| I Chronicles 22:2
| *And he commanded to gather together all the proselytes of the land of Israel, and out of them he appointed stone-cutters, to hew stones and polish them, to build the house of God.
| Year of the World 2988, Year before Christ 1016. Proselytes. This is the first time that the word occurs in the Vulgate. See Exodus 12:45. It means "strangers," (Calmet) who were not allowed to live in the country, unless they would observe the natural law, and renounce idolatry. (Rabbins) --- These had embraced the Jewish religion. (Menochius) --- They were the remnants of the people of Chanaan, (3 Kings 9:20,) and were treated as public slaves, which could not have been done, with justice or policy, with regard to those who might barely wish to reside in the country. These strangers prefigured the Gentiles, chosen to build the Christian Church.
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