(9) And thou, Solomon my son.--The king now turns to his heir, urging a whole-hearted service to his father's God (1Chronicles 28:9-10).

Know thou.--Regard thou, have care for (Psalm 1:6).

The God of thy father might mean the God of Israel (comp. 1Chronicles 29:10). But 1Chronicles 28:20, where David speaks of "my God," suggests the simpler meaning, God of David, here. (Comp. Psalm 18:2; Psalm 18:6; Psalm 18:22; also Genesis 31:29; Genesis 31:42.)

With a perfect heart.--The word sh?l?m means whole, sound, unimpaired; the Latin integer. Hence, what is urged is an undivided allegiance, such as is enjoined by the Decalogue. (Comp. 1Chronicles 29:9; 1Chronicles 29:19; 1Kings 8:61.)

A willing mind.--For service is not real unless it be voluntary, and so glad as well as free.

For the Lord searcheth all hearts.--Search, i.e., seek (1Chronicles 28:8 and below). For the thought, comp. Psalm 139:1-4; Psalm 139:23; 1Samuel 16:7; Psalm 94:9; Acts 1:24; Hebrews 4:13. The Searcher of hearts will at once see through an insincere and half-hearted obedience.

And understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.--And every fashioning (y?cer, ?????, Bild) or cast of thoughts he discerneth (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21).

If thou seek him.--Deuteronomy 4:29. Seeking Jehovah in earnest always results in finding (Isaiah 55:6). Yet the Divine grace is not restricted even by this condition (Isaiah 65:1).

If thou forsake him.--Deliberately and of set purpose, as choosing to live by other laws than His.

He will cast thee off.--A strong word (hizniah), meaning strictly, to reject as noisome or foul-smelling. (Comp. Hosea 8:3; Hosea 8:5.) The verbal form hiphil is peculiar to Chronicles. (See 2Chronicles 11:14; 2Chronicles 29:19.)

28:1-10 During David's last sickness, many chief priests and Levites were at Jerusalem. Finding himself able, David spoke of his purpose to build a temple for God, and of God's disallowing that purpose. He opened to them God's gracious purposes concerning Solomon. David charged them to cleave stedfastly to God and their duty. We cannot do our work as we should, unless we put on resolution, and fetch in strength from Divine grace. Religion or piety has two distinct parts. The first is knowledge of God, the second is worship of God. David says, Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind. God is made known by his works and word. Revelation alone shows the whole character of God, in his providence, his holy law, his condemnation of sinners, his blessed gospel, and the ministration of the Spirit to all true believers. The natural man cannot receive this knowledge of God. But thus we learn the value of the Saviour's atonement, and of the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, and are influenced to walk in all his commandments. It brings a sinner to his proper place at the foot of the cross, as a poor, guilty, helpless worm, deserving wrath, yet expecting every thing needful from the free mercy and grace of God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Having been forgiven much, the pardoned sinner learns to love much.And thou, Solomon my son,.... Who was present in this assembly, and presented to them by David as his successor, and their future king: and having addressed them, he turns himself to him, and exhorts him, saying:

know thou the God of thy father; who was his Father and covenant God, and whom he served and worshipped, and who had bestowed upon him many favours, both temporal and spiritual; and having had such an experience of his goodness, he exhorts his son to seek to know more and more of him, and to own and acknowledge him as his God, and to love and fear him:

serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind; cordially and sincerely, cheerfully and freely, neither in an hypocritical manner, nor through force and constraint, nor with loathing and weariness:

for the Lord searcheth all hearts; the hearts of all men, even of kings, and knows from what principles and with what views and in what manor they serve him:

and understandeth all the imaginations of the thought; not only the thoughts of the heart, when regularly formed and ranged in order, hut even the very beginning of them, the first motions of the mind, and before they are well formed, see Genesis 6:5.

if thou seek him; by prayer and supplication in his house and ordinances:

he will be found of thee; grant his presence and bestow his favours, see Isaiah 4:6.

but if thou forsake him: his word, his ways, his worship:

he will cast thee off for ever; from being king, or enjoying that peace, prosperity, and happiness, which otherwise would be enjoyed.