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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 8
Solomon builds cities—He offers sacrifices according to law of
Moses—Priests and Levites appointed to serve the Lord.
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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
aHuram had brestored 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.
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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 anether, bfenced cities,
with walls, gates, and bars;
6 And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.
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7 ¶ As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,
8 But of their children, who were left
after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did
Solomon make to apay tribute until this day.
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9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and 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, that bare rule over the people.
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11 ¶ And Solomon brought up the daughter of
Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her:
for he said, aMy wife shall not dwell in the house of David
king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the
LORD hath come.
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12 ¶ Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch,
13 Even after a certain rate
aevery day, offering according to the commandment of Moses,
on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times
in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast
of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
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14 ¶ And he appointed, according to the
aorder of David his father, the bcourses
of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise
and minister before the priests, as the cduty of every day
required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David
the man of God commanded.
15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared
aunto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD,
and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.
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17 ¶ Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.
18 And Huram sent him by the hands of his
servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went
with the servants of Solomon to
Ophira, and took thence four
hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
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18a to Ophir Where in the
world is Ophir? Their are many speculations and theories. As it is said that
the voyages of the ships of tarshish out of Ezion-Geber for Solomon did sail
at length 3 years at a time, any number of possiblities exist. One theory is
that they would sail from Ezion-Geber round Afica to Tyre or Sidon. Others
speculate that it was to the east and as far as Australia or even Peru, South
or Middle America. Certainly the concept of 'cocain mummies' does open up
that possiblity of it being to the Americas and back. The variety of cargo of
these voyages need not have obtain the whole of their cargo from Ophir alone.
It need only be the gold in abundance from there and the other such items
would have been secured enroute, perhaps on such return voyages through
southeaster Asia. Certainly it would be consistent with 'the world being
the oster of Solomon's grandure', he being the grandest of all kings ever
there was or has been.
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