In Chronicles the character of Solomon is idealised somewhat in the same fashion as that of David. He is depicted as the monarch who attained the ideal of inspired wisdom and of royal splendour, and whose piety was supremely manifested in the privilege permitted him of building and dedicating the Temple. In this last fact the Chronicler doubtless felt that Solomon had a claim to the praises of posterity which completely outweighed any sinister traits of his character revealed in Kings. Elsewhere he refers to Solomon’s failings in order to point a moral; “Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things?... Even him did strange women cause to sin” (Nehemiah xiii. 26). But here, where he relates his reign as a whole, the darker aspects――his many wives and his tolerance of their idolatrous worship――are passed over and only the king’s zeal for Jehovah and the glories of Israel in his day are allowed to appear. =26‒30.= A SUMMARY OF DAVID’S REIGN. ²⁶Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. ²⁷And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three _years_ reigned he in Jerusalem. ²⁸And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead. =27.= _forty years_] Compare 2 Samuel v. 4, 5; 1 Kings ii. 11. ²⁹Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the history¹ of Samuel the seer, and in the history¹ of Nathan the prophet, and in the history¹ of Gad the seer; ¹ Hebrew _words_. =29.= On the “histories” cited in this verse, see the Introduction, § 5, pp. xxx‒xxxii. Compare 2 Chronicles ix. 29. _in the history_] literally _words_. The Book of Chronicles itself is called in Hebrew, _The words_ (or _the acts_) _of the days_. _Samuel the seer_] Compare 1 Samuel ix. 9, 19. _Nathan the prophet_] See 2 Samuel vii. 2 (= 1 Chronicles xvii. 1); 2 Samuel xii. 1; 1 Kings i. 8‒39. _Gad the seer_] See 2 Samuel xxiv. 11 (= 1 Chronicles xxi. 9), _Gad the prophet, David’s seer_. In the Hebrew Samuel is called _rōeh_ (_seer_), Nathan, _nābī_ (_prophet_), and Gad, _ḥōzeh_ (_gazer_ or _seer of visions_). ³⁰with all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries. =30.= _the times_] i.e. the changes, vicissitudes. Compare xii. 32, note. THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES CHAPTERS I.‒IX. SOLOMON. CHAPTER I. =1‒6.= SOLOMON’S GREAT SACRIFICE AT GIBEON. Verses 1‒5 are the composition of the Chronicler; for verse 6 compare 1 Kings iii. 4.