Exposition of the Whole Bible

he marvelled at; ahd it exprefiés a defire to know his pleafure with Kim, fuppofing it muft be fome- I wil! furely buy it of thee at a price, &c.] And a full price too, 1 Chron. xxi: 24. that is, give.

thing very urgent and important, that the king’ fhould come himfelf upon it: and to this David made anfwer, etd David faid; what he was come for: to buy the threfhing-floor of thee, to. build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be flayed from the people; for though David had acknowledged his fin, and God had’ repented of the evil he’ inhim as much for it as it.was worth: weither wy/l I offer burnt-offerings to the Lord my God,.of tbat which doth coft me nothing, which fhows an inge-" nuous f{pirit, and contrary, to the temper of many, who Jike to ferve the Lord in the cheapeft manne, or with little coft to themfelves: fo David bought the throfoing-floor and the oxen, for 52 foekels of ficted for it, and given orders for flopping it; yet //ver; which reckoning a thekel at two fhillings he would have an altar built, and facrifices offered, to. fhew, that the only way to have peace,, and pardon, and fafety from ruin and deftruction, deferved by fin, is through the expiatory facrifice of Chrift, of which all facrifices were typical, and were defigned to lead the faith of the Lord’s people to that. 1. ¥. 22. And Araunab faid unto David, Tet niy lord! the king take and offer up what feemeth good unto him, &c.| Build an altar, offer facrifices of whatfoever he found upon the premifes fit for the fame, and make ufe of whatever came to hand proper to perform fuch fervice with, as follows: here be oxen for burnt facrifice,; which were employed in treading the corn, hence the law in Deut. xxv. 4.| and ‘threfoing inftruments; not flails, fuch as are! fed by us, but wooden fledges, drays or carts' drawn 6n wheels; which were ‘filled with “{tones, and the bottom of them ftuck with iron teeth; and: were drawn by oxen to and fro over the fheaves of corn; fte Jf, xxviii. 27. and other infiruments of the oxen for wood, as their yokes; thefe draunah gave leave to take to burn the facrifice with; and in 1 Chron. xxi. 23. “tis added, and the wheat for the meat-offering, which was upon the threfhingfloor; and there always went a meat-offering with a burnt-offering.

¥. 23. All thefe things did Araunab, as a king, give unto the king, &c.] The note of fimilitude as is not in the text; from whence fome have thought he was king of the Febufites before Ferufalem was taken out of their hands, or however was of the royal race, perhaps'the fon and heir of the then king at that time; or he has this title given ‘him, becaufe of his great liberality, having the fpirit of a prince in him, even of a king; fo Ulyffes addreffed Antinous, faying, thou art like a king, and therefore fhould give more largely than others ®: and Araunah faid unto the king, the Lord thy God accept thee; thine offering with a good will; with pleafure and delight, as the Targum that fo the plague might be removed, and’ which no doubt made him the more ready to part with the above ‘thing’, and all that he had;’ fo dreadful did thé calamity appear to him, and efpecially’after he faw the angel with his drawn {word juft over him. © eviews y¥. 24. And the king faid unto Araunab, nay, but and fix-pence, made.but juft fix pounds five fhillings of Our money 3 though its value is but about two fhillings and four-pence farthing, which +re2 duces the jum: in 1 Chron. xxi. 25. David is faid to give 609 fhekels of gald by weight; two ways are propofed by the Fews ‘for the reconciling of the difficulty; the one is, that 50 Shekels were

| collected out of every tribe, and 12 times so make

600 fhekels, and thefe were of the value or weight of gold; but this. feems.not likely, that it fhould

| be collected out of all the tribes, and fincé it appears plainly to be the king’s: purchafe, and with his money: the other is, that’ there were two purchafes, the firft was of the threfhing-floor, oxen and inftruments, which.were bought for. 50 fhekels, of filver, as here, and the otfier was a_purchafe.of the place, as it is called in the book of Chronicles 5 that large {pace of ground on which afterwards the temple, and all the courts adjoining to it,’ were built, and which was now 4raungh’s farm, and on which were his dwelling houfe, and other buildings; and for all this David gave him 600 fhekels of gold, which made 300 ounces *; and reckoning gold as twelve times the value of filver, according to Brerewcead ', it amounted to 450 pounds of our money; and learned men have not been able to give a better folution of this difficulty; and with this Montanus™ agrees. Bochart and Noldius have taken another way, but not fo clear and fatisfactory; the Sepruagint of 1 Chron, xxii 25. has 50 fhekels, as here.;

y. 25. And David built there an altar unto thé Lord, &c.] After he had made the purchafe: aud offered burnt- offerings and peace-offérings; the one to expiate the fin or fins committed, the other to give thanks for the intimation given, that the plague would be ftayed upon this: jo the Lord was intreated for the land; was pacified, and, prevailed upon to remove the peftilence from it; which was fignified by fire defcending upon the altar of burntoffering, ‘which fhewed the facrifice was accepted, and by the angel being ordered to put his fword into its fheath, 1 Coron. xxi, 26, 27. and the Zargum is, “ and the Lord received the prayer of the. inhabitants of the land:” and the plague was flayed from Ifrael; no more died of the peftilence, either at Ferufalem, or in any other part of the land of Trach, | é

The Firft Book of the KINGS, commonly called the ‘Third Book of the KIN GS. _ tateuch is clear, fince he refers to it a3 written by Mofes, and as the rule of religion and worthip im. his times, Ezra iii. 2,3, 4. and viv #8. and it is) certain thefe writings were in being in the times: of Fofiah, Amaziah, Foofo, yea of David, and even) of ‘Fofhua, 2 Chron, xxxiv. 14. and xxv. 4. andy xxiii. 18. 1 Kings ii. 3. Fob. viii. 34. andeas for. the book of Yo/oua, that alfo was written long ke-. fore Ezra’s time; it muft be written long before ther times of David, before the Febufites were expelled: from Ferufalem, firce the writer of it days, that. Lthey dwelt there in his days, ch. xv. 63. the Books. of Fudges mutt be written before the tumes of Sa=. muel and David, fince the former refers:to the an= nals of it, 1 Sam. xii. 9; 10, and the latter alludes. to fome paflages in it, Pf Ixviii. 7, 8ifee Fudg. va 4,5. and a fpeech of Joad’s, 2 Sam, xi. 21, thews it to be an hiftory then extant: to which may be add= ed, that in it Ferafalem is callen Jebus, cht xix» 10, 11. which it never was,’ after it was taken *by. David, out of the hands of the Febuftes, 2 Same v. 6. the book’ of Ruth, very probably was written by Samuel; had it been of a later’ date, or written by Ezra, the genealogy with whieh at con- Baafba, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Abaziah, Febu, Fehoakaz, Feboafh, Feroboam the fon of Foa/h, Zachariab, Shallum, Menahem, Pekabiah, Pekah Hofbea; fo that thefe books may, with great propriety, be called the books or hiftories of the kings in the two kingdoms of Fudab and J/rael: wholit; they were written by, is not eafy to fay;, fome think they were written by piece-meal by the prophets that lived in the feveral reigns fucceflively, as Nathan, Abijab the Shilonite, Iddo, Ifaiah and feremiab, and afterwards put together by an infpired writer. The Jews commonly fay *, that Zeremiah wrote the book of the kings, by which they mean this, and the following book; though very probably they were written by Ezra, fince the hiftory in them is carried down to the liberty granted to Feboiachin in Babylon, but that Ezra was the writer of all the preceding hiftorical books, and even of the Pentateuch, cannot be admitted, which is the conceit of Spinofa>; cludes, would doubtlefs have been, carried’ farther than to David: the book of Samuel, and»particuandjlarly the fong of Hannab in it, were written incall probability before the penning of the 113” pfalm, in which fome expreffions feem ‘to be taken from wherefore, tho’ the two books of Kings) may by allowed to be written or compiled by Zzra, the }10 preceding ones cannot be affigned! co him): however, there is no room to doubr of the divine authority of thefe two books, when the honour our Lord has done them.-is obferved; *by 1 or referring to feveral-hiftories in’ them; as tt account of the queen of Sheba coming to hear the wifdom of Solomon, of the famine in the times of Eiijab, and of that prophet being fent to the dow of Sarepta, and of the cleanfing of Naan the Syrian in the times of Eli/bab, Matt. Luke iv. 25—28. from 1 Kings xvii.

part of whofe tract is juft now republifhed by fome body, word for word, under a title as in the mar- gin*; but that Ezra was not the writer of the Pen- | 5

HIS, and the following book, properly are but one book, divided into two parts, and went with » the Jews under the common name » of Kings. This, in the Syriac verfion, is called the book of Kings; and in the Arabic verfion, the book the fon of David the prophet, becaufe it begins with his reign upon the death of his father; and in the Vulgate. Latin verfion, the third book 9 Kings, the two preceding books of Samuel being fometimes called the firft and fecond books of Kings, they containing the reigns of Sau/ and David, and in the Septuagint verfion, both this and the following book are called Kingdoms, becaufe they treat of the kingdom of J/rae/ and Fudah, after the divifion in the times of Reboboam, fon of Solomon, and of the feveral kings of them; as of Solomon before the divifion, fo afterwards of the kings of Judah; Reboboam, Abijam, Afa, Fehofbaphat, Feboram, Abaziah, Fehoafh, Amaziah, Uzziah or Azariah, fotham, Abaz, Hezekiah, Manaffeb, Amon, jofiah, Febcahaz, Feboiakim, Feboiachin and Zedekiah, and of the kings of D/rael, Feroboam, Nadab, quotations and references made by the a paffages in them, as by the apoftle Paw! in‘Rom, Xi. 2, 3,4. from 1 Kings xix. 14, 18, where this

Ch.1.¥. 1—s. ERIE Sh UP es 627 book is exprefsly called the Scripture; and by the apoftle ‘Fames, ch. v. 17, 18. who manifeftly refers to 1 Kings xvii. and there are various things in this part of icripture, which are confirmed by the teftimonies of heathen writers, as will be obferved in the expofition of it. The ufe of thefe books is tol the ftate of the church of God in thofe times, and his providential care of it amid{t all the changes and viciffitudes in the ftate; and above all, to tranfmit to us’ the true genealogy of the Meffiah, which ferves to confirm the Evangelift Matthew's account of it.

carry on the hiftory of the Yews/S nation, to fhew

Oe chapter gives an account of the infirmities of David in his old age, and the method ufed to relieve him under them, ¥. 1—4. of the preparation his fon Adonijab made to ufurp the throne, ¥. 5—10. of Bath/beba’s addrefs to the king upon it, in favour of her fon Solomon, on which fhe was put by Nathan the prophet, and fe conded in it by him, ¥. rr—27. when the king with an oath confirmed the fucceffion of Solomon in the kingdom, and ordered Nathan the prophet, and Zadok the prieft, to anoint him; which was accordingly done with great ceremony, to the fatisfaction of the king and his fervants, y: 28—40. the news of which being brought to Adonijab and his friends, ftruck them with terror, and on which they difperfed, ¥. 41—50. and upon the promife of Adonijah, that h€ would behave well to Solomon, he was pardoned and difmiffed, having fled and lain hold on the horns of the altar, y. 51—53.

it of her being made miftrefs of his-treafuires, acs cording: to the fenfe of the word in J/ xxii. 19; that fhe might have the command of his purfe; ° and provide any thing proper for him, without being taken notice of or obftructed; but the Targum is better, ‘* and let her be near him,” lie clofe unto him, and even in his bofoim, as in the next Claufe: and let ber lie in bis bofom; which fhows, that it was propofed, that he fhould marry her; at leaft that fhe fhould become his concubinewife, fince this phrafe.is defcriptive of a wife, Mic« vii. 6. nor can it be thought his phyficians would advife, or he agree to have a young woman admitted to his: bed without marriage; arid. if this had not been the cafe, it would not have anfwered the defign of Adonijah in requefting her in marriage after his father’s death, which was to make way to afcend the throne when opportunity fhould offer; not would his requeft have been fo much refented by Solomon as it was, ch. ii. 17—24. that my lord the king may get beat; and fomewhat fimilar to thisy Galen, that great phyfician, prefcribed in like cafes *.

