1Und David sprach: Dieses hier soll das Haus Jehovas Gottes sein, und dies der Altar zum Brandopfer für Israel. 2Und David befahl, daß man die Fremdlinge versammeln solle, die im Lande Israel waren; und er stellte sie an als Steinhauer, um Quadersteine für den Bau des Hauses Gottes zu hauen. 3Und David bereitete Eisen in Menge für die Nägel zu den Torflügeln und für die Klammern; und Erz in Menge, es war nicht zu wägen; 4und Cedernholz ohne Zahl; denn die Zidonier und die Tyrer brachten Cedernholz in Menge zu David. 5Und David sprach: Salomo, mein Sohn, ist noch jung und zart; und das Haus, das dem Jehova zu erbauen ist, soll überaus groß werden, zum Namen und zum Ruhm in allen Ländern: so will ich denn das Nötige für ihn bereiten. Und so bereitete David Vorrat in Menge vor seinem Tode. 6Und er rief seinen Sohn Salomo und gebot ihm, Jehova, dem Gott Israels, ein Haus zu bauen. 7Und David sprach zu Salomo: Mein Sohn! Ich selbst hatte in meinem Herzen, dem Namen Jehovas, meines Gottes, ein Haus zu bauen. 8Aber das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir, indem er sprach: Du hast Blut in Menge vergossen und große Kriege geführt; du sollst meinem Namen kein Haus bauen, denn viel Blut hast du vor mir zur Erde vergossen. 9Siehe, ein Sohn wird dir geboren werden, der wird ein Mann der Ruhe sein, und ich werde ihm Ruhe schaffen vor allen seinen Feinden ringsum. Denn Salomo wird sein Name sein, und Frieden und Ruhe werde ich Israel geben in seinen Tagen. 10Der wird meinem Namen ein Haus bauen; und er soll mir Sohn, und ich will ihm Vater sein; und ich werde den Thron seines Königtums über Israel befestigen auf ewig. - 11Nun, mein Sohn, Jehova sei mit dir, daß es dir gelinge, und das Haus Jehovas, deines Gottes, bauest, so wie er von dir geredet hat! 12Nur gebe dir Jehova Einsicht und Verstand, und er bestelle dich über Israel, und zwar um das Gesetz Jehovas, deines Gottes, zu beobachten! 13Dann wird es dir gelingen, wenn du darauf achtest, die Satzungen und die Rechte zu tun, welche Jehova dem Mose für Israel geboten hat. Sei stark und mutig, fürchte dich nicht und erschrick nicht! 14Und siehe, in meiner Mühsal habe ich für das Haus Jehovas 100000 Talente Gold und 1000000 Talente Silber bereitet; und das Erz und das Eisen ist nicht zu wägen, denn es ist in Menge vorhanden; auch Holz und Steine habe ich bereitet, und du wirst noch mehr hinzufügen. 15Und Werkleute sind bei dir in Menge: Steinhauer und Arbeiter in Stein und Holz, und allerlei Verständige in allerlei Arbeit; 16das Gold, das Silber und das Erz und das Eisen ist nicht zu zählen. Mache dich auf und handle; und Jehova sei mit dir! 17Und David gebot allen Obersten Israels, seinem Sohne Salomo beizustehen: 18Ist nicht Jehova, euer Gott, mit euch, und hat er euch nicht Ruhe geschafft ringsumher? Denn er hat die Bewohner des Landes in meine Hand gegeben, und das Land ist unterjocht vor Jehova und vor seinem Volke. 19Richtet nun euer Herz und eure Seele darauf, Jehova, euren Gott, zu suchen; und machet euch auf und bauet das Heiligtum Jehovas Gottes, daß ihr die Lade des Bundes Jehovas und die Geräte des Heiligtums Gottes in das Haus bringet, welches dem Namen Jehovas gebaut werden soll.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 Here is, I. The place fixed for the building of the temple (
1Chr 22:1):
Then David said, by inspiration of God, and as a declaration of his mind,
This is the house of the Lord God. If a temple must be built for God, it is fit that it be left to him to choose the ground, for all the earth is his; and this is the ground he makes choice of - ground that pertained to a Jebusite, and perhaps there was not a spot of ground besides, in or about Jerusalem, that did so - a happy presage of the setting up of the gospel temple among the Gentiles. See
Acts 15:16,
Acts 15:17. The ground was a threshing-floor; for the church of the living God is his floor, his threshing, and
the corn of his floor, Isa 21:10. Christ's fan is in his hand, thoroughly to purge his floor. This is to be the house because this is the altar. The temple was built for the sake of the altar. There were altars long before there were temples.
