1 Chronicles 22:2

2 And David commanded that all converts, that is, all men turned from heathenness to the law of Israel, should be gathered together of the land of Israel (And David commanded that all male converts, that is, all men turned from heathenness to the Law of Israel, in the land of Israel, should be gathered together); and he ordained (some) of them (to be) masons for to cut, or (to) hew, stones and to polish them, and that the house of the Lord should be builded;

1 Chronicles 22:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 22:2

And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were
in the land of Israel
The proselytes, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; that is, proselytes of the gate, who submitted to the seven precepts of Noah, were admitted to dwell in the Cities of Israel, see ( Genesis 9:4 ) and these were ordered to be got together to be employed in building the temple, and making preparations for it; and that partly because they were better artificers than the Israelites, who were chiefly employed in husbandry and cattle, and partly that the Israelites, who were freemen, might not be put to hard service; but chiefly this was for the sake of a mystery in it, denoting that the Gentiles would be concerned in building the spiritual house and church of God, the temple was a type and figure of, see ( Zechariah 6:15 )

and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God;
to dig them out of the quarries, and fit them for the building.

1 Chronicles 22:2 In-Context

1 And David said, This is the house of God, and this altar is into burnt sacrifice of Israel. (And David said, This is the House of God, and this is the altar of burnt sacrifice for Israel.)
2 And David commanded that all converts, that is, all men turned from heathenness to the law of Israel, should be gathered together of the land of Israel (And David commanded that all male converts, that is, all men turned from heathenness to the Law of Israel, in the land of Israel, should be gathered together); and he ordained (some) of them (to be) masons for to cut, or (to) hew, stones and to polish them, and that the house of the Lord should be builded;
3 also David made ready full much iron to the nails of the gates, and to the mixings and jointures, and unnumberable weight of brass; (and David made ready a great deal of iron for the nails of the gates, and for the joints, and innumerable weight of bronze;)
4 also the (number of) trees of cedar might not be guessed (and the amount of cedar timber could not be guessed), which the men of Sidon and the men of Tyre brought to David.
5 And David said, Solomon, my son, is a little child and delicate, that is, for tenderness of age; soothly the house, which I will (to) be builded to the Lord, oughteth to be such, that it be named in all countries; therefore I shall make ready necessaries to him. And for this cause David before his death made ready all [the] costs. (And David said, My son Solomon is a young and delicate man, that is, of tender age; and the House, which I desire to build to the Lord, ought to be such that it be famous in every country; and so I shall prepare its necessities. And for this reason David prepared all the expenses and the materials before his death.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.