2 Chronicles 2:1-18
A House for the Name
1Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
2So he conscripted 70,000 porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors.
3Then Solomon sent word to Hiram king of Tyre: “Do for me as you did for my father David when you sent him cedars to build himself a house to live in.
4Behold, I am about to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God to dedicate to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for displaying the showbread continuously, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening as well as on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is ordained for Israel forever.
5The house that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than all gods.
6But who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? Who then am I, that I should build a house for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him?
7Send me, therefore, a craftsman skilled in engraving to work with gold and silver, with bronze and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with my craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided.
8Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber there. And indeed, my servants will work with yours
9to prepare for me timber in abundance, because the temple I am building will be great and wonderful.
10I will pay your servants, the woodcutters, 20,000 cors of ground wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of olive oil.”
11Then Hiram king of Tyre wrote a letter in reply to Solomon: “Because the LORD loves His people, He has set you over them as king.”
12And Hiram added: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son with insight and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
13So now I am sending you Huram-abi, a skillful man endowed with creativity.
14He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father is a man of Tyre. He is skilled in work with gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple, blue, and crimson yarn, and fine linen. He is experienced in every kind of engraving and can execute any design that is given him. He will work with your craftsmen and with those of my lord, your father David.
15Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he promised.
16We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and we will float them to you as rafts by sea down to Joppa. Then you can take them up to Jerusalem.”
17Solomon numbered all the foreign men in the land of Israel following the census his father David had conducted, and there were found to be 153,600 in all.
18Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors.
Berean Standard Bible
Solomon purposes to build a house for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself. He conscripts porters, stonecutters, and supervisors. The scale of the project is enormous, and the text does not hide the organized labor required to create it.
Solomon writes to Hiram king of Tyre for cedar, cypress, algum logs, and a craftsman skilled in gold, silver, bronze, iron, and colored yarn. He explains that the temple will support incense, showbread, and sacrifices according to Israel's worship.
Solomon also admits that the house will be great because God is greater than all gods, yet the highest heavens cannot contain him. The temple will be a place for sacrifice, not a building capable of enclosing the LORD. Grandeur is held together with humility.
Hiram blesses the LORD for giving David a wise son and sends Huram-abi, a gifted craftsman. Solomon promises food for the workers and numbers the foreigners in the land who will serve in the labor. The chapter holds worship, craftsmanship, international partnership, and the cost of construction in the same frame.
Questions
1 What does Solomon plan to build?
AnswerSolomon plans to build a temple for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
2 What materials does Solomon request from Hiram?
AnswerHe requests cedar, cypress, and algum logs, along with a craftsman skilled in many kinds of work.
3 What does Solomon say about God's greatness?
AnswerHe says the heavens cannot contain God, so the temple can only serve as a place for sacrifices.
4 What does Hiram send?
AnswerHiram sends Huram-abi, a highly skilled craftsman, and agrees to provide the timber Solomon needs.
What This Means for Us
Solomon's description keeps the temple from becoming a monument to human control. The work is important because it serves worship, but the building is never bigger than the God it honors.
Beautiful work still has a human cost. Ask who is carrying the burden of a project, whether workers are treated justly, and whether the finished result serves people or mainly displays the owner's importance.
Prayer
God above every house and project, give us humility in our work. Help us honor skilled labor, treat workers justly, and remember that no achievement can contain or control you. Amen.