1 Chronicles 28:20

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(20) And David said to Solomon his son.—The conclusion of the speech begun in 1Chronicles 28:9-10, and interrupted by the transfer of the plans and designs (1Chronicles 28:11-19).

Be strong and of good courage.—So 1Chronicles 22:13. “And do” is added here, because the time for action is imminent.

Fear not . . . forsake thee.—From Deuteronomy 31:6; Deuteronomy 31:8. (See also Joshua 1:5-6.)

My God.—Recalling, in a single word, all his own wonderful experience of the Divine Helper.

Fail.—Drop, let go, and so dismiss, desert.

Until.—The word implies nothing about the time beyond the expressed limit. (Comp. εws, Matthew 1:25.)

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 28:20. The Lord, even my God, will be with thee — He whom I have chosen and served, who has all along been with me, and prospered me. I recommend thee to him; he will be with thee, to strengthen, direct, and prosper thee. The God that owned our fathers, and carried them through the services of their day, will, in like manner, if we are faithful to him, go along with us in our day, and will never fail us. God never leaves any, unless they first leave him.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

28:11-21 The temple must be a sacred thing, and a type of Christ; it must be framed by Divine teaching. Christ is the true temple, the church is the gospel temple, and heaven the everlasting temple; all are framed according to the Divine counsels, and the plan laid in the Divine wisdom, ordained before the world, for God's glory and our good. David gave this pattern to Solomon, that he might go by rule. Materials were provided for the most costly utensils of the temple. Directions were given which way to look for help in this great undertaking. Be not dismayed; God will help thee, and thou must look up to him in the first place. We may be sure that God, who owned our fathers, and carried them through the services of their day, will, in like manner, never leave us, while he has any work to do in us, or by us. Good work is likely to go on, when all concerned are hearty in furthering it. Let us hope in God's mercy; if we seek him, he will be found of us.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The chariot of the cherubims - The cherubim are themselves the chariot upon which Yahweh rides Psalm 18:10; Psalm 99:1.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

20. Be strong and of good courage—The address begun in 1Ch 28:9 is resumed and concluded in the same strain.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Be strong and of good courage. See Poole "1 Chronicles 27:10".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And David said to Solomon his son, be strong, and of good courage, and do it,.... See Gill on 1 Chronicles 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, Joshua 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.

Geneva Study Bible

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

20. Be strong] God’s help in the planning is a pledge of God’s help in the accomplishment. Cp. 1 Chronicles 28:10, 1 Chronicles 22:13. The work was great, and Solomon young; 1 Chronicles 22:5.

until thou hast finished all the work …] R.V. until all the work … be finished.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 20, 21. - These verses, as above seen, continue and close David's urgent and last exhortation to Solomon. He has now done with admonition and urgent appeal, but he offers prayer for him (1 Chronicles 29:19). Verse 20. - David in this verse enlarges upon the certainty of God's faithful steady presence with Solomon and support of his work to the end. 1 Chronicles 28:20

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

In conclusion, David encourages his son to go forward to the work with good courage, for his God would not forsake him; and the priests and Levites, cunning workmen, and the princes, together with the whole people, would willingly support him. With the encouragement, 1 Chronicles 28:20, cf. 1 Chronicles 22:13; and with the promise, 1 Chronicles 28:20, cf. Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:8; Joshua 1:5. אלהי, my God, says David, ut in mentem ei revocet, quomodo multis in periculis servatus sit (Lav.). עבודה כּל־מלאכת, all the work-business, i.e., all the labour necessary for the building of the house of God.