2 Chronicles
Chapter 5
DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE
Transfer of the Ark
So all the work that Solomon did for the Lord’s house was completed, and Solomon brought the dedicated offerings of his father David, the silver and the gold and the vessels, and put them in the temple storerooms.
Then Solomon called the leaders of the tribes and clans of Israel together in Jerusalem to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, Zion.
All the men of Israel assembled around the king in the seventh month, at the time of the feast.
All the leaders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the Ark
and the Tent of Meeting with all the sacred vessels in it. The Levitical priests carried them.
King Solomon and all the community of Israel gathered with him in front of the Ark and sacrificed countless sheep and oxen.
The priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place in the house’s Sanctuary, under the cherubs’ wings in the Holy of Holies.
For there, where the Ark was placed, the cherubs spread out their wings and sheltered the Ark and its poles.
The poles of the Ark were long enough for their ends to be seen from the Holy Place in front of the Sanctuary, but not from outside; they are still there today.
There was nothing in the Ark except the two stone tablets Moses had placed at Horeb, where the Lord had made a Covenant with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.
Finally, the priests stepped out of the Sanctuary. All of the priests were present because they had purified themselves, regardless of their group.
All the Levite musicians—Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun—with their sons and brothers, stood to the east of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres. A hundred and twenty priests accompanied them, playing trumpets.
All those who played the trumpets or sang joined together to praise and glorify the Lord. Raising their voices along with the sound of trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, they praised the Lord: “For he is good, for his love is everlasting.” At that moment, a cloud filled the Sanctuary, the Lord’s temple.
Because of the cloud, the priests could no longer carry out their du-ties, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
Commentaries
The Reign of Solomon.
In these chapters, the Chronicler shares his view of Solomon’s reign, based on the account in 1 Kings 1-11. He omits any negative details about the king or anything that contradicts his greatness. He highlights the building of the Temple, dedicating five chapters (2-7) to it. Solomon is shown as the ideal king of Israel, the leader who fulfills David’s dream and God’s plan by constructing the Temple. He is described as the wise king who excels in construction, leadership, and trade. Chapters 1-9 begin (1:14-17) and end (9:1-28) with celebrations of Solomon’s wealth and wisdom.
Dedication of the Temple.
These chapters highlight the theme of the Temple’s dedication, which, from the Chronicler’s perspective, is the central focus of Solomon’s reign. The text elaborates on and modifies the account in 1 Kings 8:1-9:8; in a similar way, the Chronicler aims to align the account in the First Book of Kings with the cultic practices of his own era.
Transfer of the Ark.
We split this passage into two sections. The first part describes the transfer of the Ark as a liturgy (5:1-10), where all Israel gathers around the king (5:2f). According to v. 4, the bearers of the Ark are no longer priests but Levites (see 1 Chr 23:13f; Num 3:31). The second part (5:11-6:2) follows 1 Kings 8:10-13 and recounts how God takes possession of the Temple, emphasizing the importance of the Levite singers. The account ends with a thanksgiving prayer from Solomon (6:1f).