With v. 8. comp. Exod. xxv. 14. With v. 9. comp. Heb. ix. 4.

note.

10. the cloud] In which was the glory of the Lord; v. 11.; Exod. xvi. 10. xl. 34.

12. in the thick darkness.] Meaning in the cloud, Exod. xx. 21.; Deut. v. 22. The reference is to Levit. xvi. 2. With v. 13 -20. comp. 2 Sam. vii. 2. et seq.

16. I chose David] In 2 Chron. vi. 5. it is, "neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel," viz. in the same way as I have chosen David," as mentioned in the next verse in Chronicles. Both texts are therefore accordant.

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21. the covenant] i. e. the two tables of stone; v. 9.; Exod. xxxiv. 28.; Deut. ix. 9.

24. that thou promisedst him :] i. e. that Solomon should build him an house, Levit. vii. 13. With v. 25. comp. ch. ii. 4. ; Levit. vii. 12, 13.

27. will God, &c.] An expression, not of distrust, but of admiration at the condescension of that Being who is infinite and incomprehensible.

29. toward this place.] Or, as in the margin, "in this place;" so v. 30, 35, 38, 42, 44. But the Jews, when in the temple, turned their faces toward the holy of holies; and when at a distance, towards the temple; Dan. vi. 10.

31. an oath be laid] Rather, "if he require him to make oath, and the oath be made before thine altar."

32. to bring his way, &c.] i. e. bring the punishment of his guilt upon his own head.

33. confess thy name,] Shall acknowledge thee as the only God, and revere thy majesty: so v. 35.

36. that thou teach] Rather, "for or since thou hast taught them the good way," &c.

38. the plague] i. e. the affliction of his own heart which every one amongst them must know; 2 Chron. vi. 29.

41. a stranger,] Including both proselytes to the true religion, and those who came to pray at the temple.

43. called by thy name.] Is really thy house, and consecrated to thy worship.

44. shalt send them,] i. direction.

e. in any war undertaken by Divine

A metaphorical expression for a state
Deut. iv. 20. note.

51. the furnace of iron] of the most cruel bondage; 52. That thine eyes, &c.] Meaning, that thou mayest listen to the supplication of thy servant, &c. With v. 53. comp. Exod.

xix. 6.

54. had made an end of praying] The cloud of glory had descended before, v. 10. and now "fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt-offering," as related in 2 Chron. vii. 1. comp. Gen. iv. 4.; Levit. ix. 24.; 1 Kings xviii. 24. et seq.

59. as the matter shall require] i. e. at all times as they shall need. With v. 61. comp. ch. xi. 4. note.

63. two and twenty thousand, &c.] i. e. in the fourteen days of the feast of dedication, and the feast of tabernacles, v. 65.

64. the middle of the court] i. e. the court of the priests, which Solomon then employed for holy purposes, then used it as a sacred place.

66. On the eighth day] i. e. after the latter feast, the feast of tabernacles, which, as we learn from 2 Chron. vii. 10. was the twenty-third day of the month.

CHAPTER IX.

1. all Solomon's desire] Viz. when he had finished all that he desired to do respecting these buildings, then the Lord appeared, &c. v. 2. ch. iii. 5.; see 2 Chron. vii. 11. et seq.

3. I have hallowed] i. e. by filling it with the glorious cloud; "to put my name there," to accept it as the place of my worship; ch. viii. 29.; Deut. xii. 5. "and mine eyes," i. e. I will regard it with perpetual love. With v. 5. comp. ch. ii. 4. vi. 12. With v. 7-9. comp. Deut. xxviii. xxix.

10. of twenty years,] The temple was seven years, and the palace thirteen years in building; ch. vi. 38. vii. 1.

11. twenty cities] Any part of the land of promise could not be alienated, but these cities were not in the territories of Israel, nor inhabited by Israelites, 2 Chron. viii. 2.; Josh. ix. 27. Some think that Solomon did not part with the right to these cities, but merely gave the revenue of them till the debt was paid: see the Index on the following names.

14. sent] Or, "had sent," in order, we may suppose, to enable Solomon to complete his structures; and to repay this the twenty cities were given. But the passage is obscure.

15. the levy] Perhaps not of money, but of men, as mentioned ch. v. 13.

19. cities of store] Where he formed storehouses of arms and provisions. "In Lebanon," probably the same as "the forest of Lebanon," ch. vii. 2. The numbers stated in v. 23. ch. v. 16.; 2 Chron. ii. 18. viii. 10. vary, and therefore refer, as it should seem, to different sets of chief overseers.

25. three times, &c.] Viz. at the three great festivals; 2 Chron. viii. 12, 13. With v. 28. comp. 2 Chron. viii. 18.

CHAPTER X.

1. concerning, &c.] The Hebrew admits of various renderings; but the meaning seems to be, that she had heard of Solomon's fame, which he had acquired by what he had done for the honour of the name of the Lord; see Matt. xii. 42. note. "Hard sayings," parables, riddles and enigmas, which were commonly used in those days; Judg. xiv. 12.

2. she communed, &c.] Proposed to him whatsoever came into her mind; and he "told her," answered "all her questions," v. 3.

5. the sitting,] The habitation of his servants, the place where they were stationed. 'His ascent;" rather, "and the burntoffering which he offered in the house of the Lord;" for so the Hebrew strictly signifies. "There was no more spirit in her," meaning, she was struck with the greatest wonder and astonish

ment.

8. thy men,] Thy subjects.

9. on the throne of Israel:] In 2 Chron. ix. 8. it is said, God delighted to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God," i. e. to be his deputy or vicegerent.

11. almug] Called in 2 Chron. ix. 10. " algum-trees," but

what kind of tree is meant is not known.

12. pillars] Rather, as in the margin, " rails, or balustrades." 13. all her desire,] i. e. all that she desired to have, "whatsoever she asked;" for to ask for presents was agreeable to oriental usage.

15. of all the kings of Arabia,] i. e. as presents from them. 16, 17. targets and shields] For state and magnificence rather than for war; ch. xiv. 26—28.

18. overlaid it] Inlaid and ornamented it "with the best gold."

19. stays] Parts on either side to lean the arms upon.

22. the navy of Tharshish] i. e. ships which traded to Tharshish, (see Index). "Peacocks;" some think "pheasants" are meant, and others " parrots."

25. a rate year by year] Meaning, this occurred yearly.

28. linen yarn:] Some take the Hebrew word for a proper name, "out of Egypt, and out of Koa;" others render, "and the caravan of the king's merchants received linen yarn.”

CHAPTER XI.

In

1. strange women,] Foreigners, and therefore idolaters. this Solomon violated the law in Deut. xvii. 17. With v. 2. comp. Exod. xxiii. 32. xxxiv. 16.

3. princesses,] Daughters of petty princes and chiefs; or perhaps the word only implies that they had a superior rank to the 300 concubines, or secondary wives; Gen. xvi. 1-3. note. A numerous harem constituted a part of oriental pomp and state.

4. not perfect] Not wholly and unreservedly devoted to God; v. 6. ch. viii. 61.; 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

6. went not, &c.] Did not adhere entirely to the service of the Lord; Numb. xiv. 24.; Josh. xiv. 8.

7. the hill, &c.] The Mount of Olives. With v. 9. comp. ch. iii. 5. ix. 2, 6.

11. rend the kingdom from thee,] Divide it asunder, “and will give it (one part of it, v. 13.) to thy servant," to one of thy subjects, viz. Jeroboam. But this was not to take place in Solomon's lifetime, v. 12.

15. when David was in Edom, i. e. conquering the country,

2 Sam. viii. 14.; 1 Chron. xviii. 12, 13. With v. 24. comp. 2 Sam. viii. 3. x. 18.

28. the house of Joseph.] Meaning the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

36. a light] i.e. his posterity shall not fail; ch. xv. 4. ; 2 Sam. xiv. 7. xxii. 29.; 2 Kings viii. 19.; Ps. cxxxii. 17. This was accomplished in Christ, the son of David, and the light of the Gentiles.

39. but not for ever.] Only until the days of the Messiah, who was to sit on the throne of David, and to reign over the house of Jacob for ever, Luke i. 32, 33. notes.

