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1 Chronicles 22

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David Prepares Materials for the Temple 1–5

1
Then David said, This is the house of Jehovah God, and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel. ​
2
And David commanded to gather together the sojourners that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. ​
3
And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the couplings; and brass in abundance without weight;
4
and cedar-trees without number: for the Sidonians and they of Tyre brought cedar-trees in abundance to David.
5
And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for Jehovah must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death. ​

David Charges Solomon to Build the Temple 6–16

6
Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for Jehovah, the God of Israel. ​
7
And David said to Solomon his son, As for me, it was in my heart to build a house unto the name of Jehovah my God.
8
But the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build a house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. ​
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. ​
10
He shall build a 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. ​
11
Now, my son, Jehovah be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of Jehovah thy God, as he hath spoken concerning thee.
12
Only Jehovah give thee discretion and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel; that so thou mayest keep the law of Jehovah thy God. ​
13
Then shalt thou prosper, if thou observe to do the statutes and the ordinances which Jehovah charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; fear not, neither be dismayed.
14
Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the house of Jehovah a 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. ​
15
Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all men that are skilful in every manner of work:
16
of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and Jehovah be with thee.

David Commands the Princes to Help 17–19

17
David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, ​
18
Is not Jehovah your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand; and the land is subdued before Jehovah, and before his people. ​
19
Now set your heart and your soul to seek after Jehovah your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of Jehovah God, to bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of Jehovah. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 22

Verse 1

the house of the LORD God — David's conclusion follows the answer by fire at the threshingfloor (21:26–28). Solomon later built 'in mount Moriah… in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite' (2 Chr 3:1). Jacob at Bethel had said, 'this is none other but the house of God' (Gen 28:17).

Verse 2

the strangers — Ger, a foreigner resident in the land. Solomon later 'numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them' (2 Chr 2:17), a total of 153,600. 'Masons' are hewers (chatsab), and the 'wrought stones' are hewn (gazith).

Verse 5

young and tender — Na'ar, a youth, and rak, tender; David says it again in 29:1, and Solomon of himself, 'I am but a little child' (1 Kgs 3:7). 'Fame' is shem, a name, and 'glory' is tiphereth: the house is to be known in all lands. 'Prepared abundantly' uses kun, the verb of establishing in 17:12.

Verse 6

charged him — Tsavah, to command, the verb of Moses' charge to Joshua, 'gave him a charge' (Num 27:23). The charge runs through vv.7–16 and is given again before all the assembly: 'the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it' (28:10).

Verse 8

thou hast shed blood abundantly — Shaphak, to pour out. The reason for the refusal, not given in 17:4, is stated here and in 28:3. Solomon gave Hiram the same account: David 'could not build an house… for the wars which were about him on every side' (1 Kgs 5:3).

Verse 9

a man of rest — Ish menuchah; 'rest' is nuach, 'from all his enemies round about'. The name 'Solomon' (Shelomoh) is set beside 'peace' (shalom) and 'quietness' (sheqet). The reign is described in 1 Kgs 4:25: 'Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree'.

Verse 10

he shall be my son — This is the promise of 17:11–14 now spoken of Solomon by name, with 'establish' (kun) as in 17:12. 2 Sam 7:14 adds what the bond of father and son holds: 'If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men'.

Verse 12

wisdom and understanding — Sekel, insight, and binah, discernment. Solomon asked for 'an understanding heart to judge thy people' (1 Kgs 3:9) and was told, 'I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart' (1 Kgs 3:12). The end of it, in David's prayer, is that he 'mayest keep the law of the LORD'.

Verse 14

in my trouble — Oni, affliction. The gold and silver are counted in talents (kikkar), while the brass and iron are 'without weight', too much to weigh, as in v.3. David's further gift from his own store is counted in 29:3–4, and the people's in 29:6–8.

Verse 17

to help Solomon — Azar, to help. The 'princes of Israel' (sar) are the body David gathers in 28:1, and they answer his charge in 29:6 when they 'offered willingly'. David had told Solomon that 'the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment' (28:21).

Verse 18

rest on every side — Nuach, the word of v.9: David says the rest is already given, as at 2 Sam 7:1. 'Subdued' is kabash, the verb of Moses' condition to the eastern tribes, 'the land be subdued before the LORD' (Num 32:22), and it describes the land here.

Verse 19

set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD — 'Set' is nathan, to give: heart (lebab) and soul (nephesh) are to be given to seeking before building. The promise is that of Deut 4:29, 'thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul'. The ark's entry is told in 1 Kgs 8:6.