Commentary - 1 Chronicles 22:6-16

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, we witness a pivotal moment in the history of redemption: the formal passing of the torch from one generation to the next. King David, the warrior-poet who secured the kingdom, now commissions his son Solomon, the man of peace, to build the temple of God. This is more than just a royal construction project; it is a profound theological transition. David, a man after God's own heart, had the desire to build God's house, but was disqualified because his calling was one of warfare and bloodshed. God's permanent dwelling place was to be established not through war, but in an era of peace, foreshadowing the ultimate peace of the gospel. David's role was to fight the battles and gather the materials, preparing the way for his son. Solomon's role was to build upon that foundation in a time of rest. This entire narrative is a living parable, a type and shadow of a greater reality. David prepares the way, much like the Old Covenant with all its bloody sacrifices prepared the way. Solomon, the man of peace (Shalom), builds the glorious house, pointing us to the greater Solomon, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who builds His church not with stone and gold, but with living stones, into a spiritual house for God.

The charge David gives to Solomon is not merely architectural but deeply spiritual. The success of the project is contingent upon Solomon's obedience to the law of God. Wisdom, insight, and courage are all gifts from Yahweh, necessary for the task. David's meticulous and extravagant preparation of materials demonstrates his heart for God's glory and his submission to God's will, even when his own personal ambition was denied. He joyfully prepares for his son what he was not permitted to do himself, providing a model of humble, generational faithfulness.

Outline

Context In 1 Chronicles

First Chronicles was written after the exile, with the purpose of reminding the returned remnant of their identity as God's covenant people. The Chronicler is particularly focused on the Davidic monarchy and the Jerusalem temple as the twin pillars of Israel's relationship with Yahweh. Chapter 22 comes right after David's sinful census and the subsequent plague, which was halted at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. It was there that David declared, "Here shall be the house of the Yahweh God" (1 Chron 22:1). This chapter, therefore, provides the direct narrative link between the selection of the temple site and the preparations for its construction. It is David's formal and private commissioning of Solomon, which will be followed by a public commissioning in chapter 28. This section firmly establishes the divine mandate for the temple, explains why David could not be the builder, and designates Solomon as God's chosen instrument, all while grounding the entire enterprise in the covenant promises God made to David.

Key Issues

The Bloody Man and the Peaceful Son

One of the central theological points of this passage is the reason God gives for disqualifying David from building the temple. It was because he was a man of war who had "shed much blood." Now, we must be careful here. David's wars were, for the most part, commanded and blessed by God. He was God's instrument to establish the kingdom and subdue Israel's enemies. The bloodshed was not, in itself, sinful. So why the disqualification? It is a matter of typology. The house of God, His resting place, was to be a symbol of the ultimate peace and rest that He provides for His people. It could not be built by a man whose life was characterized by the bloody conflict necessary to secure that peace. The warfare had to come first, but the house of rest must be built in a time of rest. David represents the church militant, the age of conflict and battle against God's enemies. Solomon represents the church triumphant, the age of peace and settled worship. This is not to say war is ungodly, but rather that it is penultimate. The goal of all righteous warfare is peace. David fought so that Solomon could build. In the same way, the entire Old Covenant, with its rivers of animal blood, was a necessary preparation for the coming of the Prince of Peace. The cross was the greatest battle, the most violent shedding of blood in history, and it was that conflict that secured the eternal peace upon which Christ now builds His church, the true temple of God.

Verse by Verse Commentary

6 Then he called for his son Solomon, and commanded him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel.

The action is direct and authoritative. David, as king and father, calls for Solomon and issues a command. This is not a suggestion or a fond wish; it is a royal and paternal mandate. The task is specific: "to build a house." And the recipient is unambiguous: "for Yahweh, the God of Israel." This establishes from the outset that the temple project is not Solomon's idea or David's pet project. It is a commanded work, initiated by the king under the direction of God, for the glory of God. The name of God here is significant. He is Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God, and He is the God of Israel, the national God who has chosen this people for Himself.

7-8 And David said to Solomon, “My son, I had it within my heart to build a house to the name of Yahweh my God. But the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me.

David begins by revealing his own personal desire. It was "within my heart" to build this house. This shows that David's motive was pure; his heart was rightly oriented toward the glory of God. God does not rebuke David for this desire. But a good desire is not the same thing as a divine commission. God's revelation to David overrode David's personal ambition. The reason given is stark: "You have shed much blood." This was not a condemnation of David's military career, which was largely righteous. Rather, it was a typological disqualification. The man who establishes the kingdom through war is not the man to build the temple of peace. The shedding of blood, even justly, is associated with the curse and the conflict of this fallen world. The house of God was to be a picture of a new kind of world, a world at rest. David's hands were sanctified for war; different hands were needed for this particular work of worship.

9 Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.

The prohibition on David is immediately followed by a promise. A son is coming who will be qualified precisely where David was disqualified. He will be a "man of rest." God Himself promises to provide the necessary context for this building project: "I will give him rest from all his enemies." The peace of Solomon's reign was a direct gift from God. His very name, Solomon (Shlomo), is derived from the Hebrew word for peace, Shalom. God makes the connection explicit: his name will be Solomon, and he will bring "peace (shalom) and quiet" to Israel. This is a beautiful picture of the gospel. The work of Christ, our greater Solomon, brings true shalom between God and man, and it is upon that foundation of peace that He builds His church.

