New International VersionThen the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold.
New Living TranslationThen the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with pure gold.
English Standard VersionThe king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.
Berean Standard BibleAdditionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
King James BibleMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
New King James VersionMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
New American Standard BibleMoreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
NASB 1995Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
NASB 1977 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
Legacy Standard Bible Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
Amplified BibleMoreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
Christian Standard BibleThe king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.
Holman Christian Standard BibleThe king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.
American Standard VersionMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Contemporary English VersionHis throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold.
English Revised VersionMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationThe king also made a large ivory throne and covered it with pure gold.
Good News TranslationThe king also had a large throne made. Part of it was covered with ivory and the rest of it was covered with pure gold.
International Standard VersionThe king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.
NET BibleThe king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
New Heart English BibleMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Webster's Bible TranslationMoreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAdditionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
World English BibleMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd the king makes a great throne of ivory, and overlays it with pure gold;
Young's Literal Translation And the king maketh a great throne of ivory, and overlayeth it with pure gold;
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd the king will make a great throne of ivory, and he will overlay it with pure gold. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThe king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Catholic Public Domain VersionAlso, the king made a great ivory throne, and he clothed it with the purest gold.
New American BibleThe king made a large ivory throne, and overlaid it with fine gold.
New Revised Standard VersionThe king also made a great ivory throne, and overlaid it with pure gold. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd the King made a great throne of ivory and he overlaid it with pure gold. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationAnd the king made a great throne of ivory, and he gilded it with pure gold.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Solomon's Wealth and Splendor… 16He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 17Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 18The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.…
Cross References 1 Kings 10:18-20Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. / The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. / Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
1 Kings 7:1-12Solomon, however, took thirteen years to complete the construction of his entire palace. / He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high, with four rows of cedar pillars supporting the cedar beams. / The house was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the pillars—forty-five beams, fifteen per row. ...
1 Kings 6:23-28In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, each ten cubits high, out of olive wood. / One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing was five cubits long as well. So the full wingspan was ten cubits. / The second cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same size and shape, ...
1 Kings 10:14-17The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, / not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. / King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. ...
1 Kings 4:22-23Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, / ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry.
1 Kings 9:26-28King Solomon also assembled a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. / And Hiram sent his servants, sailors who knew the sea, to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s servants. / They sailed to Ophir and imported gold from there—420 talents—and delivered it to Solomon.
1 Kings 10:21-22All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. / For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
1 Kings 10:23-25So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. / The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. / Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
1 Kings 10:26-29Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. / The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. / Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. ...
1 Kings 11:1-3King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. / He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.
1 Kings 11:4-8For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. / Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. / So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely. ...
1 Kings 11:9-13Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. / Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. / Then the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. ...
1 Kings 11:14-22Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. / Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom. / Joab and all Israel had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom. ...
1 Kings 11:23-25And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah, / and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control. / Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel.
1 Kings 11:26-40Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king, / and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. Solomon had built the supporting terraces and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David. / Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph. ...
1 Kings 10:18-20
Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold… Psalm 45:8
All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Revelation 20:11
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. Jump to Previous Best Gold Great Inlaid Ivory Maketh Moreover Overlaid Overlayeth Plated Pure Seat ThroneJump to Next Best Gold Great Inlaid Ivory Maketh Moreover Overlaid Overlayeth Plated Pure Seat Throne2 Chronicles 9 1. The queen of sheba admires the wisdom of Solomon13. Solomon's revenue in gold15. His targets and shields17. The throne of ivory20. His vessels23. His presents25. His chariots and horse26. His tributes29. His reign and deathAdditionally, the king made a great throne of ivoryThis phrase highlights the wealth and grandeur of King Solomon's reign. Ivory was a luxury material, often imported from distant lands, indicating extensive trade networks. The use of ivory for the throne signifies opulence and the king's ability to access rare resources. In biblical symbolism, ivory can represent purity and beauty. The throne's greatness reflects Solomon's wisdom and the prosperity of Israel during his reign, as described in 1 Kings 10:18-20, which parallels this account. and overlaid it with pure gold.
