3 and they go -- Solomon, and all the assembly with him -- to the high place that `is' in Gibeon, for there hath been God's tent of meeting, that Moses, servant of Jehovah, made in the wilderness,
`And thou dost make the tabernacle: ten curtains of twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet; `with' cherubs, work of a designer, thou dost make them; the length of the one curtain `is' eight and twenty by the cubit, and the breadth of the one curtain four by the cubit, one measure `is' to all the curtains; five of the curtains are joining one unto another, and five curtains are joining one to another. `And thou hast made loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain, at the end in the joining; and so thou makest in the edge of the outermost curtain, in the joining of the second. fifty loops thou dost make in the one curtain, and fifty loops thou dost make in the edge of the curtain which `is' in the joining of the second, causing the loops to take hold one unto another; and thou hast made fifty hooks of gold, and hast joined the curtains one to another by the hooks, and the tabernacle hath been one. `And thou hast made curtains of goats' `hair', for a tent over the tabernacle; thou dost make eleven curtains: the length of the one curtain `is' thirty by the cubit, and the breadth of the one curtain four by the cubit; one measure `is' to the eleven curtains; and thou hast joined the five curtains apart, and the six curtains apart, and hast doubled the six curtains over-against the front of the tent. `And thou hast made fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain, the outermost in the joining, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which is joining the second; and thou hast made fifty hooks of brass, and hast brought in the hooks into the loops, and hast joined the tent, and it hath been one. `And the superfluity in the curtains of the tent -- the half of the curtain which is superfluous -- hath spread over the hinder part of the tabernacle; and the cubit on this side, and the cubit on that, in the superfluity in the length of the curtains of the tent, is spread out over the sides of the tabernacle, on this and on that, to cover it; and thou hast made a covering for the tent, of rams' skins made red, and a covering of badgers' skins above. `And thou hast made the boards for the tabernacle, of shittim wood, standing up; ten cubits `is' the length of the board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of the one board; two handles `are' to the one board, joined one unto another; so thou dost make for all the boards of the tabernacle; and thou hast made the boards of the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side southward; and forty sockets of silver thou dost make under the twenty boards, two sockets under the one board for its two handles, and two sockets under the other board for its two handles. `And for the second side of the tabernacle, for the north side, `are' twenty boards, and their forty sockets of silver, two sockets under the one board, and two sockets under another board. And for the sides of the tabernacle westward, thou dost make six boards. And two boards thou dost make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. And they are pairs beneath, and together they are pairs above its head unto the one ring; so is it for them both, they are for the two corners. And they have been eight boards, and their sockets of silver `are' sixteen sockets, two sockets under the one board, and two sockets under another board. `And thou hast made bars of shittim wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle at the two sides, westward; and one hath caused the middle bar in the midst of the boards to reach from end unto end; and the boards thou dost overlay `with' gold, and their rings thou dost make of gold places for bars, and hast overlaid their bars with gold; and thou hast raised up the tabernacle according to its fashion which thou hast been shewn in the mount. `And thou hast made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen, work of a designer; he maketh it `with' cherubs; and thou hast put it on four pillars of shittim wood, overlaid `with' gold, their pegs `are' of gold, on four sockets of silver. `And thou hast put the vail under the hooks, and hast brought in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony; and the vail hath made a separation for you between the holy and the holy of holies. `And thou hast put the mercy-seat on the ark of the testimony, in the holy of holies. `And thou hast set the table at the outside of the vail, and the candlestick over-against the table on the side of the tabernacle southward, and the table thou dost put on the north side. `And thou hast made a covering for the opening of the tent, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen, work of an embroiderer; and thou hast made for the covering five pillars of shittim `wood', and hast overlaid them `with' gold, their pegs `are' of gold, and thou hast cast for them five sockets of brass.
and the king goeth to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for it `is' the great high place; a thousand burnt-offerings cause to ascend doth Solomon on that altar. In Gibeon hath Jehovah appeared unto Solomon, in a dream of the night, and God saith, `Ask -- what do I give to thee?' And Solomon saith, `Thou hast done with Thy servant David my father great kindness, as he walked before Thee in truth and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee, and Thou dost keep for him this great kindness, and dost give to him a son sitting on his throne, as `at' this day. And now, O Jehovah my God, Thou hast caused thy servant to reign instead of David my father; and I `am' a little child, I do not know to go out and to come in; and Thy servant `is' in the midst of thy people, whom Thou hast chosen, a people numerous, that is not numbered nor counted for multitude, and Thou hast given to Thy servant an understanding heart, to judge Thy people, to discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?' And the thing is good in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon hath asked this thing, and God saith unto him, `Because that thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thee many days, nor asked for thee riches, nor asked the life of thine enemies, and hast asked for thee discernment to understand judgment, lo, I have done according to thy words; lo, I have given to thee a heart, wise and understanding, that like thee there hath not been before thee, and after thee there doth not arise like thee; and also, that which thou hast not asked I have given to thee, both riches and honour, that there hath not been like thee a man among the kings all thy days; and if thou dost walk in My ways to keep My statutes, and My commands, as David thy father walked, then I have prolonged thy days.' And Solomon awaketh, and lo, a dream; and he cometh in to Jerusalem, and standeth before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and causeth to ascend burnt-offerings, and maketh peace-offerings. And he maketh a banquet for all his servants,
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Commentary on 2 Chronicles 1 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 1
2Ch 1:1-6. Solemn Offering of Solomon at Gibeon.
2-5. Then Solomon spake unto all Israel—The heads, or leading officers, who are afterwards specified, were summoned to attend their sovereign in a solemn religious procession. The date of this occurrence was the second year of Solomon's reign, and the high place at Gibeon was chosen for the performance of the sacred rites, because the tabernacle and all the ancient furniture connected with the national worship were deposited there. Zadok was the officiating high priest (1Ch 16:39). It is true that the ark had been removed and placed in a new tent which David had made for it at Jerusalem [2Ch 1:4]. But the brazen altar, "before the tabernacle of the Lord," on which the burnt offerings were appointed by the law to be made, was at Gibeon. And although David had been led by extraordinary events and tokens of the divine presence to sacrifice on the threshing-floor of Araunah, Solomon considered it his duty to present his offerings on the legally appointed spot "before the tabernacle," and on the time-honored altar prepared by the skill of Bezaleel in the wilderness (Ex 38:1).
6. offered a thousand burnt offerings—This holocaust he offered, of course, by the hands of the priests. The magnitude of the oblation became the rank of the offerer on this occasion of national solemnity.
2Ch 1:7-13. His Choice of Wisdom Is Blessed by God.
7. In that night did God appear unto Solomon—(See on 1Ki 3:5).
2Ch 1:14-17. His Strength and Wealth.
14. Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen—His passion for horses was greater than that of any Israelitish monarch before or after him. His stud comprised fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. This was a prohibited indulgence, whether as an instrument of luxury or power. But it was not merely for his own use that he imported the horses of Egypt. The immense equestrian establishment he erected was not for show merely, but also for profit. The Egyptian breed of horses was highly valued; and being as fine as the Arabian, but larger and more powerful, they were well fitted for being yoked in chariots. These were light but compact and solid vehicles, without springs. From the price stated (2Ch 1:17) as given for a chariot and a horse, it appears that the chariot cost four times the value of a horse. A horse brought a 150 shekels, which, estimating the shekels at 2s. 3d. or 2s. 6d., amount to £17 2s. or £18 15s., while a chariot brought 600 shekels, equal to £68 9s. or £75; and as an Egyptian chariot was usually drawn by two horses, a chariot and pair would cost £112 sterling. As the Syrians, who were fond of the Egyptian breed of horses, could import them into their own country only through Judea, Solomon early perceived the commercial advantages to be derived from this trade, and established a monopoly. His factors or agents purchased them in the markets or fairs of Egypt and brought them to the "chariot cities," the depots and stables he had erected on the frontiers of his kingdom, such as Bethmarcaboth, "the house of chariots," and Hazarsusah, "the village of horses" (Jos 19:5; 1Ki 10:28).
17. brought … for all the kings of the Hittites—A branch of this powerful tribe, when expelled from Palestine, had settled north of Lebanon, where they acquired large possessions contiguous to the Syrians.