2 And David commanded to gather together the ſtrangers that were in the Land of Iſrael c, and he ſet maſons to hew wrought ſtones d, to build the houſe of God.
cThe ſame perſons whom Solomon afterwards employed in the ſame Work : of which ſee 1 Kings 5:15. compared with 1 Kings g; 20, 21. d Wherein he could not do much,being prevented by death: but Solomon carried on and perfeted what David had begun.
3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joyniings e ; and braſs in abundance without weight.
e To be uſed together with melted Lead,for the joyning of thoſe great and ſquare Stones together.
4 Alſo cedar-trees in abundance : for the Zidoni- ans, and they of Tyre, brought much cedar-wood to David. |
5 And David faid f, * Solomon my Son 7s young and tznder g, and the houſe 7h2t is ro be built for the LORD, muſt be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundant- ly before his death.
| | Ehap.
© » Cam. ſix hun-
k $4: 24.
*Devt.12. 5. 2 Sam. »4: 18,
| | | 11. |
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ZE © Chap. XXII
name, becauſe thou haſt ſhed much blood upon the Earth +4 in my ſight 5.
þ Not that Wars either now are or then were {1:nply Unlawful, or that David ſinned in ſhedding the Blood of War; tor it is mas nifeſt, that Davids Wars were undertaken by Gods command, or with his Leave, and were attended with his Biting ; bur partly becauſe Davids Military Employments did for a good while {ill his Head and Hands,and gave him no leiſure for Temple-work : and principally for myſtical Significarion, to reach us that the Church (whereof the temple was a manifeſt & Tlluſtrious T'ype.) thould be built by Chriſt, he Prince of Peace, Ta. g. 6. and thar ir thou} be gathered and built up,net by might or power,or by force of Arms,bur oy(zods, Spirit,Zech.g 6.and by the preaching of rheGoſpel of Peace. ; Which I have taken particular notice of. And this expreſſion may poſſibly be added in reference to U-iah and the reſt of the If raclites, who .were flain at the Siege of Ribbah by Davids contrie vance; Which peradventure David had in his Eye, P/al. c:4, where David confefling this Sin, uſcth this very Expreiſion, 7 .4ys dong this Evil in thy [tgnt.
9 Behold, a ſon ſhall be born to thee, who hall Þe a Man of reſt, and 1 will give him reſt from all his | That is,
enemies round about : for his name ſhall be || Solomon, "9x and I will give peace and quietnels unto Iſrael in his 1;, 1 Kin; days. 5:5.Chey, ro * He ſhall build an houſe for my name, and he 1% 131 ſhall be my ſon, and I »## be his Father, and I will eſtabliſh the thone of kis Kingdom over Iſract for ever &;
k Of this ſee my Notes on 2 $am7. 7. 13. |
11 Now my Son, the LORD be with thee, and proſper thou /, and build the houſe of the LORD thy God, as he hath ſaid of thee. | I Go on proſperouſly in carrying on this Work. Or, the Lord give thee that Reſt and Proſperity which is neccilary for it.
i2 Only the LORD give thee wiſdom and unders ſtanding ; and give thee chargs concerning Iſrael »z, chat thou mayelt keep the Law of the LORD thy Goda
m 1.e, Give thee Inſtrudtions or DireQion rigtitly to manage and rule his people J/rael. Or, and ſet thee over Iſrad,as the Syriack renders 1t;whom the Arabick follows : Or when (as the Hebrew vai is oft uſed) he ſbal (et thee over Iſrael, i. e. when thou ſhalt be King for then Silemiu would need this Wiſdom, for which therefore ho Prayeth, 1 Kings 3: 9. :
13 Then thalt thou proſper, if thou takeſt heed to fulfil the ſtatutes and judgments which the LORD char- ged Moſes with concerning Ifrael. Be ſtrong, and of _ g00u courage, dread not, nor be diſmayed, [ Or,nm 14 Now behold, !| in my trouble » I have prepared for the houſe of the LORD, an hundred thouſand ta- lents of gold e,anda thouſand thouſand talents of filver p; *Amwery and of brafs,- and iron, withour * weight : (for it is in abundance ) timber alſo and ſtone have Iprepaxed, and thou mayett add thereto.
This he alledgeth as a reaſon why he could do no more, becauſe of the many Troubles and Wars both Forreign and Civil, whereby much of his Treaſurers was exhauſted. » A Talant of Gold in the firſt conſtitution was 30920 Shekels, as may be gathered from Exod.38:24,25,26, and fo this amounts to a very vaſt Sum,yet not impoſſible for David to get,conlidering how many and great Cons queſts he made, and what vaſt Spoils and Preſents he gor ;and thar he endeavoured by all juſt & honourable ways to get as much as ha could, not out of Covetoulſneſs, or for his own Ends, bur meerly out of Zeal for Gods houſe. And whereas ſome obje&, that this quantity of Gold and Silver was ſufficient, tho the whole Fabrick of the Temple had conſiſted of Mally Gold and Silver : it is to be conſidered,that all this Treaſure was nor ſpent upon the Materials of the Temple, but a very great part of it upon the Workmen, which were nigh 260000, whereot a great number were Officers, which being employed for ſo long time together, would exhauſt a conſiderable part of it ; and what was not employed in the build= ing of the Temple, was laid up in the Sacred Treaſures for future occaſions,there being mention of the great Treaſures lefr by Davia, even in other Authors:.Buc ſome Learned Men make theſe Talents far leſs than thoſe in Moſer his Time ; and they conceive, that as there was two ſorts of Shekels both of fold and Silver, the come mon and the ſacred Shekel, whereof rhe latter is commonly thought to be double to the former, fo alſo there were Talents »f divers kinds and values. For the Hebrew word kar, which is rendered a Talent, properly ſignifies only a Maſs or a Picce, as it is uſed, Exos. 29:23, I Sam: 2:36, Zech:5:7. $0 it may indifferently denote either a greater or a lefler piece. And this 1s certain, and obſerved by two Ancient and moſt Learned Writers, Yarra and Pellux, and by others, that a Talent among the Greeks and Romans ſometimes notes but a ſmall quantity : and that a Talent of Gold contains on- ly fix drams. And Homer in his Jiads, among other things of no great value, which are propounded as Rewards to the Conqueror at a ſolemn and publick Exerciſe, a Bondweman, an Horſe and a Pot,
f W:thin himſelf, or in his own thoughts. g And therefore through yourhtul vanity and folly, and unſerledaeſs, may not uſe