2 Chronicles 2:5

"And the house which I build is great; for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to build him a house, seeing heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to burn incense before him? Now therefore send me a man skillful to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that knoweth how to grave all manner of gravings, to be with the skillful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. Send me also cedar-trees, fir-trees, and algum-trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful. And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil."

"The heaven of heavens cannot contain him (God)" (2 Chronicles 2:6). "The notion that God could be confined in a house or a box is an error which skeptics have falsely attributed to the people of God during the O.T. period; but they knew that God was Lord of heaven and earth, and so declared it many times, as Solomon did here."[6] Moreover, it was not a discovery by Solomon. He had most certainly learned it from David, whose Psalms often gave voice to the same truth. The Chronicler's accurate record here of Solomon's words refutes the critic's allegations on this matter also, as well as denying their foolish fairy tale regarding a late date for the Pentateuch.

"That knoweth how to grave all manner of gravings" (2 Chronicles 2:7). The words here rendered grave and gravings are read as engrave and engravings in the RSV.

"And in purple, and crimson, and blue" (2 Chronicles 2:7) Thus, in the color scheme, "The temple, in this respect, as well as in others, conformed to the pattern of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4; 26:1, etc.)."[7] (See our Commentary, Vol. 8, of the N.T. Series (Hebrews), p. 172, for a discussion of the significance of these colors.)

"Algum-trees out of Lebanon" (2 Chronicles 2:8). Curtis wrote that these were probably, "Sandalwood or ebony."[8]

"Wheat ... barley ... wine ... and oil" (2 Chronicles 2:10). The translation of the quantities of all these supplies into their modern equivalent is of no importance, and is also impossible.