2 Chronicles 2:5-15

5 "The house which I am about to build will be great, for ¹greater is our God than all the gods.

6 "But ²who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except * to ^[a]burn incense before Him?

7 "Now ³send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass and iron, and in purple, crimson and violet fabrics, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled men ^[b]4whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.

8 "⁵Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed ⁶my servants will work with your servants,

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

10 "Now behold, ⁷I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 20,000 * kors of crushed wheat and 20,000 * kors of barley, and 20,000 * baths of wine and 20,000 * baths of oil."

Huram to Assist

11 Then Huram, king of Tyre, answered in a letter sent to Solomon: "⁸Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them."

12 Then Huram continued, "Blessed be ⁹the LORD, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, ¹⁰who will build a house for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

13 "Now I am sending Huram-abi *, a skilled man, endowed with understanding,

14 ¹¹the son of a Danite * woman and a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood, and in purple, violet, linen and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to execute any design which may be assigned to him, to work with your skilled men and with those of my lord David your father.

15 "Now then, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of ¹²which he has spoken.

2 Chronicles 2:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 15:11; 1 Chronicles 16:25
• 2. 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chronicles 6:18
• 3. Exodus 31:3-5; 2 Chronicles 2:13, 14
• 4. 1 Chronicles 22:15
• 5. 1 Kings 5:6
• 6. 2 Chronicles 9:10, 11
• 7. 1 Kings 5:11
• 8. 1 Kings 10:9; 2 Chronicles 9:8
• 9. Psalms 33:6; Psalms 102:25
• 10. 2 Chronicles 2:1
• 11. 1 Kings 7:14
• 12. 2 Chronicles 2:10

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "offer up in smoke"
• [b] Lit "who are with me"
• [c] I.e. One kor equals approx 10 bu
• [d] I.e. One kor equals approx 10 bu
• [e] Lit "said...and he sent"
• [f] Lit "said"
• [g] Lit "knowing discretion"
• [h] Lit "house for his royalty"
• [i] Lit "knowing understanding"
• [j] Lit "a woman of the daughters of Dan"
• [k] Lit "whose father is a Tyrian man"
• [l] Lit "devise any device"
• [m] Lit "skilled men"