Introduction: The Conclusion of Sefer Divrei HaYamim I
We arrive at the conclusion of Sefer Divrei HaYamim I. King David stands before the entire congregation, after the people of Israel donated generously toward the building of the Beis HaMikdash, and opens with a prayer of thanksgiving that is among the most sublime in Scripture. From this thanksgiving prayer, we will learn great foundations of hashkafah: what man is in his world, what the value of intention in giving is, and what "royal majesty" truly means. From there, we will proceed to the coronation of Shlomo, to the summary of David's forty-year reign, and to the conclusion of the book.
"For We Are Strangers Before You" - Man Has No Permanent Acquisition in This World
כִּי־גֵרִים אֲנַחְנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ וְתוֹשָׁבִים כְּכׇל־אֲבֹתֵינוּ, כַּצֵּל יָמֵינוּ עַל־הָאָרֶץ וְאֵין מִקְוֶה׃ - For we are strangers before You, and sojourners, as were all our fathers; our days on earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope [of abiding].
The Metzudas David explains: "For we are strangers before You" - we have no portion or inheritance in the land, nor even an estate, but merely dwell in it, in the language of the verse: "For you are strangers and sojourners with Me." We are here temporarily, by the will of Hashem Who granted us a place to dwell.
At first glance, one might ask: if our fathers were residents (toshavim), then we inherited their estate and we should be considered full-fledged permanent residents! Therefore David says: "We are strangers before You, and sojourners, as were all our fathers" - we have no purchased inheritance here, and even our forefathers were not full permanent residents, but had the status of strangers and sojourners. Just as Avraham Avinu said, "I am a stranger and a sojourner with you," which Rashi explains: If you wish to grant it to me as a stranger, good; and if not, I will take it as a resident, as one who is entitled to it. So too with us: we ostensibly have the rights of residents, yet we are merely strangers - a resident who remains in the status of a stranger. For "The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all that is in it, You founded them." Everything is Yours, Master of the Universe, and we are merely guests here. Man has no eternal possession here: all he has is seventy years, and if by strength, eighty years. Man is but a temporary resident in his world.
"Our Days Are Like a Shadow" - Like the Shadow of a Bee's Wings
On the words "our days on earth are like a shadow," the Midrash on Koheles notes: Not like the shadow of a tree, nor like the shadow of a flying bird, which cast a shadow for days and years or for an hour, but like the shadow of a bee's wings - which has wings, yet virtually casts no shadow. And how much is the shadow of a bee's wings? An infinitesimal amount. Such are our lives, fleetingly brief.
A young person still feels that life is long. There was even an interesting study done: for young people, the day feels very long, while for adults, it feels very short. A youngster feels that each year drags on - waiting until he finishes second grade, then third grade, until he finishes yeshivah ketanah. But the adult says: "That happened six months ago" - when in fact two years have already passed. He looks at his watch: it is already evening, yet it feels as though he just prayed Shacharis. As a person matures, time seems to race faster. The explanation is that an adult fills his time, and when one fills time, it rushes by. "I don't have enough time, I must do this, I also have a shiur, and I have to take care of that" - and time flies. But the young person, who does not know how to fill the hour, finds that class stretches on endlessly, recess stretches out, and in the afternoon he complains, "Mom, I'm bored." When you have nothing to fill the time, it drags out. And when you fill it, you wonder how time passed so quickly. Yet despite all this, ultimately "our days are like a shadow": when a person grows older, he suddenly realizes how swiftly the days have flown by.
They tell of a man in an assisted living facility who decided to write his autobiography, titled "This Is My Life." He sat down and thought: "What should I write? About kindergarten? That is uninteresting. Perhaps grade school?" He thought about it - it was mundane, uninteresting. "Then the army?" Nothing special there either. Later he married and divorced, remarried and divorced again. Should he write about the fights with his wife? The conflicts with the children? That too is not worthy of being written. In the morning, they found him slumped over the table, having passed away, and before him was the heading: "This Is My Life" - followed by a long, blank page. How tragic. But if one rose for Shacharis, went to the beis midrash, performed a mitzvah, did an act of chesed, greeted another warmly - he has something to write. Every day, one can write "This Is My Life": what I accomplished today, which mitzvos I performed, what eternity I acquired. All of this ascends Above. But if not, a person remains with a blank sheet.
