1 Kings 8:65

“And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, etc.] Partaking of the parts of the peace offerings which belonged to him, and were offered by way of thanksgiving on the occasion, together with whatsoever he might as a liberal prince provide for this entertainment: for it was for a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt; consisting of a number of people, gathered together from Hamath, which was on the northern border of the land of Israel, to the river of Egypt; either the Nile, or Rhinoculura, a branch of it, which lay on the southern border of the land: and this was kept before the Lord; as in his presence, with thankfulness to him, and…”

“THE PEOPLE JOYFUL. (Kg1 8:65) from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt--that is, from one extremity of the kingdom to the other. The people flocked from all quarters. seven days and seven days, even fourteen days--The first seven were occupied with the dedication, and the other seven devoted to the feast of tabernacles (Ch2 7:9). The particular form of expression indicates that the fourteen days were not continuous. Some interval occurred in consequence of the great day of atonement falling on the tenth of the seventh month (Kg1 8:2), and the last day of the feast of tabernacles was on the twenty-third (Ch2 7:10), when the people returned to their homes with feelings of the…”

“A feast necessarily accompanied such a sacrifice as Solomon was holding. Compare Leviticus 19:5. On the present occasion there was a double festival - first, the Feast of the Dedication, from the 8th to the 15th of the month Ethanim (or Tisri), and then the Feast of tabernacles, from the 15th to the 22nd 1 Kings 8:2. On the day after this, “the eighth day,” counting from the commencement of the second seven, and the twenty-third day of the month (margin reference “m”), Solomon dismissed the people to their homes. The entering in of Hamath - Compare Numbers 13:21, note andmargin reference. The phrase marks the extreme northern boundary of the holy land. The river of Egypt - The Wady-el-Arish,…”

“Seven - Seven for the dedication of the temple, or altar; and the other seven for the feast of tabernacles. And it seems to be expressed in this manner, to intimate, that these fourteen days of rejoicing, were not altogether, but that there was some interval between them, which indeed was necessary, because the day of atonement was on the tenth day of this month, Lev 23:27. And because these fourteen days ended on the twenty - second day, Ch2 7:10, it may seem most probable, that the feast of the dedication was kept before the tenth day: and the feast of tabernacles some days after it. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 8:66”

“8:65 Lebo-hamath to the north in Aram and the Brook of Egypt (Wadi al Arish) to the south are the geographic boundaries that defined the Promised Land (Josh 13:5; 15:4). • seven days for the dedication of the altar and seven days for the Festival of Shelters: When the seven days for the dedication were completed, the Festival of Shelters was observed for another seven days.”

“held: Kg1 8:2; Lev 23:34-43; Ch2 7:8, Ch2 7:9 a great: Ch2 30:13; Psa 40:9, Psa 40:10 from the entering: Kg1 4:21, Kg1 4:24; Num 34:5, Num 34:8; Jos 13:5; Jdg 3:3; Kg2 14:25; Amo 6:14 the river: Gen 15:18; Exo 23:31; Num 34:5; Jos 13:3 seven days: Ch2 7:8, Ch2 7:9, Ch2 30:23 3 Kings (1 Kings) 8:66”

“Thus Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the neighbourhood of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, i.e., from the whole land in its fullest extent from north to south. "The district of Hamath," i.e., Epiphania on the Orontes, is mentioned as the northern boundary (cf. Num 34:8; Num 13:21; Jos 13:5, etc.); and "the brook of Egypt" (מצרים נחל), Rhinocorura, as the southern boundary (cf. Num 34:8; Jos 15:4). "The feast" (החג), which Solomon held with the people "seven days and seven days, fourteen days," is not the feast of the dedication, but, as in Kg1 8:2, the feast of tabernacles, which fell in the seventh month; and the meaning of the verse is, that…”