Solomon begins where his father ended — at the great high place of Gibeon, before the tent of meeting, with a thousand burnt-offerings. 'In that night did God appear to Solomon, and said to him: Ask what I shall give you.' He asks for wisdom and knowledge to judge this great people, and receives the unasked besides: 'wisdom and knowledge is granted to you, and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you.' The chapter closes with the arithmetic of that promise — chariots, horsemen, silver in Jerusalem as stones.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and Hashem his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
verse value 2023
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "with·him" (עִמּ֔וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·his·kingdom" (עַל־מַלְכוּת֑וֹ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "upon·his·kingdom" (עַל־מַלְכוּת֑וֹ), "and·he·magnified·him" (וַֽיְגַדְּלֵ֖הוּ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "son·of·David" (root בן, 225x in II Chronicles); "his·God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root חזק ("and·he·strengthened·himself") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root שלמה ("Solomon") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·his·kingdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֛ק [and·he·strengthened·himself] (531) + שְׁלֹמֹ֥ה [Solomon] (375) + בֶן־דָּוִ֖יד [son·of·David] (76) + עַל־מַלְכוּת֑וֹ [upon·his·kingdom] (602) + וַיהֹוָ֤ה [and·Hashem] (32) + אֱלֹהָיו֙ [his·God] (52) + עִמּ֔וֹ [with·him] (116) + וַֽיְגַדְּלֵ֖הוּ [and·he·magnified·him] (64) + לְמָֽעְלָה [exceedingly] (175) = 2023.
Rashi
And Solomon strengthened himself because the Lord his God was with him.
Ralbag
And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, etc. — This comment runs through “And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of Hashem” (14:1). “And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom” — It appears that by this “strengthening” the verse alludes to the fact that Solomon had removed everyone who might have become an adversary to him: Adonijah son of Haggith and Joab son of Zeruiah, and had put Shimei son of Gera to death; for then the kingdom was firmly established in Solomon’s hand, as is written (I Kings 2:46). He was also “strengthened” in that he ruled over all the kingdoms [around him], all of which used to bring him tribute.
Metzudat David
'And Solomon...was strengthened...and Hashem...' – meaning: because Hashem was with him, he was thereby strengthened.
Malbim
Was strengthened in his kingdom - Until now he had relied on his father’s strength and counsel; but now he strengthened himself, as it is written (I Kings 2:2): “Behold, I go the way of all the earth; be strong therefore, etc.” And magnified him exceedingly - It was stated above (I Chronicles 29:25), “And Hashem magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel,” which was a greatness and exaltation in matters of kingship - that is why it says “in the sight of all Israel.” Here it tells us that He magnified him exceedingly also in the affairs of his spiritual soul, which came about because Hashem his God was with him.
And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses.
verse value 4885
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 65 letters. Notable word values: "and·to·every" (וּלְכֹ֛ל) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "Solomon" (שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·all·Israel" (לְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 621: to·all·Israel, in·all·Israel. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·the·hundreds" (וְהַמֵּא֜וֹת), "and·to·the·judges" (וְלַשֹּׁפְטִ֗ים), "prince" (נָשִׂ֥יא). The root כל appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·said" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles); "the·fathers" (root אב, 114x in II Chronicles); "to·all·Israel" (root כל, 113x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root אמר ("and·he·said") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root כל ("to·all·Israel") in II Chronicles. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·he·said] (257) + שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה [Solomon] (375) + לְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל [to·all·Israel] (621) + לְשָׂרֵי֩ [to·captains·of] (540) + הָאֲלָפִ֨ים [the·thousands] (166) + וְהַמֵּא֜וֹת [and·the·hundreds] (458) + וְלַשֹּׁפְטִ֗ים [and·to·the·judges] (475) + וּלְכֹ֛ל [and·to·every] (86) + נָשִׂ֥יא [prince] (361) + לְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [in·all·Israel] (621) + רָאשֵׁ֥י [heads·of] (511) + הָאָבֽוֹת [the·fathers] (414) = 4885.
Rashi
And Solomon said to all Israel And who were those referred to as “all Israel”? They were the leaders of the thousands, as it is written (I Chron. 28:1): “And David assembled all the leaders of Israel.” And what did he say to them? That they should come with him to the high place that was in Gibeon.
Metzudat David
'And Solomon spoke,' etc. – He told them to go with him to the high place that was in Gibeon; [Scripture] is brief here about something that is [otherwise] understood. 'To all Israel' – [Scripture] then goes back and specifies that he spoke to the officers among them. 'The heads of the fathers' houses' – [namely, the princes just mentioned,] who were themselves the heads of the fathers' houses.
