Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
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.
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.
Solomon’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.
• 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.
• “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).
• 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.
• 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).
• “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.
Every 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.