2 Chronicles 34:11

2Ch 34:11 Even to the artificers and builders gave they [it], to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

Ver. 11. Even to the artificeres, &c.] See on 2Ki 22:6.

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.

For there were many portions and pieces annexed to the Temple.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(11) Even to . . . builders.—And they gave it to the craftsmen and to the builders.

For couplings.—For the couplings or girders; an explanation added by the chronicler.

And to floor . . . destroyed.—Kings, “to repair the house.” The reference to the defacement of the Temple buildings by idolatrous kings may be compared with the similar notice concerning Athaliah’s sons, 2Ch_24:7, and Ahaz, 2Ch_28:24. Perhaps, however, the expression “destroyed” does not mean more than “allowed to go to ruin.”

To floor.—To rafter, or joist. (See margin.)

The houses.—The chambers.

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

11. to the artificers and builders] R.V. to the carpenters and to the builders.

to floor] R.V. to make beams for.

the houses] Cp. 1Ch_28:11.

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.

And the men did that work faithfully,.... The labouring men, as also their inspectors, see Kg2 22:7.

and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; the third son of Levi:

and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites; who had their name from Kohath, the second son of Levi:

to set it forward; to urge and animate the men to their work, to keep them constant to it, and see that they did it well:

and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of music; these, when they were not employed in singing in the temple, attended this service, to look after the workmen at the repairs of it; and perhaps they might play, as some think, on their instruments of music, while the men were at work, that they might go on in it the more pleasantly and cheerfully.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The “houses” intended are either the “chambers” which surrounded the temple on three sides 1Ki 6:5, or out-buildings attached to the courts. The “kings of Judah” intended are, no doubt, Manasseh and Amon.

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

Houses, or apartments of the temple, which were gone to decay. H.

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).

To floor the houses, i.e. the chambers joining on the temple, or within the courts.

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

11. To floor — Margin, to rafter. Gesenius, to furnish with beams. Furst, to build up. Our version, to floor, probably expresses the sense as nearly as any. The houses which the kings of Judah (Amon and Manasseh) had destroyed are to be understood of the houses and chambers of the priests in the temple and its courts.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The exact work done we are unable to follow with precision. The parallel describes it, in more general terms, as "repairing the breaches." The repairs here spoken of, however, betoken, to say the least the rough usage, as well as "negligence," of kings like Manasseh and Amen, and suggest a further question as to the nature of those heathen and idolatrous practices, which cost so much to the very structure of temple and houses, i.e. probably the contiguous chambers of the main building, (1Ki_6:5) the exact style of which, however, is very doubtful.

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

Houses - The chambers joining to the temple.

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

and wood for the couplings - Spangen in Middle High German, clasps.

and to make beams - Traver in Old French, to provide with beams.

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.