Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 2:1
And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a house for his kingdom.
Ch. 2. Solomon’s Preparations for Building the Temple
1, 2 (= 2Ch 2:17-18 [1:18, 2Ch 2:1, Heb.] below; 1Ki 5:15). Bearers and Hewers
1. determined ] R.V. purposed, as in 1Ki 5:5.
for the name ] cp. 1Ch 22:7; 1Ch 22:10; 1Ch 22:19 ; 1Ch 28:3; 1Ch 29:16.
a house for his kingdom ] See 1Ki 7:1-8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
2Ch 2:1-16
And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord.
Solomons predestined work
Solomon was born to do this work. There is no need for the rose to say, Now I am going to be beautiful and fragrant. There is no need for the nightingale to say, Now I have fully made up my mind to be musical and tuneful, and to fill the air with richest expressions and melody. The flower was born to bloom, and to throw all its fragrance away in generous donation; the nightingale was made in every bone and feather of it for the sacred singing throat to sing to astonish the world with music. Solomon came into this work naturally, as it were by birth and education. (J. Parker, D.D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
CHAPTER II
Solomon determines to build a temple, 1.
The number of his workmen, 2.
Sends to Huram for artificers and materials, 3-10.
Huram sends him a favourable answer, and makes an agreement
with him concerning the labour to be done, and the wages to
be paid to his men, 11-16.
The number of strangers in the land, and how employed, 17, 18.
NOTES ON CHAP. II
Verse 1. A house for the name of the Lord] A temple for the worship of Jehovah.
A house for his kingdom.] A royal palace for his own use as king of Israel.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
i.e. A royal palace for himself and his successors. This whole chapter, for the substance of it, is contained in 1Ki 5, and in the notes there it is explained, and the seeming differences reconciled.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. Solomon determined to buildThetemple is the grand subject of this narrative, while the palacehereand in other parts of this bookis only incidentally noticed. Theduty of building the temple was reserved for Solomon before hisbirth. As soon as he became king, he addressed himself to the work,and the historian, in proceeding to give an account of the edifice,begins with relating the preliminary arrangements.
2Ch2:3-10. HIS MESSAGETO HURAM FORSKILFUL ARTIFICERS.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord,…. For the worship and service of God, and for his honour and glory, being directed, enjoined, and encouraged to it by his father David:
and an house for his kingdom; for a royal palace for him, and his successors, first the one, and then the other; and in this order they were built.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(1:18). The account of these is introduced by 1:18: “Solomon thought to build.” with an infinitive following does not signify here to command one to do anything, as e.g., in 1Ch 21:17, but to purpose to do something, as e.g., in 1Ki 5:5. For , see on 1Ki 5:17. , house for his kingdom, i.e., the royal palace. The building of this palace is indeed shortly spoken of in 2Ch 2:11; 2Ch 7:11, and 2Ch 8:1, but is not in the Chronicle described in detail as in 1Ki 7:1-12.
(2:1). With 2Ch 2:1 begins the account of the preparations which Solomon made for the erection of these buildings, especially of the temple building, accompanied by a statement that the king caused all the workmen of the necessary sort in his kingdom to be numbered. There follows thereafter an account of the negotiations with King Hiram of Tyre in regard to the sending of a skilful architect, and of the necessary materials, such as cedar wood and hewn stones, from Lebanon (2Ch 2:2-15); and, in conclusion, the statements as to the levying of the statute labourers of Israel (2Ch 2:1) are repeated and rendered more complete (2Ch 2:16, 2Ch 2:17). If we compare the parallel account in 1Ki 5:5., we find that Solomon’s negotiation with Hiram about the proposed buildings is preceded (1Ki 5:5) by a notice, that Hiram, after he had heard of Solomon’s accession, had sent him an embassy to congratulate him. This notice is omitted in the Chronicle, because it was of no importance in the negotiations which succeeded. In the account of Solomon’s negotiation with Hiram, both narratives (2Ch 2:2-15 and 1Ki 5:16.) agree in the main, but differ in form so considerably, that it is manifest that they are free adaptations of one common original document, quite independent of each other, as has been already remarked on 1Ki 5:5. On 2Ch 2:2 see further on 1Ki 5:15.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Preparations to Build the Temple. | B. C. 1015. |
1 And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a house for his kingdom. 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. 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 a house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. 4 Behold, I build a 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 showbread, 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. 5 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. 6 But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? 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. 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, 9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great. 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.
Solomon’s wisdom was given him, not merely for speculation, to entertain himself (though it is indeed a princely entertainment), nor merely for conversation, to entertain his friends, but for action; and therefore to action he immediately applies himself. Observe,
I. His resolution within himself concerning his business (v. 1): He determined to build, in the first place, a house for the name of the Lord. It is fit that he who is the first should be served–first a temple and then a palace, a house not so much for himself, or his own convenience and magnitude, as for the kingdom, for the honour of it among its neighbours and for the decent reception of the people whenever they had occasion to apply to their prince; so that in both he aimed at the public good. Those are the wisest men that lay out themselves most for the honour of the name of the Lord and the welfare of communities. We are not born for ourselves, but for God and our country.
II. His embassy to Huram, king of Tyre, to engage his assistance in the prosecution of his designs. The purport of his errand to him is much the same here as we had it 1 Kings v. 2, c., only here it is more largely set forth.
1. The reasons why he makes this application to Huram are here more fully represented, for information to Huram as well as for inducement. (1.) He pleads his father’s interest in Huram, and the kindness he had received from him (<i>v. 3): As thou didst deal with David, so deal with me. As we must show kindness to, so we may expect kindness from, our fathers’ friends, and with them should cultivate a correspondence. (2.) He represents his design in building the temple: he intended it for a place of religious worship (v. 4), that all the offerings which God had appointed for the honour of his name might be offered up there. The house was built that it might be dedicated to God and used in his service. This we should aim at in all our business, that our havings and doings may be all to the glory of God. He mentions various particular services that were there to be performed, for the instruction of Huram. The mysteries of the true religion, unlike those of the Gentile superstition, coveted not concealment. (3.) He endeavors to inspire Huram with very great and high thoughts of the God of Israel, by expressing the mighty veneration he had for his holy name: Great is our God above all gods, above all idols, above all princes. Idols are nothing, princes are little, and both under the control of the God of Israel; and therefore, [1.] “The house must be great; not in proportion to the greatness of that God to whom it is to be dedicated (for between finite and infinite there can be no proportion), but in some proportion to the great value and esteem we have for this God.” [2.] “Yet, be it ever so great, it cannot be a habitation for the great God. Let not Huram think that the God of Israel, like the gods of the nations, dwells in temples made with hands, Acts xvii. 24. No, the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. It is intended only for the convenience of his priests and worshippers, that they may have a fit place wherein to burn sacrifice before him.” [3.] He looked upon himself, though a mighty prince, as unworthy the honour of being employed in this great work: Who am I that I should build him a house? It becomes us to go about every work for God with a due sense of our utter insufficiency for it and our incapacity to do any thing adequate to the divine perfections. It is part of the wisdom wherein we ought to walk towards those that are without carefully to guard against all misapprehension which any thing we say or do may occasion concerning God; so Solomon does here in his treaty with Huram.
2. The requests he makes to him are more particularly set down here. (1.) He desired Huram would furnish him with a good hand to work (v. 7): Send me a man. He had cunning men with him in Jerusalem and Judah, whom David provided, 1 Chron. xxii. 15. Let them not think but that Jews had some among them that were artists. But “send me a man to direct them. There are ingenious men in Jerusalem, but not such engravers as are in Tyre; and therefore, since temple-work must be the best in its kind, let me have the best workmen that can be got.” (2.) With good materials to work on (v. 8), cedar and other timber in abundance (2Ch 2:8; 2Ch 2:9); for the house must be wonderfully great, that is, very stately and magnificent, no cost must be spared, nor any contrivance wanting in it.
3. Here is Solomon’s engagement to maintain the workmen (v. 10), to give them so much wheat and barley, so much wine and oil. He did not feed his workmen with bread and water, but with plenty, and every thing of the best. Those that employ labourers ought to take care they be not only well paid, but well provided for with sufficient of that which is wholesome and fit for them. Let the rich masters do for their poor workmen as they would be done by if the tables were turned.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
See note on 1Ki 5:1
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
THE SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES
IN discussing the First Book of Chronicles we called attention to the fact that according to Usshers chronology, the two Books, not reckoning the table of genealogy, covered a space of 468 years of history; the First Book only 41 of these, and this second, 427. As to the authorship of these Books, Ezra is commonly accepted.
The analysis of any book is largely the presentation of a personal view. One man divides this Second Book of Chronicles into two portions: The Reign of Solomon, chapters 1 to 9, and The Kings of Judah, chapters 10 to 36.
Scofield in his reference Bible, says of this Book: It falls into eighteen divisions, by reigns, from Solomon to the captivities; records the division of the kingdom of David under Jeroboam and Rehoboam, and is marked by an ever growing apostasy, broken temporarily by reformations under Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah.
It is our purpose to follow neither of these divisions, however natural they may be, but to discuss the volume under three heads: Solomon and the Temple; Rehoboam and the Division, and the History of Judah.
SOLOMON AND THE TEMPLE
The Book opens with a declaration concerning the new king, And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly (2Ch 1:1).
The history that follows gives occasion to say several things concerning this marvelous man of immortal reputation:
First, Solomons kingship enjoyed an auspicious beginning. The man who ascends the throne under the favor of the Lord necessarily begins a reign of promise. If, as in Solomons case, he sensibly recognizes his responsibility and seeks wisdom from the only sufficient source, he adds greater certainty to his success. When, in addition to this, his objectives are high and God-honoring, the glory of his kingdom advances accordingly. Certainly, Solomons preparation to build the temple was not only a noble objective, but one in line with his kingly fathers purpose and prayers, and the great Heavenly Fathers will for him.
The interesting history here of gathering materials and appointing men for this marvelous construction is made more interesting still by the kings personal supervision and spiritual interest. It takes some courage to conduct war, and we believe it takes almost more courage and even a clearer sense of God, to build sanctuaries, make their appointments according to the Divine pleasure, and call the people to worship within the spacious rooms of the same. Yet, when you have read but five chapters of this Book, you find such a work complete, and are not in the least amazed or even surprised to read, The glory of the Lord had filled the house of God (2Ch 5:14).
It is doubtful whether any company of men have done more for the establishment of spirituality in the earth and for the strengthening of the souls of their fellows, than have those who brought sanctuaries into existence and led congregations of people to a genuine worship of the most high God.
The on-going of this Book reveals Solomons conscious dependence. When the altar was erected he stood by it with outstretched hands (2Ch 6:12). That is the attitude of prayer and possibly of adoration. When his lips parted to speak, he says,
O Lord God of Israel, there is no God tike Thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto Thy servants that walk before Thee with all their hearts:
Thou which hast kept with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him; and spakest with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day.
Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in My Law, as Thou hast walked before Me (2Ch 6:14-16).
Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let Thy Word be verified, which Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant David (2Ch 6:17).
Then follows an appeal that Gods eyes should be open upon their house day and night; that His ears should hearken to the prayers made in that place, and if sin were committed, that forgiveness should be granted, and if the people fail before the face of the enemy because of sin that they also should be pardoned; that if heaven be shut up on the same ground, upon repentance the dearth should end.
Then he concludes in a more personal petition to Him:
Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all Thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:
Then hear Thou from Heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive (2Ch 6:29-30).
These are only samples of the long petition that followed the dedicatory sermon. They wind up with a sentence like this: O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed: remember the mercies of David Thy servant (2Ch 6:42). It is a model prayer; it is the petition of a sincere soul; it is the cry of one who knows that the mercy and love of God are the only grounds of hope.
The further text records Solomons fame and death. That fame was based upon Solomons wisdom, accentuated doubtless by the magnificence of the temple, but made more honorable still in the extent of his organization, the luxury of his court and the wealth of his treasury.
Evidently, among the rulers of the earth, the queen of Sheba held conspicuous place, and when the fame of Solomon reached her, she came to prove him with her questions, and impress him with her own riches and glory. The difficult questions were satisfactorily answered, the temple was adequately shown, the table of the king groaned with its good meats, the apparel of the servants was profoundly impressive, and the queen said to the king,
It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:
Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, winch stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God (2Ch 9:5-8).
The compliment to the king is followed with a statement of Solomons annual income, the magnificence of his throne, the rich appointments of the palace, the extensive commercial importance of his kingdom, and the willing tributes of the earths lesser lords.
Then, as if the task of telling all was too great, we have this record,
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the Prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead (2Ch 9:29-31).
It is a surprising end, and yet strangely true to human history. How many men spend all their days in preparing to live, and when the preparation seems almost complete, proceed to die? The last enemy is no respecter of persons. His bow is drawn against the great as well as the humble, the rich as well as the poor, the wise as well as the ignorant. Death respects neither thrones nor kings; he holds the key to the palace room, and even to the throne room. Kings may command their humbler fellows, and even counsel their equals; but where death calls, they also obey.
REHOBOAM AND THE DIVISION
The emptying of a throne is forever fraught with perils. The eternal and pertinent question is this, Who shall come after the king? The tenth chapter answered that concerning the throne of Israel. The answer was an ill omen! Rehoboams tyrannical spirit split the kingdom. When Jeroboam and all Israel came to him, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee (2Ch 10:4), they delicately referred to the increased taxation to which the luxurious court and the personal orgies of Solomon had given rise. They thought, as people commonly do, that the new rule would prove the peoples friend. Their hope was in vain.
The old men, former counselors of Solomon, advised kindness and compassion; but the young bloods, spoiled by their fellowship with royalty, counseled increased oppression; and under their influence he said,
My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions (2Ch 10:14).
It was enough. The war was on; and that war has never ended until this day, for Israel and Judah are not yet one. A man who divides brethren and sets them to battle, little understands the infinite reach of his mischief. The father of Modernism in America, when he fell asleep at a comparatively early age, little dreamed that he had set influences to work that would divide every denomination on the continent, destroy the fellowship of men who loved one another as twins are commonly supposed to love, wreck schools and churches by the thousand, and start a war that may easily exceed the famous Hundred Year War of history.
Israel and Judahblood brothersbecame the bitterest of enemies. For some reason Second Chronicles pays little attention to Israel, but proceeds to trace Judahs history to the year of Cyrus, king of Persia, or through a period of almost a half millennium. The family feud occasionally projects itself into the record, but for the most part, Israel is forgotten, and the doings of Judah are recorded in detail.
The explanation of this is found in the circumstance that Jeroboam rejected the worship of Jehovah (2Ch 11:14-15). When God is once put away, when Gods priest is disposed of, and His minister is heard no more, then degeneracy compels a declining record.
Unitarianism three quarters of a century ago denied the Lord. Its history has amounted to little; and if it were recorded, it would simply prove, as the Jeroboam movement, a breeding place of apostasy; and yet this record regards not one apostasy only, but two.
The man of many favors may forget God.
When Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him (2Ch 12:1).
What a sad commentary on the uncertainty and unstability of human nature! The explanation of Rehoboams failure has fitted thousands, yea millions of cases. He did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord (2Ch 12:14). Of all disappointments, none exceed thisto begin well and end badly; to give promise and create disappointment; to be the subject of Divine favor, and become the slave of Gods adversary.
THE HISTORY OF JUDAH
Chapters 11 to 36 contain the roster of kings. The fortunes of the country answer accurately and inevitably to the characters of their rulers. On the whole, the history is a down-grade. In that respect, it runs true to form. The doctrine of evolution may find an illustration in national life if it goes from the simple to the complex, but in so far as it contends for improvement, history fails to illustrate it. Degeneracy of nations has more often taken place than has social and moral progress.
The foundations of Judah were laid under David; the kingdoms glory appeared under Solomon. From that moment until this, one word expresses Judahs coursedecline.
Africa was once an advanced nation, now a heathen one; Italy once ruled the world, now she holds an inconspicuous place; Greece once represented the climax of physical and mental accomplishment, now she boasts neither. The reasons for decline are varied, but in Judah they were one the God who had made her great was too often forgotten, too willingly offended. When the nations neglect the source of their strength, weakness naturally ensues. Judahs strength was in the Lord, and when her kings forgot Him, despised His Word, entered into unholy alliances that were followed by the people, her fame declined, and her land fainted.
The mixed social condition manifested her sinfulness. We have a phrase, Like people, like priest. We can paraphrase that, Like princes, like people. The study of these kings results in no compliment to human nature. Some of them were utterly evil; most of them were a mixture of the good and bad; two or three of them were sound. Among the utterly evil ones, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Manasseh, Amon and Jehoiakin held first place. The ones that represent a mixture of good and bad were Jeroboam, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jehoiakim; while the truly good consisted of Jotham, Hezekiah and Josiah. In all probability the reign of each of these good kings was profoundly affected and made spiritually fruitful by the ministry of Isaiah, the greatest preacher among Old Testament Prophets. It is perhaps a fact of history that no rulers have ever proven faithful to God without the stimulating and salutary influence of the Gospel ministry.
The judgments and mercies of Second Chronicles alike vindicate Jehovah. In this record wickedness does not go unpunished; and yet it is a marvelous revelation of Divine mercy.
There is never the least sign of penitence on the part of the ruler and the people without an immediate and generous response from Jehovah.
When Jehoshaphat declined in his loyalty and effected a sinful coalition with Ahab, judgment fell; but instantly upon his repentance, mercy was shown. Judgment is always and everywhere Gods strange work, the work in which He takes no pleasure. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Eze 33:11).
Mercy is His nature, His essential character, for to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy (Pro 28:13).
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
CRITICAL NOTES.] This chapter corresponds with 1 Kings 5. It comprises preparations for building the temple (2Ch. 2:1-2); Solomons message to Huram (2Ch. 2:3-10); Hurams reply (2Ch. 2:11-16); and the census of the strangers (2Ch. 2:17-18).
2Ch. 2:1-2.Preparations for building. Determined, i.e., commanded, gave orders to build. Name (1Ch. 22:10; cf. 1Ki. 5:5). Kingdom, royal palace. 2Ch. 2:2. The substance of this verse given in 2Ch. 2:18, here indicative of magnitude of the undertaking.
2Ch. 2:3-10.Solomons message to Huram. H. had congratulated Sol. (1Ki. 5:1). Deal (cf. 1Ch. 14:1 and 2Sa. 5:11). Cedars (1Ch. 14:1). 2Ch. 2:4. Incense, lit. incense of spices (marg.); the regular incense burned every morning and every evening (Exo. 30:7); for symbolic meaning, see Rev. 8:3-4. Shewbread (cf. Exo. 25:30; Lev. 24:5-9; Num. 4:7). Moons (Num. 28:11-15). Feasts, three great annual. 2Ch. 2:5. Great, exceeding in size any separate building in Palestine and any temple of the gods of surrounding nations. See Stanleys Jewish Ch., vol. ii., p. 224. 2Ch. 2:6. Able (cf. 1Ki. 8:27; 2Ch. 6:18). In the question, Who am I? (cf. 1Ch. 29:14) there is implied: a house for him to dwell in I cannot build; and with this is connected the antithesis; but only for the purpose of burning incense before him, i.e., only to maintain a place in which God may be honoured by sacrifice, can I venture to build him a house [Keil]. 2Ch. 2:7. Cunning, i.e., skilful to work in gold (1Ch. 22:15) and with knowledge of sculpture in metal and wood; a man to design and superintend all work in metals and other materials (Exo. 25:4). 2Ch. 2:8. Send. The cedar and cypress were valued as being both rare and durable; the algum or almug trees (likewise a foreign wood), though not got on Lebanon, is mentioned as being procured through Huram [Jamieson], 2Ch. 2:9. Wonderful, lit. great and wonderful. 2Ch. 2:10. Give. According to Kings, Solomons original proposal was simply to pay Hirams workmen for their labour, and it was at Hirams suggestion that he commuted his proposed hire into an annual payment in kind (see 1Ki. 5:6; 1Ki. 5:9; 1Ki. 5:11). It would seem, therefore, that the author of Chronicles here throws into one at least two distinct messages sent by Solomon to Hiram [Speak. Com.].
2Ch. 2:11-16.Hurams reply (cf. 1Ki. 5:8-9). Loved. It would seem that neighbouring sovereigns, in communications with Jewish monarchs, adopted the Jewish name for the Supreme Being (Jehovah, the Lord of our version), either identifying him with their own chief god or (sometimes) meaning merely to acknowledge him as the special god of the Jewish nation and country. In Hirams case the acknowledgment seems to be of the former kind [Speak. Com.]. 2Ch. 2:12. The Lord, a formula designating the Supreme God with several Asiatic nations. In Persian inscriptions Ormazd is constantly called the great god, who gave (or made) heaven and earth [Speak. Com.]. 2Ch. 2:13. Huram, the kings own fathers name appears to have been Abibaal. Father is used in the honourable sense of master, and the trans. should be as generally admitted. I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, one Huram, my master workman 2Ch. 2:14. A Tyrian by race, whose mother was of the daughter of Dan, though her father was of Naphtali (1Ki. 7:14), skilled in all things specified, and in wood, stone, and fine linen. 2Ch. 2:16. Joppa, now Jaffa, the natural port of Jerusalem, distant about 35 miles.
2Ch. 2:17-18.The census of strangers. Strangers, descendants of Canaanites not driven out of the land at the invasion (Jdg. 1:21-36; 1Ki. 9:20), and non-Israelite population influx from surrounding nations. Numbered, reimposition of bond-service had been discontinued between Joshua and Saul David numbered the strangers (cf. 1Ch. 22:2). and Solomon imitated his father.
HOMILETICS
THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE.2Ch. 2:1-16
Solomons wisdom given not for self-adornment and speculation, but for practical purposes; to build, govern, and do the work of God. David talked about the work, gathered materials; Solomon executed.
I. The magnitude of the work. Wonderfully great (2Ch. 2:9). Great not so much in outward structure as in style and design.
1. Great because God, for whom it is built, is great. For great is our God above all gods (2Ch. 2:5). Infinite, self-existent, and supreme. Our ideas of God determine our plans in building up character, family, business, and places of worship. Our theology determines our architecture, says Dr. Parker. Defective views of God will influence expenditure and worship. God is great, and should have nothing mean.
2. Great because its worship is becoming. To burn sacrifice before him (2Ch. 2:6). The spiritual always greater than the material. However magnificent the place, God is greater than the temple. A great God indicates great worship. A ritual not to please the eye and gratify the taste, but holy, sincere, and devout.
3. Great because it satisfies great needs. To burn before him sweet incense, &c. (2Ch. 2:4). Solomon seems to mean that to build a temple can only be justified on the humannot on the divineside. God dwelleth not in temples made with hands, cannot be confined to them, does in no sort need them. The sole reason for building a temple lies in the needs of man. Man is finite; his worship must be local; the sacrifices commanded in the law had, of necessity, to be offered somewhere. Only in view of these necessities did Solomon venture to think of building God a house [Speak. Com.]. Man will ever need incease, which sets forth prayer; the continual shew-bread, or communion with God; and the burnt-offering, or propitiation for sin (Exo. 30:7; Numbers 28; Leviticus 23).
II. The spirit in which the work was undertaken. Solomon felt the necessity, urgency, and responsibility of the work.
1. A spirit of determination. I purpose to build a house (1Ki. 5:5). Energy, settled and fixed resolution in himself. Gave orders to others also to help; stirred up the nation to take an interest in work. Prayer should show itself in action and enthusiasm for God. The truest wisdom is a resolute determination, says Napoleon.
2. A spirit of humility. But who is able to build, &c.? (2Ch. 2:6). Feeling that he was undertaking an impossible work almost. Not as a conceited king or wealthy prince, but as unworthy of the work, did he regard himself. A due sense of insufficiency becoming in the wisest and strongest; the only way to secure strength and success; will never lead to despair, but to do what can be done. When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.
III. The help which was secured in the execution of the work. Solomon great, wise, and rich but required help from Hiram. Kings want men! Everything worthy done by co-operation, reciprocity of labour.
1. Help readily given. No excuse, no delay, no mere promise. Willingness combined with respect, congratulations, and gladness of the opportunity. When Hiram heard the words of Solomon he rejoiced greatly.
2. Help most skilful. Cut timber, costly stones and hewed stones, the best that could be given. We should contrive more for God. Give more intelligence, more value in our service; put more cunning in the fingers, more penetration in the mind, and more polish in the brass; more beauty in every sacrifice.
3. Help most suitable. One thing not substituted for another; cedar-trees for gold, and silver for brass. Timber, stones, and fine linen in exact quantity and quality. Cunning men filled with wisdom and understanding, able to grave, to superintend and direct. Give what is suitable and required, and you will help in building the temple.
HIRAM AND SOLOMON.2Ch. 2:2-16
Hiram had been a friend of David, now a faster friend of Solomon, with whom he formed treaties and alliance, by which commerce was extended and peace maintained. We learn from this intercourseI. That friendship in life is helpful. Hiram served both father and son; gratitude and filial loyalty bound Solomon to him. An old family friend revives touching memories; should never be forsaken, though you may rise and he may sink in the world, nor undervalued in counsels and offices of love. Thine own friend and thy fathers friend, forsake not. II. That co-operation among men is desirable. True friendship leads to common courtesy and co-operation. Kings not independent, need men, and cannot build without others. Tyre may help Jerusalem, Gentile the Jew. In the cause of humanity, skilled and unskilled, overseer and common labourer, may work together. Every man has his own kingship. Every man has something that no other man has. A recognition of this fact, and a proper use of its suggestions, would create for us a democracy hard to distinguish from a theocracy. III. That men may know God, yet not serve him. Hiram acknowledged the God of the Jewish people, now known among the nations, but no reason to think that he was a proselyte to the Jewish religion. The doxology (Blessed, &c.) may spring from courtesies of style, community of language, and religious tradition which existed between Phnicians and Hebrews. Men may know much of God, speak well of him, yet withhold homage from him and give it to idols. IV. That when Gods people are consistent in their life, their influence upon others is for good. Hiram felt more than respect for Solomon; was well-disposed, through the honour and worship rendered to God. When Israel were idolatrous, they were weakened; when holy, they influenced and instructed surrounding nations; lent, but borrowed not. Let your life be pure, and the worship of your God sincere, then you overcome opposition, touch the heart, and secure the help of strangers. The sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee.
