2 Chronicles 8:5
He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,
Sermons
Solomon's Building OperationsT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 8:1-6
Solomon's Military EnterprisesJ. Wolfendale.2 Chronicles 8:1-6
Wise WorkW. Clarkson 2 Chronicles 8:1-6














David had done excellent work for his country by uniting all the tribes of Israel in a strong band of attachment to himself, and thus to one another; also in defeating and subjecting the neighbouring powers, and thus giving peace and tranquillity to the nation. Solomon, coming after him, seconded and sustained him, not by acting on the same lines, but by "a new departure." We very often show the truest regard to those who have been before us by illustrating their spirit in a very different method from that which they adopted. Solomon, like the wise man he was, set about building. He "built the house of the Lord and his own house" (ver. 1), taking time and building well. He then built cities, which were either strongholds or emporiums, serving useful purposes in war or in peace. He seems to have accomplished much by so doing.

I. WHAT SOLOMON ACHIEVED BY BUILDING.

1. He increased the security of his dominions. Those "fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars," must have added considerably to the defensive power of Israel.

2. He took effectual means for the enrichment of the country. The "store cities ' would do much to promote communication and trade with other states, would increase his imports and exports.

3. He immortalized himself. He caused his name to be associated with many places that for long centuries remembered him as their founder, and with one city (Tadmar) that will never be forgotten.

4. He made a deep mark on the future. Some of these cities have absolutely perished; the ruins of one of them still remain. It is impossible to say how much his enterprise had to do, but it certainly had much, with the brilliance, the power, and the political and moral influence of Palmyra. The effects of this building went far beyond the satisfaction of the desire of his heart (ver. 6); they reached to remote centuries, and told upon people that were afar off.

II. WHAT IS OPEN TO US TO ACCOMPLISH.

1. The structure it is possible we may raise. This may be a house in the sense of a family (see 2 Samuel 7:11); or it may be a house in the sense of a business establishment; or it may be a church, wherein God shall be worshipped and his Son exalted for many generations; or it may be a society which shall receive and sustain many hundreds of human hearts. One thing there is we may all he building, and are indeed all bound to build with utmost care - a human character; a character which shall be fair in its proportions, rich in its equipments, and strong in its defence against all assault.

2. The moral and spiritual materials with which, or of which, we should build. These are uprightness, truth, patience, courage, persistency.

3. The spirit in which we should work. This is the spirit of obedience, of resignation, of devotedness; so that we are not seeking our own personal aggrandizement, but the honour of our Divine Lord. - C.

As the duty of every day required.
To some Christians "the sense of duty" and kindred phrases sound unattractive and suspicious. Yet it is dangerous even to minimise the sense of duty. A man who makes no terms with conscience, but does what God commands, will find his love grow stronger. A Christian's sense of duty is not the same as the sense of duty of one who has no faith. Natural religion would teach a man to be honest, sober, and industrious, but Christ's teaching goes far beyond this. Religious duties; purity of heart; forgiveness of others, etc. But it is in the realm of supernatural help, prayer, and the sacraments that the greatest divergence is seen. "As the duty of every day required." Words such as these suggest that unless we are living a life of prayer, unless we are partaking of the life of Christ in the means He left for us to use, we are undutiful. What we claim for our religion is this —

1. The personal love of Christ will make us more severe with ourselves in performing "hard, unwelcome" duties of every day.

2. It will also claim from us earnest prayer, belief in the grace of the Holy Spirit, etc.

(W. R. Hutton, M. A.).

People
Amorites, David, Geber, Hiram, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Huram, Israelites, Jebusites, Levites, Ophir, Perizzites, Pharaoh, Solomon
Places
Baalath, Beth-horon, Edom, Eloth, Ezion-geber, Hamath, Hamath-zobah, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Ophir, Tadmor, Upper Beth-horon
Topics
Bar, Bars, Beth, Bethhoron, Beth-horon, Beth-hor'on, Buildeth, Built, Cities, Defence, Doors, Doorways, Fenced, Fortified, Gates, Higher, Horon, Locks, Lower, Nether, Towns, Two-leaved, Upper, Walled, Walls
Outline
1. Solomon's buildings
7. The remaining Canaanites, Solomon makes tributaries, but the Israelites rulers
11. Pharaoh's daughter removes to her house
12. Solomon's yearly solemn sacrifices
14. He appoints the priests and Levites to their places
17. The navy fetches gold from Ophir

Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 8:5

     5323   gate

2 Chronicles 8:1-5

     7236   Israel, united kingdom

2 Chronicles 8:3-6

     5315   fortifications

2 Chronicles 8:4-6

     5558   storing

Library
The Duty of Every Day
'Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord ... Even after a certain rate every day.'--(A.V.) 'Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord, even as the duty of every day required it.'--2 Chron. viii. 12-13 (R. V.). This is a description of the elaborate provision, in accordance with the commandment of Moses, which Solomon made for the worship in his new Temple. The writer is enlarging on the precise accordance of the ritual with the regulations laid down in the law. He expresses,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Seven Seas According to the Talmudists, and the Four Rivers Compassing the Land.
"Seven seas (say they) and four rivers compass the land of Israel. I. The Great Sea, or the Mediterranean. II. The sea of Tiberias. III. The sea of Sodom. IV. The lake of Samocho... The three first named among the seven are sufficiently known, and there is no doubt of the fourth:--only the three names of it are not to be passed by. IV. 1. The Sibbichaean. The word seems to be derived from a bush. 2. ... 3. ... V. Perhaps the sandy sea. Which fits very well to the lake of Sirbon, joining the commentary
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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