2 Chronicles 1

General context

Solomon the son of David is strengthened in his kingdom, and the narrator says the Lord his God is with him and magnifies him. Solomon speaks to all Israel, its captains, judges and governors, and goes with the whole congregation to the high place at Gibeon, where the tabernacle of the congregation made by Moses stands. The ark, by contrast, is in the tent David pitched for it at Jerusalem. At Gibeon Solomon offers a thousand burnt offerings on the brasen altar that Bezaleel made. That night God appears and says, Ask what I shall give thee. Solomon recalls God's mercy to David, asks that the promise to David be established, and requests wisdom and knowledge to judge so great a people. God answers that because Solomon did not ask riches, wealth, honour, the life of his enemies or long life, wisdom and knowledge are granted, together with riches, wealth and honour beyond any king before or after him. Solomon returns to Jerusalem and reigns over Israel. The chapter closes with his chariots and horsemen, silver and gold as plenteous as stones, cedar as common as sycomore, and horses and linen yarn brought out of Egypt, with chariots and horses sold on to the kings of the Hittites and of Syria.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 1:1, 2 Chronicles 1:2, 2 Chronicles 1:3, 2 Chronicles 1:4, 2 Chronicles 1:5, 2 Chronicles 1:6, 2 Chronicles 1:7, 2 Chronicles 1:8, 2 Chronicles 1:9, 2 Chronicles 1:10, 2 Chronicles 1:11, 2 Chronicles 1:12, 2 Chronicles 1:13, 2 Chronicles 1:14, 2 Chronicles 1:15, 2 Chronicles 1:16, 2 Chronicles 1:17

2 Chronicles 1 (KJV)

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Historical context

The chapter distinguishes two holy sites. The tabernacle of the congregation is at Gibeon, and the narrator identifies it as the one Moses made in the wilderness. The ark is elsewhere, in a tent David pitched at Jerusalem after bringing it up from Kirjath-jearim. The chapter states both facts without explaining how the ark and the tabernacle came to be apart. The brasen altar at Gibeon is credited to Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur. The statement that the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly is the narrator's, made before any event of the reign is told. God's reply lists five things Solomon did not ask for; the chapter records no further request from Solomon. The vision is placed in that night, after the thousand burnt offerings, and the text does not say how long Solomon stayed at Gibeon or give any other date. The closing trade notes fix prices for a chariot and a horse from Egypt, but say only that the merchants received the linen yarn at a price, without naming it. The kings of the Hittites and of Syria are named as buyers through Solomon's merchants; nothing more is said of them here.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 1:3, 2 Chronicles 1:4, 2 Chronicles 1:5, 2 Chronicles 1:1, 2 Chronicles 1:11, 2 Chronicles 1:7, 2 Chronicles 1:6, 2 Chronicles 1:17, 2 Chronicles 1:16

Literary context

The chapter is built as one journey out and back: Solomon goes up to Gibeon, and the narrator later records that he came from the high place at Gibeon to Jerusalem and reigned. Inside that frame sits a short exchange of three speeches, God's invitation, Solomon's request, and God's answer. God's reply repeats Solomon's own phrase, wisdom and knowledge, and names five things not asked before granting three more. Solomon frames his request in terms of the promise to David his father; God answers in terms of my people, over whom I have made thee king, shifting the weight from inheritance to responsibility. The closing inventory of chariots, horsemen, silver, gold, cedar and traded horses then reads as the delivery of the riches, wealth and honour promised in the vision, though the narrator draws no explicit line between the two. The opening verse, which says the Lord his God was with him, stands over the whole chapter as the narrator's own summary.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 1:3, 2 Chronicles 1:13, 2 Chronicles 1:7, 2 Chronicles 1:10, 2 Chronicles 1:12, 2 Chronicles 1:9, 2 Chronicles 1:11, 2 Chronicles 1:14, 2 Chronicles 1:15, 2 Chronicles 1:1

Key moments

1. Assembly at Gibeon (2 Chronicles 1:3). Solomon and the whole congregation go to the tabernacle Moses made, at the high place of Gibeon.
2. A thousand burnt offerings (2 Chronicles 1:6). Solomon offers a thousand burnt offerings on the brasen altar before the Lord.
3. God's invitation by night (2 Chronicles 1:7). God appears to Solomon that night and tells him to ask what he shall be given.
4. Request for wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:10). Solomon asks for wisdom and knowledge to judge a people so great.
5. More than was asked (2 Chronicles 1:12). God grants wisdom and knowledge and adds riches, wealth and honour beyond any king.
6. Chariots and horsemen (2 Chronicles 1:14). Solomon gathers fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen for the chariot cities and Jerusalem.
7. Horses traded from Egypt (2 Chronicles 1:17). Solomon's merchants bring chariots and horses out of Egypt and sell them on to the kings of the Hittites and Syria.

For reflection

Solomon asks for wisdom so that he may go out and come in before this people, and God grants it along with riches he did not ask for. What does the chapter's closing list of chariots, gold and horses traded out of Egypt do to a reader's sense of that unasked gift?

People in this chapter

• Solomon
• David
• Jacob
• Bezalel
• Moses

Also indexed here:

• Heth
• Hur
• Uri