2 Chronicles 1:1-17 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

¹ And Solomon ^H8010 the son ^H1121 of David ^H1732 was strengthened ^H2388 in his kingdom, ^H4438 and the LORD ^H3068 his God ^H430 was with him, and magnified ^H1431 him exceedingly. ^H4605

² Then Solomon ^H8010 spake ^H559 unto all Israel, ^H3478 to the captains ^H8269 of thousands ^H505 and of hundreds, ^H3967 and to the judges, ^H8199 and to every governor ^H5387 in all Israel, ^H3478 the chief ^H7218 of the fathers. ^H1

³ So Solomon, ^H8010 and all the congregation ^H6951 with him, went ^H3212 to the high place ^H1116 that was at Gibeon; ^H1391 for there was the tabernacle ^H168 of the congregation ^H4150 of God, ^H430 which Moses ^H4872 the servant ^H5650 of the LORD ^H3068 had made ^H6213 in the wilderness. ^H4057

⁴ But ^H61 the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 had David ^H1732 brought up ^H5927 from Kirjathjearim ^H7157 to the place which David ^H1732 had prepared ^H3559 for it: for he had pitched ^H5186 a tent ^H168 for it at Jerusalem. ^H3389

⁵ Moreover the brasen ^H5178 altar, ^H4196 that Bezaleel ^H1212 the son ^H1121 of Uri, ^H221 the son ^H1121 of Hur, ^H2354 had made, ^H6213 he put ^H7760 before ^H6440 the tabernacle ^H4908 of the LORD: ^H3068 and Solomon ^H8010 and the congregation ^H6951 sought ^H1875 unto it.

⁶ And Solomon ^H8010 went up ^H5927 thither to the brasen ^H5178 altar ^H4196 before ^H6440 the LORD, ^H3068 which was at the tabernacle ^H168 of the congregation, ^H4150 and offered ^H5927 a thousand ^H505 burnt offerings ^H5930 upon it.

⁷ In that night ^H3915 did God ^H430 appear ^H7200 unto Solomon, ^H8010 and said ^H559 unto him, Ask ^H7592 what I shall give ^H5414 thee.

⁸ And Solomon ^H8010 said ^H559 unto God, ^H430 Thou hast shewed ^H6213 great ^H1419 mercy ^H2617 unto David ^H1732 my father, ^H1 and hast made me to reign ^H4427 in his stead.

⁹ Now, O LORD ^H3068 God, ^H430 let thy promise ^H1697 unto David ^H1732 my father ^H1 be established: ^H539 for thou hast made me king ^H4427 over a people ^H5971 like the dust ^H6083 of the earth ^H776 in multitude. ^H7227

¹⁰ Give ^H5414 me now wisdom ^H2451 and knowledge, ^H4093 that I may go out ^H3318 and come in ^H935 before ^H6440 this people: ^H5971 for who can judge ^H8199 this thy people, ^H5971 that is so great? ^H1419

¹¹ And God ^H430 said ^H559 to Solomon, ^H8010 Because this was in thine heart, ^H3824 and thou hast not asked ^H7592 riches, ^H6239 wealth, ^H5233 or honour, ^H3519 nor the life ^H5315 of thine enemies, ^H8130 neither yet hast asked ^H7592 long ^H7227 life; ^H3117 but hast asked ^H7592 wisdom ^H2451 and knowledge ^H4093 for thyself, that thou mayest judge ^H8199 my people, ^H5971 over whom I have made thee king: ^H4427

¹² Wisdom ^H2451 and knowledge ^H4093 is granted ^H5414 unto thee; and I will give ^H5414 thee riches, ^H6239 and wealth, ^H5233 and honour, ^H3519 such as none of the kings ^H4428 have had that have been before ^H6440 thee, neither shall there any after ^H310 thee have the like.

¹³ Then Solomon ^H8010 came ^H935 from his journey to the high place ^H1116 that was at Gibeon ^H1391 to Jerusalem, ^H3389 from before ^H6440 the tabernacle ^H168 of the congregation, ^H4150 and reigned ^H4427 over Israel. ^H3478

¹⁴ And Solomon ^H8010 gathered ^H622 chariots ^H7393 and horsemen: ^H6571 and he had a thousand ^H505 and four ^H702 hundred ^H3967 chariots, ^H7393 and twelve ^H8147 ^H6240 thousand ^H505 horsemen, ^H6571 which he placed ^H3240 in the chariot ^H7393 cities, ^H5892 and with the king ^H4428 at Jerusalem. ^H3389

¹⁵ And the king ^H4428 made ^H5414 silver ^H3701 and gold ^H2091 at Jerusalem ^H3389 as plenteous as stones, ^H68 and cedar trees ^H730 made ^H5414 he as the sycomore trees ^H8256 that are in the vale ^H8219 for abundance. ^H7230

¹⁶ And Solomon ^H8010 had horses ^H5483 brought ^H4161 out of Egypt, ^H4714 and linen yarn: ^H4723 the king's ^H4428 merchants ^H5503 received ^H3947 the linen yarn ^H4723 at a price. ^H4242

¹⁷ And they fetched up, ^H5927 and brought forth ^H3318 out of Egypt ^H4714 a chariot ^H4818 for six ^H8337 hundred ^H3967 shekels of silver, ^H3701 and an horse ^H5483 for an hundred ^H3967 and fifty: ^H2572 and so brought they out ^H3318 horses for all the kings ^H4428 of the Hittites, ^H2850 and for the kings ^H4428 of Syria, ^H758 by their means. ^H3027

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 1 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill Keil & Delitzsch Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of

The Second Book of Chronicles

Chapter 1

In the close of the foregoing book we read how God magnified Solomon and Israel obeyed him; God and Israel concurred to honour him. Now here we have an account,

I. How he honoured God by sacrifice (v. 1-6) and by prayer (v. 7-12).
II. How he honoured Israel by increasing their strength, wealth, and trade (v. 13-17).

2Ch 1:1-12

Here is,

I. Solomon's great prosperity, v. 1. Though he had a contested title, yet, God being with him, he was strengthened in his kingdom; his heart and hands were strengthened, and his interest in the people. God's presence will be our strength.
II. His great piety and devotion. His father was a prophet, a psalmist, and kept mostly to the ark; but Solomon, having read much in his Bible concerning the tabernacle which Moses built and the altars there, paid more respect to them than, it should seem, David had done. Both did well, and let neither be censured. If the zeal of one be carried out most to one instance of religion, and of another to some other instance, let them not judge nor despise each other.
- 1. All his great men must thus far be good men that they must join with him in worshipping God. He spoke to the captains and judges, the governors and chief of the fathers, to go with him to Gibeon, v. 2, 3. Authority and interest are well bestowed on those that will thus use them for the glory of God, and the promoting of religion. It is our duty to engage all with whom we have influence in the solemnities of religion, and it is very desirable to have many join with us in those solemnities-the more the better; it is the more like heaven. Solomon began his reign with this public pious visit to God's altar, and it was a very good omen. Magistrates are then likely to do well for themselves and their people when they thus take God along with them at their setting out.
- 2. He offered abundance of sacrifices to God there (v. 6): 1000 burnt-offerings, and perhaps a greater number of peace-offerings, on which he and his company feasted before the Lord. Where God sows plentifully he expects to reap accordingly. His father David had left him flocks and herds in abundance (1 Chr. 27:29, 31), and thus he gave God his dues out of them. The ark was at Jerusalem (v. 4), but the altar was at Gibeon (v. 5), and thither he brought his sacrifices; for it is the altar that sanctifieth every gift.
- 3. He prayed a good prayer to God: this, with the answer to it, we had before, 1 Ki. 3:5, etc.
  - (1.) God bade him ask what he would; not only that he might put him in the right way of obtaining the favours that were intended him (Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full), but that he might try him, how he stood affected, and might discover what was in his heart. Men's characters appear in their choices and desires. What wouldst thou have? tries a man as much as, What wouldst thou do? Thus God tried whether Solomon was one of the children of this world, that say, Who will show us any good, or of the children of light, that say, Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. As we choose we shall have, and that is likely to be our portion to which we give the preference, whether the wealth and pleasure of this world or spiritual riches or delights.
  - (2.) Like a genuine son of David, he chose spiritual blessings rather than temporal. His petition here is, Give me wisdom and knowledge. He owns those to be desirable gifts, and God to be the giver of them, Prov. 2:6. God gave the faculty of understanding, and to him we must apply for the furniture of it. Two things are here pleaded which we had not in Kings:-
    - [1.] Thou hast made me reign in my father's stead, v. 8. "Lord, thou hast put me into this place, and therefore I can in faith ask of thee grace to enable me to do the duty of it.' What service we have reason to believe God calls us to we have reason to hope he will qualify us for. But that is not all. "Lord, thou hast put me into this place in the stead of David, the great and good man that filled it up so well; therefore give me wisdom, that Israel may not suffer damage by the change. Must I reign in my father's stead? Lord, give me my father's spirit.' Note, The eminency of those that went before us, and the obligation that lies upon us to keep up and carry on the good work they were engaged in, should provoke us to a gracious emulation, and quicken our prayers to God for wisdom and grace, that we may do the work of God in our day as faithfully and well as they did in theirs.
    - [2.] Let thy promise to David my father be established, v. 9. He means the promise of concerning his successor. "In performance of that promise, Lord, give me wisdom.' We do not find that wisdom was any of the things promised, but it was necessary in order to the accomplishment of what was promised, 2 Sa. 7:13-15. The promise was, He shall build a house for my name, I will establish his throne, he shall be my son, and my mercy shall not depart from him. "Now, Lord, unless thou give me wisdom, thy house will not be built, nor my throne established; I shall behave in a manner unbecoming my relation to thee as a Father, shall forfeit thy mercy, and fool it away; therefore, Lord, give me wisdom.' Note,
      - First, God's promises are our best pleas in prayer. Remember thy word unto thy servant.
      - Secondly, Children may take the comfort of the promises of that covenant which their parents, in their baptism, laid claim to, and took hold of, for them.
      - Thirdly, The best way to obtain the benefit of the promises and privileges of the covenant is to be earnest in prayer with God for wisdom and grace to do the duties of it.
- 4. He received a gracious answer to this prayer, v. 11, 12.
  - (1.) God gave him the wisdom that he asked for because he asked for it. Wisdom is a gift that God gives as freely and liberally as any gift to those that value it, and wrestle for it; and will resolve to make use of it; and he upbraids not the poor petitioners with their folly, James 1:5. God's grace shall never be wanting to those who sincerely desire to know and do their duty.
  - (2.) God gave him the wealth and honour which he did not ask for because he asked not for them. Those that pursue present things most earnestly are most likely to miss of them; while those that refer themselves to the providence of God, if they have not the most of those things, have the most comfort in them. Those that make this world their end come short of the other and are disappointed in this too; but those that make the other world their end shall not only obtain that, and full satisfaction in it, but shall enjoy as much as is convenient of this world in their way.

2Ch 1:13-17