Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Chronicles 2

1 ANd Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom .

i. e. A Royal Palace for himself and his Successors. This whole Chapter for the substance of it is contained in 1 King. 5. and in the Notes there it is explained and the seeming Differences reconciled.

3 And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me .

Which words may be commodiously understood from the nature of the thing and from the following Words, such Ellipses being frequent in the Hebrew. Or, without any Ellipses, the sence being here suspended, is compleated v. 7. so send me, &c. the 4. 5, and 6, verses being inserted by way of Parenthesis to usher in and enforce his following Request.

Marginal references: Or, Hiram. 1 Kin. 5. 1.; 1 Chr. 14. 1.

4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him , and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shew-bread , and for the burnt-offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new-moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

i. e. To his Honour and Worship.

So called here and Numb. 4. 7. because it was to be there continually, by a constant success on of new Bread when the old was removed: of which see Exod. 25. 30. Levit. 24. 8.

Marginal references: Heb. incense of Spices.

5 And the house which I build is great : for great is our God above all gods.

For though the Temple strictly so called was but small, yet the Buildings belonging to it both above and under ground, were large and numerous.

6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him ? who am I then that I should build him an house, save onely to burn sacrifice before him .

When I speak of building a great House for our great God, let none be so foolish to think that I mean to include or comprehend God within it, for he is Infinite.

i. e. To worship him there where he is graciously present.

Marginal references: 1 Kin. 8. 27. Chap. 6. 18.; Heb. hath retained, or, obtained strength.

9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build, shall be wonderfully great .

See the Notes on v. 5.

Marginal references: Heb. great and wonderful.

13 And now I have sent a cunning man (endued with understanding) of Huram my fathers ;

i. e. Who was my Fathers Chief Workman. Or, Huram Abi, a Man so called; the Prefix Lamed being here onely a Note of the Accusative Case. See more on ch. [illegible: 1+ letters]. 16.

14 The son of a woman of the daughter of Dan , and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone and in timber, in purple, in blew, and in fine linen, and in crimson: also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

Of which see the Notes on 1 King. 7. 14.

So he calls David here, and Solomon in the next Verse, either out of singular respect to their Greatness and true Worth: or because he was indeed Tributary to them: or, at least, his Country was nourished by their Country, as it was afterwards, Act. 12. 20.

17 And Solomon numbred all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbring, wherewith David his father had numbred them ; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand, and three thousand and six hundred.

For David had not onely numbred his own People, for which he smarted, 2 Sam. 24. but afterward he numbred the Strangers, not out of Vanity, but that Solomon might have a true Account of them, and employ them about his Buildings, as he saw fit. Yet Solomon thought fit to number them again, because Death might have made a considerable Alteration among them since Davids numbring of them; and it behoved him to have an exact Account of them.

Marginal references: 1 Kin. 5. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. & 9. [illegible: 1 word]. and ver. 2.; [illegible: 1 span].