Commentary on the Holy Bible

Verse 17. But these «Aeep, what have thei/ done?] It ■eems tliat, in the order of providence, there is no way of punishing kin^ in their regal capacity, but by afflictions oo their laiid, iii which the people must neceaBsrily suffer. If die king, therefore, by his own persoiUil offences, in which the people can have no part, bnnz down Qod'a judgments upon his people; tliougb ihey suffer inuocently, grievous will be die account that their sovereigns roust give lo Ood. Tba people f^oerally suffer fbr the miscarriages of their governors: tfaja has been observed in every age.

Ai^aintt my faOu^t AoUse] That is, aeaitist his own family i even to cut it off from the face of the earth.

place is supposed to be mount Moriab; on which, according to the rabbin^ Cain and Abel offered dieir sacrifioes; where Abraham attempted to sacrifice laue) and where Ihs tsmple of Salomon was afterward built

and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

21 And Araunah said. Wherefore is my lord the king come to hia servant? ' And David said, To buy the thraehiog-floor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that ' the plague may be staved from the people.

22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: ■ behold, here be oxen for burntsacrifice, and thrashing-instruments, aut other instruments of the oxen for wood.

23 All these things did Araunah, a* a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto tha king. The Lord thy Qod 'accept thee.

24 And the king said onto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So ^ David bought the thrashing-floor and the oxen for flftv sheRets of silver.

25 And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-o^ feringa. So the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

Verse 22. Here be oxen for bumZ-socri^lce] He Celt for the iUnf, and showed bis loyally to him by dtis offer; he felt f(x- toe pee/fie, and was willing to make any sacrifice to get the plague stayed. Ho felt for &ia awnpttrmnuil »<\felyi and, therefore, was willing to give up all to save his life. He felt for the honour of God; and, therefor^ was glad that he had a sacrifice to offer, so that God migltt magnify both his justice and mercy.

Verse 23. As a king, give unto the king.i Literally, ail Uieee did king Anmiah ffve unto As Mng.] Tmt there could not be a king of ue Jebuaites on mount Horiah, is sufflcientlv evident; and that there was no other king than David in the land, is equally so: the word l^on hamdee, " the king," given here to Araunah, is wanting in the S^uaeini, S^'iae, and Arahici in three of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and in the parallel place in Chronicles; and, it ia vary probable, never made a part of the text. Perhaps itdioubf be rea^oU Am did ATOunah. give unto the kiTig.

There is, howeve^ a difficulty ber& David had taken the fortress of the Jebusiles many years befim: yet it ia evident that Araunah was proprietor of the soil at this time. It is oot clear that he was a sutyeot of David: but he pud him respect, as a neiflhbour and a king. lliiB ti merely po9»>hle.

Verse 24. Neither will Iqfer buml-tiff'erinrt] It is a maxim from heaven, /'Honour the Lord with diy substance." He who has a religion that eoste him nothing, has a religion thai is worth Twthing: nor will any man esteem the ordinances of God, if those ordinances cost him nothing. Had Araunah's noble offer been accepted. It would nave been Araunah's oacnfioe, not Davixte; nor would it have answered the end of turnii^ away the dia* pleasure of the Most High. It waa Davidthat sinnsd, not Araunah 1 therefore, David must offer sacrifice.

Verse &. David — off'ered bumt-oi^mngti] And that these sacrifices were pteising to the Lord, is evident from a circumstance marked in the parallel place, 1 Chron. xxi. 26. David called upon the Lord, and he anewered him from heaven, by fire upon the attar qf burnt-offering.

The plague wae etayed] Jerusalem did not atuwe in the common calami^, seven^ thousand being the whole that were slain throughout die land.

This book is unfinished, and re(]uires 1 Chron. zzii, xxiii. xxiv. xxv. xxvi. xxvii. xxviii. and xzix. to complete it. A few things relative to this history may be tound in the beginning of the following book: mt tba informaticHi in 1 Chron. ia much more extensive and nlia* Victory.

la the time of the Hasoretes the two books of Samuel were considered but as one, and thus divided t

Iti the ouMt correct and ancient editioM of the Hebrew Bible, the two Booki of Eingi make but on*; with nnctiiDei a little break, the First Book begiDning with 1 Sam. zzii. 40. Some of the ancient fcthera aeem to have bcfva the Firit Book of Kinga at the death of David, chap. ii. 12. The more modem copiea oi tb« Htbrev Bible hare d« nine diviiion with ouM: but, in the time of the Hazoretea, diej certainly made but one book; a> both, like the Bwkt of Samuel, are included imder one enumeration of sectiona, veraes, Ac. in the Moaora.

Hie fttiea to these Books have been various; though it appears, fromOrieen, that therfiad their name from iheirflnt words, ^ii^Dt Vamm^iteh David, "and King David;" as Oeneti* had its name from ivtw^a bertAith, "in the beginning." The Septuagitii simply term it jSnrtXiiwi', <^reign», or kingdoms; of which it calls Samuel the JtntanA amnuL and these two the third KaafouTth. The Vulgate haa^I/fber ttegnum tertiu*; tecundum Hebrav, Uktr Mala Aim: " He Third Book of K^n^: bub aeonding to the Hdmws, the First Book of Malachim." The SyriK has, " Here fallows the Book of the £nge who flourished amonff (his ancient petnde; and in this are also ezfaunted the history of the Pro|rfieta who flourished in ihejr timea." The Arabie has the foUowtng title; "In the naneof lbs most merciful and compassionate God; tiba Bolide of Solomon, the md of David ^ prophet, iriMMe bepediationa bs upon us — Amea."

The author of these books is unknown; that the? are a compilation out of public and private records, as ths Books of Samuel are, there is little doubt; but by whom this compilation was nisd& nowhere appears. Some hsve attributed them to Isaiah and to Jeremiah, because there are aeverti chapters in both tneae prophets whidt are nniilar toaomelbund in theFintand Second Books of Kinn; eompare 2 Kinga xriii. xix. and xx. widi Iss. uxtL xxxvfl. xxzviii.ai)d xxxiz.; and 2 Kion xxiv. 18 and zzv.l,&c. with Jer.lii. I, Ac But rather than allow those pronhrts to be the authors or compilers of these books, some very learned men have judged that the chapters in <|uestioii mrt been taken from (he Books ^aga in after times, wid inserted in those prophets. It is worthy of remark, that ths fi2d chapter, found in Jeremiah, is marked so as to intimate that it ia tiot Ike eompoaition of that prophM for, at (fas end of map. li. we find these words, 7%u« far are the words Jeremiah i intimating that the following ch^Mit not kU.

But the most common opinioii that Exra was the author, or rather the compilw, of the history tbund in ttwas books. Allowing only the existence of ancient document^ fnm which it was compiled, it appears —

1. That it is me work of one person; as is sufficiently evident from the uniformity of the s^le, and the oonnsita of events.

2. That this person had ancient documents, from which he compiled, and which he often only abridged, is evident from his own words: 7Vu reat q/* 1^ acta of such and such a prince, ore they not vrilten in iAe ChraniHrn ^ du Mngtof Judah, or Iwrad; wnicfa occur froquently.

3. These books were written during, or afto-, tha BdbyltKudt e^ptivi^ | at the end of (hs Second Book, Ait event is particularly described.

Tlie author states also, 2 ICiaga xrii. 23. that Israel was, inhiji time, in captivity in Syria; according to the declmtiao of God by his prophets.

4. Hat the writer was not contemporary with the fects which he relates, is evident from the reflections he makea on the facts which he found in the memoirs which he consulted. See 2 Kings xvii. from ver. 6. to ver. 24.

5. There is everyreason to believe that the author was a pn'^af, or apropAc/.* he studies less to describe acts of iMraoB, Kiccessfiil battles, eomniesiA political addresses, Ac than what regards the tempb^ religion, relijpms cemnonies^ festival^ the worabip of Qod, the piety of prince^ the fidelity of die propbeu, the punishment of crimes, the manifa** tation of God's anger against the wieked, and his kindness to the rig^ieoua. He appenia avery where atronely anacfasd to the houae of David: tie Ireali of the kings itf Israel only accidentally; hts principal olgDet seems to be Um ktngdiaa of Judah, and the manen which concern it.

Now, all this threes well with the mippoaition that Ezra was the compiler of these books; He was not only a print, a zealous servant of God, and a reformer of the corruptions which had crept into the divine worehip j bui is universedlr allowed by the Jews to have been the collector and compiler of the whole Sacred Code, and of the arrangemeni of the different books which constitute the Old Testament. If some tilings be found in these Books of Kings which do not uree to his time, they may easily be accounted for on his often taking the facts as he found them in the donuneal* trtiien be consult^ without any kina of alteration; and this is so far a proof of his great sincerity, and scnipokna exactness.

The First Book of Kings oontoins the history of one hundred and nineteen years; fnm A. H. 2939, to A. H. 3108. It contains a great wiety of interesting particulars the chief of which are the following; — The death of David; lb* reign of Solomon; the building and dedication of the temple; the building of Solomon's palace; an aocooni of hia great wisdom; his magnificence, and his&ll; the division of Israel aiul Judah under Rehi^Kiam; the idolatry of the ten tribei^ over whom Jeroboam became king. It states how Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, attached tbetnselve* to lb* hoDse of David j how Rehoboam was attacked Shiahac, king of Egypt, who pillaged the temple; how Bsaahk deitnnred the house of JeroboanL and seized on the government of Israel; how Jehu predicted ihe ruin of BssAat bow Ahab married the impious Jezebel, and persecuted the prophets of the Lord. It relates the acts of Elijah; th« doniuctiMl of the prophets of Baali the cruel death ot Nabotht the death of Ahidii the good reign al JdtosbaplM^ uagof Jttdahi and the wieked reign of Ahaxiah, king of Israel, Ac See CUmwCs PrHiue to the First and S.iBmi r«v brim It* lBsun«l<iaJplS.-rar ft«a fa dtnwOoii of fen Um MUfaif of RubR-Ynr uflbi iallM Psiod,

An^ua Mrered him with clothei, blithe gat

3 Wherefore hie servantB laid nnto him, ^ Let there be souffht for my lord the km^ ■ a young ▼it^n t and let her itabd before the king, and let her ' cherish him, and let her lie in thy boBom, that my lord tbe kiru; may get heat.

3 So they loiight tor a fair damsel throoKhout all the coaste of Isreiel, imd found Abiahafr, a * Shuoammtte, and brou^bt her to the Idn^;.

4 And the damsel wo* very fair, and cheruhed the king, luid ministered to him: bat the king knew her not

6 IT Then 'Adonijah the son of Hacgith exahed himBelf, Baying, I wfll > be kii%: ■ and he prepared him chariots and hoiMmen, and fifty men to run before hiift.

4 And hi< father had not diapleaud him ■ at any time in Baying, Wfay hast thou done sa? and he also wa« a very goodly man; ^and Aw UMlAep-bare him after Abmlom.

■ IWi. nuni tela taft -ti Ln turn

Tene 1. iVow King David wu old\ He wu probably now about tir^^ufu yean of age. H« vac tt*r(y;re«ra old when ha b^gan to nign, nigneA forty, and diM in the aeteniieth year of hia age, t Sam. v. 4. and 1 Eingi ii. 11. And the tranaactioiw mentioned here are auf^KMea to have taken place about a year befbre hia death.

But he gat no Aeot] Sixty-nine was not an adnuMad ^; but David bad been ezbauated with varioua fiaiguee, sod eapecially by family afltetiona, ao that he waa much older in oooatitutian tKan he waa in yean. Beaidei^ he aeeraed to have laboured under aome waaiinc maMieo i to which there ie flwiuent reference in the PaaJroa.

Verae 2. /W Ikwe be *mtghi — a young virgin] This wai the best remedy whieh, in hiaatate, coum be pnaeribed. Hia nearly exhausted frame would infallibly abaorb from ber youDR and healthy body an additional portion of animal heat I and, consequently, trim and revive (he flame of aniinst life. This is properly, as I have elsewhere expreaaed

Friar Baeon's secret for the Ours of Old Age.

