2 Chronicles 2:4

Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) I build.—Am about to build (bôneh).

To the name of the Lord.—1Kings 3:2; 1Chronicles 16:35; 1Chronicles 22:7.

To dedicate.—Or, consecrate. (Comp. Leviticus 27:14; 1Kings 9:3; 1Kings 9:7.) The italicised and should be omitted, as the following words define the purpose of the dedication, viz., for burning before him, &c. Comp. Vulgate: “Ut consecrem eam ad adolendum incensum coram illo.” (See Exodus 25:6; Exodus 30:7-8.)

And for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings.—In the Hebrew this is loosely connected with the verb rendered to burn, as part of its object: for offering before him incense of spices and a continual pile (of shewbread) and burnt offerings. (See Leviticus 24:5; Leviticus 24:8; Numbers 28:4.)

On the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts.—1Chronicles 23:31. “Solemn feasts:” set seasons. These special sacrifices are prescribed in Numbers 28:9 to Numbers 29:40

This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.—Literally, for ever this is (is obligatory) upon Israel, viz., this ordinance of offerings. (Comp. the similar phrase, 1Chronicles 23:31; and the formula, “a statute for ever,” so common in the Law, Exodus 12:14; Exodus 29:9.)

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 2:4. To dedicate it to him — To his honour and worship. For the continual show-bread — So called here and Numbers 4:7, because it stood before the Lord continually, by a constant succession of new bread, when the old was removed. See Exodus 25:30; Leviticus 24:8.

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

The symbolic meaning of "burning incense" is indicated in Revelation 8:3-4. Consult the marginal references to this verse.

The solemn feasts - The three great annnual festivals, the Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of tabernacles Leviticus 23:4-44; Deuteronomy 16:1-17.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ch 2:3-10. His Message to Huram for Skilful Artificers.

3-6. Solomon sent to Huram—The correspondence was probably conducted on both sides in writing (2Ch 2:11; also see on [407]1Ki 5:8).

As thou didst deal with David my father—This would seem decisive of the question whether the Huram then reigning in Tyre was David's friend (see on [408]1Ki 5:1-6). In opening the business, Solomon grounded his request for Tyrian aid on two reasons: 1. The temple he proposed to build must be a solid and permanent building because the worship was to be continued in perpetuity; and therefore the building materials must be of the most durable quality. 2. It must be a magnificent structure because it was to be dedicated to the God who was greater than all gods; and, therefore, as it might seem a presumptuous idea to erect an edifice for a Being "whom the heaven and the heaven of heavens do not contain," it was explained that Solomon's object was not to build a house for Him to dwell in, but a temple in which His worshippers might offer sacrifices to His honor. No language could be more humble and appropriate than this. The pious strain of sentiment was such as became a king of Israel.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To dedicate it to him, i.e. to his honour and worship.

For the continual shew-bread; so called here and Numbers 9:7, because it was to be there continually, by a constant succession of new bread when the old was removed; of which see Exodus 25:30 Leviticus 24:8.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God,.... Am about to do it, and determined upon it, see 2 Chronicles 2:1,

to dedicate it to him; to set it apart for sacred service to him:

and to burn before him sweet incense; on the altar of incense:

and for the continual shewbread; the loaves of shewbread, which were continually on the shewbread table; which, and the altar of incense, both were set in the holy place in the tabernacle, and so to be in the temple:

and for the burnt offerings morning and evening; the daily sacrifice: on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God: at which seasons, besides the daily sacrifice, additional burnt offerings were offered, and all on the brasen altar in the court: this is an ordinance

for ever unto Israel: to offer the above sacrifices, even for a long time to come, until the Messiah comes; and therefore Solomon suggests, as Jarchi and Kimchi think, that a good strong house ought to be built.

Geneva Study Bible

Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. the continual shewbread] See 1 Chronicles 9:32, notes; Leviticus 24:5-9.

on the solemn feasts) R.V. on the set feasts. Cp. 1 Chronicles 23:31, note.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - In the nine headings contained in this verse we may consider that the leading religious observances and services of the nation are summarized. To dedicate it. The more frequent rendering of the Hebrew word here used is "to hallow," Or "to sanctify."

(1) Sweet incense (see Exodus 30:1, 6-9, 34-38; Exodus 37:25-29; Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 6:9; Revelation 8:3-5). This sweet incense, compounded of the four ingredients stacte, onycha, galbanum, pure frankincense, was to be burnt morning and evening, at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices on the altar made of shittim wood, overlaid with gold, which stood in the holy place facing the ark. with the table of shewbread on the one hand, and the golden candlestick on the other. While the act of atonement was set forth by the offering of the victim on the brazen altar in the outer court, the ascending, acceptable, and accepted prayer and aspiration of the congregation were expressed by the sweet incense-burning.

