1 Chronicles 22 11

1 Chronicles 22:11 kjv

Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.

1 Chronicles 22:11 nkjv

Now, my son, may the LORD be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the LORD your God, as He has said to you.

1 Chronicles 22:11 niv

"Now, my son, the LORD be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the LORD your God, as he said you would.

1 Chronicles 22:11 esv

"Now, my son, the LORD be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he has spoken concerning you.

1 Chronicles 22:11 nlt

"Now, my son, may the LORD be with you and give you success as you follow his directions in building the Temple of the LORD your God.

1 Chronicles 22 verses

1 Chronicles 22 11 Meaning

In 1 Chronicles 22:11, King David, as he prepares for his own passing, entrusts his son Solomon with the monumental task of building the Temple for the Lord. This verse serves as a crucial blessing, exhortation, and transfer of responsibility, emphasizing God's promised presence and ensuring the success of the divinely ordained project for the future king. It is a father's deep prayer and a clear directive, highlighting that the endeavor is not merely a human construction but a fulfillment of God's declared will and a demonstration of His faithfulness.

1 Chronicles 22 11 Context

First Chronicles 22:11 stands within a pivotal chapter where David prepares for the construction of the Temple, a project he was forbidden by God to undertake directly due to his past of warfare. Instead, God designated his son Solomon for this sacred task, signifying a period of peace (Solomon's name, Shlomo, is related to shalom, meaning peace). David has diligently gathered an immense quantity of materials—gold, silver, bronze, iron, timber, and stone—demonstrating his profound desire and commitment. In this immediate context, David is not merely handing over a project; he is imparting a divine commission to a relatively young and inexperienced Solomon, charging him with the responsibility to fulfill God's direct command concerning the Temple's erection. This verse underscores the divine origin and nature of the Temple, contrasting with any purely humanistic endeavor, and highlights God's faithfulness to His covenant promises concerning David's dynasty and the building of His house.

1 Chronicles 22 11 Word analysis

• Now, my son (עַתָּה בְנִי - ʿattâ bĕnî): "Now" signifies an immediate and critical transfer of authority and responsibility, marking the formal beginning of Solomon's charge regarding the Temple. "My son" emphasizes the paternal relationship, a tender yet weighty address, highlighting the dynastic succession and the deeply personal nature of this spiritual legacy. It sets the tone of an elder's final, crucial instructions to his successor.
• may the Lord be with you (וִיהִי יְהוָה עִמָּךְ - wîhî YHWH ʿimmāḵ): This is a profound and fundamental blessing in the Hebrew Bible. Yahweh (Lord), the covenant God of Israel, signifies His active presence and power. For God to be "with" someone means His divine favor, protection, guidance, and empowering presence. It is a prayer that Solomon would experience God's active partnership in his reign, particularly in the monumental task ahead, acknowledging that success hinges entirely on divine enablement, not merely human skill or resources.
• and may you prosper (וְהִצְלַחְתָּ - wĕhiṣlîaḥtā): The Hebrew word hiṣlîaḥ conveys success, accomplishment, and good fortune, often implying progress and fruitfulness in one's undertakings. In this context, it specifically refers to Solomon's successful execution of the Temple building project, but also broadly implies success in his overall reign, as these were deeply intertwined. This prosperity is not material wealth for its own sake, but divinely granted success for the purpose of fulfilling God's will.
• and build the house of the Lord your God (וּבָנִיתָ אֶת-בֵּית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - ûbānîtā ʾet-bêt YHWH ʾělōhāyḵ):
  • build (בָּנָה - bānâ): The primary verb, clearly defining Solomon's direct action. It's an active mandate.
  • the house (בַּיִת - bayit): Refers specifically to the Temple, God's designated earthly dwelling place among His people. It signifies the center of worship and covenantal presence for Israel.
  • of the Lord your God: This clarifies whose house it is—not Solomon's or a national monument, but Yahweh's. "Your God" particularizes the relationship, making the charge personal to Solomon, reinforcing his covenant obligation and privilege as king. This implicitly stands against the practices of neighboring nations who built temples for their idols, asserting the uniqueness of the God of Israel.
• as He has spoken concerning you (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר עָלֶיךָ - kaʾăšer dibber ʿālāykā): This crucial phrase connects Solomon's present task directly to God's past, infallible pronouncements. It references Nathan's prophecy to David (2 Sam 7:12-13; 1 Chron 17:11-12) which declared that David's son would build the house. This divinely spoken word serves as both the mandate and the guarantee: the project is not a human initiative but a fulfillment of prophecy, and therefore, it will be accomplished by God's faithfulness working through Solomon. It reinforces that divine instruction precedes human effort.

Words-group Analysis:

• "may the Lord be with you, and may you prosper": This phrase tightly links God's active, personal presence with success in God-given endeavors. It underscores a key biblical principle: true and lasting prosperity in service to God is contingent upon His favor and abiding presence. Without God's presence, all human effort is in vain. It's a foundational spiritual condition for effective action.
• "build the house of the Lord your God, as He has spoken concerning you": This phrase outlines the exact divine commission and its basis. It shows that Solomon's task is not a king's arbitrary project, but a direct fulfillment of prophecy and God's sovereign plan. This grounds Solomon's mission in divine certainty, removing any doubt about the legitimacy or eventual success of the Temple building, provided Solomon walks in obedience to the word God "has spoken." It's an encouragement to align his efforts with God's pre-declared will.

1 Chronicles 22 11 Bonus section

• The Chronicler's perspective highly elevates David's role in the Temple project, even though he didn't build it physically. David is portrayed as the diligent preparer, the wise planner, and the zealous facilitator, laying the spiritual and material groundwork for Solomon. This verse encapsulates David's successful preparation and transition of authority.
• The blessing and charge given to Solomon here are deeply reminiscent of God's charge to Joshua before leading Israel into the Promised Land (Joshua 1). Both are tasked with monumental undertakings and receive similar assurances of God's presence and prosperity contingent on their adherence to God's word.
• The promise of God's presence ("may the Lord be with you") carries a double significance for Solomon: it assures his success in the specific building task and, by extension, stability and prosperity in his kingship as the builder of the covenant dwelling.
• The phrase "build the house of the Lord your God" can also be seen in the light of Solomon's wisdom, where true wisdom would direct him not just to build physical structures, but to establish a kingdom centered on God's dwelling and law.
• This verse prefigures the spiritual "house" or Temple of God (the Church) built by Christ, where believers are living stones, demonstrating that God continues to build His dwelling, not with physical bricks, but with spiritual lives, as His Spirit dwells among His people.

1 Chronicles 22 11 Commentary

First Chronicles 22:11 captures David's profound legacy and commitment to God's worship, even in his final years. Having prepared extensively for the Temple's construction, David passes the baton to Solomon with a potent blessing and a clear charge. This is more than a father-son instruction; it is a divinely ordained succession, with the specific task of building the house of the Lord being central to Solomon's reign.

The emphasis on "may the Lord be with you" underscores that divine presence is the prerequisite for all true prosperity and success, especially in spiritual endeavors. Solomon's youth and the magnitude of the task meant that human strength and wisdom would be insufficient; God's constant aid was imperative. This promise echoes throughout Scripture as the ultimate blessing and assurance for those whom God calls. The instruction to "build the house of the Lord your God" identifies the project not as Solomon's monument but as a dwelling for the Creator, aligning the king's greatest architectural feat with divine purpose and worship.

Finally, the phrase "as He has spoken concerning you" firmly establishes the entire enterprise on the unshakeable foundation of God's revealed word. This links Solomon's present work to the previous divine promise made to David. It confirms that the Temple was God's idea, God's command, and therefore God would ensure its completion through Solomon's obedience. This also served as a powerful reminder to the original Israelite audience that their blessings and future lay in faithfulness to God's covenant promises, centrally expressed in the Temple and the Davidic line.