1 Chronicles 29:14 (YLT)

Passage

yea, because, who <FI>am<Fi> I, and who <FI>are<Fi> my people, that we retain power to offer thus willingly? but of Thee <FI>is<Fi> the whole, and out of Thy hand we have given to Thee;

Nearby Context

1 Chronicles 29:12 and the riches, and the honour <FI>are<Fi> from before Thee, and Thou art ruling over all, and in Thy hand <FI>is<Fi> power and might, and in Thy hand, to make great, and to give strength to all.

1 Chronicles 29:13 `And now, our God, we are giving thanks to Thee, and giving praise to Thy beauteous name;

1 Chronicles 29:14 yea, because, who <FI>am<Fi> I, and who <FI>are<Fi> my people, that we retain power to offer thus willingly? but of Thee <FI>is<Fi> the whole, and out of Thy hand we have given to Thee;

1 Chronicles 29:15 for sojourners we <FI>are<Fi> before Thee, and settlers, like all our fathers; as a shadow <FI>are<Fi> our days on the land, and there is none abiding.

1 Chronicles 29:16 `O Jehovah our God, all this store that we have prepared to build to Thee a house, for Thy holy name, <FI>is<Fi> out of Thy hand, and of Thee <FI>is<Fi> the whole.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "retain", "power", "offer", "thus", "willingly", "thee", and "whole". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "retain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "And now our God we are giving..." into verse 15's "for sojourners we FI are Fi before...", so "people" and "retain" belong inside that flow. In 1 Chronicles context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "people" and "retain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.