NATURALISATION OF FOREIGNERS.2Ch. 2:17-18
I. A good Government will tend to make a country attractive to foreigners. II. Foreigners thus attracted are amenable to the laws of the State. III. Thus protected, they may contribute materially to the enrichment of a State by the importation of foreign industries. IV. The kind treatment of exiles often repays those who so regard them. Illus.: The silk-weavers of Spitalfields. V. Be kind to strangers [Bib. Museum].
HOMILETIC HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
2Ch. 2:3-7. In opening the business Solomon grounded his request for Tyrian aid on two reasons:
1. The temple he proposed to build must be a solid and permanent building, because the worship was to be continued in perpetuity, and therefore the building materials required to be of the most durable quality.
2. It must be a magnificent structure, because it was to be dedicated to the God who was greater than all gods; and, therefore, as it might seem a presumptuous idea to erect an edifice for a Being whom the heaven and the heaven of heavens do not contain, it was explained that Solomons object was not to build a house for him to dwell in, but a temple in which his worshippers might offer sacrifices to his honour. No language could be more humble and appropriate than this. The pious strain of sentiment was such as became a King of Israel [Jamieson].
2Ch. 2:6-7. By the sentence the heaven and heaven of heavens, that is, the heaven in its most extended compass, cannot contain God, Solomon strikes down all rationalistic assertions that the Israelites imagined Jehovah to be only a finite national god. The infinitude and supramundane exaltation of God cannot be more clearly and strongly expressed than it is in these words. That, however, Solomon was addicted to no abstract idealism is sufficiently apparent from this, that he unites this consciousness of the infinite exaltation of God with the firm belief of his real presence in the temple. The true God is not merely infinitely exalted above the world, has not only his throne in heaven (1Ki. 8:34; 1Ki. 8:36; Psa. 2:4; Psa. 11:4; Psa. 103:19; Isa. 66:1; Amo. 9:6), he is also present on the earth (Deu. 4:39), has chosen the temple for the dwelling-place of his name in Israel, from which he hears the prayers of his people [Keil.]
2Ch. 2:7. Send a man. Men wanted to consecrate their skill to God and lead in Christian work, &c. A famous son. Hiram, the first sculptor and engraver of Israel, was half a foreigner. His father was a Tyrian and was dead; but his mother was a Danite who lived in Naphtali (1Ki. 7:13-14). He thus sprung on the Israelite side from the same tribe, and (according to Jewish tradition) from the same family as Aholiab, the Danite artist in the wilderness. So wide was his fame, and so profound the reverence entertained for him by the two sovereigns to whom he belonged, that he is called the father, both of Solomon and of Hiram [Stanley]. I. A widows son trained in his fathers workshop, helping his mother, and striving to do his duty. II. This son, by diligence, faithfulness, and skill, became famous, excelled, and was promoted. III. This promotion a reward for his diligence, and a joy to his widowed mother. Industry, filial love, and perseverance sure to bring eminence. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings: he shall not stand before mean men (Pro. 22:29). (Henry Martin, known in his college as the man who had not lost an hour. Joseph, Nehemiah, Daniel.)
2Ch. 2:17-18. Solomons workmen. Builders, Israelites and heathen (Psa. 22:29). A prophetic anticipation of Eph. 2:14; Eph. 2:19-22; Eph. 3:4-6. Solomons treatment of his workmen. Not arbitrary like Pharaoh, who would have raised discontent, if not opposition, but considerate. A wise arrangement to give rest at home and relief in labour. Hence no murmuring in work. This an example to modern builders. LearnThe temple a house of prayer for all nations. Many help in the material work of the church, who do not enjoy its worship and privileges. We, his servants, will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 2
2Ch. 2:3-4. Friendship.
Friendship! mysterious cement of the soul!
Sweetner of life! and solder of society! [Blair].
2Ch. 2:5-6. God above all gods. As the human mind is finite and conceives by defining the limits of its thought, and as God is known to us to be infinite, it is evident that the human mind can never be capable of conceiving God adequately as He is, or of defining His being [Hodge].
2Ch. 2:7. A man. The most important point in any affair is to know what is to be done [Columella].
2Ch. 2:14. Skilful. The mechanical genius of the Phnicians generally, and of the Sidonians in particular, is noticed by many ancient writers [Speak. Com.].
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
2. PREPARATIONS FOR THE TEMPLE (Chapter 2)
TEXT
2Ch. 2:1. Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom. 2. And Solomon counted out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand men that were hewers in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them. 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 a house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. 4. Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Jehovah my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him incense of sweet spices, and for the continual showbread, and for the burnt-offerings mornirig and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Jehovah our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel. 5. And the house which I build is great; for great is our God above all gods. 6. But who is able to build him a house, seeing heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn incense before him? 7. Now therefore send me a man skillful to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that knoweth how to grave all manner of gravings, to be with the skillful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. 8. Send me also cedar-trees, fir-trees, and algum-trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, 9. even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful. 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.
11. Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because Jehovah loveth his people, he hath made thee king over them. 12. Huram said moreover, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with discretion and understanding, that should build a house for Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom. 13. And now I have sent a skillful man, endued with understanding, of Huram my fathers, 14. the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful 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 devise any device; that there may be a place appointed unto him with thy skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David thy father. 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: 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.
17. And Solomon numbered all the sojourners that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found a hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred. 18. And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand that were hewers in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people at work.
PARAPHRASE
2Ch. 2:1. Solomon now decided that the time had come to build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself. 2. This required a force of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 stonecutters in the hills, and 3,600 foremen. 3. Solomon sent an ambassador to King Hiram at Tyre, requesting shipments of cedar lumber such as Hiram had supplied to David when he was building his palace. 4. I am about to build a temple for the Lord my God, Solomon told Hiram. It will be a place where I can burn incense and sweet spices before God, and display the special sacrificial bread, and sacrifice burnt offerings each morning, and evening, and on the Sabbaths, and at the new moon celebration and other regular festivals of the Lord our God. For God wants Israel always to celebrate these special occasions. 5. It is going to be a wonderful temple because he is a great God, greater than any other. 6. But who can ever build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heaven would be beautiful enough! And who am I to be allowed to build a temple for God? But it will be a place to worship him.
7. So send me skilled craftsmengoldsmiths and silversmiths, brass and iron workers; and send me weavers to make purple, crimson, and blue cloth; and skilled engravers to work beside the craftsmen of Judah and Jerusalem who were selected by my father David. 8. Also send me cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees from the Forests of Lebanon, for your men are without equal as lumbermen, and I will send my men to help them. 9. An immense amount of lumber will be needed, for the temple I am going to build will be huge and incredibly beautiful. 10. As to the financial arrangements, I will pay your men 20,000 sacks of crushed wheat, 20,000 barrels of barley, 20,000 barrels of wine, and 20,000 barrels of olive oil.
11. King Hiram replied to King Solomon: It is because the Lord loves his people that he has made you their king! 12. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who made the heavens and the earth and who has given to David such a wise, intelligent, and understanding son to build Gods Temple, and a royal palace for himself. 13. I am sending you a master craftsmanmy famous Huramabi! He is a brilliant man, 14. the son of a Jewish woman from Dan in Israel; his father is from here in Tyre. He is a skillful goldsmith and silversmith, and also does exquisite work with brass and iron, and knows all about stonework, carpentry, and weaving; and he is an expert in the dying of purple and blue linen and crimson cloth. He is an engraver besides, and an inventor! He will work with your craftsmen and those appointed by my lord David, your father. 15. So send along the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine you mentioned, 16. and we will begin cutting wood from the Lebanon mountains, as much as you need, and bring it to you in log floats across the sea to Joppa, and from there you can take them inland to Jerusalem.
17. Solomon now took a census of all foreigners in the country (just as his father David had done) and found that there were 153,600 of them. 18. He indentured 70,000 as common laborers, 80,000 as loggers and 3,600 as foremen.
COMMENTARY
As Solomon considered the Temple, he desired to build a house for the name of Jehovah.[48] It should be the kind of building that would give wings to a mans imagination as he thought of the character of Jehovah. Two kinds of houses are suggested in 2Ch. 2:1. Solomon would build Jehovahs Temple and he would also build for himself a whole range of palaces. Seventy thousand men would bear burdens. Eighty thousand men would cut timbers in the Lebanon Forests. Men who would oversee these laborers numbered three thousand six hundred. In Davids day good relations had been established with the Phoenician people. Solomon turned to Huram (Hiram), king of Tyre and requested provision of cedar timbers. He would, at the same time, assure the Phoenicians that Israel would allow them to keep their territory by the sea. In the word sent to Huram, Solomon emphasized that he was going to build a great house, a house great and wonderful, one that would require the finest building materials Huram could provide. The kinds of religious exercises to be conducted at the Temple involved the burning of incense, the presentation of showbread, the morning and evening sacrifices, the special offerings for sabbath days and feast days. The Phoenician king would not be familiar with all of these services; but their mention would help him understand the importance of this house. Even though Solomon was requesting goods from Gentiles, he boldly affirmed the supremacy of the God of Israel over all other gods. This did not imply that Solomon accepted the belief in other gods. Solomons God was so great that no house would ever be sufficient to contain Him; yet the king of Israel would build a house worthy of Jehovahs name. He requested Huram to send him materials and workmen for this project. The algum trees mentioned in 2Ch. 2:8 were usually imported from India or Ophir. In other places they are called almug trees. Phoenicia imported every kind of merchandise. She could have supplied some of this expensive wood. Solomon agreed to provide Huram with twenty thousand measures (co-equal to about eleven bushels) of wheat and the same amount of barley. Twenty thousand baths (bathequals about ten gallons) of wine and oil were also a part of Solomons obligation to Huram. The king of Tyre was well pleased with these arrangements. He pronounced blessings in Jehovahs name. He advised Solomon that he had procured the services of a skilled artisan (Hiram, 1Ki. 7:13-14) whose mother was a Danite (perhaps at one time living in Naphtali) and whose father was from Tyre. This man combined the respective skills of Bezalel and Oholiab, the master craftsmen of the Tabernacle. He could work in precious metals or in brass. He was a skilled carpenter. He was expert in the craft of textile fabrics. He was a master engraver. Huram advised Solomon of his complete satisfaction with the proposed contract and of his willingness to do as Solomon had requested. There was a considerable native population in Palestine that had not been removed by Israel. These were called sojourners. In an enumeration, one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred such persons were counted. These were they who were subjected to taskwork by Solomon (2Ch. 2:2).
[48] Larue, Gerald A., Old Testament Life and Literature, Allyn and Bacon Inc., Boston, 1968, p. 351. Grosvenor, Melville B., Everyday Life in Bible Times, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C., 1967, p. 222.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(1) Determined.Literally, said, which may mean either commanded, as in 2Ch. 1:2; 1Ch. 21:17, or thought, purposed, resolved, as in 1Ki. 5:5. The context seems to favour the latter sense.
And an house for his kingdom.Or, for his royalty; that is, as the Vulg. renders, a palace for himself. Solomons royal palace is mentioned again in 2Ch. 2:12; 2Ch. 7:11; 2Ch. 8:1; but the building of it is not related in the Chronicle. (See 1Ki. 7:1-12.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1. A house for his kingdom That is, a royal palace.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Solomon’s Message to Huram
v. 1. And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord, v. 2. Arid Solomon told out, v. 3. And Solomon sent to Huram v. 4. Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord, my God, to dedicate it to Him, v. 5. And. the house which I build is great; for great is our God above all gods; v. 6. But who is able to build Him an house, v. 7. Send me now, therefore, a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, v. 8. Send me also cedar-trees, fir trees, v. 9. even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great, v. 10. And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
2Ch 2:1
In the Hebrew text this verse stands as the last of 2Ch 1:1-17. Determined. The Hebrew word is the ordinary word for “said;” as, e.g; in the expression of such frequent occurrence, “The Lord said.” Its natural equivalent here might be, he gave the word, or issued the command, for the building of a house. For the Name of the Lord; better, to the Name of the Lord (1Ki 5:3; or in Hebrew text, 1Ki 5:18; 1Ch 22:7). The expression,” the Name of the Lord,” is of very early date (Gen 4:26). A name named upon a person at the first purported as far as possible to mark his nature, either its tout ensemble or some striking attribute of it. Hence the changed name, sometimes of Divine interposition (Gen 17:5, Gen 17:15; Gen 32:28; Gen 35:10); and much more noticeably the alterations of the Divine Name, to serve and to mark the progressive development of the revelation of God to man (Gen 17:1; Exo 3:14; Exo 6:3; Exo 34:14). So the Name of the Lord stands evermonogram most sacredfor himself. A house for his kingdom; i.e. a royal residence for Solomon himself. This is mere clearly expressed as, “in his own house” (2Ch 7:11; 2Ch 8:1; 1Ki 9:10, 1Ki 9:15). The description of this house for himself is given in 1Ki 7:1-13. But no parallel account exists in Chronicles.
2Ch 2:2
The presence of this verse here, and the composition of it, may probably mark some corruptness of text or error of copyists, as the first two words of it are the proper first two words of 2Ch 2:17, and the remainder of it shows the proper contents of 2Ch 2:18, which are not only in other aspects apparently in the right place there, but also by analogy of the parallel (1Ki 5:15, 1Ki 5:16). The contents of this verse will therefore be considered with 2Ch 2:17, 2Ch 2:18.
2Ch 2:3
Huram. So the name is spelt, whether of Tyrian king or Tyrian workman, in Chronicles, except, perhaps, in 1Ch 14:1. Elsewhere the name is written , or sometimes , instead of . Geseuius draws attention to Josephus’s Greek rendering of the name, , with whom agree Menander, an historian of Ephesus, in a fragment respecting Hiram (Josephus, ‘Contra Apion,’ 1Ch 1:18); and Dius, a fragment of whose history of the Phoenicians telling of Solomon and Hiram, Josephus also is the means of preserving (‘Contra Apion,‘ 1.17). The Septuagint write the name ; the Alexandrian, ; the Vulgate, Hiram. The name of Hiram’s father was Abibaal. Hiram himself began to reign, according to Menander, when nineteen years of age, reigned thirty-four years, and died therefore at the age of fifty-three. Of Hiram and his reign in Tyre very little is known beyond what is so familiar to us from the Bible history of David and Solomon. The city of Tyre is among the most ancient. Though it is not mentioned in Homer, yet the Sidonians, who lived in such close connection with the Tyrians, are mentioned there, whilst Virgil calls Tyre the Sidonian city, Sidon being twenty miles distant. The modern name of Tyre is Sur. The city was situate on the east coast of the Mediterranean, in Phoenicia, about seventy-four geographical miles north of Joppa, while the road distance from Joppa to Jerusalem was thirty-two miles. The first Bible mention of Tyre is in Jos 19:29. After that the more characteristic mentions of it are 2Sa 5:11, with all its parallels; 2Sa 24:7; Isa 23:1, Isa 23:7; Eze 26:2; Eze 27:1-8; Zec 9:2, Zec 9:3. Tyre was celebrated for its working in copper and brass, and by no means only for its cedar and timber felling. The good terms and intimacy subsisting between Solomon and the King of Tyre speak themselves very plainly in Bible history, without leaving us dependent on doubtful history, or tales of such as Josephus (‘Ant.,’ 8.5. 3; ‘Contra Apion,’ 1.17). For the timber, metals, workmen, given by Hiram to Solomon, Solomon gave to Hiram corn and oil, ceded to him some cities, and the use of some ports on the Red Sea (1Ki 9:11-14, 1Ki 9:25-28; 1Ki 10:21-23. See also 1Ki 16:31). As thou didst deal with David and didst send him cedars. To this Zec 9:7 and Zec 9:8 are the apodosis manifestly, while Zec 9:4, Zec 9:5, Zec 9:6 should be enclosed in brackets.
2Ch 2:4
In the nine headings contained in this verse we may consider that the leading religious observances and services of the nation are summarized. To dedicate it. The more frequent rendering of the Hebrew word here used is “to hallow,” Or “to sanctify.”
(1) Sweet incense (see Exo 30:1, Exo 30:6-9, Exo 30:34-38; Exo 37:25-29; Psa 141:2; Rev 5:8; Rev 6:9; Rev 8:3-5). This sweet incense, compounded of the four ingredients stacte, onycha, galbanum, pure frankincense, was to be burnt morning and evening, at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices on the altar made of shittim wood, overlaid with gold, which stood in the holy place facing the ark. with the table of shewbread on the one hand, and the golden candlestick on the other. While the act of atonement was set forth by the offering of the victim on the brazen altar in the outer court, the ascending, acceptable, and accepted prayer and aspiration of the congregation were expressed by the sweet incense-burning.
(2) The continual shew-bread ( ). The elementary meaning of the word here rendered “shewbread” is “a ranging in order,” whether the “order” might be, e.g; that of an army in battle array (1Sa 4:16; 1Sa 17:8, 1Sa 17:22 :48), or of the lamps of the holy candlestick (Exo 39:37), or of pilings of wood to be burnt on the altar (Jdg 6:26), or of cakes of bread, as presumably ‘here and in some parallel passages (Le 2Ch 24:6). For the table which was to carry these cakes, see Exo 25:23-30; Exo 37:10-16; the last verse of the former passage speaking of the shewbread under the name . (For the position of the table, see Exo 26:35.) The word employed in the text is first used to express the piles of cakes, called in our Authorized Version shewbread in Le Exo 24:6, Exo 24:7; then 1Ch 9:32; 1Ch 23:29; 1Ch 28:16; as also again in 2Ch 13:11; 2Ch 29:18; and in Neh 10:33. Where in these passages the word is not expressed, that it is understood may be gathered from the other passages (Num 4:7). The bread consisted of twelve large cakes of unleavened dough (Le 24:5-9), ranged in two heaps, and with a golden cup of frankincense (Le 24:7) to each pile. When on every seventh day new cakes were substituted, the old ones belonged to the priests (Le 24:8, 9; 8:31; Mat 12:4; Exo 29:33, Exo 29:34). The twelve cakes pointed to the twelve tribes. Their size may be judged from the statement that each cake contained two tenth deals, i.e. two-tenths of an ephah, equal to about six pounds and a quarter. The exact significance of this bread is not stated in Scripture. Part of it lay plainly in the twelve cakes, part, perhaps, in their becoming priest’s food, found by the people (Le 24:8), after having been presented seven days before the Lord. Much that is interesting but not finally satisfactory on the question may be found in the article “Shewbread” in Dr. Smith’s ‘Bible Dictionary,’ 3:1271. Our Authorized Version “shewbread’ comes from Luther’s Schaubrode. Wickliffe, after the Vulgate panes propositionis, designates it “the loaves of proposition.” The New Testament has, in Heb 9:2, ; as also in the Gospels (Mat 12:4; Luk 6:4); while the Septuagint has (Exo 25:30), and (1Ki 7:48). The question really turns on the significance of the designation of Exo 25:30 ( ).
(3) The burnt offerings morning and evening. A succinct statement of these offerings, constituting the “daily offering,” is given in Num 28:3-8, according to its original institution (Exo 29:38-42), except in the added mention of the “strong wine,” or strong drink, spoken of in the latter part of Num 28:7, which had probably originated as an incident of the wilderness-journey. The morning and evening offering were alike, viz. a lamb, a meal offering consisting of a tenth of an ephah of flour, mixed with the fourth part of a bin of beaten oil, and a drink offering consisting of the fourth part of a bin of “wine,” or of “strong drink.”
(4) The burnt offering on the sabbath. The account of this is given in Num 28:9, Num 28:10; and any previous institution of it is not recorded. The sabbath-day burnt offerings were the double of the daily offerings (Eze 46:4).
(5) The burnt offering on the new moons; see Num 27:11-15, where the phrase, of your months,” is what is “the beginnings of your months” is what is employed, i.e. the first day of each month (Le Num 10:10). No previous mention of this burnt offering is found. It consisted of two bullocks, one ram, seven lambs,
(a) with meat offering consisting of three-tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil for each bullock; two-tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil for the ram; one-tenth of an ephah of flour similarly mixed for each lamb;
(b) with drink offering, of half a hin of wine to each bullock; the third part of a hin to the ram; and the fourth part of a hin to each lamb. A kid of the goats for a sin offering, which in fact was offered before the burnt offering. And all these were to be additional to the continual offering of the day, with its drink offering (see also Isa 66:23; Eze 46:3; Amo 8:5).
(6) The burnt offering on the solemn feasts of the Lord. These were the three great festivals of the yearthe Passover (Exo 12:3-20, Exo 12:27, Exo 12:43; Lev 23:4-8; Deu 16:1-8); the Feast of Weeks (Exo 23:16; Exo 34:22; Lev 23:15-21; Num 28:26; Deu 16:8-12); the Feast of Tabernacles (Exo 23:16; Lev 23:33-44; Num 29:13-40; Deu 16:13-15).
2Ch 2:5, 2Ch 2:6
The contents of these verses beg some special observation, in the first place, as having been judged by the writer of Chronicles matter desirable to be retained and put in his work. To find a place for this subject amid his careful selection, and rejection in many cases, of the matter at his command, is certainly a decision in harmony with his general design in this work. Then, again, they may be remarked on as spoken to another king, who, whether it were to be expected or no, was, it is plain, a sympathizing hearer of the piety and religious resolution of Solomon (2Ch 2:12). This is one of the touches of history that does not diminish our regret that we do not know more of Hiram. He was no “proselyte,” but he had the sympathy of a convert to the religion of the Jew. Perhaps the simplest and most natural explanation may just be the truest, that Hiram for some long time had seen “the rising” kingdom, and alike in David and Solomon in turn, “the coming” men. He had been more calmly and deliberately impressed than the Queen of Sheba afterwards, but not less effectually and operatively impressed. And once more the passage is noteworthy for the utterances of Solomon in themselves. As parenthetically testifying to a powerful man, who could be a powerful helper of Solomon’s enterprise, his outburst of explanation, and of ardent religious purpose, and of humble godly awe, is natural. But that he should call the temple he purposed to build “so great,” as we cannot put it down either to intentional exaggeration or to sober historic fact, must the rather be honestly set down to such considerations as these, viz. that in point of fact, neither David nor Solomon were “travelled men,” as Joseph and Moses, for instance. Their measures of greatness were largely dependent upon the existing material and furnishing of their own little country. And further, Solomon speaks of the temple as great very probably from the point of view of its simple religious uses (note end of 2Ch 2:6) as the place of sacrifice in especial rather than as a place, for instance, of vast congregations and vast processions. Then, too, as compared with the tabernacle, it would loom “great,” whether for size or for its enduring material. Meantime, though Solomon does indeed use the words (2Ch 2:5),” The house.; is great,” yet, throwing on the words the light of the remaining clause of the verse, and of David’s words in 1Ch 29:1, it is not very certain that the main thing present to his mind was not the size, but rather the character of the house, and the solemn character of the enterprise itself (1Ki 8:27; 2Ch 6:18). Who am I save only to burn sacrifice before him? The drift of Solomon’s thought is plainthat nothing would justify mortal man, if he purported to build really a palace of residence for him whom the heaven of heavens could not contain, but that he is justified all the more in “not giving sleep to his eyes, nor slumber to his eyelids, until he had found out a place” (Psa 132:4, Psa 132:5) where man might acceptably, in God’s appointed way, draw near to him. If “earth draw near to heaven,” it may be confidently depended on that heaven will not be slow to bend down its glory, majesty, grace, to earth.
