HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT

2 PARALIPOMENON 2

CHAPTER II.

Ver. 1. Himself, worthy of his great empire. He deemed that which David had built too mean, though that pious king had been ashamed to dwell in such a magnificent palace, while the ark of God was under skins. 2 K. vii. 2. C.

Ver. 2. Numbered, of the proselytes, v. 17. T. --- Hew. The stones were made ready for use, as well as the wood, before it was brought to the temple. 3 K. vi. 7. --- Six. Only three are mentioned 3 K. v. 16. C. --- But three hundred overseers of higher order are here included. T.

Ver. 6. Before him. For this purpose do I design to build. M. --- Temples are more for our use than for God's, as none can be worthy of him. C.

Ver. 7. Purple. Heb. argevan, (H.) a Chal. word, of the same import as argueman, in Exodus. --- Scarlet and blue were also species of purple. The finest sort was found between Tyre and Carmel. See Vitruv. vii. 13.

Ver. 8. Pine. Heb. algum, which rather denotes a species of fir, than the juniper-tree; though the domestic kind was tall, and used in edifices. C. --- Arceuthina, "juniper," is taken from the Sept. D.

Ver. 9. Exceedingly. Heb. "wonderfully great." H.

Ver. 10. Wheat. Heb. adds, "beaten." --- Barley and wine are not specified 3 K. v. 11. C. --- Measures, like the Roman amphora, contained 960 ozs. A. Lapide --- Heb. has, "batim," in both places; but 3 K. we find, "twenty cores of oil." The satum, "measure," was only one-third of the bath or epha. C.

Ver. 13. Father. Heb. Abi, is considered by some as the surname of Hiram. Pagnin, &c. --- But he might have that title in consideration of his great skill, as Solomon gives it him. C. iv. 16. We use master in the same sense. Sept. have, "servant," (paida) except the Roman edition, which agrees with the Heb. and reads, patera. C. --- Prot. "of Huram, my father's;" (H.) supply servant, or architect. T.

Ver. 14. Dan, the city, as the widow as of the tribe of Nephthali. D. --- Whose. Heb. "and his father," (H.) or "this Abi." C. See 3 K. vii. 14. --- Silk. Heb. "byssus," which is the silk extracted from a fish, and not the fine linen of Egypt, or cotton which as sometimes this appellation. 1 Par. xv. 27. --- My lord, a term of civility.

Ver. 16. Floats. So the Sept. well express the Heb. raphsodoth, which seems to be borrowed from the Greek Raywdia, which denotes a collection of verses (C.) and was applied to Homer's poems, before they were collected. Ã†lian xiii. 14. Joppe was a port much used, (C.) though dangerous. Joseph. Bel. iii. 15.

Ver. 17. Had made, at the commencement of Solomon's reign, when David put such immense treasures into his hands. The second list was taken when the temple was begun. The proselytes were the remnants of the nations of the natives of Chanaan. The Jews foolishly pretend, (C.) that no strangers were allowed to embrace the law of Moses, under David and Solomon, for fear lest they might be influenced by self-interest rather than by the love of religion. Seldon, Syn. iii. 2. 5.

Ver. 18. Six. We read three, 3 K. v. 16.: people who where strangers, as the Israelites were not forced to work. C. viii. 9. C.