Old Testament · History

1 Chronicles 29

A Generous Offering

David gives from his personal treasury and the people give willingly. Then David prays one of Scripture's most beautiful prayers — and Solomon is crowned.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

1Then King David said to the whole assembly, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great because this palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.

2Now with all my ability I have made provision for the house of my God—gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and slabs of marble—all in abundance.

3Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give for it my personal treasures of gold and silver, over and above all that I have provided for this holy temple:

4three thousand talents of gold (the gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the buildings,

5for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who is willing to consecrate himself to the LORD today?”

6Then the leaders of the families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.

7Toward the service of God’s house they gave 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron.

8Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite.

9And the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly. And King David also rejoiced greatly.

10Then David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly and said:

11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You.

12Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all.

13Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name.

14But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.

15For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

16O LORD our God, from Your hand comes all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy Name, and all of it belongs to You.

17I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.

18O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You.

19And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.”

20Then David said to the whole assembly, “Bless the LORD your God.”

21The next day they offered sacrifices and presented burnt offerings to the LORD: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, along with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

22That day they ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD.

23So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.

24All the officials and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon.

25The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal majesty such as had not been bestowed on any king in Israel before him.

26David son of Jesse was king over all Israel.

27The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

28He died at a ripe old age, full of years, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon reigned in his place.

29Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,

30together with all the details of his reign, his might, and the circumstances that came upon him and Israel and all the kingdoms of the lands.

Understand This

1 Chronicles 29, explained

What 1 Chronicles 29 is saying

David leads by example with an enormous personal gift toward the temple, and the leaders respond with extraordinary generosity, giving willingly and joyfully. David's concluding prayer is one of the great theological statements in Scripture, declaring that everything belongs to God and that human giving is merely returning what was first received. Solomon is anointed king, and David dies after a reign of forty years.

The background behind it

The quantities described, even accounting for ancient measurement conventions, are staggering and likely reflect the Chronicler's use of idealized figures to convey the magnificence of the occasion. David's prayer in verses 10-19 is considered one of the finest prayers in the Hebrew Bible.

Themes running underneath

David's prayer articulates a theology of stewardship: everything comes from God, and giving is the act of returning to God what is already His. The joy of giving, emphasized repeatedly, transforms generosity from obligation to worship. David's life concludes with the ultimate act of surrender: entrusting his life's work to another.

Why it still matters

Generosity flows from the recognition that we are stewards, not owners. David's prayer reframes all human giving as an act of worship, since we can only offer back what God first provided.

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Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.