Chapter Two

Preparations for building the temple.

(Compare 1 Kgs 5)

1–2. The number of burden-bearers, stonemasons, and overseers. 3–10. An embassy to Hiram of Tyre with a request for builders and building materials for the temple of Jehovah which Solomon was planning to build. 11–16. Hiram’s agreement to Solomon’s requests. 17–18. Concluding remark on the number of all workers and their overseers.

2 Chronicles 2:1. Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself. 2 Chronicles 2:2. Solomon assigned 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 overseers over them. (Compare verse 1 of the Hebrew text.) The number of overseers according to this passage (verse 2 and 18) — 3,600 differs from that indicated in the parallel passage (1 Kgs 5:16) — 3,300. The rabbis explained this difference by saying that in Kings the 300 overseers standing over all were not yet included, but against this speaks the indication in (1 Kgs 9:23) of another 550 foremen, while in the parallel passage (2 Chr 8:10) only 250 are shown. Also unsuccessful is the explanation of Prof. M. S. Gulyaev (“Historical Books of the Scripture of the Old Testament,” p. 493), according to which the difference (3,300 and 3,600) arose from the omission or insertion of one letter: שש six, שלש three 2. There is no need for such an assumption; the total figure in both books — 3 Kings and 2 Chronicles is the same: (1 Kgs 5:16) — 3,300 and (1 Kgs 9:23) — 550 persons, totaling 3,850; (2 Chr 2:2) — 3,600 and (2 Chr 8:10) — 250 persons, total 3,850 persons. Compare Commentary Bible II, 455–456 and 455–466.

2 Chronicles 2:3. Solomon sent word to Hiram king of Tyre: “As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar for the building of a house to dwell in, so do the same with me. 2 Chronicles 2:4. Here I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to consecrate it to him, to burn before him fragrant incense, to set out the showbread regularly, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the fixed festivals of the Lord our God, which are ordained forever for Israel. 2 Chronicles 2:5. The temple I am building is great, for our God is greater than all other gods. 2 Chronicles 2:6. But who has the ability to build a house for him, since heaven, even the highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him. 2 Chronicles 2:7. So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to join the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 2 Chronicles 2:8. Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut the timber of Lebanon. My servants will work with your servants, 2 Chronicles 2:9. to prepare timber for me in abundance; for the temple I am building will be great and wonderful. 2 Chronicles 2:10. And now I will give to your servants, the woodcutters who cut the timber, 20,000 cors of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil. (Compare verses 2–9 of the Hebrew text.) The differences of 2 Chronicles from the parallel narrative (1 Kgs 5:1-7) (Hebrew 15–21) are not substantial, concerning only style or form of expression. The name of the Tyrian king in 2 Chronicles is read as Huram, while in 3 Kings it is Hiram, sometimes Hirom. The reading in 3 Kings more closely corresponds to the Phoenician Hirom or Ahirom, Εῖρωμος of Josephus (compare Commentary Bible II, 454); the LXX in both books render Χιράρι or Χειρὰμ (codices 64, 119, 158, 243). Further, according to 3 Kings, the first embassy belonged not to Solomon but to Hiram, probably greeting Solomon upon his accession to the throne (compare 2 Sam 10 and following). The words (verse 6) “heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him” (Jehovah) are taken, apparently, from Solomon’s prayer (1 Kgs 8:27; 2 Chr 6:18).

2 Chronicles 2:11. Then King Hiram of Tyre answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them. 2 Chronicles 2:12. And Hiram continued, saying: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself. 2 Chronicles 2:13. So now I have sent you a skilled man, endowed with understanding, Huram-abi, 2 Chronicles 2:14. the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father a Tyrian. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned to him, with your artisans and with the artisans of my lord David your father. 2 Chronicles 2:15. Now, the wheat, barley, oil, and wine of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants; 2 Chronicles 2:16. and we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa; you will carry it up to Jerusalem. (Compare verses 10–15 of the Hebrew text.) Such also are the further differences between the two Sacred Books in chapter 2 of 2 Chronicles. While 3 Kings speaks simply of a response (to Solomon’s request) by Hiram’s embassy, (2 Chr 2:11) mentions a letter (ktav) written by Hiram and setting forth his obligations. Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 2, 8), perhaps not without the influence of this passage, asserts that between Solomon and Hiram there was a formal contract, copies of which were kept both in Jerusalem and in Tyre (See Commentary Bible II, 455). Further, the name of the craftsman sent by the Tyrian king to Solomon in 2 Chronicles is read differently than in (1 Kgs 7:13-14): not Hiram, as in the latter, but Huram-abi. The second part of this name the translations of the LXX (Χιρὰμ τόν πετέρα μου), Vulgate: Hiram patrem meum, understand as an appellative: “my father” or, according to some LXX codices (XI, 19, 52, 56, 60, 64, 71, 74, 93, 106, 108, 119, 120, 121, 134, 236, 243) παῖδα μου, Slavonic: “Hiram my servant.” At the same time, some commentators (Calmet) understand the name father in the sense of indicating the experience and skill of Hiram, others (Le Clerc, Prof. Gulyaev) render it: “who belonged to Huram my father.” But it is much more natural to take “avi” in the sense of a proper name: “Huram-abi,” as in the Russian Synodal translation. The mother of the craftsman in 3 Kings is named as coming from the tribe of Naphtali, and in 2 Chronicles — from the tribe of Dan. By the fair remark of Prof. Gulyaev (Hist. Books, p. 495), both indications may be true. The territory of Naphtali to the northwest bordered on Phoenicia. In its northern confines was a settlement of Danites (Josh 19:47; Judg 18:27-29). The foreign origin of Hiram the craftsman’s father is stated according to both 2 Chronicles and 3 Kings (see Commentary Bible II, 463–464). The products which Solomon bound himself to pay to Hiram (3 Kings), or to his Phoenician workers sent by him, are enumerated with greater fullness in (2 Chr 2:10) (3 Kings do not mention wine and barley at all). Joppa, Hebrew Jaffo, LXX: ᾿Ιόππη, Vulgate: Ioppe, Slavonic: “Ioppiya,” — an ancient Philistine city on the Mediterranean Sea, in the tribe of Dan (Josh 19:46), near Lydda (Acts 9:38), celebrated from antiquity for its harbor (compare Jonah 1:3; 1 Macc 11:6), now Jaffa (compare the description in Josephus, The Jewish War III, 9, 3. Compare Onomasticon, 579).

2 Chronicles 2:17. Solomon took a census of the foreigners who were residing in the land of Israel, after his father David had taken a census of them; and there were found 153,600. 2 Chronicles 2:18. He assigned 70,000 of them to be burden-bearers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 overseers to direct the people at their work. (Hebrew 16–17.) Compare (1 Kgs 5:15; 1 Chr 22:2). See Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 214. * * * Notes However, in codex 71 of Kennicott, indeed, in (2 Chr 2:2) (Hebrew 3) the reading is שלש (three)