King James Version

What Does 1 Chronicles 28:11 Mean?

“Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,”

Context

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,

And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things: of all that: Heb. of all that was with him

Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the LORD.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(11) **Then** (and) **David gave.**—The description proceeds from the outer to the inner. **The pattern.**—Heb., *tahnîth,* the word used in Exodus 25:9 of the model, plan, or design of the Tabernacle. **The porch.**—See 1Kings 6:3. The Syriac has *prûstidê: i.e.,* παραστάδες, colonnade, portico. **The houses thereof.**—*Its*—*i.e.,* the Temple’s—*chambers.* Throughout this verse the word *thereof* refers to the *house* mentioned in 1Chronicles 28:10. The two principal rooms of the Temple, the “holy place” and the “Holy of holies,” or, as we might say, the nave and the chancel, are called its “houses” (*bāttîm*)*.* **The treasuries** (*ganzakkim*)*,* occurring here only. It appears to be a loan word from the Persian (*ghanj,* treasure, treasury; comp. the Latin and Greek *gaza,* treasure. In old Persian *ka* was a noun-ending; comp. *bandaka,* servant). With the singular, *ganzak,* comp. Persian *Ghanjak* (the classical Gazaca), the capital of Atropatene, which was a *treasure-city.* (Comp. also the word *ginzê;* Esther 3:9; Esther 4:7; Ezra 7:20, and *ginzayyā,* Ezra 5:17; Ezra 6:1, meaning *treasures.*) Gesenius (Thesaur., p. 296) assumes that the root G N Z has passed from Semitic into Persian, and not *vice versâ.* This may be true, as the root exists in the principal Semitic tongues, and yet it may be that *ganzak* in Hebrew is a modern loan word. The “treasuries” or store-rooms of the Temple were probably in the side-building of three storeys (1Kings 6:5). **The upper chambers** (*‘alîyôth*)*.*—Only here and in 2Chronicles 3:9. They were probably over the Holy of holies, the ceiling of which was twenty cubits from the floor, whereas the roof of the whole building was thirty cubits from the ground. A space of ten cubits high by twenty wide and twenty long was thus available for the upper chambers. **The inner parlours.**—The fore-court, or vestibule, and the holy place, or nave, in contrast with “the place of the mercy-seat,” or *chamber of the Kappôreth: i.e.,* the Holy of holies, the inmost shrine of the whole bolding.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 1 Chronicles. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

1 Chronicles 28:11 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.