Verse 1

1 Chronicles 22:1. Then David said — Through the instinct and direction of God’s Spirit, by which as he is said to have had the pattern of the house, porch, altar, &c., (1 Chronicles 28:11-19,) so doubtless he was instructed as to the place where the house should be built. This is the house, &c. — This is the place appointed by God for the building of his temple and altar.

Verse 2-3

1 Chronicles 22:2-3. To gather the strangers that were in the land of Israel — The same persons whom Solomon afterward employed in the same work; of which see 1 Kings 5:15; 1 Kings 9:20-21. He set masons to hew wrought stones — Wherein he could not do much, being prevented by death; but Solomon carried on and perfected what David had begun. For the joinings — To be used, together with melted lead, for the joining of those great and square stones together.

Verse 5

1 Chronicles 22:5. So David prepared abundantly — And with good reason, because it was intended for the honour of the great God, and was to be a type of Christ, in whom all fulness dwells, and in whom are hid all treasures.

Verse 8

1 Chronicles 22:8. Thou hast shed blood, &c.; thou shalt not build a house unto my name — Not that wars are simply unlawful, but to teach us that the church (whereof the temple was an illustrious type) should be built by Christ, the Prince of peace, Isaiah 9:6, and that it should be gathered and built up, not by might or power, but by God’s Spirit, Zechariah 4:6, and by the preaching the gospel of peace. David therefore was less fit for that service, than one who had not been called to such bloody work. Likewise, by setting him aside for this reason, God showed how precious human life is to him.

Verse 14

1 Chronicles 22:14. Behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord — This he alleges as a reason why he could do no more, because of the many troubles and wars in which he had been engaged, both foreign and domestic, whereby much of his treasure had been exhausted. A hundred thousand talents of gold, &c. — The sum here mentioned is so great, according to the usually computed value of a talent, being not less than three hundred and sixty millions sterling, that most interpreters conclude, either that some error has crept into the text through the inaccuracy of transcribers, or else that the word ככרים, chicharim, should not be translated talents, in this place, but only masses, plates, or pieces, such as we call ingots, of gold and silver. And thus Budæus observes in his book De Asse, that in Homer’s time there was a talent of lesser value; for he speaks of two talents which were given with other things as a reward of a victory obtained in some exercises. Such talents he thinks we are to understand in this place; for David reigned about the time of the rise of the kingdom of the Assyrians, which was not very far from the time of Homer. Houbigant translates the former part of this verse, But I, according to my poor ability, have prepared a hundred talents of gold, and a thousand talents of silver. See Joseph. Antiq., 50.7, c. 14, sect. 2.

Verse 16

1 Chronicles 22:16. Of the brass and the iron there is no number — The meaning is, the quantity of brass and iron was not numbered, as that of the gold and silver was. Arise, therefore, and be doing — When thou shalt come to the throne. The sense of God’s presence must not slacken our endeavours; because he is with us, we must rise and be doing. Then he will be with us even to the end. Work out your salvation, and God will work in you.

Verse 18

1 Chronicles 22:18. The land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people — It is brought under the command of God, and of you his people, all the enemies of God and of Israel, in it or near it, being now perfectly subdued.