HarperCollins Study Bible

by Harold W. Attridge

  David’s Praise to God

  10Then David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly; David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, forever and ever. 11Yours, O LORD, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. 12Riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. 13And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name.

  14“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to make this freewill offering? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15For we are aliens and transients before you, as were all our ancestors; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. 16O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. 17I know, my God, that you search the heart, and take pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. 18O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. 19Grant to my son Solomon that with single mind he may keep your commandments, your decrees, and your statutes, performing all of them, and that he may build the templeb for which I have made provision.”

  20Then David said to the whole assembly, “Bless the LORD your God.” And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king. 21On the next day they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to the LORD, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their libations, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel; 22and they ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great joy.

  Solomon Anointed King

  They made David’s son Solomon king a second time; they anointed him as the LORD’s prince, and Zadok as priest. 23Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD, succeeding his father David as king; he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24All the leaders and the mighty warriors, and also all the sons of King David, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. 25The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

  Summary of David’s Reign

  26Thus David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27The period that he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 28He died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor; and his son Solomon succeeded him. 29Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the records of the seer Samuel, and in the records of the prophet Nathan, and in the records of the seer Gad, 30with accounts of all his rule and his might and of the events that befell him and Israel and all the kingdoms of the earth.

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  a Heb fortress

  b Heb fortress

  29.1–9 Contributions to the temple. Cf. the parallel tabernacle account, Ex 25.1–7; 35.4–9, 20–29.

  29.1–5 David’s contributions. Cf. 22.2–5, 14.

  29.1 The word translated temple occurs only in late biblical Hebrew and is a postexilic loanword. Cf. v. 19.

  29.4 Three thousand talents of gold, 101 tons. Seven thousand talents of refined silver, 235 tons. Ophir, a source of gold reached by ship, perhaps in Africa or Arabia.

  29.5 David invites the people to contribute and is heeded; cf. the same sequence when Moses invites the people to give to the tabernacle (Ex 35.4–9; 35.20–29).

  29.6–9 Contributions by others. In the wilderness period the people make contributions and work on the tabernacle. Since only Levites are permitted in the temple, lay participation in building is impossible.

  29.7 Five thousand talents (of gold), 168 tons. Ten thousand darics of gold, 84,200 grams or 185 pounds. This coin was introduced about 515 BCE by Darius I and is used anachronistically in this passage. Ten thousand talents of silver, 336 tons. Eighteen thousand talents of bronze, 605 tons. One hundred thousand talents of iron, 3,365 tons. All the weights, except perhaps for the darics, are exaggerations. They demonstrate all Israel’s dedication to the temple.

  29.8 Jehiel. Cf. 23.8; 26.21–22.

  29.9 The joy of David and the people in contributing echoes the joy of Israel in making David king (12.39–41).

  29.10–19 David praises God with joy and humility.

  29.11 This verse is the source of the concluding doxology to the Lord’s Prayer, which appears in late manuscripts of Mt 6.13: “For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.” God’s kingship is a persistent theme in Chronicles (e.g., 1 Chr 16.23–33; 17.14) and relativizes the upcoming kingship of Solomon.

  29.14 The generous gifts of vv. 1–9 are first of all God’s gifts to Israel.

  29.15 David recalls that the landless ancestors were few, but received the promise of the land. Cf. vv. 10, 18. Even in the land the Israelites share their ancestors’ vulnerability and dependency.

  29.18 David asks that the people maintain their present generous purposes and thoughts and that their faith always be directed toward God. The building of the temple is crucial, but it is not the ultimate in religious devotion.

  29.19 David prays that Solomon will obey the law, build the temple, and so maintain the dynasty (cf. ch. 17).

  29.20–22a The assembly blesses the Lord.

  29.21 Sacrifices, peace offerings in which the people eat the sacrificial animal and contribute to the joy mentioned in v. 22. The large number of animals indicates the significance of the event. Cf. 2 Chr 7.4–5; 30.23–27.

  29.22b–25 The anointing of Solomon.

  29.22b A second time, lacking in Septuagint and added by someone who did not understand that 23.1 was a heading for the whole following section. Zadok is already active as priest (16.39) and does not succeed Abiathar as sole priest until later (1 Kings 2.35). The present notice gives the high priest nearly equal standing with the king.

