1 Chronicles 22

1 And David said, This is the house of God, and this altar is into burnt sacrifice of Israel. (And David said, This is the House of God, and this is the altar of burnt sacrifice for Israel.)

2 And David commanded that all converts, that is, all men turned from heathenness to the law of Israel, should be gathered together of the land of Israel (And David commanded that all male converts, that is, all men turned from heathenness to the Law of Israel, in the land of Israel, should be gathered together); and he ordained (some) of them (to be) masons for to cut, or (to) hew, stones and to polish them, and that the house of the Lord should be builded;

3 also David made ready full much iron to the nails of the gates, and to the mixings and jointures, and unnumberable weight of brass; (and David made ready a great deal of iron for the nails of the gates, and for the joints, and innumerable weight of bronze;)

4 also the (number of) trees of cedar might not be guessed (and the amount of cedar timber could not be guessed), which the men of Sidon and the men of Tyre brought to David.

5 And David said, Solomon, my son, is a little child and delicate, that is, for tenderness of age; soothly the house, which I will (to) be builded to the Lord, oughteth to be such, that it be named in all countries; therefore I shall make ready necessaries to him. And for this cause David before his death made ready all [the] costs. (And David said, My son Solomon is a young and delicate man, that is, of tender age; and the House, which I desire to build to the Lord, ought to be such that it be famous in every country; and so I shall prepare its necessities. And for this reason David prepared all the expenses and the materials before his death.)

6 And he called Solomon, his son, and commanded to him, that he should build an house to the Lord God of Israel. (And he called for his son Solomon, and commanded him to build a House for the Lord God of Israel.)

7 And David said to Solomon, My son, it was my will to build an house to the name of the Lord my God; (And David said to Solomon, My son, it was my desire to build a House to honour the name of the Lord my God;)

8 but the word of the Lord was made to me, and said, Thou hast shed out (too) much blood, and thou hast fought full many battles; thou mayest not build an house to my name (so thou mayest not build a House to honour my name), for thou hast shed out so much blood before me;

9 the son that shall be born to thee, shall be a man most peaceable; for I shall make him to have rest of all his enemies by compass, and for this cause he shall be called Peaceable; and I shall give peace and rest in Israel in all his days. (the son who shall be born to thee shall be a man of peace; for I shall give him rest from all his enemies about, and for this reason he shall be called Solomon; and I shall give peace and rest to Israel in all his days.)

10 He shall build an house to my name; he shall be to me into a son, and I shall be to him into a father; and I shall make steadfast the seat of his realm on Israel without end. (He shall build a House to honour my name; he shall be a son to me, and I shall be a father to him; and I shall make steadfast the throne of his kingdom upon Israel forevermore.)

11 Now therefore, my son, the Lord be with thee; and have thou prosperity, and build thou an house to the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken of thee. (And so now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and be thou prosperous, and build thou the House of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.)

12 And the Lord give to thee prudence and wit, that thou may govern Israel, and keep the law of the Lord thy God (and obey the Law of the Lord thy God).

13 For then thou mayest profit, if thou keepest the behests and dooms, which the Lord commanded to Moses, that he should teach Israel; be thou strengthened, and do thou manly, dread thou not withoutforth, neither dread thou within. (For then thou shalt prosper, if thou obeyest the commands and the judgements, or the laws, which the Lord commanded to Moses, that he should teach Israel; be thou strengthened, and be thou confident, fear thou not anything withoutforth, nor fear thou anything within.)

14 Lo! in my poverty I have made ready the costs of the house of the Lord; an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; soothly of brass and iron is no weight, for the number is overcome by greatness; I have (also) made ready wood and stones at all costs. (Lo! in spite of my tribulations I have prepared the expenses and the materials for the House of the Lord; a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of bronze and iron there is no weight, for the number hath overpassed greatness; I have also prepared some timber and stones, but you will need more.)

15 Also thou hast full many craftsmen, masons, and layers of stones, and craftsmen of timber, and of all crafts, most prudent to make work (most able to do the work),

16 in gold, and silver, and brass (and bronze), and in iron, of which (there) is no number; therefore rise thou up, and make it, and the Lord shall be with thee.

17 Also David commanded to all the princes of Israel, that they should help Solomon, his son, and said,

18 Ye see, that the Lord your God is with you, and he hath given to you rest by compass/about, and he hath betaken all [the] enemies in your hand, and the earth is subject before the Lord, and before his people. (Ye see, that the Lord your God is with you, and he hath given you rest all around, and he hath delivered all the enemies into your hands, or your power, and the land is subject before the Lord, and before his people.)

19 Therefore give ye your hearts and your souls, that ye seek the Lord your God; and rise ye up together, and build ye a saintuary to the Lord our God, that the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord be brought in thither, and that vessels hallowed to the Lord be brought into the house, that is builded to the name of the Lord. (And so give ye your hearts and your souls, that ye seek the Lord your God; and rise ye up together, and build ye a sanctuary for the Lord our God, so that the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord can be brought in there, and that vessels dedicated, or consecrated, to the Lord can be brought into the House, that is built to honour the name of the Lord.)

1 Chronicles 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

David's preparations for the temple. (1-5) David's instructions to Solomon. (6-16) The prices commanded to assist. (17-19)

Verses 1-5 On occasion of the terrible judgment inflicted on Israel for the sin of David, God pointed out the place where he would have the temple built; upon which, David was excited to make preparations for the great work. David must not build, but he would do all he could; he prepared abundantly before his death. What our hands find to do for God, and our souls, and those round us, let us do it with all our might, before our death; for after death there is no device nor working. And when the Lord refuses to employ us in those services which we desired, we must not be discouraged or idle, but do what we can, though in a humbler sphere.

Verses 6-16 David gives Solomon the reason why he should build the temple. Because God named him. Nothing is more powerful to engage us in any service for God, than to know that we are appointed thereto. Because he would have leisure and opportunity to do it. He should have peace and quietness. Where God gives rest, he expects work. Because God had promised to establish his kingdom. God's gracious promises should quicken and strengthen our religious service. David delivered to Solomon an account of the vast preparations he had made for this building; not from pride and vain-glory, but to encourage Solomon to engage cheerfully in the great work. He must not think, by building the temple, to purchase a dispensation to sin; on the contrary, his doing that would not be accepted, if he did not take heed to fulfil the statutes of the Lord. In our spiritual work, as well as in our spiritual warfare, we have need of courage and resolution.

Verses 17-19 Whatever is done towards rendering the word of God generally known and attended to, is like bringing a stone, or an ingot of gold, towards erecting the temple. This should encourage us when we grieve that we do not see more fruit of our labours; much good may appear after our death, which we never thought of. Let us not then be weary of well doing. The work is in the hands of the Prince of peace. As he, the Author and Finisher of the work, is pleased to employ us as his instruments, let us arise and be doing, encouraging and helping one another; working by his rule, after his example, in dependence on his grace, assured that he will be with us, and that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 22

In this chapter we read of the place David pitched upon by divine direction for building the temple on, 1Ch 22:1, the preparation he made of artificers to build it, and of matter to build it of, as iron, brass, and wood, 1Ch 22:2-5, the charge and instructions he gave to Solomon to set about it, 1Ch 22:6-16 and to the princes of Israel to assist him in it, 1Ch 22:7-19.