¥. 3: So they fought for a fair damfel throughout all the coafis of Ifrael, &c.] Not only a damfel, but a “beautiful one, that fhe might be the more acceptable to the king; who otherwife, if deformed and ugly, would not have endured her in his fight, or received at her hands, and much Jefs fuffered her'to lie in his bofom: and found Abifhag a Shunamite, a native of the city Shunem, a. city in - the tribe of [fachar, Jo/b. xix. 18. and brought ber to the king, for his approbation of her, and. to make her his concubine-wife, as he did.

¥. 4. And the damfel was very fair, &é.) And fo very agreeable to the king to be in, his prefence, and wait upon him, and take things of her hand, as well as lie with him: and cherifbed the Ring; enlivened’ his fpirits by her amiable countenance, her graceful behaviour, and tender care of him, and efpecially by bedding with him: aad miniftred to him 5 ferving him with her own hands whatever he took for his fuftenance: but the king knew ber not; as aman knows his wife; which fhows that fhe was his wife, and that it would not have been criminal in him had*he known her;, bur this-is obferved, not to point at the chaftity of David, but his feeblenefs, and lofs of defire after women, and that the damfel remained a virgin; and that was the ground of Adonijab’s requeft, and his hope of fucceeding. rer gage

¥. 5, Then Adonijab the fon of Haggith exalted bimfelf, &c.] This was his mother’s name, 2 Sams iii, 4. his father David being old and infirm, and not like to live long, nor able to oppofe him; and he being the eldeft fon, and a comely perfon, was infpired with ambition to fet up for king: faying, I will be king; though he knew that So/omon was appointed of God, and promifed by David, v.11. Now king David was old, and firicken in years, &c.] Was 70 years of age; for he was 30 years of age when he began to reign, and he reigned 40 years, 2 Sam. v. 4. this was juft the age of man, Pf. xc. 10. and they covered him with clothes; not wearingtapparel, but bed-clothes; he feems to have been bed-ridden and paralytic: bus be got no beat; by them; having no natural heat in him, clothes could not communicate any to him, only keep the cold from him, fee Hag. i. 6. there are many perfons at the age he was, that are lively, healthful and robuft, comparatively {peaking at leaft; but Davia’s ftrength was impaired, and his natural force abated by his many wars, fatigues by night and day in campaigns, and the many forrows and afflictions he met with from his family and his friends, as well as enemies; which exhaufted his radical moifture, weakened his nerves, and drank up his fpirits, and brought upon him the infirmities of a decrepit old age very foon.

¥. 2. Wherefore his fervanis foid unto him, &c.] His phyficians; fo Fofeph’s* phyficians are called his fervants, Gen. 1. 2. let there be fought for my lord the king a young virgin; not only a young woman, but a virgin, that has more natural heat than women that have bore children have, - which is abated thereby: and let ber fiand before the king; _ minifter to him, ferve him with whatfoever he fhould want to eat or drink; and: fo" by being in his prefence, and taking things at her hand, fhe might be the more ingratiated into his affections: and let her cherifh bim, asthe hufband’the wife, fo fhe her hufband, as doubtlefs David was; and that by giving him cordials to cheer his fpirits, and every thing that was convenient for him, and particujarly by: lying with him. Kimchi interprets the —word) of her being profitable to him, in which fenfe the word is ufed, Fob xxii. 2. and xxxv. 3. that is, by:warming him; Ben Gerfom underftands and expected by the p sple was refolved to. fet up himfelf for king, “and try if he ‘could not’get himfelf torth 3 on this he was bent and seuphar t a: and horfemen, and fifty men to run as ie had done, when/he had the fame thing in view, to make him refpeétable among the peole, fee 2 Sam. xv. Te §.

¥. 6. And bis father bad not difpleafed him at any time, &c.) Always humoured him in every thing, let him have his own way and will, and granted him what he defired, and never correéted him for.

his faults, or made him afhamed, as the Targum, by telling him of them, and chaftifing him for them; this was not to the credit of David, being guilty of the fame fin with £/%,; and on this /donijab prefumed much, that he would not contradict and countermand in this as he had not in other things before: ia faying, Why baft thou done fo?

never fo much as afked a reafon of his conduét, fo far was he from reproving him for it: and be alfo was a very goodly man; of a comely countenance, tall and well proportioned, as his brother Ab alom, and which was another thing on which he built his hopes of fucceeding in his enterprize; for in thofe times, as in after-times, and other nations, a comely afpect and perfonable appearance recommended a man to the choice of the people for a fupreme magiltrate, fee the note on 1 Sam. ix. 2. and his mother dare him after Abfclom;, not that the fame woman bore him as did db/alom; for Abfalom’s mother was Maachab, this man’s Haggith; but the bore him after 42/alom’s mother had bore him, fo that he was next fon; and now Amuon,, Chilead. or Daniel, and Abfalom being all dead, he was the eldeft fon living, and upon this he founded his claim to the throne, and his hope of fucceeding.

y. 7. And be conferred with Foab the fon of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the prieft, &c.|, About getting the kingdom into his hands; and they were.

very proper perions to confult with, who, if gained to his intereft, might be of great fervice, the one being the general of the army, and fo had a great intereft in the foldiery, with whom he could make way for him, and defend him, and the other was the high-prieft, who might be thought to have a great fhare in the affections of the people, and whofe office it was to anoint the king; and he might the rather apply to them, knowing them to be, on fome accounts, difcontented perfons: and they following Adonijah, helped him; they took on his fide; Foch knowing David’s hatred of him.on account of his murder of Abner and Ama/fa, and efpecially for his flaying his fon 4d/alom, and his infolent behaviour towards him, and perhaps he might fear, or had an hint of what he had charged Solomon with concerning him; and Abiathar, who faw plainly that the priefthood in Zi’s family was declining, and that Zadok was the favourite: prieft with David, and in all probability would be with Solomon; all which might influence thefe two perfons to join Adonijah, and who, by fo doing, greatly encouraged him, and many others to flock to him, which much helped and ferved his cauf..

¥. 8. But Zadok the pric, &c.] Who bid fair to be the high-prieft on Solomon's coming: to the throne, as he was: and Benaiah the fon of Feboiada; Who was near David's perfon, and over his. bodyguards, the Cherethites and Pelethites: and Nathan the prophet; a very great intimate of David’s,. and his feer, whom he confulted on all occafions: an prepared him chariots before bim, jutt doth reign’ has ufurped the threne, claimed, king by a party, who, at; leaftshay and no body, about him. to inform i the foa of Geriay;: raid of entering into the confpiracy, he fhould igmay be tat Sim again; though fome think.

|this may be that Shimei, one of Solomon’

ficers, as after conftituted, ch. iv. 18, ame whom the fame writer takes to be 7:

chite, David's friend: aud the mighty mem wh belonged to David; that were about his perfor his guards, the Cherezbites and Pelethites + avere with Adonijab; they did not join him, andi were not invited by him. _ sn - ¥. 9. And Adonijah flew fheep and enen andfat. cattle, &cc.] To make a feaft, of for thofe tha were of his party, which was numerous) and fome >” of them perfons of the firft rank, and therefore a large and elegant entertainment was. provided for. them: dy the flone of Zobeleth, which isiby En-rogel 5 or the fullers fountain, as the Tazeum, wherethe —~ fullers wafbed their clothes, ufing their feet in doing. it, from whence it had its name; and whieh they laid upon this {tone for the water to drain out of: them, Zobeleth fignifying a flow motion of waters, or on which they beat them to getout the: fpots 5: the Targum calls it the ftone of a watch-towery on, which they could ftand and look to a greatdiftances, or as Farchi and Ben Gerfom tuggeft, it wasa large, fmooth ftone, which young men _ uied to: =; and caft to and fro to try and exercife their ftrength;, it was, as o/epbus° fays, in or ‘near the king's) gardens: and called all his brethren the king's fons; which David by his wives and concubines had in Hebron and Ferufalem; who, were all younger than he, and fo had not the-pretenfion he had, and whomight be difpleafed, at. the appointmentf, 2 as well as he; fee 1 Chron.siii. 4. pon i th en of Fudab the king's fervants; excepting hole in, ee 2 Fs y..10. But Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiabjand the mighty men, and Solomon bis brother he called not) did not invite them to this feaft; not\WMarham, who he might know had prophefied of Solomon’sfuccetfion.in the throne,.and therefore it could not be thought he would be, drawn over cache nor Be- » naiab and the mighty men, Davia’st bo over whom this officer, was; and ftillhlefs Solomon, his competitor and rival. », ivin veep:

¥. 11. Wherefore Nathan fpake vec: mether of Solomon, &c.]. Who \not jonlytihad an. intereft in the king, being. his: wife, jahd-an eafy accefs to. him, but hada fpecial, concern=in) this affair, as it affected her fon, to whomethe duece. fion of the. kingdom was,defigned and ‘promifed: Haft thou.not beard that Adonijab the fom-ofeblaggith his health as fuch; has taken the titles and i to, exercife the power of aking» thi might not have heard. of,. and.which» he in this manner to quicken heg-to, maken diate application to the'king:.and, Dewi knoweth it not; being fo infirm, and it was. done without his, knowledge, and being with, his confent.and.approbation,

’ ¥.42, Now therefore comes et mes Toph the beft advice he could, and defires her attention to it: that, fays he, thou mayeft fave thine own life, and the life of thy fon Solomon; which would be the ufurper’s firft care to take away, that he might have no rival, and none to difturb him in his government; which ftep has been often taken by ufurpers to fecure themfelves, fee Fudg. ix. 5. ©

¥. 13. Goand get thee in'unto King David, 8c.] That is, go into the chamber where the king lay, at once, without any ceremony: and fay unto bim, Didft not thou, my lord, O king, fwear unto thine

4 x: rk eRe: q v. bd “lt >; i OR ears é, *9 reign after me, and. be frail fit upon my throne; be his fucceffor in it, and eftablifhed on it... (y. 18. And dow behold Adonijah reigneth; 8cc.} Has fet up himfelf as king, eur is by jome faluted as fuch; but left fhe fhould be thought by David that the fuggefted by this, that he was guilty of the breach of his oath, or on any account. to be blamed, fhe adds: and nowy my lord, O king, thou knoweft it not; which as it acquitted him from all blame, fo it made the fin of Adonijah the more hainous, that he fhould doi this without confulting

handmaid, faying, Affuredly Solomon thy fon fball his father about it; and was not only a neglect of reign after me, and be fhall fit upon my throne; tho’ no mention is elfewhere made of fuch an oath, there undoubtedly was one, of which Nathan had knowledge, either from David or Bath/beba, or from them both, or might be prefent himfelf at him as a father, and an act of diftefpeét and difobedience to him as fuch, but even of high-treafon, to affume the throne in ‘his father’s life-time, without his confent.

