Study notes

2 Chronicles 8

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.

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.

8:2

The twenty towns Solomon gave to Hiram in exchange for gold did not satisfy Hiram (1 Kings 9:11–14). This suggests Hiram returned them to Solomon, who likely offered something else in return.

8:3

This verse is the only mention in Chronicles of Solomon’s military achievements; he was known as a man of peace (1 Chronicles 22:9). The kingdoms of David and Solomon reached Hamath-zobah in the far north on the Orontes River. King Toi, the ruler of Hamath, sought David’s help against Hadadezer, the king of Zobah (1 Chronicles 18:9–10). Hadadezer was also called the king of Zobah-Hamath (1 Chronicles 18:3). Solomon led an expedition to this area to keep his kingdom’s northern border stable.

8:4

The Chronicler talks about the northern parts of Solomon’s kingdom. Tadmor, later known as Palmyra, was an oasis city in Syria on the desert trade routes with Mesopotamia, 120 miles northeast of Damascus. It is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Eventually, it was linked with the list of fortified cities in Solomon’s kingdom (compare 1 Kings 9:18, where Tamar/Tadmor refers to a city in southeast Judah).

8:5

Upper and Lower Beth-horon are on a ridge that rises from the Valley of Aijalon to the plateau north of Jerusalem. Fortifications guarded the path linking Jerusalem to the main coastal trade route.

8:6

Some cities served as storage sites and for military cavalry. Large building complexes at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer had long rooms divided into three sections with two rows of pillars. These rooms might have been used as stables and storehouses, or they might have served as barracks for a professional army.

8:11

Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter, an Egyptian alliance, is mentioned often in Kings (1 Kings 3:1; 9:16, 24; 11:1). This marriage shows Solomon's kingdom and international influence. He gave her a permanent home to show she was his most important wife. This also kept David's palace sacred, likely because Pharaoh's daughter followed a different religion.

8:17–18

The Chronicler highlights Solomon's activities at the northern and southern borders of his kingdom to show the size of his empire. Solomon controlled ports on the Red Sea, which enabled international trade to the south. Hiram was a valuable ally; his people, the Phoenicians of Tyre, had extensive trade networks and were expert sailors, helping Solomon trade with Ophir. Ophir is traditionally believed to be in southwest Arabia (see Genesis 10:28–29).

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