41. book of the acts of Solomon ?] These annals might be written by Jehoshaphat, ch. iv. 3. or by Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo; 2 Chron. ix. 29. but they have been long since lost.

CHAPTER XII.

2. dwelt in Egypt ;] Ch. xi. 40. With v. 4. comp. ch. iv. 7, 22.

v. 13.

6. that stood before Solomon] i. e. his ministers and counsellors who attended upon him; so v. 8.

7. if thou wilt be a servant] If thou wilt concede to their wishes this day, "and wilt serve them," wilt conciliate them.

10. my little finger, &c.] A proverbial expression denoting, as the next verse explains it, that as the loins are thicker than the little finger, so shall the burden which I will lay upon you be much heavier than my father's.

11. with scorpions.] This was a cruel instrument of punishment, probably a whip with knots and spikes to tear the flesh.

15. for the cause was from the Lord,] Hebrew, "this turn or change was from the Lord," i. e. the Lord so ordered the matter that he might perform, &c. v. 24. ch. xi. 11, 29. et seq.

16. neither have we inheritance] We now no longer own any allegiance to David's posterity; "to your tents," to your homes, O Israel.

20. the tribe of Judah only.] Including that of Benjamin; v. 21. ch. xí. 13, 32.

24. is from me.] See v. 15. note.

28. two calves] Of the exact form of these we are not informed, but probably they were like the calf which was set up by Aaron; Exod. xxxii. 4. note.

29. the one in Bethel,] i. e. the one in the south, and the other in the north of the kingdom of Israel.

30. became a sin:] i. e. the occasion of sin; "for the people went to worship," &c. i. e. for the people were led by them into such eagerness of idolatry, that they went even unto Dan and Bethel to worship them.

31. of the lowest] Rather, "of the mass or multitude of the people," he made priests of any of the people who were not of the sons of Levi.

32. like unto the feast that is in Judah,] i. e. the feast of tabernacles, which was on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; Levit. xxiii. 34. So Jeroboam's feast, which "he devised of his own heart," was a month later in the year.

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CHAPTER XIII.

1. a man of God Viz. a prophet; but who he was it is vain to conjecture. By the word of God," by a Divine command. "By the altar," i. e. which he had erected in Bethel, ch. xii. 33. 2. And he] i. e. the prophet "cried," &c. Upon thee shall he offer," &c. i. e. he shall slay the priests of the high places, and burn their bones. This prophecy, so remarkable for its distinctness and particularity, was fulfilled about 360 years afterwards, as related in 2 Kings xxiii. 15. et seq.

9. Eat no bread, &c.] Because unnecessary intercourse with idolaters was forbidden; Numb. xvi. 26.; Ps. cxli. 4.; Prov. xxiii. 6. "nor turn again by the same way," because it might be dangerous, as wicked men might lay in wait for him; or because God, to show his abhorrence of such abominations, forbad the prophet to retrace the way that led thither.

11. an old prophet] Whether a true or false prophet is not said, but probably he was a true one, v. 21. though certainly he was a corrupt and wicked man, v. 18.

24. and slew him :] The fate of the prophet was just; for he had a divine command, v. 1. yet he obeyed man rather than God,

v. 26.

32. Samaria,] This must either have been uttered by inspiration, as the kingdom of Israel did not obtain this name till afterwards; or the author of the book calls it by the name which it bore in his days.

33. of the lowest] Rather, "of the multitude," as ch xii. 31

2. which told me] Ch. xi. 31.

3. cracknels,] A species of cake, but of what kind is not known. The Eastern custom always was to bring a present in approaching great men; see 1 Sam. ix. 7.

4. were set] Hebrew, "stood," i. e. were motionless and dim through age; 1 Sam. iv. 15.

6. I am sent] I am commissioned to deliver to thee heavy tidings.

10. him that, &c.] Rather, "I will cut off from Jeroboam every male, even him that is shut up [in secret places, or strong fortresses] and left in Israel," viz. I will utterly cut off the family of Jeroboam; Deut. xxxii. 36. note.

11. Him that dieth of Jeroboam] i. e. him of the posterity of