Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 22:1 Then David said, This [is] the house of the LORD God, and this [is] the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.

Ver. 1. This is the house.] This is that very place foretold by Moses. [Deuteronomy 12:11]

1 Chronicles 22:2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that [were] in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

Ver. 2. To gather together the strangers.] A notable type of the calling of the Gentiles: and the like we may say of the temple’s being built on the ground of a Jebusite, and by the help of Tyrians and Zidonians, and adorned with the spoils of various nations. [1 Chronicles 18:7-11]

1 Chronicles 22:3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;

Ver. 3. And David prepared iron in abundance, &c.] Many parents prepare guilt in abundance, hoards and heaps of evil gotten goods - and there with God’s curse - to spend on their lusts, &c. As for pious and charitable uses, they cry out, with Judas, Whereto is this waste?

1 Chronicles 22:5 And David said, Solomon my son [is] young and tender, and the house [that is] to be builded for the LORD [must be] exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will [therefore] now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

Ver. 5. Must be exceeding magniflcal.] Heb., To make great; to be above: Magnificentissimum, et excellentissimum, et nominatissimum, Vat. The second temple was nothing like it, though the glory of it was far greater, [Haggai 2:3; Haggai 2:9] by the presence and preaching of Jesus Christ in it.

1 Chronicles 22:8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 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.

Ver. 8. Thou hast shed much blood upon tho earth in my sight,] i.e., Me sciente et vidente: haply God here meaneth the blood of Uriah, and of those that fell with him.

1 Chronicles 22:9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

Ver. 9. For his name shall be Solomon,] i.e., Peaceable: so Frederic, Solyman the Magnificent; but these answered not the signification of their names.

1 Chronicles 22:10 He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I [will be] his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

Ver. 10. {See Trapp on "2 Samuel 7:13"} {See Trapp on "2 Samuel 7:14"}

1 Chronicles 22:11 Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.

Ver. 11. The Lord be with thee; and prosper thou.] This is both votura et vaticinium, a prayer and a promise.

1 Chronicles 22:12 Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.

Ver. 12. Only the Lord give thee wisdom.] Solomon remembered what his father had prayed, and prayed himself accordingly. [1 Kings 3:9; 1 Kings 3:12]

And give thee charge concerning Israel,] i.e., Make use of thy service for the good of his Israel.

1 Chronicles 22:14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand 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.

Ver. 14. Now, behold, in my poverty.] ^(a) In my modesty, he might have said. For as poor as he was, he had prepared for the building of the temple gold and silver to the worth of seven hundred and fifty millions of pounds, after the old rate; which is now much raised. Sir Walter Raleigh ^(b) casteth it up to be more than any king in the world is worth. He maketh it to come to three thousand three hundred and thirty-three cart-loads of silver; allowing two thousand weight of silver, or six thousand pounds sterling to every cart-load; besides threescore and seven millions of French crowns. And yet when he had done all, In my poverty, saith he, have I done this: q.d., Lord, what is all this in respect of thee, who art the glorious God, and the great proprietary? what are they, I say, but parva et pauca, mean matters, which if thou wilt but accept of, I shall be infinitely bound to thee.

And thou mayest add thereto.] He might do so, indeed, if that were true which Villapandus affirmeth, viz., that the wealth and yearly revenues of David and Solomon did far exceed the wealth and tributes of the Romans, Chaldeans, and Persians, &c.

1 Chronicles 22:16 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.

Ver. 16. There is no number.] See 1 Chronicles 22:14.

Arise therefore, and be doing.] Up and at it, laying hold on the opportunity of time, which is, saith one, aliquid aggrediendi atque conficiendi facultas, the best advantage of any business.

1 Chronicles 22:17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, [saying],

Ver. 17. David also commanded all the princes.] This he did out of his holy zeal, which is an extreme heat of all the affections.

1 Chronicles 22:18 [Is] not the LORD your God with you? and hath he [not] given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people.

Ver. 18. Is not the Lord your God with you?] This is his συμπερασμα παροξυντικον, his conclusion full of incitation; as being framed and uttered verbis vivis, animatis sententiis, et spiritus fervoribus flagrantissimis, in most lively terms and affectionate expressions.