Chapter 8

1 Solomon’s buildings. 7 The Gentiles which were left Solomon made tributaries; but the Israelites rulers. 11 Pharaoh’s daughter removeth to her house. 12 Solomon’s yearly solemn sacrifices. 14 He appointeth the priests and Levites to their places. 17 The navy fetcheth gold from Ophir.

1. It came to pass. Chapter 8 deals with Solomon’s building activities, his offerings, priestly appointments, and ships at Ezion-geber. The parallel, though not identical, record of Solomon’s enterprises is found in Kings 9:10–28.

Twenty years. Solomon began to build the Temple in his fourth year; the task occupied 7 years (1 Kings 6:1, 38). The following 13 years Solomon devoted to the task of the construction of his palace (1 Kings 7:1).

2. Huram had restored. Solomon gave Hiram 20 cities in Galilee in return for timber and gold, but Hiram was displeased with the payment (see on 1 Kings 9:11–13). It is thought that he may have returned the cities to Solomon, and that these are the cities Solomon now rebuilt.

To dwell there. The cities, being on the border of Tyre, were chiefly inhabited by Gentiles, but Solomon now colonized them with Israelites.

3. Hamath-zobah. Hamath was an important country north of Zobah and Damascus. David had previously smitten this region “as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates” (1 Chron. 18:3). Solomon’s conquest of Hamath is not mentioned in 1 Kings 9.

4. Tadmor. This may have been the important city of Palmyra, in the Arabian Desert; however, see on 1 Kings 9:18.

The store cities. These were probably fortified by Solomon and provided with stores for troops, to serve as outposts against hostile peoples in the north. They would constitute an advance supply base.

5. Beth-horon. The two Beth-horons were twin towns in the pass to the central highlands between the Valley of Aijalon and the city of Gibeon (see on 1 Kings 9:17).

6. Baalath. see on 1 Kings 9:18. This town has not yet been identified.

The account in Chronicles does not mention such places as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer, where Solomon carried on important building activities, or such items as Solomon’s forced levy for the building of the Temple and the palace, and his work on Millo and the wall of Jerusalem. For these items see on 1 Kings 9:15–17. On the other hand, Chronicles mentions some items that are not found in the account in Kings.

7. That were left. Verses 7, 8 deal with the question of the forced labor Solomon imposed upon the Canaanites (see on 1 Kings 9:21).

8. Tribute. This tribute was paid in labor. When the land was first taken by the Israelites, the inhabitants of the land were placed under tribute and were kept under subjection as long as Israel was strong (Judges 1:28). David placed many of the non-Israelite inhabitants under forced labor to serve in his preparations for the building of the Temple (1 Chron. 22:2).

9. Make no servants. See on 1 Kings 9:22.

10. Two hundred and fifty. For an explanation of the seeming discrepancy between this figure and the 550 “chief of the officers” reported in Kings see on 1 Kings 9:23.

11. Daughter of Pharaoh. Solomon’s marriage to the Egyptian princess was in direct violation of the command of God (Deut. 17:17). The fact that she was converted and that she joined her husband in the worship of God (see PK 53) did not justify the disregard for the divine requirements. The seemingly advantageous alliance thus formed with Egypt led to more alliances with surrounding nations. Marriages were entered into with heathen princesses that finally led Solomon away from God and into idolatry. More and more he wandered into the ways of the world, seeking for grandeur and glory, and forsaking the principles of righteousness. From a wise, God-fearing king, Solomon degenerated into a foolish, ambitious, oppressive tyrant. On the removal of the residence of the daughter of Pharaoh from the vicinity of the Temple see on 1 Kings 9:24.

12. Offered burnt offerings. There is no reason to suppose that Solomon personally acted as priest in offering burnt offerings to the Lord (see on 1 Kings 9:25). The king evidently went no further than any of the common people and permitted the priests to perform such functions as were exclusively theirs according to law (Lev. 1:7, 8, 11; Lev. 2:2, 9, 16; Lev. 3:11, 16; Num. 16:1–7, 17–40).

14. Order of David. Compare 1 Chron. 24.

The man of God. This phrase is the common designation in Kings for a prophet (1 Kings 12:22; 13:1, 26; etc.). In Chronicles the expression is found less frequently but is applied to Moses (1 Chron. 23:14), David (2 Chron. 8:14), and an unnamed prophet (2 Chron. 25:7, 9).

15. Of the king. That is, of David. David had established the regulations concerning the priests, Levites, singers, and treasury (1 Chron. 24:1 to 26:32).

16. Unto the day. The LXX Syriac, and Targums read “from the day.” The word translated “prepared” may also be translated “set up,” “established,” “arranged,” or “settled.” The translation of the KJV, supported by the Hebrew, suggests that Solomon’s work of preparation was divided into two periods, namely, the preparations that were made before the foundation of the Temple, and the preparations made from that time to the completion of the Temple.

17. Ezion-geber. Solomon extended his activities as far as this port at the head of the Gulf of Aqabah. He built and operated a navy based there (see on 1 Kings 9:26).

18. Huram sent. See on 1 Kings 9:27, 28.

Ellen G. White comments

4, 5 PK 71

18 Ed 49, 54; PK 72; 7T 217