2 Chronicles8
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of Jehovah, and his own house,
2that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
3And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.
4And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath.
5Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
6and Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
7As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, that were not of Israel;
8of their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants unto this day.
9But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.
10And these were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.
11And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her; for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of Jehovah hath come.
12Then Solomon offered burnt-offerings unto Jehovah on the altar of Jehovah, which he had built before the porch,
13even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
14And he appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise, and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the doorkeepers also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.
15And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
16Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of Jehovah, and until it was finished. So the house of Jehovah was completed.
17Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, on the sea-shore in the land of Edom.
18And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and fetched from thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 2 Chronicles 8.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Solomon's buildings and trade. (1-18).
vv1-18
It sometimes requires more wisdom and resolution to govern a family in the fear of God, than to govern a kingdom with reputation. The difficulty is increased, when a man has a hinderance instead of a help meet in the wife of his bosom. Solomon kept up the holy sacrifices, according to the law of Moses. In vain had the altar been built, in vain had fire come down from heaven, if sacrifices had not been constantly brought. Spiritual sacrifices are required of us, which we are to bring daily and weekly; it is good to be in a settled method of devotion. When the service of the temple was put into good order, it is said, The house of the Lord was perfected. The work was the main matter, not the place; the temple was unfinished till all this was done. Canaan was a rich country, and yet must send to Ophir for gold The Israelites were a wise people, but must be beholden to the king of Tyre for men that had knowledge of the seas. Grace, and not gold, is the best riches, and acquaintance with God and his law, the best knowledge. Leaving the children of this world to scramble for the toys of this world, may we, as the children of God, lay up our treasure in heaven, that where our treasure is, our hearts also may be.
Key Words
קֵץ: an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after
עֶשְׂרִים: twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth
שָׁנֶה: a year (as a revolution of time)
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
שְׁלֹמֹה: Shelomah, David's successor
בָּנָה: to build (literally and figuratively)
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
עִיר: a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
חוּרָם: Churam, the name of an Israelite and two Syrians
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
Cross References
2 Chronicles 8Parallel account of the twenty-year duration for building both the temple and the palace.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explains how Huram/Hiram returned the Galilean cities to Solomon which Solomon then rebuilt.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel description of making the remaining Canaanite populations tributary servants while sparing Israelites.
Supported by JFB
Parallel details regarding Pharaoh's daughter moving from David's city to her custom palace.
Supported by JFB
Parallel account of Solomon offering regular burnt offerings on the altar he built.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of Solomon constructing his fleet at Ezion-geber and Eloth.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel regarding Hiram sending experienced Tyrian shipmen to navigate with Solomon's servants.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel passage noting the import of Ophir's gold; records a slight numerical variation.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Corroborates Solomon's expansion of military infrastructure, specifically chariot and cavalry cities.
Supported by JFB
Parallel regarding the officers ruling the people, noting the divergent count of supervisors.
Supported by JFB
Background of David's conquest of Zobah, clarifying Solomon's regional dominance in Hamath-zobah.
Supported by JFB
Law of Moses commanding three annual pilgrimage feasts kept strictly by Solomon.
Supported by Matthew Henry
David's organization of the Levitical courses which Solomon meticulously implements here.
Supported by JFB
Historical note on the original building of Beth-horon upper and nether by Sheerah.
Supported by JFB
Mosaic prohibition against enslaving fellow Israelites, explaining why they served as soldiers.
Supported by Matthew Henry