Terse4. TTu king knew her nat.'\ The nuutim of Bacon, in his enigmatical cure is, "TWte all you ean from the medicine, but give noihine to it: if you glva any thing, it increases the dtseaaa, and hastena death."^! have seas tnis ^Mnidantly veriltad t but it is a subject on which it would be improper to dilate, except in a medical work. An extnct fircKn niar Bacon's Cur* nf Old Age may be found at the end of the chapter.

Terse 6. AdcniJahOuaotnif HaggiA] Whotbiswoman waa we know not i Adonijah was evidently David's eldest ■on now living, and one of whom hia fttbar was particularly fond; see var. 6.

Prepared him e/iariaU qmd iartmm] Raeopiaddie asnduet of hia Wolhar Afankm ia evary reapaet. See 9 Saia. »v. 1.

Tana 7. And he em^wnd wOb Mi Jnh well knsw

7 And ■ he conferred with Joab the son of Zemiah, and with "Abiathar the priest: bud "tiiey, • following Adonijab, helped him.

6 Bat Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and f Shimei, and Rei, and ''the mighty men which 6elonged to David, were not with Adonijab.

9 And Adonijah slew sheep, and oxen, and fat cattle, by the stone of Zoheleth, which ia by ■ Bn-rogel, and called all hia brethren the king's eona, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:

10 But Nathan the preset, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

11 If Wherefore Nadien spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying. Hast thou not heard that Adoniiah the -aon oi ^ Ha^ gith doth reign, and David oar lord Imoweth U not?

12 Now therefore come, let me, I prajr tfaea, gire thee coimsel, that thou mayest save thba own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

13 Go and get thee in unto King David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O Icing, swear unto thine handmaid, Baying, " ABauredTy Solomon thy son shall reign after me. and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

if he made the neie king, he would necessarily be coiAinuifl in the command of the army; and so govern him.

Terse 9. Slew Ae^ and oxen] Making a royal feaat, in reference to his inauguration. As he bad Anathar the prieet with him, no doubt tbeae animals were offered taerifieiaUyt and then tbe guests fad on the fledi <tf dw victima He not only had a ^lendid feaat, but a great BBcrifiee; and he gave by this a popular colour to his pretensions, by aifacang to reeeive auihori^ from Ood.

Verae 11. Baet Ihou not heard that AdanUahlhe ten i^ BiiggiA doth rHgn} He was now conaidwed as being legally appointed to the ngaX office; and, no doubt, waa about to Mcin 10 perturm ita fimetiona.

Terae 1£ Sau tktnt mm 1^ and8uti/eqr Ayon} Nathan took for granted that Adodjah would put botlt Bath-dheba and Salomon to death as state oriminala, if he g)t established on the throne. O cursed lust of mlel a tfaer will dntroy his son, a son depose his father, and a brother murder a brother, in order to obtain a crown I At this time the monaretay of Inel was metUled; no man knew who waa to ancoBsd to the cmrni and tbe minds of the people wen SB unaetOedoa Ilia Bueoessioo. Ihaveexamined both systemat and find that, with all ^ alWed disadvantagea, hereditary monarehy has a high balaitee of evidence in iU favour, beyond that which is elective i and is every way more nfa lor |be state, and moie secure knew that dris woman had a Sovmigo inftunceover tlm king. KBaih-Mtwaia8auroeorpl«WM.toO»id, moat liie not also hKTC bean aMmrea of pain to him? For, oottld ha ever fatgst dw goil^^ manner in wbwh be ae-

^NdM tut Am-ntmtr} Itia wy likely that David

14 Behold, while thou jet talknC there with the king', I also will come in after thee, and ' confirm thy words.

15 IT And Bath-aheba went in onto the aag into the chamber: and the king waa rerv- old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

16 Aud Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeiaance untd the king. And the king eaid, * What woaldeBt thou?

17 And she said unto him, My lord, ' thou Bwareet b^ the Lord thy God onto tliine handmaid, saying, AeBuredly Solomon thy son shall reuni afler me, and be shall sit upon my throne.

18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:

19 r And he hath slain oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the Bons of the king, and Abiathar the priest* and Joab the captain of the host: but Solmnon thy servant hatn he not called.

20 And thou, mv lord. O long, the eyes of alt Israel are upon tnee, that thou shoudest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

SI Otherwise it shall eome to pass, when my lord tlie kittsr shall 'sleep with his kOhen, thskl and my son Solomon i^all be counted ■offenders.

22 f And lo, while she ret talked with the king, Nathan the prophet aleo came in.

23 And ti^y told the kiD|N saying. Behold Nathan the prophet. And when lie was eome in before the king, he bowed himvelf before the king with his face to the ground.

34 And Nathan said, My Icu-d, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

25 " For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen, and fat cattle, and riteep in abundance, and hath called all the king's eons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest: and, behold, they eat and drink befim him, ana say. ■ God ' save King Adonijah.

26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoidda, and thy servant Sol<Hnon, hath he not called.

27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not showed it unto thy servant who ■bottU sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

made moh w) onlh i and th&t it w«a known only to Baththtkn and Nathan. It i> novfaera elae menunied.

Vane 20. ITtat thou afumldetl UU-—XDho thaU riionUu HbroM] lUa wai a monarchy oeitbsr honditary nor tUeHvt I the king mniply named hi* ntccM9or. TTii* ob- Uioed lew or more, ancientl;, in moat countriea.

Vme 21. SuiU be amnted offmders.'i When Ad<»tijah and hia party ahaji find that 1 and my mm have bad thia promiae front thee by ootik he will alay ua both.

Terae 28. CaU nu BaA-»Ma.[ She had gone out iriien Nathan came in t and ba redred vbea aha waa roadmitted. Eaeh had a aepante audience i but to Nathan, the king did not expreaa any will.

Vane 33. T^ake vUk ymi Hu aenanla your lord] By tbaae we may underatand the JnWa guard; the guardt «f the cOy, the Cherethite» and PaUOme; who were under the command of Benaiah I and, in alKHrt, all the diapoaabte force that waa at hand.

Solomon — to rid* upon mint own iKuic] No aubjeet oould nae any tfaing that belonged to the pnnce, without fiirieiting hia life. Aa' David ordered Solomon to ride on hia own mule, thia waa full evidence that he had iq>pointed him hia aueoeaaoi.

Terae 34. Blow ye wiA the trumpei] After ho has been anoinled, make proclamation that he ia kll^

Verae 3S. SU upon my Mrene) Tlis mamier of eoB* OMMuig a buaioeaa of ihia kind aaaoiB lo bava baen this— L lie kine elect waa placed on &e mule ^hie predeaMaoT) ana oau«d to ridt abroad to one of the ptdilie *hH or to a fiver where there waa the greatest ooocoarae. « PMPK OW ihey m^ht ate vfa» ha was ibai WM ap. T78

28 T Then king David mswered and said» Call me Batfa-sheba. And she came ■ into the ki^'s presence, and stood before the kme*

'39 Aad the king sware, and said, 'A» Ihe LoBD liveth, that mih redeemed my soul oat Hf all distress,

30 < Even as I eware unto thee by the Loss God of Israel, seeing, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign allBr me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certain^ do this day.

31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her fhce l» the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, I" Let my lord King David live for ever.

32 ^ And King DavS said, CaU ma Zadok the pnest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the- son of Jehoiada. And they came before tlie

The king also said unto them, < Take with you the servants of your lord^ ana canse Sotomon my son to ride upon * nunc owa mole, and brine hun down to ' Gihon:

31 And let Zadc^ the priest, and Nathan dw prcH^et, 'anoint hkn there long over Israel: ana "blow ye with the tnmqiet, and aej, God save King Sidomon.

35 Thm ye shall oome up after bim, that be may come and sit upon my throne; for he shsJl be king in my stead: and 1 have appomted him to be ruler over Israel and over Jodah.

36 And Benaiah the ssn of JehoiBda answered the king, and said. Amen: the Lono God of n^ lord the kiiig say so toth

37 • As the Uoan hath been with my lord the long, even so be he with Solomon, and ' make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.

38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan Oe prophet, ' and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and ths Cherethttes, and the Petethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon King David's mnle, and brought him to Gihon.

39 And Zadok the priest took a horn of * oil out of the tabernacle, end *■ anointed Si^Mnon. And they blew the trtmipet; ■ and all the people said, God save King Solomon.

40 And all the peoide came up after him, and the people piped with 'pipes, and rejcaced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound ofthem.

pointad. Solomon waa htm taken lothe river CAoa, ia order to be anointed: the continual atream, or coaaiaatly running fountain, denotii^ the perpeuiin of the kingdom— 2. 'ntprieet and the propfui anoiaied him in the name of the Lord; and therein aignified that be aboukl be endued with all the kingly virtuea; that he ahouki reign bm, under, and for the Lord— 4. Hm trumptt waa then to ba blown, and aolemn proclamation made, that he waaanoiB^ «d king — L He waa then braufdu mid ioleauily plaeedm tiuUtroR*, to signify dwtbabM DOW aHUned the niastf government, and was about to sdisioialw jnatiee and judgment to the pooplt.

Verse 37. Make ate Arme greater Aon Iht thront Da»id.} A wirit of thia kind a king will auffi»r in bdbatf of his mm; but it ia never, m ordinafT caaea, cooaidered a emnplinunt to aay, " I hope Aia dbild will make a beUa man than hia father;" beoaoae it aeema to jpainuai* bosm reflection on die &ther'a oooduct or ctaraster.

Claudian, in hia paaegyrio De Qusrtio Cmunlaht Anom Avgiutt, ver. 428. oa« words aonwahisg woilar to those of Benaiah j when he desoribea a father, won out with loila and difficulties, oanunittiog dte retna o£go*snment to the hands of hia aon:

"BdnUidiydeaireiaaoeonplished. Evan aow, fl|y sen equals thee in worth i and, wfaat ia still more oaairaUe, aurpaaaea thee."

Vms39. Zadol^-tookahtm<tf»Ul PotUry tai gUmo were little ia use in those tiooM r and home ware (mfmrity and to hoM oU and wine. Ttit oil aaed hara waa mm

41 T Aod AdiHujah, and all the guests that were with him, heard it aa they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of' the trumpet, he said, Wherefore t* this noise of the oitT being in an uproar 1

42 Ana while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in: ibr ■ thou art a valiant man, and brugest good tiding.

43 And Jonathan uiswered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord Kng David hath made Solomon king.

44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cfaerethites, and the Pelethites, and they have oaosed him to ride ti|K>n the king's mule:

45 And ZaBok the priest, and Nathan the prolihet, have anointed hun king in Qihon; and they are Bomeup from thwice rejoicing, so that theciiy tanraeain. This is ^e noise that ye have hearoi

46 And also Solomon ■ sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

47 And moreovtf, the king's servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ' Qod make

My onaintfKf which wM laid uB in die taib»roaele i and which wma nacd for the aootiuinrbou of pri«tU axid king: VaneM. TlupcirpU p^tdwiAfi^l Ttiey irnxMA, ■ang^ and pUyed on what inalrument of rauaic thay po»-

Thc mMrtk rsn^WeoaeaaimilareziireanMninprecinly the aame wnae — Thej rod the air wiui their criu.

Tone 43. JmoOum aMMvertd\ He waa properly a nur- MKgsr about the coon t we hB.Te met wiu hint and hia broUMT before, 2 Sam. xv. 36. He had now been an ofttermr, if not a epy, on all that waa doing; and retoto* the traaaactiona to Adonijah, in the very order ^ whieii they took place.

L. David haa lunninaled Solomon hia luceeaaor.

2. 2adok, Nalhui, and Benaiah, have been appointed to aat him on the Icing's mule.

' S. lliey have taken nira to Gihon, aodsnrinud him there.

4. They have brought him up to Javmltm, and ^aoed him OD the throne of me kingdom.

Terae 47. Mrrtgter th^ kutg't acTMUft ea«M] Ttie khw hinuelf^wu at this time, ooimned to hia own houae^ and probably to hia bed; and could not poaaibly aee theas oere- 'nooiea; tbenCm his esnidenttal aervanta eama sod Kdd Idsk Wo know not how Jonathan, in ao ahmt a ttou, peaaessBd himaelf of ao moeh information.

