2 chronicles 8 and 9

Read 2 Chronicles 8 and 9 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

2 Chr 8:1-9 {p} Solomon built fortified cities, storage cities, and chariot cities
2 Chr 8:10-11 {p} Solomon’s officials/ his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh
2 Chr 8:12-16 {s} Solomon established the temple service set in order by David
2 Chr 8:17-18 {p} The Phoenicians went with Solomon’s ships to Ophir, and brought 450 talents of gold
2 Chr 9:1-12 {p} The queen of Sheba came to see Solomon’s wisdom + glory, for she could not believe the reports
2 Chr 9:13-21 {p} Solomon’s wealth in gold from tribute, trade/ his throne, vessels of his house
2 Chr 9:22-24 {s} King Solomon surpassed all kings in riches + wisdom/ all kings sought him ought
2 Chr 9:25-31 {p} Solomon’s horses + chariots/ reign, for 40 years + his death + his son reigned in his place

The strong themes:

2 Chr 8:12-18 {s+p} Solomon established the Lord’s worship as commanded by Moses/ gold from Ophir
2 Chr 9:22-31 {s+p} The glory of Solomon’s reign, which surpassed all the kings of the earth in wisdom + riches + horses + chariots

The 2 Chr 8:12-18 strong theme seems to be suggesting a cause and effect relationship, that because Solomon first established the worship of the Lord in everything that was commanded by Moses, great success and prosperity then followed in his trading venture with the Phoenicians. It put me in mind of:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Mat 6:33

The first 20 years of Solomon’s reign, the building of the temple and his own house, cost a massive quantity of gold, silver, and bronze, and I am sure used up all the materials that David had laid in store for the project, and then some. But Solomon did not stint, or even establish trading ventures with the Phoenicians, until all was well-ordered with the house of the Lord first, the text tells us. Then, because Solomon sought to establish the Lord’s worship and His glory, rather than his own glory, nevertheless the Lord greatly increased Solomon’s glory and wealth, and the fame of his wisdom spread abroad until all the kings of the earth sought his wisdom, as the queen of Sheba had done. We really do need to adjust the priorities of our lives!

These two chapters form a chiastic structure:

1a) 2 Chr 8:1-16 {p+p+s} The works of Solomon;

1a) 2 Chr 8:1, At the end of 20 years, when Solomon had built the house of the Lord + his own house;
1b) 2 Chr 8:2, He built the cities Hiram had given him + settled the children of Israel there;
1c) 2 Chr 8:3-8 Solomon built fortified cities + storage cities + chariot/ cavalry cities with forced labor;
central axis) 2 Chr 8:9 {p} Solomon did not set the children of Israel to forced labor/ they were military;
2c) 2 Chr 8:10, Others were officials (250), who ruled over the people;
2b) 2 Chr 8:11 {p} Solomon built a house for the daughter of Pharaoh + settled his wife there;
2a) 2 Chr 8:12-16 {s} Solomon established the temple service/ the house of the Lord was completed;

1b) 2 Chr 8:17-18 {p} The Phoenicians went with Solomon’s ships to Ophir, and brought back 450 talents of gold;

central axis) 2 Chr 9:1-12 {p} The queen of Sheba sought Solomon to hear his wisdom/ blessed be the God of Israel;

1a) 2 Chr 9:1-8, The queen of Sheba sought Solomon to hear his wisdom;

1a) 2 Chr 9:1a, The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon + she came to test him with hard questions;
1b) 2 Chr 9:1b-c, Her retinue was very great/ she spoke all in her heart;

1) 2 Chr 9:1b, Her retinue was very great with spices, gold, precious stones;
2) 2 Chr 9:1c, She spoke with him about all that was in her heart;

central axis) 2 Chr 9:2, Solomon answered all her questions, nothing was too difficult;
2b) 2 Chr 9:3-4, Solomon’s great wisdom + glory overcame the queen’s heart;

1) 2 Chr 9:34a, When she saw his wisdom + his glory;
2) 2 Chr 9:4b, There was no more heart in her;

2a) 2 Chr 9:5-8, She said: “You exceed the fame I heard/ blessed are your men + blessed be God;”

1b) 2 Chr 9:9a, Then she gave the king one 120 talents of gold, spices in abundance + precious stones;
1c) 2 Chr 9:9b, There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon;
central axis) 2 Chr 9:10, The ships which brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum wood + precious stones;
2c) 2 Chr 9:11, There never was such algum wood seen before in the land of Judah;
2b) 2 Chr 9:12a, King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired + much more than she had given him;
2a) 2 Chr 9:12b {p} So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

2b) 2 Chr 9:13-14, His yearly weight of gold was 666 talents, besides what the merchants + traders brought;

2a) 2 Chr 9:15-31 {p} The wealth + glory + wisdom of Solomon, which surpassed all the kings of the earth.