Ver. 1. Then Solomon assembled, &c.] “Then,” when he had finished all the work for the house of the Lord. (1 Kings 7:51) Solomon decked and garnished his temple before he prayed in it: so, saith one, before thou prayest prepare thy heart, which is the true temple of him who is greater than Solomon. And as that woman that sought her groat, swept over all the whole house, so when thou seekest anything of God, sweep over the whole house of thy heart; sweep it by repentance, wash the pavement of it with tears, beautify it with holiness, perfume it with prayers, deck it with humility, hang it with sincerity. Out of the city of David, which is Zion.] Into Mount Moriah: for there stood the temple. (2 Chronicles 3:1)
Ver. 2. In the month Ethanim.] Which signifieth ripeness or strengh: either because the fruits were then ripe, sc., in September, and strengthened the heart of man; or else, by this festival month men’s hearts were filled with the joy of the Lord, which was their strength, (Nehemiah 8:10) and lifted up in the ways of his precepts.
Ver. 3. And all the elders of Israel came.] Heads of tribes, and fathers of families: bringing with them multitudes of common people, who cheerfully and voluntarily flocked to this feast, quod ob hanc dedicationem magnificentissimam fuit solemnissimum, saith A. Lapide. And the priests took up the ark.] Setting it on the Levites’ shoulders. (Numbers 4:5 2 Chronicles 5:4)
Ver. 4. And the tabenacle of the congregation.] Made by Moses, and hitherto transportative, and for many years severed from the ark, but now to be reunited and settled in the temple; as the saints, here tossed up and down, shall one day be in heaven, that habitation of God’s holiness.
Ver. 5. Sacrificing sheep and oxen.] At every six paces likely, as 2 Samuel 6:13, but far more liberally.
Ver. 6. And the priests brought in the ark.] Which they had taken off the Levites’ shoulders, to bring it into the place appointed for it, even the midst of the Most Holy.
Ver. 7. And the cherubims covered the ark] Which had the law within it, and the mercy seat upon it: to set forth Christ’s covering the curses of the law, in whom is the ground of all mercy: which things the angels desire to pry into, as into the pattern of God’s deep wisdom.
Ver. 8. That the ends of the staves were seen.] These made a lane, as it were, for the high priest when he entered into the most holy place: and showed that there was an ark, though covered. And there they are unto this day,] i.e., Till the captivity of Babylon.
Ver. 9. There was nothing in the ark save the two tables.] That is, Nothing of the book of the law, saith Vatablus, but the decalogue: the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod were also in the ark, (Hebrews 9:4) though Junius holdeth that εν η there relateth not to κιβωτου the ark, but to σκηνη the tabernacle.
Ver. 10. That the cloud filled.] By a cloud did God oft both represent his glory and cover it: signifying thereby that it was both invisible and unapproachable. But as a man that heareth a preacher in a dark night, knoweth that he is there though he seeth him not: so here.
Ver. 11. So that the priests could not stand,] sc., With the safeguard of their lives, their eyes at least. The holy angels clap their wings upon their faces, as it were a double scarf, -or as a man doth his hands before his eyes, when he beholdeth an exceeding great light, -before the brightness of God’s presence, that would put out their eyes else. (Isaiah 6:2,3) Pellican saith, by the priests being driven out by this cloud appearing, was showed that the time should come when this priesthood should minister no more by carnal rites in this place.
Ver. 12. The Lord hath said that he would dwell.] (Leviticus 16:1,2 Psalms 18:11,12 97:2) He hath said it, and he hath often done it, for man’s sake, who can far less look upon God in his excellency, than he can upon the sun in rota, in the circle wherein it runneth. These words therefore Solomon uttereth in the rapture of his joy for that glorious sight of God which he beheld from the brazen scaffold that was built for him in the outward court. (2 Chronicles 6:13)
Ver. 13. I have surely built thee.] His great joy breaketh forth into a prayer. A settled place for thee to abide in.] Some render it, Directionem ad solium tuum, a direction to thine eternal throne—viz., to heaven; whither this temple pointed men, saith Cajetan.
Ver. 14. And the king turned his face about,] viz., Fromward the altar and mercy seat, whither they looked when they prayed in the temple, as when otherwise they looked toward the temple, i.e., Christ. And blessed all the congregation.] Or, Blessed God together with all the congregation of Israel, as Junius rendereth it. And all the congregation stood.] To testify their reverence, attention, and observation. See on Judges 3:20.