Malbim
And Solomon spoke... to the captains of thousands - In most places Scripture lists the princes and heads of the fathers’ houses before the captains of thousands and of hundreds, as you find above (I Chronicles chapters 27 and 28), for the king’s command would go out to the heads of the tribe and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and they in turn would command the captains of thousands under them. But here, since this concerned the honor of Hashem, he sent his command directly to the captains of thousands themselves, without an intermediary, and only afterward did he send to those higher than them, that they too should assemble.
So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of Hashem had made in the wilderness.
verse value 3678
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "tent·of" (אֹ֤הֶל) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 3678 is divisible by 613, the number of the commandments (mitzvot). The shortest word is "with·him" (עִמּ֔וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·the·congregation" (וְכׇל־הַקָּהָ֣ל, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "at·Gibeon" (בְּגִבְע֑וֹן). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·servant·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root הלך ("and·they·went") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root קהל ("and·all·the·congregation") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'at·Gibeon', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 10 words.
Rashi
And Solomon and the entire assembly with him, etc. It is customary for Scripture to abbreviate, [as we find:] (Jonah 2:11): “And the Lord said to the fish, and it spewed Jonah onto the dry land,” and similarly (I Chron. 21:27): “And the Lord said to the angel, and his sword was returned to its sheath.”
Malbim
So Solomon... went - In I Kings (3:3) it is said, “And Solomon loved Hashem, walking in the statutes of David his father; only he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places... and the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there.” I have already revealed my view there that after he offered the burnt-offerings in Gibeon and spent the night there, he took the bronze altar and the vessels of the Tent of Meeting from Gibeon and brought them to Jerusalem. This is what appears to me from the wording of the verse (verse 13 below); for you find that in I Kings (8:14) it says, “And they brought up the ark of Hashem, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent,” which implies that all of these were already found in Jerusalem, where the ark was, and that from there he brought them all up together - for otherwise it should have said that they brought them up from Gibeon, as indeed it says further on (5:5). If so, one might wonder: when, then, did they bring the Tent and its vessels up from Gibeon? It must be that this happened immediately after he offered the burnt-offerings; for once he recognized that it was a sin to sacrifice at the high places so long as the Tent of Meeting stood in its proper place, and that it was a hardship for him to go up to Gibeon each time, he brought it up to Jerusalem. Then either he offered sacrifices in Jerusalem on the bronze altar, or the high places became permitted again once the vessels of the Tent and the altar had been taken from Gibeon. For this purpose he gathered all the leaders, to honor the Tent of Meeting and its vessels at the time it was taken apart, and he offered there a thousand burnt-offerings at the time of its removal, just as he had multiplied burnt-offerings at the time of its dedication. This is why it says, “but the ark of God had David brought up” - meaning, that one he had already brought up, and now they needed to bring up only the vessels of the Tent of Meeting by themselves, since the bronze altar remained there before the Tabernacle of Hashem, and therefore he sought it out with burnt-offerings before its removal from there.
But the ark of God had David brought up from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
verse value 2496
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "for·it" (ל֖וֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 2496 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for·it" (ל֖וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "Jerusalem" (בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 36: for·it, tent. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "from·Kiriath-" (מִקִּרְיַ֣ת), "jearim" (יְעָרִ֔ים), "when·he·prepared" (בַּהֵכִ֥ין). The root דוד appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "for" (root כי, 131x in II Chronicles); "Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 127x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root אבל ("but") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root ארון ("ark·of") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: אֲבָ֗ל [but] (33) + אֲר֤וֹן [ark·of] (257) + הָאֱלֹהִים֙ [God] (91) + הֶעֱלָ֤ה [brought·up] (110) + דָוִיד֙ [David] (24) + מִקִּרְיַ֣ת [from·Kiriath-] (750) + יְעָרִ֔ים [jearim] (330) + בַּהֵכִ֥ין [when·he·prepared] (87) + ל֖וֹ [for·it] (36) + דָּוִ֑יד [David] (24) + כִּ֧י [for] (30) + נָֽטָה־ל֛וֹ [he·pitched·for·it] (100) + אֹ֖הֶל [tent] (36) + בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם [Jerusalem] (588) = 2496.
Ralbag
That David had prepared for it — Meaning, since David had prepared it.
Metzudat David
'That David had prepared for it' – in that he had prepared a place for it. 'For he had pitched' – he had spread out and stretched [a tent].
