Bible Commentaries

Then David said, This [is] the ^a house of the LORD God, and this [is] the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.

(a) That is, the place in which he will be worshipped.

And David commanded to gather together the ^b strangers that [were] in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

(b) Meaning, cunning men of other nations who dwelt among the Jews.

And David prepared iron ^c in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;

(c) That is, which weighed fifty shekels of gold, (2 Chronicles 3:9).

But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ^d Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

(d) This declares how greatly God detests the shedding of blood, seeing David for this cause is prevented from building the temple of the Lord, though he enterprised no war, but by God's command and against his enemies.

Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and ^e prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.

(e) He shows that there can be no prosperity, but when the Lord is with us.

Only the LORD give thee ^f wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.

(f) These are only the means by which kings govern their subjects correctly, and by which the realms prosper and flourish.

Now, behold, in my ^g trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a million talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.

(g) For David was poor in respect to Solomon.

Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, [there is] no number. ^h Arise [therefore], and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.

(h) That is, go about it quickly.

[Is] not the LORD your God with you? and hath he [not] given you rest on every side? for he hath given the ⁱ inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people.

(i) The nations round about.

Now set ^k your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.

(k) For else he knew that God would plague them, and not prosper their labour, unless they sought with all their hearts to set forth his glory.