1 Chronicles 29:1
in 1 Chronicles 29Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David the king said unto all the assembly, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for Jehovah God.
KJV
Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 29
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The palace - The original word here used is the Hebrew form of a Persian word, and generally designates the residence of the Persian monarch Est 1:2, Est 1:5; Est 2:3, Est 2:8; Neh 1:1; Dan 8:2. It is only here and in 1Ch 29:19 that it is applied to the temple.
This site's exposition
is yet young and tender
on 1 Chronicles 29:1-2
David tells the whole congregation what he had already told Solomon alone at 22:5, that the work is great and Solomon is young and tender, and now the burden is spoken before the nation rather than kept private. The palace under construction is not for man but for the Lord God, the claim chapters 22 through 28 have already built, that the temple's plans came from the Lord's own hand and its builder answers to a house greater than his kingdom. The catalogue of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone in verse 2 is David's own inventory of what he has gathered before he asks anyone else to give.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Furthermore, David the king said unto all the congregation,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The palace is not for man - “The palace is not prepared for the name of a son of man, but for the name of the Word of the Lord God.” - T.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
My son Solomon is alone, etc. And even if he were a hundred [people], he would not be able to build it, and furthermore, he is young and tender.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֤יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַקָּהָ֔ל | hakahal | the assembly | H6951 → | 123 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֨ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| בְנִ֥י | veni | son my | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶחָ֛ד | ʾechad | [whom] one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בָּֽחַר־ | bachar- | he has chosen | H977 → | 171 times |
| בּ֥וֹ | bo | <in> him | ||
| אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נַ֣עַר | naar | [is] a youth | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וָרָ֑ךְ | varakh | and weak | H7390 → | |
| וְהַמְּלָאכָ֣ה | vehamelakhah | and the work | H4399 → | 167 times |
| גְדוֹלָ֔ה | gedolah | [is] great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לְאָדָם֙ | leadam | [is] for a human person | H120 → | 551 times |
| הַבִּירָ֔ה | habirah | the temple | H1002 → | |
| כִּ֖י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לַיהוָ֥ה | layahweh | for Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֤ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הַקָּהָ֔לthe assembly
hakahalH6951 →123 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֨הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
בְנִ֥יson my
veniH1121 →4930 times
אֶחָ֛ד[whom] one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בָּֽחַר־he has chosen
bachar-H977 →171 times
בּ֥וֹ<in> him
bo
אֱלֹהִ֖יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
נַ֣עַר[is] a youth
naarH5288 →239 times
וָרָ֑ךְand weak
varakhH7390 →
וְהַמְּלָאכָ֣הand the work
vehamelakhahH4399 →167 times
גְדוֹלָ֔ה[is] great
gedolahH1419 →526 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
לְאָדָם֙[is] for a human person
leadamH120 →551 times
הַבִּירָ֔הthe temple
habirahH1002 →
כִּ֖יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לַיהוָ֥הfor Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהִֽים׃God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 3:7And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
it leads to
- Numbers 27:17
who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
- Jeremiah 1:6
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
- Matthew 18:3–4
“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Numbers 27:17
Through
1 Chronicles 29:19And 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.”
it leads to
- Psalms 72:1
Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9
As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought.…
- Psalms 72:1
Through
2 Chronicles 13:7Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.
it leads to
- Judges 9:4
So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.
- 2 Chronicles 12:13
Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of…
- Judges 9:4
Through
1 Chronicles 22:5And David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent—famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore I must make preparations for…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 3:7
And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
- 1 Kings 3:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Chronicles

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Chronicles and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
