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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)
繁體中文
建殿的準備（主前 1015 年）
¹ 所羅門定意為耶和華的名建造殿宇，又為自己的國建造宮室。 ² 所羅門挑出七萬人扛抬材料，八萬人在山上鑿石頭，三千六百人督理他們。 ³ 所羅門差人去見推羅王希蘭，說：「你曾待我父親大衛，送他香柏木為他建造宮殿居住；求你也這樣待我。 ⁴ 我要為耶和華我神的名建造殿宇，分別為聖獻給他，在他面前焚燒美香，常擺陳設餅，每早晚、安息日、月朔，並耶和華我們神所定的節期獻燔祭。這是以色列永遠的定例。 ⁵ 我所要建造的殿宇甚大；因為我們的神至大，超乎諸神。 ⁶ 天和天上的天，尚且不足他居住，誰能為他建造殿宇呢？我是誰，能為他建造殿宇嗎？不過在他面前燒香而已。 ⁷ 現在求你差一個巧匠來，就是善用金、銀、銅、鐵，和紫色、朱紅色、藍色線做工，並能精巧雕刻的人，與猶大和耶路撒冷我父親大衛所預備的巧匠一同做工。 ⁸ 又求你從利巴嫩運些香柏木、松木、檀香木來。我知道你的僕人善於砍伐利巴嫩的樹木；我的僕人也必與你的僕人同工。 ⁹ 這樣，可以為我預備許多木材；因為我所要建造的殿宇，必甚廣大奇妙。 ¹⁰ 你的僕人砍伐樹木，我必給他們打的小麥二萬歌珥、大麥二萬歌珥、酒二萬罷特、油二萬罷特。」
所羅門所得的智慧，不是單為思辨、供自己消遣（雖然那確是君王的賞心樂事），也不是單為交談、供朋友取樂，而是為行動；因此他立即投身於行動。請觀察：
一、他對自己事工所定的決意（代下二1）：他「定意」先「為耶和華的名建造殿宇」。為首的當先得服事——先是聖殿，後是王宮；這殿與其說是為他自己、為他自己的舒適和氣派，不如說是為國度，為使國度在鄰國中得著尊榮，也為百姓有需謁見君王時能得體面的接待。因此兩者都是為公眾的利益。最智慧的人，就是那最為耶和華之名的榮耀和群體的福祉而擺上自己的人。我們不是為自己而生，乃是為神、為國而生。
二、他差遣使者往推羅王希蘭那裡，要他協助推進這計畫。這次差遣的內容，與我們在王上五2～6等處所見的大致相同，只是此處更為詳盡。
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他向希蘭求助的理由，在此更充分地陳明，既是為讓希蘭明白，也是為勸動他。（一）他提起他父親與希蘭的交情，以及從他所得的恩待（代下二3）：「你曾怎樣待大衛，也求你這樣待我。」我們固然當向我們父親的朋友行善，照樣也可指望從他們得著恩待，並應與他們保持來往。（二）他陳明建殿的用意：他有意以此作為宗教敬拜之所（代下二4），使神為自己名的榮耀所定的一切祭物得以在那裡獻上。建造這殿是為分別為聖獻給神，並在事奉中使用。我們在一切事業上都當以此為目標，使我們所有的、所行的，都為榮耀神。他提到各樣當在那裡舉行的具體事奉，為的是教導希蘭。真宗教的奧祕，不像外邦迷信的奧祕那樣諱莫如深、不許人知。（三）他竭力使希蘭對以色列的神存極大崇高的意念，藉著表達自己對祂聖名的極大敬畏：「我們的神至大，超乎諸神」——超乎一切偶像，超乎一切君王。偶像算不得甚麼，君王也微不足道，兩者都在以色列神的掌管之下。因此：[一.]「這殿必須甚大；不是與那位受獻之神的偉大相稱（因為有限與無限之間不可能成比例），而是與我們對這位神所有的極大敬重和珍視成比例。」[二.]「然而這殿無論多大，都不能作為這位大神的居所。不要讓希蘭以為以色列的神像萬國的神明那樣『住人手所造的殿』（徒十七24）。不，『天和天上的天尚且不足他居住』。這殿不過是為祭司和敬拜者的方便而設，使他們有合適的地方在他面前燒香獻祭。」[三.]他雖是大有權勢的君王，卻看自己不配擔任這大工的榮幸：「我是誰，能為他建造殿宇呢？」我們著手為神做任何工時，都當深深覺得自己全然不配，也全然不能做出與神的完全相稱的事。我們對待外人當行的智慧之一，就是謹慎防備我們的言語或行為可能引起任何關於神的誤解；所羅門在與希蘭立約時正是如此行。
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他向希蘭所求的，在此更詳細記下。（一）他求希蘭為他預備一個巧匠（代下二7）：「求你差一個巧匠來。」他在耶路撒冷和猶大已有大衛所預備的巧匠（代上二十二15）。不要讓人以為猶大人中沒有能工巧匠。但「求你差一個人來指導他們。耶路撒冷有巧慧的人，卻沒有像推羅那樣精於雕刻的人；既然聖殿的工必須是同類中最好的，就讓我得著所能找到的最好的匠人。」（二）求好的材料來施工（代下二8），就是香柏木和別樣木料豐足地運來（代下二8、9）；因為這殿要「甚廣大奇妙」，就是極其宏偉華美，不惜工本，也不可缺少任何巧妙的設計。
