Exposition of the Whole Bible

N this chapter we have an account of twelve military courfes, or twelve legions of foldiers, with the captains of them, that ferved David monthly in their turns, y. 1—15. and of the princes of the feveral tribes, y. 16—24. and of his ceconomical rulers, ¥.

¥. 1. Now the children of Ifrael after their num- - ber, &c.} Notthe whole body of the people, but the militia of the nation; for after the account of the divifion, of the priefts and Levites into courfes, follows an account of the militia of the nation, being divided alfo into monthly courfes; which, though done in the beginning of David’s reign, as Kimchiand 25—31, and of his "halk Acute a is ie a eth a rae ea ebel, who - king in Hebron, y. 7.

‘ ‘ 0 foon, is clear\from the inftance of 4 qe Se ie Real 080 34 was killed whilft David was to wit, the chief fathers; the chief men in the tribes, the princes of them, not the natural fathers of the foldiers jn each courfe, asa learned man fuggetts *; fince it can never be thought that fuch a number {prung from thole as made acourfe of 24,0005 for they are diftinét from the captains and officers aftermentioned, under which the foldiers were 5 befides, why fhould they be called chief fathers? thefe, no doubt, were the general officers or princes, under which the captains and inferior officers were: and captains of thoufands and hundreds; in the feveral tribes: and their officers; that were under them: ’ that ferved the king in any matter of the courfes, which came in and went out month by month, throughout all the months of the year, by which it appears that the militia of the kingdom was divided into twelve courfes, which ferved each month by turns; when one went out another canie in; by which means the king was well fupported and guarded, and had an army at once at command upon any infurre¢ction or war that might arifé; and each courfe ferving but one month in a-year, it was no great burden upon them, even if they maintained themfelves, fince they were at leifure, the other eleven months, to attend to their bufinefs; and efpecially if it was, as Jarchi obferves, that not the poor but the rich were felected for this fervice: of every courfe were 24,000 5 fo that the twelve courfes amounted to 288,000 men.

¥. 2—15. Over the firft courfe for the firft month, &c.] The month Nifan, fometimes called 4bid, which was March: was Fafbobeam the fon of Zabdiel; the firft and chief of David’s worthies, ch. xi. -11. and in his courfe were 24,000; and fo in all the following ones; this man was of the pofterity of Perez, or Pharez, a fon of Fudab; and.fo had the preference and command: of all the captains of the army for that month: Dodai an Abobite; the fame with Dodo, ch. xi. 12. was over the courfe of the fecond month, the month Zv, fometimes called Fiar, or April; and his lieutenant or fucceflor was Mikloth: Benaiah the fon of Feboiada, a chief prieft; or rather a prince, a principal officer, was general of the army for the third month, Sivan, or May, the fame was mighty among the thirty, and even above them, for he was among the three mighty, ch. xi. 22. 24: and Ammizabad his fon fucceeded him, or was his deputy, when etherways employed: though led by our verfion here, and following the Fewifh writers, I have called Benaiah a prieft in the note on 1 Kings ii. 31, yet [am now rather of opinion that he was not one; for though priefts might bear arms on fome occafions, yet it is not likely that one fhould be’ in a conftant military office, and efpecially general of an army; and befides, this man was of Kabzeel, a city in the tribe of %udab, which is not mentioned among the Levitical cities, fee 2 Sam. xxiii. 20. Fofo. xv. 21. Afahel the brother of Foab was over the courfe for the fourth month, Tammuz, or Fune, and who being flain by Abner, his fon Zebadiah fucceeded him: Shambuth, the fame with Shammahb, 2 Sam. xxiii. rr. and Shammoth, ch. xi. 27. was captain for the sth month, 4, or Fuly: Ira the fon of Tkke/h, the Tekoite was over the courfe of the 6th month, E/u, or Auguft, fee ch. xi, 28. Helez the Pelonite was captain for the 7th month, Tifri, or September, fee ch. xi. 27. the captain for _the 8th month, Marche/van, fometimes called Bul, ot Ofober, was Sibbecai the Hufbathite, of the Zarbites, ot the pofterity of Zerah, a fon of Fudab in the line of Hufhah, ch. iv. 4. fee ch. xi. 29. the captain of the courfe for the 9th month, Cifeu, or November, was Abiezer, of Anethoth, in the tribe

