1 Chronicles 22:2

_AND DAVID COMMANDED TO GATHER TOGETHER THE STRANGERS THAT WERE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL; AND HE SET MASONS TO HEW WROUGHT STONES TO BUILD THE HOUSE OF GOD._ David commanded to gather together the strangers - partly the descendants of the old Canaanites (2 Chronicles 8:7), from whom was exacted a tribute of bond-service, and partly war captives (2 Chronicles 2:7), reserved for the great work he contemplated....

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....

Verse 1 Chronicles 22:2. _THE STRANGERS THAT_ WERE _IN THE LAND_] Those who had become _proselytes_ to the Jewish religion, at least so far as to renounce idolatry, and keep what were called the seven Noahic precepts. These were to be employed in the more servile and difficult parts of the work: see on 1 Kings 9:21. For the account of building the temple, see 1 Kings 5:1, and the notes there....

THE STRANGERS - i. e., the aliens the non-Israelite population of the land. Compare 2 Chronicles 2:17....

EXPOSITION From the commencement of this chapter to the close of the First Book of the Chronicles we again travel alone, and, with the exception of parallel passages of a merely ordinary character, have no longer the assistance of comparing different descriptions of the same stretches of history. The present chapter relates David's interested and zealous preparations for the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 22:1); his exhortations and solemn charge to his son and successor (1 Chronicles 22:6); and afterwards his injunctions to the "princes of Israel" (1 Chronicles 22:17-13) to help Solomon....

AND DAVID COMMANDED TO GATHER TOGETHER THE STRANGERS THAT WERE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL,.... The proselytes, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; that is, proselytes of the gate, who submitted to the seven precepts of Noah, were admitted to dwell in the Cities of Israel, see Genesis 9:4 and these were ordered to be got together to be employed in building the temple, and making preparations for it; and that partly because they were better artificers than the Israelites, who were chiefly employed in husbandry and cattle, and partly that the Israelites, who were freemen, might not be put to hard service; but chiefly this was for the sake of a mystery in it, denoting that the Gentiles would be concerned in building the spiritual house and church of God, the temple was a type and figure of, see Zechariah 6:15

1 Chronicles 22:1 _Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel._ Now he knew where the temple was to be built; and of a certainty he had discovered that long-predestined site of which God said, «Here will I dwell.» This was the very hill whereon Abraham offered up his son Isaac; a hill, therefore, most sacred by covenant to the living God. He delighted to remember the believing obedience of his servant Abraham, and there he would have his temple built. 1 Chronicles 22:2. _And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God._ Observe here a very gracious eye to us who are Gentiles. The tem

IV. PREPARATIONS FOR THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE 1. The Preparations and Charge to Solomon CHAPTER 22 _ 1. The material (1 Chronicles 22:1)_ 2. The charge to Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:6) 3. The charge to the princes (1 Chronicles 22:17) God had accepted the sacrifice. The judgment had passed. Prayer had been answered and David, therefore, could truthfully say “this is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt-offering for Israel.” The place had therefore been pointed out on which the temple was to be reared. And from now on up to the twenty-eighth verse of chapter 26 all concerns the house which is to be built. The temple is

1 CHRONICLES 22:2 TO 1 CHRONICLES 29:30. The whole of this section is the work of the Chronicler, though it is probable that he utilised some earlier sources in compiling it; a good deal of OT material is woven into it, but it has no parallel in earlier books, as in the case of the Chapter s so far considered. 1 CHRONICLES 22:2. DAVID'S PREPARATION FOR THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. This is an imaginative elaboration of 2 Samuel 7:1; 2 Samuel 7:13....

David's Preparations for Building the Temple 2. _the strangers_ Cp. 2 Chronicles 2:17; 2 Chronicles 8:7 … 9 (R.V.). Hewing of stone was regarded as task-work unit for free men. _wrought stones_ All the stone used for the building of the Temple was previously cut to the right size; cp. 1 Kings 6:7....