2Ch 2-7 | TNotes | STEP | 2:1 The Temple is immediately introduced as the first priority among Solomon’s building projects, although the work actually began in the fourth year of his reign (3:2 ). Solomon used the intervening years to negotiate with King Hiram (2:3 ) for materials and skilled workers.

2:1 ^a The Temple is immediately introduced as the first priority among Solomon’s building projects, although the work actually began in the fourth year of his reign (3:2 ^b). Solomon used the intervening years to negotiate with King Hiram (2:3 ^c) for materials and skilled workers.
Summary for 2Chr 2:5-6: 2:5-6 ^d a magnificent Temple: The greatness of the Temple and the greatness of God were not of the same order, since not even the highest heavens can contain God.
2:8 ^e The cedar is Cedrus libani (“cedar of Lebanon”), a tree renowned for its beauty, impressive height (sometimes reaching 100 feet), and fragrant wood. Kings from Egypt, Phoenicia, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece used cedar timber from Lebanon for building temples and palaces.

• Red sandalwood was used to make supports for the Temple (possibly pillars or balustrades) as well as musical instruments (see 1 Kgs 10:11 ^f). Often mentioned in ancient writings, the exact identity of this hard, reddish-brown wood is uncertain.
Summary for 2Chr 2:13-14: 2:13-14 ^g The skill and knowledge of Huram-abi, a master (literally wise) craftsman, was required for building the Temple. Huram-abi had expertise in metals (gold, silver, bronze, and iron), in stone and wood, and in textiles (purple, blue, and scarlet cloth and fine linen). Similarly, God had chosen Bezalel as the master craftsman of the Tabernacle and had endowed him with wisdom to carry out the work (Exod 31:1-5 ^h).
Summary for 2Chr 2:17-18: 2:17-18 ⁱ The book of Kings explains that all those left from the seven nations were conscripted for labor. Further, no Israelites were conscripted, and Israelites were placed in charge of the laborers (1 Kgs 9:20-23 ^j).

‏ 2 Chronicles 3

Summary for 2Chr 3:1-4: 3:1-4a ^k Although in Chronicles the Temple is the central topic of Solomon’s reign, attention to its actual architecture and furnishings is considerably less than that found in Kings (e.g., 1 Kgs 6:2-10 ^l). 3:1 ^m While Kings emphasizes the time when the Temple was built, Chronicles places great emphasis on the Temple’s building site and the significance of the location. Geographically, it was in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the place where the Lord had appeared to David; it was selected under David’s authority, and it was the sacred place where the plague was stopped at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Abraham bound Isaac in the land of Moriah (Gen 22:2 ⁿ), and tradition associated the Temple Mount as the place where the Lord provided for Abraham (Gen 22:14 ^o).
3:2 ^p The book of Kings dates the beginning of the Temple construction in relation to the exodus from Egypt (1 Kgs 6:1 ^q). Chronicles consistently omits references to the Exodus, perhaps to emphasize the continuous and abiding bond between the people, the land, and God.
Summary for 2Chr 3:5-7: 3:5-7 ^r The interior of the Temple was finished with costly materials (see 1 Kgs 6:15-18 ^s, 29 ^t).
3:6 ^u The gold from the land of Parvaim was the highest quality. The actual location of this place was unknown by the time of the earliest translators and might not have been known to the Chronicler either.
3:8 ^v A special area was constructed at the extreme interior of the hall known as the Most Holy Place (the divine throne room). It might have been a sacred throne space within the long hall, or it might have been a secondary room within the main hall. The dimensions of the Most Holy Place were equally 30 feet (20 cubits) in all directions. It might have rested on an elevated platform, as did the shrines of other temples, and a space might have existed between the room and the roof. The Most Holy Place was prepared as a repository for the Ark, which contained the terms of the covenant.
Summary for 2Chr 3:10-13: 3:10-13 ^w The figures shaped like cherubim were made of costly wild olive wood and were covered with gold. Similar carvings have been found in Mesopotamia, Syria, and Canaan; such figures were a distinguishing feature of ancient thrones. Cherubim were composite creatures signifying the union of royalty (lion) with the highest powers of strength (bull), speed (eagle), and sagacity (human). Ancient temples found in Phoenicia show the throne of the deity supported by two animals. The sides of ancient Canaanite thrones were commonly shaped as cherubs. The cherubs of Solomon’s Temple were distinct because they were not designed to serve as a human throne. They were attached to the Ark, which was the footstool to God’s throne, with the wings touching in the middle and extending to the walls of the throne room. There was no actual seat to the throne, since none was necessary.
Summary for 2Chr 3:15-16: 3:15-16 ^x The two pillars set in the porch of the Temple were made of bronze and were ornately decorated (cp. 1 Kgs 7:15-22 ^y).
3:17 ^z Jakin (“he establishes”) might refer to God’s promise regarding the kingdom (see 1 Chr 17:7-14 ^aa). Boaz (“in him is strength”) might have been a proclamation of trust in God. The gilded reliefs of cherubs, palms, and flowers adorning the doors and walls of the Temple suggest that the pillars were related to the tree of life (Gen 2:9 ^ab).

