Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made was there before the tabernacle of the LORD; and Solomon and the assembly inquired at it — The bronze altar, crafted by Bezalel (בְּצַלְאֵל), the primary artisan of the tabernacle according to Exodus 31:2–5, continues its service centuries later. The phrase וַיִּשְׁמְרוּ־אֹתוֹ (vayishmru-otho, 'they sought/inquired at it') suggests consultation of divine will through proper sacrifice. The persistence of Bezalel's work demonstrates the enduring validity of Mosaic craftsmanship and divine instruction; what was made in the wilderness remains operative in the monarchy's central act. This grounds Solomon's authority in the continuous, unbroken chain of legitimate religious practice from Moses through David to the present king.

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