And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
David commanded to gather together the strangers - partly the descendants of the old Canaanites (2 Chronicles 8:7-10), from whom was exacted a tribute of bond-service, and partly war captives (2 Chronicles 2:7), reserved for the great work he contemplated.