Barnes' Notes And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house, Compare the references to 1 Kings.
That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there. The cities which Huram had restored to Solomon - These cities had not been mentioned previously by the writer of Chronicles, who, however, seems to assume that the fact of their having been given by Hiram to Solomon is known to his readers. See 1 Kings 9:11-13.
And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it. Hamath-zobah - Usually identified with the "great Hamath" Amos 6:2; the capital of Coele-Syria; but probably a town of Zobah otherwise unknown, which revolted from Solomon, and was reduced to subjection.
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; Built - "Rebuilt," or "repaired" (as in 2 Chronicles 8:2). The two Beth-borons were both ancient cities (see Joshua 10:10 note).
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.
And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people. On the number compare 1 Kings 5:16 note.
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. Of Pharaoh - Here again the writer of Chronicles assumes in his reader a knowledge of the facts recorded in the marginal references
Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch,
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.
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. 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.
And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
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.
Then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.
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. It has been supposed that these ships were conveyed from Tyre to Ezion-geber, either(1) round the continent of Africa, or (2) across the isthmus of Suez. But the writer probably only means that ships were given by Hiram to Solomon at this time, and in connection with the Ophir enterprise. These vessels may have been delivered at Joppa, and have been there carefully studied by the Jewish shipwrights, who then preceeded to Ezion-geber, and, assisted by Phoenicians, constructed ships after their pattern. Four hundred and fifty talents - "Four hundred and twenty talents" in Kings 1 Kings 9:28. One or other of the two texts has suffered from that corruption to which numbers are so especially liable. |
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