“And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.”
Himself, worthy of his great empire. He deemed that which David had built too mean, though that pious king had been ashamed to dwell in such a magnificent palace, while the ark of God was under skins, 2 Kings vii. 2. (Calmet)
“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.”
Numbered, of the proselytes, ver. 17. (Tirinus) — Hew. The stones were made ready for use, as well as the wood, before it was brought to the temple, 3 Kings vi. 7. — Six. Only three are mentioned [in] 3 Kings v. 16. (Calmet) — But three hundred overseers of higher order are here included. (Tirinus)
“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? is able: Heb. hath retained, or, obtained strength”
Before him. For this purpose do I design to build. (Menochius) — Temples are more for our use than for God’s, as none can be worthy of him. (Calmet)
“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. to grave: Heb. to grave gravings”
Purple. Hebrew argevan, (Haydock) a Chaldean word, of the same import as argueman, in Exodus. — Scarlet and blue were also species of purple. The finest sort was found between Tyre and Carmel. See Vitruvius vii. 13.
“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, algum: or, Almuggim, I.Kin.10.11.”
Pine. Hebrew algum, which rather denotes a species of fir, than the juniper-tree; though the domestic kind was tall, and used in edifices. (Calmet) — Arceuthina, “juniper,” is taken from the Septuagint. (Du Hamel)
“Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great. wonderful: Heb. great and wonderful”
Exceedingly. Hebrew, “wonderfully great.” (Haydock)
“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.”
Wheat. Hebrew adds, “beaten.” — Barley and wine are not specified [in] 3 Kings v. 11. (Calmet) — Measures, like the Roman amphora, contained 960 ozs. (Cornelius a Lapide) — Hebrew has, “batim,” in both places; but [in] 3 Kings we find, “twenty cores of oil.” The satum, “measure,” was only one-third of the bath or epha. (Calmet)
“And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,”
Father. Hebrew Abi, is considered by some as the surname of Hiram. (Pagnin, &c.) — But he might have that title in consideration of his great skill, as Solomon gives it him, chap. iv. 16. We use master in the same sense. Septuagint have, “servant,” (Greek: paida) except the Roman edition, which agrees with the Hebrew and reads, Greek: patera. (Calmet) — Protestants, “of Huram, my father’s;” (Haydock) supply servant, or architect. (Tirinus)
“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.”
Dan, the city, as the widow as of the tribe of Nephthali. (Du Hamel) — Whose. Hebrew, “and his father,” (Haydock) or “this Abi.” (Calmet) See 3 Kings vii. 14. — Silk. Hebrew, “byssus,” which is the silk extracted from a fish, and not the fine linen of Egypt, or cotton which as sometimes this appellation, 1 Paralipomenon xv. 27. — My lord, a term of civility.
“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. as much: Heb according to all thy need Joppa: Heb. Japho”
Floats. So the Septuagint well express the Hebrew raphsodoth, which seems to be borrowed from the Greek Rapsodia, which denotes a collection of verses (Calmet) and was applied to Homer’s poems, before they were collected. (Ælian xiii. 14.) Joppe was a port much used, (Calmet) though dangerous. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iii. 15.)
“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. the strangers: Heb. the men the strangers”
Had made, at the commencement of Solomon’s reign, when David put such immense treasures into his hands. The second list was taken when the temple was begun. The proselytes were the remnants of the nations of the natives of Chanaan. The Jews foolishly pretend, (Calmet) that no strangers were allowed to embrace the law of Moses, under David and Solomon, for fear lest they might be influenced by self-interest rather than by the love of religion. (Seldon, Syn. iii. 2, 5.)
“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.”
Six.We read three, 3 Kings v. 16.: people who where strangers, as the Israelites were not forced to work, chap. viii. 9. (Calmet)