2 Chronicles 1:13 - Exposition

Solomon ' s return after sacrifice from Gibeon to Jerusalem, and from " before the tabernacle of the congregation " to " before the ark of the covenant of the Lord " in Mount Zion. the condensed and cut-down method of Chronicles, and its strong preferences for selecting out of the various material at its command. The tabernacle of the congregation. This styling of the "tabernacle" is of very frequent occurrence. It is found above thirty times in Exodus, and fully as often in Leviticus and Numbers. Afterwards it is sprinkled more rarely in the historical books. The reason of its being styled "the tabernacle of the congregation " ( מוֹעֵר ) is doubtful—perhaps because of the gatherings of the people in front of it, or possibly because of its being the place where God would meet with Moses. The other name, the tabernacle of "witness" or "testimony" or covenant" ( עֵדוּת ; Numbers 9:15 , etc.), is not unfrequent. Hence the LXX . σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ; the Vulgate, tabernaculum testimonii; and Luther's Stifisuitten. This verse very much stints the information contained in the parallel, to the effect that Solomon forthwith took his place before the ark of the covenant in Mount Zion, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and gave a feast to all his servants ( 2 Samuel 6:17-19 ; 1 Chronicles 16:1-3 ; Deuteronomy 14:26-29 ). And he reigned over Israel . These words seem nugatory both in themselves and as placed here. They probably stand for 1 Kings 4:1 .