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简体中文
英語原文
Solomon's trading, which we read of in the close of the foregoing chapter, and the encouragement he gave both to merchandise and manufacturers, were very commendable. But building was the work he was designed for, and to that business he is here applying himself. Here is, I. Solomon's determination to build the temple and a royal palace, and his appointing labourers to be employed herein, 2Ch 2:1,2,17,18. II. His request to Huram king of Tyre to furnish him both with artists and materials, 2Ch 2:3-10. III. Huram's obliging answer to, and compliance with, his request, 2Ch 2:11-16.
1-10
Preparations to Build the Temple (1015 BC)
简体中文
建殿的预备（主前1015年）
¹ 所罗门定意为耶和华的名建造殿宇，又为自己建造王宫。
² 所罗门挑出七万人扛抬材料，八万人在山上凿石头，三千六百人督理。
³ 所罗门差遣人去见推罗王希兰说：「你怎样待我父亲大卫，运香柏木给他建宫居住，求你也这样待我。
⁴ 我现在要为耶和华我神的名建造殿宇，分别为圣献给他，在他面前焚烧美香，常摆陈设饼，每早晚献燔祭，在安息日、月朔，并耶和华我们神的节期献上。这是以色列永远的定例。
⁵ 我所要建造的殿宇甚大；因为我们的神至大，超乎诸神之上。
⁶ 天和天上的天，尚且不足他居住的，谁能为他建造殿宇呢？我是谁，能为他建造殿宇吗？不过在他面前烧香而已。
⁷ 现在求你差一个巧匠来，就是善用金、银、铜、铁、紫色线、朱红色线、蓝色线，并能雕刻的，与我父亲大卫在犹大和耶路撒冷所预备的巧匠一同做工。
⁸ 又求你从黎巴嫩运些香柏木、松木、檀木木料来；因我知道你的仆人善于砍伐黎巴嫩的树木。看哪，我的仆人也必与你的仆人同工。
⁹ 这样，可以给我预备许多木料；因为我要建造的殿宇甚为高大。
¹⁰ 你的仆人砍伐树木的，我必给他们打好的小麦二万歌珥、大麦二万歌珥、酒二万罢特、油二万罢特。」
所罗门所得的智慧，不仅是为了思辨——为消遣自己（虽然那诚然是君王般的消遣）；也不仅是为了清谈——为款待朋友；而是为了行动；所以他立即着手行动。请留意：
一、他对自己事业的内心决定（代下2:1）：他「定意」先建造「为耶和华之名的」殿。当以那居首的为先——先有圣殿，然后才有王宫；这殿与其说是为他自己、为自己的便利和排场而建，不如说是为王国而建——为王国在邻国中的尊荣，为百姓有所需要求见君王之时得体的接待；所以他这两件事都以公众福祉为目标。那些最肯为耶和华之名的尊荣和群体的福祉而尽力的，是最有智慧的人。我们不是单为自己而生，乃是为神和我们的国而生。
二、他差遣使臣去见推罗王希兰，要争取他在自己所设计的事上襄助。他这趟差使的主旨，与我们已读过的王上5:2-6等处大致相同，只是此处所述更为详尽。
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他为何向希兰提出这一请求，这里所陈述的理由更为详细，既为告知希兰，也为劝动他。（1）他诉诸父亲在希兰心目中的地位，以及他从希兰所受的恩惠（代下2:3）：「你怎样待大卫，求你也这样待我。」正如我们当向父亲的朋友行善，照样我们也可指望从他们那里得着善待，并当与他们保持交往。（2）他陈述自己建殿的目的：他意图把殿作为敬拜的所在（代下2:4），使神所指定为尊荣他名而设的一切祭物都在那里献上。建这殿是为献给神、献给神服事之用。我们在一切所行的事上，都当以此为念——叫我们所有的所有、所行的所行，都为神的荣耀。他列举了当在那里所行的几样具体事奉，为要使希兰明白。真信仰的奥秘，与外邦迷信的奥秘不同，并不避讳公开。神（3）他竭力使希兰对以色列的神存着极大、极高的意念——借着表达自己对神之圣名所存的大敬畏：「我们的神至大，超乎诸神之上，超乎一切偶像，超乎一切君王之上。」偶像原是虚空，君王不过是渺小，两者都服在以色列神的管制之下；所以：[1]「这殿必须甚大；不是要与这位所要奉献给他的那位神的伟大相称（因为有限与无限之间原无比例可言），而是要在某种程度上与我们对自己所信奉的这位神所有的看重和尊敬相称。」[2]「然而无论殿多大，都不能作为这位大神的居所。不要让希兰以为以色列的神像列国的神那样『住在人手所造的殿里』（徒17:24）。不，天和天上的天尚且不足他居住。这殿不过是方便他的祭司和敬拜者之用，使他们有合适的地方在他面前献祭。」[3]他虽是权势显赫的君王，却看自己不配受雇作这大工：「我是谁，能为 他建造殿宇呢？」我们着手为神作任何工，都当怀着对自己全然不配、并对神的完全无以对应的深切感觉，这才是合宜的。我们在外人面前当怎样谨慎行事，正是智慧的一部分；要谨慎防备我们的言语或行为可能引起任何对神的误解；所罗门在此与希兰的交涉中正是如此行。