‏ 2 Chronicles 4

Summary for 2Chr 4:2-5: 4:2-5 ^ac The Temple, the house of God, depicted Eden, the garden of God (cp. Isa 51:3 ^ad). The massive Sea that rested on the backs of the twelve bronze oxen represented either cosmic pre-creation waters or the waters of life that emanated from the Garden of Eden. Divine forces subdue the waters of chaos (Gen 1:2 ^ae) so that they provide life-giving nourishment for plant, animal, and human life (see Rev 21:1 ^af, where the sea is removed forever).
4:6 ^ag The Sea served the same purpose as the bronze washbasin in the Tabernacle (cp. Exod 30:18-19 ^ah).
4:7 ^ai The seven lights of each of the ten gold lampstands might have represented the Pleiades, a cluster of stars symbolized by seven dots in ancient Mesopotamia (cp. Job 9:9 ^aj; 38:31 ^ak; Amos 5:8 ^al).
Summary for 2Chr 4:11-18: 4:11b-18 ^am Cp. 1 Kgs 7:40b-47 ^an, which the Chronicler follows almost verbatim.
4:19 ^ao The Bread of the Presence symbolized God’s provision for his people. It was placed before God on the tables (4:8 ^ap) as a type of offering, demonstrating that it belonged to God and that Israel’s provision came from God’s “table.” Some of the bread was eaten by the priests (Lev 24:5-9 ^aq), and the rest was burned; this meal symbolized the covenant meal of fellowship between God and his people (see Exod 24:9-11 ^ar).

‏ 2 Chronicles 5

5:1 ^as This verse concludes the section on Temple furnishings, following 1 Kgs 7:51 ^at almost verbatim.

• the gifts his father, David, had dedicated: Just as the spoils taken from Egypt went into building the Tabernacle, the spoils of Israel’s enemies built the Temple. The prophets often portrayed the spoils of other nations as being at Israel’s disposal (see Isa 60:10-14 ^au; Zech 14:14 ^av).
5:3 ^aw The dedication of the Temple took place during the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn. This seven-day festival required a pilgrimage to the central place of worship (Deut 16:13-15 ^ax). The seventh month marked the end of Israel’s harvest season, allowing landowners to leave for a week without concern for fields or crops.
5:5 ^ay the special tent: “Tent of Meeting” is the name used in Exodus to indicate the function of the Tabernacle (e.g., Exod 33:7 ^az). The Tabernacle was the dwelling place of the divine presence (e.g., Exod 25:8-9 ^ba) and the place where God met with his people through the priests. After the Temple was built, this special tent had no further function.
Summary for 2Chr 5:7-8: 5:7-8 ^bb The giant cherubim were symbols of the universal and eternal rule of God.
5:9 ^bc The Hebrew phrase to this day might be an idiom meaning from then on. The Ark was evidently not in the Temple following the Exile, when the Chronicler wrote.
5:10 ^bd The Ark contained only the tablets of the covenant (see Exod 25:21 ^be; Deut 10:5 ^bf). The pot of manna Aaron placed in the Ark (Exod 16:33-34 ^bg) had apparently been lost.
Summary for 2Chr 5:11-14: 5:11-14 ^bh The Chronicler complements the dedication of the Temple with a detailed description of a great celebration. He names the three specific orders of singers and all their kinsmen. The 120 ... trumpeters apparently included five priests from each of the 24 divisions (1 Chr 24:3-19 ^bi). The sanctified priests, their standard apparel of fine linen robes, the musical instruments, the singers, and the trumpeters were all correctly positioned. When the priests exited, the musicians raised their song, and the cloud of the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple.

‏ 2 Chronicles 6

Summary for 2Chr 6:1-2: 6:1-2 ^bj The dedication ceremony culminated in Solomon’s poetic proclamation that expressed the most basic concept of the Temple. God had chosen to dwell in the thick cloud of darkness. The dedication of the Temple affirmed God’s choice of Israel as his people and his continuous presence in their midst.
Summary for 2Chr 6:4-6: 6:4-6 ^bk Israel’s history as God’s people, originated at the Exodus, reached a climax when God chose David to be king and Jerusalem to be his capital. Both the city and the dynasty were aspects of God’s promise to David (see 1 Chr 28:4 ^bl; cp. 2 Sam 7:8-17 ^bm; Ps 2:6-7 ^bn).
Summary for 2Chr 6:10-11: 6:10-11 ^bo The Chronicler blends the covenant of Sinai, represented by the Ark, with the Jerusalem Temple and the Davidic dynasty; he makes no mention of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, only implying it with reference to the Ark. God’s covenant relationship with Israel under Solomon and David formed the basis for the community’s relationship with God at the time of the Chronicler.
6:18 ^bp even the highest heavens cannot contain you: All creation can be seen as God’s true temple—the palace of the divine King (see Isa 66:1-2 ^bq).
Summary for 2Chr 6:21-39: 6:21-39 ^br In his covenant with Israel, the Lord established blessings and life as consequences of obedience, and curses and death as consequences of disobedience (Deut 27:11–28:68 ^bs; 30:15-18 ^bt). Solomon prayed for God to hear ... and forgive when the people failed to keep God’s covenant. The seven “if-then” petitions of his prayer represented any future situation that the people of the covenant might encounter. In each case, Solomon described the situation and asked God to intervene to help his people.
Summary for 2Chr 6:22-23: 6:22-23 ^bu Petition 1: Solomon asked for justice to prevail when guilt and innocence cannot easily be determined. An example of such a case would be theft (Exod 22:7-9 ^bv); the plaintiff and the defendant would both take oaths before God, and the person determined to be guilty would pay double.
Summary for 2Chr 6:24-25: 6:24-25 ^bw Petition 2: Solomon asked God to grant relief in response to repentance when sin causes misfortune. Prayer provides an opportunity for redemption, and God’s people experience his pardon through restoration.
Summary for 2Chr 6:26-27: 6:26-27 ^bx Petition 3: Solomon asked that God would guide his people to follow the right path so that sin would not prevent God’s blessing of rain for the land.
Summary for 2Chr 6:28-31: 6:28-31 ^by Petition 4: Solomon showed a special sensitivity to human suffering by including both the private sorrow of those whose pain is hidden and the public distress of those whose pain is apparent. The prayer is personal, appealing to God’s knowledge of each individual motive. A further appeal pleads for God’s instruction so that the pain of failure might lead the individual to follow God’s ways in the future.
Summary for 2Chr 6:32-33: 6:32-33 ^bz Petition 5: Solomon expressed concern for those from other nations who voluntarily joined the society of the covenant when they saw God’s blessings on those who obeyed it (Deut 4:6-8 ^ca). These foreigners, no less than native Israelites, were the object of Solomon’s prayer for mercy before God.
Summary for 2Chr 6:34-35: 6:34-35 ^cb Petition 6: Solomon asked God to hear the prayers of the people when they went out at God’s command to fight their enemies.
Summary for 2Chr 6:36-39: 6:36-39 ^cc Petition 7: Solomon’s prophetic concern that Israel might be completely exiled is evident in the final petition of his prayer. There were many exiles in the history of Israel, but complete destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple were the greatest challenges to faith. Solomon’s petitions looked to the Temple as a resource for faith; in a foreign land, the people might remember the chosen place and pray. The mention of land, city, and Temple (6:38 ^cd) suggests total destruction, not partial exile. The Temple might no longer be present, but the people could still direct their prayers to God in heaven, who would hear and forgive.
Summary for 2Chr 6:41-42: 6:41-42 ^ce Solomon’s prayer concludes with the quotation of a psalm (Ps 132:8-10 ^cf). This prayer was the final part of transferring the Ark to its place in the Temple. Prayers with psalms had also accompanied David’s transfer of the Ark to Jerusalem (1 Chr 16:7-36 ^cg); Solomon’s use of a psalm recalls the time when the Ark was first brought to its proper place.

