1 Chronicles 29:20 kjv
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.
1 Chronicles 29:20 nkjv
Then David said to all the assembly, "Now bless the LORD your God." So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king.
1 Chronicles 29:20 niv
Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the LORD and the king.
1 Chronicles 29:20 esv
Then David said to all the assembly, "Bless the LORD your God." And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and paid homage to the LORD and to the king.
1 Chronicles 29:20 nlt
Then David said to the whole assembly, "Give praise to the LORD your God!" And the entire assembly praised the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the LORD and the king.
1 Chronicles 29 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 24:48 | "I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord..." | Blessing God with bowing |
| Exod 4:31 | "...when they heard... they bowed low and worshiped." | Israel's corporate worship & belief |
| Deut 6:4 | "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" | Emphasizes exclusive worship of "the Lord your God" |
| 2 Sam 7:26 | "And Your name shall be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel.’" | God's name magnified by His people |
| Psa 22:27 | "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You." | Universal worship to God |
| Psa 34:3 | "Exalt the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together." | Call for collective exultation |
| Psa 95:6 | "Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." | Direct call to worship through physical prostration |
| Psa 99:5 | "Exalt the Lord our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He." | Calls for exalting and worshipping God |
| Neh 9:5 | "...Stand up, bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting..." | Collective call to bless God |
| Dan 3:28 | "...they trusted in Him and frustrated the king’s command and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God." | Worshiping only God, even in defiance of human authority (ultimate submission to God) |
| Rom 1:25 | "...they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..." | Polemic against false worship, highlighting the proper object of worship (Creator) |
| Phil 2:9-11 | "Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." | Ultimate bowing to Christ's Lordship |
| Rev 4:10-11 | "...the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are You, our Lord and God...'" | Ultimate celestial worship and homage to God |
| 1 Chron 16:29 | "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering and come before Him; Worship the Lord in holy array." | Ascribing glory through worship and offering |
| 1 Chron 29:9 | "Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a whole heart they had offered willingly to the Lord..." | The joyful and wholehearted giving preceding worship |
| Josh 24:15 | "...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." | The commitment to serving/worshiping God |
| Luke 19:38 | "...Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" | People blessing/praising a king (Jesus) sent by God |
| Heb 1:6 | "And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, 'Let all God’s angels worship Him.'" | Angels worshipping God/Christ |
| John 4:23-24 | "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." | Emphasizes true spiritual worship |
| Rom 12:1 | "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." | Offering one's whole life as worship |
1 Chronicles 29 verses
1 Chronicles 29 20 Meaning
1 Chronicles 29:20 describes a pivotal moment of corporate worship in Israel. Following King David's call, the entire assembly of Israel offered heartfelt praise and thanksgiving to the Lord their God. This worship was demonstrated physically through bowing their heads and prostrating themselves in homage, acknowledging the supreme sovereignty of God and the God-given authority of their king. It marked a collective and unified act of devotion and submission.
1 Chronicles 29 20 Context
Chapter 29 of 1 Chronicles marks the culmination of David's preparations for the Temple and the transfer of kingship to Solomon. The immediate context of verse 20 follows David's magnificent prayer of thanksgiving and blessing to the Lord (verses 10-19). In this prayer, David acknowledges God's absolute sovereignty, power, and ownership over everything. He thanks God for the people's generous giving towards the Temple and prays for Solomon and the people to remain faithful. After this prayer, David directs the entire assembly to bless the Lord. The verse thus captures the people's immediate and united response to David's exhortation, following the tremendous offerings made for the Temple, their celebration, and the official anointing of Solomon as king. Historically, it signifies a moment of spiritual unity and devotion at a crucial transition point in Israel's history, securing the continuity of worship and leadership according to God's plan. This scene subtly stands in contrast to nations worshiping idols, as the emphasis is on a collective, intentional, and heartfelt homage to the One True God.
1 Chronicles 29 20 Word analysis
- And: Connects the people's action directly to David's command, showing an immediate response.
- David: King of Israel, leading the people in worship. His final public act of leadership sets the tone for future generations.
- said: Expresses a clear, direct command or exhortation from the king.
