I Chronicles 22:8

But the word of the Lord came to me,.... The word of prophecy, as the Targum, by the mouth of Nathan the prophet: saying; as follows, which though not expressed in the book of Samuel before referred to, is here recorded by divine inspiration: thou hast shed blood abundantly; Kimchi thinks this refers to the blood of Uriah, and those gallant men that were slain with him, and to the priests slain by the order of Saul, which David was the occasion of, or accidental cause of, Sa1 22:22 and to many good men among the Gentiles; though it was the intention of the Lord to consume the wicked among them, that they might not prevail over Israel: and hast made great wars: with the Philistines, Moabites, &c. thou shall not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight; an intimation this, that the church of God, of which this house was a type, was to be built by Christ, the Prince of peace, and to be supported and maintained not by force of arms, and by spilling of blood, as the religion of Mahomet, but by the preaching of the Gospel of peace.

"Out of the eater comes forth meat." It was upon occasion of the terrible judgment inflicted on Israel for the sin of David that God gave intimation of the setting up of another altar, and of the place where he would have the temple to be built, upon which David was excited with great vigour to make preparation for that great work, wherein, though he had long since designed it, it should seem, he had, of late, grown remiss, till awakened by the alarm of that judgment. The tokens of God's favour he received after those of his displeasure, I. Directed him to the place (Ch1 22:1). II. Encouraged and quickened him to the work. 1. He set himself to prepare for the building (Ch1 22:2-5). 2. He instructed Solomon, and gave him a charge concerning this work (Ch1 22:6-16). 3. He commanded the princes to assist him in it (Ch1 22:17-19). There is a great deal of difference between the frame of David's spirit in the beginning of the former chapter and in the beginning of this. There, in the pride of his heart, he was numbering the people; here, in his humility, preparing for the service of God. There corruption was uppermost (but the well of living water in the soul, though it may be muddied, will work itself clear again); grace here has recovered the upper hand.

22:8 God did not allow David to build the Temple because he had shed so much blood (cp. 1 Kgs 5:3-4). David’s wars were not unethical, and God had blessed and supported them. However, David had been tainted with a kind of ceremonial uncleanness from the blood he had shed and the deaths he had caused in battle (see 1 Chr 28:3; cp. Gen 4:10-12; Lev 17:3-4; Deut 21:1-9; Matt 27:24-25). Accordingly, he could not build a holy sanctuary for the Lord.