Gold, a symbol of divinity and kingship, was abundant during Solomon's time, as noted in 1 Kings 10:14-17. The overlaying of the throne with pure gold emphasizes the splendor and divine favor upon Solomon's kingdom. Gold's use in the temple and Solomon's palace (1 Kings 6:20-22) further connects the throne to the sacred and royal authority. This imagery foreshadows the ultimate kingship of Jesus Christ, who is often typified by Solomon in his wisdom and glory, yet surpasses him in eternal reign and divine nature, as seen in Matthew 12:42. Persons / Places / Events 1. King SolomonThe central figure in this passage, Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba. Known for his wisdom, wealth, and building projects, Solomon's reign is often seen as a high point in Israel's history. 2. Throne of Ivory and GoldThis throne symbolizes the wealth and splendor of Solomon's kingdom. It was a magnificent piece of craftsmanship, representing both the king's authority and the prosperity of Israel under his rule. 3. JerusalemThe capital city of Israel and the location of Solomon's palace and the Temple. It was the political and spiritual center of the nation during Solomon's reign. 4. The Queen of ShebaAlthough not directly mentioned in this verse, her visit to Solomon (earlier in the chapter) highlights the international recognition of Solomon's wisdom and wealth. 5. The Kingdom of IsraelUnder Solomon, Israel reached its peak in terms of wealth, influence, and territorial expansion. The throne is a symbol of this golden age. Teaching Points Symbol of Authority and WisdomSolomon's throne represents not just his wealth, but his God-given wisdom and authority. As believers, we are called to seek wisdom from God, who grants it generously to those who ask. Temporary vs. Eternal SplendorWhile Solomon's throne was magnificent, it was temporary. This reminds us to focus on eternal treasures and the kingdom of God, which will never fade. Stewardship of ResourcesSolomon used his resources to create something beautiful and lasting. We are called to be good stewards of the resources God has given us, using them to glorify Him and serve others. Influence and TestimonyThe grandeur of Solomon's throne attracted visitors from afar, like the Queen of Sheba. Our lives should reflect God's glory in such a way that others are drawn to Him. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 9:17?
2. How does Solomon's throne reflect God's blessing and wisdom in 2 Chronicles 9:17?
3. What does Solomon's throne symbolize about his leadership and God's provision?
4. How can we seek God's wisdom in leadership, as Solomon did?
5. What scriptural connections highlight God's provision for leaders in the Bible?
6. How can we apply Solomon's example of leadership in our daily lives?
7. What does Solomon's throne symbolize in 2 Chronicles 9:17 regarding divine authority and kingship?
8. How does the craftsmanship of Solomon's throne reflect the cultural and historical context of his reign?
9. What theological significance does Solomon's throne hold in understanding God's covenant with Israel?
10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 2 Chronicles 9?
11. How can we reconcile the extravagant wealth of Solomon described in 2 Chronicles 9 (especially verses 13-28) with the lack of corresponding archaeological evidence?
12. In 1 Kings 10:18-20, is there any external record or artifact supporting the intricate details of Solomon’s throne, or does this description seem exaggerated?
13. Is the description of gold, silver, and exotic imports (2 Chronicles 9:20-21) scientifically or historically plausible given known trade routes of the era?
14. How do we reconcile 2 Chronicles 11:5-10, which describes Rehoboam's extensive city fortifications, with the lack of clear archaeological evidence for such large-scale construction?What Does 2 Chronicles 9:17 Mean AdditionallySolomon’s story doesn’t pause after describing mountains of silver, fleets of ships, and yearly tributes of gold (2 Chronicles 9:13–16). “Additionally” signals that the Spirit wants us to see one more layer of glory. The writer piles description upon description—much like John does when he stacks visions of heaven (Revelation 4:1). It’s not excess; it’s evidence of the Lord’s lavish blessing promised in 1 Kings 3:13.
