Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 29:2
Now with all my ability I have made provision for the house of my God—gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and slabs of marble—all in abundance.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King David addresses the whole assembly of Israel immediately before Solomon begins the temple project. He announces his personal material contribution to the construction.
The words — The Hebrew כֹּחִ֞י (ko.chi) translates literally as "my power," paired with הֲכִינ֣וֹתִי (ha.khi.noti), meaning "I have prepared." These terms frame the offering as a deliberate exertion of personal capacity rather than a royal decree.
The thread — David’s inventory of materials parallels his earlier procurement of iron for temple fittings in 1 Chronicles 22:3. The instruction to expend one's full capacity for a task mirrors the directive in Ecclesiastes 9:10 to do whatever is found to do with all one's might.
Why it lands — The passage requires a concrete accounting of resources dedicated to sacred work before any spiritual application. It demands that a reader evaluate whether their own capacity is being directed toward the specific task assigned to them.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 22:3 David provided a large quantity of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with more bronze than could be weighed
- 2 Chronicles 31:20 So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God.
- Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
- Isaiah 54:11 “O afflicted city, lashed by storms, without solace, surely I will set your stones in antimony and lay your foundations with sapphires.
- 2 Corinthians 8:3 For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord,
- Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,
- 1 Peter 4:10 As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
- Genesis 2:12 And the gold of that land is pure, and bdellium and onyx are found there.
- Exodus 28:17 And mount on it a setting of gemstones, four rows of stones: In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald;
- Exodus 28:20 and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount these stones in gold filigree settings.