Worthy.Bible » Parallel » 2 Chronicles » Chapter 2

2 Chronicles 2:1-18 King James Version (KJV)

1 And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, 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 Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

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

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, 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.

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

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

13 And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,

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 find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

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 strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.


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

1 And Solomon H8010 determined H559 to build H1129 an house H1004 for the name H8034 of the LORD, H3068 and an house H1004 for his kingdom. H4438

2 And Solomon H8010 told out H5608 threescore and ten H7657 thousand H505 men H376 to bear burdens, H5449 and fourscore H8084 thousand H505 H376 to hew H2672 in the mountain, H2022 and three H7969 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred H3967 to oversee H5329 them.

3 And Solomon H8010 sent H7971 to Huram H2361 the king H4428 of Tyre, H6865 saying, H559 As thou didst deal H6213 with David H1732 my father, H1 and didst send H7971 him cedars H730 to build H1129 him an house H1004 to dwell H3427 therein, even so deal with me.

4 Behold, I build H1129 an house H1004 to the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 my God, H430 to dedicate H6942 it to him, and to burn H6999 before H6440 him sweet H5561 incense, H7004 and for the continual H8548 shewbread, H4635 and for the burnt offerings H5930 morning H1242 and evening, H6153 on the sabbaths, H7676 and on the new moons, H2320 and on the solemn feasts H4150 of the LORD H3068 our God. H430 This is an ordinance for ever H5769 to Israel. H3478

5 And the house H1004 which I build H1129 is great: H1419 for great H1419 is our God H430 above all gods. H430

6 But who is able H6113 H3581 to build H1129 him an house, H1004 seeing the heaven H8064 and heaven H8064 of heavens H8064 cannot contain H3557 him? who am I then, that I should build H1129 him an house, H1004 save only H518 to burn sacrifice H6999 before H6440 him?

7 Send H7971 me now therefore a man H376 cunning H2450 to work H6213 in gold, H2091 and in silver, H3701 and in brass, H5178 and in iron, H1270 and in purple, H710 and crimson, H3758 and blue, H8504 and that can skill H3045 to grave H6605 H6603 with the cunning men H2450 that are with me in Judah H3063 and in Jerusalem, H3389 whom David H1732 my father H1 did provide. H3559

8 Send H7971 me also cedar H730 trees, H6086 fir trees, H1265 and algum trees, H418 out of Lebanon: H3844 for I know H3045 that thy servants H5650 can skill H3045 to cut H3772 timber H6086 in Lebanon; H3844 and, behold, my servants H5650 shall be with thy servants, H5650

9 Even to prepare H3559 me timber H6086 in abundance: H7230 for the house H1004 which I am about to build H1129 shall be wonderful H6381 great. H1419

10 And, behold, I will give H5414 to thy servants, H5650 the hewers H2404 that cut H3772 timber, H6086 twenty H6242 thousand H505 measures H3734 of beaten H4347 wheat, H2406 and twenty H6242 thousand H505 measures H3734 of barley, H8184 and twenty H6242 thousand H505 baths H1324 of wine, H3196 and twenty H6242 thousand H505 baths H1324 of oil. H8081

11 Then Huram H2361 the king H4428 of Tyre H6865 answered H559 in writing, H3791 which he sent H7971 to Solomon, H8010 Because the LORD H3068 hath loved H160 his people, H5971 he hath made H5414 thee king H4428 over them.

12 Huram H2361 said H559 moreover, Blessed H1288 be the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 that made H6213 heaven H8064 and earth, H776 who hath given H5414 to David H1732 the king H4428 a wise H2450 son, H1121 endued H3045 with prudence H7922 and understanding, H998 that might build H1129 an house H1004 for the LORD, H3068 and an house H1004 for his kingdom. H4438

13 And now I have sent H7971 a cunning H2450 man, H376 endued H3045 with understanding, H998 of Huram H2361 my father's, H1

14 The son H1121 of a woman H802 of the daughters H1323 of Dan, H1835 and his father H1 was a man H376 of Tyre, H6876 skilful H3045 to work H6213 in gold, H2091 and in silver, H3701 in brass, H5178 in iron, H1270 in stone, H68 and in timber, H6086 in purple, H713 in blue, H8504 and in fine linen, H948 and in crimson; H3758 also to grave H6605 any manner of graving, H6603 and to find out H2803 every device H4284 which shall be put H5414 to him, with thy cunning men, H2450 and with the cunning men H2450 of my lord H113 David H1732 thy father. H1

