substance the reason of what precedes, although it is connected with it only by ו consec. Because his son Solomon was still in tender youth, and the building to be executed was an exceedingly great work, David determined to make considerable preparation before his death. ורך נער ור, puer et tener, repeated in 1Ch 29:1, indicates a very early age. Solomon could not then be quite twenty years old, as he was born only after the Syro-Ammonite war (see on 2Sa 12:24), and calls himself at the commencement of his reign still קטן נער (1Ki 3:7). The word נער may of itself denote not merely a boy, but also a grown youth; but here it is limited to the boyish age by the addition of ורך. Berth. wrongly compares Exo 33:11, where נער denotes not a boy, but a lad, i.e., a servant. In the succeeding clause ליהוה לבנות is to be taken relatively: and the house which is to be built to the Lord is to be made great exceedingly (למעלה, see on 1Ch 14:2), for a name and glory for all lands, i.e., that it might be to the Lord for whom it should be built for an honour and glory in all lands. לו נא אכינה, I will (= therefore will I) prepare for him (Solomon), scil. whatever I can prepare to forward this great work.
Verses 6-10
1Ch 22:6-10Solomon commissioned to build the temple. - 1Ch 22:6. Before his death (1Ch 22:5) David called his son Solomon, in order to commit to him the building of the temple, and to press it strongly upon him, 1Ch 22:7-10. With this design, he informs him that it had been his intention to build a temple to the Lord, but the Lord had not permitted him to carry out this resolve, but had committed it to his son. The Keri בּני (1Ch 22:7) is, notwithstanding the general worthlessness of the corrections in the Keri, probably to be preferred here to the Keth. בּנו, for בּנו might have easily arisen by the copyist's eye having wandered to בּנו לשׁלמה, 1Ch 22:6. David's addressing him as בּני is very fitting, nay, even necessary, and not contrary to the following אני. לבבי עם, it was with my heart, i.e., I had intended, occurs indeed very often in the Chronicle, e.g., 1Ch 28:2; 2Ch 1:11; 2Ch 6:7., 1Ch 9:1; 1Ch 24:4; 1Ch 29:10, but is also found in other books where the sense demands it, e.g., Jos 14:7; 1Ki 8:17., 1Ch 10:2. In עלי ויהי, There came to me the word of Jahve (1Ch 22:8), it is implied that the divine word was given to him as a command. The reason which David gives why the Lord did not allow him to build the temple is not stated in 1 Chron 17 (2 Sam 7), ), to which David here refers; instead of the reason, only the promise
