Why did David prepare what Solomon needed before his own death?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

David said Solomon was very young and tender, while the Lord’s house must be renowned in all countries; he therefore prepared the materials, resources and workers and charged the princes to help his son.

Chapter breakdown

David prepares what is needed, charges Solomon to build the temple and tells the princes to help him.

David declared that this was the house of God and the altar for Israel’s holocaust. He ordered all the proselytes in Israel’s land to be gathered and appointed stonecutters from among them to hew and polish stones for God’s house. He prepared abundant iron for the gate nails, closures and joinings, and an immense weight of brass. Sidonians and Tyrians brought cedar trees without number. David said that Solomon his son was very young and tender, while the house to be built for the Lord must be renowned in all countries. He therefore would prepare what Solomon needed, and before his death he prepared all the charges.

David called Solomon his son and commanded him to build a house for the Lord, Israel’s God. He told Solomon that he had wanted to build a house for the name of the Lord his God. But the Lord’s word had told him that he had shed much blood and fought many battles, and could not build a house to his name after shedding so much blood before him. The son to be born to David would be a most quiet man: God would give him rest from all surrounding enemies, so he would be called Peaceable. God would give Israel peace and quietness all his days. He would build the house to God’s name, be God’s son with God as his father, and have the throne of his kingdom over Israel established for ever.

David wished that the Lord would be with Solomon, that he would prosper and build the house as God had spoken of him. He asked the Lord to give Solomon wisdom and understanding to rule Israel and keep God’s law. Solomon would be able to prosper if he kept the commandments and judgments that the Lord commanded Moses to teach Israel. David told him to take courage, act manfully and neither fear nor be dismayed.

David said that in his poverty he had prepared 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver for the Lord’s house. The brass and iron were too abundant to weigh or count. He had also prepared timber and stones for all the charges. Solomon had abundant workmen: stone hewers, masons, carpenters and people most skilled in every trade, working in gold, silver, brass and iron, without number. David told him to arise and be doing, and said the Lord would be with him.

David charged all Israel’s princes to help Solomon his son. He told them that the Lord their God was with them, had given them rest all around and delivered all their enemies into their hands; the land was subdued before the Lord and his people. They were therefore to give their hearts and souls to seeking the Lord, arise and build a sanctuary to him, so that the ark of his covenant and the vessels consecrated to him could be brought into the house built to his name.

The story inside

David declares the house and altar and begins preparations through stonecutters, iron, brass and cedar. He gives Solomon’s youth and the house’s intended renown as his reason for preparing what is needed. He commands Solomon to build, recounting his own wish and the Lord’s refusal because of his bloodshed and battles. The word promises a peaceable son, rest from enemies, Israel’s peace during his days, divine fatherhood and a lasting throne. David wishes Solomon wisdom for ruling and lawkeeping and makes prosperity conditional on keeping the commandments and judgments taught through Moses. He lists the gold and silver totals, uncounted brass and iron, timber, stones and skilled workers, then calls Solomon to act. His charge to the princes connects their rest and subdued land with seeking the Lord and helping build the sanctuary for the ark and consecrated vessels.

Lessons worth keeping

1
David gives a particular reason for preparation. Solomon is young and tender and the house must be renowned in all countries. The chapter records materials and workers, without supplying a story of humble acceptance, taxation or alliances as their source. The cedar is specifically brought by Sidonians and Tyrians.
2
The restriction and promise have their own scope. David reports that his bloodshed and battles prevent his building, while the son will receive rest from surrounding enemies and build. The promises include peace for Israel all his days, the father-and-son relationship and the throne for ever. These remain the reported words, rather than a claim here that every promised result has already happened.
3
David’s encouragement includes a condition and a shared task. Solomon is to prosper if he keeps the commandments and judgments Moses was told to teach. The princes are separately commanded to help, seek the Lord with hearts and souls and build so the ark and consecrated vessels may enter the house. Their assistance is a command in this chapter, not a report of completed building or proven national unity.

Test your recall

Solomon is young and tender and the house must be renowned → David prepares what is needed before his death. David’s bloodshed and battles prevent his building → he recounts the promise of a peaceable son and commands Solomon to build. Wisdom supports ruling and lawkeeping; keeping the commandments and judgments is the stated condition for prosperity → David calls him to courage and action. Rest from enemies and the subdued land → David commands the princes to seek the Lord and help build a sanctuary for the ark and vessels.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 43554–43558
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 22 David having prepared all necessaries, chargeth Solomon to build the temple and the princes to assist him.
Lines 43559–43575
22:1. Then David said: This is the house of God, And this is the altar for the holocaust of Israel. 22:2. And he commanded to gather together all the proselytes of the land of Israel, and out of them he appointed stonecutters to hew stones and polish them, to build the house of God. 22:3. And David prepared in abundance iron for the nails of the gates, and for the closures and joinings: and of brass an immense weight. 22:4. And the cedar trees were without number, which the Sidonians, and Tyrians brought to David. 22:5. And David said: Solomon my son is very young and tender, and the house which I would have to be built to the Lord, must be such as to be renowned in all countries: therefore I will prepare him necessaries. And therefore before his death he prepared all the charges.
Lines 43577–43594
22:6. And he called for Solomon his son: and commanded him to build a house to the Lord the God of Israel. 22:7. And David said to Solomon: My son, it was my desire to have built a house to the name of the Lord my God. 22:8. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Thou hast shed much blood, and fought many battles, so thou canst not build a house to my name, after shedding so much blood before me: 22:9. The son, that shall be born to thee, shall be a most quiet man: for I will make him rest from all his enemies round about: and therefore he shall be called Peaceable: and I will give peace and quietness to Israel all his days. 22:10. He shall build a house to 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 for ever.
Lines 43596–43604
22:11. Now then, my son, the Lord be with thee, and do thou prosper, and build the house to the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken of thee. 22:12. The Lord also give thee wisdom and understanding, that thou mayest be able to rule Israel, and to keep the law of the Lord thy God. 22:13. For then thou shalt be able to prosper, if thou keep the commandments, and judgments, which the Lord commanded Moses to teach Israel: take courage and act manfully, fear not, nor be dismayed.
Lines 43606–43617
22:14. Behold I in my poverty have prepared the charges of the house of the Lord, of gold a hundred thousand talents, and of silver a million of talents: but of brass, and of iron there is no weight, for the abundance surpasseth all account: timber also and stones I have prepared for all the charges. 22:15. Thou hast also workmen in abundance, hewers of stones, and masons, and carpenters, and of all trades the most skilful in their work, 22:16. In gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, whereof there is no number. Arise then, and be doing, and the Lord will be with thee.
Lines 43619–43632
22:17. David also charged all the princes of Israel, to help Solomon his son, 22:18. Saying: You see, that the Lord your God is with you, and hath given you rest round about, and hath delivered all your enemies into your hands, and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people. 22:19. Give therefore your hearts and your souls, to seek the Lord your God and arise, and build a sanctuary to the Lord God, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the vessels consecrated to the Lord, may be brought into the house, which is built to the name of the Lord.