‏ 1 Chronicles 22:7-13

1Ch 22:6-10 Solomon commissioned to build the temple. - 1Ch 22:6. Before his death (1Ch 22:5) David called his son Solomon, in order to commit to him the building of the temple, and to press it strongly upon him, 1Ch 22:7-10. With this design, he informs him that it had been his intention to build a temple to the Lord, but the Lord had not permitted him to carry out this resolve, but had committed it to his son. The Keri בּני (1Ch 22:7) is, notwithstanding the general worthlessness of the corrections in the Keri, probably to be preferred here to the Keth. בּנו, for בּנו might have easily arisen by the copyist’s eye having wandered to בּנו לשׁלמה, 1Ch 22:6. David’s addressing him as בּני is very fitting, nay, even necessary, and not contrary to the following אני. לבבי עם, it was with my heart, i.e., I had intended, occurs indeed very often in the Chronicle, e.g., 1Ch 28:2; 2Ch 1:11; 2Ch 6:7., 1Ch 9:1; 1Ch 24:4; 1Ch 29:10, but is also found in other books where the sense demands it, e.g., Jos 14:7; 1Ki 8:17., 1Ch 10:2. In עלי ויהי, There came to me the word of Jahve (1Ch 22:8), it is implied that the divine word was given to him as a command. The reason which David gives why the Lord did not allow him to build the temple is not stated in 1 Chron 17 (2 Sam 7), to which David here refers; instead of the reason, only the promise is there communicated, that the Lord would first build him a house, and enduringly establish his throne. This promise does not exclude the reason stated here and in 1Ch 28:3, but rather implies it. As the temple was only to be built when God had enduringly established the throne of David, David could not execute this work, for he still had to conduct wars - wars, too, of the Lord - for the establishment of his kingdom, as Solomon also states it in his embassy to Hiram. Wars and bloodshed, however, are unavoidable and necessary in this earth for the establishment of the kingdom of God in opposition to its enemies, but are not consonant with its nature, as it was to receive a visible embodiment and expression in the temple. For the kingdom of God is in its essence a kingdom of peace; and battle, or war, or struggle, are only means for the restoration of peace, the reconciliation of mankind with God after the conquest of sin and all that is hostile to God in this world. See on 2Sa 7:11. David, therefore, the man of war, is not to build the temple, but (1Ch 22:9.) his son; and to him the Lord will give peace from all his enemies, so that he shall be מנוּחה אישׁ, a man of rest, and shall rightly bear the name Shelomo (Solomon), i.e., Friederich (rich in peace, Eng. Frederick), for God would give to Israel in his days, i.e., in his reign, peace and rest (שׁקט). The participle נולד after הנּה has the signification of the future, shall be born; cf. 1Ki 13:2. מנוּחה אישׁ, not a man who procures peace (Jer 51:59), but one who enjoys peace, as the following לו והניחותי shows. As to the name שׁלמה, see on 2Sa 12:24. Into 1Ch 22:10 David compresses the promise contained in 1Ch 17:12 and 1Ch 17:13. 1Ch 22:11-12

After David had so committed to his son Solomon the building of the temple, as task reserved and destined for him by the divine counsel, he wishes him, in 1Ch 22:11, the help of the Lord to carry out the work. והצלחתּ, ut prospere agas et felici successu utaris (J. M. Mich.), cf. Jos 1:8. על דּבּר of a command from on high; cf. עלי .f, 1Ch 22:8. Above all, however, he wishes (1Ch 22:12) him right understanding and insight from God (וּבינה שׂכל, so connected in 2Ch 2:11 also), and that God may establish him over Israel, i.e., furnish him with might and wisdom to rule over the people Israel; cf. 2Sa 7:11. ולשׁמור, “to observe” = and mayest thou observe the law of Jahve; not thou must keep (Berth.), for ולשׁמור is to be regarded as a continuation of the verb. finit.; cf. Ew. §351, c, S. 840.
1Ch 22:13

The condition of obtaining the result is the faithful observing of the commands of the Lord. The speech is filled with reminiscences of the law, cf. Deu 7:11; Deu 11:32; and for the exhortation to be strong and of good courage, cf. Deu 31:6; Jos 1:7, Jos 1:9, etc.
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