1 Chronicles 22:2

Preparations for the Temple

2 So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God.

1 Chronicles 22:2 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
2 David commanded to gather together the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to prepare dressed stones for building the house of God.
New Living Translation (NLT)
2 So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God.
The Message Bible (MSG)
2 David ordered all the resident aliens in the land to come together; he sent them to the stone quarries to cut dressed stone to build The Temple of God.
American Standard Version (ASV)
2 And David commanded to gather together the sojourners that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
2 David ordered the foreigners living in Israel to gather. He appointed some of them to cut stones to build God's temple.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
2 So David gave orders to gather the foreigners that were in the land of Israel, and he appointed stonemasons to cut finished stones for building God's house.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
2 David gave orders to bring together the outsiders who were living in Israel. He appointed some of them to cut stones. He wanted them to prepare blocks of stone for building the house of God.

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 Then David said, “The house of the LORD God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
2 So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God.
3 He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.
4 He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.
5 David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

Cross References 2

  • 1. S Exodus 1:11; S Deuteronomy 20:11; 2 Chronicles 8:10; 1 Kings 9:21; S Isaiah 56:6
  • 2. 1 Kings 5:17-18; Ezra 3:7
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