¥.19. And he hath flain oxen, and fat cattle, and

the making of it; for not only Bath/heba affirms Joeep in abundance, 8¢.] Has made a grand enter- it, ¥. 17. but David owns it and confirms it, y: 30. why then doth Adoniah reign? furely it cannot be with the king’s knowledge and confent, fo mahifeftly contrary to his promife and oath.

y. 14. Bebold, while thou yet. talkeft there with the king, &c.| Before, or by the time fhe could deliver the above words to him, or fuch as fhe fhould think fit to ufe, to awaken the king to a concern for the intereft of her and her fon: J will allo come in after thee; directly into the king’s chamber: and confirm thy words; as he could very well do, if he was’prefent as a witnefs of the oath he had made to her, as well as he could confirm the truth of Adonijab’s ufurpation; nay, could plead the will and promifes of God he had formerly notified to him: or, fi] up thy words‘, make up what might be wanting in her addrefs to him, in her account of things, or in the arguments ufed by her; he means, that he would fecond her in her motion in favour of Solomon, and prefs the king to take fome fteps for the fecurity of the fucceffion to him. Nathan knew it was the will of God that Solomon fhould fucceed in the kingdom, he had promifed it by him, fee 2 Sam. vii.12. 1 Chron. xxi. 8, 9. yet as a wife and good man, he thought it right to make ufe of all proper means to attain the end.

¥. 15. And Bathfheba went in unto the king into the chamber, 8cc.| Where he lay, being bed-rid; fhe took Nathan’s advice, and directly went to the king’s apartment: and the king was very old; and decrepit, borne down with the infirmities of old age, though but 7o years of age: and Abifbag the Shunamite minifired unto the king; fhe was then waiting upon the king, and ferving him with what was neceffary and proper for him; and perhaps there was no othetin the chamber at that time.

¥. 16. And Bathfheba bowed, and did obeifance to the king, 8cc.] Not only as being her hufband, but her fovereign; and this behaviour might intimate, that fhe had fomething to fay to him, and more than to enquire of his health: and the king faid, what wouldft thou? what haft thou to fay to me? or to afk of me? what is thy will and pleafure, or thine errand to me?

y. 17. And foe faid unto him, my lord, thou fwareft by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, &c.) Which was a very folemn oath and binding, and which fhe puts David in mind of, knowing that tainment, and is feafting and rejoicing; which was another inftance of irreverence and difrefpect to his aged father, labouring under the infirmities of old age, and on his dying bed, and he caroufing, and fhewing all the tokens of pleafure in the view of his death, and wifhing for it: and hath called: all the fons of the king; invited them to his entertainment, in order to gain them to his intereft: and Abiathar the priefi, and Foab the captain of the hoft; two perfons, though of eminent rank, fhe knew David had no refpect for, and therefore it would not be pleafing to him to hear that they were invited, had this affair been more acceptable than it was; for Bath/beba, confidering the fhortnefs of the time fhe had to think, and the flurry fhe muft be in, very artfully threw together the moft material things that might work upon the mind of David in her favour: dui Solomon thy fervant hath he not called; which made it a plain cafe, that it was not a feaft of a peace-offering, nor a common friendly entertainment, but a feaft made on account of his acceffion to the throne; and that he looked upon Solomon as his rival, and bore an ill will to him on that account, and had a defign upon him.)

y¥. 20. And thou, my lord, O king, &c.] As for thee, or what concerns thee, or is incumbent on thee, will appear from the expectations of the people: the eyes of all I/rael are upon thee, that thou foouldft tell them who fhall fit on the throne of my lord the king after him this the faid, to diffipate any fears that might poffefs his mind on hearing what Adonijab had done, that the people in general had affented to it; and encouraged him to it;. whereas the body of the people were waiting to hear what was the will and determination ot David; for they not only confidered him as having a power to name a fucceflor, as was afterwards © done by Reboboam, but as one that had the mind of God revealed to him, who fhould be his’ fucceffor,.to which they fhould pay a regard.

y. 21. Otherwife it fhall come to pafs, when my lord the king foall fleep with bis fathers, &c. That is, fhall die, and be buried in the fepulchre of his anceftors, where he fhall lie till he awakes in the morning of the refurrection: that I and my fon Solomon hall be counted offenders; or finners®; not as if fhe would be reckoned an adulterefs, and her fon as illegitimate, as fome think, and fo be branded and treated as fuch; but as being traitors, makr fo con{ciéntious a man as he was, would religioufly obferve it: faying, affuredly Solomon thy fon foall ing pretenfions to the throne, fhe on the behalf ot her fon, and he for himfelf, when he had no he would, perhaps was at the _chamber-door the while B king’s feer and counfellor, and a prophet, who had admittance to the king at any time. * y. 23. And they told the king, 8c.) Some that attended at the door, or were in the chamber: debold Nathan the prophet; or he is in the room, which the king through his infirmities might not be fenfible of: and when be was come in before the king 5 nearer to him, and as to be properly in his prefence: be bowed him/felf before the king with his face to the ground; thewing him the fame reverence though in bed, as if on histhrone. 4 9 — y.24. And Nathan faid, my lord, O king, &c.] He addrefles him as with great veneration and refpeét due to his office, fo.as if he knew nothing of Bathfbeba’s application to him; and therefore begins and tells his ftory, as if. the king had never heard any thing relative to it: baft thou faid, Adonijah foall reign after me, and he fhall fit upon my throne? furely it can never be, becaufe of the notice which he himfelf had given him from the Lord, that one to be born fhould fucceed him, y: z j oy cluding her fpeech to him: | fhould fuccee id sa Juft as fhe was con S be | been countermanded, it feemed ftrange that he him; and therefore if ‘that. na jould not have acquainted him with it: or to ¢hy fervants, as the Arabic verfion; for the word has a plural termination, Gover pointed as fingular; and fo it may mean throne of my lord the king after him? if he had altered his mind, or had had any direction from the Lord to make any change, he wondered at it that he fhould neither acquaint him, nor any of his trufty friends with it. y. 28. Then king David anfwered and faid, &c.} Obferving that Nathan confirmed the account that Bathbeba had given, and that it muft be a matter of fact that Adonijah had ufurped the throne, gave orders to thofe about him, faying, call me Bathfoeba; who either went out of the room when Na than entered it, or however removed to fome diftant part of it, out of the fight of David: and fhe came into the king’s prefence, and ftood before the king,; came to the fide, or foot of his bed, hearkening to what he had to fay to her.

¥. 29. And the king fwore, &c.] To his former oath, he added another for greater confirmation; as the Lord liveth; which was thé proper form of plainly pointing to Solomon; and alfo becaufe of an oath, which ought to be taken by the living the oath which he had fworn, to which Nathan was privy, that Solomon fhould reign after him; and yet if he had not given fuch orders,: it was exceeding ftrange, that Adonijab, fhould prefume to do what he. had done.

- 25. For he is gone down this day, &c.] From Ferufalem, which lay: high, to the ftone of Zobe- /eth, in En-rogel, which lay in the valley, y. 9.

God; and as what would lay him under the greater obligation to obferveit, he adds, that hath redeemed my foul out of all diftrefs’; faved his life when in the mo{t imminent danger; delivered -him out of the hand of Gofath, and from the Pdik/fines and other enemies, in his wars with them; and from Saud and his perfecuting rage and fury, and from the © rebellion of his fon.4é/alom, and the infurrection

and hath flain oxen, and fat cattle, and foeep in of Shimei.

ot only himfelf, but the reft of David’s faithful fervants that were about him at court, as Kimchi obferves: who fhould fit on the abundance; not by way ‘of: facrifice, but for a feaft, on account of his ‘coming to. the:king-|2 dom: and hath called all the king’s fonsy invited them to the entertainment:

bot; or army; not only oad, it feems,. neral of it, but the captains of thoufands and hundreds under him, beingsdefirous of engaging the militia in his favour, and which was not.animpolitic ftep: aud Abiathar the prief-; to -confult with by Urim and Thummim, and -to anoint him, and ufe his intereft with the poptlace -for him, who might be fuppofed a man of influence, being the high-prieft of the nation: and behold, they ear and drink before him; they were now at it at this time; they were not only invited, but they ed the invitation, andcame:; which is more than what. was before related: and fay, God fave king Adonijah, they proclaimed and faluted him as ‘king, and drank. his health, and wifhed him all profperity; and fo the Targum, ‘* may king \Adonijab _¥.30. Even as I fware unto thee by the Lord God J/rael, &c.] And fo owns and confirms the truth of what Nathan had fuggefted to Bathfheba, and and the captains of the fhe had afferted, ¥..13, 17. faying, affuredly Solomon the ge- thy Jon foall reign after me, and be foall fit.upon my throne in my fiead; this was the fubftance of the oath: even fo will I certainly do this day; perform this oath, and fet So/omon on the throne. ¥-.31. Then Bathfbeba bowed with ber face to the ¢4rth, and did revereuce, to the king, &cc.] Thereby exprefling her veneration of him, and thankfulnefs to him for his favour to her and her fon, in fulflling his promife and oath: and faid, let my lord king David live.for ever;. which though a common form accept- of falutation of kings, not a in Lfrae!, but in, other, nations, is, not to. be confidered as a mere compliment, but as expreffing the real defires and affection of her-heart, to the king; fignifying hereby that her folicitations, on the behalf of her fon.did\not arife. from -any defire of, the king’s death;’ fhe heartily profper |”; withed him health to. live long ang eafy; and all hes 0262 But me, even me thy fervant, &c.] Meaning himfelf, Nathan the prophet, who was Davia’s fervant, his feer, and counfellor: and. Zadok the prict 5 for whom. David had a creat refpect: and Benajah the fon of Feboiada; who was captain of his body-guards; -here Nathan obferves mote than! Bathfheba had, and fupplies what fhe had omitted, and fo filled up: her words,.as in ¥. 14.) Hey a4 Solomon hath be not called; which fhewed requeft was, that So/omon her fon might facet him, whenever it pleafed.God to temove him 3 r rr feeing he. was now. a dying man as it were, her | prayer was that his foul might live for ever in hap= pinefs in the world to.come; fo Kimchi inte prets

¥. 32.And king David faid, call Bois oii 77 prief, 8¢c.1| Not Abiather the high-prieft, - or and thy had joined Adonijah; and befides adok was vid’s favourite-prieft, and:for him the high-prie =

&c.] With his knowledge and confent, and by probably went out of the room “when B ba | ° ee eI 10%5 ve 3 my hood was defigned, as it was in alittle timetranfla- ¥..27. Is this thing done by my lord the king, jted to him: and. Nathan the prophet; who oy.

¥.36. And Benaich the fon of Feboiada anfwered the king, &c.] ‘In the name of the reft: and faid, Amen; they all affented to it, and expreffed their fatisfaction in it: the Lord God of my lord the hing and they came before the Jay fo too, let it appear by the profperity and fuc~: and jcefs that fhall by divine providence attend the new _ according to the willof God.

king 5 who it is very likely fat up in his bed, they ftood around him. ’ é _ {king, that this is

¥.33. And the king faid unto them, take ye the Servants of your Lord, &c.] Meaning his own fervants, his life-guards, the Cherethates and. Pelethites, as appears from y. 38. the ‘fews* from hence gather, that a king is fuperior to an high prieft, fince David calls himfelf the lord of Zadok the prieft, and Nathan the prophet: aud caufe Solomon to ride upon mine own mule; for it feems on fuch a creature David ufed to ride, as did his fons; horfes not being fo common in Fudea as they were afterwards. Some of the ews ° fay it was notjthe lawful to ride upon a mule, and that this cafe of David is to be excepted; for they pretend that this was a peculiar mule; and if the inftance of his fon is urged, they reply, an argument from what kings and their fons ufed to do is of no force. Now this was one way of teftifying that it was his will that Solomon fhould reign in his ftead; forno private perfon might ride upon the beaft the king was wont to ride on; this is now one of the fewi/h\ canons*, “* no one may ride on the king’s horfe, nor fit on his throne, nor ufe his fcepter:” bring bim down to Gibon,; a fountain near Fern/alem, on the weft-fide of it, which flowed from mount Gibon, 2 Chron. xxxii. 30. and xxxiiil. 14.) the fame with Si/oab according to the Targum, which mention is made, Yobn ix. 7.

