2 Chronicles 2

Preparing to Build the Temple

1 ^[a]1Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the LORD, and a royal palace for himself.

2 ^[b]2And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and ³ 3,600 to oversee them.

3 ⁴And Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: ⁵"As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me.

4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of ⁶incense of sweet spices before him, and for ⁷the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for ⁸burnt offerings morning and evening, ⁹on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the LORD our God, as ordained forever for Israel.

5 The house that I am to build will be great, ¹⁰for our God is greater than all gods.

6 ¹¹But who is able to build him a house, since ¹²heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him?

7 So now ¹³send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, ¹⁴whom David my father provided.

8 Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that ¹⁵your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants,

9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am to build will be great and wonderful.

10 ¹⁶I will give for your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors^[c] of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths^[d] of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil."

11 Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, ¹⁷"Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you king over them."

12 Hiram also said, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, ¹⁸who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, ¹⁹who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

13 "Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi,

14 ²⁰the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is ²¹trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father.

15 Now therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, ²²of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants.

16 ²³And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to ²⁴Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem."

17 Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, ²⁵after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600.

18 ²⁶Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.

2 Chronicles 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

Solomon's message to Huram respecting the temple, His treaty with Huram.

- Solomon informs Huram of the particular services to be performed in the temple. The mysteries of the true religion, unlike those of the Gentile superstitions, sought not concealment. Solomon endeavoured to possess Huram with great and high thoughts of the God of Israel. We should not be afraid or ashamed to embrace every opportunity to speak of God, and to impress others with a deep sense of the importance of his favour and service. Now that the people of Israel kept close to the law and worship of God, the neighbouring nations were willing to be taught by them in the true religion, as the Israelites had been willing in the days of their apostacy, to be infected with the idolatries and superstitions of their neighbours. A wise and pious king is an evidence of the Lord's special love for his people. How great then was God's love to his believing people, in giving his only-begotten Son to be their Prince and their Saviour.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 5:5
• 2. ver. 18; 1 Kings 5:15, 16; [2 Chronicles 8:7, 8; 1 Kings 9:20, 21]
• 3. [1 Kings 5:16]
• 4. For ver. 3-16, see 1 Kings 5:2-11
• 5. 1 Chronicles 14:1
• 6. See Exodus 30:7
• 7. See Leviticus 24:5-8
• 8. See Numbers 28:3-8
• 9. 2 Chronicles 8:13; Num. 28:9, 11, 19, 26
• 10. Psalms 135:5; [Exodus 15:11; 1 Chronicles 16:25; Psalms 86:8]
• 11. 2 Chronicles 6:18; 1 Kings 8:27; Isaiah 66:1; Acts 7:49
• 12. 2 Chronicles 6:18; 1 Kings 8:27; Isaiah 66:1; Acts 7:49
• 13. ver. 13, 14
• 14. 1 Chronicles 22:15
• 15. 2 Chronicles 9:10, 11
• 16. [1 Kings 5:11]
• 17. 2 Chronicles 9:8; 1 Kings 10:9
• 18. See Genesis 1:1
• 19. [ver. 1]
• 20. 1 Kings 7:14
• 21. [ver. 7]
• 22. ver. 10
• 23. [1 Kings 5:9]
• 24. See Joshua 19:46
• 25. [1 Chronicles 22:2]
• 26. See ver. 2

Footnotes

• [a]. Ch 1:18 in Hebrew
• [b]. Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
• [c]. A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters
• [d]. A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 2

Solomon intending to build a temple for God, and a palace for himself, sent to Hiram, king of Tyre, to furnish him with materials and workmen, 2Ch 2:1-10, to which Hiram returned an agreeable answer, 2Ch 2:11-16, and for this service Solomon numbered all the strangers in Israel, 2Ch 2:17,18.