II. Preparation made for that building. David must not build it, but he would do all he could towards it: He
prepared abundantly before his death, 1Chr 22:5. This intimates that the consideration of his age and growing infirmities, which showed him his death approaching, quickened him, towards his latter end, to be very diligent in making this preparation. What our hands find to do for God, and our souls, and our generation, let us do it with all our might before our death, because, after death, there is no device nor working. Now we are here told,
1. What induced him to make such preparation. Two things he considered: - (1.) That Solomon was young and tender, and not likely to apply with any great vigour to this business at first; so that, unless he found the wheels set a-going, he would be in danger of losing a great deal of time at first, the rather because, being young, he would be tempted to put it off; whereas, if he found the materials got ready to his hand, the most difficult part of the work would be over, and this would excite and encourage him to go about it in the beginnings of his reign. Note, Those that are aged and experienced should consider those that are young and tender, and provide them what help they can, that they may make the work of God as easy to them as possible. (2.) That the house must be exceedingly magnificent, very stately and sumptuous, strong and beautiful, every thing about it the best in its kind, and for a good reason, since it was intended for the honour of the great God, the Lord of the whole earth, and was to be a type of Christ, in whom all fulness dwells and in whom are hid all treasures. Men were then to be taught by sensible methods. The grandeur of the house would help to affect the worshippers with a holy awe and reverence of God, and would invite strangers to come to see it, and the wonder of the world, who thereby would be brought acquainted with the true God. Therefore it is here designed to be of fame and glory throughout all countries. David foretold this good effect of its being magnificent,
Pss 68:29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee. 2. What preparation he made. In general, he prepared abundantly, as we shall find afterwards; cedar and stones, iron and brass, are here specified, (1Chr:22:2-4). Cedar he had from the Tyrians and the Zidonians.
The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift, Pss 45:12. He also got workmen together,
the strangers that were in the land of Israel. Some think that he employed them because they were generally better artists, and more ingenious in manual operations, than the Israelites; or, rather, because he would not employ the free-born Israelites in any thing that looked mean and servile. They were delivered from the bondage of making bricks in Egypt, and must not return to hew stone. These strangers were proselytes to the Jewish religion, but, though not enslaved, they were not of equal dignity with Israelites.
6 Though Solomon was young and tender, he was capable of receiving instructions, which his father accordingly gave him, concerning the work for which he was designed. When David came to the throne he had many things to do, for the foundations were all out of course; but Solomon had only one thing in charge, and that was
to build a house for the Lord God of Israel, 1Chr 22:6. Now,
I. David tells him why he did not do it himself. It was in his mind to do it (
1Chr 22:7), but God forbade him, because
he had shed much blood, 1Chr 22:8. Some think this refers to the blood of Uriah, which fastened such a reproach upon him as rendered him unworthy the honour of building the temple: but that honour was forbidden him before he had shed that blood; therefore it must be meant, as it is here explained, of the blood he shed in his wars (for he had been a man of war from his youth), which, though shed very justly and honourably in the service of God and Israel, yet made him unfit to be employed in this service, or rather less fit than another that had never been called to such bloody work. God, by assigning this as the reason of laying David aside from this work, showed how precious human life is to him, and intended a type of him who should build the gospel temple, not by
destroying men's lives, but
by saving them, Luke 9:56.
