2 Chronicles 7:7

7 Therefore Solomon hallowed the middle of the large place before the temple of the Lord; for he had offered there burnt sacrifices, and the inner fatnesses of peaceable sacrifices, for the brazen altar which he had made might not sustain, or hold, the burnt sacrifices, and slain sacrifices, and inner fatnesses of peaceable sacrifices. (And so Solomon consecrated the centre of the courtyard, in front of the Temple of the Lord; for he offered the burnt sacrifices, and the inner fatnesses of the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar which he had made could not hold all the burnt sacrifices, and the slain sacrifices, and the inner fatnesses of the peace offerings.)

2 Chronicles 7:7 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 7-10. Moreover, Solomon hallowed the middle of the court
From hence, to the end of ( 2 Chronicles 7:10 ) is the same with ( 1 Kings 8:64-66 ) . (See Gill on 1 Kings 8:64), (See Gill on 1 Kings 8:65), (See Gill on 1 Kings 8:66), only mention is made in ( 2 Chronicles 7:9 ) of the dedication of the altar, as if distinct from the dedication of the house, and hallowing the middle of the court, see ( Numbers 7:10 ) in imitation of which the Heathens dedicated their altars, in which they used ashes and water, as Pausanias ^F25 relates, and had also feasts, as here, at the dedication of their temples ^F26, in which they have been imitated by Christians; and many of our country feasts, as they are called, were first kept at the dedication of churches to such and such a saint.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Eliac, 1. sive, l. 5. p. 312.
F26 Plin. Ep. l. 4. ep. 1.

2 Chronicles 7:7 In-Context

5 Therefore king Solomon killed sacrifices of oxen two and twenty thousand, of wethers sixscore thousand; and the king and all the people hallowed the house of God. (And so King Solomon and the people killed for a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen, and one hundred and twenty thousand rams; and the king and all the people dedicated the House of God.)

6 And the priests stood in their offices, and [the] deacons in organs of songs of the Lord, which king David made to praise the Lord (with), For his mercy is into the world; and they sang the hymns of David by their hands in organs and other instruments; and the priests sang with trumps before them, and all the people of Israel stood. (And the priests stood in their places, and the Levites with the musical instruments for the Lord, which King David had made to praise the Lord with, For his love is forevermore; and they sang the hymns of David with the instruments; and the priests blew their trumpets opposite them, and all the people of Israel stood.)

7 Therefore Solomon hallowed the middle of the large place before the temple of the Lord; for he had offered there burnt sacrifices, and the inner fatnesses of peaceable sacrifices, for the brazen altar which he had made might not sustain, or hold, the burnt sacrifices, and slain sacrifices, and inner fatnesses of peaceable sacrifices. (And so Solomon consecrated the centre of the courtyard, in front of the Temple of the Lord; for he offered the burnt sacrifices, and the inner fatnesses of the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar which he had made could not hold all the burnt sacrifices, and the slain sacrifices, and the inner fatnesses of the peace offerings.)

8 Therefore Solomon made a solemnity in that time in seven days, and all Israel with him, a full great church, or congregation, from the entering of Hamath unto the strand of Egypt. (And so Solomon made a feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, the full great congregation, from the entrance to Hamath unto the River of Egypt, that is, unto the Nile.)

9 And in the eighth day he made a gathering of money, that is, for necessaries of the temple, for he had hallowed the altar in seven days, and had made [the] solemnity in seven (more) days. (And on the eighth day they gathered money for the necessities of the Temple, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days, and then had kept the feast for another seven days.)