CHAP.
Ties chapter relates, how that Solomon being confirmed in his kingdom, went to Gi- him, beon to facrifice, y. 1—6. that the Lord appeared there to. him, and what pafled between, them, y¥. 4—12. and that when he returned’ from thence Yerufalem, he ‘increafed in fplendor, wealth and y. 3. So Solomon, and all’ the congregation with went to the high place that was at Gibeon, &c.} They agreed ‘to his motion, and went with him thither, fee 1 Kings iii. 4. for there was the tabernacle tojof the congregation of God,» which Mofes the fervant of tha Lord had made in the wilderne/s; by the riches, y. 13—17. Lord’s direction; where was alfo the altar of the Lord, and fo moft proper to offer facrifice on, y. 1. And Solomon the fon of David was firengthened in bis kingdom, &c.] Well fettled and eftablithed on the throne of his father, after the death of fome perfons, from whom he might expect| trouble, fee 1 Kings ii. 46. and the Lord God was with him, directing and inftructing him, profpering and fucceeding him; the Targum is, ‘*the Word of the Lord was his. help:” and magnified bim exceedingly; fee 1 Chron, xxix. 25. y, 2. Then Solomon fpake unto all Ifrael, &c.| To their reprefentatives about going to Gideon to facrifice, as the next words fhew; fo Farcbi and Kimchi obferve: to the captains of thoufands, and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every governor in all Afrael, the chief of the fathers, whom he had convened on this occafion; though fome think this is the fame congregation gathered by his father, by whom he was anointed and made king, and that he fpoke of this to them before they broke up, 4, Chron. xxviii. s. and xxix. 2g, which feems not fo probable, fince it was after the death of his father, after he had been king fome time, and even after his marriage with Pharaoh’s daughter, that what follows was done, fee 1 Kings iii, 1—4. which was what Solomon went thither to do; fee, 1 Chron. xxi..29. ©.
y. 4. But the ark of God had David brought up rom Kirjath-jearim, &c.] See 2 Sam. vi. 2,17. © y.5. Moreover, the brazen altar that Bezaleet ¢he fon of Uri, the fon of Hur, bad made, &c.} According to the pattern given by Mo/es, at the direction of God, Exod. xxxviii. 1. be put before the tabernacle of the congregation; either David, or rather Solomon; though it feems beft to read the words as in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin ver-— fions, and there it was before the tabernacle, for it was always there: and Solomon and the congregation fought unto it; to facrifice unto it; or rather fought anto him, the Lord, before whofe tabernacle the ~ altar was, fo Guffetius *. hits y. 6. And Solomon went up thither, &c.] Tothe high place at Gibeon: to the brafen altar be~ fore the Lord; where he ufed to be, and accept — the facrifices of his people, though the ark, the fymbol of his prefence, was 'not there: which was at the tabernacle of the congregation; that is, which —— altar was there; or rather who, that is, God was there, as Ofiander, heating the prayers of his peo-
“ple, and accepting their offerings: and offered tooo offerings upon it, by the priefts, fee 1 Kings iii. 4.
¥. 13. Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon, &c.) Or rather without the fupplement, the words may be read as in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin verfions, Solomon ’ came from the high places, having facrificed there, ferves®; but the Targum agrees with us, he “came to the high place which is in Gideon, and from thence to. Ferufalem;’? and to the fame purpofe Kimebi; having been there, he came to Serufalm: from before the tabernacle of the congregation, whick was at Gibeon, where he had been facrificing: and reigned over I/rael, in great fplendor and_profperity. From hence, to the end of the chapter, the {ame things are {aid as in 1 Kings x, 26—29, fee the notes there. f
¥. 7. In that night did God appear unto Solomon, &c.] From hence to the end of y.12. it is the. fame with 1 Kings ili, 5—13. fee the notes there.
fo Vatablus; 4 being put for », as R. Yonah ob- ro) A To, CHAP. II. SeLo MON intending to build a temple forl|and God, and a palace for himfelf, fent to Hiram king of Tyre to furnifh him with materials and ¥. workmen, y¥. 1—10. to which Hiram returned an agreeable anfwer, ¥. 11—16. and fot this fervice Solomon numbered ‘all the ftrangers:in J/rael, therefore ought to have a temple to exceed all others, as the temple at Yeru/alem did. 6. But who is able to build him an boufe, &cc.} Suitable to the greatnefs of his majefty, eipecially as he dwells not in temples made with hands: fee- ¥.ling the heaven, and heaven of heavens cannot contain
17,18. him, fee x Kings viii. 27. who am I then that I fhould build him an houfe, fave only to burn facrifice
¥. 1. And Solomon determined to build an houfe for the name’ of the Lord, &c.] “For the worfhip and fervice of God, and for his honour and glory, being directed, enjoined and encouraged to it by his father David: and an boufe for bis kingdom;| for a royal palace for him, and his fucceffors, firft the one, and then the others and in this order they before him; fince God was an immenfe and infinite, Being, he would have Hiram to underftand, that he had no thought of building an houfe, in which he could be circumfcribed and contained, only a. place in which he might be worfhipped, and facrifices offered to him.