of Benjamin, fee ch. xi. 28. Mabarai, of Net phath, in the tribe of Fudab, and of the poft of Zerab; was over the courfe for che roth n ay Tebet, or December, fee ch. xi. 30. and the capta for the 11th month, Shebet, or. Fanuary, was Benaiah, of Pirathon, in the tribe ‘of Epbreim, fee ch. xi. 31. and over the courfe for thé 12th month, Adar, or February, was Heldai the Ne th; i the fame with Heléd, ch. xi. 30. and who was of the pofterity of Orhwiel, the firft judge in Jrael, Judg. i. 13. andiii.g. Pee yy. 16—22. Furthermore, over the cittes of ee &c.] Were the following rulers or princes; the captains over the militia betore-named were of David’s appointment; but thefe ruled over their refpective tribes in their own right, or by the choice of their tribes: the ruler of the tribe of Rewben was Fliezer, the fon of Zichri: of the tribe of Simeon, Shephatiah the fon of Maachah, whether this was his father’s or mother’s name is not Certain, it being the name both of a man and woman: ofthe. tribeof Levi, Hafbabiah the fon of Kemuel: of the Aaronites, who were of the fame tribe, but being priefts, are thus diftinguifhed from the Levites, Zadok, who was made high-prieft in the times of Solomon: of the tribe of Fudah, Elihu, a brother of David's, the fame with Eliab, 1 Sam. xvi. 6. of the tribe of I[achar, Omri the fon of Michael: of the tribe of Zebulun, I/bmaiah the fon of Obadiah: of the tribe of Naphtali, Ferimoth the fon of Azriel: of the tribe of Ephraim, Hofbea the fon of Azaziab: of the half-tribe of Manaffeh, on this fide Fordan weltward; Yoel the fon of Pedaiah: of the half-tribe of Manaffeh, in Gilead, on the other fide Fordan eattward, Jddo the fon of Zechariah: of the tribe of Benjamin, Faafiel the fon of Abner, the famous general on the fide of Jhbofbeth: of the tribe of Daz, Azareel the fon of Feroham: thefe were the princes of the tribes of Irael; of all excepting Gad and Afber, who are omitted; perhaps he that was prince of the tribe of Reuben, or elfe of the half-tribe of eset, beyond Fordan, was ruler of Gad and Afber } thefe lying between Zebulun and Naphtali, might be under the prince of one of them.; ¥.23. But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under, &c.| Only thofe that were twenty years and upwards; but according to Cornelius Bertram *, he numbered them that were under 20, though but 16, 17, 18, ort yen BE. age, provided they were of robuft bodies, and of - a tall ftature, and able to bear arms; which he takes - to be the fin of David, in numberin the people, being contrary to the law of God; yet though he had ordered them to be numbered, and mht a yet he would not take them and put them into account of his chronicles, as in the next verfe, th: his fin might not be known, fee 2 Sam. xxiii. 9. becaufe the Lord bad faid; he would increafe, rack like to the ftars in the heavens; which are n be numbered, and therefore David finned in: ing tonumber the people. = ¥. 24. Yoab the fon of Zeruiab epan | &c.] By the order of David, but his own will, fee ch. xxi: 25 3, 4. 6 not; the two tribes of Benjamin z counted by him, ch. xxi. 6. ¢ for it againft Ifrael, the p age before he had done numbering, ¥ {to it, ch. xxi. 14. neither was the nm account of the chronicles of David; th brought in by Yoab, though i

: <5 -* | eo % 9. Chixxvirey 173° CHRONICLES. ' 39 entered into the diary, journal, or annals which David ordered to be written of all memorable events and, tranfactions in his reign; and which were afterwards carried on by the kings of Fudah, often referred to in the. preceding books; and -this was done, not becaufe of the imperfection of the account, but becaufe David did not chufe this fin of his fhould be tranfmitted to pofterity, though it has been, notwithftanding this precaution of his.

mentioned is the lord of his treafury, who had the care of his gold and filver brought into his exchequer, either by a levy on his own people, or by the tribute of others: Febonatban the fon of Uz- 2iab had the care of the ftorehoufes, in which laid up, what the fields, cities, villages, and that belonged to the king produced, whether by fruits gathered in, or by rents collected: fon of Chelub looked after his workmen in the a fields, employed inthe tillage of the ground: Sbimei of Ramath, in the tribe of Benjamin, had the «care of the vineyards, to fee that they were drefled and pruned, and kept in good order: Zabdi of and as early as the times of Ninus king of Afyria, one named Simma was mafter of the king’s cattle’, as Fau/tulus was to Amulius king of the Latines™; and fo Zyrrhus in Virgil * had the command of all the king’s cattle; and Cicero mentions another in the fame office *: Odi] the Jbmaelite; an Arab, as the Targum, had the care of the camels; and a very proper perfon he was, who muft know the nature of them, and how to manage them, Aradia, of the land of the Jbmaelites, abounding with them. This man was fo called, either becaufe he was an J/bmaelite by birth, and was profelyted to the Fewi/h and the firft religion; or he was an J/raehte that had dwelt fome time in the land of Tfomael, and therefore fo called. Bochart ® thinks, he had his name of Odi/ from his office, the word in the Arabic language fignifying a keeper of camels. ‘febdeiah the Meronothite was were, over the affes, which were émployed in ploughing caftles, and carrying burdens; and Faziz the Hagarite was over the flocks of fheep, the chief fhepherd, who Zzri the) had the command of all the under-fhepherds, and very proper perfon, being an Hagarite, or Arab for fuch dwelt in tents for the fake of pafturage for their flocks, as Yarchi notes: thefe were the principal men that had the care of Davia’s perfonal fubftance; fo in after-times, the Roman Cefars*

¥. 25—34. And over-ibe king’s treafures was Azmaveth the fon of Adiel, &c.\ The hiftorian here proceeds to relate who were employed in the ceconomical and civil affairs of David;

the wine fqueezed out of the grapes, both in the preffes and in the cellars: Baal-banan of Geder, in the tribe of Fudab, Fofo. xv. 36. 58. was over the olive and fycamore-trees, to fee that they were well taken care of: and Yoa/h was entrufted with the cellars where the oil was depofited: Shitrai.the Sharonite had the herds of kine fed in Sharon mitted to his truft,; whether in Sharoz beyond Fordan, or that about Lydda and Foppa, near the Mediterranean fea, both affording fruitful paftures for herds; and this man being of Sharon, was a fit man to be employed in fuch fervice: and Shapbat the fon of dla: was over thofe herds that were the vallies, where were good paftures for them; was uncle, the fon of Shimea, his brother being a wife and learned man, was his counfellor, fee 2 Sam. xxi. 21. and Febiel the Hachmonite was preceptor, or tutor to the king’s fons, that brought them up, com-jand took care of their education; Abithophel was his counfellor, until the confpiracy and rebellion of Abfalom; and Hufbai the Archite was his com-, panion, friend and favourite, with whom he converfed at leifure hours. After the death of Abitophel, Fehoiada the fon of Benaiab, and Abiather, in) were his counfellors, and Joab the general of his army.

