2 Chronicles · Chapter 1

Verse 1. And Solomon the son of David] The very beginning of this book shows that it is a continuation of the preceding, and should not be thus formally separated from it. See the preface to the first book. {1 Chronicles 1:1}

The Lord his God was with him] “The WORD of the Lord was his support.”-Targum.

Verses 1, 2. Solomon was strengthened in his kingdom — Or, established, after his seditious brother Adonijah and his partisans were suppressed; and he was received with the universal consent and joy of his princes and people. Solomon spake unto all Israel — Namely, concerning his intention of going to Gibeon, and that they should attend him thither, as the next verse shows. Authority and interest are well bestowed on those that will thus use them for the glory of God, and the promotion of religion. But it is the duty of all men to engage all they have any influence upon in the solemnities of religion, and very desirable to have many to join with them therein: the more the better: it makes these solemnities the more like heaven.

Verse 1. And Solomon. The books of Chronicles are both one in the original, but the Latin church has thought proper to divide them into two; ending the first with David’s reign, and beginning the second with Solomon’s. The contents of the first ten or twelve chapters have been anticipated in the first book of Kings, and therefore few remarks will be required here.

V. 2. Spake-Concerning his intention of going to Gibeon, and that they should attend him thither.

Verse 2. Then Solomon spake] This is supposed to have taken place in the second year of his reign.

Verses 1, 2. Solomon was strengthened in his kingdom — Or, established, after his seditious brother Adonijah and his partisans were suppressed; and he was received with the universal consent and joy of his princes and people. Solomon spake unto all Israel — Namely, concerning his intention of going to Gibeon, and that they should attend him thither, as the next verse shows. Authority and interest are well bestowed on those that will thus use them for the glory of God, and the promotion of religion. But it is the duty of all men to engage all they have any influence upon in the solemnities of religion, and very desirable to have many to join with them therein: the more the better: it makes these solemnities the more like heaven.

Verses 3, 4. Solomon, &c., went to the high place at Gibeon — Upon which the tabernacle was placed; whence it is called the great high place, 1 Kings 3:4. But the ark, &c. — David had separated the ark from the tabernacle, and brought it to Jerusalem, because there he intended to build a far more noble and lasting habitation for it.

V. 4. The ark-He separated the ark from the tabernacle, and brought it to Jerusalem, where he intended to build a more noble and lasting habitation for it.

Verse 4. But the ark] The tabernacle and the brazen altar remained still at Gibeon; but David had brought away the ark out of the tabernacle, and placed it in a tent at Jerusalem; 2 Samuel 6:2, 17.

Verses 3, 4. Solomon, &c., went to the high place at Gibeon — Upon which the tabernacle was placed; whence it is called the great high place, 1 Kings 3:4. But the ark, &c. — David had separated the ark from the tabernacle, and brought it to Jerusalem, because there he intended to build a far more noble and lasting habitation for it.

V. 5. Sought-Sought the Lord and his favour by hearty prayers and sacrifices in the place which God had appointed.

Verse 5. Sought unto it.] Went to seek the Lord there.

Verse 5. The brazen altar he put before the tabernacle, &c. — He continued it there, and did not remove it, as he did the ark, from the tabernacle. Solomon and the congregation sought unto it — Sought the Lord and his favour by hearty prayers and sacrifices in the place which God had appointed for that work, Leviticus 17:3, 4.

Verse 6. To the brazen altar before the Lord — It is said to be before the Lord, though the ark was not there, because God was pleased graciously to accept the sacrifices offered before the place, though wanting the token of his glorious presence. And offered a thousand burnt-offerings upon it — Namely, by the ministry of the priests, He probably offered as many peace-offerings, on which he and his company feasted before the Lord; unless, as Pellicanus thinks, burnt-offerings here signify peace-offerings, the general name being put for the special.

Verse 7. In that night] The night following the sacrifice. On Solomon’s choice, see the notes on 1 Kings 3:5-15.

Verse 7. In that night — After those sacrifices were offered; did God appear to Solomon in a dream — Of which see the notes on 1 Kings 3:5. And said, Ask what I shall give thee — God bid him ask what he would; not only that he might put him in the right way to obtain the favours which were intended him, Ask, and ye shall receive; but that he might try him how he stood affected, and give him an opportunity of knowing and manifesting what was in his heart. For men’s characters appear in their desires and choices. What wouldst thou have? tries a man as much as, What wouldst thou do?

