2 Chronicles 1:3 kjv
So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
2 Chronicles 1:3 nkjv
Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
2 Chronicles 1:3 niv
and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God's tent of meeting was there, which Moses the LORD's servant had made in the wilderness.
2 Chronicles 1:3 esv
And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness, was there.
2 Chronicles 1:3 nlt
Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God's Tabernacle was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the LORD's servant, had made in the wilderness.)
2 Chronicles 1 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 3:2-4 | "The people sacrificed at the high places... The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there..." | Solomon's sacrifice at Gibeon. |
| 1 Chr 16:39 | "Zadok the priest, and his brethren... before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon," | Confirms Tabernacle location at Gibeon. |
| Exod 25:8-9 | "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them... all the furniture thereof," | God's command to build the Tabernacle. |
| Exod 40:34-35 | "Then the cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." | God's glory dwelling in the completed Tabernacle. |
| Lev 1:1 | "The LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation," | God communicates from the Tabernacle. |
| Num 7:1 | "On the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle..." | Moses' role in establishing the Tabernacle. |
| Deut 34:5 | "So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab..." | Moses as "servant of the LORD." |
| Josh 1:1-2 | "After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD... Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise..." | Continuation of Moses as God's servant. |
| 2 Chr 1:5 | "Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel... had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD," | The bronze altar, also at Gibeon. |
| 2 Chr 5:1-5 | "all the ark... with all the holy vessels... were brought up" | Ark in Jerusalem, Tabernacle at Gibeon. |
| 2 Chr 7:1-3 | "when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down... the glory of the LORD had filled the house." | Divine approval later fills the Temple. |
| Heb 9:1-2 | "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances... and a worldly sanctuary." | Describes the Tabernacle and its service. |
| Acts 7:44-45 | "Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness... David found favour..." | The Tabernacle's history and purpose. |
| Jer 7:12-14 | "Go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh... and unto the house which I gave you and your fathers," | Warning about misplaced trust in sacred sites. |
| Ps 27:5-6 | "He shall hide me in his tabernacle... in the secret of his tent shall he hide me," | The Tabernacle as a place of refuge. |
| Lev 26:30 | "I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images..." | General divine disapproval of illicit high places. |
| 1 Kgs 11:7 | "Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh... for Molech," | Solomon later built illicit high places. |
| Matt 17:1-8 | The Transfiguration, Moses appeared with Elijah. | Moses' enduring significance. |
| Rev 15:3 | "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb," | Moses revered in Revelation. |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory...)" | "Dwelt" (σκηνόω - skēnoō) evoking Tabernacle; Christ as ultimate dwelling. |
| Col 2:16-17 | "shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." | Tabernacle rituals fulfilled in Christ. |
| 2 Cor 5:1 | "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved..." | Metaphorical use of 'tabernacle' for body. |
| Acts 2:44 | "And all that believed were together, and had all things common;" | The New Testament "congregation." |
2 Chronicles 1 verses
2 Chronicles 1 3 Meaning
This verse states that King Solomon, accompanied by the entire assembly of Israel, journeyed to the high place at Gibeon. The purpose of this visit was explicitly for worship, as the original Tabernacle of the Congregation, meticulously crafted by Moses the servant of the LORD during the wilderness exodus, was located there. It underscores the legitimacy of Solomon's worship at this site due to the sacred presence of the divinely ordained Tabernacle.
2 Chronicles 1 3 Context
2 Chronicles chapter 1 details the establishment of Solomon's kingship and his initial act of seeking God's favor. Following David's final instructions and the affirmation of his reign (2 Chr 1:1), Solomon's first significant public act is this journey to Gibeon. The Chronicler provides this detail to legitimize Solomon's worship at Gibeon, explicitly linking it to the Mosaic Tabernacle. This act sets a precedent for his rule, indicating his immediate commitment to Yahweh. Unlike the account in 1 Kings, which may briefly note the sacrifice, the Chronicler emphasizes the reason for going to this particular "high place"—the presence of the ancient, sacred tent of meeting—thereby pre-emptively addressing any potential misconception about it being an unauthorized site of worship, as later "high places" were. This foundational act of proper worship lays the groundwork for God's significant appearance to Solomon and the granting of wisdom described in the subsequent verses, preparing him for the monumental task of building the Temple.
