Chapter 1

1:12 - That Solomon was the wisest and richest king to ever live is undoubtedly an exaggeration. Therefore it is also a false prophecy.

* According to 1 Chronicles 22:14, we know that Solomon's father (David) left him an enormous amount of gold.  By today's standards (the weight to dollar ratio), this gold was worth nearly $30 billion dollars!  We also see that Solomon collected at least 666 talents of gold each year (see 1 Kings 10:14).  This is nearly $200 million dollars (according to today's standards).  No other king has had this much wealth and no other king currently has it.

* Incidentally, there are some alternate translations to this verse.  For instance, it is possible that God was blessing him more than any other earthly king of Israel.  It is also possible that God was simply telling him that he would be "greater" than any other king and this didn't refer to a mathematical prophecy regarding money.  At any rate, this prophecy has been mathematically fulfilled and will likely continue to be so.  No king has ever had as much wealth as Solomon.

* Solomon wrote most of the book of Proverbs.  This alone indicates his outstanding and long-lasting wisdom.  The Bible is the best-selling book in the world, of all time.  Therefore, his wise quotes in Proverbs have been read, digested and spread more than any others.  He was indeed an extremely wisest man.  However, this verse doesn't indicate that he would be the wisest man.  It says that wisdom and knowledge were granted to him and his riches, wealth, and honor would be greater than any other.

Chapter 2

2:2 - Solomon enlists a huge workforce (over 150,000 men) to construct a small chapel. (See 1 Kg.6:2 where the dimensions of the building are given as approximately 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.)

* This cubit was likely 21 inches (1 foot and 9 inches).  Therefore, these are the probably dimensions of this building: about 110 feet high, 36 feet wide and 54 feet high.  According to 1 Kings 6:2, these builders also constructed several more things like a colonnade and some courts, etc.  (Note: Sometimes cubits were between 18 and 21 inches.)

2:13 - Was Hyram from the tribe of Dan or Naphthali?

* The writer of Chronicles (possibly Ezra) was giving a political statement about Hyram's origin.  Dan had fallen into idolatry and they were disliked by the devout Israelites.  Therefore, the author writes that Hyram was, "the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan."  Hyram was likely from a mixed marriage: one parent from Dan and one from Naphtali.  This was objectionable for several reasons, therefore the writer of Chronicles points it out.

2:18 - Were there 3600 or 3300 overseers?

* 2 Chronicles 2:18 indicates that there were 3600 overseers.  This Hebrew word for overseers is "natsach."

* In 1 Kings 5:16, we see that there are 3300 people that "ruled over" the workers.  This Hebrew word for "ruled (over)" is "radah."  Therefore, we understand that there were 3600 overseers and 3300 of them had positions of authority over the other workers.  The other 300 simply watched and didn't rule over them. 

Chapter 3

3:15 - How high were the two pillars in front of the temple? 35 or 18 cubits?

* 2 Chronicles 3:15 indicates that both pillars equaled approximately 35 cubits.  1 Kings 7:15 indicates that they were about 18 cubits high (a piece).

Chapter 4

4:2 - Since the molten sea was round with a diameter of ten cubits and a circumference of thirty cubits, we know that the biblical value (God's value) of Pi is exactly 3. But, of course, its actual value is approximately 3.14159.

* In 2 Chronicles 4:2, this Hebrew word for circumference (the "qere" value) required the "kethiv" value, too.  Therefore, the Masoretes wrote the "qere" value in the margin of the Hebrew text.  If you take the numerical value of the "kethiv" (111) and divide it by the numerical value of the "qere" (106), and multiply it by the value of 30 X 10 (300), then you get 31.41509 cubits.  Therefore, even thousands of years ago, we actually have an extremely close number for pi (3.141509).  This is a discrepancy of less than 15 thousandths of an inch in a circumference over 46 feet!

* Remember that the Bible wasn't trying to give us the exact, numerical value of pi.  It was simply illustrating the circumference of an ancient object, so the object could have been produced with the rough (yet very close) figure for pi.

4:5 - What was the volume of the molten sea in Solomon's temple?

* The author of 2 Chronicles 4:5 was probably recording the amount of water that was in the total water system (3000 baths), but the author of 1 Kings 7:26 was recording how much water was actually in the ceremonial bath structures (2000 baths).  This Hebrew word for "baths" refers to a division of liquid and not necessarily an actual bath structure.  Incidentally, in order to become ceremonially clean, the Israelites needed a moving or flowing water source, so the amount and type of water was important to them.

Chapter 5

5:10 - What was in the Ark of the Covenant?

* In 1 Kings 8:9, only the ten commandments were in the ark of the covenant.  This passage doesn't say that these are the only things that were ever in the ark.  The same point is true for 2 Chronicles 5:10.

* Numbers 17:8-10 mentions Aaron's budding rod and how it was kept.  This rod fit inside the ark (either intact or otherwise).

* The golden censer with manna easily fit in this ark, too.

5:10 - Where did Moses receive the Ten Commandments? On Mount Horeb.

* This verse doesn't say that Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Horeb.  It says he put the commandments in the ark on Mount Horeb and that God made a covenant with them there, when they had come out of Egypt.

Chapter 6

6:1 - Does God dwell in darkness or in light?

* The Lord is everywhere.  Therefore, He dwells everywhere He wishes.

6:36 - "For there is no man which sinneth not." But according to 1 John (3:6, 9, 5:18) some people do not, and indeed cannot, sin. Moreover, several individuals were perfect and therefore sinless: Noah, Asa, Job, Zechariah, and Elizabeth, Simeon, and Lot, for example.

* Every human has sinned.  All of the people mentioned here have sinned (and many of their sins are recorded in the Bible).  When people in the Bible are mentioned as being without sin (or something to that effect), it was only their current state of being.  Their righteousness was being indicated.  Nonetheless, every human can only have a sinless lifestyle for a period of time, then they will experience temptation and inevitably sin.

6:42 - The author of 2 Chronicles talks about the mercies of David, but David was anything but merciful. For some examples of his behavior see 2 Sam.12:31 and 1 Chr.20:3, where he saws, hacks, and burns to death the inhabitants of several cities.

* David didn't saw, hack, or burn these people to death. A closer examination of those passages reveals that David put saws into their hands and put them to work with brick kilns.

Chapter 7

7:5 - Solomon, when dedicating the temple, killed 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. All the blood, guts, pain, and suffering must have made God very happy.

* This was Solomon's sacrifice to God.  He loved God and dedicated this temple to Him.

Chapter 8

8:10 - Solomon had 240 officers. Or was it 550?

* This Hebrew word that was translated as "chief" can also be translated "ruler," "captain," or even "prince."  2 Chronicles 8:10 indicates 250 people were "rulers of King Solomon's officers."  1 Kings 9:23 indicates that Solomon had 550 "chief officers."  These verses are obviously talking about different, ranking officers.  The author of 2 Kings is distinguishing between their ranks and only mentioning the rulers of the officers.

8:18 - Did Huram send Solomon 450 or 420 talents of gold?

* On one trip to Ophir, Solomon received 450 talents and on a different trip, he received 420 talents of gold.  The scriptures tell us that Solomon's fleet took many trips and received much gold from Ophir (and Hiram).  See 1 Kings 10:22 and 1 Chronicles 29:4.

Chapter 9

9:25 - Did Solomon have 4000 or 40,000 stalls for his horses?

* There were 40,000 stalls for chariot horses and 4,000 stalls for chariots. There are a few ways to understand this. First, in battle, there were generally 10 times the number of horses to chariots. There were 10 men and 10 horses per chariot, in the same incident, in 2 Samuel 10:18 and 1 Chronicles 19:18. The first passage indicates that David slew 700 chariots and the next passage indicates he slew 7000 chariot riders.

* An alternate translation of 2 Chronicles 9:25 reads, "Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horse chariots." 1 Kings 4:26 reads, "Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots." These passages harmonize perfectly.

Chapter 11

11:21 - Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines. Once again, if silence implies consent, then God must approve of such arrangements.

* Silence doesn't imply consent.  Arguments from silence aren't arguments.

* Some parts of the Bible are simply historical records, therefore they record things that aren't good or best.  This doesn't mean that God approved, though.

Chapter 13

13:1-2 - Who was Abijah's maternal grandmother? Uriel or Abishalom?

* Abijah's maternal grandfather was Absalom (the grandmother isn't mentioned).  See 2 Chronicles 11:20.  In 1 Kings 15:2, his name is given as Abishalom.  However, in 2 Chronicles 13:1 and 2, Abijah's grandfather's name was given as Uriel.  The writer of 2 Chronicles 13 probably did this to dishonor Absalom and credit Uriel.

13:15-20 - God kills the king of Israel and helps Abijah kill 500,000 Israelites. "The children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers." (That is, they had God on their side.)

* In this battle, Judah prevailed over Israel.  This was one of the battles between the divided kingdoms.

13:21 - "But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives." Apparently, in the eyes of God, a man's status is determined by the number of wives that he possesses.

* Abijah likely made alliances with neighboring nations by marrying their wives.  This was somewhat customary.  Therefore, the Bible indicates that he grows in power as he marries these wives (and makes these alliances).

Chapter 14

14:3, 5 - Did Asa remove the high places?

* Yes, Asa removed the high places.  The scriptures indicate that he loved God and possessed some desirable qualities.  However, the people rebuilt some of these high places and Asa did not destroy them, again (see 2 Chronicles 15:17).

14:8-13 - In the largest single God-assisted massacre in the bible, Asa, with God's help, kills one million Ethiopians.

* These Ethiopians traveled to Palestine to fight the Israelites.  God gave Asa and his army favor over them and judged the Ethiopians by taking their lives.  God protected and prospered His people over the wicked pagans who were attempting to kill them.

Chapter 15

15:6 - "God did vex them with all adversity." Consequently, "nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city."

* God troubled these cities because of their sins.  This was His judgment on them.  This verse can also be translated, "God allowed them to be vexed with all adversity."  God is sovereign, so the scriptures sometimes say He did something that He simply allowed.

15:13 - Whoever that does not seek the God of Israel should be executed.

* This was a covenant between these people.  They made it because they loved God and weren't going to tolerate any less from their kindred.

15:17 - Did Asa remove the high places?

* Yes, Asa removed the high places.  The scriptures indicate that he loved God and possessed some desirable qualities.  However, the people rebuilt some of these high places and Asa did not destroy them, again (see 2 Chronicles 15:17).

15:17 - "The heart of Asa was perfect all his days." Really, then why does the Bible so often claim that no one is perfect.

* This Hebrew word for "perfect" is also translated "friendly" and "loyal."  This verse isn't indicating that he was morally perfect - like God.  It is simply indicating that he loved God and was loyal to Him.

Chapter 16

16:1 - According to this verse, Baasha fought with Judah in the 36th year of Asa's reign, yet 1 Kg.16:6-8 says that Baasha died in the 26th year of Asa's reign. So if both stories are true, Baasha was still fighting 10 years after his death!

* In 2 Chronicles 16:1, the phrase "the kingdom of Judah" was implied, yet omitted.  Therefore, this verse can appear a little misleading.  Here is another rendering of it: "In the 36th year (of the Kingdom of Judah), in the reign of Asa, Basha the King of Israel came up against Judah . . ."  This verse is not indicating that it was the 36th year of Asa's reign.  It tells us that it is the 36th year of the Kingdom of Judah.  Incidentally, Baasha's death is not mentioned in 2 Chronicles and after chapter 16, he is not mentioned again.

* 1 Kings 16:6-8 indicates that Baasha died in the 26th year of Asa's reign.  It also tells us about Baasha's successors and more about Asa's reign and the timing of everything.

16:9 - "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro ..."

* God is everywhere.  However, some verses give Him human qualities, so people can relate to Him and understand Him better.

16:12 - Asa, when he had a foot disease, went to physicians instead of seeking the Lord. Apparently, God disapproves of those who seek medical help rather than "seeking the Lord."

* God wants people to seek Him, first.  If He directs them to go to a doctor, then they should see a doctor.  However, God can heal someone in an instant, so a doctor isn't always necessary.

Chapter 17

17:5-6 - Did Jehoshaphat take away the high places?

* Yes, Jehoshaphat removed the high places.  However, some of them were rebuilt.

Chapter 18

18:22 - God puts lies into the mouths of his prophets and speaks evil about people.

* God simply allowed a lying spirit to perform His judgment.  God controls all things and even the evil spirits are subject to Him.  The preceding verses illustrate how this evil spirit approached God and asked to be a tool of His judgment.  The evil spirit surely meant it for evil, but God meant it for good - He is the righteous judge and these people deserved judgment.

Chapter 19

19:2 - Hate the sinner -- or God will pour his wrath out on you.

* A prophet speaks to King Jehoshaphat and warns him about helping wicked people prosper.  He had formed some ungodly alliances with evil people and apparently put them ahead of God's people.

19:7 - Does God have respect for anyone?

* Yes, God loves and respects people.  However, He is not a "respecter of persons."  This means that worldly titles, earthly wealth and social status don't impress Him.

Chapter 20

20:31-33 - Did Jehoshaphat take away the high places?

* Yes, Jehoshaphat removed the high places.  However, some of them were rebuilt.

Chapter 21

21:9, 12 - Jehoram began to reign after Elijah went to heaven (2 Kg.2:11, 8:16), so how could King Jehoram receive a letter from him?

* Jehoram reigned for several years while his father was also alive and ruling with him.  During this time, some scriptures may not specifically indicate that both were ruling, but him and his father were surely reigning together.  Incidentally, some people think that Elijah's letter was predictive and prophetic, therefore Jehoram didn't have to be ruling in Elijah's time.

21:14-19 - If you're not careful, god will kill your wives and children. Then he'll make you so sick that your bowels will fall out. He's just that type of guy.

* These verses were from Elijah's letter to Jehoram.  They were indicating God's judgments because of his people's wickedness.

21:20, 22:1-2 - Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for eight years and then died (a 40 years old). After his death, his youngest son Ahaziah began to reign at the age of 42 (22:1-2). so the son (Ahaziah) was two years older than his father!

* 2 Kings 8:26 tells us that Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king.  If he was 42 years old, then it wouldn't make any sense.

* The translations that indicate he was 42 are incorrect.  Only the original manuscripts and modern translations that indicate he was 22 are correct.  Therefore, we can either call this a copyist error or an error in some of the modern translations (and even some of the ancient ones).  Fortunately, some translations and manuscripts have gotten this number correct.

Chapter 22

22:2 - Was Ahziah 42 or 22 when he began his reign?

* 2 Kings 8:26 tells us that Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king.  If he was 42 years old, then it wouldn't make any sense.

* The translations that indicate he was 42 are incorrect.  Only the original manuscripts and modern translations that indicate he was 22 are correct.  Therefore, we can either call this a copyist error or an error in some of the modern translations (and even some of the ancient ones).  Fortunately, some translations and manuscripts have gotten this number correct.

Chapter 24

24:20 - This verse says that Zechariah was the son of Jehoiada, but Jesus said that Zechariah was the son of Berechiah (Mt.23:35).

* Jesus is likely referring to John the Baptist's father.  He was also named Zechariah.  See Luke 1:5.

24:24-25 - Was Joash buried with the other kings?

* 2 Kings 12:20-21 tells us that he was buried with his fathers.  2 Chronicles 24:24-25 indicates that he wasn't buried in their sepulchers.  There is no contradiction here.  He was buried in the City of David and with them, but not in their sepulchers.

Chapter 25

25:11-12 - Amaziah, with the help of God, kills 10,000 people; another 10,000 he left alive so that he could have them thrown off a cliff to break them in pieces.

* Amaziah's army fought and killed 10,000 Syrians.  These wicked and unrepentant pagans were judged by death.  There were also 10,000 killed by the fall from the cliff.

Chapter 26

26:19-21 - God makes Uziah a leper for burning incense without a license.

* Uzziah knew that he was forbidden to burn this incense and enter the Lord's house.  It was for the priests, only.  Therefore, God judged him for breaking His rules.

Chapter 28

28:6, 8 - Pekah kills 120,000 people in one day "because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers."

* Verse 6 indicates that these people who lost their lives had behaved wickedly and rejected God.

28:27 - Was Ahaz buried with his fathers?

* 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles reveal that Ahaz slept with his fathers. Both books even give that exact phrase.

Chapter 29

29:22, 24 - The priests kill bullocks, rams, and lambs. The blood of the dead animals is then sprinkled on the altars.

* The priests offer the appropriate, animal sacrifices to God.

Chapter 32

32:31 - God has to test Hezekiah to see what is in his heart. But in several other Bible verses, it is claimed that God knows the minds and hearts of everyone.

* God tested Hezekiah to reveal to everyone what was in his heart.  God already knew because God knows all things.  Incidentally, this Hebrew word for "know" is also translated "consider."  God wanted to consider what was in his heart as he revealed it to others.

Chapter 33

33:18-19 - If you are interested in learning more about Manaasseh, read "The Sayings of the Seers" -- if you can find it, that is.

* In Apocryphal literature, there are some words attributed to Manasseh.  There are likely some words from him that are lost, though.  He lived over 2500 years ago.

Chapter 34

34:24-25, 28 - God vows to "bring evil upon this place ... even all the curses that are written in the book." He says his "wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched."

* In verse 25, God gives some reasons for His wrath.  The people had forsaken Him and worshiped other gods.

Chapter 35

35:23 - Josiah died from an arrow wound in battle, not "in peace" as is promised in 2 Kg.22:20.

* When Josiah died, he was at peace with God.  Plus, his nation was at peace with the Assyrians.  They were not at war.  2 Chronicles 35:20 indicates that two, pagan nations were fighting and Josiah chose to get involved.  Therefore, Josiah was mortally wounded in Megiddo, brought to Jerusalem in a chariot and likely died in peace there.

35:24 - Did Josiah die in Jerusalem or Megiddo?

* Josiah died in Jerusalem.

* In 2 Kings 23:29, the Hebrew word that was translated "slew" (KJV) is also translated "mortally wounded."  In 2 Kings 23:30, the Hebrew word that was translated "dead" (KJV) is also translated "dying."  For instance, this same word is translated "crying" (KJV) and "destruction" (NKJV, ASV) in Proverb 19:18.

Chapter 36

36:5-6 - Did Jehoiakim die in Babylon or near Jerusalem?

* 2 Chronicles 36:5 and 6 don't tells us that Jehoiakim was taken captive to Babylon.  Jeremiah 22:19 is a prophecy that tells us he would be, "dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem."  Consequently, there is no contradiction and the prophecy in Jeremiah actually alludes to what happened to Jehoiakim!

36:9 - Was Jehoiachin 8 or 18 years old when he began to reign and did he reign for three months or three months and ten days?

* Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to reign.  This number is consistent with many modern translations and ancient manuscripts.

* Jehoiachin reigned for three months and ten days.  The author of Kings gives a round figure, which is quote common in the scriptures.  Usually, we see exact numbers of years listed when exact numbers of years weren't always intended.  The author of Chronicles gives us a unique record and a specific amount of days.

36:10 - Was Zedekiah Nebuchadnezzar's brother or uncle?

* First, the word "his" is not referring to Nebuchadnezzar.  It is referring to Jehoiachin (who is also mentioned in verse 10).  Next, this Hebrew word for "brother" has a wide variety of usages and is often translated "brethren" (not referring to literal brothers).  Therefore, we can trust 2 Kings 24:17 as it gives us a specific, relational title.  Zedekiah was Jehoiachin's uncle.

36:16-17 - God gets angry with his people, so he sends the king of the Chaldees to kill all the "young men with the sword." He has compassion for no one, not even old men that are "stooped for age." In his tender mercy and loving kindness he has them all slaughtered.

* Verse 16 explains some of the reasons for their judgment.  It reads, "But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy."

36:22-23 - "The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up." Now how's that for a strange ending? Actually, the last two verses from 2 Chronicles are taken from the first few verses of Ezra. It just happens that whoever decided to tack these verses on (for whatever reason) forgot to finish the sentence!

* These two verses are from the first part of Ezra.  The proper ending of Chronicles is verse 21.