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2 Chronicles 8:1-18 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And it came to pass at the end H7093 of twenty H6242 years, H8141 wherein Solomon H8010 had built H1129 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and his own house, H1004

2 That the cities H5892 which Huram H2361 had restored H5414 to Solomon, H8010 Solomon H8010 built H1129 them, and caused the children H1121 of Israel H3478 to dwell H3427 there.

3 And Solomon H8010 went H3212 to Hamathzobah, H2578 and prevailed H2388 against it.

4 And he built H1129 Tadmor H8412 in the wilderness, H4057 and all the store H4543 cities, H5892 which he built H1129 in Hamath. H2574

5 Also he built H1129 Bethhoron H1032 the upper, H5945 and Bethhoron H1032 the nether, H8481 fenced H4692 cities, H5892 with walls, H2346 gates, H1817 and bars; H1280

6 And Baalath, H1191 and all the store H4543 cities H5892 that Solomon H8010 had, and all the chariot H7393 cities, H5892 and the cities H5892 of the horsemen, H6571 and all that Solomon H8010 desired H2836 H2837 to build H1129 in Jerusalem, H3389 and in Lebanon, H3844 and throughout all the land H776 of his dominion. H4475

7 As for all the people H5971 that were left H3498 of the Hittites, H2850 and the Amorites, H567 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites, H2983 which were not of Israel, H3478

8 But of their children, H1121 who were left H3498 after H310 them in the land, H776 whom the children H1121 of Israel H3478 consumed H3615 not, them did Solomon H8010 make to pay H5927 tribute H4522 until this day. H3117

9 But of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did Solomon H8010 make H5414 no servants H5650 for his work; H4399 but they were men H582 of war, H4421 and chief H8269 of his captains, H7991 and captains H8269 of his chariots H7393 and horsemen. H6571

10 And these were the chief H8269 of king H4428 Solomon's H8010 officers, H5324 H5333 even two hundred H3967 and fifty, H2572 that bare rule H7287 over the people. H5971

11 And Solomon H8010 brought up H5927 the daughter H1323 of Pharaoh H6547 out of the city H5892 of David H1732 unto the house H1004 that he had built H1129 for her: for he said, H559 My wife H802 shall not dwell H3427 in the house H1004 of David H1732 king H4428 of Israel, H3478 because the places are holy, H6944 whereunto the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 hath come. H935

12 Then Solomon H8010 offered H5927 burnt offerings H5930 unto the LORD H3068 on the altar H4196 of the LORD, H3068 which he had built H1129 before H6440 the porch, H197

13 Even after a certain rate H1697 every day, H3117 offering H5927 according to the commandment H4687 of Moses, H4872 on the sabbaths, H7676 and on the new moons, H2320 and on the solemn feasts, H4150 three H7969 times H6471 in the year, H8141 even in the feast H2282 of unleavened bread, H4682 and in the feast H2282 of weeks, H7620 and in the feast H2282 of tabernacles. H5521

14 And he appointed, H5975 according to the order H4941 of David H1732 his father, H1 the courses H4256 of the priests H3548 to their service, H5656 and the Levites H3881 to their charges, H4931 to praise H1984 and minister H8334 before the priests, H3548 as the duty H1697 of every day H3117 required: H3117 the porters H7778 also by their courses H4256 at every gate: H8179 for so had David H1732 the man H376 of God H430 commanded. H4687

15 And they departed H5493 not from the commandment H4687 of the king H4428 unto the priests H3548 and Levites H3881 concerning any matter, H1697 or concerning the treasures. H214

16 Now all the work H4399 of Solomon H8010 was prepared H3559 unto the day H3117 of the foundation H4143 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and until it was finished. H3615 So the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 was perfected. H8003

17 Then went H1980 Solomon H8010 to Eziongeber, H6100 and to Eloth, H359 at the sea H3220 side H8193 in the land H776 of Edom. H123

18 And Huram H2361 sent H7971 him by the hands H3027 of his servants H5650 ships, H591 H591 and servants H5650 that had knowledge H3045 of the sea; H3220 and they went H935 with the servants H5650 of Solomon H8010 to Ophir, H211 and took H3947 thence four H702 hundred H3967 and fifty H2572 talents H3603 of gold, H2091 and brought H935 them to king H4428 Solomon. H8010

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 8

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 8 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Introduction

Solomon's City-Building, Statute Labour, Arrangement of Public Worship, and Nautical Undertakings - 2 Chronicles 8

The building of the temple was the most important work of Solomon's reign, as compared with which all the other undertakings of the king fall into the background; and these are consequently only summarily enumerated both in the book of Kings and in the Chronicle. In our chapter, in the first place, we have, ( a ) the building or completion of various cities, which were of importance partly as strongholds, partly as magazines, for the maintenance of the army necessary for the defence of the kingdom against hostile attacks (2 Chronicles 8:1-6); ( b ) the arrangement of the statute labour for the execution of all his building works (2 Chronicles 8:7-11); ( c ) the regulation of the sacrificial service and the public worship (2 Chronicles 8:12-16); and ( d ) the voyage to Ophir (2 Chronicles 8:17, 2 Chronicles 8:18). All these undertakings are recounted in the same order and in the same aphoristic way in 1 Kings 9:10-28, but with the addition of various notes, which are not found in our narrative; while the Chronicle, again, mentions several not unimportant though subordinate circumstances, which are not found in the book of Kings; whence it is clear that in the two narratives we have merely short and mutually supplementary extracts from a more elaborate description of these matters.


