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2 Chronicles 8 (Divrei HaYamim Bet) in Hebrew and English

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Tenakh Study · Read 2 Chronicles in Hebrew and English, one chapter per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link. Our full Messianic Jewish commentary on this chapter is on our 2 Chronicles commentary page.

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Tenakh Study · 2 Chronicles 8:1–18

2 Chronicles, Chapter 8

דברי הימים ב ח

Shlomo builds the cities Churam had given him, takes Chamat Tzovah and fortifies Tadmor, Beit Choron and his store cities, levies tribute on the peoples left in the land, moves Par’oh’s daughter to her own house, appoints the offerings, priests and Levi’im after David’s order, and sends ships with Churam’s servants to Ofir for gold.

8:1And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Shlomo (Solomon) had built the house of Hashem, and his own house,

אוַיְהִ֞י מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּנָ֧ה שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה וְאֶת־בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

8:2That the cities which Churam (Huram) had restored to Shlomo, Shlomo built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

בוְהֶעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֤ן חוּרָם֙ לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה בָּנָ֥ה שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה אֹתָ֑ם וַיּ֥וֹשֶׁב שָׁ֖ם אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

8:3And Shlomo went to Chamat Tzovah (Hamath-zobah), and prevailed against it.

גוַיֵּ֤לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה֙ חֲמָ֣ת צוֹבָ֔ה וַיֶּחֱזַ֖ק עָלֶֽיהָ׃

8:4And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Chamat (Hamath).

דוַיִּ֥בֶן אֶת־תַּדְמֹ֖ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְאֵת֙ כָּל־עָרֵ֣י הַֽמִּסְכְּנ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָ֖ה בַּחֲמָֽת׃

8:5Also he built Beit Choron (Beth-horon) the upper, and Beit Choron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

הוַיִּ֜בֶן אֶת־בֵּ֤ית חוֹרוֹן֙ הָֽעֶלְי֔וֹן וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית חוֹר֖וֹן הַתַּחְתּ֑וֹן עָרֵ֣י מָצ֔וֹר חוֹמ֖וֹת דְּלָתַ֥יִם וּבְרִֽיחַ׃

8:6And Ba’alat (Baalath), and all the store cities that Shlomo had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Shlomo desired to build in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), and in Levanon (Lebanon), and throughout all the land of his dominion.

ווְאֶֽת־בַּעֲלָ֗ת וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־עָרֵ֤י הַֽמִּסְכְּנוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָי֣וּ לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וְאֵת֙ כָּל־עָרֵ֣י הָרֶ֔כֶב וְאֵ֖ת עָרֵ֣י הַפָּרָשִׁ֑ים וְאֵ֣ת ׀ כָּל־חֵ֣שֶׁק שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָשַׁק֙ לִבְנ֤וֹת בִּירֽוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ וּבַלְּבָנ֔וֹן וּבְכֹ֖ל אֶ֥רֶץ מֶמְשַׁלְתּֽוֹ׃

The peoples left in the land

8:7As for all the people that were left of the Chitti (Hittites), and the Emori (Amorites), and the Perizzi (Perizzites), and the Chivi (Hivites), and the Yevusi (Jebusites), which were not of Israel,

זכָּל־הָ֠עָם הַנּוֹתָ֨ר מִן־הַחִתִּ֜י וְהָאֱמֹרִ֤י וְהַפְּרִזִּי֙ וְהַחִוִּ֣י וְהַיְבוּסִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹ֥א מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵֽמָּה׃

8:8But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Shlomo make to pay tribute until this day.

חמִן־בְּנֵיהֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר נוֹתְר֤וּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־כִלּ֖וּם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּעֲלֵ֤ם שְׁלֹמֹה֙ לְמַ֔ס עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

8:9But of the children of Israel did Shlomo make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

טוּמִן־בְּנֵי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹא־נָתַ֧ן שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה לַעֲבָדִ֖ים לִמְלַאכְתּ֑וֹ כִּי־הֵ֜מָּה אַנְשֵׁ֤י מִלְחָמָה֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י שָׁלִישָׁ֔יו וְשָׂרֵ֥י רִכְבּ֖וֹ וּפָרָשָֽׁיו׃

8:10And these were the chief of king Shlomo’s officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bore rule over the people.

יוְאֵ֨לֶּה שָׂרֵ֤י הַנִּצָּבִ֛ים (כתיב הנציבים) אֲשֶׁר־לַמֶּ֥לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם הָרֹדִ֖ים בָּעָֽם׃

The daughter of Par’oh

8:11And Shlomo brought up the daughter of Par’oh (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 Hashem has come.”

