Vers. 29-32. The officials for the external business. — Ver. 29. lt As to the Izharites, Chenaniah (see on xv. 22) with his sons was for the outward business over Israel for scribes and judges." According to this, the external business of the Levites consisted of service as scribes and judges, for which David had set apart 6000 Levites (xxiii. 4). Without sufficient reason, Bertheau would refer the external business to the exaction of the dues for the temple, because in Neh. xi. 16 nj'vnn fDKTBn for the temple is spoken of. But it does not at all follow that in our verse the external work had any reference to the temple, and that the scribes and judges had only this narrow sphere of action, since here, instead of the house of God,?K"J^!?V is mentioned as the object with which the external service was connected. — Ver. 30. Of Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, 1700 valiant men, were '^ m^e by, for the oversight (inspection) of Israel this side Jordan, for all the business of Jahve and the service of the king. Bertheau takes rnpa to mean " due," u fixed tribute," a meaning which the word cannot be shown to have. The LXX. have translated correctly, iirl ti}s eTricrKe-^reus rov 'la-pai-jk, ad inspectionem Israelis, i.e. prcefecti erant (J. H. Mich.). For rftpB by is in ver. 32 rendered by by TpEf\ JVTO lago is shown by the addition n^V® to refer to the land of Canaan, as in Josh. v. 1, xxii. 7, since Israel, both under Joshua and also after the exile, had come from the eastward over Jordan into Canaan. The words rON^O and rftag are synonymous, and are consequently both represented in ver. 32 by "OW. — Ver. 31 f. David set another branch of the Hebronites, under the head Jeriah (cf. xxiii. 9), over the East-Jordan tribes. Between the words " Jeriah the head," ver. 31, and vnsi, ver. 32, a parenthesis is inserted, which gives the reason why David made these Hebronites scribes and judges among the East-Jordan tribes. The parenthesis runs thus: " As to the Hebronites, according to their generations, according to fathers, they were sought out in the fortieth vear of David's rule, and valiant heroes were found among them in Jazer of Gilead." Jazer was a Levite city in the tribal domain of Gad, assigned, according to Josh. xxi. 39, to the Merarites (see on vi. GO). The number of these Hebronites was 2700 valiant men (ver. 32). The additional ntaKn *B*n is obscure, for if we take J"ii2S to be, as it often is in the genealogies, a contraction for rfaNPlVa, the number given does not suit; for a branch of the Hebronites cannot possibly have numbered 2700 fathers'-houses (irarpLai, groups of related households): they must be only 2700 men (0*133), or heads of families, i.e. households. Not only the large number demands this signification, but also the comparison of this statement with that in ver. 30. The 1700 b\n »J3 of which the Hebronite branch, Hashabiah with his brethren, consisted, were not so many Trarpiai, but only so many men of this irarpia. In the same way, the Hebronite branch of which Jeriah was head, with his brethren, 2700 b\n '33, were also not 2700 TrarpiaL, but only so many men, that is, fathers of families. It is thus placed beyond doubt that riiax *K>&o cannot here denote the heads of fathers'-houses, but only heads of households. And accordingly we must not understand fii2Np (ver. 31) of fathers'-houses, as the LXX. and all commentators do, but only of heads of households. The use of the verb *&h*U also favours this view, for this verb is not elsewhere used of the legal census of the people, i.e. the numbering and entering of them in the public lists, according to the great families and fathers'- houses. There may therefore be in *Bn*73 a hint that it was not a genealogical census which was undertaken, but only a numberins of the heads of households, in order to ascertain the number of scribes and judges to be appointed. There yet remain in this section three things which are somewhat strange: 1. Only 1700 scribes and judges were set over the cis-Jordanic land, inhabited as it was by ten and a half tribes, while 2700 were set over the trans- Jordan ic land with its two and a half tribes. 2. Both numbers taken together amount to only 4400 men, while David appointed G000 Levites to be scribes and judges. 3. The scribes and judges were taken only from two fathers'-houses of the Kohathites, while most of the other Levitical offices were filled by men of all the families of the tribe of Levi. On all these grounds, it is probable that our catalogue of the Levites appointed to be scribes and judges, i.e. for the external business, is imperfect.
CHAP. XXVII. — DIVISION OF THE ARMY. TRIBAL PRINCES, AD- MINISTRATORS OF THE DOMAINS, AND COUNCILLORS OF STATE.
This chapter treats of the organization of the army (vers. 1-15) and the public administration; in vers. 16-24, the princes of the twelve tribes being enumerated; in vers. 25-31, the managers of the royal possessions and domains; and in vers. 32-34, the chief councillors of the king. The information on these points immediately succeeds the arrangement of the service of the Levites, because, as we learn from ver. 23 f., David attempted in the last year of his reign to give a more stable form to the political constitution of the kingdom also. In the enumeration of the twelve divisions of the army, with their leaders (vers. 1-15), it is not indeed said when David organized the men capable of bearing arms for the alternating monthly service; but the reference in ver. 23 f. of our chapter to the numbering of the people, spoken of in chap, xxi., leaves no doubt of the fact that this division of the people stands in intimate connection with that numbering of the people, and that David caused the people to be numbered in order to perfect the military constitution of the kingdom, and to leave his kingdom to his son strong within and mighty without.
Vers. 1-15. The twelve divisions of the army. — Ver. 1. The lengthy superscription, " And the sons of Israel according to their number, the heads of the fathers' -houses, and the princes over the thousands and the hundreds, and their scribes, who served the kinoin regard to every matter of the divisions; which month for month of all months of the year went and came, one division 24,000 men," is towards the end so intimately interwoven with the divisions of the army, that it can only refer to this, i.e. only to the catalogue, vers. 2-15. Since, then, we find in this catalogue only the twelve classes, the number of the men belonging to each, and their leaders, and since for this the short superscription, tl the Israelites according to their number, and the princes of the divisions which served the king," would be amply sufficient, Bertheau thinks that the superscription originally belonged to a more complete description of the classes and their different officers, of which only a short extract is here communicated. This hypothesis is indeed possible, but is not at all certain; for it is questionable whether, according to the above superscription, we have a right to expect an enumeration by name of the various officials who served the king in the classes of the army. The answer to this question depends upon our view of the relation of the words, " the heads of the fathers'-houses, and the princes," to the first clause, u the sons of Israel according to their number." Had these words been connected by the conjunction 1 (v^N"Vi) with this clause, and thereby made co-ordinate with it, we should be justified in having such an expectation. But the want of the conjunction shows that these words form an apposition, which as to signification is subordinate to the main idea. If we take this appositional explanation to mean something like this, " the sons of Israel, according to their number, with the heads of the fathers'-houses and the princes," the emphasis of the superscription falls upon D^EpD?, and the number of the sons of Israel, who with their heads and princes were divided into classes, is announced to be the important thing in the following catalogue. That this is the meaning and object of the words may be gathered from this, that in the second half of the verse, the number of the men fit for service, who from month to month came and went as one class, is stated rinsn, one at a time (distributive), as in Judg. viii. 18, Num. xvii. 18, etc.; cf. Ew. § 313, a, note 1. W3
KJJ1, used of entering upon and leaving the service (cf. 2 Chron. xxiii. 4, 8; 2 Kings xi. 5, 7, 9). But the words are hardly to be understood to mean that the classes which were in service each month were ordered from various parts of the kingdom to the capital, and there remained under arms; but rather, as Clericus, that they paratce essent ducum imperiis parere, si quid contigisset, dum ceterce copicv, si necesse essent, convenirent. — Ver. 2 ff. Over the first division was Jashobeam, sciL commander. The second ini??no by is to be rendered, u in his division were 24,000 men," i.e. they were reckoned to it. As to Jashobeam, see on xi. 11 and 2 Sam. xxiii. 8. — Ver. 3 further relates of him that he was of the sons (descendants) of Perez, and the head of all the army chiefs in the first month (i.e. in the division for the first month). — Ver. 4. Before ^.n, according to xi. 12, |2 "1W?K has been dropped out (see on 2 Sam. xxiii. 9). The words tappHD* TJ3n nvpfcl are obscure. At the end of the sixth verse similar words occur, and hence Bertheau concludes that l before Tn?\>ip is to be struck out, and translates, " and his divisions, Mikloth the prince," which might denote, perhaps, " and his division is that over which Mikloth was prince." Older commentators have already translated the word in a similar manner, as signifying that Mikloth was prince or chief of this division under the Ahohite Eleazar. All that is certain is, that rn?i?0 is a name which occurred in viii. 32 and ix. 37 among the Benjamites. — Ver. 5. Here the form of expression is changed; N3?- "^?> tne chief of the third host, begins the sentence. As to Benaiah, see xi. 22 and the commentary on 2 Sam. xxiii. 20. EWi does not belong to |Tjbn, but is the predicate of Benaiah: " the prince of the... was Benaiah... as head," sc. of the division for the third month. This is added, because in ver. 6 still a third military office held by Benaiah is mentioned. He was hero of the (among the) thirty, and over the thirty, i.e. more honoured than they (cf. xi. 25 and 2 Sam. xxiii. 23). — With ver. 6& cf. what is said on the similar words, ver. 4. — Ver. 7. From here onwards the mode of expression is very much compressed: the* fourth of the fourth month, instead of the chief of the fourth host of the fourth month. Asaliel (see xi. 26 and on 2 Sam. xxiii. 24) was slain by Abner (2 Sam. ii. 18-23) in the beginning of David's reign, and consequently long before the division of the army here recorded. The words, " and Zebadiah his son after him," point to his death, as they mention his son as his successor in the command of the fourth division of the
Vers. 16-24. The princes of the twelve tribes. — The enumeration of the tribal princes, commencing with the words, u and over the tribes of Israel,"' immediately follows the catalogue of the divisions of the army with their commanders, because the subjects are in so far connected as the chief management of the internal business of the people, divided as they were into tribes, was deposited in their hands. In the catalogue the tribes Gad and Asher are omitted for reasons unknown to us, just as in chap, iv.-vii., in the genealogies of the tribes, Dan and Zebulun are. In reference to Levi, on the contrary, the Nagid of Aaron, i.e. the head of the priesthood, is named, viz. Zadok, the high priest of the family of Eleazar. — Ver. 18. Elihu, of the brethren of David, is only another form of the name Eliab, ii.. 13, David's eldest brother, who, as Jesse's first-born, had become tribal prince of Judah. — Ver. 20 f. Of Manasseh two tribal princes are named, because the one half of this tribe had received its inheritance on this side Jordan, the other beyond Jordan. TJJrl, towards Gilead, to designate the East-Jordan Manassites. — Vers. 23 and 24 contain a concluding remark on the catalogue of the twelve detachments into which the men capable of bearing arms in Israel were divided, contained in vers. 2-15. David had not taken their number from the men of twenty years and under, i.e. he had only caused those to be numbered who were over twenty years old. The word triEDD points back to D"i£DE7 ver. 1. "i£DE Nb'J as in Num. iii. 40 = ^1 KfJ, Ex. xxx. 12, Num. i. 49, to take up the sum or total. The reason of this is given in the clause, " for Jahve had said
(promised) to increase Israel like to the stars of heaven" (Gen. xxii. 17), which cannot mean: For it was impossible for David to number all, because they were as numerous as the stars of heaven, which of course cannot be numbered (Berth.). The thought is rather that David never intended to number the whole people from the youngest to the eldest, for he did not desire in fid cm divinarum promissionum inquirere aid earn labefactare (J. IT. Mich.); and he accordingly caused only the men capable of bearino- arms to be numbered, in order to organize the military constitution of the kingdom in the manner recorded in vers. 2-15. But even this numbering which Joab had begun was not completed, because wrath came on Israel because of it, as is narrated in chap, xxi. For this reason also the number, i.e. the result of the numbering begun by Joab, but not completed, is not included in the number of the chronicle of King David, i.e. in the official number which was usually inserted in the public annals. IBpoa neither stands for ^§?2 (according to 2 Chron. xx. 34), nor does it denote, " in the section which treats of the numberings" (Berth.). DWT tffl is a shorter expression for n "n:n "i£p? book of the events of the day.
