Study Desk

So David gave orders to gather the foreigners that were in the land of Israel,^(b) and he appointed stonecutters to cut finished stones for building God's house.^(c)

David supplied a great deal of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with an immeasurable quantity of bronze,^(d)

and innumerable cedar logs because the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to David.^(e)

David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly great and famous and glorious in all the lands.^(f) Therefore, I must make provision for it." So David made lavish preparations for it before his death.

Then he summoned his son Solomon and instructed him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel.

"My son," David said to Solomon, "It was in my heart to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God,^(g)

but the word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.^(h)

But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies,⁽ⁱ⁾ for his name will be Solomon,^[a](j) and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign.^(k)

He is the one who will build a house for My name. He will be My son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.'^(l)

"Now, my son, may the Lord be with you,^(m) and may you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as He said about you.

Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when He puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.⁽ⁿ⁾

Then you will succeed if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances the Lord commanded Moses for Israel.^(o) Be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid or discouraged.^(p)

"Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the Lord —3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver,^[b](q) and bronze and iron that can't be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them.

You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work

in gold, silver, bronze, and iron—beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you."^(r)

Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon:

"The Lord your God is with you, isn't He? And hasn't He given you rest on every side?^(s) For He has handed the land's inhabitants over to me, and the land has been subdued before the Lord and His people.

Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.^(t) Get started building the Lord God's sanctuary so that you may bring the ark of the Lord 's covenant and the holy articles of God to the temple that is to be built^(u) for the name of Yahweh."^(v)

When David was old and full of days,^(a) he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel.^(b)

Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites.

The Levites 30 years old or more were counted;^(c) the total number of men was 38,000 by headcount.^(d)

"Of these," David said, "24,000 are to be in charge of the work on the Lord 's temple,^(e) 6,000 are to be officers and judges,^(f)

4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments that I have made for worship."^(g)

Then David divided them into divisions according to Levi's sons:^(h) Gershom,^[a] Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

Ladan's sons: Jehiel was the first, then Zetham, and Joel—three.

Shimei's sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three. Those were the heads of the families of Ladan.

Shimei's sons: Jahath, Zizah,^[b] Jeush, and Beriah. Those were Shimei's sons—four.

¹¹Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; however, Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became an ancestral house and received a single assignment.

Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four.

Amram's sons:⁽ⁱ⁾ Aaron and Moses. Aaron, along with his descendants,^(j) was set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense in the presence of Yahweh,^(k) to minister to Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

As for Moses the man of God,^(l) his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

Moses' sons: Gershom and Eliezer.

Gershom's sons: Shebuel was first.

Eliezer's sons were Rehabiah, first; Eliezer did not have any other sons, but Rehabiah's sons were very numerous.

Izhar's sons: Shelomith was first.

Hebron's sons: Jeriah was first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, and Jekameam fourth.

Uzziel's sons: Micah was first, and Isshiah second.

Merari's sons: Mahli and Mushi. Mahli's sons: Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died having no sons, only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.

Mushi's sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three.

These were the sons of Levi by their ancestral houses—the heads of families, according to their registration by name in the headcount—20 years old or more, who worked in the service of the Lord 's temple.^(m)

For David said, "The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people,⁽ⁿ⁾ and He has come to stay in Jerusalem forever.

Also, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the equipment for its service"^(o)—

for according to the last words of David, the Levites 20 years old or more were to be counted—

"but their duty will be to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the Lord 's temple, being responsible for the courts and the chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of God's temple—

as well as the rows of the bread of the Presence,^(p) the fine flour for the grain offering,^(q) the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking,^[c](r) the mixing,^(s) and all measurements of volume and length.^(t)

They are also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the Lord , and likewise in the evening.

Whenever burnt offerings are offered to the Lord on the Sabbaths, New Moons,^(u) and appointed festivals, they are to do so regularly in the Lord 's presence according to the number prescribed for them.^(v)

They are to carry out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting, for the holy place,^(w) and for their relatives, the sons of Aaron,^(x) in the service of the Lord 's temple."