- to all the assembly: Hebrew: el kol ha-qahal (אֶל כָּל־הַקָּהָל). Qahal signifies a formal, summoned congregation, representing the entire people of Israel gathered for a sacred purpose, not just a casual crowd. Emphasizes unity and representativeness.
- Now bless: Hebrew: Baraku na (בָּרְכוּ נָא). Barak (בָּרַךְ) means to kneel, to praise, to give thanks. Here, it is an imperative, an exhortation for the people to offer praise, thanks, and adoration to God. The word "now" indicates urgency and immediacy in their response.
- the Lord: Hebrew: YHWH (יְהוָה). The covenantal name of God, emphasizing His personal relationship with Israel, His faithfulness, and His sovereign nature.
- your God: Hebrew: Eloheichem (אֱלֹהֵיכֶם). Refers to God in relation to His people, implying a unique covenantal bond and ownership.
- So: Indicates the direct result or immediate compliance of the assembly with David's exhortation.
- all the assembly blessed the Lord: Echoes David's command, confirming the people's unified obedience and active participation in worship.
- the God of their fathers: Hebrew: Elohei avoteihem (אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם). A crucial phrase rooting their faith in the historical covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It emphasizes continuity of their religious heritage and the enduring nature of God's faithfulness through generations. This is also a subtle polemic against polytheistic neighbors, affirming their specific God who established a relationship with their ancestors.
- and bowed down their heads: Hebrew: vaYiqkedu (וַיִּקְּדוּ). From qadad (קָדַד), meaning to bend the head, to bow low, a gesture of reverence, respect, or submission. It’s a less intense form of prostration than shachah.
- and paid homage: Hebrew: vaYishtakhavu (וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ). From shachah (שָׁחָה), meaning to prostrate oneself, to bow down deeply, to worship. This is the stronger term for worshipful reverence, often involving full bodily prostration, indicating complete submission and adoration. It denotes spiritual reverence.
- to the Lord: Their ultimate object of worship and allegiance.
- and to the king: This denotes homage to David and Solomon (implicitly) as God's anointed representatives. Their bowing to the king signifies submission to God-ordained authority, distinct from the spiritual worship offered solely to the Lord. It highlights the divine establishment of the Davidic monarchy as part of God's plan for Israel.
1 Chronicles 29 20 Bonus section
The spontaneous and unified response of "all the assembly" to David's call is particularly noteworthy. It underscores a spiritual revival or peak moment for the nation, highlighting that genuine worship often flows from hearts already prepared by generous giving (as described in the preceding verses) and divine favor. The Chronicler frequently emphasizes Israel's unity and their right relationship with YHWH as key themes, and this verse powerfully captures both. It presents an ideal state of Israel, faithfully serving God under His anointed king, a thematic prefigurement of the ultimate Messianic kingdom where all creation will bow to Christ, the true King (Phil 2:10-11).
1 Chronicles 29 20 Commentary
1 Chronicles 29:20 is a powerful summary of unified corporate worship and faithful transition in ancient Israel. David's final public command serves as a pastoral exhortation for the people to express the worship that is due to God. The immediate and comprehensive response of "all the assembly" is striking; it signifies not mere obedience, but a deep, shared spiritual moment where the hearts of the people were aligned with God's will. Their blessing of the "Lord, the God of their fathers" roots their worship firmly in Israel's rich covenant history, affirming God's faithfulness across generations and reinforcing their identity as His chosen people. The physical acts of bowing their heads and paying homage underscore the sincerity and depth of their reverence. Bowing the head (qadad) implies respectful submission, while prostrating themselves (shachah) is an act of profound worship, indicating complete humility and adoration before God. The inclusion of "and to the king" immediately after "to the Lord" is significant. It's not a leveling of the two, but an acknowledgment of the king's God-given authority. They are not worshipping the king, but recognizing his divinely appointed role as God's vice-regent, essential for the maintenance of order and worship. This verse teaches the importance of responsive, corporate worship, where both inner devotion and outward expressions of reverence converge. It also demonstrates how true submission to God is intrinsically linked to respecting the legitimate authorities He places in our lives. Practically, this verse illustrates that worship should be active, collective, historically informed, and outwardly expressed, fostering unity and acknowledging God's ultimate sovereignty and His appointed leaders.