"And there is no hope" - there is no one who can hope to bypass the day of death. There is no person, however honored, who can avoid this cup. If so, we are strangers before You, and for all that You have granted us - how much must we thank and praise You, for our entire existence is fleeting.
The Malbim's Explanation: The Lengthening Shadow Heralds Sunset
The Malbim explains: "For we are sojourners before You" - it is impossible for us to have true possession in the land, for we are sojourners. Just as a sojourner who is not a native citizen has no landed ownership in the country, but is merely like a foreign resident, so are we. We are not ancient dwellers; we were born not long ago, and the soul itself is rooted in upper realms and is not from here at all. And even while we are here, we are "temporary residents, like all our fathers" - dwelling in the land for a limited time, and just as our forefathers resided for a while and departed, so too will we depart when the time comes.
And here the Malbim wonderfully explains the imagery of the shadow: the longer the shadow grows, the clearer the sign that the day is drawing to an end. When does the shadow lengthen? When the sun is already setting. Thus, an increase in our days does not mean we are staying here longer, but rather that we are approaching the end. There is no hope that our days here will endure, and all the possessions we have acquired are transient acquisitions, not eternal ones. Therefore, we thank You for assisting us, and "from Your hand we have given to You" - enabling us to give these possessions toward the construction of the Beit HaMikdash, for something eternal.
Reb Yankele Galinsky related: Once he went to visit the Chazon Ish, and the Chazon Ish was outside his house just as a streetlamp was being installed on the street. The Chazon Ish said to him, "Did you see? They installed a streetlamp here." Reb Yankele related, "I did not know what to reply - 'Mazal tov'?" The Chazon Ish said to him, "Didn't you notice? The closer a person stands directly beneath the light, the less shadow he casts; and the farther away he moves, the larger the shadow he casts." What a profound moral lesson lies in this: the farther a person is from the divine light, the larger a shadow he casts - he makes more of an impression, taking up more space. But when a person stands directly beneath Hashem, he becomes completely nullified: "I am nothing, zero in the void." The farther away you move, the bigger you feel. And as the saying goes: If you see small people casting long shadows, it is a sign that the sun is setting.
"It Is from Your Hand, and Everything Is Yours"
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ כֹּל הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר הֲכִינֹנוּ לִבְנוֹת־לְךָ בַיִת לְשֵׁם קׇדְשֶׁךָ, מִיָּדְךָ הוּא וּלְךָ הַכֹּל׃ - "Hashem our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a House for Your holy Name is from Your hand, and everything is Yours."
What is *hehamon* ("this abundance")? The Radak explains: it is like *mamon* (wealth), and *hamon* denotes multitude or abundance - the abundance of silver and gold, just as in the phrase "a multitude of many wicked people," meaning an abundance of wicked people. In truth, the root of the word *hamon* relates to bustling noise and commotion (*hemiyah*), for in a large crowd a murmur and commotion is heard, as in "a bustling city" (*kiryah homiyah*); yet it came to be used as an expression of multitude - "a multitude of people" (*hamon am*) - and from there it was borrowed to mean an abundance of wealth. David's meaning is: all this wealth of silver and gold that we have prepared is from Your hand, for everything is Yours. The Malbim explains: We did not give from our own, but rather gave from Your money; it is not from our hand, but from Your hand. And with this, he summarizes and concludes his words.
"You Examine the Heart" - The Essential Thing Is the Intention
וְיָדַעְתִּי אֱלֹהַי כִּי אַתָּה בֹּחֵן לֵבָב וּמֵישָׁרִים תִּרְצֶה, אֲנִי בְּיֹשֶׁר לְבָבִי הִתְנַדַּבְתִּי כׇל־אֵלֶּה, וְעַתָּה עַמְּךָ הַנִּמְצְאוּ־פֹה רָאִיתִי בְשִׂמְחָה לְהִתְנַדֶּב־לָךְ׃ - "I know, my God, that You examine the heart and desire uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things, and now I have seen Your people who are present here willingly offering to You with joy."
Why does it say *leivav* and not *lev*? As the Metzudat David explained earlier: man has two "hearts" - a good heart and an evil heart, two inclinations. And You, Hashem, examine them, "and desire uprightness" - You desire the good heart, the upright heart. And I know that in the uprightness of my heart, I directed my heart uprightly to donate all this for Your honor.
Notice the precision here: About myself, I can testify that I acted with uprightness of heart, but about the people, I cannot testify - looking into the heart is something only You, Hashem, can see. What can I testify to? That I saw them donating with joy. Joy indicates goodwill and uprightness of heart. Could it perhaps have been merely external, while inwardly they regretted parting with their wealth? That I cannot know. But the joy I saw, and to that I testify.
And what is the meaning of "who are present here"? The Metzudat David explains: Master of the Universe, the wealth was meant to be far greater, for there are very wealthy people who did not gather in Jerusalem at this time but are dispersed throughout the land. Had they all been here, the offering would have been immensely greater. The entire donation before us is only from those who arrived here.
And the Malbim adds: Even though we said that the gold and silver are not ours and everything is from Your hand, You, Master of the Universe, do not look at the money or the magnitude of the amount; rather, "You examine the heart" - what matters most to You is the thought of the heart. You do not seek the silver and gold, but uprightness.
As the Gemara teaches: There is a son who tells his father, "Get up, work and grind at the mill," and receives an immense reward; and there is one who feeds his father fattened fowl and is punished. How so? The father was summoned for the king's labor. The son said to him: The king's labor is extremely harsh, while grinding at the mill is easier; I am supposed to grind at the mill, so come grind in my place and I will go to the king's harsh labor. This son received a complete reward. In contrast, the one who feeds his father fattened fowl with gourmet foods, yet says to him with disdain and contempt: "Get up, eat already! I brought it to you, what are you waiting for?" - he degrades his father. Thus we see that the main thing is the mindset with which one gives.
Likewise, the Midrash brings numerous examples, such as that poor person who brought a small handful of flour, and the Holy One, blessed be He, valued it and said that it was worth more than all the sacrifices that had been offered. With the Holy One, blessed be He, the primary factor is the intention of the heart. A person can give a very large gift, but only because pressure was exerted on him, or because he felt social pressure, or in order to make a name for himself. Another person gives a small gift, but truly for the sake of Heaven - this is certainly the one most beloved before Hashem. For the Holy One, blessed be He, does not need money; He seeks a pure heart and generosity. When a human being receives a gift, he might say: "I do not care about the intention, as long as he gives a lot." But the Holy One, blessed be He - everything is His, and what difference does it make to Him whether you give much or little? What matters to Him is the intention.
"Keep This Forever" - Conceptions of the Heart
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲבֹתֵינוּ, שׇׁמְרָה־זֹּאת לְעוֹלָם לְיֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבוֹת לְבַב עַמֶּךָ, וְהָכֵן לְבָבָם אֵלֶיךָ׃ - Hashem, God of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisrael our fathers, keep this forever for the thoughts and inclinations of Your people's heart, and direct their heart toward You.
The word is read shomrah and not shamrah, because the shin is vocalized with a chataf kamatz, and a chataf kamatz is always read with an "o" vowel, like oniyah or chochmah. We recite this verse every day at the end of U'va L'Tziyon.
Metzudat David explains: "Keep this forever" - remember this donation for us as a great mitzvah and enduring merit forever. "For the thoughts and inclinations of Your people's heart, and direct their heart toward You" - for there are two hearts here, a good heart and an evil heart, and You examine hearts. The plea is that both hearts, both the heart that inclines toward good and the heart that longs for evil, should become one single heart to serve You, so that man has no pull back and forth, but rather both will be dedicated exclusively to Your service.
The Malbim explains: "Keep this forever" - preserve and remember the merit of this generosity and the uprightness of their heart, "for the thoughts and inclinations of Your people's heart" - so that the mental impressions of their heart's thoughts will always remain this way. Yetzer machshavot refers to the conceptual imagery of thoughts, meaning that the impressions the spirit brings before the heart will always be good impressions. The Malbim frequently mentions this concept of the impressions that arise in the heart, which are thoughts, as they are the source of all human action.
The Chofetz Chaim was once asked: Who is a person? He replied: A person is the sum total of his thoughts. Wherever his thoughts are focused, that is where the person is. A person may be sitting in the Beit Midrash while his thoughts are somewhere outside - in which case he is truly outside; physically he is here, but in reality he is there. And the opposite can also be true: a person is working at his job and constantly thinking, "When will I finish and go to the Beit Midrash?" - his thoughts are in the Beit Midrash, and he is in the Beit Midrash.
Here is an illustration: On the night of Yom Kippur we recite Baruch Shem kevod malchuto aloud. Seemingly, it is precisely then that we should say it in a whisper, for we have just eaten and are still like ordinary humans, whereas at the conclusion of Yom Kippur, when we are already like angels, it would be fitting to recite it aloud! But based on what we explained, the distinction is clear: the question is where one's thoughts reside. At the onset of the fast, where is a person's head? "I am going to pray five tefillot, I am going to fast, I am going to do teshuvah for my actions" - that is where you are, not where your stomach is. At the end of the fast, by contrast, although your stomach has shrunk and you resemble an angel, where is your head? On the coffee and cake, on how you will break the fast. Therefore - say Baruch Shem in a whisper, for you are not an angel. Wherever the mind is, wherever the thoughts are - that is where the person is. And a person should aspire to always maintain the spiritual levels we attained on Yom Kippur.
Thus, the main factor is the inner conceptions that arise in the heart. Hence the prayer: Please, Hashem, "keep this forever for the thoughts and inclinations of Your people's heart" - that only positive conceptions should arise in their thoughts, aspirations for good and the desire to do good. When a person contemplates harming others - that is an evil conception arising in his heart; thinking of stealing - an evil conception; dwelling on a sin - an evil conception. Therefore, "direct their heart toward You," so that only good conceptions arise in their heart. And even if a negative conception arises, a harmful thought, may the heart prevail - for the heart, according to the Malbim, is always the governing power - and subdue that negative conception, thereby ruling with the fear of Hashem.
David's Prayer for Shlomo
וְלִשְׁלֹמֹה בְנִי תֵּן לֵבָב שָׁלֵם לִשְׁמוֹר מִצְוֺתֶיךָ עֵדְוֺתֶיךָ וְחֻקֶּיךָ, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת הַכֹּל וְלִבְנוֹת הַבִּירָה אֲשֶׁר־הֲכִינוֹתִי׃ - And give to my son Shlomo a whole heart to observe Your commandments, Your testimonies, and Your statutes, and to do everything, and to build the palace for which I have made preparation.
We read it as "edvotecha" (Your testimonies), because there is a sheva under the dalet; had the dalet been unvocalized, we would have read it differently on account of the vav that follows it.
David requests: "Grant him a whole heart" - that there be in his heart no inclination toward evil and no ulterior motive, but rather that his entire focus and aspiration be to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies, and Your statutes - whether the commandments, the statutes, or the testimonies, without transgressing any of them. "To keep" refers to the negative prohibitions, for the language of keeping is always associated with terms of caution ("lest" and "do not"); and "to do everything" refers to the positive commandments, that he should fulfill all the positive commandments that he is obligated in.
And what is the meaning of "and to build the palace for which I have made preparation"? The Metzudat David explains: Since I have already prepared and arranged everything, it will now be easy for him to build; and "for which I have made preparation" emphasizes that since everything is ready, the work is much easier, and may You assist him in building it.
The Blessing of the Congregation
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד לְכׇל־הַקָּהָל בָּרְכוּ נָא אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וַיְבָרְכוּ כׇל־הַקָּהָל לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיהֶם וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַיהֹוָה וְלַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - David said to the entire congregation, "Bless now the Lord your God." And the entire congregation blessed the Lord, God of their fathers, and they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the Lord and before the king.
David says to them: Bless the Lord your God - all this is in your merit, for you contributed generously and the Holy One, blessed be He, rests upon you. But they humbly reply that it is not in their own merit; therefore, "and the entire congregation blessed the Lord, God of their fathers" - in the merit of our forefathers. And what is "and they bowed down" (vayikdu)? The Metzudat Tzion explains: they bent their heads (the crown of the head, kodkod), which is the meaning of kida (bowing).
The Sacrifices on the Following Day
וַיִּזְבְּחוּ לַיהֹוָה זְבָחִים וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלוֹת לַיהֹוָה לְמׇחֳרַת הַיּוֹם הַהוּא, פָּרִים אֶלֶף אֵלִים אֶלֶף כְּבָשִׂים אֶלֶף וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם, וּזְבָחִים לָרֹב לְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - They slaughtered sacrifices to the Lord and offered burnt-offerings to the Lord on the day following that day: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand sheep and their libations, and abundant sacrifices for all Israel.
Why specifically "on the day following that day"? The Metzudat David explains: On the day David gathered them and addressed them, they had no time. When they dispersed, they spent their time purchasing the animals for the sacrifices until nightfall, and on the next day they came and offered them. Therefore, the text emphasizes that it was on the following day.
Coronating Solomon a Second Time and Anointing Tzadok
וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא בְּשִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה, וַיַּמְלִיכוּ שֵׁנִית לִשְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִיד וַיִּמְשְׁחוּ לַיהֹוָה לְנָגִיד וּלְצָדוֹק לְכֹהֵן׃ - They ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great joy, and they made Solomon son of David king a second time, and they anointed him for the Lord as leader, and Tzadok as kohen.
"And they made him king a second time" - had they not already made him king once, as it is written: "And Tzadok took the horn..." etc.? Why, then, was it necessary to crown him again? Especially given the known rule that the son of a king is not anointed, so that strictly speaking, even the first anointing was not fundamentally required. Rather, David ordered him anointed to dispel any doubts from the minds of Adonijah's supporters, who thought Adonijah would reign and had come to aid him; therefore, from the outset it was necessary to anoint him in the face of those who disputed the succession.
And what is a "nagid" (ruler or leader)? Metzudat David explains that it denotes drawing forward, for the Targum translates "mashchu" (draw forth) as "negidu." A nagid is one who draws the nation, whom the people follow and are drawn after. For that same reason, teachings of Aggadah are called "Aggadah," because they draw the heart.
And why was it necessary to anoint Tzadok as Kohen? Because Evyatar was among the conspirators with Adoniyahu and was the one who anointed him; therefore, there was a need to anoint another Kohen and declare: Evyatar is no longer the Kohen, but rather Tzadok - meaning, the Kohen Gadol.
The Malbim explains the need for this second anointing: the first anointing had been performed solely in the presence of the king's servants, on a limited scale; whereas now, when David gathers all of Israel, the anointing is performed by everyone.
"And Solomon Sat on the Throne of the Lord" - A Monarchy Without Opposition
וַיֵּשֶׁב שְׁלֹמֹה עַל־כִּסֵּא יְהֹוָה לְמֶלֶךְ תַּחַת־דָּוִיד אָבִיו וַיַּצְלַח, וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - "Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him."
"On the throne of the Lord" - to execute the justice of Hashem. "And prospered; and all Israel obeyed him" - that there was no opposition against him. With David, by contrast, we saw challengers: at the start of his reign, Mephiboshet and Avner ben Ner; later in his reign, his son Avshalom who rebelled against him, and Sheva ben Bichri; and at the end of his life, Adoniyah ben Chagit who exalted himself, saying, "I will reign." David contended with all sorts of subversives, whereas here - all of Israel obeyed him and there was no one to dispute his kingship.
וְכׇל־הַשָּׂרִים וְהַגִּבֹּרִים וְגַם כׇּל־בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד נָתְנוּ יָד תַּחַת שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - "And all the officers and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, pledged allegiance to King Solomon."
Metzudat David notes: unlike with Adoniyahu, where it was said, "and the mighty men whom David had were not with Adoniyahu," here all the leaders and mighty men were with Solomon. And the king's sons as well - with Adoniyahu it is not said that they pledged allegiance under him, but here they gave their hand. And what does it mean that they "gave a hand"? Metzudat David explains: they gave a pledge of loyalty, shaking hands with Solomon to serve him whole-heartedly. The Malbim likewise writes: they gave their hand in submission to him, as in the phrase, "To Egypt we gave a hand, to Assyria, to be satisfied with bread" (Eichah 5:6). The Malbim adds: "And also all the sons of the king" comes to include them, indicating that even though the king's sons had been at the feast that Adoniyahu made - for he had gathered them as well - here they aligned themselves with David and Solomon and accepted his reign.
Hod Malchut and Hadar Malchut: Royal Majesty and Royal Splendor
וַיְגַדֵּל יְהֹוָה אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹה לְמַעְלָה לְעֵינֵי כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיִּתֵּן עָלָיו הוֹד מַלְכוּת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הָיָה עַל־כׇּל־מֶלֶךְ לְפָנָיו עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - "And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him over Israel."
What is "hod malchut" (royal majesty)? Metzudat David explains: He endowed him with royal charm and charisma, as in the verse, "And you shall put of your honor (hodecha) upon him," said of Moses and Joshua. This is the essence of hod - that everyone said: this man is truly worthy. By contrast, an example of someone lacking hod is found in the Book of Daniel: "And in his place shall stand up a vile person, to whom they had not given royal majesty (hod malchut)" (Daniel 11:21) - and the Malbim there explains that this refers to Antiochus, though there are other opinions as well. Thus, the concept of "hod malchut" means that people respected him and deemed him worthy of kingship, whereas that person was vile. Here the verse teaches us that Solomon was truly worthy of kingship, and everyone accepted his rule.
The Malbim distinguishes between hod malchut (inner royal majesty) and hadar malchut (external royal splendor): Hadar is the external dimension, like "the fruit of a goodly tree (pri eitz hadar)," which is something tangible and physical, through which a person displays grandeur before the people - the king glorifies himself through wealth, an army, and royal robes, and that is the hadar of royalty. Hod, on the other hand, is the internal dimension, a quality of the soul: that he was full of the spirit of justice, humility, righteousness, mercy, compassion, wisdom, and understanding. "And bestowed upon him royal majesty (hod malchut)" - this refers to this inward nobility, which Solomon possessed in full measure. For a person can be like Herod, who possessed magnificent hadar (outward splendor) but was devoid of any hod, because he was a slave and remained a slave - in his nature, his character traits, and his conduct. Here, the verse tells us: Solomon possessed outward splendor (hadar), and he possessed inward majesty (hod) as well.
Summary of David's Reign
וְדָוִיד בֶּן־יִשָׁי מָלַךְ עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - Thus David the son of Yishai reigned over all Israel.
The Malbim explains: Despite all this, David was still considered king. Even though he now coronated Shlomo, it was not that he vacated his throne; rather, he continued to serve as king until his forty years were completed. Only after David died did they begin counting the reign of Shlomo, as it is written, "And he died... and Shlomo his son reigned in his stead."
וְהַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, בְּחֶבְרוֹן מָלַךְ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וּבִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם מָלַךְ שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ׃ - And the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years: in Chevron he reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.
