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2 Chronicles 9:13-28 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

13 Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents;

14 And in addition to what he got from traders of different sorts, all the kings of Arabia and the rulers of the country gave gold and silver to Solomon.

15 And King Solomon made two hundred body-covers of hammered gold, every one having six hundred shekels of gold in it.

16 And he made three hundred smaller body-covers of hammered gold, using three hundred shekels of gold for every cover, and the king put them in the house of the Woods of Lebanon.

17 Then the king made a great ivory seat, plated with the best gold.

18 There were six steps up to it, and a foot-rest of gold fixed to it, and arms on the two sides of the seat, with two lions at the side of the arms.

19 And twelve lions were placed on one side and on the other side on the six steps: there was nothing like it in any kingdom.

20 All King Solomon's drinking-vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the Woods of Lebanon were of the best gold: no one gave a thought to silver in the days of Solomon.

21 For the king had Tarshish-ships sailing with the servants of Huram: once every three years the Tarshish-ships came back with gold and silver, ivory and monkeys and peacocks.

22 And King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.

23 And all the kings of the earth came to see Solomon and to give ear to his wisdom, which God had put into his heart.

24 And everyone took with him an offering, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and robes, and coats of metal, and spices, and horses and beasts for transport, regularly year by year.

25 Solomon had four thousand buildings for his horses and his war-carriages, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he kept, some in the carriage-towns and some with the king in Jerusalem.

26 And he was ruler over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the limit of Egypt.

27 The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem and cedars like the sycamore-trees of the lowlands in number.

28 They got horses for Solomon from Egypt and from every land.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 9

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 9 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verses 1-12

The visit of the queen of Sheba . Cf. 1 Kings 10:1-13. - This event is narrated as a practical proof of Solomon's extraordinary wisdom. The narrative agrees so exactly in both texts, with the exception of some few quite unimportant differences, that we must regard them as literal extracts from an original document which they have used in common. For the commentary on this section, see on 1 Kings 10:1-13.


Verses 13-21

Solomon's revenue in gold, and the use he made of it. Cf. 1 Kings 10:14-22, and the commentary there on this section, which is identical in both narratives, with the exception of some trifling differences. Before מביאים והסּחרים the relative pronoun is to be supplied: “and what the merchants brought.” As to the derivation of the word פּחות , which comes from the Aramaic form פּחה , governor (2 Chronicles 9:14), see on Haggai 1:1. - תּרשׁישׁ הלכות אניּות , in 2 Chronicles 9:21, ships going to Tarshish, is an erroneous paraphrase of תּרשׁישׁ אניּות , Tarshish-ships, i.e., ships built for long sea voyages; for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain, but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1 Kings 9:26.). All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10.


Verses 22-24

In 2 Chronicles 9:22-28, all that remained to be said of Solomon's royal glory, his riches, his wisdom, and his revenues, is in conclusion briefly summed up, as in 1 Kings 10:23-29. From 2 Chronicles 9:25 onwards, the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1 Kings 10:26., in so far that what is narrated in 1 Kings 10:26-28 concerning Solomon's chariots and horses, and his trade with Egypt in horses, is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5, because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr. 2 Chronicles 1:14-17.


Verses 25-28

2 Chronicles 9:25 does not correspond to the passage 1 Kings 10:26, but in contents and language agrees with 1 Kings 5:6, and 2 Chronicles 9:26 with 1 Kings 5:1. Only the general estimate of Solomon's riches in gold and silver, in 2 Chronicles 9:27, repeated from 2 Chronicles 1:15, corresponds to 1 Kings 10:27. Finally, in 2 Chronicles 9:28 the whole description is rounded off; all that has already been said in 2 Chronicles 1:16, 2 Chronicles 1:17 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1 Kings 10:28-29) being drawn together into one general statement.


Verses 29-31

Conclusion of Solomon's history. - 2 Chronicles 9:29. Sources; see the introduction .

2 Chronicles 9:30-31

The length of his reign, his death and burial, and his successor, as in 1 Kings 11:42.