“Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Chronicles 22:16 Mean?
David's charge to Solomon reaches a crescendo here with a remarkable combination of inventory and exhortation. He lists the materials — gold, silver, brass, iron — and says there's "no number" to them. The resources are beyond counting. And then, without pausing, he says: "Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee." Three things in rapid sequence: get up, get to work, and trust God.
The phrase "arise and be doing" is startlingly direct. After all the preparation, all the planning, all the resources gathered — the next step is simply to start. David doesn't add conditions or contingencies. He doesn't say "once you feel ready" or "when the time seems right." He says: arise. Be doing. Start.
The final phrase — "and the LORD be with thee" — transforms the command from mere pragmatism into faith. David isn't sending Solomon off with just materials and motivation. He's sending him with a blessing that acknowledges the ultimate resource: God's presence. All the gold in the world matters less than the LORD being with you.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What are you waiting to feel 'ready' for that you could actually start now?
- 2.How do you balance preparation with the need to eventually just begin?
- 3.What does 'be doing' look like in your current season — what specific step could you take today?
- 4.How does the assurance 'the LORD be with thee' change your relationship with the work you're called to do?
Devotional
"Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee." This might be the best three-part life instruction in the entire Bible. Get up. Get to work. Trust God. That's it. That's the whole framework.
David has given Solomon everything he needs materially — resources beyond counting. But material preparation isn't enough. At some point, you have to stop preparing and start building. David knows this because he spent years preparing for a Temple he couldn't build. He doesn't want Solomon to fall into the same trap of endless preparation without execution.
"Be doing" is beautifully imprecise. It doesn't say "do it perfectly" or "do it all at once" or "do it without mistakes." It just says: be doing. Start the work. Move forward. Progress matters more than perfection, and action matters more than readiness.
And then the blessing: "the LORD be with thee." Because David knows that all the resources in the world — gold, silver, brass, iron — aren't what actually builds the Temple. God's presence does. The materials are tools; God is the builder.
What are you waiting to feel ready for that you could start today? What's your "arise and be doing" moment? And do you believe that God's presence goes with you into the work, not just into the planning?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
David also commanded all the princes of Israel,.... His courtiers and nobles that were about him:
to help Solomon his…
Though Solomon was young and tender, he was capable of receiving instructions, which his father accordingly gave him,…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture