11Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy where the ark of the LORD has entered.”

      12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch; 13and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths.

      14Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for David the man of God had so commanded. 15And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any manner or concerning the storehouses.

      16Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.

      17Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom. 18And Huram by his servants sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, and took from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
These were the chief officers of King Solomon, two hundred and fifty who ruled over the people.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
These were the officers in charge of King Solomon's projects: 250 foremen for the people who did the work.

King James Bible
And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And all the chief captains of king Solomon's army were two hundred and fifty, who taught the people.

Darby Bible Translation
And these were the chief of king Solomon's superintendents, two hundred and fifty, that ruled over the people.

English Revised Version
And these were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people,

Webster's Bible Translation
And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bore rule over the people.

World English Bible
These were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.

Young's Literal Translation
and these are heads of the officers whom king Solomon hath, two hundred and fifty who are rulers among the people.

Cross References

1 Kings 9:23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people doing the work.

2 Chronicles 8:9 But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel; they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.

2 Chronicles 8:11 Then Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy where the ark of the LORD has entered."

Commentary

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Chapter 8

In this chapter we are told, I. What cities Solomon built (v. 1-6). II. What workmen Solomon employed (v. 7-10). III. What care he took about a proper settlement for his wife (v. 11). IV. What a good method he put the temple-service into (v. 12-16). V. What trading he had with foreign countries (v. 17, 18).

Verses 1-11

This we had 1 Ki. 9:10-24, and therefore shall only observe here,

I. Though Solomon was a man of great learning and knowledge, yet he spent his days, not in contemplation, but in action, not in his study, but in his country, in building cities and fortifying them, in a time of peace preparing for a time of war, which is as much a man's business as it is in summer to provide food for winter.

II. As he was a man of business himself, and did not consult his own ease, so he employed a great many hands, kept abundance of people to work. It is the interest of a state by all means possible to promote and encourage industry, and to keep its subjects from idleness. A great many strangers there were in Israel, many that remained of the Canaanites; and they were welcome to live there, but not to live and do nothing. The men of Laish, who had no business, were an easy prey to the invaders, Jdg. 18:7.

III. When Solomon had begun with building the house of God, and made good work and quick work of that, he prospered in all his undertakings, so that he built all that he desired to build, v. 6. Those who have a genius for building find that one project draws on another, and the latter must amend and improve the former. Now observe, 1. How the divine providence gratified even Solomon's humour, and gave him success, not only in all that he needed to build and that it was for his advantage to build, but in all that he had a mind to build. So indulgent a Father God is sometimes to the innocent desires of his children that serve him. Thus he pleased Jacob with that promise, Joseph shall put his hand on thy eyes. 2. Solomon knew how to set bounds to his desires. He was not one of those that enlarge them endlessly, and can never be satisfied, but knew when to draw in; for he finished all he desired, and then he desired no more. He did not sit down and fret that he had not more cities to build, as Alexander did that he had not more worlds to conquer, Hab. 2:5.

IV. That one reason why Solomon built a palace on purpose for the queen, and removed her and her court to it, was because he thought it by no means proper that she should dwell in the house of David (v. 11), considering that that had been a place of great piety, and perhaps her house was a place of great vanity. She was proselyted, it is likely, to the Jewish religion; but it is a question whether all her servants were. Perhaps they had among them the idols of Egypt, and a great deal of profaneness and debauchery. Now, though Solomon had not zeal and courage enough to suppress and punish what was amiss there, yet he so far consulted the honour of his father's memory that he would not suffer that place to be thus profaned where the ark of God had been and where holy David had prayed many a good prayer and sung many a sweet psalm. Not that all the places where the ark had been were so holy as never to be put to a common use; for then the houses of Abinadab and Obed-edom must have been so. But the place where it had been so long, and had been so publicly attended on, was so venerable that it was not fit to be the place of so much gaiety, not to say iniquity, as was to be found, I fear, in the court that Pharaoh's daughter kept. Note, Between things sacred and things common the ancient landmarks ought to be kept up. It was an outer-court of the temple that was the court of the women.

Links

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Bible Browser

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 …
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Commerce
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