Terse 60. A(bmijahfeared\ He knew he had uaurped be kingdom, and had not hie faiher** conaeott and, «a he finda now that Solomon ie appcnnled by David, be knowa wdl that the peoole will immediately reapect mat appointnentt and that nia'ease ia bopeleas: he, therefore, took wieinBiyi sad, flsnng to the tabernacle, laid hold on one of die hoiioa of the altar, aa if appealin|rto the protection •( Qod wninat the violence of men. The alur waa a priviles«<rplac«; and it waa deemed aacrilege to moleat a SMO wl)o had taken refuge thera. See tii. ti. ver. 28.

benoefbrth, he beb&ve well, ahow himaelf to be contented, wni not endeavour to make parttawu^ or ath- op ineumeeliona among dw people, be Aall be Mtfc; hut ^ wleM- IMM 4e/oun(<fnA<m—if be net at «ll contrary to tlu% be rtiall die t hia blood ahall be upon him.

Verae 53. Oa to (Atee JkoitM.] Intimating that he ohould have no |ri»ee about the kinga peraon, nor under the covtnunaoi. Adtmiiili must have seen that he stood eoatiau* •Hy OD his goad Mutviour.

"Ihavejrendmany vohimeeof thewise: I find fisw Ihinga m physic, which reeton the nataral h^U, weakened by dw- •onOKKi ot the inoBte moiitnre, or inereaee of a foreign one.

" But CMtkin wise men have taeiUj/ nuuie moition of •MBomecbeine, which ia likened to dwt which goee out ^ Ouwtins^Ou nobU onimaL Tbey affirm, that in it there Is a/erw and wtrhu, which reatoies and iaereaaea die nmtimlkMt. AalaitadiqMMition,dwyB^itialikeyoHA ltael£ tad eoataiaa an equal and temperate eomplexioiL

And the ligna of a temperale eomplezion m men are, when their colour ia made up of iMU and red; when the hikk iMltab« M ndaaai^ sad earlfa«;

the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne ^eater than thy throne: ■ and the king bowed hiiDself upon the bed.

48 And also thus said the king, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath * given one to ait on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

49 And all the guests that leere with Adontjah were afraid, and rose up, and went every maa bis way.

50 f And Adonijah feared because of SolomoD, and arose, anid went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

51 And it was told Solomon, sayirif, Behold, Adonijah feareth King Solomon; for, u>, he lutth caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear unto me to-day. that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

52 And Solomon said, If he will ahow himselfa worthy man, * there shall not a hair of him Ihll to the earth: but if wickedness should be found in hitti, he shall die.

53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to King Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Qo to thine house.

"Hue medUitu, indeed, ia like to nteK a eompUxioHl for it ia <rf a temperate heat, its flame ia temperate and ■weet, and grateful to the smelL When it depnru from this temperature^ it departs so &r from iuvirtue andgoodneas.

'"nuamedieine, therefore, tom|wrajc^irA«ato,beeanae it ia tempenoely tu)t; it therefore Mai», because it ia uAofa. When it is it mokes a man ndsi when ic is distemper' ed, it breeds distempers | and ohaiwea the body to its own dimoaition, because of the nmilitude it has with the body.

"For the infirmi^ of a bruU animal rarely paaaes into a man, but into another- animal (tf the tome «na; bat tbo infirmity of man passes into mam; and so does ktaJA, becauaa of Ukauu.

" Tbia thing ia seldom found { and although sometimes it be found, yet it cannot commodicnuly he had qf all men.

" Now, when this thing is Kkt to ymiih, that is, of temperate complexion, it has good operatiooai if its tempers tttfe be better, it produces better effects aometimea it is even in the highest degnt qf it* perfedUm, and then it operates best; and then there ia that property whereof ws have apoken before.

""Hiia difoa from other medicines and nutriment% yMeti beat and moiaten after a certain temperate maniier, and ore good for old men. For other mediemee prinoipelly heat and moisten the body t And, secondarily, they strengthen the na^tva heatj and after that refresh the body, by moisi* eoing and healiiig it. For it brines back this beat in old men, who have it bat weakly and defieira^ to a certain Bironcer and more vehement power.

" If a vfostor be made heret^ and t^ied to the sltnHad^ it will help very much; for it will refresh the atomaeh itself, and exoite tut i^petite j it will veir much reertatt on old moTi, and change Mmtoaftind^you/A; and will make complexions I7 what means soever depraved or corrupted, buter. ml, it ia to be obaerved, loat Vmu* doih weakea and dimmiA the poww and virtue of this thing!

"And it is very likely that the eon of the prinoe. in his second eaooo ^ the operalion* ^ timplt mecne^tct, •poke of (his thinr, where he saith, that there is a certain inedicine, eoiweated by wise men, lest the ineenHTunt riioaU Offend tbeu- Cmtor. There is such a A«a^ in this thing, OS ie in young men of a sound complexion: and, if I durst declare the properties of this heat, ibis most hidden seeret should presently be revealed. For this heat doth help die paUeal) it restores and preserves die waaled strengdi of the native heat; sod caoselh it to floorish in allthe members, and gently revivee die nged.

" But the simple medicine which restores the n^M htat, vheawasted and weakened, is that which is likened to die oonplexion of a healdty yomw man."

All this oovered andenigmktieu deaeriptiaa is Inteodod annjdy to point oitt that veiy nedieiDeneoameiMled by the Jewidi ph]^isiail% to nalore and invigorsta the dying

I oould Aow Am bearing of every sentenee. but I must leave someddog to the good sense of my resoers. By attending to die VOTds in Italic*, dw sense will be the more easily diseoTend. See my aois on Rittfa iv. 18.

jtigLiWi fOfOW ■■ llie iJiiva of Da^nd drew juj?!,** It nigti that he Bliould die J end he Loira^m. chargM Solomon his son, eaying,

2 •! go the way of all the earth: f be thou Btroiig ^erefore, and show thyself a man:

3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in bis ways, to keep hie etatutea, and his commandmenta, and his judsments, and hiB teetuuoniea, as it is written in the law of Moscb, that thou mayeat ' prosper ■> in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thoa ttornest thyself:

4 That the Lord ma^ 1 continue his word, which he spake concerning me, saying. * If thy children take heed to their way, to 1 walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul. ■* there shall not "&il thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

5 Moreover, thou knowest also what Joab the

NOTES ON CH.4PTER II. Versed. I go tk» way of ail the tarth.] I am dyinr. All the inhabhanu of the earth must come to the.dust. In Hfe,Kaa» follow one occupation, some another; but all must, Momr or later, come to the graTc Death ia no re- ^weter of pemiui he vmte the palace of the king as well Ri the cottage of the pea«uu.

Hiere it no reipect to aga or youih, more than to tta- Uon or external etratTiutanee:

iStaPB MfW PraMT^iiM/ncO.

Wn mmul hal ran Sm\ Ih' lum

son of Zeruiah ' did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosta of Israel, unto V Abner the son of Ner, "and unto < Amaaa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and ' shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon hia girdle that 1000 about his loinr, and in hia shoea that vere on hia feet.

6 Do therefore ■ aocordine to tby wisduoit aiui let not his hoar h«td i^o aown to the grave in peace.

7 But ahow kindness unto the aona of <■ Borzillai the QUeadite, and let them be of those that " eat at thy table: for so * they came to me when I fled because of Absalom tbv brother.

8 And, behold, thou hast with thee * Shimei the son of Gera, aBenjamite of Baburtm, which cursed me with a " grievous curse in the day when i went to Mahanaim: but ' he came down to meet me at Jordan, and ■ I sware to him bv the Lord, eayii^, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

9 Now therefore * hold him not gniltleaa: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thoa oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head ^ bring thou down to the grave with blood.

And it is not merely man that is subjected to this netocsity; all that have id them the breath qf life must lose it; it U the way t^f all tht earth, both men and inferior fS*SSm^iStS^JSiinSS!' Mr. L 0. k & A ** All dtat tread the «arth are subjeot to mortality; neither great nor ainaU can avoid death. Lire, therefore, conscious that your time is short."

It ii painful lo the pride of the great and mighty, that, however decorated (heir tombs may be, tliey must undergo the same dimoltUim and corruption with the vulgar dead: for die grave is the bouse appointed for die living: man is bom to die.

^Fnr bU have the tame tnd, and are buddled together in the nme narrow house." Here emperors, kings, statesmen, wtrriort, kurom, and frtifaAert, 01 all kind^ with, peasanta and bsggar^ meet] however various thur routes, di^ terminate m tfaa same ^int. Thia and all other kindred sentiments on the sub'

£st, are well exBressod in that excellMit little poem of r. Blair, entitled Thk Gsavk, which Opens wiln the Collowing lines;

Sum thyself a man] Act like a ratimal being, and not like a brute; and remember, tl^ he acta most like a nan, who is most devoted to hia God.

1. Waik in hit wayt: not in thine own, nor in the wan of a wicked, perishiag world.

2. Xiu^ hit ttatuia. C<uindBr all hia qipointamils to be holy, just, and good} receivs them as luchi aodooascientuNuW obaervs them.

3. Keep hit awmimdmmtt. Whatever he has IMda thee to do, perform i what he has fivfakldcn d»e is do^

4. Keep hit judgmmU] What he has detcmiMtd « be right, is essentiallj ana ioherenUy right ■ what he has determined (o be wrong or evil, ia udimDlly and «ssca> tiidlyao. A thingis notgood,beniuBGod haaeomnandad it: a thing is not evil uowae be baa forbidJee it. Hs has eomnmnded die rood, because it is in its own Datura good and \ueftd; be mb forbidden the ert/, because it is ie its own nature bad and ftur{/ui. Keep^ thncfcre, u judgments.

6. Keep hit tetUmordtt] Bear witness to all, to vUdi be has borne witness. His testimonies are true; tbeiaii' no deceit or faXnty in them. Bis testimoniea refer aba W future good things, and good timea: thay are the «gttficators of coming blessedness. As such, respect dKm.

That thou mayett protptrl If thou bast God's approbation, thou wilt nave God's bleaaing. If tfay ways please him, he will not withhold firon^thee any manner of thiag thatia good.

Verse 4. ITuxt the Lord may continue hit wrd] l%a prosperi^ whiefa Qod iisa promised to grant lo my ftmOf will depoid on ibeir faithfiilneM to the goed ibey naeiis i if they live to God, they dwll sit for ever on the thnas rf Israel. BuL alas I th^ did not: and God's joatiea eeC off the entail made by lus men^.

VeneS. TTuruhumett — what Jeah~dUlewu\ Bt did every thing bad and dishonourAile in itael£ m dn murder <^ Abner and Amaaa i and, indeed, ia flw deaA ef theprodints Abnlsm.

Sud Os Mood qf var-wpon hit girdle rnd i»U» thfiet] He stabbed them while he TMetendad to — irass them: so that their blood gushed out «ci his gsdl^ tad felt into his Aoesl lUs was a moat abominahleai^iavadon of bis crimes.

Verae 6. Let turf hie hoar head go down to Ao gtmeim peaee] It would have bem an insult to juatiet^ sot M nave taken the life of Joab. David was ealpaUe in d^ laying it so long: but profaablv the cwoumataaDBs of kis government would not admit ta his doing it sooner. Aocording to the law of Ood, Joeb^ h&viiw murdered Abaer and Amaaa, should die. And had not David comma srted Solomon to perform this act of Justice, be ooold not have died in the iwprobation of his Malcer.

Verse 7. But ihow itindiMst vnto tkee mm Ssr^ zillai} See the notes on 2 Sam. xiz. 31. Ac

Verse a Thou hast mth tkee Shimei] See on 2 Sam. zvi. 6, Ac and the notes on ibid. zix. IB— 23.

Vene 9. SM him not gviUtett] Do not conwkr fasaa as an innocent man, tbourii I have rwom to fain thai I would not put him to death by the awofd; yet as tho* att a wise man, and knowest how to treat soeb penoesb usaft him as he deaerves; only as I have sworn to hiia^ aad hs ia an aged man, let him not die a violent death i «>g *al downiiia hoary head to the grave with Wood. SoSetomon uadnstood David, and so I think David ihovU fas understood: for the negadve pattiele kS i<s in die totmm etaua^ ktOd Mm bot gmUOm, alwmld bt repandia Aat

10 ir So * David elept with his fathers, and was bnried in the *■ city of David.

11 And the days uiat David * reigrned over Israel -were forty yeare: seven years reined he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

12 If ' Then sat Solomon npon the throne of David his father i and his kingdom wa^ establiahedgreatly.

ic'iMt 13 IT And Adbnijah the aon of Hag- ME>«^br. ^th came to Bath-Bheba the mother of iDDouM Solomon. And she said, > Comest LutT^m. tijQij peaceably 1 And he said, Peaceably.

14 He said moreover^ I have somewhat to eay nnto thee. And she sajd, Say on.

15 And he said. Thou knowest tlmt the kingdom was '■mine, and that all Israel set their fkces on me, that I should rei^n: howbeit the kingdom ia turned about, and is become my brother's; Ibr <it was his from the Lord.

16 And now 1 ask one petition of thee, ^ deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.

17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he five me lAbtshag the Sbunammite to wife.

18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; 1 will speak for thee unto the king.

19 Bath-sheba therefore went unto King Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself onto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for thte king's mother; ' and she •at on his right hand.

latter elaiia& though not axpreaaed j hit hoary head bring ttott- WOT down I iDHanoea of which frequently occur in the Hebrew Bible. See Dr. Kmnieote* note at the end of tliiq chuXer.

Terse 10. David tlept viith hia falhera] Hia life was a lib of remarkable providences, of much piety, and of ^nat publie uiefiilneM. In general ha lived well, and it H nost evident that be died well; wad, aa a king, a genelaL » poet| a &lbe^ and a friend, he hat bad few tquaU, and DO smerior, from his own time to the present day. But I AM reaerve a more particular conaideralion of hia d>arael« till I «ome to iho Book of Psalms, in which that duuACter, with all its lights and shadeiL is exhibited Iky hia owo masterly hand. And it is from this composition alone that we con know David, and the maxima by which he was nverued in public and fMivate life.

fVua imriedtn tiu city qf David] And Joaephua aayi^ that Solomon deposited immense treasures with him in tbt grave, where they continued unmolested for thirtem KuMrad yeara; till Hyrcanus, the high priest, being besieged by Antiochua, he opened the sepulchre, aqd took thence Ares ikotuand talent^ part of which be gave to Antiochus, to r&iae the siege. It ia added that, many years •fterwaid, Herod the Great ransacked this tomb, and got eoBsideruile riches. Little credit is due to this account; ' though we kn^w that it was customary in ancient times, to depoaite with the more illustrious d«»d, Kold^ silver, and preciotia stones. TluU the tomb of David existed in the OHya of the opottlet, we learn from Acts ii. 29. where St. Peter, addressing the Jews, says, Men and brethren, Ui m* tptak freely lo ymi qf thepairianA David; that he im bcih dead and buried, and hia eepubAre ie with ue lenio thie day. Sl Jerom speaka of it as extsting in hia time: and modem tnvellera pretend that it ia stil I in existaooe. But both monks ana Mohammedans have long united to impose on Christian pilgrUos t aad there ia ■earcely any dqiendenee to be placeaon-ai^ of their relatioiw; afasiurdi^ and aelf-eonmdietion are Aeir priadpal diaraieleriatica

Verse 16. TTunt knoiml that the Mngdom tea* injruj It eertaisly was At* by the right of primogeniture; and Uwaa hia oy the nrfot qfAtpeoof^ and the conaentof the high vrieeL But there waa a rimt paramount to all iheae, Am nght <if Ood i it waa his itiiwdom | the Idnga were his KtutmantB, and ha had a rigu to give lbs crown to wfaomsoavwrbeploBBed) and be wis piNsid to give it to Solomon.

V«i«e IT. "not he give me AbiehM—io wife.] He (iwei fully gives sirright to the kingdom, and only ' -' I to have this young woman; who^ though she bad

30 Then she said, I desire orte small petition of thee } / pray thee, say me not nay. And the kin? E»ud unto her, Ask <m, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunam^ mite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

22 Atid King Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abislmg the Sbunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; lor bets mine elder brother: even for him, and for "Abiathar the priest, and for Jrab the son of Zeruiah.

23 Then King Solomon swareby the Loan, saying, p God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.

54 Now therefore, aa the Lord liveth, whidi hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me s house, as he ■> promised, Adonijah shall be pot to death this 'day.

55 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell npon him that he died.

36 If And unto Abiathar the priest said the king. Get thee to ' Anathoth, unto thine own fieloB } for thou art * worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, t because than barest the ark of the Lord God before David my lather, and because " thou hast been afflietedm all wherein my fkther was afflicted.

27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord; that he might * fulHI the vratA of the Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

been hia tuber's wifiB or emeobine, was atill in a slate of vii^i^. S«ne diink that Joab and Abiadiar had advised Adonijah to make this application; not doubting, if he got Aiiishag, that the popular tide would asain torn in his bvour, and that Solomon, whom they did not like, might soon be deposed: and that it was on this account that Solomon was so severe. But there is little evidence to support these conjeetures. It does not appear that Adonijah, by desiring to have Abishag, bad any thoueht of the kingdom, or of maintaining any nght to it; though Solomon appears to have jtnderstood him m this sense. But, without nirther evidence, this was a flimsy pretence to imbrue his hands in a brothers blood. He who attempts to vamiah over this conduct of Solomon, by either elaie neceetiiy, or a divina commaTi^ is an enemy, in my mind, to the cause of Ood and truth. See on ver. 26.

Terse 25. Solomon eent — Benaiah — and he Jell Upon him that he died.] Benaiah seems to have been the puolio state executioner; and yet he waa generalissimo o( all the forces I See him employed in a similar work, ver. 34, 46. I suppose him to have oeen such another goieral aa Sw ^Darrow, buteber-general of the Turks and Polee to the late Empress Cathnine of Russia: like mistress like man. But they have longaince been called to an impartial tribunal.

That this was an act of cruelty toward Ador\ijah needs no prool He is suspected, condemned, and alatn, withottt a hearing I Calmei vindicates all this by various assumptions: and lays down a doctrine that is calculated fbr the meridian of.P&z or JMbroceo: hear him — Un prince, done eea jugemena, ne peut pa* toujoura luivre lea regie* de Ja pbit pa^ait* vutrate: la pMiti^e, at le bien d* titat, obligtnt aouveni It de* dioee* oppoatea aux coruaila d* fSvangil*. "A prince, in his juagmenta, cannot always follow the rules oi the moat penect morality: policy, and die good of the state, oflen raquire things to he cone which are nmtrary to the counsels of the Ghmel." What a diabolic maxim is this! And is this inoeed the way that fVmeh iUng* ruled, and ministers deened jadgnienti nwawsneed not wonder at a ravohuion m thatsMlst nor of the soouige that desolated the land. O Knghnd I magnify God fbr your ematUuHon, your conttitvtianal king, and the lav* aeoording to which ha reigns.

Terse 27. So Solomon tlmiat out Abiathar} Tbi* was fior having taken part before with Adonijah: tut fay it a remarkable prndtecy was fiUfilled; see 1 Sam. ii. 3i^— 3ft. and ^ notes there. God Iwl told Eli that the priesthood riiould depart from his house: Abiathar was.thelast of (he descendanta of Shamar, of which bmily waa Eli the hirii prieat. Zadok, who waa nuule priest in the stead of Abiathar, was of the baulyof^liazer; and by this change Aba TSlDigitized byV^OOgte

99 T Then tidings came to Joab; for Joab *bad turned after Adonijah. though he turned not aftw Absalom. And J<no fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and ' caught hold on the horns of the altar.

29 And it waa told King Solomon that Joab ■was fled unto the tdternacle of the IjOrd; and, behold, heithythe altar. Then Solomon eent Ifenaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying. Go, fall upon him.

30 And Beoaiah came to the tabernacle of the Loan, and said unto him^ Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nav; but I will die here. And Benaiafabrought the lung word again. Mfiogf Thus saith Juab, and thus ne answered me.

31 And thelcing said unto him, 'Doas he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; ■ that thou mayest take away the mnocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

32 And the Lobd ■ shall return his blood upon bis own head, who fell upon two men more righteous *>and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, ■ Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and ''Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the boat of Judah.

33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and ■ upon the head of hia seed for ever; ' but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord.

34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell ujwn him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35 T And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and f Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of ^ Abiathar.

38 IT And the king sent and called for ■ Shimei, and said unto him. Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.

prieithood reverted to iu ancient channeL Abialhar deaerved thia degradation: be aupported Adonijatr in his unnatural aaaumption of the rOTM dignity, even during die life of fail fiuner.

Verae 28. Tidingt earn* to Joab'] He beard thsl Adoidjafa had been akin, and AbtalharbanidMd; and, probably, he bad beard of David's dying charge to Solomon. Feoringi therefore, for hii personal safety, he takes refu^ at die tabernacle, as claiming divine protection, and desirins to have his ease decided God aloQc: or perhaps a spark of remorse is now kindled \ and, knowing that he must die, hewiAeslodie in the house of Ood; as it were, under the riisdow, that he mis4u receive the mieK^ of the Almighty.

Verse 30. Naf/;lna I«mdUh«ri\ The olton were ■0 sacred among oil people, that, in general, even the vilest wretch found safety, if he once reached the altar. ITiis led to many abuses, and the perversion of public justice; an], at lust, it became a maxim that the guilty ahould be punished should they even have taken refuge at the altars, uod decreed that the presunptuoui moraerer, who bad taken refbee at the alter, abouM be dtagged tbenoe, and pat to death: eee Exod. xxi. 14. Hie hwdtena bad the same kind of ordinance: hence Emipedu:

"If an nnrighteoua man, availing himself of the law, rikouM elaim the proieetion of the altar, I woaM drag him MjiMieit nor fear the wrath ofthends: fiwitisnseenaiy that every wicked naa dMuld suffer for his cnnea-

Terse 34. So Benaiah — wtfii up — and $Uw him\ It af^wars be slew him at the very altar. Jo^ must nave ben both ok) and infirm at tlUs dme; and now he bleeds for Ahiur, he Ueeds fbr Amttta, and he bleeds for Driah. The fimnnr he murdered 1 of tlie Uood of the latter he vaa netinnoeant

37 For it shall be, that on the dw thoa goes* out, and passest over ' the brook Kidron, thoa shalt know for certain that thoa ahalt surely

die: > thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

38 And Shimei said unto the kinc, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so wiu thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerunlein

39 And it came to pass at the end of ^cSS* three years, that two of the servants a>. b^iie, of Shimei ran away tmto " Achish son in^^ of Maachah king of Gath. And they '^"^^ told Shimei, saymg, BehoM, thy servants be ia Gath.

.40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek hia servant*: and Shimei went, and brought hii Mrranta from

41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone ft-om Jerusalem to Oath, and waa cmie

43 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear

Ethe Lord, and protested unto thee, saying, low for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, Uiat uoa dmlt aurely die t and thou saidst imto me, The word that I have heard ia good.

43 Why then hast thou not k^ the oath of the Lord, and the* commandment that I have charged thee with 7

44 The king said moreover to Shimei, Thoa knowest " all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to. that thou didst to David my fhtlwr: thwefore the Lord shall " return thy wietodne— upon thine own head;

45 And kins; Solomon sAof/ be blesaed, asd p the throne oT David shiUl be established befim the Lobd for wtst,

46 So the Idng commanded Benamh tiie aoa of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon hua. that he died. And the i kingdom waa estabhshed in the hand of Solomon.

v.&-iissuB.u.&-oh7.ia EiAii.ia-pPiw.ns^Vtf.ta sck^t.L whole city for a prison; and this certainly oould have r»- dueed him to no hardships.

Terse 37. TAy blood thaU he upon thin* <nm keflsL] Hum knowest what to expect} if thou disobey my oixieis, thou aholt certainly be slain: and ibea thoa abalt be eoBsidered aaaee^munferarr diou alone ahalt be anawenUe for thy own oeaih. Solomon knew that Shimei was a seditious man: and he cboee to keep him under tus own e^ i for such a man at large, in fevourable circDmstanee^ might do much evil His bitter revUiogs of David wen a niffieient proof.

