SUMMARY
In Chronicles the reigns of DavidSecond king of Israel, David united the northern and southern kingdoms. and SolomonThird king of Israel who was known for wisdom and building the first Temple. are seen as a unity, though this is obscured by the artificial split of Chronicles into two books. The first part of 2 Chronicles tells the story of Solomon as the chosen builder of the templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... without reference to his other exploits so familiar from 2 Kings.
ANALYSIS
The Chronicler has omitted a great deal of the Solomon narrative from his source in 2 Kings 1-11. Usually, the Chronicler’s desire to glorify or idealize David and Solomon is offered as an explanation. Since the continuation of the dynasty was contingent upon Solomon’s obedience (1 Chronicles 28:7), it is reasonable to attribute the omission of the plots and bloodbath that attended his rise to the throne (2 Kings 1-2) and his apostasy (2 Kings 11) to such a motivation. The omission of favorable material, such as Solomon’s wise decision concerning the prostitutes in 1 Kings 3:16-28, however, suggests that the Chronicler has chosen to use only those materials that relate to the building of the temple. The concentric structuring of the material, which centers on the temple’s construction and dedication, adds to this impression:
- Solomon’s wisdomWisdom encompasses the qualities of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, which sometimes invokes a Woman as the personification of Wisdom, is a collection of aphorisms and moral teachings. Along with other biblical passages, it teaches, "The fear of the... and wealth (1:1-17)
- Initial preparations for construction (2:1-18)
- Temple construction (3:1-5:1)
- Temple dedication (5:2-7:22)
- Final preparations for construction (8:1-16)
- Solomon’s wisdom and wealth (8:17-9:31)
