2 Chronicles 8:16

(16) Now.—And, here equivalent to so.

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

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 2:0), and secondly, the prosecution of the work to its completion (2 Chronicles 3:1 to 2 Chronicles 5:1). (The Heb. Is, unto that day of the foundation,” i.e., that memorable day, see 2 Chronicles 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. 1 Kings 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.