2 Chronicles 1 3 Word analysis
- For Solomon,: Refers to King Solomon, son of David, newly established on the throne of Israel. This marks a new phase in Israel's leadership.
- and all the congregation with him,: "Congregation" (Heb. qahal - קָהָל) signifies the assembled people of Israel, indicating a national, unified act of worship under Solomon's leadership. This was not a private pilgrimage.
- went to the high place: "High place" (Heb. bamah - בָּמָה). In many biblical contexts, bamah refers to illicit worship sites for pagan deities or unauthorized worship of Yahweh (e.g., Lev 26:30). However, before the Temple's construction, some bamahs were legitimate because they housed a legitimate altar or the Tabernacle itself. This specific mention distinguishes Gibeon's high place due to the unique holy object located there.
- that was at Gibeon;: Gibeon was an ancient Canaanite city absorbed into Israel, located northwest of Jerusalem. It held religious significance as the location where the Mosaic Tabernacle and its associated altar of burnt offering (2 Chr 1:5) resided during the early monarchy. The Ark of the Covenant, however, was already in Jerusalem (1 Chr 16:1).
- for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God,: "Tabernacle" (Heb. ohel mo'ed - אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד), meaning "tent of meeting" or "tent of appointed time." This was the portable sanctuary where God's presence dwelt among Israel, a sacred place of revelation, sacrifice, and divine instruction. Its presence at Gibeon was the sole reason for the legitimacy of the high place for this significant worship. "Congregation of God" emphasizes its purpose for the entire covenant people to encounter God.
- which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. The specific attribution to Moses, uniquely called "the servant of the LORD" (Heb. `eved YHWH - עֶבֶד יְהוָה), powerfully grounds the Tabernacle's authority in God's foundational covenant with Israel. "Servant of the LORD" denotes a specially commissioned and faithful individual in covenant service. "In the wilderness" refers to the period of the Exodus wandering, reinforcing the Tabernacle's divine origin and its continuous function from Israel's formative period until the time of Solomon.
2 Chronicles 1 3 Bonus section
- The continued use of the Tabernacle at Gibeon highlights a transitional phase in Israel's worship, moving from a portable sanctuary of the wilderness to a future fixed Temple in Jerusalem, symbolizing Israel's journey from a nomadic past to a settled nation.
- While the Ark of the Covenant was moved to Jerusalem by David (2 Sam 6), the majority of the Tabernacle's structure, vessels, and especially the bronze altar, remained at Gibeon, suggesting a temporary dual religious center until the Temple's completion unified all legitimate worship.
- The Chronicler's detailed mention of "Moses the servant of the LORD" serves as an anchor, validating Solomon's religious activities by connecting them to the very foundation of Israelite faith and divine authority, before the advent of the Temple worship.
2 Chronicles 1 3 Commentary
2 Chronicles 1:3 explains the vital first steps of Solomon's reign, emphasizing his commitment to Yahweh through a nationally significant act of worship. By specifying that the pilgrimage was to Gibeon because the Mosaic Tabernacle was there, the Chronicler addresses a critical theological point. Unlike other "high places" that became synonymous with idolatry and unlawful worship (e.g., 1 Kgs 14:23), Gibeon's legitimacy for this act stemmed from its sacred heritage—the Tabernacle constructed under direct divine instruction via Moses. This deliberate qualification underlines the Chronicler's concern for righteous leadership and proper adherence to Mosaic traditions. Solomon, along with the "congregation," publicly affirms a desire for divine guidance at the very source of their covenant identity before embarking on the immense task of building the Temple. This sets a tone of piety and submission to God's will for Solomon's initial acts as king.