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繁體中文
英文原文
In this chapter we are told, I. What cities Solomon built, 2Ch 8:1-6. II. What workmen Solomon employed, 2Ch 8:7-10. III. What care he took about a proper settlement for his wife, 2Ch 8:11. IV. What a good method he put the temple-service into, 2Ch 8:12-16. V. What trading he had with foreign countries, 2Ch 8:17,18.
1-11
Solomon's Buildings (992 BC)
繁體中文
所羅門的建築（主前 992 年）
¹ 所羅門建造耶和華的殿和自己的宮室，二十年才完畢了。 ² 希蘭從前歸還給所羅門的城邑，所羅門重新建造，使以色列人住在那裡。 ³ 所羅門往哈馬瑣巴去，攻取了那地。 ⁴ 所羅嫩在曠野建造達莫，又建造哈馬一切的積貨城。 ⁵ 又建造上伯和崙、下伯和崙，作為保障，有牆、有門、有閂； ⁶ 又建造巴拉和所羅門所擁有的一切積貨城、一切屯車城、馬兵城，以及他在耶路撒冷、利巴嫩和自己所治理的全地所願意建造的一切。 ⁷ 至於以色列人以外的赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人， ⁸ 就是以色列人所未曾滅絕、仍遺留在那地的人的後裔，所羅門使他們直到今日仍服苦工、納貢。 ⁹ 惟有以色列人，所羅門不使他們為他的工作作奴僕；他們乃是戰士、軍長、車兵長和馬兵長。 ¹⁰ 所羅門王的官長共有二百五十人，掌管治理百姓。 ¹¹ 所羅門將法老的女兒從大衛城帶上他所為她建造的宮裡去；因為他說：「我的妻不可住在大衛以色列王的宮裡，因為耶和華約櫃所到之處都為聖。」
這些事我們在王上九10～24已經讀過，因此在此只觀察以下幾點：
一、所羅門雖是滿有學問知識的人，卻不是在沉思默想中、而是在行動中度日；不是在書房中、而是在自己的國家中——建造城邑並加以堅固，在太平之時為戰爭之時作預備。這正如同人的本分：在夏天為冬天預備糧食。
二、他自己是勤於政事、不肯貪圖安逸的人，也僱用了許多人手，使大批百姓有工可作。國家理當盡一切可能促進和鼓勵勤勞，使百姓免於閒懶。以色列中有許多外邦人，就是迦南人中存留的餘民；他們可以住在那裡，卻不可以住了甚麼都不作。拉億的居民因無所事事，就輕易被侵奪者所滅（士十八7）。
三、所羅門既以建造神的殿為開始，並把那工又快又好地作成，他一切所經營的事便盡都順利，以致「他建造了一切他所要建造的」（代下八6）。有建築才幹的人發現：一個計畫引出另一個計畫，後來的還要修補改良先前的。如今請觀察：1. 神的護理甚至體貼所羅門的性情，賜他成功——不僅在他所需要建造、建造了對他有益的事上，也在他心裡想要建造的事上。神對事奉祂的兒女那些無辜的願望，有時竟如此體貼如慈父。祂也曾用那應許使雅各喜樂：「約瑟必給你合上眼睛。」2. 所羅門懂得為自己的願望設界限。他不是那種無止境地擴大願望、總不能滿足的人；他知道何時當收斂。因為他作完了一切所要作的，便不再有所貪求。他並不像亞歷山大那樣坐下來為沒有更多世界可征服而發愁（哈二5），也不為沒有更多城邑可建而懊惱。
四、所羅門之所以特別為王后建造宮殿，並將她和她的朝廷遷到那裡，是因為他認為她斷不該「住在大衛的宮裡」（代下八11）。因那地曾是極敬虔之處，而她的住所或許是極虛浮之處。她大概已歸信了猶太教；但她所有的僕人是否都已歸信，卻成問題。他們當中也許還帶著埃及的偶像，以及許多褻瀆和放蕩。如今所羅門雖然沒有足夠的熱心和勇氣去壓制和懲治那裡的過失，卻顧念他父親的名譽，不容約櫃曾停留之處、大衛曾在那裡獻上許多美好禱告、唱過許多甜美詩篇的地方被如此褻瀆。這並不是說約櫃所到過的一切地方都如此聖潔，永不可改作俗用；否則亞比拿達和俄別以東的家也當如此了。但約櫃曾在那裡停留如此之久、又如此公開地被人事奉的地方，實在是如此可敬，不宜作為法老女兒的朝廷那樣——恐怕我說——充滿浮華、甚至不義的所在。請注意：在神聖之物和世俗之間，當持守古時的界限。聖殿的外院才是「婦女的院」。
英文原文
Solomon's Buildings (992 BC)
¹ And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house,
² That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
³ And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.