Verses 1-6

The city-building . - 2 Chronicles 8:1. The date, “at the end of twenty years, when Solomon ... had built,” agrees with that in 1 Kings 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 (1 Kings 6:38; 1 Kings 7:1).

2 Chronicles 8:2-4

2 Chronicles 8:2 must be regarded as the apodosis of 2 Chronicles 8:1, notwithstanding that the object, the cities which ... precedes. The unusual position of the words is the result of the aphoristic character of the notice. As to its relation to the statement 1 Kings 9:10-13, see the discussion on that passage. בּנה , 2 Chronicles 8:2, is not to be understood of the fortification of these cities, but of their completion, for, according to 1 Kings 9:10, 1 Kings 9:13, they were in very bad condition. ויּושׁב , he caused to dwell there, i.e., transplanted Israelites thither, cf. 2 Kings 17:6. The account of the cities which Solomon built, i.e., fortified, is introduced (2 Chronicles 8:3) by the important statement, omitted in 1 Kings 9: “Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.” על חזק , to be strong upon, that is, prevail against, conquer; cf. 2 Chronicles 27:5. Hamath-zobah is not the city Hamath in Zobah, but, as we learn from 2 Chronicles 8:4, the land or kingdom of Hamath. This did not lie, any more than the city Hamath, in Zobah, but bordered on the kingdom of Zobah: cf. 1 Chronicles 18:3; and as to the position of Zobah, see the Commentary on 2 Samuel 8:3. In David's time Hamath and Zobah had their own kings; and David conquered them, and made their kingdoms tributary (1 Chronicles 18:3-10). Because they bordered on each other, Hamath and Zobah are here bound together as a nomen compos . עליה יחזק signifies at least this, that these tributary kingdoms had either rebelled against Solomon, or at least had made attempts to do so; which Solomon suppressed, and in order to establish his dominion over them fortified Tadmor, i.e., Palmyra, and all the store cities in the land of Hamath (see on 1 Kings 9:18.); for, according to 1 Kings 11:23., he had Rezon of Zobah as an enemy during his whole reign; see on that passage.

2 Chronicles 8:5-6

Besides these, he made Upper and Nether Beth-horon (see on 1 Chronicles 7:24) into fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars. מצור ערי is the second object of ויּבן , and וגו חומות is in apposition to that. Further, he fortified Baalah, in the tribe of Dan, to defend the kingdom against the Philistines, and, according to 1 Kings 9:15-17, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer also, - which are omitted here, while in 1 Kings 9:17 Upper Beth-horon is omitted, - and store cities, chariot cities, and cavalry cities; see on 1 Kings 9:15-19.


Verse 7-8

On the arrangement of the statute labour, see on 1 Kings 9:20-23. - This note is in Chr. abruptly introduced immediately after the preceding. 2 Chronicles 8:7 is an absolute clause: “as regards the whole people, those.” מן־בּניהם (2 Chronicles 8:8) is not partitive: some of their sons; but is only placed before the אשׁר : those of their sons (i.e., of the descendants of the whole Canaanite people) who had remained in the land, whom the Israelites had not exterminated; Solomon made a levy of these for statute labourers. The מן is wanting in 1 Kings, but is not to be struck out here on that account. Much more surprising is the אשׁר after שׂראל מן־בּני , 2 Chronicles 8:9, which is likewise not found in 1 Kings, since the following verb נתן לא is not to be taken relatively, but contains the predicate of the subject contained in the words ישׂ מן־בּני . This אשׁר cannot be otherwise justified than by supposing that it is placed after ישׂ בני מן , as in Psalms 69:27 it is placed after the subject of the relative clause, and so stands for ישׂ בני מן בן אשׂר : those who were of the sons of Israel (i.e., Israelites) Solomon did not make ... The preplacing of בּניהם מן in 2 Chronicles 8:8 would naturally suggest that ישׂ בני מן should also precede, in order to bring out sharply the contrast between the sons of the Canaanites and the sons of Israel.


