Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXII.

Vers. 1. THen David said, This is the house of our Lord God, and this is the altar, &c.] That is, this is the place of which God spake long since by his servant Moses, where he intended to have a house built which must be the settled place of his worship and service, and where there must be an altar instead of this I have now set up; wherein onely they must offer up sacrifices unto him, Deut. 12.11. There shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there, thither shall you bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, &c. And this David knew, either by the discovery of the prophet Gad, who happely acquainted him with Gods purpose herein, or else thorough the speciall instinct of Gods spirit, himself gathered so much from Gods sending him to sacrifice there, and from Gods miraculous testifying his acceptance of the service there done him, by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, chap. 21.26, 28.

Vers. 2. And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel, and he set Masons to hew, &c.] And the building of the Tem∣ple by the help of strangers, was a notable type of the calling of the Gentiles: As for David that set them on work, he had received from God the pattern whereby the Temple was to be built, and every part thereof, chap. 28.11, 12, 19. and accor∣dingly therefore he prepared many materials, and set these workmen on work about them, to which Solomon afterward added what was not done, when he came to en∣ter upon the work, 1. Kings 5.17, 18.

Vers. 3. And brasse in abundance without weight.] So much that they weigh∣ed it not; it would have been too great a trouble and charge to receive it in, and de∣liver it out by weight.

Vers. 5. And David said, Solomon my sonne is young and tender, &c.] See 1. Kings 3.7.

Vers. 8. Thou hast shed bloud abundantly, and hast made great warres; thou shalt not build an house unto my name, &c.] Because the Temple was to be a type of Christ, and of the Church, and Christ is the king of peace, Heb. 7.2. and the Church was to be gathered not by warre and bloud-shedding, but by the preaching of the Gospel the tydings of peace, therefore the Lord would not have the Temple built by David but by Solomon, who was a peacable prince; this is doubtlesse the principall ground of this reason given why David might not build the Temple, as is evident, because there is mention of the warres of David, in the prosecution where∣of David did God good service; yet withall, because David was the cause of shed∣ding the bloud of Urijah and those that were slain with him, the Lord might also have respect to that, and by way of correction for it, to shew how displeasing it was to him, might take in that amongst the reasons, why David might not have the honour to build the Temple.

Vers. 10. He shall build an house for my name, &c.] See the notes upon 2. Sam. 7.13, 14.

And I will establish the throne of his kingdome over Israel for ever.] A great question may be made how this promise made to David concerning his sonne Solo∣mon, was accomplished in Solomons posterity, especially if we hold that which ma∣ny eminent Divines do with much earnestnesse maintain; namely, that Christ was not the sonne of David by Solomon, but by Nathan: It is most probable, that none of the posterity of Solomon did ever sit in the throne of David, after Zedekiah was carried captive into Babylon; nor yet ever had the supreme power of government, after they returned from Babylon again: now therefore if this promise were not made good in the eternity of Christs kingdome, then it seems it was not made good at all: but to this I answer; First, that by the Hebrew word, which is here transla∣ted for ever, there is no more intended in many places, then a continuance for a long time, as here happely, that so long as the kingdome of Judah should continue, one of Solomons posterity should sit in the throne: Secondly, that this promise might be conditionall; to wit, that if his posterity should keep covenant with God, then they should for ever sit in the throne of David: And thirdly, that the promise might be made good in the eternity of Christs kingdome, in that Christ was that king of whom Solomon was a type; though he was not lineally descended out of the loines of Solomon.

Vers. 12. Onely the Lord give thee wisdome and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, &c.] That is, and the Lord instruct thee, and direct thee how thou oughtest to govern his people Israel; and in remembrance of this we see Solomon begged wisdome of God, 1. Kings 3.9.

Vers. 14. Now behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord, &c.] That is, I have prepared materials for the building of the house (that when thou comest to the crown, thou mayest the more readily set upon the work) not ac∣cording unto my desire, nor according to that which the transcendent Majestie of God might require, but according as I was able, by reason of my continuall troubles.

Vers. 18. And the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people &c.] The Lord is here joyned with Israel, as the king with his people; and that the ra∣ther, because by the subduing of the land the people enjoyed their possessions and dwellings, and the Lord his worship and service.