2 Chronicles 8:16

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Now.—And, here equivalent to so.

Prepared = completed. (2Chronicles 29:35; 2Chronicles 35:10; 2Chronicles 35:16; a late use of the word nākôn.)

Unto the day of the foundation . . . until it was finished.—Solomon’s activity is apparently divided into two periods, viz., the preparations which he made before and up to the foundation of the Temple (2 Chronicles 2), and secondly, the prosecution of the work to its completion (2Chronicles 3:1 to 2Chronicles 5:1). (The Heb. Is, unto that day of the foundation,” i.e., that memorable day, see 2Chronicles 3:1-3.) All the versions, however, understand from the day of the foundation unto the completion of the Temple, and perhaps ‘ad ha-yôm is, in the chronicler’s Hebrew equivalent to lĕmin ha-yôm, expressing the terminus a quo.

So the house of the Lord was perfected.—Omit so, and comp. 1Kings 9:25, “and he finished [same root as perfected] the house.” The verse thus closes the entire account of the building and inauguration of the Temple.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:1 - 18 Solomon's buildings and trade. - It sometimes requires more wisdom and resolution to govern a family in the fear of God, than to govern a kingdom with reputation. The difficulty is increased, when a man has a hinderance instead of a help meet in the wife of his bosom. Solomon kept up the holy sacrifices, according to the law of Moses. In vain had the altar been built, in vain had fire come down from heaven, if sacrifices had not been constantly brought. Spiritual sacrifices are required of us, which we are to bring daily and weekly; it is good to be in a settled method of devotion. When the service of the temple was put into good order, it is said, The house of the Lord was perfected. The work was the main matter, not the place; the temple was unfinished till all this was done. Canaan was a rich country, and yet must send to Ophir for gold The Israelites were a wise people, but must be beholden to the king of Tyre for men that had knowledge of the seas. Grace, and not gold, is the best riches, and acquaintance with God and his law, the best knowledge. Leaving the children of this world to scramble for the toys of this world, may we, as the children of God, lay up our treasure in heaven, that where our treasure is, our hearts also may be.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The man of God - This phrase, so common in Kings (see the introduction to Kings, 4th note), is rare in Chronicles, and is applied only to Moses 1 Chronicles 23:14, David, and one other prophet 2 Chronicles 25:7, 2 Chronicles 25:9.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ch 8:15-18. Solomon's Festival Sacrifices.

15. they departed not from the commandment of the king—that is, David, in any of his ordinances, which by divine authority he established.

unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures—either in regulating the courses of the priests and Levites, or in the destination of his accumulated treasures to the construction and adornment of the temple.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

All the work of Solomon was prepared; all the materials were procured, and in all points squared, and fitted, and completed beforehand.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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,.... The materials were prepared, and the money for the expenses; and even the very stones and timber were made fit for the building, so that there was nothing to retard the completion of it:

so the house of God was perfected; in the space of seven years, in all the parts, and according to the form and pattern of it, see 1 Kings 6:38.

Geneva Study Bible

Now all the {h} 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.

(h) Both for the matte and also for the workmanship.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. Now all the work of Solomon was prepared] Reader, So all the work of Solomon was established.

unto the day … was perfected] LXX offers a much shorter and smoother text, from the day on which it was founded until Solomon perfected the house of the Lord. This reading is probably right.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - Was prepared. This is the niph. of כּוּן; and occurs eight times in Chronicles, but in other conjugations forty-two times. The evident signification is, Thus was all the work of Solomon steadily ordered to the day of foundation of the house... and on uninterruptedly till it was finished; i.e. there was no remitting of diligence and care from the beginning to the end of the grand undertaking. For of this the Chronicle-history has told us, first in ch. 2, and then in ch. 3-8. 2 Chronicles 8:16

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This arrangement was faithfully observed by the priests and Levites. The verb סוּר is here construed c. accus. in the signification to transgress a command (cf. Ew. 282, a), and it is therefore not necessary to alter מצות into ממּצות. על־הכּהנים depends upon מצות: the king's command concerning the priests and the Levites, i.e., that which David commanded them. וגו לכל־דּבר, in regard to all things, and especially also in regard to the treasures; cf. 1 Chronicles 26:20-28. - With 2 Chronicles 8:16 the account of what Solomon did for the public worship is concluded: "Now all the work of Solomon was prepared until the (this) day, the foundation of the house of Jahve until its completion; the house of Jahve was finished." מלאכת is explained by מוּסד. היּום is the day on which, after the consecration of the completed temple, the regular public worship was commenced in it, which doubtless was done immediately after the dedication of the temple. Only when the regular worship according to the law of Moses, and with the arrangements as to the service of the priests and Levites established by David, had been commenced, was Solomon's work in connection with the temple completed, and the house of God שׁלם, integer, perfect in all its parts, as it should be. The last clause, בית י שׁלם, is connected rhetorically with what precedes without the conjunction, and is not to be regarded as a subscription, "with which the historian concludes the whole narrative commencing with 2 Chronicles 2:1" (Berth.); for שׁלם does not signify "ended," or to be at an end, but to be set thoroughly (perfectly) in order.