2 Chronicles 1:2

2Ch 1:2 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.

Ver. 2. Then Solomon spake unto all Israel.] As David had done before him. {1Ch 28:1; 1Ch 29:1}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:2-6 Solomon’s journey to Gibeon, reported in 1 Kgs 3:4, is here elaborated. This great public venture was closely associated with Solomon taking the throne. The event included military commanders and clan leaders. It took place in Gibeon because the Tabernacle was there, as was the great bronze altar where sacrifices were regularly offered.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That is, he proclaimed a solemn sacrifice, and commanded that all should be at the same.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 2. Then Solomon spake] This is supposed to have taken place in the second year of his reign.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) Then Solomon spake unto all Israel.—Or, commanded all Israel (1Ch_21:17; 2Sa_16:11; 2Ki_1:11; Vulg., prœcepit).

To the captains of thousands . . . chief of the fathers.—This is an apposition, explaining what is meant by “all Israel” in the first clause, viz., the national representatives. The account in Kings allows only one verse for the sacrifice, and so omits to mention that the princes took part in it (1Ki_3:4). The fact, however, is likely in itself. (Comp. the similar assemblies under David, 1Ch_13:1; 1Ch_23:2; 1Ch_28:1.)

Every governor.—Heb. nûsî’, prince, emir of a tribe, or chief of a clan. (Comp. Gen_23:6; Num_7:10; 1Ki_8:1.)

The chief of the fathers.—The heads of the clans. This defines the preceding phrase.

(2-6) Solomon and the national assembly repair to the Mosaic tabernacle at Gibeon, and sacrifice upon the great altar of burnt offering. (Comp. 1Ki_3:4, which the present section supplements and explains.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. every governor] R.V. every prince.

the chief of the fathers] R.V. the heads of the fathers’ houses.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then Solomon spake unto all Israel,.... To their representatives about going to Gibeon to sacrifice, as the next words show: so Jarchi and Kimchi observe:

to the captains of thousands, and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers; whom he had convened on this occasion; though some think this is the same congregation gathered by his father, by whom he was anointed and made king, and that he spoke of this to them before they broke up, Ch1 28:1 which seems not so probable, since it was after the death of his father, after he had been king some time, and even after his marriage with Pharaoh's daughter, that what follows was done, see Kg1 3:1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The narrative here corresponds with 1Ki 3:4; but is very much fuller. We learn from the present passage:

(1) that Solomon’s sacrifice at Gibeon was a great public festivity, to which he collected vast numbers of the people;

(2) that it was made upon the brass altar of Bezaleel, which

(3) stood before the tabernacle; and

(4) that Solomon’s vision was on the night of his sacrifice. Consult the marginal references

