Melachim Alef 8:2

2 And all the Ish Yisroel assembled themselves unto HaMelech Sh’lomo at the Chag [Sukkot] in the month Etanim [Tishri], which is the seventh month.

Melachim Alef 8:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:2

And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto King
Solomon at the feast
Not of tabernacles, as the Targum on ( 2 Chronicles 5:3 ) and so Jarchi; though that was in the same month next mentioned, and began on the fifteenth of it, and held seven days; wherefore this must be the feast of the dedication of the temple, and which was kept before that; since both lasted fourteen days, and the people were dismissed on the twenty third of the month; now not only the above principal persons convened, but a vast number of the common people came to see the solemnity of removing the ark, and of dedicating the temple, and to attend the feast of it, and the more, since in a few days was the time for all the males in Israel to appear there:

in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month;
it was, as the Targum says, originally the first month; but upon the children of Israel coming out of Egypt in Ab or Nisan, that became the first month, and this was the seventh from that; and is the same with Tisri, which answers to part of September, and part of October, here called Ethanim; which some render the month of the ancients, others of strong ones; either because of the many feasts that were in it, as some say; or because it was the time of ingathering all the increase and fruits of the earth, which strengthen and support man's life; or rather of "never failing", i.e. waters, showers falling in this month, and the rivers full of water ^F12; so September is "septimus imber", according to Isidore ^F13, and the three following months are alike derived; this, by the Egyptians, was called Theuth, and was with them the first month in the year ^F14; so Porphyry says ^F15, with the Egyptians the beginning of the year was not Aquarius, as with the Romans, but Cancer; and so the month of September was the first with the Ethiopians ^F16, and with most people ^F17; though with the Chinese about the middle of Aquarius ^F18. Now, though the temple was finished in the eighth month, ( 1 Kings 6:38 ) , it was not dedicated until the seventh in the following year; it required time to finish the utensils and vessels, and put them in their proper place, and for the drying of the walls

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Vid. Hackman. Praecidan. Sacr. p. 130, 131.
F13 Origin. l. 5. c. 33.
F14 Lactant. de Fals. Felig. l. 1. c. 6.
F15 De Antro Nymph. prope finem.
F16 Ludolf. Lexic. Ethiopic. p. 65. & Hist. Ethiop. l. 3. c. 6.
F17 Julian. Opera, par. 1. orat. 4. p. 290, 291.
F18 Martin. Sinic. Hist. l. 1. p. 22.

Melachim Alef 8:2 In-Context

1 Then Sh’lomo assembled the Zekenim of Yisroel, and all the Rashei HaMattot, the Nesi’ei HaAvot of the Bnei Yisroel, unto HaMelech Sh’lomo in Yerushalayim, that they might bring up the Aron Brit Hashem out of Ir Dovid, which is Tziyon.

2 And all the Ish Yisroel assembled themselves unto HaMelech Sh’lomo at the Chag [Sukkot] in the month Etanim [Tishri], which is the seventh month.

3 And all the Zekenim of Yisroel came, and the Kohanim took up the Aron.

4 And they brought up the Aron Hashem, and the Ohel Mo’ed and all the kelei hakodesh that were in the Ohel, even those did the Kohanim and the Levi’im carry up.

5 And Sh’lomo HaMelech, and all the Adat Yisroel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the Aron, sacrificing tzon and bakar, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.