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他向希兰所提的请求，这里更具体地记下。（1）他求希兰为他配备一双巧手（代下2:7）：「求你差一个人来。」大卫曾为他在耶路撒冷和犹大预备了「巧匠」（代上22:15）。不要以为犹太人中没有能工巧匠。但「求你差一个人来」督导他们。耶路撒冷有聪明人，却没有推罗那样善于雕工的；所以，圣殿之工在各样工上都要是最好的，那就让我得着所能请到的最好的工人吧。（2）求好材料来加工（代下2:8）：香柏木及别的木料要丰丰富富（代下2:8-9）；因为所建造的殿宇要「甚为高大」——非常华丽雄伟，毫不吝惜成本，匠心独运，无所不及。
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这里有所罗门为供养工人所作的承诺（代下2:10）：要给他们这么多小麦、大麦，这么多酒、油。他并没有只给工人吃饼喝水，而是给他们丰足的、各样最好的供给。雇用工人的，当留心不仅要给他们丰足的工价，还要给他们丰足的、有益健康的、合宜的饮食。富有的主人当为贫穷的工人所作的，要像自己所愿意人待自己那样——若是彼此易地而处的话。
英語原文
Preparations to Build the Temple (1015 BC)
¹ And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a house for his kingdom.
² And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
³ And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him a house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.
⁴ Behold, I build a 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 showbread, 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.
⁵ And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
⁶ But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?
⁷ Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
⁸ Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
⁹ Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
¹⁰ And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
Solomon's wisdom was given him, not merely for speculation, to entertain himself (though it is indeed a princely entertainment), nor merely for conversation, to entertain his friends, but for action; and therefore to action he immediately applies himself. Observe,
I. His resolution within himself concerning his business (2Ch 2:1): He determined to build, in the first place, a house for the name of the Lord. It is fit that he who is the first should be served—first a temple and then a palace, a house not so much for himself, or his own convenience and magnitude, as for the kingdom, for the honour of it among its neighbours and for the decent reception of the people whenever they had occasion to apply to their prince; so that in both he aimed at the public good. Those are the wisest men that lay out themselves most for the honour of the name of the Lord and the welfare of communities. We are not born for ourselves, but for God and our country.
II. His embassy to Huram, king of Tyre, to engage his assistance in the prosecution of his designs. The purport of his errand to him is much the same here as we had it 1Ki 5:2-6, etc., only here it is more largely set forth.