10 He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be a son to Me and I will be a father to him; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

This verse is a direct echo of the Davidic Covenant found in 2 Samuel 7. The task (building the house) is linked to a glorious, covenantal relationship. God says of Solomon, "he shall be a son to Me and I will be a father to him." This intimate language of adoption elevates the king of Israel to a unique status as God's representative on earth. And the promise extends beyond Solomon to his dynasty: "I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever." Of course, we know that Solomon's earthly kingdom eventually crumbled. This is because the promise was always looking beyond the type to the antitype. The ultimate fulfillment of this promise is found only in Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, whose kingdom will never end.

11-12 Now, my son, Yahweh be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of Yahweh your God just as He has spoken concerning you. Only Yahweh give you insight and understanding, and give you command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of Yahweh your God.

David now turns to a direct blessing and exhortation. The foundation of all success is the presence of God: "Yahweh be with you." Success is not defined by architectural grandeur or political stability, but by fulfilling God's stated purpose: "build the house... just as He has spoken." David then prays for the essential tools Solomon will need, and they are not hammers and chisels, but spiritual qualities. He prays that Yahweh would grant Solomon "insight and understanding." This is the very wisdom Solomon would later famously ask for. And what is the purpose of this wisdom? It is not for personal enrichment or glory, but "so that you may keep the law of Yahweh your God." True wisdom is moral and covenantal. It is the ability to govern God's people according to God's law.

13 Then you will succeed, if you are careful to do the statutes and the judgments which Yahweh commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.

Here is the conditional nature of the blessing for the temporal king. "Then you will succeed, if..." The success of Solomon's reign is explicitly tied to his obedience. He must be "careful to do" the law given through Moses. There is no room for innovation or corner-cutting when it comes to God's commands. This conditionality, which Solomon and his descendants ultimately failed to meet, highlights our need for a better king, one who would obey perfectly. David concludes his charge with the same words God spoke to Joshua: "Be strong and courageous." This kind of massive, generation-defining work requires fortitude. The enemies are not just external nations, but internal temptations to fear, discouragement, and compromise.

14 Now behold, with great pains I have prepared for the house of Yahweh 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weight, for they are in great quantity; also timber and stone I have prepared, and you may add to them.

David now moves from spiritual exhortation to practical provision. He did not just pass on a command; he passed on the resources to fulfill it. He emphasizes the difficulty of his preparation: "with great pains." The quantities listed are astronomical, almost certainly using a symbolic or different talent measure, but the point is the sheer, overwhelming lavishness of the provision. David held nothing back. The gold, silver, bronze, and iron were war plunder, consecrated to God. The very instruments of war are melted down and repurposed for the house of peace. David has done all the hard work of gathering, and he humbly invites Solomon to build upon it: "and you may add to them."

15-16 Moreover, there are many of those who do the work with you, hewers of stone and craftsmen of stone and wood, and all men who are wise in every kind of work. Of the gold, the silver and the bronze and the iron there is no number. Arise and work, and may Yahweh be with you.”

The provision is not just material but also includes skilled labor. David had already organized a massive workforce of artisans and craftsmen. Solomon is not starting from scratch. He is inheriting a kingdom that is not only at peace but is also fully supplied and organized for the great task. The resources are described as being without number, emphasizing the abundance. David's final charge is simple and direct: "Arise and work." The time for planning is over. The resources are in place. The command has been given. Now is the time for action. And he ends where he began, with the essential blessing upon which everything depends: "and may Yahweh be with you."

Application

This passage is a rich resource for understanding our own place in God's kingdom work. First, it teaches us about generational faithfulness. Like David, we may have desires and plans that God, in His wisdom, does not permit us to fulfill. Our role may be to fight the battles, to clear the ground, and to gather the materials for a work that the next generation will build. A faithful Christian is not one who insists on seeing all his own projects completed, but one who joyfully prepares the way for his children and his children's children, content to be a link in God's long chain of covenant faithfulness.

Second, it reminds us that true success in any Christian endeavor is predicated on two things: the presence of God and obedience to the Word of God. We can have all the gold and silver, all the skilled workers and clever plans, but if God is not with us and if we are not careful to do what His law requires, the entire enterprise will ultimately fail. Wisdom is not cleverness; it is the fear of the Lord that leads to obedience. Courage is not recklessness; it is the strength to obey God when the world pressures us to compromise.

Finally, this entire story points us to Christ. David, the warrior king, prepared the way through conflict. Solomon, the peaceful king, built the temple. Jesus is both. He is the greater David who fought the ultimate battle on the cross, shedding His own blood to defeat sin, death, and the devil. And He is the greater Solomon, the Prince of Peace, who now builds His true temple, the church, upon the foundation of that victory. He provides all the resources we need, He gives us the skilled workers (pastors, teachers, evangelists), and He commands us to "arise and work." And the promise that undergirds it all is the same one David gave to Solomon: the promise of His presence. "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."