Solomon's buildings, 1-6. The Canaanites which were left, Solomon makes tributaries, but the Israelites rulers, 7-10. Pharaoh's daughter moves to her house, 11. Solomon's yearly solemn sacrifices, 12, 13. He appoints the priests and Levites to their places, 14-16. The navy fetches gold from Ophir, 17, 18.
1 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 That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and prevailed against it. 4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities which he built in Hamath. 5 Also he built Beth-horon the upper and Beth-horon the nether, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6 And Baalath, all the store cities that Solomon had, all the chariot cities and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.
7 As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel— 8 But of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel did not consume—Solomon made them to pay tribute until this day. 9 But Solomon did not make servants for his work of the children of Israel, but they were men of war, chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen. 10 And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people.
11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh from the city of David to 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, to which the ark of the LORD has come."
12 Then Solomon offered burnt-offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch, 13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, the Levites to their charges to praise and minister before the priests as the duty of every day required, and the gatekeepers by their courses at every gate, for thus David the man of God had commanded. 15 And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD until it was finished. Thus the house of the LORD was perfected.
17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom. 18 And Huram sent to him by the hands of his servants ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea, and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir and took from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to king Solomon.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 8[➚]