Vers. 25-31. The managers of DavioVs possessions and domains. — The property and the income of the king were (ver. 25) divided into treasures of the king, and treasures in the country, in the cities, the villages, and the castles. By the " treasures of the kin":" we must therefore understand those which were in Jerusalem, i.e. the treasures of the royal palace. These were managed by Azmaveth. The remaining treasures are specified in ver. 26 ff. They consisted in fields which were cultivated by labourers (ver. 26); in vineyards (ver. 27); plantations of olive trees and sycamores in the Shephelah, the fruitful plain on the Mediterranean Sea (ver. 28); in cattle, which pastured partly in the plain of Sharon between Caesarea Palestina and Joppa (see p. 107 f.), partly in various valleys of the country (ver. 29); and in camels, asses, and sheep (ver. 30 f.). All these possessions are called WE\ and the overseers of them 8W1JJ **")&. They consisted in the produce of agriculture and cattle-breeding, the two main branches of Israelitish industry. — Ver. 27. Special officers were set over the vineyards and the stores of wine. The W in DW33£> is a contraction of "IKW: " over that which was in the vineyards of treasures (stores) of wine." The officer over the vineyards, Shimei, was of Ramah in Benjamin (cf. Josh, xviii. 25); he who was over the stores of wine, Zabdi, is called ^BBfy probably not from Bipt^ on the northern frontier of Canaan, Num. xxxiv. 10, the situation of which has not yet been discovered, but from the equally unknown HiDp^ in the Negeb of Judah, 1 Sam. xxx. 28. For since the vineyards, in which the stores of wine were laid up, must certainly have lain in the tribal domain of Judah, so rich in wine (Num. xiii. 23 ff.; Gen. xlix. 11), probably the overseers of it were born in the same district. — Ver. 28. As to the rPBC, see on Josh. xv. 33. V"H.3?, he who was born in Geder, not Gedern, for which we should expect Wffll (xii. 4), although the situation of Gedera, south-east from Jabne (see on xii. 4), appears to suit better than that of Brtjj or "ti*ia in the hill country of Judah; see Josh. xii. 13 and xv. 58. — Ver. 30. The name of the Ishmaelite who was set over the camels, Obil (^is)? reminds us of the Arab
JjI multos posse.dit vcl acquisivit camelos. stthSS}f he of Mero- noth (ver. 30 and Neh. iii. 17). The situation of this place is unknown. According to Neh. iii. 7, it is perhaps to be sought in the neighbourhood of Mizpah. Over the smaller cattle (sheep and goats) Jaziz the Ilagarite, of the people Hagar (cf. v. 10), was set. The oversight, consequently, of the camels and sheep was committed to a Hagarite and an Ishmaelite, probably because they pastured in the neighbourhood where the Ishmaelites and Hagarites had nomadized from early times, they having been brought under the dominion of Israel by David. The total number of these officials amounted to twelve, of whom we may conjecture that the ten overseers over the agricultural and cattlebreeding affairs of the king had to deliver oyer the annual proceeds of the property committed to them to the chief manager of the treasures in the field, in the cities, and villages, and towns.
Vers. 32-34. David's councillors. This catalogue of the king's officials forms a supplementary companion piece to the catalogues of the public officials, chap, xviii. 15-17, and 2 Sam. viii. 15-18 and xx. 25, 26. Besides Joab, who is met with in all catalogues as prince of the host, i.e. commander-in-chief, we find in our catalogue partly other men introduced, partly other duties of the men formerly named, than are mentioned in these three catalogues. From this it is clear that it is not the chief public officials who are enumerated, but only the first councillors of the king, who formed as it were his senate, and that the catalogue probably is derived from the same source as the preceding cata logues, Jonathan, the in of David. The word 1)1 generally denotes a father's brother; but since a Jonathan, son of Shimea, the brother of David, occurs xx. 7 and 2 Sam. xxi. 21, Schmidt and Bertheau hold him to be the same as our Jonathan, when nil would be used in the general signification of " relative," here of a nephew. Nothing certain can be ascertained in reference to it. He was yV}\ councillor, and, as is added, a wise and learned man. "iBiD is here not an official designation, but signifies lite- ratus, learned, scholarly, as in Ezra vii. 6. Jehiel, the son of Hachmon, was with the children of the king, i.e. was governor of the royal princes. — Ver. 33. Ahithophel was also, according to 2 Sam. xv. 31, xvi. 23, David's confidential adviser, and took his own life when Absalom, in his conspiracy against David, did not regard his counsel (2 Sam. xvii.). Hushai the Archite was also a friend and adviser of David (2 Sam. xv. 37 and xvi. 10), who caused Absalom to reject Ahithophel's counsel (2 Sam. xvii.). — Ver. 34. After Ahithophel, i.e. after his death, was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah (soil, counsellor of the king), and Abiatliar. As Benaiah the son of Jehoiada is elsewhere, when named among the public officials of David, called chief of the royal body-guard (cf. xviii. 17), Bertheau does not scruple to transpose the names here. But the hypothesis of such a transposition is neither necessary nor probable in the case of a name which, like Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, so frequently occurs (e.g. in ver. 5). Since sons not unfrequently received the name of the grandfather, Jehoiada the son of the hero Benaiah may have been named after his grandfather Jehoiada. Abiathar is without doubt the high priest of this name of Ithamar's family (xv. 11, etc.; see on v. 27-31), and is here mentioned as being also a friend and adviser of David. As to Joab, see on xviii. 15.
In order to give over the throne before his death to his son Solomon, and so secure to him the succession, and facilitate his accomplishment of the great work of his reign, the building of the temple, David summoned the estates of his kingdom, the court officials, and the heroes of the people in Jerusalem. In a solemn address he designated Solomon as his divinely chosen successor on the throne, and exhorted him to keep the commandments of God, to serve the Lord with devoted heart, and to build Plim a house for a sanctuary (xxviii. 1-10). He then committed to Solomon the sketches and plans for the sacred buildings and sacred objects of various sorts, with the confident promise that he, by the help of God, and with the co-operation of the priests and of the people, would complete the work (vers. 11-21). Finally, he announced, in the presence of the whole assembly, that he gave over his treasures of gold and silver to this building, and called upon the chiefs of the people and kingdom for a voluntary contribution for the same purpose; and on their freely answering this call, concluded with a solemn prayer of thanks, to which the whole assembly responded, bowing low before God and the king (xxix. 1-20). This reverence they confirmed by numerous burnt -offerings and thank-offerings, and by the repeated anointing of Solomon to be king (vers. 21 and 22).
Chap, xxviii. 1-10. David summoned the estates of the kingdom, and presented Solomon to them as his divinely chosen successor on the throne. — Ver. 1. " All the princes of Israel" is the general designation, which is then specialized. In it are included the princes of the tribes who are enumerated in chap, xxvii. 10-22, and the princes of the divisions which served the king, who are enumerated in xxvii. 1-15; the princes of thousands and hundreds are the chiefs and captains of the twelve army corps (xxvii. 1), who are subordinate to the princes of the host; the princes of all the substance and possessions of the king are the managers of the domains enumerated in xxvii. 25-31. Vjapi is added to?fe>?, a of the king and of his sons," because the possession of the king as a property belonging to the house (domanium) belonged also to his sons. The Vulg. incorrectly translates v:2? filiosque suos, for in this connection f cannot be nota accus. £s?^?;] CV, with (together with) the court officials. 0*9*10 are not eunuchs, but royal chamberlains, as in 1 Sam. viii. 15: see on Gen. xxxvii. 36. D*"ji3iin has been well translated by the LXX. tov? SvvdaTas, for here the word does not denote properly or merely war heroes, but powerful influential men in general, who did not occupy any special public or court office. In >*n T,2ri^ all the others who were present in the assembly are comprehended. — Ver. 2. The king rose to his feet, in order to speak to the assembly standing; till then he had, on account of his age and feebleness, sat, not lain in bed, as Kimchi and others infer from 1 Kings i. — Ver. 3. The address, u My brethren and my people," is expressive of condescending goodwill; cf. on snx, 1 Sam. xxx. 23, 2 Sam. xix. 13. A\ hat David here says (vers. 3-7) of the temple building, he had in substance already (chap, xxii. 7-13) said to his son Solomon: I, it was with my heart, i.e. 1 purposed (cf. xxii. 7) to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Jahve, and the footstool of the feet of our God, i.e. for the ark and for the capporeth upon it, which is called " footstool of the feet of our God," because God was enthroned above the cherubim upon the capporeth. a And I have prepared to build," i.e. prepared labour and materials, xxii. 2-4 and 14 ff.; on ver. 3, cf. xxii. 8. — In ver. 4 David states how his election to be king was of God, who had chosen Judah to be ruler (cf. v. 2); and just so (vers. 5, 6) had God chosen Solomon from among all his many sons to be heir to the throne, and committed to him the building of the temple; cf. xxii. 10. The expression, " throne of the kingdom of Jahve," and more briefly, " throne of Jahve" (xxix. 23, or TOD, xvii. 14), denotes that Jahve is the true King of Israel, and had chosen Solomon as He had chosen David to be holder and administrator of His kingly dominion. — On vers. 66 and 7, cf. xxii. 10 and xvii. 11 f.; and with the condition 'til pfflj Etf, cf. 1 Kings iii. 14, ix. 4, where God imposes an exactly similar condition on Solomon, njn Di*3j as is done at this time; cf. 1 Kings viii. 61, and the commentary on Deut. ii. 30. On this speech J. H. Mich, well remarks: " iota hcec narratio aptata est ad proposition Davidis: vult enim Salomoni auctoritatem apud principes et fratres conciliare, ostendendo, non humanay sed divina voluntate electum esse." To this David adds an exhortation to the whole assembly (ver. 8), and to his son Solomon (ver. 9), to hold fast their faithfulness to God. — Ver. 8. c; And now before the eyes of all Israel, of the congregation of Jahve (collected in their representatives), and into the ears of our God (so that God should hear as witness), (soil. I exhort you), observe and seek... that ye may possess (that is, keep as possession) the good land (cf. Deut. iv. 21 f.), and leave it to your sons after you for an inheritance" (cf. Lev. xxv. 46). — In ver. 9 he turns to his son Solomon in particular with the fatherly exhortation, " My son, know thou the God of thy father (i.e. of David, who has ever helped him, Ps. xviii. 3), and serve Him with whole (undivided) heart (xxix. 9, 19; 1 Kings viii. 61) and willing soul." To strengthen this exhortation, David reminds him of the omniscience of God. Jahve seeks, i.e. searches, all hearts and knows all the imagination of the thoughts; cf. Ps. vii. 10, 1 Sam. xvi. 7, Jer. xi. 20, Ps. cxxxix. 1 ff. niaPTO TO as in Gen. vi. 5. With the last clauses cf. Deut. iv. 29, Isa. lv. 6, etc. fjW, only here and 2 Chron. xi. 14, xxix. 19. — With ver. 10 the discourse turns to the building of the temple. The exhortation nfeflH pin is interrupted by the giving over of the sketches and plans of the temple, and is taken up again only in ver. 20.
Vers. 11-19. The sketches and plans of the sacred buildings and vessels. — The enumeration begins in ver. 11 with the temple house, progressing from outside to inside, and in ver. 12 goes on to the courts and the buildings in them, and in ver. 13 ff. to the vessels, etc. n^3n, model, pattern; cf. Ex. xxv. 9; here the sketches and drawings of the individual things. Vn^TiSl is a contraction forVr.n mnrrnjo and the suffix refers, as the succeeding words show, not to cpN%?, but to n*3»?, which may be easily supplied from the context (ver. 10). In the porch there were no houses. The EM^B are the buildings of the temple house, viz. the holy place and the most holy, with the three-storeyed side-building, which are specified in the following words. V3T23 occurs only here, but is related to D*?M, Esth. iii. 9, iv. 7, Ezra xxvii. 24, and to the Chald. H-3, Ezra vii. 20, and signifies store and treasure chambers, for which the chambers of the three-storeyed sidebuilding served, ftiyg are the upper chambers over the most holy place, 2 Chron. iii. 9; D^Bfl vnn are the inner rooms of the porch and of the holy place, since niain ns3, the house of the ark with the mercy-seat, i.e. the most holy place, is mentioned immediately after. — Ver. 12. And the pattern, i.e. the description of all that was in the spirit with him, i.e. what his spirit had designed, irnsn? as to the courts. 2^3D n)yjbn~?27 in reference to all the chambers round about, i.e. to all the rooms on the four sides of the courts. nnVN1?, for the treasures of the house of God: see on xxvi. 20. — Ver. 13. '3T1 rfpWTOT (continuation of rrin>'N^)7 " and for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of the service, and for all vessels," — for for all these purposes, viz. for the sojourn of the priests and Levites in the service, as well as for the performance of the necessary works, e.g. preparation of the shew-bread, cooking of the sacrificial flesh, holding of the sacrificial meals, and for the storing of the vessels necessary for these purposes, the cells and buildings of the courts wrere set apart. — With ver. 14 begins the enumeration of the vessels, an*? is co-ordinate with rnDB9n~737... rftrstp. ver. 12:
he gave him the description of that which he had in mind u with regard to the golden (i.e. to the golden vessels, cf. xxix. 2), according to the weight of the golden, for all vessels of every service," in regard to all silver vessels according to the weight. — With ver. 15 the construction hitherto employed is dropped. According to the usual supposition, the verb [£5 is to be supplied from ver. 11 after?jJBW: "and gave him the weight for the golden candlesticks and their golden lamps," 2HT being in a state of free subordination to the wrord D.Trh:n (J. H. Mich., Berth., and others). But apart from the fact that no analogous case can be found for such a subordination (for in 2 Chron. ix. 15, which Berth, cites as such, there is no subordination, for there the first BMW 2HT is the accusative of the material dependent upon 5WW), the supplying of 155 gives no suitable sense; for David here does not give Solomon the metal for the vessels, but, according to vers. 11, 12, 19, only a rr\?3n5 pattern or model for them. If \W} be supplied, JHJ must be " he appointed," and so have a different sense here from that which it has in ver. 11. This appears very questionable, and it is simpler to take?iJ?*D without the article, as an accusative of nearer definition, and to connect the verse thus: " and (what he had in mind) as weight for the golden candlesticks and their lamps, in gold, according to the weight of each candlestick and its lamps, and for the silver candlesticks, in weight — n*iny3? according to the service of each candlestick" (as it corresponded to the service of each). — In ver. 1G the enumeration is continued in very loose connection: " And as to the gold (nx, quoad; cf. Evv. § 277, d) by weight (%>?, ace. of free subordination) for the tables of the spreading out, i.e. of the shew-bread (n^VO = nrb nriJJD, 2 Chron. xiii. li; see on Lev. xxiv. 6), for each table, and silver for the silver tables." Silver tables, i.e. tables overlaid with silver-lamin, and silver candlesticks (ver. 15), are not elsewhere expressly mentioned among the temple vessels, since the whole of the vessels are nowhere individually registered even in the description of the building of the temple. Yet, when the temple was repaired under Joash, 2 Kings xii. 14, 2 Chron. xxiv. 14, and when it was destroyed by the Chaldeans, 2 Kings xxv. 15, vessels of gold and silver are spoken of. The silver candlesticks were probably, as Kimchi has conjectured, intended for the priests engaged in the service, and the tables for reception of the sacrificial flesh after it had been prepared for burning upon the altar. — Ver. 17. Before 'W riiJJTTsn't we should probably supply from ver. 11: "he gave him the pattern of the forks... *"ii33?v and for the golden tankards, according to the weight of eacli tankard." For rriiPTft and nipiTft, see on 2 Chron. iv. 22. niK'p, crirovhela, cups for the libations, occur only in Ex. xxv. 29, xxxvii. 16, and Num. iv. 7. "rintj 2n?7 in free subordination: of pure gold. Dv"iiD2 from "i£^, to cover, are vessels provided with covers, tankards; only mentioned here and in Ezra i. 10, viii. 27. — Ver. 18. And (the pattern) for the altar of incense of pure gold by weight. In the second member of the verse, at the close of the enumeration, rrar^ from vers. 11, 12, is again taken up, but with p, which Berth, rightly takes to be nota accus.: and (gave him) " the model of the chariot of the cherubim of gold, as spreading out (wings), and sheltering over the ark of the covenant of Jahve." D^VGn Js not subordinated in the genitive to ru^nttn, but is in explanatory apposition to it. The cherubim, not the ark, are the chariot upon which God enters or is throned; cf. Ps. xviii. 11, xcix. 1, Ex. xxv. 22. The conception of the cherubim set upon the golden cover of the ark as nnsno is derived from the idea 2n3"?y 33")\ Ps. xviii. 11. Ezekiel, it is true, saw wheels on the throne of God under the cherubim (i. 15 ff., 26), and in accordance with this the LXX. and Vulg. have made a cherubim-chariot out of the words (apfia tC)v Xepovfli'fi, quadriga chembim); but as against this Berth. rightly remarks, that the idea of a chariot of the cherubim does not at all appear in the two sculptured cherubim upon the ark, nor yet in our passage. D^fenb? (without the article, and with p) Berth, thinks quite unintelligible, and would alter the text, reading D^psbrn D^BnbHj because the two participles should be in apposition to DWtan. But this is an error; for neither by the meaning of the words, nor by the passages, 2 Chron. v. 8, Ex. xxv. 20, 1 Kings viii. 7, are we compelled to make this alteration. The two first-mentioned passages prove the opposite, viz. that these participles state for what purpose the cherubim are to serve. &*Mbl DHpbi have the signification of *na man vrn D'B33, "that the cherubim might be spreading wings and protecting" (Ex. xxv. 20), as J. H. Mich, has rightly seen. This use of p, where in p even without a verb the idea of " becoming something" lies, but which Berth, does not understand, has been already discussed, E\v. § 217, d, and illustrated by passages, among which 1 Chron. xxviii. 18 is one. The reference to Ex. xxv. 20 explains also the use of tr'is without ^Q33, the author of the
Chronicle not thinking it necessary to give the object of fena, as he might assume that that passage would be known to readers of his book. — Ver. 19. In giving over to Solomon the model of all the parts and vessels of the temple enumerated in vers. 11-18, David said: u All this, viz. all the works of the pattern, has He taught by writing from the hand of Jahve which came upon me." fen is more closely defined by the apposition ntoxp*? 73 'nn. That the verse contains words of David is clear from vy. The subject of ^^n is Jahve, which is easily supplied from nifP TD. It is, however, a question with what we should connect vy. Its position before the verb, and the circumstance that ^?b>n construed with?V pers. does not elsewhere occur, are against its being taken with ^^n; and there remains, therefore, only the choice between connecting it with HIPP Tft and with 3TD3. In favour of the last, Ps. xl. 8, vy 3V13, prescribed to me, may be compared; and according to that, vy 3H3 can only mean, u what is prescribed to me;" cf. for the use of 3H3 for written prescription, the command in 2 Chron. xxxv. 4. Bertheau accordingly translates vy nuv TD 31133, " by a writing given to me for a rale from Jahve's hand," and understands the law of Moses to be meant, because the description of the holy things in Ex. xxv. ff. is manifestly the basis of that in our verses. But had David wished to say nothing further than that he had taken the law in the Scriptures for the basis of his pattern for the holy things, the expression which he employs would be exceedingly forced and wilfully obscure. And, moreover, the position of the words would scarcely allow us to connect 3A33 with vy, for in that case we should rather have expected ifflF TD vy 3ri32. We must there take vy along with furr *i*D: a writing from the hand of Jahve came upon me," i.e., according to the analogy of the phrase HJVn vy mrp T (2 Kings iii. 15, Ezek. i. 3, iii. 14, etc.), a writing coming by divine revelation, or a writing composed in consequence of divine revelation, and founded upon divine inspiration. David therefore says that he had been instructed by a writing resting upon divine inspiration as to all the works of the pattern of the temple. This need not, however, be understood to mean that David had received exemplar vel ideam templi et vasorum sacrorum immediately from Jahve, either by a prophet or by vision, as the model of the tabernacle was shown to Moses on the mount (Ex. xxv. 40, xxvii. 8); for it signifies only that he had not himself invented the pattern which he had committed to writing, i.e. the sketches and descriptions of the temple and its furniture and vessels, but had drawn them up under the influence of divine inspiration.
Vers. 20, 21. In conclusion, David encourages his son to go forward to the work with good courage, for his God would not forsake him; and the priests and Levites, cunning workmen, and the princes, together with the whole people, would willingly support him. With the encouragement, ver. 20a, cf. xxii. 13; and with the promise, ver. 206, cf. Deut. xxxi. 6, 8, Josh. i. 5. wN, my God, says David, ut in mentem ei revocet, quomodo mullis in periculis servatus sit (Lav.). ^Ijiy rDfcOQ"73? all the workbusiness, i.e. all the labour necessary for the building of the house of God. — Ver. 21. narn is fittingly translated by Clericus, " en hales" The reference which lies in the nan to the classes of the priests and Levites, i.e. the priests and Levites divided into classes, does not presuppose their presence in the assembly. With the nani corresponds T?>"!, with thee, i.e. for assistance to thee, in the second half of the verse. The? before ^"ir737, " are all freely willing with wisdom," in the middle of the sentence introducing the subject is strange; Bertheau would therefore strike it out, thinking that, as W> goes immediately before, and follows immediately afterwards twice,?2? here may easily be an error for 73. This is certainly possible; but since this? is very frequently used in the Chronicle, it is a question whether it should not be regarded as authentic, u serving to bring into emphatic prominence the idea of the 3PH 73: with thee is for each business, what regards each willing person, for also all willing persons;" cf. Ew. § 310, a. 3HJ - 21? 1HJ, 2 Chron. xxix. 31, Ex. xxxv. 5, 22, usually denotes him who brings volun tary gifts, but here, him who voluntarily brings wisdom to every service, who willingly employs his wisdom and knowledge in a service. Cunning, intelligent workmen and artists are meant, xxii. 15, 2 Chron. ii. 6. TiTT737? " towards all thy words," i.e. as thou sayest or commandest them, the princes and the people, or callest upon them for assistance in the work.
