2 Chronicles 8:1-9 King James Version (KJV)

1 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house,

2 That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3 And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

5 Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6 And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

7 As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

8 But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.


2 Chronicles 8:1-9 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And it came to pass at the end H7093 of twenty H6242 years, H8141 wherein Solomon H8010 had built H1129 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and his own house, H1004

2 That the cities H5892 which Huram H2361 had restored H5414 to Solomon, H8010 Solomon H8010 built H1129 them, and caused the children H1121 of Israel H3478 to dwell H3427 there.

3 And Solomon H8010 went H3212 to Hamathzobah, H2578 and prevailed H2388 against it.

4 And he built H1129 Tadmor H8412 in the wilderness, H4057 and all the store H4543 cities, H5892 which he built H1129 in Hamath. H2574

5 Also he built H1129 Bethhoron H1032 the upper, H5945 and Bethhoron H1032 the nether, H8481 fenced H4692 cities, H5892 with walls, H2346 gates, H1817 and bars; H1280

6 And Baalath, H1191 and all the store H4543 cities H5892 that Solomon H8010 had, and all the chariot H7393 cities, H5892 and the cities H5892 of the horsemen, H6571 and all that Solomon H8010 desired H2836 H2837 to build H1129 in Jerusalem, H3389 and in Lebanon, H3844 and throughout all the land H776 of his dominion. H4475

7 As for all the people H5971 that were left H3498 of the Hittites, H2850 and the Amorites, H567 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites, H2983 which were not of Israel, H3478

8 But of their children, H1121 who were left H3498 after H310 them in the land, H776 whom the children H1121 of Israel H3478 consumed H3615 not, them did Solomon H8010 make to pay H5927 tribute H4522 until this day. H3117

9 But of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did Solomon H8010 make H5414 no servants H5650 for his work; H4399 but they were men H582 of war, H4421 and chief H8269 of his captains, H7991 and captains H8269 of his chariots H7393 and horsemen. H6571


2 Chronicles 8:1-9 American Standard (ASV)

1 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of Jehovah, and his own house,

2 that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.

4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath.

5 Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6 and Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

7 As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, that were not of Israel;

8 of their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, of them did Solomon raise a levy `of bondservants' unto this day.

9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.


2 Chronicles 8:1-9 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And it cometh to pass, at the end of twenty years, that Solomon hath built the house of Jehovah, and his own house.

2 As to the cities that Huram hath given to Solomon, Solomon hath built them, and there he causeth the sons of Israel to dwell.

3 And Solomon goeth to Hamath-Zobah, and layeth hold upon it;

4 and he buildeth Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the cities of store that he hath built in Hamath.

5 And he buildeth Beth-Horon the upper, and Beth-Horon the lower -- cities of defence, with walls, two-leaved doors, and bar --

6 and Baalath, and all the cities of store that Solomon had, and all the cities of the chariot, and the cities of the horsemen, and all the desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

7 All the people who are left of the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, who are not of Israel --

8 of their sons who have been left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel consumed not -- doth Solomon lift up a tribute unto this day.

9 And none of the sons of Israel hath Solomon made servants for his work, but they `are' men of war, and heads of his captains, and heads of his charioteers, and of his horsemen;


2 Chronicles 8:1-9 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of Jehovah and his own house,

2 that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3 And Solomon went to Hamath-Zobah, and overcame it.

4 And he built Tadmor, in the wilderness, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath.

5 And he built upper Beth-Horon and lower Beth-Horon, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6 and Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for chariots, and the cities for the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and on Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

7 All the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,

8 their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel had not destroyed, upon them did Solomon impose tribute-service until this day.

9 But of the children of Israel, of them did Solomon make no bondmen for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and his horsemen.


2 Chronicles 8:1-9 World English Bible (WEB)

1 It happened at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of Yahweh, and his own house,

2 that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3 Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.

4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath.

5 Also he built Beth Horon the upper, and Beth Horon the lower, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6 and Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

7 As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel;

8 of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel didn't consume, of them did Solomon raise a levy [of bondservants] to this day.

9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.


2 Chronicles 8:1-9 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Now at the end of twenty years, in which time Solomon had put up the house of the Lord and a house for himself,

2 He took in hand the building up of the towns which Huram had given him, causing the children of Israel to make living-places for themselves there.