2Ch 2:7
Send me a man cunning to work, etc. The parenthesis is now ended. By comparison of 2Ch 2:3, it appears that Solomon makes of Hiram’s services to David his father a very plea why his own requests addressed now to Hiram should be granted. If we may be guided by the form of the expressions used in 1Ch 14:1 and 2Sa 5:11, 2Sa 5:12, Hiram had in the first instance volunteered help to David, and had not waited to be applied to by David. This would show us more clearly the force of Solomon’s plea. Further, if we note the language of 1Ki 5:1, we may be disposed to think that it fills a gap in our present connection, and indicates that, though Solomon appears here to have had to take the initiative, an easy opportunity was opened, in the courteous embassy sent him in the persons of Hiram’s “servants.” That the king of this most privileged, separate, and exclusive people of Israel (and he the one who conducted that people to the very zenith of their fame) should have to apply and be permitted to apply to foreign and, so to say, heathen help, in so intrinsic a matter as the finding of the “cunning” and the “skill” of head and hand for the most sacred and distinctive chef d’oeuvre of the said exclusive nation, is a grand instance of nature breaking all trammels, even when most divinely purposed, and a grand token of the dawning comity of nations, of free-trade under the unlikeliest auspices, and of the brotherhood of humanity, never more broadly illustrated than when on an international scale. The competence of the Phoenicians and the people of Sidon and those over whom Hiram immediately reigned in the working of the metals, and furthermore in a very wide range of other subjects, is well sustained by the allusions of very various authorities. The man who was sent is described in 1Ki 5:13, 1Ki 5:14, infra, as also 1Ki 7:13,1Ki 7:14. Purple, crimson, blue. It is not absolutely necessary to suppose that the same Hiram, so skilled in working of gold, silver, brass, and iron, was the authority sent for these matters of various coloured dyes for the cloths that would later on be required for curtains and other similar purposes in the temple. So far, indeed, as the literal construction of the words go, this would seem to be what is meant, and no doubt may have been the case, though unlikely. The purple (). A Chaldee form of this word () occurs three times in Dan 5:7, Dan 5:16, Dan 5:29, and appears in each of those cases in our Authorized Version as “scarlet.” Neither of these words is the word used in the numerous passages of Exodus, Numbers, Judges, Esther, Proverbs, Canticles, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, nor, indeed, in verse 13, infra and 2Ch 3:14. In all these places, numbering nearly forty, the word is . The purple was probably obtained from some shell-fish on the coast of the Mediterranean. The crimson (). Gesenius says that this was a colour obtained from multitudinous insects that tenanted one kind of the flex (Coccus ilicis), and that the word is from the Persian language. The Persian kerm, Sanscrit krimi, Armenian karmir, German carmesin, and our own “crimson,” keep the same framework of letters or sound to a remarkable degree. This word is found only here, 2Ch 3:13, infra, and 2Ch 3:14. The crimson of Isa 1:18 and Jer 4:30, and the scarlet of some forty places in the Pentateuch and other books, come as the rendering of the word . The blue (). This is the same word as is used in some fifty other passages in Exodus, Numbers, and in later books. This colour was obtained from a shell-fish (Helix ianthina) found in the Mediterranean, the shell of which was blue. Can skill to grave. The word “to grave” is the piel conjugation of the very familiar Hebrew verb , “to open.” Out of twenty-nine times that the verb occurs in some part of the piel conjugation, it is translated “grave” nine times, “loosed” eleven times, “put off” twice, “ungirded” once, “opened” four times, “appear” once, and “go free” once. Perhaps the “opening” the ground with the plough (Isa 28:24) leads most easily on to the idea of “engraving.” Cunning men whom David did provide, As we read in 1Ch 22:15; 1Ch 28:21.
2Ch 2:8
Algum trees, out of Lebanon. These trees are called algum in the three passages of Chronicles in which the tree is mentioned, viz. here and 2Ch 9:10, 2Ch 9:11, but in the three passages of Kings, almug, viz. 1Ki 10:11, 1Ki 10:12 bis. As we read in 1Ki 10:11; 2Ch 9:10, 2Ch 9:11, that they were exports from Ophir, we are arrested by the expression, “out of Lebanon,” here. If they were accessible in Lebanon, it is not on the face of it to be supposed they would be ordered from such a distance as Ophir. Lastly, there is very great difference of opinion as to what the tree was in itself. In Smith’s ‘Bible Dictionary,’ vol. 3. appendix, p. 6; the subject is discussed more fully than it can be here, and with some of its scientific technicalities. Celsius has mentioned fifteen woods for which the honour has been claimed. More modern disputants have suggested five, of these the red sandalwood being considered, perhaps, the likeliest. So great an authority as Dr. Hooker pronounces that it is a question quite undetermined. But inasmuch as it is so undetermined, it would seem possible that, if it were a precious wood of the smaller kind (as e.g. ebony with us), and, so to say, of shy growth in Lebanon, it might be that it did grow in Lebanon, but that a very insufficient supply of it there was customarily supplemented by the imports received from Ophir. Or, again, it may be that the words, “out of Lebanon,” are simply misplaced (1Ki 5:8), and should follow the words, “fir trees.” The rendering “pillars” in 1Ki 10:12 for “rails” or “props” is unfortunate, as the other quoted uses of the wood for “harps” and “psalteries” would all betoken a small as well as very hard wood. Lastly, it is a suggestion of Canon Rawlinson that, inasmuch as the almug wood of Ophir came via Phoenicia and Hiram, Solomon may very possibly have been ignorant that “Lebanon” was not its proper habitat. Thy servants can skill to cut timber. This same testimony is expressed yet more strongly in 1Ki 5:6, “There is not any among us that can skill to hew timber like the Sidoniaus.” Passages like 2Ki 19:23; Isa 14:8; Isa 37:24, go to show that the verb employed in our text is rightly rendered “hew,” as referring to the felling rather than to any subsequent dressing and sawing up of the timber. It is, therefore, rather more a point of interest to learn in what the great skill consisted which so threw Israelites into the shade, while distinguishing Hiram’s servants. It is, of course, quite possible that the “hewing,” or “felling,” may be taken to infer all the subsequent cutting, dressing, etc. Perhaps the skill intended will have included the best selection of trees, as well as the neatest and quickest laying of them prostrate, and if beyond this it included the sawing and dressing and shaping of the wood, the room for superiority of skill would be ample. My servants (so Isa 37:2, Isa 37:18; 1Ki 5:15).
2Ch 2:10
Beaten wheat. In 1Ki 5:11 the language is “wheat for food” (), while the Septuagint gives . In our present passage the Septuagint gives , suggesting at once that our Hebrew is an error for . The former Hebrew word is that constantly employed for “plagues,” “strokes,” etc; and it is nowhere but in this place rendered “beaten.” I will give to thy servants. This passage is hard to reconcile with what is said in 1Ki 5:11; but meantime it is not certain that it needs to be reconciled with it. It is possible that the two passages are distinct. The contents of the present verse, at all events, need not be credited with any ambiguity, unless, indeed, we would wish it more definite, whether the expression, “I will give to thy servants,” may not be quite as correctly understood, “for thy servants,” i.e. to thee as the hire of them. If this be so, it would enable us to give at once all the wheat, and two hundred out of the 20,000 baths of oil, for the consumption, not of the literal workmen, but of the royal household. Then this granted, the verse, though not identical with 1Ki 5:11, is brought into harmony with it. Reverting to the statement in 1Ki 5:1-18; what we learn is that Solomon, in his application to Hiram, offers payment for the hire of his servants such as he shall appoint (1Ki 5:6). Hiram’s reply is that he shall be satisfied to receive as payment “food for his household“ (1Ki 5:9), the amount of it and the annual payment of it being specified in 1Ki 5:11. This is the whole case, the discrepancies in which are plain, but they do not amount to contradictions. The appearance that is worn on the face of things is that the writer in Chronicles gives what came to be the final arrangement as to remuneration, though confessedly it is placed as much as the account in Kings in the draft of Solomon’s original application to Hiram. Measures. These were cots, and the cot was the same as the homer. From a calculation of some doubtfulness, however, made under the suggestions of 1Ki 4:22, it has been said that the consumption of the royal household of Solomon was above 32,000 measures. The cor, or homer, was the largest of the five dry measures of capacity, being equal to 180 cabs, 100 omers, 30 seahe, 10 ephahs, though what was the exact value of any one of these in modern measures has only been uncertainly and very approximately arrived at. Baths. The bath was the largest of the three liquid measures of capacity, being equal to 6 bins and 72 logs.
2Ch 2:11
Huram answered in writing. It is impossible to argue with any but superficial plausibility that Solomon had not used writing. In the parallel of Kings an identical expression is used for the communications of both: “Solomon sent to Hiram” (2Ch 2:2), and “Hiram sent to Solomon” (2Ch 2:8). The productions of the forms of this correspondence by Josephus (‘Ant. Jud.,’ 8.2) and Eupolemus (‘Ap. Praep. Evang.,’ 9.33) are, of course, merely mythical. Because the Lord hath loved his people. This beautiful expression has parallels, not only in such passages as 2Ch 9:8; 1Ki 10:9; but in such as Deu 7:13; Deu 10:15; Psa 47:4; Psa 115:12; Jer 31:3; Hos 11:1, Hos 11:4. These were all precursors of the fuller assertion and kinder demonstration of God’s love repeated so often and in such tender connections in the Epistles of the New Testament. This verse and the following are also testimony to the indirect influences on surrounding nations of the knowledge of the one true Creator-God and Ruler-God, that was domiciled by special revelation and oracle (Rom 3:2) with Israel. Where nations near were bitter foes, they often feared Israel’s God, whereas now they were friends they could summon to their lips the highest of the outbursts of praise, not to say of adoration. The very noteworthy sympathy of Hiram with Israel may have owed something to his personal predilection for David (1Ki 5:1). And this again is convincing testimony to the worth and usefulness of individual character which here influenced the destiny of two whole nations.
2Ch 2:13
Of Huram my father’s. The words of 2Ch 4:11, 2Ch 4:16 would invest these with suspicion, if nothing that occurred before did, as e.g. the parallel passage (1Ki 7:13, 1Ki 7:14, 1Ki 7:40). There can be no doubt from these passages that the name Huram of this verse is the name of the workman sent (the lamed prefixed being only the objective sign), not the supposed name of King Hiram’s father, which, as already seen, was Abibaal. But the following word translated “my father” () is less easily explained; 2Ch 4:16 (“his father”) is quite sufficient to negative the rendering” father” altogether. In our text altogether inappropriate, it may be called there altogether impossible. It has been proposed to render it as a proper name Abi, or as an affix of honour, Ab, equal to “master.” However, Gesenius (in ‘Lexicon,‘ sub roe. (6), which see) furnishes a signification, “chief counsellor,” which (taking it to mean chief counsellor, or as it were expert, chief referee, or even only foreman in such matters as might be in question) would well suit all the passages, and remove all difficulty.
2Ch 2:14
Son of a woman of Dan. Both this and the parallel (1Ki 7:14) agree as to the father of this very clever workman, that he was “a man of Tyre.” But the parallel gives the mother as a woman “of the tribe of Naphtali,” and calls her a “widow.” This must mean, either that she was a widow now, or that she was a widow when “the man of Tyre” married her. If this latter is the correct meaning, it has been suggested that, though the mother was really a woman of the daughters of Dan, yet the husband who, dying, left her a widow, was of the tribe of Naphtali, and that from this she became credited with belonging to that tribe. It would seem not altogether impossible that it may be intended to state, in a delicate way, that this remarkably able man was the natural son of the widow in question, “the man of Tyre” (not called her husband) being the father. On the intermarriages of Danites and Phoenicians, see Blunt’s ‘Coincidences,’ pt. 2. 4. Skilful to find out every device. (For the identical phrase, see Exo 31:4.) The present verse, exceeding in definiteness verse 7, supra, undoubtedly purports on the face of it to ascribe a very wide range of practical skill, and not merely general administrative and directing skill, to Hiram. Note, however, the significance couched in the last clauses of both verses.
2Ch 2:15
The contents of this verse cannot be supposed to imply that King Hiram is eager for the pay to be remembered, but are equivalent to saying promptly that all things are ready to begin, and that therefore the commissariat must be ready also.
2Ch 2:16
Joppa, This was one of the most ancient of towns, and is referred to by Pliny (‘Hist. Nat.,’ 2Ch 5:13), as “Joppa Phoenicum, antiquior terrarum inundatione, ut ferunt.” Its name (, “beauty”) is said to have been justified by the beautiful groves in its neighbourhood. It is mentioned Jos 19:46 as Japho, where also we learn the circumstances under which the Dan tribe were possessed of it. It is remarkable that it is not mentioned again till our present verse, not even in the parallel (1Ki 5:9). But it appears again in Ezr 3:7; Jon 1:3, and in several places in the Acts of the Apostles. The modern name of it is Joffa, and it is not reputed as a good port now. It was distant from Jerusalem some thirty-four miles. The carriage of the tim-bet this road-journey is nowhere described in detail, nor is the exact spot of the coast west of Lebanon mentioned where the flotes were made, and thence despatched.
2Ch 2:17
Strangers. By these are meant those of the former inhabitants and possessors of the land, who had not been extirpated or driven out. Special regulations respecting them are recorded in Jdg 1:21-28,Jdg 1:33-36. But these had largely lapsed till, as it appears, David revived them rather trenchantly, and David is now followed by Solomon (2Ch 8:7, 2Ch 8:8; 1Ki 9:20, 1Ki 9:21). The very much milder enforcement of labour upon the Israelites themselves is evident from 1Ki 5:13-16. After the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them. Of this transaction on the part of David we do not possess any absolutely distinct statement. But the place of it is sufficiently evident, as indicated in 1Ch 22:2.
2Ch 2:18
Three thousand and six hundred. Adding to these the 250 of 2Ch 8:10, infra, the total 3850 of 1Ki 5:16 is exactly reached. That total, however, is reached by a somewhat different classification, the division being into 3300 “strangers,” and 500 “chief of the officers” (1Ki 9:23). The explanation probably is that of the 3600 “stranger” overseers, the small proportion of 300 were of much higher grade in office than the rest, and were ranked by the writer in Kings with those overseers (250) of Solomon, who were probably Israelites.
HOMILETICS
2Ch 2:1-18
This chapter, in a homiletic point of view, invites attention to
Those methods (or some of them) of religious enterprise which go to ensure success and to issue in real usefulness.
For we may notice here
I. THE REPEATED RECORD, ON THE PART OF SOLOMON, OF HIS RESOLUTION OR DETERMINATION. “Solomon determined.” The enterprise “of building a house to the Name of the Lord” had been set before him. He knew it had been in his father’s mind. He had heard it in the earnest tones of a father’s prayer. He had listened to the urgent, loving, proud tones of a father’s charge to a son. He had, no doubt, said “Yes” with lip and heart. But now after coronation, vision, prayer, and gracious promise, he takes up the enterprise, and lifts up the responsibility, and makes the resolution all his own.
II. THE ADDING TO RESOLUTION THE COMMENCEMENT OF ACTUAL WORK. Resolutions there have often been, and strong ones, determinations alike deliberate and enthusiastic, which nevertheless have gone the same way by which, to a proverb, mere good intentions so very frequently go! Solomon’s immediate setting to work is by far the simplest, surest safeguard. He makes the preparations nearest to hand, and that were within his own command. He seeks the help of others at a distance, both forecasting his own needs for the work, and also drawing upon memories of his father’s doings and his father’s experiences.
III. SUCH BEGINNING OF ACTUAL WORK AS WAS PROOF AGAINST THAT FERTILE SOURCE OF FAILURE THAT COMES OF STUMBLING ON THE THRESHOLD. Early disappointments go a long way toward disheartenment. And early disappointments originate most frequently in one or both of two causesviz, in letting things drift, go by default, or take their own chance; or, on the other hand, in a busy disorder. Many a promising work of a man of good intention has been wrecked in these ways. But here there was order in what Solomon did at home, and distinctness and order in what he asked for far away from home. And it all told. All helped him and his work to find favour with God and man.
Lastly, TWO GREAT TRIBUTARIES TO SUCCESS IN THE MORAL QUALITIES WHICH SOLOMON EXHIBITS, as shown in:
1. The great respect he has to “the ordinance for ever to Israel,” which centred in “the house to the Name of the Lord,” to be dedicated to him, with all its various services (2Ch 2:4).
2. The humble estimate he rightly entertains of himself, in all comparison of the work which he had to do, and him for whom it was to be done (2Ch 2:5, 2Ch 2:6).
HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON
2Ch 2:1
The three elements in human purpose.
“And Solomon determined to build a house,” etc. And whence came this purpose of the king’s heart? From the depths of his own soul; or were there not other elements besides that of his own volition? This determination which is here chronicled as a simple act of one mind was, as most of our resolutions are, more complex in its character than it seemed.
I. THE OUTSIDE HUMAN ELEMENTSthe human element which is outside ourselves. In this case David’s influence had much, very much to do with it. It was he who initiated the work (2Sa 7:2). Moreover, he urged Solomon to proceed with it after his own death, and even laid by stores in partial preparation for it (1Ch 22:11, 1Ch 22:14). Solomon, in “determining” to build a house, was really resolving to go on with an undertaking which he had already promised his father to carry out. Who shall tell how much the thought and the desire of other people influence ,the choices we are making, and consequently the course we are pursuing? Perhaps it is very seldom indeed that we “determine” to enter a new path without owing much to the influence of others; it may be, as in Solomon’s case, to the action of a past generation, or it may be to that of our contemporaries and companions. Only he who searches the most secret chambers of the soul can tell how much of our best resolves is due to the influence of our best friends.
II. THE DIVINE ELEMENT. God had already given his distinct sanction and encouragement to the proceeding (2Sa 7:13). And this Divine decision, communicated by the Prophet Nathan, must have had a very powerful weight in Solomon’s determination. It would seem to be enough, of itself, to decide the matter. How much God has to do with our decisions we do not know, but probably more than we ordinarily imagine. We often and earnestly ask him to affect our mind and will by the enlightenment and influence of his own Spirit; we believe that he has access to us and power over us, and can touch and quicken us at his will. Why should we not believe that he is frequently, continually with us, acting upon us, controlling and directing us, powerfully and graciously affecting our determinations and our character?
III. THE INDIVIDUAL ELEMENT. However much in Solomon’s decision was due to the sources, Divine and human, outside himself, there was room left for his own individuality. He determined to proceed with the work. It was not under compulsion, but with the full consent of his own mind, that he began and continued and completed the noble task. He gave himself to it, he threw his strength into it; so much had he to do with it that it could be said with truth that “Solomon built him a house.” When all other influences are taken into the account, it still remains true that our actions are our own; that ultimately we determine upon the course which honours or dishonours our life, which makes or mars our character, which ensures or spoils our prospects.
In view of these three elements in human purpose, there is ground for:
1. Gratitude; for we owe much of our most fruitful actions to the suggestion and counsel of our friends.
2. Humility; for we owe more than we know or think to the inspiration of God.
3. A deep sense of responsibility; for it is in the depths of our own nature we are determining the complexion of our life and the destiny of our soul.C.
2Ch 2:2, 2Ch 2:3, 2Ch 2:7-10
Human labour.
Concerning the work in which we are engaged as men of action and production, we have here four suggestions.
I. THE AMPLITUDE OF MATERIAL WITH WHICH GOD HAS SUPPLIED US. We have mention made (2Ch 2:7) of different metalsgold, silver, brass, iron; and this enumeration is far from being exhaustive. We have reference (2Ch 2:8) to different trees; and these are only a reminder of all the kinds of timber to be had in the forests of the earth. We have a statement of articles of food (2Ch 2:10), representing various industries; and these again are only suggestive of a large number at our command. The Divine Author of our nature and Builder of our home has given us many tastes and cravings; he has also supplied us with the most ample material on which our skill and our labour can be expended, so that all our wants and even our wishes may be supplied.
II. THE NECESSITY, DIVINELY ORDERED, FOR CORDIAL CO–OPERATION. Solomon had to negotiate with Hiram; the skilled labour of Israel had to be supplemented with the more skilled labour of Tyre (2Ch 2:3, 2Ch 2:8). The servants of one sovereign had to “be with,” to co-operate with, those of another, if the house was to be built. And not only had land to work with land, but citizen with citizen, according to individual culture; some had to “bear burdens,” others to “hew trees,” others to overlook both of these workmen (2Ch 2:2). As one country produces valuable commodities which another lacks; and as one man has a natural faculty of which another is devoid; as the interchange of products and of industries is spreading comfort and acquisition;we are learning that God has so made this earth and so constituted us, his children, that we may work together, and make one another inheritors of the results of our thought and toil. Commerce is not more human in its outworking than it is Divine in its origin.
III. THE GRADATIONS IN LABOUR. To overlook implies more trained intelligence than manual labour itself involves (2Ch 2:2). And men “cunning to work” and men that bad skill to hew (2Ch 2:8) were superior workmen to those that did the labour of carrying. Work has its gradations; it ascends in rank as it involves natural intelligence and sagacity, long and careful training, faithfulness and trustworthiness.
IV. THE ADVANTAGE OF INTEGRITY TO THOSE WHO COME AFTER US., “Hiram was ever a lover of David.” He found that he could trust the King of Israelthat with him piety meant truthfulness and equity. Thus David’s integrity made the path of Solomon smooth and easy; it perhaps contributed as much to the work as the various materials he had so carefully stored up for his son. It is impossible to reckon how much thoroughness and uprightness in our labour have to do with our own real success, and how much they do for those who come after us. In this way one generation truly serves another.
V. THE RIGHTEOUS CLAIM OF LABOUR TO A FULL RECOMPENSE. (2Ch 2:10.) “The workman is worthy of his hire” (see Jas 5:4).
VI. OUR DUTY TO DO OUR BEST. “The house shall, be wonderfully great” (2Ch 2:9). Solomon meant to make it worthy, not only of himself and his kingdom, but even, as far as that might be, of the Lord for whom it was to be erected. It should be constructed of the best materials and with the greatest skill he could command.
1. What we do in the direct service of God has a distinct claim on our highest faculties, on our largest resources. What we do for Christ should be done at the full height of our capacity and opportunity. In his worship and service we should be at our very best.
2. All work, as rendered unto God, should be done faithfully and heartily. Into all the labour of our hands we should put our mind and our strength, because everything is done in the presence of the Master, and should be done with a view to his approval.C.
2Ch 2:4-6
The acceptableness of the imperfect.
The letter which Solomon wrote to Hiram was one that contained more than a business proposal; it was something beyond the opening of a negotiation; it included some valuable truth which not only may have benefited the then King of Tyro, but may be of real value to us at this date and this distance. For it intimated
I. THE INESTIMABLE ADVANTAGE OF THE REVEALED RELIGION OVER CONTEMPORARY FAITHS. “Great is our God above all gods” (2Ch 2:5). Great indeed; for he was the living God, and they were only imaginary; he was the holy God, and they were (by supposition) unholy; he was just and kind, and they were capricious and cruel; he could and did hear and answer prayer, and they were powerless and helpless. Who could estimate the priceless advantage to the nation of having for the object of its worship the Lord God of Israel? It makes a difference which is simply incalculable to have as the Object of our worship a Being who is worthy of our devotion. What, then, is it to us to be worshipping the Divine Father revealed to us in and by Jesus Christ?
1. It is to be seeking the favour of that Living One who holds us all in his mighty hand, and is able and is willing to confer upon us inestimable blessings, even unto eternal life.
2. It is to be drawing nigh unto, and to be drawn spiritually towards, the Holy One; it is thus to be attracted in spirit, in sympathy, in character, in life, toward the Perfect One; it is to be gradually, unconsciously, effectually transformed into his likeness. For whom we reverence, we follow; whom we love, we resemble; and just as we worship the Divine Father and love the Divine Friend, so shall we breathe his spirit and bear his likeness.
II. THE IMPERFECTNESS OF THE MATERIAL AND OF THE HUMAN, IN VIEW OF THE DIVINE GREATNESS.
1. The material. “Who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven cannot contain him?” The temple of a heathen deity may be supposed by its ignorant devotees to be its residence; it certainly contains its visible image, the idol. But the temple Solomon was about to build could in no true sense become the residence of Jehovah. No building could contain him; “the heaven of heavens” could not do that: how much less an earthly house! There is no cathedral, no Christian sanctuary, that can be properly thought of as the residence or earthly home of Jesus Christ. The heaven where he dwells cannot contain him.
2. The human. “Who am I, that I should build,” etc? To be the principal agent in the construction of the one building with which the Name of Jehovah would be associated, and the only building where there would be
(1) an abiding manifestation of his presence, and
(2) the opportunity of approaching him by sacrifice,this was an honour of which Solomon naturally and becomingly considered himself unworthy.
And who among the holiest and the wisest of men, who among the most faithful servants of Jesus Christ, can consider himself worthy to be
(1) the spokesman of his brethren in drawing nigh to God in prayer;
(2) the messenger to make known the love and grace of God as manifested in Jesus Christ his Son;
(3) the workman in even the humblest corner of that sacred and blessed fieldthe field of Christian service? To be thus engaged for the Father of spirits, for the Redeemer of mankind, should be considered by us all an honour of which we are wholly unworthy.
III. THE ACCEPTABLENESS OF IMPERFECT SERVICE.
1. Though the temple at Jerusalem could not contain God, yet it could render various valuable services (2Ch 2:4, 2Ch 2:6). It was a place where God met with and manifested himself to the people; where they drew consciously near to him, and realized that he was very near to them; where they communed with him and rejoiced before him; where they sought and found forgiveness of their sins; where they made grateful acknowledgment of their indebtedness to him for all blessings; and where they dedicated themselves anew to his service. Imperfect as it was, and utterly unable to constitute the residence of Deity, it yet answered most useful ends.
2. And thus with us who are the servants of God. Imperfection marks our character and our work; we are not worthy to “build him a house,” nor to do anything, however humble, in his name and cause. Yet God will bless us, Christ will own and honour us as his servants, if only we are loyal and true. “To the wicked God says, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes?” etc. (Psa 50:16). But to the upright in heart (including the penitent, see Psa 51:12, Psa 51:13), to all those who have returned in spirit to him, and who sincerely desire to extend his reign over the hearts of men, he is ever saying, “Go, work in my vineyard; go, build up my kingdom; go, gather my erring sons and daughters, and lead them home to my heart.”C.
2Ch 2:11
God’s care for the country.
“Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.” We reach our subject by the remembrance of
I. GOD‘S ATTITUDE TOWARD ISRAEL IN RESPECT OF THE MONARCHY UP TO SOLOMON‘S TIME. It has to be considered:
1. That for a visible human sovereignty God held the people themselves responsible. He did not impose it; nor did he suggest it; nor did he desire it; on the other hand, by the mouth of his servant Samuel, he strongly dissuaded from it (see 1Sa 8:1-22.).
2. That, granting their request, God gave them a king on their own chosen principle. They demanded a sovereign they could see and hear, one that would be a king “after the flesh;” and on this fleshly and material principle God selected one that had bodily advantages (see 1Sa 10:23, 1Sa 10:24).
