1 Chronicles 22:6-16 Meaning: A Man of Rest
6Then he called for Solomon his son, and commanded him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel.
7David said to Solomon his son, “As for me, it was in my heart to build a house to the name of Yahweh my God.
8But Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ‘You have shed blood abundantly and have made great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.
9Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of peace. I will give him rest from all his enemies all around; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.
10He shall build a house for my name; and he will be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’
11Now, my son, may Yahweh be with you and prosper you, and build the house of Yahweh your God, as he has spoken concerning you.
12May Yahweh give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel, so that you may keep the law of Yahweh your God.
13Then you will prosper, if you observe to do the statutes and the ordinances which Yahweh gave Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid and don’t be dismayed.
14Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for Yahweh’s house one hundred thousand talents of gold, one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron without weight; for it is in abundance. I have also prepared timber and stone; and you may add to them.
15There are also workmen with you in abundance—cutters and workers of stone and timber, and all kinds of men who are skillful in every kind of work;
16of the gold, the silver, the bronze, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and may Yahweh be with you.”
6Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel.
7And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:
8But 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.
9Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
10He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.
11Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.
12Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God.
13Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
14Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.
15Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work.
16Of 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.
6Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for Jehovah, the God of Israel.
7And David said to Solomon his son, As for me, it was in my heart to build a house unto the name of Jehovah my God.
8But the word of Jehovah 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.
9Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
10He shall build a house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.
11Now, my son, Jehovah be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of Jehovah thy God, as he hath spoken concerning thee.
12Only Jehovah give thee discretion and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel; that so thou mayest keep the law of Jehovah thy God.
13Then shalt thou prosper, if thou observe to do the statutes and the ordinances which Jehovah charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; fear not, neither be dismayed.
14Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the house of Jehovah a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver, and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.
15Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all men that are skilful in every manner of work:
16of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and Jehovah be with thee.
6And he calleth for Solomon his son, and chargeth him to build a house to Jehovah, God of Israel,
7and David saith to Solomon his son, `As for me, it hath been with my heart to build a house to the name of Jehovah my God,
8and the word of Jehovah is against me, saying, Blood in abundance thou hast shed, and great wars thou hast made: thou dost not build a house to My name, for much blood thou hast shed to the earth before Me.
9`Lo, a son is born to thee; he is a man of rest, and I have given rest to him from all his enemies round about, for Solomon is his name, and peace and quietness I give unto Israel in his days;
10he doth build a house to My name, and he is to Me for a son, and I am to him for a father, and I have established the throne of his kingdom over Israel unto the age.
11`Now, my son, Jehovah is with thee, and thou hast prospered, and hast built the house of Jehovah thy God, as He spake concerning thee.
12Only, Jehovah give to thee wisdom and understanding, and charge thee concerning Israel, even to keep the law of Jehovah thy God;
13then thou dost prosper, if thou dost observe to do the statutes and the judgments that Jehovah charged Moses with concerning Israel; be strong and courageous; do not fear, nor be cast down.
14`And lo, in mine affliction, I have prepared for the house of Jehovah of gold talents a hundred thousand, and of silver a thousand thousand talents; and of brass and of iron there is no weighing, for in abundance it hath been, and wood and stones I have prepared, and to them thou dost add.
15`And with thee in abundance are workmen, hewers and artificers of stone and of wood, and every skilful man for every work.
16To the gold, to the silver, and to the brass, and to the iron, there is no number; arise and do, and Jehovah is with thee.'
6And he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for Jehovah the God of Israel.
7And David said to Solomon, As for me, my son, I was minded to build a house unto the name of Jehovah my God.
8But the word of Jehovah came to me saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build a house unto my name, for thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
9Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon, and in his days I will give peace and quietness unto Israel.
10He shall build a house unto my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.
11Now, my son, Jehovah be with thee, that thou mayest prosper, and build the house of Jehovah thy God, as he has said of thee.
12Only, Jehovah give thee wisdom and understanding, and place thee over Israel, and to keep the law of Jehovah thy God.
13Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to perform the statutes and ordinances which Jehovah commanded Moses for Israel: be strong and courageous; fear not, neither be dismayed.
14And behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the house of Jehovah a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight, for it is in abundance; and timber and stone have I prepared; and thou shalt add to it.
15And there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of skilful men for every kind of work.
16Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing and Jehovah be with thee.
Meaning in one sentence
David prepared for the temple but God chose Solomon, a man of peace, to build it. See how God's 'no' can launch a blessing.
