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LIBRARY  OF 
WELLESLEY  COLLEGE 


GIFT  OF 


SWEET  FUND 


THE 


HOLY    BIBLE, 


hx  t\)t  !;;iutJ)ornrtr  Version; 


WITH    NOTES    AND    INTRODUCTIONS 


CHR.    WORDSWORTH,    D.D. 

BISHOP  OF  LINCOLN. 


VOL.  HI. 

KINGS,  CHRONICLES,  EZRA,  NEHEMIAH,  and  ESTHER. 


NEW  EDITION. 


RIVINGTONS,  WATERLOO   PLACE  ; 


HIGH   STREET, 


TRINITY   STREET, 


1873. 


////A 


LONUON  : 
GILBERT   AND    EIVINGTON,    PRINTERS, 
ST.    JOHN'S   SQUARE. 


yi9i 


CONTENTS   OF   VOL.  Ill, 


Introduction  to  the  Books  of  Kings  a^nd  to  the  Books  of  Chkonicles 
The  First  Book  of  the  Kings  .... 

The  Second  Book  of  the  Kings        .... 
The  First  Book  of  the  Chronicles 
The  Second  Book  of  the  Chronicles 

iNTRODrCTION    TO    TIFE    BoOKS    OF    EZRA   AJ^U    NKirKMIAH 

The  Book  of  Ezra     ....... 

The  Book  of  Nehemiah 

Introduction  to  the  Book  of  EsTHiai 

The  Book  or  Ej^tiieh 


PV6J) 

vii 
1 

88 
167 
230 
295 
301 
325 
358 
367 


INTRODUCTION   TO   THE   BOOKS   OF   KINGS 


AND 


TO   THE   BOOKS   OF   CHRONICLES. 


Every  historical  Book  of  the  Old  Testament,  after  Genesis,  is  connected  with  that  which  precedes  it, 
and  with  that  which  follows  it.  Every  Book  has  a  special  work  of  its  own  to  do ;  and  every  Book 
in  succession  adds  something  to  the  work  of  preparation,  which  is  the  common  office  of  them  all, 
for  the  Coming  of  Christ.  Every  Book  in  its  turn  adds  something  to  the  growing  clearness  with 
which  He  is  manifested  in  His  One  Person,  His  Two  Natures,  and  His  Threefold  Office,  as 
Prophet,  Priest,  and  King  '. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  remind  an  attentive  reader  of  Holy  Scripture,  that  all  the  Historical 
Books  of  the  Old  Testament  have  a  prophetic  character.  The  Books  of  Joshua,  Judges,  Samuel, 
Kings  are  called  by  the  Hebrew  Church  "the  Former  Prophets'^."  They  are  comprised  in  the 
common  designation  of  "  The  Law  and  the  Prophets  "  in  the  New  Testament.  The  remarks  oi 
S.  Augustine  at  the  beginning  of  the  xviith  book  of  his  M'ork  "  On  the  City  of  Grod"  are  marked 
by  that  deep  insight  into  the  meaning  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  which  characterizes  that  great 
Expositor,  and  might  serve  as  introductory  to  this  portion  of  the  Old  Testament.  "  The  period," 
he  says,  "  at  which  Samuel  began  to  prophesy,  and  that  which  followed  it,  till  the  seventy  years' 
Captivity  at  Babylon,  and  the  restoration  of  the  Temple,  is  wholly  a  time  of  Prophets.  If  that 
portion  of  Scripture,  which  seems  to  be  only  historical,  and  which  narrates  the  succession  of  the 
Kings  and  the  events  of  their  reigns,  and  appears  to  consist  of  matters  of  fact,  is  duly  considered 
with  the  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  will  be  found  to  be  at  least  as  much  designed,  if  not  more,  for 
the  purpose  of  foretelling  the  future,  as  for  relating  the  past."  And  that  future,  as  he  shows,  is  the 
Coming  of  Christ. 

We  have  already  had  occasion  to  observe  the  truth  of  such  remarks  as  these  in  previous  parts 
of  the  Old  Testament.  Genesis  prepares  the  way  for  Exodus,  Exodus  for  Leviticus,  Leviticus 
for  Numbers,  Numbers  for  Deuteronomy.  These  five  Books  of  Moses,  which  may  be  regarded 
as  one  well  organized  whole,  prepare  the  way  for  Joshua  ;  Joshua  for  Judges  and  Puth ;  Judges 
and  Ruth  for  Samuel.  And  now  that  we  have  arrived  at  the  Books  of  Kings  and  Chronicles,  we 
can  hardly  fail  to  recognize  that  they  are  connected  with  the  Books  of  Samuel,  which  preceded 
them  ;  and  with  the  Books  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Esther,  which  follow  them,  and  which  complete 
the  historical  Books  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  bring  us  down  to  the  age  of  Malachi,  the  last  of 
the  Prophets,  who  closes  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament  with  a  solemn  note  of  preparation  for 
the  Coming  of  Jesus  Christ.  Each  of  these  Books  forms  a  link  in  a  continuous  chain,  which 
reaches  from  the  Creation,  and  extends  to  the  new  Creation  in  Christ. 

The  two  Books  of  Kings  properly  form  one  Book^  They  take  up  the  Sacred  History  at 
that  point  where  the  Books  of  Samuel  left  it.  The  Books  of  Samuel  did  not  carry  us  to  the  death 
of  David,  but  left  us  at  David's  side  on  Mount  Moriah  at  Jerusalem,  where  he  purchased  a  site 
for  the  future  Temple,  and  offered  sacrifices  to  God.  That  history  was  purposely  left  unfinished, 
in  order  that  the  reader  might  look  for  a  continuation  of  it.  That  continuation  is  supplied  by 
the  Books  of  Kings,  which  open  with  a  narrative  of  David's  last  days,  and  with  the  accession  of 

1  And  therefore,  when  our  Lord  walked  with  the  two  disciples  ^  Baba  Bathi-a,  fol.  14;  Kottinger,  Thes.  Phil.  p.  458. 

to  Emuiaus,  on  the  evening  of  His  Resurrection, — "beginning  3   Origen,   Ap.    Euseb.  H.    E.    vi.  25.     S.   Jerome,    Prolog, 

at  Moses  and  all  the  Prophets,  He  expounded  unto  them  in  all  Galeat.     Keil,  Einleitung  §  56,  p.  180. 
the  Scriptures  the  things  concerning  Himself"  (Luke  xxiv.  27). 


viii  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 

Solomon  his  son,  in  his  father's  lifetime.  Thus  the  Books  of  the  Kings  are  joined  on  to  those  of 
Samuel ;  and  the  reign  of  David  flows  in  a  quiet  stream  into  that  of  Solomon,  who  is  followed 
by  an  uninterrupted  succession  of  Kings,  of  the  house  of  David  ',  even  to  the  end  of  the  Book. 

What  may  we  suppose  to  be  the  design  of  the  Books  of  Kings  ?  "What  special  work  do  they 
perform  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  Coming  of  Christ  ? 

In  order  to  answer  this  question,  let  us  first  look  back  to  the  Books  of  Samuel,  and  then  cast 
our  eyes  forward  to  those  of  Chronicles. 

The  Books  of  Samuel,  as  has  been  already  observed  ^,  display  to  us  Samuel,  who  was  only  a 
Levite,  and  not  of  the  family  of  Aaron,  as  raised  up  by  an  extraordinary  commission  from  Almighty 
God,  in  a  corrupt  and  disordered  age  of  the  Hebrew  Priesthood  and  Sanctuary,  to  perform  the 
acts  of  a  Priest ;  and  who  offered  sacrifices  in  various  places,  and  nut  at  one  fixed  spot ;  and  who 
thus  revealed  a  glimpse  of  Christ,  "  the  faithful  Priest  ^,"  not  of  the  family  of  Aaron,  Whom  God 
would  raise  up  in  degenerate  days,  for  the  work  of  an  universal  and  eternal  Priesthood,  "  seeing 
He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us  ^" 

Samuel  also,  b}'^  uniting  in  his  own  person  the  office  of  Prophet  and  of  Priest,  foreshadowed 
Christ,  Who  is  the  Great  Prophet,  as  well  as  the  Everlasting  Priest. 

The  Books  of  Samuel  displayed  also  the  first  beginnings  of  the  Hebrew  Monarchy.  The 
Hebrew  Monarchy,  as  it  originally  appeared  in  Saul,  was  indeed  constituted  by  God ;  and  therefore 
Saul  is  called  "  the  Lord's  Anointed ' :"  but  its  origin  was  due  to  human  sin,  and  it  had  no  suc- 
cession, and  was  superseded  by  the  Monarchy  of  David,  "  the  man  after  God's  own  heart  ®,"  who, 
as  we  read  in  that  Book,  received  a  promise  from  God,  of  an  everlasting  Kingdom  ^  to  his  seed ; 
which  promise  is  fulfilled  in  Christ. 

The  history  of  Saul,  as  wc  have  seen,  is  like  an  epitome  of  the  Jewish  Dispensation,  preparing 
the  way  for  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  superseded  by  it  ^.  The  continuity  of  Christ's  Kingdom  is 
represented  by  the  adjustment  of  the  Books  of  Samuel  to  those  of  Kings,  which  exhibit  Solomon 
succeeding  David,  in  David's  lifetime,  without  any  break  ;  and  this  sequence  of  Solomon  to  David 
displays  the  union  -  of  their  two  characters  in  Christ,  Who  came  of  their  seed,  and  Who  is  the 
Divine  David,  as  well  as  the  Divine  Solomon.  David  was  distinguished  as  a  mighty  Conqueror^ 
and  he  prepared  the  way  for  the  building  of  the  Temple,  by  his  victories  and  by  the  conquest  of 
Jerusalem,  and  by  bringing  up  the  Ark  to  Sion ;  and  by  purchasing  the  site  of  the  Temple  on 
Mount  Moriah ;  and  by  providing  abundant  materials  and  treasures  for  it ;  and  so  He  typified 
Christ.  Christ  was  also  prefiguied  by  Solomon,  the  Prince  of  Peace,  the  Wise  Judge  and  King, 
who  built  the  Temple,  for  which  David  had  made  preparations  *.  Neither  David  nor  Solomon 
singly  complete  the  typical  poi'traiture  ;  but  being  blended  together  they  present  a  figurative 
adumbration  of  Him,  Who  is  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  *",  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  of 
battles  ;  and  Who  is  also  the  Prince  of  Peace  ;  and  Who  made  preparations  for  the  building 
of  the  Church, — the  spiritual  Temple, — from  the  beginning,  by  Patriarchs  and  Prophets;  and 
Who  completed  that  work  by  Evangelists  and  Apostles,  whom  He  filled  with  the  Spirit  sent 
down  from  heaven;  and  Who  is  "the  Author  and  Finisher  of  our  Faith 'V'  "the  Beginning 
and  the  End,  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  First  and  the  Last  '^ ;'"  and  Who  is  set  by  the 
Father  on  the  throne  of  His  heavenly  Sion,  and  Who  will  reign  there  in  glorious  might  and 
majesty,  "  till  He  has  put  all  enemies  under  His  feet  '^." 

The  Books  of  Kings  and  Chronicles  are  a  sacred  superstructure  raised  on  the  foundation  of  the 
Books  of  SamueL 

In  the  Books  of  Samuel  we  have  seen  the  earlier  gleams  of  Christ's  glory  in  His  threefold 
office  of  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King ;  and  we  see  that  light  beaming  more  brightly,  as  we  proceed 
through  the  history  of  the  Kings  and  Chronicles. 

The  Books  of  Samuel  revealed  to  us  Almighty  God  giving  a  promise  of  a  perpetuity  of 
royalty  to  David  ".      The  Books  of  Kings  display  Almighty  God  ever  mindful  of  that  promise, 

1  The  short   usurpation  of  Athaliali  (2   Kings  xi.  3)  only       ancient   expositors,   as   quoted  above  in  the   Introduction  to 
serves  to  bring  out  the  fact  of  this  long-continued  succession       Samuel,  p.  xiv ;  and  cp.  note  to  1  Sam.  xv.  28. 

ill  a  more  strikino-  light.  *  See  the  notes  below,  on  1  Chrou.  xxiii.  2 ;  and  1  Chrou 

2  In  the  Introduction  to  Samuel,  pp.  viii— x.  xxviii.,  Prelim.  Note. 

3  See  above,  on  2  Sam.  ii.  35.  "*  See  below,  on  1  Chron.  xxiii.  1. 
•»  Heb.  vii.  25.                                                                                        "  Heb.  xii.  2. 

*  1  Sam.  xxiv.  6.  10  j  xxvi.  9.  '^  Rev.  i.  8.  11 ;  xxi.  6;  xxn.  13. 

«  1  Sam.  xiii.  14.     Acts  xiii.  22.  '^1  Cor.  xv.  25. 

'  See  above,  on  2  Sam.  vii..  Prelim.  Note.  '••  See  on  2  Sam.  vii..  Prelim  Note 

'  See  the  remarks  of  S.  Jerome,  and  S.  Augustine,  and  other 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHRONICLES.  ix 

and  keeping  it  faithfully,  even,  though,  by  reason  of  men's  sins,  it  seemed  often  on  the  point 
of  being  frustrate  and  abortive.  This  is  one  leading  purpose  of  the  Book  of  Kings,  and  it  is 
pursued  throughout  with  unity  of  spirit  and  of  language  \ 

Even  at  the  accession  of  Rehoboam,  the  grandson  of  David,  the  Divine  promise  of  a  perpetual 
monarchy  to  David  and  his  seed  seemed  as  if  it  must  fail.  The  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel  were  broken 
off  from  the  house  of  David,  and  were  arrayed  in  bitter  hostility  against  it.  What  could  the 
two  Tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  with  their  smaller  territory  and  scantier "  population,  avail 
against  the  combined  forces  of  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel  ?  Humanly  speaking,  nothing.  But  the 
schism  and  rebellion  of  Israel  served,  urtder  God's  over-ruling  providence,  to  bring  out  in  a 
clearer  light  the  power  of  His  promise  to  David.  Israel  was  punished  for  its  defection  from 
God,  and  from  the  house  of  David,  by  political  confusion  and  social  misery. 

The  kingdom  of  Israel  numbered  a  series  of  nineteen  kings,  of  no  less  than  seven  different 
dynasties,  and  it  lasted  only  253  years  ;  and  not  one  of  its  kings  reigned  well. 

After  253  years  the  kingdom  of  Israel  was  dissolved,  never  to  coalesce  again.  Even  its  name 
vanished  ;  it  was  merged  in  an  appellation, — that  of  Jews, — derived  from  the  Tribe  of  Judah. 
The  Captivity  of  Israel  healed  the  schism.  And  where  was  then  their  hope  of  union  ?  Not  in  any 
restoration  of  their  former  political  organization,  with  a  capital  at  Samaria  ;  but  in  a  return  to 
that  very  family  from  which  they  had  revolted,  and  in  associating  themselves  with  the  Tribe  of 
Judah  at  Jerusalem. 

Further,  the  Ten  Tribes  of  the  Dispersion  have  a  still  more  cheering  prospect  of  union,  under 
the  sway  of  Christ,  of  the  Seed  of  Judah,  and  of  the  house  of  David,  in  the  Sion  of  the  Church 
militant  upon  earth,  and  in  the  glories  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  "which  is  the  mother  of 
us  all V 

The  History  of  Judah  stands  in  striking  contrast  to  that  of  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel.  Judah 
also  numbered  nineteen  Kings  from  the  time  of  the  separation  of  the  two  Kingdoms  to  its  Captivity. 
But  its  duration  extended  to  387  years ;  and  all  these  nineteen.  Kings  were  of  one  and  the  same 
dynasty,  that  of  David.  The  royal  house  of  David  appeared  to  be  often  in  peril  of  destruction ; 
first,  at  the  revolt  of  the  Ten  Tribes  under  Jeroboam ;  again,  after  the  death  of  Ahaziah,  when 
Jerusalem  was  under  the  sway  of  an  usurper,  Athaliah,  a  daughter  of  Jezebel^,  and  when  the 
existence  of  David's  line,  through  Solomon,  depended  on  the  life  of  a  child,  Jehoash,  who  was 
sought  by  Athaliah  for  destruction,  and  was  rescued  and  preserved  providentially  by  a  woman, 
Jehosheba,  who,  next  after  him,  had  the  best  claim  to  the  throne  *;  again,  in  the  days  of  Ahaz, 
when  Isaiah  comforted  the  house  of  David  with  the  commemoration  of  God's  promise  to  it,  and 
with  the  prophecy  of  the  birth  of  Iauianuel  from  a  Virgin  *  of  that  house ;  again,  in  the  days  of 
Hezekiah,  when  the  King,  as  yet  childless,  appeared  to  be  in  a  double  peril,  from  sickness  ^  and 
from  Assyria.  And  though  the  kingdom  of  Judah  also  fell,  by  reason  of  its  sins,  yet  its  fall  made 
God's  promise  to  David  more  conspicu.ous.  The  line  of  David,  as  far  as  it  was  traceable  through 
Solomon,  became  then  extinct.  It  failed  in  Jeconiah,  on  whom  the  doom  was  pronounced,  "  Write 
this  man  childless  *."  But  still  God's  promise  to  David  did  not  fail.  Providentially,  another 
subsidiary  line  had  been  preserved  from  David  through  Nathan,  and  into  that  line  the  succession 
flowed  ^  And  when  the  seventy  years  of  the  Babylonish  captivity  had  expired.  Almighty  God 
(as  the  history  of  the  Chronicles  relates '")  raised  up  the  great  Conqueror  and  King  of  the  East, 
Cyrus,  to  be  His  chosen  instrument  in  restoring  the  House  of  David,  and  in  sending  back  the 
sacred  vessels  of  the  Temple  from  Babylon  to  Jerusalem,  and  in  rebuilding  the  Temple  under 
Zerubbabel,  who  was  the  progenitor  of  Christ,  and  whose  name ''  has  a  special  significance,  and 
holds  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  Evangelical  Genealogies  of  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke,  and  brings 
them  into  contact  '^  with  one  another,  and  with  the  genealogical  records  of  the  Old  Testament. 

In  this  marvellous  succession  of  events,  which  were  made  by  Almighty  God  to  conduce  to 
one  and  the  same  end,  in  spite  of  man's  apostasy,  and  of  innumerable  difficulties,  we  recognize 
the  faithfulness  of  His  promise  ;  and  our  trust  in  Him  is  confirmed,  and  our  hopes  are  cheered, 
and  we  are  encouraged  to  look  to  Christ,  Very  God  and  Very  Man,  of  the  Seed  of  David,  and 

'  Cp.  iVt,  Einleit.  pp.  182—184.  ?  See  on  2  Kings  xx.  1—6. 

^  The  E-ingdotn  of  Judah  was  about  3435  square  miles  in  *  See  Jer.  xxii.  30;  and  on  1  Chron.  iii.  17. 

extent ;  that  of  Israel  9375  square  miles.  ^  See  on  1  Chron.  iii.  5.  17. 

^  Gal.  iv.  26.  lo  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23. 

*  2  Kings  xi.  2;  viii.  18.  26.  "  Zerulbahel,  which  means  seed  (of  David)  sotcn  at  Babel 

'  See  on  2  Kings  xi.  2.  (or  Babylon).     See  below,  on  1  Chron.  iii.  19.     Ezra  ii.  2. 

6  See  on  2  Kings  xvi   5.     Isa.  vii.  1—14.  •*  See  on  1  Chron.  iii.  18—24.     Matt.  i.  12.     Luke  iii.  27 

Vol.  III.  a 


X-  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 

appointed  by  God  from  distant  ages  to  receive  the  loyal  allegiance  and  devout  homage  of  all 
Abraham's  seed,  in  all  nations,  and  to  exercise  Royal  Supremacy  over  all  the  kingdoms  of  men. 

Although  Nations  may  fall  away  from  Him  by  schism  with  Jeroboam,  or  rebel  against 
Him  by  idolatrj'-  with  Ahab,  or  conspire  against  Him  with  Athaliah,  or  carry  His  people  captive 
to  Babylon  with  Nebuchadnezzar,  yet  God's  promise  to  David  stands  ever  sure  in  Christ,  and 
will  one  day  be  completely  fulfilled  in  Him :  "  All  Kings  shall  fall  down  before  Him,  all  Nations 
shall  do  Him  service ' :"  "  the  Kingdom  of  this  world  shall  become  the  Kingdom  of  the  Lord,  and 
of  His  Christ  ^" 

In  another  respect  the  Books  of  Kings  exhibit  the  development  of  what  is  revealed  in  its 
elementarj''  germ  in  the  Books  of  Samuel. 

Samuel  stands  at  the  head  of  the  Prophets  ^,  and  was  a  type  of  Christ,  in  His  prophetic 
oflSce.  The  Prophetic  Office,  rightly  understood,  will  not  be  regarded  as  limited  to  the  revelation 
of  future  events.  That  office  was  exerted  in  the  declaration  of  God's  will  generally  ;  and  specially 
it  was  exercised  in  the  announcement  of  the  Divine  Will  in  opposition  to  the  violations  of  His 
Law  by  Princes  or  by  People  rebelling  against  it. 

Samuel  was  raised  up  as  a  Prophet  by  God,  in  evil  days,  when  the  Pz'iesthood  was  degenerate, 
and  when  the  Ark  was  separated  from  the  Tabernacle.  At  that  crisis  he  came  forth  to  reprove 
the  People,  and  to  revive  their  fealty  to  God.  He  also  stood  boldly  forward,  as  God's  repre- 
sentative, to  rebuke  Saul,  the  King  of  Israel,  for  disobedience  ;  and  he  pronounced  God's  judgments 
upon  him.  Samuel,  in  the  days  of  Saul,  was  the  precursor  of  Elijah  and  Elisha,  who  discharged 
the  prophetic  office  in  the  days  of  Ahab.  When  the  Ten  Tribes  had  revolted  from  the  house  of 
David,  and  had  separated  themselves  from  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem ;  when  Jeroboam,  the  King  of 
Israel,  had  set  up  his  golden  calves  at  Bethel  and  Dan ;  and  when  Ahab,  the  King  of  Israel,  had 
allied  himself  by  marriage  with  the  Sidonian  Jezebel,  and  had  introduced  the  idolatries  of  Tyre 
into  his  capital  city,  Samaria,  then  Divine  Prophecy  shone  forth  with  most  brilliant  lustre,  and 
acted  with  most  potent  energy  *. 

It  has  indeed  been  alleged,  as  an  apology  for  Israel,  that  Prophecy  manifested  itself  more 
gloriously  in  the  kingdom  of  the  Ten  Tribes  than  in  that  of  Judah.  It  has  even  been  argued  in  favour 
of  the  rival  Kingdom  of  Israel,  and  of  its  secession,  that  Elijah  the  Tishbite  was  sent  to  them. 
But  this  reasoning  ought  to  be  reversed.  Elijah's  mission  to  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel  was  a 
consequence  of  their  apostasy^.  Hebrew  Prophecy  was  supplementary  to  the  failings  of  the 
Priesthood,  and  corrective  of  the  sins  of  Kings  and  People  ^  Prophecy  was  God's  protest  against 
man's  sin  ^ . 

The  prophetic  acts  of  Samuel,  Elijah,  and  Elisha,  in  evil  days,  were  preparatory  to,  and 
typical  of,  that  great  Work,  which  in  the  fulness  of  time  would  be  done  by  Christ,  "  the  Great 
Prophet  that  would  come  into  the  world  ^." 

The  mission  and  action  of  the  Prophets  has  supplied  the  cheering  assurance,  that  however 
Man  may  fail,  yet  God  will  be  ever  true.  In  the  worst  times  He  will  not  leave  Himself  without 
a  witness.  In  the  dark  midnight  of  Israel  the  light  of  Prophecy  shone  forth  with  noonday 
lustre,  and  proclaimed  the  majesty  of  Jehovah.  This  is  the  consolation  of  the  faithful  of  every 
age,  and  it  was  an  image  of  things  to  come.  It  pre-announced  the  First  Advent  of  Christ.  In 
times  when  Greece,  Italj',  and  Asia  were  enslaved  by  idolatry,  and  when  the  Jewish  Church 
seemed  to  be  hopelessly  corrupt,  when  the  Temple  was  made  "  a  den  of  thieves  ®,"  and  the 
Pharisees  and  Scribes,  who  sat  in  Moses'  seat ",  were  about  to  conspire  against  the  Truth ;  then  our 
great  Elijah,  Jesus  Christ,  appeared  in  the  world,  and  stood  forth  on  His  evangelical  Carmel, 
and  dazzled  the  eyes  of  men  with  the  splendour  of  His  miracles,  and  invited  them  to  acknowledge 
the  truth,  and  might,  and  love  of  the  God  of  Israel.  And  when  Christ,  the  World's  Elijah,  had 
finished  His  course,  then,  like  Elijah,  He  was  taken  up  to  glory".     But  His  promise  was  to  His 

'  Ps.  Ixxii.  11.                2  xiev.  xi.  15.                ^  Acts  iii.  24.  This   peculiar   function    of  the  prophetic  office, — to  protest 

•»  This  is  noted  in  the  title  prefixed  in  the  Syi-iac  Version  of  against  sin  in  high  places, — is  manifest  in  the  reply  of  Amos 

the  Books  of  Kings,  where  it  is  observed,  that  the  history  of  the  propliet  to  Amaziah  the  priest  of  Bethel,  who  said  to  him, 

tlie  Kings  is  also  the  history  of  the  Prophets.  "  O  thou  seer,  go  flee  away  into  the  land  of  Judah,  and  pro- 

*  Cp.  below,  on  1  Kings  xvii.,  Prelim  Note.  phesy  there ;  but  prophesy  not  again  at  Bethel,   for  it  is  the 

8  See  above,  on  1  Sam.  ix.  9 ;  below,  on  1  Kings  xvii..  Prelim.  king's  chapel  and  the  king's  court "  (Amos  vii.  12,  13). 

Note.  *   S.  Gregory  the  Great  therefore  well  says,  describing  tlie 

7  This  truth  is  displayed  in  the  clearest  light  in  the  Books  of  Book  of  Kings'  (Procem.  in  Samuel),  "  Suavis  est  historia  regura 

Kino-s,  which  extend  over  a  period  of  455  years  (B.C.  1015 —  in  superficie  literse,  altior  in  typis  allegorifB." 

560)^     There  Ahab's  reign,  which  only  lasted  nineteen  years,  is  »  Matt.  xxi.  13.                 _                 i"  Matt,  xxiii.  2. 

spread  over  nine  chapters,  and  the  ministry  of  Elijah  and  Elisha  ' '  See  below,  on  2  Kings  ii.  1 — 8. 

extends  from  1  Kings  xvii.  to  2  Kings  viii.  inclusive. 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHRONICLES. 


XI 


disciples,  "I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless,  I  will  come  to  you'."  He  had  a  successor  in 
the  Paraclete.  He  let  His  mantle  fall  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  gave  a  double  portion  of  His 
Spirit  to  the  Church  at  Pentecost.  Jesus  Christ,  in  His  own  ministry  before  the  Ascension, 
was  typified  by  Elijah;  Jesus  Christ,  acting  by  the  Spirit  in  His  Apostles,  was  prefigured 
by  Elisha,  following  Elijah,  and  clothed  in  his  mantle.  The  Spirit  of  the  Divine  Elijah  was 
in  the  Apostolic  Elisha,  and  acted  even  in  a  wider  range  than  it  had  done  in  Elijah  himself  ^ 
The  words  of  the  sons  of  the  Prophets, — "the  spirit  of  Elijah  doth  rest  on  Elisha ^" — found 
their  evangelical  fulfilment  in  Christ's  words  to  His  Apostles,  "  I  will  give  you  another  Comforter, 
to  abide  with  you  for  ever  ;"  and  "  lo  !  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world  \" 

Here  also  is  hope  for  the  future.  The  last  days  of  the  World  will  be  days  of  rebuke  and 
blasphemj^*.  The  dark  shadows  of  Unbelief  are  already  falling  upon  us.  Those  days  will  be  like 
the  days  before  the  Flood ;  and  like  the  days  before  the  destruction  of  Sodom ;  and  like  the 
days  before  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  ^  Men  will  be  absorbed  in  worldly  pleasures  and  cares.  The 
Church  will  be  rent  by  schisms,  desolated  by  heresies,  and  corrupted  by  idolatry.  Nations  and 
Churches  will  fall  away.     But  God  will  never  fail. 

The  ancient  Hebrew  and  Christian  Churches  have  been  led  by  a  common  instinct  to  cherish  a 
hope,  that  in  the  last  days  of  the  world  Elias  will  come  again  ^  Whatever  may  be  said  of  this 
tradition,  and  whether  or  no  the  prophecy  of  Malachi,  which  has  already  had  one  fulfilment  in 
the  coming  of  John  the  Baptist  "in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias,"  before  the  first  Advent,  may 
have  another  fulfilment  before  the  second  Advent  of  Christ,  it  may  serve  at  least  to  confirm  the 
opinion,  that  in  those  days  of  Antichristian  darkness,  the  light  of  Prophec}^, — not  in  the  sense 
of  foretelling  the  future,  or  of  communicating  any  new  revelation,  but  in  its  ampler  m.eaning  of 
preaching  God's  truth  and  proclaiming  God's  will  by  courageous  protests  against  dangerous  errors, 
and  by  clear  professions  of  saving  truth, — will  shine  more  brightly,  till  at  last  it  will  blaze  forth  on 
the  eyes  of  the  world  in  the  glorious  effulgence  of  the  Coming  of  Christ. 

The  Author  of  the  Books  of  Kings  is  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  the  Prophet  Jeremiah  * ; 
and  in  support  of  this  opinion  it  may  be  observed,  that  the  style  of  the  writer  bears  much  resem- 
blance to  that  of  Jeremiah  ^  The  last  chapter  of  Kings  coincides  almost  verbatim  with  the  last 
of  Jeremiah.  It  is  certain  that  the  writer  was  a  person  who  lived  after  B.C.  561,  for  he  mentions 
the  accession  of  Evil-merodach  ",  who  succeeded  his  father  Nebuchadnezzar  in  that  year  "  ;  and 
the  style  of  the  Book,  which  is  interspersed  with  some  Chaldaisms,  harmonizes  with  this  con- 
clusion'^ . 

Let  us  now  proceed  to  the  next  Books  in  the  Sacred  Volume,  the  Books  of  Chronicles. 

The  noble  acts  of  Prophecy,  its  fearless  confessions  of  the  Truth,  and  its  glorious  Martyrdoms 
for  it,  must  not  tempt  us  to  forget  that  God  ever  has  had,  and  ever  will  have,  a  Visible  Church 
in  the  World ;  and  that  He  expects  and  desires  all  men  to  seek  for  their  home  there ;  and  to 
accept  thankfully  those  gentle  effusions  of  divine  grace  which  He  in  His  mercy  is  pleased  to 
bestow  in  quietness,  by  the  appointed  means  of  His  Word  and  Sacraments,  ministered  by  her 
to  all  devout  and  loving  souls  in  thankful  communion  with  her,  and  which  derive  their  virtue  and 
efficacy  from  Christ,  Very  God  and  Very  Man,  our  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King.  Elijah  himself, 
the  favoured  instrument  of  God's  extraordinary  operations,  had  a  vision  of  this  at  Horeb  '\ 

This  important  truth  is  displayed  in  the  Books  of  Chronicles. 

The  Books  of  Chronicles  are  well  called  by  S.  Jerome  "the  Epitome  of  the  Old  Testa- 

»  John  xiv.  18.  i«  2  Kings  xxv.  27 :  cp.  Keil,  p.  188. 

2  See  below,  on  2  Kings  J.  9.  '^  On  tlie  sources  of  the  Books  of  Kings  see  Carpzov,  p.  240; 

^  See  on  2  Kings  ii.  15.  SdvernicJc,  Einleit.  p.  150 ;  Keil,  Eiuleit.  p.  189 ;  Archd.  Lee 

*  John  xiv.  16.  Matt,  xxviii.  20.  See  below,  on  2  Kings  on  Inspiration,  p.  467 ;  Lord  A.  Hervey,  B.  Y>.  ii.  29,  30 ; 
ii.  17.  Davidson,  Int.  ii.  31.     Among  them  were  the  Book  of  the  Acts 

^  See  Matt.  xxiv.  IP      1  Tim.  iv.  1.     2  Tim.  iii.  1 — 4.  of  Solomon  (1  Kings  xi.  41),  the  Book  of  the  Chronicles  of  the 

6  Matt.  xxiv.  37.     Luke  xvii.  26.  Kings  of  Israel  (1  Kings  xiv.  19 ;  xv.  31 ;  xvi.  5.  14.  20.  27 ; 

'  Cp.  Mai.  iv.  5.     Matt.  xi.  14;  xvii.  11.     Mark  ix.  11;  and  xxii.  39.     2  Kings  i.  18;  x.  34;  xiii.  8.  12;  xiv.  28;  xv.  11.  15. 

note  below,  on  Rev.  xi.  3,  4.  21.    26.  31),  the  Book   of  the  Chronicles  of  Judah  (1  Kings 

*  So  the  Hebrew  Rabbis  in  Bava  Bathra,  and  many  Chris-  xiv.  29;  xv.  7.  23,  and  passim;  xxii.  45.  2  Kings  viii.  23; 
tian  AVriters.  Carpzov,  Int.  243;  Graf,  de  libr.  Sam.  et  xii.  19;  xiv.  18.  28;  xv.  6.  36;  xvi.  19;  xx.  20;  xxi.  17; 
Reg.  comp.  61 ;  Savernick,  Einleit.  172 ;  and  Lord  A.  Hervey,  xxiii.  28 ;  xxiv.  5). 

B.  D.  ii.  31.  1^  The  Chaldaisms  and  later  forms  may  be  seen  collected  in 

9  Cp.  2  Kings  xvii.  14, 15.  20  with  Jer.  vii.  26;  ii.  5;  vii.  15.       Keil's  Einleitung,  p.  183. 
2  Kings  xxiv.  18.     Jer.  Iii.  1.  '3  gge  below,  on  1  Kings  xix.  11,  12. 

a  2 


xil  mTEODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 

rnent^"  In  tlie  Hebrew  they  are  entitled  "Words  of  the  Days,"  that  is,  annals  of  Sacred 
History  ^  They  were  written  after  the  end  of  the  Babylonish  captivity,  and  after  the  return 
of  the  faithful  companies  of  Hebrew  exiles  to  Jerusalem  ^,  and  after  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple. 
The  Writer  had  before  hira  those  historical  Books  of  the  Old  Testament  which  had  been  previously 
written, — from  Genesis  to  Kings  inclusive, — and  also  the  greater  part  of  the  prophetical  canon, 
which  was  about  to  be  completed  by  Malachi ;  and  he  possessed  many  other  documents  which 
are  now  lost.  He  had,  in  a  word,  the  whole  field  of  Sacred  History  lying  open  before  his 
eyes  *. 

The  Books  of  the  Chronicles  are  placed  in  the  Hebrew  Manuscripts  in  the  last  place  among 
the  Chetubim  or  Hagiographa,  after  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  This  position  is  probably  due 
to  the  synoptical  character  of  the  Chronicles.  They  were  regarded  as  a  summary  of  Sacred 
History. 

The  Writer  of  the  Books  of  Chronicles  recapitulates  that  History  from  the  beginning :  he 
looks  backward  to  Adam,  whose  name  and  genealogy  stand  at  the  beginning  of  the  Book;  and 
he  looks  forward  to  Christ,  for  AVhose  appearance  the  Hebrew  Nation  was  then  earnestly  longing ', 
and  Whose  genealogy  is  traced  in  the  Chronicles  from  Adam,  through  Noah,  Shem,  Abraham, 
Judah,  and  David,  to  Zerubbabel,  the  Prince  of  the  house  of  Judah,  who  led  tho  Jews  back 
from  Babylon  to  Jerusalem.  Thus  the  Writer  of  the  Chronicles  prepared  the  way  for  the 
continuation  of  the  Genealogy  of  Christ  by  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke,  in  the  Gospels  ® ;  and 
for  the  building  up  of  the  Church  Universal,  which  is  founded  on  Him,  Who  is  the  Second  Adam, 
the  Woman's  Seed,  as  well  as  the  Seed  of  Abraham ;  and  in  which  he  not  only  enfolds  the  literal 
Seed  of  Abraham,  but  embraces  all  Mankind  from  Adam,  and  dispenses  spiritual  grace,  and  offers 
everlasting  glory,  not  only  to  the  literal  Israel,  but  to  all  Nations  of  the  world. 

This  design  of  the  Books  of  Chronicles  has  been  elicited  even  by  objections  that  have  been 
lately  urged  against  them.  It  has  been  alleged  by  some,  that  the  mind  of  their  author  was 
deeply  tinged  with  prejudice  against  Israel  as  distinguished  from  Judah,  and  was  swayed  with 
a  spirit  of  courtly  adulation  of  the  kings  of  Judah,  and  with  an  hierarchical  bias  in  favour  of  the 
Temple  of  Jehovah.  It  has  been  truly  observed,  that  he  enlarges,  with  enthusiastic  delight  and 
almost  rapturous  ecstasy,  on  the  circumstances  of  the  foundation  and  dedication  of  the  Temple  of 
Jerusalem ;  particularly  on  the  elaborate  preparations  which,  according  to  the  Chronicles,  were 
made  for  it  by  David  \  and  on  the  organization  of  its  priestly  and  sacerdotal  ministry,  and  on  the 
arrangement  of  its  liturgical  services,  and  on  the  solemn  observance  of  the  Passovers  under  Hezekiah 
and  Josiah.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  said  he  is  disposed  to  undervalue  and  disparage  the  agency  of 
the  Prophets. 

These  allegations  will  be  examined  in  detail  in  the  following  notes.  In  the  meanwhile  it  may 
be  remarked,  that  they  serve  to  suggest  a  careful  consideration  of  the  point  of  view  at  which  the 
Sacred  Writer  of  the  Chronicles  stood,  and  from  which  he  contemplated  his  subject,  and  composed 
his  work. 

The  author  of  the  Chronicles  lived  after  the  return  from  the  Captivity  of  Babylon,  to  whicli 
he  refers  ^. 

The  best  authorities,  Hebrew  and  Christian,  are  agreed  in  ascribing  the  authorship  of  the 

1  S.  Jerome,  Ep.  50  ad  Paulinum.  The  work  of  Isaiah  the  prophet,  respecting  Uzziah  (2  Chrou. 

2  Their  title,  "  Paralipomena,"  in  the  Septuagint  and  in  the       xxvi.  22). 

Vulgate,  is  designed  to  denote  that  they  are  supplementary  to  The  vision  of  Isaiah  the  prophet  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  32),  for  the 

other  preceding  Books ;  but  the  title,  as  applied  to  them,  has  history  of  Hezekiah. 

only  a  limited  signification.     Cp.  Carpzov,  Int.  p.  284.  The  book  of  the  kings  of  Israel  (2  Chron.  xxxiii.  18),  for  the 

^  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23.  history  of  Manasseh. 

*  On  the  sources  of  the  Chronicles,  see  Carpzov,  Intr.  280 ;  The  sayings  of  the  seers  in  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  19,  for  the  history 

SdvernicJc,   Einleit.    §    173.    175  j    Keil,    Einleit.   432—436;  of  Manasseh. 

Bertheau,  Einleit.  p.  xxix.— xliii. ;  Archdn.  Lee,  pp.  442.  467 —  The  book  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel  (2  Chron.  xvi.  11 ; 

469;  Davidson,  Int.  ii.  65.     Among  them  were  the  Book  of  xxv.  26;    xxviii.  26),  for  the  histories  of  Asa,  Amaziah,    and 

Samuel  the  seer,  the  Book  of  Nathan  the  prophet,  and  the  Book  Aliaz. 

of  Gad  the  seer  (1  Chron.  xxix.  29).  The  book  of  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah  (2  Chron.  xxvii.  7 ; 

The  book  of  Nathan  the  prophet,  the  prophecy  of  Ahijah  the  xxxv.  26,  27 ;  xxxvi.  8),  for  the  histories  of  Jotham,  Josiah, 

Shilonite,  and  the  visions  of  Iddo  the  seer  against  Jeroboam  the  and  Jehoiakim. 

son  of  Nebat  (2  Chron.  ix.  29),  for  the  history  of  Solomon.  The  story  of  the  prophet  Iddo  (2   Chron.  xiii.  22),  for  the 

The  book  of  Shemaiah  the  prophet,  and  of  Iddo  the  seer  history  of  Abijab. 

(2  Chron.  xii.  15),  for  the  history  of  Rehoboam.               _  s  Cp.  HdvernicJc,  Einleit.  p.  189. 

The  book  of  Jehu,  the  son  of  Hanani,  transferred  into  the  g  ^^           ,  p.          '     V    I'm    Nnfp 

book  of  the  kings  of  Israel  (2  Chron.  XX.  34),  for  the  history  of  ^                        '    ''              .'.          .'.. 

Jehosbaphat.  '  See  below,  on  1  Chron.  xxn.  xxviu. 

The  story  of  the  book  of  the  Kings  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  27),  for  ^  See  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23. 
the  history  of  Joash. 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHRONICLES, 


xm 


Chronicles  to  Ezra  *,   the  Priest  and  Scribe   of  the  Mosaic  Law  ^  who  came  to  Jerusalem  from 
Babylon,  b.c.  457,  and  whose  actions  are  described  in  the  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  ^ 

Let  us  contemplate  Ezra  as  a  Priest,  descended  from  Aaron,  a  minister  of  the  Temple  recently- 
rebuilt  at  Jerusalem,  and  a  Scribe  learned  in  the  Law  of  Moses,  and  guided  by  divine  inspiration 
to  unfold  the  true  meaning  of  its  history  and  of  its  ritual,  as  prophetic  of  Christ,  and  as  waiting 
for  its  fulfilment  in  the  Gospel. 

Let  us  suppose  such  a  person,  taking  a  retrospective  view  of  the  history  of  the  Hebrew 
Nation  and  of  Mankind  from  the  Creation  of  Adam ;  and  as  standing  at  Jerusalem  and  lookin fl- 
at its  Temple  now  restored,  and  at  its  walls  now  rebuilt ;  and  as  authorized  and  required  by 
his  double  office  of  Scribe  and  Priest  to  interpret  the  Levitical  ritual  and  law  to  the  People  ■*. 
Let  us  imagine  him  viewing  the  unfolded  roll  of  Prophecy,  then  in  part  fulfilled,  and  pondering 
on  the  gracious  and  glorious  presages  of  its  complete  fulfilment  in  Christ  and  His  Church. 

In  the  age  of  the  Writer  of  the  Chronicles,  the  unhappy  schism  of  Israel  and  Judah  had  been 
terminated  by  the  captivity  of  both.  Henceforth  there  was  to  be  but  one  spiritual  centre  of  unity 
for  the  Ten  Tribes  as  well  as  for  the  Two.  That  centre  of  unity  was  Jerusalem.  To  it  the  eyes 
of  all  true  Israelites  were  to  turn.  Round  it  their  aflfections  were  to  cluster ;  to  it  they  were  to 
cling ;  thither  all  their  hopes  were  to  converge.  The  Canon  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment was  now  to  be  sealed  up.  The  voice  of  Prophecy  was  to  be  hushed;  it  breathed  its  last 
accents  in  Malachi,  in  grateful  remembrance  of  Moses,  and  in  fervent  aspirations  for  Christ  '\ 

What  could  be  more  fitting,  and  what  could  be  more  wise,  than  that  a  person  like  Ezra,  a 
Priest  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  an  Expositor  of  the  Levitical  Law,  living  at  such  a  time 
and  in  such  a  place,  should  desire,  in  writing  the  Chronicles,  to  concentrate  the  thoughts  of  all 
the  family  of  God  on  His  gracious  dispensations  in  the  sacred  services  of  the  Temple,  and  in  the 
regular  ministrations  of  religion  ?  The  Author  of  the  Chronicles  knew  that  God's  extraordinary 
workings  in  the  evil  days  of  schism  and  apostasy  had  been  already  displayed  in  the  Books  of 
Samuel  and  Kings,  and  in  the  history  of  Samuel  and  of  Elijah  and  Elisha,  and  in  the  prophetic 
writings  of  Isaiah  and  of  all  the  goodly  fellowship  of  the  Proj)hets. 

Those  days  of  supernatural  interventions,  by  prophetic  missions  of  persons  like  Samuel,  Elijah, 
and  Elisha,  were  past.  In  the  interval  between  that  period  and  the  future  Advent  of  the  Messiah, 
they  must  now  fix  their  eyes  and  hearts  on  God's  regular  and  ordinary  dealings  with  His 
Church. 

The  writings  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  now  completed,  were  the  heritage  of  Israel,  and  on 
them  they  must  feed  as  their  daily  bread.  The  weekly  reading  of  the  Law  of  Moses  in  the 
Synagogues,  which  probably  owed  their  existence  to  the  Captivity,  and  which  appear  to  have 
become  a  national  institution  in  Palestine  in  the  age  of  Ezra ",  promoted  this  purpose.  And  he 
would  remind  them  that  they  must  resort  for  spiritual  strength  and  comfort  to  the  City  and  Temple 
of  God.  The  Church  of  the  God  of  their  fathers, — with  its  stated  holy  seasons  and  appointed 
places  of  religious  worship, — was  to  be  their  habitual  resort.  Now  that  they  were  restored  to 
Jerusalem,  the  language  of  their  hearts  was  to  be  ^ — 

"  I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me, 
We  will  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord. 
Our  feet  shall  stand  in  thy  gates,  0  Jerusalem. 
Jerusalem  is  built  as  a  city  that  is  at  unity  with  itself: 
For  thither  the  tribes  go  up,  even  the  tribes  of  the  Lord, 
To  testify  unto  Israel,  to  give  thanks  unto  the  Name  of  the  Lord. 
O  pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem, 

1  So  Bava  Bathra,  Cap.  i.  fol.  15  j  Theodoret ;  Sanctius ;  the  course  of  tlie  notes.     The  Editor  desires  here  to  record  his 

Le    Clerc ;     Carpzov,    287 ;    Keil,  Einleit.   438 :    cp.    Servey,  obligations   in  this  department  to  the  valuable  work  of  Keil, 

B.  D.  i.  319 ;  Dr.  Pusey  on  Daniel,   329  ;  and  see  below,  ou  Apologetischer  Versuch  liber  die  Biicher  der  Chronik.,  Berlin, 

Ezra  i.  1.     Evidences  of  the  date  of  the  composition  of  the  1833.    Let  me  also  mention  Daliler  de  Librorum  Paralipomen6n 

Chronicles,  coinciding  with  the  age  of  Ezra,  are  seen  in  the  auctoritato,  Argent,  1819;  TheologischeQuartalschrift,  Tubingen, 

similarity  of  style,  and  in  the  use  of  peculiar  expressions  common  1831 ;  and  Movers,  Kritische  Untersuchungen  iiber  die  biblische 

to  both  (which  are  specified  by  Hdvernick,  Einleit.  268 — 270;  Chronik,  Bonn,  1834;  SdvernicJc,  Elnleltung,  §  172;  and  Ze?7, 

Keil,  Einleit.  p.  439),  and  in  the  frequency  of  the  scriptio  plena,  Eiuleituug,  §  138. 

i.  e.  the  insertion  of  the  yod  in  writing  the  names  of  David,  ^  Ezra  vll.  6.     See  below,  Introdtietion  to  Ezra,  p.  295. 

&c.,  &c.  (cp.  Keil,  424),  and  in  the  adoption  of  Aramaic  forms,  3  'Ezm  vii. — x.     Neh.  viii.  xii. 

as  well  as  by  the  identity  of  the  end  of  the  Chronicles  with  the  *  As  Ezra  did.     See  Neh.  viil.  1—9. 

beginning  of  Ezra.     The  objections  urged  against  this  opinion  '  See  Mai.  iv.  2  —  6. 

from  1  Chron.  ill.  21 — 24  are  considered  in  the  note  ou  that  ^  See  Vitringa  de  Synagoga,  1.  12,  p.  413. 

passage.     Other  objections  are  noticed  in  their  proper  places  in  ">  Ps.  cxxli.  1 — 9. 


xlv  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 

They  shall  prosper  that  love  thee. 

Peace  be  within  thy  walls,  and  plenteousness  within  thy  palaces. 
For  my  brethren  and  companions'  sakes,  I  will  wish  thee  prosperity. 
Yea,  because  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  I  will  seek  to  do  thee  good." 

The  weekly  Sabbath  had  acquired  for  them  a  new  value  and  significance  \  They  were  among 
those  to  whom  the  divine  promise  was  fulfilled,  "Every  one  that  keepeth  the  Sabbath  from 
polluting  it,  and  taketh  hold  of  My  covenant,  even  them  will  I  bring  to  My  holy  mountain,  and 
make  them  joyful  in  My  house  of  prayer  ^."  And  they  would  wait  patiently  there,  with  faith 
and  hope,  for  that  blessed  time,  when  the  "  Lord '  Himself  would  come  to  His  Temple,"  and  make 
it  more  glorious  '  than  it  had  been  in  the  days  of  Solomon,  and  fulfil  all  its  types  and  prophecies, 
and  spiritualize  its  services,  and  make  it  to  become  a  source  and  well-spring  of  blessings,  which 
would  flow  forth  from  it  as  from  a  living  fountain  to  all  nations  of  the  world. 

That  Temple  itself  would  in  course  of  time  be  made  desolate,  as  Daniel  had  foretold  ^ ;  but  its 
desolation  would  be  the  signal  for  the  rise  of  the  more  glorious  spiritual  edifice  of  the  Church 
Universal,  in  which  the  Messiah  would  gather  together  all  Nations,  and  prepare  them  to  dwell  for 
ever  in  His  presence  in  that  heavenly  City,  in  which  there  is  "  no  Temple,  for  the  Lord  God 
Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  Temple  of  it  ^" 

Let  us  pause  awhile  here  to  observe  the  triumph  thus  revealed  of  that  which  is  spiritual  over 
that  which  is  material. 

The  Temple  of  Jerusalem  had  been  rebuilt,  but  in  external  respects  its  fabric  was  far  inferior 
to  the  "  former  house,"  so  that  the  ancient  men  wept  when  they  remembered  the  glory  of  the  former 
house  and  saw  the  foundations  of  the  latter  house '.  And  yet  they  were  assured  ^  that  the  glory 
of  the  latter  house  would  be  greater  than  that  of  the  former.  But  that  glory  was  spiritual.  It  was 
to  be  illumined  with  the  Schecinah  of  the  Godhead  in  Christ,  "  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,"  visible 
and  speaking  there.  It  was  to  be  preparatory  to  the  building  of  His  Church,  to  be  glorified 
for  ever  hereafter. 

So  also  it  is  with  regard  to  the  Seed  of  David.  That  was  restored  in  Zerubbabel  after  the 
Captivity.  But  the  external  splendour  of  the  monarchy  of  David  was  never  revived.  The  Palace 
of  Solomon  was  never  rebuilt.  The  Kings  of  Israel  no  more  came  forth  riding  in  war-chariots  at 
the  head  of  armies  in  the  battle-field,  or  sitting  on  thrones  of  state  in  halls  of  judgment.  And  yet, 
as  ancient  prophecy  had  foretold,  the  Hebrew  Monarchy  was  to  be  more  glorious  in  the  future,  than 
it  had  ever  been  in  the  past.  It  was  to  be  glorified  and  perpetuated  in  Christ,  riding  on  the 
clouds  in  His  Ascension,  and  sitting  as  a  King  on  His  throne  for  ever,  on  His  heavenly  hill  of 
Sion  ^ 

Thus  it  appears,  that  in  proportion  as  the  material  accessories  of  religious  worship  at  Jeru- 
salem tended  more  and  more  to  evanescence  and  dissolution,  and  as  the  visible  splendours  of  the 
Hebrew  Monarchy  were  gradually  waning  and  fading  away,  so  the  spiritual  essence  of  both  was 
growing  in  expansion  and  intensity.  The  material  accidents  disappeared,  in  order  that  the  spiritual 
substance  might  be  glorified  in  Christ  and  His  Church,  which  knows  no  limits  of  space  and  time. 

This  is  the  law  of  God's  working.  And  although,  as  long  as  we  are  in  the  body,  we  need 
the  external  helps  of  what  is  material  in  worship  and  in  government,  yet  assuredly  every  thing 
which  tends  to  obscure  and  overlay  what  is  spiritual,  and  to  subordinate  and  to  sacrifice  the  soul 
to  the  senses,  is  a  contravention  of  God's  will,  and  a  retrogression  in  the  life  of  the  Church. 

But  to  return.  By  such  processes  as  those  to  which  we  have  referred,  the  minds  of  the  faithful 
were  weaned  from  what  was  perishable,  and  were  raised  to  what  is  eternal.  They  were  drawn  off 
from  gazing  on  the  brilliant  splendours  of  august  earthly  temples,  and  of  gorgeous  palaces  of 
stone  and  cedar,  glittering  with  gold  and  jewels,  and  were  trained  and  disciplined  for  spiritual 
communion  with  God  in  His  Blessed  Word  and  Sacraments,  ministered  in  the  Church  of  Christ 
Universal,  and  for  the  fruition  of  His  pure  and  blessed  Presence  in  His  heavenly  Kingdom  '". 

Such  benefits  as  these  are  conferred  by  the  Books  of  Chronicles,  regarded  as  leading  on  to 
those  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  and  of  the  prophets  Zechariah,  Haggai,  and  Malachi,  which  are 
intimately   connected  with   them,  and  which  describe  the  acts  and  hopes   of  those  who  rebuilt 

•  Hence  the  zeal  of  Nehemiah  at  that  time  for  the  due  ohser-  *  Dan.  ix.  27.  ®  Rev.  xxi.  22.  '  Ezra  iii.  12. 

vance  of  the  Sabbath.     See  Neh.  ix.  14;  x.  31;  xiii.  15 — 22.  *  By  the  prophet  Haggai  (ii.  3.  9). 

^  Isa.  Ivi.  6,  7  :  cp.  Iviii.  13,  14.  9  Cp.  Ps.  ii.  6 ;  and  notes  above,  on  2  Sam.  vii. 

3  MaL  iii.  1.  ♦  Hag.  ii.  9.  lo  Cp.  note  below,  on  1  Chrou,  xv.  1. 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHRONICLES. 


XV 


the  Temple  and  City  of  Jerusalem,  which,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  as  they  well  knew,  would  be 
visited  by  Christ  Himself,  the  Divine  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King,  and  in  which  He  would  display 
to  the  world  the  graces  and  glories  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Books  of  Chronicles,  viewed  in  this  light,  may  serve  to  render  us  more  thankful  for  the 
ordinary  ministrations  of  the  Word  of  God  and  Sacraments,  by  which  Jesus  Christ  comforts  and 
enlightens  all  His  People  throughout  the  world  in  the  Jerusalem  of  His  Church  Universal.  They 
are  a  divinely-inspired  historical  commentary  on  the  privileges  derived  from  God's  love  and 
power  in  her  means  of  grace.  They  inculcate  the  duty  of  thankful  communion  with  her,  now 
that  the  Canon  of  the  Scripture  of  both  Testaments  is  completed;  and  they  convey  salutary 
instruction  to  the  Ministers  of  God's  Word  and  Sacraments,  that  they  should  endeavour  to  imitate 
Ezra,  and  be  not  only  faithful  Priests  of  God's  ordinances,  but  also  be  learned  Scribes  of  God's  Law, 
so  that  "the  lips  of  the  Priest  may  kcqj  knowlechje^"  and  that  "  the  people  may  seek," — and  not 
seek  in  vain, — "  the  Law  at  his  mouth,  for  he  is  the  messenger  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts." 

They  display  the  providential  working  of  Almighty  God  in  the  preservation  of  the  house 
of-David  and  of  the  priesthood  throughout  the  captivity  at  Babylon,  and  in  the  restoration  of  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem,  by  the  command  of  Cyrus,  seventy  years  after  the  taking  of  Jerusalem 
by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  in  the  reunion  of  all  faithful  Israelites  in  heart  and  soul  in  one  spiritual 
centre  at  Jerusalem,  and  in  communion  with  the  God  of  their  fathers  in  the  regular  ordinances  and 
appointed  ministrations  of  His  Church.  They  show  the  divine  preparations  for  such  blessed  fruits 
of  spiritual  Union  as  were  exhibited  in  the  history  of  the  day  of  Pentecost,  described  in  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles,  when  devout  Jews,  who  had  flocked  together  fi'om  the  lands  of  their  dispersion 
in  Parthia,  Media,  Elam,  and  Mesopotamia",  were  joined  together  as  witnesses  of  that  glorious 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Who  would  make  them  to  be  all  One  in  Christ,  and  in  the  spiritual 
Sion  of  His  Church ;  which  having  been  inaugurated  at  the  earthly  Jerusalem,  will  be  extended 
to  all  Nations,  and  will  endure  for  ever  and  ever  in  the  Jerusalem  that  is  above. 

The  inquiry  into  the  relation  of  the  Books  of  Chronicles  to  the  Books  of  Samuel,  and  to 
the  Books  of  Kings,  in  those  portions  of  Sacred  History  where  they  synchronize,  is  fraught  with 
interest  and  instruction  ^  It  may  be  compared  with  the  investigation  into  the  relation  of  the 
Gospel  of  St.  John  to  the  three  preceding  Gospels  of  St.  Matthew,  St.  Mark,  and  St.  Luke. 

There  seems  to  be  a  species  of  Criticism  which  regards  every  variation  in  the  historical  nar- 
ratives of  Holy  Scripture,  concerning  the  same  persons  and  events,  as  a  discrepancy,  if  not  a 
contradiction ;  and  yet,  if  the  two  documents,  which  are  compared  together,  are  found  to  agree 
precisely,  then  this  kind  of  criticism  shifts  its  ground,  one  of  the  two  is  charged  with  servile  imitation  ! 

But  the  reverent  reader  of  the  Bible,  who  believes  that  "  all  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration 
of  God  \"  will  not  proceed  in  this  manner.     He  will  endeavour  to  ascertain  the  age  and  circum- 


1  Mai.  ii.  7.  2  Acts  ii.  5—9. 

^  The  followiug  is   a   Table  of  the  synchrouiziug  sections. 
Cp.  Tubingen,  Thcol.  Quartalschrift,  pp.  10,  11 ;  Keil,  Eiiileit. 
421.     They  are  as  follows  : — 
1  Chion.  X.  1 — 12     ....         1  Sam.  xxxi. 

„       xi.  1—9      ....         2  Sam.  v.  1—3.  6—10. 
.     .  ,,      xxiii.  8—39. 


2Chr 


2  Chron 


xi.  10—47 
xiii.  1 — 14 
xiv.  1 — 7 
xiv.  8—17 
XV.  xvi.  . 
xvii.  .     . 
xviii. 
xix.    .     . 
XX.  1—3 
XX.  4—8 
xxi.   .     . 
,  i.  2—13 
i.  14—17 
ii. 


iii.  1 ;  V.  1 
V.  2 ;  vii.  10 
vii.  11—22 
ix.  1—12  . 
ix.  13—28  . 
X.  1 ;  xi.  4  . 
xii.  2.  3.  9-16  .  . 
xiii.  1,  2.  22,  23  .  . 
xiv.  1,  2;  XV.  161 
-19.     .     .     ./ 


„  vi.  1—11. 

„  V.  11—16. 

„  V.  17—25. 

„  vi.  12—23. 

»  vii. 

„  viii. 

„  X. 

,,  xi.  1 ;  xii.  26-31. 

„  xxi.  18—22. 

„  xxiv. 
1  Kings  iii.  4 — 15. 

„  X.  26—29. 

„  V.  15-32. 

„  vi.  vii.  13—51. 

„  viii. 

„  ix.  10—28. 

„  X.  1—13. 

„  X.  14—29. 

„  xii.  1—24. 

„  xiv.  21—31. 

„  XV.  1,  2.  6—8. 

„  XV.  11—16. 


on.  xvi.  1—6.  11—14 
xviii.  2—34     .     . 
XX.  31 ;  xxi.  1 
xxi.  5—10.  20     . 


'} 


xxii.  1—9  .     .     . 

xxii.  10 ;  xxiii.  21 
xxiv.  1—14.  23—27 
XXV.  1—4.  11.   17 

—28 .     .     . 
xxvi.  1—4.  21—23 
xxxvii.  1 — 3.  7 — 9 
xxviii.  1 — 4     .     . 
xxviii.  26,  27  .     . 
xxix.  1,  2  .      ,     . 
xxxii.  1—21    .     . 
xxxii.  24,  25.  32,  33 
xxxiii.l— 10.20— 25 
xxxiv.  1,  2.  8—28 
xxxiv.  29—32      . 
XXXV.    1     18—24 
26,  27  J    xxxvi, 
1—4.     .     .     . 
xxxvi.  5,  6.  8  .     . 
xxxvi.  9,  10    . 
xxxvi.  11—12      . 
xxxvi.  22,  23  .     . 


1  Kings  XV.  17—22,  23,  24. 

„      xxii.  2—35. 
„      xxii.  41 — 51. 

2  Kings  viii.  17 — 24. 

„      viii.  25—29;  ix.  16— 

28;  X.  12—14. 
„      xi. 
„      xii.  1—22. 

„      xiv.  1—14.  17—20. 

„  xiv.  21,22;  XV. 2— 5.7. 

„  XV.  33—36.  38. 

„  xvi.  2 — 4. 

„  xvi.  19,  20. 

„  xviii.  2,  3. 

„  xviii.  13 ;  xix.  37. 

„  XX.  1,  2.  20,  21. 

„  xxi.  1—9.  18—24. 

,,  xxii. 

„  xxiii.  1—20. 

„      xxiii.  21—23.  28,  29 
—34. 

„  xxiii.  36,37;  xxiv.  1.6. 

„  xxiv.  8-10.  14.  17. 

„  xxiv.  18,  19. 

Ezra  i.  1,  2. 


"  2  Tim.  iii.  16, 


INTEODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 


stances  of  the  several  persons  respectively,  who  were  employed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  writing 
of  Holy  Scripture,  and  he  will  feel  persuaded  that  each  of  the  writers  was  guided  so  to  write, 
that  each  might  do  in  the  proper  time  and  fittest  manner  that  special  work  which  he  was  appointed 
to  do.  He  will  not  doubt,  that,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  inspired  the  writers  of  the  Books  of  Samuel 
and  of  Kings,  He  foreknew  that  in  course  of  time  He  would  afterwards  provide  the  Books  of 
Chronicles  for  the  edification  of  the  faithful,  and  that  He  guided  those  earlier  writers  accordingly. 
And  he  will  bear  in  mind,  that  when  the  Holy  Spirit  afterwards  inspired  the  writer  of  the 
Book  of  Chronicles,  He  did  not  forget  what  He  Himself  had  before  provided  in  the  Books  of 
Samuel  and  of  Kings. 

At  the  same  time  the  reader  of  Holy  Scripture  will  readily  allow,  that  the  human  intelligence 
and  industry  of  each  several  writer  were  enlisted  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  contribute  their  part,  in 
working  together  with  His  Divine  Power  and  Wisdom. 

Let  us  apply  these  principles  to  the  subject  before  us,  and  illustrate  them  by  some  examples 
selected  from  a  large  number '. 

In  the  Book  of  Samuel  the  circumstances  of  David's  sin  and  repentance  are  described  at  large '  • 
but  they  are  not  noticed  in  the  Books  of  the  Chronicles. 

Again,  the  unhappy  alliances  of  his  son  Solomon  with  many  strange  heathen  wives,  and  his 
falling  away  to  idolatry,  are  fully  related  in  the  Books  of  Kings  ^ ;  but  they  are  not  mentioned  in 
the  Books  of  Chronicles. 

Hence  it  has  been  alleged  by  some,  that  the  narratives  in  the  Books  of  Samuel  and  Kings  are 
not  true ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  it  has  been  asserted  by  others,  that  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles 
was  swayed  by  a  blind  partiality  for  the  royal  house  of  Judah,  and  was  induced  thereby  to  disguise 
the  sins  of  its  kings. 

It  happens  providentially,  that,  in  other  cases,  some  sins  of  Kings  of  Judah  are  related  in  the 
Chronicles,  Avhich  are  not  related  in  the  Books  of  Kings ;  for  example,  the  sins  of  Asa ",  the  sins  of 
Joash ',  and  the  sins  of  Uzziah  *.  At  the  same  time,  the  record  of  them  in  the  Chronicles  serves 
to  explain  their  history,  as  previously  given  in  the  Kings,  and  confirms  its  truth. 


1  AmoBg  the  incidents  related  in  tlie  Books  of  Samuel,  or 
Kings,  but  not  mentioned  in  Chronicles,  are  the  following : — 

2  Sam.  vi.  20 — 23.  David's  conversation  with  Michal. 
2  Sam.  ix.  David's  kindness  to  Mephibosheth. 

2  Sam.  xi.  2 — xii.  David's  sin  with  Bathsheba,  and  Nathan's 
parable. 

2  Sam.  xiii.— xviii.  The  sins  of  Ammou  and  Absalom,  David's 
sons. 

2  Sam.  XX.  The  rebellion  of  Sheba,  the  son  of  Biehri. 

2  Sam.  xxi.  1 — 14.  'Hie  delivery  of  Saul's  sons  to  the 
Gibeonites. 

2  Sam.  xxi.  15 — 17.  A  war  witli  the  Philistines. 

2  Sam.  xxii.  xxiii.  1 — 7.  David's  psalm  of  thanksgiving,  and 
last  words. 

1  Kings  i.  Adonijah's  rebellion. 

1  Kings  ii.  1 — 9.  David's  charge  to  Solomon. 

1  Kings  ii.  13 — 46.  The  measures  adopted  by  Solomon,  in 
consequence  of  that  charge,  against  Joab  and  Shimei. 

1  Kings  iii.  1.  Solomon's  marriage  with  Pharaoh's  daughter. 

1  Kings  iii.  16 — 28.  His  wise  judgment. 

1  Kings  vii.  1 — 12.  The  building  of  his  Palace. 

1  Kings  xi.  1 — 40.  Solomon's  strange  wives  and  idolatry. 

1  Kings  xii.  The  history  of  the  defection  of  the  Ten  Tribes^ 
and  of  the  setting  up  of  the  golden  calves  under  Jeroboam. 

1  Kings  xiii.  The  mission  of  the  man  of  God  from  Judah  to 
denounce  the  idolatrous  altar  of  Jeroboam  at  Bethel. 

1  Kings  xvii.  and  following  chapters  to  2  Kings  xiii.  The 
struggle  of  the  prophets  Elijah  and  Elisha  against  the 
idolatry  of  Israel. 

Among  the  incidents  recorded  in  the  Chronicles,  but  not 
described  in  the  Books  of  Samuel  or  Kings,  are  these,  viz. : — 

1  Chron.  xi.  6 — 8.  The  record  of  Joab's  prowess  in  taking 
Jerusalem  and  repairing  its  walls. 

1  Chron.  xii.  The  list  of  David's  heroes  and  their  companies 
who  came  to  him  at  Ziklag ;  and  of  the  armies  that  came  to 
him  from  the  several  Tribes  to  anoint  him  King  at  Hebron. 

1  Chron.  xv.  xvi.  David's  ordering  of  the  Priests  and  Levites 
for  bringing  up  the  Ark  to  Zion ;  and  his  festal  sacrifices  and 
thanksgiving ;  and  the  appointment  of  the  ministers  to  attend 
continually  upon  it. 

1  Chron.  xxii.  His  ample  preparations  for  the  Temple. 

1  Chron.  xxiii. — xxvi.  David's  ordering  of  the  Priests,  and 
Levites,  and  others  to  minister  there. 

1  Chron.  xxviii.  xxix.  The  solemn  assembly  convened  by 
David  from  all  Israel,  in  which  he  presents  to  them  Solomon ; 


and  exhorts  them  to  assist  in  building  the  Temple ;  and  shows 
them  the  pattern  for  its  form,  and  gold  and  silver  for  the 
materials.  Their  liberal  offerings  for  the  work.  His  thanks- 
giving, prayer,  and  praise  to  God,  and  death. 

2  Chron.  vii.  1.  The  descent  of  fire  from  heaven  consuming 
the  burnt-ofl'ering  after  the  dedication  of  the  Temple. 

2  Chron.  xi.  3.  The  speech  of  Shemaiah  the  prophet  to 
Rehoboam. 

2  Chron.  xi.  13 — 17.  The  noble  and  pious  self-devotion  of  the 
Levites  resorting  to  Jerusalem  from  all  parts  of  the  schismatical 
kingdom  of  Israel. 

2  Chron.  xii.  5.  The  preaching  of  the  prophet  Shemaiah  to 
Rehoboam ;  and  the  King's  repentance. 

2  Chron.  xiii.  3 — 20.  The  victorious  war  of  Abijah  with 
Jeroboam. 

2  Chron.  xiv.  3 — 15.  Asa's  reformation;  and  his  victory  over 
the  Ethiopians. 

2  Chron.  xvi.  7 — 10.  The  preaching  of  the  prophet  Hanani 
to  Asa  :  Asa's  unthankfulness. 

2  Chron.  xvi.  12.  Asa's  lack  of  faith,  in  his  sickness. 

2  Chron.  xvii.  xviii.  Jehoshaphat's  piety,  prosperity,  and 
victories. 

2  Chron.  xix.  2 — 11.  The  preaching  of  Jehu  the  son  of  Hanani 
to  Jehoshaphat.  Jehoshaphat's  regard  for  the  Law  of  Moses ; 
his  goodness,  private  aud  public. 

2  Chron.  xx.  1 — 30.  Jehoshaphat's  danger  from  Moab  and 
Ammon :  his  devotion  and  faith,  and  glorious  victory. 

2  Chron.  xxi.  12 — 20.  Elijah's  prophecy  against  Joram. 
Joram's  idolatry  and  punishment. 

2  Chron.  xxiv.  15 — 26.  The  falling  away  of  King  Joash ;  his 
murder  of  Zechariah,  the  son  of  Jehoiada ;  his  miserable  end. 

2  Chron.  xxv.  5 — 27.  Amaziah's  falling  away,  and  death. 

2  Chron.  xxvi.  1 — 21.  Uzziah's  might,  prospei'ity,  pride; 
his  invasion  of  the  Priest's  ofiice,  and  punishment  by  leprosy. 

2  Chron.  xxix. — xxxi.  Hezekiah's  cleansing  of  the  Temple, 
and  solemn  Passover ;  his  ordering  of  the  courses  of  the  Priests 
and  Levites  for  its  service,  and  provision  for  their  maintenance. 

2  Chron.  xxxiii.  11 — 20.  Manasseh  is  carried  away  captive  to 
Babylon  ;  repents  there,  and  is  restored  to  his  kingdom. 

2  Chron.  xxxv.  2 — 19.  The  manner  in  which  Josiah's  solemn 
Passover  was  kept. 


2  2  Sam.  xi.  and  xii. 

4  See  2  Chron.  xvi.  10—12. 

5  See  2  Chron.  xxiv.  15—22. 

6  2  Chron.  xxvi.  16—21. 


3  1  Kings  xi.  1 — 40. 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHRONICLES.  xvii 

The  historian  of  the  Chronicles  does  not  mention  the  sins  of  David  and  of  Solomon,  because  he 
well  knew  that  they  were  already  familiar  to  his  readers,  from  the  Books  of  Samuel  and  of  Kings. 
His  silence  is  a  testimony  to  the  truth  and  sufficiency  of  the  previous  narratives,  and  is  an  evidence 
that  the  claims  of  historical  justice  were  thereby  satisfied ;  and  it  suggests  a  salutary  lesson  of 
charity,  which  loves  to  cover  sins,  especially  the  sins  of  the  penitent  and  of  the  departed  *,  and 
more  particularly  the  sins  of  kings,  who  have  loved  God,  and  have  been  loved  by  Him  *. 

The  faithfulness  with  which  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles  records  some  sins  of  Kings  of  Judah, 
which  are  not  noticed  in  the  Books  of  Kings,  gives  additional  force  to  this  lesson.  It  shows  that 
his  silence  was  not  the  silence  of  flattery :  and  his  silence  also  shows,  that  where  he  is  not  silent,  he 
has  been  constrained  to  speak,  by  a  sense  of  duty  to  God,  and  to  the  Truth. 

Let  us  specify  another  instance  of  a  diflerent  kind. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  and  sublime  spectacles  in  Biblical  History  is  that  which  is  displayed 
in  the  Chronicles,  at  the  close  of  David's  reign,  when  the  aged  King  rises  up  from  his  bed  of 
sickness,  and  comes  forth  from  his  chamber,  and  appears  to  be  endued  for  a  time  with  supernatural 
energy,  and  invested  with  majestic  dignity,  and  presents  to  the  assembled  princes  of  Judah  'and 
Israel  his  son  Solomon  as  his  successor ;  and  displays  to  them  a  pattern  of  the  Temple,  for  which 
he  himself  had  made  ample  preparation,  and  which  his  son  Solomon  was  commissioned  to 
build. 

This  grand  scene  will  be  noticed  more  fully  hereafter  ^.  But  let  it  be  remarked  here,  that 
there  is  no  reference  to  it  in  the  Books  of  Samuel  or  of  Kings. 

What  was  the  reason  of  that  silence  ? 

Was  it  because  the  writers  of  those  previous  Books  were  not  cognizant  of  the  facts,  or  (as  some 
have  ventured  to  surmise)  because  these  statements  in  Chronicles  are  not  true  *  ? 

Assuredly  not. 

The  cause  appears  to  be  this.  The  Author  of  the  Kings  had  given  a  full  account  of  the 
Building  of  the  Temple  by  Solomon.  But  in  his  time  the  Temple  was  in  ruins,  and  the  design 
of  that  glorious  fabric  might  seem  to  have  been  frustrated.  The  most  appropriate  season  had  not 
yet  arrived  for  fully  recording  David's  connexion  with  it.  But  when  the  Author  of  the  Chronicles 
composed  his  history,  the  Temple  had  risen  again  from  the  dust.  The  Author  of  the  Chronicles 
seems  to  lay  particular  stress  on  this  work  of  rebuilding  the  Temple,  by  closing  his  history  with  a 
record  of  the  edict  of  the  greatest  living  king  of  the  world,  Cyrus,  for  its  restoration.  The  Temple 
was  the  sanctuary  of  national  worship,  and  had  become  the  centre  of  national  faith  and  hope. 
The  purpose  of  the  historian  was  to  encourage  that  worship,  and  to  cherish  that  faith  and  hope,  and 
to  endear  the  Temple  and  its  services  to  the  hearts  of  all  Israelites.  And  what  could  be  more 
conducive  to  such  an  end,  what  could  be  more  seasonable  at  that  time,  than  to  remind  them 
of  the  fervent  zeal  of  King  David '  on  his  death-bed  for  the  House  of  God,  and  of  his  earnest 
care  for  its  sacred  ministrations,  and  of  his  magnificent  preparations  for  that  House  of  God,  which 
he  himself  would  never  see,  and  which,  as  the  prophet  Haggai  had  now  foretold  ^  would  be  eclipsed 
in  glory  by  that  other  House,  which  had  risen  on  its  site,  and  was  now  visible  to  their  eyes,  and 
whose  gates  stood  open  to  invite  them  to  enter  its  courts. 

Yet  further.  In  the  Books  of  Kings  is  a  full  description  of  the  Palace  of  Solomon  and  ■  of 
its  adjuncts,  and  that  narrative  is  blended  together  with  the  delineation  of  the  Temple  and  of  its 
ornaments  ^.  But  in  the  Chronicles  nothing  is  said  of  the  royal  palace  and  its  splendid  halls  ;  but 
a  still  larger  and  more  detailed  account  is  given  of  the  House  of  God,  and  its  sacred  vessels  and 
furniture,  and  its  dedication*. 

What  was  the  reason  of  this  ?  When  the  author  of  Chronicles  wrote,  the  palace  of  Solomon 
had  fallen  into  ruin,  never  to  be  rebuilt.     It  was  a  thing  of  the  past.     The  Hebrew  Monarchy,  as  a 

1  See  note  below,  1  Chrou.  xx.  1.     2  Chron.  ix.  29—31.  ■*  As  is  affirmed  by  De  Wette  and  other  authors. 

2  A  remarkable  example  of  this  delicate  spirit  of  gentleness  '  The  truth  of  these  remarks  will  appear  more  fully  from  a 
and  charity,  which  "  thinketh  no  evil,"  and  which  characterizes  comparison  of  the  accounts  in  Chronicles  of  David's  preparations 
the  Chronicles,  is  seen  in  the  two  incidents  recorded  in  this  for  the  Temple,  and  his  ai-rangements  for  its  service  (see  1  Chron. 
Book,  and  not  elsewhere,  of  Joab,  whose  unhappy  death  had  xiii.  xv. — xvii.  xxii., — and  the  notes  on  xxii.  1,  2, — xxvi.  xxviii. 
been  described  in  the  Kings  (1  Kings  ii.  34.  See  on  1  Chron.  xxix.)  with  the  brief  notices  in  the  Kings.  At  the  same  time, 
xi.  6-8).  the  account  in  Chronicles  has  its  groundwork  in  the   Second 

These  two  incidents  were  specially  instructive  and  encouraging  Book   of  Samuel,  which   closes  with   the  eventful   history  of 

to  the  settlers  at  Jerusalem,  and  rebuilders  of  its  walls,  in  the  David's  Sacrifice   on  the  future  site  of  the  Temple.     See  on 

age  of  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles,  that  is,  in  the  age  of  Ezra  2  Sam.  xxiv.  18 — 2-4. 
and  Nehemiah.  6  Hag.  ii.  9. 

3  In  the  Prelim.  Note  to  1  Chron.  xxviii.,  and  in  the  notes  to  ''  See  1  Kings,  vi.  vii. 
that  chapter.  *  2  Chron.  ii.  iii. — vii. 

Vol  III. 


xviii  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 

political  institution,  was  never  to  recover  its  former  grandeur.  It  was  not  destined  to  display 
itself  again  in  the  splendour  of  "the  house  of  the  forest^  of  Lebanon,"  and  in  the  magnificent 
presence-chamber,  and  on  the  royal  throne  of  ivory  overlaid  with  gold,  and  guarded  by  lions  on 
its  steps'.  It  was  not  to  be  served  by  richly-accoutred  attendants,  ministering  with  vessels  of  gold*. 
These  visible  glories  of  the  Monarchy  were  to  be  exchanged  for  something  far  more  glorious, — 
because  spiritual  and  eternal — the  Monarchy  of  Christ. 

But  the  Temple  had  risen  again  from  its  foundations,  and  all  the  historical  glories  of  the 
Hebrew  Nation  were  to  be  associated  with  it.  The  Temple  had  absorbed  the  splendours  of  the 
Palace;  indeed  it  was  the  Palace,  the  presence-chamber  of  God;  and  in  the  fulness  of  time  it 
would  be  visited  by  "  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,"  Immanuel,  "  God  with  us,"  and  it  was  pre- 
paratory for  that  dispensation  which  is  called  "  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven." 

Again,  the  circumstances  of  the  revolt  of  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel,  the  setting  up  of  the 
schisraatical  altars  of  Bethel  and  Dan,  and  the  idolatrous  worship  of  Baal  in  the  reign  of  Ahab 
and  his  successors,  are  described  fully  in  the  Kings  *.  But  these  are  not  noticed  in  the  Chronicles. 
And  why  ?  Because  the  writer  of  that  Book  had  the  Books  of  Kings  before  him,  and  because 
he  knew  that  they  had  already  given  a  solemn  protest  against  schism  and  idolatry,  and  had 
displayed  their  baneful  consequences  in  the  history  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  and  of  their  dispersion 
for  their  sins. 

But  he  himself  lived  in  a  happier  age.  The  jealousies  of  the  Ten  Tribes  against  Judah  had 
melted  away  in  the  Captivity.  Idolatry  had  disappeared.  The  Sacred  Historian  had  now  a 
constructive  work  to  perform.  His  mission  was,  to  strengthen  their  attachment  to  their  common 
centre  of  religion  and  polity,  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem. 

If  we  may  venture  to  use  the  expression,  the  Books  of  Kings  have  a  protestant  aspect  against 
schism  and  idolatry :  but  the  Books  of  Chronicles  have  a  catholic  character.  Their  design  is,  to 
combine  and  consolidate  all  the  Israel  of  God  in  one  Visible  Church. 

The  Author  of  the  Chronicles  does  not  therefore  dwell  on  the  sorrowful  memories  of  past 
disruptions  and  apostacies.  He  tenderly  and  charitably  casts  a  veil  over  them,  and  he  draws 
together  all  the  tribes  of  Israel  by  the  cords  of  love.  He  records  with  a  grateful  heart  the  loyal 
gathering  of  the  flower  of  the  chivalry  of  the  difierent  tribes  of  Israel  and  their  companies, 
resorting  to  David  at  Ziklag,  and  enthroning  him  as  king  at  Hebron  ° ;  and  he  thus '  stimulates 
by  their  example  the  tribes  of  Israel  to  rally  round  the  House  of  Judah  and  David  at  Jerusalem, 
and  unfolds  a  prophetic  vision  of  their  future  reunion  in  Christ,  the  Seed  of  David.  He  passes  over 
the  history  of  their  schism  and  idolatry,  as  already  too  well  known  ;  yet  he  adds  what  had  not  been 
anticipated  by  the  Books  of  Kings,  but  had  been  providentially  reserved  for  himself,  a  record 
of  that  noble  appeal  to  national  and  religious  Union  which  was  made  by  King  Abijah'^  of  Judah, 
in  his  speech  to  Jeroboam,  in  which  he  recalled  the  King  of  Israel  and  the  Ten  Tribes  to  com- 
munion with  their  brethren  of  Judah  in  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem,  and  in  its  sacred  services.  That 
was  an  appropriate  exhortation  at  the  time  when  the  Chronicles  were  written,  and  in  a  spiritual 
sense  it  has  its  value  for  every  age  of  the  Church  '. 

After  what  has  now  been  said,  it  will  be  hardly  necessary  to  suggest  to  the  reader  the  reason 
why  so  much  stress  is  laid  in  the  Chronicles  on  the  solemn  Passovers  held  at  Jerusalem  by  the  good 
Kings  Hezekiah  and  Josiah  (only  one  of  which  has  a  cursory  notice  in  the  Kings  ^),  and  on  their 
zealous  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  and  its  religious  service '.  In  the  time  of  the 
writer  of  the  Kings,  the  Temple  lay  in  ruins,  and  the  Passover  could  no  longer  be  duly  celebrated ; 
but  in  the  days  of  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles,  the  Temple  had  risen  again,  and  the  annual  feast 
of  the  Passover,  which  could  only  be  kept  aright  at  Jerusalem,  had  been  celebrated  afresh '". 

The  appointed  ordinances  of  the  Visible  Church  of  God,  its  Scriptures  and  its  Ritual,  were 
thenceforth  to  be  the  spiritual  nourishment  of  His  People,  even  till  the  Coming  of  Christ.  It  was 
therefore  a  fitting  season  to  remind  them  of  the  zeal  w^hich  had  been  shown  by  such  good  Kings 
as  Hezekiah  and  Josiah  for  the  observance  of  the  Law  and  the  Levitical  Ritual,  which  were 
preparatory  for  Christ,  Who  is  the  true  Passover,  and  Who  came  to  fulfil  the  Law. 

Other  instances  might  be  cited,  in  which  a  reference  to  the  times  in  which  the  Books  of  Kings 

'  1  Kings  vii.  2.                                  '^  1  Kiugs  x.  18 — 20.  on  the  passage,  an  application  which,  mutatis  mutandis,  may  be 

»  1  Kings  X.  5.  21.  extended  beyond  the  Church  of  England  to  the  whole  Catholic 

*  1  Kings  xii.  xiii.  xvi.  32.     2  Kings  xvii.  10.  Church. 

'  See  on  1  Chrou.  xii.,  a  recox-d  peculiar  to  Chi-onicles.  »  2  Kings  xxiii.  21. 

«  See  2  Chron.  xiii.  4—12.      .  9  2  Chron.  xxx.  xxxi.  xxxv. 

'  See  Soaker's  application  of  it,  as  quoted  below,  in  the  notes  '"  See  the  history  in  Ezra  vi.  22. 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHRONICLES.  xix 

and  Chronicles  were  written  respectively,  would  be  found  to  throw  much  light  upon  what  some 
have  called  their  discrepancies,  but  which  ought  rather  to  be  called  their  adjustments  to  each  other 
and  to  the  circumstances  of  the  age  in  which  they  were  respectively  produced. 

Some  critics  have  called  in  question  the  narrative  in  the  Chronicles  of  King  Manasseh's 
deportation  to  Babylon,  and  of  his  repentance  there,  and  return  to  Jerusalem  \  These  incidents 
they  observe,  are  not  mentioned  in  the  Kings ;  and  they  assert  that  they  would  not  have  been 
omitted  if  they  were  true,  and  that  they  must  therefore  be  regarded  as  false  ^. 

If  the  Kings  and  Chronicles  had  been  written  by  ordinary  historians,  there  might  be  some 
ground  for  such  allegations  as  these.  But  these  Books  form  a  part  of  the  Sacred  Canon  of 
Scripture,  which  was  received  by  Jesus  Christ.  The  Holy  Ghost,  Who  inspired  the  Writers 
of  Scripture,  knows  when  to  speak,  and  when  to  be  silent.  There  is  inspiration  in  His  silence 
as  well  as  in  His  speech.  He  reserved  for  the  Chronicles  the  record  of  Manasseh's  deportation  to 
Babylon,  and  his  repentance,  as  most  appropriate  for  insertion  there,  in  order  that  those  who  were 
the  first  readers  of  the  Chronicles  might  see,  in  all  its  freshness,  a  lively  portraiture  of  themselves. 
They  too  had  been  carried  to  Babylon,  as  Manasseh  was ;  they  also  had  humbled  themselves  at 
Babylon,  and  had  repented  and  returned  to  Jerusalem,  as  he  did.  Therefore,  let  them  not  be  like 
Amon  his  son,  who  died  miserably  in  his  sins  ^  and  of  whom  it  is  not  said  that  he  slept  with  his 
fathers  ;  but  let  them  profit  by  Manasseh's  example ;  and  then  God  would  bless  them,  and  they 
would  sleep  with  their  fathers  at  Jerusalem  in  a  joyful  hope  of  resurrection,  as  Manasseh  did. 

One  word  more  on  this  topic. 

The  Historian  of  the  Chronicles  has  been  taxed  with  exaggeration  and  with  an  inordinate  love 
of  the  marvellous,  because  he  relates  those  illustrious  deliverances  and  victories  of  Judah  under 
Kings  Asa  ^  and  Jehoshaphat '",  which  are  recorded  in  his  narrative,  but  not  in  the  Books  of  Kings. 

If  these  deliverances  had  been  really  wrought,  and  if  these  victories  had  been  achieved,  they 
could  not,  it  is  said  by  some,  have  been  omitted  by  the  writer  of  the  Kings ;  and  therefore  it  is 
inferred  by  such  critics,  that  they  are  not  true,  or  have  been  decked  out  in  a  legendary  dress  by 
the  writer  of  the  Chronicles,  in  order  to  gratify  the  national  pride  of  his  countrymen. 

But  if  the  marvellous  deliverances  of  Judah  are  to  be  disbelieved  because  they  are  marvellous, 
then  the  history  of  the  Kings  must  be  rejected  as  well  as  that  of  the  Chronicles ;  for  the  former 
as  well  as  the  latter  relates  the  extraordinary  deliverance  of  Judah  from  Sennacherib,  and  the 
sudden  destruction  of  his  army  ^  Indeed,  the  record  of  that  destruction  in  the  Kings  is  far  more 
astonishing  than  the  parallel  history  in  the  Chronicles.  We  must  part  with  the  Pentateuch  also, 
and  with  the  Books  of  Joshua,  Judges,  and  Samuel. 

It  may  also  be  observed,  that  the  author  of  the  Chronicles  gives  a  much  fuller  account  of  the 
ignominious  degradation  of  Jerusalem  and  Judah,  and  of  its  King  Rehoboam  for  their  sins,  under 
the  victorious  arms  of  Shishak,  King  of  Egypt,  than  is  found  in  the  Books  of  Kings  ^ 

And  further,  there  was  a  wise  reason  for  the  reservation  of  the  record  of  such  deliverances  and 
victories  as  those  of  Asa  and  Jehoshaphat,  for  the  days  of  the  Chronicles. 

When  the  Books  of  Kings  were  written,  Judah  was  dispersed ;  but  when  the  Chronicles  were 
written,  Judah  had  been  restored  to  Jerusalem.  It  would  have  been  of  comparatively  little  use  for 
dispersed  Judah  to  read  of  such  victories.  But  Judah,  when  it  was  restored  to  Jerusalem,  needed 
all  the  encouragement  which  could  be  derived  from  them.  When  that  feeble  remnant  was  gathered 
together  at  Jerusalem,  and  was  beleagured  by  surrounding  enemies,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Ezra 
and  Nehemiah  ^,  when  the  Chronicles  were  written,  then  was  a  fitting  time  for  encouraging  them 
to  trust  in  God,  and  to  worship  Him  in  His  Temple,  and  for  cheering  their  hearts  with  records 
of  the  wonderful  achievements  which  God  had  wrought  for  Judah  with  weak  instruments,  under 
the  good  Kings  Asa  and  Jehoshaphat,  who  clave  to  Him  with  faith  and  resorted  to  Him  with 
prayer.  They  would  learn  from  these  histories,  that  the  God  of  Judah  was  still  the  same  God  Who 
had  delivered  their  fathers  out  of  Egypt,  and  rescued  them  from  the  hand  of  Pharaoh  and  from  the 
waters  of  the  Red  Sea  with  a  mighty  Hand,  and  had  overwhelmed  their  enemies  in  its  waters,  and 
Who  had  fought  for  them  in  the  days  of  Joshua,  the  Judges,  and  Samuel ;  and  they  would  be 
moved  to  look  up  to  Him  with  faith  and  hope  in  all  their  dangers  and  adversities. 

Above  all,  such  deliverances  and  victories  as  these, — from  the  time  of  the  Exodus  of  Israel 
to  the  day  of  their  restoration, — were  designed  to  exercise  the  faith  of  all  true  children  of  Abraham 

1  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  18—19.  «  2  Chron.  xx.  1—30. 

2  So  Q-ramberg,  Winer,  Ritzlg,  &o.  6  2  Chron.  xxxii.  1—21. 

3  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  21—24..  ^  Cp.  2  Chron.  xii.  1—12  with  1  Kings  xiv.  25—28. 
«  2  Chron.  xiv.  9—15.  8  See  Neh.  iv.  vi. 


XX 


INTHODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 


in  the  still  more  marvellous  victory  and  deliverance  which  were  foreshadowed  by  them,  and  which 
were  to  be  accomplished  for  them  and  for  all  Mankind  by  the  great  Conqueror  of  their  spiritual 
enemies,  and  mighty  Deliverer  from  their  hand, — the  divine  Restorer  of  Israel,  the  promised 
Seed  of  Abraham,  Judah,  and  David, — Jesus  Christ. 

Let  us  now  pass  on  to  offer  some  remarks  on  the  chronological  arrangement  of  this  period  of 
Jewish  History. 

In  the  Books  of  Kings,  the  duration  of  the  reign  of  each  King  of  Judah  and  of  Israel  is 
specified ;  and  the  commencement  of  the  reign  of  each  King  of  Israel  is  stated,  according  to  the 
year  of  the  reign  of  the  contemporary  king  of  Judah,  and  vice  versa. 

These  statements  afford  considerable  help  for  the  determination  of  the  Chronology,  but  they 
are  couj)led  with  the  circumstance  that  the  sum  of  the  reigns  of  the  individual  kings  is,  as  a  rule, 
greater  than  the  duration  of  their  reigns  according  to  the  synchronistic  data  of  the  contemporary 
Rulers  of  the  other  kingdom.  Chronologers  have  sought  to  reconcile  these  differences  by  the 
assumption  of  co-regencies  and  interregnums.  The  necessity  of  these  assumptions  in  certain  cases 
is  proved.  But  co-regencies  and  interregnums  ought  only  to  be  supposed  where  such  indications 
of  them  appear  in  the  Sacred  Text.  And  it  will  be  found  that  most  of  the  discrepancies  mentioned 
may  be  removed  by  the  application  of  a  rule  *  which  is  mentioned  in  the  Talmud,  viz.,  that  the 
years  of  the  kings  are  reckoned  from  Nisan  to  Nisan,  and  that  even  a  single  day  before  or  after 
Nisan  is  reckoned  as  a  whole  year  ".  This  mode  of  calculation  shows  itself  in  the  New  Testament, 
for  example,  in  the  assertion  that  after  three  days,  or  on  the  third  day,  Jesus  arose  from  the  dead ; 
and  also  in  the  writings  of  Josephus.  This  principle  ought  to  be  applied  to  Ancient  Hebrew 
History. 

In  the  kingdom  of  Judah  no  interregnums,  and  only  one  co-regency  (that  of  Joram  with  his 
father  Jehoshaphat)  is  clearly  indicated  in  the  text  (2  Kings  viii.  16).  And  in  the  kingdom  of 
Israel  no  co-regency,  but  only  two  interregnums  (the  first  after  Jeroboam  II.,  the  other  between 
Pekah  and  Hosea)  are  certainly  to  be  found. 

If  we  regulate  the  Chronology  of  the  Biblical  Text  according  to  this  principle,  we  obtain  for 
the  period  from  the  separation  of  the  kingdoms  to  the  Babylonish  Captivity,  the  following  Chrono- 
logical Table,  which  has  a  warrant  for  its  accuracy  in  its  accordance  with  the  ascertained  chronological 
data  of  the  Universal  History  of  the  Ancient  World  ^. 

CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

[In  this  Table  the  letter  r,  affixed  to  a  name,  signifies  reigned,  and  the  number  which  follows, 
indicates  tbe  number  of  years  which  he  reigned.] 


Year  from 

tlie  Revolt 

of  the  Ten 

Tribes. 

Kingdom  of  Judah. 

Regnal  year 

of  the  Kings 

of  Judah. 

Kingdom  of  Israel. 

Regnal  year 

of  the  Kings 

of  Israel. 

Other  Kingdoms. 

Years  before 
the  Birth 
of  Christ. 

1 

18 
20 
22 
23 

45 
46 
46 

Rehoboam  r.  17  yr;  . 

Abijah  r.  3  yrs.     .     . 
Asa  r.  41  yrs.  .     .     . 

1 

2 
3 

26 

27 
27 

Jeroboam  r.  22  yrs.  . 

Nadab  r.  2  yrs.     .     . 
Baasba  r.  24  yrs.  .    . 

Elah  r.  2  yrs.  .     .     . 

Zimri  r.  7  dys.      .     . 

Tibni    and    Omri    r. 

4  yrs 

1 

18 
20 

Shishak,  Kingof  Egypt, 
plunders  Jerusalem 

Zerah,  tbe  Etbiopiau 
Benhadad  I.  in  Syria 

975 

971 
957 
955 
953 
952 
940 
939 
930 
929 

929 

*  This  is  observed  by  Keil,  Kommentar.  p.  139,  Leipzig,  1865. 

2  Gemara  Babylon.  Tract  Sashaneh  ;  "  Non  numerant  Reges 
nisi  a  Nisano."  Nisanus  initium  anni  regibus,  ac  dies  quidem 
unu  sin  anno  instar  anni;  "unus  dies,  in  fine  anni,  pro  anno 
computatur." 

^  Not  only  with  the  usual  reckoning  of  time  in  Archhp. 
Ussher's  Annales,  but  also  with  the  Astronomical  Data  of  the 
history  of  Antiquity.  For  the  fourth  year  of  Joiakim,  with 
which  the  exile,  or  seventy  years'  Babylonish  Captivity,  begins. 


coincides  with  the  twenty-first  year  of  Nabopolassar's  reign,  in 
whose  fifth  year  was  an  eclipse  of  the  moon,  which,  according 
to  Meier's  Calculation,  occurred  on  the  22nd  April,  B.C.  621. 
Accordingly,  the  twenty-first  year  of  Nabopolassar's  reign,  in 
which  he  died,  coincides  with  B.C.  605,  and  the  first  capture  of 
Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  which  took  place  before  Nabo- 
])olassar's  death,  occurred  B.C.  606.  Cp.  Niebuhr,  Gesch. 
Assurs,  pp.  5.  47.  83  {Keil).  As  to  the  questions  of  interregnums 
and  co-regencies,  see  Clinton,  Fasti  Hell.  i.  316. 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHRONICLES. 


XXI 


Year  from 

the  Revolt 

of  the  Ten 

Tribes. 


50 


57 

61 


78 
79 


86 

91 

92 

98 
119 
135 


137 
151 
165 

192 

203 
204. 
204 

215 
216 

217 


233 


236 

245 
24S 
254, 


261 


277 


332 
334, 


365 


365 
369 


Kingdom  of  Judah. 


Jehosbapbat  r.  25  yrs. 


Joi'am,  witb  bis  fa- 
tber,  2  yrs.  .     .     . 

Jebosbapbat  dies : 
and  Joram  r.  6 
yrs.  more  .... 

Abaziab  r.  1  yr.   .     . 

Atbaliab    usurps  tbe 

kingdom,  6  yrs. 
Joasb  r.  40  yrs.    .     . 


Amaziab  r.  29  yrs.    . 

Azariab,    or   Uzziab, 
r.  52  yrs.      .     .     . 


Jotham  r.  16  yrs. 

Abaz  r.  16  yrs.     .  . 

Hezekiab  r.  29  yrs.  . 

Manasseb  r.  55  yrs.  . 


Amon  r.  2  yrs. 
Josiab  r.  31  yrs. 


Jeboabaz  r.  3  mtbs. 


Jeboiakim  r.  11  yrs. . 
Beginning    of    Cap- 
tivity   


Regnal  year 

of  the  Kings 

of  Judah. 


31 


38 


17 
18 

(23) 


22 
37 


15 


(27) 

38 
39 
39 

50 
52 


4 

12 

6 


Kingdom  of  Israel. 


Omri  alone  r.  8  yrs. 
Abab  r.  22  yrs.     . 


Abaziab  r.  2  yrs. 
Joram  r.  12  yrs. 


Jebu  r.  28  yrs. 

Jeboabaz  r.  17  yrs. 
\  Jeboasb  r.  16  yrs. 


Jeroboam  II.  r.  41  yrs. 


Jeroboam  dies .     . 
Anareby  11  yrs. 
Zecbariab  r.  6  mtbs- 
Sballum  r.  1  mtb. 
Menabem  r.  10  yrs. 

Pekabiab  r.  2  yrs.  . 
Pekab  r.  20  yrs.  . 


Pekab  dies.  Aiiarcby 
8i  yrs 

Hosbea  r.  9  yrs.    .     . 

Downfall  of  tbe  King- 
dom of  Israel    .     . 


Regnal  year 

of  the  Kings 

of  Israel. 


7 
12 


2 

15? 


2 
17 


other  Kingdoms. 


Etbbaal,  King  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon. 

Benbadad  II.,  King 
of  Syria  .... 

Hazael,  King  of  Syria. 

Benbadad  III.,  King 
of  Syria. 

Pul,  King  of  Assyria. 

Foundation  of  Rome . 
Nabonassar,  era  of    . 

Kingdom  -of  Syria 
destroyed     •     • 

Tiglath-pileser,  King 
of  Assyria     .     .     . 

So,  King  of  Egypt    . 

Sbalmaneser,  King  of 
Assyria     .... 

Sargon,  King  of  As- 
syria. 

*  Sennacberib,  King 
of  Assyria,  besieges 
Jerusalem.  Mero- 
dacb-Baladan'smes- 
sage  to  Hezekiab  . 

Esarbaddon  sends  co- 
lonists to  Samaria. 


Years  before 
the  Birth 
of  Christ. 


Nabopolassar,  King  of 
Babylon 


Battle    of 
against 
necbob 


Megiddo 
Pharaob- 


Battle  of  Carcbemisb, 
and  conquest  of 
Jerusalem  by  Ne- 
bucbadnezzar    . 

Nabopolassar  dips 


918 
914 


897 
896 


891 


889 
884 


883 
877 
856 
840 


838 
824 

810 

783 

772 
771 
771 

760 
759 
758 
753 

747 

742 

740 

739 

730 

727 

721 


714 
698 


643 
641 


626 


610 
610 


606 
605 


*  For  valuable  aid  in  illustrating  tbe  bistory  of  tbe  Kings 
of  Israel  and  Judab,  who  were  brougbt  into  contact  with 
Assyrian  or  Babylonish  princes,  I  have  been  indebted  to  the 
learned  labours  of  Sir  Henry  C.  Rawlinson,  and  tbe  Rev. 
George  Rawlinson,  Camden  Professor  of  Ancient  History, 
Author  of  "  Tbe  Five  Great  Monarchies  of  tbe  Ancient  Eastern 
Worlds."  Vols.  ii.  and  iii.  London,  1864-5;  and  to  tbe 
valuable  work,  entitled,  "  Les  Fastes  de  Sargon,"  published  by 
Oppert  and   Menant.     Paris,  1863.     Oppert,  Inscriptions  des 


Sargonides.  Versailles,  1862.  Tbe  cuneiform  inscriptions  from 
Assyrian  and  Babylonian  monuments,  in  the  British  Museum, 
have  been  published  in  three  volumes,  folio,  by  Mr.  Layard, 
and  Sir  H.  C.  Rawlinson,  1851,  1861  and  1866. 

If  I  have  ventured  to  demur  to  some  of  the  conclusions  of 
these  distinguished  authorities  (see  on  2  Kings  xviii.  13,  com- 
pared witb  2  Chron.  xxxii.  1 ;  and  on  2  Kings  xxiu.  29,  com- 
pared with  2  Cbron.  xxxv.  20),  it  has  been  with  great  reluctance, 
and,  I  trust,  not  without  due  consideration. 


xxu 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 


Year  from  the 
Revolt  of  the 
Ten  Trihes. 


376 
376 

387 


Kingdom  of  Judah. 


Jcboiacliiu  o\  3  mtlifs. 
Zcdekiali  r.  11  yrs. 


Destruction  of  Jerusalem 
Jehoiachin's  exaltation 
End  of  the  Captivity  .     . 


Other  Kingdoms. 


Second  Conquest  of  Jerusalem,    and 
Deportation 


Pliaraoli  HopLrah,  King  of  Egypt. 


Evil-merodach    . 
Cyrus  reigns  alone 


Years  before 
the  Birth  of 

Clnist. 


599 
599 

588 
5G2 
536  1 


It  is  a  remarkable  circumstance,  not  easy  to  be  accomited  for,  that  not  a  single  chapter  of  the 
Books  of  Chronicles  is  appointed  to  be  publicly  read  in  our  Churches  ;  and  it  is  much  to  be  wished, 
that  if  our  Calendar  is  ever  revised  and  enlarged  by  an  addition  of  Proper  Lessons  for  a  third 
service,  especially  on  Sundays,  the  greater  part  of  the  Chronicles  should  be  enjoined  to  be  read 
in  the  Church  of  England. 

The  present  portion  of  this  Work  completes  the  Editor's  Commentary  on  the  Historical  Books 
of  the  Old  Testament. 

On  reviewing  the  course  which  has  been  traversed  in  this  exposition,  he  may  perhaps  be 
allowed  to  place  on  record  here  some  of  the  sentiments  which  it  suggests.  He  has  not  willingly 
shrunk  from  the  examination  of  any  difficulties,  that  have  been  alleged  from  any  quarter,  against 
the  Sacred  Narrative,  from  the  first  verse  in  Genesis  to  the  last  verse  in  Esther ;  and,  though  it 
would  be  presumptuous  in  him  to  imagine  that  he  has  been  able  to  ofier  the  right  solution  of  all 
those  difficulties,  yet  he  feels  it  due  to  others,  and  to  himself,  and,  above  all,  to  the  Word  of  God, 
to  make  here  a  solemn  avowal,  in  His  awful  presence,  that,  so  far  from  being  in  any  way  shaken 
in  a  belief  in  the  veracity  and  inspiration  of  those  Books  by  any  of  the  objections  that  have  been 
urged  against  them,  the  examination  of  those  objections  has  served,  on  the  contrary,  to  shed  new 
lustre  upon  those  Books,  and  to  confirm  his  belief  in  their  Divine  origin. 

These  difficulties  have  also  had  the  salutary  effect  of  raising  the  eyes  of  the  Expositor,  and 
(it  may  be  hoped)  of  the  reader  also,  to  Christ.  Christ  knew  all  the  difficulties  that  ever  have 
been,  or  ever  will  be  raised  against  the  Historical  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.  And  yet  when 
He  was  upon  earth.  He  publicly  communicated  with  the  Jews  in  receiving  these  Books  as  given 
by  inspiration  of  God.  He  took  part  with  them  in  their  Synagogues  in  reading  and  in  expounding 
these  Books  as  Divine  Oracles ;  and  He  has  commanded  us  to  receive  them  as  such.  Whatever 
difficulties  men  may  find  in  them,  vanish  in  the  presence  of  His  Omniscience ;  they  are  dissolved  in 
the  crucible  of  the  Faith  which  believes  Christ  to  be  God. 

Something  may  be  added  here  on  the  method  of  exposition  adopted  in  these  Volumes. 

Some  persons  shrink  with  a  sensitive  apprehension  from  all  sj)iritual  interpretations  of  the 
historical  narratives  of  the  Old  Testament. 

The  writer  of  the  present  Commentary  sympathizes  with  them  fully  in  their  dislike  of  such 
interpretations,  whenever  those  interpretations  tend  in  the  least  degree  to  undermine  the  historical 
truth  of  the  Sacred  Becords.  Nothing  can  be  more  repugnant  to  the  principles  of  sound  and 
sober  exposition,  or  more  disastrous  and  dangerous  to  the  faith,  than  that  allegorical  method  of 
interpretation,  which  explains  away  the  letter  of  Scripture,  and  dissolves  its  historical  facts  into 
metaphorical  figures '. 

Besides,  whenever  the  spiritual  method  of  interpretation  is  used^  not  as  food  for  pious  medita- 
tion, but  for  the  purpose  of  proving  any  doctrine  which  is  not  clearly  delivered  in  the  plain 
places  of  Scripture,  then  it  is  erroneously  applied,  and  such  application  is  to  be  strongly 
condemned. 

These  precautionary  principles  being  duly  recognized  and  avowed,  we  need  not  however 
hesitate  to  affirm,  that,  even  for  the  sake  of  maintaining  the  historical  truth  of  Holy  Scripture,  the 
Expositor  is  bound  not  to  confine  himself  to  the  letter  of  Scripture  ;  he  is  imperatively  obliged  not 


'  The  dates  in  the  foregoing  Table  are  not  offered  as  unques- 
tionable, but  as  approximations  to  the  truth.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  dates  given  in  the  margin  of  our  Authorized  Version,  and 
which  correspond  very  nearly  with  the  results  here  obtained,  have 
not  been  disturbed  from  their  place  in  this  edition  of  that  text. 


"  Perhaps  the  present  writer  may  be  allowed  to  refer  to 
the  protest  which  he  made  against  that  method  of  Inter- 
pretation twenty  years  ago,  in  bis  letters  to  M.  Gondon 
Letter  vi. 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHRONICLES.  xxlil 

to  debar  himself  and  his  readers  from  such  reverent  use  of  the  spiritual  method  as  the  Scripture 
itself  prescribes  for  adoption. 

The  Holy  Spirit  in  the  New  Testament  plainly  teaches  and  commands  us  to  behold  Christ 
prefigured  in  the  Old ;  and  He  declares  that  the}'-  who  do  not  see  Christ  in  the  Old  Testament, 
do  not  understand  its  meaning. 

