1 Chronicles 22:8 kjv
But 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.
1 Chronicles 22:8 nkjv
but the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
1 Chronicles 22:8 niv
But this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.
1 Chronicles 22:8 esv
But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth.
1 Chronicles 22:8 nlt
"But the LORD said to me, 'You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name.
1 Chronicles 22 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:5-13 | Go and tell My servant David… ‘I will raise up your offspring... he shall build a house for My name... | God's initial promise about a temple builder. |
| 1 Chr 17:4-12 | You shall not build a house for Me... but your son, who shall come from you... shall build the house for My name. | Parallel account of God forbidding David. |
| 1 Kgs 5:3 | You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars… | Solomon recalls David's reason. |
| 1 Kgs 8:17-19 | Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD... but the LORD said to David... you may not build... | Solomon reiterates David's desire and God's rejection. |
| 1 Chr 28:3 | But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ | David publicly declares the reason for prohibition. |
| Num 35:33-34 | You shall not pollute the land in which you live… blood pollutes the land. | Bloodshed defiles the land and necessitates atonement. |
| Heb 9:13-14 | If the blood of goats and bulls... sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ... | The superior purification through Christ's blood. |
| Ps 51:10 | Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. | David's understanding of inner purity before God. |
| Isa 1:15-16 | Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen… your hands are full of blood… wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. | God rejects worship from those with bloodstained hands. |
| Mic 4:3-4 | They shall beat their swords into plowshares... neither shall they learn war anymore... but they shall sit every man under his vine... | Prophecy of future peace in God's kingdom. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born… And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. | The Messiah's association with peace, unlike David the warrior. |
| Hag 1:7-8 | Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD. | God's call to rebuild the temple after exile. |
| Zech 4:6 | Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. | Building God's house relies on His Spirit, not human force or bloodshed. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | …built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure… is being built up into a holy temple in the Lord. | The Church as the spiritual temple, built on Christ. |
| 1 Cor 3:16-17 | Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. | Believers as God's spiritual temple, emphasizing holiness. |
| 2 Cor 6:16 | For what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God. | Holiness and separation from defilement in the New Covenant. |
| Rom 15:33 | May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. | God's attribute as the God of peace. |
| Heb 12:14 | Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. | Emphasis on purity and peace for approaching God. |
| Rev 21:22 | And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. | The ultimate dwelling of God with humanity requires no physical temple. |
| Acts 7:47-49 | But Solomon built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands... | God's transcendence beyond physical structures. |
| Deut 23:14 | For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you; therefore your camp shall be holy... | Holiness required where God's presence is, even in military contexts. |
| Ps 24:3-4 | Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart… | Purity and innocence for access to God's holy presence. |
1 Chronicles 22 verses
1 Chronicles 22 8 Meaning
The verse conveys God's direct message to King David, explaining why he is forbidden from building a temple for God's name. The prohibition stems from David's extensive involvement in warfare and the shedding of much blood. God required a builder for His sanctuary who represented peace and purity, rather than conflict and bloodshed, thereby establishing a theological distinction between David's divinely ordained role as a warrior who established the kingdom and Solomon's role as a man of peace who would build the house for God's peaceful presence.
1 Chronicles 22 8 Context
Chapter 22 of 1 Chronicles describes King David's extensive preparations for building the Temple in Jerusalem. Having previously received a divine message from the prophet Nathan (1 Chr 17), where God indicated that David's son, not David himself, would build the temple, David nevertheless devoted himself to gathering vast quantities of materials like iron, bronze, cedar wood, gold, and silver. He also organized foreign workers and Israelite laborers. Verse 8 reiterates and clarifies the specific reason for David's inability to undertake the sacred task: his hands were stained with "much blood" from the "great wars" he had waged to establish the kingdom. This declaration is a crucial element in David's charge to his son Solomon, instructing him to be the one to fulfill God's will in building the Temple. Historically and culturally, in the ancient Near East, religious sanctuaries were understood as places of peace, purity, and stability, requiring a builder free from associations with warfare and bloodshed to dedicate such a space properly.
1 Chronicles 22 8 Word analysis
- But: Signals a contrast or transition from David's preparations to God's prohibitive word.
- the word of the LORD: (Hebrew: dāḇār YHWH) This signifies a direct, authoritative, and infallible divine communication. It emphasizes the absolute source of the command.
