2Ch 1:1 And
Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God
was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
Solomon the son of
David - The very beginning of this book shows that it is a continuation of
the 1 Chronicles.
Solomon was
strengthened in his kingdom - Well settled and established on the throne of
his father, after the death of some persons, from whom he might expect trouble,
1Ki_2:46 So
the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon
him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
the Lord God was
with him - directing and instructing him, prospering and succeeding him: 1Ch 29:25 And
the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed
upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
We have an account of the sacrifice at Gibeon
(2Ch_1:7-13) in 1Ki_3:4-15 also. The two narratives agree in all the main
points, but, in so far as their form is concerned, it is at once discernible
that they are two independent descriptions of the same thing, but derived from
the same sources.
2Ch 1:2 Then
Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds,
and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the
fathers.
While in 1Ki_3:4 it is briefly said the king went to
Gibeon to sacrifice there, in this chapter the historian records that Solomon
summoned the princes and representatives of the people to this solemn act, and
accompanied by them went to Gibeon. This sacrifice was no mere private sacrifice-it
was the religious consecration of the opening of his reign, at which the
estates of the kingdom were present as a matter of course.
The narrative here corresponds with 1Ki_3:4; but gives
greater detail. We learn from the present passage:
1) that Solomon’s sacrifice at Gibeon was a great public
festivity, to which he collected vast numbers of the people;
2) that it was made upon the brass altar of Bezaleel,
which
3) stood before the tabernacle; and
4) that Solomon’s vision was on the night of his sacrifice.
Then Solomon spake
unto all Israel — The heads, or leading officers, who are afterwards
specified, were summoned to attend their sovereign in a solemn religious
procession. The date of this occurrence was the second year of Solomon’s reign,
and the high place at Gibeon was chosen for the performance of the sacred
rites, because the tabernacle and all the ancient furniture connected with the
national worship were deposited there. Zadok was the officiating high priest
(1Ch_16:39). It is true that the ark had been removed and placed in a new tent
which David had made for it at Jerusalem [2Ch_1:4]. But the brazen altar,
“before the tabernacle of the Lord,” on which the burnt offerings were
appointed by the law to be made, was at Gibeon. And although David had been led
by extraordinary events and tokens of the divine presence to sacrifice on the
threshing-floor of Araunah, Solomon considered it his duty to present his
offerings on the legally appointed spot “before the tabernacle,” and on the
time-honored altar prepared by the skill of Bezaleel in the wilderness
(Exo_38:1).
2Ch 1:3 So
Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at
Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses
the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
The reason why he offered his sacrifice here is given in
2Ch_1:3. There the Mosaic tabernacle stood, yet without the ark, which David
had caused to be brought up from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem (1Ch_13:1-14 and
15). Although the ark was separated from the tabernacle, yet by the latter at
Gibeon was the Mosaic altar of burnt-offering, and on that account the
sanctuary at Gibeon was the Lord’s dwelling, and the legal place of worship for
burnt-offerings of this magnitude. “As our historian here brings forward emphatically
the fact that Solomon offered his burnt-offering at the legal place of worship,
so he points out in 1Ch_21:28-30 :1, how David was only brought by
extraordinary events, and special signs from God, to sacrifice on the altar of
burnt-offering erected by him on the threshing-floor of Ornan, and also states
how he was prevented from offering his burnt-offering in Gibeon.
there was the
tabernacle of the congregation of God - where was also the altar of the
Lord, and so most proper to offer sacrifice on, which was what Solomon went
thither to do; 1Ch_21:29.
2Ch 1:4 But the
ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had
prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
But the ark -
The tabernacle and the brazen altar remained still at Gibeon; but David had
brought away the ark out of the tabernacle, and placed it in a tent at
Jerusalem; 2Sa_6:2, 2Sa_6:17.
2Ch 1:5 Moreover
the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he
put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought
unto it.
Sought unto it -
Went to seek the Lord there.
the brasen altar
that Bezaleel had made - According to the pattern given by Moses, at the
direction of God, Exo_38:1,
2Ch 1:6 And
Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the
tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.
