²Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, and the brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood; onyx[¹] stones, and stones to be set, stones for inlaid work, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
[¹] Or, beryl.
2. onyx] or, as margin, beryl. Compare Genesis ii. 12 (margin beryl).
stones for inlaid work] Compare Isaiah liv. 11, I will lay thy stones with fair colours (the same word is used in Hebrew).
³Moreover also, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it unto the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house;
3. I give it] not all his private fortune, but the splendid offering announced in verses 4, 5. David then challenges the leaders to display a like generosity (verse 5).
even three thousand talents of gold, etc.] i.e. about £20,000,000 or £10,000,000 (light standard). The amount is impossibly vast, and may be compared with the exaggeration noted in xxii. 14.
⁴even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:
4. gold of Ophir] Ophir is probably to be identified with some part of the south-east coast of Arabia; see note on 2 Chronicles viii. 18. The reference here is no doubt an anachronism, for it is clear that Israelite tradition regarded this trade with Ophir as an innovation of Solomon’s reign (see 2 Chronicles viii. 18, ix. 10 = 1 Kings ix. 28, x. 11).
to overlay] compare 2 Chronicles iii. 4–8.