1 Chronicles 22:8

8 But the Lord told me that I had killed too many people and fought too many wars. And so, because of all the bloodshed I have caused, he would not let me build a temple for him.

1 Chronicles 22:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 22:8

But the word of the Lord came to me
The word of prophecy, as the Targum, by the mouth of Nathan the prophet:

saying;
as follows, which though not expressed in the book of Samuel before referred to, is here recorded by divine inspiration:

thou hast shed blood abundantly;
Kimchi thinks this refers to the blood of Uriah, and those gallant men that were slain with him, and to the priests slain by the order of Saul, which David was the occasion of, or accidental cause of, ( 1 Samuel 22:22 ) and to many good men among the Gentiles; though it was the intention of the Lord to consume the wicked among them, that they might not prevail over Israel:

and hast made great wars:
with the Philistines, Moabites

thou shall not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much
blood upon the earth in my sight;
an intimation this, that the church of God, of which this house was a type, was to be built by Christ, the Prince of peace, and to be supported and maintained not by force of arms, and by spilling of blood, as the religion of Mahomet, but by the preaching of the Gospel of peace.

1 Chronicles 22:8 In-Context

6 He sent for his son Solomon and commanded him to build a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.
7 David said to him, "Son, I wanted to build a temple to honor the Lord my God.
8 But the Lord told me that I had killed too many people and fought too many wars. And so, because of all the bloodshed I have caused, he would not let me build a temple for him.
9 He did, however, make me a promise. He said, "You will have a son who will rule in peace, because I will give him peace from all his enemies. His name will be Solomon, because during his reign I will give Israel peace and security.
10 He will build a temple for me. He will be my son, and I will be his father. His dynasty will rule Israel forever.' "
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.