Having made arrangements for materials and personnel for the temple project in chapter 2, Solomon now begins construction in chapters 3–4. Second Chronicles 3:1–2 is another of the many summary notes used throughout Chronicles. Here the note identifies the location of the temple with two earlier key sacrificial traditions, which involved the angel of the Lord: the provision of sacrifice to Abraham in order to save the life of young Isaac on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22 (see esp. 22:13–14) and the provision of sacrifice to David on the threshing floor of Araunah to save Jerusalem in 1 Chronicles 21.

Second Chronicles 3:3–17 traces the creation of the physical structures of the temple site. Laying the foundation (3:3) was an importan…