V. 8. To reign, &c.-Give me the spirit of my father David, that Israel may not suffer by the change. The eminency of those that went before us, and the obligation that lies upon us, to keep and carry on the good work they were engaged in, should quicken our prayers for wisdom and grace, that we may do the work of God in our day, as faithful as they did in theirs.

Verse 8. And hast made me to reign — Give me the spirit of my father David, that Israel may not suffer by the change. The eminence of those that went before us, and the obligation that lies upon us to keep and carry on the good work they were engaged in, should quicken our prayers for wisdom and grace, that we may do the work of God in our day as faithfully as they did in theirs.

Verse 9. Let thy promise] Ërbd debarcha, thy word; Ëmgtp pithgamach, Targum. It is very remarkable that when either God or man is represented as having spoken a word then the noun פתגם pithgam is used by the Targumist; but when word is used personally, then he employs the noun armym meymera, which appears to answer to the logov of St. John, John 1:1, &c.

Verse 10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge — Like a genuine son of David and Abraham, he chose spiritual blessings rather than temporal. That I may go out and come in before this people — This is a proverbial speech for governing the people both at home and abroad, in peace and war. See Numbers 27:17; Deuteronomy 31:2. For who can judge this thy people, that is so great? — Among such a numerous people he knew there would be so many, and so various, and, many times, difficult cases brought before him, that it would be impossible for him to hear them and judge aright, without wisdom more than human. See note on 1 Kings 3:9.

V. 12. Neither &c.-Those that make this world their end, come short of the other, and frequently of this too. But those who make the other world their end, shall not only obtain that, but shalt have as much as is convenient of this world in their way.

Verse 12. And I will give thee riches and wealth, &c. — Those that make this world their end, come short of the other, and frequently of this too. But those who make the other world their end shall not only obtain that, but shall have as much as is convenient of this world in their way.

Verse 14. He had a thousand and four hundred chariots] For these numbers, see the notes on 1 Kings 4:26.

Verse 14. And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, which he placed in the chariot-cities, and with the king at Jerusalem — Of this and the three following verses, see the notes on 1 Kings 10:26, &c.

Ver. 14. Solomon had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. Each chariot contained a fighting captain, a powerful man on his left to support him, and one or two behind, to cut their way through the enemy. Solomon maintained a powerful standing army, to keep his allies in subjection, for he would not leave his country defenceless, while surrounding nations were in arms; yet he is called a prince of peace. While France boasts of a million of men in arms, England should not sleep.

Verse 15. Made silver and gold] See on 1 Kings 10:27, 28.

Verse 16. Linen yarn] See Clarke’s note on “1 Kings 10:28”, where this subject is particularly examined.

Verse 17. A horse for a hundred and fifty] Suppose we take the shekel at the utmost value at which it has been rated, three shillings; then the price of a horse was about twenty-two pounds ten shillings. ON Solomon’s multiplying horses, Bishop Warburton has made some judicious remarks:—

“Moses had expressly prohibited the multiplying of horses, Deuteronomy 17:16, by which the future king was forbidden to establish a body of cavalry, because this could not be effected without sending into Egypt, with which people God had forbidden any communication, as this would be dangerous to religion. When Solomon had violated this law, and multiplied horses to excess, 1 Kings 4:26, it was soon attended with those fatal consequences that the law foretold: for this wisest of kings having likewise, in violation of another law, married Pharaoh’s daughter, (the early fruits of this commerce,) and then, by a repetition of the same crime, but a transgression of another law, having espoused more strange women, 1 Kings 11:1; they first, in defiance of a fourth law, persuaded him to build them idol temples for their use, and afterwards, against a fifth law, brought him to erect other temples for his own. Now the original of all this mischief was the forbidden traffic with Egypt for horses; for thither were the agents of Solomon sent to mount his cavalry. Nay, this great king even turned factor for the neighbouring monarchs, 2 Chronicles 1:17, and this opprobrious commerce was kept up by his successors and attended with the same pernicious consequences. Isaiah denounces the mischiefs of this traffic; and foretells that one of the good effects of leaving it would be the forsaking of their idolatries, Isaiah 31:1, 4, 6, 7.”-See Divine Legation, vol. iii., p. 289 and Dr. Dodd’s Notes.

II CHRONICLES

Ver. 17. A horse for a hundred and fifty shekels. The shekel found in Italy weighed half an ounce of silver, value about half a crown.