The  Apostle  St.  Paul '  affirms,  that  the  most  learned  among  the  Jews  "  did  not  hwiv  "  (that  is 
did  not  comprehend)  "  the  voices  of  the  prophets,"  which  were  read  in  their  synagogues  every 
Sabbath  day ;  and  that  "  they  fulfilled  those  Scriptures  by  condemning  Him  "  of  AVhom  the  prophets 
wrote.  The  Apostle  affirms  that  a  veil  was  on  their  hearts  in  the  reading  of  the  Old  Testament ',  and  he 
does  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  the  "  letter  of  Scripture  "  (that  is,  the  letter  taken  by  itself)  "  killeth,  but 
the  Sjjirit  giveth  Jife^ ;"  and  that  the  manner  in  which  the  Spirit  giveth  life,  is  by  enabling  the  inner 
eje  to  see  Christ  in  the  Old  Testament :  or,  in  the  Apostle's  words,  "  the  veil  is  done  away  in  Christ, 
in  the  Old  Testament :  When  the  heart  turneth  to  the  Lord,  then  the  veil  is  taken  away  from  it." 

The  Apostle  applies  this  principle  of  exposition  to  sundry  passages  of  the  Old  Testament, 
and  thus  puts  into  our  hands  the  key  for  interpreting  it.  By  saying  that  "  Christ  our  Passover 
is  sacrificed  ■*,"  he  unlocks  the  history  of  the  Passover  and  of  the  Exodus,  and  enables  us  to  see 
their  inner  meaning ;  by  teaching  us,  that  whatever  happened  to  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness 
was  written  for  our  learning,  and  that  they  were  rxmoi  '^/uumv,  figures  of  us^,  he  unfolds  the 
true  meaning  of  the  manna,  of  the  smitten  rock,  and  of  the  streams  flowing  in  dry  places.  Christ 
Himself  had  prepared  the  way  for  this  spiritual  method  of  interpretation  by  declaring  that  He 
Himself  was  prefigured  by  the  Manna  in  the  wilderness  *,  and  by  the  brazen  serpent  lifted  up  on 
the  pole  by  Moses '.  St.  Matthew  does  not  hesitate  to  affirm,  with  a  boldness  which  staggers 
some  modern  critics,  and  which  they  do  not  scruple  to  censure  as  uncritical,  that  the  words  of  the 
Prophet  Hosea,  "  Out  of  Egypt  have  I  called  My  Son,"  found  their  full  accomplishment  in  Christ  ^ ; 
and  that  the  language  of  Jeremiah,  speaking  in  the  first  instance  with  reference  to  the  children 
of  Bethlehem  slain  by  the  Chaldaean  invaders,  had  its  final  fulfilment  in  the  murder  of  the  Innocents 
slain  by  Herod,  the  King  of  Jewry,  at  the  nativity  of  Christ  *. 

These  apostolic  expositions  seem  strange  to  some,  who  derive  all  their  exegetical  skill  from 
grammars  and  lexicons.  But  those  persons,  who  justly  esteem  all  philological  helps  as  essential, 
but  not  as  adequate,  for  true  Scriptural  hermeneutics,  will  welcome  with  gladness  these  specimens 
of  apostolical  interpretation,  as  being  no  other  than  utterances  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  declaring  the 
meaning  of  the  words  which  He  Himself  had  spoken  many  centuries  before  by  the  voices  of  the 
prophets  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Such  spiritual  illuminations  as  these  will  serve  to  invest  the  office  of  the  Scriptural  interpreter 
with  a  high  and  holy  dignity.  They  will  be  to  him  like  the  oracular  gems  of  the  Urim  and 
Thummin  on  the  breastplate  of  Aaron,  in  which  he  will  see  the  sparkles  of  the  Divine  mind.  The 
interpreter  of  Holy  Scripture,  who  has  received  a  spiritual  unction,  streaming  down  upon  him 
from  Christ  Himself,  through  His  Apostles,  is  consecrated  to  be  a  priest  of  God ;  he  is  clad,  as  it 
were,  with  a  holy  ephod,  and  is  admitted  to  communings  with  the  Most  High  ;  he  is  received 
within  the  veil  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  and  sees  the  glory  of  God  enthroned  on  the  Ark  between  the 
cherubim.  And  why  ?  Because  it  is  his  firm  belief  that  Christ  is  the  Incarnate  God ;  that  He 
existed  from  eternity  ;  that  He,  the  everlasting  Logos,  or  Word,  is  in  very  deed  the  Author  of  the 
written  Word ;  that  He  sent  Moses,  and  was  in  Moses,  and  spake  by  him ;  that  He  sent  all  the 
Prophets,  and  was  in  them,  and  spake  by  them.  For  what  does  St.  Peter  say  ?  He  affirms  that 
the  old  Prophets  inquired  and  "  searched  diligently  what  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  which  was  in  them, 
did  signify  "."  St.  Peter  says  that  the  Spirit,  which  was  in  the  Prophets,  was  the  Spirit  of  Christ. 
And  thed  Spirit,  he  asserts,  testified  of  Christ,  of  His  sufierings,  and  the  glory  that  should  follow. 
"The  prophets,"  says  S.  Ignatius",  "lived  Christ-ward"  {Kara  Xpcarov e^fjaav)  :  their  whole  heart 
was  toward  Him ;  He  was  their  pole-star.  Or,  to  adopt  another  image  hallowed  by  Christian 
Antiquity,  the  blood  of  Christ,  sprinkled  once  for  all  on  the  Mercy-seat  of  the  heavenly  Holy 
of  Holies,  is  the  central  object  to  which  the  two  kneeling  cherubim  of  the  two  Testaments  are  ever 
bending  their  faces,  and  looking  downward  with  perpetual  adoration. 

The  battle  which  the  Church  of  Christ  has  to  fight  in  our  own  day  on  this  great  field  of 

1  Acts  xiii.  27.  2  2  Cor.  iii.  14.  ^  2  Cor.  iii.  6.  «  1  Cor.  x.  11.  6  John  vi.  58. 

^  1  Cor.  V.  7.     Cp.  John  xix.  36,  where  the   same  thing  is  '  John  iii.  14.  ^  Matt.  ii.  15. 

assumed  by  St.  John  :  "These  things  were  done,  that  the  Scrip-  9  Matt.  ii.  18.  '"  1  Pet.  i.  11.      • 

lure  (Exod.  xii.  46)  might  be  fulfilled,   'A  bone  of  Him  sliall  not  i'  <S.  Ignatius,  Epist.  ad  Magnes.  c.  8. 
be  broken.'  " 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  KINGS 

Scriptural  interpretation,  was  fonglit  by  the  Church  of  God  in  early  times.  St.  Paul,  as  we 
have  seen,  boldly  told  the  Hebrew  Eabbis  that  they  did  not  understand  the  Scriptures  which 
they  held  in  their  hands,  and  that  they  never  would  understand  them  till  they  saw  Christ  in  them. 
In  the  second  century  Justin  Martyr  proclaimed  the  same  truth  with  almost  apostolic  power  against 
Tr3rpho  the  Jew,  at  Ephesus.  It  was  shown  by  the  most  eloquent  of  the  Latin  fathers— the  great 
African  Apologist — TertuUian,  that  if  the  Old  Testament  was  to  be  maintained  against  the  Mar- 
cionite  heretics,  who  disparaged  and  vilified  it,  it  was  by  illuminating  the  dim  characters  of  the 
Levitical  law  with  the  golden  sunshine  of  Evangelical  light,  and  by  encircling  the  heads  of  the 
typical  heroes  of  Jewish  history  with  bright  aureolas  and  effulgent  halos  of  spiritual  glory, 
reflected  from  the  New  Testament.  The  mysteries  of  the  Levitical  law  were  unfolded  with  holy 
eloquence  in  the  treatises  of  S.  Cyril  of  Alexandria,  especially  in  his  grand  work  on  "  Adoration  in 
Spirit  and  Truth."  The  history  of  the  Old  Testament  was  unfolded  with  fervid  faith  and  keen 
spiritual  insight  into  its  inner  meaning  by  the  great  African  father  and  bishop,  S.  Augustine, 
especially  in  his  vindication  of  the  Old  Testament  against  the  cavils  of  Faustus  the  Manichsean,  and 
in  his  last  great  work,  "  On  the  City  of  God." 

I  am  not  prepared  to  vindicate  all  that  S.  Augustine  wrote  on  this  subject.  Some  allowance 
must  be  made  for  his  temperament  and  for  his  age ;  and  doubtless  modern  Criticism  may  render 
some  service  in  chastening  the  luxuriant  exuberance  of  Origenistic  and  Augustinian  allegory.  But 
we  need  not  hesitate  to  say  that  S.  Augustine's  method  of  interpretation  was  the  right  one,  and  that 
it  is  the  only  one  which  can  stand  the  attacks  of  that  modern  Manichaeanism  which  is  now  rife 
among  us.  There  never  was  a  truer  saying  than  that  uttered  by  him,  "  If  you  find  a  difficulty  in 
Holy  Scripture,  consider  it  with  reference  to  Christ,  and  you  will  probably  find  the  solution  there  \" 
And  again,  "  In  the  Old  Testament  the  New  is  enfolded,  and  the  Old  is  unfolded  in  the  New," 
"  In  Vetere  Testamento  Novum  latet,  in  Novo  Vetus  patet  ^."  And  again,  ''  Almost  every  page 
of  the  Old  Testament  speaks  of  Christ  and  His  Church  ^."  What,  for  example,  is  the  history  of 
Abraham  to  us,  if  we  do  not  see  Christ  in  it  ?  What  is  the  narrative  of  the  sacrifice  on  Moriah,  if 
we  do  not  see  Christ  there  ?  What  is  the  history  of  Isaac,  if  we  do  not  see  Christ  there  ?  If  we 
read  these  histories  without  Christ,  they  will  make  us  sceptics.  How  many  incidents  there  are 
in  the  histories  of  the  patriarchs,  especially  of  Jacob,  which  to  many  ordinary  readers  seem  trivial, 
petty,  and  even  offensive  and  repulsive,  and  which  must  appear  utterly  unworthy  to  be  recounted  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  if  they  are  looked  at  with  that  purblind  Criticism  which  is  a  slave  of  the 
letter.  Doubtless  these  incidents  are  literally  true,  but  if  they  are  nothing  more,  the  document 
which  contains  them  will  assuredly  be  disparaged  as  unworthy  of  God.  But  let  these  histories  be 
read  by  the  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit  by  Whom  they  were  written,  and  they  will  acquire  new  life  and 
beauty.  They  will  be  like  the  bodies  of  Moses  and  Elias  on  the  holy  mountain,  and  will  be  trans- 
figured with  the  glory  of  Christ.  What  again  is  the  Exodus  to  us,  if  it  is  to  be  regarded  only  as  the 
emigration  of  a  population  not  so  large  as  that  of  London  to  a  country  not  so  great  as  three  or  four 
English  counties  ?  What  is  all  this  to  us,  if  we  do  not  see  Christ  there,  as  St.  Paul  did,  who  says 
that  Moses  "  esteemed  the  reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of  Egypt  ■•,"  and  that  the 
Israelites  "tempted  Christ'^  in  the  wilderness^  ?  What  is  all  this  to  us,  if  we  do  not  see  Christ's  universal 
Church  there  ?  What,  again,  is  the  laborious  and  complex  apparatus  of  the  whole  Levitical  ritual 
without  Christ  ?  But  loith  Christ,  it  is  justified,  sanctified,  glorified.  How  wonderfully  is  the  com- 
posite universality  and  manifold  and  many-sided  completeness  of  the  One  Sacrifice,  offered  once  for 
all  by  Christ  on  the  cross,  foreshadowed  by  the  grouping  and  clustering  together  of  the  various 
kinds  of  sacrifices  prescribed  by  the  Levitical  law !  The  most  perfect  dogmatic  treatise  that  ever 
was  written  on  the  Great  Sacrifice  of  Calvary,  cannot  be  compared  in  clearness  and  beauty  with  the 
typical  pictures  of  it  which  are  presented  to  the  eye  of  faith,  in  the  Levitical  ritual.  That  Levitical 
ritual  is  a  creed  in  types.  If  we  desire  to  contemplate  that  Great  Sacrifice  in  its  expiatory,  propitia- 
tory, and  atoning  character,  we  see  it  in  the  Sin-offering ;  if  we  would  look  at  it  as  a  complete  self- 
dedication,  graciously  accepted  by  God,  we  behold  it  in  the  Burnt-offering  sending  up  a  silver  cloud 
of  fragrant  steam  to  heaven.  If  we  would  regard  Christ's  sacrifice  in  its  eucharistic  character, 
according  to  which  the  justified  worshipper  is  admitted  to  communicate  with  a  reconciled  God,  and 
to  be  a  joyful  guest  feasting  with  Him  in  the  sacrifice,  we  see  it  in  the  Peace-offering.  Again,  can 
any  theological  homily  that  ever  was  composed  on  the  nature  of  Sin,  although  it  may  be  written  with 
the  keenest  insight,  and  with  the  nicest  precision  of  a  subtle  metaphysical  analysis,  be  mentioned  for 

'  S.  Aug.  in  Ps.  xcvi.  -  S.  Aug.  Qusest.  73,  in  Exod.         *  1  Cor.  x.  9. 

'  S.  Avg.  Serm.  46.  *  Heb.  xi.  26. 


AND  TO  THE  BOOKS  OF  CHEONICLES. 


XXV 


a  moment  in  comparison  with  the  picture  which  is  held  up  to  us  of  Sin,  in  its  loathsome  hideousness 
and  foul  deformity,  and  in  its  contaminating  influence,  in  its  corroding  voraciousness  find  cankerino- 
insatiability,  by  the  Book  of  Leviticus,  in  the  description  which  it  presents  to  us  of  Sin's  physical 
type,  the  disease  of  Lepros}^,  and  in  the  laws  of  God  concerning  it  ? 

Again  ;  the  Rationalist  is  staggered  by  what  he  calls  the  prodigal  profusion  and  wanton  waste  of 
miraculous  power  in  the  passage  of  the  Israelites  marching  through  the  Red  Sea  between  two  walls 
of  water,  and  in  the  flowing  back  of  the  river  Jordan  for  several  miles  northward  to  a  place  near  to 
Adam  \  and  in  the  falling  down  prostrate  of  the  walls  of  Jericho,  at  the  sound  of  the  trumpets,  and 
in  the  staying  of  the  solar  light  on  the  hill  of  Gibeon  at  the  prayer  of  Joshua.  And  truly  the 
Rationalist  is  very  rational,  if  we  are  to  read  these  histories  merely  according  to  the  letter,  and  if 
we  are  to  see  nothing  beyond  it.  Reading  the  history  from  his  point  of  view,  the  Rationalist  is 
quite  right ;  but  the  question  is.  Is  his  point  of  view  the  right  one  ?  No,  assuredly  not ;  and  it  is 
to  be  regretted,  that  much  modern  exegesis,  and  many  modern  Jewish  histories,  seem  to  accept 
that  point  of  view  as  the  right  one ;  and  the  consequence  is,  that  some  commentaries  on  Scripture, 
and  some  popular  books  on  Jewish  history,  unintentionally  no  doubt,  but  no  less  certainly,  have 
a  tendency  to  propagate  scepticism. 

How  difierent  was  the  treatment  which  these  Books  of  the  Old  Testament  received  from  the 
ancient  Church  of  God  !  And  therefore  ■svith  regard  to  the  interjjretation  of  Scripture,  it  must  with 
sorrow  be  confessed,  that  great  is  the  decline  of  the  nineteenth  century,  which  boasts  its  intellectual 
illumination.  We  have  gained  a  good  deal  in  philology,  but  how  much  have  we  lost  in  theology  ! 
And  though  doubtless  theology  needs  philology,  what  is  philology  without  theology  ?  A  mere 
cenotaph.  The  expositors  of  the  ancient  Church,  her  Origens,  her  S.  Cyrils,  her  S.  Chrysostoms, 
her  S.  Augustines  were  not  perplexed  by  the  miraculous  phenomena  of  the  Exodus.  And  why  ? 
because  in  the  Exodus  they  had  learnt  to  recognize  not  only  a  true  history,  but  a  spiritual 
adumbration  of  the  greatest  events  that  the  "World  has  ever  seen,  or  ever  can  see ;  events  which 
concern  all  nations,  and  project  their  shadows  forward  over  the  countless  ages  of  Eternity.  They 
there  saw  in  a  figure  the  Death  and  Passion  of  Christ.  They  beheld  His  glorious  Resurrection, 
and  the  deliverance  of  all  Mankind  from  the  grasp  of  Satan ;  and  in  reading  the  Book  of  Joshua " 
they  saw  Mankind  marching  under  the  banner  of  our  Jesus  into  the  Canaan  of  His  Church  militant 
here,  and  they  foresaw  the  glorious  victories  of  His  Church  triumphant  hereafter,  when  the  light 
of  the  Sun  will  be  stayed  at  the  Great  Day,  till  our  Divine  Joshua  has  put  all  His  enemies  under 
His  feet. 

Marvellous  indeed  would  it  have  been,  if  the  first  announcement  and  inauguration  of  such 
events  as  these  had  not  been  accompanied  by  marvels.  The  miracles  which  introduced  these  typical 
events  were  like  voices  of  heralds  preparing  the  world  for  Christ's  Coming,  and  quickening  its 
faith,  and  exciting  it  to  look  forward  to  the  glorious  Antitype.  The  miracles  were  justified  by 
what  they  foretold.  Here,  as  in  many  other  cases,  the  spiritual  interpretation  refutes  Rationalism. 
The  letter  cannot  stand  securely  without  the  spiritual  interpretation ;  which,  so  far  from  undermining 
the  history,  confirms  its  truth. 

And  now  let  these  remarks  be  concluded  with  a  grateful  ascription  of  praise  to  the  Almighty 
Author  and  Giver  of  all  good,  for  the  strength  and  comfort  which  for  many  years  He  has  vouchsafed 
to  bestow  upon  him  who  here  humbly  offers  the  fruits  of  his  labours  in  the  interpretation  of  His  most 
holy  Word,  with  a  fervent  prayer  to  Him  that  He  would  be  pleased  to  shed  upon  them  His  blessing, 
and  to  make  them  subservient  to  His  glory,  and  to  the  edification  of  those  who  love  Him. 

'  See  above,  on  Josh.  iii.  16.  says  that  "there  is  scarcely  an  action  of  Joshua  which  is  not 

*  Bishop  Pearson  on  the  Creed,  Art.  II.,  p.  76,  where  he      clearly  predictive  of  our  Saviour." 

Cloisters,  Westminster  Ahhc]/, 
Nov.  6,  1866. 


THE  FIRST  BOOK  OP  THE  KINGS. 


COMMONLY   CALLED 


THE   THIRD   BOOK   OF   THE   KINGS. 


I.  ^  NOW  king  David  was  old  and  f  stricken  in  years ;  and  they  coYered 
him  with  clothes,  but  he  gat  no  heat.  ^  Wherefore  his  servants  said  unto  him, 
f  Let  there  be  sought  for  my  lord  the  king  f  a  young  virgin :  and  let  her  stand 
before  the  king,  and  let  her  f  cherish  him,  and  let  her  lie  in  thy  bosom,  that 
my  lord  the  king  may  get  heat.  ^  So  they  sought  for  a  fair  damsel  throughout 
all  the  coasts  of  Israel,  and  found  Abishag  a  "  Shunammite,  and  brought  her 


Before 
CHRIST 
1015. 
t  Hel).  enterei, 
into  dai/s. 
+  Heh.'Letthem 
seek. 

i  Heb.  a  damsel, 
a  virgin. 
t  Heb.  be  a 
cherisher  unto 
him. 
a  Josh.  19.  18. 


Preliminaey  Note  to  Chapters  I.  and  II. 

This  portion  of  Scripture,  from  v.  1  to  v.  31,  containing 
the  history  of  David's  old  age,  is  appointed  to  be  read  in  the 
Jewish  Synagogues,  as  a  Proper  Lesson  together  with  Gen. 
xsiii.  1  to  XXV.  18,  which  describes  the  old  age  and  burial  of 
Sarah  and  Abraham ;  and  thus  the  Hebrew  Church  invites  us 
to  connect  the  last  days  of  David  with  those  of  the  Patriarchs. 

Lest  the  reader  of  this  portion  of  Scripture  should  be 
betrayed,  as  some  recent  writers  have  been,  into  a  low  and 
eiToneous  notion  concerning  "  the  last  days  of  David,"  he  is 
requested  to  consider  the  observations  offered  below  upon  it,  in 
the  Preliminary  Note  to  chapters  xxvili.  and  xxix.  of  the  First 
Book  of  Chronicles. 

In  the  first  two  chapters  of  this  Book  of  Kings,  David  is 
represented  as  aged  and  infirm,  but  in  the  concluding  chapters 
of  the  First  Book  of  Chronicles  he  is  displayed  to  us  as  endued 
for  a  time  with  preternatural  vigour.  The  "  outward  man  was 
perishing,  but  the  inward  man  was  renewed  day  by  day  "  (2  Cor. 
iv.  16).  We  there  see  King  David,  ha^^ug  risen  from  his  bed  of 
sickness,  and  having  gone  forth  from  his  chamber,  enthroned 
in  royal  majesty  in  his  Council- chamber  at  Jerusalem,  to  which 
he  had  convoked  the  chief  estates  of  his  kingdom  from  all  parts 
of  Palestine.  We  see  him  exhibiting  to  them  the  divinely  re- 
vealed Pattern  of  the  Temple,  which  was  to  succeed  in  the  place 
of  the  Tabernacle  ;  and  presenting  to  them  his  son  Solomon  as 
his  successor  on  the  throne  of  Israel  and  Judah ;  we  see  him  con- 
summating the  history  of  his  reign  and  life  with  that  glorious 
ascription  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  God,  which  is  contained 
in  the  last  chapter  of  the  First  Book  of  Chronicles.  A  more 
noble  scene  than  that  cannot  be  imagined.  It  displays  a  glori- 
ous triumph  of  spiritual  strength  over  human  weakness.  It 
reveals  also  a  beautiful  gleam  of  the  Divine  King  of  Judah,  Jesus 
Christ,  rising  from  the  weakness  of  death,  and  darkness  of  the 
Grave,  and  emerging  as  it  were  from  old  age  in  David  into 
youth  and  glory  in  Solomon. 

1.  Now"]  Literally,  And.  By  this  conjunction  the  Author 
connects  this  Book  with  the  preceding  {Ewald,  Keil ;  see  above, 
on  Josh.  i.  1.  Judg.  i.  1). 

—  Icing  David  was  old']  About  seventy  years  of  age ;  for 
be  began  to  reign  when  he  was  thii-ty  years  of  age,  and  reigned 
forty  years  (2  Sam  v.  4,  5). 

It  has  been  said  by  some  that  the  phrase  "  King  David " 
does  not  occur  in  the  Books  of  Samuel.  The  truth,  rather,  is 
that  this  phrase  is  not  unfrequent  in  Samuel  (see  2  Sam.  vi.  12. 
16;  vii.  18;  viii.  8.  11;  ix.  5;  xiii.  21;  xvi.  5,  6;  xvii.  17; 
xix.  11) ;  and  by  this  phrase  the  present  book  is  linked  on  to 
the  foregoing  Books  of  Samuel. 

—  stricken  in  gears]     See  Josh.  xiii.  1. 
Vol.  hi.  1 


Abishag  the  Shunammite. 
2,   3.  Let  there  be  sought  for  ing  lord  the  Jcing  a  young 
virgin — So  they  sought  for  a  fair  damsel — and  found  Abishag 
a  (rather  the)  Shunammite. 

David  himself  did  not  devise  what  is  here  recorded ;  it 
was  prescribed  by  his  servants,  the  physicians.  Such  means 
as  these  are  recommended  by  ancient  physicians  (as  Oalen, 
Method.  Medic,  viii.  7.  See  Trusen,  Sitten  u.  Krankh.  d. 
Hebr.  p.  257). 

Abishag  is  a  name  derived  from  Hebr.  ah,  father,  and 
shagag,  to  wander  (Gesen.  6.  Fuerst.  12),  and  it  may  mean, — 
\i\\ose  father  was  a  toanderer  ;  she  was  of  Shuuem  (now  Sulem, 
or  Solam),  in  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  afterwards  part  of  "  Galilee 
of  the  Gentiles;"  see  1  Sam.  xxviii.  4,  where  Shunem  is  men- 
tioned in  connexion  with  Endor,  and  Gilboa;  and  it  was  after- 
wards celebrated  in  the  history  of  Elisha  (2  Kings  iv.  8). 

Abishag  is  regarded  in  Scripture  as  David's  wife  (S.  Je- 
rome ad  Nepotian,  Epist.  34.  Theodoret,  Qu.  5.  Wouvers, 
Diluc.  Qu.  1,  p.  890).  The  sin  of  Adonijah  in  asking  her  of 
Solomon  as  a  wife  for  himself,  cannot  otherwise  be  explained. 
See  ii.  13—22,  and  Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  216. 

This  history  of  Abishag  at  first  sight  may  surprise  and 
perplex  the  reader ;  and  it  may  reasonably  be  asked.  Why  is  it 
inserted  in  Holy  Scripture  ? 

Probably  for  the  following  reasons  : — 

(1)  To  explain  the  subsequent  history  of  Adonijah's  death. 

(2)  Perhaps  also  on  moral  accounts.  David  had  sinned 
by  polygamy  and  adultery.  Bathsheba  and  other  wives  of 
David  were  still  living,  but  their  beauty  had  faded  away. 
David  was  not  more  than  seventy  years  of  age,  but  his  body 
was  enfeebled,  and  had  lost  its  natural  warmth  and  vigour. 
May  we  not  here  recognize  the  vanity  and  weariness  of  sin, 
especially  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh  ?     See  Prov.  xxxi.  3. 

(3)  Besides,  this  physical  feebleness  of  David  served  the 
important  purpose  of  showing  that  the  last  act  of  his  life,  in 
which  he  appears,  not  in  a  sick  chamber,  but  in  the  public 
assembly  of  his  people,  was  due  to  supernatural  power ;  and  it 
is  invested  with  greater  dignity  and  glory  on  that  account.  It 
was  the  act  of  God  in  him.  It  was  the  act  of  David,  the  King 
and  Prophet  of  Israel,  as  a  noble  and  august  Type  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  see  above.  Preliminary  Note  to  this  chapter. 

(4)  If  we  regard  merely  the  letter  of  this  history,  and 
interpret  it  only  according  to  the  letter,  we  fall  short  of  its 
true  meaning.  All  who  receive  "  Holy  Scripture  as  given  by 
inspiration  of  God"  (2  Tim.  iii.  16)  must  feel  convinced  that 
such  an  incident  as  this,  recorded  of  King  David  at  this  the 
closing  scene  of  his  long  and  eventful  reign,  must  also  have  a 
spiritual  significance ; 

B 


\^ 


Ahishag  the  Shunammite. 


1  KINGS  I.  4—11. 


Adonijalis  rebellion. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1015. 


b  2  Sam.  3.  4. 
t  Hel).  reign. 
c  2  Sam.  15.  1. 

t  Heb.  from 
his  days. 

d  2  Sam.  3.  3,  4. 
1  Chron.  3.  2. 
t  Heb.  his  words 
were  with  Joab. 
e  2  Sam.  20.  25. 
fob.  2.  22,  2S. 
+  Heb.  helped 
after  Adonijuh. 

g  ch.  4.  18. 
h  2  Sam.  23.  8. 


II  Or,  The  well 
Rngel,  2  Sam. 
17.  17. 


I  2  Sam.  3.  4. 


to  the  king.  ^  And  the  damsel  was  very  fan-,  and  cherished  the  king,  and 
ministered  to  him  :  hut  the  king  knew  her  not. 

^  Then  ^  Adonijah  the  son  of  Haggith  exalted  himself,  saying,  I  will  f  he 
king :  and  "  he  prepared  him  chariots  and  horsemen,  and  fifty  men  to  run 
hefore  him.  ^  And  his  father  had  not  displeased  him  \  at  any  time  in  saying, 
Why  hast  thou  done  so  ?  and  he  also  loas  a  very  goodly  man;  "^and  his  mother 
hare  him  after  Ahsalom.  ^And  f  he  conferred  with  Joab  the  son  of  Zeruiah, 
and  with  ^  Abiathar  the  priest :  and  ^  they  |  following  Adonijah  helped  him. 
^But  Zadok  the  priest,  and  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  and  Nathan  the 
prophet,  and  ^  Shimei,  and  Kei,  and  ''  the  mighty  men  which  belonged  to  David, 
were  not  with  Adonijah.  ^And  Adonijah  slew  sheep  and  oxen  and  fat  cattle 
by  the  stone  of  Zoheleth,  which  is  by  ||  En-rogel,  and  called  all  his  brethren 
the  king's  sons,  and  all  the  men  of  Judah  the  king's  servants:  ^^But  Nathan 
the  prophet,  and  Benaiah,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  Solomon  his  brother,  he 
called  not. 

1^  Wherefore  Nathan  spake  unto  Bath-sheba  the  mother  of  Solomon,  saying, 
Hast  thou  not  heard  that  Adonijah  the  son  of  '  Haggith  doth  reign,  and  David 


David,  let  us  remember,  is  a  type  of  Christ ;  and  it  has 
been  already  observed  (as  an  important  principle  which  has  not 
been  duly  considered  by  the  \vi-iters  on  Typology),  that  wherever 
the  human  types  fail,  there  the  Divine  Antitype  does  not  fail, 
but  excels.  In  these  respects  the  Divine  Antitype  is  a  contrast 
to  the  Human  Type  (see  above,  Introd.  to  Judges,  p.  79). 

So  it  is  here.  David  had  sinned  by  polygamy  and  adul- 
tery. In  his  last  days,  by  the  advice  of  his  servants,  he  has 
an  Ahisliag  to  cherish  him.  Her  name  seems  to  signify  that 
her  father  was  a  ivanderer ;  she  is  a  fair  vii'gin  from  "  Galilee  of 
the  Oentiles."  He  has  no  children  by  her,  and  she  becomes  an 
occasion  of  death  to  one  of  his  sons,  Adonijah,  and  of  sorrow  to 
his  house. 

But  how  different  is  the  example  of  Christ !  Not  by  any 
human  suggestion,  but  by  the  Divine  counsel,  and  by  His  own 
free  will,  He,  the  true  David,  the  King  of  all  faithful  Israelites, 
espoused  to  Himself  the  Abishag  of  our  fallen  humanity,  which 
had  been  wandering  in  sin  ever  since  the  days  of  Adam  our 
father.  He  betrothed  to  Himself  a  Church  from  the  Shvmem 
of  the  Oentile  world,  and  He  gave  Himself  for  her.  He  did 
not  need  her;  but  He  loveth  and  cherisheth  her  as  His  oivn 
flesh  (Eph.  V.  29) ;  and  by  her  He  has  a  spiritual  offspring  in 
all  nations  of  the  world.  St.  Paul  suggests  this  comparison  by 
adopting  the  word  used  by  the  Septuagint  here  in  v.  4,  where 
it  is  said  that  Abishag  ■^t'  QaXTTOvcra  rhv  fiacnXia.  But  (says 
St.  Paul)  Christ  daXirei  ttjv  'E/c/cATjcriaj'.  Abishag  is  in  a 
certain  sense  a  wife  to  David,  but  is  not  a  mother  by  him ;  but 
of  the  Church  of  Christ  it  is  said  by  David  himself,  "  Hearken, 

0  daughter,  and  consider,  incline  thine  ear,  forget  also  thine 
own  people  and  thy  fathei''s  house.  So  shall  the  king  have 
pleasure  in  thy  beauty.  Instead  of  thy  fathers,  thou  shalt  have 
children  whom  thou  mayest  make  princes  in  all  lands  "  (Ps,  xlv. 
11,  12.  17). 

(5)  In  a  subordinate  sense,  this  history  may  also  be  applied, 
as  it  is  by  some  of  the  Fathers,  to  illustrate  the  condition  of  our 
frail  humanity,  in  its  weariness  and  old  age,  no  longer  deriving 
pleasure  from  carnal  delights,  but  seeking  for  spiritual  com- 
fort to  cherish  us  in  days  of  solitude  and  sorrow,  in  declining 
years.  See  S.  Jerome  ad  Nepotian,  Epist.  34 ;  Prosp.  Aqiiitan. 
de  Prom.  ii.  27 ;  Angelomus  in  Bibl.  Pat.  Max.  xv.  359. 

5.  Adonijah']  The  fourth  son  of  David  (2  Sam.  iii.  4), 
Amnon  being  dead  (2  Sam.  xiii.  29),  and  Absalom  also 
(2  Sam.  xviii.  14),  and  probably  Chileab  (2  Sam.  iii.  2) ;  for  ot 
him  we  hear  nothing.  Adonijah  was  the  eldest  son  now  living, 
and  would  have  had  the  first  claim  to  the  throne,  if  it  had  not 
been  awarded  to  Solomon  by  God  (cp.  v.  13.  30),  as  Adonijah 
himself  owns  (ii.   15)  :  and  see   above,  2    Sam.  xii.   24  j    and 

1  Chron.  xxviii.  5.  Therefore,  Adonijah's  rebellion  was  not 
only  against  David  and  Solomon,  but  also  against  God. 

—  prepared  him  chariots  and  horsemen,  and  fifty  men  to 
run  hefore  him]  As  Absalom  had  done  in  his  rebellion  against 
David  (2  Sam.  xv.  1).  Adonijah's  sin  was  aggravated  by  this 
circumstance,  that  he  was  not  warned  by  Absalom's  fate,  but  he 
imitated  his  example. 
2 


6.  had  not  displeased]  Had  not  grieved  him  by  con-ec- 
tiou  (  Vnlg.,  Sgr.,  Arabic  :  see  Gesen.  646). 

—  at  any  time]  Literally, _/;'oi»  his  days  ;  i.  e.  since  he  was 
born.  It  is  suggested  by  the  sacred  Writer  that  Adonijah's 
rebellion,  like  Absalom's,  was  due  to  too  great  indulgence  on 
the  part  of  his  father;  and  this  was  perhaps  produced  by 
David's  consciousness  of  his  own  failing  "  in  the  matter  of 
Uriah  the  Hittite." 

—  he  also]  That  is,  as  well  as  Absalom  his  brother 
(2  Sam.  xiv.  25). 

—  his  mother  hare  him]  The  words,  his  mother,  are  not  in 
the  original,  but  are  to  be  supplied  from  the  context :  cp. 
Num.  xxvi.  59. 

—  after  Ahsalom]    The  son  of  Maachah  (1  Chron.  iii.  2). 

7.  Joab]  Who  was  disaffected  and  irritated  by  David's 
preference  of  Amasa  (2  Sam.  xix.  13),  and  was  conscious  of 
David's  abhorrence  of  him,  because  he  had  killed  Absalom, 
and  because  he  had  treacherously  murdered  Amasa :  see 
ii.  5. 

—  Ahiathar]  Who  seems  to  have  been  jealous  of  Zadok 
(see  above,  2  Sam.  xv.  24 — 29 ;  xx.  25).  The  rivalry  between 
Abiathar  and  Zadok  may  have  been  occasioned  l)y  the  separa- 
tion of  the  Ark  (which  was  at  Jerusalem)  from  the  Tabernacle, 
which  was  at  Gibeon  (1  Chron.  xvi.  39).  Perhaps  the  one  had 
special  care  of  the  Ark,  and  the  other  of  the  Tabernacle. 
Cp.  HdvernicJc,  Einleit.  i.  566.  573;  and  below,  iii.  4.  1  Chron. 
xxi.  29.  2  Chron.  v.  5.  Bishop  Andrewes  (v.  247,  248)  collects 
the  examples  of  such  combinations  as  these  of  Joab  and  Abiathar 
against  their  lawful  sovereign,  and  observes,  that  "all  who 
have  sought  the  destruction  of  their  kings  have  perished,  and 
gone  to  their  grave  by  some  shameful  death." 

8.  Benaiah]  The  chief  of  the  king's  bodj^-guard  (2  Sam- 
viii.  18 ;  xxiii.  20.     Below,  ii.  35). 

—  Shimei]     Probably  the  son  of  Elah  (iv.  18). 

—  Rei]     Not  otJierwise  known. 

9.  Adonijah  slew  sheep]  Thus  also  imitating  Absalom, 
\vho  began  his  rebellion  with  a  sacrificial  feast  (2  Kings  xv.  12), 
in  order  to  cover  his  sin  with  the  cloak  of  religion,  and  to 
ingratiate  himself  with  those  whom  he  invited  to  the  sacrificial 
banquet. 

—  stone  of  Zoheleth]  Perhaps  stone  of  the  serpent  (Gesen.). 
The  Targwn  renders  it,  "stone  of  the  watch-toiver ;"  the 
Syriac  and  Arabic,  "  the  great  stone."  It  is  supposed  by  some 
to  be  the  rock  at  the  southern  end  of  Wady-el-Euhab,  or  valley 
of  Hinnom  (Schultz). 

—  Un-rogel]  Now  called  the  w^ell  of  Job,  or  Nehemiah, 
which  is  at  the  south-east  of  Jerusalem,  near  the  junction  of 
the  valley  of  Hinnom,  on  the  south-west,  with  that  of  Jeho- 
shaphat  on  the  east,  and  is  the  fairest  and  most  fertile  spot 
near  Jerusalem  (JRobitison,  i.  354.  491).  See  above.  Josh.  xv.  7. 
2  Sam.  xvii.  17.  Josephns  (Antt.  vii.  14.  4)  describes  the  feast 
as  taking  place  at  the  well  in  the  king's  garden. 


David  confirms  the  kingdom 


1  KINGS  I.  12—32. 


to  Solomon  hy  an  oath. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1015. 


our  lord  knowetli  it  not  ?     ^^  Now  therefore  come,  let  me,  I  pray  thee,  give 

thee  counsel,  that  thou  mayest  save  thine  own  life,  and  the  life  of  thy  son 

Solomon.     ^^Go  and  get  thee  in  unto  king  David,  and  say  unto  him,  Didst 

not  thou,  my  lord,  0  king,  swear  unto  thine  handmaid,  saying,  "^ Assuredly  ki chron. 22. 9. 

Solomon  thy  son  shall  reign  after  me,  and  he  shall  sit  upon  my  throne  ?  why 

then  doth  Adonijah  reign  ?     ^^  Behold,  while  thou  yet  talkest  there  with  the 

king,  I  also  mil  come  in  after  thee,  and  f  confirm  thy  words.  +Heb.///«p. 

^^And  Bath-sheha  went  in  unto  the  king  into  the  chamher:  and  the  king 
was  very  old ;  and  Abishag  the  Shunammite  ministered  unto  the  king.     ^^  And 
Bath-sheha  bowed,   and  did  obeisance  unto  the  king.     And  the  king  said, 
f  What  wouldest  thou  ?     ^''  And  she  said  unto  him.  My  lord,  '  thou  swarest  by  t  Heb.  w/.m  to 
the  Lord  thy  God  unto  thine  handmaid,  saying,  Assuredly  Solomon  thy  son  ^  "'''■  ^^'  ^''• 
shall  reign  after  me,  and  he  shall  sit  upon  my  throne.     ^*^And  now,  behold, 
Adonijah  reigneth;  and  now,  my  lord  the  king,  thou  knowest  it  not :  ^^'"And  m  ver.  7,  s,  n,  25. 
he  hath  slain  oxen  and  fat  cattle  and  sheep  in  abundance,  and  hath  called  all 
the  sons  of  the  king,  and  Abiathar  the  priest,  and  Joab  the  captain  of  the  host : 
but  Solomon  thy  servant  hath  he  not  called.     '^^  And  thou,  my  lord,  0  king, 
the  eyes  of  all  Israel  are  upon  thee,  that  thou  shouldest  tell  them  who  shall  sit 
on  the  throne  of  my  lord  the  king  after  him.     ^^  Otherwise  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  when  my  lord  the  king  shall "  sleep  with  his  fathers,  that  I  and  my  son  n  Deut.  31.  \g. 
Solomon  shall  be  counted  f  offenders.  tHeb.s,««m. 

-"And,  lo,  while  she  yet  talked  ^\ath  the  king,  Nathan  the  prophet  also  came 
in.     -2  And  they  told  the  king,  saying.  Behold  Nathan  the  prophet.     And  when 
he  was  come  in  before  the  king,  he  bowed  himself  before  the  Idng  with  his  face 
to  the  ground.     --^  And  Nathan  said.  My  lord,  0  king,  hast  thou  said,  Adonijah 
shall  reign  after  me,  and  he  shall  sit  upon  my  throne?     -'^°For  he  is  gone  over.  19. 
down  this  day,  and  hath  slain  oxen  and  fat  cattle  and  sheep  in  abundance,  and 
hath  called  all  the  Idng's  sons,  and  the  captains  of  the  host,  and  Abiathar  the 
priest ;  and,  behold,  they  eat  and  drink  before  him,  and  say,  ^  f  God  save  king  p  1  sam.  10. 24. 
Adonijah.     -''But  me,  even  me  thy  servant,  and  Zadok  the  priest,  and  Benaiah  ^donijahnvt. 
the  son  of  Jehoiada,  and  thy  servant  Solomon,  hath  he  not  called.     ^'^  Is  this 
thing  done  by  my  lord  the  king,  and  thou  hast  not  shewed  it  unto  thy  servant, 
who  should  sit  on  the  throne  of  my  lord  the  king  after  him  ? 

^  Then  king  David  answered  and  said,  Call  me  Bath-sheha.  And  she  came 
f  into  the  king's  presence,  and  stood  before  the  king.  ^^And  the  king  sware,  t  Heb.  Ac/ore  m* 
and  said,  '^  As  the  Lord  liveth,  that  hath  redeemed  my  soul  out  of  all  distress,  q2Sam.  4. 9. 
^^  ■"  Even  as  I  sware  unto  thee  by  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  saying.  Assuredly 
Solomon  thy  son  shall  reign  after  me,  and  he  shall  sit  upon  my  throne  in  my 
stead ;  even  so  will  I  certainly  do  this  day.  ^'  Then  Bath-sheha  bowed  with 
her  face  to  the  earth,  and  did  reverence  to  the  king,  and  said,  'Let  my  lord 
kinf?  David  live  for  ever. 


r  ver.  17, 


s  Neh.  2.  3. 
Dan.  2.  4. 


And  king  David  said,  Call  me  Zadok  the  priest,  and  Nathan  the  prophet. 


12.  that  tTiou  mayest  save  tliine  oum  life,  and  the  life  of  thy 
son  Solomon']  These  words  of  Nathan  (cp.  v.  21)  supply  a 
refutation  of  the  charge  of  cruelty  which  is  brought  by  some 
against  Solomon  for  his  treatment  of  Adonijah  (see  ii.  22 — 25). 
The  life  of  King  Solomon  and  of  the  King's  mother  were 
endangered  by  Adonijah's  rebellion. 

15.  the  chamber']  The  inner  chamber,  the  bed-chamber 
(2  Sam.  iv.  7  ;  xiii.  10.     Gesen.). 

18.  and  now,   my  lord]      "And   now."    This  is    the   right 
reading,    and   not    "  and     thou "    (Kimchi,    Maiirer,    Bnins, 
Keil). 
3 


25.  Ood  save  Icing  Adonijah]  Literally,  "  let  'king 
Adonijah  live"  (cp.  1  Sam.  x.  2i.    2  Sam.  xvi.  16). 

28.  Call  me  Bathsheba]  Who  had  retired  when  David  gave 
audience  to  Nathan  {v.  22). 

30.  Solomon — he  shall  sit  upon  my  throne]  Observe  this 
oath  of  David,  that  Solomon  should  reign,  notwithstanding  the 
rebellion  of  Adonijah  against  him.  So  the  Almighty  Father 
decreed,  that  the  Divine  Solomon  shall  sit  as  King  on  the 
heavenly  Sion,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of  all  worldly 
powers  (Ps.  ii.  6,  7). 

B  2 


David's  mule. 


1  KINGS  I.  33—44. 


The  anointing  of  Solomon. 


Before 
CHRIST 
;015. 
t  2  Sam.  20.  6. 

t  Heb.  which 

beloiigefli  to  me: 

See  Esth.  6.  8. 

u  2  Chron.  32.  30. 

X  1  Sam.  10.  1. 

&  16.  3,  12. 

2  Sam.  2.  4.  & 

5.  3. 

c-h.  19.  Ifi. 

2  Kings  U.  3. 

&  11.  12. 

y  2  Sam.  15.  10. 

2  Kings  9.  13. 

&  11.  14. 

z  Josh.  1.  5,  17. 

1  Sam.  20.  13. 


b  2  Sam.  8.  18. 
&  23.  20—23. 


c  Exod.  30.  23, 

25,  32. 

Ps.  89.  20. 

(1  1  Chron.  29.  22. 

e  1  Sam.  10.  24. 


II  Or,  flutes. 


f2  Sam.  18.  27. 


and  Benaiali  the  son  of  Jelioiada.  And  they  came  before  the  king.  ^^  The 
king  also  said  unto  them,  '  Take  with  you  the  servants  of  your  lord,  and  cause 
Solomon  my  son  to  ride  upon  f  mine  own  mule,  and  bring  him  down  to  "  Gihon : 
^■^And  let  Zadok  the  priest  and  Nathan  the  prophet  ''anoint  him  there  king 
over  Israel :  and  ^  blow  ye  with  the  trumpet,  and  say,  God  save  king  Solomon. 
2^  Then  ye  shall  come  up  after  him,  that  he  may  come  and  sit  upon  my  throne ; 
for  he  shall  be  king  in  my  stead :  and  I  have  appointed  him  to  be  ruler  over 
Israel  and  over  Judah.  ^*^  And  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jelioiada  answered  the  king, 
and  said,  Amen:  the  Lord  God  of  my  lord  the  Idng  say  so  too.  ^^^As 
the  Lord  hath  been  with  my  lord  the  king,  even  so  be  he  with  Solomon,  and 
""  make  his  throne  greater  than  the  throne  of  my  lord  Idng  David. 

^^  So  Zadok  the  priest,  and  Nathan  the  prophet,  ^  and  Benaiah  the  son  of 
Jehoiada,  and  the  Cherethites,  and  the  Pelethites,  went  down,  and  caused 
Solomon  to  ride  upon  king  David's  mule,  and  brought  him  to  Gihon.  ^^And 
Zadok  the  priest  took  an  horn  of  *"  oil  out  of  the  tabernacle,  and  ^  anointed 
Solomon.  And  they  blew  the  trumpet;  ''and  all  the  people  said,  God  save 
king  Solomon.  ^^And  all  the  people  came  up  after  him,  and  the  people  x)iped 
with  II  pipes,  and  rejoiced  with  great  joy,  so  that  the  earth  rent  with  the  sound 
of  them. 

'^^  And  Adonijah  and  all  the  guests  that  ivere  with  him  heard  it  as  they  had 
made  an  end  of  eating.  And  when  Joab  heard  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  he 
said.  Wherefore  is  this  noise  of  the  city  being  in  an  uproar  ?  ^^  And  while  he 
yet  spake,  behold,  Jonathan  the  son  of  Abiathar  the  priest  came  :  and  Adonijah 
said  unto  him.  Come  in;  for  "^thou  art  a  valiant  man,  and  bringest  good 
tidings.  ^^And  Jonathan  answered  and  said  to  Adonijah,  Verily  our  lord 
king  David  hath  made  Solomon  king.  ^^And  the  king  hath  sent  with  him 
Zadok  the  priest,  and  Nathan  the  prophet,  and  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada, 


33.  cause  Solomon  my  son  to  ride  tipon  mine  own  mulel 
And  thus  be  declared  to  be  David's  successor.  This  honour  had 
been  usurped  by  Absalom  :  see  2  Sam.  xviii.  9. 

There  is  a  significance  in  these  words,  "  mine  own  mule," 
at  the  very  end  of  David's  reign.  It  is  clear  that  he  had  not 
disobeyed  God  as  Absalom  and  Adonijah  had  done  (see  on  v.  5), 
and  as  Solomon  afterwards  did,  by  multiplying  horses  to  him- 
self, see  below,  Frel.  Note  to  ch.  xi. 

—  Gihon']  in  the  valley  on  the  west  of  Mount  Zion  (see  on 

2  Chron.  xxxii.  30 ;  xxxiii.  14).  The  water  of  Gihon  formed 
two  basins  or  pools,  the  upper  pool  (2  Kings  xviii.  17.     Isa.  vii. 

3  and  xxxvi.  2),  and  the  lower  pool  (Isa.  xxii.  9).  Rohinson,  i. 
512 — 64.  Bib.  Diet.  i.  987.  These  two  pools  are  probably 
those  now  called  Hirlcet-el- Mamilla  and  Birket-es- Sultan.  It 
is  remarkable  that  the  Targum  of  Jonathan,  Syriac  and 
Arabic,  have  here  Siloah.  Did  they  think  that  it  flowed  into 
Gihon  ? 

34.  anoint  him — and  hloio  ye  with  the  trumpet,  and  say,  God 
save  king  Solomon]  This  anointing  with  consecrated  oil,  out 
of  the  Tabernacle  {v.  39),  and  this  proclamation  of  Solomon  as 
King,  while  David  was  yet  alive,  by  David's  own  command 
(cp.  1  Chron.  xxiii.  1),  displays  an  important  truth,  namely, 
that  Solomon's  reign  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  continuation  of  the 
reign  of  David  his  father.  David's  reign  did  not  end  with 
David's  life,  but  it  flowed  on,  in  the  life  of  Solomon  his  son,  for 
which  it  was  a  preparation.  Thus  the  union  of  David  and 
Solomon,  as  forming  by  their  conjunction  a  typical  representa- 
tion of  Cheist,  the  King  of  the  spiritual  Sion,  as  a  conqueror 
like  David,  and  yet  as  the  Prince  of  Peace  like  Solomon,  is  made 
more  manifest.    Cp.  above.  Prelim.  Note. 

A  similar  conjunction  of  types  is  observable  in  the  divine 
appointment  of  Joshua  to  succeed  Moses  while  yet  Uving,  and 
by  the  instrumentality  of  Moses  (Deut.  xxxi.  14.  23).  Moses 
represented  the  Law,  Joshua  typified  the  Gospel.  There  was 
no  break  or  opposition  between  the  Law  and  the  Gospel,  but 
the  one  flowed  by  a  continuous  stream  into  the  other,  and  was 
absorbed  and  perfected  by  it.  And  as  Elijah's  ministry  flowed 
4 


into  that  of  Elisha,  so  did  the  personal  ministry  of  Christ  into 
that  of  His  Apostles  after  His  Ascension.     See  on  2  Kings  ii.  9. 
35.  over  Israel  and  over  Judah]  a  distinction  which  often  oc- 
curs in  the  history  of  David.  See  above,  Infrod.  to  Samuel,  p.  xv. 

37.  t7ie  LOED — make  his  throne  greater  than  the  throne  of  my 
lord  king  David]  A  prayer  equally  honourable  to  Benaiah  and 
to  David.  Benaiah  was  no  flatterer ;  and  he  knew  that  David's 
love  for  his  son,  for  his  people,  and  for  his  God,  was  so  great  that 
nothing  would  be  more  grateful  to  him  than  to  know  that  he 
himself  would  be  eclipsed  by  his  son  Solomon,  his  successor  on 
the  throne  of  Israel,  and  that  the  people  of  the  Lord  his  God 
would  be  more  glorious  than  he  himself  had  been.  Theodoret 
says  here,  "  No  good  father  is  jealous  of  his  son,  hut  desires  to 
see  his  children  more  famous  than  himself."  Every  good  king 
wishes  that  the  reign  of  his  successor  may  be  happier  than  his 
own :  cp.  below,  v.  47.  Christ  is  glorious  as  a  mighty  con- 
queror, and  His  conquests  will  end  with  the  subjugation  of  His 
enemies ;  but  "  of  Sis  government  and  peace  there  shall  be  no 
end"  (Isa.  ix.  7). 

38.  the  Cherethites]  See  2  Sam.  viii.  18;  xv.  18;  xx.  7—23. 

39.  oil  out  of  the  tabernacle]  The  consecrated  oil,  described 
in  Exod.  xxx.  22.  Cp.  JBp.  Pearson  on  the  Creed,  Art.  ii.  p.  98, 
who  regards  it  as  a  symbol  of  the  unction  of  Christ.  The  Sacred 
on  with  which  the  kings  of  the  literal  Israel  were  anointed  is 
now  lost,  but  that  unction  which  it  typified — the  unction  of  the 
Holy  Spirit — exists  for  ever  in  Christ,  and  through  Him  in  His 
Church :  see  Tertullian  c.  Jud.  c.  13. 

40.  with  pipes]  flutes :  cp.  Isa.  v.  12 ;  xxx.  29.  Winer, 
R.W.B.  i.  123.  The  Sept.  has  ex<^pivov  4v  xopo'is,  "  they  were 
dancing  in  dances,"  and  so  Ewald ;  but  this  would  require  a 
change  in  the  reading  of  the  original,  and  seems  to  be  derived 
from  a  faulty  MS.  by  Sept. 

—  the  earth  rent]  On  this  metaphor  see  Gesen.  136.  There 
is  no  reason  to  suppose  the  text  to  be  in  fault  here. 

43.  Verily]  Nay,  rather ;  the  Latin  "  im6  vero."  This 
Hebrew  conjunction  is  used  in  an  adversative  sense  in  2  Chron. 
i.  4;  xLx.  3;  xxxiii.  17. 


David's  last  charge 


1  KINGS  I.  45—53.     II.  1,  2. 


concerning  Joah, 


Before 

CHRIST 

1015. 


and  the  Cheretliites,  and  the  Pelethites,  and  they  have  caused  him  to  ride  upon 

the  king's  mule  :  ^^  And  Zadok  the  priest  and  Nathan  the  prophet  have  anointed 

him  king  in  Gihon :  and  they  are  come  up  from  thence  rejoicing,  so  that  the 

city  rang  again.     This  is  the  noise  that  ye  have  heard.     ^^  And  also  Solomon 

^sitteth  on  the  throne  of  the  kingdom.     ^^And  moreover  the  king's  servants  g  i  chron.  29. 23, 

came  to  bless  our  lord  king  David,  saying,  ^  God  make  the  name  of  Solomon  hver.sr. 

better  than  thy  name,  and  make  his  throne  greater  than  thy  throne.     '  And  i  oen.  47. 31. 

the  king  bowed  himself  upon  the  bed.     ^^  And  also  thus  said  the  king.  Blessed 

he  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  which  hath  "  given  one  to  sit  on  my  throne  this  day,  ^  ch.  3. 6. 

mine  eyes  even  seeing  it. 

^^  And  all  the  guests  that  were  with  Adonijali  were  afraid,  and  rose  up,  and 
went  every  man  his  way.  ^^And  Adonijali  feared  because  of  Solomon,  and 
arose,  and  went,  and  '  caught  hold  on  the  horns  of  the  altar.  ^^  And  it  was  told  ich.2.28. 
Solomon,  saying.  Behold,  Adonijali  feareth  king  Solomon :  for,  lo,  he  hath 
caught  hold  on  the  horns  of  the  altar,  saying.  Let  king  Solomon  swear  unto 
me  to  day  that  he  will  not  slay  his  servant  with  the  sword.  ^^  And  Solomon 
said.  If  he  will  shew  himself  a  worthy  man 

fall  to  the  earth :  but  if  wickedness  shall  be  found  in  him,  he  shall  die 
king  Solomon  sent,  and  they  brought  him  down  from  the  altar.  And  he 
came  and  bowed  himself  to  king  Solomon :  and  Solomon  said  unto  him,  Go 
to  thine  house. 

II.  ^  Now  ^  the  days  of  David  drew  moh.  that  he  should  die  :  and  he  charejed  a  Gen.  47. 29. 

•^  °  -'  o  Deut.  31.  14. 

Solomon  his  son,  saying,  2  ^  j  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth :  ""  be  thou  strong  I  De'ut\\^7.\*9, 


there  shall  not  an  hair  of  him  :? '  ^^™- 'f;^^. 

2  Sam.  14.  11. 
53  Qq   Acts  27.  34. 


48.  Blessedhethe'LoB.Ti  God  of  IsraeV]  On  some  remarkable 
coincidences  connected  with  these  words,  see  Ps.  xli.  13. 

50.  the  horns  of  the  altar]  emblems  of  safety  (see  Exod,  xxi. 
14.  5a^r,  Symbol,  i.  420.  473),  The  altar  here  mentioned  was 
either  that  connected  with  the  Ark  on  Mount  Zion,  or  that  in 
the  Tabernacle  at  Gibcon  to  which  Joab  fled,  ii.  28. 

52.  Solomon  said]  Solomon  showed  more  clemency  to 
Adonijali  than  Adonijali  would  have  shown  to  him,  see  v.  13. 

—  a  worthy  man]  Literally,  a  son  of  virtue,  not  a  son  of 
treachery,  as  he  now  is. 

Peeliminaby  Note  to  Chapter  II. 
David's  Chaege  to  Solomon  conceening  the  judicial 

PUNISHMENT  OF  JoAB  AND  ShIMEI. 

The  charge  of  David  to  Solomon,  contained  in  vv.  5 — 9, 
has  been  stigmatized  by  some  {Stanley,  p.  135)  as  breathing 
"  the  fierce  and  profound  vindictiveness  which  belongs  to  the 
worse  nature  of  his  age,  his  family,  and  his  own  character;" 
and  it  is  said  that  David  bequeathed  "  a  dark  legacy  of  long- 
cherished  vengeance"  to  "  his  son  and  successor  Solomon 
against  the  aged  Joab  and  the  aged  Sliimei." 

Is  this  a  correct  view  of  the  case  ? 

In  order  to  estimate  aright  the  acts  recorded  in  this 
chapter,  it  must  be  tjorne  in  mind  that  David  in  his  lifetime 
had  associated  Solomon  with  himself  in  the  royal  authority. 
Solomon  is  now  king,  and  sits  on  the  throne  of  David  (see  i.  39. 
43 — 46,  and  compare  1  Chron.  xxviii.  xxix.,  where  David,  in  a 
public  as.sembly  of  all  Israel,  presents  to  them  Solomon  as  his 
successor). 

What  is  done  by  Solomon  in  this  chapter,  is  not  done  by 
him  as  a  private  person,  but  as  the  Representative  and  Vice- 
gerent of  Jehovah.  As  such  he  was  bound  to  show  zeal  for  God's 
honour,  and  to  execute  His  laws. 

The  sins  committed  by  Joab  and  Shimei  were  violations 
of  those  laws.  Tliey  were  sins  against  God,  and  against  the  King, 
who  was  God's  deputy ;  and  if  they,  who  had  perpetrated  such 
sins,  shovdd  escape  with  impunity,  others  would  be  tempted  to 
follow  their  example,  and  Solomon  himself  would  have  betrayed 
his  trust,  and  would  have  flinched  fi-om  the  discharge  of  duty 
to  God,  and  to  his  people.  Such  a  defection  and  delinquency 
:it  the  beginning  of  his  reign  would  have  betrayed  feebleness 
and  imbecility  in  the  sovereign,  and  would  have  entailed  misery 
and  confusion  upon  it.  Solomon,  who  was  young  at  this  time, 
needed  the  counsel  of  old  age;  and  the  demonstration  which, 
in  pursuance  of  David's  advice,  he  made,  of  vigour  and  energy 
5 


at  his  accession,  procured  for  Solomon  and  his  people  a  reign  of 
happiness  and  peace,  as  long  as  he  obeyed  God. 

These  acts  of  Solomon  were  acts  of  justice  ;  they  were  acts 
of  obedience  to  God's  laws,  and  of  zeal  for  His  honour ;  and 
though  they  were  acts  of  severity,  yet  even  in  that  severity 
there  was  mercy,  inasmuch  as  they  deterred  others  from  those 
sins  by  which  they  would  incur  the  worst  punishment,  the 
punishment  of  God's  wrath  and  indignation  in  this  life  and  in 
another. 

As  has  been  already  observed,  David,  together  with  Solo- 
mon, who  was  associated  with  liim  on  the  throne   of  Israel 
during  his  lifetime,  constitutes  a  type  of  Christ,  WTio  is  both 
the  Divine  David  and  the  Divine  Solomon.     Christ  blends  all 
the  royal  attributes  of  both,   in  exceeding  glory,  in  Himself. 
Like  David,  He  was  persecuted ;  like  David,  He  triumphs  ;  like 
David,   He  is  a  Man  of  War ;  and,  like  Solomon,  He  is  the 
Prince  of  Peace.     Like  David,  He  prepared  for  the  building 
of  the  Temple  of  His  Church ;   and,   like  Solomon,    He  built 
it.     And  in  these  royal  and  judicial  acts  of  David,  the  Man 
of  War,  executing   sentence  of  righteous  retribution  on  the 
guilty  by  Solomon,  the  Prince  of  Peace,  we  may  see  a  solemn 
warning  to  ourselves.     We  are  exhorted  thereby  to  contemplate 
Christ,  wno  was  foresnadowed  by  David  and  Solomon,  not  only 
as  the  King  of  Israel,  and  the  Lord  of  battles,  and  the  builder 
of  the  Church,  and  the  Prince  of  Peace,  but  also  as  a  Righteous 
Judge,  who,  though  He  is  infinite  in  mercy  to  aU  who  believe, 
love,  and  obey  Him,  yet  is  "  a  consuming  fire  "  to  all  those  who 
disobey  Him ;  and  He  wiU  say  to  the  impenitent  at  the  great 
Day,  "  Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  pre- 
pared for  the  Devil  and  his  angels  "  (Matt,  xxv,  41),     We  are 
warned  against  trifling  with  Christ's   divine   attributes ;    and 
against  regarding  Him  only  as  a  God  of  love,  and  not  also  as  a 
God  of  holiness  and  justice.     We  are  reminded,  that  He  is  not 
only  the  meek,  and  gentle,  and  spotless  Lamb,  which  taketh 
away  the  sins  of  the  world  (John  i.  29.  36),  but  that  He  is  also 
the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  (Rev.  v.  5),  and  that  at  the 
great  Day,  the  remembrance  of  His  slighted  love  and  mercy  will 
be  the  severest  pang  to  the  wicked,  who  will  "  say  to  the  moun- 
tains. Fall  upon  us,  and  to  the  hills.  Cover  us,  and  hide  us  from 
the  wrath  of  the  Lamb"  (Rev.  vi.  16). 

2.  I  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth]  David  adopts  here  the 
words  of  Joshua  (Josh,  xxiii.  14),  and  in  wliat  he  adds,  "  Be 
thou  strong,"  he  adopts  the  words  of  God  Himself  to  Joshua 
(Josh.  i.  6,  7.  9). 


DavuVs  last  charge 


1  KINGS  11.  3—9. 


concerning  Sliimei, 


Before 

CHRIST 

1015. 


d  Deut.  29.  9. 
Josh.  1.  7. 

I  Chron.  22.  12, 
13. 

II  Or,  do  wisely, 
1  Sam.  18.  5, 
14,  30. 

e  2  Sam.  1.  25. 
f  Ps.  132.  12. 
g2  Kings  20.  3. 
h  2  Sam.  7.12,13. 
ch.  8.  25. 
t  Heb.  be  cut  off 
from  thee  from 
the  throne. 
i  2  Sam.  3.  39. 
&  18.  5,  12,  14. 
&  19.  5,  6,  7. 
k  2  Sam.  3.  27. 
1  2  Sam.  20.  10. 
t  Heb.  put. 
m  ver.  9. 
Prov.  20.  26. 
n  2  Sam.  19.  31, 
38. 

o  2  Sam.  9.  7,  10. 
&  19.  28. 
p2  Sam.  17.27. 

q  2  Sam.  16.  5. 

t  Heb.  strong. 
r2  Sam.  19.  18. 

s2  Sam.  19.  23. 


therefore,  and  shew  thyself  a  man ;  ^  And  keep  the  charge  of  the  Loed  thy 
God,  to  walk  in  his  ways,  to  keep  his  statutes,  and  his  commandments,  and 
his  judgments,  and  his  testimonies,  as  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  that 
thou  mayest  '^  \\  prosper  in  all  that  thou  doest,  and  whithersoever  thou  turnest 
thyself :  ^  That  the  Lord  may  ^  continue  his  word  which  he  spake  concerning 
me,  saying,  ^  If  thy  children  take  heed  to  their  way,  to  ^  walk  before  me  in  truth 
with  all  their  heart  and  with  all  their  soul,  ''  there  shall  not  f  fail  thee  (said  he) 
a  man  on  the  throne  of  Israel.  ^  Moreover  thou  knowest  also  what  Joab  the 
son  of  Zeruiah  *  did  to  me,  and  what  he  did  to  the  two  captains  of  the  hosts  of 
Israel,  unto  ''  Abner  the  son  of  Ner,  and  unto  '  Amasa  the  son  of  Jether,  whom 
he  slew,  and  f  shed  the  blood  of  war  in  peace,  and  put  the  blood  of  war  upon 
his  girdle  that  ivas  about  his  loins,  and  in  his  shoes  that  were  on  his  feet.  ^  Do 
therefore  ""  according  to  thy  wisdom,  and  let  not  his  hoar  head  go  dovm  to  the 
grave  in  peace.  "  But  shew  kindness  unto  the  sons  of  "  Barzillai  the  Gileadite, 
and  let  them  be  of  those  that  °  eat  at  thy  table  :  for  so  ^  they  came  to  me  when 
I  fled  because  of  Absalom  thy  brother.  ^And,  behold,  thou  hast  with  thee 
"i  Shimei  the  son  of  Gera,  a  Benjamite  of  Bahurim,  which  cursed  me  with  a 
f  grievous  curse  in  the  day  when  I  went  to  Mahanaim  :  but '  he  came  down  to 
meet  me  at  Jordan,,  and  'I  sware  to.  him  by  the  Lord,  saying,  I  will  not  put 


3.  ^eep  the  cliarge  of  the  LoED  thy  GocV]  Bo  tliou  the 
guardian  of  His  law  aud  of  His  honour.  The  phrase  is  derived 
ft-om  the  Pentateuch  (Lev.  viii.  35 ;  xviii.  4),  where  it  is  ap- 
plied to  the  Levites  watching  at  the  Tabernacle,  as  the  spii-itual 
body-guard  of  the  royal  palace  of  the  heavenly  King. 

These  words  explain  the  true  nature  of  the  acts  done  by 
Solomon  to  Joab  and  Shimei ;  they  were  not  done  by  him  as  a 
private  person  from  any  feeling  of  hatred  and  revenge,  but  they 
were  performed  by  him  as  a  king,  the  appointed  Guardian  of 
the  law,  and  Champion  of  the  honour,  of  Jehovah,  and  as  the 
official  Executioner  of  His  Will. 

—  his  statutes — commandmetits— ^judgments']  A  phrase  also 
derived  from  the  Pentateuch  (Deut.  v.  31 ;  viii.  11.  Cp.  on 
Exod.  xxi.  1). 

—  testimonies']  Solemn  declarations  of  God  against  sin ;  a 
phrase  also  derived  from  the  Pentateuch  (Deut.  iv.  45 ;  vi.  17. 
20.     Cp.  Hengst.  Auth.  ii.  640). 

—  the  laiv  of  Moses]  This  exhortation  of  David  to  Solo- 
mon is  a  repetition  of  the  charge  given  by  God  to  Joshua,  when 
he  was  inaugurated  as  Leader  of  God's  people.  It  is  a  testimony 
to  the  genuineness  of  the  Book  of  Joshua,  and  of  the  Books  of 
Moses.  See  Josh.  i.  6—8.  Cp.  Deut.  xvii.  18,  19,  where  the 
future  king  of  God's  people  is  commanded,  on  his  accession,  to 
make  a  copy  of  the  Law  of  Moses  for  his  own  guidance  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty. 

4.  That  the  Loed  may  continue  his  word  which  he  spaJce 
concerning  one]  See  above,  2  Sam.  vii.  8.  11 — 16,  and  the 
notes  there. 

6.  Joab  the  son  of  Zeruiah]  There  is  an  emphasis  in  these 
words,  the  son  of  Zeruiah :  he,  who  was  my  own  sister's  son, 
and  who  ought,  as  such,  to  have  been  one  of  my  dearest  friends, 
became  my  bitterest  enemy. 

It  is  observable,  that  David  does  not  mention  among 
Joab'a  sins  that  one,  which  caused  David  personally  the  most 
poignant  grief, — the  murder  of  Absalom  (see  2  Sam.  xviii. 
14.  33).  He  omits  this ;  he  would  not  have  Solomon  to  suppose 
that  he  was  moved  by  any  parental  feelings  of  personal  auger 
and  revenge  to  give  the  advice  which  he  offers  to  his  son. 
Not  for  sins  committed  against  David  as  a  father,  but  for  sins 
committed  against  the  Law,  and  Majesty  of  God,  does  David 
.idvise  Solomon  the  King,  as  the  Keeper  of  God's  Law,  and 
Guardian  of  God's  honour,  to  punish  the  guilty  offender,  who, 
though  long  spared,  had  shown  no  signs  of  repentance,  but  had 
grown  old  in  sin,  and  who,  at  this  very  time,  was  plotting 
against  the  King,  and  who  was  guilty  of  treason  against 
Jehovah,  because  he  was  a  rebel  against  the  Sovereign  who  had 
been  appointed  by  God  Himself. 

—  Abner  the  son  of  Ner]  See  2  Sam.  iii.  27.  39.  Joab 
must  have  known  David's  sorrow  for  that  act  of  treachery,  but 
he  was  not  moved  thereby  to  repentance,  but  persevered  in  his 
course  of  cruelty  and  treachery. 

6 


—  Ainasa  the  son  of  Jether]   See  2  Sam.  xx.  9 — 11. 

—  and  put  the  blood  of  war  upon  his  girdle— and  in  his 
shoes]  In  a  time  of  peace.  Such  was  Joab's  cruelty  and 
treachery ;  he  defiled  his  own  girdle  and  his  own  shoes,  with 
the  blood  not  of  an  enemy,  but  of  the  captain  of  the  Lord's 
host.  See  the  narrative  in  2  Sam.  xx.  10;  cp.  Ps.  cix.  18,  19  : 
"  He  clothed  himself  with  cursing,  like  as  ^\-ith  a  raiment  j  .  •  . 
let  it  be  as  the  girdle  that  he  is  alway  girded  withal." 

6.  Do  therefore  according  to  thy  wisdom]  Solomon  himself, 
the  wisest  of  men,  declares  that  "a  wise  king  scattereth  the 
wicked,  and  bringeth  the  wheel  over  them "  (Prov.  xx.  26 ; 
and  cp.  V.  6) ;  and  thus,  in  his  wisdom,  the  King  vindicates 
God's  honour,  and  obeys  His  Law,  and  deters  others  from  sin, 
and  saves  them  from  punishment.  Even  the  Christian  Church 
prays  at  her  altars,  that  all  Christian  kings  may  have  grace  to 
"execute  justice  for  the  jmniskment  of  iviclcedness  and  vice, 
and  the  maintenance  of  true  religion  aud  virtue ;"  and,  in  so 
doing,  she  complies  with  the  precepts  of  St.  Paul  (see  1  Tim. 
ii.  2.  Rom.  xiii.  1 — 4) ;  and  she  knows  that  the  execution  of 
justice  on  the  guilty  is  essential  even  to  the  exercise  of  mercy 
to  those  whose  safety  depends  on  the  maintenance  of  Law. 

—  let  not  his  hoar  head  go  do2vn  to  the  grave  in  pieace] 
Rather,  tlioit  shall  not  make  his  gray  hairs  to  go  doion  to  the 
grave  in  peace.  Here  is  another  phrase  derived  from  the 
Pentateuch  (see  Gen.  xlii.  38;  xUv.  29.  31).  If  Joab  had  been 
a  good  man,  then  Solomon  would  have  followed  him  to  the 
grave  with  honourable  tokens  of  sorrow :  "  The  hoary  head 
is  a  crown  of  glory,  if  it  be  found  in  the  way  of  righteousness  " 
(Prov.  xvi.  3i.  Cp.  Lev.  xix.  32).  But  Joab's  old  age  is 
mentioned  by  David  as  aggravating  his  sins.  He  had  not 
repented  of  Ins  earlier  deeds  of  cruelty  and  treachery  (see  v.  5)  ; 
but  even  at  a  time  when  the  passions  are  usually  subdued 
and  softened  by  decay  of  physical  strength,  and  by  experience 
of  earthly  sorrow,  and  by  the  sense  of  approaching  death,  he 
persevered  with  unrelenting  obstinacy  in  his  reckless  course  of 
crime,  as  was  evident  from  his  savage  murder  of  Amasa. 

Besides,  Joab  was  now  engaged  in  a  treasonable  con- 
spiracy against  Solomon,  and  this  conspiracy,  if  not  checked, 
would  lead  to  civil  carnage  and  confusion.  If  Joab  was  suc- 
cessful in  his  partisanship  of  Adonijah,  it  would  not  stop  short 
of  the  destruction  of  the  Lord's  anointed,  and  his  household 
(see  i.  12). 

David's  regard  for  a  holy  and  pious  old  age  is  shown  by 
a  happy  contrast  in  what  lie  proceeds  to  say  concerning 
Solomon's  duty,  of  kindness  to  the  offspring  of  the  venerable 
Barzillai.  If  Joab  had  been  a  loyal  subject,  he  also  would  have 
been  honoured  by  his  sovereign,  and  woxild  have  been  followed 
by  him  with  grateful  affection  to  the  gi-ave. 

'7.  the  sons    of  Barzillai]       See    2      Sam.    xvii.    27—29; 
xix.  33. 

8,  9.    Shimei  the  son  of  Gera — his  hoar  head  bring  thou 


David's  death  and  burial. 


1  KINGS  II.  10—18. 


Adonijalis  request. 


thee  to  death  with  the  sword.  ^  Now  therefore  *  hold  him  not  guiltless :  for 
thou  art  a  wise  man,  and  knowest  what  thou  oughtest  to  do  unto  him ;  but  his 
hoar  head  "  bring  thou  down  to  the  grave  with  blood. 

^^So  ''David  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  in  ^the  city  of  David. 
^' And  the  days  that  David  ^reigned  over  Israel  ivere  forty  years:  seven  years 
reigned  he  in  Hebron,  and  thirty  and  three  years  reigned  he  in  Jerusalem. 

^2 "  Then  sat  Solomon  upon  the  throne  of  David  his  father ;  and  his  kingdom 
was  established  greatly.  ^^And  Adonijah  the  son  of  Haggith  came  to  Bath- 
slieba  the  mother  of  Solomon.  And  she  said,  ^  Comest  thou  peaceably  ?  And 
he  said,  Peaceably.  ^•^  He  said  moreover,  I  have  somewhat  to  say  unto  thee. 
And  she  said.  Say  on.  ^^  And  he  said,  Thou  knowest  that  the  kingdom  was 
•^  mine,  and  tliat  all  Israel  set  their  faces  on  me,  that  I  should  reign :  howbeit 
the  kingdom  is  turned  about,  and  is  become  my  brother's  :  for  "^  it  was  his  from 
the  Lord.  ^^And  now  I  ask  one  petition  of  thee,  f  deny  me  not.  And  she 
said  unto  him,  Say  on.  ^^  And  he  said,  Speak,  I  pray  thee,  unto  Solomon  the 
king,  (for  he  will  not  say  thee  nay,)  that  he  give  me  ^  Abishag  the  Shimammite 
to  wife.     '^  And  Bath-sheba  said.  Well ;   I  will  speak  for  thee  unto  the  king. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1015. 
t  Exod.  20.  7. 
Job  9.  2S. 
u  Gen.  42.  38. 
&  44.  31. 
X  ch.  1.  21. 
Acts  2.  29.  & 
13.  3G. 

y  2  Sam.  5.  7. 
z  2  Sam.  5.  4. 

1  Chron.  29.  26, 
27. 

a  1  Chron.  29.  23. 

2  Chron.  1.  1. 

1014. 

b  1  Sam.  16.  4,5. 


d  I  Chron.  22.  9, 
10.  &  28.  5,  fi,  7. 
Prov.  21.30. 
Dan.  2.21. 
t  Heb.  turn  not 
away  my  face, 
Ps.  132.  10. 
e  ch.  1.  3,  4. 


doivn  to  the  grave  with  hIood~\  From  the  mention  of  Sliimei's 
old  age,  it  may  be  inferred  that  he  had  not  repented  of  his  sin 
(2  Sam.  xvi.  5  —  8);  that  he  had  not  been  softened  by  David's 
kindness  to  him  (2  Sam.  xix.  18.  23) ;  and  that  David  knew 
well  that  Shimci  would  be  a  bitter  enemy  to  his  son  Solomon, 
whose  reign  he  desired  to  be  more  happy  and,  peaceful  than  his 
own  :  see  above,  on  i.  37. 

Therefore  Shimei's  sins  revived,  as  it  were,  against  him. 
Compare  our  Lord's  words.  Matt,  xviii.  34. 

In  his  dying  instructions  to  Solomon,  David  (says  Dr. 
TTaterland,  Script.  Vindicated,  on  1  Sam.  xxv.,  p.  146)  is  not 
to  be  considered  as  a  private  man,  acting  upqn  resentment, 
but  as  a  king  giving  advice  to  his  successor  in  affairs  of  state. 
In  these  his  last  hours  he  performed  the  part  of  a  prudent 
magistrate,  in  relation  to  Shimei,  as  before  he  had  acted  the 
part  of  a  pious  and  tender-heai'ted  man,  in  twice  sparing  his 
life  (2  Sam.  xvi.  11 ;  xix.  22).  Shimei  had  sinned  against 
God  by  insulting  his  Representative;  and  David's  former 
clemency  to  him  is  an  evidence  that,  if  he  had  repented,  he 
would  have  been  treated  with  kindness ;  but  his  hoar  hairs 
had  not  brought  wisdom  with  them  :  ho,  like  Joab,  was  har- 
dened in  sin  ;  and  their  old  age  would  have  given  authority  to 
their  evil  designs,  and  v>'Ould  have  induced  others  to  follow 
them  in  their  treasonable  practices  against  Solomon.  Therefore, 
in  the  Name  of  the  Lord  Himself,  the  righteous  Judge,  Whose 
vicegerent  Solomon  was,  they  were  to  be  punished  by  Solomon, 
Jlis  representative. 

10.  David  slej^t  tvith  Ms  fathers']  Here  is  implied  an 
assertion  of  the  doctrine  of  the  existence  of  the  soul  after 
death,  and  of  the  resun-ection  of  the  body.  Cp.  Gen.  xxv.  8, 
17;  XXXV.  29;  xlix.  33.    Cp.  A  Lapide  here. 

—  buried  in  the  citi/  of  David]  Zion.  2  Sam.  v.  7.  An 
exception  was  made  in  David's  case  to  the  rule  which  forbade 
burial  tvithin  the  city  walls.  Zion  was  not  defiled,  but  honoured, 
by  containing  his  grave ;  and  here  was  a  glimpse  of  a  better 
time  when  Death  would  no  longer  be  regarded  as  an  unclean 
thing ;  and  when  the  Grave  would  be  hallowed  and  beautified 
by  the  Burial  of  Christ,  the  Son  of  David,  the  King  of  the  true 
Zion. 

This  grave  of  David  was  probably  "hewn  in  the  ^ocky  sides 
of  the  hill,  and  became  the  centre  of  the  catacomb  in  which  his 
descendants  the  kings  of  Judah  were  interred  after  him.  The 
vast  cavern,  with  its  many  tombs,  no  doubt  exists  under  the 
ruins  of  Jerusalem ;  and  its  discovery  will  close  many  a  con- 
troversy on  the  topography  of  the  Holy  City.  But  down  to 
this  time  its  situation  is  unknown"  {Stanley,  Lect.  xxiv. 
p.  140).  The  sepulchre  remained  there  till  the  days  of  the 
Apostles  (Acts  ii.  29).  Theodoret  says  (Qu.  6),  that  it  was 
like  a  cave  or  grotto,  near  Siloam,  and  was  richly  adorned. 
Cp.  Neh.  iii.  15,  16. 

11.  forty  years']  See  2  Sam.  v.  4.  David,  a  type  of  Christ, 
reigned  forty ;  and  Solomon  his  son,  another  type  of  Christ, 
reigned  forty  years  (xi.  42.    2  Chron.  ix.  30). 

On  the  figurative  significance  of  this  period,  see  below,  on 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  p.  49. 
7 


Adonijah's  Request  aj^d  Puis'ishment. 
13.    Comest   thou  peaceably  ?]       Literally,    Is    thy   coming 
peace  ?     Cp.  1  Sam.  xv.i.  4,  5. 

17.  that  he  give  me  Aiishag  the  Shunammite  to  wife] 
Bathsheba  was  afraid  of  Adonijah ;  and  her  answer  to  him 
(».  18)  is  to  be  explained  from  her  fears.  She  wishe-d  to  con- 
ciliate him,  and  did  not  pause  to  examine  the  nature  of  his 
request.  But  Solomon,  the  wise  King,  is  not  actuated  by 
fears.  He  decides  the  matter  with  courage,  according  to  God's 
law  («.  22). 

This  request  of  Adonijah  was  a  subtle  and  treacherous 
one.  The  wife  of  a  king, — and  such,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
people,  Abishag  was  to  David, — could  not  pass  to  any  one  but 
his  successor;  and  the  transfer  of  a  royal  consort  to  another 
person  was  tantamount  to  a  recognition  of  that  person  as  heir 
to  the  throne.  See  2  Sam.  xii.  8 ;  xvi.  21 ;  Selden,  Uxor 
Hebr.  i.  10;  Mickaelis,  Mos.  Recht,  ii.  54;  and  Herod,  iii.  68, 
where  it  is  stated  that  this  was  the  law  also  among  the 
Persians.  Therefore,  if  Solomon  granted  Adonijah's  request, 
that  concession  would  have  been  regarded  by  Solomon's  sub- 
jects as  equivalent  to  a  public  admission  on  the  King's  part  that 
Adonijah,  and  not  Solomon  himself,  was  David's  lawful  heir  and 
successor. 

Adonijah,  the  son  of  David,  in  his  unscrupulous  ambition 
for  the  throne,  ventured  to  defy  God's  Law,  winch  forbade  a 
person  to  have  his  father's  wife  (Lev.  xviii.  8;  xx.  11.  Cp. 
1  Cor.  V.  1 ;  and  A-  Lapide  here).  Bathsheba  was  overreached 
by  him,  and  called  his  request  "a  small  petition"  {v.  20). 
But  King  Solomon,  by  his  wisdom,  at  one  glance  saw  through 
the  artifice,  and  detected  and  exposed  its  true  character,  and 
declared  that  it  was  no  less  than  a  design  against  the  throne 
(see  V.  22),  and  punished  Adonijah  for  this  attempt  to  violate 
God's  law,  and  to  subvert  the  monarchy  of  God's  Anointed. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  do  more  than  mention  the  sup- 
position of  some,  in  recent  times,  that  Abishag  was  an  object 
of  Solomon's  own  affections ;  that  she  was  even  the  subject  of 
the  "  Song  of  Solomon ;"  that  Bathsheba  desired  to  rescue  her 
son  from  her  influence ;  and  that  Solomon  was  induced  by 
jealousy  to  put  Adonijah  to  death. 

It  is  stated  by  the  Holy  Spirit  concerning  Solomon,  as  he 
was  at  this  time,  "  that  Solomon  loved  the  Lord,  walking  in 
the  statutes  of  David  his  father"  (iii.  3).  But  how  could  that 
have  been  said,  if  this  modern  theory  were  true  ? 

But  there  is  another  profoundcr  inquiry.  Is  there  not 
a  spiritual  lesson  here  for  the  Church  of  these  latter  days  ? 

(1)  Solomon  i.s  a  type  of  Christ.  Some,  unhappily,  there 
are,  who  affirm  that  the  Mother  of  Christ,  the  Blessed  Virgin 
Mary,  ought  to  be  invoked  (as  Bathsheba  was  implored  by 
Adonijah  to  be  his  mediatrix  with  her  sou),  in  order  that  she  may 
exert  authority  over  her  Divine  Son,  as  if  the  Blessed  Virgin  were 
the  Mother  of  Christ's  Godliead  !  They  address  her  in  such 
language  as  this  in  their  liturgies  :  "Monstra  te  esse  Matrem," 
•'  Jure  Matris  impera  Filio." 

Solomon,  the  wise  king-,  followed  the  counsel  of  his  father 


Bathsheha  mediates  for  him. 


1  KINGS  II.  19—27. 


Ahiathar  deposed. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1014. 
f  Exod.  20.  12. 


g  See  Ps.  45.  9. 


h  ch.  1.  7. 


i  Ruth  1.17. 


k  2  Sam.  7.  11,13. 
1  Chrou.  22.  10. 


IJosh.  21.  18. 
t  Heb.  a  man  of 
death.  , 

m  1  Sam.  23.  6. 
2  Sam.  IS.  24,  29. 
n  1  Sam.  22.  20, 
23. 
,2  Sam.  15.  24. 

o  1  Sam.  2.  31— 
.35. 


^^Bath-sheba  therefore  went  unto  king  Solomon,  to  speak  unto  him  for 
Adonijah.  And  the  king  rose  up  to  meet  her,  and  '"bowed  himself  unto  her, 
and  sat  down  on  his  throne,  and  caused  a  seat  to  be  set  for  the  king's  mother  ; 
« and  she  sat  on  his  right  hand,  ^o  xhen  she  said,  I  desire  one  small  petition 
of  thee ;  I  iwaij  thee,  say  me  not  nay.  And  the  king  said  unto  her,  Ask  on, 
my  mother :  for  I  will  not  say  thee  nay.  ^^  And  she  said.  Let  Abishag  the 
Shunammite  be  given  to  Adonijah  thy  brother  to  wife.  22  ^^^  j^j^g  Solomon 
answered  and  said  unto  his  mother.  And  why  dost  thou  ask  Abishag  the 
Shunammite  for  Adonijah  ?  ask  for  him  the  kingdom  also ;  for  he  is  mine 
elder  brother ;  even  for  him,  and  for  "  Abiathar  the  priest,  and  for  Joab  the  son 
of  Zeruiah.  ^^  Then  king  Solomon  sware  by  the  Lobd,  saying,  '  God  do  so  to 
me,  and  more  also,  if  Adonijah  have  not  spoken  this  word  against  his  own  life. 
2^  Now  therefore,  as  the  Loed  liveth,  which  hath  established  me,  and  set  me 
on  the  throne  of  David  my  father,  and  who  hath  made  me  an  house,  as  he 
''promised,  Adonijah  shall  be  put  to  death  this  day.  ^s^^j  w^g  Solomon 
sent  by  the  hand  of  Benaiali  the  son  of  Jehoiada ;  and  he  fell  upon  him  that 
he  died. 

2s  And  unto  Abiathar  the  priest  said  the  king.  Get  thee  to  '  Anathoth,  unto 
thine  own  fields ;  for  thou  art  f  worthy  of  death :  but  I  will  not  at  this  time 
put  thee  to  death,  ""  because  thou  barest  the  ark  of  the  Lord  God  before  David 
my  father,  and  because  "  thou  hast  been  afflicted  in  all  wherein  my  father  was 
afflicted.  ^^  So  Solomon  thrust  out  Abiathar  from  being  priest  unto  the  Lokd  ; 
that  he  might  °  fulfil  the  word  of  the  Lord,  which  he  spake  concerning  the 
house  of  Eli  in  Shiloh. 


to  keep  God's  law  {v.  3) ;  and  he  rejected  the  request  of  his 
mother,  and  he  executed  judgment  on  Adonijah. 

The  Divine  Solomon,  Jesus  Christ,  has  received  the  office 
of  King  and  Judge  from  the  Father ;  and  they  who  offend  God 
by  praying  to  the  Mother  of  Christ,  may  one  day  find  that 
their  prayers  have  been  rejected,  and  that,  like  Adonijah  here, 
they  "  have  spoken  words  against  tlieir  own  life." 

(2)  Adonijah  asked  for  the  king's  wife  for  himself.  The 
Bishop  of  Home  does  not  hesitate  to  call  himself  the  Husband 
of  the  Church,  the  Spouse  of  Clirist,  the  Lord  of  all  (see  the 
note  above,  on  Gen.  xxxv.  22 ;  xlix.  3,  4).  Adonijah  was  con- 
demned to  death  by  Solomon  for  claiming  the  king's  consort. 
Is  there  not  also  a  spiritual  warning  here,  against  abetting  sucli 
acts  of  intrusion  into  the  prerogatives  of  Christ  ? 

19.  on  his  right  hanci]  The  place  of  honour.  Ps.  ex.  1. 
Cp.  Bp.  Pearson,  Art.  vi.  p.  277. 

23.  God  do  so  to  me]  Examples  of  this  form  of  oath  occur 
Buth  i.  17.    1  Sam.  xiv.  44 ;  xx.  13,  and  elsewhere. 

Solomon  was  too  dutiful  to  check  his  mother,  and  too 
wise  to  yield  to  her,  says  Bp.  Hall,  who  has  some  excellent 
remarks  in  his  "Contemplations"  on  Solomon's  dealings  with 
Adonijah,  Joab,  Abiathar,  and  Shimei.  See  also  Natalis 
Alexander,  Hist.  EccL  Diss.  xxvi.  Qu.  2. 

24.  hath  made  me  an  house']  Solomon  had  already  a  son, 
Eehoboam,  a  year  old  (see  xi.  42  j  xiv.  21.  2  Chron.  xii.  13), 
and  he  was  probably  about  twenty  years  old  at  this  time.  Cp. 
below,  on  iii.  7. 

25.  Benaiah]  The  chief  of  the  royal  body-guard,  i.  8. 

26.  Ahiathar  the  priest]  Who  had  conspired  with  Adonijah 
against  Solomon,  i.  7. 

—  Anathoth]  Abiathar  the  priest  is  sent  to  Anathoth,  which 
we  know  from  Josh.  xxi.  18  to  have  been  a  priestly  city  in  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin,  and  therefore  near  Jerusalem.  The  prophet 
Jeremiah  was  "of  the  priests  that  were  in  Anathoth"  (Jer.  i. 
1)  :  it  is  now  called  Anata,  about  four  miles  N.n.e.  from  Jeru- 
salem {Rohlnson,  Grove). 

—  thou  hast  been  afflicted]  even  from  the  time  when  Abia- 
thar's  father  and  the  priests  at  Nob  were  put  to  death  by  Saul 
(1  S.am.  xxii.  20 — 23),  and  during  David's  exile  from  Jerusalem, 
in  the  rebellion  of  Absalom  (2  Sam.  xv.  24.  29).  Abiathar  had 
been  also  associated  with  David  in  bringing  up  the  Ark  to  Zion 
(1  Chron.  xv.  11).     Abiathar'.'i  defection  in  Ins  old  age,  after 

8 


such  long  service,  may  perhaps  be  traced  to  jealousy  of  Zadok  : 
cp.  i.  7. 

27.  So  Solomon  thrust  out  Ahiathar]  He  deposed  him  from 
the  exercise  of  his  priestly  functions  :  Abiathar  was  still  a  priest, 
and  is  called  so,  after  this  time,  in  Holy  Scripture,  see  iv.  4. 
Solomon  put  Zadok  in  Abiathar's  room  {v.  35,  cp.  1  Chron. 
xxix.  22).  As  Theodoret  says,  "he  deprived  him  of  his  dignity, 
but  did  not  strip  him  of  the  pi-iesthood,"  cp.  Wouvers,  Dilucid, 
p.  896.  The  seal  of  the  priestly  character  was  not  broken,  but 
its  application  was  inhibited.  The  case  is  similar,  in  the  depo- 
sition of  Bishops  and  Priests  in  the  Christian  Church. 

—  that  he  might  fulfil  the  loord  of  the  Loed]  or  rather,  to 
fulfil.      Solomon  himself  did  not  ititend  this  as  the  end  of  his 

action ;  but  Almighty  God  ordered  his  action  so  as  to  attain  that 
end.  The  Sept.  has  ir\rip<i>6riva.t  here ;  and  the  formula  in  the 
Gospels,  'Iva  Tr-KrjpwOij,  has  a  similar  sense.  See  Matt.  i.  22;  ii. 
15.  23 ;  iv.  15,  and  the  use  of  'Iva  in  2  Cor.  iv.  7,  where  see  the 
note. 

Teansfee  of  the  Peiesthood. 

—  which  he  spake  concerning  the  house  of  Eli  in  Shiloh'] 
See  1  Sam.  ii.  31—36.  This  word  had  been  partly  fulfilled  by 
the  death  of  Hophni  and  Phinehas  (1  Sam.  iv.  11),  and  by  the 
destruction  of  the  priests  by  Saul  (1  Sam.  xxii.  18),  and  now  it 
was  fully  accomplished,  and  therefore  the  author  uses  here  the 
words  "  that  he  mi^t fulfil." 

(1)  Eli — of  the  line  of  Ithamar — was  succeeded  in  the 
priesthood  by  his  grandson  Ahitub  (the  son  of  Phinehas,  who 
perished  with  Hophni  his  brother),  and  Ahitub  was  followed  by 
Ahiali  (1  Sam.  xiv.  3),  and  he  probably  by  his  brother,  Ahime- 
lech  (1  Sam.  xxii.  9,  10),  who  was  murdered  by  Savd ;  and  he 
was  succeeded  by  Abiathar,  who  was  now  removed  by  Solomon 
from  the  exercise  of  the  functions  of  the  High  priesthood,  which 
now  returned,  in  Zadok,  to  the  line  of  Eleazar,  and  Phinehas 
his  son,  to  whom,  for  his  zeal  in  punishing  such  sins  of  the  flesh 
as  those  for  which  Hophni  and  Phinehas  fell,  God  made  the 
promise  of  the  priesthood,  recorded  in  Num.  xxv.  11 — 13.  Tlins 
a  double  prophecy  was  fulfilled  by  means  of  Al)uithar's  fall  and 
l^unishment. 

(2)  Another  important  result  was  olitaiued  by  this  deposi- 
tion of  Abiathar  and  promotion  of  Zadok  (see  v.  35). 


Transfer  of  the  Priesthood. 


1  KINGS  II.  28—36. 


JoaVs  death  at  Giheon. 


-^  Then  tidings  came  to  Joab  :  for  Joab  ^  had  turned  after  Adonijah,  though 
he  turned  not  after  Absalom.  And  Joab  fled  unto  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord, 
and  "^  caught  hold  on  the  horns  of  the  altar.  ^^  And  it  was  told  king  Solomon 
that  Joab  was  fled  unto  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord  ;  and,  behold,  he  is  by  the 
altar.  Then  Solomon  sent  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  saying.  Go,  fall  upon 
him.  ^^  And  Benaiah  came  to  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord,  and  said  unto  him, 
Thus  saith  the  king.  Come  forth.  And  he  said.  Nay ;  but  I  will  die  here. 
And  Benaiah  brought  the  king  word  again,  saying.  Thus  said  Joab,  and  thus 
he  answered  me.  ^^  And  the  king  said  unto  liim,  '  Do  as  he  hath  said,  and  fall 
upon  him,  and  bury  him ; 
which  Joab  shed,  from  me,  and  from  the  house  of  my  father. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1014. 
p  ch.  1.  7. 

q  ch.  1.  50. 


r  Exod.  21.  H. 


that  thou  mayest  take  away  the  innocent  blood,  s  Num.  35. 33. 

QO    A        1    ii         T  Deut.  19.  13.  & 

^2  And  the  Lord  ^i-  »>  9. 


'  shall  return  his  blood  upon  his  own  head,  who  fell  upon  two  men  more  t  judg.  9. 

righteous  "and  better  than  he,  and  slew  them  with  the  sword,  my  father  David  u2ciiron.2i.  13. 

not  knowing  thereof,  to  icit,  ^  Abner  the  son  of  Ner,  captain  of  the  host  of  ^  2  sam.  3. 27. 

Israel,  and  ^  Amasa  the  son  of  Jether,  captain  of  the  host  of  Judah.     ^^  Their  y  2  sam.  20. 10. 

blood  shall  therefore  return  upon  the  head  of  Joab,  and  ^  upon  the  head  of  his  z  2  sam.  3  2^ 

seed  for  ever :  ^  but  upon  David,  and  upon  his  seed,  and  upon  his  house,  and  » Prov.  25. 5. 

upon  his  throne,  shall  there  be  peace  for  ever  from  the  Lord.     ^^  So  Benaiah 

the  son  of  Jehoiada  went  up,  and  fell  upon  him,  and  slew  him :  and  he  was        ioh. 

buried  in  his  own  house  in  the  wilderness.     ^^  And  the  king  put  Benaiah  the 

son  of  Jehoiada  in  his  room  over  the  host :  and  ^  Zadok  the  priest  did  the  kinaj  b  Num.25. 11, 

12    13 

put  in  the  room  of "  Abiathar.  1  sam'.  2. 35. 

■■•  See  1  Chron.  6. 

2*"' And  the  king  sent  and  called  for    Shimei,  and  said  unto  him.  Build  thee  f^^^^^^- 


d  2  Sam.  16.  5.      ver.  8. 


lu  contravention  of  God's  will  and  word,  and  for  the 
punishment  of  Israel's  sins,  a  confusion  had  arisen,  in  the 
ministrations  of  the  priesthood,  by  reason  of  the  separation  of 
the  Ark  from  the  Tabernacle.  The  Ark  and  Tabernacle  had 
never  been  united  since  the  capture  of  the  Ark  by  the  Philis- 
tines in  the  days  of  Eli.  Hence  a  double  exercise  of  priestly 
functions  in  two  different  places  ensued.  Even  at  this  time 
there  was  one  Altar  of  Burnt-offering  at  Gibeou,  and  another 
before  the  Ai'k  on  Mount  Zion.  But  now,  under  Solomon,  the 
Prince  of  Peace,  the  tj-pe  of  Christ,  this  confusion  was  about  to 
cease,  and  unity  of  Worship,  according  to  God's  Will  and  Word 
in  His  Law,  was  to  be  estabUshed  by  the  erection  of  the  Temple. 
The  deposition  of  Abiathar,  and  the  concentration  of  the  Priest- 
hood in  Zadok,  "  the  faithful  Priest,"  the  type  of  Cheist  (see 
on  1  Sam.  ii.  35),  was  ministerial  and  preparatory  to  this  resto- 
ration of  unity. 

(3)  There  is  also  something  still  deeper  here. 

At  the  inauguration  of  Jestjs  Cheist,  who  is  our  Divine 
Solomon  as  King,  our  Prince  of  Peace,  and  is  also  our  Zadok 
the  righteous  (such  is  the  meaning  of  the  name),  our  "  faithful 
High  Priest,"  the  Evangelists  relate  that  there  was  a  like  con- 
fusion in  the  Jewish  Priesthood.  St.  Luke  especially  notices 
this  confusion,  when  he  is  about  to  declare  the  public  inaugura- 
tion of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  or  Anointed  King  and  Priest, 
at  His  Baptism.  St.  Luke  there  mentions  that  "Annas  and 
Caiaphas  were  High  Priests,"  which  was  contrary  to  God's  will, 
according  to  which  there  could  be  but  One  High  Priest  at  a 
time  (see  below,  on  Luke  iii.  1,  2.  21). 

But  Christ,  the  One  Everlasting  High  Priest,  He  Who 
"  abideth  a  priest  continually "  (Heb.  vii.  3),  then  came,  and 
concentrated  the  Priesthood  for  ever  in  Himself.  He  was  in- 
augurated in  His  office  by  the  Unction  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
coming  upon  Him  visibly  at  His  Baptism,  and  by  the  Voice 
of  the  Father  from  heaven,  "  Thou  art  My  beloved  Son " 
(Mark  i.  10,  11.  Luke  iii.  21,  22).  The  Abiathar  of  the 
Jewish  Priesthood  was  absorbed  in  the  Priesthood  of  Christ, 
the  faithful  Priest,  the  true  Zadok  or  Righteous  One  ("  the 
LoED  our  Righteousness  "),  Who  ministers  for  ever  in  the 
Church,  which  He  Himself,  our  Royal  Solomon,  the  Peaceable 
One,  has  built.  See  above,  on  1  Sam.  ii  85;  and  below,  note  on 
iii.  2  J  and  B'.ek.  xUv.  15. 

2^.  for  Joah~\  Ruther,   now  Joab.     Here    is    a,  parenthesis 
down  to  "  Absalom." 

—  Joab  Jled]  Hearuig   the  intelligence   of  the  punishment 
<J 


inflicted  on  Adonijah,    and   being   conscience-stricken  with   a 
sense  of  his  own  guilt,  for  which  he  deserved  a  like  sentence. 

—  unto  the  tabernacle']  "Which  was  at  Giheon  (see  i.  51). 
Thus  the  scene  of  Joab's  sin  (2  Sam.  xx.  8 — 10)  became  the 
scene  also  of  his  punishment. 

—  horns  of  the  altar']  See  on  i.  50. 

30.  I  will  die  here]  Joab  pronounces  sentence  on  himself. 

31.  that  thou  mayest  take  away  the  innocent  blood]  Here 
was  the  cause  of  Joab's  punishment.  It  was  required  by  God's 
law ;  and  Solomon,  the  appointed  guardian  and  minister  of  that 
law,  was  bound  to  execute  it.  Murder  is  an  outrage  against 
God's  image  in  man,  and  "  whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man 
shall  his  blood  be  shed."  This  was  God's  law  (Gen.  ix.  6),  and 
God  had  said,  "  Thou  shalt  put  away  the  innocent  blood"  (lite- 
rally, blood  shed  gratuitously,  i.  e.  without  a  cause)  "  from 
Isi-ael,  that  it  may  go  well  with  thee"  (Deut.  xix.  13).  "Ye 
shall  take  no  satisfaction  for  the  Hfe  of  a  murderer,  which  is 
guilty  of  death ;  he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death  "  (Num.  xxxv. 
31).  Solomon  feared  God,  and,  as  his  father  had  reminded  him 
(ii.  3,  4),  was  bound  to  execute  His  law,  if  he  desired  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  his  kingdom,  which  would  be  visited  with 
God's  anger,  for  suffering  innocent  blood  to  be  shed  in  it  with 
impunity,  as  David  himself  had  found,  in  the  case  of  the  Gibe- 
onites  (2  Sam.  xxi.  1)  ;  he  was  obliged  to  put  away  the  guilt 
which  had  been  incurred  by  the  murder  of  Abner  and  Amasa, 
and  this  could  not  be  done  but  by  the  pimishmcnt  of  the  mur- 
derer. God  Himself  had  declared  that  "  Blood  defileth  the 
land,"  and  that  the  land  could  not  be  cleansed  of  the  blood 
that  is  shed  therein,  but  by  the  blood  of  him  that  shed  it 
(Num.  xxxv.  33). 

34.  ivent  up]  To  Gibeon,  the  high  place,  where  the  Taber- 
nacle was,  V.  28. 

—  buried  in  his  own  house  in  the  wilderness]  Probably 
of  Judah,  for  Joab's  mother  was  a  step-sister  of  David.  The 
promise  of  burial  to  Joab  (see  «.  31),  and  the  mention  of  the 
careful  performance  of  that  promise,  seem  to  suggest,  that  if 
Joab  was  penitent  for  his  sin,  then,  whatever  might  have  hap- 
pened to  his  body  on  earth,  he  was  not  excluded  from  the  hope 
of  a  resurrection  to  a  better  life  :  cp.  l^elow,  the  case  of  Ananias 
and  Sapphira,  and  note  in  Acts  v.  5,  6.  At  any  rate,  the  men- 
tion of  burial  teaches  the  duty  of  charitable  judgment  with 
regard  to  the  state  of  the  departed :  compare  the  earnest  care 
of  David  for  the  buriid  of  the  body  of  Saul,  2  Sam.  ii.  5,  6. 


Shimeis  death. 


1  KINGS  II.  37—46.     III.  1. 


Pharaoh's  daughter. 


Before 

CHRIST 

lOH. 

e  2  Sam.  15.  23. 

f  Lev.  20.  9. 
Josh.  2.  ]9. 
2  Sam.  1.  IG. 


1011. 
g  1  Sam.  27.  2. 


h  2  Sam.  16.  5. 

i  Ps.  7.  16. 
Ezek.  17.  19. 
k  Piov.  25.  6. 


1  ver.  12. 

2  Chron.  1.  1. 

1014. 
a  ch.  7.  8.  &  9.  24 

b  2  Sam.  5.  7. 


an  house  in  Jerusalem,  and  dwell  there,  and  go  not  forth  thence  any  whither. 
27  For  it  shall  be,  that  on  the  day  thou  goest  out,  and  passest  over  *"  the  brook 
I^idron,  thou  shalt  know  for  certain  that  thou  shalt  surely  die  :  Hhj  blood  shall 
be  upon  thine  own  head.  ^'^And  Shimei  said  unto  the  king,  The  saying  is 
good :  as  my  lord  the  king  hath  said,  so  will  thy  servant  do.  And  Shimei 
dwelt  in  Jerusalem  many  days. 

2^  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  three  years,  that  two  of  the  servants  of 
Shimei  ran  away  unto  ^Achish  son  of  Maacah  king  of  Gath.  And  they  told 
Shimei,  saying.  Behold,  thy  servants  he  in  Gath.  ^"^And  Shimei  arose,  and 
saddled  his  ass,  and  went  to  Gath  to  Achish  to  seek  his  servants  :  and  Shimei 
went,  and  brought  his  servants  from  Guth.  "^^  And  it  was  told  Solomon  that 
Shimei  had  gone  from  Jerusalem  to  Gath,  and  was  come  again.  ^^  And  the 
king  sent  and  called  for  Shimei,  and  said  unto  him,  Did  I  not  make  thee  to 
swear  by  the  Lord,  and  protested  unto  thee,  saying.  Know  for  a  certain,  on 
the  day  thou  goest  out,  and  walkest  abroad  any  whither,  that  thou  shalt  surely 
die?  and  thou  saidst  unto  me.  The  word  that  I  have  heard  is  good.  '^^Why 
then  hast  thou  not  kept  the  oath  of  the  Loed,  and  the  commandment  that  I 
have  charged  thee  with  ?  "^'^  The  king  said  moreover  to  Shimei,  Thou  knowest 
''  aU  the  wickedness  which  thine  heart  is  privy  to,  that  thou  didst  to  David  my 
father  :  therefore  the  Lord  shall '  return  thy  wickedness  upon  thine  owti  head ; 
^^And  king  Solomon  shall  he  blessed,  and  ""the  throne  of  David  shall  be 
established  before  the  Lord  for  ever.  ^^  So  the  king  commanded  Benaiah  the 
son  of  Jehoiada ;  which  went  out,  and  fell  upon  him,  that  he  died.  And  the 
'  kingdom  was  established  in  the  hand  of  Solomon. 

III.  ^  And  ^  Solomon  made  affinity  with  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt,  and  took 
Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  brought  her  into  the  ""city  of  David,  until  he  had 


36.  Shimei]  Concerning  whom  Solomon  Lad  received  direc- 
tions from  David.     See  vv.  8,  9. 

—  Build  thee  an  house}  To  be  a  guarantee  for  his  residence 
there. 

37.  Kidron']  On  the  east  side  of  Jerusalem.  This  limit  is 
mentioned,  as  lying  between  Jerusalem  and  Shimei's  house  at 
Bahurim  (2  Sam.  xv.  23  ;  xvi.  5). 

39.  Achish]  See  1  Sam.  xxi.  10 ;  xxvii.  2. 

42.  Bid  I  not  make  thee  to  swear  ly  i/ie  Loed]  Therefore 
Shimei  was  guilty  of  perjury,  and  was  liable  to  punishment  on 
that  account ;  and  Solomon  "^had  pledged  his  own  word,  that  if 
Shimei  left  Jerusalem,  he  should  die,  and  Shimei  had  accepted 
that  pledge  {v.  42).  A  king's  word  is  sacred ;  and  if  Solomon 
had  not  performed  it,  he  would  have  forfeited  the  confidence  of 
his  people  :  and  Shimei  ought  to  have  been  warned  against 
trifling  with  Solomon's  forbearance,  by  the  punishments  already 
inflicted  on  Adonijah  and  Joab.  Shimei's  former  wickedness,  of 
•which  he  had  not  repented  (see  v.  44),  rose  up  against  him._ 

Shimei  swore  not  to  go;  Solomon  swore  his  death  if  he 
went :  the  one  oath  must  be  revenged,  the  other  be  kept.  If 
Shimei  were  false  in  ofiending,  Solomon  must  be  just  in  punish- 
ing. And  how  much  less  will  the  God  of  heaven,  whose  vice- 
gerent Solomon  was,  sufler  unrevenged  the  blasphemies  against 
His  divine  Majesty  !   (Bp.  Hall). 

