1 Chron. 28 David in a solemn assembly declareth God’s favour to him, and promise to his son Solomon; exhorteth them to fear God, and encourageth Solomon to build the temple, 1 Chron. 28:1–10; giveth him a pattern for the form, and gold and silver for the materials, 1 Chron. 28:11–21.

This assembly seems to be distinct from that 1 Chron. 23:2, and more general, as may be gathered from the persons said to be assembled here and there. Though others think them to be the same, and this to be a return to his former discourse.

David stood up; partly out of reverence to God and his word, which was the matter of the following discourse; and partly out of respect to this great and honourable assembly.

It is not my fancy or fond affection, but God’s express will, that Solomon should be preferred before his elder brethren; and therefore all of you are obliged to submit to him, and accept of him as your king by Divine appointment.

As he hath begun and hitherto continued in some good measure to do.

In the audience of our God, i.e. I do here exhort and charge you every one, calling God who is here present, and this congregation, wherein all Israel are present by their representatives, for witness against you, if you do not follow my counsel.

Know thou the God; know him, so as to love him and serve him, as it follows; for words of knowledge in Scripture use commonly imply affection and practice: or acknowledge him as thy God, by loving and obeying him; for otherwise Solomon did already know God, having doubtless been very well…

For the sanctuary; or, for a sanctuary, i. e. which is to be a sanctuary for him, to wit, for the ark to dwell in. Be strong; take courage and resolution to break through all difficulties, troubles, discouragements, or oppositions which thou mayst possibly meet with.

The pattern of the porch, to wit, of the temple; which is necessarily to be understood. The houses thereof; either, 1. The houses of the porch, so called because they went through the porch into them. Or rather, 2.

And the pattern of all, for even the pattern of all; for this clause belongs both to the foregoing and the following particulars. By the spirit; by the Spirit of God, as is evident from 1 Chron. 27:19.

Whether they were large and fixed in one place, whereof there were ten in the holy place, 1 Kings 7:49, or such as were less and loose to be carried from place to place, as need required.

The tables of shew-bread: by this, and 2 Chron. 4:19, it appears that there were divers tables to be used either successively or together about the shew-bread; but one of them seems to have been of more eminency and use than the rest, and therefore it is most commonly called the table of the…

Of the chariot of the cherubims, i.e. of the cherubims, which Solomon was to make, of which see 1 Kings 6:23, (for those which were fastened to the mercy-seat were made by Moses long before,) which he fitly compares to a chariot, because within them God is oft said to sit and to dwell, as 2 Kings…

The meaning is either, 1. That God revealed this to Samuel, (see 1 Chron. 9:22 or Gad, or Nathan, or some other man of God, who put it into writing, and by them to David. Or, 2. That God did, as it were, by his own hand and finger, (wherewith he wrote the ten commandments, Ex.

Be strong and of good courage. See Poole “1 Chron. 27:10”.