Exposition of the Whole Bible

themfelves on the open hills, that they took them or an army of men fet in battle-array to fione them. Vartomannus ‘ {peaks of monkeys in’ thé country of Calecut, of a yery fmall. price: near Surat apes are in great efteem, nor will they fuffer them to be killed on any account*. There are various forts of apes, fome more like to goats, others to dogs, othiers to lions, and fome to other animals, as. Philoforgius' relates; and who alfo fays, the /pbinx is one fort of them, and which he defcribes on his own fight of it as refembling mankind in many things, and as a very fubtle animal; and fo Solinus ™ reckons fuch among apes; but what come neareft in name and found to the kuphim of Solomon here, are thofe Pliny " calls cephi, whofe forefeet he fays are like the hands of men, and their hinder feet like the feet and thighs of men; and Strabo ° defcribes a creature found in Ethiopia,

,called by him ceipus or cepus, which has a face like a fatyr, and the reft of it is between a dog and a bear, ‘There is a creature called cebus by Ariftotle °, and is defcribed as having a tail, and all the reft like a man; according to Ludolf 4, cepbus is the orang-outang of the Indians. The word for peacocks fhould rather be rendered parro/s, fo Funius; which are well known to come from India‘, and from thence only, according to Paufanias*; Vartomannus * fays, that at Calecut there are parrots of fundry colours, as green and purple, and others of mixt colours, and iuch a multitude of them, that men aré appointed to keep them from the rice in the fields, as we keep crows from corn; and that they are of a fmall price, one is fold for two-pence, or half a foufe; and the number of them may be accounted for, becaufe the Brachmans, the priefts, reckon them facred, and thereforethe Indians eatthem not". Curtius” defigns thefe, when he faysin India are birds, which are taught to imitate man’s voice; and Solinus™ fays, that India only produces the green patrot, that is, the Ea/t-Indies, the Weft- Indies not being then difcovered; tho’ fome ’ think they were, and that it was thither Solomon’s navy went: certain it is, there are parrots of various colours in the Weft-Indies, which P. Martyr of Angleria frequently makes mention of in his Decades. Huetius® derives the Hebrew word here ufed from man, which he fays fignifies to joiz or adbere to any thing, as thefe birds will cling to, and hang by their bills and nails on a branch of a tree, &&e. fo that.they are not eafily feparated from it; the word is ufed in Deut. xxxiii. 3. and, according to fome, in this fenfe. But after all, if it fhould be infifted on, as it is by many, that peacocks are meant, thefe alfo are found in India. Alexander the Great firft faw them in this country, which fo amazed him, that he threatened to pwnifh thofe feverely that fhould- kill any of them *% Vartomennus ® makes mention of them as in great numbers in fome parts of India; and they are catched and fold at an eafy rate at Surat‘, and make part both of their game, and of their grand entertainments *; ‘Ailianus * often {peaks of them as in Jndia in great them from the dominion of Hiram; this is faid in the fame figurative way; of the fycomore-trees, Rauwolf fays *, they are what the Moors and Ara- Zians calls mumeitz, whiclr he defcribes to be as large and as high as white mulberry-trees, and _ numbers, and in great efteem.

having almoft the fame leaves, but rounder, and

¥. 23. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth, for riches and for wifdom.| In which he their fruit not unlike our figs, only fweeter, and no little feeds within, and not fo good, and are

¥. 24. And all the earth fought to Solomon to

hear his wifdom, which God had put in bis beart.]

For it was all of God, a peculiar gift of his; by all the earth is meant the inhabitants of it, and only them, and thofe the more principal; who came from the feveral parts of it, hearing the fame of his wifdom, to know the truth of it, and to improve themfelves by it.

¥.25. And they brought every man his prefent, &c.] To recommend them, and introduce them

into his prefence: veffels of filver, and veffels of gold, and garments, and armour, and fpices, and

horfes, and mules, a rate year by year; every one brought according to the commodities of his country; and this they did yearly, out of great refpect to him, and in veneration of him for his wifdom, and for the advantages they received by his wife counfels, and inftructions; befides, it was the cuftom of the eaftern countries not to pay a vifit, efpecially to great perfonages, without carrying a prefent.

y¥. 26. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horfemen, &c.] Both for war; for though it was a time of peace, he provided againft the worft, left an enemy fhould come upon him fuddenly, and when unprepared: and he had 1400 chariots, and 12,000 horfemen;, of the latter fee ch. iv. 26. whom he beftowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Ferufalem;, fome of the, horfemen. were quartered in the cities where the chariots. were placed, and fome of them in Feru/alem, to be near the king’s perfon, and ta be a guard to him on occafion. ofephus' fays, half of them were in. Ferufalem about the king, and the reft were difperfed through the king’s villages.

¥. 27. And the king made filver to be in Ferufa- Jem as ftones, &c.) By the vaft quantity he received from Zarfbifo; this is an hyperbolical expreflion: and cedars made he to be as the fycomoretrees, that are inthe vale, for abundance, not by the growth of them, but by the importation of

Cpe: chapter relates the falfe fteps Solomon took, notwithftanding all his wifdom, in marrying ftrange wives, and worfhipping other gods, ¥. 1—8. upon which the Lord threatens him to rend the kingdom in his fon’s time, ¥. g—13. and he raifed up adverfaries againft him, Hadad, Rezon, and Feroboam, ¥. 14—26. of which latt am account is given, and of his being affured by Abijgk the prophet of his having 10.0f the tribes of /rael given to him which Solomon having notice of, fought to flay him, ¥. 27—,40. and the

therefore not efteemed, and are commonly fold to and grounds; of which fee more in ‘the note om Amos Vii. 14.

y¥. 28. And Solomon bad horfes brought out of Egypt, &c.] To mount his horfemen with, and draw his chariots; which feems contrary to the command in Deut. xvii. 16. and linen yarns the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price; or rather linen itfelf; or linen garments, as Bes Gerfom, linen being the ftaple commodity of Zgypt, fee Jf. xix. 9. but no mention is made of yarn in 2 Chron. ix. 28. and the word rendered line yarn fignifies a confluence or collection of waters and other things; and the words may be rendered, as or the collection, the king’s merchants received the collection at a price; that is, the collection of horfes, a large number of them, got together for fale; thefe they took at a price fet upon them", which is as follows. rt

¥.29. And a chariot came up, and went out of Egypt for 600 fhekels of filver, &c.|° Which reckoning at two fhillings and fix-pence a fhekel, amounted. to 75 pounds; but a fhekel was not worth more than two fhillings and four-pence farthing: and an horfe for an 150; and this being the 4th part of the above fum, the ews gather from hence ‘that there were four horfes ina chariot; the horfes muft be reckoned one with ‘another, the whole collec-. tion of them, or otherwife no doubt but one horfe was better than another; and it was @ pretty large price to give for a horfe in thofe times; which taking a fhekel at the loweft rate, muft be upwards of ro pounds; and which is too great @ fum {till for a cuftom or tribute to be paid for them, whether to Pharoah or Solomon, as fome underftand it: and fo for all the kings of the Hittites; perhaps the fame with the kings of Arabia, y¥. 5. and for the kings of Syria; thofe of Damafcus, Lobah, &c. did they bring them out by their means, that is, by the means of Solomon’s merchants, who bought them out of Egypt, and fold them to thefe kings.

¥. 1. But king Solomon loved many firange women, &c.] His love was a luftful and not a lawful one, and of women who’ were not only of foreign countries, but not: his lawful wives, and thefe-many: together with the daughter of Pharoah; pipet or as he loved her, and perhaps more; ‘hi§ fin wa not that he loved her who was his. lawful wife, but others with her; it is very probable fhe was a profelytefs, and had no hand in turning him to idolatry, fince we read not of any high place bui for an Egyptian idol: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; all’

the neighbouring nations, Some think,hé did ‘this the poorer fort, and that they grow in all fields”

enmity; but it rather feems to be the fruit of luft or pride.

¥.2. Of the nations concerning which the Lord

faid unto the children of Ifrael, ye fhall not go in to them, neither fhall they come in unto you, &c. That

is, they fhould not intermarry with one another; this is to be underftood of the laft mentioned, the Hittites, who were one of the feven nations this law refpected, Deut. vii. 1, 3. for furely they will turn away your heart after their gods, which is the reafon given for the making the above law, and was fadly verified in Solomon: Solomon clave unto thefe in love; he not only took them, but kept them, and expreffed a ftrong affection for them.

y. 3. And he had 700 wives, princeffes, aud 300 concubines, &c.| In all 1000, a prodigious number; though thefe might not be all for ufe, but for ftate, aiter the manner of the eaftern monarchs; thefe were a far greater number than are alluded to in Cant. vi. 8. unlefs the virgins without number there, were fuch of thefe as were not defiled by him; but the number here feems plainly referred to, in Eccl. vii. 28. and his wives turned away bis heart; both from his duty to his God, and from attendance to his” bufinefs as a king, efpecially the former, as follaws.

y. 4. And it came-to pafs when Solomon was old, &c.] Toward the latter end of his reign, when he might be near 60 years of age; for Reboboam his fon and fucceflor was 41 when he began to reign, ch. xiv. 21. which is obferved either as an ageravation of the fin of Solomon, that in his old age, when by long experience he might have been thought to be ftill wifer, and lefs luftful: and yet that bis wives turned away his heart after other gods; or as pointing at the advantage his wives took of his age: and his heart was not perfeli with the Lord bis God, as was the heart of David bis father; who, though guilty of many fins, never inclined to idolatry; his heart ‘was always right in that point, and fincere in his worfhip, fee Pf. xviii. 20+—24.;

¥. 5. And Solomon went after Afbtoreth the goddefs of the Zidonians, &c.| Enticed by the Zidonian women, or woman he had, y. 1. to the Phenician hittaries ', Solomon married a daugh-

‘ter of Hiram, king of Tyre and Zidon, fo Clemens of Alexandria fays *, that Hiram gave his daughter to Solomon; Albtoreth is Aflarte, the fame with the Venus of the Greeks, fo Suidas'; and Lucian ™ ex- ‘prefsly fays, the Sidonians had a temple, faid by them to belong to Affarie, which he takes to be the moon; and both Venus and Funo fignify the fame “planet; fee the note on Fudg. it- 13. and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites; the fame with Molech, ¥.7. of which fee the notes on Lev. xviii. 2t. and on Amos i. 13. after this he was drawn by his Ammonitifh wife, or wives, y. 1. though the

Fewifh writers think he did not worfhip thee idols, but fuffered his wives to do it, and connived at ‘it, which was his fin; fo Ben Gerfom and Abardinel..

y. 6. And Solomon did evil in the fight of the Lord, &c. a: and went not fully after the Lord, as did David bis father; for though he did not relinquifh the worfhip of the true God, and the fervice of the temple, yet inafmuch as he worfhipped other

TK PANE G&S 3 with political views, to get intelligence of the ftate of thofe countries, or to abate and extinguifh their

As idolatry is, nothing more provoking to gods befides, or connived at the worfhip of them; he did not wholly, and conftantly, and folely ferve the Lord, as his father did.

¥. 7. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemofh, the abomination of Moab, &c.} Of this idol, fee the note on Yer. xlviii. 7. an high place for which he ordered to be built, or at leaft fuffered it to be built, at the inftigation of his Moaditifh woman or women, y¥. 1. this was built ia the bill that is before Ferufalem; on the mount of Olfves, as Farchi, called from hence afterwards the mount the abomination of the children of Ammon, {ee ¥. 5. YW. 8. And likewife did he for all bis ftrange wives, &c.| That is, built high places for their idols, or fuffered them to be built; for when he had done it for one, he could not refufe it to another, without greatly difobliging them; even for as many of them, which burnt incenfe, and facri- iced unto their gods; the gods of the countries from whence they came, and in the worfhip of which they had been brought up: this fhows, that the beft and wifeft of men, when left to themfelves, may do the worft and moft foolifh of all things; as nothing can be more fo than the worfhip of fuch wretched deities.

¥.9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, becaufe his heart was turned from the Lord God of Vrael, &cc.| Ory from the fear of him, as the Targum, which muft in a great meafure be caft off, or he could not have given in to idolatry in any fhape as he did; for it was for that the Lord was difpleafed, than which nothing is more provoking ta him, as may be often obferved: which bad appeared unto him twice; once at Gibeon, and again after his prayer at the dedication of the temple, ch, iii. 5. and ix. 2. which is mentioned here as an aggravation of his fin, that he fhould fall into it, when the Lord had condefcended to appear to him fo eracioufly. ¥.10. And had commanded him concerning this

thing, that he fhould not go after other gods, &c.

Which is another aggravation of his fin, that it was againft an exprefs command of God, and was particularly given him, and he was warned to obferve it, and threatened with evil fhould he break it: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded’; fee ch. ix. 5, 6, 7.

y¥. 11. Wherefore the Lord faid unto Solomon, &c.] Not in a vifion, as before, but by a prophet; the Fews fay*, dbijah the Shilonite, which is probable, fee ¥. 29. fora/much as this is done of thee, that thou haft not kept my covenant and my jtatutes which I have commanded thee; but broke them by his.idolatry: Iwill furely rend the kingdom from thee, and I will give it to thy fervant; meaning ‘Yeroboam, who was not only a fubject, but in office under him, y». 26, 28.

y¥. 12. Nothwithftanding in thy days 1 will not do it for David thy father’s fake, &c.] Not for the merits of David, but the promifes made to him, 2 Sam. Vii. 12,13: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy fon; and immediate fucceflor, Rehoboam. ~ | ¥. 13. Howbeit, I will not rend away all the kingdom, &c.] The whole kingdom of J/rael: but will give one tribe to thy fon but it feems he had both Benjamin and Fudab, and only 10 tribes were rent from him; the reafon of this mode of expreffion may be, either becaufe he gave him one of the. tribes

1 In voce Araprn.» ™ De Dez tribes of J/rael, befides that of fudahb, which was his own tribe; or only the tribe of Fudab is meant, the whole tribe of Benjamin not being his, fince Bethel, and fome other places in that tribe were in the poffeffion of Feroboam, or rather both thefe are called but one, becaufe their inheritances lay together, and were mixed with one another; and particularly both had a fhare in the city of Ferufalem, and the kingdom always after the divifion went by the name of Yudab only: and this tribe was given for David my fervant’s fake; becaule of the promife to him, that there fhould not want one of his feed to fit on his throne, ch. ix. 5. and for Ferufalem’s fake, whom I have chofen; to have the houfe of his fanctuary, and worfhip in, and therefore thought fit to have one rule there, that would have a regard to his fervice in it.

y. 14. And the Lord flirred up an adverfary unto Sclomon, Hadad the Edomite, &c.] ‘Though he did not take his kingdom from him for his fin, he chaftized him with the rod of men, as he faid he would; fuffering one, and then another, to rife up and difturb his peace in his old age, fee 2 Sam. vii. 14. Le was of the king’s feed in Edam; of the blood royal.

v.15. For it came to pafs when David was in Edom, &c.] Fighting with the Edomites, and fubduing them, and putting garrifons in the land, 2 Sam. viii. 14. and Foab the captain of the hoft was gone up to bury the flain; the [/raelites that fell in battle, or whom the Edomites afterwards, thro’ ftratagem and furprize, fell upon in their garrifons and deftroyed, and which caufed Foad to go thither to bury them, and take vengeance on the Edomites for it; or thefe were the Edomites flain by David and Foab; and it has been always reckoned a piece of humanity to bury the dead of an enemy, and is to the honour of the conqueror, fee Ezek. xxxix. 12, 13. or to fuffer the enemy to bury them themfelves: it is faid °, that Hercules

‘was the firft that brought up this practice, and that before they were left on the field, to be devoured by dogs; fo they were in the times of the Trojan war, as appears by the writings of Homer; but burying them in after-times, was ufed by the Romans ® and Greeks; and Fofepbus % delivers it as a law of Mo/es to bury enemies, and not fuffer any dead to lie without partaking of the earth, nor to pafs by or overlook.any unburied; but from whence he took it, or grounds it upon, is not very evident; this is the firft mention of it; though the Targum is, ‘* to {trip the flain:” after he bad fmitten every male in Edom; as he thought, intending to root out the name of them; being enraged at their falling upon the garrifons, if that was the cafe.

y.16. For fix months did Foab remain with all foab were dead.

Ifrael, &c.] With the whole army: until he had that was their view at firft fetting our, where might hope for help, at leaft theiter: //adad being yet @ little child; whom his father’s fervent? hae whilft Yoab was making the flaughter he did, and took the opportunity of fleeing with him whilft he ¥. E, y. 18. And they arofe out of Midian, &c.| A coyntry which lay in their way to Egypt, and where it feems they made fome ftay, and then departed: and came to Paran, near to which was a wildernefs of the fame name, in which the J/raelites wandered when they came out of Egypt, and which lay between Edom and Egypt: and they took men with them out of Paran, either as guides and guards through the wildernefs, or to make the better appearance be-_ fore Pharaob, and that they might meet with the ~ better reception: and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; and told their cafe, and informed him who Hadad was: who pitying an unfortunate young prince, gave him am houfe; for him and his fervants to dwell in: and appointed bim vidiuals; a daily provifion for him and his men: and gave him land; for his fervants to cultivate, and trom thence to raife a revenue for his fupport; the Fewifo writers fay, he gave him cities to rule ‘over; but as he was but a little child when he came, it can’t be thought that was done, at leaft direétly.

¥.19. And Hadad found great favour in the fight of Pharaoh, &c.| Perhaps for his comely perfonage, princely qualities, and good behaviour, as he grew up: fo that he gave him to wife the Sifter of bis own wife, the fifter of Tabpenes the queen; it feems the kings of Egypt ufed to marry their favourites to great perfonages; fee Gen. xl. 45.

y. 20. And the fifter of Tabpenes bore him Genubath bis fon, &c.] Which fignifies frea/th, and the name might be given in memory of himfelf being carried away by {ftealth from his own land: whom Tabpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s boufe; who was fo fond of the child, that fhe took it, and weaned it for her in the king’s palace: and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s boufbold among the fons of Pharaoh; brought up among them, as if he was one of

¥. 21. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David flept with bis fathers, &c.| Was dead and buried, as the death of princes is foon known in other countries, and efpecially a king of fuch fame as David: and that Foab the captain of the hoff was dead, whofe name might be terrible to Hadad, becaufe of the flaughter of men he had made in his country: Hadad faid unto Pharaoh, let me depart, that I may go to mine own country; with a view, and an hope to recover it, now David and y.22. Then Pharaoh faid unto him, but what cut off every male in Edom, as he fuppofed; for it haf thou lacked with me, &c.] ither of an equi-

¥.17. That Hadad fled, &c.] Whilft Foab was burying the flain: Le, and certain Edomites of bis father’s fervants with him, who either was king, and thefe fome of his officers and courtiers; or however was of the royal family, and had an equipage, and thefe fome of them: +o go into Egypt;

page fuitable to his birth and marriage, or of provifions for ‘his houfhold, or of honour and refpeét, or of any favour from him: that behold, thou eckeft to go into thine own country? as if not well ufed where he was, or would be better’ provided for there: and he anfwered, nothing; he wanted nothing at all, had all he could with’ for: bowbeit, let me go in any wife; he had fach an extreme defire to go, that he begged it might not be denied him on any account; whether he acquainted Pha- a Bee aise Vid aa Hiscview:in thUMMeeG 18 rior (1a, "bin prophet is probable he did, and it is certain Pharaoh Abijah, after related’: Salamon builé Mill: and repaired the breaches of the city of David his

~ gave him leave to go, fee y. 25.

¥. 23. And God flirred bim up another adverfary, &c.| One from the north, as the other was from the fouth: Rezon, the fon of Eliadab, which fled From bis lord Hadadezer king of Zobab; when David fought with him; and this man feeing the battle go againft his mafter, and that he was like to be worfted, deferted him and fled, fee 2 Sam. viii. 3.

¥.24, And he gathered men unto bim, 8c.\ Perhaps fome of the fcattered forces of his matter’s: and became captain over a band, when David flew them of Zobah;’ fome that.efcaped enlifted under this man, and lived by plunder the remainder of

~ David's reign, and fo in the reign of Solomon unto his old age,- when his heart was turned away from God to idols, by his wives: and they went to Damafcus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damafcus; Rezen and his men went thither, not in David's time, for he put'a garrifon there, 2 Sam. viii. 6. but towards the clofe of Solomon’s days, and when Hadad fet up in Edom, which gave him the hint to do the fame at Damajfcus, of which he became king, and was the founder of that kingdom; after him, there was a long race of kings there.