45.  the  throne  of  David  shall  he  estahlished']  As  Solomon 
Bays,  "  Take  away  the  wicked  from  before  the  king,  and  his 
throne  shall  he  established  in  righteousness'^  (Prov.  xxv.  5). 

Ch.  III.  1.  Solomon  made  affinity  tvith  Pharaoh]  Perhaps 
Psuscnnes,  the  last  king  of  the  twenty -first  (Tanitic)  d^masty  ; 
the  first  king  of  the  twenty-second  (Bubastic)  dynasty,  Seson- 
chis,  is  the  Shishak  who  came  up  against  Jerusalem  in  the 
fifth  year  of  Rehoboam.  See  below,  xiv.  25  (Winer,  Eivald, 
Keil). 

—  and  took  Pharaoh's  daughter]  lie  had  already  married 
an  Ammonitess,  Naamah,  by  whom  he  had  Rehoboam  (xi.  42  ; 
xiv.  21.  2  Chron.  xii.  13),  the  only  son  whom  he  is  known  to 
have  had. 

The  law  of  God  had  forbidden  marriage  with  Canaanites 
30 


(E.xod.  xxxiv.  16.  Deut.  vii.  3) ;  but  it  contemplated  man-iages 
with  wives  of  other  nations  (Deut.  xx.  10 — 14),  and  Solomon 
might  appeal  to  the  example  of  Joseph  marrying  a  daughter  of 
Potipherah  (Gen.  xli.  45),  and  of  Moses  marrying  'a  wife  of 
Midian  (Exod.  ii.  21),  and  of  Ethiopia  (xii.  1),  and  of  Salmon 
marrying  Rahab  of  Jericho,  and  even  of  Boaz,  Solomon's  an- 
cestor, marrying  Ruth. 

All  these  women  were  doubtless  admitted,  as  proselytes,  to 
communion  with  the  people  of  God.  These  marriages  are  re- 
garded by  the  ancient  Expositors  as  figurative  and  prophetic  of 
the  future  extension  of  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  to  the 
heathen  nations  of  the  world,  and  of  Christ's  espousal  of  a 
Church  from  the  Gentile  world.  See  above,  on  Gen.  xli.  50. 
Exod.  ii.  21 ;  xii.  1.  Ps.  xlv.  11.  See  Introduction  to  Ruth, 
p.  161,  and  Ruth  iv. 

Especially  was  the  marriage  of  Solomon,  which  is  cele- 
brated in  the  Canticles,  or  the  Song  of  Solomon,  regarded  by 
ancient  Exjiositors  as  a  foreshadowing  of  the  love  and  union 
of  Chi-ist  and  the  Church  Universal.  See  Angelomus,  p.  360, 
and  cp.  Estius,  Serarius,  A  Lapide,  and  Wouvers  here. 

Observe  the  contrast  between  Solomon's  youth,  and  Solo- 
mon's old  age. 

He  now  "loved  the  Lord,  walking  in  the  statutes  of 
David  his  fiither  "  (v.  3),  and  brought  Pharaoh's  daughter  into 
religious  connexion  with  the  People  of  God.  And  I^haraoh's 
daughter  is  never  mentioned  among  the  wives  who  "  turned 
away  his  lieart  in  his  old  age;"  nor  is  there  any  trace  of 
Egyptian  idolatry  introduced  into  Israel  during  his  reign. 

In  his  earlier  years,  Solomon  brought  his  Egyptian  consort 
to  the  knowledge  and  worship  of  the  true  God  ;  Init  in  his  later 
days,  Solomon  himself,  who  had  converted  others,  was  per- 
verted by  his  wives  to  idolatry.  The  love  of  God  gave  to  Solo- 
mon, when  young,  the  wisdom  of  old  age;  but  when  he  was 
old,  he  loved  many  strange  women,  and  his  love  of  God  waned, 
and  he  fell  into  childishness  by  disobedience.  As  the  author  of 
the  Book  of  Wisdom  says,  "  Honourable  age  is  not  that  whicli 
standeth  in  length  of  time,  nor  is  measured  by  number  of  years ; 
but  Wisdom  is  the  gray  hair  unto  men,  and  an  unspotted  life  is 
oldage"  (Wisd.  iv.  8,  9). 


Solomon  goes  to  Gibeon. 


1  KINGS  III.  2—8. 


His  prayer. 


made  an  end  of  building  his  "  own  house,  and  '^  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and 
•the  wall  of  Jerusalem  round  about.  2'" Only  the  people  sacrificed  in  high 
places,  because  there  was  no  house  built  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord,  until 
those  days.  ^And  Solomon  ^ loved  the  Lord,  ''walking  in  the  statutes  of 
David  his  father :  only  he  sacrificed  and  burnt  incense  in  high  places. 

^  And  '  the  king  went  to  Gibeon  to  sacrifice  there ;  ^  for  that  ivas  the  great 
high  place :  a  thousand  burnt  offerings  did  Solomon  offer  upon  that  altar. 
^ '  In  Gibeon  the  Lord  appeared  to  Solomon  ""  in  a  dream  by  night :  and  God 
said,  Ask  what  I  shall  give  thee.  ^"And  Solomon  said.  Thou  hast  shewed 
unto  thy  servant  David  my  father  great  ||  mercy,  according  as  he  °  walked 
before  thee  in  truth,  and  in  righteousness,  and  in  uprightness  of  heart  with 
thee ;  and  thou  hast  kept  for  him  this  great  kindness,  that  thou  ^  hast  given 
him  a  son  to  sit  on  his  throne,  as  it  is  this  day.  '^  And  now,  0  Lord  my  God, 
thou  hast  made  thy  servant  king  instead  of  David  my  father :  "^  and  I  am  hut  a 
little  child:  I  know  not  how  ""to  go  out  or  come  in.  ^And  thy  servant  is  in 
the  midst  of  thy  people  which  thou  '  hast  chosen,  a  great  people,  '  that  cannot 


Before 
CHRIST 
1014. 
c  ch.  7.  1. 
d  ch.  G. 
ech.  9.  15,  19. 
f  Lev.  17.3,  4,  5. 
Deut.  12.  2,  4,  5. 
ch.  22.  43. 
g  Deut.  6.  5.  & 
30.  le,  20. 
Ps.  31.  23. 
Rom.  8.  28. 

1  Cor.  8.  3. 
h  ver.  6,  14. 

i  2  Chron.  1.  3. 
k  1  Chron.  1(3.39. 

2  Chron.  1.3. 

1  ch.  9.  2. 

2  Chron.  1  7. 
m  Num.  12.  G. 
Matt.  1.  20.  & 
2.  13.  19. 

n  2  Chron.  1.  8, 

&c. 

II  Or,  bounty. 

o  ch.  2.  4.  &  9.  4. 

2  Kings  20.  3. 

Ps.  15.  2. 

p  ch.  1.48. 

q  1  Chron.  29.  1. 

r  Num.  27.  17. 

s  Deut.  7.  G. 
t  Gen.  13.  16. 
&  15.  5. 


2.  in  JiigJi  places]  Because  God  had  not  yet,  as  the  Sacred 
Writer  remarks,  clearly  defined  the  place  where  He  would  put 
His  Name,  to  dwell  there  (Deut.  xii.  4,  5.  13).  God  therefore 
tolerated  this  worship  in  high  places,  because  it  was  not  offered 
to  other  gods,  but  to  the  Lord  {Augustine,  Qu.  in  Jud.  36  :  cp. 
Keil,  p.  31).  But  this  permission  ceased  when  the  Temple  was 
built :  cp.  ix.  25. 

4.  Gi6eo«]  Now  ISl-Jih,  about  seven  miles  n.n.w.  of  Jeru- 
salem ;  the  scene  of  Joshua's  miracle  (Josh.  ix.  3).  For  other 
events  connected  with  Gibeon  see  2  Sam.  ii.  12.  33 ;  xx.  8 — 12. 
Solomon  went  to  worship  at  Gibeon,  for  "  that  was  the 
groat  high  place ;"  because,  as  we  learn  fi'om  the  Chronicles, 
there  was  the  Tabernacle  of  the  Congregation  of  God  (2  Chron. 
i.  3.  13 :  cp.  1  Chron.  xvi.  39 ;  xxi.  29). 

This  visit  of  Solomon  to  Gibeon  served  an  important  jmr- 
pose ;  it  showed  that  though  another  place  (viz.  Jerusalem) 
had  now  been  chosen  by  God  to  put  His  name  there  (see 
1  Chron.  xxii.  1),  and  though  the  Tabernacle  itself  was  to  be 
succeeded  and  superseded  by  the  Temple,  and  although  it  was 
to  be  absoi'bed  into  the  Temple,  of  which  David  had  received  a 
pattern  from  God  (1  Chron.  xxviii.  12.  19),  and  for  which 
David  had  made  immense  preparations,  and  which  Solomon 
himself  was  to  build  (1  Chron.  xxviii.  10,  11;  xxix.  2 — 5) ;  and 
although  the  Tabernacle  was  to  vanish  away  as  a  thing  of  the 
past,  yet  Solomon,  the  builder  of  the  Temj^le,  would  show 
honour  to  the  Tabernacle  as  being  of  divine  appointment.  Thus 
his  visit  to  Gibeon  and  to  the  Tabernacle  was  like  an  honourable 
funeral  to  the  Tabernacle.  It  may  be  compared  to  the  work  of 
the  true  Solomon,  the  Builder  of  the  Christian  Church,  Jestjs 
Cueist,  Who  was  born  under  the  Law  of  Moses,  that  He  might 
redeem  them  that  were  under  the  Law  (Gal.  iv.  5),  and  Wlio 
was  made  obedient  to  the  Law  for  men,  and  fulfilled  all  righte- 
ousness (Matt.  iii.  15).  And  this  visit  of  Solomon  to  Gibeon 
may  be  compared  to  the  reverence  paid  by  St.  Paul  and  the 
other  Apostles  to  the  Temple  and  to  the  Law  of  Moses,  at  that 
critical  time  when  all  the  glories  of  the  Temple  were  about  to 
melt  away  into  the  Christian  Church.  They  were  careful  to 
show  that  in  their  zeal  for  the  Gospel  they  did  not  despise  the 
Law,  but  honoured  it  as  the  minister  and  servant  whom  God 
had  appoi'nted  to  bring  His  People  to  Christ  (Gal.  iii.  24).  They 
would  give  to  the  Law  an  honourable  burial,  as  God  Himself 
did  to  the  body  of  Moses,  the  representative  of  the  Law  (Deut. 
xxxiv.  6).    See  below,  on  Galatians,  p.  51,  sect.  iv. 

—  a  tliousand  burnt  offerings]  They  were  so  numerous, 
because  all  the  heads  of  the  people  were  associated  with  Solomon, 
as  appears  from  2  Chron.  i.  3.  It  was  an  act  of  the  king,  and 
of  the  nation  testifying  their  allegiance  to  God;  and  it  was 
probably  extended  over  several  days  (Kimchi). 

Solomon's  Peater  at  Gibeok. 

6.  And  Solomon  said]  In  his  sleep  (see  v.  15).  And  yet 
the  words  are  represented  as  the  deliberate  words  of  Solomon 
himself,  and  God  answers  him  accordingly :  and  in  2  Chron. 
i.  7,  it  is  said  that  God  appeared  on  that  night  to  Solomon, 
and  said,  "  Ask  what  shall  I  give  thee.  And  Solomon  said — ." 
The  sacred  writer  there  does  not  mention  a  dream.  This  ckeam 
11 


was  therefore  like  a  prophetic  ecstasy, — like  that  of  Adam  in 
Paradise  (Gen.  ii.  21),  or  that  of  Abraham  (Gen.  xv.  12),  or 
that  of  Jacob  (Gen.  xxviii.  12),  or  the  ch'eam  of  Joseph  (Gen. 
xxxvii.  5.  9),  or  those  of  the  husband  of  Mary  (Matt.  i.  20; 
ii.  13.  19),  and  of  the  wise  men  (Matt.  ii.  12),  viz.  a  divinely- 
ordered  means  for  the  communication  of  the  will  of  God,  with- 
out any  impairment  of  the  moral  identity,  consciousness,  free- 
will, or  responsibility  of  those  to  whom  the  communication  is 
made  (see  Tertullian  c.  Marcion,  iv.  15.  S.  Ambrose  in  Ps. 
cxviii.  and  A  Lapide  here).  As  Solomon  himself  says  in  the 
Canticles,  "  I  sleep,  but  my  heart  waketh  "  (Cant.  v.  2). 

Such  dreams  afford  clear  evidence  of  the  independent  exist- 
ence and  activity  of  the  human  soul,  at  a  time  when  the  body  is 
unconscious;  and  confirm  the  evidence  which  Holy  Scripture 
affords  of  the  vitality  and  energy  of  the  soul,  when  separated 
from  the  body  by  death,  and  when  remaining  in  the  interme- 
diate state  between  death  and  the  resurrection  of  the  body  (see 
below,  on  Luke  xxiii.  43,  and  cp.  2  Cor.  xii.  2). 

Since  Solomon  could  converse  with  God,  when  his  body  was 
laid  asleep,  and  since  the  words  that  Solomon  uttered  are  declared 
by  God  to  be  the  genuine  expressions  of  Solomon's  own  will  and 
mind,  and  are  rewarded  accordingly,  we  cannot  doubt  that  the 
human  soul  can  think,  and  feel,  and  know,  when  delivered  from 
the  burden  of  the  flesh  by  death. 

In  this  dream  of  Solomon  we  may  recognize  a  faint  vision 
of  what  existed  in  the  highest  degree  in  Christ.  As  Man,  Ho 
slept,  with  His  head  on  the  pillow  in  the  hinder  part  of  the  ship 
in  the  storm,  but  the  Divine  Nature,  united  indissolubly  to  the 
Human,  was  awake;  and  it  was  therefore  an  act  of  unbelief  on 
the  part  of  the  disciples  to  do  what  they  then  did.  See  on  Matt. 
viii.  26.     Mark  iv.  40.     Luke  viii.  25. 

Solomon  himself  refers  to  this  event  in  Ps.  cx.wii.  2 :  "So  He 
giveth  to  His  beloved  (Jedidiah)  in  sleep.  See  the  note  there. 

7.  I  am  but  a  little  child]  This  shows  Solomon's  modesty  and 
humility,  which  are  the  true  prerequisites  for  wisdom.  Solo- 
mon was  now  about  twenty  years  old,  and  was  a  father;  see 
above,  on  ii.  24;  below,  xiv.  2  {Natalis,  Alex.  Dissert,  xxvi.  p. 
172.  Wouvers,  Diluc.  Qu.  2).  Compare  the  case  of  Josiah 
when  only  sixteen  (2  Chron.  xxxiv.  1—3 ;  xxxvi.  5.  Ussher, 
Ann.  p.  31). 

In  his  father's  esteem,  Solomon  was  a  "  wise  man  "  (ii.  6.  9), 
but  in  his  own  eyes  he  was  "  a  little  child."  He  had  learnt 
from  David  his  father,  that  "them  that  are  meek  shall  God 
guide  in  judgment,  and  such  as  are  gentle  them  shall  He  learn 
His  way""  (Ps.  xxv.  8)  ;  and  his  father  had  set  the  example  of 
humility  by  saying,  "  I  refrain  my  soul  and  keep  it  low,  like  as 
a  child  that  is  weaned  from  its  mother,  yea,  my  soul  is  even  as 
a  weaned  child "  (Ps.  cxxxi.  3).  The  Psalm  in  which  those 
words  occur,  immediately  precedes  that  in  which  David  declares 
his  desire  "  to  build  a  Temple  of  the  Lord."  See  the  whole 
Psalm  (the  132ud),  and  compare  it  with  this  history  of  Solomon 
at  this  juncture.  Were  not  these  Psalms  jn-esent  to  Solomon's 
mind  at  this  time  ? 

—  go  out  or  come  in]  A  phi-ase  adopted  from  the  Penta- 
teuch (Num.  xxvii.  17). 


Solomon's  wisdom. 


1  KINGS  III.  9— IG. 


Solomon's  judgment. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1014. 
u  2  Chron.  1.  10. 
Prov.  2.  3—9. 
James  1.  5. 
f  Heb.  hearing. 
X  Ps.  72.  1,  2. 
y  Iltb.  5.  14. 
z  James  4.  3. 

+  Heb.  many 
days. 


+  Heb.  to  hear. 
a  1  Johns.  14,  15, 
b  ch.  4.  29,  30, 
31.  &5.  12.  & 
10.  24. 
Eccles.  1.  IG. 

c  Matt.  6.  38. 

Eph.  3.  20. 

dch.  4.  21,  24.  & 

10.23,  25,  &c. 

Prov.  3.  16. 

II  Or,  hath  not 

been. 

e  ch.  15.  5. 

f  Ps.  91.  16. 

Prov.  3.  2. 

g  So  Gen.  41.  7. 


h  So  Gen.  40.  20. 
ch.  8  65. 
Esth.  1.  3. 
Dan.  5.  1. 
Mark  6.  21. 


be  numbered  nor  counted  for  multitude.  ^"Give  therefore  tliy  servant  an 
f  understanding  heart ''  to  judge  thy  people,  that  I  may  ^  discern  between  good 
and  bad :  for  who  is  able  to  judge  this  thy  so  great  a  people  ? 

^•'And  the  speech  pleased  the  Lord,  that  Solomon  had  asked  this  thing. 
^^  And  God  said  unto  him,  Because  thou  hast  asked  this  thing,  and  hast  ''not 
asked  for  thyself  f  long  life ;  neither  hast  asked  riches  for  thyself,  nor 
hast  asked  the  life  of  thine  enemies ;  but  hast  asked  for  thyself  under- 
standing f  to  discern  judgment ;  ^-  ^  Behold,  I  have  done  according  to 
thy  words :  *"  lo,  I  have  given  thee  a  wise  and  an  understanding  heart ;  so 
that  there  was  none  like  thee  before  thee,  neither  after  thee  shall  any  arise 
like  unto  thee.  ^^And  I  have  also  ^  given  thee  that  v/hich  thou  hast  not 
asked,  both  ^  riches,  and  honour :  so  that  there  |  shall  not  be  any  among  the 
kings  like  unto  thee  all  thy  days.  ^"^And  if  thou  wilt  walk  in  my  ways,  to 
keep  my  statutes  and  my  commandments,  ^  as  thy  father  David  did  walk,  then 
I  mil  lengthen  thy  days.  ^^And  Solomon  ^ awoke;  and,  behold,  it  was  a 
dream.  And  he  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  stood  before  the  ark  of  the  covenant 
of  the  Lord,  and  offered  up  burnt  offerings,  and  offered  peace  offerings,  and 
"  made  a  feast  to  all  his  servants. 

1^  Then  came  there  two  women,  tliat  ivere  harlots,  unto  the  king,  and  '  stood 


i  Num.  27.  2. 


8.  numbered  nor  counted^  Compare  Balaam's  words,  Num. 
xxiii.  10.  The  former  of  the  words  here  used,  manali,  signifies 
to  portion  out,  to  allot,  to  reckon  (Oesen.  485  ;  cp.  Hengst. 
Bileam,  p.  91) ;  the  latter  {saphar)  to  set  down  in  writing 
(  Gesen.  594). 

9,  Oive  therefore  thy  servant  an  understanding  heart  to 
judge  thy  people']  Literally,  give  thy  servant  a  hearing  heart 
to  judge :  see  also  v.  11,  where  the  word  rendered  to  discern,  is 
literally  to  hear. 

In  V.  12  God  says,  "  I  have  given  thee  a  wise  and  under- 
standing heart."  The  Hebrew  adjectives  here  used  are  chacam 
and  nahon  ;  the  proper  meanings  of  which  appear  to  he,  capahle 
of  judging  and  discerning.  See  Gesenius,  p.  113  and  p.  277. 
Solomon's  wisdom  is  described  by  the  Hebrew  word  chocmah 
(iv.  30),  rendered  in  Sept.  by  <pp6vT}(ns  and  ao(pia. 

Here  is  an  example  to  Rulers,  to  seek  for  wisdom  from  God, 
that  they  may  be  able  to  rule  aright.  Magistrates,  from  the 
examples  of  Job  (xxix.  14 — 17),  of  Solomon  here,  and  of  Jesus 
Christ  Himself  (Ps.  xlv.  6,  7),  should  learn  to  make  justice  and 
judgment  their  greatest  glory  and  delight  {Bp.  Sanderson,  ii. 
177). 

"  If  any  man  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth 
to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not,  and  it  shall  be  given 
him  "  (James  i.  5).  This  was  remarkably  accomplished  in  Solo- 
mon's case,  when  he  asked  wisdom j  "the  thing  pleased  the 
Lord"  {v.  10),  and  God  gave  him  wisdom,  and  gave  it  "libe- 
rally and  upbraided  not,"  but  added  to  the  gift  vnth  an  over- 
flow of  other  blessings :  cp.  Matt.  vi.  33. 

12.  none  like  thee]  Before  thee  (cp.  1  Chron.  xxix.  25. 
2  Chron.  ix.  22),  neither  after  thee,  for  it  pleased  God  to  make 
Solomon  a  signal  type,  in  this  respect,  of  Him  in  Wliom  "  are 
hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge"  (Col.  ii.  3). 
Solomon  had  been  the  first  of  kings  to  desire  wisdom  before  all 
other  things,  and  he  was  rewarded  accordingly. 

With  regard  to  the  true  character  of  Solomon's  wisdom, 
it  is  not  to  be  limited,  with  some,  to  mere  practical  sagacity, 
and  political  prudence,  or  physical  science,  such  as  may  be 
attained  by  human  eSbrts ;  nor  yet  is  it  to  be  extended,  with 
others,  to  the  knowledge  of  supernatural  mysteries  of  faith, 
which  are  unfolded  by  divine  Revelation;  "but  it  was  that 
wisdom  of  the  heart  which  loved  and  embraced  whatever 
truth  the  human  mind,  by  reason  and  experience,  aided  by 
divine  grace,  was  enabled  to  discover.  "  Solomon  saith.  There 
is  gold,  and  a  multitude  of  rich  stones ;  but  the  lips  of  know- 
ledge, that  is  the  precious  jewel  (Prov.  xx.  15).  And  not 
policy,  but  the  knowledge  of  sacred  things,  is  the  wisdom  ho 
meaneth"  (Bp.  Andreioes,  ii.  103).  Cp.  Lord  Bacon,  Advt. 
of  Learning,  Book  i.  p.  51 ;  and  Hooker  (III.  viii.  9),  who  says, 
that  it  was  by  moral  and  religious,  as  well  as  natural  and  civil 
wisdom,  that  Solomon  excelled  all  men.  See  also  ^S.  Hippolytiis, 
12 


Frag.,  p.  197,  ed.  Lagarde;  and  Tertnllian  c.  Marcion.  iv.  15, 
who  speak  of  Christ  Himself,  the  Eternal  Son,  and  Word, 
and  Wisdom  of  God,  as  enriching  Solomon  with  divine  know- 
ledge. 

This  view  is  clearly  displayed  by  the  writer  of  the  Eccle- 
siastical Book,  entitled,  the  "  Wisdom  of  Solomon."  See 
chapters  vii.- — x.,  and  especially  chapter  ix.,  where  the  Wisdom 
for  which  Solomon  is  said  to  pray,  is  no  other  than  a  portion 
of  that  Divine  Wisdom  by  which  the  World  was  created,  and 
by  which  it  is  governed,  and  which  enables  man  to  see  and  do 
God's  will,  and  which  animated  the  holy  Patriarchs  from  the 
beginning. 

15.  and  made  a  feast]    From  the  peace-ofiierings. 

Solomon's  Judgment. 
16 — 27.  Then  came  there  two  tvometi]  (1)  Tliis  history  is 
inserted  as  a  specimen  of  God's  love  to  Solomon  in  answer  to 
his  prayer,  and  of  the  wisdom  given  to  him  for  the  discharge  of 
his  royal  functions.  As  Theodoret  observes,  it  displays  the 
sagacity  of  the  king  in  using  natural  affections  as  tests  of 
truth,  and  in  bringing  to  light  secret  things  by  their  means. 
It  also  exhibits  a  royal  care  to  presence  life,  and  to  prevent 
division,  and  to  award  to  each  one  his  own :  cp.  S.  Ambrose 
de  Ofllc.  ii.  8,  who  says,  "  Sapieutise  fuit,  latentes  distinguere 
conscientias,  et  ex  occultis  eruere  veritatem." 

(2)  Solomon,  as  King,  was  a  figure  of  Christ,  the  Divine 
King  and  Judge,  in  the  Church  Universal ;  and  doubtless  this 
Judgment  of  Solomon,  which  is  here  chosen  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
for  commemoration  in  Holy  Scripture  as  a  specimen  of  Solo- 
mon's wisdom,  is  designed  to  be  very  significant.  It  has,  we 
may  reasonably  believe,  and  as  ancient  expositors  suggest, 
a  spiritual  relation  to  Christ :  see  the  Epistle  of  S.  Jerome 
(Epist.  Crit.  ad  Rufin.  p.  616,  "  De  jurgio  duarum  mulierum, 
et  de  judicio  Salomonis"),  who  says,  "Rex  Salomon  manifest^ 
Salvator  accipitur,  secundum  Psalmum  Septuagesimum  primum, 
qui  titulo  Salomonis  accipitur."  The  interesting  Sermon  of 
S.  Augustine  on  this  history,  Serm.  10,  p.  91,  and  Serm.  39, 
in  the  Appendix  to  his  Sermons,  p.  2414  (ed.  Paris,  1839),  will 
be  read  by  the  theological  student  with  great  gratification. 
Compare  also  S.  Ambrose  de  Virgiuit.  c.  1 ;  and  S.  Gregory, 
Moral,  xxi.  8;  and  Prosper  Aqtdtan.  de  Premiss,  ii.  27; 
Eucherius  in  Bibl.  Patr.  Max.  iv.  p.  965;  Angelomus,  p.  361. 
Viewed  in  this  light,  this  divinely-inspired  narrative  will  be 
found  very  instructive  and  seasonable  in  our  own  age  and  country; 
and  may  be  applied  to  ourselves,  in  reference  to  the  important 
question  of  national,  religious,  Education. 

Following  those  ancient  expositors,  we  may  observe  that 
these  two  women  represent  the  Church  of  God  on  the  one  side, 
and  her  rivals  on  the  other.  Both  these  women  were  sinners. 
Such  was  the  condition  of  the  Chm'ch  of  God  herself  when  in 


Soloinon's  judgment 


1  KINGS  III.  17—28.     IV.  1,  2. 


on  the  two  women. 


before  him.  ^^  And  the  one  woman  said,  0  my  lord,  I  and  this  woman  dwell  chrTIt 
in  one  house ;  and  I  was  delivered  of  a  child  with  her  in  the  house.  ^^  And  ''"^" 
it  came  to  pass  the  third  day  after  that  I  was  delivered,  that  this  woman  was 
delivered  also :  and  we  were  together ;  there  ivas  no  stranger  with  us  in  the 
house,  save  we  two  in  the  house.  ^^  And  this  woman's  child  died  in  the  night ; 
because  she  overlaid  it.  ^"And  she  arose  at  midnight,  and  took  my  son  from 
beside  me,  while  thine  handmaid  slept,  and  laid  it  in  her  bosom,  and  laid  her 
dead  child  in  my  bosom.  ^^  And  when  I  rose  in  the  morning  to  give  my  child 
suck,  behold,  it  was  dead :  but  when  I  had  considered  it  in  the  morning, 
behold,  it  was  not  my  son,  which  I  did  bear.  ^^  And  the  other  woman  said, 
Nay ;  but  the  living  is  my  son,  and  the  dead  is  thy  son.  And  this  said.  No ; 
but  the  dead  is  thy  son,  and  the  living  is  my  son.  Thus  they  spake  before 
the  king.  ^^  Then  said  the  king,  The  one  saith.  This  is  my  son  that  liveth, 
and  thy  son  is  the  dead :  and  the  other  saith.  Nay ;  but  thy  son  is  the  dead, 
and  my  son  is  the  living.  ^4  ^^^j  h^q  j^j^g  g^id,  Bring  me  a  sword.  And  they 
brought  a  sword  before  the  king.  ^^  And  the  king  said.  Divide  the  living  child 
in  two,  and  give  half  to  the  one,  and  half  to  the  other.  ^^Then  spake  the 
woman  whose  the  living  child  was  unto  the  king,  for  ^  her  bowels  f  yearned  \^^^^^  '*^-  co- 
upon her  son,  and  she  said,  0  my  lord,  give  her  the  living  child,  and  in  no 
wise  slay  it.  But  the  other  said.  Let  it  be  neither  mine  nor  thine,  hut  divide 
it.  ^'^  Then  the  king  answered  and  said.  Give  her  the  living  child,  and  in  no 
wise  slay  it :  she  is  the  mother  thereof.  ^^  And  all  Israel  heard  of  the  judg- 
ment which  the  king  had  judged ;  and  they  feared  the  king :  for  they  saw  that 
the  '  wisdom  of  God  loas  f  in  him,  to  do  judgment. 

IV.  ^  So  king  Solomon  was  king  over  all  Israel.     ^And  these  ivere  the  ""''''"'^'"'"' 


Jer.  31.  20. 
Hos.  11.8. 
t  Heb.  were  hot. 


1  ver.  9,  11,  12. 
+  Heb.  in  Ilia 


heathen  darkness ;  both  bear  children :  the  child  of  the  one  dies 
by  the  carelessness  of  the  mother.  The  Church  of  God  loves 
and  cares  for  her  oflspring,  and  rears  it  to  life  and  happiness ; 
but  the  false  mother  claims  the  child.  The  rivals  of  Christ's 
Church  seek  for  children  who  do  not  belong  to  them.  The 
true  mother  claims  her  own.  The  fiilse  mother  refuses  to  give 
it  up.  They  come  before  Solomon.  The  wise  King  proposes 
the  test:  "  Bring  me  a  sword :  divide  the  living  child"  (Heb. 
yeled,  newly  born :  cp.  Gen.  xxi.  8.  E.xod.  i.  17 ;  ii.  3),  "  and 
give  half  to  the  one,  and  half  to  the  other  "  {vv.  24,  25).  Not, 
as  if  Solomon,  the  Prince  of  Peace,  could  have  intended  to 
slay  the  child,  but  in  order  to  discover  the  mother.  As 
Augustine  well  says,  "Ilia  sententia  judicis,  cum  jussit  par- 
vulum  dividi,  non  est  unitatis  praecisio,  sed  probatio  charitatis. 
Salomouis  enim  nomen  Pacificum  est.  Rex  ver6  paciticus  non 
dilacerat  membra,  qua)  unitate  vitalem  spiritum  continent,  sed 
miuando  invenit  matrem  veram,  et  judicando  separat  falsam." 

The  false  mother  consents  to  the  proposed  terms  of  separa- 
tion. So  the  rivals  of  the  Church  are  not  careful  and  zealous 
for  the  maintenance  of  religious  unity.  They  readily  agree  to 
proposals  of  division.  They  say,  "  Let  it  be  neither  mine  nor 
thine,  but  divide  it."  It  is  the  popular  language  of  sects  and 
sectaries ;  let  various  forms  of  religion  be  equally  encouraged 
and  patronized ;  there  are  numerous  different  ways,  all  leading 
to  heaven,  and  every  man  is  free  to  choose  what  he  likes  best 
for  himself,  without  any  regard  to  the  authority  and  judgment 
of  Christ,  speaking  in  His  Church.  Thus  religious  division  is 
multiplied  indefinitely,  although  God  has  declared  Himself  to  be 
the  Author  of  Peace  and  Lover  of  Concord  (cp.  John  xvii.  21. 
1  Cor.  i.  10),  and  although  division  is  death  (see  1  Cor.  iii.  3. 
Gal.  v.  20,  21). 

But  the  true  Mother  shuns  division,  and  loves  unity.  She 
knows  that  wilful  schism  is  deadly  sin,  and  that  there  cannot 
be  life  without  unity.  Her  maternal  bowels  yearn  upon  her 
ofl'spring ;  and  she  says,  "  O  my  lord,  give  her  the  living  child, 
and  in  no  wise  slay  it."  Not  as  if  the  mother  would  give  away 
her  son  to  another ;  but  she  knows  that  if  it  is  divided,  it  will 
die ;  and  she  has  faith  in  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,  who  in  due 
time  will  say,  "  Give  her  the  living  child,  and  in  no  wise  slay 
it  J  she  is  the  naother  thereof." 
13 


The  Church  of  Christ  cannot  consent  to  any  compromises 
which  would  mar  the  unity  of  the  faith.  The  World  may  laud 
the  language  of  the  false  mother  who  acquiesces  in  the  pro- 
posal, "  Divide  the  living  child,  and  give  half  to  one,  and  half 
to  the  other."  It  may  extol  such  language  as  liberal,  and 
may  even  embody  its  vicious  principles  in  legal  enactments 
concerning  Education.  But  the  Spouse  of  Christ  cannot  share 
her  conjugal  rights  with  another.  She  cannot  divest  herself  of  her 
maternal  duties.  She  knows  that  there  is  "  One  Lord,  one  Faith, 
one  Baptism "  (Eph.  iv.  5),  and  that  all  Christ's  children  are 
hers  ;  for  she  is  the  Spiritual  Eve, — "  the  mother  of  all  living," 
— the  Spouse  of  the  Second  Adam.  Her  zeal  for  unity,  which 
the  World  denounces  as  bigotry,  is  the  evidence  of  her  marriage, 
and  of  her  motherhood,  and  will  commend  her  to  the  accept- 
ance of  the  Divine  Solomon,  and  will  win  for  her  the  verdict, 
"  Give  her  the  living  child,  and  in  no  wise  slay  it ;  she  is  the 
mother  thereof." 

Hence,  in  the  ancient  expositions  of  this  history,  we  read 
such  comments  as  these : — "  Heresies  and  schisms  divide  the 
child;  but  the  true  Mother,  the  Catholic  Church  of  Christ, 
cannot  brook  division;  and  our  King  and  Judge,  the  Divine 
Solomon,  puts  aside  the  pleas  of  Heresy  and  Schism,  and 
decides  for  Unity,  and  discovers  the  true  Mother,  who  loves 
the  life  of  the  child ;  and  Ho  restores  to  her  the  living  child, 
who  lives  by  unity,  and  loves  its  mother,  and  praises  the 
Divine  Lord,  and  King,  and  Judge,  the  true  Prince  of  Peace, 
the  Divine  Solomon,  Jesus  Cheist  "  {Prosper  Aquitanus.  Cp. 
Angelomus  with  Sede).  "  Justly  and  wisely  doth  Solomon  " 
(says  an  English  Divine)  "  trace  the  true  mother,  by  the  foot- 
steps of  love,  and  adjudgeth  the  child  to  those  bowels,  which 
yearned  for  it  at  its  danger.  Even  so  it  is  in  morality.  Truth 
is  one.  Falsehood  is  Division.  The  erroneous  Church  strives 
with  the  true  for  the  living  child  of  saving  doctrine.  Heresy 
would  be  content  to  go  away  with  a  leg  or  arm  of  sound  prin- 
ciples ;  Truth  cannot  abide  to  part  with  a  single  joint " 
{Bp.  Rail). 

On  the  sin  of  Syncretism  in  religion,  see  further  above, 
on  Lev.  xix.  19 ;   and  below,  2  Kings  xvii.  29. 

Cn.  IV.  1.  king  Solomon  was  Icing  over  all  Israel]  Solomon 


Solomon* s  ministers ; 


1  KINGS  IV.  3—12. 


his  twelve  officer. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1014. 
II  Or,  the  chief 
officer. 

P  Or,  secretaries. 
a  2  Sam.  8.  IG.  & 
20.  24. 

II  Or,  remem- 
brancer. 
b  ch.  2.  35. 
c  See  ch.  2.  27. 
d  ver.  7. 

e2  Sam.  8.  18.  & 
20.  2G. 

f  2  Sam.  15.  37. 
&  16.  16. 

I  Chron.  27.  33. 
g  ch.  5.  14. 

II  Or,  levy. 

II  Or,  Ben-hur. 

II  Or,  Ben-dekar. 

II  Or,  Ben-hesed. 

II  Or,  Ben- 
abinadab. 


princes  which  he  had ;  Azariah  the  son  of  Zadok  ||  the  priest,  ^  Ehhoreph  and 
Ahiah,  the  sons  of  Shisha,  1|  scribes ;  ^  Jehoshaphat  the  son  of  Ahihid,  the 
II  recorder.  *  And  ^  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada  was  over  the  host :  and  Zadok 
and  "  Abiathar  ^vcre  the  priests :  ^  And  Azariah  the  son  of  Nathan  ivas  over 
'^the  officers:  and  Zabud  the  son  of  Nathan  vjas  ^principal  officer,  and^iliQ 
king's  friend  :  ^  And  Ahishar  was  over  the  household :  and  ^Adoniram  the  son 
of  Abda  teas  over  the  ||  tribute. 

7  And  Solomon  had  twelve  officers  over  all  Israel,  which  provided  victuals 
for  the  king  and  his  household  :  each  man  his  month  in  a  year  made  provi- 
sion. ^And  these  are  their  names  :  ||  The  son  of  Hur,  in  mount  Eplu-aim  : 
^  II  The  son  of  Dekar,  in  Makaz,  and  in  Shaalbim,  and  Beth-shemesh,  and 
Elon-beth-hanaii :  ^°  ||  The  son  of  Hesed,  in  Aruboth ;  to  him  lurtaincd 
Sochoh,  and  all  the  land  of  Heplier  :  ^^  ||  The  son  of  Abinadab,  in  all  the 
region  of  Dor ;  which  had  Taphath  the  daughter  of  Solomon  to  wife  :  ^^  Baana 
the  son  of  Ahilud  ;  to  Mm  pertained  Taanach  and  Megiddo,  and  all  Beth-shean, 


iu  his  name,  the  Peaceable,  and  as  King  of  all  Israel,  and  as 
the  Wisest  of  IMen,  and  as  the  righteous  Judge,  and  Builder 
of  the  Temple,  prefigured  the  reign  of  Christ,  the  Prince  of 
Peace,  tlie  King  of  all  true  Israelites,  the  Builder  of  the 
Church  (iS.  Irenaus,  iv.  45.  See  above,  on  2  S;un.  xii. 
24,  25). 

Solomon's  Peinces  ob  Chief  Sektants. 

2.  these  were  ihe  princes  which  he  hadj  This  list  refers  to 
a  later  period  of  Solomon's  reign ;  for  it  contains  names  of 
Solomon's  sons-in-law  (vv.  11.  15). 

Tliese  princes  (Heb.  sarim)  of  Solomon  are,  with  one 
exception  {v.  4),  ministers  of  peace.  These  are  not  military- 
heroes, — such  as  the  mighty  men  of  David,  the  men  of  war 
(2  Sam.  viii.  16—18;  xx.  23—26;  xxiii.  8—39.  Cp.  note 
below,  on  v.  7). 

As  was  before  observed,  David  and  Solomon,  in  conjunc- 
tion, are  figurative  of  Christ.  He  is  "a  Man  of  War,"  like 
David ;  for  "  He  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  even  the  Lord  mighty 
in  battle"  (Ps.  xxiv.  8 — 10).  As  such.  He  has  His  heroes  and 
mighty  men.  But  He  is  also  the  true  Solomon,  the  Prince  of 
Peace ;  His  children  are  the  Apostles,  and  their  followers ;  they 
are  warriors  and  champions,  fighting  the  good  fight  of  faith ; 
and  of  them  the  Psalmist  speaks  to  the  Church :  "  Instead  of 
thy  fiithers  thou  shalt  have  children,  whom  thou  mayest  make 
princes  (sarim)  in  all  lands,"  Ps.  xlv.  17  (see  Aitgiistine  there). 
As  the  writer  quoted  by  Hooker  truly  says  (III.  xi.  16),  "  The 
numbers,  degrees,  and  orders  of  Solomon's  servants,  did  show 
his  wisdom ;  therefore.  He  that  is  '  greater  than  Solomon,' 
hath  not  failed  to  leave  iu  His  House  such  orders  for  govern- 
ment thereof,  as  may  serve  to  be  a  looking-glass  for  His  pro- 
vidence, care,  and  wisdom  to  be  seen  in."  It  is  observable 
that  the  officers  for  the  provision  of  food  are  twelve  in  number 
(vv.  7—20). 

—  the  son  of  Zadolc  the  priest^  The  word  "  the  priest "  is 
regarded  iu  most  ancient  versions  as  belonging  to  Zadok  ;  and 
so  Michaelis  and  Thenius.  But  there  is  some  reason  to  think 
that  it  is  placed  in  apposition  with  Azariah,  and  then  the  ori- 
ginal word  cohen,  here  rendered  priest,  may  be  taken  in  the 
same  sense  as  in  2  Sam.  viii.  17  (viz.),  as  prime  minister :  see 
the  note  there,  and  Keil  here,  and  below,  v.  5. 

3.  the  sons  of  Shisha^  Probably  the  same  as  Seraiah,  men- 
tioned as  scribe  or  secretary,  under  David,  2  Sam.  viii.  17.  Cp. 
1  Chron.  xviii.  16. 

—  Jehoshaphaf]  who  had  served  in  the  same  capacity  imder 
David,  2  Sam.  viii.  16. 

4.  Benaiah']  See  i.  8. 

—  Zadok  and  Abiathar  were  the  priests']  Rather  Zadok 
and  Abiathar  priests ;  there  is  no  article  (the)  in  the  original. 
Abiathar  had  been  deposed  from  the  exercise  of  the  function  of 
High  Priest,  but  be  was  still  a  priest  {Theodoref,  Wouvers),  and 
Zadok  was  the  High  Priest :  see  above,  on  ii.  27. 

6.  the  son  of  Nathan']  This  Nathan  was  probably  the  son 
of  David  (2  Sam.  v.  14),  and  the  progenitor  of  Christ :  see  Luke 
iii.  31). 

—  over  the  officers]  Mentioned  in  v.  7. 

—  principal  officer]  Heb.  cohen.     See  v.  2. 

—  the  king's  friend]  or  privy  councillor.  See  2  Sam.  xvi. 
16,  where  Hushai  is  called  David's  "  friend." 

14 


6.  Adoniram]  or  Adoram  :  2  Sam.  xx.  24. 

—  the  tribute]  Hob.  »ias,  which  is  rendered  lei^i/  in  v.  13, 
14,  and  ix.  15 ;  and  this  rendering,  levy  of  men,  for  service  or 
socage,  men  who  had  stated  ayyapeias  to  perform,  appears  to 
be  the  true  rendering  :  see  Keil  on  2  Sam.  xx.  24 ;  cp.  Oesen. 
488. 

7.  twelve  officers]  Literally,  persons  set,  or  appointed  (Sept., 
Viilg.;  see  Oesen.  560).  These  officers  (twelve  in  number)  of 
Solomon  the  Peaceable,  who  "  provided  meat  in  due  season  "  for 
the  royal  household,  month  by  month,  may  be  compared  with 
the  twelve  captains  of  David,  who  served  the  King  month  by 
month,  see  1  Chron.  xxvii.  2 — 15  :  cp.  above. 

8.  The  son  of  Hur]  Among  those  twelve  officers,  five  have 
no  proper  names,  but  are  named  only  from  their  fathers ;  the 
son  of  Hiu-,  the  son  of  Dekar,  the  son  of  Hesed,  &c.  Some 
have  alleged  that  their  proper  names  have  fallen  out  of  the  text ; 
but  may  we  not  suppose  that  there  is  a  design  in  this  ?  Holy 
Scripture  is  not  ^^Titten  to  gratify  men's  love  for  notoriety.  The 
proper  names  of  many  persons  who  have  done  the  greatest  acts 
are  not  known  to  this  world,  but  are  all  registered  iu  heaven. 
We  know  that  a  great  part  of  the  world  was  evangelized  by  the 
Apostles,  biit  how  little  is  known  of  the  share  which  each  pai'ti- 
cular  Apostle  had  in  the  work.  Probably,  most  of  them  were 
Martyrs.  But  their  raartyrology  is  nowhere  extant  on  earth 
(see  on  Acte  xii.  2).  It  is  enough  for  Christians  to  bear  the 
patroni/mic  of  their  heavenly  Father.  Compare  below,  Introd. 
to  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  p.  6. 

—  mount  Sphraim]  The  midland  of  Palestine  from  the 
northern  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem  to  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon 
(Josh.  xvii.  15  ;  xix.  50). 

The  arrangement  of  the  districts  of  these  twelve  officers, 
as  here  described,  is  not  according  to  geographical  order,  nor 
according  to  the  dignity  of  the  tribes;  probably,  it  is  adjusted 
to  the  annual  cycle  in  which  they  purveyed  provisions  for  the 
royal  household.  This  absence  of  order  in  the  literal  record  of 
this  history  suggests  a  spiritual  application  of  it. 

The  land  of  Israel  is  a  type  of  the  Church  Universal ;  and 
the  supplies  made  to  Solomon  at  Jerusalem  by  means  of  his 
twelve  officers  for  all  parts  of  his  realm,  seems  to  represent  the 
oflerings  to  Christ  from  all  nations.  Christianized  by  the  same 
Apostolic  Ministry,  instituted  by  Him. 

9.  Makaz]  Probably  in  Dan,  to  which  the  other  places,  here 
combined  with  it,  belonged. 

—  Shaalbim]  Probably  Shaalabbin  (Josh.  xix.  42)  ;  perhaps 
the  modern  Selbit,  n.W.  of  Yalo,  or  Ajalon. 

—  Beth-shemesh]  now  Ain-shems  (Josh.  xv.  10.  1  Sam. 
vi.  12). 

—  I^lon]  In  Dan  ;  not  yet  discovered. 

10.  Aruboth]  In  Judah,  to  which  both  the  Sochohs  belonged 
(Bobinson).  The  Sochoh  here  mentioned  was  probably  that  in 
the  plain  of  Judah  (Josh.  xv.  35). 

—  Socho7i]  Famed  for  David's  encounter  with  Goliath 
(1  Sam.  xvii.  1.     Cp.  Josh.  xv.  48). 

—  Hepher]  Probably  in  the  plain  of  Judah  (cp.  Josh.  xii. 
17). 

11.  Dor]  Near  Mount  Carmel,  on  the  coast  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean :  see  Josh.  xi.  2 ;  xTvii.  11. 

12.  Taanach  and  Megiddo]  In  Issachar,  fiimous  for  the  vie- 


Peace  and  plenty. 


1  KINGS  IV.  13—25. 


Solomon's  dominion. 


which  is  by  Zartauah  beneath  Jezreel,  from  Beth-shean  to  Abel-meholah, 
even  unto  the  place  that  is  beyond  Jokneam  :  ^^  ||  The  son  of  Geber,  in  Ramoth- 
gilead ;  to  him  pertained  '*  the  towns  of  Jair  the  son  of  Manasseh,  which  are 
in  Gilead ;  to  him  also  pertained  '  the  region  of  Argob,  which  is  in  Bashan, 
threescore  great  cities  with  walls  and  brasen  bars :  ^^  Ahinadab  the  son  of 
Iddo  had  \\  Mahanaim  :  ^^  Ahimaaz  ivas  in  Naphtali ;  he  also  took  Basmath 
the  daughter  of  Solomon  to  wife  :  ^^  Baanah  the  son  of  Hushai  was  in  Asher 
and  in  Aloth  :  ^'^  Jehoshaphat  the  son  of  Paruah,  in  Issachar  :  ^"  Shimei  the 
son  of  Elah,  in  Benjamin :  ^^  Geber  the  son  of  Uri  ims  in  the  country  of 
Gilead,  in  ^  the  country  of  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  and  of  Og  king  of 
Bashan ;  and  he  teas  the  only  officer  which  loas  in  the  land. 

2*^  Judah  and  Israel  icere  many,  '  as  the  sand  which  is  by  the  sea  in  multitude, 
""  eating  and  drinking,  and  making  merry.  ^^  And  "  Solomon  reigned  over  all 
kingdoms  from  °the  river  unto  the  land  of  the  Philistines,  and  unto  the 
border  of  Egypt :  ^  they  brought  presents,  and  served  Solomon  all  the  days  of 
his  life. 

2-  And  Solomon's  f  provision  for  one  day  was  thirty  f  measures  of  fine  flour, 
and  threescore  measures  of  meal,  ^^  Ten  fat  oxen,  and  twenty  oxen  out  of  the 
pastures,  and  an  hundred  sheep,  beside  harts,  and  roebucks,  and  fallowdeer, 
and  fatted  fowl.  ^^  For  he  had  dominion  over  all  the  region  on  this  side  the 
river,  from  Tiphsah  even  to  Azzah,  over  ''  all  the  kings  on  this  side  the  river  : 
and  'he  had  peace  on  all  sides  round  about  him.     ^^And  Judah  and  Israel 


Before 

CHRIST 

1014. 

11  Or,  Ben-geber. 

h  Num.  32.  i  I 

i  Deut.  3.  4. 


II  Or,  lo 
ilahiniaim. 


k  Deut.  3.  8. 


1  Gen.  22.  17. 

ch.  3.  8. 

Prov.  14.  2S. 

m  Ps.  72.  3,  7. 

Mic.  4.  4. 

n  2  Chron.  9.  20. 

Ps.  72.  8. 

o  Gen.  15.  18. 

Josh.  1.  4. 

p  Ps.  68.  29.  & 

72.  10,  11. 

t  Heb.  bread, 

t  Heb.  cars. 


q  Ps.  72.  II. 
r  1  Chron.  22.  9. 


tories  of  Israel,  wlieu  it  was  faitliful  to  God :  see  Josli.  xii.  21. 
Judg.  i.  27 ;  v.  19. 

—  Beth-shean]  now  Beisan,  at  the  east  end  of  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon  :  see  Josli.  xvii.  11.     1  Sam.  x.xxi.  10. 

—  Zartanah]  Zaretan,  iu  the  Jordan  Valley  pi'obably ;  see 
Josh.  iii.  16. 

—  ieneath  Jezreel]  A  lofty  site,  now  Zerin :  see  Josh.  xix. 
18. 

Solomon  ruled  over  those  regions  which  afterwards  became 
the  seats  of  power  to  the  enemies  of  Judah  j  as  Jezreel  was  in 
the  days  of  Ahab.  Such  were  the  consequences  of  Judah's 
defection  fi'om  God.  This  remark  may  be  applied  to  numerous 
other  places  in  this  catalogue. 

—  Abel-meholah']  Ten  miles  south  of  Bethshean  ;  see  Judg. 
vii.  22.  It  was  the  country  of  Elisha,  and  he  was  there  called 
by  Elijah  (xix.  16.  21). 

—  Jokneam]  The  site  of  which  is  unkno^vu  :  cp.  1  Chron  vi. 
68,  and  Josh.  xxi.  22. 

13.  Ramoth-gilead]  In  the  tribe  of  Gad,  on  the  east  of 
Jordan  (Josh.  xx.  8.  Judg.  xi.  29),  famous  for  the  battle  in 
which  Ahab  fell,  according  to  the  divine  prophecy  (xxii.  20). 

—  the  region  of  Argoh  —  tvaUs  and  hrasen  bars]  Probably  the 
same  as  the  Havoth  Jair  in  Deut.  iii.  4.  13  :  cp.  Hengst.,  Auth. 
ii.  227.  Many  of  these  strong  cities  of  Bashan  (with  walls  and 
brazen  bars),  on  the  E.  and  n.e.  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  still  exist, 
and  have  been  described  by  Mr.  Porter :  cp.  Grove,  B.  D. 
i.  170.  • 

14.  Mahanaim]  See  Gen.  xxxii.  2.   Josh.  xiii.  26. 

16.  ffushai]    Probably  "  David's  fi-iend,"  2  Sam.  xv.  32. 

—  in  Aloth]  or  Baaloth  {Sept.,  Arab.,  Sgr.). 

19.  the  only  officer  —  in  the  land]  Notwithstanding  its 
e«tcnt,  and  that  it  was  on  the  east  of  Jordan ;  a  proof  of  the 
firm  and  peaceable  establishment  of  Solomon's  power. 

20.  as  the  sand  which  is  bg  the  sea  in  multitude]  A  refer- 
ence to  God's  promise  to  Abraham  (Gen.  xiii.  16 ;  xxii.  17  ; 
xxxii.  12),  and  a  practical  fulfilment  of  the  promises  to  be  made 
good  of  Abraham's  seed  iu  Him  of  Whom  Solomon  was  a  type — 
Jesus  Christ. 

21.  Solomon  reigned  —  they  brought  presents]  And  thus 
also  Solomon  was  a  type  of  Christ,  of  Whom  it  was  fore- 
told by  Solomon's  father,  David,  that  to  Him  "  the  kings  of 
Tharshish  and  the  Isles  should  give  presents,"  "  the  kings  of 
Arabia  and  Saba  should   brmg  gifts;"    "all   kings  shall  fall 

15 


down  before  Him,  all  nations  shall  do  Him  service  "  (Ps.  Ixxii. 
10,  11). 

—  from  the  river]  The  great  river,  Euphrates.  Here  was 
a  fulfilment  of  God's  promise,  first  made  to  Abram,  "  Unto 
thy  seed  have  I  given  this  land,  from  the  river  of  Egypt  unto 
the  g^reat  river,  the. river  Euphrates"  (Gen.  xv.  18),  and  after- 
wards renewed  to  Joshua  (i.  4).  And  here  is  a  pledge  and 
earnest  of  the  accomplishment  of  the  promise  of  Universal 
dominion  to  the  true  Son  of  David,  the  Divine  Prince  of  Peace, 
Jesus  Clu-ist :  see  Ps.  Ixxii.  8;  Ixxx.  11- 

—  u7ito  the  land  of  the  Philistines]  Rather,-  over  the  land 
of  the  Philistines. 

22.  Solomon's  provision]  i.  e.  the  provision  for  his  house- 
hold, which  has  been  calculated,  from  the  data  here  given,  to 
have  consisted  of  about  14,000  persons  (Keil). 

—  thirty  measures]  Thirty  cors.  Cor  is  a  word  not  found 
in  the  Pentateuch ;  and  only  here,  and  v.  11,  and  2  Chron.  ii. 
10,  xxvii.  5,  Ezek.  xlv.  14,  where  it  appears  that  it  was  equal 
to  ten  baths  or  ephahs ;  and  therefore  in  dry  measure  equal  to 
the  homer  or  chomer,  which,  according  to  Josephus  (Autt.  xv. 
9.  2),  equalled  ten  Attic  medimni ;  the  cor  would  thus  be  equi- 
valent to  about  eighty-six  gallons.     See  B.  D.  iii.  1742. 

23.  roebucks]  or  gazelles. 

—  fatted  fowl]  Either  capons  or  geese  (Gesen.  139). 

24.  on  this  side  the  river]  As  to  the  Hebrew  words  here 
used  (be-eber)  see  above.  Num.  xxxii.  19.  The  inference  de- 
rived by  some  from  Deut.  i.  1,  that  the  author  of  this  book 
lived  in  Chaldsea,  is  altogether  groundless :  cp.  Sengst.,  Auth. 
ii.  313—324. 

—  Tiphsah]  Properly  ford,  or  passage  (from  Heb.  pasach, 
to  pass  over).  This  city,  in  Greek  and  Latin  called  Thapsacus, 
was  the  place  where  the  river  Euphrates  was  crossed  {Gesen. 
683),  near  Karchemish  {Niebuhr),  about  120  miles  east  of 
Antioch. 

—  Azzah]  Gaza,  the  southernmost  city  of  the  Philistines, 
now  Guzzeh  (see  Josh.  xiii.  3).  Gaza,  the  name  usually  em- 
ployed by  our  Translators,  might,  for  uniformity's  sake,  be 
substituted  in  our  Authorized  Version  in  this  place,  and  in 
Deut.  ii.  23,  and  in  Jer.  xxv.  20. 

—  he  had  peace]  And  so  Hkewise  Solomon  was  a  figure  of 
Him  of  Wliom  it  was  foretold  that  "  in  His  time  shall  the 
righteous  flourish ;  yea,  abundance  of  peace  so  long  as  the  moon 
endureth  "  (Ps.  Lxx'ii.  7).  "  Salomon  adveuturam  pacem  genti- 
bus  annuntiabat,  et  Christi  regnum  praefigurabat "  {S.  IrencBus). 


Solomoiis  horses. 


1  KINGS  IV.  26—33. 


His  wisdom. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1014. 
s  See  Jer.  23.  6. 
t  Heb.  con- 
fidently. 
t  Mic.  4.  4. 
Zech.  3.  10. 
VI  Judg.  20.  1. 
xcli.  10.  26. 
2  Chron.  1.  14. 
&  9.  25. 
y  SeeDeut.  17. 
16. 

z  ver.  7. 
II  Or,  mules,  or, 
swift  beasts, 
Esth.  8.  14. 
Mic.  1.  13. 
ach.  3.  12. 


I)  Gen.  25.  6. 

c  See  Acts  7.  22. 
d  ch.  3.  12. 
e  1  Chron.  15.  19. 
Ps.  89,  title, 
f  Seel  Chron. 
2.  6.  &  G.  33.  & 
15.  19. 
Ps.  88,  title. 
g  Prov.  1.  1. 
Eccles.  12.  9. 


'  dwelt  f  safely,  ^  every  man  under  his  vine  and  under  liis  fig  tree,  "  from  Dan 
even  to  Beer-slieba,  all  the  days  of  Solomon. 

2^  And  ""  Solomon  had  forty  thousand  stalls  of  ^  horses  for  his  chariots,  and 
twelve  thousand  horsemen.  ^7  j^j^^  z  those  officers  provided  victual  for  king 
Solomon,  and  for  all  that  came  unto  king  Solomon's  table,  every  man  in  his 
month :  they  lacked  nothing.  ^^  Barley  also  and  straw  for  the  horses  and 
II  dromedaries  brought  they  unto  the  place  where  the  officers  were,  every  man 
according  to  his  charge. 

2^  And  ■'  God  gave  Solomon  wisdom  and  understanding  exceeding  much,  and 
largeness  of  heart,  even  as  the  sand  that  is  on  the  sea  shore.  ^°  And  Solo- 
mon's wisdom  excelled  the  wisdom  of  all  the  children  **  of  the  east  country, 
and  all  "^  the  wisdom  of  Egypt.  ^^  For  he  was  ^  wiser  than  all  men ;  ^  than 
Ethan  the  Ezrahite,  ^  and  Heman,  and  Chalcol,  and  Darda,  the  sons  of  Mahol : 
and  his  fame  was  in  all  nations  round  about.  ^^  And  ^  he  spake  three  thousand 
proverbs  :  and  his  ''  songs  were  a  thousand  and  five.    ^^  And  he  spake  of  trees, 


25.  under  his  vine]  Trained  in  trellis-work,  or  upon  other 
trees,  and  clustering  on  the  walls  of  houses  (Ps.  exxviii.  3),  or 
around  and  over  the  courtyards.  The  Psalmist  describes  the 
hills  as  "  covered  with  the  shadow  "  of  the  vino  "  brought  out 
of  Egypt,"  and  her  "  boughs  as  the  goodly  cedar-trees "  (Ps. 
Ixxx.  10). 

The  Vine  is  hallowed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  that  Psalm 
(Ixxx.  8),  and  by  Christ  in  the  Gospel  (John  xv;  1 — 5),  as  a 
figure  of  the  Church  united  to  Christ ;  and  the  phrase  "  to  sit 
under  the  Vine  "  is  adopted  by  the  Prophets  in  their  description 
of  the  spiritual  peace  to  be  enjoyed  in  the  reign  of  the  Divine 
Solomon  (Zech.  iii.  10 :  cp.  Mic.  iv.  4.     Isa.  xxxvi.  16). 

26.  forty  tliotisand  stalls]  So  the  MSS.  here,  and  Sept., 
Yulg.,  Arabic,  Syriac,  Targiim.  But  in  2  Chron.  ix.  25  we 
read,  "  and  Solomon  had  four  thousand  stalls."  Hence  some 
(as  Keil,  p.  41)  would  substitute /o2<r  thousand  here  ;  and  they 
suppose  that  this  was  the  original  reading  of  the  Sacred  Text, 
and  that  the  extant  MSS.  and  Versions  are  here  in  fault. 

This  is  hardly  probable;  and  it  is  obsei-vable,  that  the 
word  in  the  original  of  2  Chron.  ix.  25  is  not  exactly  the  same 
as  here,  and  that  it  is  there  said,  that  the  4000  stalls  were  for 
chariots  as  well  as  horses.  May  it  not  be,  that  the  word  there 
rendered  stalls  signifies  a  larger  compartment — a  receptacle  for 
the  chariot  as  well  as  for  the  horses  that  belonged  to  it  ?  and 
that  each  chariot  had  relays  of  horses,  ten  to  each  chariot :  cp. 
Ffeiffer,  p.  248,  who  supposes  that  the  two  accounts  refer  to 
two  different  periods  of  Solomon's  reign. 

In  this  multitude  of  horses,  there  was  a  tendency  to  that 
decline  in  faith  and  obedience  (see  Dent.  xvii.  16),  and  to  that 
love  of  the  world  and  of  the  flesh,  in  lieu  of  God,  which  after- 
wards produced  such  bitter  fi-uits  in  the  old  age  of  Solomon. 
See  below.  Preliminary  Note  to  chap,  xi.,  and  contrast  the  lan- 
guage of  David,  "  Some  put  their  trust  in  cliariots,  and  some  in 
horses,  but  we  will  remember  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God  " 
(Ps.  XX.  7)  ;  and  the  language  of  Solomon  himself,  "  The  horse 
is  prepared  against  the  day  of  battle,  but  safety  is  of  the  Lord  " 
(Prov.  xxi.  31). 

—  twelve  thousand  horsemen]  or  rather,  horses  for  riding, 
cavalry  horses;  these  are  called  in  the  Hebrew  parasJiim,  and 
are  distinguished  from  the  swsim  mentioned  in  the  former  part 
of  the  sentence,  which  drew  the  chariots  {Oesen.  693). 

28.  dromedaries]  or  rather,  the  coursers,  swift  horses 
{Gesen.  769,  Keil,  41).  The  ancient  Version  and  Targum 
favour  this  interpretation. 

—  lohere  the  officers  were]  The  words  the  officers  are  not 
in  the  text.  The  sense  may  be,  "where  the  king  was"  {Sept., 
Viilg.,  Arabic),  or  "  where  need  was." 

29.  of  heart]  In  Hebrew  psychology  the  heart  comprises  the 
intellect  as  well  as  the  affections,  and  is  the  seat  of  knowledge 
and  wisdom  as  well  as  of  feeling :  cp.  x.  24.  Job  ix.  4,  and 
note  below  on  1  John  iii.  20,  21. 

30.  Solomon's  wisdom  excelled]  "  He  was  wiser  than  all 
men  "  {v.  31),  and  so  he  was  a  type  of  Him  in  Whom  are  "  hid 
all  the  treasures  of  Wisdom,"  Col.  ii.  3  (3Iatthew  Henry). 

—  of  the  east  country]  Arabia;  famed  for  their  moral 
wisdom :  cp.  Jer.  xlix.  7.     Obad.  8. 

—  Egypt]    And  so   Solomon  resembled   Moses,   who   was 

16 


"  learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians "  (Acts  vii.  22). 
The  Egyptian  wisdom,  commemorated  also  by  Isaiah  (xix.  11 ; 
xxxi.  2,  3),  by  Herodotus  (ii.  160),  and  Josephus  (Antt.  viii.  2. 
5),  was  conversant  in  physical  sciences,  such  as  Astronomy, 
Geometry,  Botany  (Died.  Sic.  i.  73.  81.   Keil). 

31.  Kthan  the  Ezrahite,  and  Heman]  Both  these  names 
occur  among  the  lists  of  Levites;  Ethan,  of  the  family  of 
Merari  (1  Chron.  vi.  44)  ;  Heman,  of  the  family  of  Kohath 
(1  Chron.  vi.  33).     See  below,  on  the  titles  of  Ps.  78  and  79. 

Some  suppose  that  they  were  called  Ezrahites  from  Zerah 
(Num.  xxvi.  13.  20 :  cp.  1  Chron.  ii.  6),  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
because  they  resided  in  the  territory  of  that  tribe;  as  El- 
kanah,  a  Levite,  is  called  a  man  of  Mount  Ephraim  (1  Sam. 

''•  !)•  ,         ... 

Heman  was  composer  of  Ps.  Ixxxviii.,  and  one  of  the  lead- 
ing singers  in  the  Tabernacle  under  David  (1  Chron.  xv.  19 ; 
xvi.  41 ;  XXV.  1.  4 — 6),  and  King's  Seer. 

But  perhaps  these  persons  are  not  to  be  identified  with 
those  of  the  same  name  in  1  Chron.  ii.  6 :  see  note  there. 

If  these  persons  are  the  same  as  those  mentioned  in  1  Chron. 
ii.  6  as  sons  of  Zerah  (as  is  supposed  by  Grotius,  Houhigant, 
Burrington,  i.  206,  and  others),  then,  either  in  the  one  passage 
or  in  the  other,  the  word  son  is  not  to  be  understood  literally ; 
or  "  sons  of  Machol "  may  mean  "  sons  of  the  choir :"  cp. 
"  daughters  of  song,"  Eccles.  xii.  4  {Bp.  Patrick  here.  Bur- 
rington, Genealogies,  i.  207.  Keil,  p.  43.  Grove,  B.  D. 
i.  397). 

32.  three  thousand  proverbs]  of  which  the  Book  of  Proverbs 
is  a  portion.  On  the  word  mashal,  properly  a  likeness,  then  a 
parable,  a  proverb,  see  the  pa.ssages  where  this  word  occurs : 
Num.  xxiii.  7.  18;  xxiv.  3.  Deut.  xxviii.  37.  1  Sam.  x.  12; 
xxiv.  13.  Ps.  Ixxviii.  2.  Eccles.  xii.  9.  Isa.  xiv.  4.  Jer.  xxiv, 
9,  &c. 

—  three  thousand  proverbs,  and  his  songs  were  a  thoxisand 
and  five]  In  the  natural  world  we  are  sti'uck  by  what  appears 
to  be  lavish  prodigality  and  waste.  How  many  seeds  of  flowers, 
shrubs,  and  trees,  seem  to  be  produced  in  vain  !  So  it  is  in  the 
spiritual  world.  What  have  become  of  these  3000  proverbs,  and 
1005  songs,  of  the  wisest-  of  men  ? 

Still  more.  Many  sayings  were  uttered  by  Him  "  Who 
spake  as  never  man  spake,"  of  which  we  have  no  record.  Many 
of  His  proverbs  or  parables  were  written  in  the  Gospels,  but  how 
many  were  spoken,  and  never  consigned  to  writing  ?  And  if 
all  His  acts  had  been  written,  "  the  world  itself  could  not  con- 
tain the  books  that  would  have  been  written  "  (John  xxi.  25). 
But  yet  He  said,  "  Gather  up  the  fragments  that  remain,  that 
nothing  be  lost"  (John  vi.  12,  13). 

Nothing  is  lost,  either  in  the  natural  or  spiritual  world. 
We  cannot  trace  the  sequence  of  cause  and  effect.  But  no  seed 
is  lost.  No  saying  of  Christ  was  spoken  in  vain;  no  act  of 
Christ  was  done  in  vain.  They  bore  their  fruits  in  the  hearts, 
words,  and  works  of  His  disciples  and  hearers,  though  the  world 
knew  it  not ;  they  are  still  bearing  fruit,  and  will  continue  to 
bear  fi'uit  even  to  the  end  of  time,  and  in  the  countless  ages  of 
eternity.  How  fruitful  has  been,  and  is,  and  ever  will  be,  that 
saying  of  Christ,  which  is  not  recorded  in  any  Gospel,  but  which 
fell  like  a  stray  ear  of  corn  and  was  gleaned  by  the  hand  of 


Solomon's  tvisdom. 


1  KINGS  IV.  34.     V.  1—5. 


Hiram  king  of  Tyre. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1014. 


from  the  cedar  tree  that  is  in  Lebanon  even  unto  the  hyssop  that  sprino-eth 
out  of  the  wall :  he  spake  also  of  beasts,  and  of  fowl,  and  of  creeping  thino-s, 
and   of  fishes.      ^^And   'there   came    of  all   people   to   hear  the   wisdom  of'-^^'"'- 

2  Cliron  9   12 

Solomon,  from  all  kings  of  the  earth,  which  had  heard  of  his  wisdom. 
^    V.  ^  And  ^  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  sent  his  servants  unto  Solomon;  for  he  had  lc^;^,tlz!' 
heard  that  they  had  anointed  him  king  in  the  room  of  his  father :  ^for  Hiram  f2''sam.5.ii. 
was  ever  a  lover  of  David.     '^  kadi  •"  Solomon  sent  to  Hiram,  saving,  ^Thou  Am'^osTg.^'^' 

c  ''  Chron   2   3 

knowest  how  that  David  my  father  could  not  build  an  house  unto  the  name  of   " 

the  Lord  his  God ''for  the  wars  which  were  about  him  on  every  side,  until  & gs:'™"' ^^^ 

the  Lord  put  them  under  the  soles  of  his  feet.     ^  But  now  the  Lord  my  God 

hath  given  me  'rest  on  every  side,  so  that  there  is  neither  adversary  nor  evil  ech.4.24. 

f.  f  t/  '  J  1  Chron.  22.  9. 

occurrent.     ^  ^And,  behold.  If  purpose  to  build  an  house  unto  the  name  of  f2Chron.2.4. 

■^         -^  t  Heb.  say. 

the  Lord  my  God,  ^  as  the  Lord  spake  unto  David  my  father,  saying,  Thy  g  2  sam.  7.  n. 


St.  Paul,  and  was  given  by  Lim  as  a  farewell  bequest  to  the 
Elders  at  Miletus  (Acts  xx.  35).  And  so  the  Proverbs  and 
Songs  of  Solomon,  though  most  of  them  are  lost  to  us,  are 
bearing  fruit  in  the  literature  of  the  East,  and  have  exercised  a 
silent  influence  on  many  minds,  and  have  produced  many  results 
which  in  another  world  may  be  recognized  as  their  fruits,  or, 
rather,  as  the  fruits  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  speaking  in  them 
(compare  Bacon,  Advt.  of  Learning,  Book  I.  near  the  end). 
Probably  their  spiritual  after-growth  may  even  now  be  seen  in 
the  most  precious  sayings  of  those  beautiful  Ecclesiastical  Books, 
the  Book  of  the  Son  of  Sirach  (Ecclesiasticus),  and  the  Wisdom 
of  Solomon.  Those  Books  would,  perhaps,  have  never  been 
written,  if  Solomon's  3000  proverbs  had  not  been  spoken. 

Solomon  "spake  three  thousand  proverbs,"  or  jparahles, 
and  thus  also  he  was  a  type  of  Christ,  of  whom  it  was  foretold 
that  He  would  open  His  mouth  in  'parables  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  2.  Matt, 
xiii.  35),  and  "  Who  spake  many  things  in  parables,"  and 
"  without  a  parable  spake  He  not  unto  them  "  (Matt.  xiii.  3.  34. 
Mark  iv.  34). 

—  songs~\  Of  which,  the  Song  of  Songs,  "which  is  Solo- 
mon's "  (Cant.  i.  1),  and  Psalms  Ixxii.  and  cxxvii.  arc  specimens. 

33.  cedm — in  Lebanon^  See  v.  6. 

—  hyssop']  Either  the  origanum,  wild  marjoram  (see  Exod. 
iii.  22),  or  perhaps  the  smaller  moss-like  plant  which  grows  on 
walls,  called  orthotrichmn  saxatile  (Oken.). 

—  beasts,  and  of  foivV]  Josephus  (viii.  2.  5)  and  Eupolemus 
in  Eusebius,  Prsep.  Evan.  ix.  81,  mention  other  writings  of 
Solomon.  The  Koran  asserts  that  Solomon  understood  the  lan- 
guage of  birds  (Sur.  27) ;  and  Hanmer  mentions  many  volumes 
existing  in  the  Turkish  language  which  are  ascribed  to  Solomon. 
These  may  serve  to  show  the  extent  to  which  his  fame  for 
wisdom  reached,  and  that  it  might  be  truly  said,  "  his  fame  was 
in  all  nations  round  about"  (».  31).  Cp.  Prof.  Plumptre  in 
B.  D.  iii.  1353. 

S.  IrencBus  says  (iv.  45)  that  "  Solomon  expounded  physio- 
logically the  wisdom  of  God  which  is  apparent  in  the  Creation 
of  the  A\'orld."  The  testimony  of  Solomon  (the  wisest  of  men, 
who  explored  the  secrets  of  Creation)  to  the  truth  and  inspira- 
tion of  Genesis,  and  of  the  Pentateuch  generally  (a  testimony 
which  may  be  inferred  from  the  reception  of  it,  as  true  and 
divine,  by  the  Hebrew  nation  in  his  age  and  to  this  day)  is  of  no 
small  weight;  and  how  much  more  authoritative  is  the  testi- 
mony to  that  effect  of  the  Divine  Solomon,  Who  is  the  Creator 
Himself,  Jesus  Cheist  ! 

Ch.  V.  1.  Hiram  king  of  Tyre — Hiram  was  ever  a  lover 
of  David']  With  this  chapter  compare  2  Chron.  ii.  3,  where  he 
is  called  JTuram.  In  vii.  40  below  he  is  called  Hiram  in  the 
Hebrew,  and  so  Menander  of  Ephesus  in  Josephus,  who  relates 
(Ant.  viii.  31,  c.  Apion  i.  18),  that  the  building  of  Solomon's 
Temple  began  in  the  twelfth  year  of  Hiram's  reign,  and  that 
Hiram  died  after  a  reign  of  thirty -four  years. 

But  in  opposition  to  the  former  of  those  assertions  it  is  to 
be  observed  that  Hiram  had  sent  cedar  to  David  for  the  build- 
ing of  his  palace  (2  Sam.  v.  11.  1  Chron.  xiv.  1),  and  that  it  is 
said  in  the  sacred  text  that  Hiram  was  "  a  lover  of  David  all 
his  days,"  and  that  Solomon  says  (2  Chron.  ii.  3),  "  Thou  didst 
deal  with  David  my  father,  and  didst  send  him  cedars  to  build 
a  house  to  dwell  therein." 

It  is  not  probable  (as  Movers,  Phon.  ii.  147,  and  others 
allege)  that  David  did  not  undertake  the  building  of  his  own 

Vol.  III.  17 


house  till  the  last  seven  years  of  his  reign,  when  he  was  sixty- 
three  years  old  (cp.  2  Sam.  v.  11  with  2  Sam.  vii.  2).  Either, 
therefore,  we  must  suppose  (with  Keil,  on  2  Sam.  v.  1,  p.  233) 
that  there  is  a  chronological  error  in  the  authorities  quoted  by 
Josephus,  or,  as  is  more  probable,  that  Hiram,  which  signifies 
"  noble  "  (Simonis,  Gesen.),  was,  like  Pharaoh,  Abimelech,  Ben- 
hadad,  &c.,  an  official  name  of  the  Tyrian  kings,  and  that  it  is 
used  as  such  in  the  text. 

Hieam's  Help  to  Solomon  in  BuiLDiNa  the  Temple. 

"  Hiram  gave  Solomon  cedar  trees,  <Sfc.,  according  to  all 
his  desire"  (v.  10). 

In  the  erection  and  adornment  of  the  Tabernacle  in  the 
wilderness.  Almighty  God  had  been  pleased  to  use  the  gold  and 
silver  of  heathen  Egypt;  and  now  in  building  the  Temple  at 
Jerusalem,  He  vouchsafes  to  employ  the  skill  and  labour  of 
Hiram  and  his  Tyrian  artificers.  The  name  of  Tyre,  the  great 
Gentile  City  of  Commerce,  Arts,  and  Mechanical  Works,  is  in- 
troduced into  the  prophecies  of  the  future  extension  of  Christ's 
Church  enfolding  all  Nations.  "  The  daughter  of  Tyre  shall  be 
there  with  a  gift "  (Ps.  xlv.  12).  "  Behold  ye  the  Philistines  also, 
and  they  of  Tyre  with  the  Morians ;  lo,  there  was  He  born " 
(Ps.  Ixxxvii.  4). 

Surely  it  was  not  without  some  reference  to  these  pro- 
phecies, that  the  Divine  Solomon,  Jesus  Christ,  when  He  would 
give  as  it  were  a  gleam  of  the  love  which  He  woidd  shed  on  the 
Gentile  Woi'ld,  revealed  it  in  His  mercy  to  a  Woman  of  Tyre 
(Matt.  XV.  21—28).  Compare  below,  on  vii.  13,  14.  By  the 
admission  of  the  Tyi-ians  to  be  fellow-labom-ers  with  Israel  in 
building  the  Temple,  God  gave  a  pledge  of  the  admission  of 
Gentile  Nations  to  the  work  of  building  up  the  Church  of 
Christ;  and  He  gave  an  earnest  of  that  future  consecration 
of  all  things  to  the  service  of  Christ,  in  the  spread  of  the  Gospel, 
which  is  foretold  by  the  Hebrew  Prophets,  and  is  displayed  in 
the  Book  of  Revelation :  see  Isa.  Ix.  3 — 11.     Rev.  xxi.  24. 

Not  only  Jews,  but  Gentiles  must  have  their  hand  in 
building  the  Temple.  They  together  with  us  make  the  Church 
of  God  (Bp.  Hall). 

"  The  Earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  fulness  thereof" 
(Ps.  xxiv.  1).  All  the  Science  and  Literature  of  Heathendom, 
all  the  wealth  and  power  of  the  World,  are  to  be  made  sub- 
servient to  Christ.  Let  us  here  see  the  duty  and  blessedness  of 
winning  all  things  to  the  service  of  the  true  Solomon,  and  of 
His  temple.  Compare  above,  note  on  Exod.  iii.  22,  and  Ange- 
lomus  and  Eucherius  here,  who  see  in  Hiram  a  specimen  of 
those  royal  persons,  such  as  Constantino  and  Theodosius,  who 
have  been  raised  up  in  every  age,  to  be  nursing  fathers  of  the 
Church  (Isa.  xlix.  23). 

3.  Thou  knoivest]  David's  design  to  build  the  Temple  was 
made  generally  known  by  his  vast  preparations  for  it  (1  Chron. 
xxii.),  and  he  gave  to  Solomon  the  pattern  of  it  (1  Chron.  xxviii. 
11) ;  and  it  was  also  known,  that  he  himself  was  prevented  from 
building  it. 

5.  to  build  an  house  unto  the  name  of  the  Loed]  A  phrase 
borrowed  from  the  Pentateuch  (Dent.  xii.  5). 

—  the  Loed  spake]  Solomon  proclaims  Jehovah's  truth  to 
Hiram,  a  Gentile  king,  as  David  had  taught  him :  "  I  will 
speak  of  Thy  testimonies  even  before  kings,  and  will  not  be 
ashamed "  (Ps.  cxix.  46) ;  and  Hiram  responds  with  an 
ascription  of  glory  to  the  Lord  (v.  7.  Cp.  2  Chron,  i'.  11  • 
ix.  8). 

C 


Cedars  of  Lebanon. 


1  KINGS  V.  6—13. 


Solomon's  levy. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1014. 
h  2  Chron.  2.  8, 
10. 


f  Heb.  sni/. 


t  Heb.  heard. 


i  2  Chron.  2.  IG. 


t  Heb.  send. 


k  See  Ezra  3.  7. 
Ezek.  27.  17. 
Acts  12.  20. 

See  2  Chron. 
2.  10. 
t  Heb.  cors. 


+  Heb.  tribute 
of  men. 


son,  whom  I  will  set  upon  thy  throne  in  thy  room,  he  shall  build  an  house 
unto  my  name.  ^  Now  therefore  command  thou  that  they  hew  me  '"  cedar  trees 
out  of  Lebanon ;  and  my  servants  shall  be  with  thy  servants  :  and  unto  thee 
will  I  give  hire  for  thy  seiwants  according  to  all  that  thou  shalt  f  appoint :  for 
thou  knowest  that  there  is  not  among  us  any  that  can  skill  to  hew  timber  hke 
unto  the  Sidonians. 

^And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Hiram  heard  the  words  of  Solomon,  that  he 
rejoiced  greatly,  and  said,  Blessed  he  the  Lord  this  day,  which  hath  given 
unto  David  a  wise  son  over  this  great  people.  ^  And  Hiram  sent  to  Solomon, 
saying,  I  have  f  considered  the  things  which  thou  sentest  to  me  for  :  and  I 
will  do  all  thy  desire  concerning  timber  of  cedar,  and  concerning  timber  of  fir. 
^  My  servants  shall  bring  them  do^ii  from  Lebanon  unto  the  sea  :  '  and  I  mil 
convey  them  by  sea  in  floats  unto  the  place  that  thou  shalt  f  appoint  me,  and 
will  cause  them  to  be  discharged  there,  and  thou  shalt  receive  them :  and  thou 
shalt  accomplish  my  desire,  ^  in  giving  food  for  my  household. 

^^  So  Hiram  gave  Solomon  cedar  trees  and  fir  trees  according  to  all  his 
desire.  ^^'And  Solomon  gave  Hiram  twenty  thousand  f  measures  of  wheat 
for  food  to  his  household,  and  twenty  measures  of  pure  oil :  thus  gave 
Solomon  to  Hiram  year  by  year.  ^'^And  the  Lord  gave  Solomon  wisdom, 
""  as  he  promised  him  :  and  there  was  peace  between  Hiram  and  Solomon ; 
and  they  two  made  a  league  together. 

^^  And  king  Solomon  raised  a  f  levy  out  of  all  Israel ;  and  the  levy  was 


CEDA:fes  OF  Lebanon. 
6.  cedar  trees  out  of  Leianon']  The  cedar  forest  of 
Lebanon,  "  two  days'  journey  from  Beyrout,  and  near  the 
northern  summit  of  the  mountain,"  is  described  by  Rohinson, 
iii.  439,  440;  and  by  Dr.  Kitto,  Bib.  111.  40th  Week, 
pp.  34—40;  Porter,  Handbook  of  Syria;  and  in  B.  D.  ii.  87, 
88 ;  and  by  Dr.  Thomson  very  fully,  The  Land  and  the  Book, 
p.  198:  — 

"  The  platform  "  (he  says)  "  where  the  cedars  stand,  is  more 
than  six  thousand  feet  above  the  Mediterranean,  and  around 
it  are  gathered  the  very  tallest  and  greyest  heads  of  Lebanon. 
The  forest  is  not  large, — not  more  than  five  hundred  trees, 
great  and  small,  grouped  irregularly  on  the  sides  of  shallow 
ravines,  which  mark  the  birthplace  of  the  Khadisha,  or  Holy 
River.  There  is  a  complete  gradation  from  small  and  com- 
paratively young  to  the  very  oldest  patriarchs  of  the  forest. 
I  counted  four  hundred  and  forty-three,  great  and  small ;  and 
this  cannot  be  far  fi-om  the  true  number.  This,  however,  is 
not  uniform.  Some  are  struck  down  by  lightning,  broken  by 
enormous  loads  of  snow,  or  torn  to  fragments  by  tempests. 
Even  the  sacrilegious  axe  is  sometimes  lifted  against  them. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  young  trees  are  constantly  springing 
up  from  the  roots  of  old  ones,  and  from  seeds  of  ripe  cones. 
The  girth  of  the  largest  is  more  than  forty-one  feet;  the 
height  of  the  highest  is  one  hundi-ed.  These  largest,  however, 
part  into  two  or  three  only  a  few  feet  from  the  ground.  Their 
age  is  very  uncertain. 

"  Very  different  estimates  have  been  made.  Some  of  our 
missionary  band,  who  have  experience  in  such  matters,  and 
confidence  in  the  results,  have  counted  the  growths  (as  we 
call  the  annual  concentric  circles)  for  a  few  inches  into  the 
trunk  of  the  oldest  cedar,  and  from  such  data  carry  back  its 
birth  three  thousand  five  hundred  years.  It  may  be  so.  They 
are  carved  full  of  names  and  dates,  going  back  several  genera- 
tions ;  and  the  growth  since  the  earliest  date  has  been  almost 
nothing.  At  this  rate  of  increase  they  must  have  been  growing 
ever  since  the  flood.  But  young  trees  enlarge  far  faster;  so 
that  my  confidence  in  estimates  made  from  such  data  is  but 
small. 

"  The  wood,  bark,  cones,  and  even  leaves  of  the  cedar  are 
saturated,  so  to  speak,  with  resin.  The  heart  has  the  red 
cedar  colour,  but  the  exterior  is  whitish.  It  is  certainly  a  very 
durable  wood,  but  is  not  fine  grained,  nor  sufficiently  compact 
to  take  a  high  polish;  for  ordinary  architectural  purposes, 
however,  it  is  perliaps  the  best  there  is  in  the  country.  There 
U  a  striking  peculiarity  in  the  shape  of  this  tree,  of  which  I  have 
18 


not  seen  any  notice  in  books  of  travel.  The  branches  are 
thrown  out  horizontally  from  the  parent  trunk.  These  again 
part  into  limbs,  which  preserve  the  same  horizontal  direction, 
and  so  on,  down  to  the  minutest  twigs,  and  even  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  clustered  leaves  has  the  same  general  tendency. 
Climb  into  one,  and  you  are  delighted  with  a  succession  of 
verdant  floors  spread  around  the  trunk,  and  gradually  narrow- 
ing as  you  ascend.  The  beautiful  cones  seem  to  stand  upon, 
or  rise  out  of,  this  green  flooring"  {Dr.  Thomson.  See  also 
Mr.  Tristram's  description  in  his  "  Land  of  Israel,"  pp.  628— 
632). 

—  Sidonians']  There  is  a  propriety  in  this  word  as  here 
used.  Sidon  was  older  than  Tyre.  Tyre  was  farther  off  from 
Lebanon  where  the  cedars  grew;  and  the  Sidonians  were 
specially  employed  in  mechanical  works,  as  distinguished  from 
the  Tyrians,  who  gave  themselves  more  to  commerce.  Cp. 
Movers,  Phouiz.  ii.  86. 

8.  of  fir]  Or  rather,  cypres*  {Oesen.  140).  Heb.  herosJi ; 
always  rendered  fir  in  our  Version,  where  it  occurs  about 
twenty  times. 

9.  in  floats']   To  Joppa.    2  Chron.  ii.  16.    Cp.  Ezra  iii.  7. 
— food]  In  addition  to  the  hire  mentioned,  i'.  6. 

11.  measures]     Heb.  cors  :  see  iv.  22. 

—  wheat — oil]  Which  were  produced  abundantly  in  Solo- 
mon's country,  but  not  in  Hiram's  :  cp.  Acts  xii.  20.  "  Their 
country"  (Tyre  and  Sidon)  "was  nourished  by  the  king's 
(Herod's)  country." 

There  is  no  discrepancy,  as  is  alleged  by  some  (Movers, 
Oramberg,  Thenius,  Bertheau),  between  the  present  narrative, 
and  that  in  2  Chron.  ii.  10.  The  two  narratives  refer  to  two 
different  things. 

The  supply  of  wheat  and  oil,  which  Solomon  gave  to 
Hiram  yearly  for  his  royal  household,  was  a  different  con- 
tribution from  that  which  Solomon  gave  to  Hiram  for  his 
workmen  at  Lebanon  (2  Chron.  ii.  10).  The  quantity  and 
quality  of  the  oil  in  the  two  contributions  were  very  different. 
The  oil  which  Solomon  gave  to  Hiram  for  his  own  court 
(20  cors,  or  200  baths)  is  described  here  as  beaten  oil,  the 
purest  oil.  See  above,  on  Exod.  xxvii.  20.  Cp.  Exod.  xxix.  40. 
Lev.  xxiv.  2.  Num.  xxviii.  5.  The  oil  which  he  supplied  to 
the  workmen  was  more  in  quantity,  but  of  an  ordinary  quality : 
cp.  below,  on  2  Chron.  ii.  10. 

13.  levy]     Of  men  :  see  above,  iv.  6. 

—  out  of  all  Israel]  These  30,000  Israelites  were  free 
labourers;  for  Solomon  made  no  bondmen  (ix.  22),  and  are  to 
be  distinguished  from  the  workmen  of  the  Canaanites,  who 


Solomon's  ivorhnen. 


1  KINGS  V.  14—18.     VI.  1.      Preparations  for  the  Temple. 


thirty  thousand  men.  ^^  And  he  sent  them  to  Lebanon,  ten  thousand  a  month 
by  courses  :  a  month  they  were  in  Lebanon,  and  two  months  at  home  :  and 
"Adoniram  ivas  over  the  levy.  i^°And  Solomon  had  threescore  and  ten 
thousand  that  bare  burdens,  and  fourscore  thousand  hewers  in  the  mountains  ; 
^^  Beside  the  chief  of  Solomon's  officers  which  ivcre  over  the  work,  three 
thousand  and  three  hundred,  which  ruled  over  the  people  that  wrought  in  the 
work.  '^And  the  king  commanded,  and  they  brought  great  stones,  costly 
stones,  and  ^  hewed  stones,  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  house.  ^^And 
Solomon's  builders  and  Hiram's  builders  did  hew  them,  and  the  ||  stonesquarers : 
so  they  prepared  timber  and  stones  to  build  the  house. 

VI.  ^  And  ^  it  came  to  pass  in  the  four  hundred  and  eightieth  year  after 


Before 

CHRIST 

1014. 


n  cli.  4.  6. 
o  ch.  9.  21. 
2Chron.2.  17,  16 


p  1  Chron.  22.  2. 


11  Or,  Giblites: 
as  Ezek.  27.  9. 


a  2  Chron.  3.  1,  2. 
1012. 


were  employed  by  Lim,  aud  who  were  bondmen  (ix.  22).  They 
who  charge  Solomon  with  cruelty  in  this  matter,  may  be  desired 
to  remember,  that  the  Canaanites  had  been  condemned  to 
extermination  by  God,  and  were  spared,  as  the  Gibeonites 
were,  for  God's  service  (see  Josh.  ix.  23) ;  and  that  the 
Israelites  were  not  rooted  up  from  their  houses,  "but  spent 
only  one  month  in  three  at  Lebanon,"  and  had  "  two  months  at 
home  "  (y.  14.    Thenius,  Keil). 

—  Adonirarn]  See  iv.  6. 

15.  tJiat  hare  burdens^  These  were  of  the  remnant  of  the 
Ciuiaanites.     See  ix.  20.     2  Chron.  ii.  16  ;  viii.  7 — 9. 

—  hewers  in  the  mountains^  Hewers  of  stone.  The  30,000 
Israelites  were  hewers  of  timber  on  Lebanon  {v.  14). 

16.  three  thousand  and  three  hundred^  According  to 
Chronicles  (2  Chron.  ii.  18),  Solomon  had  3600  (Canaanitish) 
overseers  of  the  bondsmen,  and  (2  Chron.  viii.  10)  250  Israelitish 
captains  of  officers  over  his  buildings,  i.  e.  3850  in  all. 

According  to  our  text,  Solomon  had  3300  rulers  of  the 
bondslaves,  and  also  550  captains  of  these  rulers  (2  Chron.  ix. 
23),  i.  e.  3850  in  all. 

It  would  appear  that  here  the  higher  and  lower  officers  arc 
distmguished  from  one  another ;  but  in  the  Chronicles,  the 
Canaanites  (3600)  are  distinguished  from  the  250  Israelites 
{Michaelis,  Keil). 

17.  great  stones,  costly  stones,  and  hewed  stones~\  Some  stones 
of  enormous  size  are  still  visible  at  Jerusalem,  in  the  substructions 
of  the  area  of  the  mosque  of  Omar,  formerly  the  site  of  the 
Temple.  Kifto,  Bib.  lUust.  pp.  51 — 56.  Robinson,  Palest,  i. 
343.  351.  422,  where  he  describes  the  huge  blocks  stUl  Tisible 
in  the  substructions  of  the  Temple  Area.  One  stone  measured 
twenty-four  feet  in  length  and  six  feet  in  breadth.  See  also 
Keil,  pp.  49.  65. 

Great  stones,  especially  huge  corner-stones,  of  great  cost, 
were  hewn  for  the  Temple :  and  all  these  were  necessary  for  the 
Temple,  and  are  also  needed  for  the  Church  of  God  (Rev.  xxi. 
18 — 21).  Christ,  the  chief  Corner-stone,  combines  all  these 
qualities.  He  is  a  great  stone,  and  a  precious  stone,  and  He 
was  not  cut  out  by  human  hands,  but  by  God  Himself  (Dan.  ii. 
34.  45). 

18.  the  stonesquarers']  Rather  the  Giblites  (and  so  Vulg.), 
i.  e.,  the  inhabitants  of  Gebal  (literally,  a  mountain),  a  city 
called  Byblos  by  the  Greeks,  north  of  Berytus,  now  Beyrout 
(Josh.  xiii.  5),  who  were  skilled  in  masonry  and  ship-building. 
Cp.  Ps.  Ixxxiii.  7.     Ezek.  xxvii.  9.     Gesen.  155. 

Peeliminaey  Note  on  the  BiriLDiNa  of  the 
Temple. 

This  portion  of  Scripture  —  chap.  v.  12  to  vi.  13, — which 
describes  the  Tejiple,  is  appointed  to  be  read  in  the  Hebrew 
Synagogues,  together  with  Exod.  xxv.  1 — xxvii.  19,  which 
describes  the  preparation  for  the  building  of  the  Tabernacle. 

Thus  the  ancient  Hebrew  Church  invites  us  to  regard  the 
Tabernacle  as  preparatory  to  the  Temple.  Compare  Wisd.  ix.  8, 
where  the  Temple  is  called  "  a  resemblance  of  the  Holy  Taber- 
nacle." The  Christian  Church  follows  up  the  suggestion  by 
teaching,  that  the  Tabernacle  and  the  Temple  were  figures  of 
Christ's  Body  and  of  His  Church,  miUtant  here  on  earth,  and  to 
be  glorified  for  ever  in  heaven  (John  ii.  19.  1  Pet.  ii.  5.  Heb. 
ix.  11.     1  Cor.  iii.  17.     2  Cor.  vi.  16.     Eph.  ii.  20.     Col.  ii.  7). 

The  Tabernacle  itself  was  made  after  the  pattern  shown  by 
God  to  Moses  in  the  Holy  Mount  (Exod.  xxv.  9.  40.  Num.  viii. 
4.  Heb.  viii.  5  ;  ix.  23).  Thus  the  Temple  was  formed  after 
the  model  of  the  Tabernacle  as  to  essentials,  but  modified  in 
details  according  to  the  pattern  which  God  revealed  to  David, 
19 


and  David  gave  to  Solomon.  See  below,  on  1  Chron.  xxviii.  11. 
The  Tabernacle  and  the  Temple  had  one  common  origin  and 
archetype  in  heaven  aud  heavenly  things.  They  were  derived 
from  the  unseen  and  Eternal  World,  and  aspire  to  it,  and  end 
in  it.  They  symbolized  Christ  and  His  Church ;  their  work  is 
completed  in  Him,  they  were  carried  up  as  it  were  by  Him  at 
His  Ascension,  and  were  transfigured  into  the  heavenly  Temple. 
On  the  spiritual  meaning  of  the  Tabeunacle,  see  above, 
notes  on  Exod.  xxv.  1. 

On  the  Relation  of  the  Tabernacle  to  the  Temple. 

The  inner  and  spiritual  relation  of  the  Tabernacle  to  the 
Temple  is  clearly  brought  out  by  an  examination  of  the  mate- 
rial dimensions  of  each  (see  Exod.  xxvi.  xxvii.  xxxvi.  Joseph. 
Ant.  iii.  6.  1  Kings  vi.  2  Chron.  iii.  Joseph,  vii.  3.  Fer- 
gusson,  B.  D.  1452—5). 

In  examining  the  details  of  the  Temple,  we  are  struck  by  the 
smallness  of  its  dimensions.  But  this  diminutiveness  has  its 
uses.  It  serves  as  an  argument  against  those  who  charge  the 
writers  of  Holy  Scripture  with  exaggeration. 

Besides,  the  smallness  of  the  dimensions  of  the  Temple, 
considered  together  with  its  magnificence  and  the  labour  and 
cost  expended  on  it,  constrain  us  to  look  beyond  the  material 
type,  to  the  S2}irittial  Antitype. 

The  dimensions  of  the  Temple,  as  a  whole,  and  in  its  com- 
ponent parts,  were  double  those  of  the  Tabernacle. 

In  the  Tabernacle,  the  Holy  of  Holies  was  a  cube  of  ten 
cubits.  In  the  Temple,  it  was  a  cube  of  twenty  cubits.  The 
heavenly  city  in  the  Apocalypse  is  a  cube  12,000  furlongs  (Rev. 
xxi.  15). 

In  the  Tabernacle,  the  Holy  Place  was  ten  cubits  wide  by 
twenty  in  length.  In  the  Temple,  it  was  twenty  cubits  in  width 
by  forty  in  length. 

The  Temple  measured  eighty  cubits  by  forty ;  the  Taber- 
nacle was  forty  by  twenty. 

The  height  of  the  Temple  was  thirty  cubits  j  that  of  the 
Tabernacle  was  fifteen. 

The  Porch  in  the  Tabernacle  was  five  cubits  deep ;  in  the 
Temple,  it  was  ten  cubits. 

There  were  only  two  Cherubims  in  the  Holy  of  Holies  in 
the  Tabernacle,  but  in  the  Temple  there  were  four. 

In  the  Tabernacle  there  had  been  only  one  golden  Candle- 
stick ;  in  the  Temple  there  were  ten. 

In  the  Tabernacle  there  was  one  Golden  Table  for  the 
Shewbread ;  in  the  Temple  there  were  Ten  Tables  made,  which 
were  connected  with  the  presentation  of  the  shewbread. 

The  Temple  differed  from  the  Tabernacle  in  having  cham- 
bers attached  to  the  sides  of  the  sanctuary.  This  was  a  natural 
result  of  its  stationary  character,  and  marked  the  fact  that  the 
Church  of  God  had  ceased  to  be  itinerant,  and  had  now  come 
to  a  settled  abode. 

Thus  the  Temple  was,  as  it  were,  an  expansion  and  de- 
velopment of  the  Tabernacle ;  it  marked  continuity  and  pro- 
gress in  the  clearness  of  God's  revelations  to  His  People, 
and  was  an  earnest  and  pledge  of  that  future  difi"usion  of  Divine 
light  and  grace  and  glory,  which  is  vouchsafed  to  the  whole 
world  in  the  spiritual  Temple  of  the  Universal  Church  of 
Christ. 

At  the  same  time,  while  there  were  these  modifications 
and  amplifications  in  the  Temple,  which  made  it  more  glorious 
than  the  Tabernacle,— in  the  Cherubim,  the  Candlesticks,  and 
other  accessories, — the  kernel  of  both  was  the  same.  There 
was  one  and  the  same  Arh  for  both.  There  is  but  one  Visible 
Church  of  God  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  world. 


The  foundation  of  the  Temple. 


1  KINGS  VI.  2. 


Its  date. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1012. 

b  Acts  7.  47. 
t  Heb.  built. 

c  See  Ezek.41.  1, 


the  cliilclren  of  Israel  were  come  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  fourth  year 
of  Solomon's  reign  over  Israel,  in  the  month  Zif,  which  is  the  second  month, 
that  ^  he  f  began  to  build  the  house  of  the  Lokd. 

2  And  "^  the  house  which  king  Solomon  built  for  the  Lord,  the  length  thereof 


The  seasons  of  the  Church  vary,  but  her  ftiith  is  in  substance 
one  and  the  same.  God  sitting  on  the  Mercy-seat,  sprinkled 
with  the  Blood  of  Christ,  is  the  essence  of  her  life  and  faith 
Ccp.  below,  2  Chi'on.  v.  5.  7). 

The  Tabernacle  was  migratory;  the  Temple  was  de- 
signed to  be  the  dwelling-place  of  the  Lord,  where  He  might 
put  His  Name  (see  viii.  16.  2  Chron.  vi.  6).  It  was  the 
place  where  God  dwelt,  and  to  which  all  His  People  must  come. 
It  was  the  centre  of  religious  unity,  and  it  was  a  protest  against 
religious  division.  It  prefigured  the  oneness  of  Faith  for  all 
true  Israelites  throughout  the  world  in  the  Gospel  Dispen- 
sation ;  and  it  foreshadowed  the  time  when  the  Cliui'cb  vill  be 
glorified  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  for  evermore. 

The  entrance  to  both  the  Tabernacle  and  the  Temple  was 
at  the  East.  The  rising  Sun  shone  upon  it.  Christ,  "the 
Dayspring  from  on  high,"  "the  Sun  of  righteousness  with 
healing  on  His  Wings,"  dawns  upon  the  Church  by  His 
Incarnation,  and  warms  her  by  His  orient  beams. 

It  is  observable  that  the  number  three  recurs  continually 
in  the  description  of  the  Temple. 

The  Temple  is  formed  of  three  compartments — the  Porch, 
the  Holy  Place,  and  the  Holy  of  Holies.  The  length  of  it  was 
3  X  20  cubits ;  its  height  was  3  X  10  cubits ;  the  height  of  the 
Porch  was  3  X  40  cubits.  Each  of  the  three  sides  was  flanked 
by  an  aisle  w  lean-to,  formed  of  three  stories  equal  in  height ; 
and  the  Holy  of  Holies  was  of  three  equal  dimensions,  i.  e.  a 
perfect  cube. 

Surely  these  arrangements  were  not  fortuitous.  May  we 
not  say,  that  in  this  building,  erected  by  the  wisest  of  Kings  to 
the  glory  of  the  Lord, — a  building  which  was  preparatory  to, 
and  typical  of,  the  Church  built  by  the  Divine  Solomon,  Jesus 
Christ,  to  tlie  glory  of  the  Triune  God, — we  have  mys- 
terious foreshadowings  of  the  great  doctrine  preached  by  tlie 
Church  in  every  Baptism  which  she  administers,  the  doctrine 
of  the  Ever-blessed  Trinity? 

The  culical  form  of  the  Holy  of  Holies,  the  seat  of  God's 
special  presence  and  glory,  a  form  seen  in  the  Tabernacle,  and 
repeated  in  the  Temple  (see  below  on  v.  16),  and  consummated 
in  the  Holy  City  itself  in  the  Apocalypse  (where  it  is  said 
"that  the  city  lietli  four-square;"  the  length,  and  the  breadth, 
and  the  height  of  it  are  equal, — 12,000  furlongs),  appears  to 
show  the  pre-adjustment  and  preparation  of  the  Holy  of  Holies 
in  the  Tabernacle  and  Temple  for  that  glorious  time  when  the 
A'^eil  will  be  withdi-awn,  and  the  Vision  of  God's  Presence  will 
be  revealed  to  all,  who,  having  been  baptized  into  the  adorable 
Name  of  the  Triune  God,  hold  fast  the  true  apostolic  faith, 
preached  by  the  threefold  ministry  in  God's  Church,  and  are 
admitted  to  the  glory  of  the  heavenly  city,  which  will  have  no 
Temple,  for  it  will  be  itself  a  Holy  of  Holies;  "the  Lord  God 
Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  Temple  of  it"  (Rev.  xxi.  22). 

On  the  symbolical  meaning  of  the  numbers  four  and 
twelve,  see  below,  notes  on  the  Apocalypse,  p.  221.  Cf.  Bcthr, 
Symbol,  i.  155.  Haveriiick  on  Ezek.  p.  690.  Hengst.  Gesch. 
Bil.  p.  71.  Keil  on  1  Kings  vi.  p.  105,  ed.  1.  On  the  sym- 
bolical character  of  the  Temple  the  reader  may  also  refer  to 
Prosper  Aquitantls  de  Promissis  (ii.  27),  who  says,  "David, 
being  a  man  of  war,  who  shed  much  blood,  was  not  permitted 
to  build  the  Temple  (see  1  Chron.  xxii.  8 ;  xxviii.  3) ;  but  So- 
lomon his  son,  whose  name  means  Peaceable,  was  enabled  and 
commanded  to  build  the  Temple  which  his  father  had  vowed. 
So  our  King,  Christ  the  Lord,  Who  is  our  Peace,  builds  the 
spiritual  Tcmjjle  of  lively  stones,  and  makes  each  of  the  hearts 
of  the  faithful  to  be  His  Temple,  and  joins  them  together  in 
One  as  one  Temple  to  Himself."  Compare  JEiicheriiis,  p.  966, 
and  Angelomus,  pp.  365.  377,  and  the  Treatise  of  Bede 
collected  from  earlier  patristic  authorities  (Opera,  viii.  pp.  263 
— 359,  ed.  Giles).  "  Domus  Dei,"  says  he,  "  quam  adificavit 
rex  Salomon  in  Jerusalem,  in  figuram  facta  est  sancta;  Univer- 
salis Ecclesiffi,  quae  quotidie  per  gratiam  Regis  Pacifici,  sui 
videlicet  Redemptoris,  aedificatur.  Ille  Templum  Dei  per  as- 
sumptam  humanitatem  factus  est,  et  nos  Templum  Dei,  per 
inhabitantem  Spiritum  Ejus  in  nobis,  eflicimur  (1  Cor.  iii.  16; 
vi.  19) ;  ait  enim,  Solvite  Templum  hoc,  loquens  de  Templo 
corporis  sui  (John  ii.  19)  et  dicit  Apostolus  de  nobis  '  Nescitis, 
quia  templum  Dei  estisV"  (1  Cor.  iii.  16).  Cp.  Matthew 
Senry's  note  on  chap.  vi.  at  the  end,  whei-e  he  traces  the 
20 


analogy  between  the  Temple  and  Christ,  and  between  the 
Temple  and  Christ's  mystical  body,  the  Church.  See  also 
Mather  on  Types,  pp.  338 — 358 ;  and  especially  Dean  Jackson 
on  the  Creed,  Book  ix.,  particularly  chap.  38. 

On  the  dimensions,  &c.,  of  tlie  Temple  the  reader  may 
consult  Josephus,  viii.  3.  Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  pp.  217 — 227.  Villa- 
pandus,  in  Ezechielem  ii.  pars  2;  the  work  of  Cappellus, 
Crit.  Sac.  v.  Lighffoot,  i.  1064.  Spencer,  Laing,  Natal.  Alex. 
in  Hist.  Eccl.  iii.  270.  Keil,  der  Tempel  Salome's,  Dorpat, 
1839,  and  the  works  there  quoted;  his  Archaologie,  §  23, 
J).  121,  with  the  plans  at  the  end  of  that  volume ;  Winer, 
R.  W.  B.  ii.  569,  and  the  works  of  Hirt,  Kopp,  JEiuald,  Bahr, 
&c.,  there  quoted;  and  the  more  recent  Essay  of  Merz  in 
Herzog.  Encycl.  xv.  500 ;  and  Dr.  Kitto,  Bib.  lU.  41st  Week, 
p.  57.  Fergusson's  Art.  in  Bib.  Diet.  iii.  1455 ;  and  Stanley's 
Lectures,  Lect.  xxvii.  p.  205. 

The  materials  used  in  the  work,— vast  blocks  of  stone, 
and  three  special  kinds  of  wood,  cedar,  cypress,  olive,  all  re- 
markable for  their  durability, — were  faint  images  of  the  attri- 
butes of  Strength  and  Incorruption,  which  are  imparted  to  the 
Church  of  God. 

Ch.  VI.  1.  in  the  foiir  hundred  and  eightieth  year^- 
Fgypt'\  There  was  an  interval  of  430  years  between  the  pro- 
mise to  Abraham  and  the  Exodus  of  Israel  from  Egypt,  and 
then  the  Law  was  given  at  Sinai,  and  the  Tabernacle  was 
erected.  See  above,  on  Exod.  xii.  40.  Introd.  to  Judg.  p.  83, 
and  below.  Acts  xiii.  20,  and  Gal.  iii.  17. 

