Bible Commentaries

2 Chronicles 2:1 And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

Ver. 1. And Solomon determined.] Heb., Said. He slighted not the divine oracle nor his father’s charge; but was still plodding and talking of it to himself till it was done.

To build a house for the name of the Lord.] See 1 Kings 5:3, and compare this chapter with that: the one giveth light to the other; as glasses set one against another do cast a mutual light.

And a house for his kingdom.] David had built a fair palace: but Solomon’s far exceeded it: this was a house for his kingdom. Our William Rufus found much fault with Westminster Hall for being built too small: and took a plot for one far more spacious to be added unto it. ^(a)

2 Chronicles 2:2 And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

Ver. 2. And Solomon told out.] See 1 Kings 5:16-17.

And three thousand and six hundred.] See on 1 Kings 5:16. Solomon might afterwards add three hundred more, for better despatch.

2 Chronicles 2:3 And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, [even so deal with me].

Ver. 3. And Solomon sent to Huram.] See on 1 Kings 5:1.

As thou didst deal with David my father.] By this thankful acknowledgment he seeketh to ingratiate. Gratiarum actio est ad plus dandum invitatio.

2 Chronicles 2:4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate [it] to him, [and] to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This [is an ordinance] for ever to Israel.

Ver. 4. To dedicate it to him, &c.] Not to be impiae gentis arcanum, as Florus basely slandereth this temple.

2 Chronicles 2:5 And the house which I build [is] great: for great [is] our God above all gods.

Ver. 5. And the house which I build is great.] Excellently great, as he afterwards saith. [2 Chronicles 2:9]

For great is our God.] And must therefore be served like himself.

Above all gods.] Whether deputed, as princes, or reputed, as idols.

2 Chronicles 2:6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who [am] I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

Ver. 6. Seeing the heavens and heaven of heavens.] He is ανεπιγραπτος incomprehensible, incircumscriptible: good without quality, great without quantity, everlasting without time, present everywhere without place, containing all things without extent: he filleth all places without compression or straitening of another, or the contraction, extension, condensation, or rarefaction of himself: he is within all things, and contained of nothing: without all things, and sustained of nothing.

2 Chronicles 2:7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that [are] with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

Ver. 7. Send me now therefore a man.] See 1 Kings 7:13-14.

2 Chronicles 2:8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants [shall be] with thy servants,

Ver. 8. Send me also cedar trees.] Which are strong, longlasting, and odoriferous.

Fir trees, and algum trees.] See on 1 Kings 5:8.

My servants shall be with thy servants.] See on 1 Kings 5:6.

2 Chronicles 2:9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build [shall be] wonderful great.

Ver. 9. Wonderful great.] Yet was it not so great as the temple at Ephesus, but far more wonderful. See on 2 Chronicles 2:5.

2 Chronicles 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

Ver. 10. And, behold, I will give to thy servants.] And shall not Christ’s servants and ministers have due maintenance? That which is given to them is given to Christ; as that which is here promised to Hiram’s servants, is promised to Hiram’s self, [1 Kings 5:6; 1 Kings 5:11] who, if he did not like it, is promised more. [1 Kings 5:6] The difference of the food and measures given by Solomon here, over and above that in 1 Kings 5:11, may stand in this, that the former was for king Hiram’s court and household: and this here, for his workmen in Lebanon.

2 Chronicles 2:11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

Ver. 11. Because the Lord hath loved his people.] It is a great mercy of God to any people, that they have good governors; and the contrary. [Isaiah 3:2-4]

2 Chronicles 2:12 Huram said moreover, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

Ver. 12. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven and earth.] Egregia est confessio. Aristotle held the world’s eternity.

2 Chronicles 2:13 And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father’s,

Ver. 13. Of Huram my father,] i.e., His servant and architect. The Vulgate hath it, Hiram my father, i.e., one whom, for his virtue, wisdom, and industry, I honour as a father.

2 Chronicles 2:14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father [was] a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

Ver. 14. The son of a woman.] See on 1 Kings 7:14.

Skilful to work in gold, &c.] Some men are good at anything; as Hippias, called Omniseius by Apuleius. ^(a) He was not only a general scholar, but made with his own hands he ring he wore, the clothes he had on, the shoes on his feet, &c., as Cicero ^(b) tells us.

2 Chronicles 2:15 Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

Ver. 15. Now therefore the wheat.] See 2 Chronicles 2:10.

2 Chronicles 2:16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

Ver. 16. And we will cut wood.] See the benefit of a good neighbour, ready to every good office, as Hesiod describeth him.

2 Chronicles 2:17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers that [were] in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

Ver. 17. After the numbering.] See 1 Chronicles 22:2.

2 Chronicles 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.

Ver. 18. And he set threescore and ten thousand of them.] Hereby were shadowed out the several offices in Christ’s Church: this St Paul setteth forth by the similitude of the diffferent members in man’s body, &c.

To set the people a work.] Heb., To make them to pass, sc., from one business to another.