2 Chronicles 8

Solomon's Activities and Accomplishments

1 ¹Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house

2 that he built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there.

3 Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.

4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath.

5 He also built upper ²Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, ³fortified cities with walls, gates and bars;

6 and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased * Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.

7 ⁴All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,

8 namely, from their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, ⁵them Solomon raised as forced laborers to this day.

9 But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel; they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.

10 These were the chief officers of King Solomon, two hundred and fifty who ruled over the people.

11 ⁶Then Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house which 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 where the ark of the LORD has entered."

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on ⁷the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch;

13 and ⁸did so according to the daily rule, offering them up ⁹according to the commandment of Moses, for ¹⁰the sabbaths, ¹¹the new moons and the ¹²three annual * feasts -the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths.

14 Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed ¹³the divisions of the priests for their service, and ¹⁴the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and ¹⁵the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for ¹⁶David the man of God had so commanded.

15 And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any manner or concerning the storehouses.

16 Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to ¹⁷Ezion-geber and to ¹⁸Eloth on the seashore * in the land of Edom.

18 And Huram by his servants sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon's servants to Ophir, and ¹⁹took from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

2 Chronicles 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

Solomon's buildings and trade.

- It sometimes requires more wisdom and resolution to govern a family in the fear of God, than to govern a kingdom with reputation. The difficulty is increased, when a man has a hinderance instead of a help meet in the wife of his bosom. Solomon kept up the holy sacrifices, according to the law of Moses. In vain had the altar been built, in vain had fire come down from heaven, if sacrifices had not been constantly brought. Spiritual sacrifices are required of us, which we are to bring daily and weekly; it is good to be in a settled method of devotion. When the service of the temple was put into good order, it is said, The house of the Lord was perfected. The work was the main matter, not the place; the temple was unfinished till all this was done. Canaan was a rich country, and yet must send to Ophir for gold The Israelites were a wise people, but must be beholden to the king of Tyre for men that had knowledge of the seas. Grace, and not gold, is the best riches, and acquaintance with God and his law, the best knowledge. Leaving the children of this world to scramble for the toys of this world, may we, as the children of God, lay up our treasure in heaven, that where our treasure is, our hearts also may be.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 9:10-28
• 2. 1 Chronicles 7:24
• 3. 2 Chronicles 14:7
• 4. Genesis 15:18-21; 1 Kings 9:20
• 5. 1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 9:21
• 6. 1 Kings 3:1; 1 Kings 7:8
• 7. 2 Chronicles 4:1
• 8. Exodus 29:38-42
• 9. Numbers 28:3
• 10. Numbers 28:9, 10
• 11. Numbers 28:11
• 12. Exodus 23:14-17; Exodus 34:22, 23; Deuteronomy 16:16
• 13. 1 Chronicles 24:1
• 14. 1 Chronicles 25:1
• 15. 1 Chronicles 26:1
• 16. Nehemiah 12:24, 36
• 17. 1 Kings 9:26
• 18. 2 Kings 14:22
• 19. 2 Chronicles 9:10, 13

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "Solomon"
• [b]. Lit "the"
• [c]. Lit "the"
• [d]. Lit "of"
• [e]. Or "deputies"
• [f]. Lit "they are"
• [g]. So ancient versions; M.T. "as far as"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 8

This chapter contains much the same, with a little variation, as what is related in 1Ki 9:10-28.