There  were  470  years  between  the  promise  to  Abraham 
and  the  entrance  into  Canaan. 

And  now  it  is  related  that  there  were  480  years  between 
the  Exodus  of  Israel  from  Egypt  and  the  beginning  of  the 
building  of  the  Temple. 

This  chronological  statement  has  been  questioned  by  some, 
and  has  been  even  rejected  as  an  interpolation  (see  Bib.  Diet. 
ii.  22),  but  without  adequate  reason. 

There  were  490  years  from  the  command  to  rebuild  Jeru- 
salem to  the  death  of  Christ,  and  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  when  the  building  of  Christ's  Church  was  completed. 

If  the  chronology  of  Archbishop  TJssher  is  correct,  the 
completion  of  the  Temple  coincided  with  the  commencement  of 
the  second  Millennium  from  the  creation  of  the  earth  in  its 
present  state  (  TJssher,  ad  Ann.  300). 

The  Temple  was  built  on  Mount  Moriah,  so  called  as 
being  the  Mountain  of  Jehovah's  appearing  (see  2  Chron. 
iii.  1)  where  Abraham,  in  will,  had  oflered  up  Isaac,  the  type 
of  Christ,  Whom  Abraham  saw  by  faith  (John  viii.  56),  Whose 
Death  was  prefigured  in  all  the  sacrifices  oifered  in  the  Temple 
of  Jerusalem,  on  the  same  mountain,  and  Who  fulfilled  the 
words  of  the  Patriarch  Abraham,  "  God  will  provide  a  lamb  for 
a  burnt  offering,"  and  "  in  the  Mount  the  Lord  will  be  seen." 
See  above,  notes  on  Gen.  xxii.  2.  7.  14,  and  on  2  Sam.  xxiv.  25. 

The  uneven  rock  of  Moriah  was  levelled,  and  its  inequalities 
filled  up  with  immense  substructions  of  great  stones.  It  is  of 
these,  if  of  any  part  of  the  Temple,  that  the  remains  are  still  to 
be  seen  {Stanley,  Lect.  xxvii.  p.  206).     See  above,  on  v.  17. 

— fourth  year — second  month — he  hegan~\  As  to  the  month, 
see  below,  v.  37,  where  it  appears  that  Solomon  was  exactly 
seven  years  and  seven  months  in  building  it.  May  there  not  be 
an  analogy  here  to  the  seven  days  at  the  Creation  ending  ^\'ith 
the  sabbath  of  rest  ?  As  to  the  day  on  which  the  building 
began,  see  below,  on  2  Chron.  iii.  2. 

Solomon  began  to  huild  the  Temple  in  the  fourth  year  of 
his  reign.  Christ,  the  divine  Solomon,  "Wlio  had  been  pro- 
claimed King  by  the  voice  from  heaven  at  His  Baptism,  did 
not  supersede  the  Tabernacle  of  the  Levitical  Law  till  His 
crucifixion  and  ascension  in  ^\t  fourth  year  after  His  Baptism. 
At  His  Passion  He  said,  "  It  is  finished "  (John  xix.  30),  and 
"the  veil  of  the  Temple  was  rent  in  twain"  (Matt,  xxvii.  51). 
And  His  Church,  His  spiritual  Eve,  was  formed  out  of  His  side 
as  He  slept  on  the  cross  (see  John  xix.  34) ;  and  He  gave  her 
the  dowry  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  sent  dowu  from  heaven  at  Pen- 
tecost, and  thus  He  began  to  build  the  Temple  of  the  Church 
Universal  out  of  all  Nations. 

2.  the  length  thereof  was  threescore  cunts']  Of  which  one- 
third,  namely,  twenty  cubits,  belonged  to  the  Holy  of  Holies, 


The  Porch  and  three  stories. 


1  KINGS  VI.  3—8. 


No  hammer  heard. 


ivas  threescore  cubits,  and  the  breadth  thereof  twenty  cid)its,  and  the  height 
thereof  thirty  cubits.  ^  And  the  porch  before  the  temple  of  the  house,  twenty 
cubits  ivas  the  length  thereof,  according  to  the  breadth  of  the  house ;  and  ten 
cubits  ivas  the  breadth  thereof  before  the  house.  ^  And  for  the  house  he  made 
^  II  windows  of  narrow  lights.  ^  And  ||  against  the  wall  of  the  house  he  built 
*f  chambers  round  about,  against  the  walls  of  the  house  round  about,  hotli 
of  the  temple  '  and  of  the  oracle  :  and  he  made  f  chambers  round  about : 
^  The  nethermost  chamber  ivas  five  cubits  broad,  and  the  middle  ivas  six  cubits 
broad,  and  the  third  ivas  seven  cubits  broad  ;  for  without  in  the  wall  of  the 
house  he  made  f  narrowed  rests  round  about,  that  the  heanis  should  not  be 
fastened  in  the  walls  of  the  house.  ^  And  ^  the  house,  when  it  was  in  building, 
was  built  of  stone  made  ready  before  it  was  brought  thither  :  so  that  there 
was  neither  hammer  nor  axe  nor  any  tool  of  iron  heard  in  the  house,  while  it 
was  in  building.     "  The  door  for  the  middle  chamber  ivas  in  the  right  f  side  of 


Before 

CH  RIST 

1012. 


d  See  Ezek.  40. 
Ifi.  &  41.  IG. 
II  Or,  windows 
hroad  within, 
and  narrow 
without :  or, 
skewed  and  closed, 
il  Or,  upon,  or, 
jniiiiiig  to. 
e  Ses  Ezek.  41.  ij. 
+  lleh.  floors. 
f  ver.  Hi,  19,  20, 
21,  31. 
t  Heb  ribs. 
t  Heb.  nar- 
rowings,  or, 
rehatemcnts. 
g  See  Deut. 
27.  5,  6. 
ch.  5.  18. 
t  Heb.  shoulder. 


which  (as  in  the  Tabernacle)  was  a  square ;  so  that  the  Holy 
Place  was  20  X  40  cubits.  Cp.  Josephus,  Antt.  viii.  3.  3 ;  and 
Prelim.  Note  to  this  chapter. 

3.  the  porch']  Hall,  or  vestibule  (Heb.  ulam :  see  Gesen. 
20;  Fuerst,  38),  was  twenty  cubits  long,  i.e.  it  coincided  with 
the  breadth  of  the  Temple,  and  was  ten  cubits  in  depth :  its 
height  is  stated  as  120  cubits  in  2  Chron.  iii.  4  (cp.  Joseph., 
viii.  3.  2), — a  measurement  which  is  set  aside  by  some  critics 
as  an  error  of  the  copyLsts,  but  is  accepted  by  others,  as  Light- 
foot,  i.  1065.  1073;  FwaU,  iii.  300;  Stieglitz,  Baukuust, 
p.  126;  Kitto,  p.  58;  Stanley,  p.  210;  Fergusson,  B.  D.  1457. 
Lightfoot  compares  it  to  "one  of  our  high  steeples;"  and 
Fergusson  observes  that  it  would  have  been  about  the  height 
of  "the  steeple  of  St.  Martin-in-the-Fields ;"  see  below,  on 
Ezra  vi.  3. 

There  was  a  colonnade  or  cloister  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Temple.  Later  kings  carried  it  all  round  the  Temple ;  but 
it  preserved  the  name  of  Solomon ;  and  that  which  was  built 
on  its  ruins  was  called  "  Solomon's  Porch  "  (Acts  iii.  11 ;  v.  12. 
Cp.  Stanley,  Lect.  xxvii.).  This  jjortico  opened  on  a  large 
quadrangle,  surrounded  by  a  wall,  partly  of  stone,  partly  of 
cedar,  which  was  planted  with  trees,  cedar,  j^alm,  olive  (Ps. 
Hi.  8;  xcii.  12;  Ixxxiv.  3).  Within  this  was  a  smaller  court,  on 
the  highest  ridge  of  the  hiU,  where  was  the  altar,  probably  the 
one  erected  by  David,  on  the  threshing-floor  of  Araunah 
(Stanley,  p.  208). 

4.  windoivs  of  narrow  lights']  Windows  of  beams  closed 
{Gesen.  35.  848.  Cp.  vii.  4;  and  Keil,  p.  53;  Haverrdck  on 
Ezek.,  p.  652),  i.  e.  windows  whose  lattices  could  not  be  opened 
like  those  of  a  house.  They  seem  to  have  resembled  the  barge- 
boards  of  church  towers,  and  to  have  been  so  arranged,  that 
the  rain  could  not  enter,  and  that  the  vapour  of  the  lamps  and 
iuceuse  hiight  be  drawn  off  into  the  outer  air,  and  also  that  they 
might  admit  light :  cp.  Kitto,  Bib.  lUust.,  p.  76. 

The  Hebrew  words,  rendered  narrow  lights,  are  shektiphim 
atumim ;  of  which  the  former  is  derived  from  shakaph,  to  lay 
over,  to  cover  (cp.  o-zccTraco).  Hence  in  niphal  and  hiphil,  to 
lean  over,  so  as  to  look  out,  irapaKv-KToi.  See  Judg.  v.  28. 
Ps.  xiv.  2  {Gesen.  848).  The  latter  word  is  from  atam,  to 
shut,  to  stop  up  (Gesen.  35),  so  rendered  by  our  translators 
in  Ps.  Iviii.  4.  Prov.  xvii.  28;  xxi.  13.  Isa.  xxxiii.  15.  Cp. 
Ezek.  xl.  16;  xli.  16.  26.  The  Sept.  has  OvpiSas  TrapaKvirro- 
fietfas  Kpvmas.  These  windows  were  pierced  in  the  side  walls, 
above  the  elevation  of  the  side  stories. 

5.  chambers]  Or,  rather,  .9^o)-ie*,— tabulata  (Vtilg.),  fxiXaOpa 
(Sept.).  The  original  Hebrew  word  (yatsua)  is  derived  from 
yatsa,  to  spread  out,  and  is  rendered  hed  in  Gen.  xlix.  4. 
1  Chron.  v.  1.  Job  xvii.  13.  Ps.  Ixiii.  6;  cxxxii.  3.  The 
nearest  equivalent  to  it  is  stratum.  These  stories  were  three 
in  number  (v.  8),  cp.  Gesen.,  p.  361,  on  the  two  forms  of  the 
word  here  used  ;  and  see  below,  on  v.  8. 

—  of  the  oracle]  Heb.  dehir,  where  God  spake  or  de- 
clared His  will ;  from  Heb.  dabar,  to  speak.  This  is  the  first 
place  in  the  Bible  where  the  word  occurs.  It  is  only  found  in 
1  Kings  chaps,  vi.  vii.  and  viii. ;  and  2  Chron.  iii.  iv.  v. ;  and 
in  Ps.  xxviii.  2. 

—  chambers  round  about]  The  word  here  rendered  chamhers, 
is  different  from  that  in  the  preceding  note ;  and  it  would 
have  been  well  it  the  difference  had  been  marked  in  our  Vcrsiou. 

21 


The  word  here  used  is  tsela  (from  tsala,  to  lean,  to  limp : 
Gesen.  711).  It  is  rendered  rib  in  Gen.  ii.  21;  side  in 
Exod.  XXV.  12 ;  and  in  about  fourteen  other  places  in  Exodus 
(cp.  2  Sam.  xvi.  13)  ;  and  side  chamber,  passim,  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  Ezekiel's  Temple  (Ezek.  xli.  5,  &c.).  It  is  rendered 
boards  in  the  present  chapter  (vv.  15,  16),  and  leaves  in  v.  34, 
and  beams  in  v.  36,  and  ribs  in  the  margin.  The  root  of  the 
word  (tsala,  to  incline,  to  lean),  suggests  that  the  nearest 
approach  to  the  word  architecturally  is  a  "  lean-to,"  something 
attached  or  applied  to  a  larger  building  (cp.  Fuerst,  Cone, 
p.  955  ;  and  Keil  here). 

6.  The  nethermost  chamber]  or  story.  The  breadth  of  the. 
stories  was  different,  because  a  reduction  was  made  in  the 
thickness  of  the  wall  of  the  Temple  itself  at  every  story ;  that 
is,  a  rebate  was  made  in  the  wall,  on  which  the  beams  of  the 
story  rested,  without  being  di-iven  into  the  Temple  wall 
(Lightfoot,  1065;  and  Keil).  The  Temple  was  small,  but 
its  proportions  were  harmonious.  The  Porch  was  ten  cubits 
deep ;  so  that  the  interior  or  cella  of  the  Temple  was  equal  to 
a  triple  square  of  twenty  cubits ;  but  one  of  these  three  squares 
was  parted  off,  so  as  to  form  the  Holy  of  Holies  :  and  thus  the 
Sanctuary  or  Holy  Place  was  forty  cubits  long  by  twenty  wide. 
Thus  there  was  no  appearance  of  undue  narrowness  in  the 
inside ;  and  the  appearance  of  narrowness  on  the  outside  was 
avoided  by  these  three  stories,  built  against  the  sides.  Thus 
externally  the  building  had  the  appearance  of  a  small  church, 
with  two  side  aisles. 

7.  the  house — loas  built  of  stone  made  ready]  Literally, 
the  house  in  the  building  of  it  tvas  built  of  stones  whole  froin 
the  quarry  (Gesen.  490.  829).  The  stones  were  not  dressed 
after  they  had  come  from  the  quarry,  but  were  perfectly  hewn 
and  wrought  there. 

—  there  was  neither  hammer  nor  axe  nor  any  tool  of  iron  heard 
in  the  ho%ise,  while  it  was  in  building]  No  noise  of  hammers 
was  heard  in  the  building  of  the  Temple.  In  this  respect  also 
the  Temple  was  a  figure  of  the  Church.  "  The  mystery  of  the 
Incarnation  of  Christ  was  accomjilished,  4v  Tjavxia  Oeov,  in 
the  stillness  of  God,"  says  S.  Lgnatius  (ad  Eph.  19).  He  grew 
up,  like  a  tender  plant,  unobserved  of  the  world,  at  Nazareth 
in  Galilee.  The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation 
(Luke  xvii.  20).  Its  growth  is  like  that  of  a  blade  of  corn 
(Mark  iv.  26,  27).  The  work  of  the  Spirit  is  not  by  violent 
emotion,  but  by  silent  influence.  Christ  did  not  cry,  nor  lift 
up,  nor  cause  His  voice  to  be  heard  in  the  streets  (Isa.  Ixii.  2. 
Matt.  xii.  19).  The  work  of  the  Church  of  Christ  is  gradual, 
and  almost  imperceptible,  and  is  not  chronicled  in  the  pages 
of  this  World's  history.  Its  progress  is  not  like  that  of  earthly 
empires  which  rise  in  the  din  of  battle,  and  fall  in  the  crash  of 
revolutions.  It  is  like  the  silent  increass  of  the  grain  of 
mustard  seed,  or  the  sleeplike  spread  of  the  leaves. 

And,  much  more,  in  the  Church  glorified,  there  wiU  be  no 
hewing  of  the  lively  stones  of  the  heavenly  Tcmjile.  Each  will 
then  have  been  fully  wrought,  and  dressed,  and  polished,  and 
fitted  to  its  place,  "  nulla  ibi  passio,  nulla  afilictio  "  (A  Lapide). 

Therefore,  let  not  the  axes  of  schism,  and  the  hammer  of 
violent  contention  be  heard  in  the  Sanctuary  of  God  (Bp)-  Hall). 
Strifes  and  clamour  are  alien  to  her  being.  The  Temple  was 
throivn  down  with  axes  and  hammers  (Ps.  Ixxiv.  4.  6),  but  was 
built   up   in   silence  without   them.     "  God's  work  should   hi 


Three  chambers. 


1  KINGS  VI.  9—20. 


llie  inside  of  the  Temple. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1012. 
1005. 
h  ver.  14,  38. 
II  Or,  the  vriult- 
beams  and  the 
ceilings  with 
cedar. 


Ich.  2.  4.  &  9.  4. 


k  2  Sam.  7.  13. 
1  Chron.  22.  ID. 

1  Exod.  25.  8. 
Lev.  26.  11. 

2  Cor.  6.  16. 
Rev.  21.  3. 

m  Deut.  31.  6. 
n  ver.  38. 
II  Or,  from  the 
floor  of  the  house 
unto  the  walls, 
&c.,  and  so 
ver.  16. 


o  Exod.  26.  33. 
Lev.  16.  2. 
ch.  8.  6. 
2  Chron.  3.  8. 
E>!ek.  45.  3. 
Heb.  9.  3. 
II  Or,  gourds. 
t  Heb.  openings 
of  powers. 


t  Heb.  shut  up. 


the  house  :  and  they  went  up  with  winding  stairs  into  the  middle  chamber, 
and  out  of  the  middle  into  the  third.  ^ ''  So  he  built  the  house,  and  finished 
it ;  and  covered  the  house  ||  with  beams  and  boards  of  cedar.  ^°  And  then 
he  built  chambers  against  all  the  house,  five  cubits  high  :  and  they  rested  on 
the  house  with  timber  of  cedar. 

^^And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Solomon,  saying,  ^"^  Concerning  this 
house  which  thou  art  in  building,  'if  thou  wilt  walk  in  my  statutes,  and 
execute  my  judgments,  and  keep  all  my  commandments  to  walk  in  them  ; 
then  will  I  perform  my  word  with  thee,  ^  which  I  spake  unto  David  thy  father  : 
'^And  'I  will  dwell  among  the  children  of  Israel,  and  will  not  ""forsake  my 
people  Israel.     ^.^ "  So  Solomon  built  the  house,  and  finished  it. 

^^And  he  built  the  walls  of  the  house  within  with  boards  of  cedar,  ||  both  the 
floor  of  the  house,  and  the  walls  of  the  ceiling  :  and  he  covered  them  on  the 
inside  with  wood,  and  covered  the  floor  of  the  house  with  planks  of  fir.  ^^  And 
he  built  twenty  cubits  on  the  sides  of  the  house,  both  the  floor  and  the 
walls  with  boards  of  cedar  :  he  even  built  them  for  it  within,  even  for  the 
oracle,  even  for  the  °  most  holy  j^/acc.  ^"^  And  the  house,  that  is,  the  temple 
before  it,,  was  forty  cubits  long.  ^^And  the  cedar  of  the  house  within  was 
carved  with  ||  knops  and  f  open  flowers :  all  ivas  cedar ;  there  was  no  stone 
seen.  ^^And  the  oracle  he  prepared  in  the  house  within,  to  set  there  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord.  ^^  And  the  oracle  in  the  forepart  ivas  twenty 
cubits  in  length,  and  twenty  cubits  in  breadth,  and  twenty  cubits  in  the  height 
thereof :  and  he  overlaid  it  with  f  pure  gold ;  and  so  covered  the  altar  tvhich 


done  with  much  care  and  little  noise.     Clamour  and  violence 
hinder  the  work  of  God,  but  never  further  it"  (31.  Henry). 

8.  The  door — third']  Or,  rather,  a  door  into  the  middle  chain- 
her  (of  the  under  story)  was  on  the  right  side  of  the  house  (or 
Temple),  and  they  went  up  hi/  a  winding  staircase  to  the  middle 
story  ;  and  out  of  the  middle  into  the  third  story.  The  stair- 
case was  not,  as  in  Eastern  houses,  on  the  outside,  but  in  the 
interior  (Winer). 

The  three  stories,  like  other  parts  pf  the  Temple,  seem  to 
have  a  spiritual  significance,  and,  like  the  three  stories  in  the 
Ark  (another  figure  of  the  Church),  to  symbolize  the  doctrine 
of  the  Ever-blessed  Trinity  (see  above,  on  Gen.  vi.  16,  and  Pre- 
liminary Note  to  this  chapter). 

It  may  therefore  be  reverently  submitted  for  the  learned 
reader's  consideration,  whether  this  inner  communion  of  the 
one  story  with  the  other,  by  a  winding  staircase,  _  may  not 
typify  the  bidden  union  and  mysterious  intercommuuiou  of  the 
Three  Persons  of  the  Ever-blessed  Trinity  with  each  other;  and 
also  whether  it  may  not  represent  the  spiritual  ascent  of  the 
Boul,  with  which  the  devout  believer  mounts,  by  the  communion 
of  God  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  God  the  Son,  to  God  the 
Father,  the  Summit  and  Origin  of  all  Life  and  Love.  May  not 
this  conjunction  of  the  three  stories  of  the  Temple  foreshadow 
that  doctrine  of  the  Triune  God,  which  is  unfolded  in  the 
Apostolic  commission,  "  Go  ye  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing 
them  in  "  (or,  rather,  into)  °  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost "  (see  Matt,  xxviii.  19),  and  in  the 
Apostolic  Benediction  in  2  Cor.  xiii.  14  ? 

9.  covered]  or  roofed. 

10.  he  built  chambers]  Rather,  he  built  the  stories  :  see 
«.  5. 

—  five  cubits  high]  Each  of  the  three  stories  was  five 
cubits,  so  that  they  made  fifteen  cubits  together  in  height ;  and 
their  flooring  and  roofing  being  added,  they  reached  together 
to  about  eighteen  or  twenty  cubits  in  height;  so  that  there 
would  be  room  for  the  windows  of  the  Temple  to  be  opened  out, 
like  clerestory  windows,  above  them  :  see  v.  4. 

—  they  rested  on  the  house]  The  beams  of  the  three  side 
stories  rested  on  the  ledges  of  the  Temple-wall :  see  v.  6. 

12,  13.  if  thou  wilt  walk — I  will  dwell  among  the  children 
of  Israel]  The  divine  promise  to  Solomon  was  contingent  on 
his  obedience.  Solomon  swerved  from  God's  statutes.  The 
divine  promise  to  David  his  father  was  absolute :  "  I  have 
eworn  once  by  My  holiness  that  I  will  not  fail  David "  (Ps. 
22 


Ixxxix.  35.  Amos  iv.  2  :  see  above,  on  2  Sam.  vii..  Preliminary 
Note.  Jesus  Cheist  is  of  the  seed  of  David,  but  not  through 
the  line  of  Solomon,  which,  after  long  trial  and  forbearance,  was 
cut  ofl'  at  the  captivity.  Jesus  Cheist  is,  what  Solomon  tvould 
have  been  in  a  lower  degree,  if  he  had  been  faithful,  as  Christ 
was.  Solomon,  the  human  type,  failed,  but  Jesus  Cheist,  the 
Divine  Antitype,  has  fulfilled  all  righteousness;  and  therefore 
this  promise  is  fulfilled  in  Him,  and  is  fulfilled  also  to  His 
Church  through  Him.     Ps.  Ixviii.  18.     Prov.  xxi.  3. 

The  Inteeiob  of  the  Temple. 

15.  planks  of  fir]    Cypress;  so  that  no  stone  was  seen,  v.  18. 

16.  twenty  cubits]  For  the  Oracle,  or  Holy  of  HoUes ;  so  that 
it  was  a  cube  of  twenty  cubits :  see  v.  20,  and  Preliminary 
Note.  This  cubical  form  is  noted,  even  in  heathen  philosophy, 
as  the  form  of  moral  perfection.  See  Plato,  Theffit.,  p.  339  A, 
recording  the  saying  of  Simonides,  &v5pa  ayadhf  yeveadai 
;)(;aAe7rbr,  X^P'^^  ''^^  ""^  noffl  koI  v6(f  reTpdyaivoi'  &v€v  \l/6yov 
TiTvyjxivov,  and  Heindorf's  note  there,  p.  567,  referring  for  the 
same  sentiment  to  Aristot.,  Rhet.  iii.  11 ;  Ethic.  Nic.  i.  10, 
and  observing  that  the  metaphor  is  taken  from  a  solid  quadrate 
body,  a  cube,  which  is  always  upright  on  whatever  side  it  falls ; 
and  in  which  all  the  sides  and  angles  correspond  perfectly  to 
one  another.  S.  Cyril  Alex,  (de  Ador.,  p.  385)  has  chris- 
tianized the  metaphor,  speaking  of  the  High  Priest's  pectoral, 
formed  of  3  X  4  jewels;  "  The  number  three  is  a  symbol  of  the 
Trinity,  and  the  nnmher  four  is  a  symbol  of  constancy,"  and  (it 
may  be  added)  of  complete  extension  of  space :  see  below,  on 
Rev.  xi.,  p.  221. 

17.  before  it]  Before  the  Oracle,  or  Holy  of  Holies. 

18.  knops]  Fruit,  like  gourds,  2  Kings  iv.  39  (Oesen,  6S7. 
Lightfoot,  p.  1081.     Grove,  B.  D.  ii.  48). 

20.  the  oracle]  or  Holy  of  Holies,  was  a  perfect  cube,  as  it 
was  in  the  Tabernacle :  see  above.  Preliminary  Note,  and  v.  16. 

—  in  the  forepart]  That  is,  the  inner  part :  cp.  v.  29 
(Kimchi,  Keil). 

—  pure  gold]  Literally,  gold  shut  up,  as  very  precious  : 
cp.  Job  xxviii.  15,  and  Gesen.  579. 

—  and  so]  (he  covered  the  altar  with  cedar,)  Vulg.  The 
words  "  so,"  and  "  which  tvas  of,"  are  not  in  the  original,  and 
would  be  better  omitted.  The  sense  is,  he  covered  the  altar 
tvith  cedar.  The  covering  it  with  gold  is  mentioned  after- 
wai'ds,  V.  22. 

The  altar  of  incense  is  mentioned  in  connexion  with  the 


TJie  Holy  of  Holies. 


1  KINGS  VI.  21—32. 


The  Cheruhim. 


was  of  cedar.  ^'  So  Solomon  oyerlaid  the  house  within  with  pure  gold :  and 
he  made  a  partition  by  the  chains  of  gold  before  the  oracle  ;  and  he  overlaid 
it  with  gold.  ^'^And  the  whole  house  he  overlaid  with  gold,  until  he  had 
finished  all  the  house  :  also  ^  the  whole  altar  that  ivas  by  the  oracle  he 
overlaid  mth.  gold. 

22 And  within  the  oracle  ''he  made  two  cherub ims  of  ||f  olive  tree,  each  ten 
cubits  high.  ^^And  five  cubits  was  the  one  wing  of  the  cherub,  and  five  cubits 
the  other  \diig  of  the  cherub  :  from  the  uttermost  part  of  the  one  wing  unto 
the  uttermost  part  of  the  other  u'cre  ten  cubits.  -^  And  the  other  cherub  ivas 
ten  cubits  :  both  the  cherubims  were  of  one  measure  and  one  size.  ^^  The 
height  of  the  one  cherub  ivas  ten  cubits,  and  so  luas  it  of  the  other  cherub. 
-'  And  he  set  the  cherubims  within  the  inner  house  :  and  "■  ||  they  stretched 
forth  the  wings  of  the  cherubims,  so  that  the  wing  of  the  one  touched  the 
one  wall,  and  the  wing  of  the  other  cherub  touched  the  other  wall ;  and  their 
wings  touched  one  another  in  the  midst  of  the  house.  ^^  And  he  overlaid  the 
cherubims  with  gold. 

^  And  he  carved  all  the  walls  of  the  house  round  about  with  carved  figures 
of  cherubims  and  palm  trees  and  f  open  flowers,  within  and  without.  ^^  And 
the  floor  of  the  house  he  overlaid  with  gold,  within  and  without. 

2^  And  for  the  entering  of  the  oracle  he  made  doors  of  olive  tree  :  the  lintel 
and  side  posts  loere  ||  a  fifth  part  of  the  wall.     ^^  The  1|  two  doors  also  ivere  of 


Before 

CHRIST 

1003. 


p  Exod.  30.  1, 
3,  6. 


q  Exod.  37.  7, 

8,  9. 

2  Chron.  3.  10, 

11,  12. 

II  Or,  oily. 

f  Heb.  trees  of  oil. 


r  Exod   25.  20. 

&  37.  9. 

2  Chron.  5.  8. 

II  Or,  the 

cherubims 

stretched  forth 

their  wings. 


t  Heb.  openings 
of /lowers. 


II  Or,  fivesguare. 
II  Or,  leaves  of 
the  doors. 


Holy  of  Holies  (see  v.  22),  because  the  incense,  which  was 
burnt  upon  it,  was  offered  before  the  Veil,  and  with  a  view  to 
the  Divine  Presence  enshrined  in  the  Holy  of  Holies  (see  Exod. 
XXX.  6 ;  xl.  5.  26),  and  had  a  special  relation  to  the  Ark  in  the 
Oracle,  particularly  in  the  great  sacrifice  of  the  Day  of  Atone- 
ment. On  this  Altar,  caUed  the  golden  Altar,  as  being  covered 
over  with  plates  of  gold,  incense  was  offered  before  the  Veil, 
Morning  and  Evening, — the  tj'pe  of  continual  prayer.  Rev.  viii. 
3,  4.     Lev.  xvi.  18.     Mai.  i.  11.     lAghffoot,  1083. 

21.  the  house  within]  The  Holy  Place.     See  Keil,  p.  59. 

—  Tie  made  a  partition  hy  the  chains  of  gold  iefore  the 
oracle]  Or,  rather,  he  caused  to  pass  ivith  chains  of  gold  the 
inferior  of  the  oracle:  he  ran  chains  of  gold,  as  a  barrier,  on 
and  across  the  inner  wall  of  the  oracle.  (Cp.  Oesen.  602. 
Lightfoot,  i.  1085.)  These  chains  were  like  cords  drawn  across 
the  aperture,  and  spanning  it,  so  as  to  prevent  the  ingress 
within  the  Veil,  which  is  mentioned  in  2  Chron.  iii.  14. 

These  golden  chains,  which  hindered  our  entrance  into  the 
heavenly  Holy  of  Holies,  were  drawn  aside  by  Christ  at  His 
Ascension  into  heaven  (Heb.  vi.  19,  20;  ix.  24);  and  now  His 
faithful  members  may  come  with  holy  and  reverential  "  boldness 
to  the  Throne  of  Grace"  (Heb.  iv.  16). 

The  Cheetjbim. 

23.  two  cherulims]  On  the  cherubim,  see  above,  notes  on 
Gen.  iii.  24.     Exod.  xxv.  18. 

In  the  Tabernacle,  the  two  cherubim  over  the  Mercy-seat 
of  the  Ark  in  the  Holy  of  Holies  turned  their  faces  inward, 
toioard  each  other ;  but  in  the  Temple,  in  addition  to  those 
made  by  Moses,  which  overshadowed  the  Ark,  with  their  faces 
bending  over  it,  and  toward  each  other,  were  two  other  cheru- 
bim of  colossal  size,  one  on  each  side  of  the  Ark,  and  turning 
their  faces  toward  the  Priests  in  the  Holy  Place,  and  toward 
the  Worshippers ;  and  their  expanded  wings  touched  the  side- 
wall  with  their  extremities;  so  that  the  whole  Holy  of  Holies 
might  be  said  to  be  embraced  by  them.  See  1  Chron.  xxviii.  18, 
and  Bp.  Patrick  here.     Cp.  Kitto,  p.  83,  and  B.  D.  i.  301. 

The  Temple  was  a  continuation  and  development  of  the 
Tabernacle.  The  inner  essence  of  both  was  the  same,  namely, 
the  Divine  Presence  over  the  Ark;  but  the  details  of  the 
Temple  exhibited  an  enlargement  and  extension  of  those  of  the 
Tabernacle.  They  represented  an  advance  of  the  Hebrew 
Church  to  nearer  communion  with  God.  The  Temple  was  a 
closer  approximation  than  the  Tabernacle  to  the  Church  of  Christ. 
^  In  accordance  with  this  view,  it  may  be  observed  that  this 
addition  to  the  number  of  the  Cherubim,  and  this  modification 
23 


of  the  position  of  the  Cherubim  in  the  Temple,  seem  to  in- 
dicate a  clearer  revelation  of  the  Divine  Glory,  and  nearer 
approach  of  the  Divine  Presence  to  Man ;  and  to  denote  a 
further  preparation  for  the  time,  when  God  in  Christ  would 
speak  face  to  face  with  Man,  and  when  He  would  enlighten  the 
world  with  His  glory  in  the  fourfold  Gospel,  and  would  embrace 
the  whole  human  race  with  the  arms  of  His  mercy  on  the 
Cross.  And  they  pointed  still  further  to  the  blessed  time,  when 
God  will  reveal  His  presence  to  the  pure  in  heart  in  the  heavenly 
Holy  of  Holies,  who  now  see  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  then 
will  see  "Him  face  to  face,  and  know  even  as  they  are  known" 
(1  Cor.  xiii.  9.  12).  Cp.  Bede,  Angelom.  Bede  (p.  304)  com- 
pares the  presence  of  God  in  the  Cherubim  to  the  presence  of 
God  in  His  Holy  Word;  and  so  Eucherius,  p.  976.  Cp.  note 
below,  at  Rev.  iv.  6,  where  the  opinion  is  expressed  that  the 
four  Cherubim  or  Living  Creatures  represent — 

(1)  The  revelation  of  the  Glory  of  God  in  Christ  as  dis- 
played in  the  fourfold  Gospel,  and 

(2)  The  communication  of  that  glory  to  the  Church  of  the 
fiiithful,  receiving  the  light  of  the  Gospel,  and  transformed 
thereby  to  the  likeness  of  Christ  (see  2  Cor.  iii.  18 ;  iv.  4),  and 
ascribing  all  honour  and  praise  to  the  Triune  God.  Hence  we 
may  recognize  the  fitness  of  the  choice  of  that  portion  of  Scrip- 
ture (Rev.  iv.  1 — 11)  as  an  Epistle  for  Trinity  Sttnday. 

—  olive]  Connected  with  the  first  message  of  peace  at  the 
Flood  (Gen.  viii.  11). 

29.  figures  of  cheruhims]  As  in  the  Tabernacle  (Exod. 
xxxvi.  8). 

—  palm  trees]  Connected  with  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  and 
its  glorious  anticipations.  See  above,  on  Lev.  xxiii.  40,  and 
below,  on  Matt.  xxi.  9—15,  and  Rev.  vii.  9. 

30.  floor — loith  gold]  Ijike  the  heavenly  city,  as  described 
in  the  Apocalypse  (Rev.  xxi.  18). 

31.  doors]  Leaves,  valves,  which  moved  on  golden  pins  in 
mortices  or  sockets  (vii.  50). 

—  the  lintel  and  side  posts  were  a  fifth  part  of  the  wall] 
i.  G.  of  the  entrance,  which  was  twenty  cubits  broad ;  so  that 
whatever  objects  are  represented  by  the  words  rendered  lintel  and 
side  posts,  they  were  four  cubits  in  width.  The  word  lintel  is 
ai/il,  properly  a  raw,  whence  it  is  rendered  Kpleafia  by  Aquila  ; 
and  it  may  represent  the  sides  of  the  door  adorned  with  voluto 
work  {Gesen.  37).  Cp.  Ezek.  xl.,  where  the  plural  is  rendered 
posts  in  our  Version  about  fourteen  times,  and  is  described  as 
sculptured  with  palms,  vv.  31.  34.  t?     3 

The  word  here  rende/ed  side  posts  is  mezuzoth  (cp.  Exod. 
xii.  7;  xxi.  6.  Deut.  vi.  9;  xi.  20.  .Tudg.  xvi.  3);  and  this  word 


The  inner  court. 


1  KINGS  VI.  33—38.     VII.  1,  2. 


Solomon's  house. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1005. 
f  Heb.  openings 
ofjiuwers. 


II  Or,  foursquare. 

s  Ezek.  41.  23, 
24,  25. 


II  Or,  with  all  the 
appurtenances 
thereof,  and  with 
all  the  ordinances 
thereof. 

1005. 
u  Compare  ver.  1. 

1005. 
till  992. 
ach.  9.  10. 
2Chron.8.  I. 


olive  tree ;  and  he  carved  upon  them  carvings  of  cherubims  and  palm  trees 
and  f  open  flowers,  and  overlaid  them  with  gold,  and  spread  gold  upon  the 
cherubims,  and  upon  the  palm  trees.  ^^  So  also  made  he  for  the  door  of  the 
temple  posts  o/, olive  tree,  ||a  fourth  part  of  the  wall.  ^-^And  the  two  doors 
were  of  fir  tree :  the  '  two  leaves  of  the  one  door  were  folding,  and  the  two 
leaves  of  the  other  door  loere  folding.  ^^  And  he  carved  thereon  cherubims  and 
palm  trees  and  open  flowers  :  and  covered  them  with  gold  fitted  upon  the  carved 
w^ork.  ^^  And  he  built  the  inner  court  with  three  rows  of  hewed  stone,  and 
a  row  of  cedar  beams. 

2^ '  In  the  fourth  year  w^as  the  foundation  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  laid,  in 
the  month  Zif :  ^^And  in  the  eleventh  year,  in  the  month  Bui,  which  is  the 
eighth  month,  was  the  house  finished  ||  throughout  all  the  parts  thereof,  and 
according  to  all  the  fashion  of  it.     So  was  he  "  seven  years  in  building  it. 

VII.  ^  But  Solomon  was  building  his  own  house  ^  thirteen  years,  and  he 
finished  all  his  house. 

2  He  built  also  the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon ;  the  length  thereof  ukis 
an  hundred  cubits,  and  the  breadth  thereof  fifty  cubits,  and  the  height  thereof 
thirty  cubits,  upon  four  rows  of  cedar  pillars,  with  cedar  beams  upon  the  pillars. 


seems  to  be  in  apposition  with  ayil  (cp.  Uwald,  Gr.  §  515,  and 
Keil).     There  is  no  copula  between  them. 

If  this  be  correct,  then  the  aperture  made,  when  the  doors 
were  opened,  would  be  three-fifths  of  twenty  cubits,  i.  e.  twelve 
cubits. 

Lighifoot  renders  the  words  thus,  "  The  post  which  was  at 
the  door-cheeks  was  at  the  fifth  cubit,"  so  that  the  entrance 
would  be  ten  cubits. 

ZZ.  for  the  door  of  the  temple']  Rather,  for  the  entrance; 
the  word  is  pethach,  rightly  rendered  entering  in  v.  31.  The 
word  there  rightly  rendered  door  (or  valve)  is  daleth.  On  the 
difference  of  the  meaning  of  these  words  see  above,  on  Gen. 
xix.  6. 

—  posts']  Heb.  mezuj;oth,  see  on  v.  31. 

—  a  fourth  part]  So  that  probably  the  aperture  would  be 
ten  cubits,  see  v.  31. 

34.  two  leaves]  There  are  two  words  for  leaves  in  the  original 
here,  but  the  latter  {kelaim)  may,  perhaps,  be  only  a  dialectic 
form  of  the  former  (tselaim) :  Keil,  p.  Ill  ed.  1,  in  the  2nd 
ed.  p.  62.  He  considers  it  as  an  error  of  the  copyists,  and  so 
Gesen.  734,  who  observes  that  one  of  Kennicott's  MSS.  has 
tselaim. 

This  detailed  notice  of  the  Doors  to  the  Holy  Place,  and 
the  Most  Holy,  may,  perhaps,  have  a  reference  to  Him  "Who 
described  Himself  as  "  the  Door  "  (John  x.  9),  and  by  Wliom  alone 
we  have  access  to  God.     Eph.  ii.  13,  14.  18.     Heb.  x.  19—22. 

36.  the  inner  court]  That  is,  the  inner  fore  court,  which  led 
to  the  Temple;  or,  in  other  words,  the  Court  of  the  Priests 
(2  Chron.  iv.  9).  This  inner  Court  of  the  Priests  was  higher 
taian  the  Court  of  the  Israelites  (Jer.  xxxvi.  10),  which  flanked 
it  on  three  sides  (viz.  East,  North,  and  South) ;  the  Holy  of 
Holies  was  on  the  fourth  or  West  side.  It  was  separated  from 
the  Court  of  the  People  by  a  low  wall  or  balustrade,  ivith  three 
rows  of  hewn  stone,  and  a  row  of  cedar  beams,  probably  sur- 
mounting the  stone;  and  was  raised  above  the  Court  of  the 
People,  so  that  they  might  see  the  Priests  ofiiering  the  burnt 
sacrifices  at  the  brazen  altar  in  the  court,  and  might  hear  them 
pronouncing  the  benediction  from  it. 

The  divisions  of  the  Temple  may  suggest  a  consideration  of 
the  progress  of  the  Christian  Church  and  of  the  Christian  soul. 
"  In  the  Porch  v/e  may  see  the  regenerate  soul  entering  into 
the  blessed  Society  of  the  Church ;  in  the  Holy  Place  we  may 
see  a  figure  of  the  Communion  of  the  true  visible  Church  on 
Earth ;  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  the  glories  of  Heaven  opened  to 
us  by  our  true  High  Priest,  Christ  Jesus,  Who  entered  once  for 
all  to  make  an  Atonement  betwixt  God  and  Man"  {Bp.  Sail). 

37.  In  the  fourth  year]  See  v.  1. 

—  Zif]  Or,  rather,  Ziv,  the  flower  month ;  so  called  from 
ziv,  "  brightness,"  "  splendour,"  "  beauty."  It  was  the  second 
month  of  the  year,  when  the  flowers  were  in  ftdl  bloom  and 
beauty  {Oesen.  240). 

38.  Bui]  The  fruit  month;  so  called  from  Jw?,  "produce," 
"fruit"  {Keil,  Fuerst).     Some  render  it  rain  month  (Oesen., 

24 


from  bul,  "  to  flow  ").  Solomon  began  to  build  the  Temple  in  the 
floioer  month,  and  finished  the  building  in  the  fruit  month. 
Such  is  the  life  of  the  Church  and  of  every  believer  (who  is  a 
temple  of  the  Spirit),  it  begins  with  flowers,  but  must  end  iu 
fruit.  See  John  xv.  8.  16.  "The  Harvest  is  the  end  of  the 
World,"  Matt.  xiii.  39.  Rev.  xiv.  15. 
—  seven  years]  And  seven  months. 

Ch.  VII. — Solomon's  Palace. 

It  may  reasonably  be  inquired, — Why  is  this  minute  de- 
scription of  Solomon's  palace  set  down  in  Holy  Scripture  ? 

The  answer  to  this  question  may  be  suggested  as  follows  : — 

(1)  To  show  the  fulfilment  of  God's  promise  to  him,  that 
because  he  had  prayed  for  wisdom  first  of  all,  earthly  riches  and 
honour  should  be  added  to  him  (iii.  13). 

(2)  To  encourage  future  kings  to  rule  in  the  fear  and  love 
of  God,  and  in  the  study  of  Divine  wisdom  as  revealed  in  His 
Holy  Word,  and  as  the  only  sure  foundation  of  peace  and  pros- 
perity to  themselves  and  their  people. 

(3)  Solomon  was  a  type  of  Christ ;  and  this  description  of 
Solomon's  eai-thly  habitation,  following  after  the  description  of 
the  Lord's  House,  seems  to  be  inserted  with  a  special  reference 
to  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  of  His  dwelling  in 
our  nature  on  earth. 

The  mention  of  the  "Throne,  where  the  King  might 
judge,"  over  the  porch  (or  hall)  of  judgment  (v.  7),  and  the 
house  for  Pharaoh's  daughter  whom  he  had  taken  to  wife  (v.  8), 
may  be  compared  with  the  Baptist's  announcement  of  Christ  as 
King  and  Judge,  and  as  the  Bridegroom  of  the  Church.  He  is 
the  King  and  Judge,  and  His  fan  is  in  His  hand,  and  He  will 
throughly  purge  His  floor — the  whole  earth  (Matt.  iii.  12) ;  and 
He  that  hath  the  Bride  is  the  Bridegroom  (John  iii.  29).  The 
Church  is  the  Spouse  of  Christ;  she  belongs  to  Him  and  Him 
alone. 

1.  thirteen  years]  After  the  seven  years  which  were  taken 
up  in  the  building  of  the  Temple  (see  ix.  10.  2  Chron.  viii.  1). 
Solomon  began  with  building  God's  House,  and  then  proceeded 
to  build  his  own ;  and  he  despatched  the  building  of  the  Temple 
in  half  the  time  which  he  employed  in  building  his  o^ti  palace. 

2.  Se  built  also]  Rather,  and  he  built.  What  follows  does 
not  concern  a  different  building  from  the  palace,  but  only 
describes  the  several  portions  of  the  palace,  which  were  three. 

—  the  hoxise  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon]  A  portion  of  the 
royal  palace  at  Jerusalem,  and  called  "  the  house  of  the  forest 
of  Lebanon  "  because  it  was  built  of  cedar  of  Lebanon. 

A  plan  of  this  palace  may  be  seen  in  Bibl.  Diet.  ii.  658. 

—  upon  four  roivs]  Not  that  the  cedar-house  was  supported 
on  pillars,  but  that  it  was  flanked  by  them,  and  rose  above 
them.  It  seems  to  have  resembled  a  rectangular  cella  of  an 
ancient  temple,  with  a  colonnade  on  all  sides  but  one,  and  con- 
sisting of  fifteen  pillars ;  and  this  colonnade  was  covered  over 
with  cedar  beams.  The  rows  are  called  four,  although  it  is 
also  said  that  there  were  forty-five  pillars,  fifteen  in  a  row.  Th« 


The  Porch  of  Judgment. 


1  KINGS  VII.  3—15. 


The  workman  of  Tyre. 


2  Chron.  8.  11. 


^And  it  ims  covered  with  cedar  above  upon  the  f  beams,  that  lay  on  forty  five     chkTIt 
pillars,  fifteen  in  a  row.     ^  And  there  were  windows  in  three  rows,  and  f  light  t  Heb.'ri*;. 
was  against  light  in  three  ranks.     ^  And  all  the  [|  doors  and  posts  were  square,  tSinst'Shi. 
with  the  windows  :  and  light  tvas  against  light  in  three  ranks.     ^  And  he  made  pi««"^ere"" 

CO  square  in 

a  porch  of  pillars  ;  the  length  thereof  tvas  fifty  cubits,  and  the  breadth  thereof  p'''"p"'^- 
thirty  cubits  :  and  the  porch  tvas  \\  before  them :  and  the  other  pillars  and  the  « or,  according 
thick  beam  tvere  11  before  them.     ^  Then  he  made  a  porch  for  the  throne  where  {or'tccording 

."  t  f     •      -I  -I  to  them. 

he  might  judge,  even  the  porch  of  judgment :  and  it  tvas  covered  with  cedar 

f  from  one  side  of  the  floor  to  the  other.     ^  And  his  house  where  he  dwelt  had  j^j^-fromjioor 

'  to  floor 

another  court  within  the  porch,  which  was  of  the  like  work. 

Solomon  made  also  an  house  for  Pharaoh's  daughter,  ''whom  he  had  taken  tch. 3. i. 
to  ivife,  hke  unto  this  porch. 

®  All  these  were  of  costly  stones,  according  to  the  measures  of  hewed  stones, 
sawed  with  saws,  within  and  without,  even  from  the  foundation  unto  the 
coping,  and  so  on  the  outside  toward  the  great  court.  ^^  And  the  foundation 
teas  of  costly  stones,  even  great  stones,  stones  of  ten  cubits,  and  stones  of 
eight  cubits.  ^^And  above  tvere  costly  stones,  after  the  measures  of  hewed 
stones,  and  cedars,  ^^^j^d  the  great  court  round  about  was  with  three  rows 
of  hewed  stones,  and  a  row  of  cedar  beams,  both  for  the  inner  court  of  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  '^  and  for  the  porch  of  the  house. 

^^And  king  Solomon  sent  and  fetched  ''Hiram  out  of  Tyre.     ^^^He  tvas  f  a  d2chron.4. n, 

'  Huram  *   See 

widow's  son  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtah,  and  ''his  father  was  a  man  of  Tyre,  a  ^iVhrnn  2  u 
worker  in  brass:  and  ^he  was  filled  with  wisdom,   and   understanding,   a^d  ^  "^''- '*'"'"  "•'" 
cunning  to  work  all  works  in  brass, 
wrought  all  his  work. 


c  John  10.  23. 
Acts  3.  11. 


a  widow  woman. 
f  2  Chron.  4.  16. 


And   he  came  to  king  Solomon,  and  g  Exod!"3i.  3 


15 


For  he  f  cast  ''two  pillars  of  brass,  of  eighteen  cubits  high  apiece :  and  a  ^ weh. fasi>iom-d. 

'  ^  '  O  or  J,  2  Kings  25.  17. 

2  Chron.  3.  15.  &  4.  12.     Jer.  52.  21. 


angular  columns  of  the  sides  ar6  considered  as  forming  a  row 
for  the  entrance.  Hence  the  Sept.  speaks  of  three  rows  only. 
The  Arabic  version  represents  the  columns  sixty  in  number. 

For  a  description  of  these  buildings,  see  Stanley,  Lecture 
xx^n.  p.  19^-. 

3.  And  it  was  covered]  or,  and  a  roofing  of  cedar  was  over 
the  side-stones  (see  vi.  9)  upo7i  the  pillars. 

4.  toindows'\  The  original  word  is  here  the  same  as  in  vi.  4, 
and  probably  means  lattice-work  of  wood. 

—  light  was  against  light]  That  is,  the  side  lights  in  each 
of  the  three  tiers  were  so  arranged  as  to  be  over,  and  corre- 
spond to,  one  another.  On  the  word  here  rendered  light, 
mechezah,  from  chazah,  "  to  see,"  see  Gesen.  463. 

6.  a  porch]  Hall,  or  vestibule  (Heb.  ulam,  cp.  above,  vi.  3), 
which  probably  projected  from,  and  led  to,  the  cedar  palace  just 
described ;  as  the  ulam  or  porch  of  the  Temple  projected  from 
it,  and  led  to  it. 

—  and  the  porch]  Rather,  and  a  porch ;  that  is,  another 
lesser  vestibule  led  to  the  ulam  or  larger  vestibule. 

—  before  them]  In  front  of  the  columns  of  the  former  ves- 
tibule. 

—  and  the  other  pillars  and  the  thick  beam  were  before 
them]  Rather,  and  pillars  and  a  threshold  {Gesen.  568. 
Cp.  Ezek.  xli.  25),  probably  with  a  cornice,  frieze,  and  pedi- 
ment (cp.  Tulg.),  was  in  front  of  them.  That  is,  the  smaller 
hall,  which  led  to  the  greater  one,  was  itself  fronted  by  another 
porch ;  and  thus  there  was  a  gradual  approach  by  successive 
vestibules  to  the  King's  palace. 

7.  Then  he  made  a  porch  for  the  throne]  The  Throne  Room, 
or  Hall  of  Judgment ;  the  Throne  is  described  x.  18 — 20. 

— from  one  side — other]  OT,from  floor  to  floor  (Gesen.  74:5). 

8.  And  his  house]  The  royal  apartments  were  of  cedar-work 
like  to  the  Porch,  or  Hall,  just  described,  and  were  within  it ; 
that  is,  were  approached  by  it. 

—  Pharaoh's  daughter]  We  hear  nothing  of  any  other  wives 
of  Solomon  in  this  description.  In  the  Canticles  it  is  said, 
"  My  dove,  my  undefiled,  is  but  one ;  she  is  the  only  one  of  her 


mother"  (Cant.  vi.  9).     May  we  not  here  see  a  figure  of  tlie 
unity  of  Christ's  Church  ? 

9.  All  these]  Not  merely  all  the  walls,  but  the  pavement  of 
the  court  was  formed  of  hewn  stones. 

The  following  section  to  v.  26  is  appointed  to  be  read  in 
the  Synagogues  together  with  Exod.  xxxv.  1 — xxxviii.  20,  which 
describes  the  offerings  to  the  Tabernacle,  and  the  work  of 
Bezaleel  in  it. 

The  Metal  Works  of  the  Temple.— Cp.  2  Chron.  ii.  13; 
iii.  15  ;  v.  1. 

13.  out  of  Tyre]  The  Divine  Solomon,  Jestts  Christ,  when 
He  would  show  that  His  Gospel  would  not  be  limited  to  Israel, 
and  that  Gentiles  would  help  to  build  up  His  Church,  declared 
this  by  His  mercy  to  a  woman  of  Tyre, — an  emblem  of  the  Gen- 
tile Church  coming  in  faith  to  Him  (see  below.  Matt.  xv.  22 — 28, 
and  compare  above,  on  v.  1). 

14.  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali]  By  marriage.  By  birth  she 
was  of  the  tribe  of  Dan  (2  Chron.  ii.  14),  and  after  her  marriage 
with  an  Israelite  of  Naphtali  she  became  a  widow,  and  married 
a  Tyrian  {Keil,  Sertheau) ;  or  perhaps  she  was  of  Laish,  or 
Dan,  which  was  a  colony  of  the  Danites  situated  in  Naphtali 
{Blunt).  The  architect  of  the  Temple  was  connected  with  the 
same  tribe  (Dan)  as  Aholiab,  the  builder  of  the  Tabernacle 
(Exod.  xxxi.  6). 

—  his  father  was  a  man  of  Tyre]  The  royal  palace  of  Solo- 
mop  and  of  his  wife  was  built  by  a  workman  from  Tyre.  So,  of 
the  true  Solomon  and  His  Bride,  it  is  said,  "  the  Daughter  of 
Tyre  shall  be  there  with  a  gift "  (Ps.  xlv.  13),  and  He  has  a 
spiritual  offspring  from  those  of  Tyre  (Ps.  Ixxxvii.  4). 

—  in  brass]  Or,  rather,  copper. 

—  fllled  with  loisdom,  and  understanding]  Words  adopted 
from  the  Pentateuch;  see  the  description  of  Bezaleel,  Exod. 
xxxi.  3. 

The  Two  Pillars. 

15.  eighteen  cubits  high]  In  2  Chron.  iii.  15,  it  is  said  that 


The  Two  Pillars. 


1  KINGS  YII.  16—24. 


The  Molten  Sea. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1005 


i  See  2  Cliron. 
3.  16.  &  4.  13. 
Jer.  52.  23. 
k2  Chron.  3.  17. 
Ich.  6.  3. 
II  That  is,  He 
shall  establish. 
h  That  is,  In  it 
is  str''ngth. 


m2  Kings  25.  13. 
2  Chron.  4.  2. 
Jer.  52.  17. 
+  Heb.  from,  his 
brim  to  his  brim. 


line  of  twelve  cubits  did  compass  either  of  tliem  about.  ^^  And  he  made  two 
chapiters  of  molten  brass,  to  set  upon  the  tops  of  the  pillars  :  the  height  of  the 
one  chapiter  was  five  cubits,  and  the  height  of  the  other  chapiter  ivas  five 
cubits  :  ^'^  And  nets  of  checker  work,  and  wreaths  of  chain  work,  for  the 
chapiters  which  were  upon  the  top  of  the  pillars ;  seven  for  the  one  chapiter, 
and  seven  for  the  other  chapiter.  ^^And  he  made  the  pillars,  and  two  rows 
round  about  upon  the  one  network,  to  cover  the  chapiters  that  ivere  upon  the 
top,  with  pomegranates:  and  so  did  he  for  the  other  chapiter.  ^^And  the 
chapiters  that  ivere  upon  the  top  of  the  pillars  ivere  of  lily  work  in  the  porch, 
four  cubits.  "^^AndL  the  chapiters  upon  the  two  pillars  had  pomegranates  also 
above,  over  against  the  belly  which  was  by  the  network  :  and  the  pomegranates 
were  '  two  hundred  in  rows  round  about  upon  the  other  chapiter.  -^  ^  And  he 
set  up  the  pillars  in  '  the  porch  of  the  temple  :  and  he  set  up  the  right  pillar, 
and  called  the  name  thereof  ||  Jachin :  and  he  set  up  the  left  pillar,  and  called 
the  name  thereof  ||  Boaz.  ^^  And  upon  the  top  of  the  pillars  tvas  lily  work :  so 
w^as  the  work  of  the  pillars  finished. 

23  And  he  made  "  a  molten  sea,  ten  cubits  f  from  the  one  brim  to  the  other : 
it  tvas  round  all  about,  and  his  height  ivas  five  cubits  :  and  a  line  of  thirty 
cubits  did  compass  it  round  about.     ^"^  And  under  the  brim  of  it  round  about 


he  jnade  two  pillars  of  tliirty-and-five  cubits  high,  so  that  each 
of  them  was  seventeen  and  a  half  cuhits  high ;  and  besides,  there 
was  half  a  cubit  to  each,  for  a  moulding  at  the  top  ;  so  that  each 
was  eighteen  cubits  high..  This  is  the  explanation  of  the  older 
expositors,  and  of  Movers. 

Others  suppose  that  we  ought  to  read  eighteen  instead  of 
tldrty-five  in  the  Chronicles  {Thenius,  Keil).  But  the  former 
explanation  seems  very  probable,  and  is  confirmed  by  the  fact 
that  the  pomegranates  arc  said  in  v.  20  here  to  be  200,  whereas 
in  V.  42  they  are  said  to  be  100 ;  in  the  former  case  the  writer 
is  speaking  of  one  pillar,  in  the  other  of  the  pair.  The  indivi- 
duality and  the  union  of  the  two  pUlars  are  mai'ked  by  this 
mode  of  speech. 

—  either  of  them]  Literally,  the  second,  i.  e.  as  well  as  the 
first. 

16.  chapiters']  or  capitals. 

17.  nets  of  checker  work — chain  tcork]  Netlike  iace-work, 
and  chain-work.  See  Oesen.  801.  Cp.  Isa.  iii.  18,  and  Oesen. 
851.  Seven  laces  were  laid  on  each  capital,  so  as  to  be  wound 
across  one  another,  and  to  twine  and  fonn  a  netlike  lattice, 
M^oven  together,  like  branches  of  trees.  Cp.  lAghtfoot,  i.  1074; 
V.  41,  42.     2  Chron.  iii.  16 ;  iv.  12.     Jer.  Hi.  23. 

18.  two  rows — with  pomegranates]  Probably  one  row  above 
the  network,  and  the  other  below  it.  The  pomegranate,  burst- 
ing with  its  many  ripe  seeds,  was  an  expressive  emblem  of  fruit- 
fulness  in  good  ivorks ;  the  pure  white  lilies  were  symbols  of 
holiness  a.xik  purity.     Cp.  Cant.  ii.  2  {Jeromiast.  and  Bede). 

19.  of  lily  work  in  the  porch]  This  lily-work  was,  it  seems, 
above  the  shafts,  but  beneath  the  network,  and  rows  of  pome- 
granates just  described ;  it  is  said  to  be  in  the  porch  four 
cubits. 

For  various  interpretations  of  these  words  see  Lightfoot,  i. 
p.  1075,  who  supposes  them  to  mean  that  the  lilies  projected 
from  the  pillars  into  the  porch  or  hall.  Bottcher  and  Thenius 
interpret  them  as  intimating  that  the  pillars  stood  inside  the 
porch.  Keil  understands  them  as  meaning  "  in  the  same  manner 
as  in  the  porch." 

It  may  be  submitted  to  the  reader's  consideration,  whether 
they  do  not  rather  mean  inside  the  porch,  or  toioard  the  porch. 
The  two  pillars  themselves  were  at  the  entrance  of  the  hall,  not 
altogether  inside  it ;  and  this  ornament  of  liUes  was,  it  seems,  on 
ihQ  inner  side  oi  fhe.  piUars,  as  the  Sept.  expresses  it,  "lily-work 
toward  the  porch,"  or  in  the  direction  of  it. 

The  reason  may  be  this.  Pomegranates  were  emblems  of 
external  fruitfulness  in  good  works  ;  the  lilies  were  emblems  of 
inner  purity.  "  The  King's  daughter  was  all  glorious  within  " 
(Ps.  xlv.  14).  The  Pomegranates  of  good  works  are  visible  to 
all,  but  the  Lilies  of  holiness  shine  inward  to  the  eye  of  God. 
They  make  no  display  to  the  world,  but  rather  retire  from  it. 

20.  two  hundred]  In  v.  42  they  are  called  four  hundred, 
being  two  hundred  to  each  pillar,  as  is  explained  there  and  in 
2  Chron.  ir.  13.     In   2  Chron.   iii.  16,  they  are  called  a  hun- 

26 


dred,  i.  e.  on  each  row.  In  Jer.  Iii.  23,  they  are  only  ninety- 
six  ;  but  Jeremiah  explains  what  he  means,  by  adding  the  word 
{ruachah)  "  windwards,"  i.  e.  towards  the  open  air ;  the  other 
four  were  towards  the  wall,  and  therefore  being  concealed  were 
not  counted  {Lightfoot,  Bottcher,  Thenius). 

21.  in  the  porch]  Kather,  at  the  porch ;  the  two  Pillars  were 
not  inside,  but  at  the  entrance  of  the  vestibule  of  the  Temple 
(cp.  2  Chron.  iii.  15).  The  preposition  here  rendered  in,  is  not 
the  same  as  that  in  v.  9. 

—  Jachin]  which  means,  he  will  estahUsh. 

—  Boaz]  which  signifies  strength.  See  above,  on  Ruth 
ii.  1  (Simonis,  430.  460).  God  wiU  establish  Israel;  and  in  God 
is  our  strength.  So  the  Ark,  the  symbol  of  God's  presence,  is 
called  the  strength  of  the  Lord  (Ps.  Ixxx.  2;  v.  4). 

The  Sept.,  in  2  Chron.  iii.  17,  renders  these  two  words, 
Jachin  and  Boaz,  by  KaripOwcris,  and  Icrx^^-  In  the  New  Tes- 
tament, the  Apostles  of  God  are  called  Pillars  (Gal.  ii.  9  ) ;  and 
the  Saints  who  endure  to  the  end  and  who  overcome,  are  made 
by  Christ  to  be  Pillars  in  the  Temple  of  God  (Rev.  iii.  12),  and 
the  Church  is  called  the  Pillar  of  the  truth  (1  Tim.  iii.  15).  But 
this  is  so,  because  God  establishes  and  strengthens  them  (see  1  Pet. 
V.  10).  Christ  is  the  true  Jachin  and  Boaz.  As  the  Apostle 
says,  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strengtheneth 
me  (Phil.  iv.  13).  These  two  pillars  stood  at  the  entrance  of 
the  Temple,  and  they  were  significant  of  the  important  truth 
that  spiritual  strength  is  to  be  had  at  the  door  of  God's  Temple, 
where  we  must  wait  for  the  gifts  of  grace,  in  the  use  of  the 
means  of  grace. 

The  Molten  Sea,  or  Lavee. 

23.  molten  sea^  Heb.  hay-yam  mutsak ;  the  hrazen  sea, 
from  its  metal.  2  Kings  xxv.  13.  Cp.  2  Chron.  iv.  2 — 5. 
Isa.  ii.  17. 

Like  the  Laver  (Heb.  ciior)  in  the  Tabernacle  (Exod. 
XXX.  17 — 19),  the  Molten  Sea  in  the  Temple  was  "  for  the 
Priests  to  wash  in"  (2  Chron.  iv.  6).  All  Christian  Priests, 
and  aU  Christian  believers  (who,  in  a  certain  sense,  are  "  made 
Priests  to  God,"  Rev.  i.  6 ;  v.  10),  need  to  be  cleansed,  before 
they  offer  the  sacrifice  of  themselves,  and  of  their  prayers  and 
praises,  to  Him  :  see  below,  on  v.  25. 

An  engraving  of  the  Laver,  or  Molten  Sea,  may  be  seen 
in  Bibl.  Diet.,  vol.  iii.  p.  1173. 

—  ten  euhits  from  the  one  brim  to  the  other — and  a  line  of 
thirty  cubits  did  compass  it]  It  is  alleged  by  some  (e.  g. 
Spinosa  and  Colenso),  that  this  assertion  betrays  an  ignorance 
of  the  scientific  truth,  that  the  circumference  of  a  circle  is  to 
the  diameter,  as  3'14159  &c.  to  1. 

But  to  this  it  may  be  replied,  that  "  up  to  the  time  of 
Archimedes,  the  circumference  of  a  circle  was  always  measured 
in  straight  lines  by  the  radius;  and  Hiram  would  naturally 
describe  the  sea  as  thirty  cubits  round,  measuring  it,  as  was 
then  invariably  the  practice,  by  its  y^idius,  or  semi-diameter. 


The  Twelve  Oxen. 


1  KINGS  VII.  25—27. 


The  Ten  Bases. 


there  ivere  knops  compassing  it,  ten  in  a  cubit,  "compassing  tlie  sea  round  chrTIt 
about :  the  knops  ivere  cast  in  two  rows,  when  it  was  cast.  ^5  j^  stood  upon  n 2 chrmu4. 3. 
°  twelve  oxen,  three  looking  toward  the  north,  and  three  looking  toward  the  o  2  ciuon.  4  4, 5. 

Jer  52   20 

west,  and  three  looking  toward  the  south,  and  three  looking  toward  the  east : 
and  the  sea  ivas  set  above  upon  them,  and  all  their  hinder  parts  were  inward. 
'^  And  it  was  an  hand  breadth  thick,  and  the  brim  thereof  was  wrought  like  the 
brim  of  a  cup,  with  flowers  of  lilies  :  it  contained  ^  two  thousand  baths. 


'-^^  And  he  made  ten  bases  of  brass ;  four  cubits  tvas  the  length  of  one  base. 


p  See  2  Chron. 
4.  5. 


of  five  cubits,  which  being  applied  six  times  round  the  peri- 
meter, or  '  brim,'  would  give  the  thirty  cubits  stated.  There 
was  evidently  no  intention  in  the  passage  but  to  give  the 
dimensions  of  the  Sea,  in  the  usual  language  that  every  one 
would  understand,  measuring  the  circumference  in  the  way 
in  which  all  skilled  workers,  like  Hiram,  did  measure  circles  at 
that  time.  He,  of  course,  must  however  have  known  perfectly 
well,  that  as  the  polygonal  hexagon  thus  inscribed  by  the  radius 
was  thirty  cubits,  the  actual  cui-ved  circumference  would  be 
somewhat  more  "  (JRennie). 

24.  knaps']  Fruit,  like  gourds:  see  vi.  18  {Geseti.  687). 
On  the  spiritual  meaning  here,  see  v.  26. 

—  ten  in  a  cubW]  So  that  there  would  be  three  hundred 
in  all. 

25.  twelve  oxen"]  Bearing  the  Molten  Sea  or  Laver  {Vulg.) 
on  their  backs,  and  looking  out  to  all  the  points  of  the  compass, 
three  to  each  quarter  of  the  world. 

What  was  the  spiritual  significance  of  this  Laver,  or  Sea, 
borne  on  the  Twelve  Oxen  ? 

It  was  One :  there  is  one  only  "  fountain  opened  in 
Jerusalem  for  sin  and  uncleanness "  (Zech.  xiii.  1).  This  is 
the  Blood  of  Christ.  The  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  cleanseth  from  all  sin  (1  John  i.  7). 

And  how,  by  whom,  and  by  what  means,  is  the  Blood  of 
Christ  applied  to  men,  for  the  remission  of  sins  ? 

First  of  all,  in  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism,  instituted  by 
Christ  Himself  for  that  purpose,  and  therefore  called  the  "  Laver 
of  Regeneration"  (Titus  iii.  5.  Cp.  Acts  ii.  38;  xxii.  16). 
This  is  what  was  symbolized  by  the  Molten  Sea.  The  ox,  as 
the  laborious  animal  employed  in  ploughing,  is  a  scriptural 
symbol  of  the  Ministers  of  the  Word  and  Sacraments  of  Christ. 
See  Isa.  xxxii.  20.  1  Cor.  ix.  9.  1  Tim.  v.  18.  And  the 
number  Twelve  is  the  Apostolic  number ;  and  the  looking  forth 
of  these  Twelve  oxen  to  the  four  quarters  of  the  heaven,  and 
the  bearing  on  their  backs  this  Laver,  was  a  foreshadowing  of 
Christ's  commission  to  His  Apostles,  and  to  the  Apostolic 
ministry  of  His  Church:  "Go  ye,  and  teach  all  Nations, 
baptizing  them  in  (into)  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  "  (Matt,  xxviii.  19).  "  Quid  aliud 
per  duodecim  boves,  quam  duodecim  Apostolos  crcdimus  de- 
signari,  qui  in  diversis  partibus  mundi  ad  prsedicationis  of&ciuin 
sunt  divisi,  ut  omnes  gentes  baptizentur  ? "  {Bede,  Qusest.  cap.  2.) 
"  Duodecim  boves,  duodecim  sunt  Apostoli,  et  omnes,  qui  vice 
eorum  regendam  in  Christo  susceperunt  Ecclesiam  Sanctam  ; 
qui  boves  mare  sibi  superimpositum  portant,  cum  Apostoli 
Apostolorumque  successores  injunctum  sibi  evangelizandi 
officium  prompta  implere  devotione  satagunt,  ciim  universis 
quadrati  orbis  partibus  fidem  prsedicant  Sanctce  Trinitatis" 
{Angelomus,  p.  377).  And  a  learned  Presbyterian  writer  on 
the  Types  (3Iather,  p.  381)  says,  "  There  were  twelve  oxen 
looking  towards  all  the  four  quarters  of  the  world;  so  the 
Apostles  and  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  carry  the  crystal  sea  of 
the  blood  of  Christ,  and  the  laver  of  Regeneration  and  Baptism 
throughout  the  world." 

"  Twelve  Oxen  bare  the  Molten  Sea, 
With  outward-looking  eyes, 
Type  of  the  fount,  with  which  the  Twelve 
Would  all  the  World  baptize." 

26.  the  brim — with  flowers  of  lilies']  The  lilies  round  the 
brim  were  an  emblem  of  the  purity  required  of  those  who  are 
baptized  into  the  Name  of  the  Blessed  Trinity.  It  was  also 
adorned  with  knops  of  fruit,  a  symbol  of  the  fruitfulness  re- 
quired in  the  baptismal  life.  We  learn  also  from  the  Chronicles, 
that  it  was  embossed  with  figures  of  oxen,  on  which  see  the 
note  there  (2  Chron.  iv.  3). 

The  number  three  is  repeated  in  the  description  of  this 
Laver.     It  was  borne  by  3x4  oxen ;  it  was  3x10  cubits  in 
27 


circumference ;  it  had  3  X  100  knops ;  and  it  contained,  when 
full,  3  X  1000  baths  (2  Chron.  iv.  5). 

Did  not  this  fourfold  recurrence  of  the  number  three 
symbolize  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  into  which  all  nations 
are  to  be  baptized  ? 

The  Laver  was  placed  eastward,  over  against  the  south, 
i.  e.  near  the  entrance  of  the  Court  of  the  Priests;  and  thus  it 
represented  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism,  as  the  sacrament  of 
admission  to  the  Church  of  God,  and  suggested  the  proper  site 
for  the  Baptistery  and  Font  in  the  Christian  Church. 

—  two  thousand  baths]  When  filled  to  its  ordinary  height ; 
but  when  filled  to  the  brim,  8000.  2  Chron.  iv.  5.  Cp.  Jose- 
phus,  Antt.  viii.  2.  9;  Vatahl.,  Mibera,  Deyling ;  and  see 
Lightfoot,  i.  2046 ;  and  Phillott,  B.  D.  ii.  1173. 


The  Ten  Bases,  with  their  Layers. 


they 


27 — 39.  ten   bases]    For   washing    "such    things 
offered  for  burnt-ofiiering  "  (2  Chron.  iv.  6). 

These  ten  Bases,  with  their  Lavers,  aU  in  one  metal  and 
size,  were  set,  five  on  each  side  of  the  court,  over  against  the 
Altar  of  burnt  sacrifice  {v.  39).  For  a  description  of  them, 
cp.  Lightfoot,  i.  2044,  with  Keil,  Archaol.,  vol.  i.  p.  128,  and 
p.  457,  where  a  representation  of  them  may  be  seen;  an 
engraving  of  them  is  also  given  in  Bibl.  Diet.  ii.  67. 

These  Buses  {meconoth,  Oesen.  471)  were  square  chests 
(some  suppose  them  to  have  been  solid),  four  cubits  long,  four 
cubits  broad,  and  three  cubits  high :  their  four  sides  had 
panels,  with  ledges  or  mouldings,  on  which  were  sculptured 
lions,  oxen,  and  cherubim,  and  above  the  ledges  was  a  base  or 
stand  for  the  laver ;  and  beneath  the  lions  and  oxen  were 
wreaths  of  pensile  work  (see  Oesen.  438.  459). 

The  description  of  the  Bases  and  Lavers  (Heb.  ciioroth, 
Gesen.  395)  follows;  in  v.  30,  it  is  said  that  there  were 
to  each  base  four  brazen  wheels,  and  brazen  axle-trees;  and 
each  of  its  four  feet  {pedmoth,  Oesen.  685)  had  shoulder- 
pieces  (or  brackets)  under  each  laver,  and  beyond  each  shoulder- 
piece  were  wreaths;  and  the  mouth  of  the  laver  was  within 
the  crown  of  it,  in  a  cubit,  and  the  mouth  was  round,  after 
the  manner  of  a  base,  a  cubit  and  a  half  (in  diameter) ;  and 
upon  the  mouth  was  carved  work,  and  the  panels  of  the  mouth 
were  square,  not  round  {v.  31),  and  under  the  panels  were 
four  wheels ;  and  the  pins  of  the  wheels  were  in  the  base,  and 
the  height  of  each  wheel  was  a  cubit  and  a  half;  and  the  work 
of  the  wheels  was  like  the  work  of  a  chariot-wheel,  their  pins, 
and  their  felloes,  and  their  spokes,  and  their  naves,  all  were 
cast.  And  (he  made)  four  shoulder-pieces  on  the  four  corners 
of  the  base ;  and  out  of  the  base  were  the  shoulder-pieces,  and 
on  the  top  of  the  base  was  half  a  cubit  in  height,  made  round  ; 
and  on  the  top  of  its  base  were  its  hands  (or  stays),  and  its 
panels  of  the  same;  and  he  engraved  on  the  plates  of  its 
hands  and  on  its  panels,  cherubim,  lions,  and  palms,  according 
to  the  open  space  of  each  panel,  and  wreaths  round  about. 

And  (thus)  he  made  ten  lavers  of  brass ;  each  laver  con- 
tained forty  baths  ;  each  was  four  cubits  square,  and  upon  each 
of  the  ten  bases  was  one  laver.  With  this  account  compare 
Josephus,  Antt.  viii.  3.  6. 

The  following  description  is  from  Keil  (Archaologie, 
p.  128)  :— 

"  On  both  sides  of  the  altar,  on  the  right  and  left  side 
of  the  Temple,  were  ten  brazen  bases,  with  brazen  lavers  upon 
them,  for  the  washing  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifices.  All  these 
bases  were  of  the  same  measure,  form,  and  mould ;  and  were 
four-cornered  chests  of  four  cubits  long,  four  cubits  broad,  and 
three  cubits  high.  The  sides,  which  were  cast,  consisted  of 
border-ledges,  with  panels,  upon  which  were  sculptured  lions, 
oxen,  cherubim,  and  palms;  and  beneath  the  Hons  and  oxen 
were  festoons.  The  cover  of  these  chests  was  .irched  towards 
the  middle,  and  upon  the  arching  there  arose  in  the  middle  a 
crown,  a  cubit  high,  with  an  opening  of  about  a  cubit  and  a 


The  Ten  Lavers 


1  KINGS  VII.  28—39. 


on  the  Ten  Bases,  ■ 


Before 
CHRIST 

1005. 


and  four  cubits  the  breadth  thereof,  and  three  cubits  the  height  of  it.  ^s  j^-^^ 
the  work  of  the  bases  ivas  on  this  manner :  they  had  borders,  and  the  borders 
were  between  the  ledges :  ^s  And  on  the  borders  that  were  between  the  ledges 
were  lions,  oxen,  and  cherubims  :  and  upon  the  ledges  there  ivas  a  base  above  : 
and  beneath  the  lions  and  oxen  were  certain  additions  made  of  thin  work. 
^  And  every  base  had  four  brasen  wheels,  and  plates  of  brass :  and  the  four 
corners  thereof  had  undersetters  :  under  the  laver  were  undersetters  molten,  at 
the  side  of  every  addition.  ^^  And  the  mouth  of  it  within  the  chapiter  and 
above  teas  a  cubit :  but  the  mouth  thereof  ivas  round  after  the  work  of  the 
base,  a  cubit  and  an  half:  and  also  upon  the  mouth  of  it  were  gravings  with 
their  borders,   foursquare,   not  round.      ^"^And  under  the  borders  toere  four 

uieb.i»«ei.fl«^. -wheels ;  and  the  axletrees  of  the  wheels  tvere  f  joined  to  the  base:  and  the 
height  of  a  wheel  was  a  cubit  and  half  a  cubit.  ^'^  And  the  work  of  the  wheels 
ums  like  the  work  of  a  chariot  wheel :  their  axletrees,  and  their  naves,  and 
their  felloes,  and  their  spokes,  ivere  all  molten.  ^*  And  there  2vere  four  under- 
setters to  the  four  corners  of  one  base  :  and  the  undersetters  were  of  the  very 
base  itself.  ^^And  in  the  top  of  the  base  was  there  a  round  compass  of  half  a 
cubit  high :  and  on  the  top  of  the  base  the  ledges  thereof  and  the  borders 
thereof  ivere  of  the  same.  ^^For  on  the  plates  of  the  ledges  thereof,  and  on 
the  borders  thereof,  he  graved  cherubims,  lions,  and  palm  trees,  according  to 

t  Heb.  f,akednes,.  the  f  proportiou  of  every  one,  and  additions  round  about.  ^"^  After  this  manner 
he  made  the  ten  bases  :  all  of  them  had  one  casting,  one  measure,  and  one 
size.  ^^  Then  ''  made  he  ten  lavers  of  brass  :  one  laver  contained  forty  baths  : 
and  every  laver  was  four  cubits  :  and  upon  every  one  of  the  ten  bases  one  laver. 
^^  And  he  put  five  bases  on  the  right  f  side  of  the  house,  and  five  on  the  left 
side  of  the  house  :  and  he  set  the  sea  on  the  right  side  of  the  house  eastward 
over  against  the  south. 


q  2  Chron.  4.  6. 


t  Heb.  shuulder 


half  in  diameter,  as  a  base  in  which  the  laver  might  be  placed. 
The  laver  was  scooped  out  above,  in  form  of  a  basin,  and  was 
foiu-  cubits  in  diameter  at  the  top,  and  contained  forty  baths  of 
water.  In  order  to  give  more  firmness  to  the  setting  of  these 
lavers,  which  spread  out  so  much  above,  there  were  upon  the 
upper  bases  shoulder-pieces  applied,  that  is  to  say,  supports, 
which  were  directed  from  the  base  with  a  slight  curve  inwards 
up  to  imder  the  edge  of  the  laver  resting  upon  the  wreath,  and 
served  as  holders  to  the  same.  Also  the  upper  vaulting  of  the 
covering  of  the  bases  and  the  holders  or  hand-supports,  were, 
like  the  sides,  adorned  with  sculpture.  The  bases  had  four  feet, 
to  which  wheels,  one  cubit  and  a  half  in  diameter,  with  felloes, 
spokes,  and  naves,  were  so  fitted,  that  the  feet  served  the  axle- 
trees  as  shoulders  or  stays." 

These  lavers,  five  on  each  side  of  the  altar  of  burnt-sacri- 
fices, and  used  for  the  purpose  of  washing  the  victims,  had, 
doubtless,  like  the  Molten  Sea,  a  spiritual  meaning. 

The  priests  must  be  washed  in  the  Molten  Sea,  and  the 
sacrifices  must  be  washed  in  the  ten  lavers;  so  we,  who  are 
made  priests  to  God  by  Christ,  and  who  must  oSer  ourselves  as 
sacrifices  (Rom.  xii.  1),  must  be  cleansed,  in  order  to  be  pleasing 
to  Him :  cp.  Exod.  xx.x.  19—21,  and  Mather,  p.  382. 

Both  the  Molten  Sea  and  the  ten  Lavers  represented  the 
cleansing  efficacy  of  Christ's  blood,  without  which  there  is  no 
remission  of  sins ;  and  they  represented  its  application  in  two 
difierent  ways ; 

The  Molten  Sea  is  One;  and  represents  the  application  of 
that  Blood  in  the  One  Baptism  administered  once,  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  especially  of  original  sin. 

The  lavers  are  ten ;  they  represent  the  continual  applica- 
tion of  that  Blood,  in  Repentance,  and  Pardon  of  actual  Sins. 
Their  number  ten,  and  their  position  on  each  side  of  the  altar, 
suggest  the  duty  of  cleansing  every  sacrifice  that  is  offered  to 
God.  The  solidity  of  the  supports  of  these  lavers,  and  the  care 
taken  in  their  workmanship,  appears  to  represent  the  duty  of  a 
sound  faith,  and  well-grounded  repentance,  as  pre-requisites  to 
28 


an  acceptable  sacrifice  to  God ;  and  to  signify  also  the  steady 
assurance  which  the  penitent  sinner  may  have,  of  pardon, 
through  the  cleansing  efficacy  of  the  fountain  of  Christ's  Blood. 

The  Cherubim,  lions,  oxen,  and  palm-trees,  engraven  on 
them,  vv.  29 — 36,  bad  doubtless  their  significance.  The  Clie- 
inibim  symbolized  the  angelic  life  of  the  spiritual  worshipper ; 
the  lions  and  oxeyi  typified  the  courage  and  labour  required 
of  the  Christian  (see  above,  on  -y.  25).  The  palm-trees  were 
figiires  of  the  glory  to  which  he  would  be  admitted  lierc- 
after,  if  he  fought  valiantly  the  good  fight  of  faith  xmto  the 
end. 

The  content  of  each  laver  was  forty  baths.  This  number, 
forty,  combined  with  the  recollections  it  suggests, — of  the  forty 
days'  rain  in  the  Flood,  the  forty  years'  trial  in  the  Wilderness, 
the  forty  days  given  to  Nineveh  for  repentance,  the  forty  days' 
fasting  of  Moses,  Elias,  and  Christ, — may  symbolize  the  need  of 
continual  perseverance  in  self-mortification  and  repentance,  for 
obtaining  forgiveness  of  God  (cp.  Angelomus  and  Eucheriiis 
here). 

These  lavers  were  on  wheels ;  they  were  disposed  on  each 
side  of  the  Court  of  the  Priests,  and  were  easy  of  access,  being 
movable  from  one  place  to  another.  In  this  respect  perhaps 
they  may  be  regarded  as  an  emblem  of  the  divine  eagerness  and 
love,  hasting  to  be  gracious,  like  the  Father  in  the  Parable, 
running  to  meet  the  returning  Prodigal,  and  Mling  on  his  neck 
and  kissing  him  (Luke  xv.  20) ;  and  they  may  represent  the 
Divine  Compassion,  inviting  the  sinner,  by  frequent  calls,  to 
repentance ;  and  ready  to  pardon  and  purify  all  who  come  to 
Him  with  faith  in  the  cleansing  efficacy  of  Christ's  Blood. 

This  portion  of  Scripture,  1  Kings  vii.  40  to  viii.  21,  de- 
scribing the  sacred  furniture  of  the  Temple,  was  appointed  by 
the  Hebrew  Church  to  be  read  in  the  Synagogues  as  a  Proper 
Lesson  with  Exod.  xxxviii.  21  to  xl.  38,  describing  the  erection 
of  the  Tabernacle,  and  thus  the  spiritual  connexion  of  these 
two  buildings  was  continually  kept  before  the  eyes  of  the 
Hebrew  people  :  sec  above.  Preliminary  Note  to  chap.  vi. 


The  ojessels 


1  KINGS  VII.  40—51.     VIII.  1. 


of  the  Temple, 


^^And  f  Hiram  made  the  lavers,  and  the  shovels,  and  the  basons.  So 
Hiram  made  an  end  of  doing  all  the  work  that  he  made  king  Solomon  for  the 
house  of  the  Lord  :  ^^  The  two  pillars,  and  the  Uvo  bowls  of  the  chapiters 
that  were  on  the  top  of  the  two  pillars ;  and  the  two  "■  networks,  to  cover  the 
two  bowls  of  the  chapiters  which  tvcre  upon  the  top  of  the  pillars  ;  ^^  And  four 
hundred  pomegranates  for  the  two  networks,  even  two  rows  of  pomegranates 
for  one  network,  to  cover  the  two  bowls  of  the  chapiters  that  were  f  upon  the 
pillars  ;  ^^  And  the  ten  bases,  and  ten  lavers  on  the  bases ;  ^^  And  one  sea, 
and  twelve  oxen  under  the  sea  ;  "^^ '  And  the  pots,  and  the  shovels,  and  the 
basons :  and  all  these  vessels,  which  Hiram  made  to  king  Solomon  for  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  tvere  of  f  bright  brass.  ^^ '  In  the  plain  of  Jordan  did  the 
king  cast  them,  f  in  the  clay  ground  between  "  Succoth  and  '^  Zarthan.  ^''  And 
Solomon  left  all  the  vessels  univeighed,  f  because  they  were  exceeding  many : 
neither  was  the  weight  of  the  brass  f  found  out. 

^^And  Solomon  made  all  the  vessels  that  pertained  unto  the  house  of  the 
Lord  :  ^  the  altar  of  gold,  and  "^  the  table  of  gold,  whereupon  *  the  shewbread 
icas,  ^^  And  the  candlesticks  of  pure  gold,  five  on  the  right  side,  and  five  on  the 
left,  before  the  oracle,  with  the  flowers,  and  the  lamps,  and  the  tongs  of  gold, 
^'^And  the  bowls,,  and  the  snufi'ers,  and  the  basons,  and  the  spoons,  and  the 
f  censers  o/pure  gold  ;  and  the  hinges  of  gold,  both  for  the  doors  of  the  inner 
house,  the  most  holy  place,  and  for  the  doors  of  the  house,  to  loit,  of  the  temple. 

^^  So  was  ended  all  the  work  that  king  Solomon  made  for  the  house  of  the 
Lord.  And  Solomon  brought  in  the  f  things  ^  which  David  his  father  had 
dedicated;  even  the  silver,  and  the  gold,  and  the  vessels,  did  he  put  among 
the  treasures  of  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

VIII.  ^  Then  ^  Solomon  assembled  the  elders  of  Israel,  and  all  the  heads 


Before 
CHRIST 
1005. 
t  Heb.  Hlrom: 
See  ver.  13. 

r  ver.  17,  18. 


f  Heb.  upon  the 
face  of  the  pillart. 


s  Exod.  27.  .1. 
2  Chron.  4.  IG. 


+  Heb.  made 

bright,  or, 

scoured. 

t  2  Chron.  4.  17 

t  Heb.  in  the 

thickness  of  the 

ground. 

u  Gen.  33.  17. 

X  Josh.  3.  16. 

t  Heb.  for  the 

exceeding 

multitude. 

+  Heb.  searched, 

1  Chron.  22.  14. 

y  Exod.  37.  2,5, 

&c. 

z  Exod.  37.  10, 

&c. 

a  Exod.  25.  30. 

Lev.  24.  5—8. 

t  Heb.  ash  pans. 


t  Heb.  holy  things 
of  David, 
h  2  Sam.  8.  11. 
2  Chron.  5.  1. 


a  2  Chron.  5.  2, 
&c. 


40.  the  lovers']  Or,  rather,  the  pots :  see  2  Chron.  iv.  11. 
2  Kings  XXV.  14,  and  the  Arabic  Version  and  Targum  here  : 
cp.  also  V.  46.  Tliese  pots  were  for  the  carrying  away  of  the 
ashes  :  cp.  Exod.  xxvii.  3. 

The  MSS.  here  have  ciioroth,  which  some  suppose  to  be 
an  error  for  siroth  (see  Oesen.  585) ;  but  ciior  signifies  not 
ouly  a  large  laver,  but  a  small  basin.  See  1  Sam.  ii.  14,  where 
it  is  rendered  pan ;  in  Zech.  xii.  6  it  is  rendered  hearth. 

On  the  spiritual  significance  of  the.'<e  and  the  following 
vessels,  cp.  Zech.  xiv.  20,  21.    Ezek.  xlvi.  20—24. 

—  shovels]  For  shovelling  away  the  ashes  from  the  altar. 
Exod.  xxvii.  3.  The  Vulff.  renders  them  tongs.  The  root  is 
yaah,  "to  take  away"  {G-esen.  355). 

—  basons']  For  receiving  the  blood  of  the  sacrifices.  Exod. 
xxvii.  3.    Num.  iv.  14. 

41-44.]  See  15— 38. 

46.  in  the  clay  ground]  or  mai-l  {Burckh,  ii.  593).  On  the 
site  of  Zarthan,  or  Zereda,  probably  near  Kurn-el-  Surtabeh,  in 
the  valley  of  Jordan,  see  above,  Josh.  iii.  16.  Judg.  vii.  22. 
On  the  site  of  Succoth,  on  the  east  of  Jordan,  see  Gen.  x.xxiii.  17. 
Josh.  xiii.  27.    Judg.  viii.  5. 

In  a  spiritual  sense,  these  vessels  were  types  of  us,  first  by 
nature,  and  next  by  grace.  They  were  cast  in  the  clay,  near 
Zarthan,  which  was  near  Adam  (see  above,  on  Josh.  iii.  16), 
and  were  dedicated  to  God's  service  in  the  Temple.  They  were 
afterwards  taken  to  Babylon  (the  figure  of  Satan's  dominion), 
but  were  restored  to  the  service  of  the  Temple,  in  which  Christ 
was  presented  in  our  flesh.  We,  who  are  of  the  earth,  earthy, 
in  Adam,  are  raised  to  heaven  in  Christ  (1  Cor.  xv.  47.  See 
below,  note  on  Ezra  i.  6  ;  and  above  on  Josh.  iii.  16). 

48.  shewbread]  A  figure  of  the  Church  of  God,  offering 
herself  to  Him,  and  feeding  His  people  with  the  Bread  of  Life 
(see  above,  on  Exod.  xxv.  30.  Lev.  xxiv.  5).  There  were  pro- 
bably ten  tables  of  Shewbread  in  the  Temple.  Cp.  2  Chron. 
iv.  8.  19,  and  next  note. 

49.  the  candlesticks]  Another  figure  of  the  Church  of  God, 
standing  before  Him  in  pin-ity  and  holiness,  with  her  light 
clearly  burning,  and  faithfully  diSusing  that  light  of  divine 
Truth,  received  from  Him,  to  the  World.  See  above,  notes  on 
E.Kod.  xxv.  31—39;    xxvii.  21.    Num.  viii.  2 — 4;   and  below, 

29 


on  Rev.  i.  12,  13;  xi.  4.  Here  we  see  another  enlargement 
of  God's  mercy,  and  a  fuller  revelation  of  His  Will.  In  the 
Tabernacle  there  was  one  Golden  Candlestick  with  seven 
branches ;  and  one  only,  symbolizing  the  unity  of  God's  Church. 
Here  in  the  Temple  are  ten  golden  seven-branched  candlesticks, 
denoting  her  Universality. 

Tliere  was  thus  a  greater  difinsion  of  Light  in  the  Temple 
than  there  had  been  in  the  Tabernacle.  As  ages  passed  on,  the 
Revelation  of  God's  power  and  love  became  fuller  and  clearer, 
till  at  the  last  they  were  spread  abroad  to  all  the  World, — made  a 
Temple  to  God, — by  the  glorious  Light  of  the  Gospel  shining  to 
all,  in  the  seven-branched  Candlestick  of  the  Church  Universal. 

—  before  the  oracle]   or  Holy  of  Holies. 

— flowers — lamps]  As  for  the  Candlestick  in  the  Tabernacle. 
See  Exod.  xxv.  31 ;  xxxvii.  17 ;  xxxix.  37 ;  xl.  24,  25. 

—  t07igs]  Snuffers  {Qesen.  479).  Cp.  Exod.  xxv.  38  ;  xxvii.  21. 

50.  boiuls]  See  Exod.  xii.  22. 

—  snuffers]  or  scissors,  from  the  verb  zamar,  "  to  prune." 
On  the  moral  and  spiritual  meaning  of  these  various  objects  in 
divine  service,  see  the  note  above,  on  Exod.  x.xvii.  21,  with 
regard  to  the  similar  furniture  of  the  Tabernacle. 

—  basons]  For  libation.     Cp.  2  Chron.  iv.  8. 

—  spoons]  Probably  for  bringing  incense  to  the  altar. 

—  censers]  Dishes  in  E.xod.  xxv.  38 ;  xxxvii.  23,  and  Num. 
iv.  9.  In  other  places,  as  Num.  xvi.  6,  7,  it  is  rendered  censers  ; 
cp.  Oesen,  466 ;  and  so  Keil,  The  verb  from  which  it  is 
derived,  chathah,  signifies  "  to  take  hold  of,"  with  a  view  of 
taking  away  {Oesen,  314). 

—  hinges]  Properly,  hollows ;  the  mortices  or  sockets,  in 
which  the  pins  of  the  doors  moved. 

51.  So  was  ended]  Cp.  Exod.  xl.  33,  "So  Moses  finished  the 
work." 

Dedication  of  the  Temple. 
Ch.  VIII.  1.  Then  Solomon  assembled  the  elders  of  Israel] 
One  of  the  greatest  events,  that  the  Hebrew  Nation  had  ever 
seen,  was  now  about  to  take  place.  The  Tabernacle,  which  had 
been  made  by  Moses  at  Sinai,  by  God's  command,  and  according 
to  the  pattern  shown  to  Moses  in  the  mount,  was  to  be  succeeded 
by  the  Temple. 


TJie  Dedication 


1  KINGS  VIII.  2—9. 


of  the  Temple. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1005. 
+  Heb.  princes. 
b  2  Sara.  6.  17. 
c  2  Sam.  5.  7,  9. 
&  6.  12,  16. 


d  Lev.  23.  34. 
2  Chion.  7.  8. 

1004. 
e  Num.  4.  15. 
Deut.  31.  9. 
Josh.  3.  3,  6. 

1  Chron.  15.  14, 
15. 

f  ch.  3.  4. 

2  Chron.  1.  3. 

g  2  Sam.  C.  13. 


h  2  Sam.  6.  17. 
i  Exod.  26.  33,34. 
ch.  6.  19. 
k  ch.  C.  27. 


lExod.  25.14,  15. 
t  Heb.  heads. 
Il  Or,  arAj:  as 
2  Chron.  5.  9. 


of  the  tribes,  the  |  chief  of  the  fathers  of  the  children  of  Israel,  unto  king 
Solomon  in  Jerusalem,  ^  that  they  might  bring  up  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of 
the  Lord  '^  out  of  the  city  of  David,  which  is  Zion. 

2  And  all  the  men  of  Israel  assembled  themselves  unto  king  Solomon  at  the 
•^  feast  in  the  month  Ethanim,  which  is  the  seventh  month.  ^And  all  the 
elders  of  Israel  came,  ^  and  the  priests  took  up  the  ark.  "*  And  they  brought 
up  the  ark  of  the  Lord,  *^and  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  all  the 
holy  vessels  that  icere  in  the  tabernacle,  even  those  did  the  priests  and  the 
Levites  bring  up.  ■^And  king  Solomon,  and  all  the  congregation  of  Israel, 
that  were  assembled  unto  him,  loere  with  him  before  the  ark,  ^  sacrificing  sheep 
and  oxen,  that  could  not  be  told  nor  numbered  for  multitude.  ^  And  the 
priests  ^  brought  in  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  unto  '  his  place,  into 
the  oracle  of  the  house,  to  the  most  holy  jjlace,  even  ^  under  the  wings  of  the 
cherubims.  ^  For  the  cherubims  spread  forth  their  two  wings  over  the  place 
of  the  ark,  and  the  cherubims  covered  the  ark  and  the  staves  thereof  above. 
^And  they  'drew  out  the  staves,  that  the  f  ends  of  the  staves  were  seen  out 
in  the  ||  holy  j^/ace  before  the  oracle,  and  they  were  not  seen  without :  and 


This  change  could  not  have  been  effected,  unless  the  whole 
Nation  had  been  consenting  to  it ;  and  the  Nation  would  not 
have  consented  to  it,  and  that  consent  would  never  have  been 
ratified  by  succeeding  generations,  and  have  been  sanctioned 
by  God's  Prophets,  and  eventually  by  Christ  Himself,  if  it  had 
not  been  known  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  will  of  God. 

Accordingly,  David's  last  act  had  been  to  summon  a  na- 
tional council,  in  order  to  declare  God's  will  in  this  respect  (see 
below,  1  Chron.  xxviii.  Prelim.  Note) ;  and  now  Solomon,  his 
son,  adopts  similar  measures,  and  associates  the  Hebrew  Nation 
in  this  great  act  of  religious  progress  and  development  by 
means  of  its  representatives. 

The  Septuaglnt  places  the  Dedication  of  the  Temple  in  the 
twenty-fourth  year  of  Solomon's  reign.  That  Version  here  says, 
"  It  came  to  pass  when  Solomon  had  finished  building  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  and  his  own  house,  after  twenty  years,"  i.e. 
from  the  beginning  of  the  building  of  the  Temple,  which  was 
commenced  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign  (vi.  1).  And  so 
some  recent  Expositors,  as  Thenius  and  Keil.  But  Josephus 
asserts  (viii.  4.  1)  that  the  Dedication  took  place  as  soon  as 
the  Temple  was  finished;  and  this  is  probable.  Cp.  below, 
ix.  1. 

2.  month  Ethanim']  So  called  from  the  flotoing  of  the  brooks 
at  that  time;  the  same  as  Tisri  (Gesen.  41),  from  the  new  moon 
of  October  to  the  new  moon  of  November,  when  the  rainy  season 
begins  {Keil,  Robinson). 

The  Feast  of  Dedication  began  on  the  seventh  day  of  the 
seventh  month,  and  lasted  seven  days,  and  was  succeeded  by 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  which  lasted  seven  days.  See  below, 
vv.  65,  GQ.  Thus  the  Dedication  had  a  sabbatical  cha- 
racter. The  Ark,  after  its  long  wanderings  of  five  hundred 
years,  then  found  rest.  And  the  Dedication  typified  the 
Incarnation  of  Him,  the  True  Temple  (John  ii.  19),  who 
tabernacled  in  us  (John  i.  14),  and  in  whom  we  find  rest 
(Matt.  xi.  28,  29). 

3.  the  priests  tooTc  up  the  ar¥\  The  Triests  officiated  here 
in  bearing  the  Ark,  as  on  some  other  solemn  occasions.  See 
above,  on  Josh.  iii.  3  ;  iv.  3. 

4.  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation]  The  Levitical  Taber- 
nacle, removed  from  Gibeon.     2  Chron.  i.  4. 

The  Ark  was  brought  up  from  Zion,  and  the  Tabernacle 
from  Gibeon.  And  by  this  bringing  up  of  the  Ark  and  of  the 
Tabernacle  (which  had  been  framed  by  Moses,  the  servant  of 
God,  under  God's  direction  at  Sinai,  and  had  journeyed  with 
Israel  through  the  wilderness,  and  now,  after  a  long  severance 
from  each  other,  were  to  be  re-united  in  the  Temple  of  Solomon, 
fixed  in  glorious  magnificence  at  Jerusalem),  the  identity  and 
continuity  of  the  life  and  ritual  of  the  Hebrew  Church  was 
marked  and  preserved. 

The  original  life  of  the  ancient  Church  of  God,  which  had 
its  foimtain  and  well-spring  in  Paradise,  and  fiowed  on  in  a 
continuous  stream  in  the  age  of  the  Patriarchs,  and  Moses, 
and  the  Prophets,  has  gone  on  in  an  ever-widening  and 
deepening  river,  till  at  length  it  has  fertilized  the  world  with 
30 


the  living  water  of  the  Spirit  in  the  Everlasting  Gospel  of 
hrist. 

The  Tabernacle  of  Sinai  was  received  into  the  Temple  of 
Sion.  We  are  not  told  what  use  was  made  of  its  materials,  but 
it  passed  into  the  Temple  by  a  silent  and  almost  imperceptible 
and  absorptive  process  of  transition  :  cp.  below,  2  Chron.  i.  4. 

So  the  Law  of  Moses  melted  into  the  Christian  Church. 
6.  the  arJc]  We  do  not  know  what  became  of  the  materials 
of  the  Levitical  Tabernacle  that  was  made  at  Sinai ;  but  of  the 
Ark  we  are  expressly  told,  that  it  was  brought  by  the  Priests, 
the  appointed  Ministers  of  the  Levitical  Law,  into  the  Most 
Holy  Place  in  the  Temple,  prepared  by  David  on  Mount  Moriah, 
and  built  by  Solomon :  cp.  2  Chron.  v.  7. 

Let  us  observe  this.  The  rest  of  the  Tabernacle  passed 
away.  There  were  more  cherubims,  more  golden  candlesticks, 
and  there  was  greater  splendour  in  the  Table  of  Shewbread  in 
the  Temple  of  Sion,  than  there  had  been  in  the  Tabernacle  of 
Sinai.  But  the  Ark  remained  the  same.  The  Ark  was  God's 
Throne.  His  Presence  was  there  enshrined  on  the  Mercy  Seat, 
which  was  sprinkled  with  blood  on  the  Day  of  Atonement. 

Does  not  this  exhibit  the  great  truth,  that,  in  essence,  there 
is  but  One  Visible  Church  of  God  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  and  that  the  essential  object  of  her  faith  is 
God's  Love  in  Christ,  "  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world  ?"  Cp.  above.  Prelim.  Note  to  ch.  vi.,  "  On  the  Rela- 
tion of  the  Temple  to  the  Tabernacle."  On  the  spiritual  meaning 
of  the  Tabernacle  and  its  sacrifices,  see  Exod.  xxv.  1. 

8.  thei/  drew  out  the  staves]  Rather,  thei/  extended  the 
staves.  The  staves  were  Jiot  drawn  out  of  the  rings  of  the  Ark 
in  the  Tabernacle  (Exod.  xxv.  14),  or  in  the  Temple.  But  now 
that  the  Ark  was  brought  nearer  to  its  future  and  final  resting- 
place  in  Christ,  the  ends  of  the  staves  were  seen  by  those  who 
stood  before  the  Oracle.  They  were  visible  to  those  who  were 
in  the  Holy  Place,  but  not  to  those  beyond  it.  Cp.  Thenius 
here,  and  see  below,  on  2  Chron.  v.  9. 

They  were  in  the  same  place  in  the  Temple  as  that  in 
which  they  had  been  in  the  Tabernacle ;  viz.,  beneath  the  Ark, 
and  projecting  from  it  to  the  right  hand  and  the  left;  i. e.  from 
north  to  south.  But  they  were  more  visible  in  the  Temple  than 
they  had  been  in  the  Tabernacle,  especially  to  those  who  were 
admitted  to  come  near  to  God  in  the  Holy  Place.  Thus  they 
were  like  earnests  and  pledges  of  still  clearer  revelations  of 
God  in  the  Gospel.  They  were  visible  signs  of  God's  In- 
visible Presence;  and  may  be  compared  to  the  evidences 
manifested  to  the  world,  of  God's  Power  and  Love  in  Christ, 
seated  at  God's  right  hand,  after  His  Ascension  into  the  Heavenly 
Holy  of  HoUes  (Heb.  ix.  5.  24.     Eph.  iv.  8,  9). 

The  staves  were  still  in  the  rings  of  the  Ark,  in  the  Temple, 
as  they  had  been  in  the  Tabernacle,  but  they  were  more  visible. 
And  this  showed  that  there  was  a  clearer  revelation  of  God  in 
the  Temple;  but  the  retention  of  the  staves  in  the  rings 
showed  that  the  Ark  was  still  in  progress,  and  had  not  come  to 
its  final  rest,  which  it  reached  in  Christ  and  in  His  Church. 
This  is  intimated  in  the  words  "  unto  this  day." 


The  Cloud. 


1  KINGS  VIII.  10— IG. 


Solomon  blesses  Israel. 


there  they  are  unto  this  day.  ^ '"  There  teas  nothing  in  the  ark  "  save  the  two 
tables  of  stone,  which  Moses  °  put  there  at  Horeb,  ||  ^  when  the  Lord  made 
a  covenant  with  the  children  of  Israel,  when  they  came  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt. 

^*^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  priests  were  come  out  of  the  holy  place, 
that  the  cloud  '^  filled  the  house  of  the  Lord,  ^^  So  that  the  priests  could  not 
stand  to  minister  because  of  the  cloud :  for  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled 
the  house  of  the  Lord. 

^■- '  Then  spake  Solomon,  The  Lord  said  that  he  would  dwell '  in  the  thick 
darkness.  ^'^ '  I  have  surely  built  thee  an  house  to  dwell  in,  "  a  settled  place  for 
thee  to  abide  in  for  ever.  ^^  And  the  king  turned  his  face  about,  and  ""  blessed  all 
the  congregation  of  Israel :  (and  all  the  congregation  of  Israel  stood ;)  ^^  And 
he  said,  ^  Blessed  he  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  which  ^  spake  with  his  mouth  unto 
David  my  father,  and  hath  with  his  hand  fulfilled  it,  saying,  ^^  '^  Since  the  day 
that  I  brought  forth  my  people  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  I  chose  no  city  out  of  all 
the  tribes  of  Israel  to  build  an  house,  that  ''  my  name  might  be  therein  ;  but 


Before 
CHRIST 
100-t. 
m  Exod.  25.  21. 
Deut.  10.  2. 
n  Deut.  10.  5. 
Heb.  9.  4. 
o  Exod.  40.  20. 
II   Or,  where. 
p  Exod. 34. 27,  28. 
Deut.  4.  13. 
ver.  21. 

q  Exod.  40.34,35, 
2  Chron.  5.  13, 
14.  &  7.  2. 


r  2  Chron.  G.  1, 

&c. 

s  Lev.  16.  2. 

Ps.  18.  11.  & 

97.  2. 

t  2  Sam.  7.  13. 

u  Ps.  132.  14. 

X  2  Sam.  6.  18. 

y  Luke  1.  68. 
z  2  Sam.  7.  5,  25. 
a  2  Sam.  7.  6. 
2  Chron.  6.  5,  &c. 


b  ver.  29. 
Deut.  12.  11. 


—  unto  this  day'\  Therefore  this  portion  of  this  Book  was 
written  when  the  Temple  was  still  standing  :  cp.  2  Chron.  v.  9. 
We  have  helow  (2  Kings  xxv.  9),  an  account  of  the  destruction 
of  the  Temple,  when  this  arrangement  was  disturbed.  Compare 
ix.  21 ;  xii.  19.     2  Kings  viii.  22 ;  x.  27. 

9.  nothing  in  the  ark  save  the  two  tables']  Placed  there  by 
Moses.     Exod.  xxv.  21 ;  xl.  20.     Deut.  x.  2. 

The  description  of  the  Apostle,  who  speaks  of  the  golden 
pot  of  manna,  and  Aaron's  rod  that  budded,  as  in  the  Ark 
(Heb.  ix.  3,  4),  does  not  refer  to  the  Ark  as  it  was  in  the  Temple, 
but  as  it  had  been  in  the  Tahernacle. 

The  Book  of  the  Law  was  hy  the  side  of  the  Ark,  not  in  it. 
See  above,  on  Deut.  xxxi.  26. 

This  identity  of  the  Ark,  and  of  the  Two  Tables  in  it,  both 
in  the  Levitical  Tabernacle  of  Sinai,  and  in  the  Temple  of  Solo- 
mon at  Jerusalem  (in  which  other  things  were  modified  and 
enlarged,  and  in  which  there  was  a  nearer  approach  to  the  con- 
summation of  both  in  Christ),  bespoke  the  perpetuity  of  the 
Faith  and  Moral  Law  of  the  Hebrew  Church,  which  were  to 
be  transmitted  by  her  to  the  Church  of  Christ  universal. 

10,  11.  the  cloud']  A  sign  of  God's  presence  and  favourable 
acceptance  of  Solomon's  act  in  building  the  Temple,  as  the  place 
v/here  He  might  put  His  Name  as  He  had  done  in  the  Taber- 
nacle.    Exod.  xl.  34,  35,  and  see  note  below,  on  2  Chron.  y.  11. 