⁴ And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.
⁵ Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
⁶ And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.
⁷ As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,
⁸ But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.
⁹ But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.
¹⁰ And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.
¹¹ And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.
This we had 1Ki 9:10-24, and therefore shall only observe here,
I. Though Solomon was a man of great learning and knowledge, yet he spent his days, not in contemplation, but in action, not in his study, but in his country, in building cities and fortifying them, in a time of peace preparing for a time of war, which is as much a man's business as it is in summer to provide food for winter.
II. As he was a man of business himself, and did not consult his own ease, so he employed a great many hands, kept abundance of people to work. It is the interest of a state by all means possible to promote and encourage industry, and to keep its subjects from idleness. A great many strangers there were in Israel, many that remained of the Canaanites; and they were welcome to live there, but not to live and do nothing. The men of Laish, who had no business, were an easy prey to the invaders, Jdg 18:7.
III. When Solomon had begun with building the house of God, and made good work and quick work of that, he prospered in all his undertakings, so that he built all that he desired to build, 2Ch 8:6. Those who have a genius for building find that one project draws on another, and the latter must amend and improve the former. Now observe, 1. How the divine providence gratified even Solomon's humour, and gave him success, not only in all that he needed to build and that it was for his advantage to build, but in all that he had a mind to build. So indulgent a Father God is sometimes to the innocent desires of his children that serve him. Thus he pleased Jacob with that promise, Joseph shall put his hand on thy eyes. 2. Solomon knew how to set bounds to his desires. He was not one of those that enlarge them endlessly, and can never be satisfied, but knew when to draw in; for he finished all he desired, and then he desired no more. He did not sit down and fret that he had not more cities to build, as Alexander did that he had not more worlds to conquer, Hab 2:5.
IV. That one reason why Solomon built a palace on purpose for the queen, and removed her and her court to it, was because he thought it by no means proper that she should dwell in the house of David (2Ch 8:11), considering that that had been a place of great piety, and perhaps her house was a place of great vanity. She was proselyted, it is likely, to the Jewish religion; but it is a question whether all her servants were. Perhaps they had among them the idols of Egypt, and a great deal of profaneness and debauchery. Now, though Solomon had not zeal and courage enough to suppress and punish what was amiss there, yet he so far consulted the honour of his father's memory that he would not suffer that place to be thus profaned where the ark of God had been and where holy David had prayed many a good prayer and sung many a sweet psalm. Not that all the places where the ark had been were so holy as never to be put to a common use; for then the houses of Abinadab and Obed-edom must have been so. But the place where it had been so long, and had been so publicly attended on, was so venerable that it was not fit to be the place of so much gaiety, not to say iniquity, as was to be found, I fear, in the court that Pharaoh's daughter kept. Note, Between things sacred and things common the ancient landmarks ought to be kept up. It was an outer-court of the temple that was the court of the women.
12-18
Solomon's Devotion (992 BC)
繁體中文
所羅門的敬虔（主前992年）
¹² 所羅門在耶和華的壇上，就是他在廊子前所築的壇上，向耶和華獻燔祭。 ¹³ 又按著每日所當獻的，照摩西的命令，在安息日、月朔、並一年三次的節期，就是除酵節、七七節、住棚節，獻上例定的祭。 ¹⁴ 又照著他父大衛所定的例，派定祭司的班次，使他們各盡其職；又派定利未人的職責，使他們在祭司面前讚美事奉，按每日所當作的去作；又派定守門的按著班次在各門看守，因為神人大衛是這樣吩咐的。 ¹⁵ 王所吩咐祭司和利未人的，無論是關乎甚麼事，或是關乎府庫，他們都沒有違背。 ¹⁶ 所羅門建造耶和華的殿，從立根基直到成功，全都預備齊全。這樣，耶和華的殿就完備了。 ¹⁷ 那時所羅門往以東地海邊的以旬‧迦別和以祿去。 ¹⁸ 戶蘭藉著他僕人的手，送他船隻和熟悉航海的僕人；他們與所羅門的僕人一同到了俄斐，得了四百五十他連得金子，運到所羅門王那裡。