• God is called to arise, not to war (cp. Num 10:35 ^ch) but to his resting place in the Temple.
6:42 ^ci In harmony with the opening of the prayer (6:15-17 ^cj), Solomon asks God to remember his unfailing love for ... David; this refers to the covenant promise that God made to David (1 Chr 17:4-14 ^ck; see Isa 55:3 ^cl).

‏ 2 Chronicles 7

Summary for 2Chr 7:1-3: 7:1-3 ^cm When the Ark was brought to its place (see 5:13-14 ^cn), the glorious presence of the Lord descended on the Temple. The divine glory remained in the Temple, preventing the priests from entering to perform their service (see thematic note for The Glory of God at end of chapter and thematic note for God’s Glory with His People at end of chapter).
Summary for 2Chr 7:4-6: 7:4-6 ^co The offering of sacrifices was essential to dedicate the dwelling of the Most High on earth; the sacrifices also provided food for the people during the fifteen days of celebration. The numbers of animals sacrificed match those found in 1 Kgs 8:63 ^cp.
Summary for 2Chr 7:8-10: 7:8-10 ^cq Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south marked the boundaries of Israel as promised to the patriarchs (Gen 15:18 ^cr; Num 34:5 ^cs, 8 ^ct; Josh 15:4 ^cu). The Temple dedication festival preceded the annual Festival of Shelters, which ended on the twenty-second day of the month.
Summary for 2Chr 7:13-15: 7:13-15 ^cv These verses refer directly to Solomon’s prayer (see 6:26 ^cw, 28 ^cx, 40 ^cy). God outlined for Solomon the requirements for rescue from judgment. In Solomon’s prayer, each case had been addressed separately; in the Lord’s answer, the required response is developed more generally and comprehensively. The people need humility, repentance, seeking the Lord, and prayer in order to be healed from their distresses.
Summary for 2Chr 7:17-18: 7:17-18 ^cz God declared to Solomon that God’s Kingdom is eternal. Where 1 Kgs 9:5 ^da states that one of his descendants will always be on the throne of Israel, the Chronicler says, One of your descendants will always rule over Israel. In the days of the Chronicler there was no throne in Israel, so his statement alludes to the Messiah (cp. Mic 5:2 ^db).
Summary for 2Chr 7:19-22: 7:19-22 ^dc Despite its magnificence, the Temple did become an object of mockery and ridicule when the people of Israel turned away from the Lord; the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

Thematic note: The Glory of God
Glory has a rather different connotation in the Old Testament than it does in English usage. The English word suggests something thin and passing—the glory of a sunset, the glory of last year’s winning team. The root idea of the Hebrew word for glory is “heaviness” or “solidity.” It connotes “significance” or “worth,” the absolute opposite of “vanity” or “nothingness.” When God’s glory appears, it is not merely a bright light or a glittering cloud, but a visible expression of his absolute reality.
God’s glory is the manifestation of his person, his power, and his majesty (see Ezek 1:28 ^dd; 10:4 ^de). God’s glory may be revealed in nature, such as in a thunderstorm (Job 37:2-5 ^df; Ps 29:3 ^dg, 7 ^dh) or in the plagues sent on the Egyptians (Num 14:21-22 ^di). God’s glory can also be a unique manifestation, such as the revelation on Mount Sinai (Deut 5:24 ^dj). When the Tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple were dedicated, God’s glory filled those structures (Exod 40:34-35 ^dk; 1 Kgs 8:10-11 ^dl), indicating his approval of them and that his presence would now reside there. Similarly, the glory of the Lord sent the fire that kindled the first sacrifices of the sanctuary (Lev 9:22-24 ^dm).
When God reveals his glory to his creation (see, e.g., Exod 24:16-18 ^dn), it is often called a theophany. God gives limited (or veiled) glimpses of his glory because no one can see God and live (Exod 33:18-23 ^do; see also Isa 6:5 ^dp). To “give glory” to God (Josh 7:19 ^dq; Isa 24:15 ^dr; Jer 13:16 ^ds) means to speak or act in a manner that acknowledges who God is.
Christ is the glory and image of God (2 Cor 4:4 ^dt), and he was glorified in his death and resurrection (John 17:1-5 ^du). When Christ appears again at last, he will further manifest God’s glory in his restored Kingdom (Rev 21:11 ^dv, 23 ^dw). Paul declares that the presence of Christ in the lives of believers provides assurance that we will share in that glory (Rom 5:2 ^dx; Col 1:27 ^dy).

