And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.
Solomon determined to build. The temple is the grand subject of this narrative, while the palace-here and in other parts of this book-is only incidentally noticed. The duty of building the temple was reserved for Solomon before his birth. An soon as he became king he addressed himself to the work, and the historian, in proceeding to give an account of the edifice, begins with relating the preliminary arrangements.