¥. 25. And he was an adverfary to Ifrael all the days of Solomon, &c]» Not all the days of his lite, fee ch. v. 4. but all his days from his firft going into idolatry, to the end of his life: efde the mifchief that Hadad did; and which, whatever it was, was not donetill this time; for either when he got leave from Pharach to go into his country, he lay hid there, waiting an opportunity to feize upon it; or by means of Pharaoh he got himfelf to be king of it, through the permiffion > ae mon, paying a tribute to him; but when Solomon was grown old, he revolted and refufed to pay it, and rebelled againft him, and gave him much trouble: and be abborred Ifrael, and reigned over Syria; not Hadad, but Rezon; he had an averfion to them, was a thorn in their fide, and gave them much trouble, as well as had them in contempt, and bid them defiance, having made himfelf not only mafter of Damajcus, but of all Syria.

y. 26. And Ferobcam the fon of Nebat, 8c. ]

_ According to fome Fewi/h writers", this was Sheba the fon of Bichri; but, as Kimchi obferves,. he was of the tribe of Benjamin, this of Ephraim, and befides, his head was cut off, and thrown over the wail to Joab, 2 Sam. xx. 1, 22. an Epbrathite of Zereda fome where in the tribe of Ephraim, but no’ where elfe mentioned. There was a famous Fewifo doktor, before the times of Chrift, of this place, as it feems, who was called Fa/e ben Foezer, a man of Zereda*: Solomon's fervant; not only

“his fubjeé&, but one that had been advanced by him to an office, and ferved under him, ¥. 28. whofe mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman; who very probably was fupported by this her fon, an indufirious and ingenious man: even he lifted up his band againft the king, either again{t Solomon, by reproaching and reproving him for fome things he did; or rather againit Reboboam his fon, which was very ungrateful.

x. 27. And this was the caufe be lift up his hand againft the king, &cc.| The occafion of it, his being advanced to fome pofts under Solomon, which elated him, and what pafled between him and the father; in the overfight of which; itis fuppofed by the Fews, he employedgthis man, who reproached him for doing thefe works; building an houfe in Mille for Pharaob’s daughter,* and ftopping up the paffage to the city of David, and the peoples accefs thither upon occafion. ar

¥. 28. And the man Feroboam was a wighty man of valour, &c.|) A man of great ftrength of bodys and fortitude of mind: aud Solomon feeing the young man that be was indufrious 5 in what he was {ét about.in the above buildings and,repairs: be imade him ruler over all the charge of the houfe of ‘Fofephs the tribes of Ephraim and Mauaffeh, to bea prince or a deputy-governor of them; or rather to, colleét the king’s tax from them, or the revenues of that part of the country, fee Prov. xxii. 29.

¥.29. And it came to pafs at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Ferufalem, &c.| Kither to

enter upon his new office; or having been with So- © lomon to pay in the revenues, and to make up his accounts with him, was going back to the country to do the duty of his office: that the prophet Abijah the Shilonite found bim in the way, not accidentally, but purpofely was in the way to meet him, and converfe with him; this prophet. was of the city of Shilob, and where was now his abode, fee ch. xiv. 2. and be bad clad himfelf with a new garment, not Feroboam, but the prophet, ‘and that by the direction of the.Lord, for the following purpofe: and they two were alone in the field; itis poffible Feroboam might have fome fervants with him; but 4bijab defiring fome \private converfation with:him, he fent them onwards, or bid them ftay at fome diftance; who yet might be capable of objerving what was done, though not of hearing what was faid; or otherwife, how fhould Solomon come to the knowledge of ‘it, ¥. 40.

¥. 30. And Abijah caught the new garment. that was on him, &c.| This looks as if it was Feroboam’s garment, having got a new one to appear before the king in; though the fenfe may be this; that the prophet took hold of his own garment that was upon himfelf: aud rent it in 12 pieces; as fymbolical of the 12 tribes of J/rael.

¥. 31. And he faid to Feroboam, take. thee ten pieces, &cc.] Of the twelve, an emblem of the.

ten tribes he was to have: for thus faith the Lord God of /frael, behold, I will rend the kingdom out of thewband of Solomon, that is, out of his family: and will give ten tribes unto thee, to rule ever.

¥. 32. But be fhall have one tribe for my fervant David's fake, &c.] See the note on y. 13.

¥. 93. Becaufe' that they have forfaken me, &c.} My worfhip, as the Targum; both Salomon and the children of /rael following his example; which is not to be wondered at, confidering how prone they always were to idolatry: and have worfhipped Ajb-, toreth the goddefs of the Sidonians, Chemofh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon; of which deities fee the references in the notes on ¥. 5, 7. and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my flatutes: and my judgments, as did David his father, the feveral laws of God relating to ré-.

ligious worhhip efpecially, which David was a ftrict obferver of; and therefore So/omon having fuch a pattern before him, was the more blame-worthy.

Gc, and though the tribe of Yudeb was carried cially if he was i Abijab and Fero Was 5 coe through Abijab’s making 1 it, or through Ferosoam not being abie t own counfel, or through the report of ¢ whae-they faw done, y. 29: “which Salo eafily underftand: and Fercboam arofe and flea Egypt; the common fan@tuary of perfons i in thofe. days: unto Shifbak king of Hxypts oI the father-in-law or the brother-in-law of Sole or one of another family, on whom the kingdom devolved; and who might not have any gooe {pect for Solomon, and. therefore Ferohoam thought — himfelf fafe with him: this is thevonly king.of Egypt in fcripture that is called Pm own nam and notPharaob; he is generally fuppofed to b fame with i kale of Heredotus *, and the | y¥. 34. Howbeit, I will not take the kingdom out of bis band, &c.| Not any part of it, ¥. 12. but I will make him prince all the days of bis life; that is, he fhall continueyto hold the government of all the tribes fo long’as he lives: for David my fervant’s fake, whom I chofe, becaufe be kept my commandments and my fiatutes; {ee ¥.12. or was well pleafed with, as the Targum; for keeping, the commands of God from right principles, and with right views, is well pleafing to him. — we 935. But I will take the kingdom out of bis fon’s band, &c.|_ All but the tribes of Fudab and Benjamin: and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes; fignified by ten pieces of the rent garment he had given him, ¥. 31. Sha Bis 3

¥. 36. And unto his fon will I give one tribe, &c.

Sudab and Benjamin reckoned as one; fee the explanation of this on ¥. 13. that David my fervant may have a light always before me in Ferufalem, the oris or Vemofis of Fuftin “sand the rat be ‘neal fince, according to Heredota city which I have chofen me to put iy name there; or a kingdom, as the Targum; or an illuftrious prince, a fucceffor, fining in royal majefty and he J glory, to guide and direct, chear and comfort the people of //rael; be an honour to David's family, and a means of continuing the pure worfhip of God in the temple at Zerufalem; fee 2 Sam. xxi. 17. (Pf exxx, 17-5 » | fagainkt ‘Ferufalem, 2 y¥. 39. And 1 will for this affiitt the feed of Bavid, &c.\ For the idolatry Solomon had been gui ty of, and connived at: but not for ever; for when the ten tribes were carried captive, the kingise of Fudab flourithed under Hezekiah, Jofiah, alfo Diodorus Sicnlus affirms”, that hed the E¢biopians dwelling to the fouth, andl them to pay tribute; out of which countrie foak brought many with -him in. his: expeditio Chron. xii. 2, 3. end wad in Beypt until the death of Sclomons novdaring to return till that time, and then he did. 5 Sa eit yt. 41. And the reft of the atts of Solomon, and all tbat be did, and bis wifdom, are they not writlemin the book of the ads of Solomon?| Either written by himfelf, as Kimchi fuggetts, though — ing; or by fome chronologer or hifto: employed.by him in writing the moft memore things that happened in his reign; or by fevera prophets, as in'2 Chron. ix. 29. ont of which the infpired writer of this book took what he was dias David) rected to by the Lord to be tranfmitted to future ages. <b Site

¥. 37. And I will take thee, &c.] From the low eftate in which he was, to be king: and thou foalt reign according to all that thy foul defireth; he being ambitious of the kingdom, and having already formed in his mind fome defigns upon it: and foall be king over Ifrael, the ten tribes.

¥. 38. And ityhall be, if thou wilt bearken unto| all that I command thee, &c.| —And be obedient thereunto: and wilt walk in my ways; direéted to in the law of Mofes: and do that is 77ght in my fight, to keep my fiatutes, and my commandments, thofe particularly refpecting divine worfhip: my fervant did; who very diligently and conftantly attended to the ordinances of religion: that I will be with thee; to guide and direct, protect and defend, profper and fucceed: and build thee a fure\ houfe, as I built for David; continue the fucceffion of the kingdom. in his pofterity: and will give Tfrael unto thee, to rule over them.

y. 42. And the time that Solomon reigned in Feru- /alem, over all Ifracl, was 40 years.) The fame ays Eupolemus*, an heathen writer, + makes him to live but 52 years; which is the common. tradition of the Fews, who fuppofe he was but 12 years of age when he began to reign §_ ane 3 = be confuted from the age of his fon tebe » ae ch. xiv. 21. Fofepbus*, on the other hand, makes =~ him to live to too great an age, who fays, that | reigned 80 years, and lived 94. <b -{ y¥. 43. And Solomon flept with bis fathers, Se

Died as they did: aud was buried in the city of David his father 5 not in Bethlebem, but Zion, ch iii. 10, and Reboboam his fon reigned in bis ficad; Of whom more in the following chapter. @hough 7. of his father David, of whofe kingdom there will be no end, Luke i. 32, 33. and Farchi’s note on the text is, “for in the days of the Meffiah the kingdom fhall return to it,” the feed of David; and Abarbinel fays, of a truth, at the comin xi. our Meffiah, this prophecy will be fulfilled; but the true Meffiah is come already, in whom it is fulfilled; fee Kimchi and Abendana, who refer to Ezek. xxxvii. 19. 24. | 20.

¥.40. Solomon fought therefore to kill Feroboam, ‘8c.]. Which is another inftance of his folly, to feck to defeat the countel of God, when he himfelf was affured by the Lord, the kingdom fhould be rent, and given to his fervant, y. 11. and efpe-| nothing is faid of Solomon’s repentance, there is no doubt but he wasya good man, repented of his fins,: and was faved; as may be concluded, from the — commendations of him after his death, 2 Obrom 17. from the-promife of God that he mad his mercy fhould not depart from him, tho chaftized him, 2 Sam. vii, 14, 15. frot an infpired writer, who were all holy n 24 and efpecially from his writing *t > boo! Ecclefiaftes after bis fail, which contair fu knowledgment ‘of ‘all shis evils, a: 1 \tath chem, and repentance for them.

the only king of Zgypt that ruled over pians 5 and Strabo fays *, he was the dued Ethiopia and the country “of captive, yet it returned after 70 years captivity, ‘and had rulers over it of the feed of David; and efpecially to the Meffiah has ‘God given the throne d I ie ot “re i a CeEL A Pei os j eee: ies f aah relates Reboboam’s going to She- “& chem to be made king, and Feroboam’s return from. Egypt, ¥. 1, 2. the people’s requeft to Reboboam to be eafed of their taxes, as the conditién of making him king, y. 3, 4. rat abi to them, after three days, having had the advice both of the old and young'men, which latter he followed, and gave inarough anfwer, yy. 5—15. upon which ten tribes revolted from him, and. two abode by him,

_ ¥. 16—20. wherefore he meditated a war againft

‘the ten tribes, but was forbid by the Lord to engage

“in it, ¥. 21—24. and Feroboam, in order to eftablifh _ his kingdom, and preferve the people from a revolt

‘to the houfe of David, becaufe of the tem: at Ferufalem, deviled a icheme of idolatrous worfhip eo 1. And ‘Reboboam went to Shechem, &c.] After the death and interment of his father: for all Tjrael were come to Shechem. to make him king; as was pretended, though in reality it was to feek occafion againit him, and make Feroboam king; it is very probable they knew of the prophecy of 4ijab, and therefore would not go to Ferufalem, but to Shechem, a city inthe tribe of Ephraim, of which Feroboam was, and where he had fowed the feeds of fedition when ruler there; and this place they chofe, partly becaufe they could more freely {peak what they had in their minds, and partly for the fafety of Feroboam they had fent for on this occafion; fo that Reboboam went thither 0h but of neceflity. The Fews © obferve that this place was very ominous; here. Dinah was ravifhed, TFofeph was fold, Abimelech exercifed tyranny, and here now the kingdom was divided. ¥. 2. And it came to pafs-when Feroboam the fon of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, &&c.} Of the death of Solomon, and of the meeting of the Tfraelites at Shechem: (for be was fled from the prefence of king Solomon; fee ch. xi. 40. and Feroboam dwelt in Egypt;) until the death of Solomon; fome

_render the words, Feroboam returned out of Egypt *, which agrees with 2 Chron. x. 2. this he did on hearing the above news, and on ‘being fent for by fome of his friends, as follows.

¥. 3. That they fent and called bim, &c.| That is, the people of J/rael, fome of the principal of them, efpecially of the are of Ephraim, fent meffengers to him, and gavéhim an invitation to come to them at Shechems or, they bad fent*, as Kimchi interprets it, which was the reafon of his returning from Egypt, at leaft one of them: and Feroboam, and all the congregation of men of them, the heads of the people; thefe, with

Feroboam at the head of them, who was come out |: of Egypt, came to Shechem, where Reboboam was, | and they had appointed to meet him: and fpake unto Rehoboam, one in the name of them all, perhaps Yereboam: faying, as follows. - '

¥. al Thy fotber made our yoke grievous, &c.)

Laid heavy taxes upon them, for the finifhing of his buildings, for the maintenance of his houthold, for keeping fuch a large number of horfes and chariots, and for the falaries of his officers, and for the fupport of his magnificent court; though they had very little reafon to complain, fince this was forthe honour and grandeur of their nation; and they enjoyed their liberty, and lived in peace, plenty, and fafety all his days; and fuch an abundance of riches was brought unto them by him; that Gilver was as the ftone$ of the ftreet; though perhaps the taxes might be increafed in the latter part of his life, for the fupport of his vaft number of wives, and of their idolatrous worfhip, and‘for the defence of himfelf and kingdom againft the attempts of Hadad and Rezon; but as moft interpreters obferve, what they had moft reafon to complain of, they take no notice of, even the idolatry he had fet up among them: gow therefore make thou the grievous fervice of thy father, and bis beavy yoke which be put upon us, lighter, that is, -eafe them of

|their taxes, or leffen them: and we will ferve thee acknowledge him as their king,’ give him homage; and yield obedience to him. ©»

¥. 5. And be faid unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again tome, &c.} Suggefting that he would confider of their propofal, and enquite into the merits of it, and as thingsfhould appear to him he would give them an anfwer in three days time; which at firft fight may feem a point of prudence in him, to take time for deliberation and counfel in this affair, but in his cafe and circumftance it was very imprudent; for he might eafily fee there was difcontent among the people, and a faction forming againft him, and by taking time to himfelf, he gave them time*to take their mea-

|fures, and haften and ripen them for a revolt s for by giving them fuch an anfwer, they might plainly perceive he was not inclined to give them fatisfaction; it would have been the moft advifeable in him to have promifed them at once that he would make them eafy: and the people departed; to their quarters, and there remained to the third day. > yv. 6. And king Reboboam confulted with the old men that food before Solomon bis father, while be yet lived, 8c.] Which ‘was very prudently done’; for as thefe were men in years, and had been his father’s counfellors, from whom, no doubt, had learnt much wifdom, being often inc: council with him,.they were capable of giving the beft advice: and faid, How do you advife, th

I may anfwer this people? what ‘anfwer would you:

advife me to give to them, and in ner?

x. 7. And they fpake unto him, faying, &c:\ They gave their advice as follows: If thou wilt be

Jervant unto this people this day, and wilt ferve them,

condefcend to them, behave in an humble manner towards them, for this day however, and gratify and oblige them; though indeed a king is but a ceiving his fon to behave in a fierce and violent manner towards his fubjects, faid to him, My fons doft thou not know that our glorious kingdom is a fervitude? and anfwer them and Jpeak good words unto them, give them a foft an{fwer, and fpeak kindly and gently to them, afd make them fair promifes, and give them reafon to expect that their requefts-will’be granted; then they will be thy fer- vants for ever; tuch pie 2. them, rvant to his people, and his adminiitration of government a doing fervice to them; hence Auti-.

' 41 years of age, they muft be about them, and make fuch an impreffion upon them, that they would for ever after entertain an high opinion of him, and be ftrongly affected and attached to him, and readily ferve him. |

_ ¥. 8. But be forfook the counfel of the old men which they bad given him, &c.] He did not rightly relith it, nor cordially receive it; it did not fuit with his haughty temper, he could not brook it, to ftoop to his people; he thought it a leffening of his dignity to do any thing that looked like courting their favour; and therefore determined not to take the advice given him by the old men, but to feek for other: and confilted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which frood before him; the fons of nobles, with whom he had his education, and who were his companions from his youth upwards, and who were now officers in his court, and of his privy-council, being his favourites, and thofe he confulted on this occafion; and though they are called young men, as they were in comparifon of the old men, yet fince they were cotemporary with Rebodoam, who was now 0, Or not much under, and at an age to be wifer than they appeared to be. ie cal

¥. 9. And he faid unto them, What counfel give ye, that. we may. anfwer this people, faying, &c.] fee ¥. 4. and the note there.

y.10. And the young men that were grown up with him, /pake unto him, faying, &c.| Gave him the following advice: Thus fhalt thou [peak unio this people that [pake unto thee, faying; as isfaid, ¥. 4 thus foalt thou fay unto them, My little finger fhall be thicker than my fathers loins, or, is thicker ®; fignifying that he had more ftrength and power than his father had, and that he would make them know it, and they fhould feel the weight of it, and inftead leflening he would increafe their taxes; for alfo hereby was intimated, that his glory, grandeur, and magnificence was greater than his father’s, efpecially when he firft came to the kingdom, and therefore required the fame taxes, or greater, to fupport it; and perhaps reference may be had to the difference of their age, Solomon being a child, ‘or a very young man, when he came to the throne; whereas Rebchoam was upwards of 40 years of age, and capable of judging what was fit to be done, and not to be talked to and treated after this manner, nor to receive the kingdom upon a condition of the people’s prefcribing. Hod ay

¥. 11. And now whereas my father did ladeyou with a heavy yoke, &c.]_ ‘Which was putting words into his mouth, owning the charge and ac-

‘culation brought againft his father, as he did, y.

14. which was very unbecoming, if true; unlefs ii. 3. for whippiaghathitbetn was about _ and not along the back, barbinel calls thorns, rods that had “iron prongs o1 them, ich toresthe, flefh extremel fays, a.rod that is fimooth is called a roé knotty and prickled, it is rightly called a fory becaufe it makes a wound in the body are crooked. Pliny.* afcribes the invention (of this of fcorpions to the Cretians, ah eet ¥.12. So Feroboam and all the people cameto Re= hoboam the third day, &c.| Fercboam came to him: at the head'of the people, being the head of: faction, and defigned for their king: as tbe had appointed, faying, Come to me again the th day; fee ¥. 5. ew ie

W. 13. And the king anfwered the peop &c.] Ina bluftering manner, gave words,and, fevere. menaces, being. w fuch a fpirit by his young counfeilors: the old mens counfel that they gave bim;.1 good words and kind promifes.

y. 14. And fpake to them after thee young men, &c.) And.in the very lan which they gave it: faying, My father 4 yoke heavy, and I will add to your yokes my] alfo gbaftifed you with whips, but 1 will chaftife with feorpions, {ee the noteon ¥. 13.4) 4. Bs

¥. 15. Wherefore the king bearkenedsnot untothe people, &c.| ‘To lefien their taxes, ‘and eafe them of their burdens, as they defired: for the caufe was from ihe Lord; it was according to his willand ippointment;_ the defection of the’ people was willed by the Lord, and various things: im providence turned up to alienate their minds from Reboeam, and difpofe them to a revolt from him in fa. vourof Feroboam; and the Lord fuffered the coun= fellors of Reboboam to give him. the advice they © did, and gave him up to the folly ofthis own heart: to take it: shat he might perform his faying, which the Lord fpake by Abijah the Shilonite, unto Feraboam the fon of Nebat; {ee ch. xi. 2g—39..- y. 16. So when all Irael faw that the king bearkened not unio them, &c.] To grant their requefts: the people anfwered the king, faying, What portion have we in David? or in his pofterity, which are not of our tribes, nor are we obliged, to ‘have a” king of that family; nor can we expeét any benefit or advantage from thence, as may be eafily concluded from the rough anfwer of Reboboam: nie ther have we inheritance in the fon of Feffe; fo they called David by way of contempt; which was great ingratitude, when he had done fuch great thing: for them, and he and his fon Solomon had raiied: them to the pitch of wealth and glory the now enjoyed; thefe were feditious expreffions, an

I will edd to your yoke; make it heavier, lay more this is faid according to the fenfe of the people: times of David, feem to be borrowed from a feditious perfon in the;

taxes on them: my father hath chaftifed you with whips; which was putting -a lie into his mouth, I/rael; fignifying it was high time to depart f Rehoboam, and to have nothing to fay to hi and which he uttered; ¥. 14. for no inftance | feverity exercifed on. the people in general can Be confider whom to fet as king over theny: 4 given during the whole reign of Solomon: but Iwill chaftife you with fcorpions; treat them more roughly, and with greater rigour: whips may mean fimaller omes, thefe horfe-whips, as in the J; argum; which gave an acute pain, like the fting of fcorpions, or made a wound like ones Ben Gerfom fays, thefe were rods with thorns on them, which pierced and gave much pain, Weem/e™ thinks thefe are alluded to by thorns in the fides, Numb. xxxiii. 55. Fudg.

do with him, but retire to their habitatio to thine own boufe, David; thou fon or ger of David; not his own houfe and mind his demeftic affairs, nor the hoaf fanétuary in his tribe, as many of the 9 ters interpret it; but rather the tribe which he was, and would have hi what a narrow compais his ki brought, who was juit now blufterin: of his grandeur as a king: fo Ifrael dep their tents; to their cities, as the 7; argum, and their habitations there, without recognizing Rehoboam as their king, or {wearing allegiance, or giving homage to him as fuch. _ #17. But as for the children of Tfrael which dwelt in the cities of Judah, &c.] Either fach Traclites of the ten tribes that had before dwelt, or now upon this removed, for the fake of worfhip, to dwell in the tribe of Fudab; or elfe that part of Prael, the tribe of Fudab, which dwelt in the cities belonging to it: Rehobcam reigned over them; they owned him to be their king, and fubmiitted to his government.

¥. 18. Then king Reboboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute, &c.| There was one ‘of this name in this office in the time of David, 2 Sam. Xx, 24. this is the fame’with Adoniram, as Farchi thinks, fee ch. iv. 6. him he fent either to collec the tribute of the Zpbraimites, to fhow his authority; or rather to call the people back to have fome farther difcourfe with them, and endeavour. to foften things, and bring them ‘to a compliance, fo. Fofephus’; but it was toolate, and he employed a very improper perfon; the heavy taxes were their complaint, and a tax-gatherer, and efpecially one that was at the head of the tribute, mutt be of all men the moft difagreeable to them; this is another inftance of the folly and falfe fteps of Reboboam: and all Ifrael ftoned him with ftones, that be died; the populace fell upon him at once, and ftoned ‘him to death; and which, though contrary to law and juftice, was. approved of and applauded by their principal men and all the people; fo irritated and provoked. were they by Reboboam’s anfwer to them. ottinger ™ fays, this man was buried «in Shechem, which is very probable; but it is not exprefied here, as he fuggefts it is; however, a graveftone, found 4. D. 1480, in Spain, with this in- {cription, is not genuine, ‘this is the grave of Adoniram, a fervant of king Solomon, who came to collect tribute, and died fuch a day:” sherefore king Reboboam made fpeed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Ferufalem, from Shechem, fearing they would treat him in the fame manner in their rage and fury; his courage was now cooled, and his haughty and hectoring fpirit was now brought down, and he was glad to make ufe of his chariot for flight; this is the firft time we read of a king of Jjrael riding in a chariot; though before of Sifera, a Canaanitifo captain, and that only in a chariot of war.

¥. 19. So Iirael rebelled againft the boufe of David unto this day.| In which the writer of this book lived, and fo continued until their captivity by the king of Afjria. Their revolt is called a rebellion; for though it was according to the purpofe and will of God, yet the people had no command or order from God for -ir, and was done without confulting him, and was a rejection of their lawful prince.;

¥. 20. And it came to pafs when all Ifrael beard that Feroboam was come again, &c.] Out of Egypt; the chief men knew of it before, for he had headed them in their approach and addrefs to Reboboam;, but the people in common had not, and efpecially thofe of the feveral tribes befides that of Ephraim: that they fent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Yrael, they city had Jain in ruins from the times of Abimelech,

NGS. 68% fent for him from his tent oF houfe, which probably was in Shechem, and gave him an invitation to come to their affembly, met together to deliberate about a king; when they unanimoufly chofe him to be king over Jrae/, that is, over the ten tribes, and inaugurated him into his office: there was none that followed the houfe of David, but the tribe of Fudab only; in which Benjamin was included, as appears from the following verfe; that being joined to it, and mixed with it, and both having a part. in ‘Ferufalem, and fo ever after the kingdom was denominated the kingdom of Yudab.

¥. 21. And when Rehoboam was come to Fertifalem, &c.] From Shechem, which was 40 miles ® from Ferufalem: be affembled all the boufé of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourfcore thoufand chefen men, which were wabriors, to jight againft the houfe of Ifrael, to bring the kingdom again to Reboboam the fon of Sclomen, which not only fhews courage reaflumed by Reboboam, now got fate home, but the hearty attachment of Fudah and Benjamin to him, who raifed prefently fo numerous an army in his favour; and had it not been that the Lord was againft their going to battle with Yrael, in all probability they might have gained their point, Fercdoam being {earcely fettled in his kingdom, and having no forces raifed.

¥. 22. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, &c.] A’ prophet in thofe days, fee 2 Chron. xii. 15. and the word that came to him, as in the Targum, is called the word of prophecy: faying; as follows.

¥. 23. Speak unto Reboboam the fon of Solomon king of Fudab, &c.] He is called king before, but of what tribe or tribes is not exprefly faid, only it is implied in ¥. 17. and he is only acknowledged king of Fadab by the Lord himfelf: aad unto all the boufe of Fudah and Benjamin; which made but one houfe, as before but one tribe, ch. xi. 36. and to the remnant of the people; of the other tribes that might dwell among them at Yerufalem, and efpecially Simeon, whofe inheritance was within the tribe of Fudah, Fofb. xix. 1. faying; as follows.

¥. 24. Thus faith the Lord, &c.] A common preface the prophets ufed when they fpoke in the name of the Lord: Ye fhall not go up, nor Jight. againft your brethren the children of Ifrael; and that becaufe they were their brethren, though that is not the only reafon, another follows: retara every man to bis houfe, for this thing is from me; it was according to the will of God, as Fo/epbus rightly fays°; it was by his ordination and appointment, though ‘eroboam and the people finned in the way and manner in which they brought it about; and therefore to fight againft /ael in order to regain the kingdom, would be fighting againft God, and fo to no purpofe: they hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart according to the word of the Lord; they knew Shemaiah was a prophet of the Lord, and they believed the meffage he brought came from him, and therefore hearkened and were obedient to it; and with the confent of Reboboam were difbanded, and returned to their habitations, being fatisfied with, and fubmiffive to the will of God, both king and people.

¥. 25. Then Feroboam built Shechem in mount ~ Ephraim, and dwelt therein, 8c.] Not that this

682. Fudg. ix. 45. for then it would not have been a roper place for the convention of the people, y. 1- bat he repaired the walls of it, and fortified it, and built a palace in it for his refidence: and went out from thence, and built Penuel; a place on the other fide ‘fordan, the tower of which was beaten down by Gideon, Judg. viii. 17. and might be’ now rebuilt, or at leaft the city was repaired by him, and anew fortified, perhaps for the better fecurity of his dominions on that fide Jordan, though Fortunatus Scacchus® is of opinion that this was an altar, the fame as at Carmel, ch. xvili. 30. which Feroboam built, and called by this name in teftimony of the common religion of the J/raclites and Fews. y¥. 26. And Feroboam faid in bis heart, &c.] As he was mufing about the {tate of his kingdom and the affairs of it: Now shall the kingdom return to the boufe of David; fuch were his fears, unlefs fome method could be taken to prevent it, particularly with refpect to religion, which was what his thoughts were employed about. | y. 27. If this people go up to do facrifice im the houfe of the Lord at Ferufalem, &c.)| In the temple there, three times in the year, which all the males were obliged to, befides other times, when they had occafion to offer facrifice, which they might do no where elle: then-/ball the heart of this people turn fame words 4aran did on a like occafion 3 nor that he thought thefe were’ really gods, and:had divis nity in them; nor could he hope or expect that the people would believe they had; but that thefe were reprefentations of the true‘God, who had brought them out of Ayypt; and that it might.as well be fuppofed that God would caufe his» Shekinah ta - well in them, as between the cherubim- over the | ott bebe, -29. And he fet the one in Bethsely ec.) An the fouthern part of the land, on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin; and the rather he ‘chofe this place, becaufe its name fignifies the houfe of God, and had been a facred place, where Jacob more than once enjoyed the divine» prefence: and the other put he in Dany in the northern part of the land, for the convenience of the inhabitants of thofe parts.; and the rather, fince it had been a place. reforted to in former times, ‘becaufe of the Teraphim of Micah there. See Tok ¥. 30. And this thing became a finjo80} Phe caufe and occafion of the fin of idolatry; it led them by degrees to leave off the worfhip of God, and to worfhip thefe calves as gods: for the people went to worfhip before the one, even unto Dans which was the fartheft off, fuch was their great zeal for idolatrous worfhip; or they went: thither again unto their lord, even unto Reboboam king of betore that at Betbel was fet up; and even they at

Fudah, being drawn by the magnificence of the temple, the beauty and order of worfhip in it, the holinefs of the place, and the grandeur of the royal court, and the perfuafions of the priefts and prophets of the Lord, both to keep to the fervice of the Lord, and to obey their lawful fovereign; and befides, they might be in fear they fhould be taken up and punifhed as traitors, and therefore would chufe to fubmit to Reboboam, that they might have the liberty of facrificing without fear; ‘eroboam

Bethel would go as far as Daw to worfhip, fuch was their veneration for both the calves; ~ Abarbinel is of opinion, that thefe calves werenot made by Yereboam for idolatrous ufes, only the altar after-mentioned; and that he never worfhipped: before them, nor facrificed to them, nor even built

‘the altar before them; but that thefe were fet up as figns, and in memory of his kingdom, like the pillars in Solomon’s temple; that he chofe the calf or ox as emblems of his family, the family of fo- feems confcious himfelf that Reboboam was their | feph, Deut. xxxiii. 17. two to reprefent Ephraim liege lord and lawful king: and they foall kill, me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Fudah; his fears ran fo high, that he fhould not only lofe his kingdom but his life, unlefs fome ftep was taken to make an alteration in religious worthip.

y. 28. Whereupon the king took counfel, &c.] Of fome of his principal men, that had as little religion as himfelf, and were only concerned for the civil ftate; and the refult of their confultation was as follows: and made two calves of gold; in imitation of that which was made by Aaron, and encouraged by his example and fuccefs; and having been in Egypt fome time, he might. have learned the calf or ox-worfhip there, and might take his pattern from thence, and have two as they had, the one they called 4p7s, which was worfhipped at Memphis, and another called Mnevis, worfhipped at Hierapolis, as many learned men have obferved; thefe were fhe-calves, according to the Septaagint and Fofepbus*: and faid unto them; not his counfellors, but the people of the land: Jt is too much for you to go up to Ferufalem; pretending he fought their eafe, by contriving a method to prevent their long fatiguing journies, to go up with their facrifices, firit-fruits, &¢. and the Fews' fay the firftfruits ceafed from going up to Ferufalem on the

23d of Sivan, which anfwers to part of May and part of une, on which day they kept a, faft on people into it, but rather thofe of higher rank»: the words may be. literally: rendered, from the ex- and Manaffeb; golden ones, to denote: the majefty and perpetuity of his kingdom; and:he fet thefe the one at Bethel, at the entrance of it, and the other at Dan, at the farther borders of it; and that, he did not call thofe gods, but the only true God, as he that brought J/rae/ out of Egypt; only fignified by that expreffion, that he was every where, there as well as at Ferujalem; but that the J raelites, who were taken with Jenfible objects; on vifiting thefe out of curiofity, it became a fnare to them, and they fell into the worfhip of them; juit as Gideon’s ephod, and Mo/es’s brazen ferpent, were unt them. on ads ¥. 31. And he made an houfe of high places, 8ec.} Or altars’, built a temple at Dan, and fet up»feveral altars in it for facrifice, both for burnt-offerings, and for incenfe, as at Ferufalem: and made priefts of the loweft of the people; this claufe feems not fo well rendered; for this would have been very unpopular, and. brought his:new form of worfhip into contempt, to make the dregs of the people priefts, which was. not only-a very facred office, but of great honour; it was ufualin fome nations for kings to be priefts alfo*, and\feroboam himfelf exercifed this office, ¥.:33.! and xiii, 1. and therefore would never put the meaneft’ ofthe that account: behold thy gods, O Ijrael, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt; wling the tremities.or ends of the people." 5. meaning.not merely from the extremeft parts of his country, but

