intentions weren’t enough. God is
concerned with both our intentions and our actions.

3. (12-14) David’s fear and God’s blessing on Obed-Edom’s house.

David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?” So David
would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-
Edom the Gittite. The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three
months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.

a. David was afraid of God that day: He did not need to be afraid of God, but afraid of his
own sin. There was no problem with God or with the ark itself (as the blessing on the hose of
Obed-Edom demonstrated). The problem was with the lack of knowledge and obedience on
the part of David and those who helped him plan the entrance of the ark into Jerusalem.

i. “If Chronicles’ readers wanted Israel’s former glories restored, they too must
reckon with a God whose dynamic holiness could not be contained within human
limitations.” (Selman)

b. How can I bring the ark of God to me? David knew it was important to bring the ark of
God into the center of Israel’s life. He wanted all Israel to be excited about the presence and
glory of God. Because of what happened to Uzza, David felt he couldn’t do what God wanted
him to do.

i. David’s response in the following chapter shows that he found the answer to his
question. He answered the question with the thought later expressed in Isaiah 8:20:
To the law and to the testimony! David found the answer in God’s word.

ii. The whole account reinforces the principle that God is interested in the process as
well as in the outcome. It would never do for David or Israel to have the attitude, “As
long as we get the ark to Jerusalem, it doesn’t matter how we do it.” How they did it
really did matter, and how we do things today (especially in serving God) also
matters.

c. Took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom: David did this in fulfillment of God’s word.
Obed-Edom was a Levite of the family of Koath (1 Chronicles 26:4). This was the family
within the tribe of Levi that God commanded to transport and take care of the ark (Numbers
4:15).
 d. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had: When God’s Word
was obeyed and His holiness was respected blessing followed. God wanted the ark to be a
blessing for Israel, not a curse. We might say that the curse didn’t come from God’s heart but
from man’s disobedience.

i. Selman believes that the name Obed-Edom the Gittite means that he was from
Gath, and the blessing on his house is therefore an example of the undeserved
blessing of God, with the Lord displaying His grace to both Obed-Edom and to David.
However, it seems better to take the observation of Adam Clarke: “That this man
was only a sojourner at Gath, whence he was termed a Gittite, and that he was
originally a Levite, is evident from 1 Chronicles 15:17-18.”

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 14 - D AVID ’ S T HRONE I S S ECURED A T J ERUSALEM

A. David’s home in Jerusalem.

1. (1-2) The royal palace of David.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, with masons and carpenters,
to build him a house. So David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, for
his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.

a. To build him a house: This shows David’s influence and importance. Neighboring kings
honor him with the finest craftsmen and wood to build him a palace. This relationship with
Hiram king of Tyre also shows that David was more than a man of war. He knew how to
build important political alliances.

b. So David knew: David knew two things that made his reign great. Every godly leader
should know these two things well.
 David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel: David knew
that God called him and established him over Israel.

His kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel: David knew
God wanted to use him as a channel to bless His people. It was not for David’s sake
that he was lifted up, but for the sake of His people Israel.

2. (3-7) The sons born to David in Jerusalem.

Then David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons and daughters. And these
are the names of his children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

a. David took more wives: This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 17:17: Neither
shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away. 2 Samuel 5:13 tells us that David
also took more concubines when he lived in Jerusalem.

i. Chronicles makes no mention of David’s sin with Bathsheba, but after the murder
of her husband she was one of the more wives that David added to his household in
Jerusalem.

ii. “That David took ‘more wives’ was a historical fact but a moral failure, directly
contrary to the law . . . This sin led to a whole series of disasters later on.” (Payne)

b. David begot more sons and daughters: Certainly David (and everyone else) saw these
many children as God’s sign of blessing upon David and his many wives. Yet most of the
trouble to come in David’s life comes from his relationship with women and from his
children.

i. It is often true that the seeds to our future trouble are sown in times of great
success and prosperity. In some ways, David handled trials better than success.

B. Victory over the Philistines.

 1. (8-10) David seeks God in battle against the Philistines at the Valley of Rephaim.

Now when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the
Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went out against them. Then
the Philistines went and made a raid on the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of God,
saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” And the
LORD said to him, “Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand.”

a. All the Philistines went up to search for David: David’s success brought new challenges
from the outside. As God worked mightily in David’s life, the devil also got to work and
brought opposition against David.

i. “The Valley of Rephaim lay southwest of Jerusalem and formed part of the
boundary between Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:8). It may correspond to the
‘Valley of Baca’ (Psalm 84:6), due to the balsam trees that were there (1 Chronicles
14:14-15). These are named, literally, ‘weepers’ because of their drops of milky sap.”
(Payne)

b. David inquired of God: As David sought God and looked to Him for guidance he was
blessed. God honored David’s dependence on Him and gave him the promise of victory.

2. (11-12) David defeats the Philistines at Baal Perazim.

So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. Then David said, “God has
broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore they called the
name of that place Baal Perazim. And when they left their gods there, David gave a
commandment, and they were burned with fire.

a. God has broken through my enemies: At the battle of Baal Perazim David defeated the
Philistines with an overwhelming force, like a breakthrough of water.
 i. “God’s ‘breakout’ in judgment (1 Chronicles 13:9-12) now becomes a ‘breakout’ in
blessing for Israel as well as for Obed-Edom’s household.” (Selman)

b. They left their gods there: The Philistines brought their idols to the battle, thinking they
would help defeat the Israelites. Because David inquired of God and obeyed God, they
burned the Philistine idols.

3. (13-17) David defeats the Philistines again.

Then the Philistines once again made a raid on the valley. Therefore David inquired again of
God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around them, and come upon
them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the
tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to
strike the camp of the Philistines.” So David did as God commanded him, and they drove back
the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer. Then the fame of David went out into all
lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

a. David inquired again of God: After the first victory over the Philistines, David was wise
enough to wait on the LORD before the second battle. It is easy for many in the same
situation to say, “I’ve fought this battle before. I know how to win. This will be easy.” David
always triumphed when he sought and obeyed God.

b. You shall not go up after them; circle around them: God directed David differently in
this battle. Even against the same enemy, not every battle is the same.

i. In his commentary on this account in 2 Samuel 5, Adam Clarke noted the

remarkable guidance of God in David’s life and asked a good question. “How is it that
such supernatural directions and assistances are not communicated now? Because
they are not asked for; and they are not asked for because they are not expected;
and they are not expected because men have not faith; and they have not faith
because they are under a refined spirit of atheism, and have no spiritual intercourse
with their Maker.” (Clarke)

c. God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines: At the battle of this
David waited for the LORD to strike the camp of the enemy first. The sign of God’s work
was a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees.
 i. “It was not merely a fitful breeze stealing through the leaves; it was not the going
of the wind; but of angel squadrons who were proceeding against the enemies of
Israel.” (Meyer)

ii. At the signal that the LORD was at work, David and his troops rushed forward to
victory. This principle is true in our every-day walk with God. When we sense that
the LORD is at work, we must go out to battle (advance quickly, 2 Samuel 5:24) and
we will see a great victory won. “We must also, in the spiritual warfare, observe and
obey the motions of the Spirit, when he setteth up his standard; for those are the
sounds of God’s goings, the footsteps of his anointed.” (Trapp)

iii. There is something wonderful about the King James Version translation of this
account in 2 Samuel 5:24: when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the
mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself. When you hear the work of God
happening, bestir thyself – go out to battle. Spurgeon liked to point out that it said
bestir thyself - often we think we must stir others up. That often just becomes hype
and emotionalism. Instead, stir yourself.

iv. When we see the work of God happening around us, it is like the sound in the
mulberry trees - the rustling sound should awaken us to prayer and devotion. A
time of crisis or tragedy is also like the sound in the mulberry trees - the rustling
sound should awaken us to confession and repentance. “Now, what should I do? The
first thing I will do is, I will bestir myself. But how shall I do it? Why, I will go home
this day, and I will wrestle in prayer more earnestly than I have been wont to do
that God will bless the minister, and multiply the church.” (Spurgeon)

v. “Oh, believe in the co-operation of the Holy Spirit. Lonely missionary in some
distant station of the foreign field, listen for the moving of the tops of the mulberry
trees! God is stirring for thy succor.” (Meyer)

vi. “The precise species of the balsam trees is uncertain. Other possibilities include
the pear-tree (LXX), mulberry (AV), or aspen (REB, NEB).” (Selman)

d. So David did as God commanded him: He did this by waiting for evidence of God’s work
and then giving himself completely to the battle. The victory that sprang from this obedience
made David and Israel respected and feared among neighboring nations.
 i. “Because he looked to the Lord for his strength and for his strategy, he was able to
beat back to Philistine offenses, to secure the independence of God’s people, and to
terminate forever the threat of Philistine conquest and oppression.” (Payne)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 15 - T HE A RK I S B ROUGHT TO J ERUSALEM

A. The assembly of the priests and the Levites

1. (1-2) David’s directions for bringing in the Ark.

David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God,
and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for
the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.”

a. David built houses for himself . . . he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched
a tent for it: At this moment of great triumph – bringing the ark into Jerusalem – the
Chronicler reminds us that David lived in a house (or several houses) and the ark of the
covenant was in a tent.

i. Significantly, this tent David prepared for the ark of God was not the tabernacle
itself. The tabernacle of Moses was at Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39-40). There were
several reasons to explain why David did not bring the tabernacle from Gibeon to
Jerusalem:

He may have believed if the tabernacle was there the people would be
satisfied with that and they would lose the passion and vision for the
temple God wanted built.

It may be that the tabernacle was only moved when it was absolutely
necessary - as when disaster came upon it at Shiloh or Nob.
 David simply focused on building the temple, not continuing the tabernacle

b. No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites: This shows that David learned from
his past mistake when Uzza was struck dead at the first attempt to bring the ark of the
covenant into Jerusalem.

2. (3-10) A list of the priests and Levites who supervised the coming of the ark of the covenant into
Jerusalem.

And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place,
which he had prepared for it. Then David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites: of the
sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of his brethren; of the sons of
Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren; of the sons of Gershom,
Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren; of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the
chief, and two hundred of his brethren; of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his
brethren; of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and one hundred and twelve of his
brethren.

a. “A major problem for many readers is the way that the narrative is interrupted by
repetitious lists. For example, just at the moment when the ark is raised on to the Levites’
shoulders, apparently unrelated lists of musicians and gatekeepers occur. . . . the lists
actually have an important function in anticipating the next section of narrative. The Levites
who sanctified themselves are shown to have had a valid ancestry; this was a live issue in
post-exilic Israel.” (Selman)

3. (11-15) The ark is brought to Jerusalem in the right way.

And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel,
Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers‟ houses of
the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the
LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first
time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper
order.” So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God
of Israel. And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as
Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.
 a. Sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the
LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it: This demonstrates David’s
commitment to bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem in the right way. He had
learned the lesson that the process also matters to God, not only the result.

i. It also demonstrates that David understood that it was not only a matter of doing
the right things in the process, but in having sanctified men to carry the ark.
Ministry that pleases God is done the right way, by sanctified men, for the right end
result.

ii. “Sanctification required separation from every form of ‘uncleanness’ (Leviticus

16:19; 2 Samuel 11:4), and in the Old Testament might include temporary
abstinence from sexual intercourse (Exodus 19:15), dirty clothing (Exodus 19:14),
or contact with corpses (Leviticus 21:1-4), or more permanently for the priests, not
marrying a divorcee, prostitute, or even a widow (Leviticus 21:13-15).” (Selman)

b. For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us,
because we did not consult Him about the proper order: 1 Chronicles 13:1-4 makes it
clear that David consulted with his leaders and with the people in a highly democratic way.
What he did not do was consult Him [God] about the proper order.

B. The celebration at the bringing in of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem.

1. (16-24) Names of the musicians at the ceremony.

Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers
accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the
voice with resounding joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren,
Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of their brethren, the sons of Merari, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
and with them their brethren of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel,
Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the
gatekeepers; the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound the cymbals of bronze;
Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with strings
according to Alamoth; Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to
direct with harps on the Sheminith; Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of
the music, because he was skillful; Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark;
Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to
blow the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah, doorkeepers for the ark.
 a. David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers:
King David knew a lot about music and singing, but he did not over-manage this ceremony.
He delegated responsibility and allowed the leaders of the Levites to appoint their
brethren to be the singers.

i. Chenaniah: “This appears to have been the master singer; he gave the key and the
time, for he presided in the elevation, probably meaning what is called pitching the
tune, for he was skilful in music, and powerful in his voice, and well qualified to lead
the band: he might have been precentor.” (Clarke)

b. By raising the voice with resounding joy: The several musical instruments mentioned
were important, but not more important than these joyful voices. The singing was loud and
joyful.

i. “The phrase ‘according to alamoth’ occurs also in the title to Psalm 46. Since the
noun means ‘maidens, virgins,’ such as are mentioned as beating tambourines in
ceremonial processions of singers and other musicians (Psalm 68:25), it may
indicate music produced in a soprano register.” (Payne)

ii. “The phrase ‘according to sheminith’ occurs also in the titles to Psalms 6 and 12.
The word is derived from the root for ‘eight’ and is usually thought to indicate music
in a lower octave, in contrast to the preceding verse, though it might indicate an
instrument that had eight strings.” (Payne)

iii. Berechia and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark: “They were appointed
to keep the door of the tent, in which the ark was to be put and kept, that no
unallowed person might press in and touch it; and in like manner they were to
attend upon the ark in the way, and to guard it from the press and touch of profane
hands.” (Poole)

2. (25-28) The ark comes into Jerusalem.

So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the
covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom with joy. And so it was, when God helped
the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bulls and
seven rams. David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark,
the singers, and Chenaniah the music master with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.
Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with the sound
of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments and harps.

a. To bring up the ark of the covenant from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of
David with joy: David was glad to know that the presence and glory of God could bring
blessing instead of a curse. He was also glad to see that when they obeyed God they were
blessed.

i. When the worship was in the proper order it was still filled with joy and gladness.
It is a mistake to feel that “real” worship must be subdued or solemn or only in a
minor key.

b. God helped the Levites who bore the ark: It wasn’t so much that the ark of the covenant
was so heavy that they needed God’s help to carry it. Rather, there was considerable
pressure and stress in bearing a burden that had recently resulted in a sudden death. They
needed God’s help to deal with the spiritual pressure of this ministry.

c. The offered seven bulls and seven rams: David was careful to not neglect the institution
of sacrifice in this second attempt to bring the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem.

i. 2 Samuel 6:13 says that they sacrificed every six steps in the procession, “Because
Uzzah perished when he had gone but six paces, say some. Every man that seeth
another stricken, and himself spared, is to offer sacrifices, yea, to keep a passover
for himself.” (Trapp)

d. David also wore a linen ephod: It is a mistake to think that David was immodest. As
were all the Levites indicates that David was dressed just like all the other priests and
Levites in this procession.

e. Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting: This
shows that David brought the ark to Jerusalem with a big production - bigger than the first
attempt. David was wise enough to know that the problem with the first attempt wasn’t that
it was a big production, but that it was a big production that came from man and not from
God.
 i. This is essentially the same account recorded in 2 Samuel 6, except in 2 Samuel the
leadership of David is emphasized, and in 1 Chronicles 15 the participation and
support of all Israel is emphasized. Both accounts are correct; David was the leader,
but it wasn’t a one-man show; all Israel brought up the ark.

ii. “The primary change is that the homecoming of the ark . . . has become a
corporate act of all Israel rather than an expression of David’s personal faith.”
(Selman)

3. (29) David’s wife Michal despises David.

And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the City of David, that Michal,
Saul‟s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and
she despised him in her heart.

a. Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and
playing music: David didn’t hold back anything in his own expression of worship. He didn’t
dance out of obligation but out of heartfelt worship. He was glad to bring the ark of the
covenant of the LORD into Jerusalem according to God’s word.

i. This expression of David’s heart showed that he had a genuine emotional link to
God. There are two great errors in this area - the error of making emotions the
center of our Christian life and the error of an emotionally detached Christian life. In
the Christian life emotions must not be manipulated and they must not be
repressed.

ii. From our knowledge of ancient and modern culture we can surmise that David’s
dance wasn’t a solo performance. The context clearly puts him together with the
other priests and Levits, and he probably danced with simple rhythmic steps
together with other men in the way one might see Orthodox Jewish men today
dance. In this context, David’s linen ephod means he set aside his royal robes and
dressed just like everyone else in the procession.

iii. It should also be observed that David’s dancing was appropriate in the context.
This was a parade with a marching band, a grand procession. David’s dancing fit
 right in. If David did this as the nation gathered on the Day of Atonement it would be
out of context and wrong.

b. And she despised him in her heart: 2 Samuel 6:20-23 tell us more of Michal’s complaint
and of David’s response to her. He sarcastically said to him, How glorious was the king of
Israel today, uncovering himself today. Michal seemed to indicate that she didn’t object to
David’s dancing, but to what David wore when he set aside his royal robes and danced as a
man just like the other men celebrating in the procession. David acted as if he were just
another worshipper in Israel, and this offended Michal.

i. In response, David told Michal that his actions were before the LORD; that is, he
simply explained the truth: “I did it for God, not for you.” He went on to explain to
her, and will be humble in my own sight. What David did was humbling to him. He
didn’t dance to show others how spiritual he was.

ii. “The incident illustrates the perpetual inability of the earthly minded to
appreciate the gladness of the spiritual.” (Morgan)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 16 - D AVID ’ S P SALM OF T HANKS

A. The ark is brought into the prepared tent.

1. (1-3) David gives the assembly a feast.

