2 Chronicles 2

Now Solomon decided to build a house for the LORD’s name, and a house for his kingdom.

Solomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand men who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house in which to dwell, so deal with me.

Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, to burn before him incense of sweet spices, for the continual show bread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

“The house which I am building will be great, for our God is greater than all gods.

But who is able to build him a house, since heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain him? Who am I then, that I should build him a house, except just to burn incense before him?

“Now therefore send me a man skillful to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue, and who knows how to engrave engravings, to be with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.

“Send me also cedar trees, cypress trees, and algum trees out of Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. Behold, my servants will be with your servants,

even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful.

Behold, I will give to your servants, the cutters who cut timber, twenty thousand cors of beaten wheat, twenty thousand baths of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, “Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you king over them.”

Huram continued, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who would build a house for the LORD and a house for his kingdom.

Now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram-abi,

the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and his father was a man of Tyre. He is skillful to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, in timber, in purple, in blue, in fine linen, and in crimson, also to engrave any kind of engraving and to devise any device, that there may be a place appointed to him with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

“Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants;

and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you need. We will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa; then you shall carry it up to Jerusalem.”

Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, after the census with which David his father had counted them; and they found one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred.

He set seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to assign the people their work.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter records Solomon’s preparations to build the temple of the LORD, highlighting both the human labor mobilized and the international cooperation arranged with Huram, king of Tyre. It presents the temple construction as an act of worship rooted in divine purpose and Davidic promise, emphasizing the magnitude and holiness of the task while acknowledging God’s transcendence.

Flow.

Solomon resolves to build the temple and organizes Israel’s labor force, counting and assigning foreigners to various tasks.
He sends a message to Huram requesting materials and skilled artisans, explaining the temple’s purpose and Israel’s ongoing worship obligations.
Huram responds with praise to God and agreement to supply timber, craftsmen, and expertise, affirming Solomon’s divine appointment.
The chapter closes with a second census and reassignment of labor, aligning with the workforce figures initially mentioned.

Connections. Following chapter 1, where Solomon receives wisdom from God and demonstrates devotion through worship at Gibeon, this chapter moves from prayer to practical preparation for the temple. It sets the stage for the detailed construction account in chapter 3, which begins the narrative of the temple’s physical building. The focus on divine enablement and ordered work in chapter 2 reflects the continuity of God’s covenant with David () and establishes the foundation for the temple’s sacred role in Israel’s worship life, which chapter 3 takes up in architectural form.

What it teaches. The chapter underscores that the temple, while a grand human enterprise, is ultimately a response to God’s covenant faithfulness and a means of facilitating proper worship. Solomon acknowledges God’s incomparability and transcendence (WCF 2.1), recognizing that no temple can contain Him, yet still obeys the divine will for a dwelling place of worship (WCF 7.4). The inclusion of foreign labor and materials from Tyre reflects the providential ordering of nations for God’s purposes (WCF 3.1). The detailed provisions for daily, weekly, and annual sacrifices point to the enduring nature of Israel’s worship obligations established under the Levitical system (HC LD 32), fulfilled typologically in Christ’s perfect offering (HC LD 16).

Apply. The temple’s preparation reveals how God uses ordinary labor, international relationships, and ordered service to advance His holy purposes.

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