And Solomon sent to Huram king of Tyre ,.... The same with Hiram, 1 Kings 5:1 and from whence it appears, that Huram first sent a letter to Solomon to congratulate him on his accession to the throne, which is not taken notice of here: as thou didst deal with my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein ; see 1 Chronicles 14:1 , even so deal with me; which words are a supplement. read more
Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God ,.... Am about to do it, and determined upon it, see 2 Chronicles 2:1 , to dedicate it to him ; to set it apart for sacred service to him: and to burn before him sweet incense ; on the altar of incense: and for the continual shewbread ; the loaves of shewbread, which were continually on the shewbread table; which, and the altar of incense, both were set in the holy place in the tabernacle, and so to be in the temple: ... read more
And the house which I build is great ,.... Not so very large, though that, with all apartments and courts belonging to it, he intended to build, was so; but because magnificent in its structure and decorations: for great is our God above all gods ; and therefore ought to have a temple to exceed all others, as the temple at Jerusalem did. read more
But who is able to build him an house ,.... Suitable to the greatness of his majesty, especially as he dwells not in temples made with hands: seeing the heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain him ? see 1 Kings 8:27 , who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him ? since God was an immense and infinite Being, be would have Hiram to understand that he had no thought of building an house, in which he could be circumscribed and... read more
Send now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron ,.... There being many things relating to the temple about to be built, and vessels to be put into it, which were to be made of those metals: and in purple, and crimson, and blue ; used in making the vails for it, hung up in different places: and that can skill to grave ; in wood or stone: with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David did provide ; see ... read more
Solomon sent to Huram - This man's name is written חירם Chiram in Kings; and in Chronicles, חורם Churam : there is properly no difference, only a י yod and a ו vau interchanged. See on 1 Kings 5:2 ; (note). read more
Seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens - "For the lower heavens, the middle heavens, and the upper heavens cannot contain him, seeing he sustains all things by the arm of his power. Heaven is the throne of his glory, the earth his footstool; the deep, and the whole world, are sustained by the spirit of his Word, [ מימריה ברוח beruach meqmereih ]. Who am I, then, that I should build him a house?" - Targum. Save only to burn sacrifice - It is not under the hope... read more
Send me - a man cunning to work - A person of great ingenuity, who is capable of planning and directing, and who may be over the other artists. read more
A great project: the building of a temple. I. THE PROJECT CONCEIVED . ( 2 Chronicles 2:1 .) A project: 1 . Not new, but old. Not taken up by Solomon for the first time, but one his father David had years before meditated, though not permitted to execute it, because he had been "a man of war, and had shed blood '( 1 Chronicles 28:3 ). 2 . Not self-devised, but delegated, Not assumed out of vanity or from purely political motives, but handed down to him in circumstances... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 2:1-10
Solomon's wisdom was given him, not merely for speculation, to entertain himself (though it is indeed a princely entertainment), nor merely for conversation, to entertain his friends, but for action; and therefore to action he immediately applies himself. Observe, I. His resolution within himself concerning his business (2 Chron. 2:1): He determined to build, in the first place, a house for the name of the Lord. It is fit that he who is the first should be served?first a temple and then a... read more