II. He gives him the reason why he imposed this task upon him. 1. Because God had designed him for it, nominated him as the man that should do it:
A son shall be born to thee, that shall be called
Solomon, and
he shall build a house for my name, 1Chr 22:9,
1Chr 22:10. Nothing is more powerful to engage us to any service for God, and encourage us in it, than to know that hereunto we are appointed. 2. Because he would have leisure and opportunity to do it. He should be a man of rest, and therefore should not have his time, or thoughts, or wealth, diverted from this business. He should have rest from his enemies abroad (none of them should invade or threaten him, or give him provocation), and he should have peace and quietness at home; and therefore let him build the house. Note, Where God gives rest he expects work. 3. Because God had promised to establish his kingdom. Let this encourage him to honour God, that God had honour in store for him; let him build up God's house, and God will build up his throne. Note, God's gracious promises should quicken and invigorate our religious service.
III. He delivers him an account of the vast preparations he had made for this building (
1Chr 22:14), not in a way of pride and vain glory (he speaks of it as a poor thing -
I have, in my poverty, prepared, margin), but as an encouragement to Solomon to engage cheerfully in the work, for which so solid a foundation was laid. The treasure here mentioned of the 100,000 talents of gold, and 1,000,000 talents of silver, amounts to such an incredible sum that most interpreters either allow an error in the copy or think the talent here signifies no more than a plate or piece:
ingots we call them. I am inclined to suppose that a certain number is here put for an uncertain, because it is said (
1Chr 22:16) that of the gold and silver, as well as of the brass and iron, there was no number, and that David here includes all the dedicated things (
1Chr 18:11) which he designed
for the house of the Lord, that is, not only for the building of it, but for the treasure of it; and putting all together, it might come pretty near what is here spoken of. Hundreds and thousands are numbers which we often use to express that which is very much, when yet we would not be understood strictly.
IV. He charges them to keep God's commandments and to take heed to his duty in every thing,
1Chr 22:13. He must not think by building the temple to purchase a dispensation to sin; no, on the contrary, his doing that would not be accepted, nor accounted of, if he did not
take heed to fulfil the statutes which the Lord charged Moses with, 1Chr 22:13. Though he was to be king of Israel, he must always remember that he was a subject to the God of Israel.
V. He encourages him to go about this great work, and to go on in it (
1Chr 22:13):
Be strong, and of good courage, Though it is a vast undertaking, thou needest not fear coming under the reproach of the foolish builder, who began to build and was not able to finish it; it is God's work, and it shall come to perfection.
Dread not, nor be dismayed. In our spiritual work, as well as in our spiritual warfare, we have need of courage and resolution.
VI. He quickens him not to rest in the preparations he had made, but to add thereto,
1Chr 22:14. Those that enter into the labours of others, and build upon their advantages, must still be improving.
VII. He prays for him:
The Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, 1Chr 22:12. Whatever charge we have, if we see God giving us the charge and calling us to it, we may hope he will give us wisdom for the discharge of it. Perhaps Solomon had an eye to this prayer of his father for him, in the prayer he offered for himself: Lord,
give me a wise and understanding heart. He concludes (
1Chr 22:16),
Up, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee. Hope of God's presence must not slacken our endeavours. Though the Lord be with us, we must
rise and be doing, and, if we do this, we have reason to believe he is and will be with us. Work out your salvation, and God will work in you.
17 David here engages the princes of Israel to assist Solomon in the great work he had to do, and every one to lend him a hand towards the carrying of it on. Those that are in the throne cannot do the good they would, unless those about the throne set in with them. David would therefore have the princes to advise Solomon and quicken him, and make the work as easy to him as they could, by promoting it every one in his place. 1. He shows them what obligations they lay under to be zealous in this matter, in gratitude to God for the great things he had done for them. He had given them victory, and rest, and a good land for an inheritance,
1Chr 22:18. The more God has done for us the more we should study to do for him. 2. He presses that upon them which should make them zealous in it (
1Chr 22:19):
Set your heart and soul to seek God, place your happiness in his favour, and keep your eye upon his glory. Seek him as your chief good and highest end, and this
with your heart and soul. Make religion your choice and business; and then you will grudge no pains nor cost to promote the building of his sanctuary. Let but the heart be sincerely engaged for God, and the head and hand, the estate and interest, and all will be cheerfully employed for him.