Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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S E C O N D   C H R O N I C L E S

CHAP. I.

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In the close of the foregoing book we read how God magnified Solomon

and Israel obeyed him; God and Israel concurred to honour him. Now here

we have an account,

I. How he honoured God by sacrifice

(ver. 1-6)

and by prayer,

ver. 7-12.

II. How he honoured Israel by increasing their strength, wealth, and

trade,

ver. 13-17.

God’s Goodness to Solomon.	B. C. 1015.

     

1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom,

and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him

exceedingly.

  2 Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of

thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every

governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.

  3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the

high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of

the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had

made in the wilderness.

  4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim to

the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a

tent for it at Jerusalem.

  5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the

son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD:

and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

  6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the

LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and

offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

  7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him,

Ask what I shall give thee.

  8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto

David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.

  9 Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be

established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the

dust of the earth in multitude.

  10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come

in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that

is so great?

  11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart,

and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life

of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast

asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my

people, over whom I have made thee king:

  12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give

thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings

have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any

after thee have the like.

     

Here is,

I. Solomon’s great prosperity,

v. 1.

Though he had a contested title, yet, God being with him, he was

strengthened in his kingdom; his heart and hands were

strengthened, and his interest in the people. God’s presence will be

our strength.

     

II. His great piety and devotion. His father was a prophet, a psalmist,

and kept mostly to the ark; but Solomon, having read much in his Bible

concerning the tabernacle which Moses built and the altars there, paid

more respect to them than, it should seem, David had done. Both did

well, and let neither be censured. If the zeal of one be carried out

most to one instance of religion, and of another to some other

instance, let them not judge nor despise each other.

     

1. All his great men must thus far be good men that they must join with

him in worshipping God. He spoke to the captains and judges, the

governors and chief of the fathers, to go with him to Gibeon,

v. 2, 3.

Authority and interest are well bestowed on those that will thus use

them for the glory of God, and the promoting of religion. It is our

duty to engage all with whom we have influence in the solemnities of

religion, and it is very desirable to have many join with us in those

solemnities–the more the better; it is the more like heaven. Solomon

began his reign with this public pious visit to God’s altar, and it was

a very good omen. Magistrates are then likely to do well for themselves

and their people when they thus take God along with them at their

setting out.

     

2. He offered abundance of sacrifices to God there

(v. 6):

1000 burnt-offerings, and perhaps a greater number of

peace-offerings, on which he and his company feasted before the

Lord. Where God sows plentifully he expects to reap accordingly.

His father David had left him flocks and herds in abundance

(1 Chron. xxvii. 29, 31),

and thus he gave God his dues out of them. The ark was at Jerusalem

(v. 4),

but the altar was at Gibeon

(v. 5),

and thither he brought his sacrifices; for it is the altar that

sanctifieth every gift.

     

3. He prayed a good prayer to God: this, with the answer to it, we had

before,

1 Kings iii. 5,

&c.

(1.) God bade him ask what he would; not only that he might put him in

the right way of obtaining the favours that were intended him (Ask,

and you shall receive, that your joy may be full), but that he

might try him, how he stood affected, and might discover what was in

his heart. Men’s characters appear in their choices and desires. What

wouldst thou have? tries a man as much as, What wouldst thou

do? Thus God tried whether Solomon was one of the children of

this world, that say, Who will show us any good, or of the

children of light, that say, Lord, lift up the light of thy

countenance upon us. As we choose we shall have, and that is likely

to be our portion to which we give the preference, whether the wealth

and pleasure of this world or spiritual riches or delights.

(2.) Like a genuine son of David, he chose spiritual blessings rather

than temporal. His petition here is, Give me wisdom and

knowledge. He owns those to be desirable gifts, and God to be the

giver of them,

Prov. ii. 6.

God gave the faculty of understanding, and to him we must apply for the

furniture of it. Two things are here pleaded which we had not in

Kings:–

[1.] Thou hast made me reign in my father’s stead,
v. 8.