93 2 Ut fu Rex Anius, &c, Virgi

Chi xii ¥. 32, 333 LE KINGS, 683 rather out of the whole of thé people; out. of all forts of them, out of any of them without any diftinGtion of tribe: for fo it follows, which were not of the fons of Levi;

¥.32. And Feroboam ordained a feaft in the 8th month, on the 15th day of the month, like unto the feaft that is in fudah, &c.] The feaft of tabernacles, which was on the 15th day of the 7th month; this was done chiefly for the fake. an alteration; though Adarbinel thinks, becaufe the fruits of the land were not fo foon ripe, nor fo foon gathered in the northern parts of the land, as nearer Yerufalem, he jadged this month the fitteft for the fea{t of ingathering the fruits; and he might hope to get more people to come to his feaft, when were gathered in: and be offered upon the altar (fo be did in Bethel) facrificing unto the calves that be had made; this he did by his priefts, or rather he himfelf did it, fée ch. xili..4. this fhows that Yeroboam made thefe calves for worfhip, and did facrifice to them, ‘at’ leaft as reprefentations of God. Abarbinel, to make this agree with his hypothefis, gives this fenfe of the-claufe, that he did not crifice to the calves, but to God, becaufe of them, that his kingdom, which they were a fign of, might be continued, and there being but one calf in lace, he could not be faid to facrifice to th, but to God, becaufe of both; or elie he thinks this muft be done after the people curned afide to them, and not when Jeroboam made them. ‘The claufe in the parenthelis, /o he did in Bethel, intimates, that he did the fame in Bethel and as by this means hejas in Daz, of which, what is faid before, is {poken 5 that is, that he made an houfe of high places: in obliged Bethel alfo, made priefts out of all the people, fuch as were not of the tribe of Levi, appointed the feaft of the 15th day of the 8th month to be obferved there alfo, and he himfelf.offered on the altar there: and be placed in Bethel the priefts of the high places which he bad made; to officiate there. yt. 33. So he offered upon the altar which be had made in Bethel, the 15th day of the 8th month, &c.| As he had done in Dan: even in the mouth which oflhbe had devifed of bis own heart; the feaft of tabernacles was of God’s appointing, but.the time of keeping he had devifed himfelf, changing it from the 7th month, or Ti/ri, which anfwers to our Sepsember and OGober, to the 8th month, or Marche/- vaz, which anfwers to part of Ofoder and part of all) November: and ordained a feaft unto the children of lfrael; to be obferved by them as the feaft of tabernacles was by the priefts of Judah and Benjamin: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incen/e; which none but the priefts fhould do; perhaps the reafon why the fame refentment was not fhewn, as to Uzziab, was, beeaufe this was not at the altar of the Lord: whether he burnt incenfe fa-jafter the manner of the Fewi/h priefts, or as the priefts of Egypt did to the fun, where he had been for fome time, is not certain; the former burnt inajcenfe only twice a day, morning and evening, the themjlatter three times; at fun-rifing they burnt rofin, about noon myrrh, and about fun-fetting Aypbhi, had!which was a compound of 16 forts”, enriched himfelf, by taking the cities that belonged to the priefts and Levites, which they were to leave, and from whence he drove them, 2 Chron. xi. 14. fo he pleafed the people by Jaying open the priefthood common to them, and freeing them trom the payment of tithes, and the like.

og this chapter is an account of a man of God being fent to exclaim againft Fereboam’s altar, and threaten its deftruction, of which he gave a fign, which was accomplifhed, and with it the withering of the king’s hand, which was healed upon the prophet’s prayer for him, ¥. 1—7. who would have entertained him at his houfe, but he refufed the offer, and departed, ¥. 8—1o. but an old prophet in Bethel hearing of him, rode after him, and fetched him back to eat bread with him, through a lie he told him, ¥. 11—19. upon which the word came to the old prophet, threatening the man of God with death for dilobeying his command, and which was accordingly executed by a fion that met him in the way, and flew him, y. 20—24. of which the old prophet being informed, went and took up his carcafe, and buried it in his own fepulchre, where he charged his fons to bury him alfo when dead, believing that all the man of God had faid would be fulfilled, ¥. 25—32. and the chapter is clofed with obferving the continuance of Feroboam in his idolatry, ¥. 33, 34.

his aéts, firft and laft, nay after Ahijab his fon, 2 Chron. xii. 15. and xili. 22. and for the fame reafon Shemaiah can’t be the man of God, ch, xii. 22. though Tertullian * calls him Sameas, and defigns Shemaiah: but whoever he was, he came dy the word of the Lord to Bethel; that is, by his command: and Feroboam fioad by the altar to burn incenfe x at the time he came, fee ch. xii. 33.

¥.2. And he cried againft the altar in the word of the Lord, &c.] By his order and command: and faid, O altar, altar; addreffing himfelf not to Feroboam, but the altar, thereby reproving his ftupidity, the altar being as ready to hear as he; and becaufe that was what moved the indignation of the Lord; and the word is repeated,-to fhew the vehemency of the prophet’s ipirit, and his zeal againft it; though the ews commonly fay it re- {pects both altars, that at Dan, as well as this at Bethel: thus faith the Lord, a-child fhall be born unto the houfe of David, Fofiah by name, who was not born until. 300 years after this, according to the Fewi/h writers*; but it is generally reckoned to be more, even 350 or 360 years; this is a clear proof of the prefcience, pre-determination, and providence of God with refpect to future events, contingent ones, fuch as depend upon the will of

_ y. 1, And bebold, there came a man. of God out - of Fudab, &c.} Whom Fofepbus * calls Fadon, perhaps the fame with Jddo, who is by the Fewifh ~ writers’ generally thought to be this man of God, and which may feem to be countenanced by 2 Chron. ix. 29. but cannot be, becaufe this man was quickly Mlain, whereas Iddo lived after Reboboam, and wrote men; for what more fo, than giving a name to a child? upon thee fhall he offer the priefts of the high p/aces that burn incenfe upon thee, and mens bones /hall be burnt upon thee, all which was fulfilled by

Fofiah, 2 Kings xxiii. 15, 16, 20. it may be read, the bones of a man, which the Zews underftand of Feroboam;, but may only fignify that inftead of the bones of beafts, which were burnt on it, the bones of men fhould. be burnt, and even of the priefts themfelves; a glaring proof this of the truth of ptophecy, and of divine revelation.

¥. 3. And he gave a fign the fame day, faying, this is the fizn which the Lord hath fpoker, &c.] As a confirmation of the truth of what the prophet had faid, and for the proof of his being a true prophet of the Lord: behold, the altar fhall be rent; of itfelf, by an invifible hand, by the power of God: and the afhes that are upon it foall be poured out; fignifying it fhould be entirely demolifhed, not only fhaken but deftroyed, fo as not to be capable of retaining the afhes on it; this was an emblem of the utter abolition of idolatry here in future times..

¥.4. And it came to pafs, when king Feroboam heard the faying of the man of God, who bad cried againft the altar in Bethel, &c.) He was highly provoked: fo that he put forth bis hand from the altar; onwhich he was burning incenfe: /aying, lay hold on him he put forth his hand, and either fhook it at the prophet, threatening what he would do to him; or as beckoning to the people to feize him, and which he alfo exprefled: and his hand, which be put forth againft him, dried up, fo that be could not pull it in again to him; he could not move it one way nor another, but it remained in the fame pofition, the nerves and mufcles being fhrunk; which was a farther confirmation of the prophet’s miffion from God, being one of thofe concerning whom he fays, do my prophets no harm, and a freth token of the certain performance of what he had faid.

¥. 5. The altar alfo was rent, &c.| Split into two parts perhaps, and one fell one way, and the other another: aud the afbes poured out from the rophefied of wouldjbe fulfilled, and was,an. i pate alfo of ener 401) tothe Peay fhould have led him to repentance, but didnot.

¥.7. And the king faid unto the man of God, come home with me, and refrefo thyfeif, &c.], By eating a meal with him, after fuch a journey he had taken, and delivered his prophecies, and put up his prayers for the king: and J will give th reward; for his prayers, by means of whic the Lord, the author of this miraculous cure, nor exprefits the leaft degree of thankfulneis and gratitude to him.; apy ers y. 8. And the man of God faid unto ihe king, &c.] In anfwer to his civility to him, to affure him, it was not out of contempt to him, or ill will to him, or flight of his favour, but in obedience to the will of God: if thou wilt give balf af thine house; of the riches in it, and even of his kingdom: J will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place; this idolattous place; the reafon follows, ' rtoshie aaa ¥.9. For fo it was charged me by word of the Lord, &c.J] ‘The command of the Lord, by which he came to Bethel, and cried againft the altar there, ¥. 1,2. faying, eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the fame way that thou camef, fignifying that no communion was to be had with idolaters, nor any example to be fet and followed; but the way to them, and to their idolatry, was to’ be fhunned and avoided. PIS eS ee y. 10. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethe]. Neither ate - nor drank with the king, though that is not exprefied; nor did he go back the fame way he came 5. but in each particular obférved the divine command} and was obedient to it. v.11. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel, &c.] The Targum is, a falfe prophet, fo Fo/e- altar; the afhes of the burnt-offering, thefe were phus>; it is hard to fay what he was, a good man fpilled on the ground; all which was done without): any outward force, or any vifible means thereof:

according to the fign which the man of God had given

by the word of the Lord, by his direction and

xy. 6. And the king anfwered and faid unto the

man of God, &c. | In another tone than when he bid the people lay hold on him; not in a haughty, but humble manner; not as threatening, or a bad man; if a good man, he was guilty of many things which are not in his fayour, as dwelling in fuch an idolatrous place, fuffering his fons to attend idolatrous worfhip, and telling, the man of Goda premeditated lie; and yet there are feveral things which feem contrary to his being a bad man, and of an ill character, fince he is called an old prophet, did not attend idolatrous worfhip, fhewed great refpeét to the man of God, but fupplicating: intreat now the face of the Lord had the word of God fent unto him concerning thy God; he does not fay my God, for he had apoftatized from him, and ferved other gods, but thy God, whofe prophet he was, and who had an intereft in him, as clearly appeared by what he had faid and done by him: aud pray for me, that my band may be reflored me. again, not that the anger of God might be turned away from him, and he enjoy the divine favour, and have an application of pardoning grace made to him, only to have this outward mercy, this temporal favour reftored to him, the ufe of his hand: and the man of God befought the Lord; not rendering evil for evil; but being of a forgiving fpirit, though the king had {tretched out his hand againft him, he lift up his hands to heaven for him: and the king’s hand was reftored again, and became as it was before; which was another inftance of divine power, and a farther proof of the prophet’s divine miffion; from whence it might be concluded, that what he had him, believed that what he had prophefied fhould come to pafs, buried the man of God in his own grave, and defired his fons to, bury him with him, In fome copies his name is faid to be Micah, as Kimchi obferves, and other Fewi/h writers * fay the fame; though fome take him to be Amaziah the — prieft of Bethel; and others, Gerfom the fon o: Mojes*, but without any foundation; though he now dwelt at, Bethel, he was originally of Samaria, 2 Kings xxiii. 18. and bis fons came and told bim all the works that the man of God bad done that day in Bethel; that the altar was rent, and. the afhes _ poured out, as he had faid, and that Fereboam’s. hand withered, and was reftored upon his pray to God: the words which he had /poken ui king; that one fhould be born of the fa °) David, Fofiah by name, that fhoul one the ide latrous priefts, and burn the bones_ 0 that altar, and that that fhould be told alo. their father, gave him a particular account of his actions and words.