3. That, when Saul failed, God had pity upon them, and gave them a man after his own choicea man who had, truly, some serious defectsas who had not?but who, by the fascination of his bearing, by the courage and capacity of his leadership, by his unswerving loyalty to his God, bound the nation together, overcame its numerous enemies, extended its borders, and held it fast to the service of Jehovah. And now God had given to the people David’s son, Solomon. And we look at
II. GOD‘S GIFT TO ISRAEL IN PREFERRING SOLOMON TO THE THRONE. It was a Divine appointment, that made for:
1. National piety. Solomon regarded as the great act of his reign the “building a house for the Name of the Lord.” And the erection of the temple and the subsequent arrangement of its services did much to bind the people, not of Jerusalem only but of the entire kingdom, to the worship of Jehovah. It promoted national piety by securing the adherence of the people to the service of the true and living God. And this piety meant more than worship; it meant purity also, a sound morality. For no man could be an acceptable worshipper of Jehovah who did not renounce iniquity and seek after righteousness and blamelessness of life.
2. National peace. Solomon, true to his name, was a man of peace. The nation had known enough of war under David; it required peace, and this Solomon gave it. In this matter almost everything then and there depended upon the character and spirit of the monarch. A war-like king would create national hostilities; a peace-loving king ensured national rest from strife. We know what war means; it may mean glory, enlargement, enrichment; it must mean cruelty, passion, pain, death, desolation in heart and home; it must mean an arrest laid upon national industry and enterprise. But by the promotion of Solomon God was providing for:
3. National industry. During his reign a great stimulus was given to the industrial arts and to the commerce of the country. Israel opened its eyes to see what it had not had any glimpse of before, and an immense stride was taken in the path of civilization and production.
Thus God cared for the country which he had especially made his own. Thus he cares for all countries, when he raises up men that seek the piety (and with that the morality), the peace, the industry, of the people. Thus shall we be truly working with God when we live to promote these great causes. It is in these things that a nation finds its real prosperity; and he is the faithful citizen of his native laud who throws his influence, in every open way, into these scales; it is he who truly loves and serves his country.C.
2Ch 2:13-18
Lessons from the labourers.
The interesting particulars we have of the labours of building the temple give us a variety of suggestions.
I. THE VALUE OF A WISE INTERMINGLING.
1. Of blood. The principal architect and engineer supplied by King Hiram was a man of mixed blood; his father was a man of Tyro, but his mother was a Jewess (see 1Ki 7:14), and he appears to have been a man of unusual ability. The mixture of races is proved to be of a very distinct advantage, and we may be very thankful that the discords and contentions of our early history resulted in the mingling of the virtues of Saxon, Celt, and Roman in the English of our own time.
2. Of labour. “I have sent a cunning man.; to find out every device with thy cunning men” (2Ch 2:14). International exchange and co-operation are of immense value, and will prove to be more and more so as the nations open their doors, and all peoples meet and mingle together (see homily on 2Ch 2:2, 2Ch 2:3, 2Ch 2:7-10).
II. A BENEFICENT APPEAL TO OUR INTELLIGENCE. (2Ch 2:14.) In the variety of material with which God has supplied us we find a striking instance of his creative kindness. It is conceivable that he might have placed us on a planet which had little elemental variety, and which did not therefore admit of many combinations. But on this earth there is practically no limit to the variety of productions, by the putting forth of our observation, ingenuity, and skill. Herein we have very much more, and very much better, than a provision for our comforts; we have an effective appeal to our intelligence, a constant development of our intellectual powers, an elevation of our manhood. It is a rich and noble home, furnished with everything that meets the needs of our complex nature, in which our heavenly Father has placed us.
III. THE POWER WE POSSESS OVER THE ELEMENTS OF NATURE. (2Ch 2:16.) At that time and in that country men had learned to hew down the tall trees, to cut and carve them into what size and shape they liked, to carry them across the land, and to employ the sea as a highway. “We will bring it to thee in flotes by sea.” The sea, with its depth and breadth, with its swelling billows and its fearful storms, may well have been regarded at first as an impassable barrier between land and land, as a decisive limit put upon our progress. But we have made it a common highway on which to travel, by which to transport our treasures, and we can map our route and calculate our time with nearly as much regularity as on the still and solid land. Indeed, we can rule the elements of nature much more readily and constantly than we can govern the forces within our own breast. These too often baffle our skill and defeat our purpose. Our greatest difficulty and truest triumph is in turning to good account the elements of our own human nature.
IV. AN UNCONSCIOUS ANTICIPATION OF GOSPEL BREADTH. (2Ch 2:17, 2Ch 2:18.) Solomon employed “the strangers” to do the triple work, here specified, in the temple-building. Moreover, he had recourse to the King of Tyre and to his “cunning workmen.” So that we have Gentiles as well as Jews engaged in this work which we may regard as the work of the Lord. Between that event and the present time there was to come a long period of exclusiveness which manifested itself in most ungracious forms in the days of our Lord. But this co-operation of those without and those within the sacred pale is predictive of the glorious breadth of these later times, when, in Christ Jesus, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, barbarian nor Soythian, bend nor free. There is an absolutely open way to the kingdom of God, and an equally open gate into the broad field of holy usefulness.C.
HOMILIES BY T. WHITELAW
2Ch 2:1-10
A great project: the building of a temple.
I. THE PROJECT CONCEIVED. (2Ch 2:1.) A project:
1. Not new, but old. Not taken up by Solomon for the first time, but one his father David had years before meditated, though not permitted to execute it, because he had been “a man of war, and had shed blood ‘(1Ch 28:3).
2. Not self-devised, but delegated, Not assumed out of vanity or from purely political motives, but handed down to him in circumstances of great solemnity by his royal sire (1Ch 28:1-10).
3. Not sinful, but approved. Not “proceeding from the sight of the temple service of the Phoenicians and Philistines and of their ostentatious cultus” (Duncker), but commanded by Jehovah, who indicated his wish that it should be carried forward to completion by David’s son (2Sa 7:13)
4. Not subordinate, but principal. Not after he had built a palace for himself, a house for his kingdom,” but before, so giving God and religion the chief and foremost place in the thoughts of his mind and the activities of his reign. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,” etc. (Mat 6:33).
II. THE PROJECT ANNOUNCED. (2Ch 2:4.)
1. The person informed. Huram, Hiram (1Ki 5:1), Hirom (1Ki 7:40)probably the original (Schrader), (Josephus, Contra Apion, 1.17), Hirummu (Assyrian), Chirom (Phoenician). The name, probably equivalent to Achirom, signifies “Brother or Friend of the highness” (s.c. of Baal). Whether this was David’s friend (1Ch 14:1), who had negotiations with him prior to the building of his palace (2Sa 5:11), and therefore before the birth of Solomon (2Sa 11:2), is disputed, chiefly on the ground that he must then have reigned considerably over forty years, whereas Menander (Josephus, ‘Contra Apion,’ 1.18) assigns to Solomon’s friend a reign of thirty-four years. But a reign of fifty years was not impossible either then (Uzziah, 2Ch 26:3; Manasseh, 2Ch 33:1) or now (George III; Queen Victoria). The proposal to regard Solomon’s friend as the son of David’s (Thenius, Bertheau) is exposed to the difficulty that the father of Solomon’s friend was Abibaal (Josephus)a difficulty which may be removed by supposing that Abibaal was a surname of the first Hiram, or that the first Hiram was the father of Abibaal. There is, however, no sufficient ground for challenging the identity of the two Hirams; and upon the whole it is as likely that Menander and Josephus have erred as to the length of Hiram’s reign, as it is that the Hebrew writers have confounded father and son.
2. The communication made. “I build an house,” etc. Ancient kings were wont to erect temples to their tutelar divinities. Urukh of Chaldea founded templesof the moon at Ur, of the sun at Larsa, of Venus at Erech (‘Records,’ 3.9); while the magnificent shrines of Memphis, Thebes (Karnack), and Edfou were constructed by Egyptian Pharaohs “for the houses of the gods whose existence is for endless years” (Brugsch, ‘Egypt under the Pharaohs,’ 1.322). These may be used to illustrate the nature of Solomon’s project.
III. THE PROJECT EXPLAINED. (2Ch 2:5, 2Ch 2:6.) Solomon’s temple was to be “great,” “exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries” (1Ch 22:5). A resplendent edifice, designed:
1. For a lofty purpose. For the honour of a great God.
(1) An absolutely supreme God: “Great is our God above all gods” (Deu 4:39; 1Ki 8:23).
(2) An infinitely exalted God: “The heaven of heavens cannot contain him” (1Ki 8:27; Jer 23:24).
(3) A personally accepted God. Solomon called him “the Lord my God” (Exo 20:3). Theoretical theism is valueless; theism like David’s (Psa 63:1) alone profitable.
(4) A profoundly revered God: “Who is able to build him a house?” “Who am I, that I should build him a house?” God should be feared by all who approach him (Deu 28:58; Jos 24:14; 2Ki 17:36; Psa 33:8; Mat 10:28; 2Co 7:1; Heb 12:28). Man never knows his own littleness till he examines himself in the light of God’s greatness.
(5) A truly national God: “The Lord our God.” Solomon conjoined his people with himself. Christ taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father” (Mat 6:9).
2. For a noble use. Not to contain this immeasurably great and glorious Divinity (2Ch 6:18), seeing that Jehovah dwelleth not in temples made with hands (Isa 66:1; Act 7:47), but inhabiteth eternity (Isa 57:15), and filleth heaven and earth with his presence (Jer 23:24); but to be a visible centre for his worship, to be dedicated to him for the burning before him of sweet incense, etc. Hitherto the people had sacrificed in local sanctuaries (1Ki 3:2), Solomon himself being no exception (2Ch 1:3; 1Ki 3:4); henceforth the nation’s sacrificial worship was to be concentrated in the capital and to circulate round the temple. The different parts of that worship here mentioned are those specified by Moses in connection with the tabernacle.
(1) The burning of sweet incense (Exo 25:6), which Aaron was directed to do every morning and evening in the holy place (Exo 30:7);
(2) the presentation of the shewbread (Exo 25:30); and
(3) the offering day by day continually of the burnt offering (Exo 29:39). The first symbolized the adorations presented to Jehovah by his worshippers (Rev 5:1-14 :18); the second, the spiritual sustenance Jehovah provided for his servants (Psa 132:15); the third, the self-consecration expected by Jehovah of all whose sins were covered by sacrificial blood (Rom 12:1). The assertion that in the first temple the evening offering was purely cereal is without foundation (Thenius, on 2Ki 16:15).
IV. THE PROJECT PREPARED FOR. (2Ch 2:2, 2Ch 2:18.)
1. The furnishing of workmen. (2Ch 2:2, 2Ch 2:18.)
(1) Their number: 70,000 burden-bearers or labourers, 80,000 timber-hewers or skilled woodmen, 3600 overseers or superintendents, in all 153,600, quite an army of workmen. The discrepancy between 1Ki 5:16 and this account vanishes by observing that to the 3300 overseers in Kings falls to be added 550 chief officers (1Ki 9:1-28 :53), while the 3600 of Chronicles require to be supplemented by 250 chief officers (2Ch 8:10), thus making both totals equal 3850. A gang of 100,000 men, changed every three months, laboured for ten years in building a causeway along which to convey the stones for Cheops’ pyramid; and seven millions more men were needed to build the pyramid itself.
(2) Their orderslabourers, wood-cutters, overseers, chief officers. So society on a larger scale is organized. The principle of division of labour is of endless application.
“So work the honey bees;
Creatures that by a rule in nature teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom.”
(‘King Henry V.,’ act 1. sc. 2.)
(3) Their station: “strangers in the land” (1Ki 5:17); i.e. descendants of the unexter-minated Canaanites (2Ch 8:7, 2Ch 8:8; 1Ki 9:20-22). These had David also appointed to be stone-cutters (1Ch 22:2).
2. The securing of materials. In addition to the stores gathered and given by his lately deceased fathergold, silver, brass, iron, wood, precious stones (1Ch 29:2-5)Solomon required cedar, fir, and algum trees out of Lebanon. Found nowhere in Palestine except Lebanon, the cedar was a rapidly growing, high-reaching, widespreading, and long-living tree, whose beautiful white wood was much prized for architectural purposes (2Ch 3:5; 1Ki 6:15; Jer 22:14). The fir, often mentioned in connection with the cedar (Isa 14:8; Isa 37:24), was a “choice” and “goodly” tree, whose wood was used for building ships (Eze 7:5) and making musical instruments (2Sa 6:5), and was now to be employed for flooring, ceiling, and doors in the temple (1Ki 6:15, 1Ki 6:34). The algum, probably the red sandalwood, fetched along with gold and precious stones from Ophir (2Ch 9:10, 2Ch 9:11; 1Ki 10:11) by Solomon’s and Hiram’s fleets, and here inaccurately said to have grown in Lebanon, was used by Solomon for making pillars for the temple and the palace, as well as harps and psalteries for singers. These different sorts of timber accordingly Solomon sent for from Hiram, his father’s friend and his own (1Ki 5:3).
3. The obtaining of a skilled artificer. This also he courteously solicited from Hiram, whose subjects were the “artists” of the day (see homily on ‘The two Hirams’). Both requests were accompanied with a promise of generous support to the workmen and the artist (1Ki 5:10), and both were frankly honoured.
Learn:
1. The highest glory of a king (or private person) is to seek the glory of God (Joh 8:50).
2. Great undertakings, especially in religion and the Church, should be gone about with deliberation, and only after due preparation (Luk 14:28).
3. The meanest service in connection with God’s house is honourable (Psa 84:10).
4. The value of friendship (Pro 27:10).
5. Humble thoughts of self the best preparation for acceptable service of God (2Co 3:5).
6. The talents of unbelievers may be legitimately employed in the service of the Church, seeing that “gifts” are from God, no less than “graces” (Job 32:8).
7. The Church should honourably requite those who aid in her undertakings, since “the labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luk 10:7; 1Ti 5:18).W.
2Ch 2:9
A wonderful great house.
I. ITS BUILDER. The temple of Solomon was constructed by Solomon the son of David; the temple of the Christian Church by Jesus, David’s Son, but also David’s Lord, the Only-Begotten of the Father, whose name is “Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace” (Isa 45:13; Heb 3:3).
II. ITS MATERIALS. The temple of Solomon was fashioned out of gold, silver, precious stones, etc.; the temple of the Christian Church out of lively stones, or believing and regenerated souls (1Pe 2:5).
III. ITS SITE. The temple of Solomon stood on Mount Moriah, where Jehovah had appeared to Abraham and afterwards to David, its walls reaching down to and rising up from the solid rock; the temple of the Christian Church rests upon the immovable rock of Christ’s Person (Mat 16:18; Eph 2:20), in whom the clearest and fullest revelation of the Father has been made to men (Joh 1:18; Joh 14:9).
IV. ITS CONSTRUCTION. The temple of Solomon had two apartmentsa holy place and a holy of holies, the former for the worshipping priests, the latter for the worshipped God; the Church of Jesus Christ has only one chamber, the separating veil being done away, in fact rent in twain, by the sacrifice of the cross (Mat 27:51; Heb 10:20).
V. ITS ADORNMENTS. The temple of Solomon was radiant with gold and silver and decorations of carved work; the Church of Jesus Christ is rendered beautiful by the inward graces of the Spirit (Psa 149:4; 1Pe 3:3).
VI. ITS PROPORTIONS. The temple of Solomon was, after all, hut a small structure; the temple of the Christian Church is a spacious house of many mansions (Joh 14:1).
VII. ITS USES. The temple of Solomon was designed as a habitation for Jehovah’s symbolic presence; the Church of Jesus Christ is a habitation for Jehovah himself through the Spirit (Eph 2:22).
Learn:
1. The glory of the Christian Church.
2. The superiority of the gospel dispensation.
3. The nobler privilege of New Testament believers.W.
2Ch 2:11-15
The two Hirams.
I. HIRAM THE KING.
1. His kingdom. Phoenicia Variously explained as “the land of palms,” “the land of purple-dyeing.” “the land of the brown-red,” with reference to the colour of the skin of its inhabitants, Phoenicia in Solomon’s time was bounded on the west by the Mediterranean, on the east by Lebanon, on the south by the kingdom of Israel, while towards the north the limit was uncertain, though usually fixed about Arvad, thus making in all a territory a hundred and twenty miles long and twenty miles broad. “It is a liberal estimate for the area to reckon it at four thousand square miles, which is less than that of at least one English county,. Well watered by streams from Lebanon, the country was extremely fertile. In addition to cedars on the heights of Lebanon, fruit trees and vines clothed its slopes, whilst the valleys yielded an abundance of palms, fat pasture, garden produce, and corn. Silicious earth for making glass was found upon the coast, which also furnished the purple shells necessary for dyeing. Iron and probably copper were obtained at Sarepta and elsewhere (Riehm, Handworterbuch, art. Phoenicien ).
2. His capital. Tyrein Hebrew Sor, in Assyrian Surru, in Old Latin Sarra. The city is supposed to have been so called because of its having been builtat least the insular part of itupon a rock. Most likely younger than Sidon, it was yet a city “whose antiquity was of ancient days” (Jer 23:7). Founded two hundred and forty years before the building of Solomon’s temple (Josephus, ‘Ant.,’ 8.3. 1), it was greatly celebrated for its natural and artificial splendour (Eze 27:3). Planted in a pleasant place (Hos 9:13), it was afterwards compared to “a virgin bathing in the sea, a Tartessus ship swimming upon the ocean, an island on shore, and a city in the sea” (Kitto’s ‘ Cyclopaedia,’ art. “Tyre’).
3. His subjects. The men of Tyro. Renowned as wood-cutters and artists, “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,” they were likewise merchants who traded with all parts of the then known world (Eze 27:1-36). As to physical characteristics, on the whole “the Phoenicians probably, both in form and feature, very much resembled the Jews who were their near neighbours, and who occasionally intermarried with them (1Ki 11:1; 1Ki 16:31; 2Ch 2:14), while as to moral characteristics, they shared those of the Western Semites generally”first, pliability combined with iron fixedness of purpose; secondly, depth and force; thirdly, a yearning for dreamy ease, together with a capacity for the hardest work; fourthly, a love of abstract thought; and fifthly, religiousness, together with an intensely spiritual conception of the Deity”.
4. His history. A son of Abibaal, the first King of Tyro, and a contemporary as well as friend of both David and Solomon (see preceding homily), he was clearly a man of culture. He could write, and in that accomplishment many later kings, even in Christian times and in our own land, have been deficient. Withred, King of Kent, A.D. 700, thus concluded a charter to secure the liberties of the Church: “All the above dictated by myself I have confirmed, and, because I cannot write, I have with mine own hand expressed this by putting the sign of the holy cross + ‘ (Adam Clarke). Writing, however, had been introduced into Phoenicia from Egypt long before the days of Hiram. Whether copies of the epistolary correspondence of Hiram and Solomon were preserved in “the public records of Tyre” (Josephus, ‘ Ant.,’ 8.2. 8) may be doubtful, but no ground exists for challenging the accuracy of the biblical account that both Solomon and Hiram could write.
5. His character. Originally a worshipper of Baal, and a restorer of the temple of the sun-god, he appears to have become an enlightened and sincere follower of Jehovah, whom he recognizes as not merely the national Divinity of Israel, but also as the Maker of heaven and earth (2Ch 2:12). That he was courteous and kind, his intercourse both with David and Solomon attests. That he was a shrewd man of business, who could look well after his own interest, shines out by no means dimly in the hint given to Solomon to forward “the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord had spoken of,” when he would see to the felling of the timber (2Ch 2:15, 2Ch 2:16).
II. HIRAM THE ARTIST.
1. His parentage. The son of a Tyrian brass-worker, and of a Danite widow belonging to the tribe of Naphtali.(2Ch 2:14; 1Ki 7:14), he was probably on this account selected by the aged sovereign as one likely to be acceptable to the Hebrew monarch and his people. The discrepancy as to the tribe from which Hiram’s mother proceeded may be removed by supposing that she was originally a Danite maiden, whose first husband belonged to the tribe of Naphtali, and whose second was a Tyrian.
2. His profession. A sort of universal genius, who had skill and understanding to find out every device put before himlike the artist Harmon, of whom Homer (‘Iliad,’ 5.59, 60) says that he “knew how to form with his hands all ingenious things.” “As Theodore of Samos was an architect, a caster of works in bronze, an engraver of signets, and a maker of minute works in the precious metals, as Michael Angelo Buonarotti was at once a painter, a sculptor, an architect, and a worker in bronze”, so Hiram of Tyro, like Bezaleel (Exo 31:4), was goldsmith, silversmith, brazier, iron-worker, stone-carver, wood-engraver, linen-weaver, all in one.
3. His renown. On account of professional eminence the king had dignified him with the title Abi, “my father,” which meant “master;” in the sense that he was both master of his work and master of works for the king, as afterwards he is styled Solomon’s father (2Ch 4:16), because he manufactured for Solomon the vessels for the house of the Lord. Compare Joseph’s calling himself “a father,” i.e. a master or manager, “to Pharaoh” (Gen 45:8).
Learn:
1. The highest office of a kingto promote the material, intellectual, and religious prosperity of his people.
2. The proper duty of friendshipto rejoice in the welfare, co-operate in the undertakings, and reciprocate the courtesies of others.
3. The noblest service of artto consecrate its genius to the glory of God and the advancement of true religion.W.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
2Ch 2:1.And Solomon told out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
2And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst with David my father, and sentest him cedars to build him a house to dwell 3in, so do also with me. Behold, I build a house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, to offer sweet incense before Him, and the shewbread continually, and the burnt-offerings for the morning and the evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons, and the feasts of the Lord our God: 4for ever this is ordained for Israel. And the house which I build is great; 5for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build Him a house? For the heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain Him; and who am I, 6that I should build Him a house, but to offer incense before Him? And now send me a wise man to work in gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and who knoweth to make graven work with the wise men that are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David 7my father appointed. And send me cedar-trees, cypresses, and sandal-wood out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants can cut timber in Lebanon; 8and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants. And shall prepare me wood in abundance; for the house which I build is to be great and wonderful. 9And, behold, for the hewers, who fell the trees, I give of wheat as food1 for thy servants, twenty thousand cors, and of barley twenty thousand cors, and of wine twenty thousand baths, and of oil twenty thousand baths.
10And Huram king of Tyre answered in a letter, and sent to Solomon: Because the Lord loveth His people, He hath set thee over them as king. 11And Huram said, 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 may build a house for the Lord, and a house for his kingdom. 12, 13And now I send a wise man of understanding, Huram my father, son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and his father was a Tyrian, who can work in gold, and silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and wood, in purple, blue, and byssus, and crimson, and can do all graving, and devise every device that is given to him with thy wise men, and the wise men of my lord David thy 14father. And now the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which 15my lord spake of, let him send his servants. And we shall fell timber out of Lebanon according to all thy need, and bring it to thee in floats to the sea of Joppa, and thou shalt take it up to Jerusalem.
16And Solomon counted all the men that were strangers in the land of Israel, after the number which David his father had counted, and they were found to be a hundred and fifty thousand, and three thousand and six 17hundred. And he made seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to keep the people at work.
EXEGETICAL
1. Transition from the Foregoing to the Report of the building of the Temple: 2Ch 2:1And Solomon determined to build. So according to the Vulg., Luther, and most of the ancients, while some moderns, as Berth., Kamph., take , with allusion to 2Ch 1:2, 1Ch 21:17, in the sense of command. The context, especially the circumstance that instead of the execution of the building itself only preparations for it follow, favours the older view.A house for the name of the Lord (comp. 1Ki 5:17), and a house for his kingdom, that is, a royal palace for himself, the building of which is not more particularly described (as 1Ki 7:1-12), but which is mentioned several times, as 2Ch 2:11; 2Ch 7:11; 2Ch 8:1.2Ch 2:1. And Solomon told out seventy thousand, etc. This statement, recurring, 2Ch 2:16-17, in another connection, and in a fuller and more definite form, concerning the 70,000 + 80,000 + 3600, in all 153,600, workmen to whom Solomon committed the labours preliminary to the building of the temple, stands here in briefer form, to indicate beforehand the magnitude of the measures undertaken by the king.
2. Solomons Embassy to Huram of Tyre: 2Ch 2:2-9; comp. 1Ki 5:15-18, which account, agreeing with the present in all essential respects, partly indeed to the letter, is opened with a notice of an embassy sent first by Huram to Solomon (to congratulate him on his accession to the throne), which our author has omitted as not sufficiently important.And Solomon sent to Huram king of Tyre. On the three forms of the name, Huram (Chron.), Hiram (1Ki 5:15), and Hirom (1Ki 5:1ff; 1Ki 7:40), of which the last (in Menander in Joseph, c. Ap. 1. 18, 21:; in Herod and Syncell.: ,) appears to be the most original, comp. Bhr on 1Ki 5:15, where, with justice, the doubts of Clericus, Thenius, Ew., Berth., etc., regarding the identity of the present Huram with the like-named contemporary and friend of David, are set aside. Hitzig (Gesch. des V. Isr. p. 10; comp. p. 155) gives as the probable time of the reign of Huram or Hirom, 10311000 b.c. (?).As thou didst with David my father, and sentest him cedars; comp. 1Ch 14:1. The consequent to this antecedent is wanting; according to 2Ch 2:6 f., it must run thus: So do also to me, and send me cedars. This construction is like that elsewhere after asseverations and oaths; comp. also Psa 66:7 b (Ew. 355, 356). Moreover, in the parallel account 1Ki 5:16 ff., Solomon does not expressly remind Hiram of the aid which he had already given to his father David, but only of this, that David had been prevented by his wars from executing the project of building the temple. Hence it is clear, from the various differences between the present and the previous form of the letter of Solomon, that it is not an authentic original document that is here given, but the result of free handling of the fundamental thoughts of older sources by the one as well as the other writer.
