1 Chronicles 29:20

1Ch 29:20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.

Ver. 20. Now bless the Lord your God.] David was excellent at this, viz., stirring up others to join with him in praising God. See on Psa 34:3; Psa 103:20.

And worshipped the Lord.] With a religious worship.

And the king.] With a civil reverence.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch_29:20

Now bless the Lord your God.

National and individual thanksgiving

I. The abundant encouragement to praise God afforded us in the scriptures.

II. The most appropriate themes of thanksgiving.

III. The Best means of showing Gods praise. (Richard Jones, B. A.)

The duty of praise

I. Why we should praise God.

1. It is acceptable to God Himself.

2. It confers a blessing on him who renders it.

3. It is the joyous occupation of the saints before the throne.

II. What should be the subjects of our praise? His mercies.

1. Creation.

2. Preservation.

3. Redemption.

4. The means of grace.

5. The hope of glory.

III. In what way Gods people are to praise and bless Him.

1. With our lips.

2. In the life and conversation. (A. Roberts, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch 29:20. David said to all the congregation, Now bless the Lord your God — Adore his divine majesty, and give him thanks for all his benefits, hereby testifying your concurrence with me in what I have done and spoken. And all the congregation blessed the Lord, &c. — They did as David desired, bowing down their heads in a gesture of adoration. Whoever is the mouth of the congregation to God, only those have the benefit of his ministrations who join with him, not so much by bowing down the head, as by lifting up the heart. And worshipped the Lord, and the king — The Lord with religious, and the king with civil worship.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, did reverence the king.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

all the congregation . . . worshipped the Lord, and the king--Though the external attitude might be the same, the sentiments of which it was expressive were very different in the two cases--of divine worship in the one, of civil homage in the other.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 20. Worshipped the Lord, and the king.] They did reverence to God as the supreme Ruler, and to the king as his deputy.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(20) Now bless.—Bless ye, I pray. The “now” is not a note of time, but of entreaty.

Blessed the Lord God of their fathers.—Probably using a liturgical formula, like the doxologies which close the books of the Psalter (Psa_41:13; Psa_72:18-19; Psa_89:52, &c).

And bowed down their heads.—Or, and bowed. Vulg., inclinaverunt se; LXX. here, κάμψαντες τὰ γόνατα, bending the knees; but usually κνψαντες, stooping, bowing.

Worshipped.—Prostrated themselves. LXX., προσεκύνησαν. The two expressions “bowed and worshipped” are always united, as here (save in 2Ch_20:18. Comp. Gen_24:26; Exo_12:27). The Syriac renders, “fell down and worshipped.”

And the king.—As God’s earthly representative, David receives the same tokens of reverence and homage. (Comp. 1Ki_1:31.)

(20-25) The sacrificial feast and anointing of Solomon.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20–22. The Great Rejoicing

20. worshipped] i.e. prostrated themselves.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the Lord,.... David and the congregation:

and offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the morrow after that day; not having time enough on that day to perform, at least not all of them; and these they offered on the altar David had erected in the threshingfloor of Araunah, by the order of God, where afterwards the temple was built:

even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their burnt offerings; and meat offerings also, both which always went along with them:

and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel; whom they represented; these last were peace offerings, part of which the offerers had for themselves and friends to feast on, as these did, as follows.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Worshipped the Lord, and the king - The same outward signs of reverence were accorded by the customs of the Jews (as of the Oriental nations generally) to God and to their monarchs (see 1Ki 1:31). But the application of the terms to both in the same passage, which occurs nowhere in Scripture but here, is thought to indicate a time when a long servitude under despotic lords had orientalized men’s mode of speech.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Then is not in Hebrew or Septuagint. (Haydock) --- The same term is used, to express the outward adoration which they shewed to God, and the civil respect which was due to the king: pari gestu, says Grotius, animo diverso. (Calmet) --- How then will Protestants prove that we are guilty of idolatry, when we bow down before the cross, &c., unless they pretend to know the secrets of hearts? Protestants, they "bowed down their heads, (Septuagint, knees) and worshipped the Lord and the king." (Haydock) --- The exterior set was the same, but the intention determined the application. See Exodus xx. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The Lord with religious, and the king with civil worship, as it is evident.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Worship.

David was a true leader; for he not only directed, he preceded his subjects in the path of duty. If he called upon his soldiers to fight, he led them to the field; if he desired the princes to offer gifts, he first himself gave munificently; and if he would have his people worship, he himself set them the example. Thus, upon the occasion of presenting offerings towards the building of the temple, the king summoned the inhabitants of Jerusalem together, and in their presence and hearing addressed to Heaven the adorations and petitions recorded in this chapter. Only after this did he use the language of the text, "Now bless the Lord your God.

I THE NATURE OF WORSHIP: in what worship consists. Worship of some sort has been general among all nations. Revealed religion directs and consecrates what seems a natural tendency; and both the Old Testament and the New contain many admonitions to, many examples of, true and acceptable worship.

1. True worship is spiritual. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." It consists in the recognition of the Divine attributes, the acknowledgment of the Divine reign, and gratitude

2. for Divine mercies gifts, forbearance, loving-kindness. Nothing is more hateful to God than the language and posture of worship from which spiritual devotion is absent. Of the insincere he speaks with indignation, "This people draweth near unto me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Silence is compatible with true worship; insincerity is not.

3. A devout heart will find expression for its sentiments. "The people bowed down their heads, and worshipped." Language is an assistance to the intelligent worshipper, though an unuttered aspiration or affection is heard and accepted by God. And attitudes of kneeling, standing, bowing the head, stretching forth the hands, are all appropriate as expressive of the feelings of the devout worshipper. It is only when they are substituted for spiritual worship that they are bad and displeasing to him who searches the hearts and tries the reins of the children of men.

II THE OBJECT OF WORSHIP: to whom worship is due. The congregation of Israel "worshipped the Lord, and the king." Yet the homage offered to David was civil, not religions; and there could have been no danger of confusing the one with the other. Whilst the heathen worship gods many and lords many, to us there is but one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. The Christian adores and blesses God in Christ. Notice that he is:

1. Your God. The Israelites were reminded of this; and we all are summoned to regard him as ours; for he has made us and redeemed us, and by his own Spirit renewed us, so that we are his and he is ours.

2. And he is also your fathers" God. The Hebrews knew him as "the Godof Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob." And we can exclaim, when we approach him, "Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not." The fact that God made himself known unto the fathers of mankind, that our parents or ancestors knew and acknowledged him, adds a pathos and a power to our prayers.

III THE WORSHIPPERS. David summoned "all the congregation" to worship, bless, and praise the Lord.

1. All men have abundant reason to bless the Lord. He is "good unto all" His bounty, care, watchfulness, and long-suffering, have been experienced by all. No wonder that the psalmist in so many passages calls upon all people all nations to praise the Lord; summons young men and maidens, old men and children, to praise the Name of the Lord.

2. All men are in the gospel encouraged to present acceptable worship to God through Jesus Christ. The Saviour reveals the Father as the Object of worship, and himself provides the new and living way of access, and offers the intercession which secures Divine acceptance and approval for the believing worshipper. "I will," says the Apostle Paul, "that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

QUESTIONS.

1. Do you worship God yourselves?

2. Do you admonish and encourage others, especially the young, tobless and praise the Lord? T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Worshipped - The Lord with religious, and the king with civil worship.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the Lord,.... David and the congregation:

and offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the morrow after that day; not having time enough on that day to perform, at least not all of them; and these they offered on the altar David had erected in the threshingfloor of Araunah, by the order of God, where afterwards the temple was built:

even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their burnt offerings; and meat offerings also, both which always went along with them:

and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel; whom they represented; these last were peace offerings, part of which the offerers had for themselves and friends to feast on, as these did, as follows.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Now bless Yahweh

"Now praise Yahweh"

prostrated themselves before the king

This refers to laying down on the ground before someone to show great respect. AT: "prostrated themselves on the ground to show respect to Yahweh and the king" (See: Symbolic Action)

they made sacrifices to Yahweh and offered burnt offerings to him

The people offered animals to be sacrificed to Yahweh by the priests. Most of the people did not actually kill and sacrifice the animals themselves. (See: Metonymy)

a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs

"1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs" (See: Numbers)

translationWords

assembly

bless

bow

head

worship

king

sacrifice

burnt offering

drink offering

Israel

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And David said to the entire assembly This refers back to (above 28:1): “And David assembled all the leaders of, etc.”

Now bless the Lord your God It does not say, “The God of your fathers,” but “your God,” which implies: but not the God of your fathers. Therefore, it says, “Now bless the Lord your God,” but they said, “Our God and the God of our fathers,” and therefore, [it says:] “... and the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers,” out of appeasement to God and because of His holiness.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.