BOOK 14 OF 66 · HISTORY · KING JAMES BIBLE

2 Chronicles 2

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Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

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2 Chronicles 2 Overview

Solomon determines to build a house for the LORD and a royal palace. He organizes a massive labor force and sends to Huram king of Tyre for a skilled craftsman and cedar, fir, and algum timber. Solomon’s message emphasizes that the God of Israel is greater than all gods and that no building can contain him. Huram responds favorably and sends Huram-abi, while Solomon numbers the resident foreign laborers for the work.

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Before you read 2 Chronicles 2

Coming from

Chapter 1 established Solomon’s wisdom, wealth, and royal strength.

In this chapter

Solomon begins the practical preparation for temple construction by arranging labor, materials, international cooperation, and skilled craftsmanship.

Leads into

Chapter 3 begins the actual building of the temple on Mount Moriah at the site David had prepared.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Solomon’s own theology guards against a common misunderstanding: the temple is not a box that contains God. It is a chosen place for Israel’s worship and sacrifices. The forced-labor system belongs to ancient royal administration and must be read alongside the fuller accounts in Kings, including the burdens that later contribute to national division.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Temple building requires planning, resources, skilled labor, and cooperation.

Truth 2

Solomon explicitly confesses that heaven itself cannot contain God.

Truth 3

The temple’s greatness is meant to honor God, not to imply that God needs human shelter.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

First Kings 5 gives parallel negotiations with Hiram and additional labor details.

Connection 2

First Chronicles 22 records David’s earlier preparation of materials and his charge to Solomon.

Connection 3

Acts 7:48-50 and Acts 17:24 reaffirm that the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands as though confined by them.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not treat the temple as literally containing God’s being.

Keep this clear 2

Do not assume every feature of ancient royal labor policy is morally prescriptive for governments or churches today.

Keep this clear 3

The participation of Tyrian craftsmen does not make Israel’s worship syncretistic; the temple remains dedicated to the LORD.

Read 2 Chronicles 2 watching for…

Solomon’s two major building projects.

His confession about God’s greatness and transcendence.

The materials requested from Tyre.

The skilled craftsman supplied by Huram.

The organization of the resident labor force.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-2Solomon appoints workers for the temple and his own house 3-10Solomon asks Huram for a skilled craftsman and materials 11-16Huram praises the LORD and sends a skilled worker and timber 17-18Solomon numbers the strangers in Israel and assigns their labor

And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

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.

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.

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.

And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.

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?

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.

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,

Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

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.

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.

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.

And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,

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.

Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

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.

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.

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.