Old Testament · History

2 Chronicles 8

Solomon's Achievements

Cities built, trade routes established, worship organized. Solomon's kingdom operates at full capacity — but the cracks are forming beneath the surface.

King James Version BSB KJV

1And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house,

2That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it.

4And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

5Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

7As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

8But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

9But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10And these were the chief of king Solomon’s officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.

12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch,

13Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

15And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.

17Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

18And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

Understand This

2 Chronicles 8, explained

What 2 Chronicles 8 is saying

Solomon completes his building projects, fortifies cities, establishes the divisions of priests and Levites according to David's instructions, and develops maritime trade with Hiram from Ezion-geber. He also relocates Pharaoh's daughter from the City of David, recognizing that the Ark's presence makes that area too holy for her residence.

The background behind it

The Chronicler compresses and sanitizes 1 Kings 9:10-28, omitting Solomon's cession of Galilean cities to Hiram (an embarrassment) and reframing it as Hiram giving cities to Solomon. The note about Pharaoh's daughter reflects the Chronicler's heightened concern for cultic purity.

Themes running underneath

The chapter portrays Solomon as the ideal administrator who combines political acumen with scrupulous attention to cultic order. The organization of priests and Levites 'according to the ordinance of David' demonstrates continuity of divine worship from one generation to the next.

Why it still matters

Solomon's integration of practical governance with worship priorities challenges the modern separation of sacred and secular. Faithful leadership attends to both infrastructure and spiritual order.

This is one chapter. BibleKey does all 1,189.

Tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and follow every cross-reference without losing your place.

Get BibleKey

All 36 chapters of 2 Chronicles · Every book of the Bible · Browse by topic

Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.