Moreover the brazen altar, that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, had been put before the tabernacle of Hashem; and Solomon and the congregation sought to it.
verse value 4388
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֕ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·sought·to·it" (וַיִּדְרְשֵׁ֥הוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 375: made, Solomon. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·altar·of" (וּמִזְבַּ֣ח), "Bezalel" (בְּצַלְאֵל֙), "son·of·Uri" (בֶּן־אוּרִ֣י). The root בן appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "son·of·Uri" (root בן, 225x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root מזבח ("and·altar·of") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root נחשת ("the·brass") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: וּמִזְבַּ֣ח [and·altar·of] (63) + הַנְּחֹ֗שֶׁת [the·brass] (763) + אֲשֶׁ֤ר [that] (501) + עָשָׂה֙ [made] (375) + בְּצַלְאֵל֙ [Bezalel] (153) + בֶּן־אוּרִ֣י [son·of·Uri] (269) + בֶן־ח֔וּר [son·of·Hur] (266) + שָׁ֕ם [there] (340) + לִפְנֵ֖י [before] (170) + מִשְׁכַּ֣ן [tabernacle·of] (410) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וַיִּדְרְשֵׁ֥הוּ [and·he·sought·to·it] (531) + שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה [Solomon] (375) + וְהַקָּהָֽל [and·the·congregation] (146) = 4388.
Metzudat David
'Sought to it' – meaning, he offered sacrifices upon it.
And Solomon offered there, upon the brazen altar before Hashem, which was at the tent of meeting, he offered a thousand burnt-offerings upon it.
verse value 3483
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֜ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·altar·of" (עַל־מִזְבַּ֤ח, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 116: and·he·offered, and·he·offered, upon·it. The root עלה appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "before" (root פנים, 116x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root על ("upon·it") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'meeting', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֩עַל֩ [and·he·offered] (116) + שְׁלֹמֹ֨ה [Solomon] (375) + שָׁ֜ם [there] (340) + עַל־מִזְבַּ֤ח [upon·altar·of] (157) + הַנְּחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ [the·brass] (763) + לִפְנֵ֣י [before] (170) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + אֲשֶׁ֖ר [that] (501) + לְאֹ֣הֶל [at·tent·of] (66) + מוֹעֵ֑ד [meeting] (120) + וַיַּ֧עַל [and·he·offered] (116) + עָלָ֛יו [upon·it] (116) + עֹל֖וֹת [burnt-offerings] (506) + אָֽלֶף [thousand] (111) = 3483.
Metzudat David
'He offered upon it' – since Scripture had interrupted with other matters in between, it says 'offered' again; such is the way of Scripture.
In that night did God appear to Solomon, and said to him: ‘Ask what I shall give you.’
verse value 2011
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 40 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֖ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·the·night" (בַּלַּ֣יְלָה, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "ask" (שְׁאַ֖ל). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles); "I·shall·give·to·you" (root נתן, 116x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root ליל ("in·the·night") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root הוא ("that") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Solomon', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: בַּלַּ֣יְלָה [in·the·night] (77) + הַה֔וּא [that] (17) + נִרְאָ֥ה [appeared] (256) + אֱלֹהִ֖ים [God] (86) + לִשְׁלֹמֹ֑ה [to·Solomon] (405) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·he·said] (257) + ל֔וֹ [to·him] (36) + שְׁאַ֖ל [ask] (331) + מָ֥ה [what] (45) + אֶתֶּן־לָֽךְ [I·shall·give·to·you] (501) = 2011.
Rashi
Request, what shall I give you Choose and request all that you desire, and I shall grant it to you.
Malbim
In that night - This account is also told in I Kings (ch. 3), and I have already noted many times that whenever this book repeats an account already found in the earlier books, its purpose is to complete or explain some point; and wherever it has nothing new to add, it is brief, since the reader will find the rest of the details in the earlier books. Therefore, of all that is related there at length (I Kings 3:7-8) in Solomon’s words to Hashem, our author wrote the request briefly, since the reader of the Book of Kings will find the rest of the details there. He added only one thing not found there: “Now, Hashem God, let Your word to David my father be established” - to teach that if Hashem did not give him a wise heart to hear judgment, His word and His promise to David that his son would reign in his place would not be fulfilled; for the purpose of kingship is to render judgment and lead the people with wisdom, and that is the fruit of kingship - if this were lacking, he would not truly be king over the people, and the word of Hashem would not have been fulfilled. Also, in place of what is said there, “and give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil,” Ezra wrote, “give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people.” This makes clear that in order to have an understanding heart to judge, one needs both wisdom and knowledge - as we have already explained in the commentary to the Book of Proverbs, that wisdom is knowing the proper ways of conduct in all matters to which the labels good and evil apply, while knowledge is having a clear grasp of anything that can be attained through the senses or through first principles and the like. Now for judgment one must know the laws of justice - what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil - and it is impossible to know this on one’s own, only through a tradition received from Hashem, as I have explained in many places; and this is what he asked for as “wisdom.” Second, one must be able to discern truth from falsehood among the people who come before him to dispute, as in the judgment concerning the two harlot women, where he grasped the truth through knowledge attained by direct perception and first principles; and for this, “knowledge” is needed. Likewise, to go out and come in before the people in all their affairs requires both wisdom and knowledge.
And Solomon said to God: ‘You have shown great kindness to David my father, and have made me king in his stead.
verse value 3581
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "my·father" (אָבִ֖י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "you" (אַתָּ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·have·made·me·king" (וְהִמְלַכְתַּ֖נִי, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "kindness" (חֶ֣סֶד), "and·you·have·made·me·king" (וְהִמְלַכְתַּ֖נִי). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·have·made·me·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "to·God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root אתה ("you") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root חסד ("kindness") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'great', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·he·said] (257) + שְׁלֹמֹה֙ [Solomon] (375) + לֵאלֹהִ֔ים [to·God] (116) + אַתָּ֗ה [you] (406) + עָשִׂ֛יתָ [you·have·shown] (780) + עִם־דָּוִ֥יד [with·David] (134) + אָבִ֖י [my·father] (13) + חֶ֣סֶד [kindness] (72) + גָּד֑וֹל [great] (43) + וְהִמְלַכְתַּ֖נִי [and·you·have·made·me·king] (561) + תַּחְתָּֽיו [in·his·stead] (824) = 3581.
Metzudat David
'And have made me king' – In that You made me king in preference to his other sons, You made known that my father did not sin with Bathsheba my mother, and this is to be reckoned a great kindness.
Now, O Hashem God, let your promise to David my father be established; for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
verse value 3130
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with" (עִ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "you·have·made·me·king" (הִמְלַכְתַּ֔נִי, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "you·have·made·me·king" (הִמְלַכְתַּ֔נִי), "like·dust·of" (כַּעֲפַ֥ר). The root עם appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "you·have·made·me·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root עתה ("now") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root אמן ("let·it·be·established") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 7 words.
Rashi
Now, O Lord God, may...come true - Heb. יֵאָמֵן, (provarsi in Italian), to prove (true). for You have enthroned me Since You have enthroned me over a numerous people like this, I require wisdom and strength to go forth before them and to wage their wars, as it is stated (I Samuel 8:20): “and our king will judge us and wage our wars.” Now since I must ask what is in my heart, I shall ask what I require and that is that You grant me wisdom.
Metzudat David
'Let...be established' – Let Your word that You spoke to David my father be fulfilled, that the kingship be secure in my hand. 'Over a people...in multitude' – and if so, their affairs are numerous.
Metzudat Zion
Be established (ye'amen) - An expression of faithfulness and fulfillment.
Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this your people, that is so great?’
verse value 2659
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "now" (עַתָּ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·people·this" (הָעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "give·to·me" (תֶּן־לִ֔י), "and·I·may·go·out" (וְאֵ֥צְאָ֛ה), "the·people·this" (הָעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה). The root עם appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·may·come·in" (root בוא, 159x in II Chronicles); "the·people·this" (root עם, 149x in II Chronicles); "give·to·me" (root נתן, 116x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root חכם ("wisdom") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root מדע ("and·knowledge") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·I·may·come·in', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: עַתָּ֗ה [now] (475) + חׇכְמָ֤ה [wisdom] (73) + וּמַדָּע֙ [and·knowledge] (120) + תֶּן־לִ֔י [give·to·me] (490) + וְאֵ֥צְאָ֛ה [and·I·may·go·out] (103) + לִפְנֵ֥י [before] (170) + הָעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה [the·people·this] (132) + וְאָב֑וֹאָה [and·I·may·come·in] (21) + כִּֽי־מִ֣י [for·who] (80) + יִשְׁפֹּ֔ט [will·judge] (399) + אֶת־עַמְּךָ֥ [your·people] (531) + הַזֶּ֖ה [this] (17) + הַגָּדֽוֹל [the·great] (48) = 2659.
Rashi
and I shall go forth before this people and come in And also, a king requires a wise heart to know how to judge, and I am young and tender. Even a thousand wise men would have difficulty judging such a large nation, because it is impossible that they should not have many disputes, which they come to litigate, and he has no time to deliberate on their case, for while this one is complaining and does not stop talking, another one comes and cries. Now who can decide a thousand legal decisions in one day, except one who is wise and astute, endowed with the spirit of God? Therefore, this I request, that You give me wisdom and knowledge to judge this great people of Yours, for this is what I require that You give me.
Metzudat David
'Now' – since that is so, my request is that You give me wisdom to know how to go out and come in before this people. 'For who can judge' – It is impossible to judge such a people by the wisdom of one's own heart, without help from Heaven.
And God said to Solomon: ‘Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of those who hate you, neither yet have asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people, over whom I have made you king;
verse value 10247
Insights
Verse structure: 28 words, 124 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֣ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·you·asked" (וְלֹֽא־שָׁ֠אַ֠לְתָּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that, that. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·not·you·asked" (וְלֹֽא־שָׁ֠אַ֠לְתָּ), "wealth" (נְכָסִ֤ים), "life·of" (נֶ֣פֶשׁ). The root אשר appears 3 times in this verse. 24 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·made·you·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "God" (root אלהים, 202x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root יען ("because") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root זאת ("this") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·asked', dividing the verse into phrases of 19 and 9 words.
Rashi
Since this was in your heart For a person does not request this thing unless he has the fear of Heaven in his heart, as it is stated (Ex. 18:21): “But you must seek out from the people men of ability, God-fearing men.” the life of your enemies to defeat them.
Metzudat David
'This' – this request.
Metzudat Zion
Because (ya'an) - Meaning, on account of. Wealth (nechasim) - This encompasses movable property, livestock, and fields.
Malbim
Because this was in your heart - There it is written, “Because you have asked this thing.” I have already explained in my commentary on Song of Songs, chapter 1, verse 7, that it cannot be said that Solomon found favor in Hashem’s eyes simply because he asked for wisdom in a dream at night, for the thoughts that arise in a person’s mind in a dream are not products of intellect and free choice, but only of the power of imagination. Rather, from the very fact that he asked for this in a dream, it is evident that his heart was already full of these thoughts while awake, and that he constantly thought about Hashem giving him wisdom and knowledge; therefore his answer came to him in the dream in keeping with what he had already been thinking about while awake. This is why it says, “because this was in your heart.” I have explained the rest of this matter in my commentary on Kings; see there.
wisdom and knowledge is granted to you, and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you, neither shall there any after you have the like.’
verse value 3919
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 74 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֑ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·wealth" (וּנְכָסִ֤ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: I·will·give·to·you, that, that. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "the·wisdom" (הַחׇכְמָ֥ה), "and·the·knowledge" (וְהַמַּדָּ֖ע), "given" (נָת֣וּן). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·kings" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "not·was" (root היה, 133x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root חכמה ("the·wisdom") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root לך ("to·you") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 13 words.
Rashi
Wisdom and knowledge are granted you that which you requested. and riches, possessions, and honor which you did not request, I shall grant you. such as that the kings before you did not possess and which will not be so after you This refers back to “riches and honor” which you did not request, because the wisdom that I am granting you: riches, honor, and longevity, are dependent on it, as it is written (Prov. 3:16): “Length of days in its right hand; and in its left hand, riches and honor.” This is what is written (I Kings 10:23): Now King Solomon transcended all the kings of the earth in affluence and wisdom, etc.”
Ralbag
Neither shall there any after you have the like — Here [Chronicles] omits what is stated in the Book of Kings, that if he would walk in the ways of Hashem, He would lengthen his days; for the author relied here on what is written about this matter in the Book of Samuel. This is why you will find, in many of the narratives told in this book, that he has abbreviated them.
Metzudat David
'Is granted to you' – it is now granted to you by Me.
So Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.
verse value 2804
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "tent·of" (אֹ֣הֶל) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "tent·of" (אֹ֣הֶל, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·at·Gibeon" (אֲשֶׁר־בְּגִבְעוֹן֙, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "that·at·Gibeon" (אֲשֶׁר־בְּגִבְעוֹן֙). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·reigned" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "and·he·came" (root בוא, 159x in II Chronicles); "over·Israel" (root ישראל, 140x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root ישראל ("over·Israel") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'meeting', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֨א [and·he·came] (19) + שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה [Solomon] (375) + לַבָּמָ֤ה [to·the·high·place] (77) + אֲשֶׁר־בְּגִבְעוֹן֙ [that·at·Gibeon] (634) + יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם [Jerusalem] (586) + מִלִּפְנֵ֖י [from·before] (210) + אֹ֣הֶל [tent·of] (36) + מוֹעֵ֑ד [meeting] (120) + וַיִּמְלֹ֖ךְ [and·he·reigned] (106) + עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [over·Israel] (641) = 2804.
Ralbag
So Solomon came... to the high place that was at Gibeon — The meaning, as I understand it, is that he went to the high place at Gibeon to offer sacrifices to Hashem and to give Him thanks for the good things He had promised him; then he came to Jerusalem and departed from before the Tent of Meeting that had stood in Gibeon, and he reigned over Israel — because by then his wisdom had become known to the people through the matter of the harlots who came before him, as is told in the Book of Kings (chapter 3). For it was then that Solomon reigned over all Israel, since everyone recognized that the wisdom of God was within him to render judgment.
Metzudat David
'To the high place,' etc. – meaning, from the journey on which he had gone to the high place, etc., he turned back and came to Jerusalem from before the tent of meeting. 'And he reigned' – meaning, they accepted him as king with great love, because of the abundance of wisdom that had been granted him that night.
Malbim
'So Solomon came ... to the high place' — The lamed [prefix of "labbamah," "to the high place"] always denotes the point to which something comes; and this fits what was said above, that at that time he took the bronze altar from Gibeon, dismantled the Tent of Meeting, and brought it to Jerusalem. The sense of the verse is: he came, from before the Tent of Meeting, to Jerusalem — bringing the high place that had been at Gibeon; that is, once he came to Jerusalem, the high place that had been at Gibeon was now there. This explains what is stated in Kings (I Kings 3:15), 'And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream; and he came to Jerusalem... and offered burnt-offerings and made peace-offerings' — for it would be very strange that after he had gone to Gibeon to offer burnt-offerings there on the bronze altar, and there he had seen the vision, he should have offered his sacrifices there, rather than returning to Jerusalem to sacrifice on a private high place, against the command of the Torah. Ezra therefore explains that at that time Solomon dismantled the Tent of Meeting — which is why it says 'he came from before the Tent of Meeting' — and brought the high place that had been at Gibeon to Jerusalem, where he offered on the bronze altar, or on a private high place (which was permitted once the Tabernacle had been dismantled). Now, Ezra skipped over the account of the harlot women, since it held nothing new for his purposes; he recorded only 'and he reigned over Israel,' which is the beginning of chapter 4 there [in Kings] — and there I explained what he meant by this — and he skipped over everything stated there in chapter 4 and in chapter 5 up to verse 10, where Scripture reveals something new to us, as will be explained.
And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
verse value 5665
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "chariots" (רֶ֣כֶב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·four·hundred" (וְאַרְבַּע־מֵאוֹת֙, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 222: chariots, chariots. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·horsemen" (וּפָרָשִׁים֒), "and·four·hundred" (וְאַרְבַּע־מֵאוֹת֙). The root רכב appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·with·the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "and·it·was·to·him" (root היה, 133x in II Chronicles); "at·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 127x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root אסף ("and·he·gathered") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root רכב ("chariots") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'horsemen', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Rashi
and he left them in the chariot cities He left some of those horsemen and chariots in the chariot cities; since the king’s chariots were there, those cities were called the chariot cities, and some of them he left with him in Jerusalem.
Ralbag
And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, etc. — This passage is written just as it is in the Book of Kings, and there we explained it, through the words “and the kings of Aram would export them by their hand” (I Kings 10:26, 29).
Metzudat David
'In the chariot cities' – the cities designated for stationing the chariots. 'And with the king' – and some of them were with him in Jerusalem.
Malbim
'And Solomon gathered' — In Kings, at the parallel point in the narrative, it states, 'And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariotry'; and there, at (I Kings 10:23) — after the account of the Queen of Sheba's visit and the making of the throne — it states, 'And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots,' etc., and everything stated here [in our chapter] from verse 14 through verse 17 is found there. Here, by contrast, after Ezra tells of the Queen of Sheba's visit and the making of the throne, he concludes (below, 9:25), 'And Solomon had four thousand stalls of horses and chariots' — and there it will be explained that the figure of four thousand can be reconciled with the figure of forty thousand; see there. Now, upon reflection, I saw that Ezra comes to resolve the contradiction found in Kings, which first states that he had forty thousand stalls of horses, and afterward states that he had a thousand and four hundred chariots. Ezra explains that there the matters are not recorded in chronological order: at first Solomon had only a thousand and four hundred chariots, for the specific needs of his own chariotry and personal use; and after that he went on continually acquiring horses, until in the end he had forty thousand stalls of horses for the needs of the army, to provide horsemen. That is why Ezra reversed the order and recorded first the figure of a thousand four hundred, and only afterward the larger figure.
