(15) В¶ And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. (16) For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife. (17) And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether, (18) And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land, (19) And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. (20) And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel, (21) Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day. (22) But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen. (23) These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work. (24) But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.
I detain not the Reader with any further observation upon these verses, than just to remark how much they teach us the importance of building for eternity. What a great account here is, of many cities, many inhabitants, much employment; and what is the sum total of all, but vanity and vexation of spirit. So Solomon himself draws the conclusion; and so must every wise man. Ecclesiastes 2:4. Blessed Jesus! give me grace to build on thee, the foundation stone in Zion, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Lord! grant that it may be found this is mine, like thy servant, 2 Corinthians 5:1.