The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 354

EXPOSITION. CHAP'£ER XXII. It was not David's object merely to gain Frum the commencement of this chapter cheap or compulsory work (2 Chron. ii. 17, 18), but to obtain a skill, which immigrants to the clo;e of the First Book of the Chro- from oertain places would possess, in excess nicles we again travel alone, and, with of that of his own people (2 Chron. ii. 7, 8, the, e:s:ception of parallel passages of e. 13, 14), especially considering the absorption merely ordinary character, have no longer of Israel in the pursuit of war, which had the assistance of comparing different de- so largely impeded their study and practice of these the arts of peace. scriptions of the same stretches of history. Ver. 3.-Iron ... the joinings; and brass. The present chapter relates David's inte- The very first Bible mention of metals (Gen. rested and zealous preparations for the iv. 22) places these two together. Whence building of the temple (vers. 1-5); his Solomon got his " abundance" of the latter exhortations and solemn charge to his son we have read in eh. xviii. 8; for the "abun- and successor (vers. 6--16); and afterwards dance" of the former he would not neces- sarily go further than his own land. hiB injunctions to the "princes of Israel " Although the expression, "the land whose (vers. 17-19) to help Solomon. stones are iron" (Deut. viii. 9), is possibly Ver. 1.-This verse evidently belongs to enough a poetical figure where it stands, the close of the last chapter, and shouid yet some of the force of the figure may have have had its place there. lt indicates a deep sprung from its nearness to fact. The sense of relief that now visited David's abundant use of iron in a great variety of mind. We can imagine how he had pon- tools, implements, weapons, and the know- dered often and long the "place where" of ledge of it in bar and sheet, might be the "exceeding magnificent" house which illustmted from a large number of quota- it was in his heart to build for the Lord. tions from Scripture (Deut. xix. 5; xxvii. 5; The place was now found, and the more 2 Sam. xii. 31 ; 2 Kings vi. 5; Isa. x. 34; unexpected and "dreadful" (Gen. xxviii. Amos i. 3; and many others). The "join- 17) the method by which it was arrived ings" were the clamps and plates of various at, the more convincing and satisfactory, at size and shape, which held strongly to- all events in some points of view. The gether, whether beams of wood or blocks of extraordinary and impressive designating stone. of this spot was in itself a signal for an Ver. 4.-The Zidonians and the:, of Tyre active commencement of the work, and made (see 1 Kings v. 6, 9, 13-18; 2 Ohron. ii. at the same time such commencement prac- 16-18). The interesting passages in ticable. Solomon and many others would Homer, Herodotus, and Strabo, which speak afterwards often think, often speak, of the of Zidon, etc., are in entire accord with "threshinp;-floor of Ornan the J ebusite" as what is here said, and a.re well worth the place "which was shown to Davi.I his perusal; e.g. 'Iliad,' vi. 289-295, "And father," and which "David had prepared" she descended to the vaulted chomber, (2 Chron. iii. 1). Here, then, he builds " the where were the garments all embroidered, altar of burnt offering," as, on the neigh• the works of women of Sidon, whom bouring "hill of Zion," he had reared the the godlike Alexunder himself brought "tabernacle for the ark." from Sidon when he orossed the wide sea, Ver. 2.-The strangers. These are plainly by the way that he brought Helen of noble called in the Septuagint "proselytes" ( -rovs lineage; " 'Iliad,' xxiii. 743, 744, "And this 1rpou7J:>..v-rovs). They were, of course, vessel was of unsurpassed fame for beauty foreign workmen, who came in pursuit over all the land, for the men of Sidon, cun- of their trade. The injunctions as to ning artificers, had skilfully wrought it, and "strangers," and with regard to showing Phamiciane had brought it over the dark them kindness, are very numerous, be- sea;" • Odyssey,' iv. 615-618, "And it was ginning with Exod. xii. 19, 48, 49: uii. all silver, but the borders were mingled 21 (20); :u.iii. 9; Lev. ili. 10, 83, 84; xv. with gold. It was the work of Hephrestus. 14-16; Deut. x. 18, 19; Josh. viii 33-35. The illustriollB PhCBdemllB, King of ihe oH. xxu. 1-19.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES.