Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple: In 1 Chronicles 22 and 28–29 the Chronicler indicated that King David had paved the way for the building of the temple in Jerusalem and had already made extensive preparations. It is therefore somewhat strange that, according to the Chronicler’s narrative, Solomon had to appoint craftsmen again and had to gather building material from Lebanon. However, the narrative reaches its climax here, when the actual building of the temple is credited to Solomon. Second Chronicles 2 therefore introduces the history of the building process, which stretches to the end of 2 Chronicles 7.

This episode starts with an introductory remark in 2:1 in which the building of the temple and the palace is announced; 2:2 and 2:17–18 frame the episode with information on the craf…