So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected
for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had
finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of
the LORD. Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of
bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.
 a. They brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle: After many
years - since the ark was lost in battle - the ark is returned to the center of Israel’s national
consciousness. The emblem of God’s presence and glory was set at its proper place in Israel.

b. When David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings: The burnt
offerings spoke of consecration. The peace offerings spoke of fellowship. This was a day of
great consecration and fellowship with God. It was also a great barbeque and meal for all the
people.

i. These sacrifices were an important part of the ceremony, neglected in the first
attempt to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. “These pointed them to Christ,
freeing them from their sins, both from the crime and from the curse; these taught
them thankfulness for Christ, and all benefits in and by him.” (Trapp)

ii. “The second item of food (known only here and in 2 Samuel 6:19) was either a
cake of dates or a ‘portion of meat’ (REB, NEB, NSRV; cf. GNB, AV) – if the latter is
correct, it was an especially generous act since meat rarely appeared on domestic
menus in ancient Israel.” (Selman)

iii. “Most flesh from the peace offerings was eaten by the people themselves, sitting
down, as it were, as guests of God’s table, in a meal celebrating the restoration of
their peace with him.” (Payne)

2. (4-6) Worship leaders are appointed to lead the congregation.

And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate,
to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then
Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed
instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals; Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests
regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.

a. And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark: At the end of this
spectacular day of celebration, David established an enduring institution of worship and
commemoration at the ark of the covenant. It wasn’t to be a one-day high, but an ongoing
ministry unto God.
 i. “David’s appointment then of Levites to minister in music and praise to God marks
a significant advance in the history of Israel’s worship. His previous arrangements
for music had been devised for just one occasion; but now a continuing service is
envisioned.” (Payne)

b. He appointed some of the Levites . . . to commemorate: In the Levitical appointments

for that day and beyond, David selected some Levites to focus on commemorating what great
things God had done. Simply remembering God’s great works is an important and often
neglected part of the Christian life. Spurgeon (in his sermon The Recorders) noted several
ways that we can help ourselves remember the great things of God:

Make an actual record of what God has done, keeping a written journal.

Be sure to praise God thoroughly at the time you receive His goodness.

Set apart time for meditation on the good things God has done.

Talk about His mercy often to other people.

Use everything around you as reminders to the goodness of God.

c. Asaph the chief: This indicates that David though the Levites had appointed Heman as the
leader of worship (1 Chronicles 15:17), at this time David elevated Asaph to this position.

i. “No reason is given, though Asaph did represent the senior Levitcal clan of
Gershon (1 Chronicles 6:39-43). Personal ability may also have been a contributing
factor, for Asaph and his descendants are listed as composers for twelve of the
inspired Old Testament psalms.” (Payne)

B. David’s song of thanksgiving.

1. (7) The psalm written for the special occasion.

On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the
LORD:
 a. David first delivered this psalm: David was known as sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel
23:1), and he specially wrote the following psalm to thank the LORD on the day the ark of
the covenant was brough to Jerusalem.

i. “The Psalm is found in the Book of Psalms; its first movement (8-22) in Psalm
105:1-15; its second movement (23-33) in Psalm 96:1b-13a; its third movement
(34-36) consisting of a quotation of the opening and closing sentences of Psalm
106:1-47 and 48.” (Morgan)

ii. “All three of the canonical psalms that he quoted are anonymous, ‘orphan psalms’
(without title) in the Old Testament Psalter; but on the basis of the king’s use of
them here, they should indeed be classed as his.” (Payne)

2. (8-13) The call to praise.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD!

Call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples!

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

Talk of all His wondrous works!

Glory in His holy name;

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

Seek the LORD and His strength;

Seek His face evermore!

Remember His marvelous works which He has done,

His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

O seed of Israel His servant,

You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

a. Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Like many psalms, this one begins with a call to praise,
viritually in the form of a commandment. Yet the psalm breathes with too much excitement
for this to be a true command; it is an exhortation to the community of God’s people to join
in praise to their God.

i. “All the good that we enjoy comes from God. Recollect that! Alas, most men forget
it. Rowland Hill used to say that worldlings were like the hogs under the oak, which
eat the acorns, but never think of the oak from which they fell, nor lift up their heads
to grunt out a thanksgiving. Yes, so it is. They munch the gift and murmur at the
giver.” (Spurgeon)

b. Give thanks . . . call upon . . . make known . . . sing . . . talk . . . glory . . . seek . . .
remember: In a few verses, David lists a remarkable number of ways (at least eight) one can
praise and glorify God. Some of them speak directly to God (such as sing psalms to Him),
some speak to others about God’s greatness (make know His deeds among the peoples),
and some are a conversation with one’s self (remember His marvelous works).

i. Meyer on talk of all His wondrous works: “We do not talk sufficiently about God.
Why it is so may not be easy to explain; but there seems to be too great reticence
among Christian people about the best things. . . . We talk about sermons, details of
worship and church organization, or the latest phase of Scripture criticism; we
discuss men, methods, and churches; but our talk in the home, and in the gatherings
of Christians for social purposes, is too seldom about the wonderful works of God.
Better to speak less, and to talk more of Him.”

ii. “If we talked more of God’s wondrous works, we should be free from talking of
other people’s works. It is easy to criticise those we could not rival, and carp at those
we could not emulate. He who could not carve a statue, or make a single stroke of
the chisel correctly, affects to point out where the handicraft of the greatest sculptor
might have been improved. It is a poor, pitiful occupation, that of picking holes in
other people’s coats, and yet some people seem so pleased when they can perceive a
fault, that they roll it under their tongue as a sweet morsel.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “There is no gifted tongue requisite, there are no powers of eloquence invoked;
neither laws of rhetoric nor rules of grammar are pronounced indispensable in the
simple talk that my text inculcates, ‘Talk ye of all his wondrous works.’ I beg your
pardon when you say you cannot do this. You cannot because you will not.”
(Spurgeon)
 c. O seed of Israel . . . His chosen ones: This call to praise is directed to the people of God.
As will be noted later in the psalm, all creation has a responsibility to praise its Creator; but
this is the special responsibility of God’s people.

3. (14-19) Remembering God’s covenant with His people.

He is the LORD our God;

His judgments are in all the earth.

Remember His covenant forever,

The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,

The covenant which He made with Abraham,

And His oath to Isaac,

And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,

To Israel for an everlasting covenant,

Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

As the allotment of your inheritance,”

When you were few in number,

Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

a. His judgments are in all the earth: David will soon begin to sing about the special
relationship between the LORD and His covenant people. Yet he prefaced those ideas with
the thought that God is the Lord of all the earth. His authority is not limited to His covenant
people.

b. Remember His covenant forever: God wanted His people to never forget the covenant
He made with them. God’s dealing with man through history has been based on the idea of
covenant.
 God made a covenant with Abraham regarding a land, a nation, and a particular
messianic blessing (Genesis 12:1-3).

God made a covenant with Israel as a nation, regarding a law, sacrifice, and choice of
blessing or cursing (Exodus 19:5-8).

God made a covenant with David regarding the specific lineage of the Messiah (2
Samuel 7).

God made a covenant with all who would believe on His Son, the New Covenant
through Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20).

i. It was entirely appropriate that this psalm focuses on the idea of His covenant,
because it was written for the arrival of the ark of the covenant into the place David
prepared for it in Jerusalem.

ii. “In the restoration of the Ark after a period of neglect, the people found a sure
token of that mercy.” (Morgan)

c. To you I will give the land of Canaan: David here highlighted the promise of land that
God made to Abraham as part of His covenant with the patriarch (Genesis 12:1 and 13:14-
17). The land belonged to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through this
covenant.

i. In this we see that this portion of the psalm is largely meant for teaching. This
stanza was not primarily intended as a declaration of praise to God, but as informing
the worship of God’s people.

4. (20-22) God’s protection upon His people.

When they went from one nation to another,

And from one kingdom to another people,

He permitted no man to do them wrong;

Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,

And do My prophets no harm.”

a. When they went from one nation to another: In the story of the arrival of the ark of the
covenant recorded in 2 Samuel, this psalm of David is not included. Here we see why the
Chronicler – writing shortly after the Babylonian exile – was anxious to include it. This line of
David’s psalm praises God for His providential protection of His people when they were out
of the Promised Land.

b. He permitted no man to do them wrong: One might say that this was inaccurate – after
all, the oppressive Pharaohs seemed to do much wrong to Israel. Yet, in the longer view of
seeing God’s good work even through such painful times, David can truthfully say “He
permitted no man to do them wrong.”

c. Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm: This seems to refer to
God’s people as a whole instead of particular anointed individuals or individual prophets.

5. (23-30) The command to praise the LORD.

Sing to the LORD, all the earth;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;

He is also to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the LORD made the heavens.

Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and gladness are in His place.

Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,

Give to the LORD glory and strength.

Give to the LORD the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him.

Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be moved.

a. Sing to the LORD, all the earth: God’s covenant people have a special responsibility to
praise Him, but all the earth should also proclaim the good news of His salvation day to
day.

i. It is only good news when it is His salvation. My salvation isn’t enough to save
me. I need His salvation to save me. This is something worth proclaiming.

ii. “There is not one of us but has cause for song, and certainly not one saint but
ought specially to praise the name of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

b. Declare His glory among the nations: David is back to a particular address to the people
of God, imploring them to tell everyone of the greatness of God, and His superiority above
all gods.

i. The reason for His superiority is simple: all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens. The covenant God of Israel is real and is the
Creator of all things, in contrast to the mere statues of the nations.
 c. Give to the LORD glory and strength: This is not in the sense of giving something to God
that He does not already have. It is in the sense of crediting to God what He actually does
possess, but what man is often blind to.

d. Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! God’s holiness – His “set-apart-ness” – has
a wonderful and distinct beauty about it. It is beautiful that God is God and not man; that He
is more than the greatest man or a super-man. His holy love, grace, justice, and majesty are
beautiful.

6. (31-33) Creation praises God.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

a. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad: David knew that creation itself
praised God. He knew that the beauty and power and skill and majesty of creation was itself
a testimony of praise to its Creator.

b. Let them say among the nations: Israel had the word of God to tell them of God’s reign
and His coming judgment. The nations have the testimony of creation to tell them what they
should know about God (Romans 1:19-23).

c. The LORD reigns: The creation itself tells us of a God of infinite wisdom, power, and
order; it logically deduces that this God reigns and will judge the earth, understanding that
His order and power and wisdom are expressed morally as well as materially.
 i. Payne on for He is coming to judge the earth: “While earlier messianic
prophecies had foretold our Lord’s universal, millennial reign (Genesis 49:10;
Numbers 24:17; 1 Samuel 2:10), these words – ‘he comes’ – may be the first in all of
written Scripture (Job 19:25 may well have been spoken earlier) to set forth the
doctrine of the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ.”

7. (34-36) Conclusion: Celebrating God’s faithfulness to His people.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;

Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,

To give thanks to Your holy name,

To triumph in Your praise.”

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting!

And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD.

a. Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles: This is yet another demonstration
of why the Chronicler chose to include this psalm of David in the account of the ark’s coming
into Jerusalem. These ancient words of David would have special relevance to the returned
exiles. They would not only have confidence in God’s ability to gather and deliver, but they
would also be motivated to give thanks and to triumph in Your praise.

i. “The words . . . do not presuppose that the people had been previously led away
into the Chaldean exile, but only the dispersion of prisoners of war, led away captive
into an enemy’s land after a defeat. . . . It was just such cases Solomon had in view in
his prayer, 1 Kings 8:46-50.” (Payne citing Keil)
 b. And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD: This reminds us that David’s
psalm was not sung as a solo. The hearts – and perhaps the voices – of the people were in
complete agreement with him through the psalm.

8. (37-43) Postscript: Maintaining the worship of God.

So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister
before the ark regularly, as every day‟s work required; and Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight
brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers; and Zadok
the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place that
was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly
morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the LORD which
He commanded Israel; and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who
were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His mercy endures forever; and
with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical
instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers. Then all the people departed,
every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.

a. So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant: This
emphasizes the point made previously in 1 Chronicles 16:4-6, that David deliberately
planned for this to be more than a one day spectacular. He instituted ongoing service and
worship before the ark of the covenant at its new resting place in Jerusalem.

b. Before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer
burnt offerings to the LORD: This reminds us that the center of sacrifice was still at the
tabernacle’s altar at Gibeon.

i. “For the time being, Israel’s worship activities and personnel were to be divided
between the ark at Jerusalem and the tended altar at Gibeon.” (Selman)

ii. “How long the service at Gibeon was continued we cannot tell; the principle
functions were no doubt performed at Jerusalem.” (Clarke)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 17 - A H OUSE FOR G OD AND A H OUSE FOR D AVID

“This chapter lies at the heart of the Chronicler’s presentation of history.” (Martin J. Selman)

A. God’s promise to David.

1. (1-2) Nathan’s premature advice to David.

Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the
prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under
tent curtains.” Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

a. Now it came to pass: “Chronologically chapter 17 came after the termination of the wars
chronicled in chapter 18 and it should be dated about 995 B.C.” (Payne)

b. I dwell in a house of cedar: Cedar wood was especially valued. This means that David
lived in an expensive, beautiful home. When he remembered that the ark of the covenant of
the LORD is under tent curtains, the contrast bothered him. David was troubled by the
thought that he lived in a nicer house than the ark of the covenant.

i. Without saying the specific words, David told Nathan that he wanted to build a
temple to replace the tabernacle. More than 400 years before this, when Israel was
in the wilderness, God commanded Moses to build a tent of meeting according to a
specific pattern (Exodus 25:8-9). God never asked for a permanent building to
replace the tent, but now David wanted to do this for God.

ii. The tent of meeting - also known as the tabernacle - was perfectly suited to Israel
in the wilderness, because they constantly moved. Now that Israel is securely in the
land, and the tabernacle is in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:17), David thinks it would be
better and more appropriate to build a temple to replace the tabernacle.
 c. Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you: Nathan said this to David because it
seemed good and reasonable. What could be wrong with David building a temple?

i. All that is in your heart shows that David’s heart was filled with this question:
“What can I do for God?” He was so filled with gratitude and concern for God’s glory
that he wanted to do something special for God.

2. (3-6) God corrects Nathan’s hasty approval to David’s plan to build a temple.

But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell My servant
David, „Thus says the LORD: “You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. For I have not dwelt
in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to
tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I
ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people,
saying, „Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”„”

a. That night that the word of God came to Nathan: Nathan’s response to David was
presumptuous. He answered according to human judgment and common sense, but before
the word of God came to him.

i. “It is of the utmost importance that we should ever test our desires, even the
highest and holiest of them, by His will. Work, excellent in itself, should never be
undertaken, save at the express command of God. The passing of time will always
vindicate the wisdom of the Divine will.” (Morgan)

b. For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this
day: God seemed honored and “surprised” that David offered to build Him a house. “You
want to build Me a house? No one has ever offered to do that before, and I never commanded
anyone to do it.”

i. “The Hebrew text says literally, ‘build me the house.’ The idea of there being such a
house was legitimate, just that David was not the one to build it.” (Payne)

ii. David wanted to do more than God commanded. This is a wonderful place to be in
our relationship with God. Most of us are so stuck in the thinking, “How little can I
 do and still please the LORD?” that we never really want to do more than God
commands.

iii. “Though the Lord refused to David the realization of his wish, he did it in a most
gracious manner. He did not put the idea away from him in anger or disdain, as
though David had cherished an unworthy desire; but he honored his servant even in
the non-acceptance of his offer.” (Spurgeon)

iii. David now knew that God didn’t want him to build the temple, but David didn’t
respond by doing nothing. Instead of building the temple, David gathered all the
materials for its construction so Solomon could build a glorious temple to God (1
Chronicles 29:2-9)

iv. “If you cannot have what you hoped, do not sit down in despair and allow the
energies of your life to run to waste; but arise, and gird yourself to help others to
achieve. If you may not build, you may gather materials for him that shall. If you may
not go down the mine, you can hold the ropes.” (Meyer)

3. (7-10) God promises to build David a house.

Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: „I took
you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. And I have
been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and
have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. Moreover I will
appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their
own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously,
since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your
enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the LORD will build you a house.‟”

a. I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people:
God was about to make David an amazing promise – one that might be hard for David to
believe. Therefore, He first reminded David of His past work in His life. The same God who
was with David wherever he had gone would also fulfill this promise.

b. I will appoint a place for My people Israel: God promised David that under his reign,
God would establish a permanent, secure, Israel. God promised this first because He knew
that David, being a godly shepherd, was first concerned about the welfare of his people.
 c. Furthermore I tell you that the LORD will build you a house: God promises David that
he will build him a house in the sense of establishing a dynasty for the house of David. This
was an enduring legacy for David long after his death.

i. David wanted to build God a temple. God said, “Thank you David, but no thanks.
Let me build you a house instead.” This was a greater promise than David’s offer to
God, because David’s house would last longer and be more glorious than the temple
David wanted to build.

ii. “The oracle’s significance depends on the various meanings of the Hebrew bayit,
‘house’, which can mean ‘dynasty’, ‘temple’, and even ‘household’ (1 Chronicles
16:43).” (Selman)

iii. Why did God say, “No” to David’s offer? Because David was a man of war, and God
wanted a man of peace to build His temple. 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 explains this: But
the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made
great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much
blood on the earth in My sight . . . a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest
. . . He shall be build a house for My name.

iv. The explanation to David recorded in 1 Chronicles 22:8 came years afterwards.
“It would have wounded David needlessly to have been told this at the time . . .
Meanwhile David possessed his soul in patience, and said to himself, ‘God has a
reason; I cannot understand it, but it is well.’ “ (Meyer)

v. “Our relationship with God is always based upon what He does for us, never upon
what we do for Him. If He wills that we build a Temple, it is our to do it, but the
doing of it creates no merit by which we may claim anything from Him.” (Morgan)

4. (11-15) God promises to build David a house instead.

“And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I
will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He
shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall
be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before
you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be
established forever.” According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan
spoke to David.

a. I will set up your seed after you: In this, God specifically promised a hereditary
monarchy for the house of David. It was important for God to repeat this promise specifically
because there had never yet been a king succeeded by his son in Israel.

i. “The ambiguity inherent in the Hebrew word zera, like its English equivalents
‘seed’ (av) or offspring (niv, nrsv, rsv), means it can apply both to the dynasty as a
whole and to individual members of it (cf. the use of the same word in Genesis 3:15;
12:7; 17:7; 17:16).” (Selman)

ii. “While God did not here employ the term covenant, what he revealed was one;
and it is so designated subsequently (2 Samuel 23:5; Psalm 89:3, 34; Psalm 132:11-
12).” (Payne)

b. He shall build Me a house: Though David would not build a temple for God, David’s
descendent would.

i. “Like circumcision in the case of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17), building
the temple is the act of human obedience by which God’s covenant promise is
accepted and confirmed.” (Selman)

c. I will establish his throne forever: The family of David did rule over Israel for more than
four centuries, but was eventually removed because of evil added upon evil. Yet out of the
“stump” of Jesse, God raised up a new branch that would reign for ever and ever (Isaiah
11:1-2).

d. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son: This descendent of David would enjoy a
special relationship with God.

e. His throne shall be established forever: God promised David that the reign of his
dynasty will last forever.
i. Each of these great promises was partially fulfilled in Solomon, David’s son and
successor to his throne.

Solomon ruled on David’s throne.

God’s mercies never departed from Solomon, though he sinned.

Solomon built God a magnificent house.

ii. Yet God’s promise to David was all the more important because of when the
Chronicler wrote about it – after the exile, when there was no independent kingdom
of Israel and the throne of David seemed vacant. The Chronicler had the faith to see
that this promise was not broken even when it plainly seemed to be. He knew that
Messiah would indeed come from the seemingly dead line of David and reign
forever. He had faith in what the prophets foretold as a greater fulfillment of these
promises:

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a Branch
of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute righteousness in
the earth. . . . Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be
upon His shoulder. . . Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order
it and establish it . . . from that time forward, even forever. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall
call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the
Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be
no end. (Luke 1:31-33)

iii. God did not want the earthly house built until the spiritual house was promised
and established. The more important house had to be in place first, and that house
was the dynasty that would result in the throne of God’s Messiah.
 iv. As for David, God’s blessing was upon him in a unique way. The New Testament
identifies Jesus with David more than with any other human ancestor.

Hosanna to the Son of David! (Matthew 21:9)

The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. (Luke 1:32)

I am the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
(Revelation 22:16)

v. It also seems that David will be God’s chosen prince over a restored Israel in the
millennial earth. Hosea 3:5 says, Afterward, the children of Israel shall return, seek
the Lord their God and David their king, and fear the Lord and His goodness in the
latter days. Other passages which set forth this idea are Ezekiel 37:24-25, Ezekiel
34:23-24, and Jeremiah 30:9.

B. David’s thankful response.

1. (16-22) David’s humble thanksgiving and praise to God.

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: “Who am I, O LORD God?
And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in
Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant‟s house for a great while to come,
and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O LORD God. What more
can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant. O LORD, for
Your servant‟s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in
making known all these great things. O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God
besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like Your people
Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people; to make
for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your
people whom You redeemed from Egypt? For You have made Your people Israel Your very own
people forever; and You, LORD, have become their God.”

a. Who am I, O LORD God? . . . O LORD, there is none like You: When David received this
spectacular gift, he didn’t think it made him any greater. In David’s eyes it made God greater.
 i. “Thou hast treated me as if I had been born the son of a great monarch, and not a
poor shepherd, as indeed I was, O Lord God.” (Poole)

ii. David’s attitude wasn’t “I am so great that even God’s gives me gifts.” His attitude
was, “God is so great that He gives even me gifts.” We should receive salvation and
every blessing with the same attitude. God’s giving reflects the greatness of the
Giver, not the receiver.

b. Your servant: David’s humble reception of this gift is shown by the repetition of the
phrase Your servant - ten times in this prayer.

i. It shows that David humbly accepted God’s “no” when he wanted to build the
temple. “There are some professors who would do a great thing if they might, but if
they are not permitted to act a shining part they are in the sulks and angry with
their God. David when his proposal was set aside found it in his heart not to
murmur, but to pray.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “The king’s sitting ‘before the Lord’ suggests that he went to the tent that was
enshrining the ark.” (Payne)

2. (23-27) David boldly asks that the promise be fulfilled as spoken.

“And now, O LORD, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning
his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said. So let it be established, that
Your name may be magnified forever, saying, „The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel‟s
God.‟ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. For You, O my God,
have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found
it in his heart to pray before You. And now, LORD, You are God, and have promised this
goodness to Your servant. Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it
may continue before You forever; for You have blessed it, O LORD, and it shall be blessed
forever.”

a. Let it be established forever, and do as You have said: David’s prayer boldly asked God
to do what He promised. This wasn’t passive prayer that said, “Well God, do whatever You
want to do - I don’t really care one way or another.” This wasn’t arrogant prayer that said,
“Well God, let me tell You what to do.” This was bold prayer that said, “God, here is Your
promise - now I trust You to fulfill it grandly and to be faithful to Your word.”

i. The phrase “therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before
You” emphasizes this. David was saying, “I’m only praying because You promised.
You told me that this is what You want to do.”

ii. “There is hardly any position more utterly beautiful, strong, or safe than to put the
finger upon some promise of the Divine Word, and claim it. . . . It is far better to
claim a few things specifically than a score vaguely.” (Meyer)

iii. This kind of prayer appropriates God’s promise. Just because God promises does
not mean that we possess. Through believing prayer like this, God promises and we
appropriate. If we don’t appropriate in faith, God’s promise is left unclaimed.

We may appropriate His promise for forgiveness: If we confess our sins, He is

faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)

We may appropriate His promise for peace: Peace I leave with you, My peace
I give to you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27)

We may appropriate His promise for guidance: I will instruct you and teach
you in the way you should go: I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8)

We may appropriate His promise for growth: He who has begun a good work
in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6)

We may appropriate His promise for help: Let us therefore come boldly to the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace of help in time of
need (Hebrews 4:16)
 b. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before You: Notice that David
prayed from the heart. Some people pray from a book; others pray from their head. The
right place to pray from is the heart.

c. LORD, You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant: This was
David’s foundation of faith. He knew that God was God, and that His promise was true. God
can be trusted.

i. “The great sin of not believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is often spoken of very
lightly and in a very trifling spirit, as though it were scarcely any sin at all; yet,
according to my text, and, indeed, according to the whole tenor of the Scriptures,
unbelief is the giving of God the lie, and what can be worse?” (Spurgeon)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 18 - T HE S ECURITY OF D AVID ’ S K INGDOM

A. David conquers neighboring nations.

1. (1) David subdues the Philistines.

After this it came to pass that David attacked the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and
its towns from the hand of the Philistines.

a. David attacked the Philistines, subdued them: The Philistines had troubled Israel for
centuries, and often dominated Israel. Under the reign of David, he both attacked and
subdued these troublesome enemies.

i. David didn’t avoid fighting the Philistines because Israel had lost to them so many
times before. “The thing that fascinates me about this complete victory is the utter
contempt with which David treated the great power of his adversaries.” (Redpath)
 b. And took Gath: When David became king the Philistines were taking territory from God’s
people. Under his leadership, God’s people began to take territory from the enemy.

i. “Evidence for David’s conquest of Gath and its surrounding villages is found in the
presence of 600 Gittites in David’s entourage (2 Samuel 15:18).” (Selman)

2. (2) The Moabites put under tribute.

Then he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became David‟s servants, and brought tribute.

a. He defeated Moab: David’s war against Moab, and his harsh treatment of their army
seems out of place considering that David’s great-grandmother was a Moabite (Ruth) and
that he entrusted his mother and father into the care of the Moabites (1 Samuel 22:3-4). It
may be that the Moabites killed or mistreated David’s parents.

b. Brought tribute: God did not want Israel to destroy every neighbor nation. Generally, God
wanted Israel to be so blessed and strong that other nations were “taxed” by Israel, in
recognition of their strength and dominance.

3. (3-8) David conquers a Syrian alliance.

And David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his
power by the River Euphrates. David took from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand
horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. And David also hamstrung all the chariot horses,
except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots. When the Syrians of Damascus
came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. Then
David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David‟s servants, and
brought tribute. So the LORD preserved David wherever he went. And David took the shields of
gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. Also from Tibhath
and from Chun, cities of Hadadezer, David brought a large amount of bronze, with which
Solomon made the bronze Sea, the pillars, and the articles of bronze.
a. As he went to establish his power by the River Euphrates: The king of Zobah (a Syrian
kingdom) ran into David on his way to capture territory to the Euphrates. David’s dominance
extended all the way to the Euphrates River.

i. “The border of Israel was carried to the line of the Euphrates, so that promise
made by God to Abraham was fulfilled: ‘Unto thy seed I have given this land, from
the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.’ “ (Meyer)

ii. “Then there was Syria, the great heathen nation to the north, divided into two
groups with capitals at Zobah and Damascus. They united together for protection
but found themselves helpless against the might of David.” (Redpath)

b. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses: This was military necessity instead of
mere animal cruelty. David could not care for so many horses while on military campaign
and he could not give them back to the enemy.

c. He spared enough of them for one hundred chariots: That David kept such a small
number shows remarkable self-control and trust in God. David obeyed the principle of
Deuteronomy 17:15-16 and absolutely refused to trust in horses as military weapons. His
trust was in God instead (Psalm 20:7 and 33:16-17).

d. David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer: David took
what was the glory of the enemy and transformed it into trophies of the power and goodness
of God. Those shields of gold were now in the temple, testifying to God’s work in and
through David.

e. David brought a large amount of bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze Sea,
the pillars, and the articles of bronze: The gathering of this treasure to Jerusalem, later
used in the building of the temple, shows the reason why the Chronicler chose particular
events from the records of 2 Samuel to emphasize.

i. “At first glance, this is a somewhat artificial record of David’s military successes,
which has been produced by leaving out the more interesting narratives and those
less favourable to David. This view is rather inaccurate, however, since positive
elements such as the birth of Solomon, David’s magnanimity to Saul’s family, and
David’s psalms are omitted. . . . The reason is that Chronicles has chosen to focus on
the relationship of David’s wars with the Davidic covenant and the temple
preparations.” (Selman)
 ii. One needed two things to build the temple: security and money. These chapters
show how David, though he could not build the temple himself, obtained the
security and money necessary for his son to build the temple.

iii. “In view of the desire of the king to build the Temple of God, the chapter is of
special interest; it shows how in these wars he was amassing treasure with that
purpose in view, not for himself, but for his son.” (Meyer)

iv. Even when God shuts the door for us to do a work, we may still be vitally
involved in it – often by amassing treasure for that work, as David did for the temple
his son would build. “To be willing to do the work of preparation, when not
permitted to undertake the principle service, is proof of real devotion.” (Morgan)

4. (9-13) The glory and security of David’s kingdom.

Now when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of
Zobah, he sent Hadoram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had
fought against Hadadezer and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou); and
Hadoram brought with him all kinds of articles of gold, silver, and bronze. King David also
dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold that he had brought from all these
nations; from Edom, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, and from
Amalek. Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah killed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley
of Salt. He also put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David‟s servants. And the
LORD preserved David wherever he went.

a. Tou . . . sent Hadoram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him: Neighboring
nations saw the hand of God on David and brought him honor and gifts. They knew that a
strong, godly leader of Israel was good for the whole community of nations, not just good for
Israel itself.

i. Not every pagan nation surrounding Israel was hostile to Israel or their God, and
David did not treat them as if they were hostile. We make a mistake if we treat every
unbeliever as an openly hostile enemy of the Lord.
 ii. “Tou’s son was probably called Hadoram rather than ‘Joram’ (2 Samuel 8:10),
since the latter’s Yahwistic form is unlikely in a non-Israelite state.” (Selman)

b. King David also dedicated these to the LORD: When David received this acclaim from
the nations he dedicated it all to the LORD. He knew that the praise and glory belonged to
God, not himself. David could handle success as well as apparent failure.

c. From Edom, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, and from
Amalek: By citing these subdued nations we learn that David’s victories were complete. God
used David to lead Israel to victory over enemies in every direction.

i. Israel possessed more of the land God promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21)
under David’s reign than at any other time.

ii. David was able to accomplish so much against God’s enemies because he, unlike
Saul, was not consumed with fighting against the people of God

d. The LORD preserved David wherever he went: This is the summary of this whole
chapter. Every victory and every enemy subdued was a testimony to the Lord’s preserving
power in the life and reign of David.

B. David’s administration.

1. (14) A general description of David’s government.

So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people.

a. So David reigned: This chapter of victory, blessing, and prosperity describes the national
life of Israel during the reign of David. This is one reason why he is generally regarded as the
greatest king or ruler Israel ever had.
 i. This is how God wanted to reign in the life of Saul, but Saul resisted the Lord and
rejected His Spirit. Because David allowed God to subdue Him, the nations were
subdued before David.

b. Administered judgment and justice to all his people: This shows that David was a great
king to his own people, not only against neighboring nations. He fulfilled what is the
fundamental duty of government - to administer judgment and justice (Romans 13:1-7).

2. (15-17) Key people in David’s government.

Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; Zadok
the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Shavsha was the scribe;
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David‟s sons were
chief ministers at the king‟s side.

a. Joab . . . Jehoshaphat . . . Zadok . . . Abimelech . . . Shavsha . . . Benaiah: No great ruler

succeeds by himself. Only the smallest organizations can be governed well without a gifted
and committed team. Part of David’s success as a ruler was in his ability to assemble, train,
empower, and maintain such a team.

i. We never find such a list regarding the organization of King Saul’s government.
This is because David’s government had much more form and structure than Saul’s.

ii. There is a limit to what we can be and what we can do for the LORD without order
and organization. It isn’t that order and organization are requirements for progress
in the Christian life; they are progress in the Christian life, becoming more like the
LORD.

iii. Nothing is accomplished in God’s kingdom without order and organization. While
it may seem so to us, it is only an illusion - behind the scenes God is moving with
utmost order and organization though sometimes we cannot see it.

b. Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests: There
were two priestly centers at this time, thus two priests. One was at Gibeon, with the
tabernacle of Moses and the altar of burn offering. The other was at Jerusalem, with the
 special tent David made for the ark of the covenant. Thus there were two priests, Zadok and
Abiathar.

c. The Cherethites and Pelethites: These were hired soldiers from Crete. “By employing
foreign guards to ensure the safety of the king David would minimize the possibility of
becoming the victim of inter-tribal rivalries; these men from Crete could give whole-hearted
allegiance to him.” (Baldwin, commentary on 2 Samuel 8)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 19 - W AR WITH A MMON AND S YRIA

A. The offense of the Ammonites.

1. (1-2) David sends ambassadors to the Ammonites at the passing of their king.

It happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon died, and his son reigned in
his place. Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father
showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And
David‟s servants came to Hanun in the land of the people of Ammon to comfort him.

a. I will show kindness: David was the dominate ruler of his region, but he was not a cruel
tyrant. Here he showed kindness towards a pagan king because in sympathy with the loss of
his father.

b. So David sent messenger to comfort him: David wasn’t content to feel kindness towards
Hanun. He did something to bring the grieving man comfort.

2. (3-5) Hanun, the new king of the Ammonites, treats Israel’s ambassadors shamefully.
And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David really honors
your father because he has sent comforters to you? Did his servants not come to you to search
and to overthrow and to spy out the land?” Therefore Hanun took David‟s servants, shaved them,
and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. Then some went
and told David about the men; and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed.
And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

a. Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to
you? It’s hard to explain why these advisers to Hanun said this to the king of Ammon. It is
possible that they genuinely suspected David, or they may have just used this as a way to
appear wise and cunning to King Hanun. It is common for liars to always suspect others of
lying.

b. Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle .
. . and sent them away: This was a disgraceful insult to these ambassadors from Israel. In
that culture, many men would rather die than to have their beard shaved off, because to be
clean shaven was the mark of a slave but free men wore beards.

i. “With the value universally set upon the beard by the Hebrews and other Oriental
nations, as being man’s greatest ornament, the cutting off of one-half of it was the
greatest insult that could have been offered to the ambassadors, and through them
to David their king.” (Keil and Delitzsch in their commentary on 2 Samuel 10)

ii. “The beard is held in high respect in the East: the possessor considers it his
greatest ornament; often swears by it; and, in matters of great importance, pledges
it. Nothing can be more secure than a pledge of this kind; its owner will redeem it at
the hazard of his life.” (Clarke on 2 Samuel 10)

iii. To cut off their garments in the middle was also an obvious insult and
humiliation. “That the shame of their nakedness might appear, and especially that of
their circumcision, so derided by the heathen.” (Trapp on 2 Samuel 10)

iv. “This is check to the fashion-mongers of our time, saith Piscator; who wear their
clothes so close, and cloaks so short, that they cover not their buttocks.” (Trapp)
One must only wonder what the Puritan preacher John Trapp would say about those
who today wear their garments so low that they do not cover their buttocks.
 v. To insult the ambassador is the insult the king. It was just as if they had done this
to David himself. The same principle is true with King Jesus and His ambassadors.
Jesus reminded His disciples: If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before
it hated you. (John 15:18)

vi. “The attitude of Ammon does not detract from the nobleness of the action of
David. In that action he proved that he had not forgotten the kindness which had
been shown to him by Nahash.” (Morgan)

c. Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return: David didn’t use these
men as political tools to whip up anger against the Ammonites. He cared more for their own
dignity and honor, and allowed them to wait before returning to Jerusalem.

3. (6-8) The Ammonites and Israelites prepare for war.

When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and
the people of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and
horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Syrian Maachah, and from Zobah. So they hired for
themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, with the king of Maachah and his people, who came
and encamped before Medeba. Also the people of Ammon gathered together from their cities,
and came to battle. Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty
men.

a. When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive: They
knew that they did this. David didn’t reject the Ammonites, they made themselves
repulsive to Israel.

b. The people of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves
chariots and horsemen: This was a common practice in the ancient world. The Ammonites
had no hope of protecting themselves, so they hired mercenary armies.

c. When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men: It’s
important to understand that David was nothing without his mighty men, and they were
nothing without him. He was their leader, but a leader is nothing without followers - and
David had an army of the mighty men to follow him. These men didn’t necessarily start as
mighty men; many were some of the distressed, indebted, and discontent people who
followed David at Adullam Cave (1 Samuel 22:1-2).
 i. One of these mighty men was Adino the Eznite - famous for killing 800 men at one
time (2 Samuel 23:8). Another was Jashobeam who killed 300 men at one time (1
Chronicles 11:11). Another was Benaiah who killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day
and took on a huge Egyptian warrior and killed the Egyptian with his own spear (1
Chronicles 11:22-23).

B. Victory for Israel.

1. (9-13) Joab divides the army into two groups.

Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array before the gate of the
city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. When Joab saw that the battle
line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel‟s best and put them in battle
array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his
brother, and they set themselves in battle array against the people of Ammon. Then he said, “If
the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too
strong for you, then I will help you. Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and
for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight.”

a. Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind: As the army of the
mighty men approached the Ammonite city they found themselves surrounded. In front of
them were the Ammonites in battle array before the gate of the city. Behind them were
the mercenary kings in the field. It looked bad for the army of Israel.

b. If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me: Joab had only one strategy
in battle - attack. Many generals would consider surrender when surrounded on both sides
by the enemy, but not Joab. He called the army to courage and faith and told them to press
on.

i. “It is interesting to observe that in his arrangements he made no allowance for the
possibility of ultimate defeat in his conflict with Ammon . . . it does not seem to have
occurred to him that the combination might have been too much for both of them.”
(Morgan)
 c. Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God.
And may the LORD do what is good in His sight: This is a great speech by Joab before the
battle. He makes at least three great points.

i. Be of good courage, and let us be strong: Courage and strength are not matters
of feeling and circumstance. They are matters of choice, especially when God makes
His strength available to us. We can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His
might (Ephesians 6:10).

ii. Let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God: Joab called them
to remember all they had to lose. If they lost this battle they would lose both their
people and their cities. This was a battle bigger than themselves, and the army of
the mighty men had to remember that.

iii. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight: Joab wisely prepared for the
battle to the best of his ability and worked hard for the victory. At the same time, he
knew that the outcome was ultimately in God’s hands.

iv. Joab trusted God to work, and he did all that he could do. “To believe that God will
do all, and therefore to do nothing, is as bad as to believe that God leaves us to our
unaided endeavours.” (Meyer)

2. (14-15) Joab defeats the Syrians, and the Ammonites retreat to the city of Rabbah.

So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they
fled before him. When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled
before Abishai his brother, and entered the city. So Joab went to Jerusalem.

a. They fled before him: It doesn’t even say that Joab engaged the Syrians in battle. This
mercenary army fled before the army of the mighty men because God was with them. God
promised this kind of blessing upon an obedient Israel (Deuteronomy 28:7).

b. They also fled before Abishai his brother, and entered the city: When the Ammonites
saw the mercenaries retreating, they also retreated. They could no more stand before the
army of the mighty men than the Syrians could.
 i. “Joab did not at this time follow up the victory by laying siege to Rabbah; it may
have been too late in the year.” (Payne)

3. (16-19) David wipes out the Syrian reinforcements.

Now when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and
brought the Syrians who were beyond the River, and Shophach the commander of Hadadezer‟s
army went before them. When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan
and came upon them, and set up in battle array against them. So when David had set up in battle
array against the Syrians, they fought with him. Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David
killed seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians, and killed
Shophach the commander of the army. And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were
defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants. So the Syrians were not
willing to help the people of Ammon anymore.

a. When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together:
The enemies of Israel wouldn’t quit after one defeat. They were a persistent enemy, and
came back to fight again.

b. When it was told David, he gathered all Israel: David gathered the rest of the army of
Israel to prevent this army of Syrian reinforcements from crushing the army of the mighty
men. The result was glorious: the Syrians fled before Israel.

i. The emphasis on all Israel is important. “The whole incident therefore shows ‘all
Israel’ cooperating under David and establishing the required ‘rest’ for building the
temple.” (Selman)

ii. The chapter ends with unfinished business at Rabbah. The offending Ammonites
are still in their city and Joab has returned to Jerusalem. In the Spring King David
will send Joab and the army out again to deal with Rabbah as he waits in Jerusalem.
While he waited comfortably in Jerusalem he fell into sin with Bathsheba.

iii. Most of us know about David’s sin with Bathsheba, and how it happened when
David waited in Jerusalem when he should have led the battle at Rabbah. We see in
 2 Samuel 10 that God gave David a warning by showing it necessary for him to come
out against the Syrians. David tried to leave the battle with Joab in 1 Chronicles 19
(and 2 Samuel 10), but his army needed him and God tried to show him that by
blessing it when David did go out to battle. These events were God’s gracious
warning that David sadly wasted.

iv. When it comes to sin such as David fell into, “Constant watchfulness is the only
guarantee of safety. Not even true desire and great blessing are sufficient if the heart
be not personally watchful.” (Morgan)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 20 - A MMON IS D EFEATED AT R ABBAH

A. The defeat of Ammon.

1. (1) Joab goes back out the next year to get Rabbah of Ammon.

It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the
armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah.
But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab defeated Rabbah and overthrew it.

a. In the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle: In that part of the world,
wars were not normally fought during the winter months because rains and cold weather
made travel and campaigning difficult. Fighting resumed in the spring.

b. Joab led out the armed forces . . . But David remained at Jerusalem: David should have
been out at the battle but he remained behind. In 1 Chronicles 19 Joab and the army of the
mighty men were preserved against the Syrians and the Ammonites but they did not win a
decisive victory. The decisive victory came when David led the battle at the end of 1
Chronicles 19. Both through custom and experience God told David, “You need to be at the
battle.” But David remained at Jerusalem.
 i. What happened when David remained at Jerusalem was so well known that the
Chronicler did not need to record it. In his leisure he saw a woman bathing, acting
upon his feelings of lust, committed adultery with her making her pregnant, and
conspired with Joab to murder her husband (Uriah, one of David’s mighty men) to
cover up his crime. A lot happened between David stayed at Jerusalem and Joab
defeated Rabbah.

ii. “Beware of moments and hours of ease. It is in these that we most easily fall into
the power of Satan. The sultriest summer days are most laden with blight. . . . If we
cannot fill our days with our own matters, there is always plenty to be done for
others. . . . Watch and pray in days of vacation and ease, even more than at other
times.” (Meyer)

iii. “There is nothing more full of subtle danger in the life of any servant of God than
that he should remain inactive when the enterprises of God demand that he be out
on the fields of conflict.” (Morgan)

c. Joab defeated Rabbah: In fact, the account in 2 Samuel 12:26-31 tells us that Joab himself
did not win this battle over Rabbah. He fought the Ammonites to a stalement and then called
for David to help, after his sin and subsequent repentance. Then, 2 Samuel 12:29 tells us,
David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah. This was the final phase of
David’s restoration. He went back to doing what he should have done all along - leading
Israel out to battle, instead of remaining in Jerusalem. This means that David was in victory
once again. His sin did not condemn him to a life of failure and defeat. There was
chastisement for David’s sin, but it did not mean that his life was ruined.

i. “David’s fall should put those who have not fallen on their guard, and save from
despair those who have.” (Augustine)

2. (2-3) David wears the crown of Ammon.

Then David took their king's crown from his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and
there were precious stones in it. And it was set on David's head. Also he brought out the spoil of
the city in great abundance. And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work
with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon.
Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
 a. David took their king’s crown . . . it was set on David’s head: David’s sin didn’t take
away his crown. Had David refused the voice of Nathan the Prophet it might have. Because
David responded with confession and repentance, there was sill a crown for David’s head.

i. “David’s rule over Ammon seems to be part of a complex four-stage system of

administration of the empire outside the land of Israel. . . . Ammon was most
restricted of all, apparently demoted to provincial status.” (Selman)

b. He brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance . . . David and all the people
returned to Jerusalem: David again increases in might and in wealth, bringing the riches
back to Jerusalem for the sake of later building the temple.

i. This example of extending Israel’s security with its neighbors fits in with the
Chronicler’s broader purpose of showing how David prepared the way for his son to
build the temple.

B. Other Israeli victories over Philistine giants.

1. (4-7) Three victories over three giants.

Now it happened afterward that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines, at which time
Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the sons of the giant. And they were
subdued. Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the
brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. Yet again there
was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, with twenty-four fingers and toes, six
on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant. So when he defied Israel,
Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him.

a. Now it happened afterward: This description of victory over Philistine giants shows that
Israel could slay giants without David. Sibbechai . . . Elhanan . . . Jonathan: These men
accomplished heroic deeds when David was finished fighting giants. God will continue to
raise up leaders when the leaders of the previous generation pass from the scene.
 i. David’s legacy lay not only in what he accomplished, but in what he left behind - a
people prepared for victory. David’s triumphs were meaningful not only for himself
but for others who learned victory through his teaching and example.

ii. “The compiler of these books passes by also the incest of Amnon with his sister
Tamar, and the rebellion of Absalom, and the awful consequences of all these. These
should have preceded the fourth verse. These facts could not be unknown to him, for
they were notorious to all; but he saw that they were already amply detailed in
books which were accredited among the people, and the relations were such as no
friend to piety and humanity could delight to repeat. On these grounds the reader
will give him credit for the omission.” (Clarke)

b. With tewenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot:
Commentators like Adam Clarke can’t resist reminding us that this is a known phenomenon.
“This is not a solitary instance: Tavernier informs us that the eldest son of the emperor of
Java, who reigned in 1649, had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot . . . I once
saw a young girl, in the county of Londonderry, in Ireland, who had six fingers on each hand,
and six toes on each foot, but her stature had nothing gigantic in it.”

i. The shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam: “Also has known parallels
and is not the unhistorical creation which some have alleged. It was actually a
javelin with a loop and cord round the shaft for greater distance and stability, and
was known in the Aegean area from the twelfth century B.C. Even the Old Testament
reports one in the possession of another non-Israelite (1 Chronicles 11:23).”
(Selman)

2. (8) Summary of the victories over the Philistine giants.

These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his
servants.

a. These were born to the giant in Gath: Since Goliath was from Gath (1 Samuel 17:4)
these were Goliath’s sons or brothers.

i. “The Philistine warriors are also all called ‘Rephaites’ (RSV) or descendants of
Rapha (‘giants’, NRSV), who were one of the pre-Israelite groups in Canaan (e.g.
Genesis 15:20) and famous for their size.” (Selman)
 b. Fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants: Part of the idea is that David
is conquering enemies now so it will be better for Solomon in the future. Our present victory
is not only good for us now but it passes something important on to the next generation.

i. The defeat of these four giants is rightly credited to the hand of David and the
hand of his servants. David had a role in this through his example, guidance, and
influence.

ii. “Let those who after long service find themselves waning in strength, be content
to abide with the people of god, still shining for them as a lamp, and thus enabling
them to carry on the same Divine enterprises. Such action in the last days of life is
also great and high service.” (Morgan)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 21 – W HERE TO B UILD THE T EMPLE

A. David commands a census to be taken.

1. (1-2) David is moved to take a census.

Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and
to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of
them to me that I may know it.”

a. Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel: In 2 Samuel
24:1, it tells us that this was initially prompted because the anger of the Lord was aroused
against Israel. So we see that Satan moved David yet the LORD expressly allowed it as a
chastisement against David.
 i. There is quite a gap in the historical record that the Chronicler passes over,
including many family problems and a civil war. “His reasons for a gap of this length
are not difficult to surmise: little of what transpired during those two decades
would encourage a postexilic Judah, before whom Ezra was seeking to portray a
piety that characterized David as his best.” (Payne)

ii. “For the first time in Scripture, the word ‘Satan’ appears without the definite
article as a proper noun.” (Payne)

iii. “When Satan incites, he is interested merely in his own ends. He neither cares for
righteous punishment nor looks for possible repentance, since they are as foreign to
his nature as temptation to sin is to God’s.” (Selman)

b. Go, number Israel: This was dangerous because of a principle stated in Exodus 30:12:
When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a
ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among
them when you number them.

i. The principle of Exodus 30:12 speaks to God’s ownership of His people. In the
thinking of these ancient cultures, a man only had the right to count or number what
belonged to him. Israel didn’t belong to David; Israel belonged to God. It was up to
the LORD to command a counting, and if David counted he should only do it at God’s
command and receiving ransom money to “atone” for the counting.

ii. “Numbering the hosts of Jehovah is not essentially or necessarily wrong;

everything depends on the motive. . . . When it is born of pride, it is the subtlest of
perils, inclining us to trust in the multitude of a host, and thus to cease to depend
upon God.” (Morgan)

iii. “When we are moved to number the people, we may rest assured that the
impulse is Divine or Satanic, and we may determine which by the motive. If the
motive is service, it is God. If the motive is pride, it is Satanic.” (Morgan)

2. (3-4) Joab objects to the census.