2Ch 2:3. Behold, I build, literally, Behold me building, future of state; see Ew. 306, d.To offer sweet incense before Him, literally, to perfume, , with which infinitive (defining the foregoing more exactly) are zeugmatically connected the other objects named, shew-bread and burnt-offering. For the sweet incense and its burning every morning and evening on the altar of incense, comp. Exo 25:6; Exo 30:7 f.; for the continual laying of shew-bread ( ), Exo 25:30; for the burnt-offering to be made every morning and evening, and on Sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, Num 28:29 and 1Ch 23:31.For ever this is ordained for Israel; comp. the passage already cited, 1Ch 23:31, and the often occurring in the law, for example, Num 19:10.On 2Ch 2:4, comp. 1Ch 29:1, and Exo 18:11, Deu 10:17.
2Ch 2:5. But who is able, literally, who will show power; comp. 1Ch 29:14. On the following asseveration: the heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain Him, comp. Solomons prayer at the dedication of the temple, 2Ch 6:18; 1Ki 8:27. Obviously we have here a favourite saying of Solomon the theologian and philosopher: that our author has here, of his own will, put this formula in his mouth is improbable.And who am, I that I should build Him a house, but to offer, etc.; that is, not a house for dwelling in, but only for sacrifice and worship (the incense, as symbol of prayer, is here mentioned instead of all offerings), may we build for Jehovah.
2Ch 2:6. And now send me a wise man (skilful, see 2Ch 2:12; 1Ch 22:15; Exo 31:6) to work in gold. That, besides the works in brass and other metals, as they were actually executed by the craftsmen here mentioned, according to 2Ch 4:11-16 and 1Ki 7:13 if., skill also in weaving purple, hewing stone, and carving wood is ascribed to them, need not seem strange in Solomons letter. But it seems surprising that, 2Ch 2:13, King Huram also in his reply makes him exercise all these crafts. Yet ancient history knows several instances of universal genius in art; comp. Ddalus, and one Tutilo in St. Gall of the Christian times. On purple (, later form of ), comp. Exo 25:4; Dan 5:7; on crimson ( only here, 2Ch 2:13; 2Ch 3:14, probably an old Persic word), the elsewhere used to denote this fabric; on blue or violet (), Exo 25:4.And who knoweth to make graven work, literally, to grave gravings, here of every kind of sculpture in metal or wood (comp. , 2Ch 2:13; also 1Ki 6:29); elsewhere, specially of graving precious stones, Exo 28:9; Exo 28:11; Exo 28:36; Exo 39:6; Zec 3:9With the wise men, etc.; comp. 1Ch 22:3; 1Ch 22:15; 1Ch 28:21. In construction, goes wit , to work.?
2Ch 2:7. And send me. . . sandal-wood out of Lebanon. If the algumwood () here named along with cedars and cypresses be actually sandal-wood, which, in the obvious identity of its name with , 1Ki 10:11, can scarcely be doubted, our author, in allowing it to come from Lebanon, involves Solomon in an inaccuracy (at least in expression); for, according to his own later statement (2Ch 9:10; 1Ch 10:11), algums belonged rather to the products of Ophir.
2Ch 2:8.Prepare me wood in abundance; the infin. is the continuation of the imperat. , 2Ch 2:7; Keils attempt to subordinate it to the previous clause is too artificial: to prepare for me wood in abundance. On b, comp. 2Ch 2:4.
2Ch 2:9. And, behold, for the hewers, who fell the trees. (with introductory ) is more exactly defined by the added , and for this reason, that (= the afterwards more usual ; comp. 2Ch 2:1; 2Ch 2:17) appears to our author to need interpretation; comp. besides, for , Deu 29:10; Jos 9:21; Jos 9:23; Jos 9:27.I give wheat as food for thy servants. For instead of the defective , see Crit. Note.Twenty thousand cors. In this enumeration of the provisions in grain, wine, and oil offered by Solomon, our report seems to be more detailed than the parallel 1Ki 5:11, which reports only 20,000 cors of wheat for the household of king Hiram, and twenty cors of the finest (beaten) oil for the same, as given by Solomon. But, in truth, the two passages speak of quite different supplies: there of a yearly contribution, which Solomon paid to the Tyrian king during the building at Tyre, but here of the provisions which he sent to the woodcutters placed at his disposal by Huram in Lebanon (so correctly Keil and Bhr on 1Ki 5:11; otherwise Thenius, Bertheau, etc., who here find statements that are partly contradictory).
3. Hurams Answer: 2Ch 2:10-15; comp. 1Ki 5:1 ff.Because the Lord loveth His people, etc. Instead of this compliment (comp. 2Ch 9:8; 1Ki 10:9), in the parallel text 1Ki 5:8, Hiram begins his letter immediately with the declaration: I have heard the things thou sentest to me for, On the contrary, an expression of joy concerning Solomons message as orally given by Hiram precedes the composing and sending of the reply.
2Ch 2:11. And Huram said, namely, as in the foregoing verse; , in writing.Blessed be the Lord . . . that made heaven and earth. Are we to see in this doxology of the Phnician king, readily following into Solomons religious thought and phrase (which rises above that in 1Ki 5:7), the product of a half-poetic fiction, after the manner of a writer after the exile (as Dan 2:28; Dan 3:29 ff; Dan 4:31 ff.)? It is perhaps more natural to take into account here partly the courtesies in expression, which friendly sovereigns might and must use, partly the community of speech, and even of religious tradition, which existed between the Phnicians and Hebrews.A wise son endowed with prudence and understanding; comp. 1Ch 12:32; 1Ch 22:12.
2Ch 2:12. Huram my father. The introductory before the accusative, as 2 Chronicles 5:26. Luther takes for an element of the proper name of the craftsman, who was called Huram-abi (or, 2Ch 4:16, Huram-abiv). Most of the ancients as well as moderns take it here, as in 2Ch 4:16, as a tropical appellative or name of honour=master, by comparison with Gen 45:8.
2Ch 2:13. The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, that is, perhaps the city Dan in the tribe of Naphtali; see 1Ki 7:14 and the expositors on this passage, especially Thenius and Bhr, whereas certainly Keil (with Berth., Kamph., etc.) defends the more difficult and artificial assumption, that the mother of this craftsman belonged by birth to the tribe of Dan, but by her first husband to that of Naphtali.Who can work in gold, etc. The Phnician king enhances the praise of his craftsman by recounting a still greater number of crafts than those mentioned by Solomon, 2Ch 2:6. Hence the mention of stone and wood (after brass and iron), of byssus (, as 1Ch 15:27), and of devising every device that is given to him. Comp. for the last phrase, the remarks made, Exo 31:4; Exo 35:33, on Bezaleel.On 2Ch 2:14, comp. 2Ch 2:9; the there expressed offer by Solomon of food for his people Huram expressly accepts.
2Ch 2:15. According to all thy need. , need, only here in the Old Test, (in Aram, very common); likewise the following , floats, for which, 1 Kings 5:23, To the sea of Joppa, the sea at Joppa, the port of Jerusalem. Also, with respect to this reply of Huram, and its relation to the often-deviating parallel text 1 Kings 5:21 ff., the above remark (2Ch 2:2) on the two texts of the letter of Solomon applies. Neither text is wholly independent of the other, and neither coincides exactly with a presumed original. Both exhibit certainly a freely imitating or rather extracting (partly also interpolating; see especially the additions made by our author, 2Ch 2:13) treatment of the original text; as also Josephus, Antiq. viii. 2. 6 f., in his rendering of the pieces, generally agrees with 1 Kings 5, but allows himself many peculiar forms of its language. The statements of this historian, that the of the two letters were extant both in the Old Testament and in the public archives of Tyre (Antiq. viii. 2. 8), must therefore be received cum grano sails, and must refer not so much to the form as to the substance of the documents. Eupolemus, in Euseb. Prp. evang. ix. 33, 34, has copied still more freely than Josephus the correspondence between Solomon and Hiram.
4. Expanded Repetition of the Number of Workmen stated in 2Ch 2:1 : 2Ch 2:16-17.And Solomon counted all the men that were strangers in the land of Israel, all the serfs of Canaanitish descent under the people of Israel; comp. 1Ch 22:2, to which place there is here express reference (by the following words: after the number [, muster, only here in O. T.] which David his father had counted).
2Ch 2:17. The eighty thousand hewers () in the mountain are chiefly to be regarded as hewers of stone (comp. 1Ch 22:2), but partly as fellers of timber.And three thousand and six hundred overseers (; comp. Ezr 3:8-9), to keep the people at work, to make them work; comp. Exo 6:5. With the present statements of the number of workmen levied by Solomon agree those contained in 1Ki 5:13-16, with two points of difference:1. Of the 30,000 socagers levied out of Israel itself, there first named, that were to cut timbers successively in three parties of 10,000 each, our text says nothing, as the enumeration of our author is perhaps confined intentionally to the , perhaps, however, through a mistake in quite overlooking the statement in question; 2. instead of 3600 overseers, the author of 1Ki 5:16 names only 3300; perhaps he had only in view those of lower rank, and not the higher, who, according to 1Ki 9:23, amounted in all to 550, namely, 250 Israelites (2Ch 8:10) and 300 strangers. As the Chronist mentions here only the strangers, he enumerates only these 3000 non-Israelite upper overseers, and thus arrives at the total of 3600 . He was aware also of the existence of 250 Israelite upper overseers, as is clear from 2 Chronicles 8:40 of our book.
Footnotes:
[1]So according to the probable correct reading ( = ), as the parallel 1 Kings 5:25 exhibits it for the unmeaning (wheat of beating, beaten-out wheat?).
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
This Chapter represents Solomon as beginning the work of the temple. He numbers the men for the service: sends to Huram for materials; Hiram’s kind answer.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The account here given, is so very similar to what we read 1Ki 5 that once for all I refer the Reader to it.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 2:1-10 .
1. And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord [the “name of God” in Scripture is nearly equivalent to the presence of God. God is in his name; and what is done to or for his name is done to him], and an house for his kingdom.
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.
3. And Solomon sent to Hiram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal [comp. 1Ch 14:1 ; 2Sa 5:11 ] with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.
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 [Literally “incense of spices.” Comp. Exo 30:7 , where the burning of such incense every morning and evening is commanded as a necessary part of the worship of Jehovah; and see Exo 30:34-36 of the same chapter for the composition of the “incense of spices.” The symbolical meaning of the rite is indicated in Rev 8:3-4 ], 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.
5. And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
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?
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 [“Purple, crimson, and blue” would be needed for the hangings of the temple, which, in this respect, as in others, was conformed to the pattern of the tabernacle (see Exo 25:4 ; Exo 26:1 ; etc.)], and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my lather did provide.
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 [see 2Ch 2:18 . Solomon employed 80,000 of his own subjects as woodcutters, who, no doubt, did the coarse work, while the finishing and all the finer work was executed by skilled Phoenicians] shall be with thy servants.
9. Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great [Literally “great and wonderful” (on the really moderate size of Solomon’s temple, see footnote, post, p. 174)].
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 [the barley and the wine are omitted in Kings. The Speaker’s Commentary gives the opinion of learned commentators explaining the difference in this respect, but holds that it is better to regard the author of Chronicles as filling out the statement which the writer of Kings has given in brief; and to gather from the two passages combined that the return which Solomon made for the timber and the services of the Phoenician workmen consisted of 20,000 cors of wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil, 200 of which (=20 cors) were of the finest “beaten” oil. The wheat and the fine oil were consumed by the court; the barley, wine, and ordinary oil were applied to the sustenance of the foreign labourers], and twenty thousand baths of oil.
Solomon’s Preparations
“And Solomon determined” ( 2Ch 2:1 ).
LITERALLY: “and Solomon said.” The word “said” seems to be quite a small word beside the word “determined,” but it is just as good in quality and in music, if we understand it rightly. We have gone backward in the use of words; we try to make up by many words what used to be expressed by one; in this regard, civilisation is not improving, education is enfeebling our expression. In the old time, when a man said what he was going to do, he had half done it; he never spoke about it until his mind was made up: now we vapour about what we are going to do, and therefore we seldom do it; our speech has become a variety of the process known as evaporation. In other places, the word rendered “determined” is rendered so as to give energy, full purpose, settled and unchangeable resolution. There was no need for such expression in this case: Solomon was born to do this work. There is no need for the rose to say, Now I am going to be beautiful and fragrant. There is no need for the nightingale to say, Now I have fully made up my mind to be musical and tuneful, and to fill the air with richest expression and melody. The flower was born to bloom, and to throw all its fragrance away in generous donation; the nightingale was made in every bone and feather of it for the sacred singing throat to sing to astonish the world with music. Solomon came into this work naturally, as it were by birth and education. His father could latterly talk about nothing else; the old man nearly built the temple himself, although distinctly told he should not do it; yet he could not let it alone; if he awoke in the night-time it was to consider what the length of the temple should be; and if he suddenly came upon his son Solomon it was to deliver an extra charge as to the building of the holy house. When he wrote to his friends it was to ask for material for the temple. He would speak upon no other subject; when he lay upon his bed for the last time he signed and motioned and talked about the temple that he wanted to build. There is always something we want to do next, and although God has expressly told us that we should not touch the work we cannot keep our hands quite still. We will build in the air if we cannot build on the ground; we will talk, if we cannot actually carve the ivory and prepare the gold. It is infinitely pathetic to watch David in these later hours; he is told that he should not do a thing, and he says, I am sure I will not do it; and then he talks about it, and prepares for it, and offers suggestions respecting it; and if he could get up in the night-time without God seeing him he would in very deed begin to build what he had made up his mind he would not build, because God had told him he should not do it The wondrous pressure there is upon us! The marvellous bias that our life takes in certain directions which are forbidden! Would God some understood this a little better! Would God some men would almost try to pray! they might succeed. In one respect it is the hardest, in another it is the easiest of the miracles, but a miracle it is, that a man trained in a mother tongue in his infancy to talk nonsense and frivolity, should actually open his lips in prayer. What greater miracle is there, when it is rightly measured, fully grasped, and really enjoyed? When we say we will build, we ought to have begun to build. The word “determined” is a weak word in comparison with the word “said.” A man’s word should be his bond; he should not require to speak loudly in order to be believed: when he says in the simplest tone that he has done some miracle of faith, love, service, he should not be required to make oath and say; his word, his whisper should be his oath.
“And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord, and an house for his kingdom” ( 2Ch 2:1 ).
That latter expression is not always clearly understood. Solomon built a house for the name of the Lord, and a house for his own residence. That is the prayer in action. This is what true men are always doing. No man can build God’s house without building his own at the same time. We have forgotten that immortal inspiring truth, “Them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” No man can give a cup of cold water to a disciple in the name of a disciple without having his reward. Yet we must be on our guard against the subtle play of selfishness even here: for if any man should say he will build his own house by building God’s, he will never have a house of his own to live in. There must be no investment of consecration; there must be no folly at the altar. If a man should say he will spend all his life in the church, and let his own house take care of itself, that house will come to ruin. Here we see the play of wisdom; here is the need of sentiment being guarded by discipline: otherwise we shall have life frittered away in an infinite fuss about nothing. Everywhere we must see the wise man; then shall there be a steady preparation, attention to the perspective of nature and of life, and a response to all those obligations which touch it at every point, and which are intended for its development and education and final consolidation in righteousness. Yet here is the compound action: Because thou hast asked wisdom and not riches, thou shalt have riches. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you”: therefore, when thou art building my house I will be building thine. We must not have these things taken out eclectically, and set in rows like specimens; we must from all the facts draw the inclusive inference, and that inference must be the basis of our life. God helps those who help him. He never forgets the man who waits in his house; he is not unrighteous to forget your work of faith and labour of love: if you have given him water, he will give you wine; if you have spent a day at his house for his sake, there is no green pasture in all heaven’s boundless paradise to which you shall not be welcomed. We never can be before God, greater than God, in gift and eulogy and blessing.
Solomon having begun to build grew in the idea of what was due to God, and he laid down the great principle which underlies all true religious enthusiasm
“And the house which I build is great” ( 2Ch 2:5 ).
Why is it great? For the sake of vanity, display, ostentation; to make heathen people stare in blankest wonder because of the greatness of thy resources? No “The house which I build is great: for great is our God.” That is philosophy. He has really now received the wisdom; he talks like a sagacious king; he has seen the reality of things, and how nobly he talks “the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.” That is the explanation of all honest enthusiasm. A volume is needed here, rather than a suggestion: The house which I build is great; for great is our God: the sacrifice which I offer is great; for great is the God to whom it is offered: the consecration is great; for great is the cross: the missionary toil and effort is great; for great is the love of God which it represents. The religious must always be greater than the material, and must account for the material. However stupendous the temple, we must write upon its portals, Here is One greater than the temple. However magnificent the oblation we lay upon the altar, we should say, The fire that burns it, in every spark, is greater than any jewel we have laid upon the altar to be consumed. Here is a rational consecration. Why do you build your little hut? Because you have a little God. If the hut is all you can build, if it is the measure of your resources, and if all the while you are saying concerning it, Would God it were ten thousand times better than it is! then it shall be as acceptable as was the temple of Solomon. But it you are seeking to evade sacrifice by the plea that God needs not any effort of yours, or is not pleased with any expenditure or display of yours, then renounce your Christian name and preface your surname by the word Iscariot. Let us have no lying in the sanctuary I Let us go out rather into the broad wilderness in the night-time, and babble our lies to the careless winds, but do not let us tell lies in the house of God! How often has the Christian cause suffered in the village, in the little town, because some man has said he is opposed to display. He is not opposed to the display of his selfishness, he is opposed to the display of some other man’s unselfishness. Solomon here must be regarded as the wise man. “The house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.” Our theology determines our architecture. Our theology determines our expenditure. Search in the garden for a flower for Christ which will you bring? the one you can spare the best? Never! He stands there waiting the flower. How your eyes quicken into new expression! What eagerness there is in your whole gait and posture! How you turn the flowers over, so to say, that you may gather the loveliest and the best! and how on the road to him you pray God that even yet it may grow into some fairer loveliness, and be charged with some more heavenly fragrance.
Let us take another view of this verse.
Solomon’s conception of his work was great and worthy “And the house which I build is great” Why? “For [because] great is our God.” Here is more than a local incident; here indeed is the whole philosophy of Christian service. A great religion means a great humanity; a great God means a great worship; a great faith means a great consecration. Solomon’s temple therefore was an embodied theology; it was no fancy work, the creation of dainty fingers, meant merely to please an eye that hungered for beauty. Solomon was not gratifying an aesthetic taste when he sent for a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple and crimson and blue; or when he sent for cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees out of Lebanon: his stheticism, as we should say in modern phrase, was but an aspect of his theology. The sweet incense was not for a pampered nostril; the ceiling panelled with fir was not merely a picture to look upon; and the gold of Parvaim was not a mere display of wealth, a merely ostentatious show of civic plate. When the house was garnished with precious stones for beauty, and the beams overlaid with gold, and the walls were engraved with cherubims whose wings all but moved, and when the images of the cherubims outstretched their wings one towards the other, and when Jachin and Boaz were reared before the temple, there was but one meaning, one interpretation: so also with the chain, the altar, the mercy seat, the myriad oxen, the ten lavers, the ten candlesticks of gold, the pomegranates, and all the founders’ work cast in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah, there was but one purpose, one thought, one answer the house is great, because the God it is meant for is great. We have forgotten the reason, and therefore we have descended to commonplace any hut will do for God! This enables us to get rid of a plea that is often adopted by an idle sentimentalism, to the effect that any house, how frail and unpretending soever, will do for divine worship: God does not look for finery; any place, however simple, and however poor, and however small, will do to worship in. So it will, if it be all that the worshippers can offer; then the offering shall be as the widow’s mites, and as the cup of cold water; the gift shall be glorified by the receiver: but where it is the fault of idleness, indifference, avarice, coldness of heart, worldliness, a misgiving faith, it will be as a house without light, a skeleton unblessed and rejected. God will judge between poverty that wants to give, and wealth that wants to withhold. Solomon’s policy in temple building was rational. Solomon had a great conception of God, so he, having an abundance of resources, would build no mean house for him. The king of one nation will not receive the monarch of another in a common meeting room, but will have it decorated and enriched, and the metropolis of his country shall yield treasure and beauty, that the eye of the visiting monarch may be delighted with things pleasant to behold. England is not affronted because a foreign Court prepares sumptuously to receive England’s Queen but for a moment’s interview. There is a fitness in all things. God will meet us under the plainest roof, if it is all we can supply; he will make it beautiful; but if we say, “Any place will do for God,” you may make the appointment but he will not be there.
Then Solomon feels that he has begun to do the impossible. We never come to our best selves until we come to this kind of madness. So long as we work easily within our hand-reach we are doing nothing: there must come upon us persuasions that we have undertaken a madman’s work if we are to rise to the dignity of our vocation; we must feel that any house we can build is utterly unworthy of the guest who is to be asked to accept the unworthy hospitality.
“Who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him?” ( 2Ch 2:6 ).
The man who has that conception will build a house sooner or later; he is under the influence of the right degree and quality of inspiration; he does not come pompously forth from his throne, saying, I will do this with the ease of a king: when he looks upon his wealth he sees only its poverty; when he counts his weapons he counts but so many broken straws. Who can do it? Yet even here Solomon is as wise as ever, for he says, All I can do is to burn sacrifices before him “save only to burn sacrifice before him:” it will only be a little useful place after all: when my father and the allied kings and myself and my counsellors have done all that lies in our power, it will simply come to a place to burn sacrifice in. Woe be unto us when we think the house is greater than the God. Yet in this “only,” we have all we want. Here is the beginning of piety, here is the dawn of worship, here is the daystar that will melt into the noonday glory. We build God a house, and it is only to sing hymns in, but in the singing of a hymn a man may see Christ; it is only to hear a brother man explain so far as he can, poor soul, what he reads in the infinite word, but when the infirmest expositor is true to his text a light flashes out of it that dims the sun; it is only a meeting house where we can lay hand to hand in brotherliness and fellowship, and bow our heads in common plaint and cry and prayer. That is enough. We are not to be discouraged because we can only begin: we should be encouraged because we can in reality make some kind of commencement. Blessed is that servant who shall be found trying to make the best of God’s house when his Lord cometh. This is but decency and justice, that we should plainly say in most audible words that we have in God’s house received benefits which we could not have received in any other place: what upliftings of heart, what sudden illuminations of mind, what calls from the spirit world! What a glorious house! So much so that, amid much frivolity and much merchandise that ends in nothing, we have come back after all to our earliest memories, and men who have fought the world’s battles and won them have asked in the eleventh hour of their existence to have sung to them the little hymns which they sung in the nursery. Thus we come home, thus we come back to the starting-point; we begin with the cradle, and we end with it. We are born into some other world, not at the point of our deceptive illusory greatness, but at the point of our childlikeness when we have little and know how little it is. Let the house of God make this claim for itself, and nothing can destroy it. We do not come to God’s house for new revelations, for intellectual excitements and entertainments; we come to it save only to burn incense or sacrifice, save only to confess sin, save only to look at the cross, save only to begin our lesson, save only to rehearse our lesson with a view to its more perfect utterance otherwhere: but it is enough, it is a line to start with. No man can dislodge you out of your simplicity. When your faith becomes a metaphysical puzzle some controversialist may break through and steal it: when it is a sweet rest on Christ, a child’s trust in God, moth and rust cannot corrupt, and thieves cannot break through and steal. If we claim too much for the house of God our claim may be disputed and finally extinguished; but if we accept the sanctuary as but a beginning, any temple we can build here as but a doorway into the true temple, no man can take from us our heritage.
Then Solomon falls back and says the best is but poor
“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” ( 2Ch 2:6 ).
That is not despair; that is the beginning of greater strength. Solomon once more shows the true wisdom when he says, “save only to burn sacrifice before him”; that is the little I can do, and that I am prepared to do; when the whole house is set up, all I can do is to burn the little incense; I would do more if I could, I would sing like an angel, I would be hospitable as God himself; I would see all mysteries, and solve all problems, and reveal the kingdom to all who wish to see it; but at present I am the victim of limitation, and my whole function comes to incense-or sacrifice-burning: but that little I will do; I shall be here early in the morning and late at night and all the time between; this altar shall smoke with an offering to God. Let us do the little we can do. Our best religious worship here is but a hint: but therein is not only its littleness but its significance. When a man stumbles in prayer, and proceeds in prayer, notwithstanding all stumbling, he means by that effort Some day I will pray. When a man lays down a religious dogma and says, It is badly expressed; now I have written it I do not like it, because it does not tell one ten-thousandth part of what is in my heart, yet that is the only symbol I can think of or invent or create; well then, let it stand. God will take its meaning, not its literary totality. Looking at it, he will say, It is an emblem, a type, a symbol, a hint, an algebraic sign, pointing towards the unknown and the present impossible. Do what you can, and God will do the rest.
Solomon can do everything himself, we should imagine, because he is so great a man. Probably there never was so great a king in his time and within the world as known to him. Solomon therefore will begin, continue, and end, and make all things according to his own will without the assistance of any one. So we should say, but in so saying we talk foolishly.
“Send me now therefore a man” ( 2Ch 2:7 ).