fuch officers Pharaoh king of Egypt had, Gen. xlvii. 6. | had fuch fort of fervants to take care of their farms, fields, fruit, cattle, &%c¢. the reft that follow were David’s courtiers. ‘Jonathan, or to whom David

AVTID having convened the principal men |king, and of bis fons 3 whofe names may be read in

D of the nation, declared Solomon his fucceffor, whom God had chofen both to be king, and to build the temple, ¥. 1—7. and exhorted both them and’ him to ferve the Lord, and build an houfe for him, ¥. 8,9, 10. then gave Solomon the pattern of it, and an account of the materials he had _prepated for it, y.11—1g. and encouraged him to go about the work with alacrity and intrepidity, Visca: * \ y.1. And David affembled all the princes of Ifvael, the princes of the tribes, &c.| Whofe names are given in ch. xxvii. 16—22. and the captains of the companies that minifired to the king by courfe; monthly, each having 24,000 men under him, whofe names are expreffed, ch. xxvii. 2—15. and the captains over the thoufands; of which there were 24 in a courfe, at the head of each 1000, under ch. xxvii. 25—31. with the officers; the courtiers and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men; both men of valour, and of wealth and riches: thefe David affembled unto Ferufalem; the metropolis of the kingdom, and where his court and palace were. | »

¥.2. Then David the king fiood up upon his fect, &c.] Rofe from the bed or couch on which he lay, as Kimchi thinks, being fomewhat recovered of his paralytic diforder, and being willing to exert himfelf on this occafion. or he rofe up from the feat or throne, on which he before fat, in honour to this auguft afflembly before him, and that he might be the more eafily heard; for which reafon we are told‘, it was a cuftom with the ancients, even for kings to ftand up when they had a number of people about them they fpoke to; and if any one fat, it was reckoned a new and the chief captain: and captains over the hundreds; _ eénturiéns under the fecond captains: and the Stewards over all the fubfance and poffeffion of the {trange thing; fo Agamemnon, when wounded, did not fpeak fitting, until he had made an excufe for ic: and aid, hear me, my brethren, a 40 lL CHRONICLES. Ch. xxvil. ¥..5—18) having fomething of moment ‘and importance fay unto them, and which required their diligent) attention; and though they were his fubjects, he calls them his brethren, being of the fame nation and religion, and to fhew his modefty and humility; in which he was a type of Chrift, the king of kings, fee Heb. ii. 11. as for me, I had it in my heart to build an boufe of reft for the ark of the covenant of the Lord; where it might abide, and not be removed from: place to place; the fame he had told Solomon, ch. xxii. 7. and for the footftool of cur God; or even for it, for the ark is meant, which is fo called, Pf xc. 5. and cxxxii. 7, 8. for as the Lord fat between the cherubim over the mercy-feat, the lid of the ark, it was fpeaking after the manner of men, a footftool to him: had made ready for the building, prepared materials for.it; feech, xxii. 3,4, 14, 15, 16. and ch, xxix. tolbefore him, as Yarchi, in whofe ‘prefence they, were, and who heard and faw all that pafled, and to whom David appeals as a witnefs; the 7 is, “* before the Word of the Lord,” before whom. all chings are naked and open, Hed. iv. 12, 13. keep and feek for all the commandments of the Lord’ your God; feek to know them, fearch for them in the word of God, and endeavour to keep them; shat ye may poje/s this good land, continue in the poffeffion of it, for by their obedience they held it, If, i. 19. and leave it for an inheritance for your,. - children after you for ever that fo they might not be removed from it, and carried captive into other. lands, as they were for their difobedience.

y.9. And thou, Solomon my Jon, &c) Who was. and) prefent in this affembly, and prefented to them by David as his fucceffor, and their future king: and. having addreffed them, he turns himfelf to him, ests and exhorts him, faying, know thou the God of thy

¥. 3. But God faid unto me, thou foalt not build an houfe for my name, &c.} This he faid by Nafather; who was his father and covenant-God, and whom he ferved and worthipped, and who had then the prophet, 2 Sam. vii. 5. decaufe thou hat beftowed upon him many favours, both temporal.

been a man of war, and baft foed blood; fee ch. and fpiritual; and having had fuch an experience y. 4. Howbeit, the Lord God of Ifrael chofe me before all the houfe of my father to be king over Ifrael for ever, &c.] Paffing by all his brethren who were elder than he, he pitched upon him, and ordered him to be anointed king ot J/rae/, fee 1 Sam. Xvi. 10, 12. and that for ever, for a long time, as long as he lived; or rather in his pofterity for many years to come, and beft of all in his antitype Chrift, the fon ot David, fee Luke i. 32, 33. Jor be hath chofen Fudah to be the ruler; the tribe of Fudah to be the feat of government, and one out of that tribe to be the chief ruler, fee ch. v. 2. Gen. xlix. 10. and of the boufe of Judah, the houfe af my father; out of that tribe he chofe his fa ther’s family, to take from thence one to’ be king of his goodnefs, he exhorts his fon to feek to know more and more of him, and-to own and acknowledge him as his God, and to love and fear him: ferve bim with a perfe heart, and with a willing mind, cordially and fincerely, chearfully, and freely, neither in an hypocritical manner, nor through force and\ conftraint, nor with: loathing and wearinels: for the Lord fearcheth all beartss: the hearts of all men, even of kings, and knows. from what principles, and with what views, and in what manner they ferve him: and underftandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts; not only the thoughts of the heart, when regularly formed and ranged in order, but even the very beginning of them, the firft motions of the mind, and before they are well formed, fee Gen. vi. 5. Pf.

of [frael: and among the fons of my father, be liked \cxxxix. 2. if thou feck him; by prayer and fup- - me to make me king over all Ifrael, tho’ the youngeft of them, 1 Sam. xvi. 11. this was his will and pleafure. }

¥. 5. And of all my fons, for the Lord hath given me many fons, &c.} Whofe names, and the order of their birth, may be read in ch. ili: 1—g. be

2 por of thee; grant his prefence, and beftow his » for ever; from being king, or enjoying that peace, plication in his houfe and ordinances: be will be -.

favour’, fee Jf lv. 6. butif thou forfake him <his word, his ways, his worfhip: be will caf thee of profperity and happinefs which otherwife would be hath chofen Solomon my fon to fit upon. the throne of enjoyed.!

the kingdom of the Lord over Ifrael; to be his fucceflor in it: this he fays to obferve to them, that this was not merely his own will and choice, nor the fruit and effect of a fond affection to Solomon; nor was it barely in purfuance of a promife made to Bathfbeba, fhe had obtained of him; but it was according to the will and appointment of God, and therefore to be the more regarded.

