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
He built H1129 also the house H1004 of the forest H3293 of Lebanon; H3844 the length H753 thereof was an hundred H3967 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 thereof fifty H2572 cubits, H520 and the height H6967 thereof thirty H7970 cubits, H520 upon four H702 rows H2905 of cedar H730 pillars, H5982 with cedar H730 beams H3773 upon the pillars. H5982
And Baalath, H1191 and Tadmor H8412 in the wilderness, H4057 in the land, H776 And all the cities H5892 of store H4543 that Solomon H8010 had, and cities H5892 for his chariots, H7393 and cities H5892 for his horsemen, H6571 and that H2837 which Solomon H8010 desired H2836 to build H1129 in Jerusalem, H3389 and in Lebanon, H3844 and in all the land H776 of his dominion. H4475
And Solomon H8010 gathered together H622 chariots H7393 and horsemen: H6571 and he had a thousand H505 and four H702 hundred H3967 chariots, H7393 and twelve H8147 H6240 thousand H505 horsemen, H6571 whom he bestowed H5148 in the cities H5892 for chariots, H7393 and with the king H4428 at Jerusalem. H3389
And Solomon H8010 gathered H622 chariots H7393 and horsemen: H6571 and he had a thousand H505 and four H702 hundred H3967 chariots, H7393 and twelve H8147 H6240 thousand H505 horsemen, H6571 which he placed H3240 in the chariot H7393 cities, H5892 and with the king H4428 at Jerusalem. H3389
And Jehoshaphat H3092 waxed H1980 great H1432 exceedingly; H4605 and he built H1129 in Judah H3063 castles, H1003 and cities H5892 of store. H4543
I made me great H1431 works; H4639 I builded H1129 me houses; H1004 I planted H5193 me vineyards: H3754
And whatsoever mine eyes H5869 desired H7592 I kept H680 not from them, I withheld H4513 not my heart H3820 from any joy; H8057 for my heart H3820 rejoiced H8056 in all my labour: H5999 and this was my portion H2506 of all my labour. H5999 Then I looked H6437 on all the works H4639 that my hands H3027 had wrought, H6213 and on the labour H5999 that I had laboured H5998 to do: H6213 and, behold, all was vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit, H7307 and there was no profit H3504 under the sun. H8121 And I turned H6437 myself to behold H7200 wisdom, H2451 and madness, H1947 and folly: H5531 for what can the man H120 do that cometh H935 after H310 the king? H4428 even that which hath been already H3528 done. H6213 Then I saw H7200 that H3426 wisdom H2451 excelleth H3504 folly, H5531 as far as light H216 excelleth H3504 darkness. H2822 The wise man's H2450 eyes H5869 are in his head; H7218 but the fool H3684 walketh H1980 in darkness: H2822 and I myself perceived H3045 also that one H259 event H4745 happeneth H7136 to them all. Then H227 said H559 I in my heart, H3820 As it happeneth H4745 to the fool, H3684 so it happeneth H7136 even to me; H1571 and why was I then more H3148 wise? H2449 Then I said H1696 in my heart, H3820 that this also is vanity. H1892 For there is no remembrance H2146 of the wise H2450 more than H5973 of the fool H3684 for ever; H5769 seeing that which now H3528 is in the days H3117 to come H935 shall all be forgotten. H7911 And how dieth H4191 the wise H2450 man? as the fool. H3684 Therefore I hated H8130 life; H2416 because the work H4639 that is wrought H6213 under the sun H8121 is grievous H7451 unto me: for all is vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit. H7307 Yea, I hated H8130 all my labour H5999 which I had taken H6001 under the sun: H8121 because I should leave H3240 it unto the man H120 that shall be after H310 me. And who knoweth H3045 whether he shall be a wise H2450 man or a fool? H5530 yet shall he have rule H7980 over all my labour H5999 wherein I have laboured, H5998 and wherein I have shewed myself wise H2449 under the sun. H8121 This is also vanity. H1892 Therefore I went about H5437 to cause H2976 my heart H3820 to despair H2976 of all the labour H5999 which I took H5998 under the sun. H8121 For there is H3426 a man H120 whose labour H5999 is in wisdom, H2451 and in knowledge, H1847 and in equity; H3788 yet to a man H120 that hath not laboured H5998 therein shall he leave H5414 it for his portion. H2506 This also is vanity H1892 and a great H7227 evil. H7451 For what hath H1933 man H120 of all his labour, H5999 and of the vexation H7475 of his heart, H3820 wherein H1931 he hath laboured H6001 under the sun? H8121 For all his days H3117 are sorrows, H4341 and his travail H6045 grief; H3708 yea, his heart H3820 taketh not rest H7901 in the night. H3915 This is also vanity. H1892 There is nothing better H2896 for a man, H120 than that he should eat H398 and drink, H8354 and that he should make his soul H5315 enjoy H7200 good H2896 in his labour. H5999 This H2090 also I saw, H7200 that it was from the hand H3027 of God. H430 For who can eat, H398 or who else can hasten H2363 hereunto, more H2351 than I? For God giveth H5414 to a man H120 that is good H2896 in his sight H6440 wisdom, H2451 and knowledge, H1847 and joy: H8057 but to the sinner H2398 he giveth H5414 travail, H6045 to gather H622 and to heap up, H3664 that he may give H5414 to him that is good H2896 before H6440 God. H430 This also is vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit. H7307
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 8
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 8
2Ch 8:1-6. Solomon's Buildings.
2. cities which Huram had restored … Solomon built them, &c.—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 (see on 1Ki 9:11). Solomon, having wrested them from the possession of the Canaanite inhabitants, repaired them and filled them with a colony of Hebrews.
3-6. And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah—Hamath was on the Orontes, in Cœle-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, the famous 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 (see on 2Ch 1:14; 1Ki 9:15).
2Ch 8:7-11. The Canaanites Made Tributaries.
7. all the people that were left, &c.—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.
10. two hundred and fifty that bare rule—(Compare 1Ki 9:23). It is generally agreed that the text of one of these passages is corrupt.
11. 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. While that palace was in progress, he himself lodged in the palace of David, but he did not allow her to occupy it, because he felt that she being a heathen proselyte, and having brought from her own country an establishment of heathen maid-servants, there would have been an impropriety in her being domiciled in a mansion which was or had been hallowed by the reception of the ark. It seems she was received on her arrival into his mother's abode (So 3:4; 8:2).
2Ch 8:15-18. Solomon's Festival Sacrifices.
15. they departed not from the commandment of the king—that is, David, in any of his ordinances, which by divine authority he established.
unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures—either in regulating the courses of the priests and Levites, or in the destination of his accumulated treasures to the construction and adornment of the temple.
17. Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth—These two maritime ports were situated at the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, now called the Gulf of Akaba. Eloth is seen in the modern Akaba, Ezion-geber in El Gudyan [Robinson]. Solomon, determined to cultivate the arts of peace, was sagacious 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.
18. Huram sent him … ships—either sent him ship-men, able seamen, overland; or, taking the word "sent" in a looser sense, supplied him, that is, built him ships—namely, in docks at Eloth (compare 1Ki 9:26, 27). 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.
four hundred and fifty talents of gold—(Compare 1Ki 9:28). The text in one of these passages is corrupt.