Chap. xxix. 1-9. Contributions of the collected 'princes for the building of the temple. — David then turns to the assembled princes to press upon them the furthering of the building of the temple. After referring to the youth of his son, and to the greatness of the work to be accomplished (ver. 1), he mentions what materials he has prepared for the building of the temple (ver. 2); then further states what he has resolved to give in addition from his private resources (ver. 4); and finally, after this introduction, calls upon those present to make a voluntary collection for this ^reat work (ver. 5). The words, " as only one hath God chosen him," form a parenthesis, which is to be translated as a relative sentence for " my son, ivhom alone God hath chosen." «|T1 "WJ as in xxii. 5. The work is great, because not for man the palace, sell, is intended, i.e. shall be built, but for Jahve God.,T}',?-> the citadel, the palace; a later word, generally used of the residence of the Persian king (Esth. i. 2, 5, ii. 3; Neh. i. 1), only in Neh. ii, 8 of the citadel by the temple; here transferred to the temple as the glorious palace of Jahve, the God-king of Israel. With ver. 2a, cf. xxii. 14. 'til sn-P anjn? the gold for the golden, etc., i.e. for the vessels and ornaments of gold, cf. xxviii. 14. \J2K D*flR?Ztf DH'b? as in Ex. xxv. 7, xxxv. 9, precious stones for the ephod and choshen. Dn'^, probably beryl. D^sto 'JM*, stones of filling, that is, precious stones which are put in settings. S]13 ti3K, stones of pigment, i.e. ornament, conjecturally precious stones which, from their black colour, were in appearance like TJ*B, stibium, a common eye pigment (see 2 Kings ix. 30). HDp") \32K, stones of variegated colour, i.e. with veins of different colours. ITjiJ* £K7 precious stones, according to 2 Chron. iii. 6, for ornamenting the walls. CW U2X, white marble stones. — Ver. 3. " And moreover, because I have pleasure in the house of my God, there is to me a treasure of gold and silver; it have I appointed for the house of my God over and above all that..." Vrtran with bh without the relative, cf. xv. 12.— Ver. 4. Gold 3000 talents, i.e. about 13J, or, reckoning according to the royal shekel, 6| millions of pounds; 7000 talents of silver, circa 2 J or 1|: millions of pounds: see on xxii. 14. Gold of Ophir, i.e. the finest, best gold, corresponding to the pure silver. D^?j to overlay the inner walls of the houses with gold and silver leaf. D^ron as in xxviii. 11, the different buildings of the temple. The walls of the holy place and of the most holy, of the porch and of the upper chambers, were overlaid with gold (cf. 2 Chron. iii. 4-6, 8, 9), and probably only the inner walls of the side buildings. — Ver. 5. 3Hv IHj?, for every golden thing, etc., cf. ver. 2. "«r* ri3N?p? and in general for every work to be wrought by the hands of the artificer. *fi\ who then is willing (^ expressing it as the consequence). To fill one's hand to the Lord, means to provide oneself with something which one brings to the Lord; see on
'dti ri2S?^? and as regards the princes of the work of the king. The $$ ruptM vm nb, xxviii. 1, the officials enumerated in xxvii. 25-31 are meant; on? see on xxviii. 21. They gave 5000 talents of gold (22^ or 11^ millions of pounds), and 1000 darics = 11^ millions of pounds. i^T!^, with N prosth. here and in Ezra viii. 27, and (tam, Ezra ii. 69, Neh. vii. 70 ff., does not correspond to the Greek hpayji^ Arab, dirhem, but to the Greek Sapei/cos, as the Syrian translation ]jq^l»55, Ezra viii. 27, shows; a Persian gold coin worth about 22s. Od. See the description of these coins, of which several specimens still exist, in Cavedoni bill. Numismatikj libers, von A. Werlhof, S. 84 ff.; J. Brandis, das Mum-Mass und Gewichts system in Vorderasien (1866), S. 244; and my libl. Arc/idol. § 127, 3. a Our historian uses the words used in his time to designate the current gold coins, without intending to assume that there were darics in use in the time of David, to state in a way intelligible to his readers the amount of the sum contributed by the princes " (Bertheau). This perfectly correct remark does not, however, explain why the author of the Chronicle has stated the contribution in gold and that in silver in different values, in talents and in darics, since the second cannot be an explanation of the first, the two sums being different. Probably the sum in darics is the amount which they contributed in gold pieces received as coins; the talents, on the other hand, probably represent the weight of the vessels and other articles of gold which they brought as offerings for the building. The amount contributed in silver is not large when compared with that in gold: 10,000 talents = £3,500,000, or one half that amount. The contribution in copper also, 18,000 talents, is not very large. Besides these, those who had stones, i.e. precious stones, also brought them. 5flS Nypan, that was found with him, for: that which he (each one) had of stones they gave. The sing. iflN is to be taken distributively, and is consequently carried on in the plural, ttTD; cf Ew. § 319, a. EP31K is accus. of subordination. T?V |OJ, to give over for administration (Ew. § 282, V).?*W, the Levite family of this name which had the oversight of the treasures of the house of God (xxvi. 21 f.). — Ver. 9. The people and the king rejoiced over this willingness to give. D?$ 373, as III xxviii. 9.
Vers. 10—19. David's thanksgiving prayer. — David gives fitting expression to his joy on the success of the deepest wish of his heart, in a prayer with which he closes' the last parliament of his reign. Since according to the divine decree, not he, the man of war, but his son, the peace-king Solomon, was to build a temple to the Lord, David had taken it upon himself to prepare as far as possible for the carrying out of the work. He had also found the princes and chiefs of the people willing to further it, and to assist his son Solomon in it. In this the pious and greyhaired servant of the Lord saw a special proof of the divine favour, for which he must thank God the Lord before the whole congregation. He praises Jahve, " the God of Israel our father," ver. 10, or, as it is in ver. 18, a the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, our fathers." Jahve had clearly revealed himself to David and his people as the God of Israel and of the patriarchs, by fulfilling in so glorious a manner to the people of Israel, by David, the promises made to the patriarchs. God the Lord had not only by David made His people great and powerful, and secured to them the peaceful possession of the good land, by humbling all their enemies round about, but He had also awakened in the heart of the people such love to and trust in their God, that the assembled dignitaries of the kingdom showed themselves perfectly willing to assist in furthering the building of the house of God. In this God had revealed His greatness, power, glory, etc.', as David (in vers. 11, 12) acknowledges with praise: a Thine, Jahve, is the greatness," etc. nvan, according to the Aramaic usage, gloria, splendour, honour.?b *3? yea all, still dependent on v at the commencement of the sentence, so that wTe do not need to supply ^lp after *3. " Thine is the dominion, and the raising of oneself to be head over all." In His HDpftD
God reveals His greatness, might, glory, etc. NtOT*? is not a participle requiring nnx? " thou art," to be supplied (Berth.), but an appellative, an Aramaic infinitive, — the raising oneself (Ew. § 160, e). — Ver. 12. " From Thee came the riches and the glory..., and in Thy hand is it (it lies) to make all things great and strong." — Ver. 13. For this we must thank God, and sing praise to His holy name. By the partic. D^to, from rniilj confess, praise, the praising of God is characterized as an enduring praise, always rising anew. — Ver. 14. For man of himself can give nothing: " What am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to show ourselves so liberal? " ni3 "ivy to hold strength together; both to have power to do anything (here and 2 Chron. ii. 5, xxii. 9), and also to retain strength (2 Chron. xiii. 20; Dan. x. 8, 16, xi. 6), only found in Daniel and in the Chronicle. 3Win? to show oneself willing, especially in giving. riNT3 refers to the contribution to the building of the temple (vers. 3-8). From Thy hand, i.e. that which is received from Thee, have we given. — Ver. 15. For we are strangers (as Ps. xxxix. 13), i.e. in this connection we have no property, no enduring possession, since God had only given them the usufruct of the land; and as of the land, so also of all the property of man. it is only a gift committed to us by God in usufruct. The truth that our life is a pilgrimage (Heb. xi. 12, 13, 14), is presented to us by the brevity of life. As a shadow, so swiftly passing away, are our days upon the earth (cf. Job viii. 9, Ps. xc. 9 f., cii. 12, cxliv. 4). rnptp pto, and there is no trust, soil, in the continuance of life (cf. Jer. xiv. 8). — Ver. 16. All the riches which we have prepared for the building of the temple come from the hand of God. The Keth. N^n is neuter, the Keri KV1 corresponds to jtonn. — Ver. 17. Before God, who searches the heart and loves uprightness, David can declare that he has willingly given in uprightness of heart, and that the people also have, to his joy, shown equal willingness. rfpfcrts, all the treasures enumerated (vers. 3-8). The plural *WH?f!] refers to 1©2, and the demonstrative n stands for "WW| as in xxvi. 28. — Ver. 18. He prays that God may enable the people ever to retain this frame of heart. riNT is more closely defined by 'no 1T9? viz. the frame of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people. " And direct their heart (the people's heart) to Thee," cf. 1 Sam. vii. 3. — Ver. 19. And to Solomon may God give a whole (undivided) heart, that he may keep all the divine commands and do them, and build the temple. a*W 3? as in ver. 9. i>2n T\SV]h, that he may do all, soil, that the commands, testimonies, and statutes require. For •TV'SH, see ver. 1.
Vers. 20-22. Close of the public assembly. — Ver. 20. At the conclusion of the prayer, David calls upon the whole assembly to praise God; which they do, bowing before God and the king, and worshipping. WW^H ^f!? connected as in Ex. iv. 31, Gen. xliii. 28, etc. — Ver. 21. To seal their confession, thus made in word and deed, the assembled dignitaries prepared a great sacrificial feast to the Lord on the following day. They sacrificed to the Lord sacrifices, viz. 1000 bullocks, 1000 rams, and 1000 lambs as burnt-offering, with drink-offerings to correspond, and sacrifices, i.e. thank-offerings (D^Ew), in multitude for all Israel, i.e. so that all those present could take part in the sacrificial meal prepared from these sacrifices. While D^nnr in the first clause is the general designation of the bloody offerings as distinguished from the meat-offerings, in the last clause it is restricted by the contrast with Di>y and the BWE^ from which joyous sacrificial meals were prepared. — Ver. 22. On this day they made Solomon king a second time, anointing him king to the Lord, and Zadok to be priest, i.e. high priest. The TPM refers back to chap, xxiii. 1, and the first anointing of Solomon narrated in 1 Kings i. 32 ff. rv.Y?, not: before Jahve, which? cannot signify, but: a to Jahve," in accordance with His will expressed in His choice of Solomon (xxviii. 4). The? before pH¥ is nota accus., as in nbptJv. From the last words we learn that Zadok received the high-priesthood with the consent of the estates of the kingdom.
