Study notes

2 Chronicles 5

Introducing 2 ChroniclesWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

1:1–9:31 Section

2 Chronicles continues the story of Israel recorded in 1 Chronicles.

Solomon became king after David.

In 2 Chronicles the stories about Solomon tell only of his faithfulness to God. They don’t describe the times when he was unfaithful and worshipped false gods. Those stories are recorded in 2 Kings.

2 Chronicles shows how Solomon followed David’s example. He followed David’s instructions about the work of the priests and Levites. And he followed David’s instructions about building the temple on Mount Moriah.

Solomon recognised that the temple was nothing more than a building. It was a place where the Israelites could offer sacrifices to God. God is so great that no place on earth or heaven can hold him. Yet the temple was the place where God chose to put his name. God had talked about a special place for his name in Deuteronomy chapters 12 to 14. God putting his name somewhere was a sign. It was a sign that people could be aware of his presence in a special way.

Solomon gave the Israelites an example of how to pray (prayer) to God. He used his body and his words as he prayed. Solomon was on his knees and lifted his hands toward heaven. This was how he showed that he was humble and that he worshipped God. It showed that he needed God’s help and that he trusted God to answer him. Solomon understood that God knew what was in his heart. God answered by sending fire from heaven to the altar. This showed that God paid attention to Solomon’s prayer. God promised that his name, his eyes and his heart would always be at the temple. This meant that he would always listen to his people and help them. He would do this if they were humble and prayed. God would do this if they turned away from doing evil and depended on him.

When the people saw the fire, they worshipped God and thanked him. They understood that the fire was a sign of his faithful love for them. Even an outsider like the queen of Sheba recognised that God loved Israel. God wanted to take good care of his people (God’s people). He planned to do this through wise kings from David’s family line. That was part of God’s covenant with David. The kings were to worship God faithfully and do what was fair and right.

5:1

  • This verse ends the section about temple furnishings, closely following 1 Kings 7:51.

  • the items his father David had dedicated: Just as the treasures taken from Egypt were used to build the tabernacle, the treasures from Israel’s enemies were used to build the temple. The prophets often described the treasures of other nations as available for Israel's use (see Isaiah 60:10–14; Zechariah 14:14).

5:3

The dedication of the temple occurred during the annual Feast of Tabernacles, held in early autumn. This seven-day festival required a pilgrimage to the central place of worship (Deuteronomy 16:13–15). The seventh month marked the end of Israel’s harvest season, allowing landowners to leave for a week without worrying about fields or crops.

5:5

The Tent of Meeting: The "Tent of Meeting" is a special tent mentioned in Exodus. It refers to the tabernacle's role (for example, Exodus 33:7). The tabernacle was where God's presence dwelled (for example, Exodus 25:8–9) and where God met with his people through the priests. After the temple was built, the tent was no longer needed.

5:7–8

The giant cherubim symbolized God's universal and eternal rule.

5:9

The Hebrew phrase to this day might mean from then on. The Ark was likely not in the temple after the exile in Babylon, when the Chronicler wrote.

5:11–14

The Chronicler describes the temple dedication with a detailed account of a grand celebration. He lists the three specific groups of singers and all their relatives. The 120 trumpeters likely included five priests from each of the 24 divisions (1 Chronicles 24:3–19). The sanctified priests wore their standard fine linen robes. The musical instruments, singers, and trumpeters were all in their proper places. When the priests left, the musicians began their song, and the cloud of the Lord's glorious presence filled the temple.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources