2 Chronicles 2 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

2 Chronicles 2

Preparing to Build the Temple

2:1 Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the LORD, and a royal palace for himself. ¹ 2 And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them. 3 And Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: “As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before him, and for the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the LORD our God, as ordained forever for Israel. 5 The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? 7 So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 8 Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am to build will be great and wonderful. 10 I will give for your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors² of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths³ of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil.”

11 Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, “Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you king over them.” 12 Hiram also said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

13 “Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi, 14 the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. 15 Now therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants. 16 And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. 18 Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.

Footnotes

[1] 2:1 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
[2] 2:10 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters
[3] 2:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters

Commentary

v1: Solomon was determined; the desire of his heart and the decision of his mind, were to have a temple built for the Lord God. This was right, following from the promises God gave to David.

v2: Solomon had 153,600 men, see v17-18; the construction of the temple was a huge task.

v3-6: Even in wording his letter to Hiram, Solomon was carried away in praise to God; the mere mention of the word 'temple' inspired him to declare the greatness of God.

Although Solomon was committed to making a great temple for God, he recognised that God was much too great to dwell in any man-made building, v6.

v7: Contrast Ex 31.2-5; even in Israel, there was no man sufficiently skilled to undertake the work in metal and yarn and engraving.

v8-10: Solomon also requested wood from Lebanon. This was apparently something that Lebanon had in abundance; see Ps 29.5.

v11-12: Hiram was certainly sympathetic to Solomon's devotion. The usual assumption is that unbelieving authorities would not support the work of God.

v13-14: Hiram was able to send a skilled craftsman, Huram (or Huram-Abi), to lead and oversee much of the work of the temple.

v15-16: Further arrangements were made for payment to Lebanon for materials, and the delivery of those materials.

v17-18: There were many aliens in Israel. These were used as forced labour for the temple.

When the tabernacle was constructed, the people had just been delivered from Egypt. They only used the people of God for the construction.

Now the people were settled in the promised land. Israel used forced labour from other nations.