And Joab answered, “May the LORD make His people a hundred times more than they are. But,
my lord the king, are they not all my lord‟s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing?
Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?” Nevertheless the king‟s word prevailed against
Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.

a. Why then does my lord desire this thing? Joab wasn’t afraid to speak to David when he
thought the king was wrong. With the best interest of both David and Israel in mind, Joab
tactfully asked David to reconsider this foolish desire to count the nation.

i. Joab also hints at the motive behind the counting - pride in David. The this thing
that David desired was the increase of the nation, and he perhaps wanted to
measure the size of his army to know if he had enough force to conquer a
neighboring nation. “He did it out of curiosity and creature-confidence.” (Trapp)

ii. We gather from 2 Samuel 24 that this took place late in his reign. So late in his
reign, David was tempted to take some of the glory in himself. He looked at how
Israel had grown and prospered during his reign - it was remarkable indeed. The
count was a way to take credit to himself. “The spirit of vainglory in numbers had
taken possession of the people and the king, and there was a tendency to trust in
numbers and forget God.” (Morgan)

b. Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab: 2 Samuel 24:4 tells us that it
wasn’t only Joab who tried to tell David not to do this - the captains of the army also warned
David not to count the soldiers in Israel. But David did so anyway.

3. (5-8) The census is made and David is immediately sorry.

Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one
hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand
men who drew the sword. But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king‟s
word was abominable to Joab. And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck
Israel. So David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I
pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
a. Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king: he results showed that
there were 1,300,000 fighting men among the twelve tribes, reflecting an estimated total
population of about 6 million in Israel.

i. 2 Samuel 24:5-9 indicates that it took almost 10 months to complete the census.
David should have called off this foolish census during the ten months, but he didn’t.

ii. The number given in 2 Samuel 24:5-9 is different than the sum arrived at here.
“To attempt to reconcile them in every part is lost labour; better at once
acknowledge what cannot be successfully denied, that although the original writers
of the Old Testament wrote under the influence of the Divine Spirit, yet we are not
told that the same influence descended on all copiers of their words, so as absolutely
to prevent them from making mistakes.” (Clarke)

iii. But he did not count Levi and Benjamin: “The rabbis give the following reason
for this: Joab, seeing that this would bring down destruction upon the people,
purposed to save two tribes. Should David ask, Why have you not numbered the
Levites? Joab purposed to say, Because the Levites are not reckoned among the
children of Israel. Should he ask, Why have you not numbered Benjamin? he would
answer, Benjamin has been already sufficiently punished, on account of the
treatment of the woman at Gibeah: if, therefore, this tribe were to be again
punished, who would remain?” (Clarke)

b. Therefore He struck Israel: God would strike Israel with a choice of judgments offered to
David. Yet God had already struck Israel by deeply convicting the King of Israel with an acute
sense of his sin.

c. I have sinned greatly: The man after God’s heart was not sinless, but had a heart sensitive
to sin when it was committed. David kept a short account with God.

i. “The chief interest of this chapter for us lies in the revelation of the true character
of David. His sins were the lapses and accidents of his life. This is not to condone
them. It is, however, to emphasize that the habitual set of his life was far otherwise
than these sins suggest, and the deepest truth concerning him is revealed, not by the
failures, but by his action afterwards.” (Morgan)

d. Take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly: David now saw
the pride and vainglory that prompted him to do such a foolish thing.
 4. (9-12) David is allowed to choose the judgment.

And the LORD spoke to Gad, David‟s seer, saying, “Go and tell David, saying, „Thus says the
LORD: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”‟” So
Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: „Choose for yourself, either three
years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies
overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the LORD; the plague in the land, with the
angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.‟ Now consider what answer I
should take back to Him who sent me.”

a. I offer you three things: God used David’s sin and the resulting chastisement to reveal
David’s heart and wisdom. His choice of the following three options would test David:

Three years of famine: This would surely be the death of some in Israel, but the
wealthy and resourceful would survive. Israel would have to depend on neighboring
nations for food

Three months to be defeated by your foes: This would be the death of some in
Israel, but mostly only of soldiers. Israel would have to contend with enemies
among neighboring nations

For three days . . . the plague in the land: This would be the death of some in
Israel, but anyone could be struck by this plague - rich or poor, influential or
anonymous, royalty or common

i. “This was a great mercy: David must be whipped; but he may choose his own rod.”
(Trapp)

b. Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me: God wanted David
to use the prophet as a mediator, and to answer to the prophet instead of directly to God.

5. (13) David chooses the three days of plague.

And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for
His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

a. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD: This meant that David chose the three days
of plague. In the other two options the king and his family could be insulated against the
danger, but David knew that he had to expose himself to the chastisement of God.

i. “Had he chosen war, his own personal safety was in no danger, because there was
already an ordinance preventing him from going to battle. Had he chosen famine, his
own wealth would have secured his and his own family’s support. But he showed
the greatness of his mind in choosing the pestilence, to the ravages of which himself
and his household were exposed equally with the meanest of his subjects.” (Clarke)

b. Do not let me fall into the hand of man: This meant that David chose the three days of
plague. In the other two options, Israel would either be at the mercy of neighbors (as in the
famine) or attacked by enemies. David knew that God is far more merciful and gracious than
man is.

B. The course of the plague

1. (14-15) The plague of destruction hits Israel severely.

So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. And God sent
an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the LORD looked and relented of the
disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And
the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

a. Seventy thousand men of Israel fell: This was a great calamity upon Israel - a
devastating plague striking this many in such a short period of time.

b. The LORD looked and relented of the disaster: This justified David’s wisdom in leaving
himself in God’s hands. He could not trust man to relent from destruction.
 2. (16-19) David’s intercession; and God’s instruction.

Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven,
having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed
in sackcloth, fell on their faces. And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the
people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what
have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father‟s house,
but not against Your people that they should be plagued.” Therefore, the angel of the LORD
commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the LORD on the
threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. So David went up at the word of Gad, which he had
spoken in the name of the LORD.

a. Having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem: At this point God had
relented from the severity of judgment, yet the threat was still imminent. So David and the
elders humbled themselves before God and David repented.

b. Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father’s house: Like a
true shepherd, David asked that the punishment be upon him and his own household.
Having another purpose to accomplish, God did not accept David’s offer.

c. Erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite: This is where
David met the Angel of the LORD, and where God relented from the plague before it came
upon Jerusalem. Now God wanted David to meet Him there in worship.

i. “Threshing floors were usually on a height, in order to catch every breeze; some
area to the north of David’s city is indicated” (Baldwin)

ii. The threshing floor of Ornan had both rich history and a rich future. 2
Chronicles 3:1 tells us that the threshing floor of Ornan was on Mount Moriah; the
same hill where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2), and the same set of hills
where Jesus died on the cross (Genesis 22:14).

iii. “In fact, David’s altar was the only one in pre-exilic times which God explicitly
commanded to be built.” (Selman)
 iv. “The decision of God to establish his altar and temple at Moriah in Jerusalem has
affected all history (cf. Revelation 11:1); for this mountain became the focus of the
Holy City, where His Son was crucified. And it will continue to affect history; for
from this ‘city he loves’, he will some day rule the nations of the earth (Isaiah 2:2-
4).” (Payne)

3. (20-25) David buys the threshing floor or Ornan.

Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves, but
Ornan continued threshing wheat. Then David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David.
And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before David with his face to the ground.
Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar
on it to the LORD. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn
from the people.” And Ornan said to David, “Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do
what is good in his eyes. Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing
implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give it all.” Then King David said to
Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the
LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.” So David gave Ornan six
hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.

a. Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid
themselves: “Partly because of the glory and majesty in which the angel appeared, which
men’s weak and sinful natures are not able to bear; and partly for the fear of God’s
vengeance, which was at this time riding circuit in the land, and now seemed to be coming to
their family.” (Poole)

b. Grant me the place of this threshing floor . . . at full price: David wanted to transform
this place where chaff was separated from wheat into a place of sacrifice and worship. It
would remain a place of sacrifice and worship, because this land purchased by David became
the site of Solomon’s temple (1 Chronicles 21:28-22:5).

i. “So David bought ‘the site’ – hammaqom, which may have included the whole area
of Mount Moriah – for 240 ounces of gold. This was worth about one hundred
thousand dollars. Second Samuel 24:24 notes a much smaller amount, 20 ounces of
silver, for the threshing floor itself.” (Payne)
 c. Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes: Ornan had a
good, generous heart and wanted to give David anything he wanted.

i. “Had Araunah’s noble offer been accepted, it would have been Araunah’s sacrifice,
not David’s; nor would it have answered the end of turning away the displeasure of
the Most High.” (Clarke)

d. No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the
LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing: David knew that it
would not be a gift nor a sacrifice unto the LORD if it did not cost him something. He didn’t
look for the cheapest way possible to please God.

i. “He who has a religion that costs him nothing, has a religion that is worth nothing:
nor will any man esteem the ordinances of God, if those ordinances cost him
nothing.” (Clarke)

ii. “Where there is true, strong love to Jesus, it will cost us something. Love is the
costliest of all undertakings . . . But what shall we mind if we gain Christ? You cannot
give up for Him without regaining everything you have renounced, but purified and
transfigured.” (Meyer)

4. (26-27) God is satisfied and the judgment relents.

And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and
called on the LORD; and He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering. So
the LORD commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

a. And offered burnt offerings and peace offerings: This shows that David understood
that the death of the 70,000 in Israel in the plague did not atone for his and Israel’s sin.
Atonement could only be made through the blood of an approved substitute.

i. Burnt offerings were to atone for sin; peace offerings were to enjoy fellowship
with God. This shows us from beginning to end, David’s life was marked by
fellowship with God.
 ii. “We finally see the man after God’s own heart turning the occasion of his sin and
its punishment into an occasion of worship.” (Morgan)

b. He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar: God showed His acceptance of
David’s sacrifice by consuming it with fire from heaven. God honored David’s desire to be
right and to fellowship with God by answering with Divine blessing from heaven. So it
always is when God’s children draw near to their God and Father for cleansing and
fellowship.

i. The sending of fire from heaven answered a question that had burned in the heart
of David for a long time. For many years, he had wondered where God wanted the
temple to be built, and he sought for that place, as shown in Psalm 132:1-5:

LORD, remember David

And all his afflictions;

How he swore to the LORD,

And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

“Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,

Or go up to the comfort of my bed;

I will not give sleep to my eyes

Or slumber to my eyelids,

Until I find a place for the LORD,

A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

ii. The fire on the altar from heaven confirmed the previous word of the Prophet
Gad that this was the place to build the altar and the temple. We see that God simply
use Satan’s provocation at the opening of this chapter to lead to the answer of this
important question for David and for the nation of Israel. There were certainly other
purposes of God at work, but this was one of them.
 iii. The character of Ornan’s threshing floor shows us something about where and
how God wants to meet with men. Ornan’s threshing floor was . . .

A simple, unadorned place – not like a fancy church at all.

A place of ordinary work.

A place bought with money.

A place where bread was brought forth from.

A place where the justice of God was evident.

A place where sin was confessed.

A place where sacrifice was offered and accepted.

iv. “Do not believe for a moment that visible grandeur is necessary to the place
where God will meet with you. Go to your threshing floor and pray; aye, while the
unmuzzled oxen take their rest, bow your knee and cry to the Lord of the harvest,
and you shall meet with God there amongst the straw and the grain. Fear not to
draw nigh to God in these streets, but consecrate all space to the Lord your God.”
(Spurgeon)

5. (28-22:1) David decides to build the temple at the place where God showed mercy to Israel.

At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan
the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. For the tabernacle of the LORD and the altar of the burnt
offering, which Moses had made in the wilderness, were at that time at the high place in Gibeon.
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of
the LORD. Then David said, “This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt
offering for Israel.”

a. When David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan
the Jebusite, he sacrificed there: David knew that there was something special about this
threshing floor; he understood that God had sanctified the place Himself with fire from
heaven.
 i. “Having seen his prayers answered and his sacrifices accepted, the site had
already become a ‘house of prayer’ and a ‘temple for sacrifices’ cf. 2 Chronicles 7:12;
Isaiah 56:7).” (Selman)

ii. “Abraham taught the fact of the sacrifice, while to David the reason of that
sacrifice of Christ was explained. He was sacrificed to stay the plague — the plague
of sin, the punishment of our iniquities.” (Spurgeon)

b. This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel:
David understood that the future temple should be built on this spot in Jerusalem. God had
sanctified this humble threshing floor to Himself.

i. This is the house: “This is that very place foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy
12:11).” (Trapp)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 22 - D AVID ’ S C HARGE TO S OLOMON

A. David gathers men, material, and a vision.

1. (2-4) David gathers men and material for building the temple.

So David commanded to gather the aliens who were in the land of Israel; and he appointed
masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for
the nails of the doors of the gates and for the joints, and bronze in abundance beyond measure,
and cedar trees in abundance; for the Sidonians and those from Tyre brought much cedar wood
to David.
 a. David commanded to gather the aliens who were in the land of Israel: 1 Kings 5:15-
18 describes how these were actually put to work in the building of the temple in Solomon’s
day, some 70,000 slaves.

b. Cedar trees in abundance: The cedar trees of Lebanon were legendary for their excellent
timber. This means David (and Solomon after him) wanted to build the temple out of the
best materials possible.

i. It also means that they were willing to build this great temple to God with
“Gentile” wood and using “Gentile” labor. This was a temple to the God of Israel, but
it was not only for Israel. Only Jews built the tabernacle, “But the temple is not built
without the aid of the Gentile Tyrians. They, together with us, make up the Church of
God.” (Trapp)

ii. Payne on iron in abundance: “The king’s provision of ‘a large amount of iron’
reflects how conditions had changed during his time – known archaeologically as
Iron I – due, no doubt, to the incorporation of iron-producing Philistines within the
sphere of Hebrew control.”

2. (5) David’s vision for the preparation of the temple.

Now David said, "Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the
LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will
now make preparation for it." So David made abundant preparations before his death.

a. Solomon my son is young and inexperienced: Even after David’s death, Solomon knew
that he was young and inexperienced (1 Kings 3:7), so when offered anything he wanted
wisdom to lead God’s people.

b. The house to be built for the LORD must be exceeding magnificent: Solomon had the
same vision for the glory of the temple, and he indeed built it according to David’s vision of a
magnificent, famous, and glorious building. Solomon had this vision breathed into him
through his father’s influence.
 i. We can almost picture the old David and the young Solomon pouring over the
plans and ideas for the temple together with excitement. David knew that it was not
his place to build it, but had the right vision for what the temple should be in general
terms, and he passed that vision on to his son.

ii. So David made abundant preparations before his death: This indicates that
David was a peace with the idea that he himself could not build the temple and was
content to prepare the way for his son to build it successfully. “This is a picture of a
man who through stress and storm had found his way into the quiet calm assurance
of his place in the divine economy. . . . It is a condition of peace and power.”
(Morgan)

iii. “The Chronicler was vitally concerned to insure support for the Jerusalem temple
in his day. No more fitting stimulus for dedication in this regard could then be found
than in the example set by David when he made preparations for the construction of
that temple in his day.” (Payne)

B. David’s exhortation to his son Solomon.

1. (6-10) David’s testimony of the call to build the temple.

Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of
Israel. And David said to Solomon: "My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the
name of the LORD my God; but the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'You have shed
much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you
have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be
a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be
Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My
name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his
kingdom over Israel forever.'”

a. And charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel: This was not a
suggestion or an idea offered to Solomon. It was a sacred charge for him to fulfill. David
knew that he could not fulfill this last great work of his life himself; he could only do it
through Solomon after David went to his reward. There was a sense in which if Solomon
failed, David failed also.
 i. Specifically, David wanted to build a house to the name of the LORD my God.
“That the temple was to be built ‘for the Name of the LORD’ means more than his
reputation or honor but ultimately for his Person.” (Payne)

b. You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house
for My name: This explaination was not previously recorded, either in 2 Samuel or in 1
Chronicles. Here we find one of the reasons why God did not want David to build the temple,
and why He chose Solomon instead. God wanted a man of rest and peace to build a house
unto Him.

i. It wasn’t that David’s wars were wrong or ungodly, or that the blood he shed was
unrighteous. It was that God wanted His house built from the context of peace and
rest and victory; He wanted it to be built after and from the victory, not from the
midst of struggle.

ii. “Principally for mystical signification, to teach us that the church (whereof the
temple was a manifest and a illustrious type) should be built by Christ, the Prince of
peace, Isaiah 9:6; and that it should be gathered and built up, not by might or power,
or by force of arms, but by God’s Spirit, Zechariah 4:6, and by the preaching of the
gospel of peace.” (Poole)

2. (11-13) David warns Solomon to stay faithful to God and His word.

"Now, my son, may the LORD be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the
LORD your God, as He has said to you. Only may the LORD give you wisdom and
understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the LORD
your God. Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which
the LORD charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be
dismayed.”

a. May the LORD be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the LORD
your God: The Chronicler emphasized David’s legacy and Solomon’s mission to build the
temple. This would become by far Solomon’s greatest accomplishment.

b. That you may keep the law of the LORD your God: David knew that Solomon could not
be strong or courageous without obedient fellowship with God. In this place of obedient
fellowship, Solomon would prosper in all that he did.
 c. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed: Solomon could take
courage and reject fear because God promised David that as long as his sons walked in
obedience, they would keep the throne of Israel (1 Kings 2:1-4).

i. This is an amazing promise. No matter what the Assyrians or the Egyptians or the
Babylonians did, as long as David’s sons were obedient and followed God with their
heart and with all their soul, God would establish their kingdom. He would take care
of the rest.