What, king Solomon wanting a man! Why does he not build the temple himself? No temple should be built by any one man. Blessed be God, everything that is worth doing is done by cooperation, by acknowledged reciprocity of labour. Your breakfast-table was not spread by yourself, although it could not have been spread without you. Thank God there are no mere monographs in revelation. Sometimes we may almost bless God that we cannot identify the authorship of some books in the Bible. It is better that many hands should have written the Book than that some brilliant author should have retired into immortality on the ground of his being the only genius that could have written so marvellous a volume. We do not read Hamlet because William Shakespeare wrote it; we need not care whether Bacon or Shakespeare wrote it: there it is. No one man could have written what Shakespeare is said to have written. Thank God we are not yet permitted to see omniscience gathered up and focalised in any one genius. All good books are rich with quotations, sometimes acknowledged, and sometimes not acknowledged because unconscious. Every man has a hundred men in him. One queen boasted that she carried the blood of a hundred kings. Solomon therefore sends to Hiram king of Tyre, saying, “Send me now therefore a man.” Has Tyre to help Jerusalem? Has the Gentile to help the Jew? Has the Englishman to feed at a table on which the Chinaman has laid something? Are our houses curtained and draped by foreign countries? Wondrous is this thought, that no one land is absolutely complete in itself: we still need the sea; we cannot get rid of ships, “we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in flotes by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.” We are not permitted to enjoy the narrow parochial comfort of doing everything for ourselves. When the man comes from Tyre he will be as much a king as Solomon; not nominally, but in the cunning of his fingers, in the penetration of his eye, in his knowledge of brass and iron, and purple and crimson and blue, and in his skill to grave things of beauty on facets of hardness. Every man has his own kingship. Every man has something that no other man has. A recognition of this fact, and a proper use of all its suggestions, would create for us a democracy hard to distinguish from a theocracy, for each man would say to his brother, “What hast thou that thou hast not received?” and each man would say for himself, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”
Prayer
The Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him. Because thou art holy we are afraid; because thou art love we take heart again; through thy love we will advance to thy holiness. We have no answer to thy claim, we have no defence of ourselves against thy righteousness; but when thou dost bend thyself in tender love, when we feel thy tears drop upon us in pity, we begin to feel that even we, though chief of sinners, may be pardoned at the cross of Christ; then the day dawns, then the summer wind breathes upon us, and then we feel all heaven coming down with welcomes and assurances of infinite salvation and defence. Such experience we would now enjoy; we would feel that the temple of God is not made of common clay, that in it there is an altar, and that on the altar there is an ark of the covenant that speaks not of law only, but of grace and mercy, and before that mercy seat we fall, crying, God be merciful unto us sinners. Thy mercy is great, it extendeth over all thy works, it endureth for ever, it becomes tender mercy by long uses and great endurances, and thy kindness becomes loving kindness, the very bloom and fragrance of love: may we enter into the sanctuary of thine heart, and find rest there, having entered by the living door, the living Christ. How precious are thy thoughts unto us! they are not of the earth earthy; they fill all heaven, they reveal infinity, they dwell upon the sublimities of the eternal state, and whilst we follow thy thoughts we are lifted up in noblest elevation, and forgetting earth and time and space we see heaven opened, and the whole creation gathered in worship around the feet of Christ Then thou dost permit us to return from these great sights of glory that we may do a good day’s work upon the earth, helping the helpless, leading the blind, blessing those who have none to speak to them the words of comfort; yea, thou dost permit us to tell somewhat of the glory we have seen. We speak of the risen Christ, the interceding Son of God, the blessed one who is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Such has been our elevation, such the clearing of our vision, that we hesitate not to say that we have seen the Son of God and have been transfigured by his likeness. Thou knowest the weariness of earth, the littleness of the cage in which we now work; thou knowest the limitation of our faculties, and the severity of our discipline, thou knowest our inexperience and infirmity, and thou hast measured all things accordingly, so that the little child may be in thy Church, so that the feeblest voice may contribute some tone to the heightening of thy praise, so that the weakest believer may prove his trust by clinging most closely to the eternal Saviour. Thus thou hast set among the days of time one glad day, resurrection morning, the very zenith and glory of time; may we enter into its spirit, and be glad: may we feel upon us its sacred genius, and dwell in triumph, scorning all fear and danger, and looking upon loss as gain, and upon pain as the guarantee of blessing. Thus let thy miracles be multiplied day by day; in our delightful experience may we, finding our centre of rest and trust in the cross of Christ, enjoy the liberty of the universe. Amen.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
XXVIII
THE WORKS OF SOLOMON
1Ki 5:1-7:51
The works of Solomon were mainly buildings, whether of houses, or cisterns, etc., constructed during his reign and under his supervision. The first and most famous was the Temple. The second was his own house. The third was his wife’s house. The fourth was the upbuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and its fortifications, strengthening particularly the famous citadel of Millo. Fifth, he built two kinds of cities, and quite a number of each kind. One kind was for the headquarters and protection of his commerce; another kind was fortified cities controlling all the passes from any direction into his land. Among the fortified cities note the following:
First, Lebanon. He erected a strong fortification in the northern part of his country in the mountains of Lebanon on the great highway of Damascus, to guard the immense trade that poured through that city from the fords of the Euphrates.
Next, Hazor, still further north near Lake Merom. The object of that city was to protect the entrance from the south of Syria into his country. You should know the topography of the country in order to understand fully the wisdom of the location of each fortified city.
The next was at Megiddon on the plain of Bsdraelon, which was the great battle plain of the Holy Land. It was so in ancient times. It was so in mediaeval times, and according to prophecy will be so near the end of time. This fortification controlled all the Esdraelon plain. It was in the western part of the Holy Land, about the middle of it not far from the Mediterranean Sea.
The next was the great pass of Bethhoron, where Joshua fought his decisive battle. That is the pass leading from the Philistine country to Jerusalem. He fortified both ends of that pass, upper and nether, so that from the Plains of the Philistines an army could not approach Jerusalem in that direction.
Then on the south there were Gezer and Baalath, two other fortified places that protected not only from the Philistine raids, but from the Egyptian raids on the southwest. His other fenced cities and I will not mention all of them, protected the borders on the east of the Jordan, so that when these fortifications were completed Solomon’s country was like Paris before the war with Germany, and even since, i.e., from every direction there were long lines of fortifications.
The other class of cities was mainly on account of trade. You should have a map before you. East or northeast of Damascus, and south of his border on the Euphrates, was a desert, and in that desert a cluster of the most famous springs or fountains in the world perennial water in abundance and beautiful groves of palm trees and there Solomon built a city, Tadmor, which stood a thousand years, and in later history is called Palmyra, where Zenobia, the Queen of the East, reigned. If you are familiar with Roman history, you will remember her capture at her capital Palmyra, and her being brought a prisoner to Rome, and there settling down as a quiet Roman matron, marrying a member of the Roman nobility. In history the city of Palmyra is famous. In our times it is famous for archaeology. To the ruins of Palmyra, Baalbek, and Thebes on the Nile, and similar places, scholars go to excavate and give us the result of their studies in archaeology.
Solomon built quite a city, not for land commerce, but for sea commerce, at the head of the Gulf of Akaba, and transported a large population there in order that it should be held by loyal Jews, as that was his only good seaport. Those on the Mediterranean coast that lay within the boundary of his country Joppa, for example were very poor seaports. The next great buildings in connection with his reign were the store houses, immense structures on all the lines of traffic leading to Jerusalem where the revenues of the king were collected. Then the great stables that he had erected for the housing of his chariot horses and cavalry horses.
Another great work of Solomon was the building of roads. Our city papers say much about the split-log drag and the necessity for good wagon roads, roads for foot passengers and horsemen, for bringing the country products to the city markets. Solomon’s system of roads became as famous as the roads described by Prescott in the history of Peru, which are ahead of any in history except the Roman roads.
A very difficult work of Solomon was the building of a navy of his own. When he traded in the Mediterranean he had to use the ships of Tyre, just as a great part of our trade now is carried on in English or German bottoms. That is not as helpful to a country as to have its own merchant marine, its own ships for carriage. A tremendous change in Solomon’s kingdom was brought about by the establishment of this navy of his at Eziongeber at the head of the Gulf of Akaba, which is a part of the Red Sea. Those ships were manned largely by Tyrians, as the Jews were not good sailors, and that fleet would sail with imposing ceremony, to be gone three years. That is a very considerable voyage. The fleet would sail down the Indian Ocean to the East Indies, Borneo, Sumatra, and other islands of the archipelago in the. Indian Ocean, and then on to the archipelagos in the Pacific Ocean, and all down the eastern coast of Africa.
Before Solomon’s time Africa had been circumnavigated. Fleets, starting in the Red Sea, had gone clear around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, and back into the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar. They seemed to have forgotten about this when, not long before the time of Columbus, Vasco da Gama circumnavigated Africa, but it had been done before Solomon’s time. That fleet would bring him back spices, jewels, gold, and silver, and it mentions in your text here peacocks among other things, with the hundred eyes of Argus in their tails, according to Greek legend. You remember that Juno appointed Argus, because he had a hundred eyes, to watch Jupiter and see that he did not stay out at night, and Jupiter employed Mercury to play on his flute, and by its music to put Argus to sleep, and while asleep to kill him; and then Jupiter had his own sweet will without espionage. But Juno put the eyes of Argus in the peacock’s tail, and indeed if his eyes could serve no better purpose while in his head, they might as well be in a bird’s tail. In Huribut’s Bible Atlas is a detailed description of Solomon’s famous building, the Temple of the Lord. You must not expect from me an elaborate description of the Temple. I submit, rather, some salient points.
I. The plan and specifications. These were all given to David by inspiration of God. The Temple proper was but an enlargement of the house built by Moses, with relative proportions preserved throughout. The plan of the house built by Moses was also inspired. This we studied in Exodus.
II. The date. In 1Ki 6:1 , this statement is made: “And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord,” and on the second day of that second month, as you see from the corresponding passage in Chronicles, this Temple was commenced. This specific date, so circumstantially given, has puzzled many commentators. They don’t know how to fit the events of Moses, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and David into just 480 years. It is the governing passage that largely influenced Archbishop Usher in arranging the chronology as you see it at the head of your King James Bible.
Turn now to 1Ki 6:37 : “In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month of Ziv. And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.” Not only the building itself, but all its furniture, the utensils, and implements of every kind put in the Temple and used in its worship, was a work of seven years.
The next salient point worthy of your attention is the message of the Lord to Solomon when he was about to commence this work. You will find it on 1Ki 6:11 : “And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes and execute my judgments, and keep all of my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David, thy father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.” This is what he says to Solomon, “You have commenced to build a house for me. I come to tell you that I am with you, and give you my promise at the start that it shall be God’s dwelling-place.” When we come to the next visit the Lord makes to Solomon, when the house was dedicated, I will give you another remarkable passage, but this one is at the commencement of the work.
The next thing we note is the site. The first intimation of the site is given to us in Abraham’s time. Abraham was commanded to take his son Isaac and offer him up as a burnt offering upon Mount Moriah, then held by the Jebusites; and on that mountain and at the very place where the Temple wag subsequently erected, there the symbolic forecast of the offering up of a greater Isaac took place. The next account that we have of the site is when the great plague came upon the people of Jerusalem, and David to avert the plague presented himself before God, and offered to die for his people, to let the punishment come upon him and spare the people. When he saw the angel of death approaching Jerusalem, he boldly went forth to meet the angel, and proposed a substitutionary sacrifice of himself; and then the plague was stayed, and at the place where the plague was stayed, David bought the threshing-floor of Araunah, the Jebusite, and marked it out as the site where God’s house was to be erected, where the great sacrifices were to be offered throughout the ages, that were to foretell the coming of the greatest Sacrifice.
Next in importance is the great work of preparing the foundation. You must conceive of an irregularly shaped mountain whose crest was taken off low enough down the mountain to give sufficient area. If on three sides the mountain sloped down into the valley, a wall must be built on those three sides high enough for the desired level, and the crest taken off must be used to fill in all the space to a level with the wall summit. On one side there would be no wall. The area of the space thus leveled was about thirty acres in the shape of a trapezoid, one side of which was 1,520 feet; the opposite side 1,611 feet; one end 1,017 feet, and the other end 921 feet. Of course, the height of the wall would vary on the three sides, according to the dip of the slope into the valley below. The greatest height of the wall was 143 feet. This perpendicular wall, built of immense stones bevelled into each other would cement, would render the Temple area unapproachable and impregnable on three sides. The fourth side was safe-guarded by an immense moat, and by the fortified tower of Millo. The crest of the mountain taken off was not sufficient in bulk to fill on the three sides up to the top of the wall, and then to furnish stones for the buildings and terraces. So Solomon opened quarries on the other mountainsides, tunneling under the city itself. There today may be seen Solomon’s subterranean quarries, where slaves toiled in the heart of the earth. Their bones are yet where they died, and the marks of their implements on the everlasting rock, and some of the mammoth unused stones. These slaves were the unassimilated Canaanites, fed and clothed indeed after a fashion, but without wages. So also the multitude of laborerg who were sent to Tyre under overseers to get out the forest timbers, were conscript laborers, thousands of them, working in reliefs under taskmasters.
But Solomon had nobody in his kingdom skilful enough to direct the stone work and establish foundries for the materials of brass, silver, and gold. So he appealed to Hiram, king of Tyre, for an expert superintendent. The king of Tyre sent him the son of a widow, also called Hiram. If you ever get to be a Mason, you will hear more about Hiram Abiff. He was the architect of the whole business, and had the full superintendence of everything. Your text here gives an account of him, and of what he did in constructing the Temple.
An equally stupendous work in the way of preparation had to be done, namely, to provide an adequate water supply. To this end, he built enormous cisterns capable of holding many millions of barrels of water, and aqueducts for carrying the water. He built pools, like the Pool of Siloam, and vast reservoirs.
You must not conceive of the thirty-five acres as one level, but several terraced levels, one terrace rising above another until on the highest level is the Temple proper and its immediate approaches. The lowest level was the court of the Gentiles, a higher level the court of the women. The whole area with its inner divisions corresponds in general plan to the enclosed area around the tabernacle of Moses and the tent itself. The Temple proper, itself a small building, was only the tent of Moses on a larger scale, all relative proportions preserved.
The lumber material was more difficult to procure than the stone material. It came from the forests of Lebanon cedar and fir. The getting out of the timber from the forest, and the floating of it in great rafts from Tyre to Joppa, was performed by Hiram’s men. Solomon furnished the rations and compensated for the labor by giving King Hiram ten cities. When Hiram came to inspect the cities, he found them to be only sites for cities, something like Charles Dickens’ description of American cities, which existed only in sanguine prospect, or like the Bible description of Jerusalem in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah: “Now the city was exceedingly large, only the houses were not yet built, and the inhabitants thereof were few.” Hiram, in disgust, refused to receive them, and Solomon built them and peopled them with Jews. It has always seemed, on the face of it, that Solomon played an unworthy Yankee trick on his confiding and generous ally. Solomon’s own men had to transport this lumber material all the way up hill from Joppa to Jerusalem, and there, under the skilled supervision of Hiram, the widow’s son, they were fashioned for their place in the Temple. Indeed, every part, whether of stone, timber, or metal, was so skilfully fashioned that the Temple went up without the sound of ax, saw, or hammer. So the spiritual temple arises in silence rather than noise. The kingdom of heaven comes not with observation. “Sanctified rows,” as in many modern meetings, and confusions of mingled services, as at Corinth, are not contributory to the edifying of the temple of Christ.
There are some very striking references to the works of Solomon in the books of Ecclesiastes and the Song. For instance, this passage from Ecclesiastes 2 Solomon himself talking: “I made me great works, I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits; I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees.”
The gardens or paradises built by Solomon, the principal ones, were these: One near Jerusalem, where tremendous work in the rock had to be made to get space terrace space for his garden. Another was built about seven miles south of Jerusalem, near Bethlehem; and his summer park was at Mount Lebanon, described in the Song of Solomon, and when the hot summertime would come, and he would start to that summer resort in the mountains, a palanquin, or traveling carriage was made, and what a gorgeous thing it was! As it was a mountainous country, a palanquin was used and carried on the shoulders of men, but not until he got to a point where a chariot could not be used; up to that point he went in a beautiful chariot, the finest ever known, drawn by the finest of horses, as that Song tells you: “Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the powders of the merchant?”
The era of all these famous works was one of peace. These are not the achievements of unsettled times. War is destructive, not constructive. Solomon was not a man of blood, but the prince of peace, and hence the type of him at whose triumph all wars cease forever.
QUESTIONS
1. What was the principal building works of Solomon in Jerusalem?
2. What two kinds of cities elsewhere?
3. Cite the more important fortified cities and the purpose of each.
4. Locate and describe the trade city of Tadmor, and give something of its subsequent history.
5. What was city for sea trade, and how peopled?
6. Why was he dependent upon the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon for Mediterranean trade?
7. Locate and give the reason for building Eziongeber, and describe the commerce promoted by it. Tell about his fleet there, how manned and why, the time length of its voyages, the countries visited, and the products imported.
8. Was Africa circumnavigated before the famous voyages around it by Vasco da Gama? How was it done?
9. Where, probably, the Ophir of the ancients? Where Tarshish?
10. What did Solomon build in the way of roads, and what other countries since his time were noted for the building of good roads?
11. What attention is given to this matter by our country now?
12. How were the plans and specifications of the Temple obtained, and through whom?
13. What previous plan on a smaller scale was followed, and how and through whom was it obtained?
14. Why was Jehovah so particular in insisting on exact conformity with every detail of his plan?
15. What was the site of the Temple, and the two great historical events leading to its selection, and their typical import?
16. Where may we find the details of the Temple structure?
17. Give the date of its beginning, and time of its building.
18. Describe the foundation work, the area obtained, and its shape and side dimensions.
19. Whence the material for this foundation work, the laborers, and the modern evidence of their labor?
20. How many levels on this area, and the purpose of each?
21. Whence and what the materials of wood, how gotten out and transported, who the laborers, how many, and how supplied with food?
22. Who was the human architect?
23. Besides food supplies, how did Solomon compensate Hiram, king of Tyre, for his help, what Hiram’s opinion of the bargain, and what became of the rejected compensation?
24. What evidence of the perfect preparation of every piece of material before it was put into the building, and what the typical import?
25. What became of Solomon’s Temple, and whose succeeded it? What were its fortunes, and who restored it on a grand scale near the time of our Lord, and what became of it? What building now occupies the ancient building site?
26. Of what was the tabernacle of Moses and Solomon’s Temple a type?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
2Ch 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.
And a house for his kingdom.
a Dan., Hist.
2 Chronicles Chapter 2
Now, Solomon represents a wholly different state of things; and persons may ask, Then is there no type here? To be sure there is, but it is not the type of Christianity. It is the type of the millennial kingdom; it is the type of what God is going to do. And if persons were to say to me, Do you mean to say that there will never be anything grand for this world? is all the world to be only for the devil – only for unbelief and flesh? I say, No, I maintain what God means; and there I differ entirely from my good friends the dissenters in this particular – that they do not look for this future dealing of God for the earth. They regard the present as being the closing term of God with the world. Now I believe the contrary. I believe that the present time is God’s calling a people for heaven – calling a people on heavenly principles for Christ, founded on the cross, who are waiting for the glory. These are the two terms of Christian existence. Our starting point is the cross, and our terminus is the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are bound by, and we are now between, those two points. We are strangers and pilgrims. The cross has separated us from the world, and we are waiting for the Lord to bring us into His own heavenly abode – the mansions in the Father’s house.
But when the Lord comes and takes the Church, has He done with everything? Is that all? Does not God mean to bless the world? Does not He mean to bless Israel? Does He not mean to bless the nations? I am sure of it. It is not to me a question at all. Persons may say, Well, we must not be too bold; we must not be too confident of what we do not know But I think we ought to be confident of what we know, and I do not expect persons to be confident of what they do not knew. On the contrary, I advise them not to be. Yet I suppose that every Christian is confident about something. Is he not confident of his own sins, to begin with? Is he not confident of the Saviour? Very well, then he cannot speak too boldly of both, for I do not sympathize with those that are very sure of salvation and do not feel their sinfulness. I think it is a dangerous kind of confidence.
If I am true before God in the feeling of my sins, I am privileged to be equally sure of the blessedness of my salvation, because He is a Saviour for the lost; and I cannot exaggerate either. But if you admit that principle as to so all-important a thing as the sins that expose you to hell, and the salvation that will bring you to heaven – if we are confident about that, we might well be confident about anything. There is nothing so hard as that – nothing. There is nothing that required such an immense conquering of difficulties as the delivering us from hell and the bringing us to heaven; and Jesus has undertaken both, and will as surely as He has accomplished the one, so the other.
But there must be an immense gap in the thoughts of any Christian – I care not who he is, or what – if he thinks that the Lord is merely going to bring people out of the world to heaven. Has He made the world for nothing? Was the world made merely to be the football of Satan? Is it merely the sport of the enemy of God? No, He means to wrest this world from the enemy’s grasp, and He means to make this world a happy world; for the poor political quacks of the world have proved their total futility, and their inability to remedy the present state of disorder. He is the true physician in every sense, and the great wonder-worker; and He will heal the world of all its plagues and evils that are now showing themselves as we know, to be incurable distempers, but not so to Him. The mischief is not that man cannot heal them, but that man pretends to heal them; for I quite admit that it is no disrespect to any man to say that he cannot heal this poor sin-stricken world. No doubt about it, but the pretension to do it is bad, and that is just where man shows his folly – pretending to do what only God can, and what God does through the suffering of His own Messiah.
Here is the joy to me – that this glorious state of the world by-and-by is not to be apart from the cross any more than Solomon is from David. Solomon reigns in David’s stead, and the reign of Solomon is the necessary complement of the sufferings of David. The two are bound up together in the most remarkable manner, and give us this complete type which I have been endeavouring to show. But then it is the type not of a people taken up to heaven after suffering upon earth, but the type of the power and glory of God that will shine from the heavens upon the earth. And therefore you see the true answer to people who reason. And it has always been a great question among theologians whether the future state of blessedness is to be on the earth which is to be metamorphosed or sublimated into a heavenly state, or whether the people of God in their risen condition are to be in heaven.
Now, I say both are true – not exactly that the earth will ever become heaven, but that all the saints that have suffered from the beginning of the world till the Lord returns, from Abel downward, will be a heavenly people. And therefore it is quite a mistake to suppose that because now the Church is heavenly in its calling, therefore the saints that are departed will not be heavenly too. It was true, the heavenly calling was not revealed to them; and they were not blest, as we are, with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. But they are the saints of the high places; they are the saints of the heavenlies too. They shall judge the world; they shall judge angels, just as truly as we. They will be caught up to meet the Lord, and we shall be with them, and they with us, in the presence of God. I do not mean to say that there will be no distinctions. That, again, is another mistake; but I maintain that this is the truth of Scripture most plainly.
But then God means to convert Israel, and this is the reason for which Israel is now kept – kept in spite of their unbelief, kept in spite of their hostility. They are the great fomenters of all infidelity. There is hardly a wicked thought of modern infidels, no matter who they may be, but what is but the evolution of the old infidelity of Spinoza and other infamous Jews of past days. The Jews have always been the keenest and the subtlest weavers of the web of infidelity. Well now, in spite of all that, God watches over them. They are in the house – the city of refuge.* They are not permitted to be destroyed, although they deserve it. The avenger of blood must have destroyed them otherwise. They are kept there till “the death of the high priest which is anointed with . . . oil.” When the Lord leaves His present place of priest in heaven – when He terminates that character of priesthood which He now occupies – then the blood-stained one will return to the land of his possession. That is the future that is for Israel by-and-by. There will no doubt be a sifting out of the guilty. There will be not only the manslayer that is innocent of murder by the grace of God, but there will be the murderer that will be put to death, because there will be a judgment. He will stand before the congregation for judgment. The Lord will destroy some of those murderers – kill them before His face, as it is said in the Gospel. They are to be slain before Him. But others grace will count, because they are converted, and because they confess their sin. Grace will justify them. This is the double type of the one guilty, and the other not, who might be in the city of refuge.
*The Jews who believed and were baptized on the day of Pentecost availed themselves of the provision of God’s way of escape – the city of refuge. They saved themselves from the judgment hanging over the nation. Their land was defiled with innocent blood and bears the inscription, “Aceldama, that is the field of blood” unto this day. The Apostle Paul uses the same figure when he says, “we . . . who have fled for refuge” (Heb 6:18 ). In another sense the unbelieving Jews are providentially preserved for future judgment; as when Cain had a mark put upon him, lest any finding him should kill him. Then when Christ comes out of heaven, having ceased to exercise His Aaronic type priesthood on high, He will come forth in His Melchisedec character of priesthood; and Israel will return to the land of their inheritance in peace and prosperity. The writer of these articles on Chronicles gives further exposition on the cities of refuge in his Lectures on the Pentateuch. – Editor of Christian Truth
I refer to this here because it is so intimately connected with the subject of this book – the type of the kingdom, the grand kingdom that the Son of David will bring in in that day for the earth. And there is the grand mistake of Popery, for instance, in using all these scriptures for the Church now. These scriptures suppose power – suppose the exercise of earthly righteousness, as I shall show presently. That is not the character of the Church. The character of the Church is to be persecuted, not to exercise power. The character of the Church is to have heavenly and not earthly glory; so Popery has been guilty of the greatest possible departure from it. But not Popery only. It is a natural snare to the heart, because natural people like to be comfortable in this world; people like to be something. No wonder. It is exactly what the heart would covet, and this is what requires a great deal of faith to judge and to refuse.
Well then, Solomon is seen here not only at the head of Israel, but also controlling the Gentiles and making use of them as the servants of these great purposes; and so he demands timber in abundance. “Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build [shall be] wonderful great. 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.”
the name of. Figure of speech Pleonasm. See note on Psa 20:1.
an house for his kingdom. This is described in 1Ki 7, which is complementary to 2Ch 8:1.
Chapter 2
Now Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a house for his kingdom. And Solomon told out [or counted out] seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men to cut trees out of the forest, and three thousand six hundred men to oversee them ( 2Ch 2:1-2 ).
And so the tremendous number of people that were just involved in the labor to the gathering of the materials for his own palace and for the temple that they were to build.