y. 19. So he went back with bim, 8c] In which ne finned; for as he had moft certainly the command of God not to eat and drink in that place, »

¥..12. And their fatker faid unto them, what way went be? &c.| Having a ftrong inclination to fee him, and converfe with him: for Ais fous had feen what way the man of God went which came from Fudab; they took notice of it; and, as the Targum, they fhewed it to their father, appeared

¥. 14. And went after the man of God, and found he ought to have had the countermand from the Lord, and not trufted to another perfon. There are fome things indeed which may be faid in his favour, and be an apology for him, as that this man was an’ antient prophet of the Lord, as he to him; and that though he was. forbid to eat.and drink with idolaters, yet he thought he - might with a prophet of the Lord, and efpecially as he affirmed he had the direction of an’angel of the Lord for it; nor could he conceive that the prophet had any intereft to ferve by it, but rather after the man of God, jit might be’ chargeable and burdenfome to him; and he might think the Lord out of compaffion on him, had. countermanded. his former orders, and

¥. 13. And be faid unto bis fons, faddle me the afs, &c.] Which he uled.to ride on; intimating he had a mind to ride after him, and overtake him, as he might reafonably think he might, fince the man of God was on foot: fo they faddled. him the afs, and he rode thereon;

taking the way his fons directed.

him fitting under an cak, &c.) To fhelter him from the circumftances he was in might the more incline the heat, and being faint, hungry and. thirfty; fo him to Jiften to thefe plaufible pretences; but after the ancients of old made ufe of oaks for a cover- all, he ought to have taken no direétions but from ing, before houfes were invented*; thus érabam the Lord himfelf, in this he failed: and did eat pitched his tent. in the plain, or under the oak of bread in bis boufe, and drink water, Contrary to Mamre, Gen. xiii. 184.and he faid unto bim, art thou the man of God that cameft from Fudab? the exprefs command of Ged.

which b. 20. And it came to pafs, as they fat at the he might guefs at from his habit, and from the y. defcription his fons had given of him’: and he fatd, table, &c.| ‘The old prophet, with his fons, and the man of God; the Arabic verfion adds, and did Jams owned himfelf to be the perfon he enquired after.

eat, there being a paufe in the Hebrew text, as if

. fomething was wanting, and to. be underftood and ¥.45. Then faid he unto him, come home with me, and eat bread.} In which invitation no doubt fupplied: that the word of the Lord came’ unto the prophet that brought him back; that is, to the old he was hearty, and might have.no ill defign in it, only to have fome converfation with him, as ‘be- prophet, who was the means of- bringing back the ing a good man, and a prophet of the Lord, man of God; the word did not come to. him who had tranfereffed the command of the Lord, but to efpecially upon the fubjeét of his prophecies at him who was the occafion of it; though “barbinel

Bethel. is of opinion that the word came to the latter, and y¥. 16. And he foid, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee, &c.].

his houfe in it, being fuch an idolatrous place, efpecially being, forbidden of God: neither will I eat bread, nor drink water with thee in this place; he was refolute and determined to abide by the commandment of the Lord, though there is reafon to believe that he was now both hungry. and fo fome verfions, both antient and’ modern, render Into the city, and into the claufe, +o the prophet whom he had brought andj Zack *, and which is countenanced by what is {aid}

¥. 26. according to the word of the Lord which be [poke unto him, but the former fenfe beft agrees with what follows.,

¥. 21. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Fudah, &c.| His mind being greatly

thirfty. -. F affected with the word brought to him, partly on

¥. 17. For it was. faid tome by the word of the Lord, &c.). By the angel) that was fent to him, who gave him jis meffage and inftractions 5, which he was perfuaded came from, the Lord; himéelf, and therefore looked upon himfelf under obligation to regard them as fuch: thou foalt eat uo,bread, &c. the fame that-he obferved.to the.king, ¥.9.

his own account, who by a lié his confcience muft accufe him of, had been the means of feducing the mah of God, and partly on his account, who. was threatened with death for complying with him: ayig, Thus faith the Lord, being obliged to deliver, in the name of the Lord, what was faid unto him: Fora/much as thou baft difobeyed the mouth of the Lords the order. that came out of his mouth, as follows: and haft not kept the commandment which meaning, that, he was.a pro- the Lord thy God commanded thee; not to‘ eat nor

¥. 18. And,he faid unto him, &c.| That,is, the old prophet faid to the man of God: Jam.a.prophet alfo.as—thou-axt;

phet of the true,God,and not.of any idol-deity; drink in Bethel. > that henot only believed in him, and.was.a worfhipper of him, but. had revelations from him, of the fame things this man of,God had, “and that he believed that what he had.

¥. 22. But cameft back, and haft eaten bread, and and drunk water in the place of the which the Lord: did fay to thee, Kat no bread, nor drink no water, &c.] prophefied of, would Mees command he obferved When firft there, though invited by the king; and yet after he had got out of the place, was prevailed upon to return and tranfgrefs the command: thy carcafe Joall not come unto the fepulchre of thy fathers, fignifying and) that he fhould die before he’ came to the land of Yudeb, and he fhould be buried in another place, certainly come to pals: and an angel [poke unto me by the word of the Lord 5,was fent and difpatched by the order of the Lord with the following meflage: faying, bring him back with thee into thine houfe, that he may eat bread and drink water, fo be refrefhed, and be fit, to proceed on in his

' and which was verified.

journey: but be lied unto him; no meflenger nor|a meflage being fent to him by the Lord, but was wholly a device and ftratagem of his own. to. fuade the man of God to return with him, that he might have his.company and converfation, drink y. 23. And it came to pafs, after be had eaten per- bread, and after be had drunk, &c.] That is, had finifhed the meal; for he had begun to eat and before the word came, which came while

686 I KI they weile eating and drinking; did not hinder their proceeding to ma their meal, which one would have thought would have {poiled their appetite: shat he [addled for him the afs, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back, he ordered his fons to get it ready for him, that he might not walk on foot as he had; though _ it does not appear that either he, or any of his fervants accompanied him, but the contrary.

y. 24. And when be was gone, a lion met him by the way, and flew him, &c.) Perhaps not far from Bethel; and this lion might come out of the fame wood the fhe-bears did, that devoured the children that mocked the prophet, as bifhop Patrick conjeCtures, 2 Kings ii. 23, 24. and bis carcafe was aft in the way; in the high-road, where it feems the lion feized him, and he fell: and the afs fiood by it; difregarded and unburt by the lion though the prophet was pulled. off of the back of hia: the Lion alfo ftood by the carcafe, not offering to tear it in pieces and devour it, but rather as if he was the guard of it, to keep off all others from meddling with it; thefe circumftances are very furprifing, and fhew the thing to be of God; for when the lion had done what he had a commiffion to do, which was to kill the prophet, he was to do no more.

y. 25. And behold, men paffed by, &c.] Travellers on the road’; nor did the lion offer to feize on them, nor defert the carcafe upon their approach: and faw the carcafe caft in the way, and the lion ftanding by the carcafe; as before defcribed: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt; which was Bethel, by which means he came to have knowledge of it.

y¥. 26. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way, beard thereof, &c.] The old prophet, that had deceived him, by telling him a lie: he foid, Is is the man of God, who was difobedient unto the word of the Lord’; but not a fyllable does he fay of -his own fin in deceiving him; though one would think his own confcience mutt {mite him for it: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and flain him according to the word of the Lard, which be fpake unto bim, and that by himfelf, y. 21, 22.

y.27, And he |pake to his fous, faying, Saddle me the afs, &c.} one, for he had one before: and they faddled him; the afs‘he commonly rode on.

¥. 28. And he went and found bis carcafe caft the way, and the afs and it feems this| prophet came to the dy, to mourn, and to bury him ke an end of|to perform the funeral rites, according to the cut y. 30. And be laid bis carcafe in bis own grave, &c.] Which he had prepared for himfelt; for as he came from Samaria, it could not be the chre of his fathers; and this was fhewing all the refpect, and doing all the honour to him he well” could: and they mourned over him; the prophet and his fons: faying, las my brother; which was an ufual form of lamentation at funerals in aftertimes, fee Fer. xxii. 18. ¥e y. 31. And it came to pafs after be bad buried him, that he foake to bis fons, faying, &c.| He gave them the following charge: When I am dead, then bury me in the fepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; as it was his own, it might be reafonably thought they would bury him in ic without fuch # charge; but left they fhould not, he gives it: ay my bones befide his bones; his view in this was, that when ‘fofah came to burn the bones of the priefts, he would fpare the bones of this man of God, and fo his lying by them, and mingled with them, would be fpared alfo, and fo it proved, 2 Kings XXill. 18.

W. 32. For the faying which he cried by the word of the Lord againjt the altar in Bethel, &c.) That the priefts fhould be offered on it, and mens bones be burnt upon it; for as for its being rent, and the afhes of it poured out, that had been done already = and againft all the houfes of the high places which are in Samaria, foall furely come to pafss by which it appears that there were temples, and high places, and altars built in other parts of the kingdom befides Dan and Bethel, of the deftruction of which the man of God prophefied, though not before mentioned; all which the old prophet gave credit to, and firmly believed would be accomplithed. The kingdom of Jrae/, in after-times, had the name of Samaria, from the chief city of it, J vil.

g. here fpoken of by anticipation, for as yet it was not in being, fee ch. xvi. 24. and either it has its name here by way of prophecy, or elfe given by the writer of this book, as what it went by in his time.

