2Ch 8:1 And it
came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of
the LORD, and his own house,
At the end of
twenty years - He employed seven years and a half in building the temple,
and twelve and a half, or thirteen, in building his own house. The date, “at
the end of twenty years, when Solomon ... had built,” agrees with that in
1Ki_9:10. The twenty years are to be reckoned from the commencement of the
building of the temple, for he had spent seven years in the building of the
temple, and thirteen years in that of his palace (1Ki_6:38; 1Ki_7:1).
2Ch 8:2 That the
cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the
children of Israel to dwell there.
The cities which
Huram had restored to Solomon - These cities had not been mentioned
previously by the writer of Chronicles, who, however, seems to assume that the
fact of their having been given by Hiram to Solomon is known to his readers. 1Ki_9:11-13.
Solomon built them
- or rebuilt them, being very much out of repair, which might be one reason
of Huram's not accepting them:
Caused the
children of Israel to live there - These cities lay in the northwest of
Galilee. Though included within the limits of the promised land, they had never
been conquered. The right of occupying them Solomon granted to Huram, who,
after consideration, refused them as unsuitable to the commercial habits of his
subjects (1Ki_9:11). Solomon, having wrested them from the possession of the
Canaanite inhabitants, repaired them and filled them with a colony of Hebrews.
2Ch 8:3 And
Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.
Solomon went to
Hamathzobah - In an hostile manner, which is the only instance of any
warlike expedition of Solomon's. This was Coelesyria, which though subdued in
the times of David, perhaps rebelled, and now Solomon went forth to reduce it:
Hamathzobah -
Usually identified with the “great Hamath” Amo_6:2; the capital of Coele-Syria;
but possibly a town of Zobah otherwise unknown, which revolted from Solomon,
and was reduced to subjection.
Solomon went to
Hamath-zobah — Hamath was on the Orontes, in Coele-Syria. Its king, Toi,
had been the ally of David; but from the combination, Hamath and Zobah, it
would appear that some revolution had taken place which led to the union of
these two petty kingdoms of Syria into one. For what cause the resentment of
Solomon was provoked against it, we are not informed, but he sent an armed
force which reduced it. He made himself master also of Tadmor, (Palmyra in the
same region). Various other cities along the frontiers of his extended
dominions he repaired and fitted up, either to serve as store-places for the
furtherance of his commercial enterprises, or to secure his kingdom from
foreign invasion.
2Ch 8:4 And he
built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in
Hamath.
Tadmor - Palmyra
of the Greeks, as we learn from Josephus, a celebrated city of Syria, situated
in an oasis, or fertile spot of land, surrounded on all sides by a vast sandy
desert, like an island in the midst of the ocean;.
all the
storehouses which he built in Hamath - a country in Syria, which he made
himself master of, and where he laid up store of provision and ammunition to
keep it, should any attempt be made to rescue it out of his hands.
2Ch 8:5 Also he
built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls,
gates, and bars;
he built Bethhoron
the upper, and Bethhoron the nether - He rebuilt these ancient cities. Only mention
is made of the latter in 1Ki_9:17,
2Ch 8:6 And
Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities,
and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in
Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.
2Ch 8:7 As for all
the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the
Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,
all the people
that were left, etc. — The descendants of the Canaanites who remained in
the country were treated as war prisoners, being obliged to “pay tribute or to
serve as galley slaves” (2Ch_2:18), while the Israelites were employed in no
works but such as were of an honorable character.
2Ch 8:8 But of
their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of
Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.
2Ch 8:9 But 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 captains of his chariots and horsemen.
2Ch 8:10 And these
were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that
bare rule over the people.
two hundred and
fifty that bare rule —Comparing 1Ki
5:16 Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which
were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the
people that wrought in the work. and 1Ki 9:23 These were the chief of the
officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule
over the people that wrought in the work. with 2Ch 2:18 And he set threescore and ten
thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers
in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people
a work. and this verse, 2Ch_8:10,
the entire number of the overseers will be seen to be stated by both writers at
3,850; but in the one case nationality, in the other degree of authority, is
made the principle of the division.
2Ch 8:11 And
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 the LORD hath come.
Solomon brought up
the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had
built for her — On his marriage with the Egyptian princess at the beginning
of his reign, he assigned her a temporary abode in the city of David, that is,
Jerusalem, until a suitable palace for his wife had been erected.
The reason given for this change of residence on the part
of the Egyptian princess is, that Solomon could not allow her, an Egyptian, to
dwell in the palace of King David, which had been sanctified by the reception
of the ark, and consequently assigned to her a dwelling in the city of David
until he should have finished the building of his palace, in which she might
dwell along with him. It seems she was received on her arrival into his
mother’s abode (Son_3:4; Son_8:2).
2Ch 8:12 Then
Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which
he had built before the porch,
Solomon offered
burnt offerings to the Lord - Meaning not merely at the time he rebuilt the
above cities, it was his constant practice: Cf. 1Ki_9:25, where it is merely
briefly recorded that Solomon offered sacrifices three times a year on the
altar built by him to the Lord. He no longer now sacrifices upon the altar of
the tabernacle at Gibeon, as in the beginning of his reign (2Ch_1:3.).
on the altar of
the Lord, which he had built before the porch - the brazen altar, which was
at the entrance into the temple, within the court; 2Ch_4:1.
2Ch 8:13 Even
after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses,
on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn 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.
Three times in the
year - These were the three great annual feasts which serves to explain the
three times in 1Ki_9:25.
Even after a
certain rate every day, according to the commandment of Moses - The daily
sacrifice, morning and evening, Exo
29:38-39 Now this is that which thou shalt offer
upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one
lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at
even:
on the sabbaths,
and on the new moons - when there were additional sacrifices, Num 28:9 And on
the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals
of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:
2Ch 8:14 And he
appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the
priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and
minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters
also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.
the courses of the
priests to their service - The twenty four courses which served weekly in
their turns, 1Ch_24:1.
the Levites to
their charges - who also had their courses by lot, to sing the praises of
God, when the priests sacrificed, or blew the trumpets, 1Ch_25:1,
for so had David
the man of God commanded - 1Ch_26:1, who in all these affairs acted as a
prophet, under the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit of God.
The man of God -
This phrase, so common in Kings, is rare in Chronicles, and is applied only to
Moses 1Ch_23:14, David, and an unnamed prophet 2Ch_25:7, 2Ch_25:9.
2Ch 8:15 And they
departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites
concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
The commandment of
the king - The ordinances of David which by divine authority he established.
The priests and Levites departed not from it, not from the commandment of
Solomon, according to the order of David, but in all things obeyed it:
or concerning the
treasures - such of the Levites as had the care of them were faithful to
their trust.
2Ch 8:16 Now all
the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of
the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.
Now all the work
of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the
Lord, and until it was finished - The materials were prepared, and the
money for the expenses; and even the very stones and timber were made fit for
the building, so that there was nothing to slow the completion of it:
so the house of
God was perfected - in the space of seven years, in all the parts, and
according to the form and pattern of it.
2Ch 8:17 Then went
Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.
Then went Solomon
to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth — These two maritime ports were situated at the
eastern gulf of the Red Sea. Solomon, determined to cultivate the arts of
peace, was wise enough to perceive that his kingdom could become great and
glorious only by encouraging a spirit of commercial enterprise among his
subjects; and, accordingly, with that in mind he made a contract with Huram for
ships and seamen to instruct his people in navigation.
2Ch 8:18 And Huram
sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of
the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence
four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
Four hundred and
fifty talents - 1Ki 9:28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold,
four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon. One
or other of the two texts has suffered from that transcriptional error to which
numbers are liable.
Knowledge of the
sea - Skilful sailors. Solomon probably bore the expenses and his friend,
the Tyrian king, furnished him with expert sailors; for the Jews, at no period
of their history, had any skill in maritime affairs, their navigation being
confined to the lakes of their own country, from which they could never acquire
any nautical skill. The Tyrians, on the contrary, lived on and in the sea.
Knowledge of the
sea - This navy of Solomon was manned by Tyrians, for Solomon had no seamen
capable of performing distant expeditions. The Hebrew fishermen, whose boats
plied on the Sea of Tiberias or coasted the shores of the Mediterranean, were
not equal to the conducting of large vessels laden with valuable cargoes on
long voyages and through the wide and unfrequented ocean.
