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164 iron, and wood for the things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, stones for inlaid work, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. Moreover also, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it unto the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house; even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: of gold for the things of gold, and of silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. Who then offereth willingly to consecrate himself this day unto the ? Then the princes of the fathers' houses, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers over the king's work, offered willingly; and they gave for the service of

2. onyx] or, as mg., beryl. Cp. Gen. ii. 12 (mg. beryl).

stones for inlaid work] Cp. Is. liv. 11, I will lay thy stones with fair colours (the same word is used in Heb).

3. I give it] not all his private fortune, but the splendid offering announced in vv. 4, 5. David then challenges the leaders to display a like generosity (ver. 5).

even three thousand talents of gold, etc.] i.e. about £20,000,000 or £10,000,000 (light standard). The amount is impossibly vast, and may be compared with the exaggeration noted in xxii. 14.

4. gold of Ophir] Ophir is probably to be identified with some part of the south-east coast of Arabia; see note on 2 Chr. viii. 18. The reference here is no doubt an anachronism, for it is clear that Israelite tradition regarded this trade with Ophir as an innovation of Solomon's reign (see 2 Chr. viii. 18, ix. 10 = 1 Kin. ix. 28, x. 11).

to overlay] Cp. 2 Chr. iii. 4—8.

the houses] i.e. the porch, the greater house, and the most holy house; 2 Chr. iii. 4, 5, 8.

5. offereth willingly to consecrate himself] The phrase to consecrate himself (Heb., to fill his hand) means properly to make himself a priest, and is here used metaphorically. The sense is "Who will give these gifts for the sacred Temple in the same willing spirit which is required of a priest in his self-dedication to priestly service?"

6—9.&emsp;

6. over the king's work] See xxvii. 25—31.