And the king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the Lowland, for abundance.
verse value 5094
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 63 letters. Verse gematria: 5094 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "and" (וְאֵ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·in·the·Lowland" (אֲשֶׁר־בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה, 8 letters). The root נתן appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "in·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 127x in II Chronicles); "and·he·gave" (root נתן, 116x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root כסף ("the·silver") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root זהב ("and·the·gold") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'like·the·stones', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּתֵּ֨ן [and·he·gave] (466) + הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ [the·king] (95) + אֶת־הַכֶּ֧סֶף [the·silver] (566) + וְאֶת־הַזָּהָ֛ב [and·the·gold] (426) + בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם [in·Jerusalem] (588) + כָּאֲבָנִ֑ים [like·the·stones] (123) + וְאֵ֣ת [and] (407) + הָאֲרָזִ֗ים [the·cedars] (263) + נָתַ֛ן [gave] (500) + כַּשִּׁקְמִ֥ים [like·the·sycamores] (510) + אֲשֶׁר־בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה [that·in·the·Lowland] (918) + לָרֹֽב [for·abundance] (232) = 5094.
Rashi
like stones Because of the abundance of silver and gold that he had, he was not particular about distributing silver and gold throughout the city to make tables and chairs. Our Rabbis said (Ecc. Rabbah 2:3): Like stones of ten or eight cubits: just as he cut stones, so did he cut silver.
Metzudat David
'Made [silver and gold] to be,' etc. – meaning, he left them out in the streets, for since they were so heavy, they were safe [there], because it was not possible to carry them off and steal them. 'That are in the Lowland' – that grow in great abundance in the valley.
Metzudat Zion
As the sycamore-trees (kashikmim) - A kind of fig tree.
Malbim
'And the king made' — This verse is repeated in our book, below at 9:27, and comes to teach us the exposition that our Sages expounded. They raised a difficulty: is it not written (I Kings 10:21), 'silver was not considered of any worth in the days of Solomon'? And they explained that the statement that he made silver like stones took place after he married Pharaoh's daughter. Now, from the verse in Kings — which records this in chapter 10, right after stating that he had a thousand and four hundred chariots — this exposition cannot be proven, for that passage there actually speaks of the beginning of his reign (as I noted in the previous comment), and at that point he did not yet have much silver. And what Ezra states here likewise speaks of the beginning of his reign. That is why he wrote it a second time, in chapter 9, after stating that he had four thousand stalls of horses, which was later — and despite this, the silver again came to have value, and this was on account of the sin.
And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; also out of Keve, the king’s merchants buying them of the men of Keve at a price.
verse value 2707
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·horses" (הַסּוּסִ֛ים, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "and·source·of" (וּמוֹצָ֧א), "the·horses" (הַסּוּסִ֛ים), "and·from·Keve" (וּמִקְוֵ֕א). The root קוא appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "that" (root אשר, 203x in II Chronicles); "to·Solomon" (root שלמה, 83x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root סוס ("the·horses") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root מצרים ("from·Egypt") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Egypt', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וּמוֹצָ֧א [and·source·of] (143) + הַסּוּסִ֛ים [the·horses] (181) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + לִשְׁלֹמֹ֖ה [to·Solomon] (405) + מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם [from·Egypt] (420) + וּמִקְוֵ֕א [and·from·Keve] (153) + סֹחֲרֵ֣י [merchants·of] (278) + הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ [the·king] (95) + מִקְוֵ֥א [from·Keve] (147) + יִקְח֖וּ [take] (124) + בִּמְחִֽיר [at·a·price] (260) = 2707.
Rashi
And Solomon’s source of horses i.e., Solomon’s entire source of horses was exclusively from Egypt. and [there was] an assemblage from which the king’s agents - Heb. מִקְוֵה, the assemblage of the horses in Egypt, and it is called stutte in Middle High German.
Metzudat David
'The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; also out of Keve' – the place of origin for the horses that he had was Egypt and Keve, which is the name of a place, and horses were plentiful there. 'The king's merchants' – meaning, Solomon sent merchants, and they would take the horses from Keve at a price, according to the value of each one.
