2 Chronicles 9:13-28

Solomon's Wealth

13 1Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,
14 besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. 2And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels[a] of beaten gold went into each shield.
16 And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; shekels of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests,
19 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom.
20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.
21 For the king's ships went to 3Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[b]
22 Thus King Solomon 4excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.
23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.
24 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.
25 And Solomon had 5 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
26 6And he ruled over all the kings 7from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.
27 8And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah.
28 9And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

2 Chronicles 9:13-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 9 & 10

The ninth chapter is the same with 1Ki 10:1-29 excepting 2Ch 9:26, which agrees with 1Ki 4:21,29-31, the same with 1Ki 11:41-43, only in 2Ch 9:29 it is more largely expressed that the acts of Solomon's reign were written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer, against Jeroboam the son of Nebat; or rather "concerning Jeroboam", as the Septuagint and some other versions {b}, in which Iddo is called Joel; and by Theodoret said to be the same that prophesied of Jeroboam and his altar, \\see Gill on "1Ki 13:1"\\; the books mentioned are since lost.

{b} le peri Sept. de, Junius & Tremellias, Piscator. 19324-950110-2138-2Ch9.2

Cross References 10

  • 1. For ver. 13-28, see 1 Kings 10:14-28
  • 2. Psalms 68:29; Psalms 72:10
  • 3. [1 Kings 10:17]
  • 4. 2 Chronicles 20:36, 37
  • 5. 1 Kings 3:13
  • 6. [2 Chronicles 1:14; 1 Kings 4:26; 1 Kings 10:26]
  • 7. 1 Kings 4:21
  • 8. Genesis 15:18; Exodus 23:31; Psalms 72:8
  • 9. 2 Chronicles 1:15
  • 10. 2 Chronicles 1:16

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  • [b]. Or baboons
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.