y. 7. Send now therefore aman cunning to work
were built. in gold, and in filver, and in brafs, and in iron,
y. 2. And Solomon told out 70,000 men, &c.| Of|&c. whom, and the difference of the laft number in this text from 1 Kings v. 15, 16. fee the notes There being many things relating to the temple about to be built, and veffels to be put into it, which were to be made of thofe metals; and there. in purple, and crimfon, and blue; ufed in making
¥.3. And Solomon fent to Huram king of Tyre, &c.] The fame with Hiram, 1 Kings v. 1. and from whence it appears, that Huram firft fent a letter to Solomon to congratulate him on his acceffion to the throne, which is not taken notice of here: as thou didft deal with my father, and didft fend bim cedars to build him an houfe to dwell therein; fee 1 Chron. xiv. 1. even fo deal with me; which words the vails for it, hung up in different places: and that can frill to grave; in wood or ftone: with the cunning men that are with me in Fudab and Feru- /alem, whom my father David did provide; fee 1 Chron. xxii. 15.:
yt. 8. Send me alfo cedar-trees, fir-trees, and al- \gum-trees out of Lebanon, &c.1 Of the two firft of thefe, and which Hiram fent, fee 1 Kings v. ro.
are a fupplement. The algum-trees are the fame with the almug-trees, y.4. Behold, I build an boufe to the name of the Lord my God, &c.) Am about to dovity and determined upon it, fee ¥.1. ¢0 dedicate it to bim; to fet it.apart for facred fervice to him: and to burn before him fweet incenfe; on the altar of, incenfe: and for the continual fhew-bread, the loaves ~ of fhew-bread, which were continually on the fhewbread table; which, and the altar of incenfe, both were fet in the holy place in the tabernacle,’ and fo to be in the temple: and for the burnt-offerings morning and evening; the daily facrifice: om the fabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the folemn feafts of the Lord our God at which feafons, befides the ‘daily facrifice, additional burnt-offerings were offered, and all on the brazen altar in the court: ¢his is an ordinance for ever unto I/rael, to offer the above facrifices, even for a long time to come, until the Meffiah comes; and therefore Solomon fuggefts, as Jarchi and Kimchi think, that a itrong houfe ought to be built.
y. 5. And the houfe which I build is great, &c.] Not fo very large, though that with all apartments and courts belonging to it, he intended to build, was fo; but becaufe magnificent in its ftructure decorations: for great is our God above all gods; 1 Kings x. 11, 12. by a tranfpofition of letters; thefe could not be coral, as fome Fewi/h writers think, which grows in the fea, for thefe were in Lebanon, nor Brafil, as Kimchi, fo called from a place of this name, which at this time was not known; though there were trees of almug afterwards brought from Ophir in India, as’ appears from the above quoted place, as well as from Aradia; and it feems, as Beckius‘ obferves, to be an Arabic word, by the article al prefixed to it: for I know that thy fervants can frill to cut timber in Lebanon; better than his; and bebold, my fervants fhall be with thy fervants; to help and affift them in what they can, and to learn of them, fee 1 Kings y.9. Even to prepare me timber in abundance, 8&c.] _ Since he would want a large quantity for raftering, ceiling, wainfcotting and flooring the goodjtemple: for the houje, which I am about to build, fhall be wonderful great; as to its ftructure and ornaments..
y. 10. Bebold, I will give to thy fervants the bewers that cut timber, 20,000 meafures of beaten andj heat, &c.] Meaning, not what was beaten out of the hufk with the flail; as fome; nor cc i tay
: - half broke for pottage, as others; but ground
y. 14, The fon of a woman of the daughters of
into flour, as K. ‘Yonab* interprets it; or rather erhaps it fhould be rendered faod*, that is, for| Ps houfhold, as in 1 Kings v. x1. and the hire of Dan, &c.] Here follows an account of the decent of the artificer, and of his fkill in workings of what feeming difagreement there may be in thefe fervants is propofed to be given in this way, Becaufe wheat was fcarce with the Tyriams, and they were obliged to have it from the Yews, és
‘this account, with that in 1 Kings vii. 14. fee the note there. | ting ate ¥.15. Now therefore, the wheat, and the barley, ii. 20. Ezek. xxvii. 17. and 20,000 meafures of the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath [poken of, barley, the meafures of both thefe were the cor, of which fee 1 Kings v. 11. and 20,000 baths of| my lord, which fome think is ufed, becaufe Hiram wine, and 20,000 baths of oil; which meafure was the tenth part of a cor. According to the Ethiopians, a man might confume four of thefe meafures in the fpace of a month‘,. ‘¥. 11. Then Huram the king of Tyre anfwered in writing, which be fent to Solomon, &c.| In which letter he told him, he had confidered the.contents of his, and would grant him all that he, defired, fee i Kings v. 8. becaufe the Lerd hath loved his
‘was tributary to Solomon, it may only be a refpectful way of {peaking: Jet him fend unto his fervants; Hiram accepted thereof as a proper reward for the work of his fervants.
y¥. 16. And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou foalt need,. &c.| Both cedar and fir, 1 Kings v. 8, 10. and we will bring it to thee in flotes by fea to Joppa, a port in the Mediterranean. fea, fe fame that Yonab went down to, fee the note on people; be hath made thee king over thems, which are 1 Kings v. 9. and thou fhalt carry it up to Jerufalem 5 much the fame words the queen of Sheba faid to Solomon, 1 Kings x. 9. fee the note there.
y. 12. Huram faid moreover, bleffed be the Lord Ged of Trael, that made heaven and earth, &c.) Huram feems to have had feme good notions of the divine Being, not only as the God of the people of J/rael, ina peculiar fenfe, but as the former and maker of all things: who bath given to David the king a wife fon, endued with prudence and underflanding, {ee 1 Kings v. 7. that might build an house for the Lord, and for his kingdom, as in y¥.1.
in land-carriages, about 40 miles off.
y. 17. And Solomon mumbered all the firangers that were in the land of Ifrael, &c.} Which, according to Kimchi, were the remains of the. 4morites, Hittites, Perizzites and Febufites, fee ch. viiis 8. yet not idolaters, or they would not have been \fuffered by David and Solomon to have dwelt in the Jand, but were fuch as were become profelytes of ‘the gate: after the numbering wherewith David bis father had numbered them, not at the time J- \rael was numbered by him, but in order to pro-
¥. 13. And now Ihave fent a cunning man, envide workmen for the building of the temple, dued with underfianding, &c.} In fuch things as Solomon required he fhould, y. 7. of Huram my father’s; a workman of his, whom he employed, and fo might be depended upon as a.good artificer; though rather Auram is the artificer’s name, and Abi.wé render my father, his furname, that is,
1 Chron. xxii. 2. and they were found 153,600; men able to bear burdens, and hew timber.
¥.18. And be fet 70,000 of them, &c.] Which is repeated from y. 2. to fhew how the above number of ftrangers were difpofed of; 70,000 of them bearers of burdens, 80,000 of them hewers of
1. CHRONICLES. Chii3.1r-18.
Huram Abi; and this is the opinion of learned men £, and is very probable; for certain it is, that his name-was Huram or Hiram, 1 Kings vii. 13. and fo he is called Huram bis father, or Hufeveral)wood, and 3600 overfeers of the workmen, in all 153,600; an emblem of the Gentiles employed in building the fpiritual temple, the church, Zech. vi. 15. mate
See ae two chapters give an account of the laying building of the temple, of the materials,}of parts and form of it, and of things belonging to it, and which agrees with 1 Kings vi. and vii. fee the notes there; only here, ch. iil. 1. mention is made of the particular place where it was built, mount, Moriah; of which fee the notes on Gen. xxii. 2. and 1 Chron, xxii 1. The dimenfions of the houfe, as the Targum rightly explains ¥. 3. are faid to be after the firfi meafure, either of that of the tabernacle by Mofes, or rather of that of the pattern David gave to Solomon, 1 Chron. xxviii. 11. though fome underftand it of the greater cuit, gold of Parvaim, which fome interpret Perw*, in America; but it is a queftion, whether that was then known, or if it was, muft go by another name, fince Peru is a late name given by the Spaniards, at their conqueft of it. Bochart* takes it to be Zaprobane, an ifland in the Indian fea, as if it was Taph Parvan or Provan, the fhore of Parvan. Kircher * is of opinion, it it the fame with Favaim, the ifles of Fava in the fame fea, from whence was gold, which is not very likely. Wa- /erus' thinks, Parvaim is the name of a town, which is by Pliny ™ corruptly called Parbacia, which was in the land of Haviiah, or the kingdom bit: the holy place is called the greater houfe, ¥. 5, being twice as long as the holy. of ‘holies; in ¥. 6. we are informed what the precious ftones were for, which David and his princes gave for the temple, 1 Chron. xxix, 2,8. that they were to decorate the houfe; and alfo what fort of gold was ufed in overof the Charazenes, where was the beft gold, Gen. ii. 11, 12. though others fuppofe it to ey e fame with Ophir, by removing the firft detter of the word, to which Pfeiffer ™ inclines, o- | bable as any; and much more probable than what the Fews° fay, that this gold was fo called, "becatfe