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此處記下所羅門應許供養匠人的話（代下二10），要給他們多少小麥、大麥，多少酒、多少油。他沒有僅以清水粗食餵養工人，乃是豐豐富富地供應，樣樣都是上好的。僱用勞工的人，當注意不但要給他們優厚的工價，也要充足地供應他們健康合宜的食物。富有的主人待貧窮的工人，當照著地位若調換過來、自己願意受怎樣的對待那樣待他們。
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)
繁體中文
所羅門與希蘭的盟約（主前 1015 年）
¹¹ 推羅王希蘭回答所羅門，寫信給他說：「耶和華因為愛他的百姓，所以立你作他們的王。」 ¹² 希蘭又說：「造天地的耶和華以色列的 神是應當稱頌的；他賜給大衛王一個有智慧的兒子，有聰明見識，可以為耶和華建造殿宇，又為自己的國建造宮室。 ¹³ 現在我打發一個精巧的人去，他滿有聰明，是我父親希蘭的工匠， ¹⁴ 是但支派一個婦人的兒子；他父親是推羅人。他善於用金、銀、銅、鐵、石、木，和紫色、藍色、細麻、朱紅色線作工；又能雕刻各樣的圖樣，能想出各樣交給他的巧工，可與你的巧匠、和我主大衛你父親的巧匠一同作工。 ¹⁵ 我主所說的小麥、大麥、酒、油，願他賜給他的僕人。 ¹⁶ 我們必照你所需要的，從利巴嫩砍伐樹木，紮成筏子，浮海運到約帕；你可以從那裡運上耶路撒冷去。」 ¹⁷ 所羅門照著他父親大衛所數點的，數點以色列地所有寄居的外邦人，共有十五萬三千六百名。 ¹⁸ 所羅門派其中七萬人作扛抬的，八萬人在山上鑿石頭，三千六百人作督工，使百姓作工。
此處有：一、希蘭對所羅門使者的答覆，其中他對所羅門表示極大的敬意，並樂意服事他。較卑微的人可從這些大人物身上學到與鄰為善、以禮相待。1. 他為以色列有像所羅門這樣的王而道賀（代下 2:11）：「因為耶和華愛他的百姓，所以立你作王。」請注意，明智良善的治理是百姓的大福，可算為 神恩惠的特別記號。他不說「因為他愛你」（雖然這也是真的，撒下 12:24）「所以立你作王」，而是因為他「愛他的百姓」。君王當看自己被高舉是為公眾的益處，不是為自己的私慾，並當如此治理，以證明他們是在愛中被設立的，不是在怒中。2. 他為 神為大衛興起這樣一位繼承者而稱頌 神（代下 2:12）。看來希蘭不僅對猶太民族極有好感、為他們的昌盛歡喜，更是歸化了猶太教，敬拜耶和華「以色列的 神」（鄰國此時已以此名稱認識他），看他為「造天地的 神」，看他是權能與存有的源頭；因為君王由他設立。如今以色列人既緊守 神的律法和敬拜，從而保全了自己的尊榮，鄰國便樂意受教於他們，學習真宗教，正如以色列人在背道之時曾受鄰國的偶像崇拜與迷信所感染。這使他們崇高——他們將真理借給多國，並不向多國借取；當他們行相反之事時，便成了他們的羞愧。3. 他差遣給他一位極有才智的精巧工匠，凡事必不負所望，在他身上兼有猶太與外邦血統；因為他母親是以色列人（希蘭以為她是但支派的，故如此說，代下 2:14，但看來她是拿弗他利支派的，王上 7:14），他父親卻是推羅人——這是猶太人與外邦人在福音聖殿中合一的好預兆，正如後來第二聖殿的建造因大流士大大推進（拉 6:1–12）——據悉大流士是以斯帖的兒子，母系方面是以色列人。4. 他應承了木材，要多少有多少，並承擔運到約帕的責任，同時表明他指望所羅米照他所應許的供養工匠（代下 2:15–16）。這協定我們在列王紀上 5:8–9 已讀過。
二、所羅門關於工匠所作的安排。他不願用生而自由的以色列人作聖殿本身的苦工，連監工也不肯。他用以擔任這事的是歸化猶太教的外邦人，他們在迦南沒有像以色列人那樣的產業，因此從事手藝，靠自己的巧思與勤奮謀生。此時國中此類人數極多（代下 2:17）；他們若屬於所獻與之族，或許落在基遍人的情形之內，因此也落在基遍人的律法之下，為會眾作劈柴挑水的人；若不是，他們既在許多方面因摩西律法得到妥善照顧，又與本地以色列人立於平等地位，便當存感恩之心為聖殿的事奉盡力。然而無疑他們也得了工錢或等值的報酬；律法說：「不可欺壓寄居的。」他們的分配我們在此看見（代下 2:2，又代下 2:18），共十五萬人。迦南是多結果實之地，為這許多超出眾多本地人之外的人口提供了糧食；聖殿是龐大的工程，為這許多手提供了工作。富勒先生認為，這工程所特有的——預先在別處造妥——必加增了工程量。我倒認為這反為這龐大人力提供了更多施展的空間；因為在利巴嫩的樹林中，他們可以同時開工，互不擁擠，這是錫安山上辦不到的。倘若沒有這樣龐大的人數被雇用，這樣一座宏大精巧的建築——七年之內開始並完工——據我所知，建造時間或與聖保羅座堂一樣長。
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.
在前章末尾我們讀到所羅門的通商，以及他對商業和製造業的鼓勵，這些都十分可嘉。然而建殿才是他受造所要作的工，本章他便投身於這事。本章內容：一、所羅門決意建造聖殿和王宮，並指派在其中作工的勞工（代下 2:1,2,17,18）。二、他請求推羅王希蘭為他供應工匠和材料（代下 2:3-10）。三、希蘭爽快地答覆並應允了他的請求（代下 2:11-16）。