15 Now therefore the wheat, H2406 and the barley, H8184 the oil, H8081 and the wine, H3196 which my lord H113 hath spoken H559 of, let him send H7971 unto his servants: H5650

16 And we will cut H3772 wood H6086 out of Lebanon, H3844 as much as thou shalt need: H6878 and we will bring H935 it to thee in floats H7513 by sea H3220 to Joppa; H3305 and thou shalt carry it up H5927 to Jerusalem. H3389

17 And Solomon H8010 numbered H5608 all the strangers H582 H1616 that were in the land H776 of Israel, H3478 after H310 the numbering H5610 wherewith David H1732 his father H1 had numbered H5608 them; and they were found H4672 an hundred H3967 and fifty H2572 thousand H505 and three H7969 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred. H3967

18 And he set H6213 threescore and ten H7657 thousand H505 of them to be bearers of burdens, H5449 and fourscore H8084 thousand H505 to be hewers H2672 in the mountain, H2022 and three H7969 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred H3967 overseers H5329 to set H5647 the people H5971 a work. H5647


2 Chronicles 2:1-18 American Standard (ASV)

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 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 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 morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Jehovah 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 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 skilful 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 skilful 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 skilful man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,

14 the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, also to grave any manner of graving, and to devise any device; that there may be `a place' appointed unto him with thy skilful men, and with the skilful 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.


2 Chronicles 2:1-18 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And Solomon saith to build a house for the name of Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom,

2 and Solomon numbereth seventy thousand men bearing burden, and eighty thousand men hewing in the mountain, and overseers over them -- three thousand and six hundred.

3 And Solomon sendeth unto Huram king of Tyre, saying, `When thou hast dealt with David my father, then thou dost send to him cedars to build for him a house to dwell in;

4 lo, I am building a house to the name of Jehovah my God, to sanctify `it' to Him, to make perfume before Him, perfume of spices, and a continual arrangement, and burnt-offerings at morning and at evening, at sabbaths, and at new moons, and at appointed seasons of Jehovah our God; to the age this `is' on Israel.

5 `And the house that I am building `is' great, for greater `is' our God than all gods;

6 and who doth retain strength to build to Him a house, for the heavens, even the heavens of the heavens, do not contain Him? and who `am' I that I do build to Him a house, except to make perfume before Him?

7 `And now, send to me a wise man to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and knowing to grave gravings with the wise men who `are' with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared;

8 and send to me cedar-trees, firs, and algums from Lebanon, for I have known that thy servants know to cut down trees of Lebanon, and lo, my servants `are' with thy servants,

9 even to prepare for me trees in abundance, for the house that I am building `is' great and wonderful.

10 `And lo, to hewers, to those cutting the trees, I have given beaten wheat to thy servants, cors twenty thousand, and barley, cors twenty thousand, and wine, baths twenty thousand, and oil, baths twenty thousand.'

11 And Huram king of Tyre saith in writing, and sendeth unto Solomon: `In the love of Jehovah to His people He hath given thee king over them.'

12 And Huram saith, `Blessed `is' Jehovah, God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, knowing wisdom and understanding, who doth build a house for Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom.

13 `And now, I have sent a wise man having understanding, of Huram my father,

14 (son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father a man of Tyre), knowing to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stones, and in wood, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, and to grave any graving, and to devise any device that is given to him, with thy wise men, and the wise men of my lord David thy father.

15 `And, now, the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, as my lord said, let him send to his servants,

16 and we -- we cut trees out of Lebanon, according to all thy need, and bring them in to thee -- floats by sea, to Joppa, and thou dost take them up to Jerusalem.'

17 And Solomon numbereth all the men, the sojourners who `are' in the land of Israel, after the numbering with which David his father numbered them, and they are found a hundred and fifty thousand, and three thousand, and six hundred;

18 and he maketh of them seventy thousand burden-bearers, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers, to cause the people to work.


2 Chronicles 2:1-18 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom.

2 And Solomon numbered seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand stone-masons in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred to superintend them.

3 And Solomon sent to Huram 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 [so do for me].

4 Behold, I build a house unto the name of Jehovah my God to dedicate it to him, to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual arrangement [of the shewbread], and for the morning and evening burnt-offerings [and] on the sabbaths and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Jehovah our God. This is [an ordinance] for ever to Israel.

5 And the house that I will build is great; for great is our God above all gods.

6 But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? And who am I that I should build him a house, except to burn sacrifice before him?

