1 Paralipomenon xxviii.
Notes & Commentary:
Ver. 1. Israel. These are more particularly described as princes of the tribes, (Haydock) twelve captains, &c., chap. xxvii. 1. — And his. Hebrew, “and of his sons.” (Calmet) — We may also understand this of the preceptors of the royal family, chap. xxvii. 32. — Officers. Literally, “eunuchs.” (Haydock) — Bravest; particularly those specified [in] chap. xi.
Ver. 2. Rising up from his bed, on which he lay, on account of his great age and weakness, while he addressed himself to his son; (3 Kings i. 47.; Calmet) or he rose from his throne, to honor this grand assembly. Hebrew, “stood upon his feet.” (Haydock) — Thought. Hebrew, “I, with my heart, thought to,” &c. (Calmet) — And, or which is the footstool. (Haydock) — The ark is often so called, because God was considered as sitting upon the wings of the cherubim, over it, Psalm xcviii. 1., &c. — Building. No doubt what David left would have been sufficient. Yet Solomon thought that he could make something still more magnificent.
Ver. 3. Blood. See chap. xxii. 8. (Calmet)
Ver. 4. Ever; for a long time, and to leave the throne to my posterity for many ages, and to the Messias for ever. This expression is not always to be taken in its rigour. (Calmet) — Princes. Hebrew, “prince, or the ruler.” (Haydock) — This tribe had long possessed the greatest power, (Calmet) and the promise of the sceptre, Genesis xlix. (Worthington) — The phrase often denotes a long time, but it is best understood of Christ. (Du Hamel)
Ver. 5. My son, by the mouth of Nathan, 2 Kings vii. 13. (Menochius) — Solomon was a figure of Christ, and his dignity was predicted, chap. xvii. 11., and 3 Kings i. 13. (Calmet)
Ver. 7. If. The promises of the Old Testament were frequently conditional, and we always find the condition marked in some place; but those made to the Church of Christ, have no such limitation. (Haydock) — Day. Solomon was once faithful, and afterwards fell; it is uncertain whether ever to rise again. Hence it appears that the true children of God may become wicked. (Worthington)
Ver. 8. Seek. Wilful (Haydock) or supine ignorance will excuse no man. (Menochius)
Ver. 9. Know, with affection (Haydock) and faith; and him alone must thou serve. (Du Hamel) — Forsake him, and die impenitent. (Haydock)
Ver. 11. Description, impressed by God on David’s imagination; (Cajetan) or rather planned out by the hand of God, (ver. 19.; Salien) as the law was written. (Haydock) — The Jews pretend that this plan was delivered to Moses, and handed down by Josue, &c., to David. (Estius) — But why might not David receive it immediately from heaven? (Calmet) — Treasures. Literally, “cellars.” (Haydock) — The original term, Ganzac, is not Hebrew. We find Ganas (Esther iii. 9.) to signify a treasure, being derived from the Persian, Gaza. David gave, therefore, a description of the rooms to keep the treasures of the temple, or of the cellars for wine and oil. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “a pattern of the temple and of the houses thereof, and of the Zakcho, and of the upper rooms, and of the inner storehouses,” &c. (Haydock) — Inner, or most retired closets, (3 Kings xx. 30.; Calmet) where the Levites slept. (Menochius) — Seat, where the ark was kept, and God was rendered propitious. (Haydock)
Ver. 13. Divisions, into twenty-four classes, (Menochius) which was done by God’s order. (Haydock) — For all, that every thing might be done with regularity. (Menochius)
Ver. 14. Weight, or sufficient for each, ver. 15. (Haydock) — Some think he only left a memorial of what quantity of gold and silver would be requisite. It does not appear that Solomon used silver for the vessels, as he chose to execute his father’s injunctions with still greater magnificence.
Ver. 15. Silver. David probably intended that five candlesticks would be made of this metal: but Solomon made all the ten of gold, 3 Kings vii. 49. There was one in the tabernacle, Exodus xxv. 31. (Calmet) — But the temple was more spacious, and a greater number was not prohibited. (Menochius) — According. Hebrew, “for the use of every candlestick.”
Ver. 16. Silver. Yet all the ten were composed of the purest gold, (2 Paralipomenon iv. 12.) as silver was too common, ibid.[2 Paralipomenon] ix. 20. Moses had only two tables. (Calmet) — Diversity. Hebrew, “for each table.” (Vatable)
Ver. 17. Lions. St. Jerome seems to have read cephir, instead of the present cephor, which is rendered “a cup, or bowl,” 1 Esdras i. 10. (Calmet) — Alexandrian Septuagint, “and of the flesh-hooks, libation vessels and bowls; and the weight of the golden and silver vessels (kepphoure; a word which they do not translate) of each weight.” (Haydock) — The change of i for u was very easy; and perhaps the basins were ornamented with representations of lions. (Du Hamel) (Menochius) — We do not find cephor used before, to denote any of the vessels of the tabernacle: but Esdras uses it, (chap. viii. 27.) whence it is inferred that it is of Chaldean extraction.
