2 Chronicles 2:5-15

5 And the house that I will build is great; for great is our God above all gods.

6 But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? And who am I that I should build him a house, except to burn sacrifice ^[a] before him?

7 And now send me a man skilful to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple and crimson and blue, and experienced in carving, besides the skilful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.

8 Send me also cedar-trees, cypress-trees, and sandal-wood trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants are experienced in cutting timber in Lebanon; and behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

9 even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house that I build shall be great and wonderful.

10 And behold, I will give to thy servants the hewers that fell timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, ^[b] and twenty thousand measures ^[c] of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11 And Huram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because Jehovah loved his people, he made thee king over them.

12 And Huram said, Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, that made the heavens and the earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, who will build a house for Jehovah and a house for his kingdom.

13 And now, I send a skilful man, endued with understanding, Huram Abi,

14 the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and whose father was a man of Tyre, experienced in working in gold, and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in byssus, and in crimson, and for doing any manner of engraving, and for inventing every device which shall be put to him, besides thy skilful men, and the skilful men of my lord David thy father.

15 And now the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'incense.' Lit. 'to burn as incense' [i.e. all that is burnt on the altar].
• [b]. Heb. Cors: see Note, ch. 27.5.
• [c]. Perhaps 'wheat for food.'
• [d]. Lit. 'said.'
• [e]. Or 'of Huram my father;' and so ch. 4.16.
• [f]. * In 1kings 7.14 Hiram is said to be of the tribe of Naphtali, but here of Dan, probably due to the fact that Naphtali belonged to the camp of Dan: Num. 2.25-31.