2 Chronicles 2:14

The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan.—In 1Kings 7:14 Hiram is called “son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali.” “Bertheau explains,” She was by birth a Danite, married into the tribe of Naphtali, became a widow, and as a widow of the tribe of Naphtali became the wife of a man of Tyre, by whom she had a son Huram. Thus two of the tribes of Israel could boast that on the mother’s side Huram belonged to them.” But in the Hebrew words “daughters of Dan” it is possible to see a corruption of the word NAPHTALI.

Skilful.—This epithet belongs to Huram, not to his Tyrian father.

To work in gold.—1Kings 7:14 calls Huram simply “a worker in brass,” or bronze.

Purple.—The strictly Hebrew form (2Chronicles 2:7).

Fine linen (bûç, byssus).—1Chronicles 15:27. Neither this material of Huram’s art, nor stone nor timber was mentioned in 2Chronicles 2:7. Huram is naturally represented as enhancing the accomplishments of his artist.

To find out every device which shall be put to him.—Rather, to devise any manner of device that may be given him. (to devise); that is, to invent all kinds of artistic objects according to commission. The words are a reminiscence of Exodus 31:4; Exodus 35:32, probably interpolated by the chronicler.

With thy cunning men—i.e., to work along with them. (Comp. verse. 7.)

My lord David.—A touch of Oriental politeness. Huram was independent of David, as of Solomon.

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 2:14. The son of a woman — of Dan, and his father a man of Tyre — A good omen of uniting Jew and Gentile in the gospel temple. With the cunning men of my lord David — So he calls David here, and Solomon in the next verse, either out of singular respect to their greatness and worth, or because he was indeed tributary to them: or, at least, his country was nourished by their country, as it was afterward, Acts 12:20.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:1-18 Solomon's message to Huram respecting the temple, His treaty with Huram. - Solomon informs Huram of the particular services to be performed in the temple. The mysteries of the true religion, unlike those of the Gentile superstitions, sought not concealment. Solomon endeavoured to possess Huram with great and high thoughts of the God of Israel. We should not be afraid or ashamed to embrace every opportunity to speak of God, and to impress others with a deep sense of the importance of his favour and service. Now that the people of Israel kept close to the law and worship of God, the neighbouring nations were willing to be taught by them in the true religion, as the Israelites had been willing in the days of their apostacy, to be infected with the idolatries and superstitions of their neighbours. A wise and pious king is an evidence of the Lord's special love for his people. How great then was God's love to his believing people, in giving his only-begotten Son to be their Prince and their Saviour.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To find out every device - Compare Exodus 31:4. The "devices" intended are plans or designs connected with art, which Huram could invent on any subject that was "put to him."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

13, 14. I have sent a cunning man—(See on [411]1Ki 7:13-51).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; of which See Poole "1 Kings 7:14".

My lord; so he calls David here, and Solomon in the next verse, either out of singular respect to their greatness and true worth; or because he was indeed tributary to them; or, at least, his country was nourished by their country, as it was afterwards, Acts 12:20.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan,.... Here follows an account of the descent of the artificer, and of his skill in working; of what seeming disagreement there may be in this account, with that in 1 Kings 7:14; see Gill on 1 Kings 7:14.

Geneva Study Bible

The son of a woman of the {f} daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

(f) It is also written that she was of the tribe of Naphtali, 1Ki 7:14 which may be understood that by reason of the confusion of tribes which then began to be, they married in various tribes so that by her father she might be of Dan and by her mother of Naphtali.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. of Dan] in 1 Kings 7:14, of Naphtali. The reading of Chron. may have arisen from Exodus 31:6 (Oholiab one of the artificers of the tabernacle was of the tribe of Dan).

