Chapter One

(Compare 1 Kgs 3) 1–6. Solomon’s sacrifice at Gibeon. 7–12. A nocturnal theophany to Solomon and the granting to him of wisdom. 13–17. Solomon’s wealth.

2 Chronicles 1:1. So Solomon son of David established himself firmly in his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and exalted him greatly. 2 Chronicles 1:2. And Solomon commanded all Israel — the commanders of thousands and hundreds, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel, the heads of the families. 2 Chronicles 1:3. And Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. 2 Chronicles 1:4. But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for David had set up a tent for it in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 1:5. And the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the Lord’s tabernacle; and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. 2 Chronicles 1:6. And in front of the Lord, at the bronze altar that was before the tent of meeting, Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings. 2 Chronicles 1:7. That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you. 2 Chronicles 1:8. And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 2 Chronicles 1:9. Now, O Lord God, let your promise to David my father be fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 2 Chronicles 1:10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can govern this great people of yours? 2 Chronicles 1:11. And God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for riches, possessions, or honor, or for the life of your enemies, or even for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself so that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 2 Chronicles 1:12. wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings before you have had, and none after you shall have. (2 Chr 1:1-13) relate the same facts that (1 Kgs 3:4-15) also narrates, and transmit them essentially in agreement with 3 Kings. The differences are particular, marking either the distinctive style of the sacred writer of Chronicles, or his unique perspective on the same facts, or, finally, supplementing the narrative of 3 Kings with new features. So, in the place under consideration, 2 Chronicles verse 2 states that Solomon in his pilgrimage journey to Gibeon was accompanied by the leaders and chiefs of the people (which is not said in (1 Kgs 3:4), compare, however, there in the same verse 15, which, without doubt, actually took place at that time, as also later at the transfer of the ark to the temple and the dedication of the latter (1 Kgs 8:1; 2 Chr 5:2). Then, if in (1 Kgs 3:4) it is said generally that “the chief altar stood” (properly: “high place,” Hebrew bama), then in verses 3–5 of the chapter under consideration it is stated with all clarity that: 1) in Gibeon dwelt Moses’ tabernacle (verse 3, compare (Exod 40:18)); 2) before this tent of meeting there stood the altar made during Moses’ time by the artist Bezalel (verse 5, compare (Exod 37:1)), on which Solomon performed 1,000 burnt offerings (verse 6), and 3) the ark of God or the ark of the covenant from Kiriath-jearim (compare (1 Sam 7:1)) was transferred by David to the tent which he had built in Jerusalem. The latter is told of in (2 Sam 6:1-23), especially in verse 17 (see Commentary Bible, vol. II. St. Petersburg, 1905, p. 424–425), and also in 1 Chronicles in chapters 15 and 16. The reality of the existence down to Solomon’s time of Moses’ tabernacle with its sacred furnishings is confirmed by the testimony of (1 Kgs 8:4) (see Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 461). On the location of Gibeon see Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 317–318 and 450–451. On the location of Kiriath-jearim (Josh 9:17; Jer 26:20), otherwise Baal-judah (2 Sam 6:2; Josh 15:9) see Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 318 and 424; according to Eusebius and the blessed Jerome (Onomast. 596, compare 192), this city lay 9 miles from the road from Aelia (Jerusalem) to Diospolis (Lydda); now the Muslim village Karyet-el-ineib. Regarding the point of view, the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles does not mention the worship of Solomon and the people to God on the high places, which was not entirely in accord with the law, as is said in (1 Kgs 3:2) (Commentary Bible II, 450): distinctions were made between the high places consecrated to God from of old, and those later arbitrarily chosen (see there, p. 439). The altar before Moses’ tabernacle could not belong to the latter, prohibited by the law: that is why the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles does not mention here the worship on “high places.” Finally, in one expression 2 Chronicles differs from 3 Kings in the account of Solomon’s nocturnal theophany: the extraordinary wisdom granted by God to Solomon in (1 Kgs 3:9) is denoted concretely: “a wise and discerning heart,” Hebrew lev hakam venabun, while in (2 Chr 1:10) it is denoted abstractly: “wisdom and knowledge,” Hebrew gahokma vegamadda. The abstract representation may indicate a comparatively later origin of Chronicles (madda belongs to later Hebrew, is found in (Dan 1:4)).

2 Chronicles 1:13. And Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel. 2 Chronicles places Solomon’s journey to Gibeon at the beginning of his reign, which was probably the case (it is possible that the events described in 3 Kings, II, took place after this journey). Slavonic: “from the high Gibeon” (compare verse 3), as in the LXX (ὑψηλὴ) and in the Vulgate (excelsus), — an inexact rendering of Hebrew bama, high place.

2 Chronicles 1:14. Solomon accumulated chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 1:15. The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the lowlands. 2 Chronicles 1:16. Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the king’s traders received them from Kue at a price. 2 Chronicles 1:17. A chariot was imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and thus through them they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Arameans. Compare (1 Kgs 10:26-29). See the commentaries to these places (Commentary Bible II, p. 453 and 468). In the Masoretic Hebrew text to chapter 1, verse 18 of chapter 2 is appended and becomes the 18th verse. From chapter 2 to 7 inclusive, the narrative concerns the building of the temple and its dedication.