-¥. 33. After this thing Feroboam returned not from bis evil way, &c.] From the idolatrous practices he had fet on foot, and was eftablifhing;

For it feems he had more than|though he had feen his altar rent, and the athes fent away the man of God with] poured out as the man of God predicted, his own hand withered, and that reftored again upon the. prayer of the prophet; and though he had heard in| of the death he died for his difobedience to the comand the lion fianding by the car-\mand of God, café, &c.| As before defcribed: the lion bad not and the feveral marvellous things that attended it; thefe were fo far from reforming

‘eaten the carcafe, nor torn the afs; both which were very marvellous; as alfo that the afs fhould ftand fo quietly, and without with, the lion, him, that he feemed to be the more hardened thereby: dut made again of the loweft of the people priefis fear, by the carcafe along] of the high places; and not run away; but here both|thofe of the ftayed till the prophet came to take care of the carcafe, which fhews the fingular providence of God and officiated there, and indeed, tribe of Levi would not ferve there, and therefore were expelled their cities; fee 2 Chron.» Xi. 14.

in this affair; and that though he chaftifed the man of God with a temporal judgment for his offence, of yet he was dear to him, ‘and even his carcafe prein themfelves, as building high places, and”

y¥. 29. And the prophet took up the carcafe of thejis, man of God, 8c.|. The lion perhaps made off as joon as he came, or if he ftayed, the prophet was not afraid of him, feeing he did not attempt to deyour the carcafe, nor touch the afs, nor do any hurt to thofe that pafled by: and laid it upon the afs, aad brought it back, to his own city: and the old evit things being inflicted on Feroboam’s fa fin is put for the punifhment of fin, as ito even to cut it off, and to deftroy it of the earth; fo that it become and the next thing we hear of, is the fic death of his fon.

v5* ¥. 34. And this thing became fin unto the bau Feroboam, 8c.) All the above things were fins ting priefts in them whoever would; but thedenfe that thefe were the caufes of punifhment,

HIS chapter relates the ficknefs of Yero-| hall boam’s fon, the application of his wife at his inftance to the prophet Abijah, in the child’s favour, ¥. 1—6. the prophecy of the prophet concerning the ruin of Fereboam’s houle, and the death of the child, which came to pafs, ¥.7—18. an account of the years of Feroboam’s reign, and alfo of Reboboam’s, ¥. 19—21. and of the evil things done and fuffered by the latter in his kingdom, and the calamities that came upon him for it, y.22—28. and the conclufion of his reign, ¥. 29, tell thee what foall become of the child, whether it fhould live or die, for that was all he wanted to know; he did not defire to know what fhould be done to the child for its recovery, nor to requeft the prophet’s prayers for it. y¥.4. And Feroboam’s wife did Jo, and went to Shi- /ob, and came to the houfe of Abijab, &c.] Difguifed herfelf, and took this long journey, and found the prophet’s houfe; which fhe did partly in obedience to her hufband, and partly from affection to her child: but Abijab could not fee, her or any body

30, 31. elfe that came into the room to him: for Ais eyes were fet by reason of his age; or ftood fixed and yv.1. At that time Abijah the fon of Feroboam fick.) Being {mitten of God with fome difeafe, as a punifhment of Feroboam’s fin; how long this was after the above things were done, cannot be felllimmoveable, as the eyes of blind men are;. or the nerves and mufcles of his eyes ftood within the holes thereof, fo that he could not fee objects.

y. 5. And the Lord faid unto Abijah, &c.| Either faid. in a dream, or by an impulfe upon his mind, be-

¥.2. And Feroboam faid to bis wife, &c.] Who fhe was is not known: arife, I pray thee, and difguife thyfelf; put off her royal apparel, and clothe herfelf like a common perfon, mimic the drefs and language of a country woman: shat thou be not known to be the wife of Feroboam, by any that fhould fee her on the road, or at the city fhe was to go to, or by the prophet to whom fhe would be fent: and get thee to Shiloh; which, according to Bunting ®, was 24 miles from Tirzah, where Feroboam now lived, fee ¥. 17. bebold, there is Abijab the prophet, called from thence the Shilonite, ch. xi. 29. which told me that I fhould be king over this people; and this coming to pafs, proved him to be a true prophet, and to be credited in what he fhould fay concerning their child. ercboam defired his wife to go on this errand, becaufe did not care it fhould be known that he applied any of the prophets of the Lord; nor did he chufe it fhould be known whofe child was enquired about, which another muft have told, whereas his wife could fpeak of it as her own; and fhe was the fitteft perfon to give an account of the child’s illnefs, and would afk the moft proper and pertinent queftions, and bring him back a faithful report; and he would have her be difguifed, left the pro- * phet, who bore no good will to him becaufe of his apoftacy, fhould refufe to give any anfwer at all, or elfe give a very rough and difagreeablejto fore Feroboam’s wife came in: behold, the wife of Feroboam cometh to afk a thing of thee for her fon, for he is fick; to know whether he will recover or no: thus and thus fhalt thou fay unto her; as after exprefied in fome following verfes: for it jhall be when fhe cometh in, that fhe fhall feign berfelf another woman; to the people that let her in, and introduce her to the prophet, and to the prophet himfelf; pretend herfelf to be a country woman come to afk a queftion of the prophet concerning her {on that was ill of a difeafe.

y¥.6. And it was fo, when Abijah heard the found of her feet, as fhe came in at the door, &c.| Of the room where the prophet was: that he faid, come in, thou wife of Feroboam, why feigneft thou thyfelf to be another? which muft greatly furprize and hejconfound her, as well as lay open to her the folly tojof her and her hufband to imagine, that fhe could be fecreted from God, and a prophet of his; or that a prophet could tell her what was future, and yet not know her that was prefent; and this might ferve to affure her, and fo her hufband, that what the prophet after delivered would certainly come to pafs: for Iam fent to thee with heavy tidings; or hard things, fuch as would be very difagreeable to her and her hufband.

y. 7. Go tell Feroboam, &c.] Thy hufband: thus faith the Lord God of Ifrael; fo he continued be, though they had revolted from him: fora/-

one. much as I exalted thee from among the people; the

¥. 3. And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a crufe of honey, and go to him, 8c.]| being ufual to carry a prefent to a prophet when he was enquired of on any account; fee 1 Sam. ix. 7. and this being a plain prefent, and of fuch things as the country afforded, fhe might be taken for a plain country woman, and not for fuch a perfonage as fhe was: the ten loaves could not be Jarge for a woman to carry, moft probably of wheat; the cracknels, according to the Greek verfion in Drufius, were for the prophet’s children; they very likely were fpiced, or were fweetened with honey, and might be fomewhat like our fimnels; they feem to have their name in Hebrew from having points and pricks in them for the fake of ornament; fuch as Plautus* calls fcribilite, becaufe, as Turnebus * fays, they were marked and pricked, and feemed as if they were written: be common people, from a low eftate in which he was: t\and made thee prince over my people Ifrael, {o they were when he made him king over them; and there were fome among them ftill that loved the Lord, ferved and feared him, of which the prophet himfelf, now fpeaking, was an inftance.

y.8. And rent the kingdom away from the boufe of David, and gave it thee, &c.) Even 10 parts madejout of 12: and yet thou haft not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who fol- /owed me with all bis heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; who never was guilty of idolatry, but always conftantly and cordially at— tended the pure worfhip of God, and was careful to do every thing in that according to the will of God, whatever elfe he might be deficient in.

y. 9. But haft done evil above ail that were before thee, &c,] Not only above David, but path

Saul, who never gave into idolatry, yea even-above Solomon, who though he connived at idolatry, and might be guilty of it in fome inftances, yet did was the latter end of Yeroboam’s reign, which is probable, Reboboam and Abijam might’ be both dead; and though they were blame-worthy in fome f things, yet not {o bad as Feroboam; though perhaps this may refpeét only fuch who- had been kings of J/rael before him: for thou baft gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, £0 provoke me to anger, the two calves of golds for however he might colour things over, and pretend he did not look upon thefe as gods, but as reprefentations of God, and that he did not worfhip them, ‘but God. by them, yet the Lord confidered it as idolatry, than which nothing: is more provoking to him: and haft caft me bebind thy back as unworthy of his regard; or my worfhip, as the Targum, which he negleéted, and fhewed no concern for.

y. 10. Lberefore bebold, 1 will bring evil upon}. is foaken in the water, &c.] Either by the win the houfe of Ferobeam, &c.| Calamities, deftruction and ruin: and will cut off from Feroboam him that piffeth againft the wall; not leave a dog of his, or rather a male, fee 1Sam. xxv. 22. and bim that is out up and left in Ifrael, in garrifons or in prifons, in cities or in fields, or in whatfoever fituation-or circumftances they may be. Some interpret it of wealth and fubftance; it fignifies an entire deftruction it may be of men and goods, fee Deut. xx Xil. 36. and will take away the remnant of the boufe of Feroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone; fignifying, that Feroboam’s family was as loathfome and abominable to the Lord as dung is to men; and that he would make. as clean a rid-' dance of them, as men do of dung when they {weep it out, and will not leave the leaft ferap behind. ’

y. 11. Him that dieth of ‘feroboam in the city foall the dogs eat, and him that dicth in the field foall the fowls of the air eat, &c.) The meaning is, that they fhould have no burial: for tbe Lord bath fpoken it; and therefore thall be fulfilled, for what he hath faid he will do, Numb. xxiii. 19.

y.12. Arife thou therefore, get thee-to thine own houfe, &c.] — With all hafte, as foon as fhe could: and when thy feet enter.the city; the city of Tirzab, very probably the king’s palace ftood at the entry of it, fee ¥. 17. the child hall die; this) i1s.an an- {wer to thé queftion fhe was to afk, and atthe fame time a token of the fure and certain fulfilment of all the prophet had Spoken in the name of the Lord.

y¥.13. And: all Ifrael foall mourn for him, and bury him, &c.| Give him an honourable interment, and follow him to ‘the grave with Jamentation, becaufe he was the heir-apparent, tothe throne, and an hopeful prince,.of whom they» had. raifed expectations; that when: he: came to the throne things would take a different turn,.efpecially in matters of religion, and they might fear, he being, removed, things would grow worfe inftead of better; for he only of Feroboam shall come to the graves or be buried, the reft fhould be devoured by dogs or fowls; becaufe in bim there is found fome good thing ‘towards the Lord God of lfrael sin the houfe of Feroboam, the principles of grace were implanted, and the feeds of piety and religion fown in his heart; and there appeared -a difpofition of mind, and defires in him to the name of God, and the remembrance of it; or to his purée worfhip and fervice; it might be difcerned, that he had a dif- who foall cut off the boufe of feroboam that quickly from this time; for as it may ene

foall root up Ifrael out of this good land he gave to

he warred, &c.] Ashe did with Reh b