Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/224

160 the throne of the kingdom of the over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgements, as at this day. Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of the, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever. 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 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 hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

the throne of the kingdom of the ] Cp. xxix. 23, the throne of the . The Chronicler regards the king as the deputy of Jehovah.

6. he shall build my house] Cp. xxii. 10.

7. And I will establish] Cp. xvii. 11.

if he be constant] Lit. if he be strong; cp. vv. 10, 20, be strong (same word in Heb.). Cp. 1 Kin. ix. 4, 5.

8. and seek out] The same Hebrew word is used in xiii. 3, we sought not unto it (i.e. the Ark) in the days of Saul.

that ye may possess this good land] possess = inherit. The Heb. word connotes three different ideas, which may all have been present to the mind of the speaker, viz. (1) continued holding of the land by passing it from father to son (cp. Ex. xx. 12), (2) completion of the work of conquest left unfinished by Joshua (cp. Gen. xxiv. 60), (3) enjoyment of the fruits of the land (cp. Ps. xxv. 13).

9—21.&emsp;

9. know thou the God of thy father] For this use of know cp. Ex. v. 2; Is. i. 3; Jer. xxxi. 34.

with a perfect heart] i.e. with a single, undivided heart; cp. xii. 33 "they were not of double heart." In 2 Chr. xv. 17 the heart of king Asa is described as perfect, because he took no part in the idolatrous practices which prevailed in his day. Faithfulness to Jehovah, not moral perfection, is implied in phrases of this kind.

the searcheth] Cp. Ezekiel's vision of the Lord's detection of secret idolatry (Ezek. viii.).

10. hath chosen thee] See on ver. 5.