Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
2 Chronicles 8:8

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Solomon’s greatness (8:1-9:31)

Other building programs of Solomon are outlined. The Chronicler adds a note that the reason Solomon built a separate palace for his Egyptian wife was to preserve the holiness of the throne. This point is important to the Chronicler, who wants to show that the Davidic kings, on the whole, tried to remain faithful to God. He notes in addition that Solomon organized the temple services according to the plan that David had laid down (8:1-18; see notes on 1 Kings 9:10-28).

After outlining once more Solomon’s wisdom, commercial ability, fame and wealth (9:1-28; see notes on 1 Kings 10:1-25), the Chronicler closes his record of Solomon’s reign. He makes no mention of Solomon’s idolatry and the judgment to which it was leading (1 Kings 11:1-40), for he is concerned with the continuation of the Davidic dynasty rather than with the failure of its kings (29-31; see notes on 1 Kings 11:41-43).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

SOLOMON'S MERCILESS ENSLAVEMENT OF THE RESIDUAL CANAANITES

"As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, that were not of Israel; of their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants unto this day. But 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 rulers of his chariots and his horsemen. And these were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people."

"Solomon raised a levy of bondservants" These descendants of the original Canaanites whom Israel had displaced, were first conscripted and enslaved for building the temple and the king's house, some 153,600 of them (2 Chronicles 2:1-2); but the significance of this mention of them is that, after the completion of Solomon's building program, they were permanently enslaved. No doubt these were used as waiters and servants of that vast concourse of people who attended the feast of the dedication.

It is not hard to understand why the Israelites considered this an ideal arrangement indeed, and why, even down to the times of Christ, the Jews desired absolutely nothing, either in heaven or on earth, except the restoration of that godless slave-state of king Solomon, to which restoration their expected Messiah was vainly supposed by them to devote his entire resources! The reason they rejected Christ was their realization that he would never cooperate in such a restoration.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 8

Now it came to pass at the end of twenty years, that Solomon had built both the house of the LORD, and his own palace ( 2 Chronicles 8:1 ),

He spent seven years building the house of the Lord and thirteen years building his own palace.

That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, he then built them up, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there ( 2 Chronicles 8:2 ).

And it gives you the names of some of the cities where he had his storehouses and he had built fortresses and some of the cities that he had fortified and all. And then in verse 2 Chronicles 8:11 :

And 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 palaces are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come ( 2 Chronicles 8:11 ).

So he realized that she wasn't so pure or holy, and so he built another place for her so that she wouldn't dwell in them. Now, he ought to know that that's not the kind of a wife he should have if he has to build a separate place for her because she is not worthy to dwell in the places that were holy.

Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch, even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles. And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests and all. And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures. Now 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 completed. And then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom. And he sent out ships to Ophir to gather gold ( 2 Chronicles 8:12-18 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Solomon’s political success 8:1-11

God blessed Solomon by giving him good relations with King Hiram of Tyre (2 Chronicles 8:1). Hiram evidently returned the cities Solomon had previously given to him (2 Chronicles 8:2; cf. 1 Kings 9:10-14). Then Solomon developed these towns. Solomon also captured more territory and fortified many cities.

"It seems safe to say that, following this action, Israel controlled more territory than at any other time in its history. In his day, Solomon was probably the most powerful and influential ruler in the Middle East." [Note: Leon J. Wood, Israel’s United Monarchy, p. 326.]

Moreover, he controlled the native Canaanite population (2 Chronicles 8:8). 2 Chronicles 8:3, which is very brief, is the only reference in Chronicles to Solomon’s military activity. Everywhere else his image is that of a peaceful king (1 Chronicles 22:9).

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house,   2 That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.   3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.   4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.   5 Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;   6 And 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.   7 As 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,   8 But 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.   9 But 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.   10 And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.   11 And 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.

      This we had 1 Kings 9:10-24, and therefore shall only observe here,

      I. Though Solomon was a man of great learning and knowledge, yet he spent his days, not in contemplation, but in action, not in his study, but in his country, in building cities and fortifying them, in a time of peace preparing for a time of war, which is as much a man's business as it is in summer to provide food for winter.

      II. As he was a man of business himself, and did not consult his own ease, so he employed a great many hands, kept abundance of people to work. It is the interest of a state by all means possible to promote and encourage industry, and to keep its subjects from idleness. A great many strangers there were in Israel, many that remained of the Canaanites; and they were welcome to live there, but not to live and do nothing. The men of Laish, who had no business, were an easy prey to the invaders, Judges 18:7.

      III. When Solomon had begun with building the house of God, and made good work and quick work of that, he prospered in all his undertakings, so that he built all that he desired to build,2 Chronicles 8:6; 2 Chronicles 8:6. Those who have a genius for building find that one project draws on another, and the latter must amend and improve the former. Now observe, 1. How the divine providence gratified even Solomon's humour, and gave him success, not only in all that he needed to build and that it was for his advantage to build, but in all that he had a mind to build. So indulgent a Father God is sometimes to the innocent desires of his children that serve him. Thus he pleased Jacob with that promise, Joseph shall put his hand on thy eyes. 2. Solomon knew how to set bounds to his desires. He was not one of those that enlarge them endlessly, and can never be satisfied, but knew when to draw in; for he finished all he desired, and then he desired no more. He did not sit down and fret that he had not more cities to build, as Alexander did that he had not more worlds to conquer, Habakkuk 2:5.

      IV. That one reason why Solomon built a palace on purpose for the queen, and removed her and her court to it, was because he thought it by no means proper that she should dwell in the house of David (2 Chronicles 8:11; 2 Chronicles 8:11), considering that that had been a place of great piety, and perhaps her house was a place of great vanity. She was proselyted, it is likely, to the Jewish religion; but it is a question whether all her servants were. Perhaps they had among them the idols of Egypt, and a great deal of profaneness and debauchery. Now, though Solomon had not zeal and courage enough to suppress and punish what was amiss there, yet he so far consulted the honour of his father's memory that he would not suffer that place to be thus profaned where the ark of God had been and where holy David had prayed many a good prayer and sung many a sweet psalm. Not that all the places where the ark had been were so holy as never to be put to a common use; for then the houses of Abinadab and Obed-edom must have been so. But the place where it had been so long, and had been so publicly attended on, was so venerable that it was not fit to be the place of so much gaiety, not to say iniquity, as was to be found, I fear, in the court that Pharaoh's daughter kept. Note, Between things sacred and things common the ancient landmarks ought to be kept up. It was an outer-court of the temple that was the court of the women.