Passages for Further Study
Exod 14:17-18 ^dz; 16:6-12 ^ea; 33:17-23 ^eb; 40:34-38 ^ec; Lev 9:23-24 ^ed; 10:1-3 ^ee; Num 14:21-22 ^ef; Deut 5:24 ^eg; Josh 7:19 ^eh; 1 Kgs 8:11 ^ei; 2 Chr 7:1-3 ^ej; Job 37:2-5 ^ek; Pss 3:3 ^el; 8:4-6 ^em; 19:1 ^en; 29:3 ^eo, 7-9 ^ep; 48:8 ^eq; Isa 6:3-5 ^er; 42:8 ^es; 43:7 ^et; 66:18-19 ^eu; Jer 13:16 ^ev; Ezek 1:28 ^ew; 10:4 ^ex; Hos 4:7 ^ey; John 17:1-5 ^ez; Rom 5:2 ^fa; 2 Cor 4:4 ^fb; Col 1:27 ^fc; Rev 21:10-11 ^fd, 23-25 ^fe

Thematic note: God’s Glory with His People
In ancient Israel, God’s glory was particularly manifest at the central sanctuaries that had been built for him. When the Israelites completed construction of the Tabernacle, that sacred space became filled with the glory of the Lord (Exod 40:34-35 ^ff). Likewise, after the Temple was completed and the Ark of the Covenant was brought in, God’s glorious presence filled the Temple (1 Kgs 8:10-11 ^fg).
The presence and absence of God’s glory is a central theme in the book of Ezekiel. God’s glory appears to the prophet Ezekiel while he is exiled in Babylon, meaning that his glory was no longer present at the Temple in Jerusalem. The reason God’s glory had departed from the Temple at that time becomes clear in Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 8–11 ^fh, in which the prophet sees the abominations that had polluted the Temple in Jerusalem. Without God’s presence, the Temple had become an empty shell awaiting destruction. God was not forcibly evicted by the superior might of the Babylonian army; he voluntarily departed because his people were defiled. Their sin drove him away from the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For a time, the Lord went from Jerusalem to Babylon to become a sanctuary for the exiles there (see 11:16 ^fi).
God would not abandon his Temple forever. After pouring out his wrath in full measure, he would restore a remnant to their land and sanctify them by his Spirit so that he could once again dwell in their midst in a new sanctuary (37:26 ^fj). God’s glory, dwelling among his people forever (43:1-5 ^fk), is at the heart of Ezekiel’s vision of their restoration.
The glory of God has come to live among us fully in the person of Jesus Christ. As John testifies, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14 ^fl). The aged Simeon saw the baby Jesus brought to the Temple and described him as “a light to reveal God to the nations, and ... the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:32 ^fm). Jesus’ glory was veiled while he was on earth, though for a moment on the Mount of Transfiguration his radiance was revealed to his closest disciples (Matt 17:2 ^fn). He experienced his own abandonment by God as he hung on the cross, bearing the curse for our sin (Matt 27:46 ^fo). Now, as the exalted and glorified Lord, he sits at God’s right hand (Eph 1:19-20 ^fp). By his Spirit, he has promised never to abandon us, but to be with us to the end of time (Matt 28:20 ^fq).

Passages for Further Study
Exod 15:11 ^fr; 33:18–34:8 ^fs; 40:34 ^ft; Ps 19:1-11 ^fu; Isa 4:5-6 ^fv; 6:3 ^fw; 40:5 ^fx; 42:8 ^fy; 43:7 ^fz; 58:8 ^ga; 60:1-2 ^gb; Ezek 1:1-28 ^gc; 11:16 ^gd; 37:26 ^ge; 43:1-5 ^gf; 44:4 ^gg; Hab 2:14 ^gh; Matt 17:2 ^gi; 28:20 ^gj; Luke 2:32 ^gk; John 1:14 ^gl; 2 Cor 4:4-6 ^gm; Heb 1:3 ^gn; Rev 21:10-11 ^go, 23 ^gp