1 Kings 7:51

1Ki 7:51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; [even] the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

Ver. 51. So was ended all the work.] Solomon’s temple was finished in the year of the world three thousand. Hence some gather that the spiritual temple shall be consummated in three thousand more. Christ was born in the four thousandth year of the world. The temple was destroyed together with the city by the Romans, in the year of the world exactly four thousand and seventy-three. {a}

The things which David his father had dedicated.] Partita factas partita infectas, quae ex opere superfuerant. For that of the Rabbis is not likely to be true - viz., that Solomon made no use of the treasure gathered by his father, as not worthy, but only of that which himseff had gotten together in those four years.

{a} Ussher.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 7:51. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated — The silver and gold, and other things which David had provided for erecting this temple, and which had not been expended in the house itself, or its furniture, Solomon laid up in the treasury belonging to it, for repairs, exigences, and the constant charge of the temple-service. Although this splendid edifice had cost him immense sums, besides what David had prepared for building it, he would not repay himself in any degree by diverting from their intended purpose, and transferring to his own secular use, these devoted, or, as they are termed in the margin, holy things of David. “What parents have dedicated to God,” says Henry, here, “the children ought by no means to alienate or recall; but cheerfully confirm what was intended for pious and charitable uses, that they may with their estates inherit the blessing.” And the vessels did he put among the treasures of, &c. — With those which David had dedicated, he laid up the altar of Moses, and some other of the old utensils which belonged to the tabernacle, as being of no further use, far better being provided in their room. Indeed, the tabernacle itself was thus laid up, for which, as the temple was now built, there was no further occasion; and yet it was proper to preserve the parts of so sacred a structure, which had been formed, in all respects, by divine direction, and had long been holy to the Lord.

So was ended all the work — “Concerning this temple, we may observe, upon the whole, that the glory of it did not consist in its bulk or largeness, (for in itself it was but a small pile of building, no more than one hundred and fifty feet in length, and one hundred and five in breadth, taking the whole together, and is exceeded by many of our parish churches,) but its chief grandeur and excellence lay in its out-buildings and ornaments, in its workmanship, which was everywhere very curious, and in its overlayings, which were vast and prodigious. The overlaying of the holy of holies only, which was a room but thirty feet square and twenty high, amounted to six hundred talents of gold, which comes to four millions three hundred and twenty thousand pounds of our sterling money. ‘The whole frame,’ says Josephus, ‘was raised upon stones, polished to the highest degree of perfection, and so artificially put together, that there was no joint to be discerned, no sign of any working-tools having been upon them, but the whole looked more like the work of providence and nature, than the product of art and human invention. And as for the inside, what carving, gilding, embroidery, rich silks, and fine linen could do, of these there was the greatest profusion. The very floor of the temple was overlaid with beaten gold; the doors were large, and proportioned to the height of the walls, twenty cubits broad, and still gold upon gold.’ Antiq., lib. 8. chap. 2. In a word, it was gold all over, and nothing was wanting, either within or without, that might contribute to the glory and magnificence of the work.” — Dr. Dodd. Some have intimated, that one principal reason why Solomon bestowed all this outward splendour and glory on the temple of the one living and true God, probably was that he might keep the people from idolatry, knowing how much they were taken with such things. Certainly none of the idol temples were to be compared to it for riches and magnificence. Indeed, there was nothing like it in the whole world. But if this were any part of his design, the event showed how far it was from being answered thereby, and how little the expedient availed. Multitudes of the Israelites, and those not only of the more distant tribes, but even of the tribe of Judah itself, in the very midst of whom this most splendid and sumptuous fabric stood, soon relapsed into that most unreasonable and stupid of all sins. Nearly the whole Hebrew nation, even, became idolatrous. Nay, what is more astonishing, Solomon himself, who erected this most costly and superb edifice, was drawn away from the worship of that God to whose honour he had raised it, and was turned in his heart after other gods, 1Ki 11:4; so true it is, that nothing merely external, whether in the place or ceremonies of God’s worship, however sumptuous or dazzling, can engage or secure the attachment of fallen man to him and his service. An acquaintance with his spiritual and holy nature and infinite perfections, and his love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us, can only effect this; which blessings if we would receive and retain, we must keep our hearts with all diligence, and not suffer their desires to wander after vain things, which cannot profit. Had Solomon continued to attend to this, his own advice, the glory of his youth would not have suffered so dreadful an eclipse in his declining years; but the bright example of his wisdom and piety would have continued to shine with undiminished, nay, with increasing lustre, to the credit of the true religion, and the edification of millions, while he himself, in soul and body would have remained a temple of the living God, a habitation of Jehovah through the Spirit, a fabric unspeakably more glorious than that which, with such immense expense of treasure, time, and labour, he had erected in Jerusalem.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 51. Solomon brought in the things] It has been a question whether Solomon, in the structure of the temple, used any of the gold and silver which David had provided? And here it seems answered in the negative; for after the house was finished, with all its utensils and ornaments, with its immense profusion of gold, it is here said that Solomon brought in the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, which David his father had dedicated. It appears therefore that Solomon had employed four years to make preparation for the work before it was begun. During the whole time of the building, he was no doubt still appropriating a part of the public revenue for this purpose; and the provision made by his father he placed among the treasures of the house; but the temple was truly Solomon's, as he had provided all its materials, and borne every expense.