“Lord, thou hast put me into this place, and therefore I can in faith

ask of thee grace to enable me to do the duty of it.” What service we

have reason to believe God calls us to we have reason to hope he will

qualify us for. But that is not all. “Lord, thou hast put me into this

place in the stead of David, the great and good man that filled it up

so well; therefore give me wisdom, that Israel may not suffer damage by

the change. Must I reign in my father’s stead? Lord, give me my

father’s spirit.” Note, The eminency of those that went before us, and

the obligation that lies upon us to keep up and carry on the good work

they were engaged in, should provoke us to a gracious emulation, and

quicken our prayers to God for wisdom and grace, that we may do the

work of God in our day as faithfully and well as they did in theirs.

[2.] Let thy promise to David my father be established,
v. 9.

He means the promise of concerning his successor. “In performance of

that promise, Lord, give me wisdom.” We do not find that wisdom

was any of the things promised, but it was necessary in order to the

accomplishment of what was promised,

2 Sam. vii. 13-15.

The promise was, He shall build a house for my name, I will

establish his throne, he shall be my son, and my mercy shall not

depart from him. “Now, Lord, unless thou give me wisdom, thy house

will not be built, nor my throne established; I shall behave in a

manner unbecoming my relation to thee as a Father, shall forfeit thy

mercy, and fool it away; therefore, Lord, give me wisdom.” Note,

First, God’s promises are our best pleas in prayer. Remember

thy word unto thy servant. Secondly, Children may take the comfort

of the promises of that covenant which their parents, in their baptism,

laid claim to, and took hold of, for them. Thirdly, The best

way to obtain the benefit of the promises and privileges of the

covenant is to be earnest in prayer with God for wisdom and grace to do

the duties of it.

     

4. He received a gracious answer to this prayer,

v. 11, 12.

(1.) God gave him the wisdom that he asked for because he asked for it.

Wisdom is a gift that God gives as freely and liberally as any gift to

those that value it, and wrestle for it; and will resolve to make use

of it; and he upbraids not the poor petitioners with their folly,

James i. 5.

God’s grace shall never be wanting to those who sincerely desire to

know and do their duty.

(2.) God gave him the wealth and honour which he did not ask for

because he asked not for them. Those that pursue present things most

earnestly are most likely to miss of them; while those that refer

themselves to the providence of God, if they have not the most of those

things, have the most comfort in them. Those that make this world their

end come short of the other and are disappointed in this too; but those

that make the other world their end shall not only obtain that, and

full satisfaction in it, but shall enjoy as much as is convenient of

this world in their way.

     

13 Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that

was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the

congregation, and reigned over Israel.

  14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a

thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen,

which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at

Jerusalem.

  15 And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as

plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore

trees that are in the vale for abundance.

  16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn:

the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

  17 And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a

chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for an

hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the

kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their

means.

     

Here is,

1. Solomon’s entrance upon the government

(v. 13):

He came from before the tabernacle, and reigned over Israel. He

would not do any acts of government till he had done his acts of

devotion, would not take honour to himself till he had given honour to

God–first the tabernacle, and then the throne. But, when he had

obtained wisdom from God, he did not bury his talent, but as he

received the gift ministered the same, did not give up himself to ease

and pleasure, but minded business: he reigned over Israel.

2. The magnificence of his court

(v. 14):

He gathered chariots and horsemen. Shall we praise him for this?

We praise him not; for the king was forbidden to multiply horses,

Deut. xvii. 16.

I do not remember that ever we find his good father in a chariot or on

horseback; a mule was the highest he mounted. We should endeavor to

excel those that went before us in goodness rather than in grandeur.

3. The wealth and trade of his kingdom. He made silver and gold very

cheap and common,

v. 15.

The increase of gold lowers the value of it; but the increase of grace

advances its price; the more men have of that the more they value it.

How much better therefore is it to get wisdom than gold!

He opened also a trade with Egypt, whence he imported horses and

linen-yarn, which he exported again to the kings of Syria, with great

advantage no doubt,

v. 16, 17.

This we had before,

1 Kings x. 28, 29.

It is the wisdom of princes to promote industry and encourage trade in

their dominions. Perhaps Solomon took the hint of setting up the

linen-manufacture, bringing linen-yarn out of Egypt, working it into

cloth, and then sending that to other nations, from what his mother

taught when she specified this as one of the characteristics of the

virtuous woman, She maketh fine linen, and selleth it, and

delivereth girdles of it to the merchant,
Prov. xxxi. 24.

In all labour there is profit.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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