Metzudat Zion
Also out of Keve (u'mikeve) - The Targum did not translate the word 'mikeve'; this shows that 'Koa' is the name of a place, and the letter mem stands in place of 'min' ('from'). At a price (bimchir) - An expression of a thing's value and worth, as in 'I will buy it from you at a price' (II Samuel 24).
And they fetched up, and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Aram, did they bring them out by their means.
verse value 3976
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "for·six" (בְּשֵׁ֣שׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·brought·out" (וַיּוֹצִ֨יאוּ, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Chronicles. Unique to this verse in II Chronicles (hapax): "chariot" (מֶרְכָּבָה֙), "for·six" (בְּשֵׁ֣שׁ), "and·horse" (וְס֖וּס). The root יצא appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·all·kings·of" (root מלך, 344x in II Chronicles); "and·they·went·up" (root עלה, 83x in II Chronicles); "in·their·hand" (root יד, 72x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root מרכבה ("chariot") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root שש ("for·six") in II Chronicles. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·hundred', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Metzudat David
'And they fetched up, and brought out of Egypt' – meaning, but to Egypt he did not send merchants, for the Egyptians themselves would bring up and deliver to him a chariot – that is, four horses – for six hundred shekels of silver, for that was the price fixed between them. 'And a horse for a hundred and fifty' – from this it is understood that a chariot [team] is four horses. 'And so for all the kings of the Hittites' – to them, too, the Egyptians sold at this same fixed price, since they were close by and did not have a great distance to bring the horses. 'Did they bring them out by their means' – the Egyptians themselves brought the horses out by their own hand, to deliver them to the place of the buyer; or, it may refer to the kings of the Hittites, etc., meaning that they [those kings] brought them out by their own means – that is, although they too paid the price that Solomon had fixed, still, in having the horses delivered to their own place, they did not carry the same authority [to compel delivery] that Solomon did.
Malbim
'And the source of the horses' — this too is stated in Kings not in its [chronological] place, for this was true at first, at a time when Solomon had only a thousand and four hundred chariots; but afterward the horses of Egypt did not suffice for him. That is why Ezra writes it here, where he is speaking of the beginning of his reign; and further on, when he writes that Solomon had four thousand stalls of horses, he writes instead, 'and horses were brought to Solomon from Egypt and from all the lands.' 'And mikveh' — this is a place where the choicest horses were raised, and where many horses were gathered together (the word shares the root meaning 'to gather,' as in a gathering of water). Scripture goes on to explain that the king's traders would purchase the whole 'mikveh' at a set price — that is, they did not buy the horses one by one, but bought the entire drove, the whole gathering of horses, so that everything born there afterward belonged to Solomon's traders; and through this it was in their power to raise the price. That is the meaning of 'vaya'alu' ['and they brought up'] here — that they raised the price. There, in the parallel verse in Kings, it is written 'vata'aleh' [in the singular], meaning that the traders, as a single body, raised the price.
Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Hashem, and a house for his kingdom.
verse value 2878
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "house" (בַּ֙יִת֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·his·kingdom" (לְמַלְכוּתֽוֹ, 7 letters). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 384x in II Chronicles); "house" (root בית, 191x in II Chronicles); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 184x in II Chronicles). First appearance of the root בנה ("to·build") in II Chronicles. First appearance of the root בית ("house") in II Chronicles. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·he·said] (257) + שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה [Solomon] (375) + לִבְנ֥וֹת [to·build] (488) + בַּ֙יִת֙ [house] (412) + לְשֵׁ֣ם [for·the·name·of] (370) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + וּבַ֖יִת [and·house] (418) + לְמַלְכוּתֽוֹ [for·his·kingdom] (532) = 2878.
Metzudat David
'For his kingdom' – according to what was fitting and proper for his kingdom.
Malbim
'Now Solomon purposed' — Ezra adds this verse to teach that David had already prepared an abundance of cedars for the building of the House of Hashem, and Solomon would not have needed to send to Hiram to have cedars sent to him from the Lebanon that borders Sidon, for the cedars from the Lebanon within the borders of the Land of Israel would have sufficed for this; and likewise he would not have needed to add burden-bearers and stone-hewers in the mountains beyond what David had already prepared, as is explained in I Chronicles (22:1-29:13). Rather, what he added — the [additional] workers, and what he sent to Hiram (beyond the mission mentioned in Kings, as will be explained in the chapter after this one) — was because he wanted to build also a house for his own kingdom, and for this the cedars within the Land of Israel and the craftsmen David had prepared did not suffice.
Rashi
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim