2 Chronicles 1:1-10

The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom

1:1 Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority, ¹  for ²  the Lord his God was with him and magnified him greatly.

1:2 Solomon addressed all Israel, including those who commanded units of a thousand and a hundred, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel who were heads of families. 1:3 Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center ³  in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God ⁴  was located there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 1:4 (Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. ⁵  1:5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, was in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. ⁶  Solomon and the entire assembly prayed to him ⁷  there.) 1:6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up a thousand burnt sacrifices.

1:7 That night God appeared ⁸  to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me ⁹  what I should give you.” 1:8 Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated ¹⁰  great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 1:9 Now, Lord God, may your promise ¹¹  to my father David be realized, ¹²  for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. 1:10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so ¹³  I can effectively lead this nation. ¹⁴  Otherwise ¹⁵  no one is able ¹⁶  to make judicial decisions for ¹⁷  this great nation of yours.” ¹⁸ 

[1:1]  ¹ tn Heb “and Solomon son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom.”

[1:1]  ² tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + subject pattern) probably has a causal nuance here.

[1:3]  ³ tn Or “high place.”

[1:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “the tent of meeting of God.”

[1:4]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:5]  ⁷ sn The tabernacle was located in Gibeon; see 1 Chr 21:29.

[1:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “sought [or “inquired of”] him.”

[1:7]  ⁹ tn Or “revealed himself.”

[1:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “ask.”

[1:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “did.”

[1:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “you word.”

[1:9]  ¹⁴ tn Or “be firm, established.”

[1:10]  ¹⁵ tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) following the imperative here indicates purpose/result.

[1:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “so I may go out before this nation and come in.” The expression “go out…and come in” here means “to lead” (see HALOT 425 s.v. יצא qal.4).

[1:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “for.” The word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.

[1:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

[1:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to judge.”

[1:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “these numerous people of yours.”