And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.
the king
2 Chronicles 9:20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
2 Chronicles 1:15-17 And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance…
1 Kings 10:27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
made [heb] gave
1 Chronicles 27:28 And over the olive trees and the sycomore trees that were in the low plains was Baalhanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:
Psalm 78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
Isaiah 9:10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills
Cedar wood, especially from Lebanon, was highly prized in the ancient Near East for its quality and durability. Solomon's use of cedar in construction, notably in the Temple and his palace, underscores the grandeur of his building projects (1 Kings 6:9-10). The comparison to sycamore, a more common and less valuable wood found in the lowlands, emphasizes the extraordinary availability of cedar during Solomon's reign. This abundance is a testament to Solomon's successful trade agreements and his ability to procure resources from distant lands. The use of cedar also has symbolic significance, as it was associated with strength and longevity, qualities attributed to Solomon's kingdom.
“2 Chronicles 9:27 opens with the simple phrase, ‘The king.’ The narrative is focused on King Solomon, whose reign marked the height of Israel’s united monarchy. Earlier passages (1 Kings 10:1–29; 2 Chronicles 9:1–26) describe Solomon’s wisdom, international fame, and vast wealth—each gift flowing from God’s promise in 1 Kings 3:12-13. By identifying Solomon as ‘the king,’ the verse ties his unprecedented prosperity directly to the covenant God made with David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Solomon’s prosperity is therefore not merely political success; it is visible confirmation of God’s faithfulness (1 Kings 8:23).
“[He] made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones” paints a vivid picture of economic abundance.
• 2 Chronicles 1:15 records a similar statement, showing this was not an isolated moment but an ongoing reality throughout Solomon’s reign.
• 1 Kings 10:27 parallels the same wording, reinforcing the eyewitness reliability of the Chronicler’s report.
• Deuteronomy 28:1-12 promised tangible blessings for covenant faithfulness; Solomon’s era visibly fulfills that promise.
Stones were everywhere in ancient Jerusalem. Saying silver was just as plentiful stresses that wealth had become everyday, ordinary. Such overflow points to God’s hand, because no human strategy alone could have elevated Israel so far above surrounding nations (1 Kings 4:20-21).
Cedar was prized for durability and fragrance, imported mainly from Lebanon (1 Kings 5:6-10). By contrast, sycamore figs grew wild and plentiful in the lowlands (1 Kings 10:27; Amos 7:14). To say cedar became as common as sycamore is to say luxury became as ordinary as common lumber.
• Psalm 72:16, a messianic prayer likely penned for Solomon, envisions hillside abundance; here we see that prayer answered in part.
• Isaiah 2:13 later contrasts cedar and sycamore to illustrate pride; in Solomon’s day the abundance of cedar displays God-given greatness without the later decline that Isaiah addresses.
The statement also hints at kingdom-wide construction: temples, palaces, and fortified cities rose quickly because supply chains were overflowing (2 Chronicles 8:4-6).
2 Chronicles 9:27 is a snapshot of divine blessing poured out on Solomon’s kingdom. God kept His word, giving wealth so vast that silver lost its luster of rarity and cedar lost its status as exotic. The verse invites trust that when God makes promises, He fulfills them fully and visibly, turning what once seemed extraordinary into the everyday fabric of life for His people.
(27) And the king made silver.--Identical with 1Kings 10:27. On this and the following verse, comp. the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 17:16-17.Verse 27. The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were being too surely laid now. Silver... sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 27:28; 2 Chronicles 1:16).