Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 8:5
He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Chronicler narrates Solomon’s administrative expansion during his reign, following his construction of wilderness store cities and preceding his completion of chariot and palace projects across his dominion.
The words — וַ/יִּ֜בֶן (va/i.Yi.ven) translates literally as “and he built,” while הָֽ/עֶלְי֔וֹן (ha./'el.Yon) means “the upper,” anchoring the verse to the specific geographic designation of the fortified site.
The thread — The Chronicler’s account of Solomon’s reconstruction directly parallels 1 Chronicles 7:24, which credits Sheerah with originally building Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and aligns with the tribal boundary descriptions in Joshua 16:3-5.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that royal construction projects repeatedly repurposed or restored locations already established within Israel’s territorial inheritance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Also he built Beth–horon the upper, and Beth–horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 7:24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon, as well as Uzzen-sheerah.
- Joshua 16:3 Then it descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and on to Gezer, and it ended at the Sea.
- Joshua 16:5 This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar in the east to Upper Beth-horon
- 2 Chronicles 14:7 So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.