2 Chronicles — Chapter 1
Loading ESV text...
1And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
2Then 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.
3So 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.
4But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
5Moreover 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.
6And 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.
7In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
8And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.
9Now, 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.
10Give 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?
11And 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:
12Wisdom 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.
13Then 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.
14And 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.
15And 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.
16And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
17And 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.
1And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and Jehovah his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
2And Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers` [houses].
3So Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of Jehovah had made in the wilderness.
4But the ark of God had David brought up from Kiriath-jearim to [the place] that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
5Moreover the brazen altar, that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of Jehovah: and Solomon and the assembly sought unto it.
6And Solomon went up thither to the brazen altar before Jehovah, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt-offerings upon it.
7In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
8And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast showed great lovingkindness unto David my father, and hast made me king in his stead.
9Now, O Jehovah 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.
10Give 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?
11And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of them that hate thee, 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:
12wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee; neither shall there any after thee have the like.
13So Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, unto Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.
14And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
15And the king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.
16And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; the king`s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price.
17And they fetched up and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.
1Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority, for the Lord his God was with him and magnified him greatly.
2Solomon addressed all Israel, including those who commanded units of a thousand and a hundred, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel who were heads of families.
3Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God was located there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness.
4(Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.
5But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, was in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. Solomon and the entire assembly prayed to him there.)
6Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up 1,000 burnt sacrifices.
7That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me what I should give you.”
8Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place.
9Now, Lord God, may your promise to my father David be realized, for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth.
10Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”
11God said to Solomon, “Because you desire this, and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, and because you did not ask for long life, but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king,
12you are granted wisdom and discernment. Furthermore I am giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before or after you.”
13Solomon left the meeting tent at the worship center in Gibeon and went to Jerusalem, where he reigned over Israel.
14Solomon accumulated chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses . He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem.
15The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the foothills.
16Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que.
17They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.
1Solomon the son of David was firmly established in his kingdom, and Yahweh his God was with him, and made him exceedingly great.
2Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households.
3So Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for God’s Tent of Meeting was there, which Yahweh’s servant Moses had made in the wilderness.
4But David had brought God’s ark up from Kiriath Jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
5Moreover the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was there before Yahweh’s tabernacle; and Solomon and the assembly were seeking counsel there.
6Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before Yahweh, which was at the Tent of Meeting, and offered one thousand burnt offerings on it.
7That night, God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for what you want me to give you.”
8Solomon said to God, “You have shown great loving kindness to David my father, and have made me king in his place.
9Now, Yahweh God, let your promise to David my father be established; for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
10Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of yours?”
11God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor yet have you asked for long life; but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king,
12therefore wisdom and knowledge is granted to you. I will give you riches, wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you had, and none after you will have.”
13So Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.
14Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
15The king made silver and gold to be as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars to be as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
16The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt and from Kue. The king’s merchants purchased them from Kue.
17They brought up and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty. They also exported them to the Hittite kings and the Syrian kings.
Summary
Solomon worships at the tabernacle in Gibeon, where God appears to him at night offering whatever he asks. Solomon requests wisdom and knowledge to govern God's people, and God grants him unparalleled wisdom along with riches and honor.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Parallels 1-2 Kings but focuses exclusively on Judah (the southern kingdom). Jerusalem and the Temple are the theological center throughout.
- Key locations include various battle sites, reform locations, and high places destroyed or rebuilt by successive kings.
- The book ends with exile to Babylon (586 BC) and Cyrus's decree permitting return — the geographic arc moves from Jerusalem to Babylon and back.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes that the Chronicler's omission of Solomon's political consolidation (1 Kings 1-2) highlights the theological purpose of 2 Chronicles: it is a spiritual history, not a political one. Solomon's request for wisdom at Gibeon establishes the priority principle that governs the entire book — seek God first.
- Charles Spurgeon: "Solomon asked for wisdom, and God gave him wisdom and all things beside. It is ever so: seek the highest good, and all lesser goods are added. The man who seeks gold first loses both gold and God; the man who seeks God first gains both God and gold. A thousand burnt offerings preceded the request — Solomon did not come to God with empty hands and greedy prayers. He worshipped before he asked. Let those who would receive from God learn first to give to God. The altar precedes the answer."
Reflection
- 1. Your first act reveals your first priority (vv.3-6). Solomon's first recorded act as king was worship — not policy-making, military review, or palace construction, but sacrifice at God's altar. What is your first act when you receive new responsibility, a new position, or a new opportunity? Those who begin with God establish a foundation that sustains everything that follows.
- 2. God tests the heart with open-ended offers (v.7). "Ask what I shall give thee" — this reveals what you truly value. If God made this offer to you tonight, what would you ask? Your answer reveals the condition of your heart. Solomon's request for wisdom to serve others well — rather than personal advancement — reveals a heart aligned with God's purposes.
- 3. Humility before great responsibility is wisdom (v.10). Solomon recognized that governing God's people was beyond his natural ability — "who can judge this thy people, that is so great?" Those who recognize their insufficiency are candidates for God's sufficiency. Self-confidence disqualifies; God-dependence qualifies.
- 4. God's generosity exceeds our requests (v.12). Solomon asked for one thing and received everything. God is not stingy with those whose hearts are right. When you seek His purposes, He provides His resources — often exceeding what you thought to ask. But this only works when the heart is genuinely oriented toward service rather than self-enrichment.
- 5. Material blessing comes with responsibility (vv.14-17). The chapter ends with Solomon's enormous wealth — but compared with Deuteronomy 17:16, there are already warning signs. Horses from Egypt, trade relationships with pagan nations, accumulation of military might — these blessings, when they become the focus rather than the fruit, lead to decline. Enjoy God's provision without making provision your god.