Text -- 2 Chronicles 2:1-6 (NET)

Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple

2:1 Solomon ordered a temple to be built to honor the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself. 2:2 Solomon had 70,000 common laborers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hills, in addition to 3,600 supervisors. 2:3 Solomon sent a message to King Huram of Tyre: “Help me as you did my father David, when you sent him cedar logs for the construction of his palace. 2:4 Look, I am ready to build a temple to honor 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, 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. 2:5 I will build a great temple, for our God is greater than all gods. 2:6 Of course, who can really build a temple for him, since the sky 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.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 2Ch 2:1

¹ sn 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.

² tn Heb “and Solomon said to build a house for the name of the Lord and house for his kingship.”

NET Notes: 2Ch 2:2

¹ tn Heb “counted,” perhaps “conscripted” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

² tn Heb “carriers of loads.”

³ tn Or “quarry workers”; Heb “cutters” (probably referring to stonecutters).

⁴ tc 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.”

NET Notes: 2Ch 2:3

¹ tn 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.

² map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

³ tn The words “help me” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

⁴ tn Heb “cedars.” The word “logs” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “to build for him a house to live in it.”

NET Notes: 2Ch 2:4

¹ tn Heb “for the name of.”

² tn Heb “and the regular display.”

³ tn Heb “permanently [is] this upon Israel.”

NET Notes: 2Ch 2:6

¹ tn Or “heavens” (also in v. 12). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

² tn 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?”