יאוְאֶת־בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה הֶעֱלָ֤ה שְׁלֹמֹה֙ מֵעִ֣יר דָּוִ֔יד לַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּֽנָה־לָ֑הּ כִּ֣י אָמַ֗ר לֹא־תֵשֵׁ֨ב אִשָּׁ֥ה לִי֙ בְּבֵית֙ דָּוִ֣יד מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּי־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הֵ֔מָּה אֲשֶׁר־בָּֽאָ֥ה אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם אֲר֥וֹן יְהוָֽה׃

Offerings and the courses

8:12Then Shlomo offered burnt offerings unto Hashem on the altar of Hashem, which he had built before the porch,

יבאָ֣ז הֶעֱלָ֧ה שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה עֹל֖וֹת לַיהוָ֑ה עַ֚ל מִזְבַּ֣ח יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הָאוּלָֽם׃

8:13Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moshe (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.

יגוּבִדְבַר־י֣וֹם בְּי֗וֹם לְהַעֲלוֹת֙ כְּמִצְוַ֣ת מֹשֶׁ֔ה לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת֙ וְלֶ֣חֳדָשִׁ֔ים וְלַמּ֣וֹעֲד֔וֹת שָׁל֥וֹשׁ פְּעָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה בְּחַ֧ג הַמַּצּ֛וֹת וּבְחַ֥ג הַשָּׁבֻע֖וֹת וּבְחַ֥ג הַסֻּכּֽוֹת׃

8:14And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levi’im (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.

ידוַיַּעֲמֵ֣ד כְּמִשְׁפַּ֣ט דָּֽוִיד־אָ֠בִיו אֶת־מַחְלְק֨וֹת הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים עַל־עֲבֹדָתָ֗ם וְהַלְוִיִּ֣ם עַל־מִ֠שְׁמְרוֹתָם לְהַלֵּ֨ל וּלְשָׁרֵ֜ת נֶ֤גֶד הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ לִדְבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֔וֹ וְהַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֥ים בְּמַחְלְקוֹתָ֖ם לְשַׁ֣עַר וָשָׁ֑עַר כִּ֣י כֵ֔ן מִצְוַ֖ת דָּוִ֥יד אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

8:15And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levi’im concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

טווְלֹ֣א סָרוּ֩ מִצְוַ֨ת הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ עַל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֛ם לְכָל־דָּבָ֖ר וְלָאֹצָרֽוֹת׃

8:16Now all the work of Shlomo was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of Hashem, and until it was finished. So the house of Hashem was perfected.

טזוַתִּכֹּן֙ כָּל־מְלֶ֣אכֶת שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה עַד־הַיּ֛וֹם מוּסַ֥ד בֵּית־יְהוָ֖ה וְעַד־כְּלֹת֑וֹ שָׁלֵ֖ם בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃

The ships to Ofir

8:17Then went Shlomo to Etzyon Gever (Ezion-geber), and to Elot (Eloth), at the sea side in the land of Edom.

יזאָז֩ הָלַ֨ךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה לְעֶצְיֽוֹן־גֶּ֧בֶר וְאֶל־אֵיל֛וֹת עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ אֱדֽוֹם׃

8:18And Churam sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Shlomo to Ofir (Ophir), and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Shlomo.

יחוַיִּֽשְׁלַֽח־לוֹ֩ חוּרָ֨ם בְּיַד־עֲבָדָ֜יו אֳנִיּ֗וֹת (כתיב אוניות) וַעֲבָדִים֮ י֣וֹדְעֵי יָם֒ וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ עִם־עַבְדֵ֤י שְׁלֹמֹה֙ אוֹפִ֔ירָה וַיִּקְח֣וּ מִשָּׁ֔ם אַרְבַּע־מֵא֥וֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים כִּכַּ֣ר זָהָ֑ב וַיָּבִ֖יאוּ אֶל־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃

Quiz time · 4 questions

How well do you know 2 Chronicles 8?

Read the chapter, then pick the best answer for each question. You will see right away if you got it right. When you have answered every question, you will see your score. To try again, press Start over.

1In verse 1, after how many years had Shlomo built the house of Hashem and his own house?

2How many chief officers did king Shlomo have ruling over the people (verse 10)?

3In verse 11, why did Shlomo say his wife should not live in the house of David?

4How many talents of gold did they bring from Ofir to king Shlomo (verse 18)?

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Sources & method

Hebrew text
The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation
The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In 2 Chronicles they differ from most English Bibles in chapters 1, 2, 13 and 14; a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
Commentary
Our full 2 Chronicles commentary, written for our Wednesday Tenakh study from a Messianic Jewish perspective in line with the Benei Avraham Statement of Faith, is on its own page.
Quiz
Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the chapter on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
Hebrew font
SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.