CD J O
Vers. 23-30. Solomon's accession and David's death, with a statement as to the length of his reign and the sources of the history. — Vers. 23-25. The remarks on Solomon's accession and reign contained in these verses are necessary to the complete conclusion of a history of David's reign, for they show how David's wishes for his son Solomon, whom Jahve chose to be his successor, were fulfilled. On niPP KD3"?P see the commentary on xxviii. 5. n?>'?!!, he was prosperous, corresponds to the hope expressed by David (xxii. 13), which was also fulfilled by the submission of all princes and heroes, and also of all the king's sons, to King Solomon (ver. 24). There can hardly, however, be in these last words a reference to the frustrating of Adonijah's attempted usurpation of the throne (cf. 1 Kings i. 15 ff.). |nj nnn T=to submit. But this meaning is not derived (Rashi) from the custom of taking oaths of fidelity by clasping of hands, for this custom cannot be certainly proved to have existed among the Israelites; still less can it have arisen from the ancient custom mentioned in Gen. xxiv. 2, 9, xlvii. 29, of laying the hand under the thigh of the person to whom one swore in making promises with oath. The hand, as the instrument of all activity, is here simply a symbol of power. — Ver. 25. Jahve made Solomon very great, by giving him the glory of the kingdom, as no king before him had had it.?h is to be taken along with fc6, nullus, and does not presuppose a number of kings before Solomon; it involves only more than one. Before him, Saul, Ishbosheth, and David had been kings, and the kingship of the latter had been covered with glory.— Ver. 26-30. ^TJ;f."^ ty (as in xi. 1, xii. 38), referring to the fact that David had been for a time king only over Judah, but had been recognised at a later time by all the tribes of Israel as king. The length of his reign as in 1 Kings ii. 11. In Hebron seven years; according to 2 Sam. v. 5, more exactly seven years and six months. — Ver. 28. On Tto^ ^VV cf. 1 Kin^s iii. 13, 2 Chron. xvii. 5. — Ver. 29. On the authorities cited see the Introduction, p. 30 ff. 'til tadfcrfe ny goes with Wtt\5 C2H: the acts of David... are written... together with his whole reign and his power, and the times which went over him. D^'n, the times, with their joys and sorrows, as in Ps. xxxi. 16, Job xxiv. 1. The kingdoms of the lands (cf. 2 Chron. xii. 8, xvii. 10, xx. 29) are the kingdoms with which the Israelites under David came into contact, — Philistia, Edom, Moab, Amnion, Aram.
[HE kingship of Solomon centres in the building of the temple of the Lord, and the account of that begins in chap. ii. with a statement of the preparations which Solomon made for the accomplishment of this great work, so much pressed upon him by his father, and concludes in chap. vii. with the answer which the Lord gave to his consecrating prayer in a vision. In chap, i., before the history of the temple building, we have an account of the sacrifice at Gibeon by which Solomon inaugurated his reign (ver. 1-13), with some short notices of his power and riches (vers. 14-17); and in chap. viii. and ix.j after the temple building, we have summary statements about the palaces and cities which he built (viii. 1-11), the arrangement of the regular religious service (vers. 12-16), the voyage to Ophir (vers. 17 and 18), the visit of the queen of Sheba (ix. 1-12), his riches and his royal magnificence and glory (vers. 13-28), with the concluding notices of the duration of his reign, and of his death (vers. 29, 30). If we compare with this the description of Solomon's reign in 1 Kings i.-xi., we find that in the Chronicle not only are the narratives of his accession to the throne in consequence of Adonijah's attempted usurpation, and his confirming his kingdom by punishing the revolter (1 Kings chap. i. and ii.), of his marriage to the Egyptian princess (iii. 1 and 2), his wise judgment (iii. 16-28), his public officers, his official men, his royal magnificence and glory (1 Kings iv. 1-v. 14), omitted, but also the accounts of the building of his palace (1 Kings vii. 1-12), of his idolatry, and of the adversaries who rose against him (1 Kings xi. 1-40). On the other hand, the description of the building and consecration of the temple is supplemented by various important details which are omitted from the first book of Kings. Hence it is clear that the author of the Chronicle purposed only to portray more exactly the building of the house of God, and has only shortly touched upon all the other undertakings of this wise and fortunate king.
Vers. 1-13. The sacrifice at Gibeon, and the theophany. — Vers. 1-6. When Solomon had established himself upon his throne, he went with the princes and representatives of the congregation of Israel to Gibeon, to seek for the divine blessing upon his reign by a solemn sacrifice to be offered there before the tabernacle. Ver. 1 forms, as it were, the superscription of the account of Solomon's reign which follows. In '\X\ Pinn^ — Solomon established himself in his kingdom, i.e. he became strong and mighty in his kingdom, the older commentators saw a reference to the defeat of Adonijah, the pretender to the crown, and his followers (1 Kings ii.). But this view of the words is too narrow; we find the same remark made of other kings whose succession to the throne had not been questioned (cf. xii. 13, xiii. 21, xvii. 1, and xxi. 4), and the remark refers to the whole reign, — to all that Solomon undertook in order to establish a firm dominion, not merely to his entry upon it. With this view of the words, the second clause, " his God was with him, and made him very great," coincides. God gave His blessing to all that Solomon did for this end. With the last words cf. 1 Chron. xxix. 25.
We have an account of the sacrifice at Gibeon (vers. 7-13) in 1 Kin^s iii. 4-15 also. The two narratives aoree in all the main points, but, in so far as their form is concerned, it is at once discernible that they are two independent descriptions of the same thing, but derived from the same sources. In 1 Kings iii. the theophany — in our text, on the contrary, that aspect of the sacrifice which connected it with the public worship — is more circumstantially narrated. While in 1 Kings iii. 4 it is briefly said the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, our historian records that Solomon summoned the princes and representatives of the people to this solemn act, and accompanied by them went to Gibeon. This sacrifice was no mere private sacrifice, — it was the religious consecration of the opening of his reign, at which the estates of the kingdom were present as a matter of course. " All Israel " is defined by " the princes over the thousands..., the
Judges, and all the honourable;" then?X1K*"ot is again taken up and explained by the apposition T\)2$,T\ »g>fcO: to all Israel, viz. the heads of the fathers'-houses.? is to be repeated before ^g^fl. What Solomon said to all Israel through its representatives, is not communicated; but it may be gathered from what succeeds, that he summoned them to accompany him to Gibeon to offer the sacrifice. The reason why he offered his sacrifice at the n»2, i.e. place of sacrifice, is given in ver. 3 f. There the Mosaic tabernacle stood, yet without the ark, which David had caused to be brought up from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem (1 Chron. xiii. and xv f.). In v fsna the article in 3 represents the relative ntfksr-igto or i pan irtc n)pm; cf. Jud. v. 27, Ruth i. 16, 1 Kings xxi. 19; see on 1 Chron. xxvi. 28. Although the ark was separated from the tabernacle, yet by the latter at Gibeon was the Mosaic altar of burnt-offering, and on that account the sanctuary at Gibeon was Jahve's dwelling, and the legal place of worship for burnt- offerings of national-theocratic import. a As our historian here brings forward emphatically the fact that Solomon offered his burnt-offering at the legal place of worship, so he points out in 1 Chron. xxi. 28-xxx. 1, how David was only brought by extraordinary events, and special signs from God, to sacrifice on the altar of burnt-offering erected by him on the threshing-floor of Oman, and also states how he was prevented from offering his burnt- offering in Gibeon" (Berth.). As to Bezaleel, the maker of the brazen altar, cf. Ex. xxxi. 2 and xxxvii. 1. Instead of B^, which most manuscripts and many editions have before \}W, and which the Targ. and Syr. also express, there is found in most editions of the 16th century, and also in manuscripts, Dt?3 which the LXX. and Vulgate also read. The reading D^ is unquestionably better and more correct, and the Masoretic pointing DK>, posuit, has arisen by an undue assimilation of it to Ex. xl. 29. The suffix in *nehT does not refer to the altar, but to the preceding word mif; cf. Bw^ &T}, 1 Chron. xxi. 30, xv. 13, etc. — Vers. 7-13. The theophany, cf. 1 Kings iii. 5-15. In that night, i.e. on the night succeeding the day of the sacrifice. The appearance of God by night points to a dream, and in 1 Kings xxxv. 15 we are expressly informed that He appeared in a vision. Solomon's address to God, vers. 8-10, is in 1 Kings v. 6-10 given more at length. The mode of expression brings to mind 1 Chron. xvii. 23, and recurs in 2 Chron. vi. 17, 1 Kings viii. 26. in&, with Pathach in the second syllable, elsewhere JHB (vers. 11, 12), occurs elsewhere only in Dan. i. 4, 17, Eccles. x. 20. — Vers. 11 and 12. The divine promise. Here "icty is strengthened by the addition Q>?^, treasures (Josh. xxii. 8; Eccles. v. 18, vi. 2). ttbKtfi "IB**, utjudicare possis. In general, the mode of expression is briefer than in 1 Kings iii. 11-13, and the conditional promise, "long life" (1 Kings iii. 14), is omitted, because Solomon did not fulfil the condition, and the promise was not fulfilled. In ver. 13 n^np is unintelligible, and has probably come into our text only by a backward glance at ver. 3, instead of HDinnD, which the contents demand, and as the LXX. and Vulgate have rightly translated it. The addition, u from before the tabernacle," which seems superfluous after the preceding "from the Bamah at Gibeon," is inserted in order again to point to the place of sacrifice at Gibeon, and to the legal validity of the sacrifices offered there (Berth.). According to 1 Kings iii. 15, Solomon, on his return to Jerusalem, offered before the ark still other burnt-offerings and thank-offerings, and prepared a meal for his servants. This is omitted by the author of the Chronicle, because these sacrifices had no ultimate import for Solomon's reign, and not, as Then, supposes, because in his view only the sacrifices offered on the ancient brazen altar of burnt-offering belonging to the temple had legal validity. For he narrates at length in 1 Chron. xxi. 18, 26 ff. how God Himself directed David to sacrifice in Jerusalem, and how the sacrifice offered there was graciously accepted by fire from heaven, and the threshing-floor of Araunah thereby consecrated as a place of sacrifice; and it is only with the purpose of explaining to his readers why Solomon offered the solemn burnt-offering in Gibeon, and not, as we should have expected from 1 Chron. xxi., in Jerusalem, that he is so circumstantial in his statements as to the tabernacle. The last clause of ver. 13, u and he was king over Israel," does not belong to the section treating of the sacrifice at Gibeon, but corresponds to the remark in 1 Kings iv. 1, and forms the transition to what follows.
Vers. 14-17. Solomon s chariots, horses, and riches. — In order to prove by facts the fulfilment of the divine promise which Solomon received in answer to his prayer at Gibeon, we have in 1 Kings iii. 16-28 a narrative of Solomon's wise judgment, then in chap. iv. an account of his public officers; and in chap. v. 1-14 the royal magnificence, glory, and wisdom of his reign is further portrayed. In our Chronicle, on the contrary, we have in vers. 14-17 onlv a short statement as to his chariots and horses, and the wealth in silver and gold to be found in the land, merely for the purpose of showing how God had given him riches and possessions. This statement recurs verbally in 1 Kings x. 2G-29, in the concluding remarks on the riches and splendour of Solomon's reign; while in the parallel passage, 2 Chron. ix. 13-28, it is repeated in an abridged form, and interwoven with other statements. From this we see in how free and peculiar a manner the author of the Chronicle has made use of his authorities, and how he has arranged the material derived from them according to his own special plan.1 For the commentary on this section, see on 1 Kings x. 26-28. — Vers. 14, 15, with the exception of one divergence in form and one in matter, correspond word for word to 1 Kings x. 26 and 27. Instead of Sn^l? he led them (Kings), there stands in ver. 15, as in ix. 25, the more expressive word DiWi, " he laid them" in the chariot cities; and in ver. 15 an*rrriK1 is added to *]D3rrnK? while it is omitted from both 1 Kings x. 27 and also 2 Chron. ix. 27. It is, however, very suitable in this connection, since the comparison " like stones" has reference to quantity, and Solomon had collected not only silver, but also gold, in quantity. — Vers. 16, 17 coincide with 1 Kings x. 28, 29, except that Rjp? is used for mp?, and Wtni ni?p is altered into rfflm WSfft. For the commentary on these verses, see 1 Kings x. 28 f.
The account of these is introduced by i. 18: u Solomon thought to build." IBK with an infinitive following does not signify here to command one to do anything, as e.g. in 1 Chron. xxi. 17, but to purpose to do something, as e.g. in 1 Kings v. 19. For mrr DB&, see on 1 Kings v. 17. inota^ rpn, house for his kingdom, i.e. the royal palace. The building of this palace is indeed shortly spoken of in ii. 11, vii. 11, and viii. 1, but is not in the Chronicle described in detail as in 1 Kings vii. 1-12.
1 The assertion of Thenius on 1 Kings x. 26 ff., that he found this section in his authorities in two different places and in different connections, copied them mechanically, and only towards the end of the second passage remarked the repetition and then abridged the statement, is at once refuted by observing, that in the supposed repetition the first half (ix. 25, 26) does not at all agree with 1 Kings x. 26, but coincides with the statement in 1 Kings v. 6, 7.
With chap. ii. 1 begins the account of the preparations which Solomon made for the erection of these buildings, especially of the temple building, accompanied by a statement that the king caused all the workmen of the necessary sort in his kingdom to be numbered. There follows thereafter an account of the negotiations with King Hiram of Tyre in regard to the sending of a skilful architect, and of the necessary materials, such as cedar wood and hewn stones, from Lebanon (vers. 2-15); and, in conclusion, the statements as to the levying of the statute labourers of Israel (ver. 1) are repeated and rendered more complete (vers. 16, 17). If we compare the parallel account in 1 Kings v. 15-32, we find that Solomon's negotiation with Hiram about the proposed buildings is preceded (ver. 15) by a notice, that Hiram, after he had heard of Solomons accession, had sent him an embassy to congratulate him. This notice is omitted in the Chronicle, because it was of no importance in the negotiations which succeeded. In the account of Solomon's negotiation with Hiram, both narratives (Chron. vers. 2-15 and 1 Kings v. 16-26) aorce in the main, but differ in form so considerably, that it is manifest that they are free adaptations of one common original document, quite independent of each other, as has been already remarked on 1 Kings v. 15. On ver. 1 see further on ver. 16 f. Vers. 2-9. Solomon, through his ambassadors, addressed himself to Huram king of Tyre, with the request that he would send him an architect and building wood for the temple. On the Tyrian king Huram or Hiram, the contemporary of David and Solomon, see the discussion on 2 Sam. v. 11. According to the account in 1 Kings v., Solomon asked cedar wood from Lebanon from Hiram; according to our account, which is more exact, he desired an architect, and cedar, cypress, and other wrood. In 1 Kings v. the motive of Solomon's request is given in the communication to Hiram, viz. that David could not carry out the building of the proposed temple on account of his wars, but that Jahve had given him (Solomon) rest and peace, so that he now, in accordance with the divine promise to David, desired to carry on the building (vers. 17-19). In the Chron. vers. 2-5, on the contrary, Solomon reminds the Tyrian king of the friendliness with which he had supplied his father David with cedar wood for his palace, and then announces to him his purpose to build a temple to the Lord, at the same time stating that it was designed for the worship of God, whom the heavens and the earth cannot contain. It is clear, therefore, that both authors have expanded the fundamental thoughts of their authority in somewhat freer fashion. The apodosis of the clause beginning with "^'XS is wanting, and the sentence is an anacolouthon. The apodosis should be: udo so also for me, and send me cedars." This latter clause follows in vers. 6, 7, while the first can easily be supplied, as is done e.g. in the Vulg., by sic fac mecum. — Ver. 3. " Behold, I will build." ^ with a participle of that which is imminent, what one intends to do. r? ^li???, to sanctify (the house) to Him. The infinitive clause which follows (T'ttjpn? 'W) defines more clearly the design of the temple. The temple is to be consecrated by worshipping Him there in the manner prescribed, by burning incense, etc. CB? n"?Pi?> incense of odours, Ex. xxv. 6, which was burnt every morning and evening on the altar of incense, Ex. xxx. 7 f. The clauses which follow are to be connected by zeugma with Ttppn?, i.e. the verbs corresponding to the objects are to be supplied from TDpn: " and to spread the continual spreading of bread" (Ex. xxv. 30), and to offer burntofferings, as is prescribed in Num. xxviii. and xxix. '"1-31 nst B^w, for ever is this enjoined upon Israel, cf. 1 Chron. xxiii. 31. — Ver. 4. In order properly to worship Jahve by these sacrifices, the temple must be large, because Jahve is greater than all gods; cf. Ex. xviii. 11, Deut. x. 17. — Ver. 5. No one is able (nto "ivy as in 1 Chron. xxix. 14) to build a house in which this God could dwell, for the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. These words are a reminiscence of Solomon's prayer (1 Kings viii. 27; 2 Chron. vi. 18). How should I (Solomon) be able to build Him a house, sciL that He should dwell therein? In connection with this, there then comes the thought: and that is not my purpose, but only to offer incense before Him will I build a temple. Tlpj?n is used as pars pro toto, to designate the whole worship of the Lord. After this declaration of the purpose, there follows in ver. 6 the request that he would send him for this end a skilful chief workman, and the necessary material, viz. costly woods. The chief workman was to be a man wise to work in gold, silver, etc. According to chap. iv. 11-16 and 1 Kings vii. 13 ff., he prepared the brazen and metal work, and the vessels of the temple; here, on the contrary, and in ver. 13 also, he is described as a man who was skilful also in purple weaving, and in stone and wood work, to denote that he was an artificer who could take charge of all the artistic work connected with the building of the temple.. To indicate this, all the costly materials which were to be employed for the temple and its vessels are enumerated.!}!*!$?, the later form of ftja")**, deep-red purple, see on Ex. xxv. 4. ^V®, occurring only here, vers. 6, 13, and in iii. 14, in the signification of the Heb. W riypin? crimson or scarlet purple, see on Ex. xxv. 4. It is not originally a Hebrew word, but is probably derived from the Old-Persian, and has been imported, along with the thing itself, from Persia by the Hebrews. n??n, deep-blue purple, hyacinth purple, see on Ex. xxv. 4. D*lTVlB nris, to make engraved work, and Ex. xxviii. 9, 11, 36, and xxxix. 6, of engraving precious stones, but used here, as ntfl&-?3j ver. 13, shows, in the general signification of engraved work in metal or carved work in wood: cf. 1 Kin^s vi. 29. D*»jnrrDy depends upon T\W?: to work in gold..., together with the wise (skilful) men which are with me in Judah. pan TJ*N*, quos comparavit, cf. 1 Chron. xxviii. 21, xxii. 15. — Ver. 7. The materials Hiram was to send were cedar, cypress, and alburn mim wood from Lebanon. CtOTX, ver. 7 and ix. 10, iustead of B*|p?K, 1 Kings x. 11, probably means sandal wood, which was employed in the temple, according to 1 Kings x. 12, for stairs and musical instruments, and is therefore mentioned here, although it did not grow in Lebanon, but, according to ix. 10 and 1 Kings x. 11, was procured at Ophir. Here, in our enumeration, it is inexactly grouped along with the cedars and cypresses brought from Lebanon. — Ver. 8. The infinitive r?\!ri cannot be regarded as the continuation of rri"D7 nor is it a continuation of the imperat. v fw (ver. 7), with the signification, " and let there be prepared for me" (Berth.). It is subordinated to the preceding clauses: send me cedars, which thy people who are skilful in the matter hew, and in that my servants will assist, in order, viz. to prepare me building timber in plenty (the 1 is ezplic). On ver. 8b cf. ver. 4. The in fin. abs. N?sn is used adverbially: u wonderfully " (Ew. § 280, c). In return, Solomon promises to supply the Tyrian workmen with grain, w^ine, and oil for their maintenance, — a circumstance which is omitted in 1 Kings v. 10; see on ver. 14. D^ntphp is more closely defined by E^yn ^"}bp, and? is the introductory?: " and behold, as to the hewers, the fellers of trees." 3L?n? to hew (wood), and to dress it (Deut. xxix. 10; Josh. ix. 21, 23), would seem to have been supplanted by svn, which in vers. 1, 17 is used for it, and it is therefore explained by CTO'n m_3. " I will give wheat nl3b to thy servants " (the hewers of wood). The word nfaD gives no suitable sense; for u wheat of the strokes," for threshed wheat, would be a very extraordinary expression, even apart from the facts that wheat, which is always reckoned by measure, is as a matter of course supposed to be threshed, and that no such addition is made use of with the barley. HiSD is probably only an orthographical error for n?3£, food, as may be seen from 1 Kings v. 25.
Vers. 10—15. The answer of King Hiram; cf. 1 Kings v. 21-25. — Hiram answered ^rD?, in a writing, a letter, which he sent to Solomon. In 1 Kings v. 21 Hiram first expresses his joy at Solomon's request, because it was of importance to him to be on a friendly footing with the king of Israel. In the Chronicle his writing begins with the congratulation: because Jahve loveth His people, hath He made thee king over them. Cf. for the expression, ix. 8 and 1 Kings x. 9. He then, according to both narratives, praises God that He has given David so wise a son. ^^)7 ver. 11, means: then he said further. The praise of God is heightened in the Chronicle by Hiram's entering into Solomon's religious ideas, calling Jahve the Creator of heaven and earth. Then, further, D^n i» iS strengthened by!WM?2W jni^ having understanding and discernment; and this predicate is specially referred to Solomon's resolve to build a temple to the Lord. Then in ver. 12 f. he promises to send Solomon the artificer Huram-Abi. On the title OX, my father, i.e. minister, counsellor, and the descent of this man, cf. the commentary on 1 Kings vii. 13, 14. In ver. 13 of the Chronicle his artistic skill is described in terms coinciding; with Solomon's wish in ver. 6, only heightened by small additions. To the metals as materials in which he could work, there are added stone and wood work, and to the woven fabrics pa (byssus), the later word for B^; and finally, to exhaust the whole, he is said to be able 'nD"?3 2b>n7i, to devise all manner of devices which shall be put to him, as in Ex. xxxi. 4, he being thus raised to the level of Bezaleel, the chief artificer of the tabernacle. TD3n-D$? is dependent upon Hi^?, as in ver. 6. The promise to send cedars and cypresses is for the sake of brevity here omitted, and only indirectly indicated in ver. 15. In ver. 14, however, it is mentioned that Hiram accepted the promised supply of grain, wine, and oil for the labourers; and ver. 15 closes with the promise to fell the wood required in Lebanon, and to cause it to be sent in floats to Joppa (Jaffa), whence Solomon could take it up to Jerusalem. The word T}?, "need," is a airtx% \ey. in the Old Testament, but is very common in Aramaic writings. flVfDS'i "floats," too, occurs only here instead of rihn'l, 1 Kino-s v. 23, and its etymology is unknown. If we compare vers. 12-15 with the parallel account in 1 Kings v. 22-25, we find that, besides Hiram's somewhat verbose promise to fell the desired quantity of cedars and cypresses on Lebanon, and to send them in floats by sea to the place appointed by Solomon, the latter contains a request from Hiram that Solomon would give him Dr6, maintenance for his house, and a concluding remark that Hiram sent Solomon cedar wood, while Solomon gave Hiram, year by year, 20,000 kor of wheat as food for his house, i.e. the royal household, and twenty kor beaten oil, that is, of the finest oil. In th< book of Kings, therefore, the promised wages of grain, wine, and oil, which were sent to the Tyrian woodcutters, is passed over, and only the quantity of wheat and finest oil which Solomon gave to the Tyrian king for his household, year by year, in return for the timber sent, is mentioned. In the Chronicle, on the contrary, only the wages or payment to the woodcutters is mentioned, and the return made for the building timber is not spoken of; but there is no reason for bringing these two passages, which treat of different things, into harmony by alterations of the text. For further discussion of this and of the measures, see on 1 Kinirs v. 22.
