2Ch 7:1 Now when
Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and
consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD
filled the house.
The fire came down
from heaven - As in the time of Moses on the dedication of the tabernacle Lev 9:24 And
there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the
burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and
fell on their faces. The fact is omitted from the narrative of
Kings.
The fire came down
from heaven - The cloud had come down before, now the fire consumes the
sacrifice, showing that both the house and the sacrifices were accepted by the
Lord.
2Ch 7:2 And the
priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the
LORD had filled the LORD'S house.
2Ch 7:3 And when
all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the
LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon
the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for
his mercy endureth for ever.
bowed themselves
with their faces to the ground upon the pavement — This form of prostration
(that of lying on one’s knees with the forehead touching the earth), is the
manner in which the Hebrews, and those in the region in general, express the
most profound sentiments of reverence and humility. The courts of the temple
were densely crowded on the occasion, and the immense multitude threw
themselves on the ground. What led the Israelites suddenly to assume that
prostrate attitude on the occasion referred to, was the spectacle of the
symbolical cloud slowly and majestically descending upon the temple, and then
entering it.
2Ch 7:4 Then the
king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
The king and all
the people offered sacrifices - Whether the individual worshippers
slaughtered their own cattle, or a certain portion of the vast number of the
Levitical order in attendance performed that work, as they sometimes did, in
either case the offerings were made through the priests, who presented the
blood and the fat upon the altar.
2Ch 7:5 And king
Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and
twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of
God.
Twenty and two
thousand oxen, etc. - The amount of all the victims that had been offered
during the seven days of the feast of tabernacles, and the seven days of the
feast of the dedication.
the king and all
the people dedicated the house of God — The ceremonial of dedication
consisted principally in the introduction of the ark into the temple, and in
the sacrificial offerings that were made on a scale of magnitude suitable to
the extraordinary occasion. All present, the king, the people, and the priests,
took part according to their respective stations in the performance of the
solemn service. The duty, of course, devolved chiefly on the priests, and hence
in proceeding to describe their several departments of work, the historian
says, generally, “the priests waited on their offices.” While great numbers
would be occupied with the preparation and offering of the victims, others
sounded with their trumpets, and the different bands of the Levites praised the
Lord with vocal and instrumental music,
2Ch 7:6 And the
priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of
the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy
endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests
sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
And the priests
waited on their offices - Performed them, some in offering sacrifices,
others in blowing trumpets, as it may be explained from the latter part of the
verse:
when David praised
by their ministry - the songs sung being composed by him, and the
instruments they played upon being of his invention, and used by his order:
and all Israel
stood - while this sacred and delightful service was performing, they both
stood up, and stood by the priests and Levites, and joined with them in
praising the Lord. What a sight to behold.
2Ch 7:7 Moreover
Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD:
for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings,
because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the
burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.
Solomon hallowed
the middle of the court — On this extraordinary occasion, when a larger
number of animals were offered than one altar and the usual place of rings to
which the animals were bound would admit, the whole space was taken in that was
between the place of rings and the west end of the court to be used as a
temporary place for additional altars.
2Ch 7:8 Also at
the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a
very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of
Egypt.
Solomon kept the
feast - Solomon kept at this same time, not the Feast of the Dedication
only, but also the Feast of tabernacles. The former lasted seven days, from the
8th of Tisri to the 15th, the latter also seven days, from the 15th to the
22nd. On the day following the people were dismissed 2Ch_7:10.
from the entering
- That is, from one extremity of the land to another; Hamath being situated
on the north, and the river of Egypt on the south.
2Ch 7:9 And in the
eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the
altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
2Ch 7:10 And on
the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into
their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shewed
unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
On the three and
twentieth day - This was the ninth day of the dedication of the temple; but
in 1Ki_8:66 it is called the eighth day. Some reconcile this with the idea that
Solomon gave them leave to go on the eighth day, but they left on the ninth
day.
2Ch 7:11 Thus
Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came
into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he
prosperously effected.
2Ch 7:12 And the
LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer,
and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
An house of
sacrifice - This expression does not elsewhere occur. Its meaning, however,
is clear. God declares that Solomon’s Temple is the place whereunto all
Israelites were commanded to bring their burnt-offerings and sacrifices.
The Lord appeared
to Solomon - This was a second manifestation. From hence, to the end of the
chapter, much the same things are related as in 1 Kings, except 2Ch_7:13 which
contain an answer to the particular requests made by Solomon in case of a
famine or pestilence, that when the people of Israel should humble themselves
in prayer and supplication, the Lord would be attentive to them, and forgive
them, 2Ch_6:26 and which is given as a specimen, and as encouragement to expect
the same treatment in all other cases mentioned in Solomon's prayer, they so
behaving.
2Ch 7:13 If I shut
up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the
land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
2Ch 7:14 If my
people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2Ch 7:15 Now mine
eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this
place.
2Ch 7:16 For now
have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever:
and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
2Ch 7:17 And as
for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do
according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and
my judgments;
2Ch 7:18 Then will
I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David
thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
There shall not
fail thee a man - This promise was not fulfilled, because the condition was
not fulfilled; they forsook God, and He cut them off, and the throne also.
2Ch 7:19 But if ye
turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before
you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
2Ch 7:20 Then will
I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this
house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and
will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
2Ch 7:21 And this
house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it;
so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this
house?
2Ch 7:22 And it
shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which
brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and
worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon
them.
Because they
forsook the Lord - While they cleaved to God, the most powerful enemy could
make no impression on them; but when they forsook Him, then the weakest and
most inconsiderable of their foes harassed, oppressed, and reduced them to
bondage and misery. It was by no personal prowess, genuine heroism, or
supereminent military tactics, that the Jews were enabled to resist and
overcome their enemies; it was by the Divine power alone; for, destitute of
this, they were even worse than other men.