此處記載：
一、所羅門的敬虔。建殿是為了殿中的事奉。無論他在建造上花費多少，若忽略了在那裡當行的敬拜，一切都是徒然。幫助別人的敬虔，不能補贖自己的疏忽。所羅門建殿之後，1. 他在其中維持了聖潔的獻祭，按著摩西的律法而行（代下八12-13）。祭壇若不常獻祭，天上的火若不常有祭物為燃料，則壇既白建，火也白降。那裡有每日當獻的祭，「每日所當獻的」，日復一日如期獻上；每週的安息日之祭，加倍於平日；每月的月朔之祭；以及每年三個節期的祭祀。如今我們當獻的乃是屬靈的祭，當每日每週獻上；常在固定的敬虔法則之中，乃是美事。2. 他在其中維持了聖潔的歌唱，按著「大衛的律法」而行；大衛在此被稱為「神人」，正如摩西被稱為神人一樣，因為他設立這些規矩既受神的教導，也得神的授權；所羅門也謹慎遵行，「按每日所當作的」（代下八14）。所羅門雖是有智慧有尊榮的人，又是聖殿的建造者，卻並不試圖修改、更改或增補神人奉神的名所吩咐的，反倒緊緊持守，並用他的權柄使人切實遵行；於是「無論關乎甚麼事，他們都沒有違背王的命令」（代下八15）。他遵守神的律法，於是眾人都服從他的命令。當殿中的事奉進入這樣的良好秩序時，經上便說：「耶和華的殿就完備了」（代下八16）。要緊的是事工，而非地點；這一切未成之前，聖殿還不算竣工。
二、所羅門的通商。他親自巡視了以祿和以旬‧迦別這些沿海城邑；因為在世事上周旋頗多的人，必發現盡可能親自視察自己的事務、親眼察看，乃是有益的（代下八17）。迦南本是富庶之國，卻仍須往俄斐運取金子；以色列人本是充滿智慧聰明的民，卻仍須倚靠推羅王供應「熟悉航海的人」（代下八18）。然而迦南是神特有的地，以色列是神特有的民。這教訓我們：恩典而非黃金才是最好的財富；認識神和他的律法，勝於技藝和科學，這才是最好的知識。
英文原文
Solomon's Devotion (992 BC)
¹² Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch,
¹³ Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
¹⁴ And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.
¹⁵ And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
¹⁶ Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.
¹⁷ Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.
¹⁸ And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
Here is, I. Solomon's devotion. The building of the temple was in order to the service of the temple. Whatever cost he was at in rearing the structure, if he had neglected the worship that was to be performed there, it would all have been to no purpose. Assisting the devotion of others will not atone for our own neglects. When Solomon had built the temple, 1. He kept up the holy sacrifices there, according to the law of Moses, 2Ch 8:12,13. In vain had the altar been built, and in vain had fire come down from heaven, if sacrifices had not been constantly brought as the food of the altar and the fuel of that fire. There were daily sacrifices, a certain rate every day, as duly as the day came, weekly sacrifices on the sabbath, double to what was offered on other days, monthly sacrifices on the new moons, and yearly sacrifices at the three solemn feasts. Those are spiritual sacrifices that are now required of us, which we are to bring daily and weekly; and it is good to be in a settled method of devotion. 2. He kept up the holy songs there, according to the law of David, who is here called the man of God, as Moses was, because he was both instructed and authorised of God to make these establishments; and Solomon took care to see them observed as the duty of every day required, 2Ch 8:14. Solomon, though a wise and great man and the builder of the temple, did not attempt to amend, alter, or add to what the man of God had, in God's name, commanded, but closely adhered to that, and used his authority to have that duly observed; and then none departed from the commandment of the king concerning any matter, 2Ch 8:15. He observed God's laws, and then all obeyed his orders. When the service of the temple was put into this good order, then it is said, The house of the Lord was perfected, 2Ch 8:16. The work was the main matter, not the place; the temple was unfinished till all this was done.
II. Solomon's merchandise. He did himself in person visit the sea-port towns of Eloth and Ezion-geber; for those that deal much in the world will find it their interest, as far as they can, to inspect their affairs themselves and to see with their own eyes, 2Ch 8:17. Canaan was a rich country, and yet must send to Ophir for gold; the Israelites were a wise and understanding people, and yet must be beholden to the king of Tyre for men that had knowledge of the seas, 2Ch 8:18. Yet Canaan was God's peculiar land, and Israel God's peculiar people. This teaches us that grace, and not gold, is the best riches, and acquaintance with God and his law, not with arts and sciences, the best knowledge.
本章記述：一、所羅門建造了哪些城邑（代下 8:1-6）。二、所羅門使用了哪些工人（代下 8:7-10）。三、他為自己的妻作了怎樣妥善的安置（代下 8:11）。四、他把聖殿的事奉安排成怎樣美好的秩序（代下 8:12-16）。五、他與外邦各國有何通商往來（代下 8:17,18）。