2 Chronicles 8


2 Chronicles 8 is the eighth chapter of the Second Book of Chronicles the Old Testament in the Christian Bible or of the second part of the Books of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible. The book is compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern scholars as "the Chronicler", and had the final shape established in late fifth or fourth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the kingship of Solomon. The focus of this chapter is Solomon's other building projects and commercial efforts.

Text

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language and is divided into 18 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex and Codex Leningradensis, and Codex Alexandrinus.

Old Testament references

  • :

    Solomon's other building projects (8:1–11)

This section reports that Solomon received additional cities from Hiram the king of Tyre, whereas reported in 1 Kings 9, Solomon gave Hiram 20 cities, probably in exchange. Solomon sent Israelites to settle in those cities, similar as the policy of the Assyrian towards the defeated northern kingdom in. The remaining population of non-Israelites were
employed as slave workers by Solomon, with Israelites as guards exempted from the works. Solomon was proud to have Pharaoh's daughter as his wife, so he built her a special house, also that she, as a woman, was not to come into contact with holy things.

Verse 1

  • "Twenty years": is counted from the fourth year of Solomon's reign, when he began to build the house of the Lord for seven years, then 13 years in finishing and furnishing it, while at the same time he also built and furnished his own palace.

    Verse 2

  • "Hiram": Hebrew: "Huram" as in 2 Chronicles 2:3; 2 Chronicles 8:18), which is a variant spelling referring to the same individual. Some medieval Hebrew mss, along with the Greek Septuagint, Syriac, and Latin Vulgate spell the name "Hiram", as with 1 Chronicles 14:1.

    Verse 3

  • "Hamath Zobah": were known as two separate kingdoms in Syria.

    Verse 4

  • "Tadmor": later known as "Palmyra", was an important oasis in the desert of Syria, c. northeast of Damascus. This showed the extent of Solomon's control to the north.

    Public worship established at the Temple (8:12–16)

The passage details how Solomon kept the commandments of Moses in offerings and David's ordinances in the appointments of priests and Levites. The three annual festivals are named here, along with the daily sacrifices as well as for sabbath and the new moons.

Solomon's fleet (8:17–18)

This part parallels 1 Kings 9:26-28, with "the sea" refers to the Red Sea.