¥. 6. And he faid unto me, Solomon thy fon, he fhall build my boufe, &e.) See 2 Sam. vii. 13. and my courts; in the houfe or temple: for J have chofen him to be my fon; predettinated him to the adoption of children, Eph. i. 5. and I will be bis father, fee 2 Sam. vit. 14.

¥. 7. Moreover, I will eflablifh bis kingdom for ever, &c.] The fame is faid in 2 Sam. vii. 13. if be be conftant to do my commandments, and my judgments, as at this day; if he continued: in the obfervance of them, as he had begun, and went on in until that day; this is added here, and was not fpoken by Nathan, when what goes before was; for'Solo per chambers; where-the priefts Jay.

David fince, and as it fhould feem at this time. ¥.8. Now therefore, in the fight of all Ifrael, the congregation of the Lord, &c.) Whom this affembly reprefented: and in the audience of our God;

mon was not then born, but muft be fuggefted "|

¥. 10. Take heed now, &c.] Of offending God by forfaking him; or fee, confider, and obferve now what he was farther about to fay to him, © concerning the building of the temple, as follows: for the Lord hath chofen thee to build an houfe for. the fanéiuary; a temple for the ark, called the is, the Word of the Lord hath chofen thee, €c. be flrong, and do it; be of a good heart and cou» rage, and fet about it with vigour and refolu-.— tion. epee ¥. 11. Then David gave to Solomon bis fom the pattern of the porch, &c.|. The breadth, and le oth, and heighth of it, which was to be placed at the eaft-end of the temple, and was the. entrance i it: and of the houfes thereof; the holy plac nd*; the moft holy, which latter is called the greater houfe, 2 Chron. iii. 5. and of the treafuries; things belonging to the temple were = priefts veftments, and other things: ame

I p inner parlours thereof; where the ay holy things; all thefe feem to be building the wall of the temple round about, 1 Kings vi. 5. and of the place of the mercy feat; the holy of

Ch. xxvili.v.12—20.1. CHRONICLES. 41 lies, where that with the cherubim over it, and the ark under it, were placed.

x. 12. And the pattern of all that be had by the Spirit, 8cc.] ‘By the Spirit of God, who gave him the whole form of the temple, and all things relative to it; juft as God fhewed to Mo/es, the pattern of the tabernacle in the mount, the Targum is, by the fpirit of prophecy that was with him. The Fews fuppofe, that Samuel the prophet was firft made acquainted with’ it, and he made it known to David: of the courts of the houfe of the Lord; the outward court, the court of the priefts, &c. and of all the chambers round about; fee 1 Kings vi. 5. of the treafuries of the houfe of,God, and of the treajuries of the dedicate things; of the difference of which, fee ch. xxvi. 20.

y¥.13. And alfo for the courfes of the priefts and Levites, &c.] Where they fhould ferve, of which as fixed and ordered by David, fee ch: xxiv, xxv, xxvi. and for all the work of the fervice of the boufe of the Lord, they fhould be employed* in: and for all the veffels of fervice in the boufe of the Lord; which they fhould ufe therein.

y. 14.°He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all infiruments of all manner of fervice, &c.] Whatever was to be made of gold, David was directed by the Spirit ‘of God what weight or quantity of gold fhould be made’ ufe of in’ making it{¥ds appears from! fome following inftances: filver alfo forall *infiruments”of filver, by weight, for all iiftrihents of ‘every kind of -fervice; fo likewife whatever inftruments*or veffels, for the fervice of the temple, were to be made of*filver, he had a direction from the Spirit of God what weight each was to be of, or what quantity of: filver was to be ufed in it, and this he-gave; according to Jacob Febudab Leon *, the vefiels of gold’ were 340,000, the vefiels of filver 470,000, in all 810,000. es

¥. 15. Even the weight for the candlefticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candleftick, and for the lamps thereof, &c.| Thefe candlefticks were ‘ten, and each had feven lamps, and were placed five on one fide the Mo/aic candleftick, and five on the other, as fay the Fews, fee « Kings vii. 49. and the weight of gold for each candleftick, according to the above writer‘, was

100 pound; and for both candlefticks and lamps, ~ David, -by the Spirit of God, was directed to give: and for the candlefticks of filver, by weight, both for the candleftick, and alfo for the lamps thereof, according to the ufe of every candleftick, the weight of filver for them was fixed; of thefe we no where elfe read. Kimchi thinks thefe were for the chambers of the priefts, to give them light when they eat and lay there.

¥.165 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of foew-bread, for every table, &c.| For though there were but one table for the fhew-bread in the tabernacle of Mo/es, there were ten in the temple of Solomon, 2 Chron. iv. 8. and each of them contained 100 pound in weight“: and likewife /lver for the tables of filver, thefe were placed in the court, as Farchi thinks, on which they flead the facrifices; or, as Kimchi, on which they flew them, and laid the fiefh of the burnt-offerings on them, which he gathers from Ezek. xl. 39.

¥. 17. Alfo pure gold for the flefh-books, &c.)

To take the pieces of flefh out of the pots, in which they were boiled: end the bowls, and the cups; and for the golden bafons he gave gold dy weight fér every bafon; which were veffels made ufe of for the receiving and {prinkling the blood of the facrifices: likewile filver Ly weight for every bafon of filver; for it feems fome of them were of filver, as others were of gold., y

¥e 18. Jud for the altar of incenfe refined gold by weight; ce.) This was alfo 100 pound weight in gold,with which it was to be overlayed ": and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubim, which were two large ones, befides thofe which Aéo/es made; and thefe. were not made of gold, as they were, but overlaid ‘with it, fee 1 Kings vi. 23—28. which with them made four; and to which the four living creatures in Ezekiel’s vifion allude, and: make-the mercavab or chariot, the Fews fo much fpeak of; perhaps from this, and other like phrafes; and the Lord fitting here as in a chariot, not only denotes the glory and fplendor of the Shekinab; or divine majefty; but, as fome obferve, his readinefs to ridé off and depart, when difpleafed and provoked, fee Ezek. x. 18, 19. that fpread out their wings, and covered. the ark of the covenant of the Lord; not that fpread their. wings over the ark, and covered it, that-the Mojaic cherubim did; but thefe fpread their wings before it from wall to wall, fo that it could not be feen by any that turned afide the vail, dnd even ‘by‘the high-prieft. when he entered into the holy of holies: the ark, with the cherubim, which were on that, weighed 200 pound of pure gold, according to the above writer *.

¥.19. All this, faid David, the Lord made me underfiand in writing-by his band upon me, &c. Either by an impuife of his Spirit on him, whereby it was as it were written on his mind, and as clearly reprefented to him, as if he,had. it in writing before him; though the Fews think, that all was firft made known to Samuel, or {ome other prophet, who delivered-it to David in writing, as from the Lord: but I fee not why it may not be underftood, that David had the pattern of the temple, and all things relative to it, by an hand-writing from the Lord himfelf, through the miniftry of angels, as Mojes received the two tables, the handwriting of the Lord, from himfclf; for the words, as they lie in order in the Hebrew text are, the whole of this ia writing from the band of the Lord, unto me; be made me to underftand: even all the works of this pattern, the particulars of which are given before.) yeo20. And David faid to Solomon his fon, be rong, and of good courage, and do it, &c.| See the note on ¥. 10. féar not, nor be di/mayed, that thou fhalt meet with any oppofition in the work, or not be able to finifh it for want of materials and workmen, or money to pay them: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; to guide and direct, profper and fucceed; the Zargum is, ** the Word of the Lord God, my God, will be thy help:” be will not fail thee, nor forfake thee; a promife made to Fo/bua, and is applicable, to every good man in whatfoever good work he is concerned, Fo/d. i. 5. Heb. xiii. 5. until thou haft finifhed all the work for the fervice of the boufe of the Lord; built the temple, and all the apartments of it, and courts belonging to it, and made and provided the fervice and worfhip of God.

y. 21. And bebold, all the courfes of the pricfs manner of curious work, that. was nec and the Levites, &c.] Which David had lately fixed to take their turns in the temple, when built:

even they fhall be with thee for all the fervice of

the houfe of God to advife and affift him in every o the fervice of the fanctuary, which|ment, to do whatever he fhould order,.whether to

; ye, aaa Ay ty 12.4 afl the utenfils and veffels neceflary for! bip, every willing frilful man for any manner vice; men that were not only. well fkilled pat. aos the fervice of the houle, but were willing to employ their fkill to the uttermoft for it, and fuch David had provided, ch. xxii. 15. al/e the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy command- they might be fuppofed beft to underftand: and overlook. the workmen, or to contribute'to theex-

there fhall be with thee for all manner of workman-

rh fits be chapter relates how largely and liberally David, befides what he had before done, and his princes, offered towards defraying the expences of building the ‘temple, ¥. r—8. and the joy and thankfulnefs that he and his people exprefied on that account, attended with ‘prayers for Solomon, and offering facrifices unto the Lord, y. g—21. and the chapter is clofed, and fo the book, with an account of the fecond unétion of Solomon, the placing him on the throne, and the fubmiffion of all ranks of men untohim, and of the death of y¥. 1. Furthermore, David the king faid unto all the congregation, &c.| Having finifhed what he had to fay to Solomon, he addreffed the congregation again: Solomon my fon, whom alone God ‘hath chofen; both to be king, and to build the temple: is yet young and tender, fee ch. xxii. 5. and the work is great; both of governing fo great a people, and of building fo magnificent a temple, efpecially the latter is meant: for the palace is not for man; for any mortal king, though ever fo great: Lut for the Lord God, the Targum is, ** but for the Word of the Lord God,” who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords; and therefore is to be built as with the greateft exactnefs, according to the pattern he himfelf has given, fo with the greateft fpendor and magnificence.

¥.2. Now I have prepared with all my might for the boufe of my'God, &c.] According to the utmoft of his ability for the building and decorating of it: the gold for the things to be made of gold;

as the candlefticks, fhew-bread-tables, &@c. and the Silver for things of filver, as for bafons, &c. and the

- brafs for things of brafs; as the brazen altar, brazen laver, Sc. and iron for things of iron; for nails, hinges, &c. and wooed for things of wood; for rafters, ceilings, floors, 9c. onyx flones; the Targum, ftones of beryl: and ftones to be fer; other precious ftones to be fet in gold and filver: gliftering flones; the Targum, emeralds; the word is wled for ftibium, or black lead, with which women painted their eyes; and fo may fignify black ftones, like black lead; as white marble is after mentioned, perhaps black is here meant, or fuch {tones Solomon paved the ways with leading to ferufalen’s; but as fuch ftones are not very pliftering, there feems to be no reafon for fuch an epithet; uniefs the ftone Phengites fhould be meant, which was a clear bright flone, and ferved for lookingglaffés. Domitian the Roman emperor, when under fufpicion of being murdered by perfons he by his great returns from: this traffic 5

) OF beet ah pWey \5 fees

P. XXX, vas had offended, garnifhed the portico’s of his palace with this ftone, which was of fuch brightnefs, that by the images formed.in it, he could fee what was behind him”; and fo Lucien {peaks * of Aflarte having a fplendid ftone about. her, called Auxus, which in the night gave much light to.the temple, _ but fhone weakly in the day-time, and lo like fire: and of divers colours, that.is, ftones of divers colours, as jafpers, amethyfts, ce,. Kimchi interprets it of embroidered clothes, and garments of needle-work, and in thefe precious ftones were fometimes inferted: and all manner of precious ftones; as pearls, diamonds, &¥¢, it is hard to fay what all thefe precious ftones were for; Jarchi and Kimchi think, they were to decorate the walls overlaid with gold, in which,they were fet; it is certain they were for garnifhing and beautifying the honfe, fee 2Chron. ii..6, and marble flones in abundances for pillars, tables, and pavement, as Yarchi; this was Parian marble, according to the Septuagint and Vidlgate Latin verfions; the whiteft.of marble>, found in the ifland of Paros, and which agrees with the word here ufed. s Deas ¥. 3. Moreover, becaufe I have fet my affection to the houfe of my God, &c.| Had a goodwill to ir, and was earneftly defirous of having. it built, and that ina grand manner: J have of my own proper good; which he had treafured up for his own wufe:

of gold'and filver, even that / have given to the boufe of my God; to build or ornament it, or make vefiels for it: over and above all that I have prepared for the holy boufe, for the building of the temple, which is made mention of in the preceding chapter. er. wade ¥. 4. Even 3000 talents of gold, 8c.) Which, according to Scheuchzer*, amount to 36,660,000 ducats of gold; and, according to Brerewood *, to 13,500.000 pounds of our money: of the gold of Ophir; which was reckoned the beft gold; not.

Ophir in India, which was not known till Solomon's time, but in Arabia, as Bochart * has fhewn; fo Eupolemus‘, an heathen writer, fays, that David having built fhips at chan, a city of Arabia, fent. miners to Urphe (fuppofed to be the fame with Ophir) in the ifland of the Red-/ea, abounding with gold, and. from thence fetched it, fee the note on 1 Kings ix. 28. and that he was able to give fo great a fum out of his own fubftance, Dr. Prideaux * thinks, can only be accounted. for ce thefe 3000 talents, according to him, amounted to 21 millions, and 600,000 pounds fterling: and 7000. talents of refined filver; amounting, ae unds of our money: 40 overlay the walls of the oxfes withal; the gold was to overlay the walls of the holy and moft holy place, the filver to overlay the walls of the chambers built around the temple.

¥. 5. The gold for things of gold, the Silver for and his people, to offer after fuch a manner; he | knew it was God that wrought in them both to will and to do, and therefore gave him the. glory of it: and David faid, blefed be thou, Lord God of Ijrael our father, for ever and ever; the phrafe, our father, does not belong to the God of Jrae/, their father by covenant and adoption, but, to Jrael or Facob, the anceftor of the Fewi/> nation; who things of filver, &c.} Vhe one for what was tojis be overlaid with gold, the other for what was to be overlaid with filver: and for all manner of work to be made dy the bands of artificers,; what remained was to be made ufe of, in employing artificers in making veflels for the temple that were needful: and who then is willing to confecrate his Service this day unto the Lord, or fill bis band*? and give largely and liberally towards building an houfe for the fervice and worfhip, honour glory of God; and David having fet fo good an example, could with the better grace recommend| the good work to his nobles and people, and which had its defired effect, as follows.

¥. 6. Then the chief of the fathers, and princes of the tribes of Ifrael, &c.] The princes of the 12 tribes: and the captains of thoufands, and of hundreds, with the rulers over the king’s work; who were now affembled, ch. xxviii. 1. offered willingly; and chearfully, needed no more arguments to prefs them to it, but at once realy ed made mention, of on this accafion, he being the firft that fpoke of building an houte for God,.as fome Fewi/h writers, ‘farchi and Kimchi, obferve, fee Gen. xxviii. 22.

¥.11. Thine, O Lord, is the greatnefs, and the power, and the glory, and the vittory, and the majefty, &c.] That is, either God.is poffeffed of all greatnefs, and immenfity, of dignity of nature, and of all perfections; of almighty power, of exandjcellent glory, of fuperiority to all beings, and of honour, and majefty, and all that grandeur, might and honour in men, and victory over others; the. majeftic appearance they make, and exaltation,above, others they have, are all of God: for all that is in the beaven and in the earth, is thine; they, are both made by him, and all that is in them, and therefore he has the fole right unto them: shine is the kingdom, O Lord; of nature and providence; he has the fole dominion over all creatures, and the fovereign difpofal of all things: and thou art exaltas bead above ali; men on earth, and angels in

¥. 7. And gave for the fervice of the boufe of God, &c.] For building and adorning it, and providing proper utenfils for it: of gold 5000 talents; which, according to Scheuchzer’, came to61,100,000 ducats of gold: and thefe, with she 10,000 drams; make of our money, according to Brerewood™, 22,507,500 pounds; fome reckon a dram at two ducats anda half, and fomewhat more": and of filver 10,000 talents; which, according to the former writer, amounted to 450,000,000 imperials or tix-dollars; and, according to the latter, they made of our money 3,750,000 pounds: and of brafs 18,000 talents, and 100,000 talents of iron; the weight of each of which were fo much.

y.8. And they with whom precious flones were! y. found, &c.] Such as are mentioned y¥. 2. them to the treafure of the houfe of the Lord; to be Jaid up there: dy the hand of Fehiel the Gerfhanite, _.12. Both riches and honour come of thee, &c.} Whatever of either the children of men have, is not owing to their merits, nor to their diligence, and induftry, and wife condua&, but to the provi- \dence of God, Eccl. ix. 11. Pf. Ixxv. 6, 7. fo the gods with the heathens are faid ° to be givers of riches: and thou reignef over all, governelt the world by wifdom, and difpofeft all things in it for the beft: in thine band is power and might; to do whatfoever he pleafeth: and in thine hand it is to make great, in worldly things, and fo in fpiritual: and to give firength unto all, againtt their enemies, and to do the will and work of God; of all which David had had an experience, 13. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, gaveland praife thy glorious name.| That he that was fo great, and fo much above them, fhoyld take notice of them, and beftow fo many great and good who, and his fons, had the care of that treafury,;things.on them. ch, xxvi. 21, 22, ¥. 14. But who am I, &c.] Originally dutt

¥. 9. Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, &c.] They were not only glad that they had it to offer, but that they had hearts to do they found themfelves quite free to the work, faw it was fo with others, which gave them extreme pleafure: because with perfell heart they offered willingly to the Lord; not grudgingly, but chearfully; not preféd and urged to it; not by conftraint, but freely, and that with a pure view to the honour and glory of God: and David the king alfo rejoiced with great joy; it made his heart glad exceedingly now he was old, and juft going out of the world, to fee this good work in fuch for- ‘wardnefs, on which his heart had been fo much fet; it gave him reafon to believe it would be fet about in good earneft, be carried on with vigour, ‘and brought to perfection. — of mercies;

¥. 10. Wherefore David bleffed the Lord before all the congregation, 8c.) ‘To whofe goodnefs he alcribed both the ability and willingnefs of him, and athes, a finful creature, unworthy to receive any thing from God, and of having the honour it;;of doing any thing for him: aud what is my peoandj ple; fubje& to him, the leaft of all people, fepa~ rated from the nations round aboyt them, and de- {pifed by them: that we fhould be able to offer fo willingly after this fort? that they, who were a poor people, fome years ago brought out of Epyptian bondage, fhould now be poffeffed of fuch an affluence, and have fuch a generous heart, and li+ beral {pirit given them, as to contribute in fo large and liberala manner as they had done s all was owing to the goodnefs of God to them, and the efficacy of his grace upon them: for all things come of ¢hee; all good things, temporal and fpiritual; the Lord is the fountain of goodnefs, and father and of thine own have we given thee;

for there is nothing a man has but he has received from the Lord, and therefore can give nothing to him but his own, fee Rom. xi. 35; 36, heart to keep thy commandments, thy tchimonies, and thy ftatutes, &c.| All the laws of God, moral, — ceremonial and judicial, even to obferve them cor-. dially and fincerely: and to do ail thofe things 5_ he had fuggefted to him particularly: aad to build the palace tor the which I have made provifions as before declared. ivieee y. 20. And David faid to all the congregation, &c.}' Confifting of princes, captains and officers, ch. xxviii. 1. now ble/s the Lord your Gods as he had done, for putting it into the power of their hands, and into their hearts, to do what they had:. and all the congregation bleffed the Lord God of their. fathers; fome one as the mouth of the reft put, up a thankfgiving to God, as David direéted, to which they all affented, and in which they all joined: and bowed down their beads, and worfbipped the Lord and the king; the one with religious worfhip, the other with civil; the Syriac and Arabic yerfions more plainly diftinguith, they, wor hipped the Lord, and blefed David the king., though fome think Solomon, now made king, is meant,: y. 21. And they facrificed facrifices unto the Lord, &c.]\ David and' the congregation: and. offered, burnt-offerings unto the Lord on the morrow. after that day; not having ‘time-enough on that, day to pertorm, at leaft not all of! them; and, thefe they offered on the altar David had ereéted in the threfh-, ing-floor of Araunah, by the order of God, where afterwards the temple was built: eves 1000,dullocks, 1000° rams, and 1600 “lambs, with. their burnt-offerings; and meat-offerings alfo, both which, always went along with them: and facrifices in abundance for all Lfrael; whom they reprefented > thefe laft were peace-offerings, part of which the offerers had for themfelves and friends to feaft on, as thefe did, as follows. y¥.22. And they did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladne/s, S&c.\ Before the ark of the Lord, which was in the tabernacle Da- &3c. to build thee an houfe for thine holy name, to perform holy and religious worfhip in it, for the clory of his name: cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own this he repeats, that God might have all the glory of all they had and did.

y. 18. O Lord God of Abraham, Iaac, and of Tfrael our fathers, 8c. | The anceftors of the ‘fewifh nation, whofe covenant-God the Lord was, and who had ever been mindful of his promife to them, with refpe& to them their feed: keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, let the fame difpofition of vid had pitched for it > and they made Solomow the [Jom of David king the fecond time, the firft, was upoh Adonijab’s rebellion, and was done in the pre fence only of the inhabitants of Yerujalem, bupthis was done by and in the prefence of all the great perfonages in the land: and anointed him unto the Lord to be the chief governor, under his father during his life-time, and then to reign in his own right: and Zadok to be pri, high-prieft 5 s of| which office yet he did not exercife till after the death of David, when Adiathar wap thruft out by Solomon.

y.17. 1 know alfo my God, that thou trieft the heart, &c.] Searches it, and knoweft it perfectly, whether what is done is from it: and baft pleafure in uprightne/s; in what is done in fincerity and uprightnels of heart: as for me,’in the uprightne my heart 1 have willingly offered all thefe things; for the truth of which he could appeal to the heartfearching God: and now bave I feen with joy, thy people which are prefent here, to offer willingly unto thee; he judged by what they did, and their manner of doing it, that it was done in the uprightnefs of their hearts alfo, as his were, which gave him fenfible joy and pleafure.

y- 23- Then Solomon fat on the throne of the Lord, &c.j Who had given it to him, and eftablifhed him on it, and whofe vicegerent he was, and over whofe people he ruled: as king inftead of David; he was viceroy to him in his life-time, and fucceeded him at his death, when he had the full power of government: and profpered; his reign” was happy and peaceable: and all Ijrael obeyed him; at once; whereas it was fome time, even a fore all J/rael obeyed David. Sie.

¥.24. And all the princes and the mighty men, &c.] The princes of the tribes, an she offer of the army: and all tbe fons ihecieof ki yD id;

y¥. 15. For we are flrangers before thee, and fojourners, as were all our fathers, &c. |] For tho’ they were in poffeflion of the land of Canaan, yet they held it not in their own right, but as the Lord’s,who faid, the land is mine, Lev. xxv. 23. they were but tenants in it, and were not to abide long here; they belonged to another city and country; the confideration of which might tend to fet them loofe to worldly things, and the more eafily to part with them for the fervice of God, and the honour of his name: our days on the earth are as a foadow, man’s life is exprefled by days, not months and years, being fo fhort; and by days on earth, in diftin@lion from the days of heaven, or eternity; and thefe faid to be as a fhadow, of a fhort continuance, empty, mutable and uncertain, dark and obfcure, quickly gone, like the fhadow of the fun; and not only like that, or of a mountain, tree or wall; but, as the Targum, of a bird that is flying, which paffes away at once: and there is none abiding, not long, much lefs always, being but fojourners as before; fo Cato in Cicero? is reprefented as faying,’ “« T depart out of this life as from an inn, and not an houfe; for nature has given us an inn to fojourn, not a place to dwell in:”? or there is x0 hope or expeélation’; of living long, of recalling time, and of avoiding death. y¥.16. O Lord our God, all this flore that we have prepared, &c.] Of gold, filver, @c. that he and his people had provided and contributed: the gold, according to Facob Leon *, amounted to 59,766 tons of gold, and 46,123 gilders, ‘each ton to be reckoned at leaft 1000 pounds fterling; the filver reduced to the value of gold, made 46,337 tons, and 250 gilders; but both, according to Witfus*, amounted to 20,585 tons of gold; and if the talents were talents of the fandtuary, and they double the common talents, as fome fay they were, it was as much more, and may well be exprefled by ail this ftore, befides the brafs, iron, mind always continue in them to ferve the Lord their God: and prepare their heart unto thee, incline and difpofe their minds always to fear the Lord, and obey his will.

as many as were living: and though they were elder than Solomon, they jubmitted to Solomon he king a or gave the band under * him, promifed obedience, and fwore allegiance to him, fee Gen. xxiv. 25 9.

¥,19. And give unto Solomon my fon a perfec? eA 4 before all Ijrael, &c] By giving him fuch a large fhare of wifdom and underftanding in government: and befowed upon him Juch royal. majeftys not, only fuch wealth and riches, but fuch honour and reverence, as had yoi been on any king before him in Yrael; not on Saul, nor even on David.

_¥. 26. thus David the fon of Felfe reigned over all Ijrael.| As before related ’in this book, and ture,

¥. 25. And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly lat, &c.} All that he did that was memorable, both before he-was king, and when king in Hebron, and then in Yeru/alem: bebold, they are written in the book of Samuel the feer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the fers which were journals of his life and aétions, begun by Samuel, and carried on by Nathan and Gad; out of which what is recorded in canonical fcripwas taken by divine direction, and preferved, in the fecond book of Samuel; his reign being long whilft other writings are loft; or rather the book

¥.27. And theotime that. he reigned over Ijrael was 40 years, &c.] See 1 Kings ii rr.

¥. 28. dud be died in a good old age, &c.] Being 70 years of age: full of days, riches and honour; had as much of either of them as he could him, of Samuel defigns the firft book of Samuel, and the books of Nathan and Gad, the fecond book of Sgmuel, by whom it was written.

¥. 30. With all bis reign and bis might, 8c.] The whole of it, and the mighty, valiant aés done by the battles he fought, and the viétories he wifh for; and having enough, he fought after,Jobtained: and the times that went over him, and over Ifrael, and all the kingdoms of the countries; that fade not}things that were’done in his time in J rael, and in

3 in|the nations round about fubdued by him, as Mead, Ammon, Syria and Philiftia.

and was taken to the poifleffion of, eternal life, durable riches and honours and glory away: and Solomon his fon reigned in his ftead tuil power and authority.

' ¥.29. Now the adis of David the king, frft and

| The Second Book of the CHRON ICLES. <a

HIS, and the preceding, were{2y/om, and reaches to the’ deliverance of the Jews but one book originally, but di-ffrom thence by Cyrus, and contains an hiftory of vided into two becaufe of the|479 years. It treats not at all of the kings of largened of it, fo that this is only| J/rael, after the feparation, only of the kings of. a continuation of the former hi-}%udah, through whom the line of the Meffiah was A {tory; that ends at the death of|drawn; and though it omits feveral things record WAGE David; this begins with the, reignjed of them in the book of Kings; yet it gives of Solomen, goes through that, and the reigns of|abundance of anecdotes not to be met with there, all the kings of the houfe of David,; of the kings|which are of great ufe and advantage in hiftory of Judah only, after the feparation of the ten|to know.

tribes, quite down to the captivity of Fudabvin Ba-