3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and overcame it.

4 And he put up the buildings of Tadmor in the waste land, and of all the store-towns in Hamath;

5 And of Beth-horon the higher and the lower, walled towns with walls and doorways and locks;

6 And of Baalath, and all the store-towns which Solomon had, and the towns where he kept his war-carriages and his horse men, and everything which it was his pleasure to put up in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land under his rule.

7 As for all the rest of the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel:

8 Their men who were still living in the land, and whom the children of Israel had not put an end to, these Solomon put to forced work, as is done to this day;

9 But Solomon did not make use of the children of Israel as servants for his work; they were men of war, his chiefs and his captains, and captains of his war-carriages and his horsemen.

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 8

2Ch 8:1-6. Solomon's Buildings.

2. cities which Huram had restored … Solomon built them, &c.—These cities lay in the northwest of Galilee. Though included within the limits of the promised land, they had never been conquered. The right of occupying them Solomon granted to Huram, who, after consideration, refused them as unsuitable to the commercial habits of his subjects (see on 1Ki 9:11). Solomon, having wrested them from the possession of the Canaanite inhabitants, repaired them and filled them with a colony of Hebrews.

3-6. And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah—Hamath was on the Orontes, in Cœle-Syria. Its king, Toi, had been the ally of David; but from the combination, Hamath and Zobah, it would appear that some revolution had taken place which led to the union of these two petty kingdoms of Syria into one. For what cause the resentment of Solomon was provoked against it, we are not informed, but he sent an armed force which reduced it. He made himself master also of Tadmor, the famous Palmyra in the same region. Various other cities along the frontiers of his extended dominions he repaired and fitted up, either to serve as store-places for the furtherance of his commercial enterprises, or to secure his kingdom from foreign invasion (see on 2Ch 1:14; 1Ki 9:15).

2Ch 8:7-11. The Canaanites Made Tributaries.

7. all the people that were left, &c.—The descendants of the Canaanites who remained in the country were treated as war prisoners, being obliged to "pay tribute or to serve as galley slaves" (2Ch 2:18), while the Israelites were employed in no works but such as were of an honorable character.

10. two hundred and fifty that bare rule—(Compare 1Ki 9:23). It is generally agreed that the text of one of these passages is corrupt.

11. Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her—On his marriage with the Egyptian princess at the beginning of his reign, he assigned her a temporary abode in the city of David, that is, Jerusalem, until a suitable palace for his wife had been erected. While that palace was in progress, he himself lodged in the palace of David, but he did not allow her to occupy it, because he felt that she being a heathen proselyte, and having brought from her own country an establishment of heathen maid-servants, there would have been an impropriety in her being domiciled in a mansion which was or had been hallowed by the reception of the ark. It seems she was received on her arrival into his mother's abode (So 3:4; 8:2).

2Ch 8:15-18. Solomon's Festival Sacrifices.

15. they departed not from the commandment of the king—that is, David, in any of his ordinances, which by divine authority he established.

unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures—either in regulating the courses of the priests and Levites, or in the destination of his accumulated treasures to the construction and adornment of the temple.

17. Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth—These two maritime ports were situated at the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, now called the Gulf of Akaba. Eloth is seen in the modern Akaba, Ezion-geber in El Gudyan [Robinson]. Solomon, determined to cultivate the arts of peace, was sagacious enough to perceive that his kingdom could become great and glorious only by encouraging a spirit of commercial enterprise among his subjects; and, accordingly, with that in mind he made a contract with Huram for ships and seamen to instruct his people in navigation.

18. Huram sent him … ships—either sent him ship-men, able seamen, overland; or, taking the word "sent" in a looser sense, supplied him, that is, built him ships—namely, in docks at Eloth (compare 1Ki 9:26, 27). This navy of Solomon was manned by Tyrians, for Solomon had no seamen capable of performing distant expeditions. The Hebrew fishermen, whose boats plied on the Sea of Tiberias or coasted the shores of the Mediterranean, were not equal to the conducting of large vessels laden with valuable cargoes on long voyages and through the wide and unfrequented ocean.

four hundred and fifty talents of gold—(Compare 1Ki 9:28). The text in one of these passages is corrupt.