1 Chronicles 29:18 kjv
O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
1 Chronicles 29:18 nkjv
O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You.
1 Chronicles 29:18 niv
LORD, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.
1 Chronicles 29:18 esv
O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.
1 Chronicles 29:18 nlt
"O LORD, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes.
1 Chronicles 29 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:2-3 | I will make of you a great nation... in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. | God's covenant with Abraham. |
| Gen 26:3-5 | ...I will be with you and bless you... because Abraham obeyed My voice... | Covenant affirmed to Isaac. |
| Gen 28:13-15 | ...I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac... | Covenant affirmed to Jacob (Israel). |
| Deut 6:5 | You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. | Importance of heart devotion to God. |
| 1 Sam 10:9 | When Saul turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. | God's sovereign ability to change the heart. |
| 1 Ki 8:58 | ...that He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways... | God's role in inclining hearts. |
| Psa 51:10 | Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. | Prayer for divine renewal of heart. |
| Psa 78:8 | ...who would not set their heart aright... | A warning against stubbornness of heart. |
| Prov 4:23 | Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. | The heart as the source of life's directions. |
| Jer 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? | Human heart's fallen nature; need for divine help. |
| Jer 31:33 | ...I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts... | New Covenant promise of inner transformation. |
| Eze 36:26 | I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you... | Divine promise to give a new heart. |
| Rom 8:7-8 | For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God... those who are in the flesh cannot please God. | The carnal mind cannot truly seek God. |
| Rom 10:10 | For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. | Belief originates in the heart. |
| Php 2:13 | for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. | God's empowering work for righteous desires. |
| 2 Cor 9:7 | Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. | Giving springs from the heart. |
| 2 Chr 30:12 | The hand of God was on Judah to give them one heart to do the command of the king and the princes by the word of the Lord. | God giving unified heart for His will. |
| Acts 11:23 | When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose of heart. | Call to steadfast devotion from the heart. |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. | God's word discerns the heart's thoughts. |
| Luke 12:34 | For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. | Connection between material treasure and heart's focus. |
| Matt 6:21 | For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. | Connection between treasure and heart's focus. |
| Col 3:2 | Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. | Directing the mind and heart heavenward. |
1 Chronicles 29 verses
1 Chronicles 29 18 Meaning
This verse is a heartfelt prayer by King David, invoking God as the covenant Lord of their ancestors. He earnestly requests that God Himself would perpetually preserve and strengthen the righteous intentions and inclinations within the hearts of His people, specifically those good thoughts and generous desires related to the sacred worship and building of the temple. Furthermore, David prays that God would continually direct and align their hearts towards Him, ensuring their enduring faithfulness and devotion.
1 Chronicles 29 18 Context
This verse comes near the end of King David's life, during the monumental preparations for the building of the first temple in Jerusalem. In 1 Chronicles 29, David has publicly recounted the vast materials gathered and presented by himself and the people for the temple's construction. Overwhelmed by the generosity and zeal of the people, David bursts into a grand prayer of thanksgiving and dedication (verses 10-17). Verse 18 is a pivotal part of this prayer. Having seen the genuine, freewill outpouring of resources, David, knowing the frailty of human nature and the fleeting nature of enthusiasm, immediately appeals to God. He prays not just for the continuation of this generosity but for the divine preservation of the inner heart condition that prompted such giving. It acknowledges that human virtue, left to itself, tends to wane, and requires continuous divine intervention to remain steadfastly devoted to God.
1 Chronicles 29 18 Word analysis
- O Lord (יהוה, YHWH): This refers to God's personal covenant name, Yahweh, emphasizing His faithfulness and eternal nature. David appeals to the God who is consistently true to His promises and character.
- God (אלהים, Elohim) of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel: Elohim is a general term for God, but linked with the patriarchs, it specifically grounds the prayer in God's historical and unchanging covenant relationship with His chosen people. It recalls His election, promises, and the long-standing bond that defines their identity. This appeals to God's remembrance of His faithfulness across generations.
- our fathers: This signifies a continuity of faith and heritage, reinforcing the historical rootedness of their relationship with God. The people are inheritors of a divine legacy.
- keep (שׁמר, shamar) this forever: "Shamar" means to guard, observe, preserve, or maintain. David recognizes that the current enthusiasm and generosity are a gift from God (v. 14). He is praying that God will actively protect and sustain this good condition within the people, understanding that it cannot be maintained by human effort alone. The term "forever" (לעולם, le'olam) emphasizes enduring, lasting, perpetual devotion.
- in the imagination (יצר, yeṣer) of the thoughts (מחשבה, maḥašābâ) of the heart (לב, lēḇ):
- Imagination (yeṣer): This Hebrew term refers to the inclination, formation, purpose, or impulse of the mind or heart. It can refer to what the heart is formed or inclined to do. It carries a sense of that which is shaped or framed within. Importantly, "yeṣer" can be used in both negative (e.g., Gen 6:5, "the imagination of his heart was only evil continually") and positive (e.g., Deut 31:21) contexts. Here, it refers to the good impulse, the righteous design and resolve within the heart.
- Thoughts (maḥašābâ): Refers to plans, intentions, devices, purposes. These are the deeper internal considerations and schemes that arise from the 'imagination' or inclination.
- Heart (lēḇ): In Hebrew thought, the heart is not merely the seat of emotion, but the center of intellect, will, reason, moral choice, and decision-making. It's the core of a person's inner being. David is praying for the innermost being of the people—their deepest intentions and moral faculties—to be preserved.
- of Your people: A possessive phrase emphasizing God's ownership and special relationship with Israel. They are distinct, chosen by Him, and David appeals to this covenantal relationship.
- and direct (הכין, hāḵin) their heart (לב, lēḇ) toward You: "Hakin" means to establish, make firm, prepare, make ready, fix, or set aright. It's a prayer for divine guidance and stability for the heart. It signifies an ongoing process of God guiding, enabling, and strengthening the people's core being to remain focused and oriented exclusively towards Him, preventing it from straying to idols or worldly desires. It implies the establishment of devotion and the setting of the heart's true direction.
1 Chronicles 29 18 Bonus section
The juxtaposition of David praising God for enabling the giving (1 Chr 29:14, "For all things come from You, and of Your own have we given You") and then immediately praying for God to preserve the heart condition of the givers is a profound theological tension resolved in God's sovereignty. It beautifully illustrates the cooperative yet asymmetric nature of divine-human interaction: God initiates and enables good deeds, and He must also sustain the inner spiritual state required to continue them. This highlights God's preeminence over all human achievements and His gracious work within believers' hearts. David’s prayer implicitly guards against two extremes: proud self-reliance (thinking human goodness is self-sustaining) and passive fatalism (thinking human effort doesn't matter). It calls for active participation paired with complete dependence on God.
1 Chronicles 29 18 Commentary
This verse reveals profound theological insights from King David's mature faith. It underscores that while human freewill offering and joyful giving are commendable, the endurance of such devotion is ultimately dependent on divine grace. David recognizes that even the best human intentions are fleeting and susceptible to corruption (as highlighted by the concept of yeṣer having a potential for evil inclinations, Jer 17:9). His prayer, therefore, shifts from an act of human will to a deep reliance on God's active intervention to "keep" and "direct" the heart. This teaches that true spirituality is not self-sustained; it requires continuous divine enablement. It also highlights the supreme importance of the "heart" as the wellspring of all genuine service and worship. Outward actions, even noble ones, are only truly valuable when they flow from a divinely directed and pure heart. David’s prayer asks God to ensure that the initial burst of devotion isn't a mere passing fancy but becomes a lasting characteristic of His people, thus preserving their legacy of faith.
Examples for practical usage:
- After a spiritual high (e.g., revival, impactful conference), praying for God to keep the convictions and zeal active in one's heart, not allowing it to fade.
- When seeing generosity or devotion in others, praying for God to sustain their spirit, recognizing that only God can truly "keep" a heart fixed on Him.
- In personal prayer, acknowledging the human tendency to stray and asking God to constantly "direct your heart toward You" to prevent backsliding.