📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 22:16
What does 1 Chronicles 22:16 mean?
"of the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and may Yahweh be with you.”"
— 1 Chronicles 22:16 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Then 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.
Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for Yahweh’s house one hundred thousand talents of gold, one million talents of silver, and brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance. I have also prepared timber and stone; and you may add to them.
There 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;
of the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and may Yahweh be with you.”
David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,
“Isn’t Yahweh your God with you? Hasn’t he given you rest on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand; and the land is subdued before Yahweh, and before his people.
Now set your heart and your soul to follow Yahweh your God. Arise therefore, and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God, to bring the ark of Yahweh’s covenant and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for Yahweh’s name.”
Explanation
This verse comes near the end of a speech David gives to his son Solomon, in which the aging king describes the vast stockpile of building materials he has set aside for the future temple. In plain terms, David is saying that the quantities of gold, silver, bronze, and iron he has gathered are so immense they cannot even be counted or measured. Having just finished cataloging these resources, David turns from listing materials to issuing a personal charge: "Arise and be doing, and may the LORD be with you." It is both a call to action and a blessing — an exhortation to get up and start the work, paired with the assurance that God's presence will accompany that effort.
The context is essential to understanding the weight of this moment. David deeply desired to build a permanent temple for the LORD, a "house" to replace the portable tab
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