Tyndale Open Study Notes1 Chronicles 29

The story of Solomon's coronation continues from 1 Chronicles 23:1–2. David, at the height of his power, transfers authority to Solomon (compare 1 Kings 1:1–2:9).

David convinced Israel's leaders (1 Chronicles 28:1) to give gifts to the Lord for the temple. David's generous gift set an example for the leaders. The Chronicler highlights that Solomon did not bear the heavy cost of building the temple alone. Solomon added to the contributions made by David and Israel's leaders (see 1 Chronicles 22:14).

Israel’s leaders gave willingly, just like they did with the tabernacle (Exodus 25:1–7).

10,000 darics of gold: Persian darics were first minted during the reign of King Darius I of Persia, who ruled from 522 to 486 BC. When describing the temple gifts during Solomon's time, the Chronicler updated the information to match his era, similar to how the New Living Translation converts Hebrew weights and measures to modern equivalents.

David’s prayer of praise ended his speeches at Solomon’s coronation. The prayer praises God’s power and the glory of his kingdom, and it dedicates the offerings for building the temple. The prayer has three parts:

1. The doxology (1 Chronicles 29:10b–13)

2. The presentation and dedication of the offerings (1 Chronicles 29:14–17)

3. The petition (1 Chronicles 29:18–19)

David did not ask God for power, victory, or riches, nor for Solomon's kingdom to be established. Instead, he asked God to help the people of Israel, especially Solomon, always want to obey the Lord. Having this kind of heart is a gift from the Lord; success and prosperity come second.

After the speeches and prayers at Solomon's coronation, sacrifices took place. Solomon and Zadok were anointed, and Solomon took the throne. Zadok was not starting his priestly role but was dedicated to serve in the temple itself. (The descendants of Zadok are mentioned in Ezekiel 40:46; 43:19; 44:15; 48:11.)

The Chronicler ends his account of David’s reign with a formal summary, similar to those for all the kings of Israel and Judah (for example, 1 Kings 22:41–50). Like Abraham (Genesis 25:8) and Isaac (Genesis 35:29), David died at an old age with wealth and honor.

The chronicles of David's reign use sources linked to three prophets:

1. Samuel (1 Chronicles 11:3)

2. Nathan (1 Chronicles 17:1–27)

3. Gad (1 Chronicles 21:9)

The Chronicler also used other sources besides the books of Samuel and Kings (see study note on 1 Chronicles 9:1; see also 1 Kings 11:41–43; 14:19–20, 29–31).

The final verse praises David, highlighting him as the main figure of his era.