Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 22:8
But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build a house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
8. Thou hast shed blood abundantly ] Cp. 1Ch 28:3; in 1Ki 5:3 Solomon tells Hiram that David wished to build a temple, but was hindered from his design by war.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The word of the Lord came to me … – Not by Nathan 1Ch 17:4-15, but on some other occasion 1Ch 28:3. On the bloody character of Davids wars, see 2Sa 8:2, 2Sa 8:5; 2Sa 10:18; 2Sa 12:31; and 1Ki 11:16.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. Thou hast shed blood abundantly] Heathens, Jews, and Christians, have all agreed that soldiers of any kind should have nothing to do with Divine offices. Shedding of human blood but ill comports with the benevolence of God or the spirit of the Gospel.
AEneas, overpowered by his enemies, while fighting for his parents, his family, and his country, finding farther resistance hopeless, endeavours to carry off his aged father, his wife, young son, and his household gods; but as he was just come from slaughter, he would not even handle these objects of superstition, but confided them to his father, whom he took on his shoulders, and carried out of the burning of Troy.
Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu, patriosque penates:
Me bello tanto digressum, et caede recenti,
Attrectare nefas; donec me flumine vivo
Abluero.
AEN. ii., ver. 717.
“Our country gods, our relics, and the bands,
Hold you, my father, in your guiltless hands:
In me ’tis impious holy things to bear,
Red as I am with slaughter, new from war;
Till, in some living stream, I cleanse the guilt
Of dire debate, and blood in battle spilt.”
DRYDEN.
See the note at the end of 2Sa 7:25.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth; not that wars either now are or then were simply unlawful, or that David sinned in shedding the blood of war; for it is manifest that Davids wars were undertaken by Gods command, or with his leave, and were attended with his blessing; but partly because Davids military employments did for a good while fill his head and hands, and gave him no leisure for temple work; and principally for mystical signification, to teach us that the church (whereof the temple was a manifest and illustrious type) should be built by Christ, the Prince of peace, Isa 9:6; and that it should be gathered and built up, not by might or power, or by force of arms, but by Gods Spirit, Zec 4:6, and by the preaching the gospel of peace. In my sight; which I have taken particular notice of. And this expression may possibly be added in reference to Uriah and the rest of the Israelites, who were slain at the siege of Rabbah by Davids contrivance; which peradventure David had in his eye, Psa 51:4, where David, confessing this sin, useth this very expression, I have done this evil in thy sight.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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, 1Sa 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, c.
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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(8) But the word of the Lord came to me (upon me).Literally, And a word of Jehovah became upon me. There is a partial correspondence between this word of the Lord and that which Nathan is represented as delivering (1Ch. 17:4-14). There, however, David is promised success in war, without any hint that warfare, as such, would unfit him for the sacred task which he longed to undertake. And in 1Ki. 5:3, Solomon implies that Davids wars left him no leisure for the work.
Thou hast shed blood.The emphatic word is blood. Literally, Blood in abundance hast thou shed, and great wars hast thou made.
Because thou hast shed much blood.Better. for torrents of blood (plural) hast thou shed earthward before me. The author of this narrative may well have remembered Gen. 9:5-6, and the denunciations of the prophets against men of blood. (Comp. especially Amo. 1:3; Amo. 1:13; Amo. 2:1, with Davids treatment of the conquered Ammonites, 1Ch. 20:3. And see also Hoseas denunciation of vengeance upon the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel: Hos. 1:4; Hos. 7:7). Or the verse may express the interpretation which Davids own conscience put upon the oracle forbidding him to build the Temple.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. The word of the Lord came to me Probably by Nathan, but not at the time referred to in 1Ch 17:3, and 2Sa 7:4. At that time Jehovah opened to David’s prophetic eye that Messianic future which ever after was his joy and song; but at another time he sent Nathan again to explain to him the reason, as here given, why he should not build the temple of Jehovah.
Because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight The wars of David were not carried on against God’s will. In many cases they were expressly ordered by Jehovah, and often called the “wars of the Lord.” In order to the establishment of Israel in Canaan wars and bloodshed were unavoidable. Nevertheless, the bloodshed and barbarity of war were not in harmony with the profound symbolism of peace, sabbatic quiet, and thoughtful repose, which were to be embodied in the house of Jehovah. Hence David’s unfitness to build the temple. Comp. 1Ki 5:3.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ch 22:8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
Ver. 8. Thou hast shed much blood upon tho earth in my sight, ] i.e., Me sciente et vidente: haply God here meaneth the blood of Uriah, and of those that fell with him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
saying. See 1Ch 17; 1Ch 28:3. 2Sa 7:13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Thou hast shed: 1Ch 28:3, Num 31:20, Num 31:24, 1Ki 5:3
thou shalt not: 1Ch 17:4-10, 2Sa 7:5-11
Reciprocal: Num 31:19 – abide 1Ki 1:20 – that thou 1Ki 8:19 – General Psa 72:7 – abundance Joh 10:35 – unto Act 7:46 – and desired
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ch 22:8. Thou hast shed blood, &c.; thou shalt not build a house unto my name Not that wars are simply unlawful, but to teach us that the church (whereof the temple was an illustrious type) should be built by Christ, the Prince of peace, Isa 9:6, and that it should be gathered and built up, not by might or power, but by Gods Spirit, Zec 4:6, and by the preaching the gospel of peace. David therefore was less fit for that service, than one who had not been called to such bloody work. Likewise, by setting him aside for this reason, God showed how precious human life is to him.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, {d} Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
(d) This declares how greatly God detests the shedding of blood, seeing David for this cause is prevented from building the temple of the Lord, though he enterprised no war, but by God’s command and against his enemies.