1. The reasons why he makes this application to Huram are here more fully represented, for information to Huram as well as for inducement. (1.) He pleads his father's interest in Huram, and the kindness he had received from him (2Ch 2:3): As thou didst deal with David, so deal with me. As we must show kindness to, so we may expect kindness from, our fathers' friends, and with them should cultivate a correspondence. (2.) He represents his design in building the temple: he intended it for a place of religious worship (2Ch 2:4), that all the offerings which God had appointed for the honour of his name might be offered up there. The house was built that it might be dedicated to God and used in his service. This we should aim at in all our business, that our havings and doings may be all to the glory of God. He mentions various particular services that were there to be performed, for the instruction of Huram. The mysteries of the true religion, unlike those of the Gentile superstition, coveted not concealment. (3.) He endeavors to inspire Huram with very great and high thoughts of the God of Israel, by expressing the mighty veneration he had for his holy name: Great is our God above all gods, above all idols, above all princes. Idols are nothing, princes are little, and both under the control of the God of Israel; and therefore, [1.] "The house must be great; not in proportion to the greatness of that God to whom it is to be dedicated (for between finite and infinite there can be no proportion), but in some proportion to the great value and esteem we have for this God." [2.] "Yet, be it ever so great, it cannot be a habitation for the great God. Let not Huram think that the God of Israel, like the gods of the nations, dwells in temples made with hands, Ac 17:24. No, the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. It is intended only for the convenience of his priests and worshippers, that they may have a fit place wherein to burn sacrifice before him." [3.] He looked upon himself, though a mighty prince, as unworthy the honour of being employed in this great work: Who am I that I should build him a house? It becomes us to go about every work for God with a due sense of our utter insufficiency for it and our incapacity to do any thing adequate to the divine perfections. It is part of the wisdom wherein we ought to walk towards those that are without carefully to guard against all misapprehension which any thing we say or do may occasion concerning God; so Solomon does here in his treaty with Huram.
2. The requests he makes to him are more particularly set down here. (1.) He desired Huram would furnish him with a good hand to work (2Ch 2:7): Send me a man. He had cunning men with him in Jerusalem and Judah, whom David provided, 1Ch 22:15. Let them not think but that Jews had some among them that were artists. But "send me a man to direct them. There are ingenious men in Jerusalem, but not such engravers as are in Tyre; and therefore, since temple-work must be the best in its kind, let me have the best workmen that can be got." (2.) With good materials to work on (2Ch 2:8), cedar and other timber in abundance (2Ch 2:8,9); for the house must be wonderfully great, that is, very stately and magnificent, no cost must be spared, nor any contrivance wanting in it.
