Synopsis of the Chapter
David prepares all the materials for the building of the temple, and hands over to Solomon the plan received from God; and he exhorts him always to worship God devoutly, and admonishes the leaders to help him in the building.
Verse 1: This Is the House of God ¶
1. THIS IS THE HOUSE OF GOD — that is, in this place, namely on the threshing floor of Ornan, which is on Mount Moriah, God commands a temple to be built.
Verse 5: Solomon Is a Young Boy ¶
5. SOLOMON IS A YOUNG BOY — that is, Solomon in comparison to so great and so magnificent a construction as the temple, is like a small boy: for otherwise he was already twenty years old.
Verse 14: A Hundred Thousand Talents of Gold ¶
14. A HUNDRED THOUSAND TALENTS OF GOLD (that is, twelve and a half million pounds of gold, which amount to one billion two hundred million French gold coins; he left the same in silver, namely) A MILLION TALENTS OF SILVER — which likewise amount to one billion two hundred million French gold coins; for in ancient times one pound of gold was worth ten pounds of silver: so in total he left him two billion four hundred million gold coins. See what was said about coins and measures at the end of the Pentateuch. This sum of gold and silver seems immense and almost unbelievable, but nothing is impossible for God, nothing difficult; therefore it was easy for Him to supply all this abundance to David for the construction of so magnificent a temple; hence He Himself, wishing this temple that had been burned by the Chaldeans to be restored through Zerubbabel and the Jews, encourages them, poor as they were, to build, saying: "The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine," Haggai 2:9. So St. Francis of Assisi, and the other Francis of Paola, the former the founder of the Friars Minor, the latter of the Minims, both of them poor, commanded by God to build a temple, built it for God, with God promising and providing the funds through the alms of the pious. Much more, if we are called by God to build the mystical temple of perfection in our own soul or in that of our neighbors, let us eagerly carry this out, trusting in His help. For God will be present, and will give strength and courage: "For the earth is the Lord's and its fullness," and as St. Leo says: "He justly insists on the precept who first provides the help."
FOR ALL THE EXPENSES. — The Hebrew and Chaldean have, and above these add more. The Septuagint: and add to these. Vatablus: to which you can add more. Hence Solomon and the people added many gifts to what David had left, to furnish and adorn the building of so magnificent a temple even more magnificently.
Moreover, our Villalpando, at the end of volume II on Ezekiel, in several chapters judges that David collected such great wealth partly from taxes, partly from Ophir, partly from the spoils and tribute of enemies, partly from the annual census of Israel, by which each person paid half a shekel each year to the temple according to the law, Exodus 30:13. Hence even Israelites living outside Judea, dispersed throughout the whole world, sent this head-tax annually to Jerusalem; and since their number was immense, they amassed a vast sum of gold.
Villalpando adds that David and Solomon, in annual income and wealth, surpassed the revenues and riches of the Romans, Chaldeans, Persians, and all kings and monarchs.
You will ask: How then does David in this verse say that he collected these things "in his poverty?" I answer: First, because all these things were small and few in comparison with the dignity and majesty of God. Secondly, "in poverty" means in much labor and affliction. Thirdly and most importantly, because, as follows, all these things belonged to God; therefore they were not David's, because he was poor of himself, and had nothing except what he had received from God.