Verse 9-10

שׁלישׁיו ושׁרי should be altered into ושׁלישׁיו שׂריו as in 1 Kings 9:22, for שׁלישׁים are not chariot combatants, but royal adjutants; see on Exodus 14:7 and 2 Samuel 23:8. Over the statute labourers 250 upper overseers were placed. נציבים שׂרי , chief of the superiors, i.e., chief overseer. The Keth. נציבים , praefecti , is the true reading; cf. 1 Chronicles 18:13; 2 Chronicles 17:2. The Keri has arisen out of 1 Kings 9:23. These overseers were Israelites, while in the number 550 (1 Kings 9:23) the Israelite and Canaanite upper overseers are both included; see on 2 Chronicles 2:17. בּעם refers to כּל־העם , 2 Chronicles 8:7, and denotes the Canaanite people who remained.


Verse 11

The remark that Solomon caused Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married (1 Kings 3:1), to remove from the city of David into the house which he had built her, i.e., into that part of his newly-built palace which was appointed for the queen, is introduced here, as in 1 Kings 9:24, because it belongs to the history of Solomon's buildings, although in the Chronicle it comes in very abruptly, the author not having mentioned Solomon's marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1). 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. המּה is, as neuter, used instead of the singular; cf. Ew. §318, b . See also on 1 Kings 3:1 and 1 Kings 9:24.


Verses 12-16

The sacrificial service in the new temple . Cf. 1 Kings 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. In our verses we have a detailed account of it. אז , at that time, scil. when the temple building had been finished and the temple dedicated (cf. 2 Chronicles 8:1), Solomon offered burnt-offerings upon the altar which he had built before the porch of the temple. He no longer now sacrifices upon the altar of the tabernacle at Gibeon, as in the beginning of his reign (2 Chronicles 1:3.).

2 Chronicles 8:13

“Even sacrificing at the daily rate, according to the direction of Moses.” These words give a supplementary and closer definition of the sacrificing in the form of an explanatory subordinate clause, which is interpolated in the principal sentence. For the following words וגו לשּׁבּתות belong to the principal sentence (2 Chronicles 8:12): he offered sacrifices ... on the sabbaths, the new moons, etc. The ו before בּדבר is explicative, and that = viz.; and the infin. להעלות , according to the later usage, instead of infin. absol.; cf. Ew. §280, d . The preposition בּ (before דּבר ) is the so-called b essentiae: consisting in the daily (rate) to sacrifice (this); cf. Ew. §299, b . The daily rate, i.e., that which was prescribed in the law of Moses for each day, cf. Leviticus 23:37. למּועדות is further explained by the succeeding clause: on the three chief festivals of the year.

2 Chronicles 8:14

He ordered the temple service, also, entirely according to the arrangement introduced by David as to the service of the priests and Levites. He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, i.e., according to the ordinance established by David, the classes of the priests (see on 1 Chron 24) to that service, and the Levites to their stations ( משׁמרות as in 2 Chronicles 7:6), to praise (cf. 1 Chron 25), and to serve before the priests (1 Chronicles 23:28.), according to that which was appointed for every day, and the doorkeepers according to their courses, etc. (see 1 Chron 27:1-19). With the last words cf. Nehemiah 12:24.

2 Chronicles 8:15-16

This arrangement was faithfully observed by the priests and Levites. The verb סוּר is here construed c. accus . in the signification to transgress a command (cf. Ew. §282, a ), and it is therefore not necessary to alter מצות into ממּצות . על־הכּהנים depends upon מצות : the king's command concerning the priests and the Levites, i.e., that which David commanded them. וגו לכל־דּבר , in regard to all things, and especially also in regard to the treasures; cf. 1 Chronicles 26:20-28. - With 2 Chronicles 8:16 the account of what Solomon did for the public worship is concluded: “Now all the work of Solomon was prepared until the (this) day, the foundation of the house of Jahve until its completion; the house of Jahve was finished.” מלאכת is explained by מוּסד . היּום is the day on which, after the consecration of the completed temple, the regular public worship was commenced in it, which doubtless was done immediately after the dedication of the temple. Only when the regular worship according to the law of Moses, and with the arrangements as to the service of the priests and Levites established by David, had been commenced, was Solomon's work in connection with the temple completed, and the house of God שׁלם , integer , perfect in all its parts, as it should be. The last clause, בית י שׁלם , is connected rhetorically with what precedes without the conjunction, and is not to be regarded as a subscription, “with which the historian concludes the whole narrative commencing with 2 Chronicles 2:1” (Berth.); for שׁלם does not signify “ended,” or to be at an end, but to be set thoroughly (perfectly) in order.


Verse 17-18

Voyage to Ophir . Cf. 1 Kings 9:26-28, and the commentary on that passage, where we have discussed the divergences of our narrative, and have also come to the conclusion that Ophir is not to be sought in India, but in Southern Arabia. By אז the date of this voyage is made to fall in the period after the building of the temple and the palace, i.e., in the second half of Solomon's reign.