Solomon went up
thither - To the high place at Gibeon:
to the brasen
altar before the Lord - where He used to be, and accept the sacrifices of His
people, though the ark, the symbol of His presence, was not there:
offered a thousand
burnt offerings — This sacrifice he offered, of course, by the hands of the
priests. The magnitude of the offering became the rank of the one offering on
this occasion of national solemnity.
2Ch 1:7 In that
night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give
thee.
The verbal differences between this passage and the
corresponding one of Kings 1Ki_3:5-14 are very considerable, and indicate the
general truth that the object of the sacred historians is to give a true
account of the real bearing of what was said: not ordinarily to furnish us with
all or the exact words that were uttered. The most important point omitted in
Chronicles, and supplied by Kings, is the conditional promise of long life made
to Solomon 1Ki_3:14; while the chief point absent from Kings, and recorded by
our author, is the solemn appeal made by Solomon to the promise of God to David
his father 2Ch_1:9, which he now called upon God to “establish,” or to perform.
In that night -
The appearance of God by night points to a dream, and in 1Ki_3:5-15 we are
expressly informed that He appeared in a vision.
2Ch 1:8 And
Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and
hast made me to reign in his stead.
2Ch 1:9 Now, O
LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast
made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
2Ch 1:10 Give me
now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for
who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
2Ch 1:11 And God
said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked
riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast
asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou
mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
Because this was
in your heart - This does not occur in Kings, and it implies that the
request of Solomon, as arising from a spiritual judgment and heart, was
peculiarly acceptable to that God who searches, regards, and demands the heart.
God promised Solomon all the things which he had not asked, except the life of
his enemies; for he was to be a peaceable king, a type of the Prince of peace.
According to 1Ki_3:15, Solomon, on his return to
Jerusalem, offered before the ark still other burnt-offerings and
thank-offerings, and prepared a meal for his servants. This is omitted by the
author of the Chronicle.
2Ch 1:12 Wisdom
and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth,
and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee,
neither shall there any after thee have the like.
I will give thee
riches, and wealth, and honor - Remark that the writer says nothing of any
promise to Solomon of “long life,” which, however, had been mentioned in
2Ch_1:11 among the blessings which he might have been expected to ask. Long
life was included in the promises made to him; but it was granted
conditionally; and Solomon not fulfilling the conditions, it did not take
effect
2Ch 1:13 Then
Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to
Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over
Israel.
From his journey -
These words are not in the original text. It is best to translate: “And Solomon
came from the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem.”
2Ch 1:14 And
Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities,
and with the king at Jerusalem.
Solomon gathered
chariots and horsemen — His passion for horses was greater than that of any
Israelite monarch before or after him. His stud comprised fourteen hundred
chariots and twelve thousand horses. This was a prohibited indulgence, whether
as an instrument of luxury or power. But it was not merely for his own use that
he imported the horses of Egypt. The immense equestrian establishment he
erected was not for show merely, but also for profit.
This passage is very nearly identical with 1Ki_10:26-29.
The verses here, 2Ch_1:14, 2Ch_1:15, with the exception of one divergence in
form and one in matter, correspond word for word to 1Ki_10:26 and 1Ki_10:27.
2Ch 1:15 And the
king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees
made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance.
2Ch 1:16 And
Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants
received the linen yarn at a price.
linen yarn - The
original word is hard to be understood.
The versions are all puzzled with it: some versions make
it a proper name. The word was regarded by the ancient translators as a proper
name. 2Ch 1:16 And
Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought
them in Keveh at the current price. (NKJV) 2Ch 1:16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue;
the king’s traders procured them from Kue for a price. (NASB)
2Ch 1:17 And they
fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of
silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses
for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.
for all the kings
of the Hittites — A branch of this powerful tribe, when expelled from
Palestine, had settled north of Lebanon, where they acquired large possessions contiguous
to the Syrians.
