Solomon Builds Cities
Study note
After the twenty years it took to build the temple and his palace, Solomon rebuilt the cities that King Huram had given him and settled Israelites in them. He also conquered Hamath-zobah and built the city of Tadmor in the wilderness. He fortified cities throughout his kingdom with walls, gates, and bars.
1 Twenty years had passed since Solomon began building the Lord's temple and his own palace. 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 Solomon rebuilt the towns that Huram had given him and settled Israelites in them. That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
3 Solomon marched to Hamath-Zobah and conquered it. And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.
4 He built Tadmor in the desert, along with all the supply cities he established in the region of Hamath. And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.
5 He rebuilt Upper Beth-Horon and Lower Beth-Horon as strong cities. They had high walls, heavy gates, and metal bars. Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
6 He rebuilt Baalath and all his supply cities. He rebuilt his chariot cities and cities for his horsemen. He built all he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and his whole kingdom. 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.
The Foreign Workforce
Study note
Solomon used the descendants of the nations that Israel had not completely driven out — the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites — as forced laborers. But he did not make any Israelites serve as slaves. Instead, Israelites served as soldiers, commanders, and officers. Solomon had 250 chief officials who supervised the workers.
7 Some non-Israelites still lived in the land. They were the children of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 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 The people left behind from those nations, whom Israel had never fully driven out, were forced by Solomon to work as slave laborers. This is still the case today. 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 Solomon did not make any Israelites into slaves. Instead, they served as his soldiers, army officers, chariot leaders, and horsemen. 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.
10 King Solomon had 250 chief supervisors who oversaw the work crews. And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.
Temple Worship and the Fleet
Study note
Solomon moved his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh, out of the City of David into a palace he had built for her. He said she could not live near the ark of the Lord because those places were holy. Solomon followed his father David's instructions for organizing the priests and Levites in their duties. He then traveled to the port cities of Ezion-geber and Elath on the Red Sea. King Huram sent him ships and experienced sailors, who sailed to the distant land of Ophir and brought back about 17 tons of gold.
11 Solomon moved Pharaoh's daughter from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. He said, 'My wife should not live in King David's palace, because the places where the ark of the Lord has been are holy ground.' And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that 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, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.
12 Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar he had built in front of the temple entrance hall. Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch,
13 He gave the daily offerings that Moses' law required. These were for Sabbaths, new moons, and three yearly feasts. The feasts were Flat Bread, Weeks, and Shelters. Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
14 Solomon followed his father David's plan. He put the priests in their places and gave the Levites the job of leading praise and helping the priests each day. He put gatekeepers at every gate, just as David, the man of God, had ordered. And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.
15 The priests and Levites carefully followed every one of the king's orders. This included how to handle the treasuries. And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
16 All of Solomon's work went smoothly from the day the temple's foundation was laid until its completion. The Lord's temple was finished. Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.
17 After this, Solomon traveled to Ezion-Geber and Elath on the Red Sea coast in the land of Edom. Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.
18 Huram sent him ships staffed with experienced sailors. Together with Solomon's men, they sailed to the land of Ophir and brought back about 17 tons of gold for King Solomon. And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.