Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871)

2 Chronicles 8 Solomon's Achievements

Classic verse-by-verse commentary on 2 Chronicles 8 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: Solomon's buildings; The canaanites made tributaries; Solomon's festival sacrifices.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871)
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Solomon's buildings

1And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house, 2That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there. 3And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it. 4And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath. 5Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars; 6And 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. 2 Chronicles 8:1-6 ยท KJV
2
cities which Huram had restored... Solomon built them, &c. โ€” These cities lay in the northwest of Galilee. Though included within the limits of the promised land, they had never been conquered. The right of occupying them Solomon granted to Huram, who, after consideration, refused them as unsuitable to the commercial habits of his subjects (see on 1Ki 9:11). Solomon, having wrested them from the possession of the Canaanite inhabitants, repaired them and filled them with a colony of Hebrews.
3-6
And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah โ€” Hamath was on the Orontes, in Cยœle-Syria. Its king, Toi, had been the ally of David; but from the combination, Hamath and Zobah, it would appear that some revolution had taken place which led to the union of these two petty kingdoms of Syria into one. For what cause the resentment of Solomon was provoked against it, we are not informed, but he sent an armed force which reduced it. He made himself master also of Tadmor, the famous Palmyra in the same region. Various other cities along the frontiers of his extended dominions he repaired and fitted up, either to serve as store-places for the furtherance of his commercial enterprises, or to secure his kingdom from foreign invasion (see on 2Ch 1:14; 1Ki 9:15).

The canaanites made tributaries

7As 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, 8But 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. 9But 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. 10And these were the chief of king Solomonโ€™s officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people. 11And 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. 2 Chronicles 8:7-11 ยท KJV
7
all the people that were left, &c. โ€” The descendants of the Canaanites who remained in the country were treated as war prisoners, being obliged to "pay tribute or to serve as galley slaves" (2Ch 2:18), while the Israelites were employed in no works but such as were of an honorable character.
10
two hundred and fifty that bare rule โ€” (Compare 1Ki 9:23). It is generally agreed that the text of one of these passages is corrupt.
11
Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her โ€” On his marriage with the Egyptian princess at the beginning of his reign, he assigned her a temporary abode in the city of David, that is, Jerusalem, until a suitable palace for his wife had been erected. While that palace was in progress, he himself lodged in the palace of David, but he did not allow her to occupy it, because he felt that she being a heathen proselyte, and having brought from her own country an establishment of heathen maid-servants, there would have been an impropriety in her being domiciled in a mansion which was or had been hallowed by the reception of the ark. It seems she was received on her arrival into his mother's abode (So 3:4; 8:2).

Solomon's festival sacrifices

15And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures. 16Now 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. 17Then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom. 18And 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. 2 Chronicles 8:15-18 ยท KJV
15
they departed not from the commandment of the king โ€” that is, David, in any of his ordinances, which by divine authority he established. unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures โ€” either in regulating the courses of the priests and Levites, or in the destination of his accumulated treasures to the construction and adornment of the temple.
17
Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth โ€” These two maritime ports were situated at the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, now called the Gulf of Akaba. Eloth is seen in the modern Akaba, Ezion-geber in El Gudyan [ROBINSON]. Solomon, determined to cultivate the arts of peace, was sagacious enough to perceive that his kingdom could become great and glorious only by encouraging a spirit of commercial enterprise among his subjects; and, accordingly, with that in mind he made a contract with Huram for ships and seamen to instruct his people in navigation.
18
Huram sent him... ships โ€” either sent him ship-men, able seamen, overland; or, taking the word "sent" in a looser sense, supplied him, that is, built him ships โ€” namely, in docks at Eloth (compare 1Ki 9:26, 27). This navy of Solomon was manned by Tyrians, for Solomon had no seamen capable of performing distant expeditions. The Hebrew fishermen, whose boats plied on the Sea of Tiberias or coasted the shores of the Mediterranean, were not equal to the conducting of large vessels laden with valuable cargoes on long voyages and through the wide and unfrequented ocean. four hundred and fifty talents of gold โ€” (Compare 1Ki 9:28). The text in one of these passages is corrupt.

Commentary text from Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871), a public-domain work, offered freely for personal study. Scripture quotations are from the public-domain King James Version.