(2) The continual shew-bread (מַעֲרֶכֶת תָּמִיד). The elementary meaning of the word here rendered "shewbread" is "a ranging in order," whether the "order" might be, e.g., that of an army in battle array (1 Samuel 4:16; 1 Samuel 17:8; 2 Samuel 22:48), or of the lamps of the holy candlestick (Exodus 39:37), or of pilings of wood to be burnt on the altar (Judges 6:26), or of cakes of bread, as presumably 'here and in some parallel passages (Leviticus 24:6). For the table which was to carry these cakes, see Exodus 25:23-30; Exodus 37:10-16; the last verse of the former passage speaking of the shewbread under the name לֶחֶם פָנִים. (For the position of the table, see Exodus 26:35.) The word employed in the text is first used to express the piles of cakes, called in our Authorized Version shewbread in Leviticus 24:6, 7; then 1 Chronicles 9:32; 1 Chronicles 23:29; 1 Chronicles 28:16; as also again in 2 Chronicles 13:11; 2 Chronicles 29:18; and in Nehemiah 10:33. Where in these passages the word לֶחֶם is not expressed, that it is understood may be gathered from the other passages (Numbers 4:7). The bread consisted of twelve large cakes of unleavened dough (Leviticus 24:5-9), ranged in two heaps, and with a golden cup of frankincense (Leviticus 24:7) to each pile. When on every seventh day new cakes were substituted, the old ones belonged to the priests (Leviticus 24:8, 9; Leviticus 8:31; Matthew 12:4; Exodus 29:33, 34). The twelve cakes pointed to the twelve tribes. Their size may be judged from the statement that each cake contained two tenth deals, i.e. two-tenths of an ephah, equal to about six pounds and a quarter. The exact significance of this bread is not stated in Scripture. Part of it lay plainly in the twelve cakes, part, perhaps, in their becoming priest's food, found by the people (Leviticus 24:8), after having been presented seven days before the Lord. Much that is interesting but not finally satisfactory on the question may be found in the article "Shewbread" in Dr. Smith's 'Bible Dictionary,' 3:1271. Our Authorized Version "shewbread' comes from Luther's Schaubrode. Wickliffe, after the Vulgate panes propositionis, designates it "the loaves of proposition." The New Testament has, in Hebrews 9:2, ἡ προθέσις τῶν ἄρτῶν; as also in the Gospels (Matthew 12:4; Luke 6:4); while the Septuagint has ἄρτοι ἐνώπιοι (Exodus 25:30), and ἄρτοι τῆς προσφορᾶς (1 Kings 7:48). The question really turns on the significance of the designation of Exodus 25:30 (לֶחֶם פָּנִים).

(3) The burnt offerings morning and evening. A succinct statement of these offerings, constituting the "daily offering," is given in Numbers 28:3-8, according to its original institution (Exodus 29:38-42), except in the added mention of the "strong wine," or strong drink, spoken of in the latter part of ver. 7, which had probably originated as an incident of the wilderness-journey. The morning and evening offering were alike, viz. a lamb, a meal offering consisting of a tenth of an ephah of flour, mixed with the fourth part of a bin of beaten oil, and a drink offering consisting of the fourth part of a bin of "wine," or of "strong drink."

(4) The burnt offering on the sabbath. The account of this is given in Numbers 28:9, 10; and any previous institution of it is not recorded. The sabbath-day burnt offerings were the double of the daily offerings (Ezekiel 46:4).

(5) The burnt offering on the new moons; see Numbers 27:11-15, where the phrase, of your months," is what is "the beginnings of your months" is what is employed, i.e. the first day of each month (Leviticus 10:10). No previous mention of this burnt offering is found. It consisted of two bullocks, one ram, seven lambs,

(a) with meat offering consisting of three-tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil for each bullock; two-tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil for the ram; one-tenth of an ephah of flour similarly mixed for each lamb;

(b) with drink offering, of half a hin of wine to each bullock; the third part of a hin to the ram; and the fourth part of a hin to each lamb. A kid of the goats for a sin offering, which in fact was offered before the burnt offering. And all these were to be additional to the continual offering of the day, with its drink offering (see also Isaiah 66:23; Ezekiel 46:3; Amos 8:5).

(6) The burnt offering on the solemn feasts of the Lord. These were the three great festivals of the year - the Passover (Exodus 12:3-20, 27, 43; Leviticus 23:4-8; Deuteronomy 16:1-8); the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 23:16; Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 23. 15-21; Numbers 28:26; Deuteronomy 16:8-12); the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:33-44; Numbers 29:13-40; Deuteronomy 16:13-15). 2 Chronicles 2:4

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

"Behold, I will build." הנּה with a participle of that which is imminent, what one intends to do. לו להקדּישׁ, to sanctify (the house) to Him. The infinitive clause which follows (וגו להקטיר) defines more clearly the design of the temple. The temple is to be consecrated by worshipping Him there in the manner prescribed, by burning incense, etc. סמּים קטרת, incense of odours, Exodus 25:6, which was burnt every morning and evening on the altar of incense, Exodus 30:7. The clauses which follow are to be connected by zeugma with להקטיר, i.e., the verbs corresponding to the objects are to be supplied from הקטיר: "and to spread the continual spreading of bread" (Exodus 25:30), and to offer burnt-offerings, as is prescribed in Numbers 28 and 29. וגו זאת לעולם, for ever is this enjoined upon Israel, cf. 1 Chronicles 23:31.