2 Chronicles 2

Preparation to build the temple
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This project is described from here through chapter 7; The parallel account is in 1 Kings 5 - 8 1ki05.
 1 ¶ And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.   House for his kingdom The royal palace complex, described more in 1ki0701ff.
 2 And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
.3 And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. 
  2 - Told out "Tell is an archaic English word for count." See le1513.
  2 - To bear burdens This is apparently the first time Israelites were forced into labor. David had taken into forced service "the strangers that were in the land." 1ch2202. The numbers are not small.
  4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.   To the name of the Lord See ex2508.
  Sweet incense It sweetened the prayers and worship of humans by being blessed by the merits of Christ who was represented by the priest and the high priest in the sanctuary service.
  Burnt offerings See nu2803, ex2938. As is often the case, the link codes point to the first verse of longer passages.
 5 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
 6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? 
  5 - Above all gods ex1811, ps07713, ps09503.
  6 - Heaven and the of heavens Perhaps the sky and the central place in the universe.
  6 - Cannot contain him How marvelous is our God. He is above the nature He has created. The thought is repeated in the dedication prayer.
.7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
 8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, 
 9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great. 
 10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
  7 - Solomon is apparently addressing the king of Tyre. See v11.
  7 - Cunning That is, "skilled."
  8 - Fir Possibly cypress.
 11 ¶ Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.
 12 Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.
  11 - Huram Spelled Hiram in Kings.
  12 - Blessed by the Lord An unusual statement. We have no record of His accepting the faith of the creator God.
.13 And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,
 14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.
.15 Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:
.16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.
  16 - Floats That is, "rafts."
  16 - Joppa See Jerusalem vicinity map, NE. Also see on ac0936.
 17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred. 
 18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.
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