The Book of Divrei HaYamim was written for the honor of David, and therefore at the conclusion of the book, Scripture summarizes his reign: forty years, seven in Chevron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. A well-known difficulty arises: in Chevron he actually reigned seven years and six months, so why does it count only seven? The simple explanation is that Scripture gives a round number and does not delve into fractions. However, Chazal offer an explanation: King David was fleeing for six months from his son Avshalom, so six months were effectively missing from his overall reign. Therefore, the extra six months in Chevron are not counted, as they were offset by the six months of flight, so that in total he reigned forty years, rather than forty years and six months.
וַיָּמׇת בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה שְׂבַע יָמִים עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד, וַיִּמְלֹךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃ - And he died in a good old age, sated with days, riches, and honor; and Shlomo his son reigned in his stead.
The Metzudat David notes: The word seva ("sated") applies to all three - sated with days, sated with riches, and sated with honor; of all these, he possessed in great abundance.
Conclusion of the Book
וְדִבְרֵי דָּוִיד הַמֶּלֶךְ הָרִאשֹׁנִים וְהָאַחֲרֹנִים, הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־דִּבְרֵי שְׁמוּאֵל הָרֹאֶה וְעַל־דִּבְרֵי נָתָן הַנָּבִיא וְעַל־דִּבְרֵי גָּד הַחֹזֶה׃ - Now the acts of King David, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the words of Shmuel the seer, and in the words of Natan the prophet, and in the words of Gad the seer,
"The first" - what happened to him in his early years, when he was still being pursued by Shaul; "and the last" - what occurred at the end of his days. And all of it is written in the records of Shmuel the seer, Natan the prophet, and Gad the seer: initially in the writings of Shmuel, and subsequently by the prophets who followed him, Natan and Gad, who recounted the narratives of David's reign and his mighty deeds in their books. We do not possess these books today, but everything David experienced during those times was recorded in them.
עִם כׇּל־מַלְכוּתוֹ וּגְבוּרָתוֹ, וְהָעִתִּים אֲשֶׁר עָבְרוּ עָלָיו וְעַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל כׇּל־מַמְלְכוֹת הָאֲרָצוֹת׃ - Together with all his reign and his might, and the times that passed over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the lands.
"Together with all his reign and his might" - the kingship and the valiant deeds he performed. "And the times that passed over him" - the Metzudat David explains: the times of distress that passed over him, as David himself said in Tehillim (31:16), "My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue me" - the arduous periods he endured and the salvation from enemies and pursuers. "And over Israel" - the difficult times that passed over Israel. "And over all the kingdoms of the lands" - those that attacked Israel, as we saw in the days of Shmuel: "and Hashem thundered with a great sound"; in the days of Yehoshaphat: "and when they began to sing and to praise, Hashem set ambushes," etc.; and regarding Sancheiriv: "and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses." That is, everything Hashem did to the nations and kingdoms that rose against Israel - it is all detailed and recorded in the writings of Shmuel the seer, Natan the prophet, and Gad the seer.
In summary:
The concluding chapter of Divrei HaYamim I lays before us David's great prayer: man is a stranger and a sojourner in his world, his days are like the shadow of a bee's wings, and the longer the shadow stretches, the closer the sunset draws - therefore, he possesses no eternal acquisition other than what he devotes to sacred matters. Everything comes from the hand of the Holy One, Blessed is He - "it is from Your hand, and all is Yours" - and He does not seek the magnitude of the gift, but rather uprightness of heart: "You examine the heart and desire uprightness." From this arose David's prayer that these noble thoughts be preserved forever in the hearts of his people, and that Shlomo be granted a whole heart. The chapter concludes with Shlomo's coronation with the consensus of all Israel, with a royal majesty that is internal rather than mere external splendor, and with a summary of the forty years of David's reign - the events that transpired concerning him and Israel - all of which are recorded in the chronicles of Shmuel the Seer, Natan the Prophet, and Gad the Seer. And with this, with Heavenly assistance, we conclude the Book of Divrei HaYamim I.