2 Chronicles 8:1-11

2 Chronicles 8:1-11

[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,  built  them, and caused the children  of Israel  to dwell  [3] And Solomon  to Hamathzobah,  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  Bethhoron  the upper,  and Bethhoron  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,  of the horsemen,  and all that Solomon  desired  to build  in Jerusalem,  and in Lebanon,  and throughout all the land  [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  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. 

What does 2 Chronicles 8:1-11 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God blessed Solomon by giving him good relations with King Hiram of Tyre ( 2 Chronicles 8:1). Hiram evidently returned the cities Solomon had previously given to him ( 2 Chronicles 8:2; cf. 1 Kings 9:10-14). Then Solomon developed these towns. Solomon also captured more territory and fortified many cities.
"It seems safe to say that, following this action, Israel controlled more territory than at any other time in its history. In his day, Solomon was probably the most powerful and influential ruler in the Middle East." [1]
Moreover, he controlled the native Canaanite population ( 2 Chronicles 8:8). 2 Chronicles 8:3, which is very brief, is the only reference in Chronicles to Solomon"s military activity. Everywhere else his image is that of a peaceful king ( 1 Chronicles 22:9).