1 Chronicles 28 9

1 Chronicles 28:9 kjv

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

1 Chronicles 28:9 nkjv

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

1 Chronicles 28:9 niv

"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

1 Chronicles 28:9 esv

"And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

1 Chronicles 28:9 nlt

"And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

1 Chronicles 28 verses

1 Chronicles 28 9 Meaning

This verse presents King David's profound instruction and admonition to his son, Solomon, upon the transfer of the kingdom and the task of building the Temple. It underscores the vital necessity of a personal and deep relationship with the LORD. It commands Solomon to genuinely know the God of his father, not merely intellectually, but experientially, and to serve Him with complete sincerity of heart and a joyful willingness of mind. The verse then provides the divine reason for this demand: God possesses omniscience, thoroughly examining the motives and hidden inclinations of every person's heart. It concludes with a clear conditional statement, promising divine responsiveness to genuine seekers while issuing a severe warning of permanent divine rejection for those who abandon Him.

1 Chronicles 28 9 Context

This verse is situated within a pivotal moment in Israel's history. King David, nearing the end of his reign, is making official preparations for the transfer of the monarchy to his son Solomon and for the momentous task of building the Temple. Chapter 28 opens with David assembling all the officials of Israel—princes, commanders, officials, mighty warriors, and sons. David publicly recounts God's promises to him regarding Solomon being chosen to build the Temple (1 Chr 28:2-7). Against this backdrop of divine election and architectural commission, David delivers a deeply personal and solemn charge directly to Solomon in verse 9.

Culturally, kingship in ancient Israel was understood as a divinely ordained covenantal role, demanding not just political acumen but profound spiritual allegiance. The Temple was to be the epicenter of Israelite worship, representing God's dwelling among His people. David's instruction highlights that external acts (like building the Temple) are meaningless without internal, wholehearted devotion to God. This emphasis on the inner disposition, rather than mere outward ritual, stood in stark contrast to many contemporary pagan beliefs, which often focused on appeasing gods through rigid, external rites without concern for the worshiper's moral or spiritual state. David’s charge served as an implicit polemic against such superficial piety, asserting the true God's demand for sincerity and authenticity.

1 Chronicles 28 9 Word analysis

• And you, my son Solomon,

  • And you: The connective "and" ties this personal charge directly to David's preceding public declarations and God's covenant promises. It signifies a transition from the public address to an intimate, father-to-son instruction.
  • my son Solomon: David emphasizes the personal, paternal relationship and Solomon's unique status as the designated heir. This underscores the weight of the counsel given by a loving father passing on the most crucial wisdom for his son's success and well-being.

• know the God of your father,

  • know (יָדַע - yada): More than just intellectual acquaintance with facts about God (like knowing His name or historical acts). This "knowing" signifies a deep, experiential, personal, and relational understanding, an intimate communion (similar to the way one "knows" a spouse or a friend). It implies active engagement, recognition, and allegiance.
  • the God of your father: Links Solomon to the covenant relationship established with David and preceding patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). It stresses the continuity of God's covenant faithfulness and the legacy of relationship Solomon inherits, underscoring that this is the same covenant-making, covenant-keeping God.

• and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind,

  • serve him (עָבַד - abad): To worship, minister, labor for, or be enslaved to. It conveys obedient devotion and active submission to God as one's sovereign Lord. It implies a life consecrated to His purposes.
  • with a whole heart (בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם - b'lev shalem): "Lev" (heart) refers to the center of one's being—the intellect, emotions, will, and conscience. "Shalem" (whole, complete, perfect, sound) signifies undivided devotion, sincerity, and integrity. There should be no duplicity, no reservation, and no divided loyalties. It speaks of single-mindedness.
  • and with a willing mind (וּבְנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה - uv'nephesh chapatzah): "Nefesh" often translated as "soul" or "life," here emphasizes the inner person, including desires and affections. "Chapatzah" (willing, desirous, delighted in, inclined toward) means to have pleasure or delight in something. So, it denotes cheerful, eager, and glad submission, not a grudging or forced obedience. It's about serving God out of genuine desire and not merely as an obligation or duty.

• for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every intent of the thoughts.

  • for the LORD (כִּ֠י כָל־לְבָב֠וֹת דּוֹרֵשׁ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה - ki kol-levavot doresh YHWH): "YHWH" (the LORD) is God's covenant name, signifying His personal, relational, and unchanging nature. This divine attribute—God's omniscience—provides the fundamental reason and motivation for the command of wholehearted and willing service. God knows everything.
  • searches (דּוֹרֵשׁ - doresh): To seek, inquire, scrutinize deeply, examine diligently. This word emphasizes God's active, penetrating inspection of the innermost recesses of human motivation and being.
  • all hearts: Reaffirms the scope of God's knowledge; no heart is hidden from Him, regardless of status or outward appearance.
  • and understands (מֵבִין - mevin): To discern, comprehend, perceive, know with insight.
  • every intent of the thoughts (וְכָל־יֵצֶר מַחֲשָׁב֖וֹת - v'chol-yetzer machashavot): "Yetzer" refers to the formation, inclination, design, or purpose; it signifies the underlying impulse or imagination that gives rise to thoughts. "Machashavot" are thoughts or plans. This phrase emphasizes God's knowledge not just of superficial thoughts, but of their origin, purpose, and very intention—the root inclinations and schemes of the human mind and will.