3. Here is Solomon's engagement to maintain the workmen (2Ch 2:10), to give them so much wheat and barley, so much wine and oil. He did not feed his workmen with bread and water, but with plenty, and every thing of the best. Those that employ labourers ought to take care they be not only well paid, but well provided for with sufficient of that which is wholesome and fit for them. Let the rich masters do for their poor workmen as they would be done by if the tables were turned.
11-18
Solomon's Treaty with Hiram (1015 BC)
简体中文
所罗门与希兰的盟约（主前1015年）
¹¹ 推罗王希兰写信回答所罗门说：「耶和华因为爱祂的子民，所以立你作他们的王。」
¹² 希兰又说：「创造天地的耶和华以色列的神是应当称颂的！祂赐给大卫王一个有智慧的儿子，赋有聪明见识，可以为耶和华建殿，又为自己的国建宫。
¹³ 现在我打发一个精巧的人来，他满有聪明，是我父亲希兰所用的，
¹⁴ 他是但支派一个妇人的儿子；他父亲是推罗人，精于用金、银、铜、铁、石、木和紫色、蓝色、细麻、朱红色线作工，又能雕刻各样的图案，能想出任何交托他的巧工，可与你的巧匠和我主大卫你父亲的巧匠一同作工。
¹⁵ 我主所提的小麦、大麦、油、酒，请运给你的仆人。
¹⁶ 我们必照你所需要的，从黎巴嫩砍伐木头，扎成筏子，浮海运到约帕；你可以运上耶路撒冷去。」
¹⁷ 所罗门仿照他父亲大卫从前数点以色列地寄居之人的办法，数点了他们，共十五万三千六百名。
¹⁸ 他派其中七万人作扛抬的，八万人在山上凿石，三千六百人作督工的，监督百姓做工。
我们在此看见：
一、希兰对所罗门使臣的答复，其中表明他对所罗门极为尊敬，也乐意为他效力。卑微的人可以从这些大人物身上学到当如何与邻舍和睦、殷勤相待。
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他因以色列有这样一位王而向他们道贺（代下2:11）：「因为耶和华爱祂的百姓，所以立你作王。」请留意，智慧良善的治理是百姓的大福，可以视为神恩待他们的独特记号。他不是说「因为祂爱你」（虽然这也是真的，撒下12:24），「祂立你作王」；而是因为祂「爱祂的百姓」。君王当看自己是因公共的利益而被立，不是为个人的满足；当如此治理，以证明他们是出于爱而被赐下，不是出于怒气。
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他因神为大卫兴起这样一位继承人而称颂神（代下2:12）。看来希兰不仅对犹太民族深有好感，因他们的兴旺而喜乐，更可说他已归信犹太教，敬拜耶和华「以色列的神」（那时邻邦已如此称呼祂），视祂为「创造天地的神」，并视祂为能力的源头与存有的源头；因为立王废王都由祂。当以色列人紧紧持守神的律法和敬拜，因而保守了自己的尊荣，邻邦也乐意从他们受教，认识真宗教——正如以色列人在背道之日受邻邦的偶像崇拜和迷信所感染一样。这样他们就居高位，借给许多邦国却不致向他们借用——把真理借给他们，却不向他们借用错谬；他们行相反之事时，便是他们的羞辱。
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他差遣给他一位极其精巧的工匠，必不辜负他所期望的一切；这人有犹太和外邦两方的血统——他母亲是以色列人（希兰以为她是但支派的，所以在此如此说，代下2:14，但其实她是拿弗他利支派的，王上7:14），他父亲是推罗人——这是犹太人和外邦人在福音圣殿中合一的佳兆，正如后来建造第二圣殿时，因大居鲁士（拉6:1-12）的大力协助而大得进展——据推测他是以斯帖的儿子，母亲是以色列人。
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他应承木材，要多少便有多少，并保证运到约帕；同时表示他信靠所罗门必按所应许的供给工人的费用（代下2:15,16）。这协议我们先前已有（王上5:8,9）。
二、所罗门关于工人所下达的命令。他不肯用生为自由人的以色列人去做圣殿本身的粗重苦工，连督工也不用他们。他乃是雇用归信犹太教的寄居者；他们在迦南没有像以色列人那样的产业地，所以操手艺，凭聪明与勤劳谋生。当时国中有大量的这样的人（代下2:17）；他们若是属当灭之邦族的，或许属于基遍人的情形，因此落在当为会众劈柴的律法之下；若不是，他们既在许多方面因摩西律法蒙善待，又与本地以色列人立于平等地位，便当出于感恩尽其所能为圣殿效力。然而他们无疑也获得金钱或金钱所值的工价：律法记着说：「不可欺负寄居的。」此处记有他们的分配（代下2:2，又见代下2:18），共十五万人。迦南本是肥美之地，能在众多本地人之外，还供养这许多额外的口；圣殿是极大的工程，能为这么多手提供工作。富勒先生认为，这建筑特有的做法——一切构件都事先在别处造好——必会增加工程量。我倒认为，这反而给这么多双手提供了更多被雇用的机会；因为在黎巴嫩的树林中，他们可以同时一起做工，而不至于拥挤——这在锡安山上却不可能。若不是雇用如此众多的人，这样宏大精巧的建筑，七年之内完工——据我所知，建造圣保罗座堂也许要花同样长的时间。
英語原文
Solomon's Treaty with Hiram (1015 BC)
¹¹ Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.
¹² Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build a house for the LORD, and a house for his kingdom.
¹³ And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,
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.
¹⁵ Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:
¹⁶ And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.
¹⁷ And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found a hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.
¹⁸ And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.