. ¥. 37. As the Lord bath been with the lord my Ring, even fo be be with Solomon;} To guide and direét him, proteét and defend him; fueceed and profper him; the Targum is, * as the Word of the Lord has been for the help ‘of my lord the king, fo let him be for the help of Solomon:” and make his throne greater than tke throne of my lord king David; which he knew would not difpleafe David, who not only had an affectionate regard for Solomon his fon, but wifhed heartily the profperity of kingdom of J/rae/; and the with on all accounts was grateful to him, though to an envious and ambitious prince it might have been difagreeable.

y. 38. So Zadok the prieft, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the fon of Feboiada, &c.| The three men that David fent for on this occafion: and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; not the fanedrim, as Ben Gerfom, but Davia’s guards, over whom Benaiab was: thefe went down from Ferualem, and caufed Solomon to ride upon king David's mule; as he had ordered: and brought him to Giandjhon; or Siloab, as the Targum; hence the Fews fay °, they don’t anoint a king, but at a fountain; but this is the only inftance of it,

¥.39. And Zadok the prieft took an horn of cil ofout of the tabernacle, &c.] Not out of the taber- The reafonjnacle of Mo/es, for that was at Gibeon; fee 1 Chron. whether it wasixxi. 28. and if the oil had been there, it would Solo-jhave been too far to have fetched it, fince hafte was now required; but this was taken out of the firm-jtabernacle David had built for the ark, 2 Sam. vi. fincej17. where the ark was, and before which the pot or becauletof oil was; fo Farchi,; but Kimchi indeed fays, fojthat though it was at this time at Gideon, Zadok ajwent thither, or fent thither to fetch it, and tho? to the city with jit is faid, the pot of oil was fet before the ark, this was when the ark was in the tabernacle; but when they took it out from thence at the war with the \Philiflines, that and the pot of manna were left in the tabernacle, and they took nothing but the ark; but if they brought the ‘pot afterwards, and put it ofjbefore the ark in Yerufalem, then it may be underproclama-iftood of the tabernacle David pitched for it; but that he difapproves of. Here Zadok is only faid to to,take the, oil, and anoint with it; which he did fea bither as the deputy of the high-prieft, or he was for, made ufe of becaufe the high-prieft-was on the fide. ~ tof Adanijah: and anointed Solomon; whether it was by pouring it on his head, as Saul was anointed, a Sam. x. 1. or, as the Fews fay‘, by’ putting it round about his head in the form of a crown, and then between his. eye-brows, is not very matethat he mayjrial; and they alfo fay®, that- it is not ufual to anoint the. fon of a king that has been anointed; powerjand that the reafon of the anointing of Solomon for be fhall bei was, becaufe of the fedition of his brother Adoniwellljab, and to confirm the kingdom to him; this anointing was an emblem of the gifts, graces, and virtues, neceffary to qualify a king for the difcharge of his office’: and they blew the trumpet; and. proclaimed him king: and all the people faid, God fave king Solomon; withed him long life and happinefs, beenjand gave him a general huzza..

for this order is not eafily given;

to denote the peaceablenefs and gentlenefs of mons government, the waters of Shiloab moving foftly, J/z. viii. 6. or the fpread, conftancy, nefs, and perpetuity of it, as the Fews fay’, the water of a fountain is ever running; there might be a concourfe of people there, and ‘he would be anointed and proclaimed king in public manner, and be attended.

great pomp and folemnity.

¥. 34. And let Zadok the pric, and Nathan the prophet, anoint bim there king over Irael, &c.) F or it might be done by either of them, as the unétions of Saul and David thew: and blow ye the trumpet, and fay, God fave king Solomon, the blowing the trampet was to make it public;, the tion of him as king was to be made by the found of it, and the acclamation of the people was exprefs their concurrence with it, their loyal tion to the new king, and their hearty wifhes his‘health, profperity, and Jong life.

¥. 35. Then ye foall come up after him, Bec] Wheh anointed, proclaimed, and’ hyzza’d, then “he was to mount the mule, and ride before them aS their king, at the’ head of them’; they following after, in token of their fubjeCtion to him: come and fit upon my throne; at Ferufalem, in the! king’s palace, and there exercifé his kingly lie would now be invefted“with’:

king in my ftead; even during Davia’s life, as as after his deceafe: and I have appointed bin-to be ruler over Ifrael, and over fudab, that is, over all the twelve tribes of J/rael, Fudah may be particularly mentioned, though included in J/rae/, becaufe Adonijab had invited the men of Fudahb to his feaft and party y. 9. and therefore had they not named, might think he had no power over them. ¥.

40. And all the people came up after him, 8c. Following him from the fountain to the city, with their loud acclamations: and the people piped with pipes; which were hollow inftruments, and full of

- | ax vi a:.o: 632 1] ee SS. Ch... 4450. “holes, which they blew with their mouths, and _ played upon with their fingers; Farchi fays they were flutes, and very probably: and rejoiced with great joy; which they exprefled by fuch loud fhouts: fo that the earth rent with the found thereof; an hyperbolical expreffion, fhewing the great numbers gathered together on this occafion, and the fonorous acclamations they made. the kingdom;

Nathan the prophet, and Benaiab the fon of ‘feboiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; over whom the latter was captain: and they have caufed him to ride upon the king’s mule, by his order and well as of the king: and they are come up from then rejoicing; with a multitude of people along wi - them: fo that the tity rang again 5 with the blow- — ing of trumpets, the found of pipings, and the Chouts of the people: this is the noife which ye have card; which had foalarmedthem.

y. 46. And alfo Solomon fitteth on the throne of Where he was placed to exercile his regal power when returned to Ferufalem, as a farther token and confirmation of his being really and actually king. 2 y. 41. And Adonijab and all the guefs that were with him, &c.) Or that were called"; that is, invited to the entertainment he had made: Aeard it, as they had made an end of eating; the fhouting of the people, which reached their ears juft as they had finifhed their meal, and before they had rifen from the table, where they had been a long while; for when Nathan went in to David, they were then eating and drinking, ¥. 25. and when he had finifhed his fpeech to David, Bathfbeba was called in, and the kingdom promifed to her fon with an oath, three perfons of the firft rank were fent for, had their orders and inftruétions, for the immediate execution, of which they made preparation, had Solomon down to Gihon, and there anointed him king, and brought him up to Feru/alem again; all which were done before Adonijah and his guefts rofe from table: and when Foab heard the found of the trumpet, he faid, wherefore is this noife of the city, being in an uproar? the city is inatumult by the noife that is made, what fhould be the meaning of it? he fpeaks as one furprized, and in great concern, being general of the army, whofe care fhould be to preferve the peace of the city, and prevent mutiny and diforder.

¥.47. dnd moreover the king’s fervants came to 2/e/s our lord the king, &c.| To give him thanks for the wife and good provifion he had made before his death for the welfare of thekingdom, by making Solomon his fon king in his ftead, and to congratulate him upon it; which fhewed that they highly approved of it, and were ready to {wear allegiance to Solomon, and therefore Adonijab had and nothing to hope for from them: /aying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name; that is, andjmay he be more famous, and his name be more celebrated in the world than his was, or be more refpectable and valued among his people J/rae/: and make bis throne greater than thy throne; fee y. 37. and the king Lowed himfelf upon the bed fignitying not only his approbation of what was done, but alfo of their prayers and wifhes; as well as he bowed himfelf to give thanks to God that he had lived to fee this work done, as follows.

¥. 48. Aad alfo thus faid the king, &c.] Being in a proper pofture for an addrefs to God: dleffet ~ be the Lord God of Ifracl, which hath given one to Jonathanjfit on my throne this day, mine eyes feeing it; he afcribes this whole affair to God, and his kind providence, though all things were done according to his own orders; and gives thanks to him, who | had directed him to take fuch fteps as thefe were, and « that the bufinefs was finifhed without any obftruction, and to the great joy and fatisfaétion of the people; and that there was fuch a profpect of So- /omon’s having a happy and peaceable reign, y. 42. And while he yet fpake, behold the fon of Abiathar the prieft came, &c.| Whom his father had left in the city, to obferve what paffed there, and give him notice of it: and Adonijab faid unto him, come in, for thou art a valiant man, and bringeft good tidings 5 which feems to be not avery wife {peech, as if there was aconnexion between being valiant, and bringing good news, or that the one had any influence upon the other; though perhaps it means no more than a good man, 4a man of virtue*, asit may be rendeted; one that fears fin, as the Targum, and fo would report nothing but what was true, and therefore might be depended on; fee 2 Sam. xviii. 27. the fame phrafe is rendered a worthy man, y. 42.

¥.49. And all the guefts that were with Adomijab were afraid, &c.] Though many of them were military men, the, general of the army, and the ~ captains thereof, ¥. 19, 25. yet they were ftruck with a panic, their courage failed them, they had no fpirit left in them, their hearts became as weak as water; had they exerted themselves according to their character, betaken themfelves to arms, and put themfelves at the head of their troops in favour of Adonijab, it would have given Solomon and his ac-jfriends a great deal of trouble; no doubt this paand rofe up, and went every man bis way; or to his houfe, as the Arabic verfion; Zadok the prieff, andjon hearing what Yonathan reported, they immediately role up from table in great hafte, and made the beft of their way to their houfes, that it might: not be known: that they had been with donijah. meres y¥.43. And Fonathan anfwered and faid to Adonijab, verily, &c.|] Or, way, but* it 1s not fo as thou imagineft; it is not good tidings, but bad tidings to thee I bring: our lord king David bath made Solomon king; of which he gives the following count in proof of it.. nic was of God:

¥.44. And the king hath fent with him, &c.] To the fountain of Gihon:

direction,. ¥.50. And Adonijah feared becaufe of Solomon,

¥. 45. And Zadok the prieft, and Nathan the\&c. prophet, have anointed him king in Gibon, &c. at Gibon; that is, Siloab, according to the Targum; here the act of anointing is afcribed to them both, asin. 34. Zadok very probably applied the oil to him, and Nathan might be fome way or other affifling in it; however he was here prefent, not only as approving of it, but declaring itas‘a prophet, thatit was according to the will of God, Left he fhould feize him as an uferper and Or'traitor, and put him to death: and arofe, and went, and caught bold on the horns of the altar; either that which was at Gideon, where the tabernacle now was; fee ch. iii. 4. fo Farchi; or rather that which was. neareft, the altar that Dovid had built in the threfhing floor of Araunab, 2 Sam, xxiv. 25. the altar — was a fort of A/ylum, or refuge, for fuck who had. as!committed any crime worthy of death; not by di-

* vine appoiniment, but by’ cuftom, it being fuppoled that none would prefume to defile with blood future, or appear to be one that’ fears fin, as the Targum; particularly the crimes of fedition, re-.

that which was facred to che Lord; or fhed the blood of men where the blood of beafts was poured; or ule feverity and ftri& juice, but mercy, where facrifices were offered to atone for fin, and mercy was fhewn on account of them; thefe were notions, and this a cuftom, which obtained very early, and even among the Jews; fee Exod. xxi. 14. a5 well as among Gentiles; with whom it was ufual, as to flee to the ftatues of their emperors, and to the temples of their deities, fo likewife to their altars; this was cuftomary among the Molo/- fans, Samothracians, bellion, and treafon: there /oall not anbair of him

‘|fall to the earth 5 not the leaft hurt fhould be done Yhim: but if wickedue/s fhall be found in bim, he faall die; thatis, if any crime worthy of death be committed by him, or any overt act of treafon, and thelike, he fhould furely be put to death, and find no mercy, notwithftanding the prefent general pardon. This was very wilely done by Solomon, to begin his reign without fhedding blood even of delinquents; and efpecially of his brother, and his elder brother too; and by granting his life for the rotoniaté, and Meffenians; | future on his good behaviour.

and particularly the altar of Jupiter Servator was an afylum, or place of refuge, to the Ithacians'. Cornelius Nepos™ has given us an inftance of that fled to a temple of Neptune, and fat upon the altar for his fecurity, as here Adonyab laid hold on ghe horns of this, that none might force him from ” y¥.53. So king Solomon fent, and they brought down Adonijab from the altar, &c.] It being built onejupon an hill, as both that at Gideon, and in 4rau- #ahb’s threfhing foor were: and be came and bowed bimfelf to king Solomon; in a way of reverence and fubjection, acknowledging him to be king, and himfelf his fubject: and Solomon faid to him, go to y¥. 51. And it was told Solomon, &c.] By fome of thine boufe; in peace; fignifying that he pardoned his courtiers: faying, bebold Adonijab feareth king Solomon, \eft he fhould take away his life: for lo he hath caught hold on ibe horns of the altar; which was the dernier refort of the guilty when they de- {paired of mercy otherwife: faying, let king Solomon fwear unto me this day, that be will not flay bis fer- him, and he might go home, and enjoy his family and fubftance; and withal intimating that he fhould only regard the affairs of his family, and not trouble himfelf with thofe of the kingdom and ftate. Abarbinel fancies, that becaufe Solomon faid that if he fhewed himfelf to be a worthy man, or aman of vant with the fword; he owns Solomonto be king, fortitude and valour, that *Adonijah thought that and himfelf his fubject and fervant; this: no doubt he did to conciliate his favour, nor did he think his life fafe, unlefs Solomon promifed with an oath that he would not take it away.

his meaning was, that he fhould go before him as a man of war, and minifter to him; which made him fo ready to come and ftand before him; in which he was miftaken, Solomon meant no fuch

¥. 52. And Solomon faid, if be will few himfelf a worthy man, &c.| Will behave himfelf well as.a thing; nor would he take him into his court and fervice, but fent him home to his own houfe.

good fubject, and be careful not to offend for the

HIS chapter gives an account of the charge fee David gave to his fon Solomon, a little before his death, to walk in the ways of the Lord, y. 1—4. and of fome inftructions delivered to him in concerning fome particular perfons he fhould fhew favour to, or execute juitice on, ¥. and the next account in it is concerning his and burial, and the years of his reign, ¥. 10, 11. after which it relates an addrefs of Bath/beba to Solomon in favour of Adonijah, which. was refufed, and the iffue of it was his death, ¥. 12—25. and the depofition of Abiatbar from the priefthood, ¥. 26, 27. and the putting of oad to death for treafon and murders, ¥. 28—34. in whofe poft Benaiah was put, as Zadok was in the place of Adia thar,. 35. and laftly the confinement of Shimei in Ferufalem, who had curled David, y. 36—38. who upon tranfgreffing the orders given him was| put to death, ¥. 39—46. and fhews that that book Gen. xlvii. 29. Abarbinel obferves, that he is called only David, not king David; becaufe Soomon his fon was now anointed king, and reigned his ftead; fo in ¥. 10, 11. but there is another either reafon given by fome Fews*, that no man, even a 5—g.;king, has power in the day of death; he is no death king then, he has no rule over that, but that rules over him: and be charged Solomon his fon; gave him his laft and dying charge: /aying; as follows.

y.2. Igo the way of all the earth, &c.] A path which is the path of death °, which all pafs in, his'kings and peafants, high and low, rich andpoor, greac and fmall, good and bad; none are exempted, all muft die, and do; it is the appointment of God, a decree which can never be reverfed; all experience confirms it: this fame phrafe is ufed by 7ooua, from whom David fzems to nave borrowed it, was written in his days,

Fob. xxiii. 14. be thou firong therefore, not difcouraged.at my death, being a common thing, and to foould die, 8cc.} The number of his days fixed and determined by the Lord, od xiv. 5. and which might be perceived as drawing nigh, both by himfelf and others, through the growing infirmities of old age, decays of nature, and various fymptoms of an approaching diffolution which were uponhim; be expected; nor at being left alone, the Lord can give thee wifdom and counfel, affiftance and ftrength, protection, and defence; take heart therefore, and be of good courage: and soew thy/elf a maz; in wifdom and underftanding, and in fortitude of mind, though {0 young a man; which

“¥.1. Now the days of David drew night that be ce. — wens wae were nede fiery for the government of fo great people, and to guard him againft the fecret intrigues of fome, and the open flatteries of others, and the feai of attempts againft his perfon and government, and the temptations he might be liable to, aybzen in open war; and “even under a ‘pretenc friendfhip to them, cai of their peace a fare, as if he meant nothing tefs than to behav ay peaceably towards them; hence the sing, | ‘* whom he flew in craftinels:” and putt od to do wrong things; and efpecially they were: neceflary to enable him to keep the commands of God, as fol'ows; which required great ftrength of mind and of grace, confidering the corruptions of nature, the temptations of Satan, and the {nares of men; fee Fo. 1. 7.

y¥. 3. And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, &c.] Which may in general refpeét his whole walk and converfation, and his obedience to the law and will of God; and in particular his juft govern* ment of J/rael committed to his charge: to walk in his ways; directed to in his word y to keep his fratutes and bis judgments; his ‘laws, ceremonial, moral, and judicial: and his tefimonies; as the above laws, which teftify of his mind, and declare what he would have done and obferved: as it is written in the law of Mofes; which a king of Irae! was obliged to write a copy of, keep by him, of war upon the girdle that was about bis loins, and ‘in bis fooes that were in bis feet; which particu ee refpects the affair of Amafa, whofe blood he fhed with his fword, that dropped out of its feabbard, girded upon his loins, and into which he puc it jagain, all over bloody, and wore it girded upot his loins; and which he alfo flooped for whenit _ fell, as if he was going to unloofe or buckle his _ fhoes, and into which the blood ran down when. he ftabbed him; and after this barbarous action marched on without any fhame or remorfe, with his bloody fword on his loins, and the blocd of the murdered in his fhoes. 6 PRIS 2087 ¥. 6. Do therefore according to thy wifdom, &c. ¥ Which though young began to appear in him, ever in the life of his father; he therefore exhorts him to ufe the wifdom he had, and take the firft and fitteft opportunity to cut him off for his former murand read it, and rule according to it: that thou mayelt profper in all that thou doef, and whitherfover thou turueft thyfelf 5 to reign in and according to the law of God, is the only way to havea profperous and happy reign: mayoft a& wifely’; the:

y. 4. That the Lord may continue bis word which he fpake coucerning me, &c.} His word of promife ders and. late treafon, as a dangerous man to his _ eovernment and the peace of it: and let mot bis righteoufnels,Aoary bead go down to the grave in peace, that is, let him not die a natural, but a violent death; and or ¢hat thoujlet not his grey hairs be any argument for fparing. Jaw of God furnifhing outjhim, or any reafon for delaying the taking of him po-joff; becaufe he would in courfe die quickly; for he muft’ be now an old man, as old as David, or perhaps older; fince he had been his general 40 » years, even all the time of his reion; fee 2 Sami:

concerning the kingdom of David, and the fuc-lii. 13.. ceffion.of it, and confirm and eftablith it: if thy children take beed to their way, they are directed to walk in, even the way of the Lord, not turn to the right hand or the left: to walk before me in truth, in the fincerity and integrity of their hearts, according to the word of truth, and under the influence of the fpirit of truth: witb af their heart, and with oil their foul; in the moft cordial manner, with the ftrongeft affection and| zeal; with all eagernefs and earneftnefs; whole hearts engaged in every duty performed by|zi them: fhere foall not fail thee ({aid he) @ man on the throne of Ifrael; one to fucceed him in the throne; this with refpeét to his throne, literally confidered, was conditional; but, fpiritwally confidered, was ab{olute, and had its fulfilment in ‘the Mefiah,| whofe throne is for ever; fee Luke i. 32,33.

¥.5. Moreover thou knoweft alfo what Foab\2 Sam. the fon of Zeruiah did unto me, &c.] In flaying Adfalom, contrary to his orders, and in behaving infolently towards him on account of his for him, and at other times; but as thefe things might not be perfonally known to Solomon, only by hearfay; this may refpect his difloyalty towards him, in joining with Adonijab, who fet himfelf up for king in his life-time, and without his knowledge and confent; or it may refpeét the inftances next mentioned, in which he did injury to the intereft, honour, and character of David: and (or even) what he did to the two captains of the hoft ifrael, unto Abner the fon of Ner, and unto Amafa she fou of Fetber, to Abner who was under Jedo- Sheth, and Amafa under David, who had not only -the promife of the poft, but was a€tually in it “when Foab flew him; and indeed out of envy tojif him for it.: and fed the blood of war in when they were at peace with him, as if they aying,| y. 7. But fhew kindnefs to the fons of Barzillat the Gileadite, &c.| Who perhaps was now dead, andjand therefore he would have kindnefS fhewn to his © pofterity for his fake: and let them be of thofe that eat of thy table; as Mephibofheth had at his, who alfo perhaps was dead, fince no notice is taken of /him; and as David would have had Barzillai, but he defired to be excufed on account of his age: for o they came to me, when I fled becaufe of thy brother, with their) 4d/alom;, that is, they came to him, not only Ber- /ai, but his fons it feems; and fed him or furnifhed him with provifions, when he was obliged to fly to the other fide Yordan, becaufe of the rebel- — lion of his fon 4d/alom, y. 8. And bebold thou haft with thee Shimei the on of Gera, a Benjamite of Baburim, &c.| OF whom, and of his native place, fee the note on xvi. 5. he was now at Ferufalem, and fo with Solomon, or near at hand; and was on his fide, and of his party; fee ch. i. 8. bur not to be truft= mourningled, or looked upon as a. real friend: which curfed me with @ grievous curfe, when I went to Mabanaim; a place on the other fide Yordan, of which — place, and the curfes this man curfed David with, | fee 2 Sam. xvi. 7,8. and xvii. 24. but be came down ¢o me at Jordan; after the defeat of Ad, aloe, ane; when Dawid was returning, and humbled himfelf — to him, and begged his pardon: and Ifware unto bim by the Lord, faying, I will not ‘put thee to death of with the fword, but this oath was not binding up- _ on his facceffor, and efpecially fhould he omm new crime. i Retiree

¥.9. Now therefore bold him not guiltle Don’t look upon him as an innocent perfor d he commits an offence againft thee, as. » has peace;lagainft me, don’t acquit him asI Rear Ai hadithou art a wife man; fo it feems he was before the appearance of the Lord to him at Gideon, even before his father’s death, he had given fome proofs of it to David himielf: and knoweft what thou to do unto him to watch and obferve him, and_ if found offending, to punith him according to the rules of juftice, and che Jaws of the land: dat bis hoary head bring thou down to the grave with blood; {pare him not on account of his age, but put him to death whenfoever he fhall be found guilty,. let him not die a natural death. Lord,;

v. 7. and his fepulchre remained unto the times of the apoliles, upwards of 1000 years, As i. 29. beba, that fhe might be the more eafily prevailed. oughteft japon to feek to obtain fo {mall a favour as he was jabout to afk: Lowdeit the kingdom is turned about; ¢ad ts become my brother’s; things had taken another turn, and what was his, and he thought himfelf fure of the other day, was now become his brother’s; fuch” were the uncertainty and viciffitude. of human affairs: for it was bis from the by the appointment of the Lord, by a pro-. jmife of his, and a prophecy concerning, it; which if he knew of, it.was both vain and finful in him to act contrary thereunto; or it was brought about by the over-ruling providence of God, which he now plainly faw and fubmittedto; this he faid to fhew that he had laid afide-all hopes of the king- Chrif!dom, and was fully fatisfied of the difpofition of it in providence, and fo to hide his real defign in the petition he was about to make.

¥. 10. So David flept with bis fathers, &c. Died as his anceftors before him did; for, buried with them he was not; and therefore can’t be underftood of his lying with them in the grave, but in the ftate of the dead; he died according as the ews fay 2 on the day of Pentecoft, and according to bifhop Ujfger' A.M. 2990, and before 1014. avd was buried in the city of David; not at Bethlebem, in the fepulchre of Jefe, who was a private man; but being aking, in his owncity, the hold of Zion he took from ‘the ‘febu/ite, which afterwards was called by his name, 2 Sam.

¥.16. And now I afk one petition of thee, 8cc.} andj)And but one, and a {mall one too, as Bathfheba herfelf after callsit: deny me not, or turn not away \™y face ‘; with fhame and forrow, which would be the cafe fhould he be denied: and fhe faid unto bim, fee the note there. * ay on; letme hear it.

¥. 11. And the days that David reigned over I/- vael were 40 years, &c.] So fays Eupolemus*, an heathen writer, which are thus reekoned: 7 years reigned bein Hebron; the 6 months over are omitted, 2 Sam. v. 5. this part of his reign was over Yudah only: aud 33 years reigned be in Ferufalem; over the twelve tribes, in all 40, which round number is only given; though in fact he reigned x.i7. And he faid, [peak I pray thee unto Solomonthe king, &c.] He owns him to beking, and which he the rather did to engage her to take his fuit in hand, and to cover his defign: for he will not fay thee nay; or turn away thy face, or deny thy requeft; fhe being his mother, for whom he hada great affection, and to whom he was under jobligation on all accounts: shat be give me Abifbag

6 months more. the Shunamite to wife; which was contrary tothe

¥. 12. Then fat Solomon on the throne of David bis father, &c.] So he did in his life-time,- with his confent, and by his order, and now by the agreement of the whole people: and his kingdom was efablifoed greatly; all fubmitting to it, and none law of God, Lev. xviii. 8. which furely Adonijab muft have. been ignorant of, and Bath/heba likes wife; or the one would never have made fucha requeft, nor the other have undertaken to try to jebtain it; but perhaps they did not take her to be oppofing it. David's wife, or the marriage to be confummated, y¥.13. And Adonijah the fon of Haggith came to Bathfbeba, the mother of Solomon, &c.| Into her apartment; 4barbinel thinks it was a few days after the death of David: and fhe faid, comeft thou ably; ina friendly manner, with no ill defign, only to pay a friendly vifit; for fhe might fear he came to avenge himfelf on her, and deftroy her, becaule the had been the inftrument of difappointing him of the kingdom, and of getting her fon Solomon fet upon the throne, and eftablifhed in and therefore could not tell what envy, rage, and difappointment, might prompt him to: and be faid, peaceably; he meant no harm unto her.

y. 14. He faid, moreover, I have fomething to fay unto thee, &cc.| Signifying that he came upon bufinels: and fhe faid, fay on 5 intimating her readinefs becaufe he knew her not: but yet not being returned to her father’s houfe, and being at the difpofe of Selomon, prove that fhe muft be a concubine-wife, peace-jand which became the property of the next heir and fucceffor; fee 2 Sam. xii. 8. nor did Adonijab japply to her or her friends; which if he was really jin love with her, he would have done, if at her own or their difpofal; but this he knew, that fhe was folely at the difpofal of Solomon, to whom he did it;jnot care to apply himfelf, but makes ufe of his mother..

y. 18. And Bathfoeba faid, well, &c.] Very well fpoken, the thing is good and right: J will /peak for thee unto the king; and ufe her intereft with him, not feeing into his defign, but pitying an unfortunate man.

to hear what it was. ¥. 19. Bath/heba therefore went unto king Solo- y. 15. And he faid, thou knoweft that the kingdom was mine, &c.| Belonged to him by virtue of his birth-right; he was heir to it, being the eldeft fon: and all Ifrael fet their faces on me, that I reigz; which was not true; for as Bath/beba fays, the body of the people were in fufpence, their eyes being on David, waiting to hear whom he would declare his fucceffor; and when Solomon was and anointed, vaft numbers attended him;_ unlefs Adonijah thought that the high-prieft, and general of the army, with the captains, reprefented the whole people; however this he obferves by way of preface, to thew how unhappy he was being difmon, to {peak unto him for Adonijab, &c.] She went from her own houfe to the palace; for fhe might not live at court; or however had an apartment to foould \her{elf, from whence fhe went to the king with her {uit in favour of Adonijab: and the king rofe up to meet ber, and bowed himfelf unto ber; upon her entrance into the prefence-chamber, in honour to her declared jas a parent, he rofe up from his throne, and made his obeifance to her, asa dutiful fon: and fat dows © and caufed a feat to be fet for the king’s mother, a magnificent feat or throne, as the word is, was ordered to be fet for her: and fhe fat on bis right 4and; where he placed her in honour to her ad appointed, ‘and to move the compaffion of Bath- y Liz 7 ™ ey “) Pedal a a mothe?; fo Nerc* placed Tiridates king of drmeof this to her, and put her nia at his right-hand, to do him honour. | him; and who no doubt re and therefore fhe hoped it would be granted: I pray an w thee; /ay me not nay; don’t refule it, or deny it me, 24. or turn away my face with fhame and difappointment: and the king faid, afk on, my mother, for I will not fay thee nay; fince it is a {mall one, as thou fayeft,*and provided it is fit and lawful to be Which is another oath; and one may eafi ceive hereby in what a temper and dilpofition mon was, how warn, earnelt and -vehement, refolute againit the petition, and how determir granted. he was to punifh 4aonijah and his confederates:

¥.21. And foe faid, let Abifoag the Shunamite be given to Adonijab thy brother to wife.| For fo Adonijab was by his father’s fide; and Bathfbeba makes wfe of the relation, the more to move upon him to grant the requett.

- y22. And king Solomon anfwered and faid unto\ bis. mother, &cc.|. With as much gentlenefs mildnefs as he could, but inwardly fired at her regueft, and amazed at it, and could not forbear ufing fome degree of tartnefs and refentment: and why doft thou afk Abifoag the Shunamite for Adonijab? is this a {mall petition? is this a fit and lawful one? afk for him the kingdom alfo; for this is what he means by it, that by marrying the king’s widow, he may ftep into the throne whenever any opportunity offers, as any uneafinefs, or infurreétion in the kingdom, or the death of Solomon; for none but a king, the ews fay, might marry a King’s widow, not any private man; and therefore for Adonijab to afk this, was interpreted affecting the kingdom, and afpiring to it, and taking his fures to obtain it; yea, it is faid‘, that none another king, the fucceffor, might make ule of his fervants, hand-maids and minifters; and it is ebferved, that 4di/beg was free to Solomon, but not to Adonijab: for be is mine elder brother; that to plead in his favour, and if he could obtain this, it would ftrengthen his title, or at leaft plaufible pretence, which he might make ufe of when opportunity ferved, to gain the people to] his intereft: even for bin, and for Abiathar the prieft, and for Foab the fon of Zeruiab, the might as well afk for them as for him; whole intereft it was, and therefore defirous it might be that he| o fhould’be king, that fo the one might be continued in the office of high-prieft, and the cther as“ general of the army; who, So/omon knew, bore him good-will, but were fecretly his enemies; and he fufpected that this was a fcheme of theirs,‘and that it was by their advice Adonijah made this requeft; fo the Yargum, ‘are not he, and Abiathar the prieft, and ‘Joab the fon of Zerwiah in the counfel?’ in this counfel; ’tis what they had confulted among themfelves as a preparation to bring about a defign they are contriving; probably So mon had private notice that they were plotting againit which hath eftablifeed me, and fet me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made me 68 boufe, as be promifed; who had placed him on his father’s throne, and eftablifhed him there, in fpite ‘ of all his enemies, and had given him a firm and table kingdom, which was not to be fhaken and andjfubverted by the power and policy of confpirators, - according to the promife of God by Nathan, 2 Sam. vii. 11—13. Adonijah foalt be put to death this ay both for his former confpiracy, he only having had a reprieve, and which was to continue on his good behaviour, and for his frefh attempt in forming treafonable {chemes to afcend the throne if - eo wherefore, being a dangerous man, and. no longer to be trufted, Solomon was determined to difpatch him atonce, and being eftablithed in his kingdom, he had nothing to fear from thofe in the confpiracy with him. ve Sete y.25. And king Solomon fent by the hand of Benaiah the Jon of Feboiada, &c.] Orders to exzeute mea-jhim, and proper perfons to do it; perhaps fomie butjof the Cherethites and Peletbites under him, to affift. at leaft in it: end he feli upon him, that be died; Benaiah rufhed in upon him with his men, and: thruft his fword into him, and killed him; and has'executions ufed to*be done in thofe times and countries by great perfonages, as the inftances of Gzbe aldeon, Doeg, and others,. fhew, and not by. common: executioners. ih oui sic hai

¥.26. And unto Aliathar the prieft faid the king, 8&c.] Who was either at court, or he fent for him, and thus addrefied him: get thee to Anathoth; a city of the tribe of Benjamin, given to the priefts, s. xxi. 18. of which place’ Adiathar might be originally, and whither he is bid to return: gato sbine own fields; which belonged to him there, nojeither by inheritance or purchafe; and thele he was to mind, and not perform the functions of his office, however as high-prieft, and at Ferujalem, — and the tabernacle there, and ftill lefs appear at court, or meddle with flate-affairs, only to attend to his private domettic concerns: for thou art wor- ¢by of death, in joining with Adonijab in the lifetime of David, and fetting him up as king witho-|out his knowledge, and in oppofition to Salomon, contrary to the will of God, and promife of David,

. Now sbebefore, as the Lard liz 4)

him, and this confirmed him in the truth of and therefore all of them were upon this with deprivation of office, or lofs of life.

¥. 23. Then king Solomon fware by the Lord, 8ec.] To prevent his mother preffing him to have her petition granted: /aying, Ged do fo to me and more alfo; lay fuch and tuch evils upon me, and more _ than I care to exprefs: if Adonijah have not fpoken this word againft. bis own life; to his own prejudice, and even to the lofs of his life; in which Solomon fuggetts it would iffue, being a freth act of treafon; he knew from what Bath/heba ‘that this was his petition, and that he had it;lof which’ he, being high-prieft, can’t be thought punifhedjto be ignorant, and for his late confeder wit Adonijah, of which Sclomon had knowledge will not at this time put thee to eal 3 hee give him a full pardon, only a reipites ” that fhould he be guilty of any. overt act, be put to death another time, though becaufe thou bareft she ark of the Lord David my father; when he fled fr 2 Sam. xv. 24. and becaufe thou fi overt all wherein my # bi sceh was afflitted 5 faid,'in all his affli¢tions under the perfeca of fpoken from the time e flew the priefts at Vob,

Chiiyv.27—32, LL KINGS, the rebellion of Ab/alom; in each of which he accompanied him, and fuffered and fympathized with

¥. 27. So Solomon thruft out Abiathar from being prieft unto the Lord, &c.] He depofed him from his office of high-prieft, otherwife I fuppofe he might officiate as a common prieft, at leaft in fome of the branches of it; this was done by his own authority as a king, and not as a prophet, as Bellarmine vainly diftinguifhes; and not by the authority of the college of the priefts, at the inftance of Solomon, as Fortunatus Schacchus fays *, for which there is no foundation: that be might fulfil the word of the Lord; which he might do intentionally, having knowledge of it, or however eventually: which be fpake concerning the houfe of Eli in Shiloh, of which houfe Abiathar was, and which, according to that prophecy, was to be demolifhed, and the priefthood tranflated from it, which was in the line of Jthamar, to another houfe in the line of Eleazar; the word of the Lord, referred to, is in 1 Sam, ii. 31—36. and iii, 12—14.

y. 28. Then tidings came to Foab, &c.] Of the death of Adonijab, and the depofition of Adiathar: for Foab bad turned after Adonijab, publickly appeared at his feaft, when he was faluted king by him, and others, and privately gave him advice in the affair of Abifbag: though he turned not after Abfalom; did net join with him in his rebellion, but faithfully adhered to David; and yet both in his life-time, and after his death, acted the traitorous part in favour of Adonijah: Ben Gerfom gives thefe words a different fenfe, as if he was blameworthy in both cafes; that he turned after Adoni.

¥. 30. And Benainh came to the tabérnatle of the Lord, 8.) At Gibson: and faid unto him, that is, to Foab: thus faith the king, come forth; meaning, out of the tabernacle; which plainly fhows that his orders were not to flay him in it: and be faid, nay, but I will die beré, fince he tuft die, he chofe to die there; but what was his reafon for it, is not fo clear; the ews; fome of themy fay, to fave his goods, and that they might come to his heirs, which would have been forfeited to the crown, if he had been tried and condemned in a court of judicature; others, that he might be buried with his anceftors, whereas, had he been fentenced to death by the court, he would have been buried in the common place of malefaétors; but rather he thought, or at leaft hoped; he fhould not die at all; either that by gaining time; So/omon might be prevailed upon to pardon him; or however that he would not defile that facred place with his blood; or if he fhould die, he chofe to die there, as being a facred place, and fo might hope to receive fome benefit from it, as to his future ftate, where facrifices were offered to atone for fin: and Benaiah brought the king word again, faying, thus faid Foab, and thus he anfwered me; told me he would not’ come out, and if he muft die, he would die there.

¥. 31. And the king faid unto him, do as he bath faid, and fall upon him, and bury bim, &c.| Let him die where he is, flay him upon the fpot, and then bury him; not by the altar,,but in his own fepulchre, as after related, that is, give orders to bury him there; for Bexaiah being a prielt, could not be concerned in the burial of him, and befides jab to make him king, without confulting David, and having his confent; and he did not turn after Abfalom, to deliver him from death, as David commanded him; but the former fenfe is beft: and Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; which was at Gibeon, fee 2 Chron. i. 3. it was four miles from Ferufalem to the north, fituated on an hill® according to Ja/epbus ‘, it was 40 furlongs, or five miles from it; though Kime: thinks it was the altar in Ferufalem he fled to, which was before the ark, in the tent David made for it; but that is never called the tabernacle of the Lord, only that of Mojfes: Foab’s fleeing hither fhowed guilt, and) that he was in the confpiracy of Adonijah, and was confcious he deferved to die, and now expected fince Adonijab was put to death; whilft he remained reprieved or pardoned, he thought himfelf but now in danger, and therefore fled for it: amd caught hold of the borns of the altar; fee the note it was below the dignity of his office: that thou maye/t take away the innocent blood which Foab fred, from me, and from the houfe of my father, which had been too long connived at, and had called for vengeance; and now here was a proper opportunity upon frefh fins committed to avenge it, and;)fo remove the guilt, which lay upon him and his father’s houfe, for not inflicting deferved punifhment on him for it.

y. 32. And the Lord fhall return his blood upon: Ais own head, &c.) By way of retaliation, blood for blood: who fell upon two men more righteous and etter than he; after named; for though they had been in open rebellion againft David, yet had fubmitted, it,)and were reconciled and received into favour; and even their open crimes were not fo bad, Solomon fafe, judged, as his fecret treacherous murders of innocent perfons in cool blood; they were men of more honour and integrity than he was, not fo on ch. i. 50. cruel and barbarous, though guilty in other re- y.29. And it was told king Solomon, that Foab\ was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, &c.] This account was brought him very probably by fome of his courtiers: and bebold, he is by the altar; to which he betook himfelf for refuge, laying hold on the horns of it: then Solomon fent Benaiah the fon of Feboiada, faying, go fall upon him; flay him; Fofepbus * fays, the orders were to cut off his head; but perhaps it might be only to lay hold on him, and take him thence, and bring him to Solomon' to have judgment paffed upon him; for the Targum is, “* exercife your power over him,” take him ‘into cuftody; and certain it is, that the firft orders were not to flay him, at leaft upon the petts: and flew them with the fword, my father not knowing thereof; this is obferved to remove all fufpicion, and which doubtlefs had been entertained by fome, that David had an hand in their death; and that Yoad did what he did with his knowledge and confent, and by his advice and order; they having been both concerned in rebellion againft him, the one under Jbdofheth, and the other under Ad/alom: to wit, Abner the fon of Ner, captain of the hoft of Ifrael, and Amafa the fon of Fether, captain of the hoft of Fudab, the reafon, the two hofts, of which they were captains or generals, being thus diftinguifhed, is, becaufe the fpot’ tribes of J/rael were on the fide of [/bbafheth, whote where he was. general Abner was, in oppofition to 7udab, who

; ou a LKINGS Chit ¥.33—49 $, Sys Oe - made David their king; and, on the other hand, they were the men of Judah that were firft and chiefly in the rebellion of d/alom, whofe general Amafa was of the murder of thefe two men by Foab, fee 2 Sam, iii. 27. and xx. 10.

¥. 33. Their blood foall therefore return upon the bead of Joab, and upon the bead of bis feed for ever, &c.] Not only upon Foad, but upon his tain pofterity as long as there would be any; over' the brook Kidvon, which is ‘particula mer ne tioned, becauté this lay in his way to Babirim, big) native place; he muft crofs that: to go to iy oe 2 Sam. xv. 2 3. and xvi. 5. and where it mig © _ © Jreafonably be fuppofed he would fome time oF other be inclined to go, either through bufinefs, a defire to fee it again: thou foalt know for cer that ou foalt furely die, it may be depend fignify- ed on, as what will be moft certainly the cafe; m

? 4 LA aes ae ing, that Yead’s death would not be a fufficient reprieve nor pardon will be granted: thy blood fatisfaction, but the punifhment of his murders

Joall be on thine own bead; fair warning bei would be continued to his offspring; fee 2 Sam. iii. given, he could blame none but himfelf thou 1 he

29. but upon David, and upon bis feed, and upon a be guilty and fuffer.: ee Se his houfe, and upon his throne, foall there be peace) y. 38. And Shimei faid unto the king, the Jayin for ever from the Lord; {uch traitors and murderers is good, &c.] It was an act of gocdnefS in ne” being removed, peace and happinefs might be exking, and what was good, grateful and acceptable.

peéted and believed would attend the family and to him; for being fent for by him, and knowing” kingdom of David; whether this be confidered as a-prayer, or a prophecy, it can and will have its full accomplifhment only in the kingdom of the how hevhad ufed his father, and hearing mela oat ral traitors being put to death, he expeéted this’ would have been his cafe; and wherefore, in

Meffiah the fon of David, of the increafe of whofe government, and the peace thereof, there fhall be y. 34. So Benaiah the fon of Feboiada went up, &c.} To Gibeon, which was a great high place, ch. iti. 4.. and fell upon bim, and flew him; at the altar, or dragging him from it at fome diftance, dtew his fword and flew him: awd he was buried in his own boufe in the wilderne/s, not in his dwelling-houfe ftritly taken, but in a garden or field - adjoining to it, which houfe was in the wildernefs; not a wafte place uninhabited; for, as Kimchi obterves, this word fometimes fignifies a place inhabited, though not tilled, but left for pafture of cattle\; and in fuch a place might oad’s houfe be, at leaft his country-houfe, where’he might have a farm, and fields, and cattle, as it is plain he had, 2 Sam. Xiv. 30.

¥. 35. And the king put Benaiah the fon of Fehoiada in his room, over the bof, &c.) Advanced him from being captain of his life-guards to be general of the army: and Zadok the prieft did he put in the room of Atiathar, froma common prieft he promoted him to the high-priefthood; whereby that office was reftored to its ancient line, the family of Eleazar, having been in the line of Jthamar for many years; and the prediction of the deftruction of £ii’s houfe, made 80 years ago, began to be fulfilled, 1 Sam. ii. 31—36.

¥. 36. And the king fent and called for Shimei, &c.] Who had curfed his father; he lived at Bahurim, in the tribe of Benjamin, and from thence he fent for him to him, 2 Sam. xvi. 5. and faid unto him, build thee an houfe in Ferufalem and dwell there, and go not from thence any where; the orders were to. remove from Bahurim to Ferufalem, where he. was'to provide himfelf a dwelling-houfe, and there continue, and never go out of the city, at leaft not farther on any fide of it than it was to the brook Kidron, which was not° more than half a mile from the city. This Sclomon ordered; to prevent this man going about in the country fowing and flirring up fedition; and that he might be under his eye and notice, that fhould he commit any evil, and give him an opportunity of punifhing him, he might do it as his father had: direéted! him; and he might judge from the temper of the man, and indeed from the nature of men in general, that what.they are forbidden, they are the moftprone unto, that he would tranfgrefs in this cafe, and give him an occafion,againft him..,

¥.37. Hor it foall be on the day thou goeft out, &c.] Out of the city of Ferufalem: and paffejt pies he fet to watch and obferve his motions, by fome othexs who had -féem him gout and 1 turn, and ‘that it was ‘contrary to the ki orders: that Shimei bad gone fram Jerufaler.

of being put to death, was only cbliged to quit his habitation ia the country, and come aha ive at! Ferufalem, a pleafant and delightful city, and ‘the metropolis of the nation, it was very agreeable. to 4 him: as my lord the king hath faid, fo will thy fervant do, and he not only promifed, but eee it, which Solomon obliged him to, ¥. 42. ai She mei dwelt in Ferufalem many days; he, accordin iy built or purchafed a houfe in Ferufalém, anc = moved from Beburim to it, where he lived forthe. {pace of three years, as follows. “"" — “= ¥.39. And it came to pafs at the end of three years, &c.} He had dwelt at Ferufalem: that to". of the fervants of Shiinet ran away to Ackifh the fou. of Maachah king of Gath; he being a chi nlith, ill + natured man, always curfing or beating them, impofing too hard fervice upon them, of not a lowing them the neceflaries of life; wherefore rT brake away from him, and fled to Gath, and pur themfelves under the protection of the king of thas. place, who was now ‘at peace with J/rae/, anda tributary to them: if this chi was the fame thag was David's friend, who. fheltered him when ve fecuted by Saul, he muft be an old man; for! was between 40 or 50 years ago; andas he {ems ta be, fince he is called'the fon of Maoch, 1 San. xxvii, 2. which may be thought to be the fame ¥ Maachab here. f ae ile: yt. 40. And’ Shimei ‘arcfe, and faddled & and went to Gath to dchifh to feck bis Jere £5, é 7 And demand them; through the paifion he was » in with his fervants, ahd his hurry to ge pe % home, and the covetous difpofition ‘whie pera, ‘ ed on him, he might forget,, or be tempted to nec le& the prohibition he was under not to go out Jerufalem; or he might think Solomon he it; or that he could come and go fécretly | rithout, 4 his knowledge; or if ‘he fhould ee fy it, he. might hope he would never punifa him wi id for fo fmall a fault, however, f it ws $ OF the providence of God leaving hiny to hi and the temptations of fatan, that he mig juft punifhment for Curling David: and Shim and brought his fervants fram Gath, for being ‘at peace with ele anda trio alfo, did’not chu’e tc detain the;. them up, left it fhould be efente - into t Ape! =e ee To ae La | y. 41. And it was told Solomon, &e

Chit y 42-46, Lek DN GSS.4 639) and was come again, which was 34 miles from rujalem”, whereas his utmoft bounds, whither he might go, was the brook Kidrox, about half a Ye-[him to fall into others, that juftice might take’ place upén him for them alfo: shou knowef? all’ che ‘Bickedf which thine heart is privy to, that mile from it.. thou didft to David my father; which ‘con{cience

¥. 42. dnd the king fent and called for Shimei, &c.]° He fent mefiengers to him, and by themfof ordered him to come to him, whe deem gly done by came: and be faid unto kim, did not I make thee fwear by the Lord, which though not before mentioned, was no doubt done, nor did Shimei deny it: and protefted unto thee, that is, declared before witnefles; /aying, know for certain, that on the day thou goeft out, namely, out.of the city of Ferufalem: and welkeft abroad any whither; farther at moft than the brook Kidron, or any other place equally diftant from Ferufalem, on any fide of it; for when he went to Gath, he did not go over Kidron, but went the road the reverfe.. Kidron lay to the eaft, and Gath to the welt of Ferufalem: now the proteftation made to him was, that if he went out of Ferufalem any way, that thou foalt furely die, it would be fure and certain death to him: aud thou faidfi unto. me, the word that I bave beardis good; not only he promifed to obey it, and that with an oath, but declared it was agreeable and acceptable to him, and therefore the offence was a very muft bear witnefs to, and accufe him of, not only the words and actions themfelves uttered and him, but of the malice and wickednef& from whence they fprung: therefore the Lord fhall return thy wickedne/s upon thine own head, the punifhment of it; which though not direétly inflicted’ for that, yet in providence was brought about as a juft retaliation for it.:

yr. 45. And king Solomon fhall be dléfed, &c.J With a long and peaceableé reign, and large dominions, notwithftanding all the attempts. to make him unhappy: and the throne of David fhall be cfiadlifhed before the Lord for ever; the kingdom of David over Fudab fora long time, in his natural line; and the kingdom of //rael, fpiritual ’ I/ree/, for ever in his fon the Meffiah; and that in the prefence of the Lord, he obferving, ordering and fucceeding all things to that purpofe.

y.46. So the king commanded Benaiah the fon of eboiada, which went out, &c.] Fron the preience of the king, and took Sbimez with him to the proper place of execution, it not being fitting to aggravated one. execute him before the king: ‘and fell upon hit that

¥. 43. Why then haft thou not kept the oath of the Lord, &c.| Which was made by him, and in his prefence, and in which he was appealed to, and fo by not keeping it was guilty of perjury: avd tbe commandment that I have charged thee with?and fo guilty of difobedience to him as his fovereign; for which two reafons he ought to die. be died; put him to death by the fword: and the. kingdom was eftablifhed in the hand of Solomon;. Adomijab the ufurper, and Yoab the general. of the army, who-took on his fide, being both put to death; and Abiathar the high prtieft \depofed, who was in the fame confpiracy; and Shime?, a dangerous and troublefome man. difpatched, theie re-

_ ¥.44. The king faid moreover to Shimei, &c.] Not as another reafon for his putting him to death, but to remind him of his former fins, and to obferve to him the providence of God in fuffering

HIS chapter relates the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh’s daughter, y. 1. his piety and devotion, ¥.2, 3,4. his prayer for wifdom and underftanding, which was acceptable to God, who promifed to. grant his requeft, with an addition to it, ¥. 5—15..an inftance and proof of the wifdom given him in determining’ a cafe between two harlots brought before him, which greatly raifed his reputation, and gave him reverence among his people, y. 16—28..

y. 1. And Sclomon made affinity with Pharaoh hing of Egypt, &c.] Pharaoh was a common name of the kings of Egypt, of whom no mention is made in fcripture from the times of Mo/és until this time; which may feem ftrange, when it is confidered that that kingdom was a potent one, and near the land of Canaan, but it was governed by a race of kings in this period of time, of whom, as Diodorus Siculus* fays, there is nothing worthy of relation. ‘The name of this Pharaoh, according to Eupolemus*, an heathen writer, was Vaphres; for he fays, that David contracted a friendfhip with this king, and he relates fome letters which pafled ~ between him and Solomon, concerning fending him workmen for the building of the “temple, which are’ fill preferved; but Ca/vifus' thinks “it “was mained none to give any dilturbance; fo that he now fat eafy and quiet on his throne, and things with refpect to the civil government were on a firm and fettled foundation. fee

‘Sefofris; what this affinity was, is next obferved:

ond took Pharaob’s daughter that is, married her; who, according to Ben Gerfom, was profelyted firtt to the Fewifh religion; which is very ‘probable, or otherwife it can hardly be thought Solomon would marry her; and as the 45th Pjaly, and the book of Canticles, fuppofed.to be written on that.occafion, feem,to confirm; to which’ may be added, that it does not appear fhe ever enticed or drew him into idolatry,; for of all the idols his wives drew hinv intothe worthip of, no.méntion is made of any Eeyptian’ deities. “The Jews fay ™, Rome was’ built the fame day Solomon married Pharach’s daughter, but without foundation: this was not Solomon's firtt wife; he was married to Naamab: the Ammonite/s before he was king, for he had Reboboam by her a year before that; for Solomon reigned ‘only «40 years, and Reboboam,, who. fucceeded'hith, was 4r years Of age when he began to reign, ch. ‘xi. 41. and xiv. 21. end brought ber into the city of David; the fort of Zion: until be had made an énd of building bis own houfe; which was 13 years in building, and now feéms to have been begun, ch. vii. 1. and the houfe of the Lord; the temple, which ‘alfo; - according to the Fewi/b chronology ", was begun

| building, before his marriage of Phardob’s daughter and was feven years in building > atid therefore this mar- marriage muft be in the 4th year of his reign; for and fo it muft be, fince Shimei lived three years in

$erufalem before he was put to death, after which this marriage was, chwii. 37. and the wall of Fe-

Fufalem round about, all which he built by raifing a levy on the people, ch. ix. 15, and when thefe buildings were finifhed, he built a houfe for his wife, but in the mean while fhe dwelt in the city y. 2. Only the people facrificed in. high places, &c.] On the tops of their houfes, on hills and mountains, and particularly at the high place in Gibeon, where the tabernacle was: becaufe there was no houfe built unto the name of the Lord until thofe days; to which they were obliged to repair as afterwards, and there offer their facrifices, as the Lord had commanded, Deué. xii. 5, 6.

y. 3. And Solomon loved the Lord, &c.| The worfhip of the Lord, as the Targum: and which he fhewed by walking in the flatutes of David bis father; in which his father walked, which were the ftatutes of the Lord, or whieh he exhorted him to walk in, and were the fame, ch. ii. 3. only be Jacrificed and burnt incenfe in high places; befides that at Gibeon, which it feems David did not.

y. 4. And the king went to Gibeon to facrifice there, &c.) About 4 or 5 miles from Feru/alem, fee the note on ch. li. 28. for that was the great high place; not that the place itfelf might be higher than others that were ufed; but here were the tabernacle of Mo/es, and the altar; fo that it was a tore dignified place, and more facred becaufe of them: 1000 burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar; the brazen altar of burnt-offerings there; not at one time, but on feveral days fucceffively; though Farchi fays on one day; and which was a prodigious number, never was known the like, unlefs at the dedication of the temple, ch. viii. 63, 64. ey 5. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, &c.] This was not a common natural dream, but an extraordinary, divine, and fupernatural one, a prophetic dream, a night-vifion, fuch as God ufed to fpeak in to his prophets; in which he had the full ufe of his reafoning powers, was under divine impreffions, and in a fpiritual frame of mind, and in the exercife of grace; it was not a mere dream that the Lord did appear to him, but he really did appear to him whilft fleeping and dreaming, by fome difplay of his glory in fome way or another: and God faid, Afk what I fhall give thee; he did not hereby dream that God faid to him, but he really did fay this; bid him afk what he would and it fhould be given him; he knew what he defigned to give, but he would have it afked of him, as he will be enquired of by all his people to do that for them which he has intended and provided for them; and it is encouragement enough for them to afk, fince he has promifed to give.

¥.6. And Solomon faid, &c.] In his dream; not that he dreamt he faid, when he did not; but he really faid, as follows: Thou baft fhewed unto thy fervant David my father great mercy, beftowed many favours and bleflings upon him, both temporal and fpiritual: according as be walked before thee in truth and in righteoufne/s, and in uprightnefs of heart with thee, in the truth of doétrine and worfhip, according to the revealed will and word of God, and which he obferved wich great ftrictnefs, living foberly, righteoufly, and godly, tho” not without failings and imperfections, yet with great integrity and fincerity; and this holy walk of his was not the caufe of God’s fhewing mercy to him, nor was it in proportion to that, but what he was influenced to by the mercy that was fhewn him -: and thou haft kept for him this great kindnefs, that thou haft given bim a fon to fit on bis throne, as it is this day; afon to be his fucceffor, meaning him— {elf; which was an additional favour to all the reft, and was in referve, and now beftowed, as time had made to appear.: ¥. 7. And now, O Lord my God, thou haft made thy fervant king inflead of David my father, 8cc.| Removed by death, in whofe ftead he reigned by the appointment of God, and through his overruling providence, notwithftanding the attempts made to prevent it, and therefore to God he afcribes it: and [am but a “ttle child; not in age and ftature, but in knowledge and underftanding; for though his father called him a wife man, and he was judged fo by others, and really was one, yer in his own opinion and thoughts of himfelf, fuch was his modefty and humility, that he was but a child as to his intellectual powers and capacity for government: fome underftand this of age; and the ews commonly fay he was but twelve years of age when he was anointed king, which they reckon thus; that he was born at the time that_4mnon ravifhed Tawar, two years after which was 4b/ar lom’s fheep-fhearing, when he flew Amnon, on which he fled to Ge/hur, and was there three years; here are five years; he returned thence and was at Ferufalem two years; lo, feven years; he one and was flain, and after that there was a famine three years, which make ten; and in the year following David numbered the people, which was nine or ten months in doing; the next year he died, which was the fortieth of his reign, in all twelve years; fo reckon Farchi and Kimchi; and Eupolemus, an heathen writer *, is exprets for it, who fays, that David, when he had reigned forty years, delivered up the kingdom to Solomew his fon, being then twelve years of age, which he muft receive from the tradition of the Jews; the fame is faid by feveral of the antient fathers, as [Ignatius ° and Yerom?; but this cannot be fact; for if fo, his fon Reboboam mutt be born to him when he was. but eleven years of age; fee the note on ¥. 5. it is beft therefore to interpret this of the fenfe he had of the weaknefs of his underftanding, and of his ineapacity for government, as the next claufe explains it: I know not how to go out, or comein; inthe adminiftration of government, to execute his office as a king, in allufion to fhepherds, as kings are fometimes called, going in and out before their fheep. ct ¥. 8. And thy fervant is in the midft of thy people which thou haf chofen, &e.] To be his fpecial and peculiar people above all people on the earth; this is not be underftood locally, though Ferufalem, where his palace was, was in the middle of the land; but of the exercife of his office, he bein placed over the people, and among, ‘Hom abed aving the care and infpection of them: @ great people, that cannot be numbered and counted for multitude, being for number as the ftars in | he yy and as the fand upon the fea-fhore, as had been promifed. Sted Hg.? Epif, Rufino & Vi!