Solomon commissioned to build the temple. - 1 Chronicles 22:6. Before his death (1 Chronicles 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, 1 Chronicles 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 (1 Chronicles 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, 1 Chronicles 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., 1 Chronicles 28:2; 2 Chronicles 1:11; 2 Chronicles 6:7., 1 Chronicles 9:1; 1 Chronicles 24:4; 1 Chronicles 29:10, but is also found in other books where the sense demands it, e.g., Joshua 14:7; 1 Kings 8:17., 1 Chronicles 10:2. In עלי ויהי, There came to me the word of Jahve (1 Chronicles 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 Chronicles 17 (2 Samuel 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 1 Chronicles 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 2 Samuel 7:11. David, therefore, the man of war, is not to build the temple, but (1 Chronicles 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. 1 Kings 13:2. מנוּחה אישׁ, not a man who procures peace (Jeremiah 51:59), but one who enjoys peace, as the following לו והניחותי shows. As to the name שׁלמה, see on 2 Samuel 12:24. Into 1 Chronicles 22:10 David compresses the promise contained in 1 Chronicles 17:12 and 1 Chronicles 17:13.

1 Chronicles 22:12 Parallel Commentaries

Only the

1 Kings 3:9-12 Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and bad...

2 Chronicles 1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this your people...

Psalm 72:1 Give the king your judgments, O God, and your righteousness to the king's son.

Proverbs 2:6,7 For the LORD gives wisdom: out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding...

Luke 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraides not; and it shall be given him.

that thou mayest

Deuteronomy 4:6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations...

1 Kings 11:1-10 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians...

Proverbs 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.