Versa 40. And Shimti—itaU to Chtkl It b aatooMting that, with his eyea wide op^ he would dws ran iols theiawB of death.

Verse 45. King Sotomon shall be bUttdi He aeeans to thiuk that, while such bod men remained imponislte^ the nation eoukl not prosper: that it was an act of juaciee which God required nim to periorm, in order to the escsr bli^ment and perpetuity of hu tlmme.

Terae 46. And l/u kingdom wot csbitlbW) He bod neiiher fees within or widiotH. He waa eiifasi draaded or loved univer«lly. His own pitjeeto were affHiionu^ bound to him; and the aurrounding natkioa did aotihw proper to make him their enemy.

As there are serious doubu relative to the dying dmr^ of David, as it relates to Shimei, most believing dwt, ■ opposition to his own oath, David desired that aoloiaoa ahould put him to death; I 'shall hero insert Dr. Ktmmi eot^e cnticism on this part of the lezt:

" David ia here rewesented in our EngKth Tctstott, m finishing his life with giving a command to Solomott w kill Shimei; ais] to luU him on account of that vtrj crime for which, as David hereaayii be had swvrn to f ' bv the Lord he would not put bim to death, "n* *" viour thus imputed to the king and prophet, and - would be justly eenanrable, (if true,) riioidd be eza very earefidly as to Aground it stands upon: uad, the psaiage is duly oonoklered, I piesume it wiU afi| bi^y probaUs that aa injury has been here done to <

4-*J«J \ ND 'SolomoQ made affinity with ^mi^tm. J\. Pharaoh king of E^ypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brougrht her tow-« into the * city of David, until ne had made an end of boilding his town house, and illuBtriout character. The poinc to which I now heg tho readeHa aUention ia this: that it t> not unco mm on in the Hebrew langtu^ to omit the nc^a^ve in a aeeond part df tfas •enteucc, aiu to connder it u repeat«d, when it has baan owa expreaaed, and ia followed by tno eooneeting particle. Aoa thtu, on laai. xiiu 22. the tale learned anaotttor Mya: "Hw n^gttHoe ia repeated or referred to^ by the eonjanction sou, aa in manjr other placea.' See alao laaL xxiii. i. The neoeaaity oi ao veiy eonaidendile an alteration, aa inaertinj; the particle hot, may be here confirmed by aome other inatancea. Iliua Paa. i. 6. TTu ungodiy tkait not ttand in 0u JtidgmeTit, Kox (the Hebrew ia AND, aigniiying and not) ainnera in ilu congrogation ^ Am riddmu. Paa. ix. la The needy tfiali IW< oJiaayf baJorgotUn: (and then the negative, underilood aa repeated try the eoniunetion, now dropped,) the npeetcMoH. of the poor tftaU (wot) perithfor mtr. Pan. xrxriii. 1. O Lord^ nbuke mo not in thy wrath; vn- Taaa <akd, forandneO ^uiottnmainthylwtdimUamrt. Fn. Ixzv. 6. I4ft not vp your horn on high: (and then Ibe negative, ratderatood aa repeated by the eoitjunotion, BOW dropped) tptak hot with a »ti^ neck. Prov. xziv. 12. (our vamon ia Omy—Doth nUho, Ao' pondtrtA tho haort,oomMerit7 €mdh4llualu^ptAtho»tut,thtk(jwt) hehiowit? and Aait (milurettdortoottrymanaocording to ^v*rkt 7 And Pror. xzx. 3. IndihorUamod wMObm, aoa (Ann, for and not) ha»« the inovttdge <^ the koty. If OMQ diere are, in &et, many auch in- Btance^ the quaatioa ia, Whether die negatioe bera,. ex- Maaed in the fonoet purt «t David'a command, may not M uoderatood aa to ba repeiUed in tbelanar parti and, if diia«Myba,&aUaogreMon will be added why it abmU be ao inur]M«ied. The paaaage will run thua i " Behold, thou hast with thee Shimei, wno curaed me— bat I awora lahimby the Lord, aaying, I will not put tbee to death by the nnnrd. Now, therefore, bold him not guiHleea, (for dwn art a wiae man, and kooweat what thou o«gfateU to do unto hint,) but bring not down hia hoar head to the pave widi blood." Now, if the language itaelf will ad- Biit ihv eoDatovetioB, the aeiiM Ifaaa given to the autieAoe Jariveo • vary atrong aopport from the oontext For bow did Solomoauikderatand Uiiacharsel Did he kill Shimei in oonasqueooe of iti Certaioly ne did not: for, after he had imxnediately commanded Joob to be alain, in obedieoee to bia fiuber, he aendr'for Shimei t and, knowing that SlUaiet ought to be well watched, confiaea htm to a partieolar apot in Jeniaalem for the remainder of hii Ufo. camp. ii. 3S— 42. See alao Job xxiii. 17. xxx. 20. zxxL 30. Tbii ia the beat node of interpreting thia text

NOTES ON CHAPTER m. Verae 1. Sobmon made qffinity with Pharaoh} Tbim no doubt, a patiHeal meaauie, ia order to atrMigthen hie fciagdom i ana, on the aame ground, he continued hia •lliaaee with the kinr of Tyn: and inesa were among die moot powerful of hia oeighboura: But ihouU poUtt eal eouaiderationa prevail over expreaa lawa of God 1 God bad atrictly forbidden hia people to form alUaneea with heathenish women, leat they should lead their hearts away from faim into idolatry. Let us hear the law: NeitKor tItaU ihou make marriagtM with thorn; thy daughter thou ekatt not giro unto hie eon, nor hie daughter ehali Aeu perhap* in thia alliance, were aowiidUMeaeeda of qioataay from Gtod and goodneaa, in wfaidi he ao iaag llvei^ and in iriiich he ao awfiilly died.

T^toM who an^ at all haarda^ hia determinale ^nkgiala, •aaiune: 1. That Pharac^'a dau^ter muat have bean a proce^ io Uu JewiA religion, dse Solomon would not Imm married S:. Tbal God waa not d^leaaed with ihieaiMcL 3. llwt the book of CniOjelet^ which ia auppond to have been hit epiihalamium, would not hare

• the hoase of the Lord, and * the wall of Jentsalem round about.

2 ir * Only the people sacrificed in high placea, beoatue there wan no house btiilt unto the name of the Lord, until those days.

3 And Solomon ■ tored the Lord, r walkinff in the statutes of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

4 And ' the king went to (jibeon to sacrifice there; ■ for that wa* the great high pUure; a thousaiul burnt -ofieringe did Solomeo offer upon that altar.

found a place in the Sacred Oumn, had the qwuae, whom it all along cdebntee, been at mat time an jdnlatrtiw 4. That it ia certain we Do«4tere io Soipttue find SohwMi blamed for this match. See Dodd.

Now, to all thia I answer — 1. We have no evidence dint the daughter of Pbaratdi waa a proeelyte, no more than that her father waa a true believer. It is no more likely chat he sought a prosdyte here than that he aought them among the Moidntea. Hitlitea, &c.; from whom he took many wivea. 2. If God's law be poaitlTely agtunst such matches, he could not possibly be pteattd with this breach of it in Solomon: but his law ia poaitively against them, dierefere be waa not jdeaaed. 3. Hat the book of Cantielea, bemg (bund in the Sacred Canon is, accordine to aome critics, neither a proof that the roariiage j^aaed God, nor that the book waa written by divine inmration: much leas that it oelebratea the love between uluiat and hia efaureh, or ia at all profitable for doctrine, tor itprpot, or for ediftoation in rwfateouaness. 4. That Solomon ia most expreaaly reprovetTin Scripture fbr thia very match, is, to me, veiy evident, from dte following paaaage: Did mot SouMOH, kbig o^ brad, ax by ihMo iSinge? Yet among many naSamo woo there no king like him who woe Moved tf hie God, and God made him king ever allbraet! neoerthelee* am him did ouliandi^ women eaiweA>ain,Neh. xiii. 26. Now, it is certain thMPfaaraoh'a dau^ter was an ouiiandieh woman; and^ although it be' not expreaaly aaid that Pharaoh'a daughter la here iniendei^ yet (here ia all reaaonable evidence that abe ia included i and, indeed, the worda aeem to iiMimate that eke ia aapaei* aUy r^erred to. In ver. 3. it is said Solomon urvan tw LosD, walking in the etatutee ^ Da»id: and Nehemiah aayst Did not Sotomon, king «f ifoA. am ar tbbsb TniNoa, uAo WAa belotso ^ hm Goo 7 referring most prcriiably to thia early part of Solomon'a hiatory. But, auppoaing that thia ia not sufficient evidence that tua match is spoAm otf^naf in Sbrtptorv, let na turn to chap. xi. 1, 2- cf thii boMt, where the eauae of Solomon'a apoatasy ie aaaigned t and there we read, BvJt King Sobmon loved many sruim voisk, TOsnxnB wira mm daoobtbb or raAmAOH, wmiten tiflho JHboHfaa Ammoniteo, Bdomiiee, Zidoniana, and HUtiiee i o^ ike naOono which the Lord eaid unto the children qf lerael, Yeehait not go in unto them; neiiher ehaii Ihey come in unto you i Jor eurtly they ^Ul turn away your heart after their godei SoLOHON CLAVB nrro max IN Lovn. Hera the marriage with Pharaoh'a daughter ia daaacd moat poaitively win tiie moat exceptionaUe of hia matrimonial and conoulnnal alliances: aa it, no doi^ had ita predisposing share in an apostasy the moat unprecedented and diwiaeefol.

Should I even be singular, I cannot nel|> thinking that the reign oS Solonukn began rather inauepidoudy.- even a brothor'a tdood must be abed to cause him to ait securely on his dironei and a most reprehenaible alliance, tbe forerunner of many othera of a aimilar nature, waa formed for Ibe aame -purpoae. But we muat be ever cardbl to distingoab between what God has commanded io be done, and wnat waa done through ilie vile paaaiooa and fooliih jealouaiea.-of men. Solomon had many advanttgea, and no man ever made a worae use of them.

Verae 2. The people eacri/ked in high place*} Could there be any ma m thia | or waa it uniawiul till after the temple was buiUY for prapbeta, judges, the kings which preoaded SolomoOi sna Solomon umael^ sacrificed on high places i audi aa Oibeoo, Gilgal, Shiloh, Hebron, Kujain-iMrini, Ac But after the t«nple was erected, it waa aioful to offer aaerinees in any odiW place i yet here it ia introduced as being morally wrong: and it is introthiced, ver. 3. aa being an exceptionable trait in the eharadar of Solomon. Tbe explanatioo appears to be this: as the ark and tabemade were atill in being, it was not ri^t to oflbr aaraificea but where (hey were s and wherever they were, whether on a hi^plaeaora plain, there saerificaa might be kwliilly onmL vnmaaAj to the buildtos «f

6 T^In Oibeon the Lord apoeared to So)omoD ' in a dream by night: mm God said, Ask what I shall give thee., ^,

6 ^ And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great • mercv, accordmg as he ' walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprighLness of heart with thee; and thou hast -kept for him this great kindness, Uiat thou ■ hast given him a •on to sit on his throne, eis tt ts this day.

7 And now, O Lord mv God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; k and lam but & little child: I know not hov » to go out or come in. ^.,

8 And tlqr servant win the midst of thvpecHile vrtiidi thoa ^ hast chosen, a great people, f that eannot be numbered nor counted lor multitude.