Ver. 18. Purest. Hebrew, “refined.” — Lord. He was represented as riding in a chariot, drawn by Cherubim, (Calmet) or sitting on their wings. (Haydock) — Two, particularly, filled up the space between the walls in the most holy place, and covered the ark, and also the Cherubim made by Moses, 3 Kings vii. 23.
Ver. 19. These things, said he, is not in Hebrew. Septuagint, “All in the handwriting of the Lord, did David give to Solomon, according to the knowledge given to him from above, respecting the workmanship of the pattern.” (Haydock) — David saw the pattern in a kind of ecstasy; (Salien; Estius) or some prophet delivered it unto him, (Calmet) marked out by the hand of an angel, (Tirinus) like the tabernacle given to Moses. (Du Hamel)
Ver. 20. Lord. Septuagint add, “and I beheld, or behold, the pattern of the temple, and of the house and the Zakcho thereof, and the upper rooms and inner storehouses, and the house of the propitiation, and the pattern of the house of the Lord: (21) and behold,” ver. 11. (Haydock)
Ver. 21. Thee. Hebrew and Septuagint, “for all workmanship, every willing skilful man for any service, also all the princes, and the people entirely at thy commands.” (Haydock) — The willing artificers are distinguished from those who were forced to work, though the former also received pay. (Calmet)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
David’s speech, in a solemn assembly: his exhortation to Solomon. He giveth him a pattern of the temple.
1 And *David assembled all the chief men of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies, who waited on the king: and the captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and them who had the charge over the substance and possessions of the king, and his sons, with the officers of the court, and the men of power, and all the bravest of the army at Jerusalem.
2 And the king rising up, and standing, said: Hear me, my brethren, and my people: I had a thought to have built a house, in which the ark of the Lord, and the footstool of our God, might rest: and I prepared all things for the building.
3 And God said to me: *Thou shalt not build a house to my name: because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood.
4 But the Lord God of Israel chose me of all the house of my father, to be king over Israel, for ever: for of Juda, he chose the princes: and of the house of Juda, my father’s house: and among the sons of my father, it pleased him to choose me king over all Israel.
5 *And among my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon, my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord, over Israel.
6 And he said to me: Solomon, thy son, shall build my house, and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be a father to him.
7 And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he continue to keep my commandments, and my judgments, as at this day.
8 Now then, before all the assembly of Israel, in the hearing of our God, keep ye, and seek all the commandments of the Lord, our God: that you may possess the good land, and may leave it to your children after you, for ever.
9 And thou, my son, Solomon, know the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind: *for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the thoughts of minds. If thou seek him, thou shalt find him: but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
10 Now, therefore, seeing the Lord hath chosen thee to build the house of the sanctuary, take courage, and do it.
11 And David gave to Solomon, his son, a description of the porch, and of the temple, and of the treasures, and of the upper floor, and of the inner chambers, and of the house, for the mercy-seat,
12 As also of all the courts, which he had in his thought, and of the chambers round about, for the treasures of the house of the Lord, and for the treasures of the consecrated things,
13 And of the divisions of the priests, and of the Levites, for all the works of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of the service of the temple of the Lord.
14 Gold by weight for every vessel for the ministry. And silver by weight according to the diversity of the vessels and uses.
15 He gave also gold for the golden candlesticks, and their lamps, according to the dimensions of every candlestick, and the lamps thereof. In like manner also, he gave silver by weight for the silver candlesticks, and for their lamps, according to the diversity of the dimensions of them.
16 He gave also gold for the tables of proposition, according to the diversity of the tables: in like manner also silver for other tables of silver.
17 For flesh-hooks also, and bowls, and censers of fine gold, and for little lions of gold, according to the measure he gave by weight, for every lion. In like manner also, for lions of silver he set aside a different weight of silver.
18 And for the altar of incense, he gave the purest gold: and to make the likeness of the chariot of the Cherubim, spreading their wings, and covering the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
19 All these things, said he, came to me written by the hand of the Lord: that I might understand all the works of the pattern.
20 And David said to Solomon, his son: Act like a man, and take courage, and do: fear not, and be not dismayed: for the Lord, my God, will be with thee, and will not leave thee, nor forsake thee, till thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
21 Behold the courses of the priests and the Levites, for every ministry of the house of the Lord, stand by thee, and are ready, and both the princes and the people know how to execute all thy commandments.
____________________
*
1: Year of the World 2989, Year before Christ 1015.
3: 2 Kings vii. 13.
5: 1 Paralipomenon ix. 7.
9: Psalm vii. 20.