1 Chronicles 22:16

Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Arise therefore, and be doing.—A phrase which recurs at Ezra 10:4.

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 22:16. Of the brass and the iron there is no number — The meaning is, the quantity of brass and iron was not numbered, as that of the gold and silver was. Arise, therefore, and be doing — When thou shalt come to the throne. The sense of God’s presence must not slacken our endeavours; because he is with us, we must rise and be doing. Then he will be with us even to the end. Work out your salvation, and God will work in you.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

22:6-16 David gives Solomon the reason why he should build the temple. Because God named him. Nothing is more powerful to engage us in any service for God, than to know that we are appointed thereto. Because he would have leisure and opportunity to do it. He should have peace and quietness. Where God gives rest, he expects work. Because God had promised to establish his kingdom. God's gracious promises should quicken and strengthen our religious service. David delivered to Solomon an account of the vast preparations he had made for this building; not from pride and vain-glory, but to encourage Solomon to engage cheerfully in the great work. He must not think, by building the temple, to purchase a dispensation to sin; on the contrary, his doing that would not be accepted, if he did not take heed to fulfil the statutes of the Lord. In our spiritual work, as well as in our spiritual warfare, we have need of courage and resolution.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In my trouble - See the margin. David refers to the manifold troubles of his reign, which had prevented him from accumulating very much treasure.

An hundred thousand talents of gold ... - We do not know the value of the Hebrew talent at this period, and therefore these numbers may be sound. But in that case we must suppose an enormous difference between the pre-Babylonian and the post-Babylonian talents. According to the value of the post-Babylonian Hebrew talent, the gold here spoken of would be worth more than 1 billion of our British pounds sterling, while the silver would be worth ahove 400 million pounds. Accumulations to anything like this amount are inconceivable under the circumstances, and we must therefore either suppose the talents of David's time to have been little more than the 100th part of the later talents, or regard the numbers of this verse as augmentcd at least a hundredfold by corruption. Of the two the latter is certainly the more probable supposition.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

1Ch 22:6-19. He Instructs Solomon.

6. Then he called for Solomon … and charged him—The earnestness and solemnity of this address creates an impression that it was given a little before the old king's decease. He unfolded his great and long cherished plan, enjoined the building of God's house as a sacred duty on him as his son and successor, and described the resources that were at command for carrying on the work. The vast amount of personal property he had accumulated in the precious metals [1Ch 22:14] must have been spoil taken from the people he had conquered, and the cities he had sacked.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Be doing, to wit, when thou shalt come to the throne in my stead.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron,.... That is, the cunning artificers were skilful to work in each of these, some in gold and silver, others in brass and iron:

there is no number; either of the workmen, or of these materials; which yet must be restrained to the brass and iron, for the gold and silver are numbered, but not the brass and iron, 1 Chronicles 22:14,

arise therefore, and be doing: not that he should set about and begin the building the temple directly; but as soon as he could after he came to the throne, and not neglect and delay it:

and the Lord be with thee; as in 1 Chronicles 22:11 and here, as there, the Targum is,"may the Word of the Lord be thy help.''

Geneva Study Bible

Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. {h} Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.

(h) That is, go about it quickly.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. Arise therefore] R.V. omits therefore.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - Arise... and be doing. The first and last words of Ezra 10:4 are found here, and note may be made of the similarity of the expression. 1 Chronicles 22:16

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

David then turns to the workmen, the carpenters and stone-cutters, whom he had appointed (1 Chronicles 22:2) for the building. חצבים, properly hewers, in 1 Chronicles 22:2 limited to stone-hewers, is here, with the addition ועץ אבן חרשׁי, used of the workers in stone and wood, stonemasons and carpenters. כּל־חכם, all manner of understanding persons in each work, in contradistinction to מלעכה עשׁי, includes the idea of thorough mastery and skill in the kind of labour. These workmen, whom David had levied for the building of the temple, are mentioned by Solomon, 2 Chronicles 2:6. - In 1 Chronicles 22:16 all the metals, as being the main thing, are again grouped together, in order that the exhortation to proceed with the erection of the building may be introduced. The ל before each word serves to bring the thing once more into prominence; cf. Ew. 310, a. "As for the gold, it cannot be numbered." "Arise and be doing! and Jahve be with thee" (1 Chronicles 22:17-19).