1 Chronicles 28:2

“Then David the king stood up upon his feet, etc.] Rose from the bed or couch on which he lay, as Kimchi thinks, being somewhat recovered of his paralytic disorder, and being willing to exert himself on this occasion; or he rose up from the seat or throne, on which he before sat, in honour to this august assembly before him, and that he might be the more easily heard; for which reason we are told f132 it was a custom with the ancients even for kings to stand up when they had a number of people about them they spoke to; and if anyone sat it was reckoned a new and strange thing; so Agamemnon, when wounded, did not speak sitting, until he had made an excuse for it: and said, hear me, my…”

“Hear me, my brethren, and my people--This was the style of address becoming a constitutional king of Israel (Deu 17:20; Sa1 30:23; Sa2 5:1). I had in mine heart--I proposed, or designed. to build an house of rest--a solid and permanent temple. for the footstool of our God--God seated between the cherubim, at the two extremities of the ark, might be said to be enthroned in His glory, and the coverlet of the ark to be His footstool. and had made ready for the building--The immense treasures which David had amassed and the elaborate preparations he had made, would have been amply sufficient for the erection of the temple of which he presented the model to Solomon.”

“My brethren - David retains the modest phrase of a king not born in the purple, but raised from the ranks of the people (see 1 Samuel 30:23; 2 Samuel 19:12). No later Jewish monarch would have thus addressed his subjects. The footstool of our God - David views the ark as God’s “footstool,” because he was enthroned above it visibly in the Shechinah, or luminous cloud, present from time to time above the mercy seat and between the cherubim (compare the marginal references). return to 'Top of Page'”

“Stood - Out of reverence to God and respect to this great and honourable assembly. Brethren - So he calls the princes and chief rulers, both because they had a share with him, though under him in the government; and in compliance with the Divine command, that the king should not be lifted up above his brethren; Deu 17:20. Of rest - A place where it might be fixed, and no more removed from place to place, as it had been. Foot - stool - An house for the ark is here styled an house for the foot - stool of our God. Heaven is his throne: the earth and the most magnificent temples thereon are but his foot - stool. So much difference is there between the manifestations of his glory, in the upper…”

“28:2-10 The account of David’s first discourse includes a message addressed to his people (28:2-8) and a message to Solomon (28:9-10). The main focus of the address is David’s desire for Solomon to build a Temple. In addition, David addressed two other important themes: God’s selection of Solomon, and the people’s obligation to keep God’s commandments. 28:2 David described the Temple as a place where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant . . . could rest. The term “rest” describes the conquest of the land and the establishment of peace (e.g., Deut 12:9). In the wilderness, the Ark rested at the end of battle (Num 10:35-36). When David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, the Ark’s “rest” became permanent,…”

“stood up: Gen 48:2; Kg1 1:47 my brethren: Ch1 11:1-3; Deu 17:15, Deu 17:20; Psa 22:22; Heb 2:11, Heb 2:12 I had in mine heart: Ch1 17:1, Ch1 17:2; Sa2 7:1, Sa2 7:2; Kg1 8:17, Kg1 8:18 rest: Ch1 6:31; Psa 132:3-8, Psa 132:14 the footstool: Psa 99:5, Psa 132:7; Isa 66:1; Lam 2:1; Act 7:49 had made ready: Ch1 18:7-11, Ch1 22:2-5, Ch1 22:14 1 Chronicles 28:3”