3. (14-16) What David did to prepare for the building of the temple.

"Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the LORD one hundred thousand
talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so
abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them. Moreover there are
workmen with you in abundance: woodsmen and stonecutters, and all types of skillful men for
every kind of work. Of gold and silver and bronze and iron there is no limit. Arise and begin
working, and the LORD be with you."

a. I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the LORD: David took seriously
his mission to prepare the way by bringing both security and treasure to Israel and his
successor Solomon. With these two resources he could build the house of the LORD.

i. The Bible tells us that Jesus – the greater Son of David – is also building a temple
(Ephesians 2:19-22). He could only do this after security and treasure were won;
but the greater Son of David made this peace and plundered the enemy Himself at
the cross. Jesus could also say that He took much trouble to prepare for the house
of the LORD and that He has prepared the building materials (his people, according
to Ephesians 2:19-22).

b. One hundred thousand talents of gold: This is an enormous amount of gold. Some Bible
commentators believe this large number is accurate and some feel it is a scribal error. Even
allowing for possible scribal error, David clearly amassed significant resources for a temple
he would never build.
 i. Even so, David also told Solomon to receive these enormous resources and add to
them. “Save as I have saved, out of the revenues of the state, and thou mayest also
add something for the erection and splendour of his this house. This was a gentle
though pointed hint, which was not lost on Solomon.” (Clarke)

ii. “Cannot I put my hand on some young man’s shoulder, and say to him, ‘Thou
mayest add thereto; thou hast a good voice; thou hast an active brain; begin to speak
for God; there are numbers of godly men in the gospel ministry; if thou art called of
God, thou mayest add thereto’?” (Spurgeon)

c. Arise and begin working, and the LORD be with you: David made all the preparation,
but it was in vain if Solomon did not begin working. He had to actually do the work, and do
it with the confidence that the LORD was with him.

i. David is an example of someone who works in the background, who receives none
or little credit for his work, but the job cannot be done without him.

David gathered the materials for the temple

David prepared some of those materials

David won the peace with surrounding nations that Israel needed to build
the temple

David found and purchased the site to build the temple

David established the plans for the temple

David organized and commanded the administration and servants of the

temple

ii. Yet no one calls it “David’s temple.” It seems that all the credit, all the name, all the
glory goes to Solomon. It doesn’t seem to have bothered David, because he was a
man after God’s heart.

iii. “So, if you go to a country town or village, and you preach the gospel to a few
poor folk, you may never have seemed very successful; but you have been preparing
the way for somebody else who is coming after you.” (Spurgeon)
 iv. “But this is a terrible blow at self. Self says, ‘I like to begin something of my own,
and I like to carry it out; I do not want any interference from other people.’ A friend
proposed, the other day, to give you a little help in your service. You looked at him
as if he had been a thief. You do not want any help; you are quite up to the mark; you
are like a wagon and four horses, and a dog under the wagon as well! There is
everything about you that is wanted; you need no help from anybody; you can do all
things almost without the help of God! I am very sorry for you if that is your
opinion.” (Spurgeon)

4. (17-19) David’s command to the leaders of Israel.

David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, "Is not the
LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the
inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His
people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Therefore arise and build
the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy
articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD."

a. David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son: David knew
that one leader – even a great leader – was not enough to get a great work done. When God
calls a leader He also calls other leaders . . . to help.

b. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God: This command of
David’s is interesting in its context. David gave this command in the context of work, not the
context of leisurely repose before God. David knew that it was possible to keep one’s heart
set on seeking God even in the midst of doing a great work before the LORD.

i. “They must seek the LORD (v. 19) as David had sought him (cf. 13:3; 14:10, 14).
David explains how to seek (‘devote your heart and soul’; cf. REB, NEB, JB) and what
it meant in practice (Build the sanctuary). As elsewhere, ‘seeking’ is an act of
obedience rather than a search for guidance, and David will yet again underline its
importance (1 Chronicles 28:8-9).” (Selman)

ii. “Thus Solomon came to the Jewish throne with every possible advantage. Had he
made a proper use of his state and of his talents, he would have been the greatest as
well as the wisest of sovereigns. But alas! How soon did this pure gold become dim!
He began with an unlawful matrimonial connection; this led him to a commerce that
 was positively forbidden by the law of God: he then multiplied his matrimonial
connections with pagan women; they turned his heart away from God, and the once
wise and holy Solomon died a fool and an idolater.” (Clarke)

iii. “Did David live in vain? Can it be truly said that he failed in the grandest project
of his life? Assuredly not; he did all that he was permitted to do, and by making
those elaborate preparations, he was really the means of the building of the temple.”
(Spurgeon)

iv. “God buries the workman, but the devil himself cannot bury the work. The work
is everlasting, though the workmen die. We pass away, as star by star grows dim;
but the eternal light is never-fading. God shall have the victory.” (Spurgeon)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 23 – N EW D UTIES FOR THE L EVITES

A. The groupings of the Levites.

1. (1-2) David passes the kingdom to Solomon.

So when David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. And he
gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

a. When David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel:
David had other sons who might also claim the throne of Israel after his death (especially
Adonijah). 1 Kings 1:31-40 describes in greater detail how David made sure that Solomon
and not Adonijah took the throne after his death.

i. “Not that he did resign the kingdom to him, but that he declared his mind
concerning his succession into the throne after his death.” (Poole)
 b. He gathered together all the leaders of Israel: David gathered these for the purpose of
organizing them to help Solomon with the work of building the temple and administering the
affairs of the kingdom.

2. (3-6) The number and the main groupings of the Levites.

Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of
individual males was thirty-eight thousand. Of these, twenty-four thousand were to look after the
work of the house of the LORD, six thousand were officers and judges, four thousand were
gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with musical instruments, "which I made,"
said David, "for giving praise." Also David separated them into divisions among the sons of
Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

a. The Levites were numbered for the age of thirty years and above: This was based on
the ancient command found in Numbers 4:1-3, indicating that a Levite’s service began at 30
years of age.

b. The number of individuals was thirty-eight thousand: These 38,000 qualified Levites
were divided into different duties.

i. To look after the work of the house of the LORD: The temple was a busy place
constantly flowing with worshippers, sacrifice, and service unto God. It took many
skilled people to take care of all the practical matters behind this activity.

ii. Officers and judges: The Levites were also the civil servants for the Kingdom of
Israel. Governmental records, decisions, and administration were all in the hands of
the Levites.

iii. Gatekeepers: These had the responsibility for security, both in a practical and
spiritual sense. They made sure that only those who were ready to serve and
worship God could come to the temple and its associated building.
 iv. Four thousand praised the LORD: These Levites had the job of worshipping
God both with their voices and musical instruments. They did this both to honor God
directly and also to encourage others to worship God.

c. David separated them into divisions among the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and
Merari: These family groupings within the tribe of Levi were described hundreds of years
before in Numbers 3 and 4.

i. Gershon: The Gershonites were to take care of the skins that covered the
tabernacle itself.

ii. Kohath: The Kohathites were to take care of the furniture of the tabernacle
including the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, and so forth, under the
direction of Eleazar the priest, son of Aaron.

iii. Merari: The family of Merari was to take care of the structural aspects of the
tabernacle including the pillars, the boards, and so forth

3. (7-11) The Gershonites.

Of the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei. The sons of Laadan: the first Jehiel, then Zetham and
Joel; three in all. The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran; three in all. These were the
heads of the fathers' houses of Laadan. And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah.
These were the four sons of Shimei. Jahath was the first and Zizah the second. But Jeush and
Beriah did not have many sons; therefore they were assigned as one father's house.

4. (12-13) The Kohathites.

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; four in all. The sons of Amram: Aaron
and Moses; and Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should sanctify the most
holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him, and to give the blessing in His
name forever.
 a. And Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever: Among the Levites, the descendants
of Aaron were chosen for the priestly duties described in these verses. Being a member of
the tribe of Levi was not enough to be a priest; one had to be a descendant of this particular
family of Aaron.

b. That he should sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to
minister to Him, and to give the blessing in His name forever: This is a brief but
powerful description of the duties of the priests of Israel.

That he should sanctify the most holy things: The priest was have an active
concern for holiness, and to be able to discern between what was holy and what was
not. This means that holiness had to touch the life of the priest; he had to represent
God before the people.

To burn incense before the LORD: Incense is a picture of intercessory prayer. The
priest had to represent the people before the Lord. “The fragrant incense stealing
heavenward is a beautiful emblem of intercessory prayer. Let us pray more, not for
ourselves so much as for others. This is the sign of grown in grace, when our prayers
are fragrant with the names of friend and foe, and mingled with the coals of the
golden altar.” (Meyer)

To minister to Him: The priest was busy with people and the work of ministry, but
he must never forget his ministry to God Himself. He was to spend time in personal
devotion, worship, and attention given to God in the secret place.

To give the blessing in His name forever: The priest was blessed so that he could
bless others. “It is not enough to linger in soft prayer within the vail, we must come
forward to bless mankind. He who is nearest to God is closest to man.” (Meyer)

5. (14-20) The sons of Moses, of the family of Kohath.

Now the sons of Moses the man of God were reckoned to the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses
were Gershon and Eliezer. Of the sons of Gershon, Shebuel was the first. Of the descendants of
Eliezer, Rehabiah was the first. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were
very many. Of the sons of Izhar, Shelomith was the first. Of the sons of Hebron, Jeriah was the
first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. Of the sons of Uzziel,
Michah was the first and Jesshiah the second.
 6. (21-23) The family of Merari.

The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. And
Eleazar died, and had no sons, but only daughters; and their brethren, the sons of Kish, took them
as wives. The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth; three in all.

B. David changes the duties of the Levites.

1. (24-26) The reason for the change of duty.

These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses; the heads of the fathers' houses as they were
counted individually by the number of their names, who did the work for the service of the house
of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and above. For David said, "The LORD God of Israel
has given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever"; and also to the Levites,
"They shall no longer carry the tabernacle, or any of the articles for its service."

a. From the age of twenty years and above: David first changed the year when service
began for the Levites from 30 to 20.

i. One reason he did this was because the new temple would require more workers,
and he wanted to keep the Levites busy. “Temple service will certainly have brought
increased work, even though the occasional duty of transporting the ark was now to
be abolished. In fact, the Levites and their duties had suffered from long-standing
neglect.” (Selman)

b. The LORD God of Israel has given rest to His people: Now that the tabernacle and its
furnishings would rest permanently at the temple David planned and Solomon would build,
there could and should be a change in the duties of the Levites.

2. (27-32) The new duties of the Levites.

For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above;
because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD, in the
courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the
house of God, both with the showbread and the fine flour for the grain offering, with the
unleavened cakes and what is baked in the pan, with what is mixed and with all kinds of
measures and sizes; to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at
evening; and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the
New Moons and on the set feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them,
regularly before the LORD; and that they should attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting,
the needs of the holy place, and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the
house of the LORD.

a. For by the last word of David the Levites were numbered: “Never was the true
kingliness of David more manifest, than when he sought to make these arrangements for the
consolidation around the Throne of God of that kingdom which he was so soon to leave.”
(Morgan)

i. 2 Chronicles 29:25 tells us that David commanded this arrangements as he worked

together with Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet. It also tells us that these
arrangements were the commandment of the LORD by his prophets. This was Holy
Spirit guided organization and administration.

ii. “Guided by the prophets (2 Chronicles 29:25), the king exercised his
administrative genius to establish a system of procedures that helped maintain
legitimate worship under his successors.” (Payne)

b. Because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the
LORD: Since the tabernacle and its service was now to come to a place of permanent rest, the
Levites who once had the responsibility to manage and move the mobile structure could now
become the helpers of the priests, the sons of Aaron.

c. To stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD: The Chronicler mentioned
many specific duties of the Levites (purifying all holy things . . . with the showbread . . .
what is baked in the pan). Yet he included among them this most important duty: to stand
every morning to thank and praise the LORD. This was essential among the duties of the
Levites and the priests, and could never be neglected.
 i. “The specific work of the Levites is beautifully described by the chronicler in the
closing verses of the chapter. They were the servants of the priest and of the house.
They were also to stand at morning and evening to praise the Lord. High and holy
calling, this.” (Morgan)

ii. “It was the priests' business to kill, flay, and dress, as well as to offer, the victims;
but being few, they were obliged to employ the Levites to flay those animals. The
Levites were, properly speaking, servants to the priests, and were employed about
the more servile part of divine worship.” (Clarke)

iii. “As assistants, they were active in side-rooms and courtyards rather than the
main building, preparing food and offerings rather than actually offering sacrifices.”
(Selman)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 24 – T HE S ECTIONS OF THE P RIESTHOOD

A. The twenty-four divisions of the priesthood.

1. (1-6) The sons of Aaron and what became of them.

Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu,
Eleazar, and Ithamar. And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children;
therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests. Then David with Zadok of the sons of
Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to the schedule of their
service. There were more leaders found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and
thus they were divided. Among the sons of Eleazar were sixteen heads of their fathers' houses,
and eight heads of their fathers' houses among the sons of Ithamar. Thus they were divided by
lot, one group as another, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of the house of
God, from the sons of Eleazar and from the sons of Ithamar. And the scribe, Shemaiah the son of
Nethanel, one of the Levites, wrote them down before the king, the leaders, Zadok the priest,
Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and Levites,
one father's house taken for Eleazar and one for Ithamar.
 a. Nadab and Abihu died before their father: God judged Nadab and Abihu because they
dared to bring strange fire before the LORD, blaspheming God’s commandments for sacrifice
(Numbers 10:1-2).

b. Divided them according to the schedule of their service: David took the descendants of
Aaron – the priestly family of Israel – and together with Zadok he divided them into 24
sections, to serve according to the schedule of their service.

i. “Two aspects of this service are emphasized – that it is to be regulated in an

orderly system of twenty-four courses (vv. 1-19), and that it provides a pattern to be
followed by the priests’ Levitical assistants (vv. 20-31).” (Selman)

2. (7-19) The priesthood is divided by lot into 24 sections.

Now the first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,
the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, the
ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, the
thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,
the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth
to Jehezekel, the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, the twenty-third to Delaiah,
the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. This was the schedule of their service for coming into the house of
the LORD according to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as the LORD God of
Israel had commanded him.

a. This was the schedule of their service for coming into the house of the LORD: David
knew that because there were so many descendants of Aaron by this time, the priests should
be divided so they could fairly be assigned the privildged service of the temple.

i. “In later Jewish practice, the number of twenty-four courses was based on a lunar
calendar of forty-eight weeks, with each course serving for a week at a time and thus
twice in a year.” (Selman)

ii. “With the passage of time, some of the Davidic courses died out or had to be
consolidated with others, and new ones were formed to take their places. At the first
 return from exile in 527 B.C., only four courses were registered. . . . By 520 twenty-
two were again operative, (Nehemiah 12:1-7), but only half of them were the
courses as originally organized by David.” (Payne)

B. The rest of the sons of Levi.

1. (20-30) A list of the remaining sons of Levi.

And the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the sons of Shubael,
Jehdeiah. Concerning Rehabiah, of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah. Of the Izharites,
Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath. Of the sons of Hebron, Jeriah was the first,
Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. Of the sons of Uzziel, Michah;
of the sons of Michah, Shamir. The brother of Michah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah.
The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi; the son of Jaaziah, Beno. The sons of Merari by
Jaaziah were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. Of Kish: the
son of Kish, Jerahmeel. Also the sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the
sons of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.

a. And the rest of the sons of Levi: These were the descendants of Kohath’s son Amram
who were not of the family of Moses and Aaron (Exodus 6:18-27).

2. (31) How their lots were chosen.

These also cast lots just as their brothers the sons of Aaron did, in the presence of King David,
Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and Levites. The chief
fathers did just as their younger brethren.

a. These also cast lots just as their brothers the sons of Aaron did: These other
descendants of the family of Kohath were divided according to the schedule for their service,
along the same pattern as the priests.

b. The chief fathers did just as their younger brethren: “The lots of the elder and younger
brethren were promiscuously put together, and the order was settled as the lots came forth,
 without any regard to the age, or dignity, or number of the persons or families, the youngest
family having the first course if they had the first lot.” (Poole)

i. “There was a tactful mingling in the arrangement of the older and the younger
men, so that in this highest and holiest national service the experience of age and
the enthusiasm of youth were naturally inspiring.” (Morgan)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 25 – M USICIANS FOR THE T EMPLE

A. The musicians for the temple.

1. (1) Musicians separated for service.

Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of
Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and
cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was:

a. David and the captains of the army separated for the service: Interestingly, the
captains of the army took part in the selection and organization of the musicians or
“worship leaders” for Israel. David sensed a connection between the security of the kingdom
and the worship and honoring of God.

i. “Chapter 25 concerns David’s organization of the four thousand Levitical

musicians (23:5) into courses of service that correspond to those of the priests and
temple Levites (chapter 24).” (Payne)

ii. “David did give high regard to the counsel of his military commanders (1
Chronicles 11:10; 12:32; 28:1), even in liturgical affairs (cf. 1 Chronicles 13:1;
15:25).” (Payne)
 b. Who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals: Their service
was connected with the dynamic of prophesy in the sense that it was inspired by God. Their
ministry in music was not merely the product of good musicianship; it was a gift of the Holy
Spirit being exercised through them.

i. “This work of praise is thrice described by a somewhat singular, and, in this

connection, arresting word, ‘prophecy.’ The use of this word here is a revelation of
the true value of the service of music in the sanctuary of God.” (Morgan)

ii. “Either they supplied messages direct from God in the manner of the classical
prophets, for which the Levite Jahaziel (2 Chronicles 20:14-17) provides an obvious
analogy, or their praise was itself seen as ‘prophecy’ in that it proclaimed God’s
word with God’s authority.” (Selman)

2. (2-6) The sons of Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under
the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king. Of Jeduthun, the sons
of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the
direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the
LORD. Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth,
Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and
Mahazioth. All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to exalt his
horn. For God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the direction
of their father for the music in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and
harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority
of the king.

a. Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king: 12 Psalms are attributed to
Asaph (Psalm 50 and Psalms 73 through 83).

b. Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the LORD:
Jeduthun’s music ministry was so inspired by the Spirit of God that it could be said that he
prophesied with a harp.
 c. Heman the king’s seer: “He is called the king’s seer, either because the king took special
delight in him, or because he frequently attended upon the king in his palace, executing his
sacred office there, while the rest were constantly employed in the tabernacle.” (Poole)

d. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority of the king: These enormously
talented and Spirit-anointed men knew how to submit themselves under the leadership of
David, under the authority of the king.

i. We note the prominent place of the sons of Heman, and that all these were
under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the LORD.
“How one would like to have seen Heman coming into the Temple with his children!
It was largely owing to him and their mother that they were what they were.”
(Meyer)

ii. Under the direction of their father: “Heman’s children were ‘under the hands of
their father.’ Young people must not get the upper hand.” (Meyer)

iii. Yet we also see that Heman was among those under the authority of the king.
“But if you would rule well, you must obey. Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, were
under the king. The man who is himself under authority, can say, Go, come, do this
or that, with the calm assurance of being obeyed.” (Meyer)

B. The result of the casting of lots for their duty.

1. (7-8) The number of skillful musicians.

So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the LORD, all
who were skillful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. And they cast lots for their duty, the small
as well as the great, the teacher with the student.

a. They cast lots for their duty, the small as well as the great, the teacher with the
student: David didn’t give the choice worship assignments only to the most talented and
greatest. He let God do the choosing and it was both a prevention of pride for the great and
the teacher, and a learning opportunity for the small and the student.
 2. (9-31) The divisions of the musicians.

Now the first lot for Asaph came out for Joseph; the second for Gedaliah, him with his brethren
and sons, twelve; the third for Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the fourth for Jizri, his
sons and his brethren, twelve; the fifth for Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the sixth
for Bukkiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the seventh for Jesharelah, his sons and his
brethren, twelve; the eighth for Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the ninth for
Mattaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the tenth for Shimei, his sons and his brethren,
twelve; the eleventh for Azarel, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the twelfth for Hashabiah, his
sons and his brethren, twelve; the thirteenth for Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the
fourteenth for Mattithiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the fifteenth for Jeremoth, his sons
and his brethren, twelve; the sixteenth for Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the
seventeenth for Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the eighteenth for Hanani, his
sons and his brethren, twelve; the nineteenth for Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the
twentieth for Eliathah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the twenty-first for Hothir, his sons and
his brethren, twelve; the twenty-second for Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the
twenty-third for Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the twenty-fourth for Romamti-
Ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 26 – T HE G ATEKEEPERS FOR THE T EMPLE

A. The divisions of the gatekeepers.

1. (1-5) The divisions of the gatekeepers.

Concerning the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of
the sons of Asaph. And the sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the
second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai
the seventh. Moreover the sons of Obed-Edom were Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the
second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the
seventh, Peulthai the eighth; for God blessed him.
 a. Divisions of the gatekeepers: These had the responsibility for security, both in a
practical and spiritual sense. They made sure that only those who were ready to serve and
worship God could come to the temple and its associated building. Their work had to be
organized and arranged just as much as the work of the priests who officiated at the
sacrifices.

i. “Though less prominent than some of their Levitical colleagues, from time to time
the gatekeepers made a vital contribution to national life, notably under the high
priest Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 23:4-6, 19), and in the reigns of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles
31:14-19) and Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:9-13).” (Selman)

ii. “Essentially their duty was to make ordinary people aware of the practical limits
of holiness, for anyone entering the sanctuary unlawfully did so on penalty of
death.” (Selman)

iii. Though some might see their work as humble, it was actually of great priviledge.
Remember the envy of the Psalmist: I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of
my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10)

b. Of the sons of Asaph: “Not that famous Asaph the singer, but another Asaph, called also
Ebiasaph, 1 Chronicles 6:37.” (Trapp)

2. (6-8) Shemaiah and his sons, and the other sons of Obed-Edom.

Also to Shemaiah his son were sons born who governed their fathers‟ houses, because they were
men of great ability. The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose
brothers Elihu and Semachiah were able men. All these were of the sons of Obed-Edom, they
and their sons and their brethren, able men with strength for the work: sixty-two of Obed-Edom.

a. Who governed their fathers’ houses, because they were men of great ability:
Shemaiah was of the family of gatekeepers, yet his sons rose to positions of high
responsibility because they were men of great ability. They are also described as able men
with strength for the work.
 i. “Able men might be better translated, ‘strong men’. The job might entail removal of
unwelcome people or objects (cf. 2 Chronicles 26:16-20).” (Selman)

3. (9-12) Other gatekeepers.

And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, eighteen able men. Also Hosah, of the children of
Merari, had sons: Shimri the first (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him the
first), Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and brethren of
Hosah were thirteen. Among these were the divisions of the gatekeepers, among the chief men,
having duties just like their brethren, to serve in the house of the LORD.

a. Having duties just like their brethren, to serve in the house of the LORD: Some would
make a distinction between the spiritual work of the temple and the practical work of the
temple and regard the spiritual work as more important. The Chronicler is careful to remind
us that the work of these gatekeepers, whose service was more practical in nature, was
esteemed by God as just as valuable.

i. “A very important point is made by the inclusion of these groups, even though they
might seem to represent a diversion from Chronicles’ main theme. As God’s people
pay proper attention to their status as a worshipping community, the distinction
between the sacred and the secular disappears. All tasks, whether mundane or
specialized, ‘religious’ or ‘lay’, have value in the eyes of God.” (Selman)

4. (13-19) The lot for each family of the gatekeepers.

And they cast lots for each gate, the small as well as the great, according to their father's house.
The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a wise
counselor, and his lot came out for the North Gate; to Obed-Edom the South Gate, and to his
sons the storehouse. To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came out for the West Gate, with the
Shallecheth Gate on the ascending highway; watchman opposite watchman. On the east were six
Levites, on the north four each day, on the south four each day, and for the storehouse two by
two. As for the Parbar on the west, there were four on the highway and two at the Parbar. These
were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the sons of Korah and among the sons of Merari.
 a. They cast lots for each gate: They determined the order and arrangement of the service
for the gatekeepers the same way that they determined the order and arrangement for the
priests in their service.

b. The small as well as the great: This means that David let the LORD decide when it came
to organizing and ordering these offices, and he did not let prestige or position determine
thei appointments.

i. “Our method is not that of casting lots, but of seeking the direct guidance of the
Spirit. But we need to remember that in our choice of men for office in the work of
the Church of God, the things of privilege, which too often count in human affairs,
must have no weight with us.” (Morgan)

ii. “But chiefly we are concerned with the temple of the heart. We surely need the
doorkeeper there, for in the history of the inner life there is so much going and
coming; such troops of thoughts pour into the shrine of the soul, and pour out. And
often, in the crowd, disloyal and evil thoughts intrude, which, before we know it,
introduce a sense of distance and alienation from God.” (Meyer)

B. Other Levitical servants to the temple.

1. (20-25) Overseerers for the treasuries of the house of God.

Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasuries of the house of God and over the treasuries of the
dedicated things. The sons of Laadan, the descendants of the Gershonites of Laadan, heads of
their fathers' houses, of Laadan the Gershonite: Jehieli. The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his
brother, were over the treasuries of the house of the LORD. Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the
Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was overseer of
the treasuries. And his brethren by Eliezer were Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his
son, Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.

a. Over the treasuries of the house of God and over the treasuries of the dedicated
things: David set in order the financial organization necessary to administrate the building
of the temple, including oversight of the all the riches brought in by David’s conquest of
neighboring peoples (the dedicated things).
 2. (26-28) Shelomith, a notable overseer of the treasuries of the house of God.

This Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasuries of the dedicated things which King
David and the heads of fathers' houses, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the
captains of the army, had dedicated. Some of the spoils won in battles they dedicated to maintain
the house of the LORD. And all that Samuel the seer, Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner,
and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated, every dedicated thing, was under the hand of
Shelomith and his brethren.

3. (29-32) Other servants for the Kingdom of Israel.

Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons performed duties as officials and judges over Israel
outside Jerusalem. Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, one thousand seven hundred
able men, had the oversight of Israel on the west side of the Jordan for all the business of the
LORD, and in the service of the king. Among the Hebronites, Jerijah was head of the Hebronites
according to his genealogy of the fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were
sought, and there were found among them capable men at Jazer of Gilead. And his brethren were
two thousand seven hundred able men, heads of fathers' houses, whom King David made
officials over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, for every matter
pertaining to God and the affairs of the king.

a. For every matter pertaining to God and the affairs of the king: “Expounding also of the
law, and therehence answering cases, solving doubts; superintendents, some say they were,
throughout the whole kingdom.” (Trapp)

i. “The statistic that 2,700 Levites maintained the laws of ‘God and . . . the king’
among the tribes west of the Jordan (v.30) seems strange . . . but contains a hint of
the importance of the district of Gilead.” (Payne)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 27 – T RIBAL L EADERS AND O FFICIALS OF S TATE

A. Captains over the army of Israel.

1. (1) The military divisions of Israel.

And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers‟ houses, the captains
of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military
divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of
the year, each division having twenty-four thousand.

a. And the children of Israel . . . served the king in every matter of the military
divisions: Under David and most every other king of Israel or Judah, Israel never relied on
mercenary soldiers. Israelites themselves served the king in every matter of the military.

b. These divisions came in and went out month by month: David’s army was also divided
into units of twelve, with one group of the twelve on alert each month of the year. This was
an effective way to keep troops always ready and the inactive troops regularly trained.

i. “All these men were prepared, disciplined, and ready at a call, without the smallest
expense to the state or the king. These were, properly speaking, the militia of the
Israelitish kingdom.” (Clarke)

2. (2-15) Captains over David’s army.

Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel, and in his division
were twenty-four thousand; he was of the children of Perez, and the chief of all the captains of
the army for the first month. Over the division of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and
of his division Mikloth also was the leader; in his division were twenty-four thousand. The third
captain of the army for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who was
chief; in his division were twenty-four thousand. This was the Benaiah who was mighty among
the thirty, and was over the thirty; in his division was Ammizabad his son. The fourth captain for
the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him; in his division
were twenty-four thousand. The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite; in
his division were twenty-four thousand. The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of
Ikkesh the Tekoite; in his division were twenty-four thousand. The seventh captain for the
seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim; in his division were twenty-
four thousand. The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbechai the Hushathite, of the
Zarhites; in his division were twenty-four thousand. The ninth captain for the ninth month was
Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites; in his division were twenty-four thousand. The tenth
captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhites; in his division were
twenty-four thousand. The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite,
of the children of Ephraim; in his division were twenty-four thousand. The twelfth captain for
the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel; in his division were twenty-four
thousand.

a. Of the first division: This section explains the twelve divisions mentioned in the previous
verses.

b. Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada: Samuel 23:20-21 describes this same Benaiah as a great
hero in Israel, someone who killed two mighty Moabites, a lion in a pit on a snowy day, and a
formidable Egyptian.

c. Asahel the brother of Joab: As recorded in 2 Samuel 2:18-23, Asahel was tragically killed
in battle by Abner, who was the commander of Ishbosheth’s armies (this was the son of Saul
who tried to follow him on the throne of Israel).

B. Tribal leaders over Israel and officials in King David’s government.

1. (16-22) Tribal leaders.

Furthermore, over the tribes of Israel: the officer over the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of
Zichri; over the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah; over the Levites, Hashabiah the son
of Kemuel; over the Aaronites, Zadok; over Judah, Elihu, one of David‟s brothers; over Issachar,
Omri the son of Michael; over Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; over Naphtali, Jerimoth
the son of Azriel; over the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; over the half-tribe of
Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah; over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of
Zechariah; over Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner; over Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These
were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

a. The officer over the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri: This list describes tribal
leaders who were not priests or military leaders, but administrators in the civil service of the
Kingdom of Israel.

i. “We have the account of the order of the civil service, that which related simply to
the political state of the king and the kingdom.” (Clarke)

b. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel: For some reason, the tribes of Asher and
Gad are excluded on this list. “In this enumeration there is no mention of the tribes of Asher
and Gad. Probably the account of these has been lost from this register. These rulers appear
to have been all honorary men, like the lords lieutenants of our counties.” (Clarke)

2. (23-34) Officials in King David’s government.

But David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because the LORD had
said He would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens. Joab the son of Zeruiah began a
census, but he did not finish, for wrath came upon Israel because of this census; nor was the
number recorded in the account of the chronicles of King David. And Azmaveth the son of Adiel
was over the king‟s treasuries; and Jehonathan the son of Uzziah was over the storehouses in the
field, in the cities, in the villages, and in the fortresses. Ezri the son of Chelub was over those
who did the work of the field for tilling the ground. And Shimei the Ramathite was over the
vineyards, and Zabdi the Shiphmite was over the produce of the vineyards for the supply of
wine. Baal-Hanan the Gederite was over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the
lowlands, and Joash was over the store of oil. And Shitrai the Sharonite was over the herds that
fed in Sharon, and Shaphat the son of Adlai was over the herds that were in the valleys. Obil the
Ishmaelite was over the camels, Jehdeiah the Meronothite was over the donkeys, and Jaziz the
Hagrite was over the flocks. All these were the officials over King David‟s property. Also
Jehonathan, David‟s uncle, was a counselor, a wise man, and a scribe; and Jehiel the son of
Hachmoni was with the king‟s sons. Ahithophel was the king‟s counselor, and Hushai the
Archite was the king‟s companion. After Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, then
Abiathar. And the general of the king‟s army was Joab.

a. David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because the
LORD had said He would multiply Israel like the stars of the heavens: David wisely
refrained from completing an unwise census, trusting that God would increase the kingdom
and make them great.

b. Treasuries . . . storehouses . . . work of the field for tilling the ground . . . vineyards . . .
olive trees . . . herds . . . camels . . . donkeys . . . flocks: David had trusted men to oversee
these areas, and they were just as important to the kingdom as the more obviously spiritual
leaders.

i. “The greatness of David as a king was manifested in the acts of peaceful

administration, as surely as in his victories on the fields of battle. The tilling of the
ground, and its careful cultivation; the rearing of cattle; and all the things pertaining
to the welfare of his people were arranged for, under duly qualified and appointed
oversight.” (Morgan)

ii. “Each of these different men had his distinct sphere for which he was doubtless
specially qualified; and it was his duty – not to be jealous of others, nor eager to
imitate them, but – to be faithful in his own province.” (Meyer)

iii. The key was that all these were the officials over King David’s property.
“How great an error it would have been had any of these begun to account the
produce of cattle or ground as his own! He had nothing that he had not received, and
whatever he controlled had been entrusted to his care for the emolument and
advantage of his sovereign.” (Meyer)

iv. “It is worthy of remark, that Obil, an Ishmaelite or Arab, was put over the camels
which is a creature of Arabia; and that Jaziz, a Hagarene, (the Hagarenes were
shepherds by profession,) was put over the flocks: nothing went by favour; each was
appointed to the office for which he was best qualified; and thus men of worth were
encouraged, and the public service effectually promoted.” (Clarke)

c. Hushai the Archite was the king’s companion: “Hushai’s post of ‘king’s friend’ (cf. 2
Samuel 15:37) may have begun on an informal and personal basis; but it became an official
advisory position (cf. 1 Kings 4:5).” (Payne)

d. The general of the king’s army was Joab: Joab is one of the more complex characters of
the Old Testament. He was fiercely loyal to David, yet not strongly obedient. He disobeyed
David when he thought it was in David’s best interest, and he was cunning and ruthless in
furthering his own position.
© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 28 - D AVID ’ S P UBLIC C HARGE TO S OLOMON

A. David’s public words to the assembly of Israel and to Solomon.

1. (1) The assembly of Israel gathers to hear King David.

Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel: the officers of the tribes and the
captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands and captains over
hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons,
with the officials, the valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor.

a. Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel: This was David’s public
“passing of the torch” ceremony to Solomon, with an emphasis on the responsibility to build
the temple. Despite this, another son of David (Adonijah, in 1 Kings 1-2) tried to take the
throne when David died.

b. All the leaders of Israel: It may be that this was the group of people collectively
mentioned in the previous chapters.

i. “The occasion for the final chapters of 1 Chronicles is a continuation of what was
introduced in chapter 23: the assembling by the king of the leaders of Israel (23:2 =
28:1 and 29:1).” (Payne)

2. (2-8) David speaks to the assembly of Israel.

Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my
heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of
our God, and had made preparations to build it. But God said to me, „You shall not build a house
for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.‟ However the LORD
God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has
chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the
sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons
(for the LORD has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of
the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. Now He said to me, „It is your son Solomon who shall
build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.
Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments
and My judgments, as it is this day.‟ Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the
LORD, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD
your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children
after you forever.”

a. Then King David rose to his feet: Since this happened towards the end of David’s life, he
was in declining health (1 Kings 1:1-4). The Chronicler noted David’s standing posture
because considering his age and the setting, it was a dramatic scene.

b. You shall not build a house for My name: Though David wanted to build God a house,
God politely refused David’s offer and proposed to build him a house instead, in the sense of
a lasting royal dynasty (2 Samuel 7).

i. Significantly, David calls the temple a house of rest. “As in the case of God’s
sabbath rest at creation (Genesis 2:1-3), God’s rest represents the completion of his
work. The idea of rest was so significant for the temple that even though David’s
role as a ‘man of war’ was a vital part of the temple preparations in creating the
necessary conditions for the work, it disqualified him from building the temple
himself. Only Solomon, the ‘man of rest’ (22:9), was sufficiently fitted for the task.”
(Selman)

c. He has chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne: This was a significant event because
there had never been a hereditary monarchy in Israel before. Saul, the previous King of
Israel, was not succeeded by any son of his.

d. Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever: God promised that if the royal
descendents of David remained obedient, the LORD would protect their throne and the
kingdom of Israel, and there would always be a descendent of David reigning over Israel.
 e. Be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD: This was an important and
well-chosen exhortation to the people of Israel.

They were exhorted to be careful, in the sense that they had to regard this
responsibility as important and worthy of attention.

They were exhorted to seek out the commandments of God, searching the Scriptures
diligently.

They were exhorted to seek out all the commandments, and not compromise by
focusing on a few favored commandments.

3. (9-10) David speaks to Solomon.

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart
and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the
thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off
forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be
strong, and do it.”

a. Know the God of your father: David’s exhortation to Solomon begins with the most
important aspect – emphasizing a genuine commitment to a real relationship with the living
God. David essentially told Solomon, “The secret of my success has been my relationship
with God. You need to pursue the same relationship.”

b. Serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind: David also exhorted Solomon to
serve God with both his heart and mind. Some people are all heart and no mind in their
service to God; others are all mind and no heart. Both of these are important to truly serve
Him.

i. We notice that the command to know came before the command to serve. “To
know God is to serve Him. All failure in service is the result of loss of vision of God,
misapprehension of Him, due to some distance from Him.” (Morgan)

ii. David gave Solomon a reason to commit his heart and mind to God: for the LORD
searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. When we
 properly understand God and His omniscience we will much more naturally serve
Him as we should.

c. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off
forever: Both of these proved true in the life of Solomon. When Solomon sought the LORD at
Gibeon, he definitely found Him (1 Kings 3:1-15). When Solomon forsook God, he was in
some sense cast . . . off (1 Kings 11:1-13).

i. “Solomon’s response, typical of humanity, was inconsistent. Though he did seek

God (2 Chronicles 1:5), it was not with a ‘whole heart’ and his divided devotion led
ultimately to a divided kingdom.” (Selman)

d. The LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it:
David concluded his exhortation to Solomon with the single most urgent command – to build
the temple. All of David’s exhaustive preparations would be for nothing if Solomon did not
complete the job that David started.

B. The plans for the temple.

1. (11-13) David gives Solomon the plans for the temple.

Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper
chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; and the plans for all that he had by
the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, of the
treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things; also for the division
of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for
all the articles of service in the house of the LORD.

a. Then David gave his son Solomon the plans: Considered together, David did almost
everything for the building of the temple except actually build it. He gave Solomon security, a
location, the land, money, materials, supervisory staff, workers, and an organized team to
run the temple. Here we also see that David also gave his son Solomon the plans.
 b. The plans for all that he had by the Spirit: Even as with the organization of the temple
servants (2 Chronicles 29:25), these practical details were inspired by the Holy Spirit, not by
human ingenuity.

i. “Moreover, the temple was for God’s own dwelling. Should not the Most High have
a house after his own mind? If he was to be the Tenant, should it not be built to suit
him? And who knows what God requires in a habitation but God himself?”
(Spurgeon)

2. (14-19) The ornate furnishings for the temple.

He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all articles used in every kind of service; also
silver for all articles of silver by weight, for all articles used in every kind of service; the weight
for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps;
for the lampstands of silver by weight, for the lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of
each lampstand. And by weight he gave gold for the tables of the showbread, for each table, and
silver for the tables of silver; also pure gold for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of pure gold,
and the golden bowls; he gave gold by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls, silver by
weight for every bowl; and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the
construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed
the ark of the covenant of the LORD. “All this,” said David, “the LORD made me understand in
writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.”

a. He gave gold: These six verses mention gold 11 times. David amassed an amazing amount
of gold for the furnishings of the temple.

b. For the construction of the chariot, that is the gold cherubim: “So called, because God
sat between them (Psalm 99:1), rode upon them (Psalm 18:10); the angels – represent by
those cherubims – are called the chariots of God (Psalm 68:17); and the Hebrews have a
saying, that such as saw God of old saw only Merchavah velo harocheb, the chariot in which
God rode, but not the rider in it.” (Trapp)

i. “It is a good note also that is given here by some expositors – viz., that by this
chariot of the cherubims God gave his people to understand that his presence in the
ark was not so fixed among them, but that would leave them, and ride clean away
from them, if they should thereunto provoke him by their sins.” (Trapp)
 c. The LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of
these plans: As with the organization of the servants and builders of the temple and the
plans for the temple, God also spoke to David about these furnishings of the temple.

3. (20-21) David’s final charge to Solomon.

And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor
be dismayed, for the LORD God; my God; will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake
you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. “Here are the
divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and every willing
craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service; also the
leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.”

a. Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed: David here
echoes God’s exhortation to Joshua before he led the people of God into the Promised Land
(Joshua 1:5-7). This was appropriate, because Moses was a great leader who could only lead
the people of Israel to a certain point – the rest was up to Joshua. The same pattern applied
to David and his successor Solomon.

i. “In describing David’s plans for building the temple, Chronicles has paid special
attention to portray David as a second Moses and Solomon as a second Joshua.”
(Payne)

b. And do it: It is easy to see how important this was for David. He had spent enormous
effort to prepare the temple but would all be naught unless Solomon did in fact do it.

i. “Do not talk about it; do not sit down, and dream over the plans, and think how
admirable they are, and then roll them up; but, ‘Be strong and of good courage, and
do it.’” (Spurgeon)

c. Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites: We can picture David handing
Solomon the scrolls with the plans for building the temple and organizing its service. The job
was now in the hands of David’s son Solomon.

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 C HRONICLES 29 - T HE E ND OF D AVID ’ S R EIGN

A. David’s offering for the temple.

1. (1-5) David’s gifts to build the temple.

Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: “My son Solomon, whom alone God has
chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the temple is not for man but
for the LORD God. Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for
things to be made of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things
of iron, wood for things of wood, onyx stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various
colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance. Moreover, because I have set
my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all
that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver: three
thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to
overlay the walls of the houses; the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and
for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate
himself this day to the LORD?”

a. The work is great, because the temple is not for man but for the LORD God: One
reason David did so much to prepare for the building of the temple was because he knew
that the work was great and required great resources – more than a young and
inexperienced king like Solomon could be expected to gather on his own.

i. The work was great because it was for God. Before a great God there are no small
works; everything should be done for the glory of God (Colossians 3:22).

b. Now for the house of God I have prepared with all my might: This was certainly true.
When we consider all that David did to provide security, a location, the land, money,
materials, supervisory staff, workers, plans, and an organized team to run the temple, it is
evident that David gave this work of preparation all of his might.
 c. Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to
the house of my God: David gave all he gave because he loved the house of God. We
naturally give to and support that which we love. For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also (Matthew 6:21).

i. David specifically used the phrase house of my God to emphasize the personal
connection; this was more personal than saying merely the house of God. Because
God was David’s God in a personal sense, David loved the house of God.

ii. Over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house: David loved the
house of his God so much that he gave over and above what he gave before. David
did an enormous amount of preparation and resource gathering to build the temple;
but now he gave even more, even giving over and above.

d. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD? David brought up his
giving – especially the over and above giving – he used it as an occasion to challenge his
fellow Israelites to also consecrate themselves to the LORD.

i. Given the massive amount that David gathered for the building of the temple, it
might be argued that the gifts of the people were unnecessary. Yet David knew that
it was important to give the people an opportunity to give, for their sake more than
for the sake of the building project itself. Their giving was a legitimate and
important way to consecrate themselves to God.

ii. “The king’s appeal for each giver to ‘consecrate himself’ reads literally ‘to fill his
hand.’ This was a technical phrase used to describe ordination to the priesthood;
and Scripture, significantly, places the act of giving on this same level of devotion.”
(Payne)

2. (6-9) The giving of other Israelites.

Then the leaders of the fathers‟ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands
and of hundreds, with the officers over the king‟s work, offered willingly. They gave for the
work of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand
talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.
And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, into the
hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because
with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the LORD; and King David also rejoiced greatly.

a. Then the leaders . . . offered willingly: The people found it easy to give when they saw
the greatness and the value of the project and when they had good examples of over and
above giving like King David.

b. Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart
they had offered willingly to the LORD: The people found that it was a joyful thing to give
so generously to God. They fulfilled the later New Testament idea of the cheerful giving (2
Corinthians 9:7).

B. David’s Psalm blesses God before the people.

1. (10-12) David exalts the LORD.

Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: “Blessed are You,
LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power
and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is
the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from
You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great
and to give strength to all.”

a. Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly: The generous giving made
David rejoice and praise God. It wasn’t for the sake of the wealth itself, but because it
demonstrated that the hearts of the people were really interested in God and in His house.

b. Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever: This is the first
time in the Bible that God is addressed directly as a Father over His people.

i. Jesus taught His disciples to pray beginning with this phrase, our Father
(Matthew 6:9-13). Jesus may have had this passage in mind when teaching His
disciples about prayer, because there are other similarities between the two
passages.
 ii. “This verse supplies the conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer: ‘For thine is the kingdom’
(Matthew 6:13, KJV).” (Payne)

c. Both riches and honor come from You: David could say this as a man who had a life full
of both riches and honor. He knew that those things came from God and not from David
Himself.

2. (13-15) David expresses thanks for the privilege of giving

“Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who
are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from
You, and of Your own we have given You. For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, as were
all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope.”

a. Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as
this? David knew that both the ability and the heart to give were themselves gifts from God.
He was actually humbled by having such a heart to give, both in himself and in the people of
Israel as a group.

i. David knew this was true because he knew that all things come from God, and
whatever they gave to God was His own to begin with.

ii. “That thou shouldst give us both such riches out of which we should be able to
make such an offering, and such a willing and free heart to offer them; both of which
are thy gifts, and the fruits of thy good grace and mercy to us.” (Poole)

b. Our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope: By emphasizing the weakness of
man, David recognizes the greatness of God. He can take hopeless, alien pilgrims and
shadows and use them to build a great house unto a great God.

i. “A shadow seemeth to be something, when indeed it is nothing; so is man’s life:

and the longer this shadow seemeth to be, the nearer the sun is to setting.” (Trapp)
 3. (16-19) David commits the offering received from the people unto God.

“O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy
name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. I know also, my God, that You test the heart and
have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered
all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer
willingly to You. O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in
the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. And give
my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your
statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.”

a. In the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: David knew
that it was important to emphasize that his offering had been made willingly. He gave
because he wanted to, not merely as a demonstration to induce the people to give. David
therefore also knew that the people made their offering willingly to God.

b. Keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix
their heart toward You: David knew that the people of Israel were in a godly, wonderful
place on this day of offering to the temple.

i. “Praise then merged into prayer that the state of mind in which they had given
might be maintained; and for Solomon, that he might be kept with a perfect heart to
complete the work of Temple building. It was a fitting and glorious ending to a great
reign.” (Morgan)

c. And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments: David knew
that this was the key to the lasting health of the kingdom of Israel and the security of his
dynasty.

4. (20) David leads the congregation in praise to God.

Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the LORD your God.” So all the assembly
blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before
the LORD and the king.
 a. Now bless the LORD your God: When it came time to bless the LORD, it wasn’t enough
for the people to feel a feeling in their heart. They had to do something to demonstrate their
heart towards God, and they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the
LORD.

C. The end of David’s reign.

1. (21-25) The nation rejoices as Solomon is enthroned.

And they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the next day:
a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in
abundance for all Israel. So they ate and drank before the LORD with great gladness on that day.
And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him before the
LORD to be the leader, and Zadok to be priest. Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as
king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. All the leaders and the
mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, submitted themselves to King Solomon. So the
LORD exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal
majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

a. A thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and
sacrifices in abundance: This was a special day, probably celebrated after the death of
David when Solomon formally took the throne. These sacrifices were used to feed the people
of Israel, and they ate and drank before the LORD in a great feast of communion with God
and one another.

b. They made Solomon the son of David king the second time: This was undoubtedly the
enthronement after the rebellion of Adonijah had been defeated (1 Kings 1-2).

i. “For the first time (1 Kings 1:38-39) it was done hastily, suddenly, and in a manner
tumultuarily, by reason of Adonijah’s sedition; but this here was done with good
respite and great solemnity, but whether before or after David’s death is
questionable.” (Trapp)
 ii. Submitted themselves to King Solomon: “After Adonijah’s death they all
submitted themselves to Solomon the king. Hebrew, Gave the hand under Solomon
the king; haply they laid their hand under his thigh – that ancient ceremony (Genesis
24:2, and 47:29), and sware to be faithful to him.” (Trapp)

c. Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king: “On the throne of the Lord, i.e. on
the throne of Israel, which is called the throne of the Lord, either more generally, as all
thrones are the Lord’s, by whom kings reign, Proverbs 8:15, and magistrates are ordained,
Romans 13:1-2 . . . signifies which the Lord gave him.” (Poole)

d. And bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in
Israel: This was true, but the wise reader understands that this was only because David had
made this possible. The majesty of Solomon was really inherited from the work and wisdom
and godliness and prayers of his father.

2. (26-30) The end of King David’s reign.

Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. And the period that he reigned over Israel
was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in
Jerusalem. So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son
reigned in his place. Now the acts of King David, first and last, indeed they are written in the
book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer, with
all his reign and his might, and the events that happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms
of the lands.

a. The period that he reigned over Israel was forty years: There were other kings over
Israel or Judah had reigns longer or more secure or more prosperous than David’s reign –
but none were more glorious or godly. David remains Judah’s model king.

b. So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor: David was a great king
and his greatness is especially seen in his connection with the Messiah. One of the great titles
of Jesus is, Son of David.

i. “Albeit he swam to the throne through a sea of sorrows; and so must all saints to
the kingdom of heaven.” (Trapp)
 ii. “By birth, a peasant; by merit, a prince; in youth, a hero; in manhood, a monarch;
and in age, a saint. The matter of Uriah and Bath-sheba is his great but only blot!
There he sinned deeply; and no man ever suffered more in his body, soul, and
domestic affairs, than he did in consequence. His penitence was as deep and as
extraordinary as his crime; and nothing could surpass both but that eternal mercy
that took away the guilt, assuaged the sorrow, and restored this most humbled
transgressor to character, holiness, and happiness. Let the God of David be exalted
forever!” (Clarke)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission