2 Chronicles 3:1
Verse
Context
Temple Construction Begins
1Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.2Solomon began construction on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.
Sermons
Carter Conlon
G.W. North
Zac PoonenZac Poonen
F.B. Meyer
Theodore EppZac PoonenSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
In Mount Moriah - Supposed to be the same place where Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac; so the Targum: "Solomon began to build the house of the sanctuary of the Lord at Jerusalem, in the place where Abraham had prayed and worshipped in the name of the Lord. This is the place of the earth where all generations shall worship the Lord. Here Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac for a burnt-offering; but he was snatched away by the Word of the Lord, and a ram placed in his stead. Here Jacob prayed when he fled from the face of Esau his brother; and here the angel of the Lord appeared to David, at which time David built an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor which he bought from Araunah the Jebusite."
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
The building of the temple. - Ch2 3:1-3. The statements as to the place where the temple was built (Ch2 3:1) are found here only. Mount Moriah is manifestly the mountain in the land of Moriah where Abraham was to have sacrificed his son Isaac (Gen 22:2), which had received the name המּוריּה, i.e., "the appearance of Jahve," from that event. It is the mountain which lies to the north-east of Zion, now called Haram after the most sacred mosque of the Mohammedans, which is built there; cf. Rosen, das Haram von Jerusalem, Gotha 1866. לד נראה אשׁר is usually translated: "which was pointed out to David his father." But ראה has not in Niphal the signification "to be pointed out," which is peculiar to the Hophal (cf. Exo 25:40; Exo 26:30; Deu 4:35, etc.); it means only "to be seen," "to let oneself be seen," to appear, especially used of appearances of God. It cannot be shown to be anywhere used of a place which lets itself be seen, or appears to one. We must therefore translate: "on mount Moriah, where He had appeared to David his father." The unexpressed subject יהוה is easily supplied from the context; and with אשׁר בּהר, "on the mountain where," cf. אשׁר בּמּקום, Gen 35:13., and Ew. 331, c, 3. הכין אשׁר is separated from what precedes, and connected with what follows, by the Athnach under אביהוּ, and is translated, after the lxx, Vulg., and Syr., as a hyperbaton thus: "in the place where David had prepared," scil. the building of the temple by the laying up of the materials there (Ch1 22:5; Ch1 29:2). But there are no proper analogies to such a hyperbaton, since Jer 14:1 and Jer 46:1 are differently constituted. Berth. therefore is of opinion that our text can only signify, "which temple he prepared on the place of David," and that this reading cannot be the original, because הכין occurs elsewhere only of David's activity in preparing for the building of the temple, and "place of David" cannot, without further ceremony, mean the place which David had chosen. He would therefore transpose the words thus: דויד הכין אשׁר בּמקום. But this conjecture is by no means certain. In the first place, the mere transposition of the words is not sufficient; we must also alter בּמקום into בּמּקום, to get the required sense; and, further, Bertheau's reasons are not conclusive. הכין means not merely to make ready for (zursten), to prepare, but also to make ready, make (bereiten), found e.g., Kg1 6:19; Ezr 3:3; and the frequent use of this word in reference to David's action in preparing for the building of the temple does not prove that it has this signification here also. The clause may be quite well translated, with J. J. Rambach: "quam domum praeparavit (Salomo) in loco Davidis." The expression "David's place," for "place which David had fixed upon," cannot in this connection be misunderstood, but yet it cannot be denied that the clause is stiff and constrained if we refer it to יהוה את־בּית. We would therefore prefer to give up the Masoretic punctuation, and construe the words otherwise, connecting הכין אשׁר with the preceding thus: where Jahve had appeared to his father David, who had prepared (the house, i.e., the building of it), and make בּמקום ד, with the following designation of the place, to depend upon לבנות as a further explanation of the הם בּהר, viz., in the place of David, i.e., on the place fixed by David on the threshing-floor of the Jebusite Ornan; cf. Ch1 21:18. - In Ch2 3:2 לבנות ויּחל is repeated in order to fix the time of the building. In Kg1 6:1 the time is fixed by its relation to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. בּשּׁני, which the older commentators always understood of the second day of the month, is strange. Elsewhere the day of the month is always designated by the cardinal number with the addition of לחרשׁ or יום, the month having been previously given. Berth. therefore considers בּשּׁני to be a gloss which has come into the text by a repetition of השּׁני, since the lxx and Vulg. have not expressed it.
John Gill Bible Commentary
See Chapter Introduction Next: 2 Chronicles Chapter 4
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Here is, I. The place where the temple was built. Solomon was neither at liberty to choose nor at a loss to fix the place. It was before determined (Ch1 22:1), which was an ease to his mind. 1. It must be at Jerusalem; for that was the place where God had chosen to put his name there. The royal city must be the holy city. There must be the testimony of Israel; for there are set the thrones of judgment, Psa 122:4, Psa 122:5. 2. It must be on Mount Moriah, which, some think, was that very place in the land of Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac, Gen 22:2. So the Targum says expressly, adding, But he was delivered by the word of the Lord, and a ram provided in his place. That was typical of Christ's sacrifice of himself; therefore fitly was the temple, which was likewise a type of him, built there. 3. It must be where the Lord appeared to David, and answered him by fire, Ch1 21:18, Ch1 21:26. There atonement was made once; and therefore, in remembrance of that, there atonement was made once; and therefore, in remembrance of that, there atonement must still be made. Where God has met with me it is to be hoped that he will still manifest himself. 4. It must be in the place which David has prepared, not only which he had purchased with his money, but which he had purchased with his money, but which he had pitched upon divine direction. It was Solomon's wisdom not to enquire out a more convenient place, but to acquiesce in the appointment of God, whatever might be objected against it. 5. It must be in the threshold floor of Ornan, which, if (as a Jebusite) it gives encouragement to the Gentiles, obliges us to look upon temple-work as that which requires the labour of the mind, no less than threshing-work dos that of the body. II. The time when it was begun; not till the fourth year of Solomon's reign, Ch2 3:2. Not that the first three years were trifled away, or spent in deliberating whether they should build the temple or no; but they were employed in the necessary preparations for it, wherein three years would be soon gone, considering how many hands were to be got together and set to work. Some conjecture that this was a sabbatical year, or year of release and rest to the land, when the people, being discharged from their husbandry, might more easily lend a hand to the beginning of this work; and then the year in which it was finished would fall out to be another sabbatical year, when they would likewise have leisure to attend the solemnity of the dedication of it. III. The dimensions of it, in which Solomon was instructed (Ch2 3:3), as he was in other things, by his father. This was the foundation (so it may be read) which Solomon laid for the building of the house. This was the rule he went by, so many cubits the length and breadth, after the first measure, that is, according to the measure first fixed, which there was no reason to make any alteration of when the work came to be done; for the dimensions were given by divine wisdom, and what God does shall be for ever; nothing can be put to it, or taken from it, Ecc 3:14. His first measure will be the last. IV. The ornaments of the temple. The timber-work was very fine, and yet, within, it was overlaid with pure gold (Ch2 3:4), with fine gold (Ch2 3:5). and that embossed with palm-trees and chains. It was gold of Parvaim (Ch2 3:6), the best gold. The beams and posts, the walls and doors, were overlaid with gold, Ch2 3:7. The most holy place, which was ten yards square, was all overlaid with fine gold (Ch2 3:8), even the upper chambers, or rather the upper floor or roof - top, bottom, and sides, were all overlaid with gold. Every nail, or screw, or pin, with which the golden plates were fastened to the walls that were overlaid with them, weighed fifty shekels, or was worth so much, workmanship and all. A great many precious stones were dedicated to God (Ch1 29:2, Ch1 29:8), and these were set here and there, where they would show to the best advantage. The finest houses now pretend to no better garnishing than good paint on the roof and walls; but the ornaments of the temple were most substantially rich. It was set with precious stones, because it was a type of the new Jerusalem, which has no temple in it because it is all temple, and the walls, gates, and foundations of which are said to be of precious stones and pearls, Rev 21:18, Rev 21:19, Rev 21:21.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:1-4a Although in Chronicles the Temple is the central topic of Solomon’s reign, attention to its actual architecture and furnishings is considerably less than that found in Kings (e.g., 1 Kgs 6:2-10). 3:1 While Kings emphasizes the time when the Temple was built, Chronicles places great emphasis on the Temple’s building site and the significance of the location. Geographically, it was in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the place where the Lord had appeared to David; it was selected under David’s authority, and it was the sacred place where the plague was stopped at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Abraham bound Isaac in the land of Moriah (Gen 22:2), and tradition associated the Temple Mount as the place where the Lord provided for Abraham (Gen 22:14).
2 Chronicles 3:1
Temple Construction Begins
1Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.2Solomon began construction on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Forever Dwelling in the Presence of God
By Carter Conlon4.2K59:58Presence of God2CH 3:1In this sermon, the speaker expresses deep remorse and repentance for living a sinful lifestyle. They acknowledge the holiness and consuming fire of God, and the need to genuinely seek forgiveness and not play games with sin. The speaker emphasizes the importance of living a life that brings honor to God and breaking free from the chains of darkness. They draw inspiration from the story of Abraham and Isaac, highlighting the obedience and faithfulness of Abraham and the blessings that came as a result. The sermon concludes with a reminder of the promise of God's presence and the title of the message, "Forever Dwelling in the Presence of God."
Fire on the Altar
By G.W. North6941:11:27Sacrifice2CH 1:12CH 3:12CH 6:1MAT 6:33JHN 9:41In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of King Solomon and the dedication of the temple. He describes how the people witnessed the fire of God coming down and the glory of the Lord upon the house. The people responded by bowing down, worshiping, and praising God. King Solomon offered a massive sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. The preacher emphasizes that although this was a remarkable experience, Solomon was not satisfied and continued to seek more from God. The sermon encourages listeners to not settle for past experiences but to continually seek a deeper relationship with God and be willing to sacrifice everything for Him.
Preparing the Way for the New Covenant
By Zac Poonen39449:20DEU 14:232SA 24:242CH 3:1ISA 54:17ZEC 3:10ZEC 4:6MAL 1:8MAT 9:13MAT 18:20PHP 2:5
This sermon emphasizes the importance of offering our best to God, both in terms of our sacrifices and our devotion. It highlights the need to follow the New Testament model of church leadership, focusing on the roles of elders and the absence of pastors as an office. The speaker challenges the congregation to examine their motives in serving God, urging them to prioritize wholehearted devotion over seeking personal gain or comfort. The sermon also touches on the significance of humility, submission to authority, and the purity of offerings to God.
The Principle of Sacrifice
By Zac Poonen02CH 3:1ISA 49:15MAT 10:39LUK 9:23EPH 5:25Zac Poonen preaches on the principle of sacrifice demonstrated by Abraham on Mount Moriah and Jesus on Calvary, emphasizing the need for believers to have the spirit and faith of Abraham in building the church. Just as a mother sacrificially loves her child, God's love for us is sacrificial, and He desires to impart that sacrificial nature to us. Poonen challenges believers to sacrificially love the church, giving themselves completely without expecting anything in return, like a mother cares for her child. He contrasts the sacrificial love of a mother with the selfless service expected in building the church, urging believers to work tirelessly without complaint or demand, like a mother's continuous sacrificial care for her child.
The Lord Stirred Up the Spirit of Cyrus.
By F.B. Meyer0Obedience to GodDivine Calling2CH 36:22PRO 21:1ISA 45:1ISA 55:11JER 29:10DAN 9:2PHP 2:131TH 5:24JAS 5:16F.B. Meyer emphasizes that the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to fulfill the prophecy of the return of the Jewish captives from Babylon, as foretold by Jeremiah and Isaiah. He highlights the importance of prayer, as exemplified by Daniel, in influencing leaders and initiating divine movements. Meyer notes that while God can stir hearts, obedience is essential, and sadly, only a few of the Jewish captives responded to the call to return. He encourages believers to rise up and act whenever they feel a divine stirring in their lives. Ultimately, the sermon calls for faith and responsiveness to God's leading.
When Is It a Sacrifice?
By Theodore Epp0WorshipTrue Sacrifice2SA 24:241CH 21:182CH 3:1PSA 51:17MAT 16:24MRK 12:41LUK 14:27ROM 12:1PHP 3:7HEB 13:15Theodore Epp emphasizes the significance of true sacrifice in his sermon 'When Is It a Sacrifice?' by examining David's decision to purchase the threshing floor of Ornan for an altar. David understood that offering to God must come at a personal cost, rejecting the free gift of the land and offerings, as he believed that true worship requires sacrifice. This act serves as a powerful reminder that serving God involves personal investment and commitment, rather than merely giving what is easy or free. Epp highlights that genuine sacrifices are those that come from a broken spirit and a contrite heart, aligning with God's desire for heartfelt worship.
Spirit of Sacrifice
By Zac Poonen0SacrificeCommitment to the ChurchGEN 22:22CH 3:1ISA 49:15ROM 1:25EPH 5:25Zac Poonen emphasizes the 'Spirit of Sacrifice' by drawing parallels between Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah and the sacrificial love of Jesus on Calvary. He highlights that true service to God and the building of His church requires selfless sacrifice, contrasting it with the self-serving attitudes prevalent in society today. Poonen illustrates that just as a mother sacrifices for her child without expectation of return, believers must adopt a similar attitude towards the church. He challenges listeners to reflect on their commitment to God and the church, urging them to embrace a life of sacrificial love. Ultimately, he calls for a wake-up to the reality that God's work is accomplished through those who embody the spirit of sacrifice.
Some Principles of the House of God (2 Chronicles 3:1)
By T. Austin-Sparks0Humility in WorshipFaith and ObedienceGEN 22:22CH 3:1HEB 11:17T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the foundational principles of the house of God, highlighting the triumph of faith and obedience as exemplified by Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah, which later became the site of the temple. He discusses the necessity of laying down one's life in obedience to God, the importance of humility and the abasing of man's glory, and the meeting of mercy and judgment at the threshing floor of Ornan. Sparks illustrates that the house of God is built on sacrificial love and the rejection of self-importance, asserting that God is under no debt to man. Ultimately, he calls for a genuine relationship with God, where the chaff of vanity is threshed away to reveal the true substance that builds His house.
Ii Chronicles 22:1
By Chuck Smith0Sacrifice and RedemptionMeeting GodGEN 22:142CH 3:1MAT 11:28ROM 5:3Chuck Smith explores the significance of the threshing floor of Ornan as a meeting place with God, emphasizing that God's temple can be found in simple, unadorned places rather than grand structures. He illustrates that true encounters with God occur in moments of affliction and tribulation, where one can recognize the weight of sin and the need for sacrifice. The sermon highlights that the place of sacrifice, much like Calvary, is where God meets humanity, offering peace and redemption. Smith encourages believers to understand that every location can be holy if approached with a sincere heart, and that the cost of true religion is significant.
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
In Mount Moriah - Supposed to be the same place where Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac; so the Targum: "Solomon began to build the house of the sanctuary of the Lord at Jerusalem, in the place where Abraham had prayed and worshipped in the name of the Lord. This is the place of the earth where all generations shall worship the Lord. Here Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac for a burnt-offering; but he was snatched away by the Word of the Lord, and a ram placed in his stead. Here Jacob prayed when he fled from the face of Esau his brother; and here the angel of the Lord appeared to David, at which time David built an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor which he bought from Araunah the Jebusite."
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
The building of the temple. - Ch2 3:1-3. The statements as to the place where the temple was built (Ch2 3:1) are found here only. Mount Moriah is manifestly the mountain in the land of Moriah where Abraham was to have sacrificed his son Isaac (Gen 22:2), which had received the name המּוריּה, i.e., "the appearance of Jahve," from that event. It is the mountain which lies to the north-east of Zion, now called Haram after the most sacred mosque of the Mohammedans, which is built there; cf. Rosen, das Haram von Jerusalem, Gotha 1866. לד נראה אשׁר is usually translated: "which was pointed out to David his father." But ראה has not in Niphal the signification "to be pointed out," which is peculiar to the Hophal (cf. Exo 25:40; Exo 26:30; Deu 4:35, etc.); it means only "to be seen," "to let oneself be seen," to appear, especially used of appearances of God. It cannot be shown to be anywhere used of a place which lets itself be seen, or appears to one. We must therefore translate: "on mount Moriah, where He had appeared to David his father." The unexpressed subject יהוה is easily supplied from the context; and with אשׁר בּהר, "on the mountain where," cf. אשׁר בּמּקום, Gen 35:13., and Ew. 331, c, 3. הכין אשׁר is separated from what precedes, and connected with what follows, by the Athnach under אביהוּ, and is translated, after the lxx, Vulg., and Syr., as a hyperbaton thus: "in the place where David had prepared," scil. the building of the temple by the laying up of the materials there (Ch1 22:5; Ch1 29:2). But there are no proper analogies to such a hyperbaton, since Jer 14:1 and Jer 46:1 are differently constituted. Berth. therefore is of opinion that our text can only signify, "which temple he prepared on the place of David," and that this reading cannot be the original, because הכין occurs elsewhere only of David's activity in preparing for the building of the temple, and "place of David" cannot, without further ceremony, mean the place which David had chosen. He would therefore transpose the words thus: דויד הכין אשׁר בּמקום. But this conjecture is by no means certain. In the first place, the mere transposition of the words is not sufficient; we must also alter בּמקום into בּמּקום, to get the required sense; and, further, Bertheau's reasons are not conclusive. הכין means not merely to make ready for (zursten), to prepare, but also to make ready, make (bereiten), found e.g., Kg1 6:19; Ezr 3:3; and the frequent use of this word in reference to David's action in preparing for the building of the temple does not prove that it has this signification here also. The clause may be quite well translated, with J. J. Rambach: "quam domum praeparavit (Salomo) in loco Davidis." The expression "David's place," for "place which David had fixed upon," cannot in this connection be misunderstood, but yet it cannot be denied that the clause is stiff and constrained if we refer it to יהוה את־בּית. We would therefore prefer to give up the Masoretic punctuation, and construe the words otherwise, connecting הכין אשׁר with the preceding thus: where Jahve had appeared to his father David, who had prepared (the house, i.e., the building of it), and make בּמקום ד, with the following designation of the place, to depend upon לבנות as a further explanation of the הם בּהר, viz., in the place of David, i.e., on the place fixed by David on the threshing-floor of the Jebusite Ornan; cf. Ch1 21:18. - In Ch2 3:2 לבנות ויּחל is repeated in order to fix the time of the building. In Kg1 6:1 the time is fixed by its relation to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. בּשּׁני, which the older commentators always understood of the second day of the month, is strange. Elsewhere the day of the month is always designated by the cardinal number with the addition of לחרשׁ or יום, the month having been previously given. Berth. therefore considers בּשּׁני to be a gloss which has come into the text by a repetition of השּׁני, since the lxx and Vulg. have not expressed it.
John Gill Bible Commentary
See Chapter Introduction Next: 2 Chronicles Chapter 4
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Here is, I. The place where the temple was built. Solomon was neither at liberty to choose nor at a loss to fix the place. It was before determined (Ch1 22:1), which was an ease to his mind. 1. It must be at Jerusalem; for that was the place where God had chosen to put his name there. The royal city must be the holy city. There must be the testimony of Israel; for there are set the thrones of judgment, Psa 122:4, Psa 122:5. 2. It must be on Mount Moriah, which, some think, was that very place in the land of Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac, Gen 22:2. So the Targum says expressly, adding, But he was delivered by the word of the Lord, and a ram provided in his place. That was typical of Christ's sacrifice of himself; therefore fitly was the temple, which was likewise a type of him, built there. 3. It must be where the Lord appeared to David, and answered him by fire, Ch1 21:18, Ch1 21:26. There atonement was made once; and therefore, in remembrance of that, there atonement was made once; and therefore, in remembrance of that, there atonement must still be made. Where God has met with me it is to be hoped that he will still manifest himself. 4. It must be in the place which David has prepared, not only which he had purchased with his money, but which he had purchased with his money, but which he had pitched upon divine direction. It was Solomon's wisdom not to enquire out a more convenient place, but to acquiesce in the appointment of God, whatever might be objected against it. 5. It must be in the threshold floor of Ornan, which, if (as a Jebusite) it gives encouragement to the Gentiles, obliges us to look upon temple-work as that which requires the labour of the mind, no less than threshing-work dos that of the body. II. The time when it was begun; not till the fourth year of Solomon's reign, Ch2 3:2. Not that the first three years were trifled away, or spent in deliberating whether they should build the temple or no; but they were employed in the necessary preparations for it, wherein three years would be soon gone, considering how many hands were to be got together and set to work. Some conjecture that this was a sabbatical year, or year of release and rest to the land, when the people, being discharged from their husbandry, might more easily lend a hand to the beginning of this work; and then the year in which it was finished would fall out to be another sabbatical year, when they would likewise have leisure to attend the solemnity of the dedication of it. III. The dimensions of it, in which Solomon was instructed (Ch2 3:3), as he was in other things, by his father. This was the foundation (so it may be read) which Solomon laid for the building of the house. This was the rule he went by, so many cubits the length and breadth, after the first measure, that is, according to the measure first fixed, which there was no reason to make any alteration of when the work came to be done; for the dimensions were given by divine wisdom, and what God does shall be for ever; nothing can be put to it, or taken from it, Ecc 3:14. His first measure will be the last. IV. The ornaments of the temple. The timber-work was very fine, and yet, within, it was overlaid with pure gold (Ch2 3:4), with fine gold (Ch2 3:5). and that embossed with palm-trees and chains. It was gold of Parvaim (Ch2 3:6), the best gold. The beams and posts, the walls and doors, were overlaid with gold, Ch2 3:7. The most holy place, which was ten yards square, was all overlaid with fine gold (Ch2 3:8), even the upper chambers, or rather the upper floor or roof - top, bottom, and sides, were all overlaid with gold. Every nail, or screw, or pin, with which the golden plates were fastened to the walls that were overlaid with them, weighed fifty shekels, or was worth so much, workmanship and all. A great many precious stones were dedicated to God (Ch1 29:2, Ch1 29:8), and these were set here and there, where they would show to the best advantage. The finest houses now pretend to no better garnishing than good paint on the roof and walls; but the ornaments of the temple were most substantially rich. It was set with precious stones, because it was a type of the new Jerusalem, which has no temple in it because it is all temple, and the walls, gates, and foundations of which are said to be of precious stones and pearls, Rev 21:18, Rev 21:19, Rev 21:21.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:1-4a Although in Chronicles the Temple is the central topic of Solomon’s reign, attention to its actual architecture and furnishings is considerably less than that found in Kings (e.g., 1 Kgs 6:2-10). 3:1 While Kings emphasizes the time when the Temple was built, Chronicles places great emphasis on the Temple’s building site and the significance of the location. Geographically, it was in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the place where the Lord had appeared to David; it was selected under David’s authority, and it was the sacred place where the plague was stopped at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Abraham bound Isaac in the land of Moriah (Gen 22:2), and tradition associated the Temple Mount as the place where the Lord provided for Abraham (Gen 22:14).