1 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord, and his own house,

That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10 And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the Lord hath come.

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,

13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected.

17 Then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

18 And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

Commentary

Verse 1

McArther Bible Commentary
twenty years. C. 946 B.C., twenty-four years after Solomon's reign began.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 7:1 1 Kings 9:10 2 Chronicles 8:2

Verse 2

McArther Bible Commentary
Cf. 1Ki 9:10-14. Though these cities were within the boundaries of the Promised Land, they had never been conquered; so Solomon gave Hiram the right to settle them. Hiram, however, returned the Galilean cities which Solomon had given him because they were unacceptably poor. Solomon, apparently, then improved them and settled Israelites there.
Bible Cross References
2 Chronicles 8:1 2 Chronicles 8:3 2 Chronicles 11:5

Verse 3

McArther Bible Commentary
Hamath Zobah. A city located in Syria, north of Damascus and in close proximity to but south of Hamath.
Bible Cross References
2 Kings 14:28 2 Chronicles 8:2 2 Chronicles 8:4

Verse 4

McArther Bible Commentary
Tadmor. A city 150 miles northeast of Damascus. Hamath. A city north of Damascus.
Bible Cross References
Exodus 1:11 2 Samuel 8:9 2 Chronicles 8:3 2 Chronicles 8:5

Verse 5

McArther Bible Commentary
Beth Horon. Two cities northwest of Jerusalem. Upper Beth Horon is at 2,022 feet, eleven miles northwest of Jerusalem. Lower Beth Horon is at 1,210 feet, thirteen miles northwest of Jerusalem. They were both on a strategic road that connected Jerusalem with Joppa on the coast.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 9:17 1 Chronicles 7:24 2 Chronicles 8:4 2 Chronicles 8:6 2 Chronicles 14:7

Verse 6

McArther Bible Commentary
Baalath. A city originally in Danite territory (Jos 19:44) c. thirty miles west of Jerusalem.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 9:1 2 Chronicles 8:5 2 Chronicles 8:7

Verse 7

McArther Bible Commentary
See notes on Gen 15:18-21; Deu 7:1-6; Jos 15:63. Cf. Exo 23:23; Num 13:28-29; Jdg 3:5; 1Ki 9:20-23.
Bible Cross References
Genesis 13:7 Genesis 15:18 1 Kings 9:20 2 Chronicles 8:6

Verse 8

Bible Cross References
1 Kings 4:6 1 Kings 9:21 2 Chronicles 8:9

Verse 9

Bible Cross References
2 Chronicles 8:8 2 Chronicles 8:10

Verse 10

McArther Bible Commentary
two hundred and fifty. See note on 2Ch 2:2.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 9:23 2 Chronicles 8:9 2 Chronicles 8:11

Verse 11

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
The house - He built this house for her; because the ark was now in the house of David, which therefore ought to be kept pure and free from the very danger and appearance of pollution.
McArther Bible Commentary
the daughter of Pharaoh. Cf. 1Ki 9:24. First Kings 1Ki 3:1 mentions the marriage and the fact that Solomon brought her to Jerusalem until he could build a house for her. Until that palace was built, Solomon lived in David's palace, but did not allow her to do so, because she was a heathen and because the ark of God had once been in David's house. He surely knew his marriage to this pagan did not please God (cf. Deu 7:3-4). Eventually, Solomon's pagan wives caused tragic consequences (1Ki 11:1-11).
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 3:1 1 Kings 7:8 2 Chronicles 8:10

Verse 12

McArther Bible Commentary
This section expands on 1Ki 9:25, and indicates that Solomon was, in spite of his disobedience in marriage, still faithful to the religious practices required in the temple.
Bible Cross References
2 Chronicles 4:1 2 Chronicles 15:8 Joel 2:17

Verse 13

McArther Bible Commentary
three … feasts. These were prescribed in the Mosaic legislation: (1) Unleavened Bread/Passover; (2) Pentecost; and (3) Tabernacles (cf. Exo 23:14-17; Deu 16:1-17).
Bible Cross References
Exodus 23:14 Exodus 29:38 Exodus 34:22 Exodus 34:23 Numbers 28:3 Numbers 28:9 Numbers 28:10 Numbers 28:11 Deuteronomy 16:16 Nehemiah 8:17

Verse 14

EGW SDA Bible Commentary
. See EGW on 1 Chronicles 23:1-5.
John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Man of God - A prophet inspired by God in these matters, whose commands therefore are the commands of God.
Bible Cross References
Luke 1:8 1 Chronicles 16:37 1 Chronicles 24:1 1 Chronicles 25:1 1 Chronicles 26:1 2 Chronicles 8:15 2 Chronicles 29:25 2 Chronicles 35:4 Nehemiah 12:24 Nehemiah 12:36

Verse 15

Bible Cross References
2 Chronicles 8:14 2 Chronicles 8:16

Verse 16

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Prepared - All the materials were procured, and in all points fitted and compleated before - hand.
Bible Cross References
2 Chronicles 8:15 2 Chronicles 8:17

Verse 17

McArther Bible Commentary
See notes on 1Ki 9:26-28. These two ports where Solomon had received ships were located on the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, called Aqabah. Solomon was cultivating peace and commerce, plus using Hiram's sailors to teach his people how to sail.
Bible Cross References
Numbers 33:35 1 Kings 9:26 2 Kings 14:22 2 Chronicles 8:16

Verse 18

McArther Bible Commentary
four hundred and fifty talents. First Kings 1Ki 9:28 reports 420 talents, probably accounted for by a scribal error in transmission. This was about seventeen tons of gold.
Bible Cross References
1 Kings 9:28 2 Chronicles 9:10 2 Chronicles 9:13