Solomon sent to Huram [who is also called Hiram] the king of Tyre, and he said, As you dealt with David my father, and you sent him cedars to build his own palace, even I ask you to deal so with me. Behold, I’m going to build a house in the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him the sweet incense, and to place the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. For this is an ordinance for ever to Israel. And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? ( 2Ch 2:3-6 )
In other words, the idea is, I’m not building a house for God to dwell in. The heaven of heavens cannot contain God. Thus, I only build a house that we might at this house burn sacrifice before God.
There are oftentimes attempts by men to localize God. They are always wrong. To think of God as being in one place more than in another place. You cannot localize God. The heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. David said, “Whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend into heaven, Thou art there: if I descend into hell, Thou art there” ( Psa 139:7-8 ). Can’t escape from God. Nor can God be localized. And yet, so often we think of God, “Lord, we’re so happy to gather tonight in Your presence to worship You. Oh yes, it’s nice to be here in the presence of God this evening.” Hey, you were in the presence of God when you were yelling at your wife on the way to church. You know, it isn’t that when we get into this place we suddenly come into the presence of God. The presence of God is everywhere. You can’t escape the presence of God. And it is always wrong when we try to think of God in a localized place. And yet, it is so often a part of our limited understanding that we always seem to think of God in a locality. “I’m going to go to church so I can be near God tonight. I feel so near to God when I’m walking through the woods. I feel so near to God when I am walking across the desert at night. I feel so near to God… ” Well, it may be that you have a greater awareness of God’s presence in certain localities, but that isn’t an actuality. In truth, God is with you wherever you are.
It isn’t that we need to come into the presence of God; it’s that we need to become more aware of the presence of God wherever we may be. I think that one of the greatest needs of the Christian experience and in the Christian life is to become more conscious of God’s all pervading presence. And at the times when you least feel like it, He is there. In the time when you’re feeling the rottenest, He is there. In the time you’re feeling most desolate, He is there. The most forsaken, He is there. And we need to become aware of His presence. But that’s an attitude of my own heart. I can become aware of God’s presence no matter where I am if I’ll just turn my heart towards the Lord to consciously seek to be aware of His presence with me.
Now if we could only become more aware of the presence of God, we wouldn’t need any preaching on holiness or on righteous living or things of this nature. Because if I were just aware of God’s presence, “For in Him,” Paul said, “we live, and move, and have our being” ( Act 17:28 ). When I become aware of that, then I want to always live in a way that is pleasing unto Him. Knowing that nothing I do is hidden. Knowing that nothing I do is secret. Knowing that my life is just an open book and that consciousness of God’s presence is such an important thing for my own personal life.
So Solomon recognized, “We’re not building You a house, God, that You can come and live in this house and we can come and visit You at Your house. Who am I to build a house?” As he’s writing to Hiram asking for these cedars to be sent from Lebanon and all. He said, “I want to build a house that we might offer our sacrifices and all, not that it’s a place for God to dwell. The heaven of heavens can’t contain Him. But just a place where we can come and offer our sacrifices before Him.” So he is requesting that a skilled man be sent, who can, more or less, oversee all of the building. A man who is a clever artificer in the carvings and in all of the various types of arts, in castings and the whole thing, because the temple that he wanted to build unto God was to be a glorious monument unto the Lord.
And so he contracted to give unto the men, the servants that would cut the wood out of the forest and all, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, which would be a flour. Now a measure is ten bushels. So this is the amount of flour, the beaten wheat, he was to send unto them.
Twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths ( 2Ch 2:10 )
And a bath is about eight gallons.
of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil ( 2Ch 2:10 ).
So this was quite a vast annual fee that he was willing to pay for these skilled men.
Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, and he said, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made you king over them. Hiram also said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, and endued him with prudence and understanding, that he might build a house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. Now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram’s my father, the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful 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; he can carve out any manner of carving, and he can figure out every kind of device and he’s just a cunning man. Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send it unto his servants ( 2Ch 2:11-15 ):
So the deal was made.
And we will cut the wood out of Lebanon, as much as you shall need: and we will bring it to thee by floats by the sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem ( 2Ch 2:16 ).
So they cut these cedars out of Lebanon. And they made these great rafts, the floats of these cedar logs. And they floated them down the Mediterranean Sea to the only port at that time in Israel, which was the port of Joppa. And then from Joppa they carried them overland to Jerusalem, which is a distance of about thirty miles. Maybe forty miles. So it was quite a task, and no wonder they needed seventy thousand men to help move these logs. “
2Ch 2:1-2
2Ch 2:1-2
FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE AND THE PALACE
“Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom. And Solomon counted out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand men were hewers in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.”
“And a house for his kingdom” (2Ch 2:1). This refers to the house Solomon would build for himself. The Chronicler omitted many details that are found in Kings, simply because those details were already widely known. “Knowledge of the temple (and many other things) from Kings and other sources is taken for granted.” Therefore, we reject as worthless the speculations of scholars regarding alleged “reasons” why this or that was abbreviated or left out altogether.
The 153,600 men mentioned here were slaves, composed of, “Descendants of those Canaanites whom the children of Israel did not drive out.” From Kings it is clear that Israelites were also conscripted by Solomon for such slave labor and required to devote one month of every three to his service.
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 2:1. The house was the temple, and the house for his kingdom was the palace.
2Ch 2:2. To oversee them means that the laborers worked under other men. All rules may be abused, but it is true that a man needs a “boss” over him to direct his activities as a laborer.
The king’s devotion to the highest work of his life was, however, unhindered, and the second chapter gives us the story of how he commenced his preparations for doing that work by new commercial treaties with his father’s old friend Huram. This was an alliance of a totally different nature. Huram recognized the truth about Israel, that it was a God-governed people, and in responding to Solomon’s message plainly declared this to be the case. In Solomon’s friendship for his father’s friend there was everything that was noble and helpful.
In the record of Solomon’s appeal to Huram, king of Tyre, for a skilled worker and for timber, we find his question, “Who is able to build Him a house?” It affords evidence of the greatness and truth of Solomon’s conception of God, as the words immediately following show: “seeing heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him.” Yet he was about to build a house for God. He declared its value as he understood it, “only to burn incense before Him.” Solomon was under no delusion about God, and therefore made no mistake about the Temple. He never conceived of it as a place to which God would be confined. He did expect, and he received, manifestations of the Presence of God in that house. Its chief value was that it afforded man a place in which he should offer incense, that is, the symbol of adoration, praise, worship, to God.
2. The Building of the Temple
The Beginning and Appeal to Huram
CHAPTER 2
1. Solomons purpose (2Ch 2:1)
2. The workmen (2Ch 2:2)
3. The message to Huram, King of Tyre (2Ch 2:3-10)
4. Hurams answer (2Ch 2:11-16)
5. Solomon numbers the strangers (2Ch 2:17-18)
In 1 Kings 5, Solomon purposed to begin the great work to which he had been called, to build an house for the name of the LORD and an house for his kingdom (1Ki 7:1; 2Ch 8:1). Then he levied a very large body of men from among the people to labor in cutting the timber and hewing stone for the temple and the palace of Solomon. Of these 70,000 were carriers; 80,000 were quarry men and 3,600 overseers. In 1Ki 5:13, we read of a levy of 30,000 men. These must be considered additional workmen, for they were sent to Lebanon.
Solomon then sent a message to Huram (the same as Hiram), the King of Tyre. Hiram had sent before messages to Solomon, when he heard of his enthronement. They of Tyre had already brought cedar trees in abundance to David for the building of the Temple (1Ch 22:4). He loved Solomon as much as he loved his father David, for when Hiram heard the words of Solomon he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, who hath given unto David a wise son over this great people. To him Solomon sent a message. He reminded him of the dealings his father David had with him, and requested even so deal with me. He acquainted him with his work, Behold I build an house for the name of the LORD my God, and that it would be a great house, for great is our God above all gods. Then he requested that Hiram would send him a master-workman and more material, cedar trees, fir trees and algum trees or almug trees (1Ki 10:11), the red sandalwood, highly valued among the ancient nations, out of Lebanon. In return he offered to Hirams servant wheat, barley, wine and oil, twenty thousand measures of each. 1Ki 5:11 tells us that besides this gift to the workers in timber, twenty thousand measures of wheat and oil were yearly given by Solomon to the household of Hiram.
And Hurams answer reveals that he was a believer in Jehovah, for he acknowledged Him as the Creator and as the lover of His people (verses 11-12). The King sent Huram, a skilful worker whose mother was a Jewess (1Ki 7:14). This Gentile co-operation in the construction of the temple is interesting, and also prophetic. Jews and Gentiles, Israel and the nations will yet unite to glorify the Lord. And the strangers who were in Israel, also Gentiles, were the servants of the King.
determined: 1Ki 5:5
for the name: Deu 12:5, Deu 12:11, Deu 28:58, 1Ki 8:18, 1Ki 8:20, 1Ch 22:10, Mat 6:9, Mat 6:10
an house: 1Ki 7:1, 1Ki 9:1
Reciprocal: 1Ki 3:1 – the house 2Ch 2:4 – build 2Ch 2:12 – an house 2Ch 7:11 – Solomon Act 7:47 – General
2Ch 2:1. And a house for his kingdom A royal palace for himself and his successors. The substance of this whole chapter is contained in 1 Kings 5., and is explained in the notes there, and the seeming differences between the contents of this and it reconciled.
2Ch 2:1. A house. The word temple among the Jews, gradually obtained from the Gentiles. The Egyptians were the first that built temples; the Greeks and the Tyrians followed, as they rose to wealth and science. It was therefore wise in Solomon to employ the Tyrian artificers which now excelled the Egyptians. The hundred and fifty three thousand six hundred workmen engaged in this national enterprise did each a little, and did it well.
2Ch 2:8. Algum-trees. Hebrew, berosh, which is thought to be a species of cedar not fragrant. Jerome, following the Greeks, wrote arceuthina, or the juniper tree.
2Ch 2:13. Of Huram my fathers. Josephus explains this, by calling the king Huram, and the artist Uram. According to 1Ki 7:13-14, the name of this celebrated workman was Hiram of Tyre, but descended from the tribe of Naphtali. Mr. Whiston, an Arian, makes much ado about the variation in the orthography of Hebrew names in this book, and evidently with a view to lower the credit of revelation. The fact is, Ezra found them differently spelled in holy books, which must be the case where names are written from oral enunciation. We lay too much blame on transcribers.
2Ch 2:1-18. Preparations for the Building of the Temple (see notes on 1Ki 5:5-18).Though the general narrative in the parallel passages is the same, the Chroniclers account varies in detail sufficiently from that in 1 K. to suggest the probability that the Chronicler used a different source.
2Ch 2:14. of the daughters of Dan: in 1Ki 7:14 of the tribe of Naphthali; a number of other variations of this kind bears out what has just been said as to the Chroniclers source.
SOLOMON’S REQUEST FROM HIRAM
(vv.1-10).
As the Lord had foretold to David, He worked upon Solomon’s heart to make him determine to build both a temple for the Lord and a royal house for himself (v.1). Though David is also a type of Christ, he was not permitted to build the temple because he pictures Christ as a Man of war bringing the world into subjection to Him during the Tribulation period. The temple belongs to Christ’s reign of peace, therefore Solomon was its builder.
The number of his workers was great indeed, – 70,000 to carry materials, 80,000 to work in the mountains to quarry stone and 3 600 supervisors. These workers being selected, then Solomon sent a message to Hiram king of Tyre, reminding him that he had sent timber of cedar to David for the building of David’s personal house, and asking that Hiram would now send timber for the building of a much greater house, a house for the name of the Lord. He said this house would be dedicated to the Lord for the burning of sweet incense (speaking of worship), for the continual showbread (speaking of communion with God through the person of the Lord Jesus), and for burnt offerings morning and evening (picturing the sacrifice of Christ as bringing glory to His God and Father). Such offerings also were for special occasions, Sabbaths, New Moons and set feasts, as seen in Lev 23:4.
Solomon told Hiram the temple will be great because the God of Israel is greater than all the idolatrous gods of the nations (v.5). He realised also his unworthiness to build a temple for One so great, whom the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain. The temple therefore could not be a proper representation of Him: indeed the only true representation of God is the Lord Jesus, but Solomon was building the temple only as a place of sacrifice to God (v, 6).
He asked Hiram to send him a skilful man able to work with gold, silver and iron, also with purple, crimson and blue fabrics, and a capable engraver (v.7). To find an expert in all these skills would certainly be amazing, but in Exo 31:1-5 we read that God had given such ability to a man of Judah, Bezaleel, to supervise the building of the tabernacle. Each of these men is typical of the Holy Spirit of God who is in control of all the activities of the house of God. In the case of the tabernacle, since it was temporary, it was a man of Judah chosen for their work. But the temple speaks of the display of God’s glory in the millennial age, when Gentiles will share with Israel in great blessing. Thus the working of the Spirit of God will include Gentiles.
As we have seen, in the millennium Gentiles will share with Israel in the great blessing that God brings to the world. Today, both Jewish and Gentile believers are joined together as the Church of God, one building growing into a holy temple in the Lord, for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:19-22). Thus the Spirit of God produces a unity of Jewish and Gentile believers in the Church, far more vital than any measure of unity that will be seen between Jews and Gentiles in the millennium.
Solomon also asked Hiram for cedar, cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, since he knew that Hiram’s servants were skilled in work with timber. He would also have his servants join with Hiram’s servants in this work, another picture of the friendship between Jews and Gentiles in the millennium (vv.8-9).
In return for this service from Tyre, Solomon promised to give to Hiram’s servants 20,000 cors of ground wheat, 20,000 of barley, 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil (v.10). This pictures the liberality of the Lord toward those who labour for the benefit of the building of the house of God today also, for He does provide everything necessary for their sustenance and enjoyment, and much more. Any labour that is done for the Lord will be more than graciously repaid.
HIRAM’S RESPONSE
(vv.11-16)
The response of Hiram to Solomon’s request was favourable and lovely. He wrote, “Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them” (v.11). No thought of rivalry is apparent in his words, but rather of heartfelt thankfulness that God had given to David a wise and understanding son to reign over Israel. He recognised that Israel’s God is the Maker of heaven and earth, and was pleased at Solomon’s proposal to build a temple for this sovereign God as well as a house for himself (v, 12).
Hiram therefore was sending a skilful craftsman to supervise the work of building (v.13). Interestingly, while his father was a man of Tyre, his mother was an Israelite from the tribe of Dan (v.14). Again, the unity of Jews and Gentiles is emphasised here. This master craftsman is certainly a picture of the working of the Spirit of God in Jewish and Gentile believers, being proficient to work in gold (dealing with what speaks of the glory, of God), in silver (picturing the great truth of redemption by virtue of the sufferings of Christ), in bronze (or copper), (signifying the holiness of God), in iron (symbolising the power of God). But not only was he a metal worker, for he was proficient in working with wood. which pictures the work of the Spirit of God in believers, for trees are symbolical of mankind (Mat 3:10).
This man is not named, for the Spirit of God does not draw attention to Himself: instead, He glorifies Christ (Joh 16:13-14). Yet he was also a proficient worker in fabrics, purple, which speaks of the royalty of the Lord Jesus as seen in Matthew; blue, picturing Christ as the Son of God come from heaven, as in John’s Gospel; fine linen, symbolising the purity of the perfect manhood of the Lord Jesus, as is emphasised in Luke’s Gospel, and crimson, expressing the attractiveness of His person as God’s Servant, always doing His will, as Mark presents Him. All of these wonderful truths concerning the Lord Jesus are ministered by the Spirit of God and have great importance in the house of God today just as they did figuratively in Solomon’s temple. Added to this is the making of engravings for the temple. Engravings are intended to preserve a permanent record, which indeed the Spirit of God does, for His work is eternal.
Hiram therefore asked that Solomon’s arrangement should be carried out, with wheat, barley, oil and wine being sent by Solomon to Hiram and wood cut from Lebanon by the servants of Hiram, brought in rather by sea to Joppa, where Solomon’s servants would take charge and bring them to Jerusalem (v.15-16).
RESIDENT ALIENS EMPLOYED IN THE WORK
(vv.17-18)
Gentiles from outside Israel were willing to help in the building of Israel’s temple, but there were also Gentiles residing in the land. They were not left unemployed, but employed by Solomon in the work of the temple. In numbering these, Solomon found a total of 153,000. This may seem a large number for whom to find work, and specially when it involved the erection of only two buildings. But the size and the elaborate details of these buildings required such numbers. We may think of construction methods today not requiring such numbers, but the labour at that time was all hand labour, which is much slower and more arduous work than that of present-day construction. 70,000 of these Gentiles were to bear burdens, which would include the carrying of lumber from Joppa to Jerusalem and the carrying of stone from the quarries to the site of the temple and Solomon’s house. 80,000 were employed as stone-cutters in the mountains. Of course, these worked in shifts. The remaining 3,600 were used as supervisors of the, work (v.18).
1. Preparations for building the temple ch. 2
Though he gave some attention to the materials Solomon used in the temple, the writer’s primary interest was the communications between Solomon and Hiram (Huram). Solomon’s letter to Hiram (2Ch 2:3-10) reveals that he had a sincere desire to glorify God. He did not regard building the temple as a duty David had imposed on him. Furthermore, his conception of Yahweh was appropriate and realistic (2Ch 2:5). Hiram’s reply (2Ch 2:11-16) shows that in Solomon’s day, Israel was drawing Gentile nations to Yahweh. This was part of God’s purpose for Israel and was something the ideal Son of David would accomplish (cf. Exo 19:5-6; Hag 2:7; Zec 8:22-23). 2Ch 2:11-12 are not in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 5. [Note: On the similarities between the building of the tabernacle and the building of Solomon’s temple, see Payne, p. 444; Roddy Braun, "The Message of Chronicles: Rally ’Round the Temple," Concordia Theological Monthly, 42:8 (September 1971):502-14; and Raymond B. Dillard, "The Chronicler’s Solomon," Westminister Theological Journal 43 (1981):289-300.]
B. The Building of the Temple 2:1-5:1
Solomon was a model of the ultimate Davidic temple builder. Consequently the writer gave his temple construction much attention. This was Solomon’s major accomplishment from this writer’s point of view.
SOLOMON
THE chroniclers history of Solomon is constructed on the same principles as that of David, and for similar reasons. The builder of the first Temple commanded the grateful reverence of a community whose national and religious life centered in the second Temple. While the Davidic king became the symbol of the hope of Israel, the Jews could not forget that this symbol derived much of its significance from the widespread dominion and royal magnificence of Solomon. The chronicler, indeed, attributes great splendor to the court of David, and ascribes to him a lions share in the Temple itself. He provided his successor with treasure and materials and even the complete plans, so that on the principle, “Qui facit per alium, facit per se,” David might have been credited with the actual building. Solomon was almost in the position of a modern engineer who puts together a steamer that has been built in sections. But, with all these limitations, the clear and obvious fact remained that Solomon actually built and dedicated the Temple. Moreover, the memory of his wealth and grandeur kept a firm hold on the popular imagination; and these conspicuous blessings were received as certain tokens of the favor of Jehovah.
Solomons fame, however, was threefold: he was not only the Divinely appointed builder of the Temple and, by the same Divine grace, the richest and most powerful king of Israel: he had also received from Jehovah the gift of “wisdom and knowledge.” In his royal splendor and his sacred buildings he only differed in degree from other kings; but in his wisdom he stood alone, not only without equal, but almost without competitor. Herein he was under no obligation to his father, and the glory of Solomon could not be diminished by representing that he bad been anticipated by David. Hence the name of Solomon came to symbolize Hebrew learning and philosophy.
In religious significance, however, Solomon cannot rank with David. The dynasty of Judah could have only one representative, and the founder and eponym of the royal house was the most important figure for the subsequent theology. The interest that later generations felt in Solomon lay apart from the main line of Jewish orthodoxy, and he is never mentioned by the prophets.
Moreover, the darker aspects of Solomons reign made more impression upon succeeding generations than even Davids sins and misfortunes. Occasional lapses into vices and cruelty might be forgiven or even forgotten; but the systematic oppression of Solomon rankled for long generations in the hearts of the people, and the prophets always remembered his wanton idolatry. His memory was further discredited by the disasters which marked the close of his own reign and the beginning of Rehoboams. Centuries later these feelings still prevailed. The prophets who adopted the Mosaic law for the closing period of the monarchy exhort the king to take warning by Solomon, and to multiply neither horses, nor wives, nor gold and silver. {Deu 17:16-17; Cf. 2Ch 1:14-17 and 1Ki 11:3-8}
But as time went on Judah fell into growing poverty and distress, which came to a head in the Captivity and were renewed with the Restoration. The Jews were willing to forget Solomons faults in order that they might indulge in fond recollections of the material prosperity of his reign. Their experience of the culture of Babylon led them to feel greater interest and pride in his wisdom, and the figure of Solomon began to assume a mysterious grandeur, which has since become the nucleus for Jewish and Mohammedan legends. The chief monument of his fame in Jewish literature is the book of Proverbs, but his growing reputation is shown by the numerous Biblical and apocryphal works ascribed to him. His name was no doubt attached to Canticles because of a feature in his character which the chronicler ignores. His supposed authorship of Ecclesiastes and of the Wisdom of Solomon testifies to the fame of his wisdom, while the titles of the “Psalms of Solomon” and even of some canonical psalms credit him with spiritual feeling and poetic power.
When the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach proposes to “praise famous men,” it dwells upon Solomons temple and his wealth, and especially upon his wisdom; but it does not forget his failings. {Sir 47:12-21} Josephus celebrates his glory at great length. The New Testament has comparatively few notices of Solomon; but these include references to his wisdom, {Mat 12:42} his splendor, {Mat 6:29} and his temple. {Act 7:47} The Koran, however, far surpasses the New Testament in its interest in Solomon; and his name and his seal play a leading part in Jewish and Arabian magic. The bulk of this literature is later than the chronicler, but the renewed interest in the glory of Solomon must have begun before his time. Perhaps, by connecting the building of the Temple as far as possible with David, the chronicler marks his sense of
Solomons unworthiness. On the other hand, there were many reasons why he should welcome the aid of popular sentiment to enable him to include Solomon among the ideal Hebrew kings. After all, Solomon had built and dedicated the Temple; he was the “pious founder,” and the beneficiaries of the foundation would wish to make the most of his piety. “Jehovah” had “magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.” {1Ch 29:25} “King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom; and all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.” {2Ch 9:22-23} The chronicler would naturally wish to set forth the better side of Solomons character as an ideal of royal wisdom and splendor, devoted to the service of the sanctuary. Let us briefly compare Chronicles and Kings to see how he accomplished his purpose.
The structure of the narrative in Kings rendered the task comparatively easy: it could be accomplished by removing the opening and closing sections and making a few minor changes in the intermediate portion. The opening section is the sequel to the conclusion of Davids reign; the chronicler omitted this conclusion, and therefore also its sequel. But the contents of this section were objectionable in themselves. Solomons admirers willingly forgot that his reign was inaugurated by the execution of Shimei, of his brother Adonijah, and of his fathers faithful minister Joab, and by the deposition of the high-priest Abiathar. The chronicler narrates with evident approval the strong measures of Ezra and Nehemiah against foreign marriages, and he is therefore not anxious to remind his readers that Solomon married Pharaohs daughter. He does not, however, carry out his plan consistently. Elsewhere he wishes to emphasize the sanctity of the Ark and tells us that “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.” {2Ch 8:11}
In Kings the history of Solomon closes with a long account of his numerous wives and concubines, his idolatry and consequent misfortunes. All this is omitted by the chronicler; but later on, with his usual inconsistency, he allows Nehemiah to point the moral of a tale he has left untold: “Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? Even him did strange women cause to sin.” {Neh 13:26} In the intervening section he omits the famous judgment of Solomon, probably on account of the character of the women concerned, he introduces sundry changes which naturally follow from his belief that the Levitical law was then in force. His feeling for the dignity of the chosen people and their king comes out rather curiously in two minor alterations. Both authorities agree in telling us that Solomon had recourse to forced labor for his building operations; in fact, after the usual Eastern fashion from the Pyramids down to the Suez Canal, Solomons temple and palaces were built by the corvee. According to the oldest narrative, he “raised a levy out of all Israel.” This suggests that forced labor was exacted from the Israelites themselves, and it would help to account for Jeroboams successful rebellion. The chronicler omits this statement as open to an interpretation derogatory to the dignity of the chosen people, and not only inserts a later explanation which he found in the book of Kings, but also another express statement that Solomon raised his levy of the “strangers that were in the land of Israel.” {2Ch 2:2; 2Ch 2:17-18; 2Ch 8:7-10} These statements may have been partly suggested by the existence of a class of Temple slaves called Solomons servants.