In vers. 1G and 17 the short statement in ver. 1 as to Solomon's statute labourers is again taken up and expanded. Solomon caused all the men to be numbered who dwelt in the land of Israel as strangers, viz. the descendants of the Canaanites who were not exterminated, "accordinir to the numbering P^D occurs only here) as his father David had numbered them." This remark refers to 1 Chron. xxii. 2, where, however, it is only said that David commanded the strangers to be assembled. But as he caused them to be assembled in order to secure labourers for the building of the temple, he doubtless caused them to be numbered; and to this reference is here made. The numbering gave a total of 153,000 men, of whom 70,000 were made bearers of burdens, 80,000 3>*n? i.e. probably hewers of stone and wood ina, i.e. on Lebanon, and 3600 foremen or overseers over the workmen, ayrrn^ Tayn^ to cause the people to work, that is, to hold them to their task. With this cf. 1 Kings v. 29 f., where the number of the overseers is stated at 3300. This difference is explained by the fact that in the Chronicle the total number of overseers, of higher and lower rank, is given, while in the book of Kings only the number of overseers of the lower rank is given without the higher overseers. Solomon had in all 550 higher overseers of the builders (Israelite and Canaanite), — cf. 1 Kings ix. 23; and of these, 250 were Israelites, who alone are mentioned in 2 Chron. viii. 10, while the remaining 300 were Canaanites. The total number of overseers is the same in both accounts — 3850; who are divided in the Chronicle into 3600 Canaanitish and 250 Israelitish, in the book of Kings into 3300 lower and 550 higher overseers (see on 1 Kings v. 30). It is, moreover, stated in 1 Kings v. 27 f. that Solomon had levied a force of 30,000 statute labourers from among the people of Israel, with the design that a third part of them, that is, 10,000 men, should labour alternately for a month at a time in Lebanon, looking after their own affairs at home during the two following months. This levy of workmen from among the people of Israel is not mentioned in the Chronicle.
The description of the building begins with a statement of the place where and of the time when the temple was built (iii. 1, 2). Then follows an account of the proportions of the building, a description of the individual parts, commencing on the outside and advancing inwards. First we have the porch (vers. 3, 4), then the house, i.e. the interior apartment or the holy place (vers. 5-7), then the holiest of all, and cherubim therein (vers. 8-13), and the veil of partition between the holy place and the most holy (ver. 14). After that we have the furniture of the court, the pillars of the porch (vers. 15-17), the brazen altar (iv. 1), the brazen sea (iv. 2-^), the ten lavers (ver. 6), the furniture of the holy place, candlesticks and tables (vers. 7, 8), and of the twro courts (vers. 9, 10), and finally a summary enumeration of the brazen and golden utensils of the temple (vers. 11, 12). The description in 1 Kings vi. and vii. is differently arranged; the divine promise which Solomon received while the building was in progress, and a description of the building of the palace, being inserted: see on 1 Kings vi. and vii.
Chap. iii. The building of the temple. — Vers. 1-3. The statements as to the place where the temple was built (ver. 1) are found here only. Mount Moriah is manifestly the mountain in the land of Moriah where Abraham was to have sacrificed his son Isaac (Gen. xxii. 2), which had received the name npton, i,e, il the appearance of Jahve," from that event. It is the mountain which lies to the north-east of Zion, now called Haram after the most sacred mosque of the Mohammedans, which is built there; cf. Rosen, das Haram von Jerusalem, Gotha 1866. '" n?1? T~^. is usually translated: u which was pointed out to David his father." But H*n has not in Niphal the signification " to be pointed out," which is peculiar to the Hophal (cf. Ex. xxv. 40, xxvi. 30, Deut. iv. 35, etc.); it means only " to be seen," "to let oneself be seen," to appear, especially used of appearances of God. It cannot be shown to be anywhere used of a place which lets itself be seen, or appears to one. We must therefore translate: u on mount Moriah, where He had appeared to David his father." The unexpressed subject niiT is easily supplied from the context; and with tc\\; IHSlj " on the mountain where," cf. v:\s; Dips?, Gen. xxxv. 13 f., and E\v. § 331, c, 3. J^n TiTtf is separated from what precedes, and connected with what follows, by the Athnach under W3K, and is translated, after the LXX., Vulg., and Syr., as a hyperbaton thus: " in the place where David had prepared," soil, the building of the temple by the laying up of the materials there (1 Chron. xxii. 5, xxix. 2). But there are no- proper analogies to such a hyperbaton, since Jer. xiv. 1 and xlvi. 1 are differently constituted. Berth, therefore is of opinion that our text can only signify, " which temple he prepared on the place of David," and that this reading cannot be the original, because pn occurs elsewhere only of David's activity in preparing for the building of the temple, and u place of David" cannot, without further ceremony, mean the place which David had chosen. He would therefore transpose the words thus: WJ P?5 "*?^S ^P??- But this conjecture is by no means certain. In the first place, the mere transposition of the words is not sufficient; we must also alter BipD3 into ^ pfc?, to get the required sense; and, further, Bertheau's reasons are not conclusive. p3H means not merely to make ready for (zuriisten), to prepare, but also to make ready, make (bereiten), found e.g. 1 Kings vi. 19, Ezra iii. 3; and the frequent use of this word in reference to David's action in preparing for the building of the temple does not prove that it has this signification here also. The clause may be quite well translated, with J. J. Kambach: " quam domurn praparavit (Salomo) in loco Davidis." The expression " David's place," for "place which David had fixed upon," cannot in this connection be misunderstood, but yet it cannot be denied that the clause is stiff and constrained if we refer it to TOP ri^"ri^. We would therefore prefer to give up the Masoretic punctuation, and construe the words otherwise, connecting \s2\} 1KW with the preceding thus: where Jahve had appeared to his father David, who had prepared (the house, i.e. the building of it), and make 'l Dip£3, with the following designation of the place, to depend upon ftop as a further explanation of the 'on "inn, viz. in the place of David, i.e. on the place fixed by David on the threshingfloor of the Jebusite Oman; cf. 1 Chron. xxi. 18. — In ver. 2 rto??nj is repeated in order to fix the time of the building. In 1 Kings vi. 1 the time is fixed by its relation to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. *J$?, which the older commentators always understood of the second day of the month, is strange. Elsewhere the day of the month is always designated by the cardinal number with the addition of W}J*> or Di*, the month having been previously given. Berth, therefore considers *J#3 to be a gloss which has come into the text by a repetition of *?#n, since the LXX. and Vulg. have not expressed it. — Ver. 3. "And this is Solomon's founding, to build the house of God;" i.e. this is the foundation which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The infin. Hoph. "fDin is used here and in Ezra iii. 11 substantively. The measurements only of the length and breadth of the building are given; the height, which is stated in 1 Kings vi. 2, is omitted here. The former, i.e. the ancient measurement, is the Mosaic or sacred cubit, which, according to Ezek. xl. 5 and xliii. 13, was a handbreadth longer than the civil cubit of the earlier time; see on 1 Kings vi. 2.
Vers. 4-7. The porch and the interior of the holy place. — Ver. 4. The porch which was before (i.e. in front of) the length (of the house), was twenty cubits before the breadth of the house, i.e. was as broad as the house. So understood, the words give an intelligible sense. T1^ with the article refers back to T>NH in ver. 3 (the length of the house), and *?&"vJf in the two defining clauses means "in front;" but in the first clause it is "lviii£ in front of the house," i.e. built in front; in the second it is " measured across the front of the breadth of the house."1 There is certainly either a corruption of the text, or a wrong number in the statement of the height of the porch, 120 cubits; for a front 120 cubits high to a house only thirty cubits high could not be called DTiK; it would have been a P'nJB, a tower. It cannot with certainty be determined whether we should read twenty or thirty cubits; see in 1 Kings vi. 3. lie overlaid it (the porch) with pure gold; cf. 1 Kings vi. 21. — Vers. 5—7. The interior of the holy place. Ver. 5. The " great house," i.e. the large apartment of the house, the holy place, he wainscotted with cypresses, and overlaid it with good gold, and carved thereon palms and garlands, nan from <i£n? to cover, cover over, alternates with the synonymous H&V in the signification to coat or overlay with wood and gold, nnbn as in Ezek. xli. 18, for r»T2n, 1 Kings vi. 29, 35, are artificial palms as wall ornaments. rri~)w'~C' are in Ex. xxviii. 14 small scroll-formed chains of gold wire, here spiral chain-like decorations on the walls, garlands of flowers carved on the wainscot, as we learn from 1 Kings vi. 18. — Ver. 6. And he garnished the house with precious stones for ornament (of the inner sides of the walls); cf. 1 Chron. xxix. 2, on which Biihr on 1 Kings vi. 7 appositely remarks, that the ornamenting of the walls with precious stones is very easily credible, since among the things which Solomon brought in quantity from Ophir they are expressly mentioned (1 Kings x. 11), and it was a common custom in the East so to employ them in buildings and in vessels; cf. Sijmholik des mos. Cult. i. S. 280, 294, 297. The gold was from Dy.B. This, the name of a place rich in gold, does not
1 There is consequently no need to alter the text according to 1 Kings vi. 3, from which passage Berth, would interpolate the words "ifc»y JTBH V3S by tam n?3X2 between ^B'b]} an(l Tlkn and thereby get the signifi- cation: "and the porch which is before the house, ten cubits is its breadth before the same, and the length which is before the breadth twenty cubits." But this conjecture is neither necessary nor probable. It is not necessary, for (1) the present text gives an intelligible sense; (2) the assertion that the length and breadth of the porch must be stated cannot be justified, if for no other reason, for this, that even of the main buildings all three dimensions are not given, only two being stated, and that it was not the purpose of the author of the Chronicle to give an architecturally complete statement, his main anxiety being to supply a general idea of the splendour of the temple. It is not probable; because the chronicler, if he had followed 1 Kings vi. 3, would not have written VJB'^JJ but JViin ^B'bv and instead of!T)j<n would have written i3"ijo to correspond with 13m.
elsewhere occur, and has not as yet been satisfactorily explained. Gesen. with Wilson compares the Sanscrit parvam, the first, foremost, and takes it to be the name of the foremost, i.e. eastern regions; others hold the word to be the name of some city in southern or eastern Arabia, whence Indian gold was brought to Palestine. — In ver. 7 the garnishing of the house with gold is more exactly and completely described. He garnished the house, the beams (of the roof), the thresholds (of the doors), and its walls and its doors with gold, and carved cherubs on the walls. For details as to the internal garnishing, decoration, and gilding of the house, see 1 Kings vi. 18, 29, and 30, and for the doors, vers. 32-35.