9 Give therefore thy servant an ■ understanding heart ' to judge thy people, that I may

discern between gowl and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people f

10 And the speech pfeaaed the Loan, that Solomon had asked this thing.

11 And God said imto mm. Because thou hast asked this thing, and haat i not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor haet asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself underatanding, * to dtseeriijudgment;

12 t BehokL I have done aecorduc to thy words: " lo, I have given thee a wise and an imderstandiiig heart; so that there was none

VoM 5. Tlu LosD ampMrtd to Setomm in a dnam\ TWb wu the night sAer m hwil offered the Merifioea: ne 2 Oirm. 1. 7; and, [H^ifaafaiy, aAw ha had earnestly M^ed for visdtHn t aee Witdom, du^. vii. 7. Wher^ort I yramai. and vndtntaMiing wo* given ma: leaJUd amdeutjMt^ madam earn* Umu. If this wen tbQ Mae, the draam might have been the conMmunoe of hiff earnest prayer for wisdmn: the images of thoaa tftiwi which Occam the mind diiriBe the day are moat likeKr to recur during the ai^t \ and thi^ indeed, ia the wtgm <rf tbe greater part «f our dreams. But this appeara to bava been mipernatwrdL

Gfy^ory JVyaH% qteaking o( diArent kinda of dreams, ■bsanraa^ utat our or^aas sad bnin are not imlike a muaieal instnuiMdU i while the atringa of sueh inatmrnealfl have dirir pnpw degree of tennon, ihey nve, when touclied, a barmooioaa ■onnd i but, as soon aa they are relaxed, or acrewed down, diey give no aOund at all. During our waking houra, our aeiiM, touched by our reason, produce the moat harmooiou* concert t bu^ aa won aa we are aaleep, ^ inBtniment ia no longer captUile of emttting ai^ soood, nnkM it hi^^ diat the remembrance flf what psoMd daring the dw retains and pnateta itself la dw mind while we an aauep^ and ao fonns a dream i juit aa the atringa of an instromentcontimie to emit feeble sounds for some time after the musieian has oeaaed to strike them. See Oass. Nvaa. De optfieo hommit, cap. xiijp. 77. Opar. voL i. Edit MbraU. Par. 163a

This may aeeooa^ in aome meaaure, for common dreams; bi^ oraa sappoae we dwuld not allow that SolODMrn had mm, the mj before, earnestly nqoaating die ■riftof mdom firou Ood, yet wc might grant Owt such a dream as diis might be produced 1^ the immediala inflneiM« of (Sod upoQ the aouL And if Solomon reoeived his wisdom by immediate inspiration trtun heaven, this waa (he kind m dream (hat he had t a dream by which that wiadom waa actually oommimiealed. But probably we need not oarry diia mattw so much into a minele: God mif^ bo tbe Budwr of his estraordumir lUadom, as he WW dw audtor of his extraordinaiy r£en<*. Some say, " He lay down as ign<Hant as other men; and yet arose in die morning wiaer than all the children of men." I think this is as credible as that he lay down with a scanty rsrenoe; and in the momina, when he arose, found his traasufv foil. In short, God's eapedal blessing brought him riowa thmu^ iht medium of his own ears and industiyi aaths iaqHratum of lbs Abnig^iy gave him tuderttaading, while He gana hi* haart teaa^mtd ssorah otO, like thee before thee, neither after tbee diaO any arise like unto thee.

13 And I have also ' given thee that wbieb thou hast not asked, both * riches and hoooor: so that there ' shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to ke«p my statutes and my commandmenu, ' as thy father David did walk, then 1 will ■ lengtbeo thy days.

15 And Solonum * awoke; and, behold, it wtm a dream. And he came to Jemsalem, anid stood before the ark of the covenant of the Loan, and otlered up burnt-offerings, and offered peaeeotferings, and made a Jeast to all his servants..

16 ITThea came there two womeD.tAiil were harlots, tmto the king, and 'stood b«ore htm.

17 And the one woman said, O my kml, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I waa deUvered of a child with her in the ooose.

18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was deUvered that this woman was delivered ^so: and we "were together; there vom no stranger with UB in the house, save we two in the house.

19 And this woman's child died in die ni^t; because she overlaid it.

20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, irtiile thine handmaid slenu and laid it in her bosOm, and laid her dead caua in my bosom,

21 And when I rose la the mmrning to give

Eo^es. i. 13. Ood gave htm the seeds of ani.

understanding ( asd by much aludy and iwsaieh tki&f grew up nadar ths dirina Uesainff, «ad ptothwed • plMiflfol harvssti but alasl dwy na not cwntians ■»

Verse?, /inownef how to^ Milor cssuiii.] I an just like an infimt, learning to wiA:daM I butcsB ssidiar go out nor eema in widtoutbelp.

Verse 9. Oiva <f undanlimdUig heart l»fiidge ^ fnopU} He did net wak wisdom in aenen^ bat bib tnw ■oenee of goremineot. "HitB wisdom he sought: and this wisdmn he obtained.

Versa 12. Ihaaegiven-theeawiMmdanundentaitdiag heart} I have given diee a eapaoiouB mind; one capable of knowiiw much: make a proper ose «f thy powore, under lbs oreetion of my SptriV and dioH abaft exeel in wiodmn all that have gone faaCm thee; nenfaar after ibee shaH aur arise liks unto dtee. But ^iiery, Wm not all diis condmcnal7 h* thauid waik in hia «mmb, and heap Ma atatutea and eommandmmt^ ver. 14. Was it not to depend upon his proper use of initiatOTy inapintiimsl Did he ever receive aU this wisdom? I>ia not his unbithftilneas prevent the fulfilment of tbe divine fairpose Y Inatead of being the iriaaat of aien, did he dm MBmne more brvHak than any nanf Did be not evea lose die A»oi0M;f«4^Ai*CV«ilor, andworahipdwabsminationB of the Moatnlea, Zidonians, Ao. A>c ^ Aad wiw not such idolatry a proof of the grosaeat atupiditg 7 How few prooh does his life gire that the graeiooa purpose of God was Ailfilled in him? He receiv^ mueh; but he would have received mneft more, hod hebeen fiudifol to die grace given. No diantoter, ia tbe Sacred Wriliogib disupmnts us more dmn the ehanurter of Solomon.

Itmu Uke 0ue, befbra Ihct} Tb^t is, no king, either in Ismel or among the nations; aa the following verse explains.

verse 16. 7Vn eame>A«re two wom«n — karleU] The word m» zonatk, which we here, and in some oihev places, improperly translate hartota, is, by the ChaJdcc, the beat judge in this case, rendered ipma pintdefcait, tavemkeepers. See on Joidi. ii. 1. If these bad beea harUOa, it is not likely they wouM have dared to appear before Solomon [ and, if they had been ccmmoo womrn, H is not likely they would tuive had children; nor is it likely that au^ persona would have been permitted under this reign of Mvid. Though there is no mention of thew Ausfrontisi it is probohle iltey might have been, at dds time, in odier parts, following their nteeaaarjr occqpaiiaeai and the settling the present Dusiocsa eould not MM bsM delmd till their relnra: die appeal (o josiics bumr bs made immediately.

nqr child Mck. behold, it waa dead: hal when I had coQsiderea it in the morning, behold, it was oot my BOQ, which I did bear.

33 And the other woman said. Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy Boa And Uus said, No: but the dead it thy son, and the living it my son. Thus they spake before the king,

23 Then said the kins, The one saith, This t* my 8oa that hveth, ami thr son is dead: and the other saith. Nay; but thy eon is the dead, and mr son is the living;.

24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

25 And the king said. Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and halfto the other.

26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for ^ her bowels * yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, nye her the living child, end in nowise nay it But the other sau, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide if.

27 Then the king answered and eaid, Give her the living child, and in nowise elay it: she is the mother thereof

38 And all Israel heard of the Judgment which the king had judged: and Ihev feared the king: for tiiey saw that the ' wisdom of God wa* ' in him, to do judennent

Ma MoooM al Sotmm'j chirf tUom, 1-& Nim of the tmln aOcMt ihat «m*tvn>ili*illianinM,io prarU, iteMb lor tbs kbc^ btRaboU msotU]'.

*'Jm* Klag Solomon was king over all U.C. O Israel.

l^msi 2 And these vere the princes which ■ "** he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the ^ priest;

VerK 26. Divide the littn^ Mid in two] Thi« wa*, appRrently. a very slrange decision; and aucb as nothing could vindicate, had it been carried into execution; but Solom<Hi aaw that the only way to &)d out the real mother wai by the <^ffietion aoi tendemtn which she would naceaairily ihow to her ofispring. He plainly saw that the real mouier would ralber relinqnitb her claim to her dkild itkan see it hewn to i^eces before her eyee; wbile it was probable the pretender would see this witn indifference. He therefore orderi such a mode of trial as would put the maternal affection of the real mother to the utmost proof: the plan was tried, and it auoeeeded. This was a proof of his sound judgment penetmttot^ and aeqoaintance widi human nature t out it is surely Dot produced as a proof of extraordinary and snpenMural wiadom. We have sevwal similar deciaioai even among heathens.

Suetonitu, in hie life of the emperor Claudius, cap. xv. whom he celebrates for hie wonderfiil sancity and peneteatioo, on some parUeular occasions, teus us, that this emperor discovered a woman to be the mother of a certain TOuiig man, whom she refused to acknowledge as her son, by commaiuling her to marry him, the proofs b»Dg doubtful on both mdes; for, rather than commit this incest, she coiifiessed the truth. His woids are — Peeminam, mm agnoaeetitem JUtam suum, dubid utrin^ue argumentorumfde, ad coT{fiuaion«m eompulit, ituUdo matrimonio Jatenis.

Ariopharjua, the king of Thrace, being appointed to decide between three young men, who each protessed to be the sou of the deceased King of the Cimmerians, and (^med the crown in ctmsequenca | found out the real son, bf eommaoding each to shoot an arrow into the body of the mad king; two of them did this without hesitation t the third refused, and was therefore judged Ariopfaemes to be the real son of the deceased. GroHiu, en this plaoe, 4|uotes this relation from Dioderus Siculus i 1 quota this oo bit authority, but have not been aUe to find the plaoe in Diodonis. lUs is a parallel ease to that in the textt a etmrtuipealwasmadatodtapnBetpla<rfqAc<i«it/ md Ae truth was diseovered, ae in dia ease of ma nother of the living child.

3 EliUorenh and Ahlah, the son* of Sfatsha, scribes; ^ Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilitd, the

4 And ■* Benaiah the son of Jehoiada wot over the host: and Zadok and. ■ Ahiathwr were the priests:

6 And Azariah the eon of Nathan vas over •the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan leas P prmcii)al officer, and « the king's friend:

6 And Ahishar teas over the household: and ' Adoniram the son of Abda was over the * tribute.

7 \ And Solomon had twelve ofiicers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his househokl: each man his month in a year made provision.

8 And these are their names: (The ion of Hur, in mount fiphraim:

9 ■ The son of Dekar, in Makaa. and in Shaalbim, and Beth^henkesh, and Blon-bethhanan:

10 ' The son of Hesed, in Aruboth: to him pertained Sodtoh, and all the land of Hepher:

11 * The son of Abhiadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

12 Baana the son of Ahilud: to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, even nnto the place that is beyond Jokneam:

13 ' The son of Geber, in Ramoth-ffilead; to \um pertained 'the towns of Jair the son of MaiMtsaeh, which ore fn GUead } to him alto

fertotned ■ the region of Argob, which is in >a8han. threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars.

14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had ' Mahanaim:

15 Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

Terse 28. TTiey feared Ae kingi This deeiaion proved that they could not impose upon him i and they were afraid to do those things, which might Ining them before his judgment-seat.

They taw ihat the wiadom qf OodwnM in himl They perceived that he was taught of Ood, judged impartially, and could not be deceived. What vas done to the other woman we are not told: justice certainly required that she should be punished for her lies and fraud.

Verse 2. TAese vrere tiu princu which he had; Axariah themtnilf Zadok, the prieat, dbc] His grtat, olUs^ or jtrincipal men. None of then wen jmnees in n» common aeoeptation of the word.

Jeha^phat—TocordtT.Z Btetortographer to ibaHagt who chronicled the affairs of the kingdom. He was Ta this oSoe under David, see 2 Sam. u. 24.

Terse 6. AtarfoA— was ever the tiglcm] tit bad the n^MnateTuieiice ot the twelve officers mentioned below 1 see ver. 7.

Zatud — was prineipai qffleer] Perhaps what we call premier, or prime minieter.

Adtmiram — wviour the tribute,} What we call chon. eelior of the axcAsjuer. He received and brought into the treasury all the proceeds of farei and Mfrtifes; Hawaa in this office under David; sea 2 Sam. zx. 2i.

Vena 7. Titette o^lcers] The busineasrf these tweha officers was to provide daily, each for a mondi. those pn^ visions wUch were eoosumed in the king's noustbokl: see verses 22 and 23. And the task for such a daily proviuoa was not an easy otie.

Verse 13. Thrttwrc grtai Htie* vUh vxilU a»d brazen bar*.] These wan fortified eities t tfasir gates sad bars oovered with plaMs of toass. Sodi the galea in Priam's palace —

16 Baanah the son of Hushai wat in Aaher and in Atoth:

17 JehoBhaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: 13 Shimei tne eoo of Elah, in Beniamin:

19 Oeber the son of Uri waa in the country Gilead, tn '> the country of Sihon kinff of the

Amoritei, and of Og: king of Bashan; and he ifitu the only crfficer which was in the land.

20 ^ Judah and Israel were manr, « as the ■and which is by the sea in multituae, ' eatings and drinkinff. and making merry.

21 And 'Solomon reigned over all kingdonu from ' the rnrer unto the land oithe Fhiliatines, and unto the border of Egypt: ' thej brought ^oents, and served Solomon alt the irays ofbiB

22 T And Solomon's ■■provnion for one day was thirty < measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,

S3 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and roe-bucks, and fallow-deer, and fiitted fowl.

24 For he had dominion over all the refHon on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over k all the kings on this side the river: and I he had peace on all sides round about him.

Verse 20. SUtling, and drinking, andma&ing merry.] Tbxj were very ooinfortabl& very rkh, vtty meny, ua wy corrupt. And tbi» fiill feeding aad dimpatioo M to a total eorraptioii mannen.

▼ersB 31. Sotamon rtigjud over all kingdoma] The mewning of this v«rH qipean to be, that Solomon reigned orcr alTthe provinces mm the river Euphnteo, to the land of the Philutinea, even to the frontiers of Egypt. The Euphrate* wa« on <h« east of Soloinon'e dommiona; the nulutinee were ■weataard, on the Mediterranean sea; and Egypt waa on the touik. Solomon had, therefore, aa tributarieih the kiqadomaof StfriOtDamaseut, JAo&and Ammim, whkh ^ between the Euphrates and the Medi- Knanean. See udmet 'nnis ha appean to have poe- MMd all the land that God ootflMOtail with Afanham to give to bis posterity.

The tsoor, was ibe same as the Aomer, and oontained Mwly enenty-eix galUme, wine measure, according to BiAop Cumberland.

SfuaA p] toon, comprehending both abeep and eoats.

Fatttd/owll aivam 0>*»3-a harburim abu»im, I suppose means iJl the wUd fouU in season during each mooih. Hichaelis derives arena barhvrlniy tma loa oara, which, in Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, signifies a ^iU,odteeris all that is tnlAmti the cities and habitations of men; hence tro nvn chajioA bara, wild beastt, Dan. d. 38. -u •m ter fror, wild bull t and, tfierefore, harlmrim awwgniAr creatures living in the JUlde, mode, and diurf,vr\udi are taken by htmHng t and opposed to dlose which are domutkaied; and, consequently, may udude heaOe aa wall km/owU. Nboy have translated thawordeofWRs; but, query, waa any such thine known snoog die ancient Jewa^ Solomon's labli^ thet^ie, waa nreadwid) all the naeeeaarUe and deHeaciet whi£ the AMtaeor die jlcM could afibnL

,But how immense must the number of men have been TS* P^""" I«»elitish king!

VUalpandut computes the number to be not less than ^^Jt^ieMthoueandeix hundred I and Calvisiue makes, esumaum from die cMisura(»ioa of food, My-fmr Those must ban mehided idThir™^ •act of whom receiwd •ration from the kjas's stores.

25 And Judah and Israel * dwelt •aaTdr, "every man under his vine and nndw his ng tree, pfrom Dan even to Beer-^dm, aH Ae

26 1[ And t Solomon had forty thousand staHs of ' horses for his chariots, and twelve thomand horsemen.

27 And (those oiRcers provided victnal for King Solomon, end lor all that came unto King Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.

28 Barley iQso and straw for the horses ani > dromedaries brou^t they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to h» charge.

29 if And ■* Qod gave Sdomon wisdmn and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand tluU is on the seashore.

30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children * of the east country, and all the 'wisdom of Egypt.

31 For he was ' wiser than all men: ' than Ethan the Ezrahhe, and Heman, ■ and Chakol, and Darda, the sons of Mabol: andbisfhrnewan in all nations round abouL

enemies; thqr spread themselves over all the eouMm which they every where cultivated; and had alwa.ya us privilege <H eating the fridu of their owa laboun. This IB the meaning of the phrase.

Verse 26. Solomon had/brty Aovand itaOe qfTur»*» — and twelve tkoueand Aoreemen.] la 2 CStMa. iM. SL instead of Ar^CtotMoad aloU^ we reod.^b«r tt«Hsnri r and even Oils iramber might be quite twflMmrt i» hoU horses for twehe AmtMndhorsemen; for etalle and etabit* may be here synonymous. lochap. x. 26. it iaaaidhelaid 07ieSuHuandjottr/amdred<Aariote, ontfhMfoe Asammsd Aorssmen; and this is the reading in 2 Chiak i. 14. Imt Cbron. ix. 2S. already quoted, instead id,firtf Iftiiiiiiad ttaUe for horoee, the Septvagini has -nooafes j.iTlislii A|A«M imi, Jbitr Uunuiand maree; and in ihia plaoe the whok verae if omitted, both bv the %riae sad.dr«Uc: In the Targum of Rabbi JoseiMl on this book we have HNS ttrh& meak, fovcr hwubrd, instead of the Jour thoueand in Chronicles, and iim fyrty theueand in the lexL Vnm this colfauion of paialiel plaees, we may nsc satisfied that there is a torrmtim. 'm the mintftcrs somewhere; and, aa a sort of mednmi, we may take from tbs whole /our Ihemand ttaOs, one Oymaand fiur kmeirsd duxrieU, and (iHfiM thoueand hereemen.

Terae 28. And dromedarieej TTie word »ti raieJt, which we translate thus, is rendered beaete, or heaete^ brtrden, by the Vidgate; maree, the Sfriae and Arabic; cWioto, by the <SSEpte»fn/;and roee-Avrsc^ by tba Chaldee. The original wonfaeema tosigntfy a very sis{/t kind othoreef ajta race, or poet-horee, is probaUy its ttim meaning. To commonicata with ao many distant protinces Solomon had need of many animab of this kind.

Verse29. Ood gave Solomon vtedom, Ac} Hsgsvs him a c^weious mind, and fumidted him with eitiaunfr narvaaauKaDce to cultivate it

E!ten at the eand thai is on the *ea-t/iffre] Lord jOaeem observes «i thia^— "Aa the sand on die sea-sbon onelaM a great body of waters, so Solomon's mmd ™««i'>H aa ocean of bundedge." IWa is a hapu and oofteet iUs»- tration.

Verse 30. Tlte ehildren qf Ae eaet country] That is, the Oiakkans, Peraiana, and Arabians; wlio, widi dia Epr|tians, wm fiuned for wiatkira and knowledge Ihio^^

YeneZl. HewaeittserAanallmenJ H« waswinr than any of those who were most cel^nted in his tone s amcmg whom were the,>%ur after-mentioned, via. JBBla», Heman, Ckala^ and Darda. Ethan was prcbaUy dw same as ia mentioned in some of the Psalm^ partiauarty Psa. Izxxiz. title; and unong the eingere, in I Chirm, vi. 42. There is a Heman memtoned in die titte to Pa^ Izxrriii. In I Oiron. it. 7. we have all the (bur namea i but they are prctably not the same persons, for they am diere said to be the sons ^ Zerak, but he flomMied kMK bnwe SolMum's time.

Some suppose that w benty makol AouM be rendered maeUre ^ dancing, or mneiei niftrf

S2 * And he ipoke three thouaand jproreriw: and his ^ songs were a thousand and nve.

33 And he Bpake of trees, from the cedar tree that it in Lebanon, even unto the hyaaop that ■pringeth oot of the wall: he spake also of beasu, and of fowl, and of creepii^ things, and of fishes.

34 And * there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

AND ' Hiram khi^ of Tyre sent his servants nnto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him

1 oijap-gg. itiog in the room of his father: • for Hiram was ever a lover of David. 3 And 'Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build a house unto the name of the Lord his Qod, > for the wars which were about hiin en erery aide, until the Loan putthnn under the soles orhis feet.

«f vnule, at die pipe Had. Peifa^w a refcraice n ber^ made to Solomon's skill in mtuie and poetry,* at he ia compared lo pera«u who appear to have been eminent pMto and imiticlatu.

Terae 32. He apmin Ikree thoutand proverba] The Book ot Proverbo, attributed to Solomon, containa ooly •koot nine luuidrtd, or n*a« hundrtd and tttmhf-Uiret diHiaet prorerbe; and if we giant, with warns, that the int nint Aapten are not the work of Solomon, tbm all distcan be attritaMed to Ihbi ia only about rix hmidnd

Ot all hia oru thotuand and Jive »mg», or paamM, we have only ona, the Book of Oantieleo, remaining; unleaa we inekide tba ozzfiith Paalm, wbieh in the tiue ie nid to be fry or Jar him. ESxeift tk* Lord haild tiu hou**. At. I DMUMi it appoara nuM* properly to be a Paalm of dirmion, left him by his Alaer David, lelatiTs to the building of the temple.

Verae 33. He tpaiu «f trtM — heoMU—fowla — ereeping Utingt, and t^JWut.1 iHiia ia a complete ayatem of natufi hiatory, aa fer aa relatea to the wiimal and vegetable kngdoin } and the firat intimation wa have of any thine ef the kind: and SolfflDMinwM pnperly ba firat noterat hUtrimn ia the world.

Obowmuatthe heart of Toumefbrt, Ray, LinnC, BuffoiH Ctavier, Swammerdam, Bloeeb, and odier oaluraliata, be vnug to know, that theae work* of Solomon are all, end forever leetl What iiejita ahould we have thrown on the aoinat and vegetidile fciiwdoma, had theae worka been preaerved I But the province of Qod haa not thoiu^t fit to iweaeffve them; and aueceeding naiuraliata are left to iaveal tbeaystem which be probably left perfeoL If iheve be any remaioa of hiawiadom, they moat be sought amoag the OrieDtala, among whom his c/iaracler is well known, and rates as high aa it does with either Jews or Christians. I riiall give some extracts from their works, relative to Solomon, when I come to consider hia charaetw at the end of chapter xL

Terse 34. lyiere eame of alt people b» hear IhAiriadom of Solomon} We learn from ehap. x. that the quoon qf Shoba waa mte of duMe visilania; end perfaapa the moat ■eiUiiMble^ aa we have the partieutara M her visit, but not tk the Dthera

It is aaloniahing that of a peraon ao renowned for wiadom, so liule aliould be left to prove the truth of a faet of which all the civilized nationa of the world have heard t and of which aearoely anv man has ever doubted 1 The people that came from all ainga of the earth were probably amMseadora, who came to form and maintain friendabip between their sovereigns and the laraalitiah kug. We cannot understand the place as apaakiag of people who, •tdtar throu^ aa idle or laudable curioai^, earns to see and eoBvarae with 8<domon: to giva free aeeeaa to such wsold ill aomport with the maiBtenaaes of his

4 But now the Lord my God hath given me ^ rest on every side, so that tktre is nekher adversary nor evil occurrent.

5 lAnd, behold, I ^purpose to build a house unto the name of the Lord my Qod, i as the Loac spake unto David my father, sa/uiff, Thy son whom I will aet upon thy throne in my room, hf shall build a house unto my name.

6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me " cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy serranta: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou sbalt "appoint: for thou knowest that there is not any among us that can skill to hew timber like unio the Suomans.

7 IT And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoioed greatly, and said, Blessed be the Loan this day, which hath given nnto David a wise son over this great

8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have "considered the things which thou senteet to me for; and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.

9 My servants eluU briiw them down from Lebanon unto the sea; >aiM I will conviy thMn

NOTES ON CHAPl^ V. Terae 1. Hiram iff T\rti It rauat have beta at '"tp'Miisg of Solomoire rein that theee ambassadors wmaaati and spaaa suppose nat the Htnm nMikstad here ia difiteaot firom him who waa the friend of David { but there seems no very aolkl reason for this supposition. As Hiram had intimate alliance with David, and built his palace, 2 Sam. v. II. he widied to maintain the same good understanding with hia son, of wbooe wisdom he had, no doubt, heard mt most advantagaoosaeeoaiila j and be loved the son, beeause he always loved the fiuher. IVr Hiram woe eser a Imr <(f Daeld.

Ytaibi. S^omonoml to Hiram} Made an inierehaaga of ambaasadora and friendly greelii^. Joaeiduia lella us that the correapondanoe between Hiram and Solomon was Eveaerved in the archives of the I^iana even in his time. But ihi% like mai^ other aaaartioiui ot the aame author, ia worthy of tittle endit

Terw4. There is n^Uier adteroary]^ fw pn «» Saian, there is no Satan, no oppoaer, nor any Kind of evil i all ia peace and quiet, both without and wiuun. God haa given roe this quiet that I may build bis temple. Dm* nobit htee otia fecit.

Terse 5. A home tinio the name iff the Lord] lie name of Ood is God himaelt I purpose to build a house to that infinite and eternal being, called.AAomA.

Verse 6. Any that eon oleiU to Asta timtor} An obsolete and barbarous expression for, any that Inune how to cut Umber. TItey had neither eavn/ert, earpetUtro, Joinor*, nor buildere among them, equafto ihe Skhmiana. Sidon was a part of the territories of Hiram, and its inhabitanta appear to have been the moat expert workmen. It requires more skill to /sU and prepare timber than is generally suppoaed. VwruxivM gives aotne rules relative to this, lih. ii. cap. 9. the sum of which ia this: — 1. Trees sboula be felled u autumn, or in the winter, and in the wane of the moon; for in this season the trees recover their vigour and aolidi^, which waa dispersed among their leavea, and exhausted ny their fruit, in spring and summer; they will then be ftee from a oertaia moisture, very apt to engender worms, wid rot them t which in autumn and winter is consumed and dried up. 2. Trees should be cut down at oneot they ahoukl be cut eareftiUy round, toward Ihe pidi, that the mp may drop down, and distil away; and thus left till thoroiwily dry; and then cut down entirely. 3. When fiilly ra'ied, a tree should not be expoeed to the south sun, hi^ winds, and rain; and ahould be smeared over with eow-dung to prevent its splitting. 4. It should never be drawn through the dew; out be removed in the aftenioon. 6. It is not fit for fiom^ doors^ or window^ till it has been felled three years. Pvhaps these directioo^ attended Ul wouU prevent the dir rot. And we see tnm lium duu there is considerable doll rranired to Aew timber, and in this the Sidoniaae eicelled. We do every thing in a hurry, and our building ia good for notfaiiur.

Terae 7. Bleued be tte Lou Ihie day] From this, and Litdeed from every part of Hiram'a ooMMOl, it is eralMit thathewaaaworahipperof the true Ood: uakaB,sswas the ease with many of the heaibena^ be eumwaed that eveiy country had ita own god, and eveiy god bis owa eountnr; and be thanked die CM of Israel lhat be had given so wise a priooe to govern thoee whom he eonaidacea bis fMeods andaUies; but the first opinion sasns to be the austeorreet.

tiy sea ia floats unto the place that thou Bhalt qqtpointme.aDd will cause them to be discharged there, and tiiou ahalt receive them: and thou ■halt accompIiBh my desire, ' in giving food for my household. (

10 H So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees, and fir trees, according to all his desire.

11 'And Solomon gave Hirara twenty thon- ■and > measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.

13 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, ■ as he promised hira: ana there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

13 ^ And King Solomon raised a * levy out of all Israel: and the levy was thirty thousand men.

14 Anil he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, a)id ivro months at home: and "Adonirara was over the levy.

15 'And Solomon hod threescore aod ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;

10 Besides the chief of Scdomon's officers which were over Uie work, three thousand and

Vorae 9. Stajl bring them down ^ran\ Ltbanon unto ffa tea.} As the rirer Adonu vtat m the vicinity of the Ibrest of Lebsnon, nnd emptied iiaelf into the Hediternman KB, near Biblof, Hirtun eooM transport ths Ambers all ■quared, and not only out to ■eantling, but cut to u to occupy the place it was intended for in me bailding, without any fitruier need of axe or nw. It mi^t readily be sent down the coast on rafts, and landed at Joppa, or Jainnia, hut opposite to Jenuolem, at the distance or about twtnty-five miles. See 2 Chron. ii. 16. The earriaee could not be great, as the timber was all fitted for the building where it was hewn down. The materials had only to be pul together when they arrived at Jerusalem. See ch. vi. 7.

Verse t1. And Solomon gave Hiram, &e.J The information in this verse, of the annual stipetid paid to Hiram, igdefkUnt; and must be supplied out of 2 Chron. ii. 10. Hwe twadjf Ounuand measures of wheat, and Imnty measures of pure oil, is all that is promised; there, laenty AouMTtd measures of beaten wheat, twmiy Ikmuana measures of barley, twenty thmuand baths of wine, and twenty thmuand baths of oil is the stipulation; unless we BtqMKwe tiie first to be for Hiram's own fiunily, the latter £» nis woHtmeo. instead ot tioenty measures of oil, die Syriac, Antrie, and Septuagint, have twenty Hwuiand measures, as in Chronicles, la 2 Chron. instead of eors of oil, it is bat/u. The batk was « measure much less, Ihan the ear.

Verse 13. The leoy wu thirty Oumeand men.! We ftnd, from the following verse, that only ten thmuand were employed at once, and those only for one m<mth at a time: ana having rested two months, they again resumed their labour. These were the persons over whom Adomnm was superintendent; and were all Israelites.

Verse IS. Threescore and ten thmuand that bare burdene] These were all afrangert or proetiylee, dwelling among the Israelites; as we leom from the parallel place, 2 Chron. ii. 17, 19.

Verse 16. Betide* — AreeVtaueand and three hundred, iMA ruled over (he people] In die {nmllel plao& 2 CStron. iL IS. it is Ares thmieaitd eis kunared. Tfie SeptOBgint has here the same namber.

CosUy ttonet"] Stones that cost much tabour and time to ont them out of the rock.

Bewed stones] Every wiiere squared and polished.

Verse 18. And the ttone-eguarerti Instead of timempiarert, the margin verf properly rssds OtMUee, B<^*ain ha-ribUm, aid refers to Bsek. xzviL 9. irtiare WB find die iohSlntaats of Gebat celebrated for dieir Icnowledge in Mp'bttiiding. Some suppose that these OtbKtee were the inhaUtants of Biblot, at the foot of movat Libooae, northward of Sidon, on the coast of the Meditercaneaa ■ea; famous for its wines i and now called Oaeta. Both Ptolemy and St^hanue ByxanHnue speak ik a town oalled aAala, to the east « l^rei but mm difinnt Cmta Oebal or Bibtoe. It seems more iwnm] to undo— uond this of a pwpf^ than of stoiM-Jgwwwff ihoo^ three hundred, which rtded over the penile Aat

17 And the king commanded, and they broogbt great stones, costly stones, arid^bevreA sUifkea, to lay the foundation of the house.

18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the ■ stone-squuers; so they prepared timber and Btones to build the

AND » it came to pass, in the four feJJSf hundred and eigntietfi year after a^smiik the children of Israel were come out ^mS^ of the land of Egjfpt, in the fourth year i-oty>^ of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the mooth Zif, which M the second month, that ^he*b(^an to build the house of the Lord.

2 And the house which King Solomon both for the Lord, the length there<M wu threescore cuMts, and the bret^th thereof twen^ aMU, and the height Uiereof thirty cuhha.

most of the vernona have adopted this idea, which we U* low in the text.

Verse 1. Jn the four hundred and eightieth yemi Tlie Septuagint has die four hundred (oidfotiieA year. It need scarcely be noticed, (hat among liaoaoio^Mm thereisagreatdifierence of opinion concerning this «p(Mlia, Olyeae, has 330 years; MdeMot Conns, SMtyears; Joiephus, G92 years) Sidpiciut SePerue, MB; CImmm Aleximdrinut, 670; Cedrenaa, 072 1 CodoMonua, 516; Fowius and Cavellut, 680 s iSeraKus, 680; NiehaUe Abrahafn, 527 i AfosUmiu, 692; Petavtue snd VaUkenw, 520. Hen are more than a dozen of differeot apimami and after all, that in the common Hebrew text is as Iftely to be the true one as any of the others.

The month- Z\f\ This answers to a part of our Ajprd and May; and was the aeooad mnth of the soenarf yssr, but die eighth month of the civil war. Before the time sf Solomon, the Jews do not appear to have bad ai^ maam for dieir months, but mentioned them in the order cf tfaeoconsecutive occurrence, firet month, eeeond month, tkird month, Ac. In this chapter, we find and But; sad in ch. viiL ver. 2. we find another, Rthanim; and tkeso are supposed to be borrowed from the Chatdeans; an^ ounBe()lMIUh^ this book was written after ihs Bab^coiifa capdvi^. Befbre this time, we find only the word Alrih mentioned as the name of a month, Exod. xiii. A. WbeAcr there were any others at that time, or whether AAib were really inteocled as the name of a moadi, we camot ahsolutely wy. The present naoMs of the Hebrew miwHtw are: — THeH, (answering to apart of September and Octdbor,) MarAewan, Ciiteu, TyiebtLau&ety Admr, Ammm, ^r, Sitan, Humtmuz. Ab, and EluL

Verse 2. length thereof was Ifcraeaeers cbWs] A cuMl aoeoiding to BiAop Cunbortand, is 21 incha^ sad aaSdeumals, or 1 fboL 9 incftie^ and 868 decimala.

This coosdMted what was called the tempU, or. ib» haute ^Ood, Ac. But, besides diisi there wan < and eolonnadee, wliere the people might asaembk to perform their devotions, and assist at the saoifioea, witmrat being exposed to the open air. The co«m. sarrounded iIm temple, or holy plaoe, into whiidi the priests akoe eutaed. ScKDctiises die whole of the buildiag is called the tcsi^s r at other timss that, the meawrement of wfaiefa is gna above. But aa no piopsr BeeouU eaa be givm of weak a building in notes; and sa tharB ia • great vario^ of op«&- ions eonetaning the tsmirte, its stiuetnrs, osaameiM, Ae. as roentiOMd in the books of Kinge and Ommielm, im Bxekiel, and by Joeepkut i nad ss modcra wrnsrs, wactt em l^tajpandtttf Dr. lAghffott, and Dr. M^ridetmx^ pufcss ing to be gmded by toe same principles, have {xaliioad verydifibrembnildii^l I think it beat lo haiaid nothuc on the suUaet, but give that description at ths aad of the chapter whieli Gnhsetwith gmtmins sad indMiylM ooUeeted: at dw ssim tiake pM^ig lajmit to BopanK

3 And the porch befbre the temple of the bouse, twenty cabita was the length thereor, ttccoraioe to the breadth of the house; emd tea cabitfl was the breadth thereof before the house.

4 If And for the house he nmde « windows 'of narrow liffhts. «,.

5 ^ And ■ agahist the wall of the house he built ^ chambers • round about, against the walls of the house round about, Both of the temple ^ and of the oracle: and he made < chambers round about:

6 The nethermost chamber toag five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without tn the wall of the house he made » narrowed rests round about, that the. beams should not be fhstened in the walls (tf the house.

7 And "the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, ftor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in boildine.

6 The door for the middle chamber was in the right " side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. B. a im!' 9 p So he built the house, and finiMiOLca ished it; and covered the house ^i^iSSl' with beams and boards of cedar.

p*!^* 10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11 IT And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,

12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, ■ if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to 'nnalk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, ^ which I spake unto David thy father:

13 And " I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not ' forsake my people Israel ^"imT" 14 it - So Solomon built the house,