BOOK 14 OF 66 · HISTORY · KING JAMES BIBLE

2 Chronicles 8

2 Chronicles book home•Chapter 8 of 36•18 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

2 Chronicles 8 Overview

After twenty years of building, Solomon develops cities, fortifies strategic locations, organizes labor, and establishes store and chariot cities. He relocates Pharaoh’s daughter from David’s house, saying places associated with the ark are holy. Solomon maintains the prescribed daily, sabbath, new moon, and annual feast offerings and follows David’s organization of priests, Levites, and gatekeepers. The chapter closes with a Red Sea fleet and valuable trade.

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8Chapter

18Verses

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Before you read 2 Chronicles 8

Coming from

Chapter 7 completed the temple dedication and recorded God’s covenant warning to Solomon.

In this chapter

The narrative summarizes Solomon’s building, labor, worship administration, and international trade after the temple is established.

Leads into

Chapter 9 brings the queen of Sheba to test Solomon’s wisdom and then summarizes the extraordinary wealth and glory of his reign before his death.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Chronicles highlights Solomon’s orderly worship and successful administration more than his failings. Other biblical books, especially 1 Kings 11, must be read alongside this chapter to see his later apostasy. The resident labor system and royal building program also belong to the burdens that eventually fuel dissatisfaction under Rehoboam.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Solomon’s reign combines worship administration, infrastructure, labor, defense, and trade.

Truth 2

Temple worship follows an established calendar rather than the king’s personal invention.

Truth 3

David’s organizational preparations continue into Solomon’s functioning temple system.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

First Kings 9 gives parallel details about Solomon’s building projects and labor.

Connection 2

Exodus 23 and Leviticus 23 establish Israel’s major feast calendar.

Connection 3

First Kings 11 records Solomon’s later idolatry, a major part of his story not emphasized in Chronicles.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not take Chronicles’ positive selection as a denial of Solomon’s sins recorded in Kings.

Keep this clear 2

The king’s labor system is descriptive ancient administration, not a moral model for exploiting workers.

Keep this clear 3

Ceremonial feast and sacrifice requirements belong to the Mosaic covenant and are not conditions for eternal life.

Read 2 Chronicles 8 watching for…

The twenty-year building timeframe.

The range of Solomon’s construction projects.

His reason for moving Pharaoh’s daughter.

The regular worship calendar.

The continuation of David’s priestly and Levitical organization.

The maritime trade at Ezion-geber.

Chapter outline5 sections

1-6Solomon builds and strengthens cities throughout his kingdom 7-10Remaining Canaanite peoples serve as laborers, while Israelites hold leading roles 11Solomon moves Pharaoh’s daughter from the city of David 12-16Temple offerings and the priestly and Levitical courses continue according to commandment 17-18Solomon’s fleet goes to Ophir and brings back gold

And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house,

That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.

Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch,

Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.

Then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

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2 Chronicles 8:13

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