Here we have, I. The return which Huram made to Solomon's embassy, in which he shows a great respect for Solomon and a readiness to serve him. Meaner people may learn of these great ones to be neighbourly and complaisant. 1. He congratulates Israel on having such a king as Solomon was (2Ch 2:11): Because the Lord loved his people, he has made thee king. Note, A wise and good government is a great blessing to a people, and may well be accounted a singular token of God's favour. He does not say, Because he loved thee (though that was true, 2Sa 12:24) he made thee king, but because he loved his people. Princes must look upon themselves as preferred for the public good, not for their own personal satisfaction, and should rule so as to prove that they were given in love and not in anger. 2. He blesses God for raising up such a successor to David, 2Ch 2:12. It should seem that Huram was not only very well affected to the Jewish nation, and well pleased with their prosperity, but that he was proselyted to the Jewish religion, and worshipped Jehovah, the God of Israel (who was now known by that name to the neighbouring nations), as the God that made heaven and earth, and as the fountain of power as well as being; for he sets up kings. Now that the people of Israel kept close to the law and worship of God, and so preserved their honour, the neighbouring nations were as willing to be instructed by them in the true religion as Israel had been, in the days of their apostasy, to be infected with the idolatries and superstitions of their neighbours. This made them high, that they lent to many nations and did not borrow, lent truth to them, and did not borrow error from them; as when they did the contrary it was their shame. 3. He sent him a very ingenious curious workman, that would not fail to answer his expectations in every thing, one that had both Jewish and Gentile blood meeting in him; for his mother was an Israelite (Huram thought she was of the tribe of Dan, and therefore says so here, 2Ch 2:14, but it seems she was of the tribe of Naphtali, 1Ki 7:14), but his father was a Tyrian—a good omen of uniting Jew and Gentile in the gospel temple, as it was afterwards when the building of the second temple was greatly furthered by Darius (Ezr 6:1-12), who is supposed to have been the son of Esther—an Israelite by the mother's side. 4. He engaged for the timber, as much as he would have occasion for, and undertook to deliver it at Joppa, and withal signified his dependence upon Solomon for the maintenance of the workmen as he had promised, 2Ch 2:15,16. This agreement we had, 1Ki 5:8,9.
II. The orders which Solomon gave about the workmen. He would not employ the free-born Israelites in the drudgery work of the temple itself, not so much as to be overseers of it. In this he employed the strangers who were proselyted to the Jewish religion, who had not lands of inheritance in Canaan as the Israelites had, and therefore applied to trades, and got their living by their ingenuity and industry. There were, at this time, vast numbers of them in the land (2Ch 2:17), who, if they were of any of the devoted nations, perhaps fell within the case, and therefore fell under the law, of the Gibeonites, to be hewers of wood for the congregation: if not, yet being in many respects well provided for by the law of Moses, and put upon an equal footing with the native Israelites, they were bound in gratitude to do what they could for the service of the temple. Yet, no doubt, they were well paid in money or money's worth: the law was, Thou shalt not oppress a stranger. The distribution of them we have here (2Ch 2:2, and again 2Ch 2:18), in all 150,000. Canaan was a fruitful land, that found meat for so many mouths more than the numerous natives; and the temple was a vast building, that found work for so many hands. Mr. Fuller suggests that the expedient peculiar to this structure, of framing all beforehand, must needs increase the work. I think it rather left so much the more room for this vast multitude of hands to be employed in it; for in the forest of Lebanon they might all be at work together, without crowding one another, which they could not have been upon Mount Sion. And, if there had not been such vast numbers employed, so large and curious a fabric, which was begun and ended in seven years, might, for aught I know, have been as long in building as St. Paul's.
所罗门在上一章末了所记的贸易，以及他对商业和制造业所给的鼓励，都十分值得称许。但建造才是他被指定要作的工，他在此也正是专心从事这工。本章所记的有：一、所罗门决心要建造圣殿和王宫，并指定要雇用的工人（代下2:1-2、17-18）。二、他请求推罗王希兰为他预备工匠和材料（代下2:3-10）。三、希兰对他请求的友善回复与成全（代下2:11-16）。