דברי הימים ב, פרק ח׳, פסוק ד׳

King Solomon’s royal building projects eventually expanded far beyond the main population centers, stretching deep into desert regions and up to the northern borders. This massive wave of civic development only began after Solomon completed the construction of the house of God and his own royal palace. As long as he was occupied with building the Temple, he did not divert his attention to these other ventures [מצודת דוד].

Once free to expand, Solomon constructed store-cities in Hamath, a region situated in the north [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These specific cities functioned as vast treasuries and storage centers [מצודת ציון], designed to hold goods and likely serving as major hubs for trade [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

A prominent focus of this expansion was the building of the city of Tadmor. A fascinating historical and moral detail emerges when comparing this account to the parallel record in the Book of Kings. In Kings, the city's name is spelled in a way that relates to the word for "exchange" or "change." This spelling serves as a subtle critique of the city's residents. Years later, these inhabitants aided the enemies of Israel, returning evil for the kindness Solomon had shown them by building them such a significant metropolis. They exchanged their early loyalty for treachery.

However, in the Book of Chronicles, the city is explicitly spelled "Tadmor." This choice is made out of pure respect for King Solomon. To preserve the king's honor, the narrative here avoids hinting that he invested in a city that would ultimately rebel and turn to corruption. Instead, it uses the city's full, dignified name, highlighting its status as an important urban center [רש"י, חומת אנך]. While this spelling variation carries deep moral significance, scholars focused on the precise transmission of the text maintain that the actual, traditional pronunciation of the city's name remains "Tadmor" in both biblical accounts, rejecting any attempts to alter how the word is read aloud in the Book of Kings [מנחת שי].