2 Chronicles 1

Solomon Worships at Gibeon

1 And Solomon the son of David strengthened himself concerning his kingdom, and Yahweh his God [was] with him and made him exceedingly great.

2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the leaders for all Israel, the heads of the {families}.^[a]

3 And Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that [was] at Gibeon, for the tent of assembly^[b] of God that Moses the servant of Yahweh had made in the desert was there.

4 (But the ark of God David had brought up from Kiriath-Jearim to [the place] David had prepared for it, for David had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.)

5 And the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made [was] there before the tabernacle of Yahweh. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out.

6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before Yahweh, which [was] at the tent of assembly,^[c] and he offered upon it a thousand burnt offerings.

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

7 On that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I shall give to you."

8 Then Solomon said to God, "You yourself have shown steadfast^[d] loyal love to David my father and have made me king in his place.

9 Now, O Yahweh God, let your word to David my father be fulfilled, for you yourself have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.

10 Now, give to me wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this, your great people?"

11 Then God said to Solomon, "Because this was with your heart and you did not ask for wealth, possessions, honor, and the lives of your enemies, and also did not ask for {long life},^[e] but have asked for wisdom and knowledge that you might judge my people over whom I have made you king,

12 wisdom and knowledge is given to you. And I will [also] give to you wealth, possessions, and honor, the like of which was not had by the kings who [were] before you, nor will there be the like after you."

13 So Solomon went from the high place which [was] at Gibeon [to] Jerusalem before the tent of assembly.^[f] And he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Wealth

14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. And he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

15 And the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem like the stones. And he made cedar as abundant as the sycamore fig trees that [were] in the Shephelah.

16 And Solomon's horses [were] imported from Egypt and from Kue. The traders of the king received [them] from Kue at a price.

17 They went up and exported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for one hundred and fifty [shekels]. And [these were] {likewise exported}^[g] to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.^[h]

2 Chronicles 1 Commentary

Chapter 1

Solomon's choice of wisdom, His strength and wealth.

- SOLOMON began his reign with a pious, public visit to God's altar. Those that pursue present things most eagerly, are likely to be disappointed; while those that refer themselves to the providence of God, if they have not the most, have the most comfort. Those that make this world their end, come short of the other, and are disappointed in this also; but those that make the other world their end, shall not only obtain that, and full satisfaction in it, but shall have as much of this world as is good for them, in their way. Let us then be contented, without those great things which men generally covet, but which commonly prove fatal snares to the soul.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "fathers"
• [b]. Or "meeting"
• [c]. Or "meeting"
• [d]. Or "great"
• [e]. Literally "many days"
• [f]. Or "meeting"
• [g]. Literally "likewise through their hand"
• [h]. Or "Syria"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND CHRONICLES

This, and the preceding, were but one book originally, but divided into two because of the size of it, so that this is only a continuation of the former history; that ends at the death of David; this begins with the reign of Solomon, goes through that, and the reigns of all the kings of the house of David; of the kings of Judah only, after the separation of the ten tribes, quite down to the captivity of Judah in Babylon, and reaches to the deliverance of the Jews from thence by Cyrus, and contains an history of four hundred and seventy nine years. It treats not at all of the kings of Israel, after the separation, only of the kings of Judah, through whom the line of the Messiah was drawn; and though it omits several things recorded of them in the book of Kings, yet it gives abundance of anecdotes not to be met with there, which are of great use and advantage in history to know.

\\INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 1\\

This chapter relates, how that Solomon being confirmed in his kingdom, went to Gibeon to sacrifice 2Ch 1:1-6, that the Lord appeared there to him, and what passed between them, 2Ch 1:7-10 and that when he returned from thence to Jerusalem, he increased in splendour, wealth, and riches, 2Ch 1:13-17.