the king made• Scripture credits the king himself, underscoring personal responsibility. Solomon is not merely receiving treasures; he is overseeing their purposeful use (1 Kings 10:18). • This echoes earlier acts—“Solomon determined to build a house for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself” (2 Chronicles 2:1). Kingship involves stewardship, a theme Moses warned about in Deuteronomy 17:18–20.
a great throne• “Great” stresses both size and significance. In 2 Samuel 7:13, God promised David’s line a throne that would last forever; Solomon’s physical throne previews that eternal reality (Psalm 45:6; Revelation 3:21). • A throne represents judgment and authority (Proverbs 20:8). The magnificence underscores that Solomon’s decisions affect nations, not just Israel (1 Kings 4:34).
of ivory• Ivory, imported from distant lands (1 Kings 10:22), signals global reach and refined beauty. Amos 3:15 uses “houses of ivory” as shorthand for affluence; here, it is sanctified wealth, acquired under God’s blessing (1 Chronicles 29:25). • Psalm 45:8 pictures royal palaces “adorned with ivory,” linking Solomon’s throne with Messianic overtones of splendor.
and overlaid it• Craftsmanship matters. Overlaying demands skill like Bezalel displayed when he “overlaid [the ark] with pure gold” (Exodus 25:11). Solomon’s artisans echo that tabernacle excellence (2 Chronicles 3:5–7). • The overlay both protects and beautifies, illustrating how God’s grace covers what is already valuable (1 Peter 2:5).
with pure gold• “Pure” highlights unalloyed quality—no compromise, no mixture (2 Chronicles 9:20). Purity reflects God’s own nature (Psalm 12:6). • Gold points to heavenly realities: the New Jerusalem’s streets are “pure gold, like clear glass” (Revelation 21:21). Solomon’s throne, gleaming in the sun, gives Israel a foretaste of that future city.
summaryEvery word in 2 Chronicles 9:17 layers meaning: the continuing narrative (“Additionally”), Solomon’s accountable leadership (“the king made”), the vast scope of authority (“a great throne”), the refined beauty of God-given resources (“of ivory”), the careful workmanship (“and overlaid it”), and the unmatched purity of divine blessing (“with pure gold”). Together they display a snapshot of God’s faithfulness to His promises and foreshadow the perfect, eternal throne of Christ. (17) Pure.-- Tahor, a common word, for the once occurring m-phaz of Kings. Verses 17-19. - It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory ( Psalm 45:9; Amos 3:15; Amos 6:4), or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory, whether more or less of it. The parallel adds that "the top of the throne was round behind" ( 1 Kings 10:19). Comparing also the two accounts, it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne, i.e. two to each step. When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or, arms) on each side of the sitting-place, we may easily imagine, from ancient modelled thrones, that of them the arms were themselves "no small part." It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool. The lion is, of course, as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place; and the use of the lion and the number of them, reminding of the tribes of Israel, were specifically justified to the people, whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 49:9; Numbers 23:24; Numbers 24:9. Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne. If so, it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations. The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for, but they are not given. That they were well proportioned to the height, marked by six steps, may be taken for granted.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew Additionally, the kingהַמֶּ֛לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A kingmadeוַיַּ֧עַשׂ (way·ya·‘aś)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, makea greatגָּד֑וֹל (gā·ḏō·wl)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolentthroneכִּסֵּא־ (kis·sê-)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3678: Seat of honor, throneof ivoryשֵׁ֖ן (šên)Noun - common singular
Strong's 8127: A tooth, ivory, a cliffand overlaid itוַיְצַפֵּ֖הוּ (way·ṣap·pê·hū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6823: To lay out, lay overwith pureטָהֽוֹר׃ (ṭā·hō·wr)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2889: Clean, puregold.זָהָ֥ב (zā·hāḇ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky
Links 2 Chronicles 9:17 NIV2 Chronicles 9:17 NLT2 Chronicles 9:17 ESV2 Chronicles 9:17 NASB2 Chronicles 9:17 KJV
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OT History: 2 Chronicles 9:17 Moreover the king made a great throne (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr) |
