📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 28:17
What does 1 Chronicles 28:17 mean?
"and the forks, the basins, and the cups, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl;"
— 1 Chronicles 28:17 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
of gold by weight for the gold, for all vessels of every kind of service; for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service;
by weight also for the lamp stands of gold, and for its lamps, of gold, by weight for every lamp stand and for its lamps; and for the lamp stands of silver, by weight for every lamp stand and for its lamps, according to the use of every lamp stand;
and the gold by weight for the tables of show bread, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver;
and the forks, the basins, and the cups, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl;
and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the plans for the chariot, and the cherubim that spread out and cover the ark of Yahweh’s covenant.
“All this”, said David, “I have been made to understand in writing from Yahweh’s hand, even all the works of this pattern.”
David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed; for Yahweh God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of Yahweh’s house is finished.
Explanation
This verse comes in the middle of a detailed inventory that King David hands over to his son Solomon, listing the exact materials and weights needed for various vessels used in temple worship: the meat forks used for handling sacrifices, the basins for catching blood or washing, and the cups used in various ceremonies. David specifies that these items were to be made of pure gold, and further notes that each individual gold bowl and each individual silver bowl had a precise weight assigned to it. In plain language, this is essentially a materials list and specification sheet — the kind of detailed inventory an architect or master craftsman would leave behind to ensure a building project is completed exactly as intended.
The broader context is found in 1 Chronicles 28, where David, now old and near the end of his reign, gathers the leaders of Israel and publicly commissions Solomon to build the temple that David himself was not permitted to build (because he was a man of war, as stated earlier in 1 Chronicles 22:8 and 28:3). David explains that he received the plan for the temple and all its furnishings "by the Spirit" (28:12, 19), meaning he understood this blueprint to be divinely given, not merely his own architectural preference. He then hands over these detailed plans and specifications, including precious metal weights for lampstands, tables, forks, basins, and cups, so that Solomon would have no excuse for improvisation or corner-cutting. This was written by the Chronicler, whose account of
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