And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for Jehovah must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

And David said: Solomon my son is very young and tender, and the house which I would have to be built to the Lord, must be such as to be renowned in all countries: therefore I will prepare him necessaries. And therefore before his death he prepared all the charges.

For David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be built for Jehovah must be exceeding great in fame and in beauty in all lands: I will therefore make preparation for it. And David prepared abundantly before his death.

And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be very magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David made abundant preparation before his death.

And David saith, 'Solomon my son is a youth and tender, and the house to be built to Jehovah is to be made exceedingly great, for name and for beauty to all the lands; let me prepare, I pray Thee, for it;' and David prepareth in abundance before his death.

And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

And David said, Solomon my son is young and untested, and the house which is to be put up for the Lord is to be very great, a thing of wonder and glory through all countries; so I will make ready what is needed for it. So David got ready a great store of material before his death.

And David said: "My son Solomon is a young and tender boy. But the house that I desire to be built to the Lord ought to be so great that it is renowned in every region. Therefore, I will prepare what will be necessary for him." And for this reason, before his death, he prepared all the expenses.

Young and tender - The exact age of Solomon at this time is uncertain; but it cannot have been more than 24 or 25. It may have been as little as 14 or 15. Compare the 1-Kings 2:2 note.

And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender,.... Jarchi supposes he was about twelve years of age, though he observes that the same word is used of Joshua when forty two years of age; it is probable Solomon might be now about twenty:
and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: and such was the temple built by Solomon; it was renowned throughout the whole earth; never was there a temple equal to it, no, not the famous temple of Diana at Ephesus, built by the assistance of many kings, and at the expense of all Asia, and was two hundred years in building:
I will therefore now, make preparation for it; seeing his son was so young, and this building to be so magnificent, though he himself was not admitted to build it:
so David prepared abundantly before his death; of which we have an after account in this chapter, and more largely in 1-Chronicles 28:1.

1-Chronicles 22:5 gives in 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 1-Chronicles 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 2-Samuel 12:24), and calls himself at the commencement of his reign still קטן נער (1-Kings 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 Exodus 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 1-Chronicles 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.

Prepared, &c. - And good reason, because it was intended for the honour of the great God, and was to be a type of Christ, in whom all fulness dwells, and in whom are hid all treasures.