1 Kings 8:2

And all the men of Israel [not all the heads of the tribes just mentioned ( 1 Kings 8:1 ), as Keil, but all who came to the feast, as every male Israelite was under obligation to do ( Deuteronomy 16:16 ) ] assembled themselves unto King Solomon at the feast [the Heb. word הֶחָג (with the art.) always means the feast of tabernacles. The same word is used of the feast of passover ( Exodus 23:15 ) and pentecost ( ib . verse 16), but "the feast" here can only mean that of tabernacles. As the "feast of ingathering" ( Exodus 23:16 ), as commemorating the deliverance from Egypt (Le 23:43), and as peculiarly a social festival ( ib . verses 40-42; Numbers 29:12 sqq.), it was the most joyous as well as the greatest ( ἑορτὴ ἁψιωτάτν καὶ μεγίστν . Jos; Ant. 8.4. 1) gathering of the year. (Compare the Jewish saying of a later date: "He who has never seen the rejoicing at the pouring out of the water of Siloam, has never seen rejoicing in his life.") It was doubtless for this reason that tabernacles was selected for the dedication. A special feast of dedication, however, was held for seven days before the feast of tabernacles proper commenced (see on verse 65). It did not displace that great feast, however (Stanley), but simply preceded it. It is worthy of notice that Jeroboam selected the same feast ( 1 Kings 12:32 ) for the inauguration of his new cultus. The idea of Josephus, that the feast of tabernacles "happened to coincide with the dedication" hardly seems probable] in the month Ethanim [variously interpreted to mean gifts, i.e; fruits (Thenius), flowing streams (Gesenius)—it falls about the time of the early rains—and equinox (Bottcher) ], which is the seventh month. [This is added because the month was subsequently known as Tisri (see on 1 Kings 6:1 ), or to show that "the feast" was the feast of tabernacles.]