to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men] R.V. to devise any device: that there may be a place appointed unto him with thy cunning men.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 14. - Son of a woman... of Dan. Both this and the parallel (1 Kings 7:14) agree as to the father of this very clever workman, that he was "a man of Tyre." But the parallel gives the mother as a woman "of the tribe of Naphtali," and calls her a "widow." This must mean, either that she was a widow now, or that she was a widow when "the man of Tyre" married her. If this latter is the correct meaning, it has been suggested that, though the mother was really a woman of the daughters of Dan, yet the husband who, dying, left her a widow, was of the tribe of Naphtali, and that from this she became credited with belonging to that tribe. It would seem not altogether impossible that it may be intended to state, in a delicate way, that this remarkably able man was the natural son of the widow in question, "the man of Tyre" (not called her husband) being the father. On the intermarriages of Danites and Phoenicians, see Blunt's 'Coincidences,' pt. 2. 4. Skilful... to find out every device. (For the identical phrase, see Exodus 31:4.) The present verse, exceeding in definiteness ver. 7, supra, undoubtedly purports on the face of it to ascribe a very wide range of practical skill, and not merely general administrative and directing skill, to Hiram. Note, however, the significance couched in the last clauses of both verses. 2 Chronicles 2:14

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The answer of King Hiram; cf. 1 Kings 5:7-11. - Hiram answered בּכתב, in a writing, a letter, which he sent to Solomon. In 1 Kings 5:7 Hiram first expresses his joy at Solomon's request, because it was of importance to him to be on a friendly footing with the king of Israel. In the Chronicle his writing begins with the congratulation: because Jahve loveth His people, hath He made thee king over them. Cf. for the expression, 2 Chronicles 9:8 and 1 Kings 10:9. He then, according to both narratives, praises God that He has given David so wise a son. ויּאמר, 2 Chronicles 2:12, means: then he said further. The praise of God is heightened in the Chronicle by Hiram's entering into Solomon's religious ideas, calling Jahve the Creator of heaven and earth. Then, further, חכם בּן is strengthened by וּבינה שׂכל יודע, having understanding and discernment; and this predicate is specially referred to Solomon's resolve to build a temple to the Lord. Then in 2 Chronicles 2:13. he promises to send Solomon the artificer Huram-Abi. On the title אבי, my father, i.e., minister, counsellor, and the descent of this man, cf. the commentary on 1 Kings 7:13-14. In 2 Chronicles 2:14 of the Chronicle his artistic skill is described in terms coinciding with Solomon's wish in 2 Chronicles 2:6, only heightened by small additions. To the metals as materials in which he could work, there are added stone and wood work, and to the woven fabrics בּוּץ (byssus), the later word for שׁשׁ; and finally, to exhaust the whole, he is said to be able כּל־מח ולחשׁב, to devise all manner of devices which shall be put to him, as in Exodus 31:4, he being thus raised to the level of Bezaleel, the chief artificer of the tabernacle. עם־חכמיך is dependent upon לעשׂות, as in 2 Chronicles 2:6. The promise to send cedars and cypresses is for the sake of brevity here omitted, and only indirectly indicated in 2 Chronicles 2:16. In 2 Chronicles 2:15, however, it is mentioned that Hiram accepted the promised supply of grain, wine, and oil for the labourers; and 2 Chronicles 2:16 closes with the promise to fell the wood required in Lebanon, and to cause it to be sent in floats to Joppa (Jaffa), whence Solomon could take it up to Jerusalem. The word צרך, "need," is a ἅπαξ λεγ. in the Old Testament, but is very common in Aramaic writings. רפסדות, "floats," too, occurs only here instead of דּבבות, 1 Kings 5:9, and its etymology is unknown. If we compare 1 Kings 5:13-16 with the parallel account in 1 Kings 5:8-11, we find that, besides Hiram's somewhat verbose promise to fell the desired quantity of cedars and cypresses on Lebanon, and to send them in floats by sea to the place appointed by Solomon, the latter contains a request from Hiram that Solomon would give him לחם, maintenance for his house, and a concluding remark that Hiram sent Solomon cedar wood, while Solomon gave Hiram, year by year, 20,000 kor of wheat as food for his house, i.e., the royal household, and twenty kor beaten oil, that is, of the finest oil. In the book of Kings, therefore, the promised wages of grain, wine, and oil, which were sent to the Tyrian woodcutters, is passed over, and only the quantity of wheat and finest oil which Solomon gave to the Tyrian king for his household, year by year, in return for the timber sent, is mentioned. In the Chronicle, on the contrary, only the wages or payment to the woodcutters is mentioned, and the return made for the building timber is not spoken of; but there is no reason for bringing these two passages, which treat of different things, into harmony by alterations of the text. For further discussion of this and of the measures, see on 1 Kings 5:11.