The First Book of the Chronicles
1 Chronicles 22
Chapter XXII · Vol. II, pp. 834–836
1 David, foreknowing the place of the temple, maketh large preparations for the building of it. 6 He instructeth Solomon in God's promises, and his duty in building the temple. 17 He chargeth the princes to assist his son in the work.
1 Then David said, aThis is the house1 of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt-offering for Israel.
B.C. 1016.
a De.12.5-7. 2 Sa.24.18. Ps.78.68,69; 132.13,14. 2 Ch.6.6.
1 A house is the place of the owner's special residence, where he gathers and provides for his family. In this sense Jehovah, who fills heaven and earth, made choice of this site for his dwelling-place, Ps.cxxii.—C.
2 And David commanded to gather together bthe strangers2 that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
b 1 Ki.9.20,21; 5.15,16. Ge.49.10. Is.11.10. Ep.3.6,8.
2 The Israelites had never hitherto enjoyed that peace, during which the mechanical arts are cultivated. They were either shepherds or soldiers. The resident artists were foreigners, who had either taken refuge in Canaan during wars in their own countries, or who had been attracted to it in search of employment.—C.
3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance cwithout weight;
c ver.14. 1 Ki.7.14-47. 2 Ch.4.1-18.
4 Also cedar-trees in abundance for the Zidonians, and they of Tyre, brought much cedar-wood to David.
5 And David said, dSolomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding emagnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David fprepared abundantly before his death.
6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel.
7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it gwas in my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God:
g 2 Sa.7.2. ch.28.2; 17.1,2. Ac.7.46. 1 Ki.8.17,18.
8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, hThou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed muchi blood upon the earth in my sight.3
h ch.28.3. 1 Ki.5.3; 8.19. 2 Sa.7.5,9. ch.17.4.
i 1 Sa.17.50; 18.27; 30.17; ii.v. ch.xiv.
3 Some blood he had voluntarily shed, as in the case of Goliath; some in self-defence, or in defence of his country, where necessity was laid upon him; some in purpose, when he was angry, as in the case of Nabal; some unjustly and cruelly, as in the case of Uriah; therefore God, while he pardons the penitent, will not honour him to build his temple. Note, The church of Christ, of which the temple was a type, cannot be builded by warfare, but only by 'the Prince of peace' and his servants.—C.
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 kSolomon; and I will lgive peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
k That is, Peaceable and perfection, 2 Sa.12.24.
l 1 Ki.4.20,25; 5.4.
10 Hem 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.
m 2 Sa.7.12,13. ch.17.12,13; 28.6; 29.1. 1 Ki.5.5. Ps.89.20-35. Is.9.6,7.
11 Now, my son, nthe LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.
n ver.16. 2 Ti.4.22. Ro.8.31. Is.26.12. Phi.2.12,13. Mat 16.18. ch.28.10,20,21.
12 Only the LORD ogive thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.
13 Thenp shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments4 which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: qbe strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
4 'Statutes,' the delineations, descriptions, and determinations of God's holy will, which no creature has a right to increase, diminish, or alter. 'Judgments,' God's purposes, determinations, and decisions—the mysterious counsels of his righteous will—too deep for man to fathom or discover, unless in so far as God makes them known, Ro.11.33.—C.
q De.31.7,8. Jos.1.6-8; 23.6. ch.28.10,20. Ep.6.10. 2 Ti.2.1. 1 Co.16.13. Zec.4.6,9. Hag.2.4. Is.41.10.
14 Now, behold, in my 5trouble6 I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold[≈ 3,400 tonnes · 3,400 tons · gold worth ≈ US$450,000 million], and a thousand thousand7 talents8 of silver[≈ 68 tonnes · 67 tons · silver worth ≈ US$120 million]; and of brass and iron without weight: (for it is in abundance:) timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.
5 Or, in my poverty.
6 'With care' (Boothroyd.)——The meaning is, 'by my great labour,' as we find the word employed by Jacob in Genesis 31. 42, to denote his successful efforts to amass a fortune. It shows that David had employed all the agencies and resources at his command for the accomplishment of this the darling object of his life.—P.
7 46,038 tons weight or cart-loads of silver and gold, and in value £889,687,500 sterling. But if it be here reckoned by the Chaldean talent, it is about a half less.
8 The talent varied in weight and value at different times and in different countries. Some calculate David's provision for the temple at £547,000,000, others at £50,000,000, and our ignorance of the precise weight of the talent at the time renders the calculation uncertain; but there is no doubt that the amount was very great, a lesson and a reproach to the rich Christian nations, when they consider even their most liberal contributions for the extension of the church of the Redeemer.—C.
15 Moreover, there are rworkmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work.
A.M. 2988. B.C. 1016.
r ver.2. 1 Ki.5.14-18.
16 Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. sArise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.
s Phi.2.12,13; 4.13. Ps.71.16. 1 Co.15.58. Lu.1.74,75. ver.11,13.
17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel tto help Solomon his son, saying,
t ch.29.1-5; 28.6.
18 Isu 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.
Notes
Reflections.—Very different is the appearance of men when ruled by their pride, and when governed by the humbling grace of God. Such as have been highly favoured by God ought to be singularly careful and active in promoting his glory and the welfare of his church. And the nearer our death approaches, we ought to be the more earnest in his work. Let us do all that we can in his service, when we are not allowed to do all that we would: and let us kindly assist others in the work which God hath denied us the honour of accomplishing. And as the church of Christ is not built up by the sword of war, but by the gospel of peace, let us, as we have leisure from other avocations, employ it in the immediate service of God. Whatever difficulties lie in the way, God's clear call to a work, his affording us an opportunity, and his promise to invigorate and quicken our spirits, are sufficient encouragements. The more God has done for us the greater are our obligations to serve him, and the more active we ought to be in his service. But truly humble souls make little account of all that they do for God's honour. And it is not indeed the extent of what is done, but the spirituality of the temper with which it is done, that next to Jesus' blood gives it value before God. Great courage and resolution are necessary in our spiritual work, as well as in our spiritual warfare, and a constant dependence on God by faith and prayer. If we enter upon the labours of others, we ought to be always improving; and every one is called to concur. Even the most zealous and active will need excitement or assistance. And if once our heart be thoroughly engaged to the Lord, our head, hand, estate, and influence on earth, will be all cheerfully employed for his honour.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.