Vers. 8—14. The most holy place, ivith the figures of the cherubim and the veil; cf. 1 Kings vi. 19-28. — The length of the most holy place in front of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, consequently measured in the same wTay as the porch (ver. 4); the breadth, i.e. the depth of it, also twenty cubits. The height, which was the same (1 Kings vi. 20), is not stated; but instead of that we have the weight of the gold which was used for the gilding, which is omitted in 1 Kings vi., viz. 600 talents for the overlaying of the walls, and 50 shekels for the nails to fasten the sheet gold on the wainscotting. He covered the upper chambers of the most holy place also with gold; see 1 Chron. xxviii. 11. This is not noticed in 1 Kings vi. — Vers. 10 ff. The figures of the cherubim are called D*?^ n^?> sculpture work. The air. Xey. CJOT* comes from JjW, Arab. cU, formavit, finxit, and signifies sculptures. The plur. &T., u they overlaid them," is indefinite. The length of the wings was five cubits, and the four outspread wings extended across the whole width of the most holy place from one wall to the other. The repetition of the clauses ^mn aran... nriKn ^3 (vers. 11, 12) has a distributive force: the top of one wing of each cherub reached the wall of the house, that of the other wing reached the wing of the other cherub standing b}\ In the repetition the masc. JPao alternates w?ith the fern. TO*?, being construed in a freer way as the principal gender with the fern. *)}3, and also with ^^% adhcerebat, in the last clause. — In ver. 12 Bertheau would strike out the word *M3 because it does not suit DW3, which occurs in 1 Chron. xxviii. 18, 2 Chron. v. 8, 1 Kings viii. 7} in the transitive signification, " to stretch out the wings." But nothing is gained by that, for we must then supply the erased word after D^fcnb again. And, moreover, the succeeding clause is introduced by Dni, just because in the first clause the wings, and not the cherubim, were the subject. We hold the text to be correct, and translate: u the wings of these cherubim were, for they stretched them out, twenty cubits." &rn refers to tPSTOri. They stood upon their feet, consequently upright, and were, according to 1 Kings vi. 26, ten cubits high. "And their faces towards the house," i.e. turned towards the holy place, not having their faces turned towards each other, as was the case with the cherubim upon the Capporeth (Ex. xxv. 20). — Ver. 14. The veil between the holy place and the most holy, not mentioned in 1 Kings vi. 21, was made of the same materials and colours as the veil on the tabernacle, and was inwoven with similar cherub figures; cf. Ex. xxvi. 31. |W 5»Dna as in ii. 13. hv rhv, to bring upon; an indefinite expression for: to weave into the material.
Vers. 15-17. The two brazen pillars before the house, i.e. before the porch, whose form is more accurately described in 1 Kings vii. 15-22. The height of it is here given at thirty- five cubits, while, according to 1 Kings vii. 15, 2 Kings xxv. 17, Jer. lii. 21, it was only eighteen cubits. The number thirty-five has arisen by confounding IT = 18 with r6 = 35; see on 1 Kings vii. 16. nBKn (a7r. tey.) from SlMf, overlay, cover, is the hood of the pillar, i.e. the capital, called in 1 Kings vii. 16 ff. ^*}.J]^, crown, capital, five cubits high, as in 1 Kings vii. 16. — Ver. 16. "And he made little chains on the collar (Halsreife), and put it on the top of the pillars, and made 100 pomegranates, and put them on the chains." In the first clause of this verse, 1^3, "in (on) the most holy place," has no meaning, for the most holy place is not here being discussed, but the pillars before the porch, or rather an ornament on the capital of these pillars. "We must not therefore think of chains in the most holy place, which extended thence out to the pillars, as the Syriac and Arabic seem to have done, paraphrasing as they do: chains of fifty cubits (i.e. the length of the holy place and the porch). According to 1 Kings vii. 17-20 and ver. 41 f., compared with 2 Chron. iv. 12, 13, each capital consisted of two parts. The lower part wTas a circumvolution (Wulst) covered with chain-like net-work, one cubit high, with a setting of carved pomegranates one row above and one row below. The upper part, or that which formed the crown of the capital, was four cubits high, and carved in the form of an open lily-calyx.
In our verso it is the lower part of the capital, the circumvolution, with the chain net-work and the pomegranates, which is spoken of. From this, Bertheau concludes that TW must signify the same as the more usual n5?^j Y1Z" " *ne lattice-work which was set about the top of the pillars, and served to fasten the pomegranates," and that T:m has arisen out of ^T\^ by a transposition of the letters. *1ST$ (chains) should be read here. This conjecture so decidedly commends itself, that we regard it as certainly correct, since Wl denotes in Gen. xli. 42, Ezek. xvi. 11, a necklace, and so may easily denote also a ring or hoop; but we cannot adopt the translation " chains on a ring," nor the idea that the n5?^j since it surrounded the head of the pillars as a girdle or broad ring, is called the ring of the pillars. For this idea does not agree with the translation " chains in a ring," even when the}^ are conceived of as u chain-like ornaments, which could scarcely otherwise be made visible on the ring than by open work." Then the chain-like decorations were not, as Bertheau thinks, on the upper and under border of the ring, but formed a net-work which surrounded the lower part of the capital of the pillar like a ring, as though a necklace had been drawn round it. VT) consequently is not the same as R33&, but rather corresponds to that part of the capital which is called n?3 (rripa) in 1 Kings vii. 14; for the niD3b> served to cover the rri?3, and were consequently placed on or over the nfe, as the pomegranates were on the chains or woven work, fipsn denotes the curve, the circumvolution, which is in 1 Kings vii. 20 called Jtpsn, a broad-arched band, bulging towards the middle, which formed the lower part of the capital. This arched part of the capital the author of the Chronicle calls V2n? ring or collar, because it may be regarded as the neck ornament of the head of the pillar, in contrast to the upper part of the capital, that consisted in lily-work, i.e. the ball wrought into the form of an open lily-calyx (lTtob). — Ver. 17. As to the position of the pillars, and their names, see on 1 Kinirs vii. 21.
Chap. iv. 1-1 la. The sacred furniture and the courts of the temple. — Vers. 1-6. The copper furniture of the court. Ver. 1. The altar of burnt-offering. Its preparation is passed over in 1 Kings vi. and vii., so that there it is only mentioned incidentally in connection with the consecration of the temple, viii. 22, 54, and ix. 25. It was twenty cubits square (long and broad) and ten cubits high, and constructed on the mod J. of the Mosaic altar of burnt-offering, and probably of brass plates, which enclosed the inner core, consisting of earth and unhewn stones; and if we mayjudge from Ezekiel's description, chap, xliii. 13-17, it rose in steps, as it were, so that at each step its extent was smaller; and the measurement of twenty cubits refers only to the lowest scale, while the space at the top, with the hearth, was only twelve cubits square; cf. my Bill. Arcliccol. i. S. 127, with the figure, plate hi. fig. 2. — Vers. 2-5. The brazen sea described as in 1 Kings vii. 23-26. See the commentary on that passage, and the sketch in my Arcliccol. i. plate iii. fig. 1. The differences in substance, such as the occurrence of D^PB and ">P2n ver. 3, instead of TOPS and En'psn, and 3000 baths instead of 2000, are probably the result of orthographical errors in the Chronicle, yy in ver. 5 appears superfluous after the preceding pTntD, and Berth, considers it a gloss which has come from 1 Kings into our text by mistake. But the expression is only pleonastic: u receiving baths, 3000 it held;" and there is no suflicient reason to strike out the words. — Ver. 6. The ten lavers which, according to 1 Kings vii. 38, stood upon ten brazen stands, i.e. chests provided with carriage wheels. These stands, the artistic work on which is circumstantially described in 1 Kings vii. 27-37, are omitted in the Chronicle, because they are merely subordinate parts of the lavers. The size or capacity of the lavers is not stated, only their position on both sides of the temple porch, and the purpose for which they were designed, "to wash therein, viz. the work of the burntoffering (the flesh of the burnt-offering which was to be burnt upon the altar) they rinsed therein," being mentioned. For details, see in 1 Kings vii. 38 f. and the figure in my Arcliccol. i. plate iii. fig. 4. Occasion is here taken to mention in a supplementary way the use of the brazen sea. — Vers. 7-9. The golden furniture of the holy place and the courts. These three verses are not found in the parallel narrative 1 Kings vii., where in ver. 39^ the statement as to the position of the brazen sea (ver. 10 of Chron.) follows immediately the statement of the position of the stands with the lavers. The candlesticks and the table of the shew-bread are indeed mentioned in the summary enumeration of the temple furniture, 1 Kings vii. 48 and 49, as in the corresponding passage of the Chronicle (vers. 19 and 20) they again occur; and in 1 Kings vi. 36 and vii. 12, in the description of the temple building, the inner court is spoken of, but the outer court is not expressly mentioned. No reason can be given for the omission of these verses in 1 Kings vii.; but that they have been omitted or have dropped out, may be concluded from the fact that not only do the whcle contents of our fourth chapter correspond to the section 1 Kings vii. 23-50, but both passages are rounded off by the same concluding verse (Chron. v.l and 1 Kings li.). — Ver. 7. He made ten golden candlesticks DttBKtoj according to their right, i.e. as they should be according to the prescript, or corresponding to the prescript as to the golden candlesticks in the Mosaic sanctuary (Ex. xxv. 31 ff.). ES^O is the law established by the Mosaic legislation.— Ver. 8. Ten golden tables, corresponding to the ten candlesticks, and, like these, placed five on the right and five on the left side of the holy place. The tables were not intended to bear the candlesticks (Berth.), but for the shew-bread; cf. on ver. 19 and 1 Chron. xxviii. 16. And a hundred golden basins, not for the catching and sprinkling of the blood (Berth.), but, as their connection with the tables for the shew-bread shows, wine flagons, or sacrificial vessels for wine libations, probably corresponding to therri'jjop on the table of shew-bread in the tabernacle (Ex. xxv. 29). The signification, wine flagons, for D>i?"W?, is placed beyond a doubt by Amos vi. 6. — Ver. 9. The two courts are not further described. For the court of the priests, see on 1 Kings vi. 36 and vii. 12. As to the great or outer court, the only remark made is that it had doors, and its doors, i.e. the folds or leaves of the doors, were overlaid with copper. In ver. 10 we have a supplementary statement as to the position of the brazen sea, which coincides with 1 Kings vii. 39; see on the passage. In ver. 11a the heavier brazen (copper) utensils, belonging to the altar of burntoffering, are mentioned: fii^p, pots for the removal of the ashes; B>JJ, shovels, to take the ashes out from the altar; and fiiplj*?, basins to catch and sprinkle the sacrificial blood. This half verse belongs to the preceding, notwithstanding that Huram is mentioned as the maker. This is clear beyond doubt, from the fact that the same utensils are again introduced in the summary catalogue which follows (ver. 16).
Vers. 115-22. Summary catalogue of the temple utensils and furniture. — Vers. 115-18. The brass work wrought by Huram. — Ver. 19-22. The golden furniture of the holy place and the gilded doors of the temple. This section is found also in 1 Kings vii. 405-50. The enumeration of the things wrought in brass coincides to a word, with the exception of trifling linguistic differences and some defects in the text, with 1 Kings vii. 405-