The other instance relates to Solomons alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre. In the book of Kings we are told that “Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.” {1Ki 9:11-12} There were indeed redeeming features connected with the transaction; the cities were not a very valuable possession for Hiram: “they pleased him not”; yet he “sent to the king six score talents of gold.” However, it seemed incredible to the chronicler that the most powerful and wealthy of the kings of Israel should either cede or sell any portion of Jehovahs inheritance. He emends the text of his authority so as to convert it into a causal reference to certain cities which Hiram had given to Solomon. {2Ch 8:1-2. R.V}
We will now reproduce the story of Solomon as given by the chronicler. Solomon was the youngest of four sons born to David at Jerusalem by Bathshua, the daughter of Ammiel. Besides these three brothers, he had at least six other eider brothers. As in the cases of Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David himself, the birthright fell to a younger son. In the prophetic utterance which foretold his birth, he was designated to succeed to his fathers throne and to build the Temple. At the great assembly which closed his fathers reign he received instructions as to the plans and services of the Temple, {1Ch 28:9} and was exhorted to discharge his duties faithfully. He was declared king according to the Divine choice, freely accepted by David and ratified by popular acclamation. At Davids death no one disputed his succession to the throne: “All Israel obeyed him; and all the princes and the mighty men and all the sons likewise of King David submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.” {1Ch 29:23-24}
His first act after his accession was to sacrifice before the brazen altar of the ancient Tabernacle at Gideon. That night God appeared unto him “and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.” Solomon chose wisdom and knowledge to qualify-him for the arduous task of government. Having thus “sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” all other things -” riches, wealth, and honor”-were added unto him. {2Ch 1:7-13}
He returned to Jerusalem, gathered a great array of chariots and horses by means of traffic with Egypt, and accumulated great wealth, so that silver, and gold, and cedars became abundant at Jerusalem. {2Ch 1:14-17}
He next proceeded with the building of the Temple, collected workmen, obtained timber from Lebanon and an artificer from Tyre. The Temple was duly erected and dedicated, the king taking the chief and most conspicuous part in all the proceedings. Special reference, however, is made to the presence of the priests and Levites at the dedication. On this occasion the ministry of the sanctuary was not confined to the course whose turn it was to officiate, but “all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves and did not keep their courses; also the Levites, which were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brethren, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets.”
Solomons dedication prayer concludes with special petitions for the priests, the saints, and the king: “Now therefore arise, O Jehovah Elohim, into Thy resting-place, Thou and the ark of Thy strength; let Thy priests, O Jehovah Elohim, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Jehovah Elohim, turn not away the face of Thine anointed; remember the mercies of David Thy servant.”
When David sacrificed at the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, the place had been indicated as the site of the future Temple by the descent of fire from heaven; and now, in token that the mercy shown to David should be continued to Solomon, the fire again fell from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah “filled the house of Jehovah,” as it had done earlier in the day, when the Ark was brought into the Temple. Solomon concluded the opening ceremonies by a great festival: for eight days the Feast of Tabernacles was observed according to the Levitical law, and seven days more were specially devoted to a dedication feast.
Afterwards Jehovah appeared again to Solomon, as He had before at Gibeon, and told him that this prayer was accepted. Taking up the several petitions that the king had offered, He promised, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attent, unto the prayer that is made in this place.” Thus Jehovah, in His gracious condescension, adopts Solomons own words to express His answer to the prayer. He allows Solomon to dictate the terms of the agreement, and merely appends His signature and seal.
Besides the Temple, Solomon built palaces for himself and his wife, and fortified many cities, among the rest Hamath-zobah, formerly allied to David. He also organized the people for civil and military purposes.
As far as the account of his reign is concerned, the Solomon of Chronicles appears as “the husband of one wife”; and that wife is the daughter of Pharaoh. A second, however, is mentioned later on as the mother of Rehoboam; she too was a “strange woman,” an Ammonitess, Naamah by name.
Meanwhile Solomon was careful to maintain all the sacrifices and festivals ordained in the Levitical law, and all the musical and other arrangements for the sanctuary commanded by David, the man of God.
We read next of his commerce by sea and land, his great wealth and wisdom, and the romantic visit of the queen of Sheba.
And so the story of Solomon closes with this picture of royal state, –
“The wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold.”
Wealth was combined with imperial power and Divine wisdom. Here, as in the case of Platos own pupils Dionysius and Dion of Syracuse, Platos dream came true; the prince was a philosopher, and the philosopher a prince.
At first sight it seems as if this marriage of authority and wisdom had happier issue at Jerusalem than at Syracuse. Solomons history closes as brilliantly as Davids, and Solomon was subject to no Satanic possession and brought no pestilence upon Israel. But testimonials are chiefly significant in what they omit; and when we compare the conclusions of the histories of David and Solomon, we note suggestive differences.
Solomons life does not close with any scene in which his people and his heir assemble to do him honor and to receive his last injunctions. There are no “last words” of the wise king; and it is not said of him that “he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor.” “Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead” that is all. When the chronicler, the professed panegyrist of the house of David, brings his narrative of this great reign to so lame and impotent a conclusion, he really implies as severe a condemnation upon Solomon as the book of Kings does by its narrative of his sins.
Thus the Solomon of Chronicles shows the same piety and devotion to the Temple and its ritual which were shown by his father. His prayer at the dedication of the Temple is parallel to similar utterances of David. Instead of being a general and a soldier, he is a scholar and a philosopher. He succeeded to the administrative abilities of his father; and his prayer displays a deep interest in the welfare of his subjects. His record-in Chronicles-is even more faultless than that of David. And yet the careful student with nothing but Chronicles, even without Ezra and Nehemiah, might somehow get the impression that the story of Solomon, like that of Cambuscan, had been “left half told.” In addition to the points suggested by a comparison with the history of David, there is a certain abruptness about its conclusion. The last fact noted of Solomon, before the formal statistics about “the rest of his acts” and the years of his reign, is that horses were brought for him “out of Egypt and out of all lands.” Elsewhere the chroniclers use of his materials shows a feeling for dramatic effect. We should not have expected him to close the history of a great reign by a reference to the kings trade in horses. {1Ch 9:28}
Perhaps we are apt to read into Chronicles what we know from the book of Kings; yet surely this abrupt conclusion would have raised a suspicion that there were omissions, that facts had been suppressed because they could not bear the light. Upon the splendid figure of the great king, with his wealth and wisdom, his piety and devotion, rests the vague shadow of unnamed sins and unrecorded misfortunes. A suggestion of unhallowed mystery attaches itself to the name of the builder of the Temple, and Solomon is already on the way to become the Master of the Genii and the chief of magicians.
When we turn to consider the spiritual significance of this ideal picture of the history and character of Solomon, we are confronted by a difficulty that attends the exposition of any ideal history. An authors ideal of kingship in the early stages of literature is usually as much one and indivisible as his ideal of priesthood, of the office of the prophet, and of the wicked king. His authorities may record different incidents in connection with each individual; but he emphasizes those which correspond with his ideal, or even anticipates the higher criticism by constructing incidents which seem required by the character and circumstances of his heroes. On the other hand, where the priest, or the prophet, or the king departs from the ideal, the incidents are minimized or passed over in silence. There will still be a certain variety because different individuals may present different elements of the ideal, and the chronicler does not insist on each of his good kings possessing all the characteristics of royal perfection. Still the tendency of the process is to make all the good kings alike. It would be monotonous to take each of them separately and deduce the lessons taught by their virtues, because the chroniclers intention is that they shall all teach the same lessons by the same kind of behavior described from the same point of view. David has a unique position, and has to be taken by himself; but in considering the features that must be added to the picture of David in order to complete the picture of the good king, it is convenient to group Solomon with the reforming kings of Judah. We shall therefore defer for more consecutive treatment the chroniclers account of their general characters and careers. Here we shall merely gather up the suggestions of the different narratives as to the chroniclers ideal Hebrew king. The leading points have already been indicated from the chroniclers history of David. The first and most indispensable feature is devotion to the temple at Jerusalem and the ritual of the Pentateuch. This has been abundantly illustrated from the account of Solomon. Taking the reforming kings in their order:-
Asa removed the high places which were rivals of the Temple, renewed the altar of Jehovah, gathered the people together for a great sacrifice, and made munificent donations to the Temple treasury. {2Ch 15:18-19}
Similarly Jehoshaphat took away the high places, and sent out a commission to teach the Law.
Joash repaired the Temple; {2Ch 24:1-14} but, curiously enough, though Jehoram had restored the high places and Joash was acting under the direction of the high-priest Jehoiada, it is not stated that the high places were done away with. This is one of the chroniclers rather numerous oversights. Perhaps, however, he expected that so obvious a reform would be taken for granted. Amaziah was careful to observe “the law in the book of Moses” that “the children should not die for the fathers,” {2Ch 25:4} but Amaziah soon turned away from following Jehovah. This is perhaps the reason why in his case also nothing is said about doing away with the high places. Hezekiah had a special opportunity of showing his devotion to the Temple and the Law. The Temple had been polluted and closed by Ahaz, and its services discontinued. Hezekiah purified the Temple, reinstated the priests and Levites, and renewed the services; he made arrangements for the payment of the Temple revenues according to the provisions of the Levitical law, and took away the high places. He also held a reopening festival and a passover with numerous sacrifices. Manassehs repentance is indicated by the restoration of the Temple ritual. {2Ch 33:16} Josiah took away the high places, repaired the Temple, made the people enter into a covenant to observe the rediscovered Law, and, like Hezekiah, held a great Passover {2Ch 34:1-33; 2Ch 35:1-27} The reforming kings, like David and Solomon, are specially interested in the music of the Temple and in all the arrangements that have to do with the porters and doorkeepers and other classes of Levites. Their enthusiasm for the exclusive rights of the one Temple symbolizes their loyalty to the one God, Jehovah, and their hatred of idolatry. Zeal for Jehovah and His temple is still combined with uncompromising assertion of the royal supremacy in matters of religion. The king, and not the priest, is the highest spiritual authority in the nation. Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah control the arrangements for public worship as completely as Moses or David. Solomon receives Divine communications without the intervention of either priest or prophet; he himself offers the great dedication prayer, and when he makes an end of praying, fire comes down from heaven. Under Hezekiah the civil authorities decide when the passover shall be observed: “For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.” {2Ch 30:2} The great reforms of Josiah are throughout initiated and controlled by the king. He himself goes up to the Temple and reads in the ears of the people all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of Jehovah. The chronicler still adheres to the primitive idea of the theocracy, according to which the chief, or judge, or king is the representative of Jehovah. The title to the crown rests throughout on the grace of God and the will of the people. In Judah, however, the principle of hereditary succession prevails throughout. Athaliah is not really an exception: she reigned as the widow of a Davidic king. The double election of David by Jehovah and by Israel carried with it the election of his dynasty. The permanent rule of the house of David was secured by the Divine promise to its founder. Yet the title is not allowed to rest on mere hereditary right. Divine choice and popular recognition are recorded in the case of Solomon and other kings. “All Israel came to Shechem to make Rehoboam king,” and yet revolted from him when he refused to accept their conditions; but the obstinacy which caused the disruption “was brought about of God, that Jehovah might establish His word which He spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite.”
Ahaziah, Joash, Uzziah, Josiah, Jehoahaz, were all set upon the throne by the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. {2Ch 22:1, 2Ch 23:1-15, 2Ch 26:1, 2Ch 33:25, 2Ch 36:1} After Solomon the Divine appointment of kings is not expressly mentioned; Jehovahs control over the tenure of the throne is chiefly shown by the removal of unworthy occupants.
It is interesting to note that the chronicler does not hesitate to record that of the last three sovereigns of Judah two were appointed by foreign kings: Jehoiakim was the nominee of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt; and the last king of all, Zedekiah, was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In like manner, the Herods, the last rulers of the restored kingdom of Judah, were the nominees of the Roman emperors. Such nominations forcibly illustrate the degradations and ruin of the theocratic monarchy. But yet, according to the teaching of the prophets, Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar were tools in the hand of Jehovah: and their nomination was still an indirect Divine appointment. In the chroniclers time, however, Judah was thoroughly accustomed to receive her governors from a Persian or Greek king; and Jewish readers would not be scandalized by a similar state of affairs in the closing years of the earlier kingdom.
Thus the reforming kings illustrate the ideal kingship set forth in the history of David and Solomon: the royal authority originates in, and is controlled by, the will of God and the consent of the people: the kings highest duty is the maintenance of the worship of Jehovah; but the king and people are supreme both in Church and state.
The personal character of the good kings is also very similar to that of David and Solomon. Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah are men of spiritual feeling as well as careful observers of correct ritual. None of the good kings, with the exception of Joash and Josiah, are unsuccessful in war; and good reasons are given for the exceptions. They all display administrative ability by their buildings, the organization of the Temple services and the army, and the arrangements for the collection of the revenue, especially the dues of the priests and Levites.
There is nothing, however, to indicate that the personal charm of Davids character was inherited by his descendants; but when biography is made merely a means of edification, it often loses those touches of nature which make the whole world kin, and are capable of exciting either admiration or disgust.
The later narrative affords another illustration of the absence of any sentiment of humanity towards enemies. As in the case of David, the chronicler records the cruelty of a good king as if it were quite consistent with loyalty to Jehovah. Before he turned away from following Jehovah, Amaziah defeated the Edomites and smote ten thousand of them. Others were treated like some of the Malagasy martyrs: “And other ten thousand did the children of Judah carry away alive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.” {1Ch 25:11} In this case, however, the chronicler is not simply reproducing Kings: he has taken the trouble to supplement his main authority from some other source, probably local tradition. His insertion of this verse is another testimony to the undying hatred of Israel for Edom.
But in one respect the reforming kings are sharply distinguished from David and Solomon. The record of their lives is by no means blameless, and their sins are visited by condign chastisement. They all, with the single exception of Jotham, come to a bad end. Asa consulted physicians, and was punished by being allowed to die of a painful disease. {2Ch 16:12} The last event of Jehoshaphats life was the ruin of the navy, which he had built in unholy alliance with Ahaziah, king of Israel, who did very wickedly. {2Ch 20:37} Joash murdered the prophet Zechariah, the son of the high-priest Jehoiada; his great host was routed by a small company of Syrians, and Joash himself was assassinated by his servants. {2Ch 24:20-27} Amaziah turned away from following Jehovah, and “brought the gods of the children of Self, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.” He was accordingly defeated by Joash, king of Israel, and assassinated by his own people. {2Ch 25:14-27} Uzziah insisted on exercising the priestly function of burning incense to Jehovah, and so died a leper. {2Ch 26:16-23} “Even Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up in the business of ambassadors of the princes of Babylon; therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Jehovah came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” But yet the last days of Hezekiah were clouded by the thought that he was leaving the punishment of his sin as a legacy to Judah and the house of David. {2Ch 32:25-33} Josiah refused to heed the warning sent to him by God through the king of Egypt: “He hearkened not unto the words of Neco from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo”; and so Josiah died like Ahab: he was wounded by the archers, carried out of the battle in his chariot, and died at Jerusalem. {2Ch 35:20-27}
The melancholy record of the misfortunes of the good kings in their closing years is also found in the book of Kings. There too Asa in his old age was diseased in his feet, Jehoshaphats ships were wrecked, Joash and Amaziah were assassinated, Uzziah became a leper, Hezekiah was rebuked for his pride, and Josiah slain at Megiddo. But, except in the case of Hezekiah, the book of Kings says nothing about the sins which, according to Chronicles, occasioned these sufferings and catastrophes. The narrative in the book of Kings carries upon the face of it the lesson that piety is not usually rewarded with unbroken prosperity, and that a pious career does not necessarily ensure a happy deathbed. The significance of the chroniclers additions will be considered elsewhere: what concerns us here is his departure from the principles he observed in dealing with the lives of David and Solomon. They also sinned and suffered; but the chronicler omits their sins and sufferings, especially in the case of Solomon. Why does he pursue an opposite course with other good kings and blacken their characters by perpetuating the memory of sins not mentioned in the book of Kings, instead of confining his record to the happier incidents of their career? Many considerations may have influenced him. The violent deaths of Joash, Amaziah, and Josiah could neither be ignored nor explained away. Hezekiahs sin and repentance are closely parallel to Davids in the matter of the census. Although Asas disease, Jehoshaphats alliance with Israel, and Uzziahs leprosy might easily have been omitted, yet, if some reformers must be allowed to remain imperfect, there was no imperative necessity to ignore the infirmities of the rest. The great advantage of the course pursued by the chronicler consisted in bringing out a clearly defined contrast between David and Solomon on the one hand and the reforming kings on the other. The piety of the latter is conformed to the chroniclers ideal; but the glory and devotion of the former are enhanced by the crimes and humiliation of the best of their successors. Hezekiah, doubtless, is not more culpable than David, but Davids pride was the first of a series of events which terminated in the building of the Temple; while the uplifting of Hezekiahs heart was a precursor of its destruction. Besides, Hezekiah ought to have profited by Davids experience.
By developing this contrast, the chronicler renders the position of David and Solomon even more unique, illustrious, and full of religious significance.
Thus as illustrations of ideal kingship the accounts of the good kings of Judah are altogether subordinate to the history of David and Solomon. While these kings of Judah remained loyal to Jehovah, they further illustrated the virtues of their great predecessors by showing how these virtues might have been exercised Under different circumstances: how David would have dealt with an Ethiopian invasion and what Solomon would have done if he had found the Temple desecrated and its services stopped. But no essential feature is added to the earlier pictures.
The lapses of kings who began to walk in the law of the Lord and then fell away serve as foils to the undimmed glory of David and Solomon. Abrupt transitions within the limits of the individual lives of Asa, Joash, and Amaziah bring out the contrast between piety and apostasy with startling, dramatic effect.
We return from this brief survey to consider the significance of the life of Solomon according to Chronicles. Its relation to the life of David is summed up in the name Solomon, the Prince of peace. David is the ideal king, winning by force of arms for Israel empire and victory, security at home and tribute from abroad. Utterly subdued by his prowess, the natural enemies of Israel no longer venture to disturb her tranquility. His successor inherits wide dominion, immense wealth, and assured peace. Solomon, the Prince of peace, is the ideal king, administering a great inheritance for the glory of Jehovah and His temple. His history in Chronicles is one of unbroken calm. He has a great army and many strong fortresses, but he never has occasion to use them. He implores Jehovah to be merciful to Israel when they suffer from the horrors of war; but he is interceding, not for his own subjects, but for future generations. In his time-
“No war or battles sound
Was heard the world around:
The idle spear and shield were high uphung;
The hooked chariot stood
Unstained with hostile blood;
The trumpet spake not to the armed throng.”
Perhaps, to use a paradox, the greatest proof of Solomons wisdom was that he asked for wisdom. He realized at the outset of his career that a wide dominion is more easily won than governed, that to use great wealth honorably requires more skill and character than are needed to amass it. Today the world can boast half a dozen empires surpassing not merely Israel, but even Rome, in extent of dominion; the aggregate wealth of the world is far beyond the wildest dreams of the chronicler: but still the people perish for lack of knowledge. The physical and moral foulness of modern cities taints all the culture and tarnishes all the splendor of our civilization; classes and trades, employers and employed, maim and crush one another in blind struggles to work out a selfish salvation; newly devised organizations move their unwieldy masses-
“like dragons of the prime That tare each other.”
They have a giants strength, and use it like a giant. Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers; and the world waits for the reign of the Prince of peace who is not only the wise king, but the incarnate wisdom of God.
Thus one striking suggestion of the chroniclers history of Solomon is the special need of wisdom and Divine guidance for the administration of a great and prosperous empire.
Too much stress, however, must not be laid on the twofold personality of the ideal king. This feature is adopted from the history, and does not express any opinion of the chronicler that the characteristic gifts of David and Solomon could not be combined in a single individual. Many great generals have also been successful administrators. Before Julius Caesar was assassinated he had already shown his capacity to restore order and tranquility to the Roman world; Alexanders plans for the civil government of his conquests were as far-reaching as his warlike ambition; Diocletian reorganized the empire which his sword had re-established; Cromwells schemes of reform showed an almost prophetic insight into the future needs of the English people; the glory of Napoleons victories is a doubtful legacy to France compared with the solid benefits of his internal reforms.
But even these instances, which illustrate the union of military genius and administrative ability, remind us that the assignment of success in war to one king and a reign of peace to the next is, after all, typical. The limits of human life narrow its possibilities. Caesars work had to be completed by Augustus; the great schemes of Alexander and Cromwell fell to the ground because no one arose to play Solomon to their David.
The chronicler has specially emphasized the indebtedness of Solomon to David. According to his narrative, the great achievement of Solomons reign, the building of the Temple, has been rendered possible by Davids preparations. Quite apart from plans and materials, the chroniclers view of the credit due to David in this matter is only reasonable recognition of service rendered to the religion of Israel. Whoever provided the timber and stone, the silver and gold, for the Temple, David won for Jehovah the land and the city that were the outer courts of the sanctuary, and roused the national spirit that gave to Zion its most solemn consecration. Solomons temple was alike the symbol of Davids achievements and the coping-stone of his work.
By compelling our attention to the dependence of the Prince of Peace upon the man who “had shed much blood,” the chronicler admonishes us against forgetting the price that has been paid for liberty and culture. The splendid courtiers whose “apparel” specially pleased the feminine tastes of the queen of Sheba might feel all the contempt of the superior person for Davids war-worn veterans. The latter probably were more at home in the “store cities” than at Jerusalem. But without the blood and toil of these rough soldiers Solomon would have had no opportunity to exchange riddles with his fair visitor and to dazzle her admiring eyes with the glories of his temple and palaces.
The blessings of peace are not likely to be preserved unless men still appreciate and cherish the stern virtues that flourish in troubled times. If our own times become troubled, and their serenity be invaded by fierce conflict, it will be ours to remember that the rugged life of “the hold in the wilderness” and the struggles with the Philistines may enable a later generation to build its temple to the Lord and to learn the answers to “hard questions.” {2Ch 9:1} Moses and Joshua, David and Solomon, remind us again how the Divine work is handed on from generation to generation: Moses leads Israel through the wilderness, but Joshua brings them into the Land of Promise: David collects the materials, but Solomon builds the Temple. The settlement in Palestine and the building of the Temple were only episodes in the working out of the “one increasing purpose,” but one leader and one lifetime did not suffice for either episode. We grow impatient of the scale upon which God works: we want it reduced to the limits of our human faculties and of our earthly lives; yet all history preaches patience. In our demand for Divine interventions whereby-
“sudden in a minute All is accomplished, and the work is done,”
we are very Esaus, eager to sell the birthright of the future for a mess of pottage today.
And the continuity of the Divine purpose is only realized through the continuity of human effort. We must indeed serve our own generation; but part of that service consists in providing that the next generation shall be trained to carry on the work, and that after David shall come Solomon-the Solomon of Chronicles, and not the Solomon of Kings-and that, if possible, Solomon shall not be succeeded by Rehoboam. As we attain this larger outlook, we shall be less tempted to employ doubtful means, which are supposed to be justified by their end; we shall be less enthusiastic for processes that bring “quick returns,” but give very “small profits” in the long run. Christian workers are a little too fond of spiritual jerry-building, as if sites in the kingdom of Heaven were let out on ninety-nine-year leases; but God builds for eternity, and we are fellow-workers together with Him.
To complete the chroniclers picture of the ideal king, we have to add Davids warlike prowess and Solomons wisdom and splendor to the piety and graces common to both. The result is unique among the many pictures that have been drawn by historians, philosophers, and poets. It has a value of its own, because the chroniclers gifts in the way of history, philosophy, and poetry were entirely subordinated to his interest in theology; and most theologians have only been interested in the doctrine of the king when they could use it to gratify the vanity of a royal patron.
The full-length portrait in Chronicles contrasts curiously with the little vignette preserved in the book which bears the name of Solomon. There, in the oracle which King Lemuels mother taught him, the king is simply admonished to avoid strange women and strong drink, to “judge righteously, and minister judgment to the poor and needy.” {Pro 31:1-9}
To pass to more modern theology, the theory of the king that is implied in Chronicles has much in common with Wyclifs doctrine of dominion: they both recognize the sanctity of the royal power and its temporal supremacy, and they both hold that obedience to God is the condition of the continued exercise of legitimate rule. But the priest of Lutterworth was less ecclesiastical and more democratic than our Levite.
A more orthodox authority on the Protestant doctrine of the king would be the Thirty-nine Articles. These, however, deal with the subject somewhat slightly. As far as they go, they are in harmony with the chronicler. They assert the unqualified supremacy of the king, both ecclesiastical and civil. Even “general councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes.” On the other hand, princes are not to imitate Uzziah in presuming to exercise the priestly function of offering incense: they are not to minister Gods word or sacraments.
Outside theology the ideal of the king has been stated with greater fullness and freedom, but not many of the pictures drawn have much in common with the chroniclers David and Solomon. Machiavellis Prince and Bolingbrokes Patriot King belong to a different world; moreover, their method is philosophical, and not historical: they state a theory rather than draw a picture. Tennysons Arthur is what he himself calls him, an “ideal knight” rather than an ideal king. Perhaps the best parallels to David are to be found in the Cyrus of the Greek historians and philosophers and the Alfred of English story. Alfred indeed combines many of the features both of David and Solomon: he secured English unity, and was the founder of English culture and literature; he had a keen interest in ecclesiastical affairs; great gifts of administration, and much personal attractiveness. Cyrus, again, specially illustrates what we may call the posthumous fortunes of David: his name stood for the ideal of kingship with both Greeks and Persians, and in the “Cyropaedia” his life and character are made the basis of a picture of the ideal king.
Many points are of course common to almost all such pictures; they portray the king as a capable and benevolent ruler and a man of high personal character. The distinctive characteristic of Chronicles is the stress laid on the piety of the king, his care for the honor of God and the spiritual welfare of his subjects. If the practical influence of this teaching has not been altogether beneficent, it is because men have too invariably connected spiritual profit with organization, and ceremonies, and forms of words, sound or otherwise.
But today the doctrine of the state takes the place of the doctrine of the king. Instead of Cyropaedias we have Utopias. We are asked sometimes to look back, not to an ideal king, but to an ideal commonwealth, to the age of the Antonines or to some happy century of English history when we are told that the human race or the English people were “most happy and prosperous”; oftener we are invited to contemplate an imaginary future. We may add to those already made one or two further applications of the chroniclers principles to the modern state. His method suggests that the perfect society will have the virtues of our actual life without its vices, and that the possibilities of the future are best divined from a careful study of the past. The devotion of his kings to the Temple symbolizes the truth that the ideal state is impossible without recognition of a Divine presence and obedience to a Divine will.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary