1 Chronicles 29:2

Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Now I have prepared.—And with all might have I prepared (1Chronicles 22:14; comp. also Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 28:9).

The gold for things to be made of gold.—Literally, the gold for the gold, and the silver for the silver, &c. (Comp. 1Chronicles 28:14.)

Onyx (shōham).—So Vulg. The LXX. keeps the Hebrew word Σοάμ. (See Gen. ii 12; Exodus 25:7; Exodus 28:9; Exodus 28:20; Job 28:16.) The uncertainty of meaning is illustrated by the fact that the LXX. in various passages translates shōham by onyx, beryl, sardius, emerald, and sapphire.

Stones to be set (’abnê millû’îm).—Stones of settings; strictly, fillings; LXX., πληρώσεως (Exodus 25:7; Exodus 35:9).

Glistering stones, and of divers colours.—Literally, stones of pûk and riqmāh. Pûk is the pigment used by Eastern ladies for darkening the eyebrows and lashes (kohl: 2Kings 9:30). It here seems to denote the colour of the stones in question. Perhaps some kind of decorative marble is intended (comp. Isaiah 54:11). Riqmāh stones are veined or variegated marbles, or, perhaps, tesselated work (comp. Ezekiel 17:3; Judges 5:30). The LXX. renders the phrase “costly and variegated stones.”

All manner of precious stones.—2Chronicles 3:6.

Marble stones.—Stones of shàyish, a word only read here. It means white marble. The LXX. and Vulg. have Parian marble, but the Targum simply marmora, “marbles.” (Comp. Esther 1:6; Song of Solomon 5:15, where shêsh is equivalent to the present form.)

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 29:2-4. I have prepared with all my might — He did not intend to throw all the burden upon them, nor that it should be built wholly by the contributions of the people, although intended for their benefit; but he himself contributed to the erection of it to the uttermost of his power. Work for God must be done with all our might, or we shall bring nothing to pass in it. Onyx-stones, and stones to be set — Diamonds, or emeralds, or rubies, or any of those precious stones which are usually set in rings or such things. Of my own proper good — Of that which I had reserved as a peculiar treasure for my own use, after I had separated those things which I had devoted to God. Three thousand talents of the gold of Ophir — Which was accounted the best and purest gold. By this it appears probable that the hundred thousand talents, mentioned 1 Chronicles 22:14, were of an inferior kind of gold. To overlay the walls of the house — The walls of the temple with gold, and of the rooms adjoining to it with silver, beaten out into plates, and put upon the cedar and other materials in different places, as was judged most fit.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

29:1-9 What is done in works of piety and charity, should be done willingly, not by constraint; for God loves a cheerful giver. David set a good example. This David offered, not from constraint, or for show; but because he had set his affection to the house of God, and thought he could never do enough towards promoting that good work. Those who would draw others to good, must lead the way themselves.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Glistering stones - Rather, "colored stones;" or, "dark stones" - stones of a hue like that of the antimony wherewith women painted their eyes.

Marble stones - or, "white stones" - perhaps "alabaster," which is found near Damascus. On the use made of the "stones" in building the temple, see 2 Chronicles 3:6 note.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 29

1Ch 29:1-9. David Causes the Princes and People to Offer for the House of God.

1, 2. Solomon … is yet young and tender—Though Solomon was very young when he was raised to the sovereign power, his kingdom escaped the woe pronounced (Ec 10:16). Mere childhood in a prince is not always a misfortune to a nation, as there are instances of the government being wisely administered during a minority. Solomon himself is a most illustrious proof that a young prince may prove a great blessing; for when he was but a mere child, with respect to his age, no nation was happier. His father, however, made this address before Solomon was endowed with the divine gift of wisdom, and David's reference to his son's extreme youth, in connection with the great national undertaking he had been divinely appointed to execute, was to apologize to this assembly of the estates—or, rather, to assign the reason of his elaborate preparations for the work.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Stones to be set; diamonds, or emeralds, or rubies, or any of those precious stones which are usually set in rings or such things.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God,.... According to the utmost of his ability for the building and decorating of it:

the gold for the things to be made of gold; as the candlesticks, shewbread tables, &c.

and the silver for things of silver; as for basins, &c.

and the brass for things of brass; as the brasen altar, brasen laver:

and iron for things of iron; for nails, hinges, &c.

and wood for things of wood; for rafters, ceilings, floors, &c.

onyx stones; the Targum, stones of beryl: and stones to be set; other precious stones to be set in gold and silver:

glistering stones; the Targum, emeralds; the word is used for stibium, or black lead, with which women painted their eyes; and so may signify black stones, like black lead; as white marble is after mentioned, perhaps black is here meant, or such stones Solomon paved the ways with leading to Jerusalem (y): but as such stones are not very glistering, there seems to be no reason for such an epithet; unless the stone "phengites" should be meant, which was a clear bright stone, and served for looking glasses. Domitian the Roman emperor, when under suspicion of being murdered by persons he had offended, garnished the porticos of his palace with this stone, which was of such brightness, that by the images formed in it he could see what was behind him (z); and so Lucian speaks (a) of Astarte having a splendid stone about her, called which in the night gave much light to the temple, but shone weakly in the day time, and looked like fire:

and of divers colours; that is, stones of various colours, as jaspers, amethysts, &c. Kimchi interprets it of embroidered clothes, and garments of needlework, and in these precious stones were sometimes inserted:

and all manner of precious stones; as pearls, diamonds, &c. it is hard to say what all these precious stones were for; Jarchi and Kimchi think they were to decorate the walls overlaid with gold, in which they were set; it is certain they were for garnishing and beautifying the house, see 2 Chronicles 3:6.

and marble stones in abundance; for pillars, tables, and pavement, as Jarchi; this was Parian marble, according to the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; the whitest of marble (b), found the island of Paros, and which agrees with the word here used.

(y) Joseph. Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. sect. 4. (z) Sueton. Vit. Domitian. c. 14. Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 22. Isidor. Origin. l. 16. c. 4. (a) De Dea Syria. (b) "----Pario marmore purius." Horat. Carmin. l. 1. ode 19.

Geneva Study Bible

Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. with all my might] Cp. 1 Chronicles 22:14, in my affliction (R.V.).

the gold for things to be made of gold] R.V. the gold for the things of gold.

onyx] R.V. mg. beryl. Cp. Genesis 2:12 (R.V. mg. beryl).

glistering stones] R.V. stones for inlaid work (Hebrew, “stones of pûch”). Cp. Isaiah 54:11, I will lay thy stones with fair colours (Hebrew, “with pûch”). Glister is an old form of glisten.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - The six designations of stones in this verse are as follows: -

1. Onyx stones; שֹׁהַם (Genesis 2:12; Exodus 25:7; Exodus 28:9; Exodus 35:9; Exodus 39:6; Job 28:16; Ezekiel 28:13).

2. Stones to be set מִלּוּאִים or מִלֻּאִים (Exodus 25:7; Exodus 35:9, 27; the feminine form of the same word is found in Exodus 28:17, 20; Exodus 39:13). The other meanings of this word are inauguration to the priest's office (Leviticus 8:33), and the sacrifice of inauguration (Leviticus 7:37).

3. Glistering stones; פִּוּך Gesenius says this is the same root with φῦκος, seaweed. From this seaweed an alkaline pigment was prepared, which came to be called by the same word. This Hebrew word also meant a "dye" made from stribium, the Latin name of antimony (Septuagint, στιμμί: Vulgate, stibium), with which Hebrew women stained their eyelashes (see also 2 Kings 9:30; Isaiah 54:11; Jeremiah 4:30). Gesenius would translate here "stones of pigment," and understands them to mean possibly marble for covering, as though with a solid paint, the walls.

4. Stones of divers colours; רִקְמָה. This word, which means "variegated," is only in this passage applied to stones. It is applied once to the feathers of the eagle (Ezekiel 17:3); but almost always to needlework or garments, often being translated in the Authorized Version as "broidered" (Judges 5:30; Psalm 45:15; Ezekiel 16:10, 13, 18; Ezekiel 26:16; Ezekiel 27:7, 16, 24).

5. All manner of precious stones. The feminine form, יִקָרָה. The simplest idea of the word is "heavy," thence precious, dear, rare (2 Samuel 12:30; 1 Kings 5:31 [1 Kings 5:17]; 1 Kings 7:9; 10:2; 1 Chronicles 20:2; 2 Chronicles 3:6; 2 Chronicles 9:1; Job 28:16; Job 31:26; Proverbs 1:13; Proverbs 3:15; Isaiah 28:16; Ezekiel 28:13; Daniel 11:38).

6. Marble stones; שַׁיִשׁ, the elementary idea of which is whiteness. This word is found only here; Septuagint and Vulgate, "Parian marble." A word akin (שֵׁשׁ), meaning also "white marble" is found in Esther 1:6; Song of Solomon 5:16. The further treatment of these stones will be found on 2 Chronicles 3:6. 1 Chronicles 29:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Contributions of the collected princes for the building of the temple. - David then turns to the assembled princes to press upon them the furthering of the building of the temple. After referring to the youth of his son, and to the greatness of the work to be accomplished (1 Chronicles 29:1), he mentions what materials he has prepared for the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 29:2); then further states what he has resolved to give in addition from his private resources (1 Chronicles 29:4); and finally, after this introduction, calls upon those present to make a voluntary collection for this great work (1 Chronicles 29:5). The words, "as only one hath God chosen him," form a parenthesis, which is to be translated as a relative sentence for "my son, whom alone God hath chosen." ורך נער as in 1 Chronicles 22:5. The work is great, because not for man the palace, scil. is intended, i.e., shall be built, but for Jahve God. הבּירה, the citadel, the palace; a later word, generally used of the residence of the Persian king (Esther 1:2, Esther 1:5; Esther 2:3; Nehemiah 1:1), only in Nehemiah 2:8 of the citadel by the temple; here transferred to the temple as the glorious palace of Jahve, the God-king of Israel. With 1 Chronicles 29:2, cf. 1 Chronicles 22:14. וגו לזּהב הזּהב, the gold for the golden, etc., i.e., for the vessels and ornaments of gold, cf. 1 Chronicles 28:14. וּמלּוּאים שׁהם אבני as in Exodus 25:7; Exodus 35:9, precious stones for the ephod and choshen. שׁהם, probably beryl. מּלּוּאים אבני, stones of filling, that is, precious stones which are put in settings. פּוּך אבני, stones of pigment, i.e., ornament, conjecturally precious stones which, from their black colour, were in appearance like פּוּך, stibium, a common eye pigment (see 2 Kings 9:30). רקמה אבני, stones of variegated colour, i.e., with veins of different colours. יקרה אבן, precious stones, according to 2 Chronicles 3:6, for ornamenting the walls. שׁישׁ אבני, white marble stones.