As the temple was built in some measure on the model of the tabernacle, and dedicated to the same use, I wish to refer the reader to the description of the former, in Exod. 25-27, and 35-39, and the notes there.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(51) The things which David his father had dedicated.—For the account of the dedication of various treasures, by David and by the princes of Israel, for the House of the Lord, see 1Ch_18:8; 1Ch_18:10-11; 1Ch_22:3-5; 1Ch_22:14-16; 1Ch_28:14-18; 1Ch_29:2-5. The accumulation was enormous. It had evidently been the work of years to gather it out of the spoils of many victories, offered in that spirit of thankful devotion which is expressed in David’s own words: “Both riches and honour come of thee . . . and of thine own have we given unto thee” (1Ch_29:12; 1Ch_29:14). The words used in the text seem to indicate that besides the vessels of gold, silver, and brass, gold and silver, in money or in ingots, were brought into the sacred treasury.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

51. So was ended, &c.] The changes of order and words in this verse made by R.V. (viz. Thus all the work that king Solomon wrought in the house of the Lord was finished.) are such as to bring as nearly as possible this passage and 2Ch_5:1 into accord. Where the Hebrew words are the same there seems a gain in representing them in such a recital as the present by the same translation. On ‘in the house of the Lord,’ cf. above on 1Ki_7:45.

among the treasures] R.V. ‘in the treasuries.’ The word is used rather of the place than of the things kept in it. Thus Joe_1:17, it is rendered ‘garners,’ and in 1Ch_27:25 ‘storehouses,’ and two verses later in the same chapter ‘cellars’ for wine. It is noteworthy that in Kings nothing is said of the treasures amassed by David, while in Chronicles (1Ch_29:1-8) they are dwelt on at some length.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The things which David had dedicated - Not only the things described in 1Ch 28:14-18, but also the spoil of the nations which he had subdued (margin reference), and also the vessels of gold, silver, and brass, sent him by Toi king of Hamath, on his victory over Hadadezer. Solomon now brought these into the temple treasury. A sacred treasury had been established at least as early as the time of Saul, to which Saul himself, Abner, Joab, and others, had contributed 1Ch 26:28.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Dedicated. Literally, "sanctified," (Haydock) or set apart. (Worthington) --- Gold, unwrought. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The silver and the gold; either, first, all of it; and so Solomon built it wholly at his own charge; or, secondly, so much of it its was left.

The vessels; those which David had dedicated, and with them the altar of Moses, and some other of the old utensils which were now laid aside, far better being put in the room of them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated marg. holy things of David (2Sa_8:8, 2Sa_8:10, 2Sa_8:11; 1Ch_22:3, 1Ch_22:14, 16 28:14-18) (Cf. 1Ch_26:26-28) ; even the surer, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the Lord. So that all the store of precious metal and the brass that David had prepared was not absorbed in the decoration and furniture of the temple. There would seem to have been a considerable overplus, which was stored in the temple treasury.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Silver and gold - So much of it as was left. And vessels - Those which David had dedicated, and with them the altar of Moses, and some other of the old utensils which were now laid aside, far better being put in the room of them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

the work that King Solomon directed for the house of Yahweh was finished

This can be stated in active form. AT: "the workers finished the work that King Solomon had them do for the house of Yahweh" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

works

king

Solomon

house

Yahweh

set apart

David

silver

gold

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

The sacred of his father Dovid. That which remained of the silver and gold dedicated by his father. But the Midrash explains that Shlomo did not wish to use any of those dedicated materials for the construction of the Beis [Hamikdosh]. And I heard from [Torah] scholars of Yisroel who said, because Dovid knew eventually it would be destroyed; so that the idol worshiping [nations] should not say that their idols are mightier for they took their revenge upon the Beis [Hamikdosh] which was built of the plunder and destruction which Dovid plundered from them. And others say, Shlomo said that there was a famine in the days of his father for three consecutive years, and he should have squandered these dedicated materials to sustain Yisroel’s poor.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.