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2 Chronicles 1

KJV · Chapter 1/36

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.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Solomon establishes himself as king and goes to worship before the tabernacle at Gibeon. God appears to him at night and offers to grant whatever he asks; Solomon asks for wisdom to govern, and God also gives him abundant riches and honor.

Explanation

Solomon's request is remarkable because, given the chance to ask for anything — wealth, long life, victory over enemies — he chooses wisdom to serve well the people entrusted to him. This selfless request pleases God so much that he grants not only what was asked, but also everything Solomon did not ask for. This is a recurring spiritual principle in the Bible: seeking first what serves God's purpose, rather than merely personal benefits, tends to result in even greater blessings than one would have asked for alone. This beginning marks the height of Israel's united monarchy, before the divisions and crises that would come later in the book.

Fun facts

  • The tabernacle at Gibeon was the same portable sanctuary built by Moses in the wilderness, still in use alongside the ark of the covenant, which was already in Jerusalem — showing a phase of religious transition before the permanent temple was built.
  • The trade in horses and chariots mentioned at the end of the chapter, between Egypt and the Hittite and Syrian kingdoms, shows Solomon acting as an international trade intermediary, a sophisticated economic practice for the time.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:1As soon as he takes the throne, Solomon is “strengthened in his kingdom” with God at his side — the Chronicler opens the book making it clear right away where his success comes from.
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:2Solomon summons everyone who holds authority in Israel — military commanders, judges, family leaders — to go with him to Gibeon. It is a national pilgrimage, not just a trip for the king.
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:3The “tabernacle of the congregation” was the tent Moses had built in the wilderness, still in use at Gibeon centuries later. Solomon goes there because it is the official sanctuary of that moment, before the temple exists.
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:4The ark of the covenant was already in Jerusalem, in a tent David had prepared, separate from the tabernacle at Gibeon. In other words, before the temple, Israel’s worship was split between two places.
  5. 2 Chronicles 1:5The bronze altar used for sacrifices remained at Gibeon, next to the old tabernacle — it is there, not in Jerusalem, that Solomon goes to offer his sacrifices in the next verse.
  6. 2 Chronicles 1:6A thousand burnt offerings at once is a gigantic offering — a way for Solomon to open his reign with a gesture of devotion whose scale no one could ignore.
  7. 2 Chronicles 1:7That same night after this enormous sacrifice, God appears to Solomon and makes an open invitation: ask for whatever he wants. That invitation draws out the famous response in the next verse.
  8. 2 Chronicles 1:8Before asking for anything, Solomon starts by thanking God for what He has already done for David, his father, and for himself in setting him on the throne.
  9. 2 Chronicles 1:9Solomon asks God to fulfill the promise made to David, noting that he now rules over an enormous people — this is the backdrop that justifies the request for wisdom that follows.
  10. 2 Chronicles 1:10Solomon defines what “wisdom” means to him: not abstract knowledge, but the practical ability to judge such a large people well.
  11. 2 Chronicles 1:11God gives Solomon the chance to ask for anything, and he chooses wisdom to judge the people instead of riches, fame, or revenge against enemies. Precisely because he does not ask for those things, God guarantees he will gain them anyway, as a bonus.
  12. 2 Chronicles 1:12God not only grants what Solomon asked for, He also throws in riches and honor on a scale no other king would have before or after him.
  13. 2 Chronicles 1:13Solomon returns from Gibeon to Jerusalem after this encounter with God, and from this point on the text begins describing his reign in full swing.
  14. 2 Chronicles 1:14Fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen show the military strength Solomon builds up — but Deuteronomy had already warned the king of Israel not to accumulate that kind of army.
  15. 2 Chronicles 1:15Gold and silver become as common in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar as common as wild fig trees — the text exaggerates on purpose to show the kingdom’s wealth at its peak.
  16. 2 Chronicles 1:16Solomon imports horses from Egypt and resells chariots to neighboring kings, a quite profitable middleman business. It’s worth noting that the law of Moses, in Deuteronomy, had already warned the king of Israel not to accumulate horses from Egypt of all places — a detail this text doesn’t comment on, only records.
  17. 2 Chronicles 1:17The price of importing each chariot from Egypt was high, but Solomon profits by reselling them to Hittite and Syrian kings — the same middleman trade scheme as the previous verse.

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