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2 Chronicles 8

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Solomon's Building and Expansion Projects 1–6

1
And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of Jehovah, and his own house, ​
2
that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there. ​
3
And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.
4
And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath. ​
5
Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
6
and Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

Solomon's Labor Force and Pharaoh's Daughter 7–11

7
As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, that were not of Israel; ​
8
of their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants unto this day.
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 rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. ​
10
And these were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.
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 Jehovah hath come. ​

Instituting Temple Worship and Order 12–16

12
Then Solomon offered burnt-offerings unto Jehovah on the altar of Jehovah, which he had built before the porch, ​
13
even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set 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. ​
14
And he appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise, and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the doorkeepers also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded. ​
15
And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
16
Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of Jehovah, and until it was finished. So the house of Jehovah was completed.

Maritime Trade and Wealth 17–18

17
Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, on the sea-shore in the land of Edom.
18
And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and fetched from thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Chronicles 8

Verse 1

at the end of twenty years — The twenty years are the seven spent on the house of the LORD (1 Kgs 6:38) and the thirteen on Solomon's own house (1 Kgs 7:1). 1 Kgs 9:10 dates the events that follow in the same way, and this chapter gathers what Solomon built and arranged after the two houses were done.

Verse 2

the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon — 'Restored' is nathan, the common verb 'to give'. 1 Kgs 9:11–13 tells of twenty cities in Galilee that Solomon gave Hiram, which 'pleased him not'. The cities are commonly understood to be those returned here, and Solomon built them up and settled Israelites in them.

Verse 4

Tadmor in the wilderness — Tadmor is named also in 1 Kgs 9:18. 'Store cities' (miskenoth) are depots for provisions, the word used for the 'treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses' that Israel built in Egypt (Ex 1:11). Hamath lay at the northern border, 'the entrance of Hamath' (Num 34:8), the limit of Solomon's realm in 7:8.

Verse 7

the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites — Peoples of the land promised to Abraham (Gen 15:18–21) and marked for destruction (Deut 7:1). v.8 says Israel 'consumed not' their children, and 1 Kgs 9:21 adds that Israel 'were not able utterly to destroy' them. Solomon made them pay tribute.

Verse 9

no servants for his work — Israelites did not serve as forced labour but held the ranks of war: captains, chief officers and commanders of chariots and horsemen. Samuel had warned that a king would take sons 'for his chariots, and to be his horsemen' and appoint 'captains over thousands' (1 Sam 8:11–12); 1 Kgs 9:22 states the same of Solomon.

Verse 11

the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come — The ark had come 'into the city of David' with David (2 Sam 6:12), and the ground it entered was holy (qodesh). Solomon had brought Pharaoh's daughter 'into the city of David' until his houses were finished (1 Kgs 3:1) and now moves her to the house built for her (1 Kgs 7:8).

Verse 12

the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch — The brass altar of 4:1, set before the porch (ulam) of the house. 1 Kgs 9:25 says Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on it three times a year, and burned incense at the altar 'that was before the LORD'. The offerings that follow are the regular ones of the law.

Verse 13

after a certain rate every day — 'A certain rate' is davar, a matter or due: each day's offering on its day. The daily offering was two lambs, 'day by day continually', morning and evening (Ex 29:38–39). The sabbaths, new moons and three yearly feasts follow the law, and Deut 16:16 names the three: unleavened bread, weeks and tabernacles.

Verse 14

for so had David the man of God commanded — The priestly and Levite 'courses' (machaloqeth) are those David arranged (1 Chr 24). The porters were set 'by their courses at every gate'. 'The man of God' is the title Moses bears, and in Scripture David is called by it in Neh 12:24, 36, and here.

Verse 18

servants that had knowledge of the sea — Huram sent ships and seamen to sail with Solomon's servants (1 Kgs 9:27), and the two crews 'brought gold from Ophir' (9:10). The sailing began from Ezion-geber and Eloth, 'at the sea side in the land of Edom' (v.17). The four hundred and fifty talents of gold were brought to Solomon.