2Ch 1:5

Sought unto it - i. e., “frequented it” - “were in the habit of making use of it.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Then Solomon spake, to wit, concerning his intention of going to Gibeon, and that they should attend him thither, as the next verse shows.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This verse and the following four supersede the one verse, 1Ki_3:4; and the five together give us, of course, a much fuller view of the events of the sacrifice. Our present verse purports to show the representative components of "all Israel" in a fourfold classification. Captains of thousands and of hundreds (see first 1Ch_13:1 1Ch_27:1 1Ch_28:1; and then (Exo_18:21, Exo_18:25; Num_31:14, Num_31:48, Num_31:52, Num_31:54; Deu_1:15; 1Sa_8:12 1Sa_17:18 1Sa_18:13 1Sa_22:7; 2Sa_18:1; 2Ki_11:9, 2Ki_11:15, 2Ki_11:19) The judges. The office and the person of the judge were held in high honour among the Jewish people from the first, and perhaps, also, with a noteworthy uniformity, even in the more degenerate periods of their history. Their commencement in patriarchal simplicity can be easily imagined, and receives illustration from such passages as Job_29:7, Job_29:8, 9 32:9. Their more formal development may be considered to date from the crisis related in Exo_18:14-24. And the allusions to the judge and his office thenceforward sustain our impression of the honour in which they were held, arising, no doubt, largely from the deep-felt necessity for them, the more society crystallized (Num_25:5; Deu_16:18 Deu_19:17 Deu_21:2; Jos_8:33 1Ch_23:24 1Ch_26:29; 2Ch_19:8-10) In 1Ch_23:24 we are told how David set apart "six thousand Levites" to be "officers and judges." Every governor. The word employed here (aycin;) is rendered by five different words in our Authorized Version: "prince", (Gen_17:20, passim) "ruler", (Exo_16:22, passim) "captain", (Num_2:3, passim) "chief" Num_3:24, passim), and "governor" in the present passage only. It is evidently a term of generic signification, used of a king (1Ki_11:34; Eze_12:10) of leaders of the Ishmaelites; (Gen_17:20) of the captains of the tribes of Israel; (Num_7:11) of the chiefs of families; (Num_3:24) while the use of it (Gen_23:6) to set forth the position of Abraham as one raised to eminence so high and undisputed that it might be clearly said to be God"s doing, is sufficient to determine its central signification. The chief of the fathers; i.e. the heads of the fathers. The first occurrence of the expression, "the heads of their fathers" houses", (Exo_6:14) and of "the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families", (Exo_6:25) sufficiently explains the original and perfectly natural meaning of the phrase. The great importance and significance of the position of the heads "of families" and "of houses" and" of fathers" in early patriarchal times must necessarily have declined by the time of Solomon, when the nation had received so much more of civil form and system. But the name remained, and the family and social position did not fail to make themselves felt, and finally the official recognition of them in David"s time is evidenced by 1Ch_27:1, and in Solomon"s time both by the present passage and 2Ch_5:2 with its parallel, 1Ki_8:1. Our present use of the expression ought probably to show it, in close apposition with the foregoing words, "to all Israel" (wrongly translated "in all Israel" in the Authorized Version) and which itself is a repetition of the "to all Israel" in the beginning of the verse. Although the existing Hebrew pointing of the verse does not favour the supposition, it may be that the writer means to emphasize Solomon"s summons as made both to the kingdom as such, and to the people also as a united people. We are not, indeed, told here, in so many words, what it was that Solomon said "to all Israel." But there can be no doubt as to his object, as betrayed in the first clause of the following verse.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Spake - Concerning his intention of going to Gibeon, and that they should attend him thither.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

It may be helpful to reorder the events in these verses as in the UDB. (See: Order of Events)

spoke to all Israel, to the commanders ... heads of the fathers' house

Here "all of Israel" means those people mentioned afterwards. They represent all of Israel. AT: "spoke to the commanders ... heads of the father's house"

the commanders of thousands and of hundreds

Possible meanings are 1) these numbers represent the exact amount of soldiers that these commanders led. AT: "the commanders of 1,000 soldiers and the commanders of 100 soldiers" or 2) the words translated as "thousands" and "hundreds" do not represent exact numbers, but are the names of larger and smaller military divisions. AT: "the commanders of large military divisions and the commanders of smaller military divisions" (See: Numbers)

to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers' houses

Here "the heads of the fathers' houses" further describe the princes. AT: "to every prince in all Israel, that is, the heads of the fathers' houses"

to every prince

Here "prince" means leaders in general. They are not necessarily the sons of the king. AT: "to every leader"

the heads of the fathers' houses

Here "heads" is a metaphor for the most important part. And "houses" represents families. AT: "the leaders of the families in Israel" (See: Metaphor and Metonymy)

Kiriath Jearim

A little town about 9 miles west of Jerusalem. (See: How to Translate Names)

pitched a tent

"set up a tent"

the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur

This can be stated in active form. AT: "the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri son Hur made" (See: Active or Passive)

Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur

These are names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Israel

command

judge, judges

prince

head

ancestor

house

high place

Gibeon

tent of meeting

God

Moses

servant

desert

ark of the covenant

Jerusalem

bronze

altar

tabernacle

assembly

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

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.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.