2 Chronicles 2

I watched an old version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by Le Carré the other day and a schoolboy reading the lesson from the King James Bible got stuck on the word shew. How much more should we get stuck on the word shewbread? shoebread? (Indeed it is marked as a spelling error these days.)

Bread for show, carefully arranged. The gloss I used is bread of presence, and it is positioned נתן facing פנה Yahweh continually. In this chapter the word shewbread is also in verse 3 but neither bread nor presence is there, just a reference to the word used for arranging ארך the 12 loaves. All the usual translations I note have this inference that this use of arrange invokes in one word the whole dozen loaves of the presence. Leviticus 24 makes the connection between the bread of presence and the ranks (ארך), their arrangement (ארך).

Who is able is what KJV has for יעצר־כח.  I think the Hebrew has more force. This pair of stems in succession occurs only 7 times and all of these in Daniel and Chronicles. JB has Who would have the means... I do have some potential conflict in my hearing of כול and יכל. I wonder to what extent they are different.

We are not told until the end that the workers on this temple were resident guest foreigners. Plus ça change.

The sentence begun in verse 2 does not end till verse 6. This reads like a business contract. No hints in the music that the sentence is continued. Who sings a contractual arrangement?

2 Chronicles 2		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיִּסְפֹּ֨ר שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה שִׁבְעִ֥ים אֶ֙לֶף֙ אִ֣ישׁ סַבָּ֔ל וּשְׁמוֹנִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף אִ֖ישׁ חֹצֵ֣ב בָּהָ֑ר וּמְנַצְּחִ֣ים עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מֵאֽוֹת	1		And Solomon counted seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men to hew in the hill, and the leaders over them were three thousand six hundred.	3d	4B	23 16
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה אֶל־חוּרָ֥ם מֶֽלֶךְ־צֹ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ עִם־דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֔י וַתִּֽשְׁלַֽח־ל֣וֹ אֲרָזִ֔ים לִבְנֽוֹת־ל֥וֹ בַ֖יִת לָשֶׁ֥בֶת בּֽוֹ	2		And Solomon sent to Hiram the king of Tyre, saying, As you have done with David my father, and sent him cedar to build for him a house to settle in,	3e	4C	14 27
הִנֵּה֩ אֲנִ֨י בֽוֹנֶה־בַּ֜יִת לְשֵׁ֣ם ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֗י לְהַקְדִּ֣ישׁ ל֡וֹ לְהַקְטִ֣יר לְפָנָ֣יו קְטֹֽרֶת־סַמִּים֩ וּמַעֲרֶ֨כֶת תָּמִ֤יד וְעֹלוֹת֙ לַבֹּ֣קֶר וְלָעֶ֔רֶב לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת֙ וְלֶ֣חֳדָשִׁ֔ים וּֽלְמוֹעֲדֵ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ לְעוֹלָ֖ם זֹ֥את עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל	3		Behold I am building a house to the name of Yahweh my God, to sanctify for him, to burn incense in his presence, incense of sweet spices, and arrangement continually, and for the burnt offerings in the morning and in the evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and for the appointed times of Yahweh our God, this forever over Israel.	3e	4C	66 8
וְהַבַּ֛יִת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י בוֹנֶ֖ה גָּד֑וֹל כִּֽי־גָד֥וֹל אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ מִכָּל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים	4		And the house that I am building is great, for greater is our God than all gods.	3d	4A	12 12
וּמִ֤י יַעֲצָר־כֹּ֙חַ֙ לִבְנֽוֹת־ל֣וֹ בַ֔יִת כִּ֧י הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וּשְׁמֵ֥י הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א יְכַלְכְּלֻ֑הוּ וּמִ֤י אֲנִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶבְנֶה־לּ֣וֹ בַ֔יִת כִּ֖י אִם־לְהַקְטִ֥יר לְפָנָֽיו	5		But who contains the power to build for him a house when the heavens and the heaven of the heavens is not able to nourish him? And who am I that I should build for him a house, except to burn incense in his presence?	3c	4C	27 19
וְעַתָּ֡ה שְֽׁלַֽח־לִ֣י אִישׁ־חָכָ֡ם לַעֲשׂוֹת֩ בַּזָּהָ֨ב וּבַכֶּ֜סֶף וּבַנְּחֹ֣שֶׁת וּבַבַּרְזֶ֗ל וּבָֽאַרְגְּוָן֙ וְכַרְמִ֣יל וּתְכֵ֔לֶת וְיֹדֵ֖עַ לְפַתֵּ֣חַ פִּתּוּחִ֑ים עִם־הַֽחֲכָמִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר עִמִּי֙ בִּֽיהוּדָ֣ה וּבִֽירוּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵכִ֖ין דָּוִ֥יד אָבִֽי	6		So now send me a wise man, to undertake in gold and in silver and in brass and in iron, and in purple and cinnabar and amethyst, and the knowledge to carve carvings, with the wise that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem that David my father had prepared.	3e	4C	49 25
וּֽשְׁלַֽח־לִי֩ עֲצֵ֨י אֲרָזִ֜ים בְּרוֹשִׁ֣ים וְאַלְגּוּמִּים֮ מֵֽהַלְּבָנוֹן֒ כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י יָדַ֔עְתִּי אֲשֶׁ֤ר עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ יֽוֹדְעִ֔ים לִכְר֖וֹת עֲצֵ֣י לְבָנ֑וֹן וְהִנֵּ֥ה עֲבָדַ֖י עִם־עֲבָדֶֽיךָ	7		And send me cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees from Lebanon, for I know myself that your servants know how to cut the trees of Lebanon. And behold, my servants will be with your servants,	3e	4C	40 11
וּלְהָכִ֥ין לִ֛י עֵצִ֖ים לָרֹ֑ב כִּ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י בוֹנֶ֖ה גָּד֥וֹל וְהַפְלֵֽא	8		To prepare for me trees in abundance, for the house that I am building is great and extraordinary.	3d	4A	8 15
וְהִנֵּ֣ה לַֽחֹטְבִ֣ים ׀ לְֽכֹרְתֵ֣י ׀ הָעֵצִ֡ים נָתַתִּי֩ חִטִּ֨ים ׀ מַכּ֜וֹת לַעֲבָדֶ֗יךָ כֹּרִים֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים אֶ֔לֶף וּשְׂעֹרִ֕ים כֹּרִ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֣ים אָ֑לֶף וְיַ֗יִן בַּתִּים֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים אֶ֔לֶף וְשֶׁ֕מֶן בַּתִּ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אָֽלֶף	9		And behold to the dressers, to the cutters of the timber, I will give to your servants, milled wheat, twenty thousand cor and barley, twenty thousand cor, and wine, twenty thousand baths and oil, twenty thousand baths.	3e	4B	39 17
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר חוּרָ֤ם מֶֽלֶךְ־צֹר֙ בִּכְתָ֔ב וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח אֶל־שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה בְּאַהֲבַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ אֶת־עַמּ֔וֹ נְתָנְךָ֥ עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֶֽלֶךְ	10		And Hiram the king of Tyre said in writing that he sent to Solomon, In the love of Yahweh of his people, he has given you over them as king.	3e	4C	17 17
וַיֹּאמֶר֮ חוּרָם֒ בָּר֤וּךְ יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַן֩ לְדָוִ֨יד הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ בֵּ֣ן חָכָ֗ם יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ שֵׂ֣כֶל וּבִינָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְנֶה־בַּ֙יִת֙ לַיהוָ֔ה וּבַ֖יִת לְמַלְכוּתֽוֹ	11		And Hiram said, Blessed is Yahweh the God of Israel who has made the heavens and the earth, who has given to David the king, a wise child who knows insight and discernment, who would build a house for Yahweh and a house for his kingdom.	3e	4C	28 36
וְעַתָּ֗ה שָׁלַ֧חְתִּי אִישׁ־חָכָ֛ם יוֹדֵ֥עַ בִּינָ֖ה לְחוּרָ֥ם אָבִֽי	12		So now I have sent a wise person who knows discernment, of Xuram my father.	3c	3g	19
בֶּן־אִשָּׁ֞ה מִן־בְּנ֣וֹת דָּ֗ן וְאָבִ֣יו אִישׁ־צֹרִ֡י יוֹדֵ֡עַ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת בַּזָּֽהָב־וּ֠בַכֶּסֶף בַּנְּחֹ֨שֶׁת בַּבַּרְזֶ֜ל בָּאֲבָנִ֣ים וּבָעֵצִ֗ים בָּאַרְגָּמָ֤ן בַּתְּכֵ֙לֶת֙ וּבַבּ֣וּץ וּבַכַּרְמִ֔יל וּלְפַתֵּ֙חַ֙ כָּל־פִּתּ֔וּחַ וְלַחְשֹׁ֖ב כָּל־מַחֲשָׁ֑בֶת אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִנָּֽתֶן־לוֹ֙ עִם־חֲכָמֶ֔יךָ וְֽחַכְמֵ֔י אֲדֹנִ֖י דָּוִ֥יד אָבִֽיךָ	13		A child of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, who knows how to undertake in gold and in silver, in brass, in iron, with stones and with timber, in purple, in amethyst, and in sea silk, and in cinnabar, and in carving all carving, and to devise any device, that is given to him, with your wise, with the wise of my lord David your father.	3e	4C	70 22
וְ֠עַתָּה הַחִטִּ֨ים וְהַשְּׂעֹרִ֜ים הַשֶּׁ֤מֶן וְהַיַּ֙יִן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנִ֔י יִשְׁלַ֖ח לַעֲבָדָֽיו	14	~	So now the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine that my Lord had promised, let him send to his servant.	3e	4C	29
וַ֠אֲנַחְנוּ נִכְרֹ֨ת עֵצִ֤ים מִן־הַלְּבָנוֹן֙ כְּכָל־צָרְכֶּ֔ךָ וּנְבִיאֵ֥ם לְךָ֛ רַפְסֹד֖וֹת עַל־יָ֣ם יָפ֑וֹ וְאַתָּ֛ה תַּעֲלֶ֥ה אֹתָ֖ם יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם	15	~	And we will cut trees from Lebanon according to all you need, and we will bring them to you by float over the sea to Joppa, and you will bring them up to Jerusalem.	3d	4C	29 12
וַיִּסְפֹּ֣ר שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה כָּל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הַגֵּירִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַחֲרֵ֣י הַסְּפָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר סְפָרָ֖ם דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֑יו וַיִּמָּצְא֗וּ מֵאָ֤ה וַחֲמִשִּׁים֙ אֶ֔לֶף וּשְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מֵאֽוֹת	16		And Solomon counted the persons, guests that were in the land of Israel, after the count that David his father counted, and they found a hundred and fifty three thousand six hundred.	3e	4C	36 22
וַיַּ֨עַשׂ מֵהֶ֜ם שִׁבְעִ֥ים אֶ֙לֶף֙ סַבָּ֔ל וּשְׁמֹנִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף חֹצֵ֣ב בָּהָ֑ר וּשְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ וְשֵׁ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת מְנַצְּחִ֖ים לְהַעֲבִ֥יד אֶת־הָעָֽם	17		And he made seventy thousand of them to bear burdens and eighty thousand to hew in the hill, and three thousand six hundred leaders to make the people serve.	3e	4C	20 20