1 Chronicles 28:11
Ver. 11. Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch,.... The breadth, and length, and height of it, which was to be placed at the east end of the temple, and was the entrance into it:
and, of the houses thereof; the holy place, and the most holy, which latter is called the greater house, 2Ch 3:5,
and of the treasures; where things belonging to the temple were laid up, the priests' vestments, and other things:
and of the upper chambers; where the priests lay or met for conversation, Jer 35:2.
and of the inner parlours thereof; where the priests ate of the holy things; all these seem to he buildings against the wall of the temple round about, 1Ki 6:5
and of the place of the mercy seat: the holy of holies, where that, with the cherubim over it, and the ark under it, were placed. 1 Chronicles 28:12Ver. 12 And the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit,.... By the Spirit of God, who gave him the whole form of the temple, and all things relative to it; just as God showed to Moses the pattern of the tabernacle in the mount; the Targum is, by the spirit of prophecy that was with him. The Jews suppose that Samuel the prophet was first made acquainted with it, and he made it known to David:of the courts of the house of the Lord: the outward court, the court of the priests, &c.and of all the chambers round about: see 1Ki 6:5of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things; of the difference of which, see 1Ch 26:20. 1 Chronicles 28:13Ver. 13. And also for the courses of the priests and Levites,.... Where they should serve, of which, as fixed and ordered by David, see1Ch 24:1and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord; they should be employed in:and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord; which they should use therein. 1 Chronicles 28:14Ver. 14. He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service,.... Whatever was to be made of gold, David was directed by the Spirit of God what weight or quantity of gold should be made use of in making it, as appears from some following instances: silver alsofor all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service; so likewise whatever instruments or vessels, for the service of the temple, were to be made of silver, he had a direction from the Spirit of God what weight each was to be of, or what quantity of silver was to be used in it, and this he gave; according to Jacob Jehudah Leon {s}, the vessels of gold were 340,000, the vessels of silver 470,000, in all 810,000.{s} Relation of Memorable Things in the Tabernacle and Temple, ch. 4. p. 19. 1 Chronicles 28:15Ver. 15. Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof,.... These candlesticks were ten, and each had seven lamps, and were placed five on one side the Mosaic candlestick, and five on the other, as say the Jews, see 1Ki 7:49, and the weight of gold for each candlestick, according to the above writer {t}, was one hundred pounds; and for both candlesticks and lamps, David, by the Spirit of God, was directed to give:and for the candlesticks of silver, by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick; the weight of silver for them was fixed; of these nowhere else read. Kimchi thinks these were for the chambers of the priests, to give them light when they ate and lay there.{t} Ibid. (Relation of Memorial Things in the Tabernacle and the Temple, ch. 4.) p. 20. 1 Chronicles 28:16Ver. 16. And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table,.... For though there were but one table for the shewbread in the tabernacle of Moses, there were ten in the temple of Solomon, 2Ch 4:8 and each of them contained one hundred pounds in weight {u}:and likewise silver for the tables of silver; these were placed in the court, as Jarchi thinks, on which they flayed the sacrifices; or, as Kimchi, on which they slew them, and laid the flesh of the burnt offerings on them, which he gathers from Eze 40:39.{u} Jacob Leon, ibid. (Relation of Memorable Things in the Tabernacle and Temple, ch. 4. p. 20.) 1 Chronicles 28:17Ver. 17. Also pure gold for the flesh hooks,.... To take the pieces of flesh out of the pots, in which they were boiled:and the bowls and the cups; and for the golden basins he gave gold by weight for every basin; which were vessels made use of for the receiving and sprinkling the blood of the sacrifices: likewise silverby weight for every basin of silver; for it seems some of them were of silver, as others were of gold. 1 Chronicles 28:18Ver. 18. And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight,.... This was also one hundred pounds weight in gold, with which it was to be overlaid {w}:and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubim; which were two large ones, besides those which Moses made; and these were not made of gold, as they were, but overlaid with it, see 1Ki 6:23 which with them made four; and to which the four living creatures in Ezekiel's vision allude, and make the "mercavah", or chariot, the Jews so much speak of, perhaps from this and other like phrases; and the Lord sitting here as in a chariot, not only denotes the glory and splendour of the Shechinah, or divine Majesty; but, as some observe, his readiness to ride off and depart, when displeased and provoked, seeEze 10:18,that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord; not that spread their wings over the ark, and covered it, that the Mosaic cherubim did; but these spread their wings before it from wall to wall, so that it could not be seen by any that turned aside the vail, and even by the high priest when he entered into the holy of holies: the ark, with the cherubim, which were on that, weighed two hundred pounds of pure gold, according to the Jacob Leon {x}.{w} Ibid. (Relation of Memorable Things in the Tabernacle and Temple, ch. 4. p. 20.) {x} Ibid. 1 Chronicles 28:19Ver. 19. All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me,.... Either by an impulse of his Spirit on him, whereby it was as it were written on his mind, and as clearly represented to him, as if he had it in writing before him; though the Jews think that all was first made known to Samuel, or some other prophet, who delivered it to David in writing, as from the Lord: but I see not why it may not be understood that David had the pattern of the temple, and all things relative to it, by an handwriting from the Lord himself, through the ministry of angels, as Moses received the two tables, the handwriting of the Lord, from himself; for the words, as they lie in order in the Hebrew text, are, the whole of this "in writing from the hand of the Lord, unto me, he made me to understand: even all the works of this pattern"; the particulars of which are given before. 1 Chronicles 28:20Ver. 20. And David said to Solomon his son, be strong, and of good courage, and do it,.... See Gill on "1Ch 28:10"fear not, nor be dismayed; that thou shalt meet with any opposition in the work, or not be able to finish it for want of materials and workmen, or money to pay them:for the Lord God, [even] my God, will be with thee; to guide and direct, prosper and succeed; the Targum is,"the Word of the Lord God, my God, will be thy help:''he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee; a promise made to Joshua, and is applicable to every good man in whatsoever good work he is concerned, Jos 1:5,until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord; built the temple, and all the apartments of it, and courts belonging to it, and made and provided all the utensils and vessels necessary for the service and worship of God. 1 Chronicles 28:21Ver. 21. And, behold, all the courses of the priests and the Levites,.... Which David had lately fixed to take their turns in the temple, when built: even they shall be with theefor all the service of the house of God; to advise and assist him in everything relating to the service of the sanctuary, which they might be supposed best to understand:and there shall be with thee, for all manner of workmanship, every willing skilful man for any manner of service; men that were not only well skilled in all manner of curious work that was necessary for the service of the house, but were willing to employ their skill to the uttermost for it, and such David had provided, 1Ch 22:15,also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment: to do whatever he should order, whether to overlook the workmen, or to contribute to the expenses of the work.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.