Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 2

Verse 1

Himself, worthy of his great empire. He deemed that which David had built too mean, though that pious king had been ashamed to dwell in such a magnificent palace, while the ark of God was under skins, 2 Kings vii. 2. (Calmet)

Verse 2

Numbered, of the proselytes, ver. 17. (Tirinus) --- Hew. The stones were made ready for use, as well as the wood, before it was brought to the temple, 3 Kings vi. 7. --- Six. Only three are mentioned [in] 3 Kings v. 16. (Calmet) --- But three hundred overseers of higher order are here included. (Tirinus)

Verse 6

Before him. For this purpose do I design to build. (Menochius) --- Temples are more for our use than for God’s, as none can be worthy of him. (Calmet)

Verse 7

Purple. Hebrew argevan, (Haydock) a Chaldean word, of the same import as argueman, in Exodus. --- Scarlet and blue were also species of purple. The finest sort was found between Tyre and Carmel. See Vitruvius vii. 13.

Verse 8

Pine. Hebrew algum, which rather denotes a species of fir, than the juniper-tree; though the domestic kind was tall, and used in edifices. (Calmet) --- Arceuthina, "juniper," is taken from the Septuagint. (Du Hamel)

Verse 9

Exceedingly. Hebrew, "wonderfully great." (Haydock)

Verse 10

Wheat. Hebrew adds, "beaten." --- Barley and wine are not specified [in] 3 Kings v. 11. (Calmet) --- Measures, like the Roman amphora, contained 960 ozs. (Cornelius a Lapide) --- Hebrew has, "batim," in both places; but [in] 3 Kings we find, "twenty cores of oil." The satum, "measure," was only one-third of the bath or epha. (Calmet)

Verse 13

Father. Hebrew Abi, is considered by some as the surname of Hiram. (Pagnin, &c.) --- But he might have that title in consideration of his great skill, as Solomon gives it him, chap. iv. 16. We use master in the same sense. Septuagint have, "servant," (Greek: paida) except the Roman edition, which agrees with the Hebrew and reads, Greek: patera. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "of Huram, my father’s;" (Haydock) supply servant, or architect. (Tirinus)

Verse 14

Dan, the city, as the widow as of the tribe of Nephthali. (Du Hamel) --- Whose. Hebrew, "and his father," (Haydock) or "this Abi." (Calmet) See 3 Kings vii. 14. --- Silk. Hebrew, "byssus," which is the silk extracted from a fish, and not the fine linen of Egypt, or cotton which as sometimes this appellation, 1 Paralipomenon xv. 27. --- My lord, a term of civility.

Verse 16

CHAPTER II.

Floats. So the Septuagint well express the Hebrew raphsodoth, which seems to be borrowed from the Greek Rapsodia, which denotes a collection of verses (Calmet) and was applied to Homer’s poems, before they were collected. (Ælian xiii. 14.) Joppe was a port much used, (Calmet) though dangerous. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iii. 15.)

Verse 17

Had made, at the commencement of Solomon’s reign, when David put such immense treasures into his hands. The second list was taken when the temple was begun. The proselytes were the remnants of the nations of the natives of Chanaan. The Jews foolishly pretend, (Calmet) that no strangers were allowed to embrace the law of Moses, under David and Solomon, for fear lest they might be influenced by self-interest rather than by the love of religion. (Seldon, Syn. iii. 2, 5.)

Verse 18

Six. We read three, 3 Kings v. 16.: people who where strangers, as the Israelites were not forced to work, chap. viii. 9. (Calmet)