2 Chronicles 1

This is the first chapter of 2 Chronicles. In 1 Chronicles 29, David dies and Solomon succeeds him on the throne. This chapter picks up from there and depicts the beginning of Solomon's reign. The same events also appear in 1 Kings 3 and at the end of 1 Kings 10.

Outline

• Verse 1 Solomon's kingship is firmly established. The LORD is with him and magnifies him exceedingly.
• Verses 2–6 Solomon leads the captains of thousands and of hundreds, the judges, the governors, the chiefs of the fathers, and all the congregation to the high place at Gibeon. There stood the tabernacle of the congregation that Moses had made in the wilderness, along with the brazen altar that Bezalel had made. David had already brought the ark of God up from Kirjath-jearim to a tent in Jerusalem. Solomon offers a thousand burnt offerings on the brazen altar.
• Verses 7–10 That night God appears and tells Solomon to ask what He should give him. Solomon asks God to establish the promise made to David, and he requests wisdom and knowledge to judge so great a people.
• Verses 11–12 Because Solomon has not asked for riches, wealth, honor, the life of his enemies, or long life, God promises to give him, in addition to wisdom and knowledge, riches and honor such as no king before or after him would have.
• Verses 13–17 Solomon returns to Jerusalem and reigns. He stations 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen in the chariot cities and in Jerusalem, and he makes silver and gold as plentiful as stones and cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees. Chariots are brought out of Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and horses for 150 shekels, and they are also brought out for the kings of the Hittites and of Aram.

Key Verses

• 2 Chronicles 1:7, "Ask what I shall give thee": The entire chapter unfolds around this question.
• 2 Chronicles 1:10, "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people": A prayer offered for the duties of kingship.
• 2 Chronicles 1:12, "I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour": A promise to grant even what was not asked for, which underlies the rest of the Solomon narrative.

People and Places

• Solomon: The son of David and king of Israel.
• Moses: Mentioned as the one who made in the wilderness the tabernacle of the congregation (tabernacle) that stood at Gibeon.
• Bezalel: The son of Uri and grandson of Hur. He made the brazen altar (altar of burnt offering).
• Gibeon: The site of the high place where the tabernacle of the congregation and the brazen altar stood.
• Kirjath-jearim: The place where the ark of God (ark of the covenant) remained before it was brought to Jerusalem.
• Jerusalem: The royal capital, where David pitched a tent for the ark.
• Egypt: The place from which horses and chariots were brought.
• The kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram: Neighboring kings for whom Solomon's merchants brought out horses and chariots.

Points for Reflection

• A comparison with 1 Kings 3 reveals differences. 1 Kings notes that the people sacrificed at the high places because there was no temple yet, and it goes on to record Solomon's return and his sacrifices before the ark in Jerusalem, followed by his judgment between the two women. Chronicles adds the explanation that Moses' tabernacle of the congregation and the brazen altar were at Gibeon, thereby showing that the worship there was legitimate, and it omits the account of the judgment.
• Verses 14–17 are sometimes read alongside the law of the king in Deuteronomy 17 (the king is not to multiply horses, cause the people to return to Egypt, or greatly multiply silver and gold). Some interpreters see this passage as the fulfillment of the promise in verse 12, while others see it as a sign of trouble to come. Chronicles does not record the failures of Solomon's later years described in 1 Kings 11.
• In verse 16, the word that the Korean Revised Version renders "in droves" is translated by some modern versions as the place name Kue.
• In connection with the New Testament, this chapter is often read alongside James 1:5–6, which instructs believers to ask God for wisdom, and Matthew 6:33, which promises that those who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness will have all these things added to them.

In the Korean Church

Verses 7–12 are frequently used in sermons and Sunday school lessons on Solomon's prayer for wisdom. On the basis of the "thousand burnt offerings" in verse 6, some churches conduct offering or prayer campaigns called "Ilcheon Beonje" ("thousand burnt offerings"). Critics object to such prosperity-oriented applications, arguing that the text simply describes a sacrifice of a thousand animals.