2 Chronicles8
New American Standard
1Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house,
2that he built the cities which Huram had given him, and settled the sons of Israel there.
3Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.
4He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath.
5He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, which were fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars;
6and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and everything that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and all the land under his rule.
7All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,
8that is, from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, Solomon raised them as forced laborers to this day.
9But Solomon did not make slaves from the sons of Israel for his work; for they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.
10These were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250 who ruled over the people.
11Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, because the places where the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”
12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built in front of the porch;
13and he did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.
14Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for this is what David, the man of God, had commanded.
15And they did not deviate from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any matter or regarding the storehouses.
16So all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.
17Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom.
18And by his servants Huram sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and took from there 450 talents of gold, and brought it 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