2 Chronicles 1:13

Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon,.... Or rather without the supplement, the words may be read as in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions: Solomon came from the high places; having sacrificed there, so Vatablus; being put for as R. Jonah observes (b); but the Targum agrees with us, he"came to the high place which is in Gibeon, and from thence to Jerusalem;''and to the same purpose Kimchi; having been there, he came to Jerusalem: from before the tabernacle of the congregation; which was at Gibeon, where he had been sacrificing: and reigned over Israel in great splendour and prosperity. From hence, to the end of the chapter, the same things are said as in 1 Kings 10:26. See Gill on 1 Kings 10:26, 1 Kings 10:27, 1 Kings 10:28, 1 Kings 10:29. (b) Apud Kimchium. in loc.

1:1-17 Solomon's choice of wisdom, His strength and wealth. - SOLOMON began his reign with a pious, public visit to God's altar. Those that pursue present things most eagerly, are likely to be disappointed; while those that refer themselves to the providence of God, if they have not the most, have the most comfort. Those that make this world their end, come short of the other, and are disappointed in this also; but those that make the other world their end, shall not only obtain that, and full satisfaction in it, but shall have as much of this world as is good for them, in their way. Let us then be contented, without those great things which men generally covet, but which commonly prove fatal snares to the soul.

Verse 13. - Solomon's return after sacrifice from Gibeon to Jerusalem, and from " before the tabernacle of the congregation" to " before the ark of the covenant of the Lord" in Mount Zion. ( 1 Kings 3:15 ) This verse not merely bears the trace of a slightly corrupt text in the presence of the Hebrew preposition: before בָּמָה , where there can be no doubt the preposition ְ should stand, but also suggests (keeping in view our ver. 3, and comparing 1 Kings 3:15 ) the condensed and cut-down method of Chronicles, and its strong preferences for selecting out of the various material at its command. The tabernacle of the congregation. This styling of the "tabernacle" is of very frequent occurrence. It is found above thirty times in Exodus, and fully as often in Leviticus and Numbers. Afterwards it is sprinkled more rarely in the historical books. The reason of its being styled "the tabernacle of the congregation" ( מועֵר ) is doubtful - perhaps because of the gatherings of the people in front of it, or possibly because of its being the place where God would meet with Moses. The other name, the tabernacle of "witness" or "testimony" or covenant" ( עֵדוּת ; Numbers 9:15 , etc.), is not unfrequent. Hence the LXX. σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ; the Vulgate, tabernaculum testimonii ; and Luther's Stifisuitten.

This verse very much stints the information contained in the parallel, to the effect that Solomon forthwith took his place before the ark of the covenant in Mount Zion, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and gave a feast to all his servants ( 2 Samuel 6:17-19 ; 1 Chronicles 16:1-3 ; Deuteronomy 14:26-29 ). And he reigned over Israel . These words seem nugatory both in themselves and as placed here. They probably stand for 1 Kings 4:1 . 2 Chronicles 1:13

(13) Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem. —Heb., And Solomon came to the high place that was in Gibeon to Jerusalem. Clearly we should read, “from the high place,” with the LXX. and Vulgate. The difficulty is as old as the Syriac version, which reads, “And Solomon came to the great high place [reading bûmsâ — i.e., βῶμος —with Dr. Payne Smith] that is in Gibeon the city, which is on the east of Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle.” From before the tabernacle of the congregation.—See 2Chronicles 1:3; 2Chronicles 1:6. Perhaps “to (or at) the high place that was at G-ibeon,” was originally a marginal gloss upon this expression. (Comp. 2Chronicles 1:3.) The reading, “And Solomon came to Jerusalem from before the tent of tryst,” would be quite intelligible without this addition. And reigned over Israel.—Syr., over all Israel. (Comp. 1Kings 4:1.) But the remark, “and he reigned over Israel,” is by no means “superfluous” (Bertheau), inasmuch as it naturally introduces the following sketch of the reign, which carries us on from God’s promise to its fulfilment. The chronicler does not notice the sacrifices which, on his return, Solomon offered before the ark at Jerusalem (1Kings 3:15), nor the story of the king’s wise judgment which there follows (1Kings 3:16-28). It is unreasonable to seek any other ground of such omissions than the free and legitimate exercise of the compiler’s discretion in the choice of his own materials.

The divine promise. Here עשׁר is strengthened by the addition נכסים, treasures ( Joshua 22:8 ; Ecclesiastes 5:18 ; Ecclesiastes 6:2 ). תּשׁפּט אשׁר, ut judicare possis. In general, the mode of expression is briefer than in 1 Kings 3:11-13 , and the conditional promise, "long life" ( 1 Kings 3:14 ), is omitted, because Solomon did not fulfil the condition, and the promise was not fulfilled. In 2 Chronicles 1:13 לבּמה is unintelligible, and has probably come into our text only by a backward glance at 2 Chronicles 1:3 , instead of מהבּמה, which the contents demand, and as the lxx and Vulgate have rightly translated it. The addition, "from before the tabernacle," which seems superfluous after the preceding "from the Bamah at Gibeon," is inserted in order again to point to the place of sacrifice at Gibeon, and to the legal validity of the sacrifices offered there (Berth.). According to 1 Kings 3:15 , Solomon, on his return to Jerusalem, offered before the ark still other burnt-offerings and thank-offerings, and prepared a meal for his servants. This is omitted by the author of the Chronicle, because these sacrifices had no ultimate import for Solomon's reign, and not, as Then, supposes, because in his view only the sacrifices offered on the ancient brazen altar of burnt-offering belonging to the temple had legal validity.