Context
David is nearing the end of his life. For years he gathered materials for a house for God, but God told him he would not build it. The reason? David had shed much blood in war. Instead, God promised that a son of peace would carry out the work. Solomon, whose name sounds like the Hebrew word for peace, would be the one. Now David calls Solomon in, tells him the whole story, and commissions him to build. This is not a bitter handoff. David has prepared gold, silver, bronze, iron, timber, and stone without measure. He has gathered skilled workers. He passes on everything, ends with a strong command: “Arise and be doing, and may Yahweh be with you.” It is a moment of both closure and generosity.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words shape this passage. First, menuchah (rest) in verse 9. It means a settled quiet, not just a nap but a place where you can finally build without looking over your shoulder. God calls Solomon “a man of rest.” The word carries the idea of a home, a safe place for God’s presence. Second, the name Solomon sounds like shalom (peace). The pun is deliberate. The temple would be built not by military might but under a reign of quiet. Third, in verse 13 David tells Solomon to “be strong and courageous.” The verb chazak means to take hold, to be firm. It is the same word God spoke to Joshua. Strength here is not muscle. It is clinging to God’s law and trusting His presence. Together these words say: rest is the foundation, peace is the atmosphere, and faithful courage is the posture for the work ahead.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen this passage as a lesson in God’s timing and the priority of peace. Matthew Henry observed that David’s wars, though necessary, made him less fit to build the temple, which pointed to Christ, the Prince of Peace. The Geneva Bible notes that Solomon’s peaceful reign allowed the work to flourish. Catholic and Orthodox readers often emphasize the symbolic purity of the temple builder, while Reformed voices highlight God’s sovereign choice in assigning roles. All agree that David’s humble acceptance and his generous preparations show a heart submitted to God’s plan. The story invites every reader to trust that God’s “no” can be as purposeful as His “yes,” and that our work may be to prepare the way for someone else.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think David was being punished for his sins when God refused to let him build the temple. In fact, the text shows no condemnation. David’s wars were part of God’s plan to give Israel rest. The restriction was not a penalty but a sign: the temple would be built by a man of peace, pointing forward to Christ. David did not sulk. He poured himself into preparing for his son, turning a closed door into a generous gift.
Living This Out
This week, you may face a door that stays shut. A project that stalls. A role you wanted but someone else got. Before you turn away, ask: is there a way to prepare the ground for another person? David did not stop working when he heard God’s no. He gathered more, planned more, and then handed it all over. You could use your experience, your resources, even your disappointed heart to smooth the path for someone younger or less experienced. And while you do that, hold onto verse 13: “Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid and don’t be dismayed.” God’s presence goes with you, whether you are the builder or the one who makes the building possible.
Main takeaway: God sometimes closes one door so we can open another, preparing the way for someone else to build what we dreamed of.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
King David wanted to build a big house for God. But God said, “Your son Solomon will build it.” So David saved up lots of gold and silver and wood. Then he told Solomon, “Go ahead, build it! God is with you.” David didn’t get grumpy. He got ready to help his son.
For ages 9, 12
David had a big dream to build the temple, but God said no because David was a warrior. Instead, God chose Solomon, whose name means “peace.” David accepted this and used all his resources to help his son succeed. That’s what it means to pass on a blessing. When God says no to your plan, He may still use you to prepare the way for someone else.
Questions People Ask
Why didn’t God let David build the temple?
God told David it was because he had shed much blood in war. The temple would be built by a man of peace, pointing to Christ, the ultimate Prince of Peace. It was not a punishment for sin but a sign of God’s design.
What does Solomon’s name mean?
Solomon sounds like the Hebrew word 'shalom,' which means peace. God promised to give Israel peace and quiet during his reign, and that peaceful setting made it possible to build the temple.
How much did David prepare for the temple?
David says he prepared 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, plus bronze and iron too heavy to weigh, along with timber and stone. These were enormous amounts, gathered through his conquests and personal saving.
What does 'Arise and be doing' mean for us?
It is a call to stop preparing and start building. Once you have gathered resources and received God’s word, the next step is action. Trust that God is with you and move forward.
Does this passage mean Christians should never fight in wars?
No. The commentators note that David’s wars were often defensive and allowed by God. The point is symbolic: the temple, which foreshadowed Christ’s church, is built by peace, not by force. Christians differ on pacifism, but all see the temple as a picture of God’s peaceful dwelling with His people.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study