2 Chronicles 2 (NET)

Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple

1 1 Solomon ordered a temple to be built to honor the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself.2 2 Solomon had3 70,000 common laborers4 and 80,000 stonecutters5 in the hills, in addition to 3,600 supervisors.6

3 Solomon sent a message to King Huram7 of Tyre:8 “Help me9 as you did my father David, when you sent him cedar logs10 for the construction of his palace.11 4 Look, I am ready to build a temple to honor12 the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him in order to burn fragrant incense before him, to set out the bread that is regularly displayed,13 and to offer burnt sacrifices each morning and evening, and on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other times appointed by the Lord our God. This is something Israel must do on a permanent basis.14 5 I will build a great temple, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 Of course, who can really build a temple for him, since the sky15 and the highest heavens cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a temple! It will really be only a place to offer sacrifices before him.16

7 “Now send me a man who is skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as purple, crimson, and violet colored fabrics, and who knows how to engrave. He will work with my skilled craftsmen here in Jerusalem17 and Judah, whom my father David provided. 8 Send me cedars, evergreens, and algum18 trees from Lebanon, for I know your servants are adept19 at cutting down trees in Lebanon. My servants will work with your servants 9 to supply me with large quantities of timber, for I am building a great, magnificent temple. 10 Look, I will pay your servants who cut the timber 20,000 kors20 of ground wheat, 20,000 kors of barley, 120,000 gallons21 of wine, and 120,000 gallons of olive oil.”

11 King Huram22 of Tyre sent this letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.” 12 Huram also said, “Worthy of praise is the Lord God of Israel, who made the sky and the earth! He has given David a wise son who has discernment and insight and will build a temple for the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself.23 13 Now I am sending you Huram Abi,24 a skilled and capable man, 14 whose mother is a Danite and whose father is a Tyrian.25 He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stones, and wood, as well as purple, violet, white, and crimson fabrics. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and understands any design given to him. He will work with your skilled craftsmen and the skilled craftsmen of my lord David your father. 15 Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he has promised; 16 we will get all the timber you need from Lebanon26 and bring it27 in raft-like bundles28 by sea to Joppa. You can then haul it on up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon took a census29 of all the male resident foreigners in the land of Israel, after the census his father David had taken. There were 153,600 in all. 18 He designated30 70,000 as common laborers,31 80,000 as stonecutters32 in the hills, and 3,600 as supervisors to make sure the people completed the work.33

1sn Beginning with 2:1, the verse numbers through 2:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 2:1 ET = 1:18 HT, 2:2 ET = 2:1 HT, 2:3 ET = 2:2 HT, etc., through 2:18 ET = 2:17 HT. Beginning with 3:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same. 2tn Heb “and Solomon said to build a house for the name of the Lord and house for his kingship.” 3tn Heb “counted,” perhaps “conscripted” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). 4tn Heb “carriers of loads.” 5tn Or “quarry workers”; Heb “cutters” (probably referring to stonecutters). 6tc The parallel text of MT in 1 Kgs 5:16 has “thirty-six hundred,” but some Greek mss there read “thirty-six hundred” in agreement with 2 Chr 2:2, 18.tn Heb “and 3,600 supervisors over them.” 7tn Heb “Huram.” Some medieval Hebrew mss, along with the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate spell the name “Hiram,” agreeing with 1 Chr 14:1. “Huram” is a variant spelling referring to the same individual. 8map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3. 9tn The words “help me” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons. 10tn Heb “cedars.” The word “logs” has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 11tn Heb “to build for him a house to live in it.” 12tn Heb “for the name of.” 13tn Heb “and the regular display.” 14tn Heb “permanently [is] this upon Israel.” 15tn Or “heavens” (also in v. 12). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context. 16tn Heb “Who retains strength to build for him a house, for the heavens and the heavens of heavens do not contain him? And who am I that I should build for him a house, except to sacrifice before him?” 17map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 18tn This is probably a variant name for almug trees; see 9:10-11 and the parallel passage in 1 Kgs 10:11-12; cf. NLT. One or the other probably arose through metathesis of letters. 19tn Heb “know.” 20sn As a unit of dry measure a kor was roughly equivalent to six bushels (about 220 liters). 21tn Heb “20,000 baths” (also a second time later in this verse). A bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons (about 22 liters), so this was a quantity of about 120,000 gallons (440,000 liters). 22tn Heb “Huram” (also in v. 12). Some medieval Hebrew mss, along with the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate spell the name “Hiram,” agreeing with 1 Chr 14:1. “Huram” is a variant spelling referring to the same individual. 23tn Heb “who has given to David a wise son [who] knows discernment and insight, who will build a house for the Lord and house for his kingship.” 24sn The name Huram Abi means “Huram [is] my father.” 25tn Heb “a son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father a man of Tyre.” 26tn Heb “and we will cut down trees from Lebanon according to all your need.” 27tn Heb “to you,” but this phrase has not been translated for stylistic reasons – it is somewhat redundant. 28tn Or “on rafts.” See the note at 1 Kgs 5:9. 29tn Heb “counted.” 30tn Heb “made.” 31tn Heb “carriers of loads.” 32tn Or “quarry workers”; Heb “cutters” (probably referring to stonecutters). 33tn Heb “and thirty-six hundred [as] supervisors to compel the people to work.”