The  Priests  could  not  stand  to  minister  because  of  the 
cloud  in  the  Temple.  Here  was  another  parallel  between  it  and 
the  Tabernacle,  into  which  Moses  could  not  enter  on  account  of 
the  glory  of  God's  presence  (Exod.  xl.  3i). 

Solomon,  being  thus  assured  of  God's  presence  and  favour, 
proceeds  to  render  thanks  to  Him  for  this  sign  of  His  goodness. 
Solomon,  by  these  acts  of  solemn  prayer,  thanksgiving,  and 
blessing  added  to  sacrifices,  showed  a  clear  perception  that  the 
reUgion  which  God  most  approves  is  spiritual ;  and  that  no  out- 
ward forms  avail  without  the  inward  aflections  of  the  heart  out- 
pouring themselves  by  the  lips.  He  already  realized  the  truth, 
"  My  House  shall  be  called  a  House  of  Prayer." 

Hooker,  E.  P.  (Book  v,  ch.  xii,  59),  thus  speaks  of  this 
divine  manifestation  :  — 

"  The  solemn  Dedication  of  Churches  serveth  not  only  to 
mate  them  public,  but  farther  also  to  surrender  up  that  right, 
which  otherwise  their  founders  might  have  in  them,  and  to 
make  God  Himself  their  owner.  For  which  cause,  at  the  erec- 
tion and  consecration  as  well  of  the  Tabernacle  as  of  the  Temple, 
it  pleased  the  Almighty  to  give  a  manifest  sign  that  He  took 
possession  of  both  (Exod,  xl,  34.  1  Kings  viii.  10).  Finally,  it 
notifieth  in  solemn  manner  the  holy  and  religious  use  where- 
unto  it  is  intended  such  houses  shall  be  put. 

"These  things  the  wisdom  of  Solomon  did  not  account  super- 
fluous. He  knew  how  easily,  that  which  was  meant  should  be 
holy  and  sacred,  might  be  drawn  from  the  use  whereunto  it  was 
first  provided ;  he  knew  how  bold  men  are  to  take  even  from 
God  Himself;  how  hardly  that  house  would  be  kept  from  profa- 
nation he  knew ;  and  right  wisely  therefore  endeavoured  by  such 
solemnities  to  leave  in  the  minds  of  men  that  impression  which 
might  somewhat  restrain  their  boldness,  and  nourish  a  reverent 
aftection  towards  the  house  of  God,  For  which  cause  when  the 
first  house  was  destroyed,  and  a  new  in  the  stead  thereof 
31 


erected  by  the  children  of  Israel  after  their  return  from  cap- 
tivity, they  kept  the  Dedication  even  of  this  house  with  iov 
(Ezra  vi,  16),  ''  ^ 

"  The  argument  which  our  Saviour  useth  against  profaners 
of  the  Temple  (Matt,  xxi,  13),  He  taketh  from  the  use  where- 
unto it  was  solemnly  consecrated.  And  as  the  projAet  Jeremy 
forbiddeth  the  carrying  of  burdens  on  the  Sabbath,  because  that 
was  a  sanctified  day  (Jer,  xvii,  24),  so  because  the  Temple 
was  a  place  sanctified,  our  Lord  would  not  suffer,  no,  not  the 
carriage  of  a  vessel  through  the  Temple  (Mark  xi.  16),  These 
two  commandments,  therefore,  are  in  the  Law  conjoined :  '  Ye 
shall  keep  My  Sabbaths  and  reverence  My  Sanctuary ' "  (Lev. 
xxvi,  2), 

12.  in  the  thick  darkness]  In  the  Holy  of  Holies,  not  lio-hted 
by  windows  :  cp.  below,  on  v.  21,  ° 

14,  the  king  turned  his  face  about]  He  had  uttered  the 
foregoing  prayer,  with  his  face  toward  the  Ark. 

Solomon  Blessing-  the  People. 
—  blessed  all  the  congregation]    As  his  father  David   had 
done,  by  praying  to  God  for  them  :  see  on  2  Sam.  vi,  18, 

It  has  been  said  by  some,  that  the  King  "performed 
the  highest  sacerdotal  act  of  solemn  benediction,"  Stanley, 
p,  218.  And  again  (ibid.  p.  220),  "No  Khalif,  no  Pontiff! 
could  have  presided  more  supremely  over  the  occasion  than  did 
Solomon  ....  The  King  alone  prays,  sacrifices,  blesses,  con- 
secrates," 

But  it  may  be  asked,  could  he  have  sacrificed  22,000 
oxen,  and  120,000  sheep  ?  see  v.  63 ;  and  in  v.  5,  "  all  the  con- 
gregation are  said  to  sacrifice ;"  were  they  also  Priests  ?  No  : 
all  this  was  done  by  the  ministry  of  the  Priests  and  Levites! 
Solomon  is  also  said  in  the  sacred  history  to  have  put  the  Ark 
in  the  Holy  of  HoHes,  whereas  we  know  it  was  done  by  the 
Priests,  at  his  instance :  see  on  2  Chron,  vi,  11, 

Again,  it  is  alleged  that  "  Solomon  adopted  once  for  all  the 
duties  of  the  Priestly  order"  {Stanley,  p,  221),  But  this 
assertion,  which  is  extended  by  the  same  writer  to  all  the  Kincrs 
of  Judah,  who  are  said  by  him  to  have  performed  the  functions 
of  Priests,  is  at  variance  with  what  is  recorded  concerning 
King  Uzziah,  who  was  smitten  with  leprosy  for  presuming  to 
intrude  into  the  Priest's  office,  and  to  burn  incense  (see  on 
2  Chron.  xxvi.  20),  It  is  a  contradiction  of  St,  Paul,  who  says 
(Heb,  vii,  18,  14),  that  "no  man  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  gave 
attendance  at  the  altar  :"  cp.  below,  1  Chron.  vi.  49. 

The  blessmg  now  given  by  Solomon  was  not  a  sacerdotal 
benediction,  like  that  prescribed  by  God  to  be  pronounced  by 
the  Priests,  the  sons  of  Aaron  (Num.  vi.  24),  but  it  was  only  au 
intercessory  prayer  and  invocation  of  God's  mercy  on  the  People 
(see  V.  55),  who  themselves  are  said  in  their  turn  to  have 
"  blessed  the  King  ;"  see  v.  66,  where  the  word  is  the  same  in 
the  original  as  here.  Did  the  People  also  perform  a  priestly 
act  ?  Solomon  regarded  himself  as  one  of  the  people ;  he 
did  not  say,  as  the  Priests  did,  "  The  Lord  bless  you,  and 
keep  you,"  &c,  (Num.  vi,  24),  but  "  The  Lord  bless  tis .-"  see 
«,57, 

16,  I  chose  no  city — that  my  name  might  be  therein]    Cp, 
2  Sam,  vii,  6,     Here  is  an  answer  to  the  objection  sometimes 


Solomoris  prayer 


1  KINGS  VIII.  17—31, 


at  the  Dedication. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1004. 
c  1  Sam.  16.  1. 
2  Sam.  7.  8. 
1  Chron.  28.  4. 
d  2  Sam.  7.  ■>. 
I  Chron.  17.  1. 
e  2  Chron.  6.  8,  9. 
f  2  Sam.  7.  5,  12, 
13 
ch.  5.  3,  5. 


I  chose  *" David  to  be  over  my  people  Israel.  ^^And  '^it  was  in  the  heart  of 
David  my  father  to  build  an  house  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 
^^  ^  And  the  Lord  said  unto  David  my  father,  Whereas  it  was  in  thine  heart 
to  build  an  house  unto  my  name,  thou  didst  well  that  it  was  in  thine  heart. 
^^Nevertheless  ''thou  shalt  not  build  the  house ;  but  thy  son  that  shall  come 
forth  out  of  thy  loins,  he  shall  build  the  house  unto  my  name.  ^^  And  the 
Lord  hath  performed  his  word  that  he  spake,  and  I  am  risen  up  in  the  room 
of  David  my  father,  and  sit  on  the  throne  of  Israel,  ^  as  the  Lord  promised, 
and  have  built  an  house  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  ^^  And  I 
have  set  there  a  place  for  the  ark,  wherein  is  ''  the  covenant  of  the  Lord, 
which  he  made  with  our  fathers,  when  he  brought  them  out  o  the  land  of 
Egypt. 

^■^  And  Solomon  stood  before  '  the  altar  of  the  Lord  in  the  presence  of  all 
the  congregation  of  Israel,  and  "  spread  forth  his  hands  toward  heaven  : 

-^  And  he  said,  Lord  God  of  Israel,  '  there  is  no  God  like  thee,  in  heaven 
above,  or  on  earth  beneath,  ""  who  keepest  covenant  and  mercy  with  thy 
servants  that "  walk  before  thee  with  all  their  heart :  ^^  Who  hast  kept  with 
thy  servant  David  my  father  that  thou  promisedst  him :  thou  spakest  also 
with  thy  mouth,  and  hast  fulfilled  it  with  thine  hand,  as  it  is  this  day. 
2^  Therefore  now,  Lord  God  of  Israel,  keep  with  thy  servant  David  my 
father  that  thou  promisedst  him,  saying,  °  f  There  shall  not  fail  thee  a  man  in 
my  sight  to  sit  on  the  throne  of  Israel ;  f  so  that  thy  children  take  heed  to 
their  way,  that  they  walk  before  me  as  thou  hast  walked  before  me.  -^^  And 
now,  0  God  of  Israel,  let  thy  word,  I  pray  thee,  be  verified,  which  thou 
spakest  unto  thy  servant  David  my  father. 

27  But  '^  will  God  indeed  dwell  on  the  earth  ?  behold,  the  heaven  and 
"  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  thee ;  how  much  less  this  house  that  I 
have  builded  ?  ^^  Yet  have  thou  respect  unto  the  prayer  of  thy  servant,  and 
to  his  supplication,  0  Lord  my  God,  to  hearken  unto  the  cry  and  to  the 
prayer,  which  thy  servant  prayeth  before  thee  to  day :  ^^  That  thine  eyes  may 
be  open  toward  this  house  night  and  day,  eveii  toward  the  place  of  which  thou 
hast  said,  '  My  name  shall  be  there :  that  thou  mayest  hearken  unto  the 
prayer  which  thy  servant  shall  make  '  ||  toward  this  place.  ^^ "  And  hearken 
thou  to  the  supplication  of  thy  servant,  and  of  thy  people  Israel,  when  they 
shall  pray  H  toward  this  place :  and  hear  thou  in  heaven  thy  dwelling  place  : 
and  when  thou  hearest,  forgive.  ■ 
fHeh.  and  he  31  jf  ^ny  mau  trespass  against  his  neighbour,  f  and  "  an  oath  be  laid  upon 

require  an  oa  i  o  ^^.^  ^^  causo  Mm  to  swear,   and  the  oath   come  before   thine  altar  in  this 

Lev.  5.  1. 

X  Exod.  22.  11. 


g  1  Chron.  28. 
6. 


h  ver.  9. 
Deut.  .31.  26. 


i2  Chron.  6.  12, 

&c. 

k  Exod.  9.  33. 

Ezra  9.  5. 

Isa.  1.  15. 

1  Exod.  15.  11. 

2  Sam.  7.  22. 
m  Ueut.  7.  9. 
Neh.  1.  5. 
Dan.  9  4. 
n  Gen.  17.  1. 
ch.  3.  G. 
2  Kings  20.  3. 


o  2  Sam.  7.  12,  16. 

ch.  2.  4. 

t  Heb.  There 

shall  not  be  cut 

off  unio  thee  a 

man  from  my 

sight. 

+  Heb.  only  if. 

p  2  Sam.  7.  25. 


q  2  Chron.  2.  6. 

Isa.  66.  1. 

Jer.  23.  24. 

Acts  7.49.  &  17. 

24. 

r2  Cor.  12.2. 


8  Deut.  12.  II. 

*  Dan.  6.  10. 

Il  Or,  in  this 

place. 

u  2  Chron.  20.  9. 

Neh.  1.  6. 

H  Or,  in  this 

place. 


made  to  the  acts  of  Samuel  and  others,  offering  sacrifices  in 
various  places :  see  above,  Introduction  to  Samuel,  pp.  ix.  x. 

—  I  chose  David']  and  Jerusalem,  2  Chron.  vi.  6. 

19.  Nevertheless  thou  shalt  not  luild  the  house']  Solomon, 
with  filial  reverence  and  delicacy  of  feeling,  does  not  mention 
the  cause  of  this  divine  prohibition ;  but  that  cause  is  pub- 
licly mentioned,  with  appropriate  honesty  and  humility,  by 
David  himself,  1  Chron.  xxii.  8 ;  xxviii.  3. 

21.  the  covenant]  i.  e.  the  two  Tables,  -y.  9. 

—  land  of  Egypt]  As  was  before  observed,  Solomon's  Temple 
was  a  continuation  and  enlargement  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  is  a 
confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the  Mosaic  narrative  concerning 
it.  And  Solomon's  prayer  bears  striking  evidence  to  the  triith 
of  the  Pentateuch,  both  in  substance  and  language.  Solomon's 
entire  speech  can  only  be  rightly  read  and  explained  by  con- 
stant reference  to  the  Pentateuch  for  help  (Hdvernick,  Einleit. 
i.  p.  582)  :  cp.,  for  example,  above,  v.  12,  with  Exod.  xix.  9. 
Lev.  xvi.  2 ;  below,  v.  31,  and  following,  with  Exod.  xxii.  11. 

32 


Lev.  V.  1,  xxvi.  17 ;  and  below,  v.  53,  with  Exod.  xix.  5 ;  and 
therefore  this  prayer  is  a  testimony  to  the  truth  and  genuine- 
ness of  the  Pentateuch :  cp.  Keil,  Chronik,  p.  379. 

22.  before  the  altar]  The  altar  of  burnt -offering,  where  he 
kneeled  down  on  a  brazen  scaffold  or  platform,  2  Chron.  vi. 
13. 

—  and  spread  forth]  He  did  this,  kneeling :  see  2  Chron. 
vi.  13,  and  below,  v.  54. 

27.  will  God  indeed  dwell]  Cp.  2  Chron.  vi.  18.  Isa.  lxvi._  1. 
Acts  vii.  49.  These  are  protests  against  the  Heathen  doctrine 
of  national  and  local  deities.  1  Kings  xx.  23.  Cp.  Jer.  vii.  4. 
Mic.  iii.  11. 

30.  heaven  thy  dwelling  place]  Solomon,  when  building  a 
house  for  God  upon  earth,  is  careful  to  express  his  recognition 
of  heaven  as  the  place  where  God's  glory  is  specially  manifest : 
cp.  vv.  39.  43.  45.  49. 

31,  32.  if  any  man  trespass]  A  reference  to  the  Penta- 
teuch :  see  above,  on  v.  21. 


Solomon*  s  praTjer 


1  KINGS  VIII.  32—43. 


at  the  Dedication. 


house :  ^"^  Then  hear  thou  in  heaven,  and  do,  and  judge  thy  servants, 
y  condemning  the  mcked,  to  bring  his  way  upon  his  head  ;  and  justifying  the 
righteous,  to  give  him  according  to  his  righteousness. 

^^  ^  When  thy  people  Israel  be  smitten  down  before  the  enemy,  because  they 
have  sinned  against  thee,  and  '^  shall  turn  again  to  thee,  and  confess  thy  name, 
and  pray,  and  make  supplication  unto  thee  ||  in  this  house  :  ^^  Then  hear  thou 
in  heaven,  and  forgive  the  sin  of  thy  people  Israel,  and  bring  them  again 
unto  the  land  which  thou  gavest  unto  their  fathers. 

35  b  ^iien  heaven  is  shut  up,  and  there  is  no  rain,  because  they  have  sinned 
against  thee  ;  if  they  pray  toward  this  place,  and  confess  thy  name,  and  turn 
from  their  sin,  when  thou  afflictest  them  :  ^^  Then  hear  thou  in  heaven,  and 
forgive  the  sin  of  thy  servants,  and  of  thy  people  Israel,  that  thou  ^  teach  them 
^  the  good  way  wherein  they  should  walk,  and  give  rain  upon  thy  land,  which 
thou  hast  given  to  thy  people  for  an  inheritance. 

^'^  ^  If  there  be  in  the  land  famine,  if  there  be  pestilence,  blasting,  mildew, 
locust,  or  if  there  be  caterpiller ;  if  their  enemy  besiege  them  in  the  land  of 
their  ||  cities ;  whatsoever  plague,  whatsoever  sickness  there  he ;  ^^  What 
prayer  and  supplication  soever  be  made  by  any  man,  or  by  all  thy  people 
Israel,  which  shall  know  every  man  the  plague  of  his  own  heart,  and  spread 
forth  his  hands  toward  this  house  :  ^^  Then  hear  thou  in  heaven  thy  dwelhng 
place,  and  forgive,  and  do,  and  give  to  every  man  according  to  his  ways, 
whose  heart  thou  knowest;  (for  thou,  even  thou  only,  ^knowest  the  hearts  of 
all  the  children  of  men ;)  ^*^  ^  That  they  may  fear  thee  all  the  days  that  they 
live  in  the  land  which  thou  gavest  unto  our  fathers. 

^^  Moreover  concerning  a  stranger,  that  is  not  of  thy  people  Israel,  but 
cometh  out  of  a  far  country  for  thy  name's  sake  ;  ^^  (For  they  shall  hear  of 
thy  great  name,  and  of  thy  ^  strong  hand,  and  of  thy  stretched  out  arm ;) 
when  he  shall  come  and  pray  toward  this  house ;  ^^  Hear  thou  in  heaven  thy 
dwelling  place,  and  do  according  to  all  that  the  stranger  calleth  to  thee  for  : 
'that  all  people  of  the  earth  may  know  thy  name,  to  ''fear  thee,  as  do  thy 
people  Israel ;  and  that  they  may  know  that  f  this  house,  which  I  have  builded, 
is  called  by  thy  name. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1004. 
y  Deut.  25.  1. 


z  Lev.  26.  17. 
Deut.  28.  25. 

a  Lev.  26.  39,  40 

Neh.  1.  9. 
II  Or,  toward. 


b  Lev.  26.  19. 
Deut.  28.23. 


c  Ps.  25.4.  &  27. 
11.  &  94.  12.  & 
143.  8. 
d  1  Sam.  12.  23. 


e  Lev.  26.  16,  25, 

26. 

Deut.  28.  21,  22, 

27,  38,  42,  52. 

2  Chron.  20.  9. 

II  Or,  jurisdiction. 


f  1  Sam.  16.  7. 
1  Chron.  28.  9. 
Ps.  11.4. 
Jer.  17.  10. 
Acts  i.  24. 
g  Ps.  130.  4. 


h  Deut.  3.  24. 


i  1  Sam.  17.  46. 
2  Kings  19.  19. 
Ps.  67.  2. 
k  Ps.  102.  15. 
+  Heb.  thy  name 
is  called  upon 
this  house. 


33.  When  thy  peojyle  IsraeV]  The  following  phrases  are  taken 
almost  word  for  word  from  the  Pentateuch,  Lev.  xxvi.  17,  &c. 
Deut.  xxviii.  25.  Solomon's  prayer  at  the  Dedication  of  the 
Temple,  is  like  a  seal  set  on  the  Pentateuch,  and  avouches  its 
genuineness. 

34.  Iring  them  again]  Another  similar  reference :  cp.  Deut. 
XXX.  1—18.     Neh.  i.  8,  9. 

35.  36.  WTien  heaven  is  shut  up"]  Here  again  Solomon  adopts 
the  language  of  the  Pentateuch,  Lev.  xxvi.  19.     Deut.  xi.  17. 

—  because  they  have  sinned  against  thee']  Here  is  a  clear 
assertion,  that  Plague,  Pestilence,  Famine,  and  Drought,  are  sent 
hy  God  as  chastisements  for  the  sins  of  nations,  and  in  order  to 
call  them  to  repentance  :  cp.  2  Chron.  vi.  26,  27.  Here  also  is 
a  clear  statement,  that  in  such  cases  Prayers  ought  to  be  made 
to  God,  that  He  will  graciously  withdraw  His  chastisement; 
and  here  is  an  assurance,  that  such  prayers,  if  offered  in  faith, 
will  not  be  in  vain.     See  the  words  of  God,  2  Chron.  vii.  14. 

37.  famine — pestilence]  Another  reference  to  the  Penta- 
teuch as  to  pestilence  and  famine :  cp.  Lev.  xxvi.  25.  On  these 
verses  see  Bp.  Andr ewes'  excellent  sermon,  in  time  of  pestilence, 
V.  223—233.  452. 

—  mildew]  Blasting  and  jaundice  of  com :  see  Deut.  xxviii.  22. 

—  locust]  Cp.  Deut.  xxviii.  38. 

—  caterpiller]  Literally,  consumer ;  another  kind  of  locust; 
in  Hebrew,  chasil,  from  chasal,  to  devour,  Iruchus :  cp.  Joel  i. 
4 ;  ii.  25.  This  is  the  more  terrible  kind  of  locust  {Aquil., 
Gesen.  294.     Bertheau,  Chronik,  p.  282). 

38.  the  plague  of  his  own  heart]  Solomon  had  spoken  of 
external  pestilences;  and  he  now  proceeds  to  speak  of  the  worst 

Vol.  III.  33 


plague  of  all,  the  internal  plague  of  a  man's  own  heart;  the 
plague  of  the  conscience,  stricken  with  the  sense  of  sin,  and  suf- 
fering the  anguish  of  that  divine  chastisement  by  which  God 
speaks  to  the  heart,  and  which  the  sufferer  recognizes  as  the 
voice  of  Him  Who  searcheth  the  heart,  speaking  to  himself: 
cp.  Mic.  vi.  9.  1  John  iii.  20.  Rev.  ii.  23.  Even  for  this 
plague  there  is  medicine  in  prayer. 

41.  a  stranger]  Whom  the  Levitical  law  had  already  con- 
templated as  coming  near  to  the  God  of  Israel  (Num.  xv.  14), 
and  whom  it  had  commanded  the  IsraeUtes  to  love  (Deut.  x. 
19).  Solomon,  on  account  of  his  friendly  relations  with  foreign 
princes  (such  as  Pharaoh,  Hiram,  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba),  and 
foreign  nations,  and  by  reason  of  the  help  he  had  received  from 
foreigners  in  building  the  Temple,  would  feel  special  interest  in 
their  spiritual  welfare ;  and  here  he  delivers  a  prophecy  {v.  42), 
which  had  its  first  utterances  in  Moses  (Exod.  xv.  14 ;  xviii.  1) 
and  Balaam  (Num.  xxiv.  17),  and  has  been  fulfilled  in  Christ. 
What  a  blessed  thing  would  it  have  been  for  Solomon,  and 
for  the  Hebrew  Nation,  if  he  had  continued  to  live  and  act  in 
the  feeling  of  this  large  and  loving  sympathy  for  foreign  nations  ! 
Solomon  might  have  been  a  royal  Missionary,  and  have  evan- 
gelized them,  instead  of  being,  as  he  was,  an  unhappy  pervert, 
led  astray  by  them.     See  below,  xi.  1. 

But  Christ,  the  Divine  Son  of  David,  has  in  the  fullest 
sense  of  the  words  accomplished  that  glorious  work  which  So- 
lomon failed  to  perform.  Where  the  human  type  faUed  most 
miserably,  the  Divine  Antitype  shone  forth  most  gloriously.     _ 

43.  this  house— is  called  by  thy  name]  Lit.,  Thy  Name  is 
named  upon  this  house.     That  is.  Thy  Divine  Presence  not  only 


Solomon's  prayer 


1  KINGS  VIIL  44—59. 


and  blessing. 


II  Or,  riffhl. 

1  2  Chron.  6   3ij. 

Prov.  20.  9. 

Eccles.  7.  20. 

James  .S.  2. 

1  John  1.  8,  10. 

m  Lev.  26.  34, 

41. 

Deut.  28.  3(1,  fi4. 

n  Lev.  26.  40. 

+  Heb.  bring  hack 

to  their  Jieurt. 

o  Nell.  1.  9. 

Ps.  106.  6. 

Dan.  9.  5. 

p  Jer.  29.  12,  13, 

14. 


q  Dan.  6.  10. 


c  u  rTs  t         ^^  If  ^^J  people  go  out  to  battle  against  their  enemy,  whithersoever  thou 

t  Heh!^heway     slialt  seucl  tliem,  and  shall  pray  unto  the  Lord  f  toward  the  city  which  thou 

vfiueczty.         j^^^^  choscu,  aud  toivard  the  house  that  I  have   built  for  thy  name:  "^^  Then 

hear  thou  in  heaven  their  prayer  and  their  supplication,  and  maintain  their 

II  cause. 

^*^  If  they  sin  against  thee,  ('for  there  is  no  man  that  sinneth  not,)  and  thou 
be  angry  with  them,  and  deliver  them  to  the  enemy,  so  that  they  carry  them 
away  captives  ""  unto  the  land  of  the  enemy,  far  or  near ;  ^^ "  Yet  if  they  shall 
f  bethink  themselves  in  the  land  whither  they  were  carried  captives,  and 
repent,  and  make  supplication  unto  thee  in  the  land  of  them  that  carried 
them  captives,  °  saying.  We  have  sinned,  and  have  done  perversely,  we  have 
committed  wickedness ;  "^^  And  so  ^  return  unto  thee  with  all  their  heart,  and 
with  all  their  soul,  in  the  land  of  their  enemies,  which  led  them  away  captive, 
and  "^  pray  unto  thee  toward  their  land,  which  thou  gavest  unto  their  fathers, 
the  city  which  thou  hast  chosen,  and  the  house  which  I  have  built  for  thy 
name :  ^^  Then  hear  thou  their  prayer  and  their  supplication  in  heaven  thy 
II  Or,  right.  dwclliug  place,  and  maintain  their  ||  cause,  ^^  And  forgive  thy  people  that 
have  sinned  against  thee,  and  all  their  transgressions  wherein  they  have 
transgressed  against  thee,  and  ""give  them  compassion  before  them  who 
carried  them  captive,  that  they  may  have  compassion  on  them  :  ^^  For  '  they 
he  thy  people,  and  thine  inheritance,  which  thou  broughtest  forth  out  of 
Egypt,  'from  the  midst  of  the  furnace  of  iron :  ^^  That  thine  eyes  may  be 
open  unto  the  supplication  of  thy  servant,  and  unto  the  supplication  of  thy 
people  Israel,  to  hearken  unto  them  in  all  that  they  call  for  unto  thee.  ^^  For 
thou  didst  separate  them  from  among  all  the  people  of  the  earth,  to  he  thine 
inheritance,  "  as  thou  spakest  by  the  hand  of  Moses  thy  servant,  when  thou 
broughtest  our  fathers  out  of  Egypt,  0  Lord  God. 

^^  And  it  was  so,  that  when  Solomon  had  made  an  end  of  praying  all  this 
prayer  and  supplication  unto  the  Lord,  he  arose  from  before  the  altar  of  the 
Lord,  from  kneeling  on  his  knees  with  his  hands  spread  up  to  heaven. 

^^'  And  he  stood,  ''  and  blessed  all  the  congregation  of  Israel  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  ^"^  Blessed  he  the  Lord,  that  hath  given  rest  unto  his  people 
Israel,  according  to  all  that  he  promised  :  ^  there  hath  not  f  failed  one  word 
of  all  his  good  promise,  which  he  promised  by  the  hand  of  Moses  his  servant. 
^7  The  Lord  our  God  be  with  us,  as  he  was  with  our  fathers :  ^  let  him  not 
leave  us,  nor  forsake  us :  ^^  That  he  may  ^  incline  our  hearts  unto  him,  to 
walk  in  all  his  ways,  and  to  keep  his  commandments,  and  his  statutes,  and 
his  judgments,  which  he  commanded  our  fathers.     ^^  And  let  these  my  words, 


r  Ezra  7.  6. 
Ps    100.46. 

s  Deut.  9.  29. 
Neh.  1.  10. 


t  Deut.  4.  20. 
Jer.  11.  4. 


u  Exod.  19.  5. 
Deut.  9.  26,  29. 
&  14.  2. 


X  2  Sam.  6.  18. 


y  Deut.  12.  10. 
Josh.  21.  45.  & 
23.  14. 
t  Heb.  fallen. 

z  Deut.  31.  6. 
Josh.  1.  5. 

aPs.  119.  36. 


dwells  iu  this  house,  and  is  therein  manifest,  but  is  also  ac- 
knowledged to  be  so.  "  The  Name  of  Jehovah  "  is  equivalent 
to  Jehovah  Himself,  in  all  His  Divine  Essence  and  attributes. 
The  calling,  or  naming,  of  the  Name  of  Jehovah  upon  a  House, 
represents  the  existence  and  manifestation  of  God's  Presence 
and  Power  in  that  House ;  and  it  signifies  the  public  recognition 
of  that  Power  and  Presence  as  dwelling  and  displayed  in  it. 
Cp.  above,  on  2  Sam.  vi.  2,  and  Isa.  Ixiii.  19,  and  Jer.  vii.  10; 
xiv.  9;  XV.  16;  xxv.  29.  Amos  ix.  12,  and  Acts  xv.  17.  James 
ii.  7. 

48.  pray  unto  thee  toward  their  land'}  As  the  prophet 
Daniel  did.  "  His  windows  being  open  in  his  chamber  towards 
Jerusalem,  he  kneeled  down  on  his  knees  three  times  a  day  and 
prayed  "  (Dan.  vi.  10) ;  and  with  regard  to  confession  of  national 
sins,  and  deprecation  of  national  judgments,  cp.  Dan.  ix.  5 — 19. 
Ezra  ix.  5—15;  x.  1.  Neh.  ix.  16—35;  and  Ps.  cvi.  6. 

60.  forgive  thy  people']  Here  again  Solomon  remembers 
34 


God's  promises  in  the  Pentateuch,  and  adopts  its  language.   See 
Lev.  xxvi.  40.  42. 

61.  the  furnace  of  iron]  A  phrase  adopted  from  Deut.  iv.  20. 

62.  That  thine  eyes  may  be  open]  Solomon  wisely  and 
humbly  asci-ibes  it  to  God's  grace  to  Israel,  that  his  o^vii  and 
their  prayers  will  be  heard  by  Him. 

53.  thou  didst  separate  them]  A  reference  to  Lev.  xx. 
24.  26. 

55.  he— blessed]    See  above,  v.  14. 

56.  there  hath  not  failed]  Here  Solomon  adopts  the  words 
of  Joshua.     Josh,  xxiii.  14.     Cp.  Josh.  xxi.  45. 

67.  let  him  not  leave  us]  Here  is  a  double  reference,  to  the 
Pentateuch  and  to  the  Book  of  Joshua.  Deut.  xxxi.  6.  Josh, 
i.  5. 

58.  That  he  may  incline  our  hearts — statutes]  And  thus 
enable  us  to  inherit  the  promises  of  the  Law.  Lev.  xxvi.  3 — 13. 
Deut,  xxviii.  1 — 14. 


Solomon's  sacrifice. 


1  KINGS  VIII.  60— G6. 


The  feast  of  Tahernacles. 


wherewith  I  have  made  suppHcation  before  the  Lord,  be  nigh  unto  the  Lord 
our  God  day  and  night,  that  he  maintain  the  cause  of  his  servant,  and  the 
cause  of  his  people  Israel  f  at  all  times,  as  the  matter  shall  require  :  ^° ''  That 
all  the  people  of  the  earth  may  know  that  *"  the  Lord  is  God,  and  that  there  is 
none  else.  ^^  Let  your  ^  heart  therefore  be  perfect  with  the  Lord  our  God,  to 
walk  in  his  statutes,  and  to  keep  his  commandments,  as  at  this  day. 

^-And  ^the  king,  and  all  Israel  with  him,  offered  sacrifice  before  the  Lord. 
^'^  And  Solomon  offered  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  which  he  offered  unto 
the  Lord,  two  and  twenty  thousand  oxen,  and  an  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  sheep.  So  the  king  and  all  the  children  of  Israel  dedicated  the 
house  of  the  Lord.  ^^^The  same  day  did  the  king  hallow  the  middle  of  the 
court  that  was  before  the  house  of  the  Lord  :  for  there  he  offered  burnt 
offerings,  and  meat  offerings,  and  the  fat  of  the  peace  offerings :  because  ^  the 
l)rasen  altar  that  ivas  before  the  Lord  ivas  too  little  to  receive  the  burnt 
offerings,  and  meat  offerings,  and  the  fat  of  the  peace  offerings. 

^^  And  at  that  time  Solomon  held  ''  a  feast,  and  all  Israel  with  him,  a  great 
congregation,  from  "  the  entering  in  of  Hamath  unto  ^  the  river  of  Egypt, 
before  the  Lord  our  God,  '  seven  days  and  seven  days,  even  fourteen  days. 
^^ ""  On  the  eighth  day  he  sent  the  people  away  :  and  they  ||  blessed  the  king, 
and  went  unto  their  tents  joyful  and  glad  of  heart  for  all  the  goodness  that  the 
Lord  had  done  for  David  liis  servant,  and  for  Israel  his  people. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1001. 

t  Ileb   thethinij 

of  a  day  in  his 

dai/. 

b  josh.  4.  24. 

1  Sam.  17.  4G. 

2  Kipgs  19.  19. 

c  Deut.  4.  35,  39. 

d  ch.  II.  4.  & 

IS.  3,  14. 

2  King.s  20.  3. 

e  2  Chron.  7.  4, 

&;c. 


f2  Chron.  7.  7. 


g  2  Chron.  4.  1. 


h  ver.  2. 
Lev.  23.  34. 
i  Num.  34.  8. 
Josh.  13.  5. 
Judg.  3.  3. 
2  Kings  14.  2.i. 
k  Gen.  15.  IS. 
Num.  34.  5. 

I  2  Chron.  7.  8. 
m  2  Chron.  7.  £ 
10. 

II  Or,  thanked. 


60.  That  all  the  people — else']  Solomon  concludes  by  adopt- 
ing the  words  of  Moses :  "  Know  then,  and  consider  in  thine 
heart,  that  the  Lord  He  is  God,  in  heaven  above  and  upon  earth 
beneath  ;  there  is  none  else."     Deut.  iv.  39. 

62.  sacrifice]  Which  God  accepted,  by  consuming  it  with  fire 
from  heaven.     See  2  Chron.  vii.  1. 

63.  peace  offerings]  In  which  the  people  partook  with  the 
altar.  See  Bdhr,  Symb.  ii.  368.  Kurtz,  Mos.  Opfer.,  p.  129; 
and  the  notes  above,  on  Lev.  chap.  iii.  This  explains  the  vast 
number  of  victims  here  mentioned ;  each  of  them  was  not  merely 
a  sacrifice,  but  a  feast  on  a  sacrifice  j  and  they  show  the  im- 
mense number  of  people  gathered  at  Jerusalem  for  the  Dedi- 
cation of  the  Temple,  which  lasted  seven  days  :  v.  65. 

We  need  not  be  surprised  at  the  number  here  specified. 
Joseph.  (B.  J.  vi.  9. 3)  relates  that  256,500  Iambs  were  sacrificed 
between  the  two  Evenings  of  the  Passover.  As  to  the  number 
of  the  Ministers,  we  know  that  in  David's  days  the  Levites, 
from  thirty  years  and  upward,  amounted  to  38,000  (1  Chron. 
xxiii.  3.  See  2  Chron.  v.  11,  12).  We  find  120  Priests  men- 
tioned as  present  at  the  Dedication,  and  sounding  with  trumpets. 
How  many  more  there  were  engaged  in  other  ministries  at  that 
solemnity,  we  are  not  told.     Cp.  Bertheau,  Chrouik,  p.  287. 

64.  The  same  day  did  the  king  halloio]  On  that  special  day 
he  used  the  whole  forecourt  for  the  pm-pose  of  offering  sacrifices 
in  it.     Cp.  on  2  Chron.  vii.  7. 

—  the  brasen  altar — was  too  little]  Although  it  was  twenty 
cubits  long  and  twenty  cubits  broad.    2  Chron.  iv.  1. 

A  description  of  the  Brazen  Altar  is  given  in  the  Mishna 
(ed.  Surenhusius,  ii.  261) ;  and  an  engraving,  in  Bibl.  Diet. 
i.  53. 

65.  from  the  entering  in  of  Hamath]  On  the  Orontes :  see 
Num.  xiii.  21 ;  xxxiv.  8.    Josh.  xiii.  5.    Judg.  iii.  3. 

—  river  of  Egypt]  Now  El-Arish.     See  Gen.  xv.  18. 

—  seven  days  and  seven  days]  Seven  days  for  the  feast  of 
Dedication,  and  seven  days  for  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  which 
followed  it.  Seven  days,  see  2  Chron.  vii.  9,  10,  and  Keil, 
p.  103.  The  feast  of  the  Tabernacles  was  celebrated  fi-om  the 
15th  to  the  22nd  day  of  the  month,  which  day,  the  8th,  was 
the  great  day  of  the  feast.  See  Lev.  xxiii.  34 — 42.  Num.  xxix. 
12.  35.    Deut.  xvi.  13—15.    Neh.  viii.  18.    John  vii.  2—37. 

The  Dedication  of  the  Temple  and  the  Feast  of 
Tabeenacles. 

66.  On  ike  eighth  day  he  sent  the  people  aioay :  and  they 
llessed  the  king,  and  went  unto  their  tents  joyful  and  glad  of 
heart  for  all  the  goodness  that  the  Loed  had  done  for  David 

35 


his  servant,  and  for  Israel  his  people]  Thus  ended  the  great 
solemnity,  the  Dedication  of  the  Temple.  The  seven  days  of 
that  Dedication  were  followed  by  the  seven  days  of  the  Great 
Feast  of  Tabeenacles;  and  the  consummation  of  the  whole 
was  on  the  "Great  day"  of  that  feast,  the  eighth  day.  See 
below,  on  John  vii.  37. 

This  is  remarkable ;  as  was  before  observed,  the  Tabernacle, 
which  had  been  fi-amed  by  Moses  at  Sinai  from  the  pattern 
shown  to  him  by  God  Himself  in  the  Holy  Mount,  was  brought 
up  into  the  Temple  (v.  4),  and  the  Ark  was  placed  in  the  Temple 
in  the  Holy  of  Holies  (vv.  3,  4).  The  Temple  was  a  con- 
tinuation and  enlargement  of  the  Tabernacle;  and  it  was  a 
nearer  approach  to  the  consummation  to  which  they  tended, 
and  for  wliich  they  yearned,  the  Church  of  Christ. 

The  address  of  King  Solomon  at  the  Dedication  of  the 
Temple  was,  as  we  have  seen,  a  summary  of  God's  promises  in 
the  Law;  it  was  like  an  epitome  of  the  Pentateuch.  This 
identity,  continuity,  and  enlargement  were  declared  by  the 
Hebrew  Church  appointing  this  history  of  the  Dedication  of  the 
Temple  to  be  read  in  the  Synagogues  as  a  Proper  Lesson,  with 
the  Mosaic  history  of  the  erection  of  the  Tabernacle. 

In  these  respects  the  Temple  and  its  Dedication  had  a 
retrospective  character.  They  were  witnesses  of  the  past.  They 
testified  to  the  truth  of  the  Mosaic  history ;  and  they  were  based 
on  the  Mosaic  institutions. 

They  were  also  prospective.  Tliey  were  prophetic  of  those 
evangelical  blessings  which  are  the  fulfilment  of  all  that  was 
shown  to  Moses  in  the  Holy  Mount;  and  of  all  that  was 
shadowed  forth,  first  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  more  clearly  in 
the  Temple.  They  were  typical  of  Christ,  the  true  Temple,  and 
of  His  body,  the  Church. 

This,  their  figurative  character,  is  remarkably  exemplified 
and  displayed  in  the  flowing-on  of  the  Feast  of  Dedication, 
by  one  continuous  stream  of  celebration,  into  the  Feast  of 
Tabeenacles.  That  Feast,  the  last  great  Feast  of  the  Hebrew 
year,  bore  wtness  to  the  tabernacling  of  the  people  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  to  the  tabernacling  of  Jehotah  in  the  midst  of 
them ;  and  was  prophetic  of  the  Incarnation  of  Him  Who  "  ta- 
bernacled in  us  "  (John  i.  14),  and  Who  is  the  true  Tabernacle 
and  Temple  (John  ii.  19.  21),  and  also  is  the  true  Priest  and 
Sacrifice,  Emmanuel,  God  with  us,  God  manifested  in  the 
flesh,  Wlio  will  tabernacle  for  ever  with  His  people,  the  Saints 
beatified  and  glorified,  in  the  Heavenly  Jerusalem.  See  notes 
above,  on  Lev.  xxiii.  34—40;  and  below,  note  at  end  of  John  vii., 
and  on  Rev.  vii.  13,  14 ;  xxii.  3. 

The  joyfuluess  and  gladness  of  heart  of  that  vast  multitude 


God  appears  to  Solomon 


1  KINGS  IX.  1—8. 


the  second  time. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

1192. 

a  2  Chron.  7.  11, 

1)  oh.  7.  1. 

c  2  Chron.  8.  6. 

a  o.i.  3.  5. 

e  2  Kings  20.  5. 
I's.  10.  17. 


f  ch.  8.  29. 
g  Deut.  11.  12. 
h  Gen.  17.  1. 
i  ch.  11.  4,  6,  ;iS. 
&  14.  8.  it  15.  5. 


k  2  Sam.  7.  12, 

16. 

ch.  2.4.  &  C.  12. 

1  Chron.  22.  10. 
Ps.  132.  12. 

12  Sam.  7.  14 

2  Chron.  7.  ]'.l,  20. 
Ps.  89.  30,  &c. 

m  Deut.  4.  26. 
2  Kings  17.  23.  & 
25.  21. 
11  Jer.  7. 14. 

0  Deut.  28.  37. 

Ps   44.  14. 

p  2  Chron.  7.  21. 

q  Deut.  29.  24, 

25,  2G. 

Jer.  22.  8,  9. 


IX.  ^  And  ^  it  came  to  pass,  when  Solomon  had  finished  the  building  of  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  ^  and  the  king's  house,  and  ^  all  Solomon's  desire  which  he 
was  pleased  to  do,  -That  the  Lord  appeared  to  Solomon  the  second  time, 
^  as  he  had  appeared  unto  him  at  Gibeon. 

^  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  '  I  have  heard  thy  prayer  and  thy  suppli- 
cation, that  thou  hast  made  before  me :  I  have  hallowed  this  house,  which 
thou  hast  built,  ^to  put  my  name  there  for  ever;  ^and  mine  eyes  and  mine 
heart  shall  be  there  perpetually.  ^And  if  thou  wilt  ""walk  before  me,  'as 
David  thy  father  walked,  in  integrity  of  heart,  and  in  uprightness,  to  do 
according  to  all  that  I  have  commanded  thee,  and  wilt  keep  my  statutes  and 
my  judgments  :  ^  Then  I  will  establish  the  throne  of  thy  kingdom  upon  Israel 
for  ever,  "  as  I  promised  to  David  thy  father,  saying.  There  shall  not  fail  thee 
a  man  upon  the  throne  of  Israel.  ^ '  But  if  ye  shall  at  all  turn  from  following 
me,  ye  or  your  children,  and  will  not  keep  my  commandments  and  my  statutes 
which  I  have  set  before  you,  but  go  and  serve  other  gods,  and  worship  them : 
^ ""  Then  will  I  cut  off  Israel  out  of  the  land  which  I  have  given  them ;  and 
this  house,  which  I  have  hallowed  "  for  my  name,  will  I  cast  out  of  my  sight ; 
°  and  Israel  shall  be  a  proverb  and  a  byword  among  all  people  :  ^  And  p  at  this 
house,  ivhich  is  high,  every  one  that  passeth  by  it  shall  be  astonished,  and 
shall  hiss ;  and  they  shall  say,  '^  Why  hath  the  Lord  done  thus  unto  this  land, 


of  Israelites  who  were  present  at  the  Dedication  of  the  Temple  of 
Solomon,  and  on  the  eighth  or  great  day  of  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles which  followed,  and  who  there  stood,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  Feast,  with  branches  of  palms  in  their  hands,  and 
sang  hosannas  to  God  (Ps.  cxviii.  19 — 27.  Lev.  xxiii.  40. 
Matt.  xxi.  8,  9.  John  xii.  13),  were  like  a  prophetic  represen- 
tation of  that  innumerable  company  of  true  Israelites  who  will 
stand  on  the  heavenly  Mount  Siou  in  white  robes  with  palm- 
branches  in  their  hands,  singing  hosannas  to  Him  which  sitteth 
on  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb,     See  on  Rev.  vii.  4 — 17. 

The  pattern  of  the  Tabernacle  was  from  Heaven  itself 
(Exod.  XXV.  40.  Num.  viii,  4.  Heb.  viii.  5).  That  pattern 
was  copied  by  Moses  at  Mount  Sinai ;  the  Tabernacle  at  Mount 
Sinai  was  reproduced  by  Solomon  in  a  nobler  form  on  Mount 
Sion,  according  to  the  pattern  which  David  received  from  God. 
And  now  the  Tabernacle  of  Mount  Sinai  and  the  Temple  of 
Mount  Sion  have  been  spiritualized  by  the  Lord  Himself 
Incarnate,  in  the  Jerusalem  of  His  Church,  and  will  be  con- 
summated in  the  Heavenly  Sion.  The  Heavenly  Model,  shown 
to  Moses  in  the  Mount,  was  let  down,  as  it  were,  to  earth 
from  Heaven,  and,  after  having  gathered  many  generations  of 
faithful  men  in  every  age,  will  be  taken  up  again  into  Heaven 
in  Christ,  to  be  glorified  for  ever  there. 

God's  Second  Appeaeance  to  Solomok. 

Ch.  IX.  1,  2.  it  came  to  pass — the  Loed  appeared'\  Thirteen 
years  after  the  Dedication  of  the  Temple  described  in  the  fore- 
going chapters  (vi.  38,  and  vii.  1).  It  is  stated  here,  that  this 
divine  vision  was  vouchsafed  to  Solomon  after  he  had  finished 
his  oton  house,  which  was  thirteen  years  in  building,  and  was 
begun  after  the  completion  of  the  Temple,  which  was  seven 
years  in  building  (see  vi.  37,  38 ;  vii.  1)  j  and  a  similar  state- 
ment is  made  in  2  Chron.  vii.  11,  12. 

This  statement  is  rejected  by  some  critics  as  incredible. 
How  can  it  be  believed,  they  ask,  that  God  should  have  delayed 
BO  long  a  time  to  answer  the  prayer  offered  by  King  Solomon  at 
the  Dedication  of  the  Temple  ? 

The  reply  is,— God  did  not  delay  to  answer  it.  He  made 
an  immediate  reply  to  it  by  fire  from  Heaven.  This  informa- 
tion is  supplied  by  the  narrative  in  the  Chronicles,  which  will 
often  be  found  to  explain  what  would  otherwise  be  almost  un- 
accountable in  the  history  before  us  in  the  Book  of  Kings, 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  history  of  the  Kings  often  ex- 
plains that  of  the  Chronicles  :  "  altcrius  sic  altera  poscit  opera 
res,  et  conjurat  amice."  In  2  Chron.  vii.  1,  we  read,  "Now 
when  Solomon  had  made  an  end  of  praying,  the  fire  came 
down  from  Heaven,  and  consumed  the  burnt-oflering  and  the 
Bacrifices ;  and  the  glorij  of  the  Lord  fdled  the  house.  And 
36 


the  Priests  could  not  enter  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  because 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  Lord's  house.  And  when 
all  the  children  of  Israel  saw  how  the  fire  came  down,  and  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  upon  the  house,  they  bowed  themselves  with 
their  faces  to  the  ground  upon  the  pavement,  and  worshipped 
and  praised  the  Lord"  (2  Chron.  vii.  1—3). 

This  was  God's  answer  to  Solomon's  Prayer.  It  was  an 
immediate  answer,  and  a  complete  one;  and  it  was  recognized 
by  the  People  of  Israel  as  such. 

But  further,  by  giving  another  answer  to  the  prayer  of 
Solomon,  in  a  vision  to  Solomon  himself,  thirteen  years  after 
that  prayer  had  been  uttered ;  and  by  adjusting  this  private 
and  particular  answer  in  detail  to  the  petitions  of  that  prayer, 
as  is  more  clearly  seen  in  the  words  of  God,  which  are  rehearsed 
in  the  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  vii.  13—16),  Almighty  God  taught 
this  important  lesson,  that  the  prayers  of  the  faithful  are,  so  to 
speak,  ever  fresh  in  His  memory,  and  that,  though  He  may  not 
give  an  immediate  and  specific  answer  to  them  personally,  yet 
in  due  time  He  will  answer  them ;  and  thus  He  tries  their  faith, 
and  exercises  their  patience  and  perseverance.  See  below,  Luke 
xviii.  7,  8.     Rev.  vi.  10,  11. 

2.  the  Lord  appeared  to  Solomon^  From  this  divine  appear- 
ance to  Solomon  at  this  time,  and  from  the  divine  assurance  of 
favour  to  him,  if  he  continued  stedfast  in  his  obedience  to  God, 
it  may  be  concluded  that  Up  to  this  time,  when  Solomon  was 
about  forty-four  years  of  age,  he  had  not  swerved  from  God's 
law.  God  saw  the  moral  and  spiritual  snares  to  which  Solomon 
was  now  exposed  by  reason  of  his  earthly  glory,  his  wealth  and 
dominion,  and  commercial  prosperity,  and  He  mercifully  inter- 
vened at  this  crisis  to  warn  Solomon  of  the  danger  to  which  he 
was  exposed,  and  to  assure  him  of  His  divine  favour,  if  he 
remained  stedfast  in  His  obedience :  see  vv.  6.  9.  Alas !  the 
warning  was  in  vain :  see  xi.  1. 

—  as  he  had  appeared  unto  him  at  Giheon"]  i.  e.  by  night. 
See  2  Chron.  vii.  11,  12,  and  cp.  above,  iii.  5,  and  2  Chron.  i.  7. 
And  by  thus  reminding  him  of  that  former  appearance  at 
Gibeon,  and  of  the  promises  which  He  had  given  him  of  riches 
and  honour,  which  had  now  been  fulfilled,  God  encouraged 
Solomon  to  persevere  in  his  devotion  to  Him. 

7.  lyiuord~\  Properly,  a  sharp,  pointed,  saying  :  Deut.  xxviii. 
37.      Gesen.  841. 

8.  And  at  this  house,  which  is  high']  Rather,  this  house  tvill  he 
high  (Sept.  MS.  Alex.);  it  will  be  exposed  aloft,  on  its  high  hill, 
as  a  laughing-stock  to  the  scorn  of  passers-by,  who  will  be  asto- 
nished at  it.  Compare  our  Lord's  words  concerning  Capernaum 
(Matt.  xi.  23).  See  2  Chron.  vii.  21,  which  completes  the  sense. 
The  meaning,  so  completed,  is  this.  This  house  is  now  exalted  in 
glory,  but  the  more  lofty  it  is  in  position,  and  the  more  splendid 
in  magnificence,  the  more  visible  will  be  its  shame. 


Cahul. 


1  KINGS  IX.  9—17. 


Solomon*  s  fortresses. 


Pefnre 
CHRIST 

ahnut 
9U2. 


7.  1. 
2  Chron.  8.  1. 
;  Chion.  8.  2. 


and  to  tliis  house  ?  ^  And  they  shall  answer,  Because  they  forsook  the  Lord 
then-  God,  who  brought  forth  their  fathers  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  have 
taken  hold  upon  other  gods,  and  have  worshipped  them,  and  served  them : 
therefore  hath  the  Lord  brought  upon  them  all  this  evil. 

^^And  'it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  twenty  years,  when  Solomon  had  built  r ch.  e. 37, ss. & 
the  two  houses,  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  king's  house,  ^^ '  (Noiv  Hiram 
the  Idng  of  Tyi-e  had  furnished  Solomon  with  cedar  trees  and  fir  trees,  and 
with  gold,  according  to  all  his  desire,)  that  then  king  Solomon  gave  Hiram 
twenty  cities  in  the  land  of  Gahlee.     ^^^^^i  Hiram  came  out  from  Tyre  to  see 
the  cities  which  Solomon  had  given  him;  and  they  f  pleased  him  not.     ^^And  t Heb. «.re- «»< 
he  said,  What  cities  are  these  which  thou  hast  given  me,  my  brother  ?     '  And  t  josh.  19.27.  * 
he  called  them  the  land  of  11  Cabul  unto  this  day.     ^^  And  Hiram  sent  to  the  11  That  is,  du- 

1  .  .  I     ^         I  c         ^  ^  pUusing,  oi  Dirty. 

king  sixscore  talents  01  gold. 

^^  And  this  is  the  reason  of  "  the  levy  which  king  Solomon  raised ;    for  to  u  ch.  5. 13. 
build  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  his  own  house,  and  ''Millo,  and  the  wall  of ''''"■  ^•t- 

'  2  Sam.  5.  9. 

Jerusalem,  and^Hazor,  and  ^Me^iddo,  and^Gezer.     ^^For  Pharaoh  king  of  y  Jo^'^- >&  3''- 

'  11  "  z  Josh.  17,  U. 

Egypt  had  gone  up,  and  taken  Gezer,  and  burnt  it  with  fire,  ^  and  slain  the 
Canaanites  that  dwelt  in  the  city,  and  given  it  for  a  present  unto  his  daughter,  jm?g''i 
Solomon's  wife.     ^^And  Solomon  built  Gezer,  and  ^Beth-horon  the  nether, 


about 
992. 

.  16.  10. 
29. 
b  Josh.  Ki.  10. 
about 
1014. 
c  Josh.  IG.  3.  &  21.  22.     2  Chron.  8.  5. 


11.  Solomon  gave  Hiram  hventy  cities']  Whicli  were  situated 
in  "  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles "  (cp.  Judg.  iv.  2.  13.  Isa.  ix. 
1),  and  were  not  inhabited  by  Israelites.  In  the  Chronicles 
(2  Chron.  viii.  2),  we  are  informed,  that  after  these  cities  had 
been  restored  to  Solomon  by  Hiram,  Solomon  colonized  them 
with  Israelites.  These  cities  were  probably  near  the  Cabul 
mentioned  in  Josh.  xix.  27.  As  Dr.  Thomson  says  (The  Land 
and  Book,  p.  330),  descending  the  frontier  land  of  Phoenicia 
and  Galilee,  "  The  large  village  iui  the  centre  of  Wady-es-Shab 
is  Damxin,  and  further  south  is  Mr  JRuaise  ;  above  it  is  Tumra, 
and  stiU  higher  is  Cahul,  the  same  name  as  that  which  Hiram  gave 
to  the  cities  which  Solomon  presented  him.  The  whole  twenty 
cities,  I  suppose,  were  in  this  neighbourhood ;"  and  pp.  188,  189, 
"  These  twenty  cities  were  mere  villages;  Cabul  was  one  of  these, 
and  the  other  nineteen  were  probably  small  places  adjacent  to  it." 

13.  the  land  of  Cabul]  Which  Sept.  renders  by  "frontier 
laud  :"  cp.  Bochart,  Canaan,  ii.  4.  The  Indian  Province  Cabul 
is  said  to  be  so  called  from  the  Arabic  word  which  has  been  ad- 
mitted into  Hindustani,  and  signifies  treaty,  and  is  probably 
connected  with  the  Hebrew  chabal,  to  bind. 

Joseph.  (Antt.  viii.  5.  3)  says  it  is  a  Phoenician  word  for 
"  unpleasing."  But  this  seems  to  be  only  a  conjecture.  Qesen., 
382,  inclines  to  the  former  rendering.  Others  suppose  it  to 
mean  pawned,  or  pledged,  from  chabal,  to  bind  {Oesen.  257). 
Cp.  Ezek.  xviii.  12. 16,  where  chabal  occurs  in  this  sense ;  others 
render  it,  like  what  vanishes,  from  habal,  to  vanish  {Oesen. 
214)  ;  cp.  Hiller,  Onomast.,  435.     Jones,  80. 

But  are  not  these  etymologies  rather  farfetched  ?  May 
we  not  derive  a  solution  of  the  question  from  Scripture  itself  ? 
We  know  that  there  was  a  place  called  Cabul,  and  still  called  by 
that  name,  in  Palestine,  near  the  borders  of  Hiram's  country, 
Phrrnicia.  See  on  v.  11.  May  it  not  be,  that  this  border-vil- 
lage of  Galilee  was  regarded  with  contempt  by  the  wealthy 
Plia'uicians ;  and  that,  by  way  of  contrast  with  their  own  nobler 
cities,  it  was  made  a  byword  for  any  place  that  was  despised  ? 
May  it  not  have  been  like  what  Seriphos  was  to  the  Greeks,  and 
UlubriB  to  the  Romans,  and  what  Nazareth  was  to  the  Jews ;  a 
local  byword  for  what  was  contemptible  ?  Is  it  not  probable, 
that  when  Solomon  gave  to  Hiram  twenty  cities,  he  gave  those 
which  lay  most  convenient  to  Hiram's  frontier,  and  such  as 
Solomon  himself  could  afford  to  lose  without  injm-ing  the  inte- 
grity of  the  sacred  territory  ? 

Indeed,  we  are  expressly  told,  that  these  twenty  cities  were 
in  Galilee,  that  is,  on  the  borders  of  Phoenicia ;  and  Josephus 
says  that  they  were  not  far  from  Tyre  (viii.  5.  3) ;  and  the  Sept. 
suggests  this  by  the  word  frontier  (opioy),  given  as  a  rendering 
of  Cabul.  Hiram  crossed  hi.s  own  frontier  to  look  at  them,  and 
he  called  them  "  the  land  of  Cabul ;"  that  is,  the  twenty  cities 
were  all  the  one  like  tlie  other,  and  all  like  CaJwZ— probably  a 
poor  village,  as  it  is  now. 
37 


The  question  may  he  asked — Why  is  this  incident,  seem- 
ingly so  trivial,  recorded  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Holy  Scripture  ? 

Perhaps,  because  it  may  be  applied  in  a  spiritual  sense,  and 
conveys  spiritual  instruction.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  true  Solo- 
mon. He  gives  gifts  to  men.  The  Princes  of  this  world,  the 
Hirams  of  worldly  wealth  and  commerce,  are  often  disposed  to 
disparage  and  despise  them,  in  comparison  with  the  Tyres  and 
Sidons  of  their  own  Wealthy  domain.  Christ's  Apostles  were 
called  Galileans  and  Nazarenes,  by  the  wise  and  powerful  of  the 
woi-ld.  Christ  Himself  was  scorned  as  "  the  Galilean,"  "  the 
Nazarene,"  by  the  Julians  of  imperial  Rome.  His  heavenly 
manna  is  disdained  by  some  as  "  light  bread."  His  Church  is 
slighted  by  many.    She  is  only  a  "  land  of  Cabul "  in  their  eyes. 

Solomon  received  these  cities  back  again;  and  having  tc- 
ceived  them,  he  built  them,  we  are  told,  that  is,  he  fortified  and 
beautified  them,  and  peopled  them  with  Israelites  (1  Clirou.  viii. 
1,  2).  Thus  he  showed  that  their  soil  and  site  were  not  to  be 
despised ;  and  that  they  were  deserving  of  princely  care,  and 
might  be  made  agreeable  habitations.  And  it  is  probable 
that  some  of  these  obscure  cities  of  despised  Galilee  were  the 
scene  of  Christ's  teaching  and  miracles.  Perhaps  among  these 
cities  of  the  land  of  Cabul,  the  names  of  Cana  and  of  Nazareth 
might  be  reckoned.  However  this  may  be,  the  poorest  Cabuls 
which  are  built  and  peopled  with  true  Israelites  by  the  divine 
Solomon,  are  more  illustrious  than  the  Tyres  and  Sidons  of  this 
world.  The  humblest  Christian  Villages,  with  their  modest 
Parish  Churches,  where  the  Scriptures  are  heard,  and  the  Sacra- 
ments are  received  by  true  children  of  faithful  Abraham,  are 
more  glorious  in  God's  sight  than  gorgeous  palaces  and  godless 
capiitals,  where  Luxury  and  Worldliness  abound. 

15.  of  the  levy]  Of  men.  See  v.  13—16.  2  Chron.  viii.  8  — 
10  :  and  below,  v.  21. 

—  Millo]  Vvo^evly  n  fortress.  See  Judg.  ix.  6.  20 ;  here  it 
means  the  fortress  begun  by  David  on  Mount  Zion  (2  Sam.  v. 
9 ;  and  below,  xi.  27.     1  Chron.  xi.  8.     2  Chron.  xxxii.  51). 

—  wall  of  Jerusalem]  Also  begun  by  David  (2  Sam.  v.  9. 
1  Chron.  xi.  8).     Solomon  closed  their  breaches  (xi.  27). 

—  Sazor]  The  old  Canaanitish  walled  town  (Josh.  xi.  1). 
On  the  military  importance  of  Hazor  and  the  other  fenced  cities 
here  mentioned,  see  Keil,  p.  107. 

—  Megiddo]  Also  another  old  Canaanitish  fortress.  See 
Josh.  xii.  21.     Judg.  i.  27  ;  v.  19  ;  and  ch.  iv.  12. 

—  Gezer]  Another  old  fortified  city  of  Canaan,  perhaps  HI- 
Kubab  :  see  Josh.  x.  33  ;  x.xi.  21.  Solomon  occupied  and  forti- 
fied the  old  cities  and  strongholds  of  Canaan ;  so  Christ  has 
occupied  the  fortresses  of  Heathenism.  How  many  pagan 
temples  in  Asia,  Greece,  and  Italy— the  Parthenons  of  Athens, 
and  Pantheons  of  Rome— have  become  Christian  Churches  ! 

17.  Beth-horon   the   nether]    And    Beth-lioron    the    upper. 


Tadmor,  in  the  land. 


1  KINGS  IX.  18— 2G. 


PharaolCs  dcmgliter. 


■Before 
C  il  K  I  S  T 

a'lout 

uy2. 

d  Josh.  19.44. 

2  Cluon.  8:  4,  6, 

&c. 

e  ch.  4.  26. 

t  Heb.  the  desire 

of  Solomon  which 

he  desired. 

f  ver.  1. 

g  2  Chron.  8.  7, 

&c. 

h  Judg.  1.  21,  27 

29.  &  3.  1. 

i  Josh.  15.  63.  & 

17.  12. 

k  Judg.  1.  28. 

1  See  Gen.  9.  25, 

26. 

Ezra  2.  55,  5S. 

Neh.  7.  57.  & 

11.  3. 

ni  Lev.  25.  39. 

n  See  2  Chron.  8 

10. 


och.  3.  1. 
2  Chron.  8.  11. 
p  ch.  7.  8. 
q  2  Sam.  5.  9. 
ch.  11.  27. 
2  Chron.  32.  5. 
r2  Cliron.  8.  12, 
13,  16. 

t  Heb.  upon  il. 

s  2  Chron.  8.  17, 

IS. 

t  Num.  33.  35. 


i^And  ''Baalatli,  and  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness,  in  the  land,  ^^And  all  the 
cities  of  store  that  Solomon  had,  and  cities  for  ^  his  chariots,  and  cities  for  his 
horsemen,  and  f  that  which  Solomon  ^  desired  to  build  in  Jerusalem,  and  in 
Lebanon,  and  in  all  the  land  of  his  dominion.  ^^^  And  all  the  people  that  ivere 
left  of  the  Amorites,  Hittites,  Perizzites,  Hivites,  and  Jebusites,  which  were 
not  of  the  children  of  Israel,  ^i  Their  children  ''  that  were  left  after  them  in  the 

.  land,  '  whom  the  children  of  Israel  also  were  not  able  utterly  to  destroy,  ^  upon 
those  did  Solomon  levy  a  tribute  of  '  bondservice  unto  this  day.  22  -Q•^^j-  of  the 
children  of  Israel  did  Solomon  ""  make  no  bondmen  :  but  they  ivere  men  of  war, 
and  his  servants,  and  his  princes,  and  his  captains,  and  rulers  of  his  chariots, 
and  his  horsemen,     ^s  These  were  the   chief  of  the  officers  that  ivere  over 

•  Solomon's  work,  "  five  hundred  and  fifty,  which  bare  rule  over  the  people  that 
wrought  in  the  work. 

2*  But  •"  Pharaoh's  daughter  came  up  out  of  the  city  of  David  unto  ^  her  house 
which  Solomon  had  built  for  her  :  ^  then  did  he  build  Millo. 

2^ '  And  three  times  in  a  year  did  Solomon  offer  burnt  offerings  and  peace 
offerings  upon  the  altar  which  he  built  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  burnt  incense 
f  upon  the  altar  that  ivas  before  the  Lord.     So  he  finished  the  house. 

2^ And  'king  Solomon  made  a  navy  of  ships  in  ' Ezion-geber,  which  is  beside 


Dout.  2.  8.     ch.  22.  48. 


2  Chron.  viii.  5.  The  scene  of  Joshua's  great  victory  :  see  Josh. 
X.  10. 

18.  BaalatJi]     In  the  tribe  of  Dan  (Josh.  xix.  44), 

Tadmor — in  the  Land. 

—  Tadmor  in  ihe  wildernens,  in  the  land']  Called  by  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  Palmyra,  city  of  palms,  which  is  only 
another  form  of  the  word  Tadmor,  from  tamar,  a  palm  {Gesen. 
857),  situated  in  an  oasis,  in  the  wilderness  which  stretches 
from  Damascus  to  Thapsacus,  on  the  caravan -road,  in  the 
great  line  of  traffic  between  Damascus  and  the  Euphrates, 
from  which  it  is  at  a  distance  of  about  seventeen  hours.  Cp. 
JBertheau  on  Chronicles,  p.  292.  2  Chron.  viii.  3—6.  No  archi- 
tectural remains  of  Solomon's  age  have  as  yet  been  found  here. 

The  words,  "in  the  land,"  seem  to  have  perplexed  the 
ancient  translators.  The  Syriac,  Arabic,  and  Vulg.  render 
them,  "  in  the  land  of  the  wilderness."  The  Sept.  (ed.  Alex.) 
coiniects  in  the  land  with  what  follows.  The  words,  "  in  the 
land,"  are  not  in  the  parallel  passage  (2  Chron.  viii.  4). 

May  not  the  words,  in  the  land,  have  been  added  em- 
phatically by  the  Sacred  Historian  here,  with  a  special  purpose, 
to  intimate,  that  though  Tadmor  lay  in  the  toilderness,  on  a 
site  well  known  to  all,  and  only  a  few  hours  from  the 
Euphrates,  yet,  as  appears  from  iv.  24,  it  lay  in  the  land, 
that  is,  in  the  holy  landl  the  laud  of  Solomon's  dominion,  as 
it  is  expressed  in  the  following  verse  :  cp.  v.  21. 

This  interpretation  is  confirmed  by  a  supplementary  notice 
in  2  Chron.  viii.  3,  where  we  learn  that  Solomon  had  subdued 
the  territory  of  Hamath  Zobah  before  he  built  Tadmor.  Haniath 
Zobah  lay  east  of  Ccele- Syria,  and  reached  to  the  borders  of  the 
Euphrates  :  see  1  Chron.  xviii.  3 — 9.  Solomon  built  cities  in 
that  region.  Tadmor  itself  was  in  the  land  of  Hamath :  see 
2  Chron.  viii.  4. 

Was  not  this  expression,  "  he  built  Tadmor  in  the  wilder- 
ness, in  the  land,"  intended  l)y  the  historian  to  show  that  God 
had  fulfilled  His  promise,  to  extend  the  land  of  Solomon  far 
eastward  into  the  wilderness,  even  to  the  great  river,  the  river 
Euphrates  (cp.  above,  on  iv.  24),  and  that  Solomon  at  this 
time  had  faith  in  the  continuance  of  God's  favour,  and  that 
he  showed  this  faith  by  building  the  city  of  Tadmor,  near  the 
banks  of  the  Euphrates  ? 

This  fulfilment  of  God's  promises,  in  the  extent  of  the 
dominions  of  Solomon,  even  to  the  wilderness,  and  to  the  great 
river,  has  spiritual  interest  for  us.  It  is  like  an  earnest  and 
pledge  of  the  extent  of  the  dominion  of  the  true  Solomon,  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Divine  Prince  of  Peace. 

Both  these  fulfilments  are  pre-annouuced  in  the  same  Psalm, 
which  looks  forward  first  to  Solomon,  and  then  passes  on,  by  a 
natural  transition,  from  the  human  type  to  the   Divine  Anti- 
type.   "  Give  the  King  Thy  judgments,  O  Lord,  aud  Thy  right- 
38 


eousness  unto  the  King's  Son.  In  his  days,  shall  the  righteous 
flourish,  and  abundance  of  peace  so  long  as  the  moon  endureth. 
He  shall  have  dominion  also  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river 
unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.  They  that  dwell  in  the  toilderness 
shall  kneel  before  Him  "  (Ps.  Ixxii.  1.  8,  9). 

19.  cities  of  store]  Places  for  collecting  and  laying  up 
stores  of  provisions,  on  the  great  trade-roads,  for  the  relieving 
and  refreshing  the  travellers  and  merchants,  and  beasts  of 
burden  (cp.  2  Chron.  viii.  4 ;  and  xxxii.  28). 

—  desired  to  build]  Literally,  the  desire  ichich  lie  desired, 
viz.,  places  of  pleasure,  with  paradises,  or  parks,  and  gardens. 
To  these  Solomon  refers  in  Ecclesiastes  (ii.  4)  :  "I  made  mo 
great  works ;  I  builded  me  houses ;  I  planted  me  vineyards ; 

1  made  me  gardens  and  orchards ;  I  planted  trees  in  them  of 
all  kinds  of  fruits :  I  made  me  pools  of  water,  to  water  there- 
with the  wood  that  bringeth  forth  trees." 

22.  captains]    Heb.  shalishim :    cp.    Exod.  xiv.  7;    xv.  4; 

2  Sam.  xxiii.  8,  "  royal  adjutants "  (Keil).  It  is  usually  ren- 
dered '•  captains  "  by  our  translators  ;  and  no  better  rendering 
can  be  suggested. 

23.  Jive  hundred  and  fifty]  See  above,  on  v.  16. 

24.  came  up]  Therefore  Solomon's  palace  was  in  the  higher 
part  of  the  city  of  David,  to  which  Solomon  had  brought 
Pharaoh's  daughter  (see  iii.  1 ;  cp.  2  Chron.  viii.  11) ;  but 
Solomon's  palace  was  not  on  so  high  a  level  as  the  Temple : 
see  X.  5. 

The  Author  of  the  Chronicles  adds  the  reason  which  in- 
duced Solomon  to  do  this.  "  My  wife "  (he  said)  "  shall  not 
dwell  in  the  house  of  David,  King  of  Israel,  because  the 
places  are  holy  :  whereunto  the  Ark  of  the  Lord  hath  come." 
Observe  the  contrast.  At  this  time,  Solomon  was  full  of 
reverence  for  God  and  His  Presence ;  and  he  regulated  his 
wife's  habitation  accordingly.  And  his  wife  complied  with 
his  desires.  Here  is  a  figure  of  Christ's  relation  to  His  Church, 
and  of  her  dutiful  obedience  to  Him.  But  afterwards,  Solomon 
declined  from  his  duty  to  God,  and  became  a  slave  of  his  many 
heathen  wives,  and  built  shrines  for  their  false  deities  in  the 
very  sight  of  the  Temple  itself,  and  ofl'ered  sacrifices  to  those 
deities  :  see  below,  xi.  1 — 8. 

—  then]  After  he  had  brought  his  wife  up  to  his  palace. 

25.  three  times  in  a  year]  See  2  Chron.  viii.  13.  Cp. 
Exod.  xxiii.  14 — 17.  Dent.  xvi.  16.  These  passages  of  the 
Pentateuch  are  supposed  by  the  Sacred  Writer  to  be  familiar  to 
the  reader. 

—  did  Solomon  offer]  By  the  ministry  of  the  Priests,  men- 
tioned in  the  parallel  place  in  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  viii.  14). 

—  ztpon  the  altar]  This  notice  intimates  that  the  offering 
of  sacrifices  on  "  the  high  places "  had  now  ceased :  cp.  iii.  2, 
Here  is  another  evidence  of  Solomon's  religious  reverence  at 
this  time. 

26.  'Ezion-yeber]      At  the  northern  end    of  the    .^lanitic 


Solomon's  navy — Opliir. 


1  KINGS  IX.  27,  28.     X.  1. 


The  Queen  of  Sheha. 


73efore 

CHRIST 

about 

992. 


Eloth,  on  the  f  shore  of  the  Red  sea,  in  the  land  of  Edom.     -'' "  And  Hiram 
sent  in  the  navy  his  servants,  shipmen  that  had  knowledge  of  the  sea,  with  the 
servants  of  Solomon.     ^'^And  they  came  to  ''Ophir,  and  fetched  from  thence  u"h;V'n. 
gold,  four  hundred  and  twenty  talents,  and  hrought  it  to  king  Solomon. 

X.  ^  And  when  the  ^  queen  of  Sheba  heard  of  the  fame  of  Solomon  concern- 
ing the  name  of  the  Lord,  she  came  ""to  prove  him  with  hard  questions.  ^^^■^-■'^^■ 


t  Heb.  lip. 
u  ch.  10.  II 
X  Job  22.  24. 


a  2  Chron.  9.  1, 
&c. 


b  See  Ju(ig.  14.  12.     Piov.  1.  6 


Gulf.  See  above,  Num.  xxxiii.  35.  Deut.  ii.  8.  Robinson,  i.  250 ; 
Hai/man,  in  B.  D.  i.  60 i. 

—  ElotJi]  This  uauie,  signifying  trees,  is  mentioned  as 
suggesting  a  reason  for  the  choice  of  Ezion-geber,  which  was 
near  it,  for  ship-building.  It  is  also  called  Elath  (Deut.  ii.  8), 
and  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans  JElana,  whence  the  name  of 
the  iElanitic  Gulf,  now  Akaha,  which  means  a  descent 
{Rohinson,  i.  241;  xxv.  1—4;  Poole,  B.  D.  i.  516). 

27.  Hiram  sent  in  the  navy  his  servants^  We  learn  from 
the  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  viii.  17,  18),  that  Solomon  himself 
went  to  Ezion-geber.  It  is  also  related  there,  that  Hiram 
sent  also  ships,  as  well  as  servants,  thither,  and  that  they 
sailed  thence  to  Ophir :  see  below,  note  on  2  Chron.  viii.  18. 

Ophie. 

28.  And  they  came  to  Ophir']  That  is,  the  ships  and  ship- 
men  of  Solomon,  with  those  whom  Hiram  had  sent  from  Tyre, 
sailed  to  Ophir :  see  the  foregoing  note. 

Where  was  Ophir  situated  ? 

(1)  The  fii'st  mention  of  Ophir  is  in  Gen.  x.  29,  where  it 
occurs  among  the  Joktanite  names,  all  which,  as  far  as  we 
know,  are  to  be  connected  with  Arabia. 

(2)  Solomon's  fleet  was  built  at  Ezion-geber,  in  the  north- 
eastern gulf  of  the  Red  Sea.  Solomon,  the  wise  king,  would 
not  have  commanded  his  navy  to  make  a  long  voyage,  when  a 
shorter  one  would  answer  his  purpose. 

It  seems,  therefore,  that  Ophir  is  to  be  sought  in  the 
nearest  region  which  produced  or  supplied  the  commodities 
specified  in  Scripture,  as  coming  from  or  through  Ophir. 

(3)  David,  who  had  no  navy  of  any  account,  speaks  of 
himself  as  having  collected  3000  talents  of  the  gold  of  Opliir 
(1  Chron.  xxix.  4).  Hence  it  would  seem  that  Ophir  is  not  to 
be  looked  for  in  India  (as  has  been  supposed  by  many,  especially 
Lassen,  Ritter,  Bertheau,  Kitto  ;  and  see  also  Dr.  Pusey  on 
Micah  iv.  p.  321). 

(4)  The  principal  of  the  commodities  imported  by  Solomon 
from  Ophir  is  gold :  see  here,  and  2  Chron.  viii.  18 ;  and  it 
appears,  that  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  in  Arabia,  brought  a  large 
quantity  of  gold  to  Solomon  :  see  here  x.  10;  and  2  Chron.  ix.  9. 
"Gold  of  Ophir"  is  mentioned  in  Ps.  xlv.  9.  Job  xxviii.  16. 
Isa.  xiii.  12.     Cp.  Job  xxii.  24. 

(5)  The  nearest  region  to  Ezion-geber,  which  produced 
gold,  was  Arabia;  and  Arabia  is  specially  celebrated  in  Holy 
Scripture  for  its  gold.  See  Ps.  Ixxii.  15 :  "  He  shall  live ; 
and  to  Him  shall  be  given  of  the  yold  of  Arabia "  (Heb. 
Sheba).  And  Isa.  Ix.  6 :  "  They  from  Sheba  (Arabia)  shall 
come;  they  shall  bring  gold:"  cp.  Ezek.  xxviii.  22.  The 
reference  to  the  gold  of  Ophir  in  the  Book  of  Job  (xxii.  24; 
xxviii.  16), — a  book  which  is  connected  with  Arabia, — con- 
firms this  opinion.  And  we  find  Scriptural  notices  of  abun- 
dance of  gold  in  the  possession  of  the  tribes  who  dwelt  in  or 
near  Arabia.     See  Num.  xxxi.  22.     Judg.  viii.  24.  26. 

The  reference  to  Havilah,  in  Gen.  ii.  11,  is  not  without 
significance  :  "  The  whole  land  of  Havilah,  where  there  is  gold; 
and  the  gold  of  that  land  is  good."  The  name  Havilah  after- 
wards occurs  in  Gen.  x.  7.  29  ;  and  there  is  good  reason  to 
believe  that  it  is  rightly  connected  with  Arabia.  See  Kalisch 
on  Genesis,  p.  93;  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  i.  p.  469;  Poole,  U.  S. 
in  B.  D.  i.  761. 

(6)  Ophir  is  mentioned,  as  in  Arabia,  by  Eupolemns,  in 
Euseb.  Prsep.  Evang.  ix.  30. 

(7)  It  is  generally  supposed,  that  the  wise  men,  who  came 
from  the  East  to  Bethlehem,  fulfilled  the  prophecy  in  Ps.  Ixxii. 
10.  15.  They  brought  gold ;  and  they  are  commonly  thought 
to  have  come  from  Arabia :  see  on  Matt.  ii.  11. 

(8)  Arabia  is  described  by  classical  writers  as  rich  in  gold ; 
and  probably  if  search  were  made,  gold  mines  would  be  found 
there  now.  See  Strabo,  xvi.  777.  784;  Diod.  Sic,  ii.  50; 
iii.  44  ;  and  the  authorities  in  Bochart,  Phaleg.  ii.  27. 

(9)  In  the  following  chapter,  the  Sacred  Historian  speaks 
of  the  visit  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba  to  Solomon.  Sheba  was  in 
Southern  Arabia.    The  connexion  of  the  commerce  of  Solomon 

39 


with  the  Queen  of  Sheba's  visit  is  obvious,  if  Ophir  was  in 
Arabia  :  see  on  x.  1. 

(10)  That  Ophir  is  to  be  sought  in  Southern  Arabia,  has 
been  maintained  with  more  or  less  confidence  by  Michaelis, 
Niebiihr,  Vincent,  Bredoio,  Seetzen,  Ti/chsen,  Winer,  Oesenius, 
Fuerst,  Tuch,  Knobel,  Twistleton  (B.  D.  ii.  637—611),  Keil, 
pp.  Ill — 117.  Max  Mailer  places  it  at  Abhira  in  India. 
Cp.  Pusey  on  Micah  iv.  2.  Heeren  thinks  it  a  general  name. 
There  is  a  good  summary  in  Dr.  Smith's  Old  Test.  History, 
pp.  417.  42 1. 

(11)  Solomon,  in  his  wisdom,  in  his  peaceable  reign,  in 
the  building  of  the  Temple,  and  in  the  extent  of  his  dominion, 
and  in  the  offerings  made  to  him  of  the  gold  and  precious 
things  of  Ophir,  was  a  type  of  Cheist.  Concerning  Christ  and 
His  Church  it  is  prophesied,  "  Upon  thy  right  hand  did  staud 
the  queen  in  gold  of  Ophir ;  and  the  daughter  of  Tyi-e  shall 
be  there  with  a  gift "  (Ps.  xlv.  9 — 14).  Is  there  not  a  re- 
ference here  to  the  co-operation  of  Tyre  with  Solomon  in  the 
commerce  with  Ophir  for  gold  ?  And  are  we  not  authorized 
to  see  in  that  reference,  a  prophetic  anticipation  of  the  con- 
secration of  the  enterprise  of  the  great  commercial  Nations  of 
the  world  to  the  service  of  Christ  and  His  Church  ? 

Those  Psalms,  to  which  reference  has  been  already  made, 
were,  in  a  primary  sense,  applicable  to  the  commerce  of 
Solomon,  and  have  their  full  accomplishment  in  Christ,  the 
True  Solomon,  the  Divine  Prince  of  Peace.  "  The  kings  of 
Tarshish  and  of  the  i.sles  shall  bring  presents:  the  kings  of 
Sheha  and  Seba  shall  offer  gifts.  He  shall  live,  and  unto  him 
shall  be  given  of  the  gold  of  Sheba  :  prayer  also  shall  be  made 
for  him  continually,  and  daily  shall  he  be  praised "  (Ps.  Ixxii. 
10.  15). 

The  historic  basis  of  this  prophecy  is  to  be  found  in 
the  commerce  of  Solomon  with  the  Western  parts  of  the 
World,  represented  by  "  Tarshish  and  the  Isles ;"  and  also  with 
the  ^Eastern,  viz.,  Ophir,  in  Sheba  or  Seba.  And  the  larger  in- 
terpretation of  the  prophecy  is  this  :  that  Solomon's  commerce, 
extending  eastward  and  westward,  was  a  foreshadowing  of  the 
spiritual  commerce  of  Christ,  communicating  the  Gosjicl  to  all 
parts  of  the  World,  and  receiving  their  homage  in  return,  in  the 
spiritual  tribute  "  of  prayer  and  praise." 

—  four  hundred  and  twenty  talents']  In  the  Chronicles 
(2  Chron.  viii.  18)  four  hundred  and  fifty  talents  are  s^jecified. 
Perhaps  thirty  were  assigned  to  Hiram  for  his  help. 

The  Queen  oe  Sheba. 

Ch.  X.  1.  the  queen  of  Sheba]  In  Arabia  Felix,  in  tht 
northern  portion  of  what  is  now  called  Yemen.  See  Plin., 
vi.  32;  Ptolem.,  vi.  7;  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  405;  Poole,  B.  D. 
ii.  1231 ;  Bertheau  on  2  Chron.  ix.  1,  p.  278. 

—  heard  of  the  fame  of  Solomon]  Probably  from  Solomon's 
commerce  with  Ophir,  in  Ai-abia.  The  mention  of  this  visit  of 
the  Queen  of  Shelja  to  Solomon  is  connected  with  the  accouut 
of  that  commerce  in  the  foregoing  chapter.  The  two  topics  are 
similarly  joined  together  in  the  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  viii.  17, 
and  ix.  1) ;  and  this  connexion  seems  to  confirm  the  opinion 
already  stated,  that  Ophir  is  to  be  sought  in  Arabia. 

—  concerning  the  name  of  the  Loed]  Or,  rather,  by  the 
Name  of  the  Lord ;  i.  e.  the  fame  given  to  him  by  Jehovah. 
There  is  a  similar  use  of  the  Hebrew  preposition  {V,  equivalent 
to  the  Greek  iu)  in  Judg.  vii.  18,  "  By  Jehovah  and  by  Gideon" 
we  shall  conquer.     Cp.  iv  rovrcf:  v'lKa;  see  Oesen.  423. 

There  is  a  remarkable  alliteration  here  in  the  original, 
Umalcath  Sheba  shemaath  ethshema  Shelomoh  le-shem  Yehovah. 
"  The  Queen  of  Sheba  came  from  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  to  hear  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,"  and  to  see  the  glory  given 
him  by  the  Lord.  Our  Lord  leads  us  to  apply  this  history  to  a 
greater  than  Solomon  (Matt.  xii.  42.  Luke  xi.  31)  ;  and  in  this 
visit  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba  to  Solomon  at  Jenisalem,  in  order 
to  see  his  glory  and  to  learn  wisdom  from  him,  we  may  see  a 
beautiful  picture  of  the  zeal  of  the  heathen  nations,  and  of 
every  earnest  soul,  coming  to  Christ,  to  behold  His  glory,  and 
to  learn  wisdom  from  Him,  speaking  in  His  Jerusalem.  C,\i. 
S.  Ambrose  de  OSic.  ii.  10;  S.  Prosper  Aquitan.,  ii.  27.     Why 


Solomon* s  ascent 


1  KINGS  X.  2—10. 


to  the  house  of  the  Lord, 


before 

CHRIST 

about 

992. 


\  Hi;b.  words. 


t  Hob.  standing. 


II  Or,  hutlers. 
c  1  Chron.  26.  16, 


t  Heb.  word. 
II  Or,  sayings. 


t  Heb.  thou  hast 
added  wisdam 
and gnodneiS  to 
the  fame. 
d  Piov.  viii.  34. 


f  2  Sam.  8.  15. 
Ps.  72.  2. 
Prov.  8.  15. 
B  Pi.  72.  10,  15. 


2  And  she  came  to  Jerusalem  with  a  very  great  train,  with  camels  that  bare 
spices,  and  very  much  gold,  and  precious  stones :  and  when  she  was  come  to 
Solomon,  she  communed  with  him  of  all  that  was  in  her  heart.    ^  And  Solomon 
told  her  all  her  f  questions  :  there  was  not  amj  thing  hid  from  the  king,  which 
he  told  her  not.     "^And  when  the  queen  of  Sheba  had  seen  all  Solomon's 
wisdom,  and  the  house  that  he  had  built,  ^  And  the  meat  of  his  table,  and  the 
sitting  of  his  servants,  and  the  f  attendance  of  his  ministers,  and  their  apparel, 
and  his  1|  cupbearers,  "^  and  his  ascent  by  which  he  went  up  unto  the  house  of 
the  LoED ;  there  was  no  more  spirit  in  her.     ^  And  she  said  to  the  king,  It 
was  a  t  true  report  that  I  heard  in  mine  own  land  of  thy  ||  acts  and  of  thy 
wisdom.     7  Howbeit  I  believed  not  the  words,  until  I  came,  and  mine  eyes  had 
seen  it :  and,  behold,  the  half  was  not  told  me :  f  thy  wisdom  and  prosperity 
exceedeth  the  fame  which  I  heard.     ^  **  Happy  are  thy  men,  happy  are  these 
thy  servants,  w^hich  stand  continually  before  thee,  and  that  hear  thy  wisdom. 
^ '  Blessed  be  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  delighted  in  thee,  to  set  thee  on  the 
throne  of  Israel :  because  the  Lord  loved  Israel  for  ever,  therefore  made  he 
thee  king,  Ho  do  judgment  and  justice.     ^"  And  she  «gave  the  king  an  hundred 
and  twenty  talents  of  gold,  and  of  spices  very  great  store,  and  precious  stones  : 
there  came  no  more  such  abundance  of  spices  as  these  which  the  queen  of 
Sheba  gave  to  king  Solomon. 


do  we  think  any  labour  great,  or  any  way  long,  to  hear  the 
"greater  than  Solomon?"  Justly  shall  she  rise  up  in_  the 
judgment  and  condemn  us,  if  we  refuse  to  hear  the  Divine 
Wisdom  of  Him  Who  preaches  to  us  in  His  Word  {B}^.  Hall). 

—  hard  questions']  See  Judg.  xiv.  14.  Oesen.  273.  The 
Arabians  were  famous  of  old,  as  now,  for  proverbs  and  riddles  : 
see  Burakhardfs  collection  of  Arabic  proverbs  published  by 
OuseJey ;  and  by  Freytag  and  Eiickert  quoted  by  Keil. 

2.  xoith  a  very  great  train]  Heb.  chayil ;  lit.  loith  great 
power,  mightiness,  grandeur,  hence  a  display  of  power.  Cp. 
2  Kings  vi.  14..     2  Chron.  ix.  1 ;   xiii.  3  ;  xvi.  7,  8. 

—  very  much  gold]    See  above,  ix.  28. 

3.  there  was  not  any  thing  hid  from  the  king]  vv.  23,  24. 
Our  Blessed  Lord  in\'ites  us  to  regard  the  Queen  of  Sheba's 
visit  to  Solomon  as  exemplary  to  us  (Matt.  xii.  42.  Luke  xi. 
31).  Nothing  "was  hid  ft-om  Solomon;"  and  all  the  treasures 
of  wisdom  and  knowledge  are  hidden  in  Clu-ist  (Col.  ii.  3). 
"  All  the  earth  sought  to  Solomon,  to  hear  bis  wisdom  which 
God  had  put  in  his  heart"  (v.  24).  None  can  gain  true  wisdom 
except  by  coming  to  Christ,  Who  "  is  the  power  of  God  and 
the  wisdom  of  God,"  1  Cor.  i.  24—80. 

4.  the  house]    His  palace. 

6.  the  meat]  The  richness  and  variety  of  his  provisions  {v.  5), 
and  its  costly  apparatus  {v.  21). 

—  the  sitting]    In  their  appointed  place. 

—  the  attendance]    Lit.  the  standing. 

—  his  cupbearers]    And  the  vessels  for  drinking  {v.  21). 

Solomon's  Ascent  to  the  House  oe  the  Lord. 

—  his  ascent  — unto  the  house  of  the  Loed]  Cp.  2  Kings  xvi.  18. 
1  Chron.  xxvi.  16.  It  is  remarkable,  that  the  original  word 
used  in  the  present  passage  for  ascent,  is  olah,  which 
occurs  at  least  300  times  in  the  Bible,  and  signifies  a  burnt- 
sacrifice.  In  only  one  other  place  (as  far  as  I  know)  it  means 
ascent  (Ezek.  xl.  26). 

Is  it  altogether  without  a  mystery,  that  the  almost  universal 
meaning  of  the  word  here  rendered  ascent  is  burnt-offering, 
and  that  the  word  is  here  rendered  hurnt-offering  or  sacrifice 
by  the  Ancient  Versions,  Sept.,  Vulg.,  Syriac,  Arabic,  and  the 
Clialdee  Targum,  and  was  so  understood  by  Josephus,  viii. 
6.  5  ? 

The  ascent  of  the  Divine  Solomon,  Jesus  Christ,  to  the 
True  Temple  of  the  Heavenly  Jerusalem,  even  to  the  Heavenly 
Holy  of  Holies,  was  the  ascent  of  a  whole  Burnt  Offering,  holy 
and  acceptable  to  God,  an  ofl'erlng  of  a  sweet-smelling  savour 
(Eph.  v.  2) ;  and  by  that  ascent  He  pleads  for  us  the  virtue  of 
that  all-sufficient  Sacrifice,  and  enables  us  to  ascend  also. 
40 


If  Solomon's  ascent  to  the  temple  of  the  earthly  Sion  was 
magnificent,  how  much  more  glorious  was  the  Ascent  of  Christ, 
the  true  Solomon,  by  which  He  went  up  into  the  heavenly 
Temple,  in  order  to  pray  for  us  as  our  Priest,  and  to  reign  there 
as  our  King,  and  to  prepare  a  place  for  us,  and  to  bring  us  up 
by  the  same  ascent  to  where  He  is  !  The  Queen  of  Sheba  was 
lost  in  amazement  when  she  contemplated  the  ascent  of  Solomon 
to  the  Temple  of  the  Lord  ;  and  there  was  "  no  more  spirit  in 
her."  Such  may  also  be  the  feeling  of  the  devout  soul,  when  it 
meditates  on  the  Ascension  of  the  Divine  Solomon,  the  King  of 
all  true  Israelites,  the  Prince  of  Peace,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the 
King  of  Glory,  the  Incarnate  Word,  offering  Himself  as  our 
olah  or  burnt-offering ,  ascending  in  a  sweet  savour  to  heaven ; 
and  going  up  in  our  nature  to  the  heavenly  Temple.  And  we 
may  take  up  the  divine  strain  poured  forth  by  David,  speaking 
in  the  Spirit  in  the  twenty-fourth  Psalm,  "  Who  shall  ascend 
into  the  hill  of  the  Lord,  or  who  shall  rise  up  in  His  holy 
place  ? "  and,  "  Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates,  and  be  ye  lift 
up,  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  the  King  of  glory  shall  come  in." 
Ps.  xxiv.  3.  7. 

Of  the  Queen  of  Sheba  it  is  written,  that  when  she  looked 
at  the  ascent  of  Solomon  "  there  was  no  more  spirit  in  her." 
So  the  devout  mind  is  lost  in  amazement  in  contemplating  the 
Ascension.  There  is  no  more  spirit  in  it ;  that  is,  in  itself, 
humanly  speaking;  but  the  Ascension  of  Christ  was  for  the 
purpose  of  renewing  "  a  right  spirit  within  us ;"  even  for  the 
very  purpose  of  giving  to  us  the  Holt  Spirit,  "  to  abide  with 
us  for  ever  "  (John  xiv.  16). 

6 — 9.  she  said  to  the  king]  Tliis  speech  of  the  Queen  of 
Sheba  to  Solomon  is  like  the  language  of  the  Church  to  Christ 
even  here  upon  earth ;  and  how  much  more  will  this  language 
of  wonder  and  transport  be  realized  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem! 
cp.  Matt.  xiii.  16.  Luke  x.  23.  1  Cor.  ii.  9,  "  Eye  hath  not 
seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man, 
the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  Him." 

9.  Blessed  be  the  hoRD— to  do  judgment  and  Justice]  The 
Queen  of  Sheba  is  led  by  the  sight  of  Solomon's  wisdom  and 
glory  to  acknowledge  and  praise  the  wisdom  and  glory  of  the 
Lord.  How  much  more  true  is  all  this  of  the  all-righteous 
King  and  Judge,  MTiose  Throne  is  established  in  the  heavenly 
Sion  for  ever !  The  Queen  of  Sheba  gave  gold  to  Solomon ; 
and  of  the  Divine  Solomon  it  is  ^\Titten,  that  "to  Him  shall  be 
given  of  the  gold  of  Sheba"  (Ps.  Ixxii.  10.  15). 

10.  spices]  Besamim,  from  basam,  to  be  fragrant,  whence 
basam,  balsam  {Oesen.  146;  Fuerst,  244).  Josephus  s.ays 
(Antt.  viii.  6.  6)  that  the  genuine  balsam,  Ts-hich  grew  near 
Jericho  and  at  Engaddi,  was  introduced  into  Palestine  by  the 
Queen  of  Sheba. 


Solomon  s  tribute. 


1  KINGS  X.  11—20. 


Solomon's  throne. 


^^  ''And  the  navy  also  of  Hiram,  that  brought  gold  from  Oplhr,  brought  in 
from  Ophir  great  plenty  of  ||  almug  trees,  and  precious  stones.  ^^' And  the 
king  made  of  the  almug  trees  ||  f  pillars  for  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  for 
the  king's  house,  harps  also  and  psalteries  for  singers :  there  came  no  such 
''almug  trees,  nor  were  seen  unto  this  day.  ^^And  king  Solomon  gave  unto 
the  queen  of  Sheba  all  her  desire,  whatsoever  she  asked,  beside  tJiat  which 
Solomon  gave  her  f  of  his  royal  bounty.  So  she  turned  and  went  to  her  own 
country,  she  and  her  servants. 

^^  Now  the  weight  of  gold  that  came  to  Solomon  in  one  year  was  six  hundred 
threescore  and  six  talents  of  gold,  ^^  Beside  that  he  had  of  the  merchantmen, 
and  of  the  traffick  of  the  spice  merchants,  and  '  of  all  the  kings  of  Arabia,  and 
of  the  II  governors  of  the  country. 

^^  And  king  Solomon  made  two  hundred  targets  of  beaten  gold :  six  hundred 
shekels  of  gold  went  to  one  target.  ^^  And  he  made  ""  three  hundred  shields  of 
beaten  gold ;  three  pound  of  gold  went  to  one  shield :  and  the  king  put  them 
in  the  "  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon. 

18  o  jvioreover  the  king  made  a  great  throne  of  ivory,  and  overlaid  ;t  with  the 
best  gold.  ^^  The  throne  had  six  steps,  and  the  top  of  the  throne  loas  round 
f  behind :  and  there  ivere  f  stays  on  either  side  on  the  place  of  the  seat,  and 
two  lions  stood  beside  the  stays.     "^^  And  twelve  lions  stood  there  on  the  one 


Before 
C  H  K  1ST 
about 
9'.)2. 
h  cli.  9.  2?. 
II  alijnm  trees, 
2  Chron.  2.  S.  Si 
9.  10,  11. 
i  2  Chron.  9.  U. 
II  Or,  rtiils. 
t  Heb.  a  prop. 

k  2  Chron.  9.  10. 

t  Hel).  according 
to  the  haud  of 
kiny  Solomon, 


I  2  Chron.  9.  24. 
Ps.  72.  10. 

II  Or,  captains. 


m  ch.  14.  2G. 


o  2  Chron.  9.  17, 


t  Heb.  on  the 

hinder  part 

thereof. 

t  Heb.  hands. 


11.  the  navy  also  of  Sir  am]  Which  wag  joined  with  that 
of  Solomon  in  the  voyage  to  Qphir.  See  above,  ix.  27,  28. 
2  Chron.  ix.  10. 

—  almug  trees']  Red  sandalwood  {Gesen.hZ;  Fuerst,\01). 

12.  pillars']  Literally,  props,  stays  {Sept.  and  7^ ?_<?.),  perhaps 
steps,  staircases  with  balustrades :  cp.  2  Cbron.  ix.  11. 

—  harps — and  psalteries]  ov guitars  and  harps  :  cp.  2  Sam. 
vi.  5 ;  and  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  125.  The  former  word  (Heb. 
cinnSr)  is  always  rendered  harp  by  our  Translators ;  the  latter 
(Heb.  nehel)  is  usually  translated  ^saZ^er^,  except  in  Isaiah  and 
Amos,  where  it  is  rendered  viol. 

Here  is  an  incidental  confirmation  of  the  account  given  at 
large  in  the  Chronicles  of  the  musical  services  in  Solomon's 
Temple  (2  Chron.  v.  11—13). 

13.  beside  that — hounty]  Tliat  is,  beside  what  he  gave  her, 
literally,  according  to  the  hand  of  King  Solomon,  in  accord- 
ance with  his  royal  wealth  and  dignity,  as  a  return  for  the 
presents  which  the  queen,  on  her  side,  acpording  to  her  estate, 
had  given  to  him.  The  passage  is  explained  by  2  Chron.  ix.  12; 
and  so  Targum  here,  and  Keil.  So  Christ  will  give  to  His 
people  gifts,  in  proportion  to  ■s^'hat  they  bring  to  Him ;  and 
those  gifts  will  overflow  in  gracious  abundance  in  accordance 
with  His  own  Divine  glory  and  power  (see  Matt.  xiii.  12  j 
xxv.  29) ;  and  besides  this.  He  promises  that  whatever  they 
ask  in  His  Name  they  will  receive  (John  xiv.  13,  14 ;  xv.  7). 

14.  came — in  one  year]  That  is,  each  year.  So  Vitlg.  and 
other  ancient  Versions.  Keil  demurs  to  this  rendering  of  the 
Hebrew  echad  (one) ;  but  it  is  confirmed  by  other  passages,  e.  g. 
X.  14.  2  Kings  XV.  20,  where  it  is  rendered  each ;  and  Isa.  vi.  2, 
and  Ezek.  i.  6 ;  x.  14,  and  sq  Bertheau  on  2  Chron.  ix.  13. 
The  gold  came  probably  from  Ophir;  and  hence  it  may  be 
inferred  that  Ophir  could  not  be  very  distant  from  Ezion- 
geber. 

Solomon's  Teibute  of  666  Taients. 

—  six  hundred  threescore  and  six  talents]  This  is  a  re- 
markable sum,  formed  of  three  sixes,— six  hundreds,  six  tens, 
and  sLs  units.     It  is  found  only  in  two  other  places. 

One  of  these  places,  where  this  number  666  occurs,  is 
that  wonderful  and  mysterious  passage  of  the  Apocalypse  (Rev. 
xiii.  17,  18),  where  it  is  said,  "  No  man  might  buy  oi-  sell,  save 
he  that  had  the  mark  or  the  name  of  the  Beast,  pr  the  number 
of  his  name.  Let  him  that  hath  understanding  count  the  num- 
bat  of  the  Beast,  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man,  and  his  number 
is  six  hundred  threescore  and  six." 

The  number  seven  is  a  sacred  and  sabbatical  number,  and 
denotes  what  is  complete.  But  the  number  six  symbolizes 
sorrow,  trial,  and  defection  from  completion,  and  this  number 
41 


666  is  a  symbol  of  triple  tendency  toward  good,  but  of  triple 
declension  and  defection  from  it  (see  the  notes  below,  on  Rev. 
xii.  Frelirn.  Note,  pp.  220,  221,  and  on  Rev.  xiii.  18,  p.  235). 
It  is  a  mark  of  Antichristianism. 

Solomon  was  a  figure  of  Christ,  in  His  majesty  and  glory. 
And  it  may  be  submitted  here  for  the  reader's  consideration, 
whether  this  subjection  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  Solomon,  and 
this  bringing  of  tribute  as  a  token  of  submission  to  him,  is  not 
typical  and  prophetic  of  the  subjection  of  all  things  to  Christ ; 
and  whether  the  amount  of  this  tribute — 666  talents  yearly — 
may  not  be  a  foreshadowmg  of  the  full  and  final  putting  down 
of  all  the  rival  apostate  and  Antichristian  powers  of  this  world, 
and  of  the  Powers  of  darkness.  Sin,  Satan,  and  the  Grave,  and 
of  their  entire  subjugation  to  Christ,  of  whom  it  is  written, 
"All  kings  shall  bow  down  before  Him,  all  nations  shall  do 
Him  service."  "  He  must  reign  till  He  hath  put  all  euemies 
under  His  feet"  (1  Cor.  xv.  25—27.     Rev.  xvii.  14). 

This  conjecture  seems  to  be  confirmed  by  the  other  place 
where  this  number  666  occurs  :  see  below,  on  Ezra  ii.  13. 

15.  Beside  that  he  had  of  the  merchantmen]  Import  duties 
or  annual  gifts  from  the  retail  dealers  (see  2  Chron.  ix.  24). 

—  spice  merchants]  The  larger  wholesale  trafiickers. 

—  of  all  the  Icings  of  Arabia]  Who  brought  an  annual 
tribute  of  their  flocks :  cp.  2  Chron.  xvii.  11. 

—  governors]  Heb.  pachoth  :  cp.  xx.  24.     See  Gesen.  671. 

16.  targets]  Greater  state  shields  (scuta,  'F'ulg.)  hung  up 
in  the  palace,  or  on  the  walls  outside  it  {Stanley,  p.  194),  and 
v^orn  by  the  royal  body-guard  on  great  occasions  :  cp.  xiv.  26, 
27.     2  Chron.  xii.  10. 

—  beaten  gold]  Not  alloyed,  but  pure  gold,  beaten  out 
{Sept.,  Kiinchi). 

17.  shields]  Smaller  ones — "peltas"  (Fw/jr.). 

The  shields  of  gold  which  Solomon  made,  were  afterwards 
taken  away  by  Shishak,  King  of  Egypt,  in  the  days  of  Reho- 
boam,  who  made  brazen  shields  in  their  place,  xiv.  27. 

Solomon's  Theone. 

18.  a — throne  of  ivory]  Inlaid  with  ivory  (supplied  by  his 
commerce,  v.  22),  intermingled  with  gold  :  something  like  the 
chryselephantine  work  of  Phidias  and  other  famous  Greek 
artists  at  Athens  and  Olympia.  For  a  description  of  the 
Throne,  sec  Stanley,  p.  195. 

—  best  gold]  Pm-itied  gold  {Gesen.  670). 

19.  stays]  Arms. 

19,  20.  tioo  lions— ttcelve  lions]  A  lion,  probably  of  metal, 
was  cast  near  each  arm  of  the  seat,  and  two  lions,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  six  steps.  Thus  the  King  mounted  between  figures  of 
lions  to  his  seat  on  his  throne,  and  sate  between  figures  of  lions 


Tharshibh. 


1  KINGS  X.  21,  22. 


Ajjes  and  'peacocks. 


Before 

CHRIST 

ahout 

992. 

t  Heb.  so. 

p  2  Chron.  9.  20, 

&c. 

II  Or,  there  was 
no  silver  in  them, 
q  Gen.  10.  4. 
2  Chron.  20.  36. 

II  Or,  elephants' 
teeth. 


side  and  on  tlie  other  upon  the  six  steps :  there  was  not  f  the  hke  made  in  any 
kingdom.  ^^  ^  And  all  king  Solomon's  drinking  vessels  ivere  of  gold,  and  all 
the  vessels  of  the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon  ivere  of  pure  gold ;  ||  none 
were  of  silver :  it  was  nothing  accounted  of  in  the  days  of  Solomon.  ^^  For 
the  king  had  at  sea  a  navy  of  '^  Tharshish  with  the  navy  of  Hiram :  once  in 
three  years  came  the  navy  of  Tharshish,  bringing  gold,  and  silver,  ||  ivory,  and 
apes,  and  peacocks. 


upon  it.  The  lion — the  ensign  of  Solomon's  tribe,  the  royal 
tribe  of  Judah  (Gen.  xlix.  9  :  ep.  v.  5),  was  an  emblem  of 
majesty  (Rev.  iv.  7). 

Solomon,  seated  as  King  and  Judge  on  his  throne  at  Jeru- 
salem, was  a  type  of  Christ  reigning  in  glory,  and  executing 
judgment  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem. 

Solomon  had  twelve  lions  on  the  steps  of  the  throne ;  but 
the  Divine  Solomon  has  promised  to  His  faithful  followers  that 
they  will  be  His  assessors  in  glory.  He  said  to  His  Apostles, 
"  When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  on  the  Throne  of  His  glory, 
ye  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones  judging  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel "  (Matt.  xix.  28.     Luke  xxii.  30). 

It  is  probably  on  account  of  this  typical  and  prophetic 
character  of  Solomon's  throne  that  the  inspired  writer  adds, 
"  there  was  not  the  like  made  in  any  kingdom," — that  is,  in 
any  earthly  kingdom.  There  were  many  equal  to  it  in  outward 
magnificence  (cp.  EosenmuUer,  A.  u.  N.  Morgenl.  iii.  176) ; 
but  it  had  no  parallel  except  in  the  kingdom  of  Chiist. 

It  was  not  for  nothing  that  every  step  up  Solomon's 
throne  for  judgment  was  supported  by  lions,  to  teach  Kings 
and  all  Magistrates  that  a  lion-like  courage  and  resolution  is 
necessary  for  all  those  who  sit  upon  the  throne  or  bench  for 
justice  and  for  judgment  (-Bp.  Sanderson,  ii.  193). 

22.  at  sea]  At  the  sea — that  sea  which  was  so  called  by  the 
Israelites,  viz.  the  Mediterranean:  cp.  Num.  xiii.  29;  xxxiv. 
6,  7.     Josh.  i.  4;  XV,  12. 

TARSHISn. 

—  a  navy  of  Tharshish']  Beside  the  navy  at  Ezion-geber, 
which  traded  with  Ophir  (see  above,  ix.  26.  28),  Solomon  had 
another  navy,  which  was  associated  with  tJie  navy  of  Sir  am, 
which  was  at  Tyre, 

This  other  navy  was  a  navy  of  Tarshish, — that  is,  it 
went  to  Tarshish,  as  is  expressly  stated  in  2  Chron.  ix.  21,  see 
note  there.  The  commerce  of  Tyre  with  Tarshish  is  also  men- 
tioned by  the  prophets,  Isa.  xxiii.  1,  Ezek.  xxvii.  12. 

Two  things  must  be  clearly  distinguished  in  the  history  of 
Solomon's  commerce. 

(1)  Solomon  had  one  navy  at  Uzion-geher,  on  the  Red  Sea ; 
and  Hiram's  men  ancj  ships  were  associated  with  him  in  that 
navy  (see  above,  on  ix.  27,  28;  x.  11.  2  Chron.  viii.  17, 18),  and 
that  navy  traded  southward  and  eastward  to  Ophir. 

(2)  Solomon  was  also  associated  with  Hiram,  King  of 
Tyre,  and  with  his  navy  in  the  Mediterranean ;  ajnd  this  other 
navy  sailed  from  Tyre  westward  to  Tarshish  and  the  isles — 
perha]is  to  Britain  itself. 

The  former  fleet,  that  to  Ophir,  seems  to  have  gone  every 
year  (i\  14).  The  other  navy,  that  to  Tarshish  (as  here  stated), 
once  in  three  years :  on  the  meaning  of  which  see  Keil,  p.  113. 

Tarshish  is  the  old  Phcenician  colony  Tartessus,  in  Spain, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Baetis  or  Guadalquivir  {Herod,  iv.  152. 
Arrian,  Alex.  iii.  16.  5.  Straho,  iii.  14S.  Plin.  iii.  3.  Cp. 
above,  Gen.  x.  4.  Gesen.  875.  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  604. 
Twistleton,  B.  D.  ii.  1438). 

Hence  we  find  Tarshish  connected  in  Scripture  with  "  the 
isles,"  i.  e.  of  the  Mediterranean  (see  on  Gen.  x.  5) ;  and  the 
prophet  Jonah  sails  westward  from  Joppa  to  Tarshish  (Jon.  i.  3). 

Hence  also  we  may  understand  more  fully  the  prophetic 
words  of  the  Psalmist,  speaking  of  Christ,  "The  kings  of. 
Tarshish  and  of  the  isles  shall  bring  presents :  the  kings  of 
Sheha  and  Seba  shall  offer  gifts"  (Ps.  Ixxii.  10).  The  first  of 
these  two  clauses  refers  to  Solomon's  westward  commerce  in 
the  Mediterranean  with  Spain  and  the  other  lands  of  that  sea. 
The  second  refers  to  his  eastward  commerce  with  Ophir.  Both 
these  prophecies  are  fulfilled  in  Christ.  He  has  His  Spiritual 
Navies  trading  to  the  western  Tarshishes,  and  also  to  the  eastern 
Ophirs  of  the  world.  His  dominion  is  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from 
the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth  (Ps.  Ixxii.  8). 

Other  religions  are  moi'e  or  less  local  in  their  acceptance. 
It  is  the  religion  of  Christ  alone  which,  like  the  Cross  itself,  on 
42 


which  the  Saviour  suffered,  extends  its  arms  to  East  and  West, 
and  strikes  root  in  the  South,  and  aspires  to  the  North,  and 
embraces  the  World  (cp.  below,  on  Eph.  iii.  18). 

IvoET,  Apes,  and  Peacocks. 

—  ivory, — apes,  and  peacocks]  So  Sept.,  Yulg.,  and  other 
ancient  Versions. 

The  first  of  these  words  here  used  (shene-habbim),  occurs 
also  in  2  Chron.  ix.  21,  but  nowhere  else  in  the  Bible.  It  sig- 
nifies teeth  of  eUphants ;  its  etymology  is  doubtful :  cp.  Gesen. 
840.  Keil,  p.  116.  The  former  derives  it  from  the  Sansci'it 
ibha-s,  whence  the  Greek  e'Ae'cfa?.  The  first  member  of  the 
word  (slien,  a  tooth)  is  clear,  and  that  word  is  sometimes  used 
alone  to  signify  elephants'  teeth,  i.  e.  ivory :  see  vv.  18.  22. 
Ps.  xlv.  9.  Amos  iii.  15.  Africa  was  the  great  gold  country 
of  the  ancient  world,  and  may  also  have  furnished  the  ele- 
phants' tusks  {Stanley,  Lect.,  p.  184). 

—  apes]  Heb.  kophim,  from  Sanscrit  and  Malabar  kapi, 
nimble,  an  ape ;  whence  Gr.  WTJiros,  /cfj/Sos,  ku^os,  an  ape 
(Gesen.  729),  The  kTi/Sos  is  found  in  ^Ethiopia  (Strabo,  xviii. 
18.     Plin.  viii.  19).     It  is  even  an  object  of  worship  in  India. 

—  peacocks]  Heb.  tucciyim ;  a  wt)rd  also  occurring  in  the 
parallel  place  in  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  ix.  21),  and  nowhere  else 
in  the  Bible ;  perhaps  it  is  connected  with  tlie  Malabar  togei, 
Tamil  toka,  Greek  rads,  Latin  ^7i7!!o  {Gesen.  863.  Twistleton, 
B.  D.  ii.  1440.     Houghton,  B.  D.  ii.  763.     Fusey,  Daniel  26). 

The  word  rendered  p)sacocks  in  our  Authorized  Version  in 
Job  xxxix.  13  is  a  diflerent  one,  renanim,  and  ought  to  be 
translated  osfricJies ;  from  ranan,  to  cry  out  {Gesen.  772). 

The  peacock  is  generally  supposed  to  be  a  native  of  India, 
Mlian  de  Nat.  An.  xvi.  2.  Quint.  Curt.  ix.  1.  13.  Cp.  Kitto, 
Eibl.  111.,  p.  105.  Stanley,  Lectures,  xxvi.  p.  184  :  cp.  p.  187. 
The  peacock  was  found  in  Persia  {Aristoph.,  Acharn.,  63),  and 
Babylonia)  Diod.  Sic.  ii.  53).  Cp.  Cuvier,  quoted  in  B.  D.  ii. 
1440.  Winer  (R.  W.  B.  ii.  241)  says  that  it  was  also  to  be 
met  with  in  early  times  in  Africa. 

Inasmuch  as  the  peacock  is  of  Indian  extraction,  it  is 
asserted  by  some  expositors  (Ty^ewiM*,  Bertheau,  Keil,  JRitter,  see 
Keil  here,  p.  112 ;  Bertheau,  Chrouik,  p.  303),  that  the  ships 
of  Tarshish  cannot  here  mean  ships  trading  westward  from 
Tyre  to  Tarshish,  but  are  only  another  name  for  large  ships  (like 
those  which  went  to  Tarshish),  which  Solomon  had  built  in 
conjunction  with  Hiram  for  the  eastward  trade  with  Ophir. 

But  this  allegation  does  not  seem  of  sufficient  weight  to 
overthrow  the  arguments  for  the  opinion,  that  the  ships  men- 
tioned in  the  passage  before  us,  were  ships  which  sailed  to  Tar- 
shish, as  is  distinctly  expressed  in  2  Chron.  ix.  21,  and  as  that 
passage  is  interpreted  in  the  Ancient  Versions,  that  is,  were 
ships  which  sailed  westward  from  harbours  of  Palestine,  and 
made  the  voyage  of  the  Mediterranean  to  Tartessus.  That 
text  is  eri'oneously  rejected  as  corrupt  by  some  of  the  Ex- 
positors above  mentioned,  who  assert  that  Solomon  had  no 
fleet,  except  for  voyages  to  Ophir,  and  that  he  never  traded 
with  Tarshish. 

The  difficulty  as  to  the  mention  of  peacocks  among  the 
commodities  imported  by  Solomon  from  Tarshish,  docs  not  seem 
to  be  formidable.  Tartessus,  or  Tarshish,  was  a  great  emporium 
of  commerce;  and  inasmuch  as  the  "ships  of  Tarshish"  were 
celebrated  for  their  long  voyages  to  far-off  lands,  so  that  "  ships 
of  Tarshish "  became  another  name  for  large  ships  of  burden 
making  long  voyages  (Ps.  xlviii.  7.  Isa.  ii,  16 ;  xxiii,  1 ;  Ix.  9. 
Gesen.  875),  it  is  quite  possible  that  peacocks,  though  exotic 
birds,  might  be  met  with  in  the  markets  of  Tarshish,  and  be 
imported  thence  into  Palestine.  A  similar  statement  is  found 
in  2  Chron.  ii.  8,  where  Solomon  asks  Hiram  to  send  him  "cedar- 
trees,  fir-trees,  and  algum-trces,  out  of  Lebanon."  To  this  it 
has  been  objected  that  algum-trees  do  not  grow  In  Lebanon,  but 
in  India  and  Arabia ;  true,  but  Tjrre  was  a  great  emporium  of 
commerce,  and  in  its  carrying  trade  it  might  be  exjiected  to 
supply  algum-trees,  together  with  the  cedars  of  its  own  native 
growth.     The  same  remark  may  be  applied  to  peacocks  here. 


Horses  and  chariots. 


1  KINGS  X.  23—29.     XL  1. 


Solomon's  fall,, 


2^  So  "■  king  Solomon  exceeded  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  for  riches  and  for 
wisdom.  24  j^{[  all  the  earth  f  sought  to  Solomon,  to  hear  his  wisdom,  which 
God  had  put  in  his  heart.  -^  And  they  brought  every  man  his  present,  vessels 
of  silver,  and  vessels  of  gold,  and  garments,  and  armour,  and  spices,  horses, 
and  mules,  a  rate  year  by  year. 

-^ '  And  Solomon  *  gathered  together  chariots  and  horsemen  :  and  he  had  a 
thousand  and  four  hundred  chariots,  and  twelve  thousand  horsemen,  whom  he 
bestowed  in  the  cities  for  chariots,  and  with  the  king  at  Jerusalem. 

2' "  And  the  king  f  made  silver  to  he  in  Jerusalem  as  stones,  and  cedars  made 
he  to  he  as  the  sycomore  trees  that  are  in  the  vale,  for  abundance.  ^^ "  f  And 
Solomon  had  horses  brought  out  of  Egypt,  and  ^  linen  yarn :  the  king's  mer- 
chants received  the  linen  yarn  at  a  price.  ^^  And  a  chariot  came  up  and  went 
out  of  Egypt  for  six  hundred  shehels  of  silver,  and  an  horse  for  an  hundred  and 
fifty :  ^  and  so  for  all  the  kings  of  the  Hittites,  and  for  the  kings  of  Syria,  did  they 
bring  them  out  f  by  th^ir  means,    XI.  ^  But  ^  king  Solomon  loved  ^  many  strange 


aNeh.  13.  26. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

992, 

rch.  3.  12,  13.  & 

4.  30. 

t  Heb.  souyUl  the 
face  of. 


s  ch.  4.  26. 

2  Chroii.  1.  11.  & 

9    25. 

t  Deut.  17.  16. 


u  2  Chron.  1.  15 

—17. 

t  Heb.  gave. 

X  Deut.  17.  10. 

2  Chron.  1.  IG.  & 

9.  28. 

+  Heb.  And  the 

giing  forth  of  the 

horses  which  was 

Solomon's. 

y  Ezek.  27.  7. 

z  Josh.  1.  4. 

2  Kings  7.  G. 

t  Heb.  by  their 

hand. 

b  Deut.  17.  17. 


They  may  have  been  supplied  by  Tarshish,  thoug^i  not  indige- 
nous there,  but  imported  from  a  foreign  clime. 

Besides,  it  is  not  quite  certain,  after  all,  that  the  Hebrew 
word  in  the  text  is  rightly  translated  peacock.  See  Keil, 
p.  146,  and  the  references  in  Winer,  ii.  240.  Huei  thinks  that 
they  were  parrots. 

It  may  reasonably  be  inquired  here,  why  are  these  "  ap^s 
and  peacocks  "  mentioned  in  Holy  Scripture  ? 

(1)  To  show  the  extent  of  Solomon's  relations  with  the 
distant  regions  of  the  Earth  ;  and  in  that  respect  they  suggest 
a  comparison  of  his  kingdom  with  that  of  Christ. 

(2)  But  are  they  not  also  like  intimations  of  a  moral  de- 
cline and  spiritual  degeneracy  in  Solomon's  chai-acter  ? 

At  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  his  desire  was  to  make 
every  thing  tributary  to  God  and  to  His  glory.  His  Wis- 
dom, his  Wealth,  his  Commerce,  were  consecrated  to  God/s 
honour  and  service,  and  to  the  building  and  adornment  of  His 
Temple. 

(3)  But  now  we  see  symptoms  of  a  different  temper.  In 
contravention  of  God's  Law  (Deut.  xvii.  16),  he  goes  down  into 
Egypt,  and  multiplies  horses  tp  himself  (vv.  28,  29),  a  sin  which 
was  afterward  imitated  by  his  successors,  and  provoked  a  stern 
rebuke,  and  a  strong  denunciation  of  God's  wrath  from  the  Pro- 
phets, speaking  to  the  Kings  of  Judah ;  "  Woe  to  them  that  go 
down  to  Egypt  for  help;  and  stay  on  horses,  and  trust  in  chariots, 
but  look  not  unto  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  neither  seek  the 
Lord  !  "  (Isa.  xxxi.  1.) 

Solomon's  commerce  with  Egypt  for  horses  apd  chariots 
betokened  a  loosening  of  his  faith  and  trust  in  God,  and  the 
mention  of  this  commerce  with  Tarshish  for  "  a^jes  and  pea- 
cocks," seems  to  denote,  that  wealth  bad  brought  with  it  luxury 
and  etfeminacy,  and  a  frivolous,  vainglorious  love  for  novel  and 
outlandish  objects,  to  please  the  eye  and  indulge  the  fancy;  and 
perhaps  for  the  gratification  and  amusement  of  the  vacant  hours 
of  the  ladies  of  his  coiirt,  those  numerous  wives  and  concubines 
who  are  mentioned  immediately  afterwards  by  the  sacred  His- 
torian :  see  below,  Preliminary  Note  to  the  next  chapter  (chap. 
xi.  1).  Thus  we  are  gradually  prepared  for  the  sad  story  which 
follows. 

23.  king  Solomon  exceeded— for  riches  and  for  wisdoin]  There 
is  something  ominous  of  evil  here.  Riches  are  put  before  wis- 
dom. This  was  not  the  case  in  the  beginning  of  Solomon's 
reign.  On  the  contrary,  Solomon  had  been  specially  praised  by 
God  for  putting  wisdom  before  riches  (iii.  11).  On  the  splen- 
dour and  luxury  of  Solomon's  court,  see  Stanley,  Lect.  xxvi. 
pp.  196—199. 

26.  chariots  and  horsemen']  See  the  preceding  note. 

26,  27.]  Cp.  2  Chron.  i.  15, 16,  where  these  words  are  inserted 
by  anticipation  in  the  record  of  events  at  the  begiuning  of  his 
reign. 

27.  sycomore]  The  fig-mulberry  —  ficus  iEgyptia  (Plin.), 
ncus  sycomorus  (Linn.),  formerly  plentiful  in  the  plains  of 
Palestine :  cp.  Isa.  ix.  10,  and  1  Chron.  xxvii.  28 ;  but  now  rare 
{Robinson).  For  descriptions  of  it  see  Dr.  Thomson,  pp.  23,  24; 
Winer,  ii.  62;  Tristram,  p.  34;  and  note  below,  on  1  Chron. 
xxvii.  28. 

43 


28.  And  Solomon  had  horses  brought  out  of  Hgypt,  and  linen 
yarn  :  the  king's  merchants  received  the  linen  yarn  at  a  price] 
These  words  are  rendered  by  some  as  follows :  and  Solomon 
had  horses  out  of  Egypt ;  and  the  troop  of  the  king's  merchant- 
men received  a  troop>  {of  horses)  at  a  fixed  price.  This  is  the 
rendering  proposed  by  Gesenius,  p.  503.  It  had  been  pre- 
viously adopted  by  the  Chaldee  Targum,  and  by  R.  David,  R. 
Solomon,  R.  Joseph,  and  R.  J^evi,  as  quoted  by  Pagnini,  and 
by  Piscator,  and  Vatabhts ;  and  is  approved  by  De  Wette. 

The  word  rendered  linen  yarn  by  our  Translators  is  mikveh 
(from  the  Hebrew  verb  kavah,  in  niphal,  to  be  gathered  toge- 
ther. Qesen.  727),  and  is  rendered  a  gathering  together,  in 
Gen.  i.  10;  a,  pool,  in  margin;  a  gathering,  in  Exod.  vii.  19 
(cp.  Lev.  xi.  36);  and  abiding,  or  hope,  in  1  Chron.  xxix.  15. 
Ezra  X.  2.  Jer.  xiv.  8 ;  xvii.  13  ;  1.  7,  the  only  other  passages 
where  the  word  occurs,  except  in  the  parallel  passage  to  the 
present,  viz.  2  Chron.  i.  16. 

The  word  mikveh  was  regarded  by  some  ancient  Inter- 
preters as  a  proper  name  of  a  place,  preceded  by  a  preposition.  So 
Sept.  and  Vulg.  (and  so  Syriac  and  Arabic  in  Chronicles) ;  and 
Keil  seems  to  incline  to  this  translation,  p.  123 ;  and  so  Bertheau, 
on  Chronicles,  p.  247. 

The  rendering  of  the  Targum  and  some  of  the  Rabbis,  and 
Gesenius  and  others  (though  in  contravention  of  the  Masoretic 
accents),  seems  to  be,  on  the  whole,  the  best. 

29.  six  hundred  shekels]  About  £35  for  a  chariot. 

—  an  hundred  and  fifty]  About  £8  10.?. 

—  for  all  the  kings  of  the  ffittites]  Here  is  another  ominous 
circumstance,  foreboding  ill  to  Judah.  Solomon's  commerce 
was  now  applied  to  the  multiplication  of  horses  and  chariots 
from  Egypt,  against  God's  will ;  and  for  the  supplying  of  tbera 
to  all  the  Kings  of  the  Sittites  (or  Canaanites),  who  ought  to 
have  been  exterminated  by  Israel,  and  to  the  Kings  of  Syria, 
who  became  the  bitterest  enemies  of  Israel.  Thus  Solomon's 
commerce,  not  being  conformed  to  God's  law,  became  the  means 
of  aggrandizing  the  enemies  of  God's  people  against  Israel 
itself.  Here  is  a  warning  to  great  modern  commercial  nations ; 
such,  for  example,  as  trade  in  slaves  or  in  opium,  &c.,  for  the 
sake  of  enriching  themselves.  Such  commerce  as  that,  will 
surely  bring  a  retribution  with  it ;  as  Solomon's  commerce,  in 
the  respects  here  mentioned,  did  upon  Judah  and  Jerusalem. 

Peeliminaey  Note  to  Chap.  XI. 
The  Fall  of  Solomon. 

This  chapter  unfolds  one  of  the  darkest  pages  of  Scriptiu-e 
History. 

Solomon,  the  Prince  of  Peace,  the  son  of  David,  the 
Jedidiah,  or  well-beloved  of  the  Lord  (2  Sam.  xii.  24,  25),  the 
wisest  of  all  men  (iv.  31),  the  builder  of  the  Temple,  he  whose 
prayer  at  tlie  dedication  of  tliat  Temple  shows  a  clear  view  of 
Divine  Trutli  (viii.  12-61);  he  to  whom  God  revealed  Himself 
on  two  solemn  occasions  with  special  significations  of  His  favour 
and  love  (iii.  5 ;  ix.  2) ;  be  to  whom  "  all  the  Earth  sought,  to 
hear  his  wisdom,  which  God  had  put  into  his  heart "  (x.  24) ;  is 
here  presented  to  us,  as  turning  away  from  the  Lord  and  gomg 
after  other  gods,   even  after  Ashtoreth,  the  goddess   of  the 


Solomoiis  strange  wives. 


1  KINGS  XI.  2. 


His  idolatnj. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

992. 

I  Or,  beside. 


women,   |I  together  with  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh,  women  of  the  Moabites, 
Ammonites,  Edomites,  Zidonians,  and  Hittites ;  ^  Of  the  nations  concerning  which 


Zidonians,  and  after  Milcom  the  abomination  of  the  Ammonites 
(v.  5) ;  and  as  even  building  an  high  place  for  Chemosh  the 
abomination  of  Moab  in  the  eye  of  the  Temple,  in  the  hill  that 
is  before  Jerusalem ;  and  for  Molech,  the  abomination  of  the 
children  of  Ammon  («.  7). 

This  is  so  remarkable  a  phenomenon  that  some  (as  Jarchi 
and  AbarhaneT)  have  even  ventured  to  deny  the  accuracy  of 
the  common  interpretation  of  the  sacred  history;  and  others 
(as  Justi,  Vatke)  have  thence  inferred  that  Solomon  could 
not  have  had  such  a  clear  perception  of  divine  truth  as  he 
is  represented  to  have  possessed.  And  others  (as  JEwald)  have 
asserted  that  the  history  contained  in  this  chapter  is  like  a 
vindictive  stricture  of  religious  bigotry  on  the  tolei-ant  policy 
of  the  King ;  and  this  allegation  has  been  enforced  by  an  argu- 
ment drawn  from  the  silence  of  the  Book  of  Chronicles,  which 
says  noihing  of  the  fall  of  Solomon. 

Such  theories  as  these  will  have  little  weight  with  the 
reverent  reader  of  Holy  Scripture.  He  wiU  accept  the  record 
of  Scripture  in  its  plain  sense.  He  will  be  sure  that  no  Hebrew 
writer  could  ever  have  desired  to  darken  the  last  days  of  this 
glorious  reign;  and  that  all  Israelitish  annalists  would  have 
rather  wished  to  draw  a  veil  over  Solonaon's  infirmities.  The 
silence  of  the  Chronicles  is  due  to  this  feeling.  The  Sacred 
Writer  of  that  Book  knew  well  that  the  fall  of  Solomon  had 
been  fully  described  in  the  Book  of  Kings,  and  he  also  knew 
that  his  readers  would  be  well  acquainted  with  that  description ; 
and  in  a  spirit  of  sadness  and  charity  he  put  his  hand  to  his 
lips,  and  said  nothing  on  that  sorrowful  subject.  The  devout 
reader  of  the  Bible  will  accept  this  narrative  in  the  temper 
and  spirit  of  Nehemiah,  who  says,  in  a  tone  of  godly  fear, 
"  Did  not  Solomon  King  of  Israel  sin  by  these  things  ? " 
(Neh.  xiii.  26.) 

This  is  the  sense  in  which  the  histoi-y  was  accepted  by  all 
the  ancient  Fathers  of  the  Christian  Church.  See  S.  Justin 
3Iartyr,  Dialog,  c.  Tryph.,  c.  34;  Tertullian  c.  Marcion,  v.  9; 
<S'.  Aug.  de  Civ.  Dei  xiv.  11,  de  Genesi  ad  Literam,  c.  42.  And 
it  may  be  here  remarked,  in  passing,  that  the  Ancient  Fathers, 
especially  S.  Justin  and  Tertullian,  derive  an  important  argu- 
ment against  jews  and  unbelievers  from  the  fact  of  Solomon's 
sin.  They  thence  prove  that  those  magnificent  prophecies  in 
the  Psalms  (xlv.  and  Ixxii.)  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  altoge- 
ther exhausted  in  Solomon.  Some  gleams  and  gUmpses  of  fulfil- 
ment showed  themselves  in  the  wisdom  and  peace  and  riches 
and  dominion  of  Solomon :  but  "  a  greater  than  Solomon  is 
there."  Those  inspired  predictions  are  accomplished  in  Christ, 
Who  never  knew  old  age.  Whose  love  to  His  Church  is  never 
sullied  by  any  stain  of  unholiness  or  unfaithfulness.  Whose 
Eternity  is  a  cloudless  day ;  they  are  fulfilled  in  all  their  mag- 
nificence and  glory  in  the  Divine  Solomon,  Jesus  Chbist,  the 
true  Prince  of  Peace,  reigning  for  ever  with  the  Queen,  His 
Bride,  at  His  right  hand,  in  the  royal  palace  of  His  Heavenly 
Jerusalem. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  in  our  Bibles  the  tenth  chapter  is 
separated  from  the  eleventh.  In  the  orginal  Hebrew,  the  con- 
nexion of  the  one  with  the  other  is  marked  by  the  copula  {van) 
at  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  chapter  (see  the  note  there). 
In  a  few  words  at  the  close  of  the  tenth  chapter  the  sacred 
Historian  supplies,  with  the  usual  quietness  of  Inspiration,  the 
materials  for  the  solution  of  the  marvellous  psychological  problem 
in  the  eleventh, — How  did  Solomon  fall?  How  did  he  lapse 
from  that  lofty  height  of  wisdom  and  glory  to  this  deep  abyss 
of  infatuation  and  shame  ? 

It  was  not  by  a  sudden  plunge,  but  by  slow  degrees.  And 
the  steps  of  his  gradual  decline  are  marked  in  the  Sacred 
History. 

In  the  first  period  of  his  reign  he  had  consecrated  his 
wisdom  and  wealth  to  the  glory  and  service  of  God.  This 
period  lasted  seven  years  and  seven  months,  followed  by  the 
Dedication  of  the  Temple. 

Then  follow  thirteen  years,  in  which  he  builds  his  own 
palace.  As  yet,  all  was  well.  God  appears  to  him  at  this  crisis 
with  words  of  favour,  not  unmingled  with  solemn  and  foreboding 
tones  of  warning  (ix.  6 — 10).  Solomon  was  then  more  than  forty 
years  of  age. 

His  next  period  is  one  of  commercial  eutei'prise  and  princely 
magnificence.  He  builds  his  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness  for  the 
overland  trad©  with  the  East  (ix.  18).  He  goes  to  Ezion-geber  on 
the  Red  Sea,  and,  with  the  help  of  Tyrian  shipwrights,  super- 
intends the  building  of  a  navy  there  for  the  gold  trade  with 
Ophir  in  the  East  (ix.  26).  He  has  another  navy  in  the  Medi- 
44 


terranean,  which,  in  company  with  that  of  the  Tyrians,  traded 
with  Western  Europe,  especially  with  the  great  Phccnician 
mart  and  emporium  in  Spain,  Tartessus  (x.  22).  By  such  means 
as  these,  riches  flowed  into  Jerusalem  with  an  exhaustless  stream 
of  abundance  (x.  21.  27).  The  Eastern  and  Western  World  lay 
at  the  feet  of  Solomon  (x.  15.  23—25). 

The  question  therefore  arises  here — What  use  did  Solomon 
make  of  his  riches  ? 

The  answer  is; — In  the  earlier  part  of  his  reign  he  had 
been  "  rich  toward  God  "  (Luke  xii.  21) ;  he  had  consecrated  his 
wealth  to  Him.  But  now  he  "lays  up  treasure  for  himself." 
There  is  something  significant  in  the  order  of  the  words  in 
X.  23,  as  was  already  observed.  There,  riches  are  placed  before 
wisdom.  In  the  earlier  part  of  his  reign  wisdom  had  been  his 
paramount  desire  :  wisdom  was  liis  wealth ;  and  his  wealth  was 
subordinate  to  wisdom. 

By  means  of  his  commercial  relations  with  the  East  and 
the  West,  he  had  the  fairest  opportunities  of  diffusing  the  know- 
ledge of  the  True  God.  He  was  a  great  merchant-king.  He 
might  have  been  a  royal  Missionary.  He  himself,  in  his  prayer 
at  the  Dedication  of  the  Temple,  had  contemplated  the  glorious 
spectacle  of  strangers  flocking  to  Jerusalem  in  order  to  worship 
there ;  and  he  had  then  expressed  the  desire  of  his  heart  that 
"  all  the  people  of  the  Earth  miglit  know  the  Name  of  the 
Lord,  and  fear  Him  as  Israel  did"  (viii.  43). 

But  we  do  not  hear,  that  Solomon  used  his  power  and 
wealth  and  commerce  for  this  purpose ;  even  the  record  of  the 
visit  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba  to  Solomon  disappoints  us.  He 
answered  her  hard  questions.  He  showed  her  his  palace,  and 
the  apparatus  of  his  royal  household  and  sumptuous  table,  and 
the  ascent  by  which  he  went  up  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord 
(x.  5) ;  but  we  do  not  hear  that  he  invited  her  to  go  up  with 
him  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  although  she  was  evidently  not 
unprepared  to  receive  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  from  his  lips 
(X.  9). 

In  liJce  manner  we  hear  nothing  of  any  attempt  on  Solo- 
mon's part  to  improve  his  friendship  and  commercial  connexions 
with  Hiram  into  an  occasion  for  communicating  the  better 
merchandise  of  divine  truth  to  the  Sidonians.  The  visit  of  the 
Queen  of  Sheba  seems  to  have  been  without  any  spiritual  result ; 
and  our  Blessed  Lord  may  perhaps  be  thought  to  suggest  the 
moral  of  the  history,  and  to  reflect  on  Solomon's  shortcomings, 
v^hen  He  says,  "  a  greater  than  Solomon  is  here "  (Matt.  xii. 
42.  Luke  xi.  31),  as  He  does  perhaps  to  the  infirmities  of 
Jonah  (Matt.  xii.  41.  Luke  xi.  32) ;  and  when  He  says, 
pointing  to  the  lilies  of  the  field,  that  "  Solomon  in  all  his 
glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these  "  (Matt.  vi.  29.  Luke 
xii.  27),  which  could  hardly  be  true,  if  Solomon's  glory  had 
been  spiritual  glory,  the  glory  of  the  heart  and  soul,  and  if 
it  had  bloomed  with  the  bright  flowers  of  heavenly  graces, 
and  not  been  of  the  earth,  earthy ;  and  if  it  had  been  de- 
dicated to  the  honour  of  God,  and  to  the  manifestation  of  Hia 
Truth,  and  to  the  advancement  of  His  Kingdom. 

The  first  step  downward  in  Solomon's  career  seems  there- 
fore to  have  been  this ;  he  did  not  regard  his  wealth  and  power 
and  magnificence,  and  extent  of  dominion,  as  gifts  of  God.  He 
did  not  consecrate  them,  as  he  had  done  in  the  earlier  part  of 
his  reign,  to  the  service  of  God,  and  to  His  glory.  As  his  wealth 
increased,  his  love  of  splendour  increased  with  it.  He  seems  to 
have  been  dazzled  by  the  brilliance  of  the  silver  and  gold  which 
blazed  around  him,  ami  to  have  been  enamoured  of  earthly 
magnificence,  and  to  have  doted  on  eai-thly  delights ;  his  parks, 
his  paradises,  his  gardens,  his  palaces,  and  pavilions.  These 
tilings  enfeebled  his  rnoral  health;  his  spiritual  vigour  was 
enervated  by  luxury  and  voluptuousness. 

Assuredly  there  is  something  significant  in  the  specification 
which  is  made  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Scripture  of  the  com- 
modities which  were  brought  from  far-off"  lands  by  Solomon's 
navy  to  Jerusalem.  There  is  a  quiet  irony,  perhaps  a  silent 
sarcasm,  in  the  words,  "  the  navy  of  Tarshish  came  bringing 
gold  and  silver  and  ivory — and  apes  and  peacocks."  Apes 
and  peacocks  to  Solomon,  the  wise  King  at  Jerusalem  !  These 
would  not  have  been  mentioned,  if  they  had  not  meant  much. 
These  words  also  are  reserved  as  emphatic  for  the  end  of  the 
sentence;  they  surely  have  a  sting  in  them,  like  those  of  St. 
Stephen  in  the  Acts  (vii.  16.  43,  see  the  notes,  pp.  68,  69,  on 
the  words  Sichem  and  Babylon).  Apes  and  peacocks.  This 
was  the  climax  of  the  produce  of  the  commerce  of  Solomon !  We 
do  not  hear  that  his  commerce  did  any  thing  for  the  diflTusion 
of  God's  truth  and  for  the  salvation  of  men's  souls;  but  his 


Solomon's  disobedience 


1  KINGS  XI.  2. 


and  fail. 


the  Lord  said  unto  the  chiklrcn  of  Israel,  '^  Ye  shall  not  go  in  to  them,  neither 
shall  they  come  in  unto  yon :  for  surely  they  will  turn  away  your  heart  after 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

992. 

c  Exod.  34.  IC. 

Deut.  /.  3,  4. 


navy  brought  apes  and  peacocks  to  Jerusalem  every  three  years. 
And  why  were  they  brought  to  Jerusalem  ?  Probably  to  gratify 
curiosity ;  to  amuse  the  people  by  the  gambols  and  tricks  and 
grimaces  of  the  one,  and  by  the  splendour  and  pageantry  and 
painted  plumage  of  the  other;  and  perhaps  to  while  away  the 
time  of  the  strange  women  who  were  brought  in  those  ships  of 
Solomon,  and  to  whom  "  Solomon  clave  in  love,"  instead  of 
cleaving  to  the  Lord  (xi.  2),  and  who  "  turned  away  his  heart 
from  serving  the  Lord  to  go  after  other  gods."  But  further, 
the  secret  causes  of  Solomon's  defection  may  be  discovered  with 
certainty  by  a  comparison  of  this  chapter  and  the  foregoing  with 
the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Deuteronomy. 

In  that  royal  charter,  which  God  gave  to  the  kings  of  His 
people,  we  have  certain  articles  clearly  set  down  by  the  Divine 
hand. 

(1)  God's  command  was,  "  The  king  shall  write  a  copy  of 
the  Law  of  God,  and  shall  read  in  it  all  the  days  of  his  life,  that 
he  turn  not  aside  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left ;  to  the  end 
that  he  may  prolong  his  days,  he  and  his  children"  (Deut.  xvii. 
18—20). 

But  Solomon  swerved  from  that  Law;  and  the  penalty 
there  specified  was  inflicted  on  him. 

(2)  God's  command  was,  The  "king  shall  tiot  mulfiplj/ 
horses  to  himself,  nor  cause  the  people  to  return  to  Egypt,  to 
the  end  that  he  should  multiply  horses "  (Deut.  xvii.  16). 
David  had  obeyed  this  command.  He  had  said,  "Some  put 
their  trust  in  chariots,  and  some  in  horses ;  but  we  will  remember 
the  Name  of  the  Lord  our  God"  (Ps.  xx.  7).  He  had  houghed 
the  horses  of  his  enemies,  that  he  might  not  be  tempted  to 
trust  in  an  arm  of  flesh  (2  Sam.  viii.  4).  There  is  something 
very  expressive  in  the  words  spoken  of  David,  "the  king's 
mule,"  that  which  was  set  apart  for  the  King's  use  even  till  the 
last  davs  of  David  (1  Kings  i.  33.  38.  44.  Cp.  on  2  Sam. 
xviii.  19). 

But  Solomon  broke  this  commandment  (see  iv.  26 ;  x.  26. 
28) ;  and  he  not  only  broke  it  by  multipli/ing  horses  to  himself 
(i.  e.  to  his  own  glory),  but  he  did  not  scruple  to  use  his  own 
horse  trade  with  Egypt  as  the  means  for  supplying  horses  to 
God's  enemies,  "all  the  Tcings  of  the  Hiitites,  is..  29,  the  peqile 
whom  God  had  commanded  Israel  to  exterminate  for  their  sins 
(Exod.  xxiii.  23.  Deut.  xx.  17),  and  for  furnishing  horses  "  to 
the  Icings  of  Syria"  (x.  29). 

Thus,  provided  only  he  could  aggrandize  himself  by  his 
commerce,  Solomon  was  not  careful  whether  he  obeyed  God  or 
no.  And  it  is  observable,  that  these  Syrian  kings  and  their 
horses  were  afterwards  used  by  God  for  the  chastisement  of 
Israel,  even  from  the  days  of  Solomon  himself  (xi.  26;  xxii.  31. 
2  Kings  X.  32). 

(3)  Again,  God's  command  was,  "  The  king  shall  not 
greatly  multiply  to  himself  sMwer  and  gold"  (Deut.  xvii.  17). 

God  promised  riches  to  Solomon  (iii.  13).  His  sin  did  not 
consist  in  multiplying  silver  and  gold,  but  in  multiplying  it  to 
himself ;  in  setting  his  aflection  upon  earthly  wealth  and  mag- 
nificence, and  in  allowing  them  to  steal  his  heart  from  God. 

(4)  Again,  God's  command  to  the  king  was,  "  He  shall 
not  multiply  tvlves  to  himself,  that  his  heart  turn  not  atvay" 
(Deut.  xvii.  17). 

Solomon  broke  this  commandment  also,  by  taking  to  him- 
self many  strange  women.  Perhaps,  in  the  tirst  instance,  he 
gathered  together  this  large  number  of  "  wives,  princesses, 
seven  hundred  in  number,  and  three  hundred  concubines,"  in  a 
vainglorious  imitation  of  Oriental  Sovereigns.  The  Court  and 
Palace  of  Solomon,  instead  of  being  a  pattern  to  the  world  of 
lioliness,  purity,  and  love,  exhibited  the  revolting  aspect  of  a 
Babylonish  harem  or  Persian  seraglio. 

"And  when  he  was  old  his  wives  turned  away  his  heart 
after  other  gods."  Instead  of  drawing  foreign  nations  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God,  he  was  drawn  away  from  God  by 
them.  He  did  not  use  his  commercial  relations  with  Hiram 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  Sidonians  nearer  to  the  Lord ; 
but  he  himself,  the  builder  of  the  Temple,  took  a  wife  from  the 
Sidonians,  and  went  after  Ashtoreth,thQ  goddess  of  the  Sidonians 
(xi.  1.  5).  Who  can  say,  whether  the  sin  of  Ahab  in  allying 
himself  with  the  Sidonian  Jezebel,  and  in  introducing  the 
worship  of  Baal  into  Israel,  in  the  place  of  the  worship  of 
Jehovah,  may  not  in  a  great  measure  have  been  due  to  the 
example  of  Solomon?  And  when  Solomon  had  once  entered 
on  this  course  of  defection  he  went  on  in  it  unrestrained.  He 
took  to  himself  wives  of  the  Moabites,  Ammonites,  and  Hittites  • 
45 


and  he  built  high  places  for  their  abominations,  even  in  the 
very  eye  of  the  Temple  of  God  (xi.  7). 

The  course  of  sin  is  ever  down  hill.  Solomon  had  many 
wives,  but  he  did  not  convert  them  to  the  true  religion,  but 
was  won  over  by  his  wives  to  their  idolatries.  In  complaisance 
to  them  he  built  shrines  for  their  gods  {vv.  7,  8),  and  attended 
at  their  altars,  thinking  light  of  it,  and  asking,  "  Are  not 
all  religions  alike  ?  which  (says  Sp.  Patrick )  has  been  the 
disease  of  some  great  wits ;"  and  when  he  had  honoured  one 
thus,  the  rest  would  be  offended  if  he  did  not  the  like  for  them, 
so  that  at  last  "  he  did  it  for  all  his  wives,"  v.  8. 

Solomon's  sin  was  like  that  of  Adam  in  yielding  to  the  solici- 
tations of  Eve,  alluring  him  to  disobey  God ;  "  blanditiis  fcemi- 
neis  ad  ilia  sacrilegia  est  compulsus,"  says  S.  Augustine  de  Civ. 
Dei  xiv.  11 ;  and  lib.  xi.  de  Gen.  ad  lit.  c.  42,  "  Salomon,  vir 
tantaj  sapientiaj,  num  quidnam  credendum  est,  quod  in  simu- 
lacrorum  cultu  credidit  esse  aliquid  divinitatis  ?  Sed  mulierum 
amori  ad  hoc  malum  trahenti  resistere  nonevaluit,  yacie«*  quod 
sciebat  non  esse  faciendum,  ne  mortiferas  suas  delicias  con- 
tristaret." 

Here  is  a  solemn  warning  to  kings,  states,  and  to  all  men, 
especially  to  those  whom  God  has  blessed  with  intellectual  and 
spiritual  gifts.  Let  no  one  imagine  that  he  is  safe  because  he 
may  have  been  zealous  in  the  building  or  restoring  of  Churches, 
or  in  other  such  acts  of  religion.  Solomon  built  the  Temple, 
Joash  restored  it,  but  both  fell.  It  is  easier  to  build  and  restore 
a  temple,  than  to  be  a  temple  of  God.  Let  us  not  labour  merely 
in  building  and  restoring  Churches,  but  let  us  labour  and  pray 
that  we  may  be  churches  of  God.  Let  all  fear  for  themselves,  if 
they  have  been  favoured  with  commercial  success,  with  worldly 
power,  wealth,  and  magnificence;  for  these  things  are  apt  to 
steal  the  heart  from  the  Divine  Giver ;  let  them  not  be  elated 
by  them  ;  let  them  not  employ  them  to  their  own  aggrandize- 
ment, but  consecrate  them  to  His  glory  and  service,  and  to  the 
advancement  of  His  truth.  Let  them  not  be  tempted  by  them 
to  swerve  from  God's  Will  and  Word. 

Solomon  began  with  yielding  to  one  strange  wife,  and  at 
last  complied  with  the  idolatries  of  all.  If  we  dally  with  one 
sin  or  heresy,  and  yield  with  coward  compliance  to  its  soli- 
citations, we  shall  have  no  power  to  stop,  we  may  ere  long 
be  the  slaves  of  all.  Our  only  safety  is  in  obedience  to  God. 
Wlierever  there  is  disobedience  there  is  spiritual  blindness. 
The  Holy  Spirit  departs  from  those  who  grieve  Him.  The  Evil 
Spirit  reigns  in  His  place  :  he  is  the  Tempter;  and  he  loves 
to  beguile  men  by  worldly  fascinations,  and  fleshly  lusts,  and  to 
allure  them  into  idolatry ;  and  under  his  seductive  influence 
the  Solomons  of  this  world  become  victims  of  the  Powers  of 
Darkness. 

It  has  been  observed  by  ancient  Expositors,  that  in  Solo- 
mon's defection  at  the  close  of  his  life,  we  have  not  only  a  true 
history,  but  a  prophetic  and  typical  representation  of  the  dege- 
neracy and  idolatry  which  (as  the  Apocalypse  and  other  por- 
tions of  Scripture  foretell)  may  be  expected  to  prevail  in  the 
Church  of  God  itself,  in  the  latter  days  of  Christendom  (see 
Angelomus,  pp.  386,  387 ;  Eucherius,  p.  992).  May  not  the 
pristine  glories,  and  the  later  cori'uptions,  of  one  of  the  greatest 
Churches  of  the  West  be  compared  to  the  history  of  Solomon  ? 

But  let  ns  turn  our  eyes  from  the  human  type  to  the 
Divine  Antitype.  Whatever  is  good  and  great  in  Solomon,  is 
better  and  greater  in  Christ;  and  whatever  is  amiss  in  the  one 
is  corrected  in  the  other,  there  we  see  no  taint  or  stain  of  sin. 
All  the  mists  of  human  infirmity  and  sin  which  obscure  the  one 
have  passed  away,  and  have  no  place  in  the  clear  and  cloudless 
lustre  of  Christ's  life.  The  Divine  Solomon  had  a  copy  of  God's 
law  written  in  indelible  characters  on  His  own  heart.  He  did 
not  turn  aside  from  it  to  the  right  hand  or  the  left.  He  did  all 
things  to  His  Father's  glory.  He  therefore  prolonged  His  days, 
and  those  of  His  children.  He  did  not  multiply  silver  and  gold 
to  Himself.  He,  who  was  rich  beyond  all  earthly  riches,  became 
poor  for  our  sakes,  that  we  might  be  rich  for  ever  (2  Cor. 
viii.  9).  He  did  not  multiply  horses  to  Himself.  He  was  meek 
and  lowly,  riding  as  a  King  into  Sion,  on  a  colt  the  foal  of  au 
ass  (Matt.  xxi.  5).  And  as  a  reward  for  His  humility.  He  rides 
on  the  white  horse,  conquering  and  to  conquer  (Rev.  vi.  2). 
He  did  not  multiply  wives  to  Himself.  He  has  one  Bride— the 
faithful  Church— for  whom  He  gave  Himself,  and  whom  "  He 
loveth  and  cherisheth  as  His  own  flesh."  He  was  not  dazzled 
by  the  glory  of  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  when  they  were 
shown  to  Him  "  in  a  moment  of  time  ;"  and  His  language  to  tho 


Solomon's  wives  and  idolatry. 


1  KINGS  XL  3—13. 


rod's  sentence  on  him. 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
992. 
about 
984. 
d  Deut.  17.  17. 
Neh.  13.  26. 
e  ch.  8.  CI. 

fch.  9.4. 

g  ver.  33. 
Judg.  2.  13. 
2  Kings  23.  13. 
li  Called,  Mulec/i, 
\i)T.  7. 

t  Ueh.  fulfilled 
not  after. 
Num.  14.  24. 
h  Num.  33.  52. 
i  Num.  21.  29. 
Judg.  11.  24. 
k  2  Kings  23.  13. 


1  ver.  2,  3. 

m  ch.  3.  5.  &  9.  2. 


n  i;li.  6.  12.  & 
9.  6. 


t  Heb.  is  with 

thee. 

o  ver.  31. 

ch.  12.  15,  16. 


p  2  Sam.  7.  15. 
Ps.  89.  33. 

q  ch.  12.  20. 
r  Deut.  12.  11. 


tlieir  gods:  Solomon  clave  unto  these  in  love.  ^And  he  had  seven  hundred 
wives,  princesses,  and  three  hundred  concuhines :  and  his  wives  turned  away 
his  heart.  ^  For  it  came  to  pass,  when  Solomon  was  old,  ^  that  his  wives 
turned  away  his  heart  after  other  gods :  and  his  '  heart  was  not  perfect  with 
the  Lord  his  God,  ^is  was  the  heart  of  David  his  father.  ^  For  Solomon  went 
after  ^Ashtoreth  the  goddess  of  the  Zidonians,  and  after  l|Milcom  the  abomi- 
nation of  the  Ammonites.  ^And  Solomon  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord, 
and  -f  went  not  fully  after  the  Lord,  as  did  David  his  father.  ^ ''  Then  did 
Solomon  build  an  high  place  for  '  Chemosh,  the  abomination  of  Moab,  in  "^  the 
hill  that  is  before  Jerusalem,  and  for  Molech,  the  abomination  of  the  children 
of  Amnion.  ^And  likewise  did  he  for  all  his  strange  wives,  which  burnt 
incense  and  sacrificed  unto  their  gods. 

^And  the  Lord  was  angry  with  Solomon,  because  'his  heart  was  turned 
from  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  ""which  had  appeared  unto  him  twice,  ^^And 
"  had  commanded  him  concerning  this  thing,  that  he  should  not  go  after  other 
gods :  but  he  kept  not  that  which  the  Lord  commanded.  ^^  Wherefore  the 
Lord  said  unto  Solomon,  Forasmuch  as  this  f  is  done  of  thee,  and  thou  hast 
not  iept  my  covenant  and  my  statutes,  which  I  have  commanded  thee,  °  I  will 
surely  rend  the  kingdom  from  thee,  and  will  give  it  to  thy  servant.  ^"^  Not- 
withstanding in  thy  days  I  will  not  do  it  for  David  thy  father's  sake  :  hut  I  will 
rend  it  out  of  the  hand  of  thy  son.  ^^^  Howbeit  I  will  not  rend  away  all  the 
kingdom ;  hut  will  give  '^  one  tribe  to  thy  son  for  David  my  servant's  sake,  and 
for  Jerusalem's  sake  ''which  I  have  chosen. 


Tempter  then  was,  "  Tliou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and 
Hun  only  shalt  thou  serve "  (Matt.  iv.  10).  Solomon  had  his 
fleets,  Christ  has  His  navies ;  they  sail  on  every  sea,  for  the 
evangelization  of  all  nations.  Christ  has  His  Tarshishes  and 
His  Ophirs— emporimns  for  eternity.  They  hring  the  gold  and 
silver  of  Christian  faith  and  virtue  into  His  royal  treasury. 
His  dominion  is  from  sea  to  sea,  and  all  nations  hring  tribute 
to  Him,  and  He  reigns  for  ever  and  ever— King  of  Kings  and 
Lord  of  Lords  (Rev.  xvii.  14  j  xix.  16). 

1.  But  king  Solomon  loved  many  strange  women']  Rather, 
And  king  Solomon.  This  is  a  continuation  of  what  went 
before,  and  not  an  opposition  to  it.  The  Sept.  has  Ka\  6 
Pa(ri?^evs,  k.t.\. 

The  mention  of  the  apes  and  peacocks  in  the  foregoing 
chapter  (v.  22),  and  of  the  horses  and  chariots  from  Egypt, 
supplied  by  Solomon  to  all  the  kings  of  the  Rittites  and  of 
Syria,  is  to  be  connected  with  his  sin  in  this  chapter  in  marry- 
ing strange  wives.  They  are  links  in  the  same  chain  (see  the 
Prelim.  Note). 

—  together  tvith  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh']  That  is,  beside 
her  whom  Holy  Scripture  recognizes  as  his  wife — the  wife  of  his 
youth  and  of  his  better  days  (iii.  1 ;  vii.  8 ;  ix.  24). 

2.  Solomon  clave  unto  these]  Instead  of  cleaving  unto  the 
Lord  (Deut.  iv.  4;  x.  20;  xiii.  14;  xxx.  20). 

3.  seven  hundred  ivives]  In  imitation  of  other  eastern  kings. 
Solomon  had  seven  hundred  wives,  and  yet,  as  far  as  we  know, 
he  had  only  one  child  :  see  v.  43. 

4.  ivhen  Solomon  was  old]  It  seems  that,  as  a  consequence  of 
his  sin,  he  became  prematurely  old:  he  was  young  when  he 
came  to  the  throne,  and  he  did  not  reign  more  than  forty  years 
{v.  42). 

5.  Ashtoreth]  See  Judg.  ii.  13.  1  Sam.  vii.  3;  xu.  10; 
xxxi.  10. 

On  the  southern  heights  of  Olivet,  looking  towards  the 
loyal  gardens,  Solomon  ei-ccted  three  idolatrous  temples,  on  three 
eminences,  to  the  deities  of  Phoinicia,  Moab,  and  Amnion ;  and 
the  licentious  and  cruel  rites,  with  which  those  deities  wert 
worshipped,  gave  a  name  of  infamy  to  the  mountain ;  which 
retained  that  name,  together  with  that  of  Olivet,  till  the 
Christian  era,  when  the  opprobrious  title  was  confined  to  the 
Bouthernmo.st  of  the  four  heights  of  the  mountain.  Cp.  Stanley, 
Lect.,  p.  251. 
46 


This  miserable  defection  of  the  "  wisest  of  men "  is  de- 
scribed by  Milton  (Par.  Lost,  i.  p.  17) : — 

"  With  these  in  troop 
Came  Astoreth,  whom  the  Phoenicians  call'd 
Astarte,  queen  of  heaven,  with  crescent  horns ; 
To  whose  bright  image  nightly  by  the  moon 
Sidouian  virgins  paid  their  vows  and  songs  : 
In  Sion  also  not  unsung,  where  stood 
Her  temple  on  th'  offensive  mountain  built 
By  that  uxorious  king,  whose  heart,  though  large, 
Reguil'd  by  fair  idolatresses,  fell 
To  idols  foul." 

—  Milcom]  See  2  Kings  xxiii.  13.  Jer.  xllx.  1.  Amos  i.  15. 
Milcom  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  difl'erent  from  Molech, 
who  was  worsliipped  with  the  sacrifice  of  children  (Movers). 
But  in  V.  33,  where  Milcom  is  mentioned,  the  name  of  Molech 
does  not  occur,  which  could  hardly  have  been  omitted  if  Mil- 
com had  been  another  deity.  See  also  v,  7.  Cp.  Milton's 
Par.  Lost,  Book  i.  p.  16 : — 

"  Nor  content  with  such 
Audacious  neighbourhood,  the  wisest  heart 
Of  Solomon  he  led  by  fraud  to  build 
His  temple  right  against  the  temple  of  God, 
On  that  opprobrious  hill,  and  made  his  grove 
The  pleasant  valley  of  Hinnom,  Tophet  thence 
And  black  Gehenna  call'd,  the  type  of  Hell." 

7.  Chemosh]  The  god  of  Moab  (Num.  xxi.  29.  Jer.  xlviii.  7. 
46),  called  also  the  god  of  the  Ammonites :  see  Judg.  xi.  24. 
He  was  worshipped  in  times  of  distress  with  the  sacrifice  of 
children  (2  Kings  iii.  27). 

—  before  Jerusalem]  East  of  it.  At  the  southern  end  of 
the  Mount  of  Ohves.     See  on  v.  5.     2  Kings  xxiii.  13. 

9.  ivhich  had  appeared  unto  him  twice]  And  had  warned 
him  of  his  danger :  see  ix.  2.  6—9.  The  defection  even  of  Solo- 
mon irom  God,  through  the  influence  of  his  strange  wives,  is 
one  of  the  best  justifications  of  God's  command  to  Israel,  not 
only  not  to  make  marriages  with  the  nations  here  mentioned, 
but  also  to  exterminate  them,  lest  they  should  beguile  Israel 
from  God  to  idols:  see  Exod.  xxxiv.  12—16.  Deut.  vii.  2 — 4; 
and  compare  Nehemiah's  comment  on  this  history,  Neh.  xiii.  26. 

13.  will  give  one  tribe]  Even  the  reservation  of  one  tribe  is 


Solomon's  adversaries. 


1  KINGS  XI.  14—27. 


Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nehat. 


^^  And  the  Lord  '  stirred  up  an  adversary  unto  Solomon,  Hadad  the  Edomite  :     ch  rTst 
he  icas  of  the  Idng's  seed  in  Edom.     '^'For  it  came  to  pass,  when  David  was       ^984.* 
in  Edom,  and  Joab  the  captain  of  the  host  was  s'one  up  to  bm-y  the  slain,  1 2  san°"8.  h. '' 

1         •         -n  T  ic     -n  •  '  1  Chron.  18.  12, 

"  after  he  had  smitten  every  male  m  Edom :    ^^  (For  six  months  did  Joab  '\, 

'J  'V  u  Num.  24.  19. 

remain  there  with  all  Israel,  until  he  had  cut  off  every  male  in  Edom  :)  ^^  That  "'^"*-2o-  is- 
Hadad  fled,  he  and  certain  Edomites  of  his  father's  servants  with  him,  to  go 
into  Egypt;  Hadad  being  yet  a  little  child.  ^^And  they  arose  out  of  Midian, 
and  came  to  Paran :  and  they  took  men  with  them  out  of  Paran,  and  they 
came  to  Egypt,  unto  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt ;  which  gave  him  an  house,  and 
appointed  him  victuals,  and  gave  him  land.  ^^  And  Hadad  found  great  favour 
in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh,  so  that  he  gave  him  to  wife  the  sister  of  his  own  wife, 
the  sister  of  Tahpenes  the  queen.  ^^And  the  sister  of  Tahpenes  bare  him 
Genubath  his  son,  whom  Tahpenes  weaned  in  Pharaoh's  house  :  and  Genubath 
was  in  Pharaoh's  household  among  the  sons  of  Pharaoh. 

2' "  And  when  Hadad  heard  in  Egypt  that  David  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  ^^1  ^'"g''  2. 10, 
that  Joab  the  captain  of  the  host  was  dead,  Hadad  said  to  Pharaoh,  f  Let  me  t  neb.  send  me 

•  nr*  J  way, 

depart,  that  I  may  go  to  mine  o^vn  country.  ^-  Then  Pharaoh  said  unto  him. 
But  what  hast  thou  lacked  with  me,  that,  behold,  thou  seekest  to  go  to  thine 
o\va  country  ?     And  he  answered,  f  Nothing :  howbeit  let  me  go  in  any  wise,     t  iieb.  not. 

2^  And  God  stirred  him  up  another  adversary,  Eezon  the   son  of  Eliadah, 
which  fled  from  his  lord  ^  Hadadezer  king  of  Zobah  :  -^  And  he  gathered  men  y  2  sam.  s.  3. 
unto  him,  and  became  captain  over  a  band,  ^  when  David  slew  them  of  Zobah :  z  2  sam.  s  3.  & 

.  T  ,  .  10.  8,  18. 

and  they  went  to  Damascus,  and  dwelt  therein,  and  reigned  in  Damascus. 
■2^  And  he  was  an  adversary  to  Israel  all  the  days  of  Solomon,  beside  the 
mischief  that  Hadad  did :  and  he  abhorred  Israel,  and  reigned  over  Syria. 

2^  And  ^Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  an  Ephrathite  of  Zereda,  Solomon's  a  ch.  12.2. 

\  I         hi-n       1  ^  Chron.  13.  6. 

seiwant,  whose  mother  s  name  ivas  Zeruah,  a  widow  woman,  even  he  ^lifted  up  h2sam.2o. 21. 
his  hand  against  the  king.     ^^And  tliis  ivas  the  cause  that  he  lifted  up  his 


called  a  c/ifi ;  for  all  were  forfeited  by  Solomon's  idolatry.  Tlie 
one  tribe  that  was  given,  was  David's  tribe,  the  tribe  of  Judali 
(xii.  20).  Benjamin  is  considered  as  forming  one  tribe  with 
Judah  :  see  below,  vv.  30—32. 

—  for  David — and — Jerusalem' s  salce']  As  God  had  pro- 
mised, 2  Sam.  vii.  15.    2  Chron,  vi.  6. 

From  the  evil  of  the  division  of  the  Tribes  God  elicited  ^ootf. 

(1)  He  showed  the  truth  of  His  Divine  promise  to  David, 
and  prepared  the  way  for  Christ  the  Seed  of  David. 

(2)  He  showed  in  a  striking  manner  the  Truth  and  Divine 
Inspiration  of  the  Pentateuch ; 

If  the  Pentateuch  had  not  been  true  and  divinely  inspired, 
the  kings  of  Israel  would  certainly  have  rejected  it ;  for  it  con- 
demned their  scTiism.  But  they  could  not  do  so :  see  above, 
Introd.  vol.  i.  p.  xxxiii.,  and  note  below,  on  xii.  33. 

15.  smitten  every  male']  On  the  reason  for  this,  see  on  Ps. 
k.1-5. 

19.  Tahpenes']  Which  probably  means  head,  or  origin,  of  the 
age ;  and  was  the  name  also,  with  a  slight  variation,  of  an 
Egyptian  city  (Ezek.  xxx.  18)  near  Pelusium  (Jablonski,  Gese- 
nius),  and  of  an  Egyptian  goddess  (Wilkinson,  Eosellini, 
Sharpe,  Egypt.  Ant.  p.  105). 

23 — 25.  Rezon']  Here  is  another  proof  of  the  ignominy  to 
which  Solomon  was  degraded  by  his  idolatry.  His  father  had 
smitten  Hadadezer  and  put  garrisons  in  Syria,  and  the  Syrians 
became  his  servants  (2  Sam.  viii.  3.  6),  and  were  completely 
routed  by  him  (cp.  2  Sam.  x.  8.  18).  But  now  Solomon  is 
unable  to  subdue  Hadad,  and  even  to  conquer  his  servant 
Eezon. 

25.  abhorred  Israel]  Revolted  from  it  and  vexed  it  (cp.  Isa. 
vii.  6.     Hcnyst.  Gesch.  Bileams,  p.  30). 

26.  Jeroboam]  or  Yarobeam,  a  name  which  means,  ^ohose 
people  are  many,  and  seems  to  have  been  prophetic  ;  from  rabab, 
to  be  many,  and  am,  people  {Oesen.  365)  :  almost  Uke  a  parody 
on  the  name  of  Behoboam  :  see  v.  43. 

47 


Here  was  another  sign  of  the  degradation  with  which  Solo- 
mon was  punished  for  his  sin.  His  other  two  adversaries, 
Hadad  («.  14)  and  Rezon  (v.  23),  were  from  without ;  the  rebel 
Jeroboam  was  from  his  own  household. 

—  Ephrathite]  An  Ephraimite.  See  1  Sam.  i.  1;  Judg.  xii. 
15.  This  connexion  of  Jeroboam  with  Uphraim  is  significant; 
Ephraim  had  long  been  the  rival  of  Judah ;  Ephraim  (as  already 
noticed)  had  received  a  special  blessing  from  Jacob  (Gen.  xlviii. 
19,  20).  It  had  been  ennobled  by  Joshua.  Its  territory  was 
rich  and  fertile ;  its  position  secure.  Were  not  those  things  like 
strong  temptations  to  Jeroboam  the  Ephraimite  ?  Did  they 
not  act  on  the  tribe  itself?  Eplu-aim  became  the  name  of 
Israel,  as  opposed  to  Judah  (Isa.  xi.  13). 

—  Zereda]  or  Zarthan ;  the  waters  of  the  Jordan  had  flowed 
back  to  a  place  near  it,  when  Joshua  had  passed  over.  Josh.  iii. 
16 ;  cp.  above,  iv.  12 ;  vii.  46.     Jeroboam  was  of  Joshua's  tribe. 

—  Solomon's  servant]  Was  not  Jeroboam  jealous  of  the 
growing  influence  of  Judah,  and  of  the  transfer  of  the  glories  of 
Israel  from  Shechem  in  Ephraim  to  Jerusalem  ?  Cp.  below,  xii.  1, 
where  the  Tribes  are  seen  assembled  at  Shechem. 

Besides,  let  us  remember,  that  Jeroboam  had  gone  down 
into  Egypt,  and  had  there  been  received  into  favour  by  Shishak, 
King  of  Egypt,  v.  40;  and,  according  to  the  Sept.,  xii.,  he  re- 
ceived from  him  an  Egyptian  Princess  to  wife.  Did  he  not 
there  reflect  on  the  advancement  and  grandeur  of  his  own 
ancestor,  Joseph,  in  Egypt  ?  May  he  not  have  been  stimulated 
by  a  remembrance  of  the  benediction  pronounced  on  Ephraim, 
and  on  Joseph  by  Jacob  (Gen.  xlviii.  13.  15 ;  xlix.  22),  and  also 
by  Moses  ?  (Dent,  xxxiii.  13 — 17.)  May  not  his  ambition  have 
been  fired  thereby  ?  The  ambitious  designs  of  Jeroboam  are 
accounted  for  by  those  passages  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  (it  may 
be  added)  they  are  confirmatory  of  them. 

The  influence  of  Jeroboam's  connexion  with  Egypt  was  after- 
wards shown  in  the  form  which  was  assumed  by  the  worship  he 
set  up  in  Israel,  that  of  the  golden  calves ;  see  xii  28. 


Ahijalis  prophecy 


1  KINGS  XI.  28—40. 


to  Jerohoam. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
9S4. 
C  ch   9.  24. 
t  Heb.  closed. 
t  Heb.  did  wurk. 
t  Heb.  burden. 

about 
980. 
dch.  14.3. 


e  See  1  Sam.  15. 
'11.  &  24.  5. 
f  ver.  11.  13. 


g  ver.  5,  C,  7. 


h  ch.  12.  16,  17. 


ich.  15.4. 
2  Kings  8.  19. 
Ps.  132.  17. 
t  Heb.  lamp,  or 
candle. 


k  Josh.  i.  5. 


1  2  Sam,  7   11,27 


about 

9S0. 


hand  against  the  king:  "^ Solomon  built  Millo,  and  f  repaired  the  breaches  of 
the  city  of  David  his  father.  '^^  Audi  the  man  Jeroboam  icas  a  mighty  man  of 
valour :  and  Solomon  seeing  the  young  man  that  he  f  was  industrious,  he 
made  him  ruler  over  all  the  f  charge  of  the  house  of  Joseph. 

29  And  it  came  to  pass  at  that  time  when  Jeroboam  Avent  out  of  Jerusalem, 
that  the  prophet  '^  Ahijah  the  Shilonite  found  him  in  the  way ;  and  he  had  clad 
himself  with  a  new  garment ;  and  they  two  were  alone  in  the  field :  ^^  And 
Aliijah  caught  the  new  garment  that  loas  on  him,  and  ^  rent  it  in  twelve  pieces : 
^^And  he  said  to  Jeroboam,  Take  thee  ten  pieces:  for  'thus  saith  the  Lokd, 
the  God  of  Israel,  Behold,  I  will  rend  the  kingdom  out  of  the  hand  of  Solomon, 
and  will  give  ten  tribes  to  thee  :  ^-  (But  he  shall  have  one  tribe  for  my  seiwant 
Da^dd's  sake,  and  for  Jerusalem's  sake,  the  city  which  I  have  chosen  out  of  all 
the  tribes  of  Israel :)  ^^  ^  Because  that  they  have  forsaken  me,  and  have  wor- 
shipped Ashtoreth  the  goddess  of  the  Zidonians,  Chemosh  the  god  of  the 
Moabites,  and  Milcom  the  god  of  the  children  of  Ammon,  and  have  not  walked 
in  my  ways,  to  do  that  ivhich  is  right  in  mine  eyes,  and  to  keep  my  statutes  and 
my  judgments,  as  did  David  his  father.  ^^  Howbeit  I  will  not  take  the  whole 
kingdom  out  of  his  hand :  but  I  will  make  him  prince  all  the  days  of  his  hfe 
for  David  my  servant's  sake,  whom  I  chose,  because  he  kept  my  command- 
ments and  my  statutes  :  ^^  But  ^  1  will  take  the  kingdom  out  of  his  son's  hand, 
and  will  give  it  unto  thee,  even  ten  tribes.  ^^  And  unto  his  son  will  I  give  one 
tribe,  that  '  David  my  sei-vant  may  have  a  f  Hght  alway  before  me  in  Jerusalem, 
the  city  which  I  have  chosen  me  to  put  my  name  there.  ^7^n(j  I  will  take 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  reign  according  to  all  that  thy  soul  desireth,  and  shalt  be 
king  over  Israel.  ^^  And  it  shall  be,  if  thou  wilt  hearken  unto  all  that  I  com- 
mand thee,  and  wilt  walk  in  my  ways,  and  do  that  is  right  in  my  sight,  to  keep 
my  statutes  and  my  commandments,  as  David  my  servant  did ;  that  ^  I  will  be 
with  thee,  and  '  build  thee  a  sure  house,  as  I  built  for  David,  and  will  give 
Israel  unto  thee.  ^^  And  I  will  for  this  afflict  the  seed  of  David,  but  not  for 
ever.  ^^  Solomon  sought  therefore  to  kill  Jeroboam.  And  Jeroboam  arose, 
and  fled  into  Egypt,  unto  Shishak  king  of  Egypt,  and  was  in  Egypt  until  the 
death  of  Solomon. 


27.  Millo']  See  ix.  25. 

—  repaired  the  breaches']  Literally,  closed  the  gap.  Some 
suppose  this  to  mean  that  he  closed  up  the  vacant  space  between 
Zion  and  Moriah,  and  they  defend  this  opinion  on  the  ground 
that  there  had  been  no  hostile  incursions  by  which  any  breach 
could  be  made  in  the  wall  {Thenius,  Ewald,  Keil).  But  the 
Hebrew  word  perets,  here  used,  always  means  breach;  and 
breaches  might  be  made  in  the  wall  by  violent  rains,  no  less 
than  by  military  assaults. 

28.  over  all  the  charge]  The  burden  of  the  service  required 
by  Solomon  for  his  buildings.  Thus  Jeroboam  became  a  fit 
spokesman  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  who  murmured  against  Reho- 
boam  for  the  heavy  service  imposed  upon  them  by  Solomon. 
See  xii.  3,  4. 

—  the  house  of  Joseph]  Ephraim,  Jeroboam's  own  tribe 
{v.  26),  the  leader  and  representative  of  the  rest  (2  Sam.  xix. 
20) ;  see  on  v.  26. 

29.  Ahijah]  Wlio  afterwards  rebuked  Jeroboam  for  his  sins 
(xiv.  6 — 16);  so  that  Ahijah  cannot  be  regarded  as  in  any  way 
conniving  at  the  means  which  Jeroboam  took  for  the  attainment 
of  the  end  which  the  prophet  foretold. 

—  the  Shilonite]  Of  Shiloh,  where  the  Tabernacle  and  Ark 
had  been  placed  in  the  days  of  Joshua  (Josh,  xviii.  1),  and 
whence  it  had  been  taken  away  for  the  sins  of  Israel  (1  Sam. 
iv.  12.  18.  Ps.  Isxviii.  60.  65),  never  to  return  thither.  Doubt- 
less, the  history  of  Shiloh,  and  the  judgments  inflicted  by  God 
on  Ilis  People  for  their  sins,  must  have  made  a  solemn  impres- 
sion on  the  mind  of  the  prophet  Ahijah,  the  Shilonite,  and  have 
filled  him  with  sad  forebodings  for  the  bitter  consequences  of 

48 


the  defection  of  Solomon.  Ahijah  was  of  Shiloh,  where  the 
Ark  and  Tabernacle  had  been  settled  by  Joshua,  and  where  they 
had  remained  till  the  last  days  of  Eli.  His  character  stands  in 
marked  contrast  to  Jeroboam's.  Both  were  Ephraimites.  Jero- 
boam, jealous  of  Judah,  and  of  the  transfer  of  the  religious 
centre  to  Jerusalem,  sets  up  rival  shrines  at  Dan  and  Bethel, 
and  fortifies  Shcchem.  Ahijah's  heart  is  loyal  to  Judah  and 
Jerusalem,  and  he  rebukes  Jeroboam  for  his  schism  and  idolatry 
(xiv.  7—16). 

—  neio  garment]  A  new  cloak.  A  large  piece  of  cloth, 
somewhat  like  the  classical  l/xaTiov,  or  pallium,  and  the  cheik  oi 
the  Arabs  (cp.  Exod.  xxii.  9.  26.     Dent.  xxis.  5.     Ps.  civ.  2). 

32.  one  tribe]  Represented  by  two  pieces;  for  Ahijah  tare 
the  new  garment  into  twelve  pieces,  and  gave  ten  to  Jeroboam. 
The  two  tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  being  joined  together 
under  the  house  of  David  are  regarded  as  one :  cp.  v.  36,  and 
xii.  20,  where  the  two  tribes  are  spoken  of  as  Judah  only. 

37.  thoti.  shalt  reign]  Here  was  the  trial  of  Jeroboam's  faith. 
He  had,  for  his  imitation,  the  example  of  David,  who  knew  that 
Saul  had  been  rejected  by  God,  and  who  had  been  anointed 
King  by  Samuel,  and  who  was  persecuted  by  Saul,  but  who 
woidd  not  take  Saul's  life  when  it  was  in  his  hands,  and  woiUd 
not  allow  others  to  take  it  (1  Sam.  xxiv.  6;  xxvi.  9). 

Jeroboam  imitated  Jacob  in  endeavouring  to  seize  by  evil 
means  what  God  had  designed  to  bestow  upon  him ;  but  he  did 
not  imitate  Jacob  in  his  repentance.  What  he  had  taken  by 
evil  means  he  endeavoured  to  keep  by  worse  (xii.  26.  28),  and  he 
forfeited  by  disobedience  that  which  would  have  been  preserved 
to  his  seed  by  obedience  {v.  38 ;  see  xv.  28). 


Solomon's  death. 


1  KINGS  XI.  41—43.     XIL  1—9. 


Behohoam's  rashness. 


"^^  And  "  the  rest  of  the  ||  acts  of  Solomon,  and  all  that  he  did,  and  his 
wisdom,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  acts  of  Solomon  ?  ^^  n  j^^^ 
the  f  time  that  Solomon  reigned  in  Jerusalem  over  all  Israel  ivas  forty  years. 
^^  °  And  Solomon  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  in  the  city  of  David 
his  father  :  and  ^  Rehoboam  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XII.  ^  And  ^  Rehoboam  went  to  Shechem :  for  all  Israel  were  come  to 
Shechem  to  make  him  king. 

-  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  ^  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  was  yet 
in  "  Egypt,  heard  of  it,  (for  he  was  fled  from  the  presence  of  king  Solomon, 
and  Jeroboam  dwelt  in  Egypt ;)  ^  That  they  sent  and  called  him.  And  Jero- 
boam and  all  the  congregation  of  Israel  came,  and  spake  unto  Rehoboam, 
saying,  ^  Thy  father  made  our  ^  yoke  grievous :  now  therefore  make  thou  the 
grievous  service  of  thy  father,  and  his  heavy  yoke  which  he  put  upon  us, 
lighter,  and  we  will  serve  thee.  ^  And  he  said  unto  them.  Depart  yet /or  three 
days,  then  come  again  to  me.     And  the  people  departed. 

^  And  king  Rehoboam  consulted  with  the  old  men,  that  stood  before  Solomon 
his  father  while  he  yet  lived,  and  said.  How  do  ye  advise  that  I  may  answer 
this  people  ?  "  And  they  spake  unto  him,  saying,  *  If  thou  wilt  be  a  servant 
unto  this  people  this  day,  and  wilt  serve  them,  and  answer  them,  and  speak 
good  words  to  them,  then  they  will  be  thy  servants  for  ever. 

^  But  he  forsook  the  counsel  of  the  old  men,  which  they  had  given  him,  and 
consulted  with  the  young  men  that  were  grown  up  with  him,  and  which  stood 
before  him :   ^  And  he  said  unto  them,  What  counsel  give  ye  that  we  may 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

9S0. 

m  2  Chron.  9.  29. 

II  Or,  words,  or, 

things. 

n  2  Chron.  9.  30. 
t  Heb.  days. 

about 
975. 
o2  Chron.  9.  31. 
p  Matt.  1.  7, 
called  Roboam. 
a  2  Chron.  10.  1, 
&c. 
bch.  11.  2C. 

c  ch.  11.  40. 


d  1  Sam.  8.  11— 


e  2  Chron.  10.  7. 
Prov.  15.  1. 


40.  SJiisTiakl  See  above,  on  v.  26,  and  below,  on  xiv.  25 ;  his 
portraiture  still  exists  on  the  walls  of  Karnak. 

41.  book  of  the  acts  of  Solomon]  The  public  records  of  the 
kingdom.  See  Archdeacon  Lee  on  Inspiration,  p.  467  j  op. 
below,  on  2  Chron.  ix.  29. 

42.  forty  years]  He  died  when  he  was  about  sixty  years  old 
{Lyran.,  Abulen.,  Keil).  Josephus  (Autt.  viii.  7.  8)  deserts  the 
sacred  text,  and  makes  his  reign  to  last  eighty  years,  and  his 
life  Hinety-four. 

43.  Solomon  slept  with  his  fathers]  Wliether  Solomon  re- 
turned by  repentance  (as  David  did  after  his  fall),  to  the  way  of 
God's  commandments,  is  not  revealed  in  Holy  Scripture.  The 
Book  entitled  "  Ecclesiastes,"  or  the  Preacher,  shows,  at  least, 
that  at  the  close  of  his  life  he  deeply  felt  the  hollowness  of  mere 
earthly  things,  and  that  he  knew  and  testified,  that  there  is 
no  solid  good  except  in  obedience  to  God.     Eccl.  xii.  1 — 14. 

Some  of  the  Christian  Fathers  speak  hesitatingly  as  to  his 
repentance  (see  TertuUian  de  Prsescr.  ha;ret.  c.  2.  S.  Cyprian 
deUnit.  Eccl.,p.  478.  S.  Gregory,  Moral,  ii.  2.  Eucherius,  p.  992. 
Augustine,  c.  Faust,  xxii.  88 ;  de  Civ.  Dei  xiv.  11.  S.  Chrys. 
Serm.  de  Poenit.  and  Horn.  80  ad  pop.  Antioch).  Others  affirm 
that  he  repented  (as  S.  Hilary,  S.  Ambrose,  S.  Jerome,  S. 
Mpiphanius).  See  Pfeijfer,  Dubia,  p.  230,  and  particularly 
Wouiwrs,  Dilucidationcs,  cap.  xi.  Qu.  2.  The  subject  is  con- 
sidered more  fully  below  in  the  Introdtiction  to  Ecclesiastes. 

It  seems  that  the  matter  is  designedly  left  uncertain  in 
Holy  Scripture  lest,  on  the  one  hand,  any  one  should  presume 
on  God's  mercy,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  any  one  should  despair 
of  it ;  and  also  to  teach  us  not  to  inquire  curiously  concerning 
the  salvation  of  others,  but  to  labour  diligently  in  working  out 
our  own  (see  Luke  xiii.  24.     John  xxi.  22). 

A  dark  cloud  hangs  over  his  memory.  The  name  of  his 
father  David  is  perpetually  recurring  in  the  pages  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament,  but  the  name  of  Solomon  may  be  almost 
said  to  be  consigned  to  silence  and  oblivion. 

—  Rehoboam]  Heb.  Rechaheam,  enlarger  of  the  people; 
from  rachab,  in  hiphil,. to  make  wide,  and  am,  people  (Oesen. 
765) ;  his  mother  was  "  Naamah  the  Ammonitess,"  xiv.  21.  31. 
2  Chron.  xii.  13. 

Solomon,  with  his  Oriental  seraglio  of  wives  and  concubines 
(700  wives  and  300  concubines),  seems  to  have  had  only  one 
child,  at  least  only  one  is  mentioned  in  Scripture,  and  he,  at  the 
age  of  forty-one,  was  no  better  than  a  child  (1  Kings  xiv.  21).  The 
wise  father  had  a  fool  for  his  son.  His  own  folly,  in  turuing 
Vol.  III.  49 


from  the  God  of  his  fathers,  was  thus  punished.  If  (as  is 
probable)  the  Book  of  Ecclesiastes  was  written  by  Solomon, 
we  may  see  there  the  bitter  expression  of  his  own  feelings  in 
ii.  18,  "  I  hated  all  my  labour  which  I  had  taken  under  the  sun, 
because  I  should  leave  it  unto  the  man  that  shall  be  after  me  " 
(cp.  ibid.  iv.  13 — 16) ;  which  seems  to  be  suggested  by  a  con- 
sideration of  his  own  state  at  the  close  of  his  reign,  and  the 
chai'acter  of  his  son  and  successor,  Rehoboam. 

Though  Rehoboam  was  more  than  forty  years  old  when  he 
came  to  the  throne,  and  was  (it  seems)  the  only  son  of  Solomon, 
yet  we  hear  nothing  of  his  doings  (as  we  do  of  the  doings  of 
David's  sons)  during  the  lifetime  of  his  father.  There  is  much 
probability  in  the  opinion,  that  Solomon,  being  conscious  of 
Rehoboam's  incapacity  and  imbecility,  kept  him  apart  from 
public  business,  perhaps  secluded  among  the  women  in  the 
seraglio  of  his  palace. 

Even  Rehoboam's  son  Abijah  seems  to  refer  to  the  feeble- 
ness of  his  character  (2  Chron.  xiii.  7). 

The  influence  of  his  mother,  "  Naamah  the  Ammonitess," 
was,  doubtless,  very  pernicious. 

Thus  Solomon  reaped  the  bitter  fruits  of  his  own  apostasy 
from  God  in  his  son  and  successor,  who  in  ripe  manhood  was 
a  child. 

Still,  God's  promise  to  David  did  not  fail.  It  seemed  to  be 
in  peril  at  the  very  outset.  Solomon  the  son  of  David  had  but 
one  son,  as  far  as  we  know,  and  he  was  a  Rehoboam.  And 
Rehoboam  at  the  beginning  of  his  reign  lost  ten  of  the  twelve 
tribes.  The  promise  appeared  to  be  almost  abortive.  It  was 
hanging  by  a  thread.  In  fact,  Solomon's  line  did  fail  in  the 
captivity ;  but  David's  line, — though  the  thread  seemed  often 
on  the  very  point  of  being  snapped, — was  continued  even  unto 
Christ,  in  Whom  it  remains  fast  for  eternity. 

Ch.  XII.  1.  to  Shechem]  As  a  national  sanctuary  of  Israel : 
see  Josh.  xxiv.  1.  Perhaps  the  ten  tribes,  being  already  dis- 
aftected,  were  reluctant  to  come  to  Jerusalem.  Shechem  was 
in  Ephraim,  the  principal  of  the  ten  tribes,  and  Jeroboam  was 
of  that  Tribe  (xi.  26  :  cp.  v.  25). 

3.  they  sent  and  called  him]  He  had  already  left  Egypt,  as 
soon  as  he  heard  of  Solomon's  death :  see  2  Chron.  x.  2. 

4.  Thy  father  made  our  yoke  grievous]  By  levies  of  personal 
service  and  tribute,  especially  for  his  buildings  {vo.  13,  14). 
Samuel's  prophecy  was  now  fulfilled,  "  Ye  shall  cry  out  in  that 
day,  because  of  your  king."     See  1  Sam.  viii.  11 — 18. 

E 


Ten  Tribes  revolt. 


1  KINGS  XII.  10—21. 


Behohoam  restrained. 


Before 

CHRIST 

975. 


t  Heb.  hardly. 


f  ver.  24. 
Judg.  14.  4. 
2Chron.  10.  15. 
22.  7.  &  25.  20. 
gch.  11.  11,  31. 


h2  Sam.  20.  1. 


1  eh.  11.  13,  36. 


k  ch.  4.  G.  & 
5.  14. 


tHeb. 

strengthened 

himself. 

12  Kings  17.  21. 

II  Or,  felt  away. 


mch.  11.  13,  32. 
n2  Chron.  11.  1. 


answer  this  people,  who  have  spoken  to  me,  saying,  Make  the  yoke  which  thy 
father  did  put  upon  us  Hghter  ?  ^°  And  the  young  men  that  were  grown  up 
with  him  spake  unto  him,  saying,  Thus  shalt  thou  speak  unto  this  people  that 
spake  unto  thee,  saying.  Thy  father  made  our  yoke  heavy,  hut  make  thou  it 
lighter  unto  us ;  thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  them,  My  little  finger  shall  he 
thicker  than  my  father's  loins.  ^^  And  now  whereas  my  father  did  lade  you 
with  a  heavy  yoke,  I  will  add  to  your  yoke :  my  father  hath  chastised  you 
with  whips,  hut  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpions. 

^^  So  Jeroboam  and  all  the  people  came  to  Rehoboam  the  third  day,  as  the 
king  had  appointed,  saying.  Come  to  me  again  the  third  day.  ^^  And  the  king 
answered  the  people  f  roughly,  and  forsook  the  old  men's  counsel  that  they  gave 
him;  ^*And  spake  to  them  after  the  counsel  of  the  young  men,  saying.  My 
father  made  your  yoke  heavy,  and  I  will  add  to  your  yoke  :  my  father  also 
chastised  you  with  whips,  hut  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpions. 

^^  Wherefore  the  king  hearkened  not  unto  the  people ;  for  ^  the  cause  was 
from  the  Loed,  that  he  might  perform  his  saying,  which  the  Loed  ^  spake  by 
Ahijah  the  Shilonite  unto  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat.  ^^  So  when  all  Israel 
saw  that  the  king  hearkened  not  unto  them,  the  people  answered  the  king, 
saying, 

^  What  portion  have  we  in  David  ? 
Neither  have  toe  inheritance  in  the  son  of  Jesse : 
To  your  tents,  0  Israel : 
Now  see  to  thine  own  house,  David. 

So  Israel  departed  unto  their  tents. 

^^  But  '  as  for  the  children  of  Israel  which  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  Judah, 
Rehoboam  reigned  over  them. 

^^  Then  king  Rehoboam  ^  sent  Adoram,  who  ivas  over  the  tribute ;  and  all 
Israel  stoned  him  with  stones,  that  he  died.  Therefore  king  Rehoboam 
f  made  speed  to  get  him  up  to  his  chariot,  to  flee  to  Jerusalem.  '^  So  '  Israel 
II  rebelled  against  the  house  of  David  unto  this  day. 

-*^And  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  Israel  heard  that  Jeroboam  was  come  again, 
that  they  sent  and  called  him  unto  the  congregation,  and  made  him  king  over 
all  Israel :  there  was  none  that  followed  the  house  of  David,  but  the  tribe  of 
Judah  ""  only. 

2^  And  when  "  Rehoboam  was  come  to  Jerusalem,  he  assembled  all  the  house 
of  Judah,  with  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  an  hundred  and  fourscore  thousand 
chosen  men,  which  were  warriors,  to  fight  against  the  house  of  Israel,  to  bring 


10.  Mtf  little  fiuger]  Lit.  my  littleness ;  and  so  Sept.  and 
Targum. 

11.  scorpions']  The  Eabbis  and  others  translate  it  by  knotted 
scourges  with  sharp  points  (Gesen.  650)  j  but  it  seems  better 
to  retain  the  word  scorpions, — in  a  figurative  sense :  cp.  Ezek. 
ii.  6 ;  and  Pfeiffer,  p.  231. 

15.  the  cause  was  from  the  Loed]  Lit.  it  was  a  turning 
brouglit  about  hg  the  Lord. 

16.  saying.  What  portion  have  we]  These  words  seem  to  be 
like  a  popular  revolutionary  refrain,  current  among  the  dis- 
affected Ephraimites  and  others,  jealous  of  the  supremacy  of 
Judah  and  of  the  house  of  David,  ever  since  the  rebellion  of 
Sheba  (2  Sam.  xx.  1).  Together  with  the  history  of  this  apos- 
tasy of  the  Ten  Tribes  from  the  house  of  David  let  us  read 
the  Second  Psalm  {Lighlfoot). 

17.  children  of  Israel — Judah]  That  is,  those  members  of 
the  ten  Tribes,  who  dwelt  in  the  territory  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
remained  faithful  to  the  house  of  David.  There  was  a  loyal 
remnant  in  them.    They  did  not  join  in  the  revolt :  cp.  v.  23. 

50 


18.  Adoram,  loho  was  over  the  trihute]  or  levy.  See  iv.  6. 
2  Sam.  XX.  24.  This  mission  of  Adoram  was  an  unhappy  one, 
and  evinced  Eehoboam's  infatuation.  The  appearance  of  Adoram 
among  them  exasperated  the  multitude  to  greater  violence  and 
fury,  showing  itself  in  acts  of  outrage  to  him  and  the  King,  and 
rendered  reconciliation  more  difiicult.  The  foundation  of  the 
schismatical  and  idolatrous  kingdom  of  Jeroboam  was  laid  in 
blood. 

Eehoboam  might  have  obtained  counsel  from  the  Lord 
Himself,  by  means  of  Urim  and  Thummim,  and  of  the  prophets 
Ahijah  (xi.  29)  and  Shemaiah  {v.  22),  but  we  hear  nothing  of 
his  resorting  to  God  for  direction,  and  consequently  he  was  the 
victim  of  his  own  wilfulness  and  of  evil  advisers. 

—  to  flee  to  Jerusalem]  From  Shechem  {v.  1). 

20.  Judah]  Benjamin  is  included  {vv.  21.  23.  2  Chron.  xi. 
1.  3). 

21.  an  hundred  and  fourscore  thousand]  In  David's  time 
there  were  500,000  men  in  Judah  who  drew  the  sword  (2  Sam. 
xxiv.  9). 


Jeroboam's  policy. 


1  KINGS  XII.  22—28. 


His  two  calves. 


Before 

CHRIST 

975. 

11.2. 


the  kingdom  again  to  Eehoboam  the  son  of  Solomon.  ^^  ;gut  °  the  word  of  God 
came  unto  Shemaiah  the  man  of  God,  sajdng,  ^^  Speak  unto  Rehoboam,  the  son  o  2  chron" 
of  Solomon,  king  of  Judah,  and  unto  all  the  house  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  and 
to  the  remnant  of  the  people,  saying,  -^  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Ye  shall  not  go 
up,  nor  fight  against  your  brethren  the  children  of  Israel :  return  every  man  to 
his  house  ;  ^  for  this  thing  is  from  me.  They  hearkened  therefore  to  the  word  pver.  15. 
of  the  Lord,  and  returned  to  depart,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord. 

^^  Then  Jeroboam  ''built  Shechem  in  mount  Ephraim,  and  dwelt  therein;  q  see  judg.  9. 45 
and  went  out  from  thence,  and  built  'Penuel.     -^  And  Jeroboam  said  in  his  j- Judg.  s.  17. 
heart,  Now  shall  the  kingdom  return  to  the  house  of  David :  --^  If  this  people 
'  go  up  to  do  sacrifice  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  at  Jerusalem,  then  shall  the  ^  ^^''^-  '2-  s.  e. 
heart   of  this  people  turn  again  unto  their  lord,   even  unto  Rehoboam  king 
of  Judah,  and  they  shall  kill  me,  and  go  again  to  Rehoboam  king  of  Judah. 
^  Whereupon  the  Idng  took  counsel,  and  *  made  two  calves  of  gold,  and  said  ^g^^J 7,f  '"•  ^^■ 
unto  them.  It  is  too  much  for  you  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  :  "  behold  thy  gods,  u  Exod.  S2. 4,  s. 


22.  Shemaiah']  See  2  Chron.  xi.  2;  xii.  5. 

24.  this  thing  is  from  me]  The  loss  of  the  kingdom  is  from 
Me,  but  not  the  rebellion  of  Jeroboam  and  the  Ten  Tribes :  ep. 
2  Chron.  xiii.  4 — 12.  In  the  Vatican  MS.  of  the  Septuagint  a  long 
narrative  is  inserted  here  concerning  the  parentage  and  eai'ly 
history  of  Jeroboam ;  which  is  followed,  in  preference  to  that 
contained  in  the  Hebrew  original,  by  some  recent  historians,  as 
Stanley,  p.  274.,  note :  cp.  Bibl.  Diet.  i.  979. 

25.  built  Shechem]  Restored  it ;  it  had  been  destroyed  by 
Abimelech  (Judg.  ix.  49).  Not  only  the  situation  of  Shechem, 
but  also  the  old  national  associations,  religious  and  political, 
which  were  connected  with  Shechem  (see  above,  on  Gen.  xii. 
1 — 7;  xxxiii.  20;  xxxv.  2.  4.  Josh.  ix.  32;  xxiv.),  doubtless 
suggested  this  act  to  Jeroboam, 

Jeroboam  was  an  Ephraimite  (see  xi.  26) ;  as  such,  a  man 
of  his  ambitious  and  restless  disposition  ^vas  probably  jealous  of 
the  transfer  of  the  ancient  honours  of  Shechem  and  of  Shiloh  to 
Judah  and  Jerusalem.  Cp.  Blunt,  Coincidences,  pp.  178,  179 ; 
and  see  above,  on  xi.  26.  29. 

—  Pennel]  The  same  remarks,  as  wore  made  on  the  building 
or  fortification  of  Shechem,  apply  also  to  Penuel.  It  was  con- 
nected with  the  patriarchal  history  of  Israel  (Gen.  xxxii.  30: 
cp.  Judg.  viii.  6 — 8),  and  it  was  like  a  key  to  the  great  caravan- 
road  which  led  over  Gilead  to  Damascus,  and  also  of  the  road 
by  Tadmor  (Palmyra)  to  the  Euphrates  and  Mesopotamia. 

27.  If  this  people — Judah]  Jeroboam  acknowledges  the 
Temple  of  Jerusalem  as  "the  house  of  the  Lord,"  and  he  also 
acknowledges  Rehoboam  as  the  "  lord  "  of  the  people ;  Jero- 
boam's schism  and  rebellion  were  wilful  and  deliberate  sins. 
The  claims  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  the  sins  of  Jero- 
boam in  drawing  his  people  from  its  worship,  are  well  stated  by 
the  son  and  successor  of  Rehoboam,  King  Abijah,  in  his  speech 
on  Mount  Zemaraim.     See  2  Chron.  xiii.  4 — 12. 

28.  the  king  took  counsel^  And  by  his  "counsel"  he  brought 
ruin  upon  himself,  his  house,  and  his  people :  "  Woe  to  the 
rebellious  children,  saith  the  Lord,  that  take  counsel,  but  not  of 
Me — that  they  may  add  sin  to  sin"  (Isa.  xxx.  1). 

God  had  promised  to  Jeroboam,  that,  if  he  walked  in  His 
ways,  He  would  be  with  him  and  build  him  a  sure  house,  as  He 
had  built  for  David  (xi.  38).  If,  therefore,  Jeroboam  had 
obeyed  God,  and  gone  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship,  and  had 
caused  his  people  to  do  so,  his  kingdom  would  have  been 
established  in  peace  and  happiness.  But  Jeroboam  preferred 
the  specious  suggestions  of  a  carnal  policy  and  worldly  expe- 
diency to  God's  Will  and  Word,  and  thus  brought  misery  on 
himself  and  others,  in  this  world  and  another;  and  in  Holy 
Scripture  he  is  characterized  as  "  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat, 
who  made  Israel  to  sin." 

Jeroboam  is  the  image  and  pattern  of  Machiavelian 
politicians.  His  manceuvres  seemed  at  first  sight  to  be  shrewd 
and  sagacious,  and  such  as  vrould  conduce  to  the  maintenance  of 
his  throne,  but  in  the  end  they  proved  the  very  thing  which 
subverted  and  destroyed  it. 

Th^  history  of  Jeroboam's  policy,  civil  and  ecclesiastical, 

13  fraught  with  salutary  instruction  to  States  and  Churches. 

An  excellent  practical  application  of  this  history  may  be  seen  in 

Dr.  South' $  Sermon  on  1  Kings  xiii.  33,  34,  entitled  "  Eccle- 

51 


siastical  policy  the  best  policy ;  or.  Religion  the  best  reason  of 
State,"  Sennons,  i.  134. 

Jeroboam's  Idolatrotjs  Worship. 

—  and  made  two  calves  of  gold]  He  did  not  at  first  propose 
them  to  be  worshipped  as  gods  (like  Baal  and  Ashtoreth),  but 
as  symbols  of  Jehovah,  such  as  Aaron  had  made  at  Sinai  (see 
on  Exod.  xxxii.  4).  In  both  cases,  this  symbol  seems  to  have 
been  chosen  because  of  its  connexion  with  Egypt;  and  Jero- 
boam was  probably  influenced  by  his  own  sojourn  in  Egypt 
(xL  40;  see  above,  on  xi.  26)  to  make  tLe  same  choice  (cp. 
S.  Jerome  in  Hos.  iv.)  as  well  as  by  the  example  of  Aaron,  to 
which  he  refers,  and  whose  words  he  adopts  (cp.  w  28  with 
Exod.  xxxii.  4).  Jeroboam  also,  it  was  probable,  was  led  by 
imitation  of  Egypt,  where  the  kings  exercised  priestly  functions, 
to  take  upon  himself  the  sacerdotal  ofiice  of  burning  incense  and 
off'ering  sacrifice  (Kitto,  p.  147). 

It  has  indeed  been  infeiTed  by  some  (as  De  Wette,  Faulus), 
from  the  policy  of  Jeroboam,  and  from  the  compliance  of  the 
Ten  Tribes  with  it,  that  the  Books  of  Moses  could  not  have  been 
known  to  Jeroboam,  and  were  not  then  in  existence. 

Such  allegations  as  these  show  little  knowledge  either  of 
the  human  heart  or  of  sacred  history.  Solomon's  case  proves 
that  he  had  the  clearest  recollection  of  the  language  of  the 
Pentateuch  (see  above,  on  chap.  viii.  passim) ;  and  yet  the  latter 
years  of  his  life  were  in  direct  contradiction  to  it.  Jeroboam, 
by  a  ready  exercise  of  special  pleading,  might  claim  the  benefit 
of  Aaron's  example  to  a  certain  extent,  and  might  allege  that 
his  own  case  and  that  of  his  people,  who  were  separated  from 
the  Ark,  was  not  like  that  of  the  Israelites,  who  had  Jeho- 
vah present  among  them.  Hengstenherg  (Auth.  i.  175)  justly 
observes,  that  on  such  principles  as  these  men  might  deny  the 
existence  ®f  the  Bible  in  the  middle  ages,  when  the  precepts  of 
the  Scriptures  were  set  at  nought  by  a  large  portion  of  the 
Christian  Church.  Rather,  it  may  be  affii-med,  that  Jeroboam's 
religious  institutions  bear  testimony  to  the  Mosaic  Law,  for 
they  are  a  parody  of  them.  At  the  same  time,  it  may  be  readily 
allowed,  that  Jeroboam's  history  shows  that  the  people  were  not 
very  conversant  with  the  Scriptures,  and  it  displays  the  evil 
eflects  of  such  negligence. 

Though  Jeroboam  at  first  designed  the  calves  to  be  sym- 
bols of  Jehovah— perhaps  in  imitation  of  the  Chei-ubim  on 
which  the  Divine  Presence  was  enthroned — yet  Jehovah  Him- 
self would  not  acknowledge  them  as  such,  He  denounced  them 
as  idols,  as  He  denounced  the  golden  calf  which  Aaron  made 
(see  Exod.  xxxii.  7,  8.  30,  31).  He  says  to  Jeroboam,  "Thou 
hast  made  thee  other  gods,  and  molten  images."     See  xiv.  9. 

And  Jeroboam  is  br.anded  with  an  eternal  stigma  by  thd 
Holy  Spirit,  in  the  words  of  Scripture  often  repeated,  as  "^Jeiv- 
boam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin."  Cp.  xii.  30; 
xiii.  34 ;  xiv.  16 ;  xv.  26.  30.  34 ;  xvi.  2.  19.  26,  &c. 

Here  is  a  warning  for  those  who  bow  down_  before  images 
of  creatures,  and  say  that  they  worship  God  in  them.  The 
question  is  not,  what  they  say,  but  what  God  thinks,  of  such 
worship  as  that.  He  condemns  it  as  idolatry.  Cp.  above, 
Exod.  xxxii.  4,  and  below,  on  1  Cor.  x.  20. 

—  It  is  too  much  for  you~i    He  professes  good-will  to  the 


Bethel  and  Dan. 


1  KINGS  XII.  29 — 33.         Jeroboam's  priests  and  feasts. 


Before 
CHRIST 

975. 
X  Gen.  28.  19. 
Hos.  4.  15. 
y  Judg.  18.  29. 
z  ch.  13.  34. 
2  Kings  17.  21. 
ach.  13.  32. 
b  Num.  3.  10. 
ch.  13.  33. 
2  Kings  17.  32. 
2  Chron.  II.  14, 
15. 

Ezek.  44.  7,  8. 
c  Lev.  23.  33,  34. 
Num.  29.  12. 
ch.  8.  2,  5. 
II  Or,  Weill  lip  to 
the  altar,  SfC. 
II  Or,  to  sacrifice. 
d  Amos  7.  13. 
II  Or,  went  up  to 
the  altar,  Ssc. 
e  Num.  15.  39. 
t  Heb.  to  burn 
incense. 
f  ch.  13.  1. 


0  Israel,  which  brought  thee  up  out  of  the  Land  of  Egypt.  ^^  And  he  set  the 
one  in  ""  Beth-el,  and  the  other  put  he  in  ^  Dan.  '^^  And  this  thing  became  ^  a 
sin  :  for  the  people  went  to  ivorsliip  before  the  one,  even  unto  Dan.  ^'  And  he 
made  an  "  house  of  high  places,  ^  and  made  priests  of  the  lowest  of  the  people, 
which  were  not  of  the  sons  of  Levi.  ^^  And  Jeroboam  ordained  a  feast  in  the 
eighth  month,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  month,  like  unto  ''  the  feast  that  is  in 
Judah,  and  he  ||  offered  upon  the  altar.  So  did  he  in  Beth-el,  ||  sacrificing 
unto  the  calves  that  he  had  made  :  **  and  he  placed  in  Beth-el  the  priests  of  the 
high  places  which  he  had  made.  ^^  So  he  ||  ofiered  upon  the  altar  which  he  had 
made  in  Beth-el  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  eighth  month,  even  in  the  month  which 
he  had  ^  devised  of  his  own  heart ;  and  ordained  a  feast  unto  the  children  of 
Israel :  and  he  offered  upon  the  altar,  f  and  ^  burnt  incense. 


people.  As  if  he  had  made  an  edict  (says  Br.  South),  "  I,  Jero- 
boam, by  the  advice  of  my  council,  considering  the  great  dis- 
tance of  the  Temple,  and  the  great  charges  that  poor  people 
are  put  to  in  going  thither,  as  also  the  burden  of  paying  first- 
fruits  and  tithes,  have  considered  a  way  that  may  be  more  easy 
to  the  people,  and  therefore  enjoin  that  none  repair  to  Jeru- 
salem, especially  since  God  is  not  tied  to  any  place  or  form  of 
worship;  these  and  such  other  reasons  he  used,  to  insinuate 
his  idolatry.  And  because  Israel  was  not  to  return  to  Egypt, 
Egypt  was  brought  back  to  them."  Cp.  Kitto,  Bibl.  Illust., 
Forty-third  Week,  pp.  146—151. 

—  behold  thy  gods,  O  Israel']  Or,  rather.  Behold  thy  God 
(see  Exod.  xxxii.  4).  He  is  not  a  polytheist.  Here  was  another 
specious  argument.  This  is  no  new  religion ;  it  is  the  rehgion 
of  your  forefathers ;  it  is  as  old  as  the  Exodus.  Our  great 
English  poet  has  expressed  the  truth  of  the  case  in  his  words, 

"  the  rebel  king 
Doubled  that  sin  in  Bethel  and  in  Dan, 
Likening  his  Maker  to  the  grazed  o.x." 

(Milton.) 

29.  Beth-eV]  i.  e.  house  of  Ood :  chosen  not  only  for  its 
situation,  on  the  borders  of  Ephraim  and  Benjamin,  about 
twelve  miles  north  of  Jerusalem,  but  because  of  its  sanctity, 
from  patriarchal  times  (Gen.  xii.  8 ;  xxviii.  11.  19 ;  xxxi.  13 ; 
XXXV.  1.  7).  It  had  been  a  Bethel,  or  hotise  of  Ood,  but  now 
Jeroboam  made  it  Bethaven,  a  house  of  vanity  (Hos.  x.  5). 

—  Ban]  In  the  northern  extremity  of  Israel,  near  one  of 
the  sources  of  the  Jordan ;  where  were  afterwards  Paneas  and 
Csesarea  Pbilippi  (see  Josh.  xix.  47.  Judg.  xviii.  29 ;  xx.  1),  and 
where,  it  seems,  a  grandson  of  Moses  had  been  prevailed  on  to 
olficiate  as  a  priest  at  an  idol  shrine.     See  on  Judg.  xviii.  30. 

30.  the  people  went— unto  Ban]  or,  the  people  even  unto 
Ban  (i.  e.  all  the  people)  %vent  before  the  one, — i.  e.  of  the 
two. 

31.  an  house  of  high  places]  Not  merely  a  high  place,  but  a 
house  or  temple  of  high  places ;  to  be  a  rival  to,  and  substitute 
for,  the  Temple  where  the  Ark  of  God  was  at  Jerusalem ;  the 
place  which  God  Himself  had  chosen  out  of  all  the  tribes  to 
place  His  Name  there,  as  Ahijah  had  told  Jeroboam  himself 
(xi.  32). 

Samuel  and  Solomon  had  sacrificed  in  high  places  (1  Sara. 
ix.  14.  1  Kings  iii.  4)  j  but  what  was  lawful  in  them  before  the 
Temple  was  in  being,  was  now  detestable,  since  the  Temple  was 
constituted  by  God  to  be  the  only  place  for  His  worship  by 
sacrifice  {Br.  South). 

It  seems  requisite  to  notice  here  (and  the  remark  is  made 
with  deep  regret,  and  in  a  hope  that  it  may  be  rendered  unne- 
cessary by  a  revision  of  the  passages  now  to  be  cited),  that  an 
apology  is  ofiered  for  Jeroboam  in  Bean  Stanley's  Lectures, 
Lect.  xxix.  He  says  (p.  264),  "  The  kingdom  of  Israel "  (as 
distinguished  from  Judah)  "  was  the  national  kingdom,  and  the 
Church  of  Israel  was  the  National  Church." 

Rather,  may  we  not  say,  that  the  kingdom  of  Israel  was 
a  corrupt,  schismatical,  heretical,  and  idolatrous  part  of  the 
National  Church  ? 

Again,  it  is  said  in  the  same  volume,  "  The  prophetical 
activity  of  the  time  is  to  be  found  in  the  kingdom,  not  of 
Judah,  but  of  Israel "  (p.  266).  Undoubtedly  this  was  so ;  and 
why  ?  Because  of  the  apostasy  of  Israel,  which  the  Prophets 
were  sent  to  reprove  and  to  correct  (see  below,  xiii.  1,  2,  and 
Prelim.  Note  to  chapter  xvii.). 
52 


The  same  writer  says  (Lectures,  p.  278)  that  Jeroboam, 
"  following,  doubtless,  the  precedent  of  the  deposition  of  Ahia- 
thar  by  Solomon,  removed  from  their  places  the  whole  of  the 
sacerdotal  order,  as  it  was  constituted  in  the  north,  and  allowed 
the  establishment  of  a  new  priesthood."  But  surely  the  re- 
storation of  the  priesthood  from  one  line  of  Aaron  in  Abiathar 
to  another  line  in  Zadok,  was  not  a  precedent  for  the  setting  up 
of  an  anti-Aaronical  priesthood  by  Jeroboam. 

Again ;  it  is  said  (p.  279)  that  Jeroboam  was  at  Bethel, 
"  as  Solomon  at  Jerusalem,  to  offer  incense."  On  this  asser- 
tion see  below,  2  Chron.  xxiii.  16 — 19;  and  above,  viii.  14. 

Again ;  it  is  said  that  Jeroboam  served  God  with  what  the 
author  does  not  scruple  to  call  "  the  innocent  rites  of  sacrifice 
and  prayer"  (p  288),  and  that  Jeroboam  professed  "the  true 
religion  in  an  imperfect  foi-m  "  (p.  338  :  cp.  ibid.  p.  377). 

But  the  language  of  Holy  Scripture  on  this  subject  is, 
"  Jeroboam  ordained  priests  for  the  devils  and  for  the  calves 
that  he  had  made  "  (2  Chi-on.  xi.  15). 

• —  of  the  lowest  of  the  people]  Literally,  ^ro)w  the  ends  of 
the  people,  "de  extremis  populi"  {Vulg.)  ;  but  the  idea  of  low- 
ness  of  extraction  does  not  seem  to  be  conveyed  by  the  original 
(see  Bochart,  Vatablus,  Gesen.  737,  Keil,  150 :  cp.  Gen.  xix.  4. 
Ezek.  xxxiii.  2),  nor  is  it  expressed  in  the  Targmn,  Arabic, 
Syriac,  or  Sept.  Versions;  but  the  sense  seems  to  be,  that  he 
made  Priests  indiscriminately  from  all  classes  of  the  people, 
ivho  tvere  not  of  the  sons  of  Levi. 

The  Sacred  Writer  does  not  censure  Jeroboam  mainly  for 
making  priests  of  the  lowest  orders ;  he  himself.  King  as  he 
was,  assumed  the  functions  of  a  Priest,  as  the  kings  of  Egypt 
did  (see  on  v.  28)  ;  it  was  more  consistent  with  his  shrewd 
policy  and  worldly  sagacity,  to  make  some  of  the  upper  classes  ; 
but  Jeroboam  is  censured  in  Scripture  for  making  persons  to 
be  Priests  who  were  not  of  the  priestly  lineage. 

—  not  of  the  sons  of  Levi]  For,  as  we  learn  from  the 
Chronicles  (2  Chron.  xi.  13,  14),  the  Priests  and  Levites  liad  left 
him  and  his  kingdom,  and  had  resorted  to  Judah. 

32.  a  feast  in  the  eighth  month,  on  the  fifteenth  day]  On 
the  same  day  of  the  month,  but  not  in  the  same  month,  as  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles,  which  was  in  the  seventh  mouth  (Lev. 
xxiii.  33). 

The  Feast  of  Tabernacles  was  the  Feast  of  Ingathering, 
and  the  fruits  of  the  earth  were  not  ripe  so  soon  in  the  northern 
part  of  Palestine  as  in  the  south. 

33.  he  offered  wpon  the  altar  — and  burnt  incense]  To  prove 
himself  the  spiritual  Head  of  his  kingdom  {Keil). 

For  doing  this  at  Jerusalem,  King  Uzziah  was  afterwards 
smitten  with  leprosy  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  16.  19). 

Jeroboam's  action  was  as  if,  in  a  Christian  nation,  the  chief 
governor  should  authorize  and  encourage  any  of  the  people  to 
preach  and  minister  the  Sacraments,  and  should  invade  the  minis- 
terial functions  himself  {Br.  South,  as  quoted  aaove  on  v.  28). 