• If you seek Him, He will be found by you;

  • If you seek Him (אִם־תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ - im tidr'shennu): This is a conditional clause setting a spiritual principle. "Tidr'shennu" shares the same root as "doresh" (searches) above, implying diligent, active, and sincere pursuit or inquiry after God.
  • He will be found by you (יִמָּצֵא לָךְ - yimatzei lakh): A divine promise. God makes Himself accessible and discoverable to those who earnestly pursue Him. He does not hide from sincere seekers.

• but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

  • but if you forsake Him (וְאִם תַּעַזְבֶנּוּ - v'im ta'azvennu): Another stark conditional. To abandon, leave, desert, neglect, give up. This implies a conscious, deliberate, and sustained act of turning away from God and His ways, a breach of the covenant relationship. It is not merely a momentary lapse, but a decision to disregard Him.
  • He will reject you (יַזְנִיחֲךָ - yaznichakha): To cast off, abandon, sever ties with, alienated. It denotes God withdrawing His favor, presence, and covenant blessings.
  • forever (לָנֶצַח - lanetzach): Eternally, perpetually, definitively. In this context, it signifies a permanent removal from divine favor and the loss of the specific covenantal position or blessing (e.g., kingship, Temple work), implying that once forsaken, God's rejection would be lasting in regard to that relationship and its benefits. For Solomon, this referred to his role and his kingdom (though God graciously preserved a remnant of David's line due to the covenant).

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "know... serve... whole heart... willing mind": This foundational sequence establishes the comprehensive nature of a proper relationship with God: intellectual and experiential understanding must lead to active, sincere, and joyous obedience. It emphasizes an internal, spiritual reality over mere external compliance.
  • "LORD searches... understands every intent": These phrases underscore God's penetrating omniscience. This attribute is not merely for knowing, but also for judging and rewarding, providing the divine basis for demanding authenticity in service. It reveals that outward performance without inner truth is valueless to God.
  • "If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.": This clear and profound conditional structure presents divine justice and responsiveness. It highlights human responsibility and the profound, eternal consequences (in the context of covenant relationship and specific roles) of one's choices regarding God. It offers both profound hope for the diligent and a dire warning for the defiant.

1 Chronicles 28 9 Bonus section

• This verse embodies a recurring theological theme across both testaments: God desires a personal, heart-level relationship over ritualistic adherence. The Old Testament prophets frequently exhorted Israel to return to sincere worship from the heart (e.g., Isa 29:13; Hos 6:6), a theme culminating in the New Covenant where God promises to write His laws on hearts and minds (Heb 8:10).
• While "forever" (לָנֶצַח - lanetzach) can denote eternity, in the context of Old Testament covenant theology and kingship, it implies a definitive, permanent end to the specific covenant relationship, privilege, or dynastic continuity (as was the case with Saul). For Solomon, this referred to the eventual loss of part of his kingdom to his successors, though God, for David's sake, preserved a remnant of the Davidic line.
• The solemnity of David’s charge here, following God's clear revelation and promise in the preceding verses, reinforces the serious nature of spiritual accountability for those whom God has uniquely blessed or entrusted with responsibility.
• This instruction reminds us that genuine faith is active, volitional, and originates from within, requiring constant vigilance over one's heart and thoughts in light of God’s perfect knowledge.

1 Chronicles 28 9 Commentary

David’s charge to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9 is a foundational statement of biblical wisdom concerning humanity’s relationship with God. It emphasizes that a true relationship is predicated on an intimate, experiential "knowing" of God, leading to genuine, internal service—not mere outward religiosity. The call for a "whole heart" (undivided loyalty) and a "willing mind" (joyful eagerness) addresses the core of human motivation and desire. This sincerity is crucial precisely because God is omniscient; He discerns every hidden motive, intention, and inclination, rendering any form of superficial worship meaningless.

The verse lays out a stark binary choice: diligently seeking God will result in Him being found, highlighting God’s accessibility and responsiveness to sincere pursuit. Conversely, to "forsake Him"—a deliberate act of abandonment—will result in His definitive and permanent "rejection" in relation to the specific covenantal relationship or role intended. For a king chosen by God, this meant a forfeiture of divine favor in the kingdom and its responsibilities. Solomon's own life would later serve as a poignant fulfillment of this warning when his heart was turned away from the LORD by foreign wives, resulting in the division of his kingdom. This passage therefore transcends personal advice, acting as a timeless principle for all who would draw near to God, stressing the centrality of authenticity, diligent seeking, and faithful endurance in maintaining one's relationship with the Holy One.