1 Kings 8:2 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

All the men of Israel assembled Not only the chief men, who were particularly invited, but a vast number of the common people, as being desirous to see and join in this great and glorious solemnity. At the feast This feast of the dedication to which Solomon had invited them. In the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month This time he chose for the people's greater convenience, because now they had gathered in all their fruits, and were going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of tabernacles. But it may be objected, “According to 1 Kings 6:38, the temple was not finished till the eighth month, how then could he invite them to the dedication of it in the seventh month?” To this it must be answered, It was the seventh month of the next year. For although the house in all its parts was finished the year before, yet, it seems, the utensils of it were not then fully finished; and many preparations were to be made for this great and extraordinary occasion. Add to this, that Solomon chose to defer this solemnity till the next year, that he might celebrate it with the greater magnificence, that being the year of jubilee, their ninth, according to Archbishop Usher, which opened the fourth millenary of the world; and at the solemnity of the jubilee, there used to be always a vast concourse of people from all parts of the kingdom. “This ceremony” then of the dedication “began on the eighth day of the seventh month of the sacred year, which was the first of the civil year, answering to the latter end of our October, and lasted seven days, at the end of which began the feast of tabernacles.”