- came to me: Highlights a personal and intimate revelation to David himself, signifying direct understanding.
- saying: Introduces the direct quote of God's message.
- You have shed much blood: (Hebrew: dām raḇ) This refers to the vast quantity of lives taken by David during his reign as a warrior-king. While these wars were often divinely sanctioned for establishing Israel's dominion, the physical act of bloodshed was associated with ritual impurity in the biblical sense, rendering David unsuitable for constructing a sacred house of peace. This isn't necessarily a condemnation of his character or an implication of sin for all his wars, but a disqualification based on the nature of the task.
- and have waged great wars: (Hebrew: milḥāmōṯ gᵊdōlōṯ) Reinforces David's identity as a military leader constantly engaged in significant conflicts, underscoring the contrast between a life of warfare and the purpose of a house dedicated to God's name, which was meant to embody peace and rest.
- You shall not build: A definitive divine prohibition, indicating that despite David's good intentions and desire, this particular task was not for him.
- a house for My name: (Hebrew: bayiṯ l'šemî) This refers to the Temple, not just as a physical building but as a place where God's character, presence, and authority (His "name") would be uniquely manifested and honored. Building a "house for His name" implied creating a proper dwelling and symbol of His sovereign presence.
- because you have shed much blood: Reiterates the exact, singular reason for the prohibition, emphasizing the divine concern for purity in the construction of His dwelling.
- before Me on the earth: Implies that this bloodshed was not hidden; it was known to God and carried a spiritual consequence visible in the earthly realm, affecting the sacred purpose of the Temple.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "But the word of the LORD came to me, saying": This phrase highlights the divine origin and authority of the prohibition, indicating that it's not David's own decision but God's revealed will.
- "You have shed much blood and have waged great wars": This describes David's primary vocational identity during his kingship. The phrase links the literal bloodshed with the act of war, defining the reason for his unsuitability for the Temple's construction, even though these were activities often blessed by God.
- "You shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood before Me on the earth": This explicitly states the divine decree and directly ties the action of bloodshed to the inability to build the Temple. The repetition of "shed much blood" emphasizes the specific, unavoidable barrier to the sacred task, demonstrating God's particular requirement for the symbolic nature of His house as a sanctuary of peace and purity.
1 Chronicles 22 8 Bonus section
The concept of ritual purity and defilement was crucial in the Mosaic Law. Blood, while representing life (Lev 17:11), also caused ceremonial defilement if shed, particularly in excess, outside of the prescribed sacrificial system. While David's wars were legitimate and God-ordained, the accumulated bloodshed associated with establishing the kingdom rendered him ritually unsuitable for constructing a sanctuary meant to represent the serene and undefiled presence of God among His people. This distinction highlights that a person could be God's chosen vessel for one purpose (warfare and establishing the kingdom) but not suitable for another specific sacred task (building the Temple) due to the ritual implications of their primary role. David still contributed significantly by preparing all the necessary materials, thus fulfilling his part in God's larger plan for the Temple.
1 Chronicles 22 8 Commentary
This verse offers a profound theological insight into God's character and the nature of His dwelling. David, Israel's great warrior king who secured the kingdom, was eager to build a permanent structure for the ark of the covenant. Yet, God denied him this honor. The stated reason, his extensive shedding of blood, even in divinely sanctioned wars, emphasizes God's holiness and His preference for purity and peace associated with His dwelling place. The Temple was to be a symbol of peace (shalom), stability, and rest (God's rest from His work, and Israel's rest from enemies), embodying His presence in a unique way. A man constantly engaged in warfare, even just wars, did not align with this symbolic representation.
This was not a punishment for sin (as David’s wars were often under God’s command) but a matter of ceremonial fitness and theological symbolism. God desired a man of peace, Solomon (whose name Shelomoh is related to shalom, peace), to build the sanctuary. David's role was crucial in establishing the kingdom through conflict; Solomon's was to consolidate it through peace and build the symbolic center of worship. This also subtly points towards the future Messiah, the "Prince of Peace," who establishes an everlasting kingdom of peace (Isa 9:6), and ultimately, the New Testament understanding that God's true temple is built not with physical hands, but through Christ and His people (Eph 2:20-22). The cleanliness and suitability for sacred service extended beyond mere moral conduct to ceremonial purity in the Old Covenant context, setting a high standard for those engaged in direct acts of worship or building for God's holy name.