7 And now send me a man skilful to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple and crimson and blue, and experienced in carving, besides the skilful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.

8 Send me also cedar-trees, cypress-trees, and sandal-wood trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants are experienced in cutting timber in Lebanon; and behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

9 even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house that I build shall be great and wonderful.

10 And behold, I will give to thy servants the hewers that fell 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 And Huram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because Jehovah loved his people, he made thee king over them.

12 And Huram said, Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, that made the heavens and the earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, who will build a house for Jehovah and a house for his kingdom.

13 And now, I send a skilful man, endued with understanding, Huram Abi,

14 the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and whose father was a man of Tyre, experienced in working in gold, and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in byssus, and in crimson, and for doing any manner of engraving, and for inventing every device which shall be put to him, besides thy skilful men, and the skilful men of my lord David thy father.

15 And now 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 strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the account that David his father had taken of them, and there were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred.

18 And he set seventy thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand to be stone-masons in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to set the people to work.


2 Chronicles 2:1-18 World English Bible (WEB)

1 Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Yahweh, and a house for his kingdom.

2 Solomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

3 Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As you dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house in which to dwell, [even so deal with me].

4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him incense of sweet spices, and for the continual show bread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Yahweh our God. This is [an ordinance] forever to Israel.

5 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 can't 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 who knows how to engrave [all manner of] engravings, [to be] with the skillful men who 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 your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon: and, behold, my servants shall be with your servants,

9 even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

10 Behold, I will give to your servants, the cutters who 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 Yahweh loves his people, he has made you king over them.

12 Huram said moreover, Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, that should build a house for Yahweh, and a house for his kingdom.

13 Now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, of Huram my father's,

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 engrave any manner of engraving, and to devise any device; that there may be [a place] appointed to him with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

15 Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants:

16 and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you shall need; and we will bring it to you in floats by sea to Joppa; and you shall carry it up to Jerusalem.

17 Solomon numbered all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering with which David his father had numbered them; and they were found one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred.

18 He set seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to set the people at work.


2 Chronicles 2:1-18 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Now it was Solomon's purpose to put up a house for the name of the Lord and a house for himself as king.

2 And Solomon had seventy thousand men numbered for transport, and eighty thousand for cutting stone in the mountains, and three thousand, six hundred as overseers.

3 And Solomon sent to Huram, king of Tyre, saying, As you did for my father David, sending him cedar-trees for the building of his house,

4 See! I am building a house for the name of the Lord my God, to be made holy to him, where perfumes of sweet spices will be burned before him, and the holy bread will be placed at all times, and burned offerings will be offered morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and at the new moons, and on the regular feasts of the Lord our God. This is a law for ever to Israel.

5 And the house which I am building is to be great, for our God is greater than all gods.

6 But who may have strength enough to make a house for him, seeing that the heaven and the heaven of heavens are not wide enough to be his resting-place? who am I then to make a house for him? But I am building it only for the burning of perfume before him.

7 So now send me an expert worker in gold and silver and brass and iron? in purple and red and blue, and in the cutting of all sorts of ornament, to be with the expert workmen who are here in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom my father David got together.

8 And send me cedar-trees, cypress-trees and sandal-wood from Lebanon, for, to my knowledge, your servants are expert wood-cutters in Lebanon; and my servants will be with yours,

9 To get trees for me in great numbers, for the house which I am building is to be great and a wonder.

10 And I will give as food to your servants, the wood-cutters, twenty thousand measures of grain, and twenty thousand measures of barley and twenty thousand measures of wine and twenty thousand measures of oil.

11 Then Huram, king of Tyre, sent Solomon an answer in writing, saying, Because of his love for his people the Lord has made you king over them.

12 And Huram said, Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, maker of heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, full of wisdom and good sense, to be the builder of a house for the Lord and a house for himself as king.

13 And now I am sending you a wise and expert man, Huram who is as my father,

14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, whose father was a man of Tyre, an expert worker in gold and silver and brass and iron, in stone and wood, in purple and blue and fair linen and red, trained in the cutting of every sort of ornament and the invention of every sort of design; let him be given a place among your expert workmen and those of my lord, your father David.

15 So now let my lord send to his servants the grain and the oil and the wine as my lord has said;

16 And we will have wood cut from Lebanon, as much as you have need of, and will send it to you on flat boats by sea to Joppa, and from there you may take it up to Jerusalem.

17 Then Solomon took the number of all the men from strange lands who were living in Israel, as his father David had done; there were a hundred and fifty-three thousand, six hundred.