  29.23 Throne of the LORD. The kingdom is the Lord ’ s (cf. 17.14).

  29.24 The claim that all the king’s sons and all the leaders obey him is contradicted by 1 Kings 1–2.

  29.25 The Lord’s exaltation of Solomon is also mentioned in 2 Chr 1.1. Cf. Josh 3.7; 4.14.

  29.26–30 Cf. 1 Kings 2.10–12. Chronicles puts the notice of David’s death after the accession of Solomon and so binds the two reigns closely together. Vv. 28–30 were added by the Chronicler to the summary from 1 Kings.

  29.27 David’s reign in Hebron is already over all Israel.

  29.28 David dies in riches and honor. In 1 Kings 1 the frail king has to be warmed by a young virgin and prodded by Bathsheba to prevent Adonijah from taking the throne from Solomon.

  29.29 Authorship of the books of Samuel and Kings—and of other records?—is attributed to the prophetic figures of Samuel (1 Chr 6.28, 33; 9.22; 11.3; 26.28; 2 Chr 35.18), Nathan (1 Chr 17; 2 Chr 9.29; 29.25), and Gad (1 Chr 21.9; 2 Chr 29.25).

  2 CHRONICLES

  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |

  2 CHRONICLES 1

  Solomon Requests Wisdom

  1Solomon son of David established himself in his kingdom; the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

  2Solomon summoned all Israel, the commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel, the heads of families. 3Then Solomon, and the whole assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for God’s tent of meeting, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness, was there. 4(But David had brought the ark of God up from Kiriath-jearim to the place th
at David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) 5Moreover the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there in front of the tabernacle of the LORD. And Solomon and the assembly inquired at it. 6Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

  7That night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I should give you.” 8Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to my father David, and have made me succeed him as king. 9O LORD God, let your promise to my father David now be fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of yours?” 11God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may rule my people over whom I have made you king, 12wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 13So Solomon came froma the high place at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

  Solomon’s Military and Commercial Activity

  14Solomon gathered together chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 16Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the king’s traders received them from Kue at the prevailing price. 17They imported from Egypt, and then exported, a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty; so through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

  [For introductory material to 2 Chronicles, see the Introduction to 1 Chronicles.]

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  a Gk Vg: Heb to

  1.1–13 Cf. 1 Kings 3.1–15.

  1.1 Chronicles omits the reference to Solomon’s marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter in 1 Kings 3. Established himself may include building projects, raising an army, and making reforms. Perhaps there is also an allusion to Solomon’s mastering of the troubles that accompany his rise to power in 1 Kings 2.5–46. Made him exceedingly great. Cf. Josh 3.7; 4.14; 1 Chr 29.25.

  1.2–3 In 1 Kings 3.4 Solomon goes to Gibeon alone; in Chronicles his first act as king is to lead a national pilgrimage to the bronze altar at Gibeon.

  1.4 Cf. the Chronicler’s version of the ark narrative in 1 Chr 13.1–16.1.

  1.5 Bezalel. See Ex 31.2–11; 1 Chr 2.20; cf. Ex 38.1–2. It, translated by the RSV as “the LORD” the Hebrew pronoun is ambiguous. For the tabernacle at Gibeon, see 1 Chr 16.39 and 21.29.

  1.6 The tent of meeting makes Gibeon a legitimate place of sacrifice (Lev 17.8–9).

  1.7 1 Kings 3.5 adds “in a dream” after Solomon, but see the criticism of dreams in Jer 23.25–28.

  1.8 Chronicles omits the notice of Solomon’s not knowing “how to go out or come in” from 1 Kings 3.7, but see 1 Chr 22.5; 29.1, where David admits Solomon’s youth and inexperience.

  1.9 Fulfilled. Cf. the promise of numerous offspring made to Jacob in Gen 28.14.

  1.10 In Chronicles wisdom is the ability to build the temple. In 1 Kings Solomon’s wisdom is shown in his judging between two prostitutes (3.16–28), his administrative magnificence (4.1–5.8), and his knowledge of nature (5.9–14), all omitted from Chronicles.

  1.13 Chronicles omits the sacrifices performed by Solomon on his return to Jerusalem in 1 Kings 3.15, since in its view the only legitimate sacrificial site at this time is Gibeon.

  1.14–17 Cf. 1 Kings 10.26–29. Chronicles moves this account of Solomon’s riches and commercial activity from the end of Solomon’s reign to a point between the revelation at Gibeon and the beginning of temple building. At this position it fulfills v. 12 and implies that these resources were dedicated to constructing the temple.

  1.15 Gold, not present in the Hebrew of 1 Kings 10.27. Shephelah, low hills in western Palestine separating the coastal plain from the central mountain ridge.

  1.16 Kue, Cilicia, on the southeast coast of Asia Minor.

  1.17 Hittites, people living in what is roughly modern Turkey. Solomon is a kind of arms merchant.

  2 CHRONICLES 2a

  Preparations for Building the Temple

  1Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of the LORD, and a royal palace for himself. ab Solomon conscripted seventy thousand laborers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hill country, with three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

  Alliance with Huram of Tyre

  3Solomon sent word to King Huram of Tyre: “Once you dealt with my father David and sent him cedar to build himself a house to live in. 4I am now about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God and dedicate it to him for offering fragrant incense before him, and for the regular offering of the rows of bread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed festivals of the LORD our God, as ordained forever for Israel. 5The house that I am about to build will be great, for our God is greater than other gods. 6But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? 7So now send me an artisan skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to join the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided. 8Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting Lebanon timber. My servants will work with your servants 9to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am about to build will be great and wonderful. 10I will provide for your servants, those who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors of crushed wheat, twenty thousand cors of barley, twenty thousand bathsc of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

  11Then King Huram of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, “Because the LORD loves his people he has made you king over them.” 12Huram also said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD, and a royal palace for himself.

  13“I have dispatched Huram-abi, a skilled artisan, endowed with understanding, 14the son of one of the Danite women, his father a Tyrian. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your artisans, the artisans of my lord, your father David. 15Now, as for the wheat, barley, oil, and wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send them to his servants. 16We will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon, and bring it to you as rafts by sea to Joppa; you will take it up to Jerusalem.”

  17Then Solomon took a census of all the aliens who were residing in the land of Israel, after the census that his father David had taken; and there were found to be one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18Seventy thousand of them he assigned as laborers, eighty thousand as stonecutters in the hill country, and three thousand six hundred as overseers to make the people work.

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  a Ch 1.18 in Heb

  b Ch 2.1 in Heb

  c A Hebrew measure of volume

  2.1–18 Cf. 1 Kings 5.1–8; 7.13–14; 5.9–18.

  2.1 Palace. Cf. 2.12; 7.11; 8.1; 9.11. Chronicles omits details about its construction that are reported in 1 Kings 7.1–12.

  2.3–10 A letter of Solomon to Huram. According to 1 Kings 5.1 Hiram (note the slight spelling difference) initiate
s the correspondence with Solomon.

  2.4 Chronicles makes the obligation to sacrifice a major reason for building the temple.

  2.6a The inability of any temple to contain God is borrowed from Solomon’s speech at the dedication of the temple (6.18).

  2.7 The artisan is not mentioned until 1 Kings 7.13–14 in the parallel account, where he is skilled only in bronze work. The wider talents in Chronicles stem from a comparison of Huram-abi (v. 13) with Oholiab, who worked on the tabernacle (cf. Ex 31.1–11; 35.30–35).

  2.8 The identity of algum is not certain, but 9.10–11 indicates that it was imported from Ophir.

  2.10 A cor was slightly more than 6 bushels. A bath was 6 gallons or 22 liters. The enormous amounts of grain, wine, and oil fit a pattern of Tyrian dependence on Israel for foodstuffs (Ezek 17.17). In 1 Kings 5.11 these are annual payments.

  2.11–16 Huram’s reply.

  2.11–12 Huram expresses piety toward the Lord and mentions the Lord ’ s endorsement of Solomon’s kingship and his gift of wisdom to him.

  2.13 Huram-abi, a counterpart to Bezalel and Oholiab from the wilderness period (see note on 2.7). The element abi in his name, not attested in 1 Kings 7.13, may be a play on the last part of the name Oholiab.

  2.14 Danite. According to 1 Kings 7.14, Hiram is the son of a widow from Naphtali. The wilderness artisan Oholiab, however, was from the tribe of Dan (Ex 31.6; 35.34). His skills correspond to those requested by Solomon in v. 7. Both Dan and Naphtali are descendants of Bilhah, Jacob’s concubine. My lord, a term of respect, used by Huram for both David and Solomon (cf. v. 15).