18 Seventy thousand he put to the work of transport, eighty thousand to cutting stone in the mountains, and three thousand, six hundred as overseers to put the people to work.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 2

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 2 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 2

Solomon's trading, which we read of in the close of the foregoing chapter, and the encouragement he gave both to merchandise and manufacturers, were very commendable. But building was the work he was designed for, and to that business he is here applying himself. Here is,

  • I. Solomon's determination to build the temple and a royal palace, and his appointing labourers to be employed herein (v. 1, 2, 17, 18).
  • II. His request to Huram king of Tyre to furnish him both with artists and materials (v. 3-10).
  • III. Huram's obliging answer to, and compliance with, his request (v. 11-16).

2Ch 2:1-10

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 Ki. 5:2, etc., 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 (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 17:24. 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 Chr. 22:15. 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 (v. 8, 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.

2Ch 2:11-18

Here we have,

  • I. The return which Huram made to Solomon's embassy, in which he shows a great respect for Solomon and a readiness to serve him. Meaner people may learn of these great ones to be neighbourly and complaisant.
    • 1. He congratulates Israel on having such a king as Solomon was (v. 11): Because the Lord loved his people, he has made thee king. Note, A wise and good government is a great blessing to a people, and may well be accounted a singular token of God's favour. He does not say, Because he loved thee (though that was true, 2 Sa. 12:24) he made thee king, but because he loved his people. Princes must look upon themselves as preferred for the public good, not for their own personal satisfaction, and should rule so as to prove that they were given in love and not in anger.
    • 2. He blesses God for raising up such a successor to David, v. 12. It should seem that Huram was not only very well affected to the Jewish nation, and well pleased with their prosperity, but that he was proselyted to the Jewish religion, and worshipped Jehovah, the God of Israel (who was now known by that name to the neighbouring nations), as the God that made heaven and earth, and as the fountain of power as well as being; for he sets up kings. Now that the people of Israel kept close to the law and worship of God, and so preserved their honour, the neighbouring nations were as willing to be instructed by them in the true religion as Israel had been, in the days of their apostasy, to be infected with the idolatries and superstitions of their neighbours. This made them high, that they lent to many nations and did not borrow, lent truth to them, and did not borrow error from them; as when they did the contrary it was their shame.
    • 3. He sent him a very ingenious curious workman, that would not fail to answer his expectations in every thing, one that had both Jewish and Gentile blood meeting in him; for his mother was an Israelite (Huram thought she was of the tribe of Dan, and therefore says so here, v. 14, but it seems she was of the tribe of Naphtali, 1 Ki. 7:14), but his father was a Tyrian-a good omen of uniting Jew and Gentile in the gospel temple, as it was afterwards when the building of the second temple was greatly furthered by Darius (Ezra 6), who is supposed to have been the son of Esther-an Israelite by the mother's side.
    • 4. He engaged for the timber, as much as he would have occasion for, and undertook to deliver it at Joppa, and withal signified his dependence upon Solomon for the maintenance of the workmen as he had promised, v. 15, 16. This agreement we had, 1 Ki. 5:8, 9.
  • II. The orders which Solomon gave about the workmen. He would not employ the free-born Israelites in the drudgery work of the temple itself, not so much as to be overseers of it. In this he employed the strangers who were proselyted to the Jewish religion, who had not lands of inheritance in Canaan as the Israelites had, and therefore applied to trades, and got their living by their ingenuity and industry. There were, at this time, vast numbers of them in the land (v. 17), who, if they were of any of the devoted nations, perhaps fell within the case, and therefore fell under the law, of the Gibeonites, to be hewers of wood for the congregation: if not, yet being in many respects well provided for by the law of Moses, and put upon an equal footing with the native Israelites, they were bound in gratitude to do what they could for the service of the temple. Yet, no doubt, they were well paid in money or money's worth: the law was, Thou shalt not oppress a stranger. The distribution of them we have here (v. 2, and again v. 18), in all 150,000. Canaan was a fruitful land, that found meat for so many mouths more than the numerous natives; and the temple was a vast building, that found work for so many bands. Mr. Fuller suggests that the expedient peculiar to this structure, of framing all beforehand, must needs increase the work. I think it rather left so much the more room for this vast multitude of hands to be employed in it; for in the forest of Lebanon they might all be at work together, without crowding one another, which they could not have been upon Mount Sion. And, if there had not been such vast numbers employed, so large and curious a fabric, which was begun and ended in seven years, might, for aught I know, have been as long in building as St. Paul's.