On  the  Argument  in  favour  of  the  Divine  Authoritt 

OF  THE  PENTATEUCn,  FROM  THE  HiSTORT  OF  JeROBOAM 

AND  Israel. 

Let  us  not  close  this  chapter,  which  gives  so  melancholy  a 
description  of  the  folly  of  Kehoboam  and  of  Judah,  and  of  the 
defection  of  Jeroboam  and  Israel,  without  observing,  by  way  of 
compensation  and  consolation,  the  remarkable  providence  of 
God,  in  overruling  the  rebellion  and  schism  of  Jeroboam  and 
of  the  Ten  Tribe?  into  an  irrefragable  proof  of  the  Truth  and 


The  man  of  God 


1  KINGS  XIII.  1—7. 


sent  from  Judah  to  Bethel. 


XIII.  1  And,  behold,  there  '''came  a  man  of  God  out  of  Jiidah  by  the  word     chrTst 
of  the  Lord  unto  Beth-el :  ^  and  Jeroboam  stood  by  the  altar  ||  to  bm-n  mcense.  a2  King"'23.  i-. 
-  And  he  cried  against  the  altar  in  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  said,  0  altar,  ii  or,  tooi'r.  ' 
altar,  thus  saith  the  Lord  ;  Behold,  a  child  shall  be  born  unto  the  house  of 
David,  "Josiah  by  name;  and  upon  thee  shall  he  offer  the  priests  of  the  high  c^2 Kings 23. is, 
places  that  burn  incense  upon  thee,  and  men's  bones  shall  be  burnt  upon 
thee.     ^  And  he  gave  "^  a  sign  the  same  day,  saying,  This  is  the  sign  which  the  ^^^^'n /Vs*' 
Lord  hath  spoken ;  Behold,  the  altar  shall  be  rent,  and  the  ashes  that  are  •  ^°'-  '•  ^^• 
upon  it  shall  be  poured  out. 

^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  king  Jeroboam  heard  the  saying  of  the  man  of 
God,  which  had  cried  against  the  altar  in  Beth-el,  that  he  put  forth  his  hand 
from  the  altar,  saying.  Lay  hold  on  him.  And  his  hand,  which  he  put  forth 
against  him,  dried  up,  so  that  he  could  not  pull  it  in  again  to  him.  ^  The 
altar  also  was  rent,  and  the  ashes  poured  out  from  the  altar,  according  to  the 
sign  which  the  man  of  God  had  given  by  the  word  of  the  Lord.  ^  And  the 
king  answered  and  said  unto  the  man  of  God,^Intreat  now  the  face  of  the  ^^$"^?:8;& 

*^  i).  28.  &  10.  1 7. 

Lord  thy  God,  and  pray  for  me,  that  my  hand  may  be  restored  me  again.  AcTs'k.^" 
And  the  man  of  God  besought  f  the  Lord,  and  the  king's  hand  was  restored  i''HeVikl%ceof 


him  again,  and  became  as  it  ivas  before.     ^  And  the  king  said  unto  the  man  of 
God,  Come  home  with  me,  and  refresh  thyself,  and  ^  I  will  give  thee  a  reward,  j^k 


Sam.  9.  7. 
ings  5.  15. 


Divine  Inspiration  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  eventually  of  the 
other  parts  of  the  Old  Testament. 

The  institutions  of  Jeroboam  are  copied  from  the  Levitical 
Law  (see  above,  vv.  28.  32),  and  bear  testimony  to  its  au- 
thority. 

But  this  is  not  all.  It  is  an  unquestionable  fact,  that  the 
Ten  Tribes  of  Israel  agreed  with  the  Two  Tribes  of  Judah  in 
receiving  the  same  Books  as  inspired.  There  were  two  rival 
and  hostile  kingdoms ;  but  there  was  one  and  the  same  Old 
Testament  in  both. 

This  will  appear  more  striking,  when  we  remember  that 
the  Pentateuch  condemns  in  the  strongest  terms  those  sins  of 
which  Jeroboam  and  Israel  were  guilty.  It  denounced  all  crea- 
ture-worship. It  knew  but  of  one  Pi-iesthood.  It  required  all 
Israelites  to  resort  to  one  place  for  worship. 

If,  therefore,  Jeroboam  and  Israel  liad  been  able  to  reject 
the  Old  Testament,  they  certainly  would  have  done  so.  But 
they  could  not.  And  their  agreement  with  Judah  m  receiving 
it  as  genuine,  true,  and  divinely  inspired,  is  one  of  the  strongest 
evidences  of  its  genuineness,  truth,  and  inspiration. 

On  this  important  subject  more  has  been  said  in  the  Intro- 
duction to  the  Old  Testament,  p.  xxii.,  and  in  the  Introduction 
to  Deuteronomy,  p.  199  :  see  also  below,  2  Chron.  xiii.  9. 

Ch.  XIII.  1.  a  man  of  Ood']  On  the  objections  raised  by 
some  persons  to  this  history  see  note  below,  on  vv.  18 — 32. 

This  man  of  God  is  called  Sadon  (perhaps  the  same  as 
"  Iddo  the  Seer  ")  by  Josephus.  He  is  called  Joas  by  Epipha- 
nius,  Sameas  by  TertuUian:  see  Rigalt  ad  TertulUan  de  Jejun. 
16,  and  A  Lapide  here,  and  Stanley,  Lect.  p.  279. 

—  by  the  tvord  of  the  Loed]  Rather,  in  the  word  of  the 
LoED,  as  that  which  endued  him  with  superhuman  power.  The 
word  of  the  Lord  was,  as  it  were,  the  atmosphere  which  he 
breathed,  the  vesture  in  which  he  was  clad :  cp.  1  Sam.  iii.  21. 
Judg.  iii.  10;  vi.  34;  xi.  29. 

2.  Behold,  a  child  shall  he  born — JosiaJi  by  namel  The 
prophet  comes  from  Judah,  and  announces  the  birth  of  a  child 
from  the  house  of  David,  who  will  defile  the  altar  of  Bethel ; 
and  thus  declares  the  sin  of  Jeroboam  in  separating  himself  and 
his  people  from  the  worship  of  God  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  erect- 
ing this  schismatical  altar  at  Bethel. 

The  literal  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy,  about  350  years 
afterwards,  is  related  in  2  Kings  xxiii.  15,  16.  Four  persons 
are  mentioned  by  name  before  they  were  born,  by  the  voice  of 
Divine  Prophecy :  the  first,  Isaac,  the  promised  seed  of  Abra- 
ham (Gen.  xvii.  19) ;  the  second,  Solomon,  the  son  of  David 
(1  Chron.  xxii.  9) ;  and  the  third,  Josiah  here ;  and  the  fourth, 
Cyrus,  It  was  foretold  of  Josiah,  that  he  would  destroy  the 
53 


idols  of  a  false  god ;  of  Cyrus,  that  he  would  build  the  Temple 
of  the  True  God  (cp.  Jeromiaster  on  2  Chron.  ad  fin.). 

And  all  these  were  signal  Types  of  Him  who  was  announced 
by  Name  before  His  birth,  Jesus  Cheist,  the  true  Isaac,  the 
promised  Seed,  in  whom  all  Nations  are  blessed;  the  Divine 
Solomon,  the  Son  of  David,  the  Prince  of  Peace;  the  true 
Josiah,  who  destroys  all  the  Works  of  the  Devil ;  the  Divine 
Cyrus,  who  builds  up  the  Chm-ch  of  God  :  see  below,  on  2  Chron. 
xxxvi.  22,  23. 

The  acts  of  Josiah  and  of  Cyrus  were  religious  acts,  and  it 
is  probiible  that  the  knowledge  of  these  prophecies  may  have 
encouraged  them  to  do  what  they  did.  Josiah  certainly,  and 
the  people  of  Bethel,  were  acquainted  with  this  prophecy  (see 
2  Kings  xxiii.  17,  18).  Cyrus  was  cognizant  of  the  prophecies 
pointing  to  him  by  name  (see  on  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23).  Their 
acts  were  acts  of  faith  and  obedience  to  God. 

—  onen's  bones']  To  pollute  the  altar  (2  Kings  xxiii.  16  : 
cp.  Num.  xix.  16). 

3.  he  gave  a  sign']  Heb.  mopheth,  a  marvel ;  fi-om  japhah, 
to  be  glorious  ( Gesen.  458 ;  or  from  the  Arabic,  Delitz.  Ps. 
Ixxi.  7.  Hengst.  Christ,  iii.  281 :  see  Exod.  iv.  21).  This  word 
occurs  foui'teen  times  in  the  Pentateuch,  and  is  always  ren- 
dered wonder  or  miracle  in  those  places  by  our  Translators, 
and  it  would  have  been  better  if  it  had  been  so  rendered  here. 
It  is  rendered  repas  by  Sept.  The  ivonder  was  to  be  a  proof 
to  the  man  of  God  himself,  as  well  as  to  Jeroboam,  that  he  had 
been  really  sent  by  God.  It  was  like  the  credentials  of  his 
mission  from  heaven. 

4.  his  hand— dried  up]  Here  was  another  proof  vouchsafed 
by  God  Himself  to  the  man  of  Judah,  as  well  as  to  Jeroboam, 
that  he  was  really  sent  by  God,  and  that  he  was  doing  God's 
bidding  in  denouncing  the  altar  of  Bethel,  while  the  King  was 
burning  incense  upon  it :  cp.  Ps.  cv.  14. 

6.  the  LoED  thy  God]  Jeroboam,  conscience-stricken,  does 
not  dare  to  call  Jehovah  his  own  God,  but  says,  "  Intreat  the 
LoED  tliy  God." 

—  the  Icing's  hand  was  restored]  A  third  proof  to  the 
man  of  God  himself,  as  well  as  to  Jeroboam,  of  his  divine  com- 
mission. 

7.  Come  home  with  me,  and  refresh  thyself,  and  I  tuill  give 
thee  a  reward]  This  offer  of  Jeroboam  did  not  proceed  from 
any  feeling  of  sincere  repentance,  as  his  subsequent  conduct 
showed,  and  as  is  declared  in  v.  33 :  "  after  this  Jeroboam  re- 
turned not  from  his  evil  way."  It  was  a  mere  politic  expedient 
to  blunt  the  edge  of  the  prophet's  denunciation  of  the  schisma- 
tical altar  of  Jeroboam,  and  to  neutralize  its  elfect  on  his  people. 
It  was  like  the  device  of  Saul  after  he  had  been  condemned  by 
Samuel :  "  Honoui-  me  now,  I  pray  thee,  before  the  elders  of 


Be  is  overtahcn 


1  KINGS  XIII.  8—18. 


hij  the  old  prophet  of  Bethel, 


Before 
CHRIST 
875. 
g  So  Num.  22. 
18.  &24.  13. 
h  ICor.  5.  11. 


t  Heb.  S'jn. 


i  ver.  8,  9. 

+  Heb.  a  word 

was. 

k  ch.  20.  .35. 

1  Thess.  4.  15. 


^  Aiid  the  man  of  God  said  unto  the  king,  ^  If  thou  wilt  give  me  half  thine 
house,  I  will  not  go  in  with  thee,  neither  will  I  eat  bread  nor  drink  water  in 
this  place  :  ^  For  so  was  it  charged  me  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  saying,  ''  Eat 
no  bread,  nor  drink  water,  nor  turn  again  by  the  same  way  that  thou  camest. 
^^  So  he  went  another  way,  and  returned  not  by  the  way  that  he  came  to 
Beth-el. 

^^  Now  there  dwelt  an  old  prophet  in  Beth-el ;  and  his  f  sons  came  and  told 
him  all  the  works  that  the  man  of  God  had  done  that  day  in  Beth-el :  the 
words  which  he  had  spoken  unto  the  king,  them  they  told  also  to  their  father. 
^-  And  their  father  said  unto  them,  What  way  went  he  ?  For  his  sons  had 
seen  what  way  the  man  of  God  went,  which  came  from  Judah.  ^^  And  he  said 
unto  his  sons,  Saddle  me  the  ass.  So  they  saddled  him  the  ass  :  and  he  rode 
thereon,  ^^And  went  after  the  man  of  God,  and  found  him  sitting  under  an 
oak :  and  he  said  unto  him,  J  rt  thou  the  man  of  God  that  camest  from  Judah  ? 
And  he  said,  I  am.  ^^  Then  he  said  unto  him.  Come  home  with  me,  and  eat 
bread.  ^^  And  he  said,  '  I  may  not  return  with  thee,  nor  go  in  with  thee : 
neither  will  I  eat  bread  nor  drink  water  with  thee  in  this  place  :  ^^  For  f  it  was 
said  to  me  ^  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  Thou  shalt  eat  no  bread  nor  drink  water 
there,  nor  turn  again  to  go  by  the  way  that  thou  camest.     ^^He  said  unto  him. 


my  people,  and  turn  again  with  me  "  (1  Sam.  xv.  30).  Jero- 
boam tries  to  bribe  the  prophet :  "  I  will  give  thee  a  reward," 
as  Balaam  was  bribed  by  Bulak  (Num.  xxii.  17). 

8.  If  thou  tvilt  give  me  half  thine  house']  The  prophet  seems 
to  have  remembered  the  story  of  Balaam  (Num.  xxii.  18;  xxiv. 
13),  but  notwithstanding  his  protestations  he  did  not  profit  by 
the  warning  :  see  v.  19. 

9.  Eat  no  bread'}  By  this  command  God  declared  that  Jero- 
boam and  the  worshippers  at  Bethel  were  so  detestable  in  His 
sight,  that  none  of  the  faithful  might  communicate  with  them 
in  eating  or  drinking  (a  Lapide).  "  I  have  written  unto  you 
not  to  keep  company  if  any  man  that  is  called  a  brother  be  a 
fornicator,  with  such  an  one  no  not  to  eat "  (1  Cor.  v.  11 :  cp. 
2  John  10,  11).  By  eating  and  drinking  at  Bethel  he  might 
even  have  been  led  to  partake  of  victims  which  had  been  oftered 
in  sacrifice  on  the  altar  at  Bethel,  and  so  have  appeared  to 
communicate  in  the  worship  of  Bethel  (cp.  1  Cor.  x.  20,  21). 

—  nor  turn  again  hy  the  same  toay]  Lest  Jeroboam  should  be 
able  to  send  after  him  and  draw  him  back.  Therefore  the  old 
prophet  inquired  of  some,  or  his  sons,  who  saw  the  way  by 
which  he  returned  {v.  12). 

11.  Notu  there  dwelt  an  old  prophef]  Rather,  there  was  a 
prophet,  an  old  man,  dwelling  in  Bethel.  It  is  not  said  that 
he  had  been  known  for  a  long  time  as  a  prophet;  but  that  he 
was  a  prophet,  an  old  man,  and  that  his  house  was  at  Bethel. 
Though  a  prophet,  he  was  content  to  live  quietly  at  Bethel, 
the  seat  of  Jeroboam's  corrupt  worship  ;  and  it  is  clear  that  he 
was  untrue  to  his  prophetical  character,  and  connived  at  that 
worship  :  otherwise  the  man  of  God  would  not  have  been  sent 
from  Judah  to  denounce  it. 

Br.  Waterland  suggests  (Scripture  Vind.,  p.  155),  that 
this  old  man  was  "  moved  by  envy  or  malice  to  deceive  the 
man  of  Judah,  who  had  boldly  denounced  Jeroboam's  idolatry, 
which  he  himself  had  winked  at ;"  and  he  felt  that  he  himself 
was  indirectly  involved  in  the  denunciation  of  that  idolatry, 
and  desired  to  weaken  the  force  of  that  denunciation,  in  the 
eyes  of  the  people  and  the  King,  by  injuring  the  credit  of  the 
denouncer,  and  by  bringing  him  back  to  Bethel  to  eat  there, 
in  spite  of  his  protestations  to  the  contrary,  and  to  display  his 
own  power  over  one  who  had  shown  so  much  courage,  and  such 
prophetic  gifts. 

14.  an  oaTc'\  Rather,  the  tereUnth.  The  tree  was  well 
known  to  succeeding  ages  as  the  scene  of  this  event.  He  ought 
to  have  hastened  home,  and  not  loitered  by  the  way. 

16.  in  this  place]  Rather,  in  that  place, — where  thou 
dwellest.  Bethel,— "in  loco  isto"  (Vulg.).  This  is  evident 
from  what  follows  in  t).  17  :  "  It  was  said  to  me — thou  shalt 
eat  no  bread  there,"  viz.  Bethel.  The  man  of  Judah,  therefore, 
knew  that  the  old  man  lived  at  Bethel. 

18—32.1  These  verses  may  best  be  considered  togrether. 
54 


On  the  Disobedience  and  Death  of  the  Man  of  God 
FROM  Judah. 

This  history  has  had  to  encounter  many  objections.  It 
has  been  alleged,  that  the  prophet  of  Judah  was  very  hardly 
dealt  with.  He  had  discharged  his  duty  wdth  courage,  zeal, 
and  faithfulness,  in  denouncing  the  Altar  at  Bethel,  at  the  very 
time  when  the  King  of  Israel  was  oflering  incense  at  it ;  he 
had  rejected  the  solicitations  of  the  King,  offering  him  refresh- 
ment and  reward ;  he  was  now  returning  to  Judah ;  he  was 
sitting  under  the  terebinth  to  rest  for  a  while  after  the  fatigue 
of  his  journey ;  he  was  there  accosted  by  a  man  of  venerable  age 
and  appearance,  who  invited  him  to  return  to  Bethel.  The 
old  man  says,  "  I  am  a  prophet  also  as  thou  art ;  and  an  angel 
spake  unto  me  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  saying.  Bring  him 
back  with  thee  into  thine  house,  that  he  may  eat  bread  and 
cbink  water"  (v.  18). 

True  it  is,  "he  lied  unto  him."  But  who  (it  may  be  said) 
can  be  always  proof  against  imposture  ?  And  what  was  the 
sin  in  eating  a  little  bread  at  Bethel,  after  he  had  done  his 
duty  in  denouncing  the  altar  there  ?  Was  it  so  heinous  an 
ofience,  that  all  the  good  works  done  by  the  prophet  should  be 
forgotten,  and  that  the  unhappy  victim  of  another  man's  false- 
hood and  treachery  should  be  visited  by  so  severe  a  pimish- 
ment  for  this  single  oflence  ?  See  the  objections  stated  by 
Tindal,  Christianity  as  Old  as  the  Creation,  p.  328. 

What  is  to  be  said  in  reply  to  these  questions  ? 

(1)  The  man  of  Judah  was  bound  not  to  eat  at  Bethel ; 
he  had  received  the  clearest  evidences  in  three  distinct  signs 
that  the  Lord  had  spoken  to  him  (see  above,  on  vv.  3,  4.  6). 
He  was  as  much  bound  not  to  eat  at  Bethel  as  he  was  to  go  to 
Bethel.  Both  commands  were  joined  together.  The  eating 
at  Bethel  was  an  act  of  disobedience  to  the  Lord,  who  had 
sent  him ;  and  it  was  punished  as  such.  The  old  man  himself 
who  deceived  him,  was  made  by  God  the  instrument  of  decl&,ring 
this :  "  Forasmuch  as  thou  hast  disobeyed  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord,  and  hast  not  kept  the  commandment  which  the  Lord  thy 
God  commanded  thee"  (v.  21).  And  again,  v.  26 :  "  It  is  the 
man  of  God,  who  was  disobedient  unto  the  word  of  the  Lord: 
therefore  the  Lord  hath  delivered  him  unto  the  lion." 

Therefore  this  history  is  a  solemn  warning  against  the  sin 
of  disobedience  :  cp.  Theodoret,  Qusest.  43. 

(2)  Secondly,  it  is  a  warning  against  disobedience  in  things 
which  may  seem  to  us  to  be  of  little  importance ;  and  it  shows 
the  necessity  of  punctual  obedience  to  all  God's  commands, 
whether  tve  see  the  reason  of  them  or  no. 

The  eating  a  little  bread  at  Bethel  might  have  seemed  a 
trivial  thing.  And  Adam  also  might  have  said,  "  If  the  tre(i 
of  knowledge  is  bad,  why  is  it  in   Paradise  ?      If  it  is  good, 


The  old  prophet 


1  KINGS  XIII.  19. 


brings  him  hacli  to  Bethel. 


I  am  a  prophet  also  as  thou  art ;  and  an  angel  spake  unto  me  by  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  saying,  Bring  him  back  with  thee  into  thine  house,  that  he  may  eat 
bread  and  drink  water.  But  he  lied  unto  him.  ^^  So  he  went  back  with  him, 
and  did  eat  bread  in  his  house,  and  drank  water. 


Before 
CHRIST 

975. 


wliy  may  I  not  cat  of  it  ?  "     The  reason  was,  Because  God  for- 
bade it ;  and  disobedience  was  punished  by  death. 

Many  persons,  likewise,  say  of  tlie  Sacraments,  "  What 
good  can  a  little  water  do  ?  What  good  can  a  little  bread  and 
wine  do  ?  May  I  not  refuse  them  ? "  No.  Why  ?  Because 
God  commands  them ;  and  uo  one  can  hope  for  life,  unless  he 
obeys  God. 

(3)  The  man  ofJudah  was  deceived.  True;  but  he  ought 
not  to  have  been  deluded.  There  is  reason  to  apprehend 
that  when  he  was  sitting  under  the  shade  of  the  terebinth- 
tree,  instead  of  pursuing  his  journey,  the  evil  Spirit  may  have 
whisjjered  into  his  ear,  that  he  had  lost  an  opportunity  of  gain- 
ing the  King's  favour,  and  of  enjoying  the  applause  of  the 
people,  who  had  witnessed  the  wonderful  exercise  of  his  pro- 
phetical gifts.  Perhaps  he  may  have  hankered  after  the 
proflered  reward  of  Jeroboam  {v.  7),  as  Balaam  did  for  Balak's 
offers  of  promotion  and  money.  The  door  of  his  heart  seems 
to  have  been  (as  it  were)  standing  ajar,  almost  half-opened 
already  to  the  invitations  of  the  old  man.  Otherwise  surely 
he  would  have  said,  "  Thou  a  prophet !  How  is  it,  then, 
that  thou  dwellest  at  Bethel,  the  house  of  Jeroboam's  corrupt 
worship  ?  If  thou  hadst  been  indeed  a  prophet  of  the  Lord, 
thou  wouldest  have  denounced  that  worship,  and  I  should  not 
have  been  sent  from  Judah  to  lift  up  my  voice  against  it.  My 
mission  is  a  proof  of  thy  omission,  and  commission.  Thou 
sayest,  indeed,  that  an  Angel  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  to  thee, 
saying.  Bring  him  back ;  but  prove  thy  assertion.  We  know 
that  the  Angels  of  God  visited  Jacob  at  Bethel,  but  then  he 
was  a  worshipper  of  the  Lord,  and  not  a  votary  of  a  golden 
calf;  we  know  that  the  Angels  of  the  Lord  camp  about  the 
dwellings  of  the  righteous ;  we  know  that  the  Cherubim  spread 
their  wings  over  the  Ark  of  God's  Presence  in  the  Holy  of 
Holies  at  Jerusalem ;  but  if  they  now  visit  Bethel,  it  is  not 
to  speak  words  of  favour  to  those  who  would  draw  others 
thither,  but  to  wani  them  of  their  sin  in  separating  them- 
selves from  Sion.  Thou  pleadest  a  message  from  an  Angel. 
Prove  thy  plea  if  thou  canst.  I  have  proved  my  message  from 
the  Lord  God  of  Angels,  speaking  against  Bethel,  and  for- 
bidding me  to  eat  there.  Therefore,  if  thou  art  indeed  a 
prophet  of  the  Lord,  if  thou  lovest  the  converse  of  Angels,  do 
not  invite  me,  whose  home  is  at  Judah,  to  return  to  Bethel. 
But  do  thou  listen  to  me ;  leave  Bethel  for  Judah :  come  and 
dwell  there." 

Such  ought  to  have  been  the  reply  of  the  man  of  Judah. 

In  his  return  to  Bethel,  and  in  his  subsequent  fate,  we 
have  therefore  a  striking  lesson  on  the  duty  of  examining  .into 
evidence  in  matters  of  religion.  The  Apostles  of  Christ  say, 
"  Believe  not  every  spirit,  but  try  the  spirits  whether  they  are 
of  God :  because  many  false  prophets  are  gone  out  into  the 
world  "  (1  John  iv.  1).  "  Satan  himself  is  transformed  into  an 
Angel  of  Light "  (2  Cor.  xi.  14).  "  Though  we  or  an  Angel  from 
heaven  preach  any  thing  beside,  or  in  contravention  of,  (such 
is  the  meaning  of  the  original  word)  what  we  have  preached 
unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed "  (see  on  Gal.  i.  8) ;  and  Christ 
Himself,  the  Lord  of  the  prophets,  says  (in  a  Scripture  appointed 
to  be  read  on  the  same  Sunday  as  this  chapter,  the  Eighth 
Sunday  after  Trinity),  "  Beware  oi  false  prophets,  which  come 
to  you  in  sheep's  clothing,  but  inwardly  they  are  ravening 
wolves  "  (Matt.  vii.  15). 

There  is  no  temptation  so  dangerous  as  that  which  comes 
in  a  veil  of  holiness.  Jeroboam  the  king  had  threatened,  but 
the  prophet  stood  undaunted;  the  grey-headed  seer  pleads  a 
message  from  God,  and  the  prophet  yields.  Satan  may  affright 
as  a  fiend ;  but  he  seduces  as  an  Angel  of  Light  {Bp.  Rail). 

This  history  is  a  warning  against  communicating  with 
any,  who,  like  Jeroboam,  are  guilty  of  schism,  or  idolatry.  It 
is  a  warning  against  the  allurements  of  the  Church  of  Rome, 
which  presents  herself  in  the  venerable  garb  of  Antiquity  (as 
the  old  prophet  did),  and  pretends  to  have  messages  from 
Angels,  and  invites  men  and  women  to  come  to  her  Bethel, — 
the  house  of  God  in  name, — but  which,  in  too  many  respects, 
unhappily  is  like  the  idolatrous  and  schismatical  altar  of 
Jeroboam. 

(4)  If  the  man  of  God  from  Judah  had  been  spared,  the 
effect  of  his  warning  against  the  sin  of  Jeroljoam  would  have 
been  almost  lost.     He  returned   to  Bethel;  he  communicated 

55 


with  the  old  man,  the  prophet,  who  dwelt  there.  He  did 
this,  although  he  had  declared  publicly  at  Bethel  to  Jeroboam 
that  he  was  forbidden  by  God  to  eat  there  {vv.  8,  9). 

Thus  he  made  it  easy  for  the  King  to  say,  that  the  man  of 
Judah  was  not  a  person  to  be  trusted,  and  that  he  had  lied  in 
what  he  had  spoken  against  the  Altar;  or  that,  if  he  was  a 
man  of  God,  communion  with  the  dwellers  at  Bethel  was  not  a 
thing  unpleasing  to  Him. 

(5)  God's  own  cause  was  at  stake.  The  safety  of  many 
souls  was  in  jeopardy.  God,  therefore,  interfered,  to  frustrate 
the  evil  device  of  the  old  prophet,  to  oveiTule  it  for  good,  and 
to  make  it  couducive  to  the  clearer  manifestation  of  His  own 
glory ;  for  the  confusion  of  Jeroboam  and  his  altar ;  for  the 
assertion  of  the  supremacy  of  the  Truth,  as  professed  in  the 
worship  at  Jerusalem ;  and  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

He  sent  a  lion  from  the  thicket  to  punish  the  man  of 
Judah  for  disobedience ;  and  the  attitude  of  the  lion,  not  eating 
the  carcase,  but  leaving  it  as  a  visible  memorial  of  God's  anger, 
and  sparing  the  ass ;  and  the  quietness  of  the  ass,  not  flying 
through  fear,  but  remaining  where  it  was,  were  proofs  that  the 
lion  was  commissioned  and  controlled  by  God. 

If  we  may  venture  so  to  speak,  the  obedience  of  the  lion 
resisting  the  temptation  of  its  appetite,  in  comj^liance  with 
God's  will,  and  for  His  glory,  is  put  in  striking  contrast  with 
the  disobedience  of  the  prophet  yielding  to  his  appetite.  It  is 
observable  that  in  the  similar  case  of  Balaam,  one  of  the 
lower  creatures,  the  ass  on  which  he  rode,  is  made  by  God 
to  rebuke  "  the  madness  of  the  prophet,"  who  disobeyed  Him. 

(6)  This  old  man  was  a  prophet ;  but  he  was  a  bad  man. 
As  Bp.  Hall  says,  "  Doubtless  he  was  a  prophet  of  God,  but 
corrupt  and  vicious.  Many  have  visions  from  God,  who  will 
not  enjoy  the  vision  of  God."  God,  by  making  a  prophet, 
does  not  unmake  the  man,  or  destroy  his  free  agency,  as 
Dr.  Waterland  observes,  p.  155,  who  adds,  "  It  is  true,  as 
the  objector  observes,  that  the  lying  prophet  bad  the  gift  of 
prophecy  continued  to  him  notwithstanding.  So  had  Balaam  ; 
and  Judas  had  extraordinary  gifts;  this  may  teach  us  that 
God  does  not  approve  of  every  thing  that  gifted  men  may  do." 
It  is  not  by  our  gifts  that  we  shall  be  judged,  but  by  the  use 
we  make  of  them;  and  if  we  make  a  bad  use  of  them,  the 
greatness  of  our  gifts  will  only  increase  the  severity  of  our 
condemnation  (cp.  Matt.  vii.  23). 

(7)  Yet  fiirther.  God  dealt  with  the  old  prophet  of  Bethel 
as  He  had  dealt  of  old  with  Balaam.  This  old  man  was  a 
prophet;  but,  like  Balaam  the  prophet,  he  "held  the  Truth 
in  unrighteousness;"  he  felt  that  the  mission  of  the  man  of 
Judah  against  the  Altar  at  Bethel  was  tantamount  to  a  con- 
demnation of  himself;  he  desired  to  weaken  the  eflect  of  that 
censure ;  he  wished  to  appear  to  be  on  good  terms  with  the 
man  of  Judah;  he  cared  little  whether  he  involved  him  in 
ruin ;  he  allured  him  back  to  Bethel  by  a  profession  of  pro- 
phetical sanctity,  and  by  a  pretence  of  an  angelic  message ; 
he  did  this,  although  he  well  knew  that  he  was  thus  setting 
himself  against  the  command  of  the  Lord  Himself.  And  he 
seemed  almost  on  the  point  of  defeating  God's  good  purposes, 
and  of  blasting  His  merciful  design  in  sending  the  prophet 
from  Judah  to  Bethel. 

But  at  this  critical  point  God  Himself  interfered.  He 
did  with  this  old  prophet,  as  He  had  done  with  Balaam  before 
(see  on  Num.  xxii.  5;  xxiii.  5).  He  caught  him  in  his  own 
snare ;  He  made  him  the  instrument  of  declaring  the  prophet's 
sin  aiid  God's  righteousness;  He  put  a  word  into  his  mouth, 
which  He  constrained  him  to  utter :  "  It  came  to  pass,  as  they 
sat  at  the  table,  that  the  word  of  the  Loed  came  unto  the 
prophet  that  brought  him  back  :  and  he  cried  unto  the  man 
of  God  that  came  from  Judah,  saying.  Thus  saith  the  LoED, 
Forasmuch  as  thou  hast  disobeyed  the  mouth  of  the  Loed,  and 
hast  not  kept  the  commandment  which  the  Loed  thy  God 
commanded  thee,  thy  carcase  shall  not  come  unto  the  sepulchre 
of  thy  fathers"  (yv.  20—22). 

The  old  prophet,  at  the  Table  at  Bethel,  was  like  Balaam 
on  the  high  place  of  Baal,  and  on  the  top  of  Peor  (see  on  Num. 
xxiii.  xxiv.). 

He  was  a  prophet,  who  sinned  against  God,  and  sold  him- 
self to  the  Evil  One.  But  God  still  used  him  as  a  prophet, 
and  overruled  even  his  sin  for  the  triumph  of  His  own  power, 


The  man  of  God's 


1  KINGS  XIII.  20—33. 


disobedience  and  death. 


Before 

CHRIST 

975. 


m  ch.  20.  36. 


t  Heb.  broken. 


t  Heb.  broken. 


o2  Kings  23.  17, 

18. 

p  ver.  2. 

2  Kings  23.  16, 

19. 


q  See  ch.  If..  24. 


rch.  12.  31,32. 
2Chron.  11. 15.  & 
13.  9. 

about 
974. 
t  Heb.  returned 
and  made. 
t  Heb.  filled  his  hand,  Judg.  17.  12. 


^°  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  sat  at  the  table,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord 
came  mito  the  prophet  that  brought  him  back :  -^  And  he  cried  unto  the  man 
of  God  that  came  from  Judah,  saying,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Forasmuch  as 
thou  hast  disobeyed  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  and  hast  not  kept  the  command- 
ment which  the  Lord  thy  God  commanded  thee,  ^^  But  camest  back,  and  hast 
eaten  bread  and  drunk  water  in  the  '  place,  of  the  which  the  LORD  did  say  to 
thee,  Eat  no  bread,  and  drink  no  water ;  thy  carcase  shall  not  come  unto  the 
sepulchre  of  thy  fathers. 

^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  after  he  had  eaten  bread,  and  after  he  had  drunk, 
that  he  saddled  for  him  the  ass,  to  wit,  for  the  prophet  whom  he  had  brought 
back.  2^  And  when  he  was  gone,  ""  a  lion  met  him  by  the  way,  and  slew  him  : 
and  his  carcase  was  cast  in  the  way,  and  the  ass  stood  by  it,  the  lion  also  stood 
by  the  carcase.  ^^  And,  behold,  men  passed  by,  and  saw  the  carcase  cast  in 
the  way,  and  the  lion  standing  by  the  carcase :  and  they  came  and  told  it  in 
the  city  where  the  old  prophet  dwelt.  ^^  And  when  the  prophet  that  brought 
him  back  from  the  way  heard  thereof,  he  said,  It  is  the  man  of  God,  who  was 
disobedient  unto  the  word  of  the  Lord  :  therefore  the  Lord  hath  delivered  him 
unto  the  lion,  which  hath  f  torn  him,  and  slain  him,  according,  to  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  which  he  spake  unto  him.  -''  And  he  spake  to  his  sons,  saying, 
Saddle  me  the  ass.  And  they  saddled  him.  ^s^jjd  he  went  and  found  his 
carcase  cast  in  the  way,  and  the  ass  and  the  lion  standing  by  the  carcase  :  the 
lion  had  not  eaten  the  carcase,  nor  f  torn  the  ass.  ^^  And  the  prophet  took 
up  the  carcase  of  the  man  of  God,  and  laid  it  upon  the  ass,  and  brought  it 
back :  and  the  old  prophet  came  to  the  city,  to  mourn  and  to  bury  him. 
^*^And  he  laid  his  carcase  in  his  own  grave;  and  they  mourned  over  him. 
saying,  "  Alas,  my  brother  !  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  after  he  had  buried  him, 
that  he  spake  to  his  sons,  saying,  When  I  am  dead,  then  bury  me  in  the 
sepulchre  wherein  the  man  of  God  is  buried ;  °  lay  my  bones  beside  his  bones  : 
32  p  Pqj.  ^i^Q  saying  which  he  cried  by  the  word  of  the  Lord  against  the  altar  in 
Beth-el,  and  against  all  the  houses  of  the  high  places  which  are  in  the  cities  of 
•^  Samaria,  shall  surely  come  to  pass. 

2^  '  After  this  thing  Jeroboam  returned  not  from  his  evil  way,  but  f  made 
again  of  the  lowest  of  the  people  priests  of  the  high  places :  whosoever  would, 
he  f  consecrated  him,  and  he  became  one  of  the  priests  of  the  high  places. 


and  for  the  display  of  His  own  glory.  God  prophesied  by  him, 
as  He  did  by  Balaam  and  Caiaphas.  God  declared  the  truth 
by  a  bad  man,  as  He  did  by  Judas,  and  Pilate,  who  declared 
the  innocency  of  Christ,  betrayed  and  condemned  by  them. 

(8)  So  it  has  been,  and  so  it  will  one  day  even  more 
clearly  be,  with  the  Old  Prophet,  the  Father  of  Lies,  the 
Tempter  himself. 

Satan  is  a  Spirit,  an  Angel,  a  Prophet,  with  great  spiritual, 
angelic,  and  prophetic  gifts.  But  he  sinneth  from  the  be- 
ginning (1  John  iii.  8).  He  lures  men  by  his  lies  ;  and  when 
he  has  done  so,  he  exults  over  them,  even  when  sitting  at  his 
table,  with  the  meat  of  sin  in  their  mouths.  But  God  con- 
trols his  purposes,  and  makes  him  to  be  the  prophet  of  His  own 
Truth  to  the  World.  He  overruled  his  designs  at  the  Cruci- 
fixion, and  made  them  instrumental  in  proving  the  truth  of  the 
Prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  iu  overcoming  Death, 
and  in  saving  the  World. 

This  plan  of  God's  Providence  permitting  evil,  trying 
men's  faith  and  obedience  by  it,  and  overruling  it  for  good, 
will  be  consummated  in  the  transactions  of  the  Great  Day. 

(9)  The  disobedience  of  the  man  of  Judah  has  a  glorious 
contrast  in  the  history  of  Elijah  (xvii. — xix.). 

(10)  For  some  excellent  remarks  on  this  historj',  in  which 
God's  justice,  punishing  the  sin  of  disobedience  in  the  man  of 

'56 


Judah,  was  tempered  with  mercy  for  his  immortal  soul;  see 
S.  Augustine  de  cura  pro  Mortuis  gerenda  c.  7,  vol.  vi. 
p.  874 ;  S.  Greg.,  Moral,  iv.  24.  It  was  very  mercifully  pro- 
vided by  God  that  the  man  of  Judah  should  have  time  to  repent 
of  his  sin.  The  language  of  the  old  prophet  at  the  table  must 
have  had  a  solenm  effect  upon  his  mind.  Filled  with  sorrow 
and  reverential  awe,  he  went  alone  homeward  to  Judah ;  and 
probably  in  that  solitary  journey,  he  communed  with  his  own 
heart,  and  lifted  it  up  to  God  in  prayer  for  pardon.  And, 
looking  at  his  eternal  interest,  may  we  not  say  that  there  was 
mercy  even  in  the  speediness  of  the  punishment,  executed  while 
his  penitential  sorrow  was  most  bitter,  and  before  the  salutary 
effect  of  those  terrible  words  of  the  old  prophet  had  been 
weakened  by  time  ? 

30 — 82.]  From  these  words  it  may  be  inferred  that  this 
signal  example  made  some  impression  on  the  mind  of  the  old 
prophet ;  and  the  reverence  for  his  bones  confirms  this  opinion  : 
see  2  Kings  xxiii.  18. 

33.  After  this  thing  Jeroboam  returned  not^  It  might  have 
been  expected  that  he  would  have  been  warned  by  this  visita- 
tion ;  but  he  hardened  his  heart,  like  Pharaoh,  and  became 
more  obdurate  in  sin. 

—  whosoever  would,  he  consecrated  hini]  Literally,  h^  filled 


Ahijah  of  Shiloh.  1  KINGS  XIII.  34.     XIV.  1 — 11.     PropJiecij  to  Jeroboam's  unfe. 


3^  '  And  this  thing  became  sin  unto  the  house  of  Jeroboam,  even  *  to  cut  it  off, 
and  to  destroy  it  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth. 

XIV.  ^  At  that  time  Ahijah  the  son  of  Jeroboam  fell  sick.  ^  And  Jeroboam 
said  to  his  wife,  Arise,  I  pray  thee,  and  disguise  thyself,  that  thou  be  not 
known  to  be  the  wife  of  Jeroboam ;  and  get  thee  to  Shiloh  :  behold,  there  is 
Aliijah  the  prophet,  which  told  me  that  "  I  should  he  king  over  this  people. 
^  *•  And  take  f  with  thee  ten  loaves,  and  |j  cracknels,  and  a  ||  cruse  of  honey, 
and  go  to  him  :  he  shall  tell  thee  what  shall  become  of  the  child.  ^  And  Jero- 
boam's wife  did  so,  and  arose,  "  and  went  to  Shiloh,  and  came  to  the  house  of 
Ahijah.  But  Ahijah  could  not  see ;  for  his  eyes  f  were  set  by  reason  of  his 
ago.  ^  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Ahijah,  Behold,  the  wife  of  Jeroboam  cometh 
to  ask  a  thing  of  thee  for  her  son ;  for  he  is  sick :  thus  and  thus  slialt  thou  say 
unto  her :  for  it  shall  be,  when  she  cometh  in,  that  she  shall  feign  herself  to  he 
another  icoman. 

^  And  it  was  so,  when  Ahijah  heard  the  sound  of  her  feet,  as  she  came  in  at 
the  door,  that  he  said.  Come  in,  thou  wife  of  Jeroboam ;  why  feignest  thou 
thyself  to  he  another  ?  for  I  am  sent  to  thee  ivith  f  heavy  tidings,  '^  Go,  tell 
Jeroboam,  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  ^  Forasmuch  as  I  exalted  thee 
fi'om  among  the  people,  and  made  thee  prince  over  my  people  Israel,  ^And 
^  rent  the  kingdom  away  from  the  house  of  David,  and  gave  it  thee :  and  ijet 
thou  hast  not  been  as  my  servant  David,  ^  who  kept  my  commandments,  and 
who  followed  me  with  all  his  heart,  to  do  that  only  which  ivas  right  in  mine 
eyes ;  ^  But  hast  done  evil  above  all  that  were  before  thee  :  ^  for  thou  hast 
gone  and  made  thee  other  gods,  and  molten  images,  to  provoke  me  to  anger, 
and  ^  hast  cast  me  behind  thy  back :  ^^  Therefore,  behold,  '  I  will  bring  evil 
upon  the  house  of  Jeroboam,  and  *"  will  cut  off  from  Jeroboam  him  that  pisseth 
against  the  wall,  ^and  him  that  is  shut  up  and  left  in  Israel,  and  will  take 
away  the  remnant  of  the  house  of  Jeroboam,  as  a  man  taketh  away  dung,  till 
it  be  all  gone.     ^^ ""  Him  that  dieth  of  Jeroboam  in  the  city  shall  the  dogs  eat  ; 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

974. 

s  ch.  12.  30. 

t  ch.  14.  10. 

956 


ach.  II.  31. 

b  See  1  Sam.  3. 

7,  H. 

+  Heb.  in  thit^e 

havd. 

II  Or,  cakes. 

II  Or,  bottle. 

c  ch.  11.  29. 

t  neh.  stoiid  fur 

his  hoarincDS. 


t  Heb.  hard 

d  See  2  Sam.  12. 
7,  8. 
ch.  16.  2. 

ech.  11.  31. 

f  ch.  11.  33,  38.  & 
15.  5. 


g  ch.  12.  28. 
2  Chron.  11.  15. 


h  Neh.  9.  26. 
Ps.  50.  17. 
Ezek.  23.  35. 
about 
956. 
ich.  15.  29. 
kch.21.  21. 
2  Kings  9.  8. 

1  Deut.  32.  36. 

2  Kings  14.  26. 
m  ch.  16.  4.  & 
21.  24. 


his  hand.     See  on  Exod.  xxviii.  41 ;  xxix.  9. 
p.  87,  ed.  Lagarde. 


Cp.  S.  Sip^olyt., 


Ch.  XIV.  2.  Jeroboam  said  to  Ms  toife — get  thee  to  Shiloh'] 
Jeroboam  bad  no  faith  in  bis  calves,  wben  the  hour  of  trouble 
came,  but  sent  bis  wife  to  tbe  Lord's  propbet  at  Sbilob,  and 
thus  condemned  himself. 

—  disguise  thyself]  Literally,  change  thyself. 

—  Shiloh']  See  xi.  29.  On  the  loyalty  of  Ahijah,  see  above, 
on  xi.  29. 

3.  ten  loaves]  As  a  present  to  the  prophet.  Cp.  1  Sam.  ix. 
7,  8.     2  Kings  viii.  8. 

—  cracknels]  Heb.  nikkudim,  cakes  marked  with  points ; 
from  nakad,  to  prick,  KoWvpiSas  (Sept.). 

4.  his  eyes  were  set]  Cp.  1  Sam.  iv.  15.  Yet  God  enabled 
the  blind  prophet  to  see  thi'ough  the  disguise  of  Jeroboam's 
wife,  and  to  foresee  the  future  state  of  her  son. 

6.  Come  in]  Ahijah  prevented  her,  before  she  could  offer  tbe 
present,  which  he  would  not  receive.  Jeroboam  was  a  subtle 
schemer,  but  could  not  cheat  even  a  blind  prophet  by  the  dis- 
guise of  his  wife.  "  God  laughs  in  heaven  at  the  frivolous 
fetches  of  crafty  politicians ;  and  when  they  think  them- 
selves most  safe,  shames  them  with  a  defection  and  a  defeat" 
{£p.  Sail). 

—  I  am  sent  to  thee  with  heavy  tidings]  Literally,  I  am 
sent  to  thee  hard,  i.e.  a  hard  vision  (cp.  xii.  4.  Isa.  xxi.  2). 
The  adjective  (Jcashah)  is  feminiue  here  (Gesen.  74:7 ;  Eivald, 
§  284).  The  prophet  himself  is  sent  as  a  Message,  or  Vision. 
lie  is  the  Message. 

9.  other  gods,  and  molten  images]  God  will  not  acknowledge 
the  calves   to   be    what    Jeroboam   intended   them    to    be, — a 
representation  of  Himself.    He  denounces  them  as  other  gods 
57 


(a  phrase  used  in  Exod.  xx.  3,  4),  and  as  idols :  see  above,  on 
xii.  28. 

—  cast  me  behind  thy  back]  A  phrase  adopted  by  EzekieJ, 
xxiii.  35. 

10.  him  that— wall]  Every  male.  See  on  1  Sam.  xxv.  22; 
and  Oesen.  853. 

—  shut  up  and  left]  Heb.  atsur  ve-aziib.  The  phrase  is 
from  Deut.  xxxii.  36;  and  is  found  also  below,  xxi.  21. 
2  Kings  ix.  8.  Many  expositors  interpret  these  words  as 
opposed  to  each  other,  viz.  as  signifying  the  married  and 
unmarried  {L.  de  Dieu,  Keil),  or  the  bond  and  free  {Gesen. 
617 ;  and  so  JJ^lner).  But  it  is  not  certain  that  there  is  any 
such  opposition  between  them.  The  Sept.  renders  them 
ext^Mf^o"  Kal  ey/caToAfAei^iueVoj' (cp.  below,  2  Kings  xiv.  26)  ; 
and  Tulg.,  "  clausum  et  novissimum." 

The  verb  atsar  signifies  to  restrain,  to  close,  to  detain, 
to  stay,  to  shut  up,  and  to  keep,  to  retain.  Cp.  1  Chron.  xxix.  14. 
2  Chron.  xxii.  9.  Dan.  x.  8.  16;  xi.  6.  (Gesen.  6i8.)  The  verb 
azab  signifies  to  leave  behind,  and  does  not  appear  to  have  any 
other  meaning ;  and  these  words  taken  together  seem  to  repre- 
sent whatever  is  retained  and  left,  and  to  signify  tbe  remnant, 
whether  it  bo  retained  by  power,  or  forsaken  through  neglect. 
Cp.  above,  on  Deut.  xxxii.  36 ;  and  see  below,  2  Kings  xiv.  26, 
where  it  is  said,  "  there  was  not  any  shut  up,  nor  any  left,  nor 
any  helper  for  Israel." 

—  will  take  atvay  the  remnant]  Literally,  Twill  exterminate 
after.  The  Hebrew  verb  baar  (to  remove,  to  sweep  out),  is  fol- 
lowed by  achar  (after),  because  one  who  expels  and  exterminates 
another  follows  after  him  {Gesen.  133.     Cp.  -xvi.  3 ;  xxi.  21). 

Observe  the  solemn  warning  which  is  here  delivered,  and 
the  awful  punishment  denounced,  against  rebellion,  schism,  and 
idolatry.     Surely  it  has  its  meaning  for  these  latter  days. 

11.  Him— shall  the  dogs  eat]    They  shall  lie  unburied,  tbe 


Jerohoains  death. 


1  KINGS  XIV.  12—24. 


liehohoam's  sinn. 


Before 

CHRI  ST 

about 

956. 


o  2  Chron.  12.  12. 

&  19.  3. 

p  ch.  15.  27,  28, 

29. 


q  2  Kings  17.  6. 
Vs.  52.  5. 
r  Josh.  23.  15,  16. 
s  2  Kings  15.  29. 
t  Exod.  34.  13. 
Deut.  12.  3,  4. 

u  ch.  12.  30.  & 
13.  34.  &  15.  30, 
34.  &  16.  2. 

X  ch.  16.  6,  S,  15, 
23. 

Cant.  6.  4. 
y  ver.  12. 

z  ver.  13. 


a  2  Chron.  13.  2, 
&c. 


t  Heb.  lay  down. 
954. 


1)2  Chron.  12.  13. 
975. 


c  ch.  II.  36. 

d  ver.  31. 

972. 
e  2  Chron.  12.  1. 
f  Deut.  32.  21. 
Ps.  78.  58. 
1  Cor.  10.  22. 
g  Deut.  12.  2. 
Ezek.  16.  24,  25. 
II Or,  standing 
images,  or, 
statues. 


and  him  that  dieth  in  the  field  shall  the  fowls  of  the  air  eat :  for  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it.  ^^  Arise  thou  therefore,  get  thee  to  thine  own  house :  and 
"  when  thy  feet  enter  into  the  city,  the  child  shall  die.  ^^  And  all  Israel  shall 
mourn  for  him,  and  bury  him  :  for  he  only  of  Jeroboam  shall  come  to  the 
grave,  because  in  him  "  there  is  found  some  good  thing  toward  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel  in  the  house  of  Jeroboam.  ^^  ^  Moreover  the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up  a 
king  over  Israel,  who  shall  cut  off  the  house  of  Jeroboam  that  day  :  but  what  ? 
even  now.  ^^  For  the  Lord  shall  smite  Israel,  as  a  reed  is  shaken  in  the 
water,  and  he  shall ''  root  up  Israel  out  of  this  "■  good  land,  which  he  gave  to 
their  fathers,  and  shall  scatter  them  'be^^ond  the  river,  *  because  they  have 
made  their  groves,  provoking  the  Lord  to  anger.  ^^  And  he  shall  give  Israel 
up  because  of  the  sins  of  Jeroboam,  "  who  did  sin,  and  who  made  Israel  to 
sin. 

1''  And  Jeroboam's  wife  arose,  and  departed,  and  came  to  '^  Tirzah :  and 
^  when  she  came  to  the  threshold  of  the  door,  the  child  died ;  ^^  And  they 
buried  him ;  and  all  Israel  mourned  for  him,  ''  according  to  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  which  he  spake  by  the  hand  of  his  servant  Ahijah  the  prophet. 

^^  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jeroboam,  how  he  ""  warred,  and  how  he 
reigned,  behold,  they  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings 
of  Israel.  "^  And  the  days  which  Jeroboam  reigned  icere  two  and  twenty 
years :  and  he  f  slept  wdth  his  fathers,  and  Nadab  his  son  reigned  in  his 
stead. 

21  And  Kehoboam  the  son  of  Solomon  reigned  in  Judah.  ^  Rehoboam  ivas 
forty  and  one  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  seventeen 
years  in  Jerusalem,  the  city  •"  which  the  Lord  did  choose  out  of  all  the  tribes 
of  Israel,  to  put  his  name  there.  ^  And  his  mother's  name  tvas  Naamah  an 
Ammonitess.  ^-^^And  Judah  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  they  *^  pro- 
voked him  to  jealousy  with  their  sins  which  they  had  committed,  above  all  that 
their  fathers  had  done.  -^  For  they  also  built  them  ^  high  places,  and  ||  images, 
''  and  groves,  on  every  high  hill,  and  '  under  every  green  tree.     ^^  ^  And  there 


h  2  Kings  17.9,  10. 


kDeut.  23.  17.     ch.  15.  12.  &  22.  46.     2  Kings  23.  7. 


punishment  of  the  worst  malefactors  (Deut.   xxviii.  26.     Cp. 
Rev.  xix.  17,  18). 

14.  a  king'^  Baasha,  xv.  27 — 30. 

—  that  day :  but  tohat  ?  even  notv]  This  seems  to  be  the 
correct  rendering.  The  doom  of  Jeroboam's  house  will  surely 
arrive ;  nay,  it  has  already  begun  to  be  executed,  not  only  in 
the  death  of  his  son  («.  17),  but  by  the  appointment  of  a 
king  in  his  place.  The  bhnd  prophet  sees  the  future  as 
present. 

15.  root  up  Israel']  Therefore  the  sins  of  Rulers  are  no 
excuse  for  the  sins  of  their  People.  Jeroboam  set  up  the 
calves,  and  the  People  bowed  down  before  them ;  he  shall  be 
punished  first,  but  they  will  be  punished  also,  as  Moses  and 
Joshua  had  warned  them  (Deut.  xxviii.  63,  64;  xxix.  27. 
Josh,  xxiii.  15,  16). 

—  the  river']  Euphrates.  For  the  fulfilment  of  this  pro- 
phecy, see  2  Kings  xv.  29 ;  xvii.  6.  23 ;  xviii.  11. 

17.  Tirzah]  Probably  now  called  Taluza,  about  sLx  miles 
north  of  Nablus  {Robinson  :  see  Josh.  xii.  24).  It  was  the 
residence  of  the  kings  of  Israel  till  the  time  of  Omri,  who 
purchased  Samaria,  and  fortified  it  (xvi.  23,  24). 

19.  how  he  tvarred]  Especially  with  Abijah,  King  of  Judah  : 
see  2  Chron.  xiii.  3. 

—  book  of  the  chronicles]  Literally,  the  "  Words  of  days" 
(Heb.  dibrei  hay-yamim);  the  same  name  as  that  by  which 
our  present  Book  of  Chronicles  is  designated.  Although  the 
completion  of  our  present  "  Book  of  Chronicles "  was  much 
later  than  that  of  the  Books  of  Kings  (see  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  23), 
yet  it  is  probable  that  a  good  deal  of  the  material  found  in  the 
Books  of  Chronicles  was  derived  from  these  earUer  Dibrei  hay- 
yamim,  so  often  referred  to  in  the  Book  of  Kings.    See  1  Kings 

58 


xiv.  29;  XV.  23.     2  Kings  xiv.  18.  28;  xv.  6.  36;  xvi.  19,  &c. 
See  above.  Introduction. 

20.  Nadab  his  son]  In  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  few  kings 
were  succeeded  by  their  own  sons  :  God  marked  the  difference 
between  that  schismatical  kingdom  and  the  kingdom  of  Judah 
by  this  and  other  characteristics. 

21.  Mehobo am— forty  and  one  years  old]  Therefore  he  was 
born  a  year  before  the  accession  of  Solomon  (ii.  24  ;  iii.  1.  Cp. 
2  Chron.  xii.  13).  The  Sept.,  in  its  additions  to  2  Chron.  xii.  13, 
speaks  of  Rehoboam  as  only  sixteen  years  of  age  at  his  acces- 
sion, and  says  that  he  reigned  twelve  years.  Some  of  the 
Hebrew  Rabbis  were  of  opinion  that  Solomon  was  only  twelve 
years  of  age  at  his  accession;  and  so  ^S".  Jerome.  Epist,  Crit. 
ad  Vitalem,  ii.  19 ;  and  they  would  confirm  the  opinion  from 
Solomon's  language  in  lii.  7,  "lam  a  little  child;"  but  this 
is  probably  an  error  :  see  note  there. 

—  an  Ammonitess]  Rather,  the  Ammonitess.  This  is  re- 
peated V.  31.  There  is  a  special  emphasis  in  the  words,  both 
here  and  there,  and  also  in  2  Chron.  xii.  13,  and  they  are, 
doubtless,  designed  to  intimate  that  the  mother  of  Rehoboam, 
"  the  Ammonitess,"  was  accessory  to  his  idolatry  :  cp.  xv.  13. 
The  Queen  Mother  had  usually  great  influence  with  the  kings 
of  Judah,  and  is  always  mentioned  by  name.  See  xv.  2.  13 ; 
xxii.  42,  &c. 

Thus  Solomon's  unhappy  marriages  with  idolatrous  women 
exercised  not  only  a  pernicious  influence  on  himself,  but  on  his 
son  and  successors. 

22.  Judah  did  evil]  After  the  three  years  in  which  Reho- 
boam reigned  well.     See  2  Chron.  xi.  15 — 23;  xii.  1. 

23.  images]  Heb.  matseboth,  stone  columns,  statues  for 
idolatrous  worship  (Exod.  xxiii.  24 ;  xxxiv.  13). 


Shishak  spoils  Jerusalem.       1  KINGS  XIV.  25 — 31.     XV.  1,  2.  Rehohoanis  death. 


were  also  sodomites  in  the  land :  and  they  did  according  to  all  the  abomina- 
tions of  the  nations  which  the  Lord  cast  out  before  the  children  of  Israel. 

2^ '  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  fifth  year  of  king  Rehoboam,  that  Shishak 
king  of  Egypt  came  up  against  Jerusalem :  ^^  ■"  And  he  took  away  the  trea- 
sures of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  treasures  of  the  king's  house ;  he 
even  took  away  all :  and  he  took  away  all  the  shields  of  gold  "  which  Solomon 
had  made.  -''  And  king  Rehoboam  made  in  their  stead  brasen  shields,  and 
committed  tJicm  unto  the  hands  of  the  chief  of  the  f  guard,  which  kept  the 
door  of  the  king's  house.  ^^  And  it  was  so,  when  the  king  went  into  the  house 
of  the  Lord,  that  the  guard  bare  them,  and  brought  them  back  into  the  guard 
chamber. 

^^  °  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Rehoboam,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not 
written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  ^^  And  there  was 
'■  war  between  Rehoboam  and  Jeroboam  all  their  days.  ^^  ''  And  Rehoboam 
slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  with  his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David. 
'  xind  his  mother's  name  ivas  Naamali  an  Ammonitess.  And  '  Abijam  his  son 
reigned  in  his  stead. 

XV.  ^  Now  ^  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  king  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat 
reigned  Abijam  over  Judah.     -  Three  years  reigned  he  in  Jerusalem.     ^  And 


Before 

CHRIST 

972. 

972, 

1  ch.  11.  40. 

2  Chron.  12.  2. 
m  2  Chron.  12.  9, 
10,  11. 


t  lleb.  runners. 


o2  Chron.  12.  l.i 


p  ch.  12.  24.  & 

1.5.  G. 

2  Chron.  12.  15. 

958. 
q  2  Chron.  12.  IG. 
r  ver.  21. 
s  2  Chron.  12.  16, 
Abijah. 
Matt.  1.  7,  Abia. 

958. 
a  2  Chron.  13.  1, 
2. 

b2  Chron.  11.  20, 
21,  22. 


—  groves^  Heb.  asherim,  idolatrous  pillars  of  wood  (Exod. 
x.xxiv.  13.     Deut.  vii.  5.     Judg.  iii.  7). 

On  tlie  asherim  and  matsehoth,  see  the  note  of  Keil,  i. 
p.  241— 2i6,  in  the  English  translation  of  his  first  edition ;  and 
pp.  159,  160,  in  his  2nd  German  Edition. 

Probably  the  evil  example  of  Maachah,  his  favourite  wife 
(2  Chron.  xi.  20 — 22),  whose  idolatrous  tendencies  were  dis- 
played under  Asa,  her  grandson  (2  Chron.  xv.  16),  was  not  with- 
out a  pernicious  effect  on  Rehoboam.  We  hear  of  idolatrous 
altars,  high  places,  statues,  and  pillars,  in  the  history  of  the 
Cauaanites  and  other  nations  in  Palestine,  and  the  imitations  of 
them  by  the  Israelites,  but  not  of  idolatrous  temples.  The  true 
God  was  distinguished  fi-om  the  false  by  one  central  abode, 
where  He  communed  with  His  people,  and  by  one  place  of  wor- 
ship,— the  Temple  at  Jerusalem.  Thus  God  provided  a  safe- 
guard against  the  licentious  orgies  of  polytheism. 

24.  also  sodomites  in  the  land^  Literally,  even  the  conse- 
crated person  ivas  in  the  land  :  the  original  word  here  rendered 
Sodomite  is  kadesh,  properly  consecrated,  lepevs,  sacerdos  Priapo 
mancipatus,  vel  Gallus  truucatus  in  honorem  Atyos  (S.  Jerome 
in  Hos.  c.  4).  Magna  Deorum  mater  etiam  Romanis  templis 
castratos  intulit, — abscissorum  consecratione  Mater  deorum  coli 
meruit.  S.  Augustine  de  Civ.  Dei  vii.  26.  See  Pfeijfer,  Dubia, 
p.  231.  Movers,  Phoeniz.  i.  678.  Gesen.,  p.  725,  for  evidence 
of  such  abominations  as  these,  existing  among  the  Canaanites, 
who  made  them  a  part  of  their  religion.  See  above,  on  Gen. 
xxxviii.  21.  Deut.  xxiii.  18;  and  compare  the  note  below,  on 
the  remarkable  words  of  St.  Paul,  iu  his  Epistle  to  the  Churches 
of  Galatia,  v.  12. 

Here  we  see  a  reason  for  God's  command,  requiring  the 
extirpation  of  the  Canaanites.  Notwithstanding  the  judgments 
executed  upon  them,  even  from  the  days  of  Lot,  they  still  con- 
tinued to  practise  their  unholy  rites  in  Palestine,  and  polluted 
Israel  with  their  sins.  Here  also  is  a  warning  against  the 
notion,  that  Wealth  and  Commerce,  Literature  and  Civihzation, 
can  preserve  a  Nation  from  the  grossest  unnatural  sins.  Solo- 
mon's reign  was  "  the  golden  age"  of  Heln'cw  civilization;  but 
there  were  "  Sodomites  in  the  land  :"  cp.  St.  Paul's  language 
concerning  the  moral  condition  of  Rome,  even  in  "  the  golden 
age  "  after  Augustus,  Rom.  i.  24.  The  "  golden  age  "  of  man's 
intellect  is  too  often  the  "  iron  age  "  of  his  heart. 

25.  Shishak^  With  whom  Jeroboam  was  connected.  See 
above,  on  xi.  26.  40.  The  connexion  of  the  rival  kingdom  of 
Israel  with  the  monarchy  of  Egypt,  whose  idolatry  it  had  adopted, 
may  help  to  account  for  this  invasion.  Probably,  the  Egyptians 
were  invited  by  Israel,  their  allies,  to  come  up  against  Jerusalem. 
Solomon  had  broken  God's  law  which  forbade  the  kings  of  Judah 
to  go  down  into  Egypt,  and  to  multiply  horses  from  Egypt  (see 
X.  28,  29),  and  now  Egypt  is  made  the  scourge  in  God's  hand 
for  the  sins   of  Judah.     Shishak   was  the   first  king   of  the 

59 


twenty-second  or  Bubastic  dynasty.  See  above,  on  iii.  1 ;  cp. 
xi.  40.  He  is  called  Sesonchis  by  Julius  Africamis,  and  Seson- 
chosis  by  I^usehius ;  and  Sheshonk  or  Shoshouk  on  the  Egyp- 
tian monuments,  where  his  name  has  been  deciphered  by  Cham- 
pollion  (Precis,  p.  204;  cp.  Thenius  and  Keil  here). 

In  a  bas-relief  at  Karnak,  two  figures  are  represented  as 
dragging  toward  the  feet  of  their  god  more  than  130  captives, 
with  then-  hands  bound  behind  their  backs.  These  figures  are 
supposed  by  some  to  I'epresent  cities  of  Judsea ;  inscriptions  are 
attached  to  them ;  among  them  is  one  which  was  explained  by 
Champollion  to  mean  Jeioish  King.  Although  this  explanation 
has  been  questioned  by  many  critics  (as  Lepsius  and  Brughsch), 
yet  it  seems  to  be  generally  agreed  that  the  bas-relief  represents 
a  victory  gained  over  the  Hebrew  nation  by  the  Egyptian  King 
here  called  Shishak  ;  so  Jleeren,  Winer,  Siinsen,  Keil,  Bertheau, 
RawUnson,  Bp.  Cotton,  B.  D.  ii.  1025 ;  Stanley,  Lect.  p.  385  ; 
and  Kitto,  p.  170,  where  is  an  engraving  of  what  is  supposed 
to  be  a  figure  of  one  of  the  Jewish  captives,  and  also  of  Shishak 
himself,  from  the  sculptures  of  Karnak.     Cp.  below,  on  Ps.  89. 

26.  the  shields  of  gold']  x.  17. 

27.  brasen  shields']  Brazen  instead  of  gold;  an  expressive 
emblem  of  the  degeneracy  of  Judah,  and  of  the  unhappy  conse- 
quences of  apostasy  from  God.  How  soon  the  mention  of  the 
profusion  of  gold  in  the  age  of  Solomon  (ix.  28 ;  x.  10.  22), 
when  "silver  was  nothing  accounted  of"  (x.  21),  is  succeeded 
by  this  mention  of  brass  (or  copper)  in  its  place.  "  How  is 
the  gold  become  dim  !  How  is  the  most  fine  gold  changed ! " 
(Lam.  iv.  1.) 

29.  book  of  the  chronicles]  See  above,  on  v.  19  j  cp.  2  Chron. 
xii.  15. 

31.  Naamah  an  Ammonitess]  Rather,  the  Ammonitess.  See 
on  V.  21.  This  fact  is  mentioned  here  a  second  time,  for  the 
sake  of  emphasis,  and  in  order  to  suggest  that  the  connexion 
of  Solomon  with  the  Ammonitess  was  a  source  of  misery  to 
Judah. 

—  Abijam]  Called  Abijah  iuthe  Chronicles:  2  Chron.  xiii.  1. 
He  was  the  son  of  Maachah  (the  granddaughter  of  Absalom), 
see  XV.  2,  the  favourite  wife  of  Rehoboam,  who  set  him  over  his 
brethren,  as  we  learn  from  the  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  xi.  21). 

As  to  this  form  {Ahi-jam  for  Khi-jali),  the  jam  is 
derived  from  Jah,  by  Simonis,  it  is  rendered  sea  by  Gesenius, 
p.  5;  and  it  is  translated  splendour  by  Fuerst,  p.  10,  who  sup- 
poses that  gam  is  the  original  Hebrew  form  of  go»i,  day. 
Perhaps  it  was  a  form  only  adopted  by  his  subjects,  aud  by  the 
sacred  historian,  to  mark  his  unworthiness  of  the  name  of  Abi- 
jah,  on  account  of  his  sin  against  Jehovah,  v.  3. 

Ch.  XV.  2.  Three  gears]  Not  three  full  years,  for  he  died 
in  the  twentieth  year  of  Jeroboam,  v.  9  :  cp.  below,  on  v.  25. 


Abijam^s  wicked  reign. 


1  KINGS  XV.  3—13. 


Asas  good  reign. 


Before 
CHRIST 

c  2  Chron.  13.  2, 
Micliaiah  the 
daughter  of  Uriel. 
d  2  Chrcn.  11.  21, 
Absalom. 
ech.  11.  4. 
Ps.  119.  80. 
fell.  11.  32,30. 
2  Chron.  21.  7. 
Il  Or,  candle, 
ch.  11.  36. 
g  ch.  14.  8. 
h  2  Sam.  11.4, 
15.  &  12.  9. 
i  ch.  14.  30. 


k  2  Chron.  13.  2, 
3,22. 


955. 
12  Chron.  14.  1. 


II  That  is,  grand- 
mother's, ver.  2. 
m  2  Chron.  14.  2. 
about 
951. 
n  ch.  14.  24.  & 
22.  46. 
o2  Chron.  15.  16. 


his  mother's  name  ivas  "  Maachah,  the  daughter  of  **  Abishalom.  ^  And  he 
walked  m  all  the  sins  of  his  father,  which  he  had  done  before  him  :  and  ^  his 
heart  was  not  perfect  with  the  Lord  his  God,  as  the  heart  of  David  his  father. 
^  Nevertheless  ^  for  David's  sake  did  the  Lord  his  God  give  him  a  !|  lamp  in 
Jerusalem,  to  set  up  his  son  after  him,  and  to  establish  Jerusalem :  ^  Because 
David  ^  did  that  ivhich  was  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  and  turned  not  aside 
from  any  thing  that  he  commanded  him  all  the  days  of  his  life,  ^  save  only  in 
the  matter  of  Uriah  the  Hittite.  ^  *  And  there  was  war  between  Rehoboam 
and  Jeroboam  all  the  days  of  his  life. 

^  *"  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Abijam,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not 
written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  And  there  was 
war  between  Abijam  and  Jeroboam.  ^  '  And  Abijam  slept  with  his  fathers ; 
and  they  buried  him  in  the  city  of  David  :  and  Asa  his  son  reigned  in  his 
stead. 

^  And  in  the  twentieth  year  of  Jeroboam  king  of  Israel  reigned  Asa  over 
Judah.  ^^  And  forty  and  one  years  reigned  he  in  Jerusalem.  And  his 
Ij  mother's  name  ivas  Maachah,  the  daughter  of  Abishalom.  ^^  '"And  Asa  did 
that  ivMcli  ivas  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  as  did  David  his  father.  ^^  "  And 
he  took  away  the  sodomites  out  of  the  land,  and  removed  all  the  idols  that  his 
fathers  had  made.     ^^  And  also  "  Maachah  his  mother,  even  her  he  removed 


—  his  mother's  name]  See  xiv.  21.  31. 

—  Maachah,  the  daughter  of  Abishaloin]  So  in  2  Chron.  xi. 
20 — 22.  But  in  another  phice  of  the  Chronicles  (2  Chron. 
xiii.  2),  the  mother  of  Abijah  is  called  "  Michaiah,  the  daughter 
of  Uriel  of  Oibeah." 

From  these  passages,  put  together,  it  may  be  inferred,  that 
Maachah  was  the  granddaughter  of  Absalom,  the  son  of  David, 
and  was  probably  so  called  from  his  mother,  daughter  of  Talmai, 
King  of  Geshur  (2  Sam.  iii.  3),  and  that  she  was  probably  a 
daughter  of  Tamar  (who  alone  of  Absalom's  children  outlived 
him),  and  that  Tamar  was  married  to  Uriel  of  Gibeah,  and 
bare  to  him  Maachah,  who  became  the  wife  of  Eehoboam,  and 
the  mother  of  Abijam. 

The  word  daughter  is  used  for  granddaughter  here,  as 
mother  is  for  grandmother  in  v.  10 :  cp.  Kitto,  p.  172.  And 
BO  Josephus  understood  the  sacred  text  (Antt.  viii.  10.  1).  It 
is  not  at  all  probable,  on  account  of  disparity  of  age,  that  a 
daughter  of  Absalom  would  have  been  married  by  Rehoboam,  and 
have  been  his  favourite  wife,  as  Maachah  was  (2  Chron.  xi.  20)". 

On  her  name  Micaiah,  see  below,  2  Chron.  xiii.  2, 

3.  not  perfect]  Not  whole.     Heb.  shalem. 

4.  a  lamp]  Heb.  nir  (cp.  xi.  36.  2  Kings  viii.  19.  2  Chron. 
xxi.  7).  The  cognate  substantive  ner  is  similarly  used,  2  Sam. 
xxi.  17.  Job  xviii.  6.  Ps.  xviii.  28;  cxxxii.  17,  "I  have 
ordained  a  lamp  (ner)  for  mine  anointed." 

5.  save  only — Hittite]  Not  that  David  did  not  commit  other 
sins  (see,  for  example,  1  Sam.  xxv.  21.  2  Sam.  xxiv.  1),  but  they 
were  sins  of  infirmity  or  ignorance,  not  wilful  and  presumptuous 
sins,  like  his  sin  in  the  matter  of  Uriah.  David  himself  marks 
the  difference  between  such  a  sin  and  sins  of  infirmity,  in  Ps. 
xix.  13  ;  cp.  note  below,  on  Acts  iii.  17 ;  xxiii.  5.    1  Tim.  i.  12, 13. 

It  can  be  little  pleasure  (says  Bp.  Sanderson,  in  his  excel- 
lent sermon  on  Ps.  xix.  13)  to  rave  into  (i.  e.  to  expose)  the 
infirmities  of  God's  servants ;  yet  sith  all  these  things  "  are 
written  for  our  learning "  (Rom.  xv.  4),  and  are  as  glasses  to 
represent  unto  us  our  frailties,  and  as  marks  to  mind  us  of  the 
rock  whereat  others  have  shipwrecked,  it  cannot  be  blamed  in 
lis  to  take  notice  of  them.  David's  diffidence,  then,  lest  he 
should  perish  one  day  by  the  hand  of  Saul  (1  Sam.  xxvii.  1), 
when  he  had  God's  promise  that  he  should  outlive  him;  his 
deep  dissimulation  with  and  before  Achish  (1  Sam.  xxi.  12; 
xxvii.  10;  xxix.  8),  especially  when  he  tendered  his  service  to 
him  in  the  wars ;  his  rash  choleric  vow  to  destroy  Nabal  and 
all  that  belonged  to  him,  who  had  indeed  played  the  churl  and 
the  wretch  with  him,  as  covetous  and  unthankful  men  some- 
times will  do,  Ixit  yet,  in  rigore,  had  done  him  no  wrong 
(1  Sam.  xxv.  22)  ;  his  fond  aifection  to  his  ungracious  son 
Absalonj,  in  tendering  his  life  before  his  own  safety  and  the  pabUc 
60 


good,  and  in  taking  his  death  with  so  much  unmanly  impatience 
(2  Sam.  xviii.  5.  33 ;  xix.  5 — 7) ;  his  lenity  and  indulgence 
to  his  other  son  Adouijah,  to  whom  he  never  said  so  much  at  any 
time  as  Eli  did  to  his  sons.  Why  hast  thou  done  so,  ?  (1  Kings 
i.  6 ;)  his  carnal  confidence  in  the  multitude  of  his  subjects,  when 
he  caused  them  to  be  numbered  by  the  j)oll  (2  Sam.  xxiv.  1,  &c.); 
these,  and  perhaps  some  other  sinful  oversights,  are  registered 
of  David,  as  well  as  the  murder  of  Uriah.  Yet,  as  if  all  these 
were  as  nothing  in  comparison  of  that  one,  tliat  one  alone  is  put 
in  by  the  Holy  Ghost  by  way  of  exception,  and  so  inserted  as  an 
exception  in  that  glorious  testimony  which  we  find  given  of  him 
(1  Kings  XV.  5)  :  David  did  that  tohich  luas  right  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Lord,  and  turned  not  aside  from  any  thing  that  lie  com- 
manded him  all  the  days  of  his  life,  save  only  in  the  matter  of 
Uriah  the  Hittite.  That  is,  he  turned  not  aside  so  foully  and 
so  contemptuously,  so  presumptuously  and  so  provokingly,  in 
any  other  thing,  as  he  did  in  that  business  of  Uriah.  All  his 
ignorances,  and  negligences,  and  inconsiderations,  and  infirmi- 
ties, are  passed  over  in  silence;  only  this  great  presumptuous 
sin  standeth  up  as  a  pillar  or  monument  erected  ad  perpetiiam 
rei  memoriam,  to  his  perpetual  shame  in  that  particular ;  for 
all  succeeding  generations  to  take  warning  and  example  by 
{Bp.  Sanderson,  i.  p.  101). 

6.  And  there  ivas  war — all — his  life]  Rehoboam's  life  :  this 
is  repeated  from  xiv.  30,  and  prepares  the  way  for  the  declara- 
tion in  V.  7. 

7.  toar]  An  open  conflict,  prcelium  ( Vulg.)  ;  the  hostility, 
between  Rehoboam  and  Jeroboam,  which  had  smouldered,  broke 
out  into  a  violent  flame  in  a  fierce  battle  under  Abijam,  in 
which  the  power  of  Jeroboam  was  broken,  as  is  related  at  large 
in  the  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  xiii.  3 — 20). 

8.  Abijam  slept  with  his  fathers]  Having  reigned  only  two 
years  and  a  few  months.  Abijam  began  to  reign  in  the 
eighteenth  year  of  Jeroboam  {v.  1),  and  Asa  succeeded  him 
in  the  twentieth  year  of  Jeroboam.  Asa  reigned  forty-one 
years,  v.  10  :  cp.  2  Chron.  xvi.  13. 

—  Asa]  Which  means  a  healing  one,  2i,  physician  (Gesen.  66. 
Fuerst,  126). 

10.  forty  and  one  years  reigned  he]  Observe  how  God  pro- 
longs the  reigns  of  kings  who  serve  Him,  and  cuts  oft'  those  who 
disobey  Him.  Asa,  King  of  Judah,  saw  eight  Kings  of  Israel, — 
Jeroboam,  Nadab,  Baasha,  Elah,  Zimri,  Tibni,  Omri,  and  Ahab 
(A  Lapide). 

12.  sodomites]  See  xiv.  24. 

—  idols]  Heb.  gillulim  ;  see  Lev.  xxvi.  30. 

13.  Maachah  his  mother]  His  grandmother  (see  v.  2),  the 
mother  of  his  father.  Maachah,  who  had  been  the  best  beloved 
wife  of  King  Rehoboam,  was  a  favourer  of  idolatry.     But  the 


Asa  deposes  his  mother. 


1  KINGS  XV.  14—20. 


Sends  gifts  to  Ben-hadad. 


from    being   queen,    because    she   had   made   an   idol   in  a  grove;    and  Asa     chrTst 
t  destroyed  her  idol,  and  i"  burnt  it  by  the  brook  Kidron.     ^^  <>  But  the  liigh        Is"' 
places  were  not  removed :  nevertheless  Asa's  "■  heart  was  perfect  with  the  Lord  p  so  Exol^fi 

.20 

all  his  days.     ^^And  he  brought  in  the  f  things  which  his  father  had  dedi-  q^h.  22.43. 

•^  .  .  .  ,  .  .  2  Chron.  15.  17, 

cated,  and  the  things  which  himself  had  dedicated,  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  W^^„  3 
silver,  and  gold,  and  vessels.  tHeb.wj,. 

^^  And  there  was  war  between  Asa  and  Baasha  king  of  Israel  all  their  days. 
^''  And  '  Baasha  king  of  Israel  went  up  against  Judah,  and  built '  Ramah,  "  that  ^  2  chron.  le.  1. 
he  might  not  suffer  any  to  go  out  or  come  in  to  Asa  king  of  Judah.  u^s'e'J'ch^if  27 

'"  Then  Asa  took  all  the  silver  and  the  gold  that  were  left  in  the  treasures 
of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  treasures  of  the  king's  house,  and  delivered 
them  into  the  hand  of  his  servants:  and  king  Asa  sent  them  to  "Ben-hadad,  x2chron. le. 2. 
the  son  of  Tabrimon,  the  son  of  Hezion,  king  of  Syria,  that  dwelt  at  ^  Damas-  ych.  11.23, 24. 
cus,  saying,  ^^  There  is  a  league  between  me  and  thee,  and  between  my  father 
and  thy  father :  behold,  I  have  sent  unto  thee  a  present  of  silver  and  gold ; 
come  and  break  thy  league  with  Baasha  king  of  Israel,  that  he  may  f  depart  t  Hei..  go  up. 
from  me. 

-^  So  Ben-hadad  hearkened  unto  king  Asa,  and  sent  the  captains  of  the 
hosts  which  he  had  against  the  cities  of  Israel,  and  smote  ^  lion,  and  ^  Dan,  ^  2  Ki"ss  15. 29. 

°  '  J         '  J    a  Judg.  18.  29. 


young  King  Asa  feared  and  loved  God  more  than  any  human 
relation,  and  he  removed  her  from  being  Queen, — a  noble  ex- 
ample of  moral  courage,  and  of  a  salutary  and  vigorous  exercise 
of  authority  in  behalf  of  God  and  His  truth  :  cp.  our  Lord's 
words.  Matt.  x.  37. 

—  even  her  he  removed  from  being  queen]  She  is  called 
Q;(ee»  because  she  held  the  place  of  Queen-mother  (Keh.  gebirah, 
V.  13,  and  2  Chron.  xv.  16.  Oesen.  154),  like  the  "  Sultana 
Walide  "  in  the  Ottoman  Empire  :  see  Hanmer,  Osman.  Reich. 
ii.  68 — 71,  and  the  remarks  of  Kitto,  pp.  177 — 181.  One  of  the 
consequences  of  Oriental  polygamy,  observable  in  the  history 
of  the  Kings  of  Judah,  as  well  as  in  other  histories  and  in 
ancient  dramas  (e.  g.  the  Persse  of  JEschylus,  where  Atossa,  the 
Queen-mother,  holds  a  prominent  place,  vv.  159 — 850),  is,  that 
we  do  not  hear  of  such  a  personage  as  a  "  Queen  Consort ;"  but 
her  place  is  occupied  by  the  King's  Mother,  who  is  often  called 
in  Scripture  "  the  Queen." 

—  she  had  made  an  idol  in  a  grove']  An  idol;  literally,  an 
object  of  terror.  The  Hebrew  word  mipheletseth  is  from  palats 
in  hithpael,  to  tremble  (Job  ix.  6),  whence  pallatsuth,  horror. 
Job  xxi.  6.  Ps.  Iv.  6.  Isa.  xxi.  4  {Gesen.  498.  677). 

The  words  rendered,  in  a  grove,  are  la-asherah,  and  ought 
rather  to  be  translated  of  Asherah,  or,  to  Astarte.  Maachah 
had  made  a  pillar  like  the  Asherim  mentioned  above  in  xiv.  23 : 
cp.  S.  Jerome  in  Hos.  iv.,  who  regards  it  as  a  simulacrum 
obsccenum  :  and  so  Vulg.  Cp.  Selden  de  diis  Syriis,  ii.  5.  From 
the  word  rendered  destroyed,  which  properly  means  he  hewed 
doivn,  it  seems  to  have  been  of  wood  :  and  therefore  the  Arabic 
Version  explains  it  to  have  been  an  "  idol  of  a  high  tree." 

14.  the  high  places  were  not  removed]  How  then  (it  may  be 
asked)  could  it  be  said  in  2  Chron.  xiv.  3 — 5,  that  "  he  took 
away  the  high  places  ?" 

(1)  Either  because  he  took  away  the  high  places  of  false  gods, 
but  did  not  take  awayall  thoseof  Je/ioi'aA.  Ho  Schmidt,  Michaelis, 
Thenius,  Bertheau,  and  others  :  see  Bertheau,  on  2  Chron.  xiv.  3. 

(2)  Or  because  though  the  King  did  his  part,  yet  he  could 
not  prevail  on  the  people  to  do  theirs  ;  and  so,  though  he  took 
away  the  high  places,  yet  stiU  they  were  frequented  by  them, 
and  did  not  disappear, — literally,  did  not  depart  {Keil :  see 
below,  on  2  Chron.  xiv.  3). 

God  in  His  mercy  gives  men  the  credit  of  doing  a  thing 
(although  it  is  not  effected),  if  they  do  all  in  their  power  that  it 
may  be  done. 

—  Asa's  heart  teas  perfect]  Evidence  of  this,  in  his  religious 
acts,  and  in  God's  wonderful  intervention  in  his  favour,  is  sup- 
plied in  the  narrative  of  the  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  xiv.  4 — 13 ; 
XV.  1 — 18).  It  is  added,  "  all  his  dags,"  which  is  true  so  far  as 
that  he  did  not  fall  from  the  Lord  to  idols?  but  he  did  not 
entirely  trust  in  the  Lord:  see  2  Chron.  xvi.  7 — 9,  where  he  is 
blamed  for  resorting  to  the  King  of  Syria  for  help;  and  see 

61 


2  Chron.  xvi.  10,  where  he  is  said  to  have  "  sought  to  the  phy- 
sicians," and  not  to  the  Lord. 

15.  his  father  had  dedicated]  Probably,  the  spoil  taken  by 
his  father  in  his  victory  over  Jeroboam,  which  is  related  in 
2  Chron.  xiii.  16.  The  statements  in  this  place  serve  to  confirm 
the  narrative  in  the  Chronicles  of  the  victories  of  Abijah  and  his 
son  Asa ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  narrative  of  the  Chronicles 
illustrates  what  is  recorded  here,  and  is  supplementary  to  it 
(Thenius  ;  Bertheau,  Chronik,  p.  324). 

17.  Baasha — btdlt  Ramah]  In  the  thirty-sixth  year  after  the 
division  of  the  kingdom,  and  in  the  sixteenth  of  Asa's  reign, 
Baasha  built  (see  on  2  Chron.  xvi.  1),  i.  e.  was  building  and  for- 
tifying, Ramah,  only  about  five  miles  north  of  Jerusalem  (see 
Josh,  xviii.  25). 

Ramah  was  a  border-town  between  the  kingdoms  of  Israel 
and  Judah,  and  a  key  to  either. 

How  are  we  to  account  for  the  fact  that  the  King  of  Israel, 
not  the  King  of  Judah,  was  eager  to  fortify  it,  and  that  the 
King  of  Judah,  Asa,  having  drawn  Baasha  from  the  work,  did 
not  seize  upon  the  fortress,  but  (as  we  are  informed  in  v.  22) 
carried  off  the  stones  and  timber,  and  used  them  elsewhere  ? 
This  is  more  remarkable,  because  the  numerical  strength  lay  on 
the  side  of  Israel  (see  1  Kings  xii.  21.     2  Chron.  xiii.  3). 

The  answer  is,  Jeroboam  had  set  up  a  rival  worship  at 
Bethel  and  Dan,  and  would  not  allow  the  Priests  and  Levites 
in  his  kingdom  to  go  to  Jerusalem  to  officiate  (1  Kings  xii.  20. 
2  Chron.  xi.  14).  The  consequence  was,  that  there  was  a  great 
tide  of  emigration  of  the  Priests  and  Levites,  and  of  the  best 
classes  of  society,  from  Israel  to  Judah  (see  2  Chron.  xi.  13 — 16), 
to  the  great  detriment  of  Israel.  The  erection  of  Ramah  on  the 
frontier  was  designed  by  Baasha  to  check  that  emigration.  See 
2  Chron.  xvi.  1. 

The  narrative  of  the  Chronicles  here,  as  in  numerous  other 
places,  supplies  the  clue  for  the  interpretation  of  the  history  in 
the  Book  of  Kings. 

18.  Asa  took  all  the  silver  and  the  gold — house  of  the  Lord] 
An  act  of  distrust  and  sacrilege,  for  which  Asa  was  severely 
reproved  by  Hanani  the  Seer.     See  2  Chron.  xvi.  7. 

—  Ben-hadad]  Son  of  the  Sun  ;  a  common  title  of  the  Syrian 
kings  {Macrob.  i.  24.  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  i.  15.  Movers,  Phoen. 
i.  196).  See  xx.  1,  where  the  son  of  this  Benhadad  is  men- 
tioned ;  and  2  Kings  xiii.  24,  where  the  son  of  Hazael  has  that 
name  {Vandevelde). 

20.  and  smote  Ijon — Naphtali]  The  chastisement  mflicted 
on  Israel  in  this  region,  for  its  sins,  was  like  a  warning  and  re- 
hearsal of  the  still  severer  punishment  with  which  they  were  to 
be  there  visited  afterwards.  But  these  chastisements  were  to 
have  their  counterpart  of  Divine  Mercy  in  Chx-ist.  See  below, 
on  2  Kings  xv.  29. 

—  Ban]  Formerly  Laish ;  now  Tell-el-Kady  (Josh.  xix.  47), 


Asa  dismantles  Bamah. 


1  KINGS  XV.  21—33. 


Asa's  acts. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

951. 

b  2  Sara.  20.  14. 


c  2  Chron.  16.  6. 
t  Heb. /»■<??. 
d  Josh.  21.  17. 
e  Josh.  18.  26. 


f  2  Chron.  16.  12. 
914. 

g  2  Chron.  17.  1. 
h  Matt.  1 .  8, 
called  Josaphat. 

954. 
t  lleb.  reigned. 


I  ch.  12.  30. 
&  14.  16. 


1  Josh.  19.  44. 
&21.23. 
ch.  16.  15. 


in  ch.  14.  10,  14. 
n  ch.  14.  9,  16. 


o  ver.  IG. 
953. 


and  ^  Abel-betli-maachali,  and  all  Cinneroth,  with  all  the  land  of  Naphtali. 
^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Baasha  heard  thereof,  that  he  left  off  building  of 
Kamah,  and  dwelt  in  Tirzah. 

2^ ""  Then  king  Asa  made  a  proclamation  throughout  all  Judah ;  none  ims 
f  exempted  :  and  they  took  away  the  stones  of  Ram  ah,  and  the  timber  thereof, 
wherewith  Baasha  had  builded ;  and  king  Asa  built  with  them  ''  Geba  of  Ben- 
jamin, and  ""Mizpah. 

23  The  rest  of  all  the  acts  of  Asa,  and  all  his  might,  and  all  that  he  did,  and 
the  cities  which  he  built,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of 
the  kings  of  Judah  ?  Nevertheless  ^  in  the  time  of  his  old  age  he  was  diseased 
in  his  feet.  '^^  And  Asa  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  with  his  fathers 
in  the  city  of  David  his  father :  ^  and  ^  Jehoshaphat  his  son  reigned  in  his 
stead. 

2^  And  Nadab  tlie  son  of  Jeroboam  f  began  to  reign  over  Israel  in  the  second 
year  of  Asa  king  of  Judah,  and  reigned  over  Israel  two  years.  ^^  And  he  did 
evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lokd,  and  walked  in  the  way  of  his  father,  and  in  '  his 
sin  wherewith  he  made  Israel  to  sin. 

27  ^  And  Baasha  the  son  of  Ahijah,  of  the  house  of  Issachar,  conspired 
against  him ;  and  Baasha  smote  him  at  '  Gibbethon,  which  belonged  to  the 
Philistines ;  for  Nadab  and  all  Israel  laid  siege  to  Gibbethon.  "-s  Even  in  the 
third  year  of  Asa  king  of  Judah  did  Baasha  slay  him,  and  reigned  in  his  stead. 
29  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  reigned,  that  he  smote  all  the  house  of  Jero- 
boam ;  he  left  not  to  Jeroboam  any  that  breathed,  until  he  had  destroyed  him, 
according  unto  "'  the  saying  of  the  Lord,  which  he  spake  by  his  servant  Ahijah 
the  Shilonite  :  ^^  "  Because  of  the  sins  of  Jeroboam  which  he  sinned,  and  which 
he  made  Israel  sin,  by  his  provocation  wherewith  he  provoked  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel  to  anger.  ^^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Nadab,  and  all  that  he  did, 
are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ? 
^2  °  And  there  was  war  between  Asa  and  Baasha  king  of  Israel  all  their  days. 

^3  In  the  third  year  of  Asa  king  of  Judah  began  Baasha  the  son  of  Ahijah  to 


the  site  of  Jeroboam's  idolatry  (xii.  28).  God  punished  it  for 
its  sins  by  the  hand  of  Benhadad,  and  it  never  appears  again  in 
history.  Cp.  2  Kings  xv.  29,  where  it  is  not  mentioned ;  and 
see  Dr.  Thomson,  p.  250. 

—  Ahel-heth-maachah']  Now  Ahel-el-Kaneh.    2  Sam.  xx.  14. 

—  all  CinnerotK]    The  land  of  Gennesareth.     Josh.  xi.  2. 

21.  Tirzali]  See  xiv.  17. 

22.  Oela]  Now  Jeha,  about  two  miles  N.E.  of  Ramah,  or 
JUr-Ram.  Josh,  xviii.  24.  On  the  dismantling  of  Ramah,  see 
at  V.  17. 

—  Mizpah']  N."W.  of  Jerusalem ;  now  Nah?/  Samwil.  Josh, 
xviii.  26.  1  Sam.  vii.  5.  Jeremiah  (xli.  9)  mentions  a  cistern 
which  Asa  constructed  at  this  time,  and  which  was  filled  with 
dead  bodies  by  Ishmael  the  son  of  Nethaniah,  of  the  seed  royal, 
when  he  rose  up  against  Gedaliah,  the  son  of  Ahikam. 

23.  diseased  in  his  feet]  The  Sacred  Writer  here  mentions 
Asa's  disease,  but  he  does  not  mention  that  in  his  disease  he 
trusted  rather  in  the  skill  of  the  physicians  than  in  God.  This 
is  mentioned  in  the  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  xvi.  12).  Asa's  name 
signifies  a  physician ;  but  he  does  not  seem  to  have  been  duly 
mindful  that  God  is  the  true  Healer. 

It  is  observable  that  the  Chronicles  supply  certain  other 
particulars  not  favourable  to  Asa,  which  had  not  been  noticed 
in  the  Kings.     See  2  Chron.  xvi.  7.  12. 

Here  is  a  proof,  that  though  in  the  Chronicles  no  mention 
is  made  of  the  apostasy  of  one  of  the  greatest  kings  of  Judah, 
Solomon,  this  reticence  supplies  no  argument  (as  some  have 
alleged)  for  disbelief  of  the  fact  of  that  defection ;  nor  again  (as 
others  have  said),  is  it  to  be  ascribed  to  any  undue  partiality  of 
the  writer  of  the  Chronicles  for  the  house  of  David.  It  has 
been  providentially  ordered  by  the  Holy  Spirit  (as  if  in  foresight 
of  such  objections  as  these)  that  while  some  sins  of  the  kings  of 
62 


Judah  which  are  mentioned  in  the  Books  of  Kings,  are  not  re- 
peated, but  are  passed  over,  in  a  spirit  of  charity,  by  the  Author 
of  the  Chronicles,  some  sins  of  other  kings  of  Judah  (such  as 
those  of  Asa)  are  described  in  the  Chronicles,  which  had  not 
been  noticed  in  the  Book  of  Kings.  Thus  the  character  for  im- 
partiahty,  as  well  as  for  charity,  of  both  historians,  is  established ; 
and  we  recognize  the  independence  of  each,  and  the  duty  of 
studying  both  these  portions  of  Scripture. 

25.  two  years']  Here  is  a  proof  (as  Keil  has  observed)  that 
any  part  of  a  year  is  counted  as  a  whole  year  in  the  reckoning 
of  the  durations  of  the  reigns  of  the  kings.  Nadab  began  to 
reign  in  the  second  year  of  Asa  {v.  25),  and  Asa  began  to  reign 
in  the  twentieth  year  of  Jeroboam  («.  9).  Therefore  Jeroboam 
cannot  have  reigned  twenty-^^yo  full  years  (xiv.  20),  but  only 
twenty-one  years  and  a  part  of  a  year.  And  since  Baasha  suc- 
ceeded Nadab,  or,  in  other  words,  since  Nadab  ceased  to  reign, 
in  the  third  year  of  Asa  {v.  28),  therefore  Nadab  cannot  have 
reigned  two  whole  years. 

27.  Oihbethon']  In  the  tribe  of  Dan ;  a  Levitical  City.  Josh. 
xix.  44;  xxi.  23  ;  and  see  below,  xvi.  15. 

Gibbethon  was  a  Levitical  City.  The  Levites  of  Israel  left 
their  cities  in  the  days  of  Jeroboam,  and  fled  to  Judah  (2  Chron. 
xi.  13.  16).  Gibbethon,  being  evacuated  by  its  old  inhabitants, 
would  become  an  easy  prey.  By  driving  out  the  Levites  Jero- 
boam weakened  his  own  kingdom,  and  exposed  it  to  inroads 
from  its  enemies  (cp.  Blunt,  Coincidences,  pp.  186.  190). 

28.  did  Baasha  slay  hiin]  The  family  of  Jeroboam  was  slain 
by  Baasha  J  the  son  of  Baasha  was  slain  by  Zimri  (xvi.  8),  and 
Zimri  was  slain  by  Omri  (xvi.  16) ;  yet  the  kings  and  people  of 
Israel  hardened  their  hearts  against  God's  judgments. 

29.  the  saying  of  the  Loed]  xiv.  7 — 14. 


Jehu  the  son  of  Hanam.       1  KINGS  XV.  34.     XVI.  1—17.         Baasha  slain  hy  Zimri. 


Before 
CHRIST 

953. 
p  ch.  12.  28,  29. 
&  13.  33.  &14.  16. 


about 
930. 
a  ver.  7. 
2  Chron.  19.  2. 


of  ech.  14.  10. 
^     &  15.  29. 


reign  over  all  Israel  in  Tirzali,  twenty  and  four  years.  ^^  And  lie  did  evil  in 
the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  walked  in  ^  the  way  of  Jerohoam,  and  in  his  sin 
wherewith  he  made  Israel  to  sin. 

XVI.  ^  Then  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  "  Jehu  the  son  of  Hanani  against 
Baasha,  saying,  -  ^  Forasmuch  as  I  exalted  thee  out  of  the  dust,  and  made  thee 
prince  over  my  people  Israel ;  and  ^  thou  hast  walked  in  the  way  of  Jerohoam,  bc^h.S" 
and  hast  made  my  people  Israel  to  sin,  to  provoke  me  to  anger  with  their  sins ;  " 
^  Behold,  I  will  ''  take  away  the  posterity  of  Baasha,  and  the  posterity  of  his  ^ 
house ;  and  will  make  thy  house  like  ""  the  house  of  Jerohoam  the   son 
Nehat.     ^  ''Him  that  dieth  of  Baasha  in  the  city  shall  the  dogs  eat;  and  him  fch. h. n. 
that  dieth  of  his  in  the  fields  shall  the  fowls  of  the  air  eat. 

^Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Baasha,  and  what  he  did,  and  his  might,  ^  are  g  2  cinon.  ic.  i. 
they  not  wiitten  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ?     ^  So         930. 
Baasha  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  in  ''  Tirzah  :  and  Elah  his  son  hch.  u.  i?  & 
reigned  in  his  stead. 

7  And  also  by  the  hand  of  the  prophet  'Jehu  the  son  of  Hanani  came  the  i  ver.  1. 
word  of  the  Lord  against  Baasha,  and  against  his  house,  even  for  all  the  evil 
that  he  did  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  in  provoking  him  to  anger  with  the  work 
of  his  hands,  in  being  like  the  house  of  Jeroboam :  and  because  ^  he  killed  ^  ch.  15. 27, 29. 

,    .  ^  See  Hos.  I.  4. 

mm. 

^  In  the  twenty  and  sixth  year  of  Asa  king  of  Judah  began  Elah  the  son  of        o?.o. 
Baasha  to  reign  over  Israel  in  Tirzah,  two  years.     ^ '  And  his  servant  Zimri,  1 2  Kings  9. 31. 
captain  of  half  his  chariots,  conspired  against  him,  as  he  was  in  Tirzah,  drink- 
ing himself  drunk  in  the  house  of  Arza  f  steward  of  his  house  in  Tirzah.     ^*^  And  t  Heb.  «.AicA  was 

over, 

Zimri  went  in  and  smote  him,  and  killed  him,  in  the  twenty  and  seventh  year         ''2^- 

of  Asa  king  of  Judah,  and  reigned  in  his  stead.     ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 

he  began  to  reign,  as  soon  as  he  sat  on  his  throne,  that  he  slew  all  the  house 

of  Baasha  :  he  left  him  ""not  one  that  pisseth  against  a  wall,  ||  neither  of  his  m  1  sam. 25. 22. 

kinsfolks,  nor  of  his  friends.    ^■^  Thus  did  Zimri  destroy  all  the  house  of  Baasha,  kinsmen  anT/ns 

"  '   friends. 

"according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  which  he  spake  against  Baasha  f  °by  nver.3. 
Jehu  the  prophet,  ^^  For  all  the  sins  of  Baasha,  and  the  sins  of  Elah  his  son,  1"^^^"^ 
by  which  they  sinned,  and  by  which  they  made  Israel  to  sin,  in  provoking  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel  to  an^er  ^  with  their  vanities.     ^^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  ??''"'-,^„2\^'- 

o  1  Sam.  12.  21. 

of  Elah,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  Jonah  2^3' 
of  the  Idngs  of  Israel  ?  lo'ik''"  "^ 

^^  In  the  twenty  and  seventh  year  of  Asa  king  of  Judah  did  Zimri  reign  seven 
days  in  Tirzah.  And  the  people  ivere  encamped  '^  against  Gibbethon,  which  '^  '='*■  '^-  -^ 
belonged  to  the  Philistines.  ^^  And  the  people  that  were  encamped  heard  say, 
Zimri  hath  conspired,  and  hath  also  slain  the  king :  wherefore  all  Israel  made 
Omri,  the  captain  of  the  host,  king  over  Israel  that  day  in  the  camp.  ^^  And 
Omri  went  up  from  Gibbethon,  and  all  Israel  with  him,  and  they  besieged 


Ch.  XVI.  1.  JeJiu  the  son  of  Sanani]  Tlie  name  Jehu  sig- 
nifies Jehovah  is  He  (Oesen.  293),  and  Hanani  means  gracious 
{Gesen.  293).  Jehu  the  son  of  Hanani  the  Seer,  is  mentioned 
in  2  Chron.  xix.  2  as  reproving  Jehoshaphat. 

2.  Forasmuch  as  I  exalted  theel  The  language  of  Jehu  to 
Baasha  is  like  that  of  Ahijah  to  Jeroboam  (,xiv.  7 — 11),  and 
in  some  respects  it  resembles  the  language  of  Samuel  to  Saul 
(1  Sam.  XV.  17 — 19).  All  the  Prophets  in  succession  have  the 
same  message  from  God  for  the  same  sins. 

6.  U!a?i]  Which  means  oak  or  strength  (Fuersi,  93). 

7.  And  also]  This  does  not  refer  to  any  new  prophecy,  hut  is 
a  comment  of  the  writer  on  what  has  gone  before.     That  pro- 

63 


phecy  (in  vv.  2—4)  was  delivered  against  Baasha,  not  only 
because  he  followed  Jeroboam  in  his  sins,  but  also  because  he 
killed  him,  or  rather  Jcilled  it;  i.e.  because  he  took  upon  him 
to  destroy  the  house  of  Jeroboam  without  a  commission  from 
God,  and  to  gratify  his  own  sinful  ambition. 

This  sentence  is  introduced  in  order  to  vindicate  Ahijah 
from  the  charge  of  prompting  Baasha  to  murder  the  seed  of 
Jeroboam. 

9.  ZimT^  Which  means  renowned  (Gesen.  248). 

16.  Omri]  Wliich  means  servant  of  Jehovah,  from  amar,  to 
bind  {Gesen.  641).  Omri  gave  his  name  to  a  dynasty.  Atha- 
liah,   a  daughter  of  Ahab,   is  called  the  daughter  of  Omri. 


Omri  buys  Samana. 


1  KINGS  XVL  18—83. 


Ahah  and  Jezebel. 


Before 

CHRIST 

929. 


rch.  12.28.  & 
15.  26,  34. 


^  Heb.  Skomernn. 
s  See  ch.  13.  32. 
2  Kings  17.  24. 
John  4.  4. 
t  Micah  6.  16. 
u  ver.  19. 

X  ver.  13. 


+  Heb.  was  it  a 
light  thing,  ^c. 


y  Deut.  7.  3. 

z  Judg.  18.  7. 

ach.  21.  25,  26. 

2  Kings  10.  18.  & 

17.  16 

b2  Kings  10.  21, 

2(i,  27. 

c  2  Kings  13.  6. 

&  17.  10.  &  21.  3. 

Jer.  17.  2. 

(I  ver.  30. 

ch.  21.25. 


Tirzah.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Zimri  saw  that  the  city  was  taken,  that 
he  went  into  the  palace  of  the  king's  house,  and  burnt  the  king's  house  over 
him  with  fire,  and  died,  ^^  For  his  sins  which  he  sinned  in  doing  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  '  in  walking  in  the  way  of  Jeroboam,  and  in  his  sin  which 
he  did,  to  make  Israel  to  sin.  ^o  ^^^  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Zimri,  and  his 
treason  that  he  wrought,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles 
of  the  kings  of  Israel  ? 

21  Then  were  the  people  of  Israel  divided  into  two  parts  :  half  of  the  people 
followed  Tibni  the  son  of  Ginath,  to  make  him  king ;  and  half  followed  Omri. 
22  But  the  people  that  followed  Omri  prevailed  against  the  people  that  followed 
Tibni  the  son  of.  Ginath  :  so  Tibni  died,  and  Omri  reigned. 

23  In  the  thirty  and  first  year  of  Asa  king  of  Judah  began  Omri  to  reign  over 
Israel,  twelve  years :  six  years  reigned  he  in  Tirzah.  24  ^^^  j^g  i^ought  the 
hill  Samaria  of  Shemer  for  two  talents  of  silver,  and  built  on  the  hill,  and 
called  the  name  of  the  city  which  he  built,  after  the  name  of  Shemer,  owner 
of  the  hill,  f  '  Samaria.  25  ^ut '  Omri  wrought  evil  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord, 
and  did  worse  than  all  that  ivere  before  him.  26  Yqx  he  "  walked  in  all  the  way 
of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  and  in  his  sin  wherewith  he  made  Israel  to  sin, 
to  provoke  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  to  anger  with  their  "  vanities.  27  jSfow  the 
rest  of  the  acts  of  Omri  which  he  did,  and  his  might  that  he  shewed,  are  they 
not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ?  28  go  Omri 
slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  in  Samaria :  and  Ahab  his  son  reigned 
in  his  stead. 

29  And  in  the  thirty  and  eighth  year  of  Asa  king  of  Judah  began  Ahab  the 
son  of  Omri  to  reign  over  Israel :  and  Ahab  the  son  of  Omri  reigned  over  Israel 
in  Samaria  twenty  and  two  years.  ^^  And  Ahab  the  son  of  Omri  did  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  above  all  that  inere  before  him.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  f  as 
if  it  had  been  a  light  thing  for  him  to  walk  in  the  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of 
Nebat,  ^  that  he  took  to  wife  Jezebel  the  daughter  of  Ethbaal  king  of  the 
'^  Zidonians,  *  and  went  and  served  Baal,  and  worshipped  him.  ^2  ^^d  he 
reared  up  an  altar  for  Baal  in  ^  the  house  of  Baal,  which  he  had  built  in 
Samaria.  ^^ "  And  Ahab  made  a  grove  ;  and  Ahab  ^  did  more  to  provoke  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel  to  anger  than  all  the  kings  of  Israel  that  were  before 
him. 


Siimaria  is  styled  in  Assyrian  inscriptions,  tlie  house  of  Omri ; 
and  even  Jehu,  tlie  destroyer  of  the  dynasty,  is  called  in  an 
Assyrian  inscription  deciphered  by  Dr.  Oppert,  "the  son  of 
Omri."  The  Statutes  of  Israel  are  called  the  "  Statutes  of 
Omri."  Micah  vi.  16.  Cp.  Rawlinson,  Five  Monarchies,  ii. 
364,  Bampt.  Lect.  105.     Stanley,  Lectures,  p.  284.^ 

18.  the  palace]  Rather,  the  castle.  Hob.  aremoii,  so  called 
from  its  height.     See  Oesen.  80.     Fuerst,  151. 

—  burnt  the  ling's  house  over  him~]  i.  e.  over  himself,  as 
Sardanapalus  did  {Justin,  i.  3). 

24.  he  hought  the  hill  Samaria  of  Shemer  for  two  talents  of 
silver^  About  £700.  Zimri,  his  predecessor,  had  burned  the 
palace  at  Tirzah  ;  and  Omri  bought  the  fair  j-ound  hill  of  Sa- 
maria, about  seven  miles  N.w.  of  Shechem;  and  it  became  the 
capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  and  continued  to  be  so  for 
about  two  hundred  years,  till  its  destruction  by  Shalmaneser 
(2  Kings  xviii.  9),  about  720  B.C. 

The  fine  round  swelling  hill,  or  almost  mountain,  of  Sama- 
ria (says  Dr.  Robinson,  iii.  138),  stands  almost  alone  in  a  great 
basin,  and  nearer  the  eastern  side  of  it.  The  mountains  and 
the  valleys  around  are  to  a  great  extent  arable,  and  enlivened 
by  many  villages.  The  situation  is  one  of  great  beauty.  The 
hill  is  cultivated  to  the  top.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  all 
Palestine  a  situation  of  equal  strength,  fertility,  and  beauty 
(p.  146).  Dr.  Thomson  (p.  468),  says,  "The  view  from  the 
64 


topmost  terrace  of  Samaria  over  the  rich  plains  and  hills  around 
it,  and  fiir  away  to  the  blue  Mediterranean,  is  truly  magnificent." 
See  also  Stanley  (Palestine,  pp.  243,  244).  Six  miles  from 
Shechem,  following  the  course  of  the  same  green  and  watered 
valley,  the  traveller  finds  himself  in  a  wide  basin,  in  the  centre 
of  which  rises  an  oblong  hill  with  steep  yet  accessible  sides,  and 
a  long  fiat  top.  This  was  the  mountain  of  Shomron,  corrupted 
through  the  Chaldee  "Shemriu"  into  the  Greek  "Samaria." 
Cp.  Stanley,  Lectures,  p.  285.  It  commanded  a  full  view  of  the 
sea  and  the  plain  of  Sharon  on  the  one  side,  and  of  the  vale  of 
Shechem  on  the  other.  See  also  Dr.  Kitto,  Bib.  111.,  45th 
Week,  p.  199,  and  Dr.  Hessey,  in  B.  D.  ii.  1099.  1101,  where  a 
view  of  the  site  may  be  seen. 

25.  Omri  wrought  evil]  Whence  the  "  Statutes  of  Omri " 
became  a  by-word  for  wickedness.     Micah  vi.  16. 

29.  Ahab]  Which  probably  means,  Ood  is  friend  (Fuerst, 
55). 

—  twenty  and  two  years]  Although  the  reigns  of  Ahab, 
Ahaziah,  and  Jehoram,  extend  only  over  a  space  of  thirty-foui- 
years,  yet  they  occupy  the  residue  of  this  book  and  the  first 
nine  chapters  of  the  Second  Book  of  Kings ;  and  little  is  said  in 
them  concerning  the  aflairs  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah. 

30 — 33.  Ahab  the  son  of  Omri— did  more  to  provoJce  the 
LoED  Ood  of  Israel  to  anger  than  all  the  kings  of  Israel  that 


Jericho  rehuilt. 


1  KINGS  XVI.  34.     XVII.  1. 


Elijah  the  Tishhite, 


^■^In  liis  days  did  Hiel  the  Beth-elite  build  Jericho  :  he  laid  the  foundation     chrTIt 
thereof  in  Abiram  his  firstborn,  and  set  up  the  gates  thereof  in  his  youngest         ^"*' 
son  Segub,  ^  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  which  he  spake  by  Joshua  the  e  josh.  6.26. 
son  of  Nun. 

XVII.  ^  And  f  Elijah  the  Tishbite,  who  ivas  of  the  inhabitants  of  Gilead,        ^tout 

t  Heb.  Elljuhii,  Luke  1.  I  7.  &  4.  25,  lie  is  called  EUas. 


were  hefore  Mm]  From  these  verses  it  appears  that  the  reign  of 
Ahab  forms  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 

He  was  not  content  with  following  Jeroboam,  who  set 
np  the  golden  calves  at  Dan  and  at  Bethel  to  be  symbols  of 
Ji'hovah  (xii.  28),  and  with  walking  in  his  sins  as  if  it  were  a 
light  thing;  or  rather,  was  it  not  in  his  eyes  a  light  thing  to  do 
that  ?  Yes;  for  he  went  far  beyond  him,  and  married  Jezebel, 
the  daughter  of  Ethljaal,  King  of  Tyre,  and  introduced  the 
worship  of  Baal,  the  Phoenician  idol,  into  Israel,  and  built  an 
altar  to  Baal  in  his  capital  city,  Samaria. 

Ethbaal,  i.  e.  with  Baal  {Fuerst,  109),  was  a  priest  of  the 
riirenician  goddess  Astarte,  or  Ashtoreth  (above,  xi.  5);  and  he 
rebelled  against  his  brother  Pheles,  King  of  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
and  usurped  his  throne,  which  he  occupied  thirty-two  years 
[Menander,  in  Josephus,  c.  Apion,  i.  18;  Antt.  viii.  13.  1). 

Jezebel  (a  name  perhaps  connected  with  Baal-zehul, 
Fuerst,  71),  the  daughter  of  this  idolatrous  priest,  regicide  and 
fratricide,  became  the  wife  of  the  King  of  Israel,  and  followed 
in  her  father's  steps  in  idolatry  and  cruelty,  and  led  her  husband 
Ahab  with  her  (xxi.  25),  so  that  in  his  reign  the  false  worship 
of  Baal  superseded  the  worship  of  Jehovah. 

The  name  of  Jezebel  became  a  by-word  for  false  doctrine, 
idolatry,  and  harlotry,  in  after  ages  of  the  Church  :  see  Rev.  ii.  20. 

Baal,  which  signifies  lord,  was  the  principal  male  deity  of 
the  Phoenicians,  as  Bel,  or  Belus,  among  the  Babylonians.  He 
was  their  sun- god,  the  author  of  all  physical  life  and  energy,  in 
their  Mythology,  and  was  displayed  in  various  forms,  Baalim. 
Ifovers,  Phcen.  i.  175,  p.  184;  see  above,  Judg.  ii.  11.  13;  vi. 
25 ;  viii.  33 ;  and  Kitto,  Bibl.  111.,  45th  Week,  pp.  207—212. 

33.  a  grove]  Rather,  the  asherah,  or  image  of  Astarte, 
which  was  a  companion  to  the  image  of  Baal :  op.  Exod.  xxxiv. 
13.     Judg.  vi.  25;  above,  xiv.  23. 

34.  In  his  days  did  Siel  the  Beth-elite  huild  Jericho]  This 
building  of  Jericho  in  Ahab's  days  is  mentioned  as  an  evidence 
of  the  prevalent  forgetfulnesa  and  contempt  of  God's  Word  at 
that  time.  "In  his  days," — perhaps  (as  Keil  supposes)  under 
his  direction, —  Hiel  of  Bethel  (once  the  sanctuary  of  God,  and 
afterwards  the  shrine  of  one  of  Jeroboam's  calves)  built,  i.  e. 
fortified  Jericho :  surrounded  it  with  walls  so  as  to  be  a  frontier 
garrison  of  the  territory  of  Israel,  and  to  command  the  Jordan. 
Ahab  allowed  him,  perhaps  commissioned  him,  to  do  this,  in 
defiance  of  God's  word  by  Joshua  (see  on  Josh.  vi.  26),  as  if 
there  could  be  any  fortress  so  strong  as  the  word  of  God,  and  as 
if  any  thing  could  avail  against  it !  But  Hiel  paid  the  penalty 
denounced  by  that  word,  and  so  God's  word  was  magnified  even 
by  means  of  man's  sin.  Here  was  a  warning  to  Ahab,  who  had 
set  up  the  altar  of  Baal  in  his  own  capital  at  Samaria,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  worship  of  God. 

Peeliminaet  Note  on  the  Mission  of  Elijah  the 
Pbophet,  Chap.  XVIl. 

The  name  Elijah  signifies  "  the  Lord,  Jehovah,  He  is  God  " 
{Gesen.  51),  and  the  life  of  Elijah  agrees  with  his  name.  He 
tame  forward  as  a  faithful  living  witness,  in  an  age  of  religious 
apostasy,  to  proclaim  to  idolatrous  princes,  priests,  and  people, 
that  the  Loed  He  is  God,  and  that  He  alone  is  God,  and  that 
all  other  gods  are  usurpers,  and  that  their  priests  and  prophets 
are  to  be  exterminated  from  Israel  according  to  God's  law  (see 
below,  xviii.  40),  as  guilty  of  rebellion  against  Him  (Deut. 
xiii.  5  ;  xviii.  20). 

He  came  forth  to  bring  Israel  back  to  the  true  knowledge 
and  worship  of  God,  from  which  they  had  fallen  to  the  service 
of  Baal.  He  was  a  second  Enoch.  Enoch  prophesied  to  the 
antediluvian  world  of  Judgment  to  come  (Jude  14),  and  pleased 
God,  and  was  translated  (Heb.  xi.  5),  without  seeing  death, 
as  Elijah  was. 

Elijah  was  also  another  Moses,  an  asserter  of  the  Divine 
Supremacy  in  opposition  to  the  rival  claims  of  heathen  deities. 

He  was  also  a  restorer  of  true  religion.  He  is  described  by 
the  Prophet  Malachi  "as  coming  to  turn  the  heart  of  the 
fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children  to  their 
fathers  "  (Mai.  iv.  6 :  ep.  below,  xviii.  37)  ;  and  thus  he  was  the 
John  Baptist  of  the  Old  Dispensation  (see  on  Matt.  xi.  14; 
xvii.  10.  Luke  i.  17 ;  ix.  8).  Elijah  looked  backward  to  Moses  and 
to  Enoch ;  and  he  looked  forward  to  Cheist.  He  restored  the 
Vol.  III.         .  65 


Law,  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  Gospel.  His  miracles  have 
both  a  retrospective  and  prospective  character.  In  their  sternness 
and  severity  against  sin,  as  in  the  execution  of  God's  vengeance 
against  idolatry  at  Carmel  and  at  Kishon,  he  awakened,  as  it 
were,  the  thunders  and  lightnings  of  Horeb ;  but  they  have  also 
evangelic  gleams  of  mercy  and  love,  as,  for  instance,  in  his 
tender  care  for  the  faithful  widow  of  Zarephath. 

The  miracles  of  Elijah,  so  numerous  and  extraordinary  as 
they  are,  have  in  modern  days  been  made  an  occasion  for  the 
objections  of  sceptical  criticism.  How  are  they  to  be  accounted 
for  ?  Was  there  any  adequate  cause  for  their  operation  ?  Can 
the  history  of  them  be  accepted  as  true  ?  Such  questions  have 
been  asked;  and  they  have  been  answered  by  some  in  the 
negative.  The  narrative  before  us  has  been  represented  as  little 
better  than  a  mythical  legend,  sketched  in  the  fantastic  and 
grotesque  lineaments,  and  coloured  with  the  brilliant  hues  of 
oriental  romance ;  see  the  treatises  of  Fich-horn,  JF.  Meyer, 
G.  L.  Bauer,  Berthold,  Vatke,  Knobel,  Koster,  Rodiger, 
Gramherg,  and  others,  noticed  by  Keil,  i.  263;  and  Winer, 
R.  W.  B.  i.  319. 

Certainly  it  must  be  admitted,  that  if  the  age,  in  which 
Elijah  lived,  had  been  an  ordinary  time,  this  outburst  and  flashing- 
forth  of  miraculous  working  in  the  dazzling  splendour  of  his 
ministry  would  have  been  unaccountable. 

But  his  position  was  altogether  unprecedented ;  and  the 
profusion  of  God's  miraculous  working  in  Elijah  was  due  to  the 
exorbitant  wickedness  of  the  rulers  of  Israel  at  that  time,  which 
required  an  extraordiuai-y  manifestation  of  God's  divine  power, 
asserting  His  supremacy,  in  order  to  recover  His  people  from 
the  ruin  and  misery  into  which  they  had  fallen. 

Elijah's  life  was  a  crisis  in  the  history  of  Israel.  Jeroboam 
had  emerged  into  Ahab ;  calf-worship  had  been  developed  into 
Baalism ;  the  God  of  Israel  had  been  supplanted  by  the  idols  of 
Phoenicia ;  the  curse  of  Joshua  on  the  builders  of  Jericho  was 
defied ;  the  thunders  and  lightnings  of  Sinai  were  forgotten ; 
the  Law  of  Moses  was  exploded;  a  Jezebel,  the  daughter  of 
Ethbaal,  the  Priest  of  Baal,  shared  the  Throne  which  had  been 
occupied  by  David;  and  the  abominations  of  Tyre  and  Sidou 
domineered  in  the  capital  of  Israel. 

The  unique  character  of  that  age  is  exhibited  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  not  only  in  the  Old  Testament,  but  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. In  the  ApoCaly|)se,  when  He  would  personify  a  coiTupt 
Priesthood  and  Prophecy,  He  calls  it  a  Jezebel  (Rev.  ii.  20) ; 
and  when  He  would  describe  the  working  of  those  noble  spirits 
who  stand  almost  alone  in  a  corrupt  age,  and  fight  against  Anti- 
christianism,  He  draws  His  imageiy  from  the  acts  of  Elijah 
(Rev.  xi.  6). 

But  God  overruled  evil  with  good. 

In  the  history  of  His  people,  whenever  the  regular  ministries 
of  the  Temple  and  Priesthood  fail,  there  the  mission  of  Prophets 
is  mercifully  vouchsafed  by  Him  in  order  to  supply  the  deficiency. 
The  manifestation  of  Prophecy  was  always  exactly  adjusted  to 
the  needs  of  the  times.  When  Eli  connived  at  the  sins  which 
the  Priests,  his  sons,  committed  at  the  door  of  the  Tabernacle,  a 
Samttel  was  raised  up ;  when  the  Ark  was  taken  by  Philistin(;s, 
and  Shiloh  was  destroyed,  Samuel  offered  sacrifices  at  GilgiJ. 
Samuel  the  prophet  was  the  precursor  and  pattern  of  Elijah  the 
prophet.  Samuel  had  rebuked  Saul,  Elijah  rebuked  Ahab. 
Samuel  established  Schools  of  the  Prophets,  Ehjah  confirmed  them 
(see  on  2  Kings  ii.  3).  But  when  the  Ark  was  brought  to  Sion 
by  David,  and  the  Temple  was  built  by  Solomon  at  Moriah,  the 
voice  of  Prophecy  was  hushed.  It  awakened  from  its  slumber, 
in  some  terrible  utterances  in  the  schismatical  kingdom  of 
Israel  in  the  days  of  Jeroboam,  in  the  voice  of  Ahijah  the 
Shilonite  (xi.  29;  xii.  15;  xiv.  6;  xv.  27),  and  m  the  denun- 
ciations of  the  man  of  Judah  against  the  idolatrous  altar  at 
Bethel  (xiii.  1,  2).  It  became  no  longer  a  wandering  voice  but  a 
living  Word,  in  the  days  of  Ahab.  Tlien,  when  it  came  forth,  it  was 
a  forerunner  of  the  Incarnation  itself  of  the  Everlasting  Word, 
Who  is  not  only  a  Prophet  and  the  Lord  of  the  Prophets,  but 
may  be  said  to  be  the  Word  of  Prophecy  itself,  in  the  fullest 
sense  of  the  term. 

Prophecy  was  supplementary  to  the  Priesthood.  We 
never  hear  of  Elijah  at  Jerusalem,  and  once  only  in  the 
confines  of   Judah    (xix.  3),   and    why?     Because    at    Jeru- 


fJlijtih  J>cfore  Ahab. 


1  KINGS  XVII.  2,  3. 


Ko  rain. 


B.-forc 
C  11  R  ]  S  T 
alioiit 
yu). 
I  2  Kings  3.  II. 
rDeut.  10.  S. 
r  James  5.  17. 
t  Luke  4.  2.'i. 


said  unto  Aliab,  ^  As  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  livetli,  *"  before  whom  I  stand, 
•=  there  shall  not  be  dew  nor  ram  '^  these  years,  but  accordmg  to  my  word. 
2  And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  him,  saying,  ^  Get  thee  hence,  and 


salem  was  the  Ark,  and  the  Temple,  and  the  Priesthood,  and 
the  rcgidar  ministries  of  religion.  His  mission  was  to  Ahab 
and  Jezebel,  and  to  Israel,  and  to  the  idolatrous  prophets  of 
Baal.  When  Prophecy  was  at  its  zenith,  the  Priesthood  was 
at  its  nadir :  the  Midnight  of  the  Priesthood  was  the  Noonday 
of  Prophecy.  It  has  indeed  been  alleged  by  some,  that  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  may  be  inferred  to  have  been  more  favoured 
by  God  than  Judah,  because,  when  both  Kingdoms  stood  side 
by  side.  Prophets  rose  up  oftener  in  Israel  than  in  Judah.  But 
the  reverse  of  this  is  the  case.  The  appearance  of  Prophets  in 
Israel  was  a  sign  of  Israel's  defection,  and  was  due  to  it,  and 
to  God's  anger  for  their  sins.  And,  in  course  of  time,  when 
Judah  became  more  depraved,  and  resembled  Israel  in  its 
apostasy,  and  when  the  regular  ministers  of  the  Temple  and 
the  Priesthood  had  become  degenerate  and  corrupt,  then 
Prophets  appeared  in  Judah  with  more  frequency  and  energy. 
The  most  vicious  age  of  Judah  was  the  age  of  Amos,  Micah, 
Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel,  the  Prophets. 

In  this  respect  also  Elijah  was  a  forerunner  of  Christ. 
His  first  Advent  was  in  the  thick  darkness  of  the  worst  days  of 
Priestly  degeneracy  among  the  Jews,  and  in  the  thick  gloom 
of  heathen  idolatry  and  unbelief.  Then  it  was  that  the  Great 
Prophet,  whom  Moses  had  pre-announced,  was  raised  up  to 
prophesy  to  the  World  (Deut.  xviii.  18.  Cp.  Acts  iii.  22 ; 
vii.  37).  And  it  will  be  in  a  time  of  moral  corruption  in  the 
World,  and  of  spiritual  degeneracy  in  a  large  part  of  the 
Christian  Israel,  the  Church  of  God,  it  will  be  in  the  hour  of 
an  Antichristian  Midnight,  when  His  Second  Advent  vnU 
shine  like  Lightning  from  one  part  of  heaven  to  the  other 
(Matt.  xxiv.  27.     Luke  xvii.  24.). 

Cn.  XVII.  1.  MijaK]  Miyah,  i.e.  the  Lord  He  is  God 
(Gesen.  51.  Cp.  xviii.  3,  Obadiah).  Let  us  observe  this  name. 
As  God  revealed  Himself  specially  as  Jehovah  to  Moses,  that 
is,  as  the  Everlasting  I  AM,  and  sent  Moses  forth  as  His  com- 
missioned minister,  when  He  was  about  to  enter  uito  conflict 
with  the  idol  non-entities  of  Egypt  (see  on  Exod.  vi.  2),  and 
to  display  Himself  as  the  God  of  the  Universe,  as  well  as  the 
God  of  His  covenanted  People  Israel ;  so,  when  He  is  about  to 
eno-age  in  a  contest  with  the  idol  non-entities  of  Phoenicia, 
Baal  and  Ashtaroth,  and  to  recall  His  people  Israel  from  their 
debasing  subjection  to  them.  He  sends  forth  His  Prophet,  a 
second  Moses,  who  proclaims  His  message  in  His  name, 
Jehovah  (not  Baal)  is  God. 

The  times  were  fit  for  Elijah ;  and  Elijah  was  fit  for  the 
times.  The  greatest  Prophet  is  reserved  for  the  worst  age. 
Israel  had  never  such  an  impious  King  as  Ahab,  nor  such  a 
miraculous  Prophet  as  Elijah :  "  The  God  of  the  spirits  of  all 
flesh  "  knows  how  to  proportion  men  to  the  occasion.  Elijah 
comes  in  with  a  tempest,  and  goes  out  in  a  whirlwind 
{Bp.  Ball). 

—  the  TisJihite,  who  was  of  the  inhabitants  of  Gilead~] 
The  site  of  Tishbe,  or  Thishe,  is  unknown.  A  place  called 
Thisbe  seems  to  be  mentioned  in  Tobit  i.  2,  as  in  Galilee,  but 
this  is  not  certain.  The  word  rendered  inhabitatits  (toshabiin) 
ought  rather  to  be  translated  strangers,  or  sojourners,  as  it 
always  is  in  the  Authorized  Version  in  the  other  places, — 
about  twelve  in  number, — where  it  occurs.  Cp.  Gen.  xxiii.  4. 
Exod.  xii.  45.  Lev.  xxii.  10;  xxv.  6.  23.  35.  40.  45.  47. 
Cp.  Gesen.,  p.  860.  The  Sept.  supposes  that  Thisbe,  or  Thisbse, 
was  in  Gilead;  and  so  Josephus,  viii.  13.  2,  who  calls  the  place 
Theshone ;  and  many  modern  writers  (as  Ewald,  iii.  486)  have 
adopted  the  opinion  that  he  was  of  Gilead  (cp.  Grove,  B.  D.  i. 
525).  Winer  (R.  W.  B.  i.  318)  supposes  him  to  have  been  a 
native  of  ITiisbe,  and  a  sojourner  in  Gilead;  and  so  Keil,  in 
his  last  Gennan  edition,  p.  175,  who  supposes  Thisbe  to  be 
in  Naj)htali,  and  to  be  mentioned  in  the  Book  of  Tobit,  i.  2. 
It  is  not  improbable  that  the  place  Tishbi  may  be  connected 
with  the  word  toshah,  a  stranger,  an  emigrant.  It  seems 
certain  that,  wherever  it  was,  Tishbi  was  not  (as  some  have 
supposed)  in  Gilead  itself.  Elijah  migrated  from  his  own 
country  Tishbe,  and  became  a  sojourner  (Heb.  toshab)  in 
Gilead. 

The  mysterious  suddenness  of  Elijah's  first  appearance, 
his  rapid  disappearances,  and  no  less  unexpected  manifestations 
(cp.  xviii.  12 ;  xxi.  18),  the  iincertainty  which  prevailed  in 
Israel  as  to  his  parentage,  like  that  of  Melchizedek  (cp. 
Heb.  vii.  3),  the  glorious  display  and  marvellous  etiects  of  his 
66 


acts,  and  the  prevalent  popular  ignorance  as  to  whence  he 
came,  and  how  his  actions  were  performed,  make  Elijah  to  be 
a  signal  type  of  Christ,  of  Whom  it  is  said,  "  Who  shall  declare 
His  generation  ?"  (Isa.  liii.  8;)  and  Whose  Gospel  is  the  clearest 
revelation  of  the  truth  which  is  contained  in  the  name  of  Elijah, 
"  the  Lord  He  is  God."  And  Elijah  the  Prophet,  who  came 
forth  in  an  age  of  apostasy,  and  whose  presence  was  like  the 
lightning,  shining  in  the  gloom  of  that  dark  period,  will  be 
seen  to  be  a  still  more  striking  figure  of  Him,  Wliose  presence 
will  be  suddenly  manifested  (Matt.  xxiv.  27.  Luke  xvii.  24), 
and  wiU  blaze  forth  with  exceeding  glory  and  flaming  fire  in 
the  night  of  unbelief  (2  Thess.  i.  8,  9),  and  will  make  all  Nations 
fall  prostrate  before  Him  on  their  faces,  and  say,  "  The  Lord 
He  is  the  God,  the  Lord  He  is  the  God  "  (xviii.  39). 

Elijah  and  the  Drottght. 

—  As  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand, 
there  shall  not  be  deio  nor  rain  these  years,  but  according  to 
my  word^  These  are  the  first  recorded  words  of  Elijah. 

What  is  their  meaning  ? 

It  may  seem  at  first  sight  that  tliere  is  something  of  harsh- 
ness and  presumption  in  them.  But  they  are  very  significant, 
and  proclaim  a  great  truth,  and  temper  judgment  with  mercy. 
Thou,  Ahab,  the  Ruler  of  God's  people,  liast  forsaken  Jehovah, 
and  hast  set  up  an  altar  of  Baal,  and  an  image  of  Ashtaroth, 
in  thine  own  capital  city  (xvi.  32),  in  opposition  to  the  Temple 
of  God.  Thou  supposest  that,  since  the  country  of  thy  Queen 
Jezebel  is  a  rich,  prosperous,  commercial  country,  therefore 
the  deities  of  Tyi-e  and  Sidon  are  more  powerful  than  Jehovali. 
Baal  and  Ashtaroth,  or  Astarte,  are  worshipped  by  thee  and 
thy  people,  as  if  thej'  had  supreme  power  over  the  elements. 
Baal  is  the  Sun-god,  Ashtaroth  is  the  Moon-goddess,  of  thy 
novel  idolatrous  devotions  (see  above,  x\'i.  30 — 33.  Movers, 
Phoeniz.  i.  184).  Thou  supposest  that  thou  hast  conciliated 
the  favour  of  those  deities  who  can  give  fi-uitful  seasons  and 
abundant  harvests  to  thy  kingdom.  But  thou  art  deceived. 
Thou  hast  deserted  Him,  Who  created  the  Sun  and  Moon,  and 
rules  the  Elements,  and  alone  is  able  to  give  sunshine  and 
shower,  and  to  bestow  temporal  felicity,  as  well  as  eternal. 
Thou  hast  forsaken  Jehovah.  He,  Who  is  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel,  is  also  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  Giver  of  rain 
and  dew  to  the  earth,  as  well  as  of  all  spiritual  blessings  to  the 
soul.  In  proof  of  this  assertion  I,  Elijah,  who  stand  before 
Him  as  His  servant  and  His  messenger,  ready  to  run  on  His 
errands  (cp.  Luke  i.  19 ;  and  cp.  Irenceus,  iii.  11),  declare  to 
thee  that,  as  Jehovah,  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  liveth.  (whom 
thou,  the  King  of  Israel,  hast  forsaken  for  idols  that  are  dead), 
before  tvhom  I  stand,  Wliose  minister  I  am,  and  am  sent 
to  stand  and  speak  before  thee,  who  fallest  down,  and  wor- 
shippest  dumb  and  deaf  stocks  and  stones,  there  shall  be 
neither  deio  nor  rain  these  years,  but  according  to  my  tvord. 
And  since  I,  who  am  His  servant,  am  enabled  to  shut  heaven 
that  it  rain  not,  what  must  His  power  be  ?  Therefore,  by  this 
sign,  I  call  thee  back  from  thy  false  worship,  to  acknowledge 
and  adore  Him  whom  I  serve,  and  who  alone  can  bless  thee 
in  body  and  soul. 

The  Apostle  James  says,  that  "  Elijah  was  a  man  subject 
to  like  passions  as  we  are,  and  he  prayed  earnestly  that  it  might 
not  rain,  and  it  rained  not  on  the  earth  by  the  space  of  three 
years  and  six  months"  (James  v.  17:  cp.  Luke  iv.  25).  There 
was  mercy  in  this  prayer,  because  by  it  Elijah  desired  to  deliver 
Ahab  from  the  worship  of  Baal  and  Ashtaroth,  and  to  restore 
him  and  his  people  to  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  to  the  fear  of 
the  Lord  his  God,  "  Who  maketh  the  dew,  and  giveth  the  former 
and  latter  rain  in  his  season  "  (Jer.  v.  24.  Job  v.  10 ;  xxxviii. 
28:  cp.  below,  xvii.  14). 

Elijah  does  not  claim  power  to  give  rain  by  his  own 
authority.  No :  he  ascribes  that  to  God,  "  The  Lord  sendeth 
rain  upon  the  earth "  (v.  14) :  cp.  Waterland,  Scrip.  Vind., 
p.  157. 

It  is  not  said  that  Elijah  prayed  that  it  might  not  rain  for 
three  years  and  a  half,  but  it  is  said  that  there  should  not  be 
rain  except  according  to  his  word ;  and  it  seems  that  Ahab's 
obstinacy  and  impenitence  was  the  cause  why  the  drought  was 
continued  for  three  years  and  a  half  It  was  not  tiU  that  time 
had  expired  that  the  King  and  his  people  were  brought  to 
repentance,  and  to  acknowledge  that  "  the  Lord  (and  not  Baal) 
He  is  the  God;"   and  immediately    that   this  was  the  case, 


Elijah  is  sent  to  Cherith 


1  KINGS  XVII.  4—11. 


and  to  Zarepliath. 


turn  tliee  eastward,  and  hide  thyself  hy  the  brook  Cherith,  that  is  before  Jordan. 
^  And  it  shall  be,  that  thou  shalt  drink  of  the  brook  ;  and  I  have  commanded 
the  ravens  to  feed  thee  there.  ^  So  he  went  and  did  according  unto  the  word 
of  the  LoED  :  for  he  went  and  dwelt  by  the  brook  Cherith,  that  is  before 
Jordan.  ^  And  the  ravens  brought  him  bread  and  flesh  in  the  morning,  and 
bread  and  flesh  in  the  evening ;  and  he  drank  of  the  brook.  7  }^^  it  came  to 
pass  f  after  a  while,  that  the  brook  dried  up,  because  there  had  been  no  rain 
in  the  land. 

^And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  him,  saying,  ^  Arise,  get  thee  to 
'  Zarephath,  which  helongeth  to  Zidon,  and  dwell  there :  behold,  I  have  com- 
manded a  widow  woman  there  to  sustain  thee.  ^*^  So  he  arose  and  went  to 
Zarephath.  And  when  he  came  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  behold,  the  widow 
woman  ivas  there  gathering  of  sticks :  and  he  called  to  her,  and  said.  Fetch 
me,  I  pray  thee,  a  little  water  in  a  vessel,  that  I  may  drink.  ^^  And  as  she 
was  going  to  fetch  it,  he  called  to  her,  and  said,  Bring  me,  I  pray  thee,  a 


Before 
C  II  It  I  ST 

about 
610. 


t  Ileb.  at  the  end 
of  days. 


e  Obad.  20. 
I.uke4.  20,  calleil 
Sarepta. 


"Elijah  cast  himself  down  upon  the  earth,  and  put  his  face 
between  his  knees"  (xviii.  42),  i.  e. prayed  earnestly,  and  there 
"  teas  a  great  rain  "  (xviii.  45). 

Elijah  at  Cheeith. 

3.  Get  tfiee  hence — Cherith']  God  thus  owns  the  truth  of 
Elijah's  declaration,  and  teaches  him  how  to  act  in  consequence 
of  it.  Get  thee  hence  from  Samaria,  in  the  time  of  the  coming 
drought,  where  thou  wilt  be  exposed  to  persecution,  as  if  thou 
(and  not  the  sins  of  Ahab  and  Israel)  wert  the  cause  of  this 
visitation;  get  thee  hence  from  this  well-watered  region, 
abundantly  supphed  with  food,  and  go  to  Cherith,  where  1  will 
sustain  thee.     Here  was  a  trial  of  his  faith  and  obedience. 

The  precise  site  of  Cherith,  which  flowed  into  the  Jordan, 
is  unknown  (see  Keil,  176;    Grove,  B.  D.  300). 

Elijah's  escapes  from  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  and  his 
departures  into  unknown  places,  are  faint  resemblances  of  the 
mysterious  vanishings  of  our  Blessed  Lord  Himself,  after  He 
had  delivered  some  of  His  divine  messages  which  excited  the 
anger  of  the  People  (Luke  iv.  29.  John  viii.  59;  x.  39. 
Compare  the  promise  to  the  Church  of  God,  Rev.  xii.  6.  14). 

4.  I  have  commanded  the  ravens  to  feed  thee  there]  God  fed 
Elijah  by  means  of  ravens,  the  most  voracious  of  birds ; 

As  Milton  expresses  it  (Paradise  Reg.,  ii.) : 

"  Him  thought,  he  by  the  brook  of  Cherith  stood. 
And  saw  the  ravens  with  their  horny  beaks 
Food  to  Elijah  bringing,  even  and  morn ; 
Though  ravenous,  taught   to   abstain   from  what    they 
brought." 

God  knoweth  all  the  fowls  upon  the  mountains  (Ps.  1.  11) ; 
He  sustained  the  animals  in  the  Ark,  and  He  fed  His  People 
Israel  in  the  wilderness,  for  forty  years,  with  manna  from  the 
clouds  (Exod.  xvi.  35.  Ps.  Ixxviii.  23),  and  He  brought  water 
from  the  rock  to  refresh  them  (Ps.  Ixxxviii.  15),  He  sent  quails 
to  satisfy  their  desire  for  flesh  (Exod.  xvi.  13.  Num.  xi.  31. 
Ps.  cv.  40).  Shall  we  then  deny  with  some,  that  God  could 
send  the  fowls  of  the  air  to  feed  His  Prophet  in  that  wilderness 
whither  He  Himself  had  commanded  him  to  go  ?  (Cp.  below, 
xix.  8.)  Our  Lord  supplies  the  answer,  "Man  liveth  not  by 
bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the 
mouth  of  God "  (Matt.  iv.  4,  from  Deut.  viii.  3.)  St.  Paul, 
after  his  conversion,  was  disciplined  by  God  in  the  wilderness  for 
his  future  apostolic  career  (see  on  Acts  ix.  23,  and  on  Gal.  i.  17). 
Elijah  was  trained  in  the  wilderness,  by  this  miraculous  support 
in  the  time  of  drought,  to  trust  God  in  all  the  difficulties  of  his 
future  prophetic  mission. 

God  reproved  the  rebellion  and  idolatry  of  Ahab,  and  of 
His  own  People  Israel,  by  means  of  the  fowls  of  the  air.  Men, 
who  were  most  favoured  by  Him,  disobeyed  God  and  persecuted 
His  prophets,  but  tlie  birds  of  heaven  obeyed  Him,  and  ministered 
to  His  faithful  servant  Elijah. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  throughout  Scripture,  when 
men  disobey,  God  reproves  them  by  the  obedience  of  the  inferior 
creatures.  The  old  World  disbelieved  God's  warnings  by  Noah, 
and  would  not  go  into  the  Ark,  and  perished  in  the  Flood ;  but 
the  inferior  animals  went  into  the  Ark  and  were  fed  there. 
67 


Balaam  was  rebuked  for  his  disobedience  by  the  ass  on  which 
he  rode.  The  disobedient  Prophet  was  slain  by  the  lion,  whom 
God  sent  from  the  forest,  and  who  spared  the  ass  and  the 
carcase  of  the  Prophet.  The  disobedience  of  Ahab  and  Israel 
was  rebuked  by  the  obedience  of  the  ravenous  birds,  bringino- 
food  to  Elijah.  Jonah  fled  from  God,  and  God  sent  the  whale 
to  bring  him  back  to  prophesy  against  Nineveh.  The  Lions 
spared  Daniel,  when  his  own  colleagues  would  have  slain  him. 
Christ  was  with  the  wild  beasts  in  peace  (Mark  i.  13),  when 
He  was  about  to  be  rejected  by  Mankind. 

6.  the  ravens  brought  him  bread  and  flesh — morning — an  I — 
evening]  God  had  promised  that  the  ravens  would  feed  him. 
The  marvellous  promise  is  amply  fulfilled  day  after  day,  morning 
and  evening.  Thus  Elijah's  faith  and  obedience  were  rewarded 
and  strengthened. 

The  ravens  are  made  to  feed  the  Prophet  of  God,  when 
Israel  rejects  him.  Some  of  the  Fathers  observe  that  the  raven 
was  an  unclean  bird  (see  Gen.  viii.  7.  Lev.  xi.  15),  and  Elijah 
would  not  have  eaten  food  brought  by  them,  unless  he  had  been 
ordered  by  God  {Theodoret,  Qu.  52) ;  and  they  regard  this  as 
typical  of  the  reception  of  the  Gospel  by  the  Gentiles  when  it 
was  rejected  by  the  Jews.     See  S.  Hilary  in  Ps.  cxlvi.  12. 

Elijah,  despised  and  persecuted  by  Israel,  is  nourished  by 
ravens  and  by  a  widow  of  Zarephath;  so  Christ,  rejected  by  His 
own  People  Israel,  is  received  by  the  Gentile  Church  {Theodoret, 
Augustine). 

7.  after  a  lohile]  Lit.  at  the  end  of  days.     Cp.  v.  15. 

Elijah  at  Zarephath. 

9.  Arise,  get  thee  to  Zarephath,  which  belongeth  to  Zidon] 
By  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  between  Tyre  and  Sidon;  called 
Sarepta  in  the  New  Testament  (Luke  iv.  26),  now  Sarafend. 
Here  was  another  trial  of  his  faith  and  obedience.  Go  to 
Zarephath,  which  belongs  to  Zidon,  the  royal  city  of  Ethbaal, 
the  father  of  Jezebel.  The  specification  of  Zidon  placed  the 
difficulty  plainly  before  Elijah,  and  tried  his  faith.  Compare 
the  words  of  the  angel  to  Philip,  Go  hence  on  the  road  toward 
Gaza,  which  is  desert  (see  on  Acts  viii.  26).  The  faith  and 
obedience  of  Elijah  and  Philip  were  tried  by  such  words  as 
these,  which  placed  the  difficulty  fully  before  them ;  they  looked 
the  difficulty  fuU  in  the  face,  encountered  it,  conquered  it,  and 
were  rewarded  and  glorified. 

—  I  have  commanded  a  imdow  woman  there  to  sustain  thee] 
Even  in  the  land  of  heathens  and  idolaters ;  the  dominion  of 
Ethbaal,  the  idolatrous  priest  and  fi'atricide  king,  the  father  of 
Jezebel  (xvi.  31).  God  had  presignified  to  Elijah  that  He 
would  feed  him  by  ravens  in  the  wilderness;  He  now  pre- 
announces  to  him,  that  He  would  feed  him  by  a  widow  woman 
at  Zarephath.  The  fulfilment  of  both  these  remarkable  pro- 
phecies confirmed  the  fiiith  of  Elijah,  and  they  were  delivered 
with  that  merciful  purpose. 

Again,  as  God  rebuked  the  disobedience  of  Ahab  and  Israel 
by  the  obedience  of  the  fowls  of  the  air ;  so  He  reproved  their 
faithlessness  by  the  faith  of  the  widow  of  Zure-phath  (Theodoret, 
Qu.  53).  God  never  leaves  Himself  without  a  witness.  When 
Kings  and  People  forsake  Him  and  become  Infidels  and  Idolaters, 
then  the  widows  of  heathen  Zarephaths,  and  the  very  ravens  of 
the  wilderness,  testify  against  them. 


The  rvidow's  son 


1  KINGS  XVII.  12—22. 


raised  to  life. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
910. 


morsel  of  bread  in  tliine  hand.  ^"^And  she  said,  As  the  Lord  thy  God  Uveth, 
I  have  not  a  cake,  but  an  handful  of  meal  in  a  barrel,  and  a  little  oil  in  a 
cruse :  and,  behold,  I  am  gathering  two  sticks,  that  I  may  go  in  and  dress  it 
for  me  and  my  son,  that  we  may  eat  it,  and  die.  ^^  And  Elijah  said  unto  her. 
Fear  not ;  go  and  do  as  thou  hast  said :  but  make  me  thereof  a  little  cake  first, 
and  bring  it  unto  me,  and  after  make  for  thee  and  for  thy  son.  ^*  For  thus 
saith  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  The  barrel  of  meal  shall  not  waste,  neither  shall 
the  cruse  of  oil  fail,  until  the  day  that  the  Lord  f  sendeth  rain  upon  the  earth. 
^^  And  she  went  and  did  according  to  the  saying  of  Elijah :  and  she,  and  he, 
Ox,  a  full  year,  aud  licr  liousc,  did  eat  ^mamj  days.  ^^  And  the  barrel  of  meal  wasted  not, 
neither  did  the  cruse  of  oil  fail,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  wliicli  he 
spake  f  by  Elijah. 

^'^  And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  the  son  of  the  woman,  the 
mistress  of  the  house,  fell  sick ;  and  his  sickness  was  so  sore,  that  there  was 
f  See  Luke  5. 8.  no  brcath  left  in  him.  ^^And  she  said  unto  Elijah,  ''What  have  I  to  do  with 
thee,  0  thou  man  of  God  ?  art  thou  come  unto  me  to  call  my  sin  to  remem- 
brance, and  to  slay  my  son  ?  ^^  And  he  said  unto  her.  Give  me  thy  son.  And 
he  took  him  out  of  her  bosom,  and  carried  him  up  into  a  loft,  where  he  abode, 
and  laid  him  upon  his  own  bed.  ^o^^^d  he  cried  unto  the  Lord,  and  said, 
0  Lord  my  God,  hast  thou  also  brought  evil  upon  the  widow  with  whom  I 
sojourn,  by  slaying  her  son  ?  ^^  ^  And  he  f  stretched  himself  upon  the  child 
three  times,  and  cried  unto  the  Lord,  and  said,  0  Lord  my  God,  I  pray  thee, 
let  this  child's  soul  come  f  into  him  again.     ^^  And  the  Lord  heard  the  voice 


f  Heb.  givith. 


t  Heb.  by  Vie 
hand  of. 


g  2  Kings  4.  34, 

.'55. 

t  Heb.  measured, 


t  Heb.  into  his 
inward  parts. 


13.  As  the  Lord  tTiy  God  Uveth']  Even  a  poor  widow  of  the 
native  eouutry  of  .fezebel  owns  the  Name  of  Jehovali.  Perhaps 
she  had  prayed  to  Him  in  her  distress.  Our  Lord  tells  us  that 
Klijah  was  sent  hy  God  specially/  to  Iter  (Luke  iv.  26).  God's 
eye  was  upon  her,  and  made  the  famine  and  the  drought  to  be 
an  occasion  of  spiritual  refreshment  to  her  soul.  So  the  sickness 
of  the  daughter  of  the  woman  of  tlie  same  country  brought  her 
to  Christ,  and  she  received  a  signal  blessing  from  Him  (Matt. 
XV.  21 — 28).  Cp.  S.  Augustine,  Serm.  ciii.,  v/ho  compares  this 
widow,  receiving  Elijah,  to  Mary  and  Martha  receiving  Christ ; 
cp.  also  his  Sermon,  No.  239,  "  The  widow  gave  refreshment  to 
the  prophet,  and  received  a  blessing  in  return.  Her  cruse 
became  a  fountain  of  oil.  Her  handful  of  meal  surpassed  the 
richest  harvests.  Blessed  are  they  who  are  allowed  to  harbour 
Christ.  Only  walk  thou  in  the  right  road,  and  Christ  will  not 
fail  to  be  thy  guest." 

—  I  have  not  a  cake,  hut  an  handful  of  meal^  A  cake, 
Heb.  maogh,  the  same  as  ttgah,  ijKpvcpias  (Sept.),  a  round  cake 
baked  under  ashes,  from  vg,  to  go  rouud  (Gesen.  492.  605.  610). 
From  this  speech  of  the  widow  it  would  seem  that  the 
famine  had  spread  to  Phoenicia;  and  Josephus  (viii.  13.  2) 
quotes  a  testimony  from  the  Phoenician  History  of  Menander, 
relating  that  a  long  drought  prevailed  in  that  country  in  the 
reign  of  Ethbaal,  the  father  of  Jezebel. 

16.  the  barrel  of  meal  wasted  not]  See  the  blessed  conse- 
quences of  her  faith :  doubtless  by  receiving  Elijah  into  her 
house  {v.  20)  she  received  inestimable  spiritual  benefits  to  her 
soul  also,  and  the  souls  of  her  household. 

This  miracle  was  a  figure  of  what  would  be  done  by  Christ, 
whose  way  was  prepared  by  all  the  Prophets,  the  Divine  Giver 
of  sustenance  to  body  and  soul  in  the  Gospel.  Tertullian  c. 
Marcion.  iv.  21.  "  I'ascit  populum  Christus  in  solitudine,  de 
pristine  scilicet  more :  sic,  in  tempore  famis  sub  Helia,  viduas 
Sareptensi  modica  et  suprema  alimenta,  ex  Prophetaj  benedic- 
tione,  per  totum  famis  tempus  redundaverunt." 

On  the  typical  character  of  the  acts  of  Elijah  related  in 
this  chapter,  and  on  their  figurative  reference  to  Christ  and  the 
Gospel,  see  S.  Augustine  c.  Faustum  Manichasum,  xii.  43,  and 
his  Sermons,  Serm.  9,  and  Appendix,  Sei-m.  40  de  Tempore. 
S.  Prosper  Aquitanus,  ii.  29.     S.  Cyyrian,  de  Opere,  c.  17. 

17.  no  breath  left  in  him]  That  he  was  really  dead  appears 
from  Elijah's  words.  Thou  hast  brought  evil  upon  the  widow  by 
tlaying  her  son  (r.  20),  and  by  his  prayer,  "  0  Lord,  let  this 

68 


child's  soul  come  into  him  again  "  (v.  21,  and  see  v.  22,  and  cp. 
Bp.  Pearson,  Art.  xi.,  p.  379). 

19.  a  loft]  Rather,  the  upper  room.  Heb.  alyyah,  virepwov, 
casnaculum.  See  Gesen.  632.  Judg.  iii.  23.  2  Kings  iv.  10. 
Tliis  woi'd,  alyyah,  is  still  the  common  Arabic  word  for  tlie 
upper  room,  which  is  the  best  part  of  the  house,  and  is  given  to 
guests  who  are  treated  with  honour.  The  lower  part  of  the 
building  is  simply  called  beit,  or  house.  The  mode  of  building, 
and  the  custom  of  giving  the  upper  room  to  the  guests  was 
probably  the  same  in  Elijah's  time  as  now  (Dr.  Thomson,  p. 
160). 

20.  hast  thou  also  brought  etil]  No — Thou  hast  not  brought 
evil ;  for  this  dearth  will  be  the  occasion  of  a  manifestation  of  Thy 
glory  and  mercy,  and  for  the  confirmation  of  the  widow's  faith. 
Bee  V.  24,  and  cp.  <S'.  Augustine  (de  Quajst.  ad  Simplician.  ii.  5), 
on  the  meaning  of  these  words,  which  are  to  be  exjilaincd  by  the 
subsequent  act  of  Elijah,  and  its  results. 

21.  he  stretched  himself  upon  the  child]  In  order  that  it 
might  be  understood  that  the  Lord,  whose  Prophet  he  was,  is 
the  Giver  of  life,  and  that  He  was  pleased  to  work  by  Elijah  in 
restoring  it.  The  word  here  rendered,  he  stretched  himself,  is 
the  hithpael,  from  madad,  to  measure;  metior,  mete.  Gesen. 
449. 

This  is  the  first  example  in  Scripture  of  a  raising  from  the 
dead ;  and  it  is  very  remarkable  and  significant.  This  stretch- 
ing of  the  Prophet  of  his  own  limbs  on  the  limbs  of  the  dead 
child  that  it  might  be  revived,  was  an  image  of  tlie  spiritual 
work  of  vivification  which  Elijah  was  sent  to  perform  upon  the 
dead  corpse  of  the  Israelitish  nation. 

It  was  also  a  foreshadowing  of  the  far  greater  work  which 
in  the  fulness  of  time  was  to  be  performed  by  Christ,  the  Lord 
Jehovah,  condescending  to  take  our  nature,  and  to  be  born  in  the 
weakness  of  infixncy  for  us,  and  to  stretch  Himself  on  the  cold, 
dead  limbs  of  our  Humanity  by  His  Incarnation,  in  order  tliat 
we  may  have  eternal  life,  both  of  body  "and  soul,  and  be  trans- 
figured  to  His  likeness  (cp.  John  i.  4;  v.  26;  vi.  33;  x.  10, 
xi.  25.  Col.  iii.  4.  Cp.  Eucherius  and  Angelomus  here ;  and 
see  further  below,  on  2  Kings  iv.  34,  35). 

—  cried  unto  the  Lord]  In  prayer.  So  Elisha  went  in  and 
"prayed  unto  the  Lord"  (2  Kings  iv.  33).  So  the  Apostle 
Peter  (see  Acts  ix.  40).  But  the  Son  of  God  acted  by  His  ovra 
Divine  power,  and  said,  "  Talitha  cumi,"  "  Young  man,  arise," 
"Lazarus,  come  forth"  (Mark  v.  41.     John  xi,  43). 


Elijah  meets  Ohadiah.     1  KINGS  XVII.  23,  24.     XVIII.  1—18.      Elijah  meets  Ahah. 

of  Elijah;  and  the  soul  of  the  child  came  into  him  again,  and  he  ''revived.     chrTst 
23  And  Elijah  took  the  child,  and  brought  him  down  out  of  the  chamber  into        ^s'lo! 
the  house,  and  delivered  him  unto  his  mother:  and  Elijah  said.  See,  thy  son  ''"^''•''•^^• 
liveth.     2^  And  the  woman  said  to  Elijah,  Now  by  this  '  I  know  that  thou  art  i  John  3. 2.  & 
a  man  of  God,  and  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  in  thy  mouth  is  truth.  '    '3,,„ut 

XVIII.  ^  And  it  came  to  pass  after  ^  many  days,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  a  Luke^4!^25. 
came  to  Elijah  in  the  third  year,  saying,  Go,  shew  thyself  unto  Ahab ;  and  ''  I  b'Deut.'28.i2. 
will  send  rain  upon  the  earth.     '^  And  Elijah  went  to  shew  himself  unto  Ahab. 
And  there  ivas  a  sore  famine  in  Samaria. 

3  And  Ahab  called  f  Ohadiah,  which  was  f  the  ^fovemor  of  his  house.     (Now  f  Heb. o6arfi«A». 

I  '  10  V  I  Heb.  over  his 

Ohadiah  feared  the  Lord  greatly  :  ^  For  it  was  so,  when  f  Jezebel  cut  off  the  *Heb./;j.6w. 
prophets  of  the  Lord,  that  Ohadiah  took  an  hundred  prophets,  and  liid  them 
by  fifty  in  a  cave,  and  fed  them  with  bread  and  water.)     ^  And  Ahab  said  unto 
Ohadiah,  Go  into  the  land,  unto  all  fountains  of  water,  and  unto  all  brooks : 
peradventure  we  may  find  grass  to  save  the  horses  and  mules  ahve,  f  that  we  t  Heb.  thai «e 
lose  not  all  the  beasts.     ^  So  they  divided  the  land  between  them  to  pass  seives/rmMe 

•^  ^  ••■  beasts, 

throughout  it :  Ahab  went  one  way  by  himself,  and  Ohadiah  went  another  way 
by  himself. 

7  And  as  Ohadiah  was  in  the  way,  behold,  Elijah  met  him :  and  he  knew 
him,  and  fell  on  his  face,  and  said,  Art  thou  that  my  lord  Elijah  ?  ^  And  he 
answered  him,  I  am  :  go,  tell  thy  lord.  Behold,  Elijah  is  here.  ^  And  he  said. 
What  have  I  sinned,  that  thou  wouldest  deliver  thy  servant  into  the  hand  of 
Aliab,  to  slay  me  ?  ^°  As  the  Lord  thy  God  liveth,  there  is  no  nation  or 
kingdom,  whither  my  lord  hath  not  sent  to  seek  thee :  and  when  they  said,  He 
is  not  there ;  he  took  an  oath  of  the  kingdom  and  nation,  that  they  found  thee 
not.  1^  And  now  thou  sayest.  Go,  tell  thy  lord.  Behold,  Elijah  is  here.  ^"^  And 
it  shall  come  to  pass,  as  soon  as  I  am  gone  from  thee,  that  Hhe  Spirit  of  the  ^^^^'\^\ll^: 
Lord  shall  carry  thee  whither  I  know  not ;  and  so  when  I  come  and  tell  Ahab,  ^tll'l'zl 
and  he  cannot  find  thee,  he  shall  slay  me  :  but  I  thy  servant  fear  the  Lord 
from  my  youth.  ^^  Was  it  not  told  my  lord  what  I  did  when  Jezebel  slew  the 
prophets  of  the  Lord,  how  I  hid  an  hundred  men  of  the  Lord's  prophets  by 
fifty  in  a  cave,  and  fed  them  with  bread  and  water  ?  ^^  And  now  thou  sayest, 
Go,  tell  thy  lord.  Behold,  Elijah  is  here  :  and  he  shall  slay  me.  ^^  And  Elijah 
said.  As  the  Lord  of  hosts  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand,  I  wiU  surely  shew 
myself  unto  him  to  day. 

^^  So  Ohadiah  went  to  meet  Ahab,  and  told  him  :  and  Ahab  went  to  meet 
Elijah.  ^7  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Ahab  saw  Elijah,  that  Aliab  said  unto 
him,  '^ Art  thou  he  that  Uroubleth  Israel?     ^^And  he  answered,  I  have  not  lf^;^^-/li 


Cn.  XVIII.]  The  greater  part  of  this  chapter  was  appointed 
to  be  read  by  the  aucient  Jewish  Chiu'ch  in  the  Synagogues,  as 
the  parallel  Haphtarah  to  Exod.  xxx.  11 — xxxiv.  35,  which  re- 
cords the  sin  of  the  golden  calf,  and  the  indignation  of  Moses, 
and  the  zeal  of  the  Levites,  and  the  severe  punishment  of  the 
idolaters.  Thus  the  ancient  Hebrew  Church  invited  her  people 
to  compare  Moses  with  Elijah,  and  the  acts  of  Moses  at  Horeb 
with  the  acts  of  Elijah  at  Canncl. 

1.  the  third  year'}  Probaljly  of  his  sojourn  at  Zarephath. 
Tlie  drought  lasted  three  years  and  six  months  (Luke  iv.  25. 
James  v.  17),  and  it  was  now  drawing  to  an  end,  for  God  says, 
"  I  will  send  rain  upon  the  earth." 

3.  Ohadiah']  Y^hicXxiaesms  servant  oi  Jehovah  {Gesen.  QQO ; 
cp.  xvii.  1). 

—  feared  the  Loed]  Ohadiah  was  a  servant  of  God,  though 
his  master,  Ahab,  was  a  slave  of  Baal. 

4.  Jezebel  cut  off  the  prophets  of  the  Loed]  Probably,  for 

69 


this  reason  among  others,  because  they  were  scholars  of  Elijah, 
and  because  she  desired  to  revenge  herself  on  him,  whom  she 
regarded  as  having  caused  the  di-ought  by  some  magic  power. 

10.  there  is  no  nation — to  seeTc  thee']  Perhaps  to  foi'ce  him  to 
revoke  the  magic  spell,  by  which  they  may  have  thought  that 
the  drought  had  been  produced. 

13.  the  Spirit  of  the  Loed  shall  carry  thee]  It  seems  that 
such  sudden  movements  of  Elijah  had  taken  place  in  his  previous 
history, 

15.  the  Loed  of  hosts]  It  is  not  Baal  or  Ashtaroth  who  are 
the  rulers  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  regulate  the  seasons,  and 
cause  rain,  but  Jehovah.     See  above,  on  xvii.  1. 

16.  Ahab  ivent  to  meet  Elijah]  The  place  of  meeting  was 
probably  near  the  S.e.  of  Carmel. 

17.  that  trouhleth  Israel]  By  this  drought  and  dearth.  Art 
thou  the  Achan  of  Israel?  Cp.  above,  Josh.  vi.  18;  vii.  1.  25. 
1  Sam.  xiv.  29.     Gesen.  626. 


Elijah,  and  Baal's  prophets,       1  KINGS  XVIII.  19—21. 


at  Carmel. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

906. 

f2  Chron.  15.  2. 

g  Josh.  19.  26. 

h  ch.  IG.  S3. 


i  ch.  22.  6. 

k2  Kings  17.41. 
Matt.  6.  24. 

II  Or,  thoughts  ? 
1  See  Josh.  24.  15. 


troubled  Israel;  but  thou,  and  thy  father's  house,  '"m  that  ye  have  forsaken 
the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  and  thou  hast  followed  Baalim.  ^^  Noav 
therefore  send,  and  gather  to  me  all  Israel  unto  mount  ^  Carmel,  and  the  pro- 
phets of  Baal  four  hundred  and  fifty,  ^  and  the  prophets  of  the  groves  four 
hundred,  which  eat  at  Jezebel's  table.  ^^  So  Aliab  sent  unto  all  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  '  gathered  the  prophets  together  unto  mount  Carmel. 

2'  And  Elijah  came  unto  all  the  people,  and  said,  ^  How  long  halt  ye  between 
two  II  opinions  ?  if  the  Lord  he  God,  follow  him  :  but  if  Baal,  '  then  follow  him. 


18.  Baalirn]  xvi.  31. 

Elijah  at  CaemeI;. 

19.  unto  mount  Carmel]  Carmel  (which  properlj'  signifies 
a  fruitful,  well-cultivated  region,  Oesen.  414,  415),  is  the  lofty 
mountain  range  which  runs  from  the  headland  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean at  the  Bay  of  Akka,  in  a  s.S.E.  direction  for  about  twelve 
miles,  separating  the  plain  of  Jezi'eel,  or  Esdraelou,  on  the  north 
from  that  of  Sharon  on  the  south  (see  Rohinson,  iii.  189.  Van- 
develde,  i.  317.  Stanley,  352-354.  Thomson,  485—488. 
Grove,  B.  D.  i.  279). 

Mount  Carmel,  by  its  name,  still  bears  testimony  to  the 
events  related  in  this  history.  It  is  called  from  Elijah,  Mar 
Elia.t.  Probably  Carmel  was  chosen  by  Elijah  as  the  site  of 
this  gathering  of  Israel,  not  only  on  account  of  its  natnr.il  qua- 
lifications (see  on  v.  20),  but  l>ecause  it  was  an  ancient  sanc- 
tuary of  Jehovah ;  see  v.  30,  where  it  is  said  that  Elijah  "  re- 
paired the  altar  of  the  Lord  that  was  broken  down." 

—  of  the  groves']  Rather,  of  Asherah  (the  Hebrew  word 
here  used),  or  Astarte  :  see  xvi.  33,  the  Moon-goddess.  The 
prophets  of  Baal  and  Astiirtc,  i.  e.  of  the  Sun  and  Moon,  who 
had  been  set  up  by  Ahab,  King  of  Israel,  in  the  place  of  Jeho- 
vah, are  now  to  be  brought  into  conflict  with  Him  on  this  lofty 
mountain,  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel.  They  are  to  have  the  ad- 
vantage of  numbers  on  their  side  ;  they  are  850  men  ;  and  on 
the  Lord's  side  is  Elijah  alone.     What  a  grand  spectacle  1 

20.  unto  mount  Carmel]  Probably  to  the  site  called  El- 
3IuTcJiraJcah,  which  is  the  spot  pointed  out  by  the  combined 
tradition  of  Jews,  Christians,  Moslem,  Druses,  and  Bedouins 
{Thomson,  483,  481).  The  name  MuldiraJcah  signifies  the 
place  of  burning,  and  appears  to  be  a  record  of  the  fact  related 
in  V.  38. 

It  is  about  twelve  miles  s.s.E.  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea, 
at  a  height  of  1635  feet  above  the  level  of  it ;  and  at  the 
east  of  it  there  is  a  rapid  steep  descent  into  the  plain 
(Vandevelde). 

It  commands  the  last  view  of  the  sea  to  the  west,  and  the 
first  view  of  the  great  plain  in  front,  where  the  glades  of  the 
forest  sink  into  the  lowlands  beneath  it.  Close  beneath  it, 
under  the  shade  of  olives,  and  round  a  well  of  water,  said  to 
be  perennial,  were  ranged  the  King,  the  People,  and  the 
Prophets.  The  city  of  Jezreel,  with  Ahab's  palace  and  temple, 
would  be  visible  :  in  the  nearer  foreground  the  stream  of  Kishon 
working  its  way  through  the  pass  of  the  hills,  into  the  Bay  of 
Acre  {Vandevelde,  Stanley).  This  spot,  where  an  altar  of  the 
Lord  had  stood  {v.  30),  which  was  rebuilt  by  Elijah,  seems  to 
have  been  the  site  mentioned  by  Suetonius  (V.  Vespas.), 
Tacitus  (Hist.  ii.  78),  as  that  to  which  the  Emperor  Vespasian 
came,  as  to  an  oracle,  drawn  thither  by  the  sacred  character  of 
the  place.  Tacitus  speaks  of  the  altar  standing  there  at  that 
time,  without  any  "  simulacrum  Deo."  Perhaps  it  may  have 
been  a  relic  of  the  altar  rebuilt  by  Elijah. 

The  following  description  is  from  the  work  of  a  recent 
traveller  {Tristram,  Travels  in  Palestine,  p.  116) : — 

We  were  standing  on  the  edge  of  a  clift",  from  the  base 
of  which  the  mountain  sank  steeply  down  1000  feet  into  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon,  the  battle-field  of  Israel. 

We  looked  down  on  a  map  of  Central  Palestine.  The 
hewn  stones  among  which  we  stood,  mark  the  site  of  the  altar 
of  the  Lord,  which  Jezebel  overthrew,  and  Ehsha  repaired. 
To  this  spot  came  Elijah's  servant  to  look  for  the  little  cloud 
which  at  length  rose  to  the  Prophet's  prayer,  and  portended 
the  coming  rain,  exactly  as  it  does  now.  No  site  in  Palestine 
is  more  indisputable  than  that  of  the  little  hollow  in  the 
knoll,  300  feet  below  us,  where  the  Lord  God  of  Elijah  mani- 
fested His  divinity  before  Ahab,  and  assembled  Israel.  The 
lower  slopes  rose  abruptly  beneath  us  from  the  plain.  This, 
though  slightly  inclining  westward,  appeared  a  dead  flat, 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  hills  of  Galilee,  generally  bare  and 
woodless,  and  on  the  south  by  those  of  Samaria,  with  Mount 
70 


Tabor  rising  proudly  behind  on  the  cast,  and  seeming  almost 
to  span  the  distance  across  from  Galilee  to  Gilboa.  We  were 
overlooking  the  sites  of  the  old  cities  of  Jezreel,  Megiddo, 
Shunem,  Nain,  and  many  others.  The  day  was  clear  enough 
to  discern  all  the  positions  more  or  less  distinctly,  and  we  had 
a  panorama  of  three  quarters  of  a  circle.  Immediately  below, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Kishon,  was  a  small,  flat-topped  green 
knoll,  "  Tell  Cassis,"  "  the  Mound  of  the  Priests,"  marking  iiv 
its  name  the  very  spot  where  Elijah  slew  the  prophets  of  Baal, 
when  he  had  brought  them  down  to  the  "  brook  Kishon." 
For  twenty  miles  the  eye  could  follow  the  vast  expanse,  with 
not  a  tree,  and  scarcely  a  village  in  its  whole  extent,  now  a 
desolate  flat,  swampy  and  brown,  though  said  in  spring  to  bo 
a  many-coloured  carpet,  with  flowers  of  every  hue.  Behind 
us,  on  the  one  side  of  Carmel,  stretched  the  sea,  whence  rose 
the  little  cloud,  like  a  man's  hand,  and  a  long  strip  of  Sharon ; 
on  the  other  side  we  had  a  peep  of  the  plaiu  of  Acre,  and  the 
sea  washing  its  edge.  Down  that  distant  Tabor  once  poured 
the  hosts  of  Barak ;  on  the  edge  of  that  Gill:)oa  the  shouts  and 
the  sudden  gleaming  lights  of  Gideon's  trusty  300  startled 
the  sleeping  Midianites ;  and  in  the  unbroken  darkness  of 
another  night,  Saul  crept  up  that  same  Gilboa's  side  to  seek 
the  witch's  cave,  which  he  quitted  but  to  lose  kingdom,  life, 
and  army  on  its  top ;  "  for  there  the  shield  of  the  mighty  was 
vilely  cast  away." 

Across  that  plain  fled  in  broken  disorder  the  hosts  of 
Sisera,  to  be  engulfed  in  the  mud  and  swamps,  and  over- 
whelmed in  the  Kishon,  then,  as  to-day,  swollen  and  treache- 
rous, with  hardly  a  bush  or  a  tree  to  mark  its  sluggish  course. 
At  the  further  end  of  Esdraelon  was  scattered  the  routed  army 
of  Saul ;  across  it  marched  the  Assyrian  hordes  of  Shahnaneser 
to  the  final  destruction  of  Israel ;  and,  nearer  still  to  Carmel, 
fell  Josiah,  at  the  battle  of  Megiddo. 

We  remained  here  for  an  hour,  drinking  in  the  features 
and  the  associations  of  the  wondrous  landscape,  and  then, 
leaving  our  horses,  descended  by  a  slippery  path  to  the  Mukh- 
rakah,  or  place  of  sacrifice.  It  is  a  glade,  overlooking  the 
plain,  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  an  amphitheatre,  and  com- 
pletely shut  in  on  the  north  by  the  well -wooded  clifls,  down 
which  we  had  come.  No  place  could  be  conceived  more  adapted 
by  natm-e  to  be  that  wondrous  battle-field  of  truth.  In  front 
of  the  principal  actors  in  the  scene,  with  the  King  and  his 
courtiers  by  their  side,  the  thousands  of  Israel  might  have 
been  gathered  on  the  lower  slopes,  witnesses  of  the  whole 
struggle  to  its  stupendous  result.  In  the  upper  part  of  the 
amphitheatre,  to  the  left,  is  an  ancient  fountain,  overhung  by 
a  few  magnificent  trees,  among  them  a  noble  specimen  of  the 
Turkey  oak.  The  reservoir  of  the  spring  is  stone-built,  and 
square,  about  eight  feet  deep ;  and  the  old  steps,  which  once 
descended  to  it,  may  yet  be  traced.  The  roof  partially  re- 
mains. The  water  is  of  some  depth,  and  is  perennial.  This  was 
corroborated  by  the  existence  of  moUuscs  {Neritina  michonii), 
attached  to  the  stones  within  the  cistern.  In  that  three  years' 
drought,  when  all  the  wells  were  dry,  and  the  Kishon  had  first 
sunk  to  a  string  of  pools,  and  then  finally  was  lost  altogether, 
this  deep  and  shaded  spring,  fed  from  the  roots  of  Carmel, 
remained.  After  we  had  drunk  of  this  fountain,  whence  Elijah 
drew  for  the  trench  round  his  altar,  while  Ahab  sat  under  the 
rock,  probably  just  where  the  oak-tree  now  grows,  we  toiled 
up  again  to  our  horses,  alarming  the  jays,  and  many  a  flight 
of  wood-pigeons  {Columba  palumbus,  L.),  rarely  here  dis- 
turbed {Tristram). 

21.  Sew  long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions  ?]  Literally,  be- 
tween the  two  thoughts :  the  Hebrew  is  Stiphim,  from  saaph,  to 
divide  (cp.  Ps.  cxix.  13.  Gesen.  592).  The  words  are  rendered, 
"Quousque  claudicatis  in  ambabus  sufl'raginlbus?"  by  the 
ancient  Latin  Translator  of  S.  Irenceus  (iv.  6),  where  is  a  com- 
ment on  this  history. 

Elijah  is  an  example,  in  days  of  national  degeneracy  like  ours. 
In  such  times,  many  persons  seem  disposed  to  give  up  the  cause 


Elijah's  appeal  to  the  people.     1  KINGS  XVIII.  22—31.         He  repairs  the  altar  of  God. 


And  tlie  peoj^le  answered  liim  not  a  word.  -  Then  said  Elijah  unto  the  people, 
'"  I,  even  1  only,  remain  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  ;  "  but  Baal's  prophets  are  four 
liuudred  and  fifty  men.  -^  Let  them  therefore  give  us  two  bullocks ;  and  let 
them  choose  one  bullock  for  themselves,  and  cut  it  in  pieces,  and  lay  it  on 
wood,  and  put  no  fire  under :  and  I  will  dress  the  other  bullock,  and  lay  it  on 
wood,  and  put  no  fire  under :  ^^  And  call  ye  on  the  name  of  your  gods,  and 

I  will  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  :  and  the  God  that  °  answereth  by  fire,  let 
him  be  God.     And  all  the  people  answered  and  said,  f  It  is  well  spoken. 

-^  And  Elijah  said  unto  the  prophets  of  Baal,  Choose  you  one  bullock  for 
yourselves,  and  dress  it  first ;  for  ye  are  many ;  and  call  on  the  name  of  your 
gods,  but  put  no  fire  under,  ^e^^d  they  took  the  bullock  which  was  given 
them,  and  they  dressed  it,  and  called  on  the  name  of  Baal  from  morning  even 
until  noon,  saying,  0  Baal,   [j  hear  us.     But  there  ivas  ^  no  voice,  nor  any  that 

II  answered.  And  they  ||  leaped  upon  the  altar  which  was  made.  ^'^  And  it 
came  to  pass  at  noon,  that  Elijah  mocked  them,  and  said.  Cry  f  aloud  :  for  he 
is  a  god ;  either  ||  he  is  talking,  or  he  f  is  pursuing,  or  he  is  in  a  journey,  or 
peradventure  he  sleepeth,  and  must  be  awaked.  -^  And  they  cried  aloud,  and 
''  cut  themselves  after  their  manner  with  knives  and  lancets,  till  f  the  blood 
gushed  out  upon  them.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  midday  was  past,  "■  and 
they  prophesied  until  the  time  of  the  f  ofiering  of  the  evening  sacrifice,  that 
t it  ere  icas  ^  neither  voice,  nor  any  to  answer,  nor  any  f  that  regarded. 

2°  And  Elijah  said  unto  all  the  people.  Come  near  unto  me.  And  all  the 
people  came  near  unto  him.  ^  And  he  repaired  the  altar  of  the  Lord  that  was 
broken  down.  ^'  And  Elijah  took  twelve  stones,  according  to  the  number 
of  the  tribes  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  unto  whom  the  word  of  the  Lord  came. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

yOG. 

m  cli.  19.  10,  14. 

n  ver.  19. 


0  \er.  38. 

1  Cliion.  21.  26. 

+  Heb.  The  Wuid 
is  i/ood. 


II  Or,  answer. 
V  Vs.  115.  5. 
Jer.  10.  5. 

I  Cor.  8.  4.  & 
12.  2. 

II  Or,  heard. 

H  Or,  leaped  tip 

and  down  at  the 

altar. 

t  Heb.  w  th  a 

(/real  voice. 

'l!  Or,  he 

med'tatcth. 

t  Heb.  hath  a 

pursuit. 

q  Lev.  19.  28. 

Deut.  14.  1. 

t  Heb.  poured 

out  blood  upon 

them. 

r  1  Cor.  11.  4,3. 

t  Heb.  ascending, 

s  ver  26. 

t  Heb.  attrition, 

t  cli.  19.  10. 


of  a  national  religion  as  hopeless.  Not  so  Elijah.  In  the  darkest 
iiays  of  Israel's  history  he  did  not  say  to  them,  "  I  leave  you  to 
yourselves.  Follow  your  own  devices ;  adore  Baal.  The  Baalites 
form  the  great  mass  of  the  people.  Ahab  and  Jezebel  are  on 
that  side ;  religion  is  only  an  atlair  between  man  and  his  Maker ; 
and  it  would  be  an  infraction  of  religious  liberty  to  denounce 
tlieir  form  of  worship.  We,  who  are  Jehovah's  worshippers, 
are  a  mere  handful ;  and  we  ought  to  be  content  if  we  are  allowed 
to  worship  God  in  caves  and  deserts.  I  will  retire  to  my  brook 
Chorith,  and  leave  Israel  to  itself."  Elijah  was  too  good  a 
patriot  to  speak  thus.  His  language  to  the  People  was  :  "  If 
the  Lord  be  God,  follow  Him;  but  if  Baal,  then  follow  him." 
He  boldly  maintained  the  truth  in  the  presence  of  idolatrous 
Priests,  Princes,  and  People,  and  recalled  the  Nation  from  its 
apostasy  to  the  worship  of  God. 

On  this  account,  the  example  of  Elijah  has  its  special  uses 
in  an  age  and  country  where  strenuous  etlbrts  are  made  to  induce 
the  State  to  renounce  the  profession  of  the  true  faith,  and  to 
proclaim  religious  indifference  as  its  principle  of  public  policy. 

There  is  the  same  God  in  our  age  as  there  was  in  Elijah's. 
England  is  as  much  subject  to  God  as  Israel  was.  Thrones  and 
Empires  depend  on  His  will.  They  are  in  His  hand  (Isa.  xl.  15. 
Jer.  xviii.  6).  Whatever  may  be  the  destiny  of  our  Country 
and  the  World,  yet  our  efibrts,  like  tho.se  of  Elijah,  cannot  fail. 
They  may  not  be  rewarded  in  this  world.  But  in  the  chariots 
iind  horses  of  fire,  which  carried  Elijah  to  heaven,  and  in  his 
subsequent  glorious  reappearance  on  the  Mountain  of  Trans- 
figuration with  Christ  (Luke  ix.  31),  when  the  disciples  beheld 
ill  the  face  of  Elijah,  a  glimpse  of  the  future  glory  of  beatified 
saints,  we  may  see  a  pledge  and  earnest  of  the  future  triumph 
of  all  who  have  not  been  beguiled  by  the  specious  opinions  and 
fleeting  fashions  of  this  world,  but  have  preferred  unpopular 
truths  to  popular  fallacies,  and  have  stood  stedfast  among  the 
wavering,  and  unflinching  among  the  faithless,  and  have  pleaded 
the  cause  of  God  on  the  Carmels  of  this  world,  as  good  wit- 
nesses of  the  Truth,  and  as  valiant  soldiers  of  Christ. 

22.  I  only,  remain']  See  xix.  18. 

—  Baal's  prophets  are  four  hundred   and  fifty  men]     It 
seems  that  the  prophets  of  Astarte  {v.  19)  were  not  present, 
or  that  they  reserved  themselves  to  engage  in  some  future  con- 
flict.    Jezebel  also  was  absent :  see  xix.  1. 
71 


24.  the  God  that  ansioereth  hy  fire,  let  him  be  Ood]  Baal, 
being  your  sun-god,  ought  surely  to  be  able  to  anwer  hyfire : 
see  above,  on  xvii.  1, 

27.  Cry  aland :  for  he  is  a  god]  Here  is  one  of  the  few 
examples  of  irony  in  Scripture.  Cp.  below,  xxii.  15.  Judg.  x.  14. 
Jobxii.  2;  xxxviii.  5.  Ezek.  xxviii.  3.  Zech.  xi.  13.  Markvii.  9, 
1  Cor.  iv.  8.     2  Cor.  xi.  9.      Cp.  Glass.,  Phil.  Sac.  709—712. 

28.  they  cried  aloud,  and  cut  themselves]  The  scene  here 
described  agrees  with  the  account  given  of  the  phrenzied  orgies 
of  the  Syrian  and  Phasnician  ritual  by  ancient  writers,  such 
as  Lucian,  Statius,  Apuleius,  Arnobius,  and  others,  quoted  by 
Movers,  Plioeniz.,  p.  682. 

29.  until  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the  evening  sacrifice] 
Rather,  till  toward  the  time :  cp.  Exod.  xxix.  39.  Elijah's 
sacrifice  on  Mount  Carmel  was  at  about  the  same  time  as  David's 
on  Mount  Moriah ;  see  the  note  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiv.  15,  where 
it  is  observed  that  God  often  showed  special  regard,  as  He  did 
at  this  crisis,  to  the  appointed  ministries  of  the  Temple,  by 
adjusting  His  grg,cious  manifestation  to  the  hours  of  the 
Temple  Service,  and  by  making  those  manifestations  to  s^ai- 
chronize  with  them,  and  thus  showing  the  blessedness  of  public 
prayer  and  praise.     Cp.  2  Kings  iii.  20.    Ezra  ix.  5.     Acts  x.  3. 

There  was  something  very  significant  in  this  synchronism, 
on  the  present  occasion,  \\hen  it  was  the  design  of  Elijah  to 
recall  Israel  from  idolatry,  to  the  true  God,  who  was  worshipped 
at  Jerusalem. 

30.  he  repaired  the  altar]  Wliich  had  probably  been  built 
before  the  erection  of  the  Temijle ;  and  inasmuch  as  the  Ten 
Tribes  were  now  severed  from  the  Temple,  and  could  not  be 
brought  to  the  Temple,  Elijah  restored  the  Altar  {Theodoret). 
This  was  an  emblem  of  Elijah's  mission,  to  restore  what  was 
broken  down  :  cp.  Mai.  iv.  6.     Matt.  xvii.  11. 

Elijah  stands,  as  it  were,  midway  between  Moses  and 
Christ.  He  repairs  what  had  been  built  up,  under  God's 
direction,  by  Moses,  and  which  had  been  bi'oken  down  in  suc- 
ceeding ages,  especially  in  the  days  of  Ahab ;  he  ]n-epares  the 
way  for  Him  Who  makes  .all  things  new  in  the  Gospel  (Rev. 
xxi.  5).  See  above.  Prelim.  Note  to  chap.  xvii. 

Concerning  this  altar,  see  note  above,  on  v.  20. 

31.  twelve  stones — tribes]  Here  was  a  lesson  of  unity  in 
the  Truth.     By  taking  these  twelve  stone.'^,  accorchug  to  the 


Two  measures  of  seed. 


1  KINGS  XVIII.  32—40. 


The  fire  from  heaven. 


Before 
CHRIST 

ahciiit 
90(i. 
u  Gen.  32.  28.  & 
35.  10. 

2  Kings  17.  34. 
X  Col.  3.  17. 
y  Lev.  1.  (i,  7,  8. 
z  See  Judg.  6.  20. 


■t  Ileb.  went. 
a  ver.  32,  33. 


b  Exod.  3.  6. 

c  ch.  8.  43. 
2  Kings  19.  19. 
Ps.  83.  18. 
d  Num.  16.  28. 


e  I,ev.  9.  24. 
Judg.  6.  21. 
1  Chron.  21.  26. 
?  Chron.  7.  J. 


f  vcr.  24. 

H  Or,  Appri'hiyid. 
g?  Kings  10.25, 

h  Deut.  13.  6.  & 
18.20 


saying,  "  Israel  shall  be  thy  name  :  ^2  And  with  the  stones  he  built  an  altar  "  m 
the  name  of  the  Lord  :  and  he  made  a  trench  about  the  altar,  as  great  as 
would  contain  two  measures  of  seed.  ^3  And  he  ^  put  the  w^ood  in  order,  and 
cut  the  bullock  m  pieces,  and  laid  him  on  the  wood,  and  said.  Fill  four  barrels 
with  water,  and  ^  pour  it  on  the  burnt  sacrifice,  and  on  the  wood.  ^^  And  he 
said.  Do  it  the  second  time.  And  they  did  it  the  second  time.  And  he  said, 
Do  it  the  third  time.  And  they  did  it  the  third  time.  ^5  And  the  water  f  ran 
round  about  the  altar ;  and  he  filled  ^  the  trench  also  with  water.  ^^  And  it 
came  to  pass  at  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the  evening  sacrifice,  that  Elijah  the 
prophet  came  near,  and  said,  Loed  ^  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  of  Israel, 
•=  let  it  be  known  this  day  that  thou  art  God  in  Israel,  and  that  I  am  thy  ser- 
vant, and  that  ^  I  have  done  all  these  things  at  thy  word.  ^^  Hear  me,  0  Lord, 
hear  me,  that  this  people  may  know  that  thou  art  the  Lord  God,  and  that  thou 
hast  turned  their  heart  back  again.  ^  Then  ^  the  fire  of  the  Lord  fell,  and 
consumed  the  burnt  sacrifice,  and  the  wood,  and  the  stones,  and  the  dust,  and 
licked  up  the  water  that  ivas  in  the  trench. 

39  And  when  all  the  people  saw  it,  they  fell  on  their  faces :  and  they  said, 
f  The  Lord,  he  is  the  God ;  the  Lord,  he  is  the  God.  ^^  And  Elijah  said  unto 
them,  II 5  Take  the  prophets  of  Baal ;  let  not  one  of  them  escape.  And  they 
took  them :  and  Elijah  brought  them  down  to  the  brook  Kishon,  and  ''  slew 
them  there. 


number  of  the  Tribes,  and  building  up  agiiin  God's  altar,  Elijah 
showed,  that  the  division  of  the  kingdom  under  Jeroboam,  and 
the  defection  of  the  Ten  Tribes  from  the  worship  of  God  in 
His  sanctuary  at  Jerusalem,  were  contraventions  of  God's  Will 
and  Word.  This  altar  of  twelve  stones  was  a  protest  against 
that  division,  and  was  a  symbol  of  unity.  He  also  thus  fore- 
shadowed the  time  when  all  true  Israelites  would  be  built  on 
the  foundation  of  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  Himself 
being  the  chief  corner-stone  (Eph.  ii.  20.    Cp.  Rev.  xxi.  14). 

32.  he  made  a  trench — seed']  Literally,  he  made  a  trench 
according  to  the  house  of  (i.  e.  room  for)  two  measures  (seahs) 
of  seed:  i.e.  such  as  would  suffice  for  them  {Oesen.  116), 
As  the  seah  is  only  two  gallons,  or  at  most  about  three 
(JBertheau :  cp.  B.  D.  ii.  1742),  this  expression  must  mean  that 
the  trench  was  like  a  furrow  round  the  altar,  of  such  a  cir- 
cumference, that  two  sealu  might  be  sown  in  it;  nqt  that  two 
seahs  vfoiildjill  it. 

Why  should  the  two  measures  of  seed  be  mentioned  ? 
The  Hebrew  seah  is  the  Greek  (rdrov,  which  occurs  in  twq 
places   in  the  Gospel  (Matt.   xiii.  33.     Luke    xiii.  21),  where 
our  Lord  is  comparing  the  world  to  three  measures  of  meal, 
leavened  by  the  leaven  of  the  Gospel. 

:  Can  these  ttvo  measures  of  seed  have  any  symbolical 
significance  ?  They  are  spoken  of  in  reference  to  the  trench 
which  is  filled  with  water,  to  be  licked  up  by  fire  from  heaven 
consuming  the  sacrifice.  The  seed,  supposed  to  be  sown  near 
the  altar  of  God,  is,  as  it  were,  accejrted  by  Heaven.  So  will 
Israel  and  Judah  be,  if  these  two  kingdoms  are  united  at  the 
same  altar  of  Jehovah.  They  will  become  a  good  seed, — a 
Jezreel,  i.e.  "a  seed  of  God."  See  Hos.  ii.  22,  23,  "They 
shall  hear  Jezreel ;  and  I  will  soiv  her  unto  Me  in  the  earth." 
It  is  observable,  that  Ahab  dwelt  at  the  city  called  Jezreel 
(see  V.  45) ;  and  probably  Jezebel  was  there  at  this  time :  but 
liow  little  did  they  realize  its  name !  how  little  did  they  think 
that  all  Israel  was  designed  to  be  "a  seed  of  God," — in 
Christ,  f'  the  Seed  of  the  woman,"  the  Seed  of  Abraham, — in 
whom  all  families  were  to  be  blessed.  It  was  to  a  conscious 
and  thankful  recognition  of  this  privilege  that  Elijah  now 
invited.them. 

33.  Fill  four  barrels']  Four  buckets,  qr  pitchers,  such  as 
women  carried  on  their  shoulders  (Gen.  xxiv.  14.  Judg.  vii.  16. 
Gesen.  384). 

—  ivater]  The  water  was  poured  on  the  altar  in  abundance ; 
it  was  drenched  with  it  in  the  sight  of  the  people,  lest  it  might 
be  alleged  that  Elijah  had  practised  some  such  impostures  as 
were  not  unusual  among  idolatrous  priests,  for  introducing  fire 
to  consume  the  sacrifice  (JEpIiraim  S^nis). 

Some  have  thought  this  profusion  of  water  to  be  improbable 
72 


on  account  of  the  drought  (Thenhis).  Some  have  endeavoured 
to  account  for  it  by  the  supposition  that  it  was  brought  from 
the  sea  {31.  Henri/  here,  and  Blunt,  p.  196).  But  if  the  site 
of  this  wonderful  work  was,  as  is  most  probable,  at  Mukhrakah, 
then  the  sea  was  many  miles  distant ;  and  then  also  water  was 
close  at  hand  in  a  very  abundant  fountain,  which,  as  Vandevelde 
affirms  (p.  245),  would  not  be  affected  by  the  drought ;  and  so 
Tristram  (Palestine,  p.  117).  Dr.  Thomson  supposes  that  the 
water  was  obtained  from  the  permanent  sources  of  the  Kishon, 
at  the  base  of  Carmelj  particularly  the  fountain  of  Saadieh 
(p.  484 ;  and  so  KUto,  p.  242), 

36,  37.  LoEp  God  of  Ahraham — thouhast  turned  their  heart 
hack  again]  Here  is  another  evidence  of  the  festoratire  charac- 
ter of  Elijah's  mission  :  "  he  turns  the  heart  of  the  children  to 
their  fothers,"  Mai.  iv.  5,  especially  to  the  Father  of  all. 

38.  the  fire  of  the  LoED^eZZ]  As  at  the  consecration  of  the 
Tabernacle  (Lev.  ix.  24),  and  of  the  Temple  (2  Chron.  vii.  1). 

39.  The\iO^Ji—God]  lAeh.Yi^noyAn  JIu  Sa-IJlohim. 

Baal's  Pkophets  slain. 

40.  Take  the  prophets  of  Baal— slew  thpm  there]  Tliis  act 
has  been  censured  by  some  recent  >4'ritei's  as  an  act  of  cruelty. 
But  it  is  to  be  remembered — 

(1)  That  God  Himself  had  CQmmjinded  in  the  Law,  that 
false  prophets,  who  turned  the  people  away  from  the  Lord, 
should  be  put  to  death  (Deut.  xiii.  5;  xvii.2 — 5;  xviii.  20).  Cp. 
JLengst.,  Arjth.  i-  128,  who  oljserves  that  Elijah's  conduct  on 
this  and  other  occasions,  aflqrds  clear  evidence  of  the  existence 
and  divine  authority  of  the  Pentateuch. 

(2)  That  Moses  himself  had  set  the  example  of  the  execu- 
tion of  such  a  severe  sentence  as  this,  on  the  leaders  of  idolatry  at 
Horeb;  and  God  Himself  had  approved  and  rewarded  the  Levitcs 
for  executing  it  (Exod.  xxxii.  25.  29.  Deut.  xxxiii.  8,  9).  The 
ancient  Hebrew  Church  has  taught  us  to  compare  Moses  with 
Elias,  and  Horeb  with  Carmel,  by  appointing  this  chapter  as 
Haphtarah  to  the  Parashah,  Exod.  xxx.  11 ;  xxxiv.  35.  See 
above,  note  prefixed  to  this  chapter. 

Far  be  it  from  us  to  accuse  God's  commands  of  cruelty.  It 
was  His  charge  that  the  authors  of  idolatry  should  die ;  no  eye 
or  hand  might  spare  them.  The  prophet  only  moved  the  per- 
formance of  God's  Law,  which  Israel  could  not  have  omitted 
without  sin  {Bp.  Kail). 

(3)  That  God  approved  and  rewarded  a  like  act  of  zeal  in 
Phinehas  (Num.  xxv.  7 — 13). 

(4)  That  Elijah  was  a  reviver  and  a  restorer  of  tne  Law  of 
Moses,  and  acted  according  to  its  commands,  and  in  imitation 
of  the  great  Legislator,  whom  God  commended  as  "  faithful  in 
all  His  House  "  (Num.  xii.  7). 


Abundance  of  rain. 


1  KINGS  XVIII.  41—46. 


Fdijah  runs  before  Ahab. 


^^  And  Elijah  said  unto  Aliab,  Get  thee  up,  eat  and  drink ;  for  there  is  \\  a 
sound  of  abundance  of  rain.  ^"^  So  Ahab  went  up  to  eat  and  to  drink.  And 
Ehjah  went  up  to  the  top  of  Carmel ;  '  and  he  cast  himself  down  upon  the 
earth,  and  put  his  face  between  his  knees,  ^^  And  said  to  his  servant.  Go  up 
now,  look  toward  the  sea.  And  he  went  up,  and  looked,  and  said,  There  is 
nothing.  And  he  said,  Go  again  seven  times.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the 
seventh  time,  that  he  said,  Behold,  there  ariseth  a  little  cloud  out  of  the  sea, 
like  a  man's  hand.  And  he  said.  Go  up,  say  unto  Ahab,  f  Prepare  thy  chariot, 
and  get  thee  do^oi,  that  the  rain  stop  thee  not.  ^-^  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
mean  while,  that  the  heaven  was  black  with  clouds  and  wind,  and  there  was  a 
great  rain.  And  Ahab  rode,  and  went  to  Jezreel.  ^^And  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  was  on  Elijah ;  and  he  "  girded  up  his  loins,  and  ran  before  Aliab  f  to 
the  entrance  of  Jezreel. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

yo6. 

II  Or,  a  S'linid  nf 
a  nnixe  nf  rain. 
i  James  5.  17,  13. 


+  Heb.  Tie,  or, 
Bind. 


k2  Kings  4.  29. 
&  9.  1. 

t  Heb.  till  thou 
come  to  Jezreel. 


(5)  The  people  themselves  acknowledged  the  justice  of  the 
seutence.  They  themselves  co-operated  in  carrying  it  into 
execution.  It  is  said  that  "  they  took  them,"  i.  e.  the  prophets 
of  Baiil ;  and  we  do  not  hear  that  Aliah  made  any  resistance  to 
the  execution  of  the  sentence. 

(6)  To  condemn  Elijah,  because  it  is  not  noio  God's  will 
that  idolatrous  teachers  should  be  put  to  death,  is  to  ignore  the 
Incarnation  of  Christ.  Jehovah  has  now  vouchsafed  to  join 
Himself  to  Man,  by  uniting  our  Nature  to  the  Divine  in  Emma- 
nuel, God  with  us.  God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world 
unto  Himself  (2  Cor.  v.  19),  and  He  has  relaxed  the  rigour  of  the 
Law,  which  said,  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in 
all  things  which  are  written  in  the  Book  of  the  Law  to  do  them  " 
(Gal.  iii.  10.  See  Dent,  xxvii.  26),  and  idolatrous  teachers  aj-e 
not  now  punished  by  death,  not  because  idolatry  is  less  sinful 
than  it  was  in  the  days  of  Elijah  (rather,  it  is  more  so;  see 
Matt.  xi.  21),  but  because  God  has  given  us  a  cl.earer  view  of  the 
Universal  Judgment  to  came,  and  because  He  reserves  sins  to  bp 
punished  at  that  awful  Day  (1  Cor.  vi.  9.  Eev.  xxi.  8  j  xxii.  19). 

(7)  The  act  of  Elijah  appears  to  have  been  expressly 
approved  by  God  Himself.  Immediately  after  its  performance, 
Elijah  prays  {y.  42),  and  his  prayer  is  heard  {v.  45),  and  it  is 
expressly  said  that  "  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  on  Elijah  "{v.  46). 

(8)  On  the  whole,  then,  this  history  proclaims,  in  the 
strongest  terms,  the  sinfulness  of  idolatry;  and  the  duty  of 
shunning  every  thing  that  tends  to  it ;  it  declares  God's  fierce 
indignation  against  all  who  are  guilty  of  it,  and  against  all 
who  tempt  others  to  be  guilty  of  it. 

—  Kishon'\  Now  called  Nahr  MuJcatta,  "the  torrent  of 
slaughter,"  as  sonne  suppose  from  this  slaughter  of  the  priests 
of  Baal :  cp.  Judg,  iv.  7 ;  v.  21.  The  Jvishon  runs  close  under 
Carmel  at  the  point  above  described  {v.  20),  El-3Iukhrakah, 
which  is  above  1000  feet  above  the  torrent,  and  a  rayine  leads 
down  from  that  point  to  the  torrent  below  (Vandevelde). 

41.  thei'e  is  a  soimd  of  ahiindance  of  rain]  Copsequent  on 
the  repentance  of  the  people,  owning  "the  Lord  to  be  the  God" 
(«.  39),  and  on  the  execution  of  the  seutence  qf  God's  Law  on 
Idolatiy.  This  shows  that  the  drought  was  due  to  their  «iw,- 
see  xvii.  1. 

No  ears  but  those  of  the  faithful  prophet  could  hear  the 
sound  of  that  coming  rain  (Bp.  Hall). 

42.  Afiab  went  up  to  eat  and  to  drink']  In  obedierjce  to  the 
command  of  Elijah  (v.  41). 

—  Elijah  ivent  up  to  the  top  of  Carmel]  To  pray.  Although 
God  had  promised  to  send  rain  (y.  1),  yet  Elijah  did  not  think 
his  own  prayers  superfluous  :  rather,  he  prayed  the  more  beca,use 
God  had  promised.  The  top  of  Carmel  is  at  Esffia,  to  the 
North-West  of  Mukhrakah,  and  is  1720  feet  above  the  sea. 

—  cast  himself  dotvn]  St.  James  explains  the  meaning  of 
this  attitude;  it  was  an  attitudp  of  earnestness  in  prayer; 
Elias  prayed  earnestly  "  (James  v.  17). 

43.  Go  again  seven  times]  Here  was  an  act  of  faith  on 
Elijah's  part  and  on  that  of  his  servant ;  and  also  a  prophecy. 
The  cloud,  which  promised  the  long-expected  rain,  appeared  at 
the  seventh  time.  The  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down  after  they 
had  been  compassed  seven  times  on  the  seventh  day  (Josh, 
vi.  15 — 20).  Naaman  was  cleansed  after  he  had  washed  seveii 
times  (2  Kings  v.  14).  There  are  seventy-seven  generations 
from  Adam  to  Christ. 

The  Christian   Fathers  were  of  opinion  that   almost   all 
these  acts  of  Elijah  were  typical  of  Christ.     Elijah  was  a  figure 
of  the  Sav.iour  (says  an  ancient  wTiter) ;  he  was  persecuted  by 
73 


his  own  people^  and  was  fed  by  ravens,  whpm  the  Israelites 
regarded  as  unclean.  So  Christ  was  rejected  by  the  Jews,  and 
was  ministered  to,  by  the  Gentiles,  whom  they  despised.  Elijah 
was  driven  from  Judaja,  and  fled  to  Tyre  and  Sidon,  where  he 
was  nourished  and  entertained  by  a  widow  woman.  So  Christ, 
disowned  by  His  own  People,  is  gladly  entertained  by  the 
Gentile  Chm'ch.  And  now  Elias  sacrifices,  and  goes  up  to  a 
higher  part  of  Carmel  to  pray :  Christ  oflered  Himself  as  a 
sacrifice,  and  then  went  up  from  Mount  Olivet  to  Heaven, 
where  He  is  ever  praying  for  us  (compare  Bede,  Qua3stiones, 
Qufest.  c.  8 ;  and  Angelomiis,  p.  390).  Elias  prayed  on  the  top 
of  Carmel  that  rain  might  conje  on  the  eartli,  after  three  years 
and  a  half  of  drought;  Christ  prayed  in  heaven,  and  the 
Father  gave  the  "  gracious  rain  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  His 
inheritance,  and  refreshed  it  when  it  was  weary"  (Pa. 
Ixviii.  9),  after  three  year?  and  a  half  of  His  mhiistry  of 
humiliation  ajid  sorrow  upon  Earth.  The  cloud  out  of  the  sea 
was  at  first  like  the  open  palm  of  a  man's  hand  (see  on  v.  44), 
but  it  swelled  by  degrees;  so  the  gracious  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  was  gi-adual,  it  was  at  first  limited  to  Palestine,  but  at 
length  the  heaven  of  the  world  was  black  with  clouds  and  wuid, 
and  there  "was  a  great  rain."  "Thou  sentest  a  gracious  rain 
on  thine  inheritance,  and  refreshedst  it  when  it  was  weary," 
says  David,  when  he  prophesies  of  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  the  sixty-eighth  Psalm,  appointed  to  be  used  on  Whit- 
Sunday  (Ps.  Ixviii.  9).  Elijah's  sacrifice  was  followed  by  the 
destruction  of  Baal's  idolatrous  Prophets.  So  Christ's  sacrifice 
was  otfered  in  order  that  men  might  forsake  their  idols,  and 
worship  the  One  God  in  Spirit  and  in  Truth  (see  the  author, 
perhaps  Ccesarius,  in  S.  Augustine's  Works,  vol.  v.  2419  :  cp. 
Bede,  Angelomus,  and  S.  Ambrose  de  Elia,  c.  83,  84;  d,nd  the 
exposition  ascribed  to  Mucherius). 

44.  hand]  Heb.  eap)h,  the  palm ;  but  in  v.  46  the  Heb.  word 
rendered  hand  is  y ad.     Cp.  above,  on  Judg.  viii.  6. 

45.  Jezreel]  Now  Zerin  (see  Josh.  xix.  18),  probably  Ahab's 
summer  residence.     See  below,  on  xxi.  1. 

Elijah  exjnning  bepore  Ahab. 

46.  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  on  Elijah ;  and  he  girded  up 
his  loins,  and  ran  before  Ahab]  A  distance  of  about  twelve 
miles  from  the  height  of  Carmel. 

This  act  of  Elijah  may  at  first  sight  seem  an  extraordinary 
one  for  a  person  of  his  age,  character,  and  oifice ;  but  when  it 
is  examined  it  will  be  found  to  be  full  of  important  instruction. 
Elijah,  as  God's  minister,  had  overwhelmed  Ahab  with  shame 
apd  confusion  in  the  presence  of  his  subjects.  The  natural 
tendency  of  this  would  bo  to  lower  the  King  in  their  eyes,  and 
to  lessen  their  respect  for  his  authority.  But  it  was  far 
from  the  intention  of  Elijah  to  weaken  his  government,  or  to 
encourage  rebellion.  The  Prophet  was  divinely  directed  to 
give  a  testimony  of  respect  and  honour  to  the  King,  as  public 
and  striking  as  had  been  his  opposition  and  rebuke  to  his 
idolatry.  The  mode  of  doing  honour  to  Ahab  by  running 
before  his  chariot  was  in  accordance  with  the  customs  of  tlie 
East.  Cp.  1  Sam.  viii.  11.  It  is  performed  by  skaters  in 
Persia,  where  it  is  regarded  as  a  necessary  part  of  royal  state 
to  have  runners  at  their  side  when  tliey  are  on  liorseback 
(cp.  Kitto,^.2AQ).  "I  was  reminded"  (says  Br.  Thomson, 
p.  485)  "  of  this  incident  of  Elijah  more  than  twenty  years  ago 
at  Jaffa,  when  Mohammed  Aly  came  to  that  city  with  a  large 
army  to  quell  the  rebellion  of  Palestine.  The  officers  were 
constantly  going  and  coming,  preceded  by  runners,  who  always 


Elijah  retires  to  the  ivilderness ;      1  KINGS  XIX.  1 — 8.  in  forty  days  comes  to  Horch. 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
906. 
a  ch.  18.  40. 
b  Ruth  1.  17. 
ch   20.  10. 
2  Kings  e.  31. 


XIX.  ^  And  Aliab  told  Jezebel  all  that  Elijah  had  done,  and  withal  how  he 
had  *  slain  all  the  prophets  with  the  sword.  -  Then  Jezebel  sent  a  messenger 
unto  Elijah,  saying,  ^  So  let  the  gods  do  to  me,  and  more  also,  if  I  make  not 
thy  life  as  the  life  of  one  of  them  by  to  morrow  about  this  time.  ^  And  when 
he  saw  that,  he  arose,  and  went  for  his  life,  and  came  to  Beer-sheba,  which 
helongeth  to  Judah,  and  left  his  servant  there. 

^  But  he  himself  went  a  day's  journey  into  the  wilderness,  and  came  and  sat 
down  under  a  juniper  tree  :  and  he  *"  requested  f  for  himself  that  he  might  die  ; 
and  said.  It  is  enough ;  now,  0  Lord,  take  away  my  life ;  for  I  am  not  better 
than  my  fathers.  ^  And  as  he  lay  and  slept  under  a  juniper  tree,  behold,  then 
an  angel  touched,  him,  and  said  unto  him.  Arise  and  eat.  ^And  he  looked, 
and,  behold,  there  was  a  cake  baken  on  the  coals,  and  a  cruse  of  water  at  his 

t  lieb.  bouier.  j-  head.  And  he  did  eat  and  drink,  and  laid  him  down  again.  ^  And  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  came  again  the  second  time,  and  touched  him,  and  said,  Arise  and 
eat ;  because  the  journey  is  too  great  for  thee.     ^  And  he  arose,  and  did  eat 

d  So  Exod.  34.     and  drink,  and  went  in  the  strength  of  that  n;eat  ^  forty  days  and  forty  nights 

i)eut.9. 9, 18.     mito  ^  Horeb  the  mount  of  God. 

Matt.  4.  2. 
e  Exod.  3.  1. 


c  Num.  1 1.  15. 
Jonah  4.  3,  ,s. 
+  Ueh.for  his 
life. 


kept  just  ahead  of  the  horses,  no  matter  how  furiously  they 
were  ridden ;  and  in  order  to  run  with  the  greatest  ease,  tliey 
not  only  '  girded  their  loins '  very  tightly,  but  also  tucked  up 
their  loose  garments  under  the  girdle,  lest  they  should  be 
incommoded  by  them.  Thus,  no  doubt,  did  Elijah.  The  dis- 
tance from  the  base  of  Carmel  across  the  plain  to  Jezreel  is  not 
less  than  twelve  miles  j  and  the  race  was  probably  accomplished 
in  two  hours,  in  the  fiice  of  a  storm  of  rain  and  wind.  It  was 
necessary  that  the  'hand  of  the  Lord  should  be  upon'  the 
Prophet,  or  he  would  not  have  been  able  to  achieve  it." 

—  to  the  entrance  of  JezreelA,  He  does  not  seem  to  have  en- 
tered the  city.  Like  our  Blessed  Lord,  Elijah  shunned  the  worldly 
fame  and  glory  that  would  be  produced  by  his  mighty  acts. 

Elijah  in  the  Wilderness  and  at  Hoeeb. 

The  comparison  between  Elijah  and  Moses,  which  was 
made  by  the  ancient  Hebrew  Church,  appointing  the  greater 
part  of  the  foregoing  chapter  to  be  read  as  a  Haphtarah  to 
pjxod.  XXX.  11 — xxxiv.  35  (see  the  note  prefixed  to  chap,  xviii. ; 
and  comp.  Prelim.  Note  to  chap,  xvii.),  was  continued  by  the 
appointment  of  the  present  chapter  to  be  read  as  a  Haphtarah 
to  Num.  xxv.  10 — XXX.  1. 

Ch.XIX.  2.  Jezebel  sent  a  messenger  unto  Elijah^  Elijah's  acts 
at  Carmel  had  made  an  impression  even  on  Jezebel.  Otherwise 
she  would  not  have  sent  a  message  to  him,  but  would  imme- 
diately have  despatched  a  force  to  arrest  him.  She  desired  to 
alarm  him  by  threats,  and  to  drive  him  from  the  kingdom  of 
Israel,  in  order  that  he  might  not  gain  an  ascendency  over 
Ahab,  and  destroy  the  worship  of  Baal. 

Jezebel  herself  had  not  seen  the  miraculous  descent  of  fire 
on  the  altar  at  Carmel ;  and  even  if  she  had,  it  might  not  have 
permanently  changed  her  heart,  any  more  than  the  miracles  of 
Moses  and  Aaron  had  wrought  the  conversion  of  Pharaoh. 

3.  went  for  Ms  life']  It  is  said  in  v.  4  that  he  requested  for 
himself  that  he  might  die ;  that  is,  not  by  the  hands  of  Jezebel, 
but  that  God  would  take  him  to  Himself. 

—  Beer-sheba]  On  the  southern  border  of  Canaan.  Gen. 
xxi.  31. 

Perhaps  he  resorted  to  Bcersheba  in  order  to  strengthen 
his  faith  with  the  recollection  of  the  Patriarchs  who  had  dwelt 
there,  and  of  God's  promises  to  them ;  and  because  it  lay  on  his 
way  to  Horeb. 

—  tvhich  belongeth  to  Jiidah]  It  is  assigned  to  Simeon  in 
Josh.  xix.  2,  but  Simeon  was  now  mingled  with  Judah  (cp. 
2  Kings  xxiii.  28.     2  Chron.  xix.  4). 

Why  did  not  Elijah  take  refuge  in  Jerusalem  ?  The 
Priests  and  Leviies,  we  read,  had  left  the  land  of  Israel,  and 
liad  resorted  to  Judah  for  safety,  under  Jeroboam ;  why  did  not 
Elijah  follow  their  example,  under  Ahab  ? 

(1)  Circumstances  had  changed  since  the  days  of  Rehoboam . 

The  royal  house  of  Judah  was  now  on  fi-iendly  relations  with 

tliat  of  Israel.     In  xxii.  4,  Jehoshaphat  says  to  Ahab,  "  I  am  as 

thou  art,  my  people  as  thy  people,  mv  horses  as  thy  horses."    The 

74 


son  of  Jehoshaphat  married  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  Jezebel, 
who  sought  Elijah's  life  (2  Kings  viii.  18 :  cp.  Blunt,  p.  193). 

(2)  This  may  have  been  one  reason ;  but  the  principal 
reason  was,  that  the  mission  of  Elijah  the  prophet  was  to  the 
idolatrous  Princes  and  People  of  Israel,  and  not  to  persons 
who  had  the  benefit  of  the  regular  ordinances  of  religion,  in  the 
Ark,  the  Temple,  and  the  Priesthood,  at  Jerusalem.  The  very 
circunistance  just  noticed,  the  confluence  of  the  Priests  and 
Leviies  to  Judah,  was  a  reason  why  Elijah  the  prophet  should 
not  resort  thither.     See  above.  Prelim.  Note  to  chap.  xvii. 

—  left  his  servant]  For  he  was  about  to  commune  alone 
with  God.  Abraham  left  his  servants  (Gen.  xxii.  5)  when  he 
went  up  to  Moriah.  Moses  was  alone,  when  God  communed 
with  him  on  Horeb  (Exod.  xxiv.  2.  12.  14;  xxxiii.  11). 

4.  toent — mto  the  wilderness]  of  Paran ;  as  Hagar  did :  see 
Gen.  xxi.  14.  21. 

Elijah  went  into  the  wilderness.  He  had  no  command 
from  God  to  do  so,  as  he  had  to  go  to  Cherith  and  to  Zarephath. 
He  retired,  as  it  were,  from  his  work,  as  if  it  had  been  frus- 
trated, and  were  abortive.  Disappointed,  after  the  wonderful 
manifestation  of  the  Divine  Power  and  glory  at  Carmel,  and 
perhaps  astonished,  that  God  should  allow  an  idolatrous  woman, 
the  cruel  Jezebel,  to  domineer  in  Israel,  and  to  persecute  God's 
prophet,  he  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  resigning  and  abdi- 
cating his  office ;  but  God  sent  His  Angel  to  comfort  him,  and 
changed  his  solitary  pilgrimage  in  the  wilderness  into  an  occa- 
sion of  glorious  revelations  and  also  of  divine  admonition. 

—  juniper]  Hpb.  rothem  (from  ratham,  to  bind;  as Juncus, 
from,  jungo) ;  it  is  not  the  juniper,  but  the  genista  monosijherma, 
or  spartium  junceum  {Linn.),  broom:  see  Qesen.  782;  it  was 
used  for  fuel  (see  Ps.  cxx.  4).  The  station  called  Rithmah 
(Num.  xxxiii.  18,  19),  derived  its  name  from  this  shrub. 

The  Retem  is  the  largest  shrub  of  these  deserts,  growing 
thickly  in  the  vvater-coui>ses  and  valleys,  "  Our  Arabs  "  (says 
Dr.  Robinson)  "  selected  the  place  of  encampment  in  a  spot 
where  it  grew,  in  order  to  be  sheltered  by  it  at  night  from  the 
wind ;  and  during  the  day  they  often  sat  and  slept  under  a  bush 
of  Retem,  to  protect  them  from  the  sun.  It  was  in  this  desert,  a 
day's  journey  from  Beersheba,  that  the  prophet  Elijah  lay  down 
and  slept  beneath  the  same  shrub"  (Bibl.  Res.  i.  299 — 302). 

—  he  requested  for  himself  that  he  might  die]  Even  as 
Moses  had  done  in  the  wilderness  (Num.  xi.  15).  Moses  and 
Elias  showed  some  signs  of  impatience.  But  Christ  in  His 
agony  referred  all  to  His  Father's  Will  (Matt.  xxvi.  39). 

5.  an  angel]  Compare  the  history  of  Hagar  in  this  wilder- 
ness (Gen.  xxi.  15—19). 

6.  a  cake  baleen  on  the  coals— water]  The  same  God,  who 
had  fed  Moses  and  the  people  of  Israel,  for  forty  years  with  bread 
from  Heaven,  and  with  water  fi'om  the  rock  in  the  wilderness, 
would  also  feed  him. 

8.  forty  days  and  forty  nights]  The  Israelites,  who  had  re- 
ceived the  Law  at  Horeb,  for  their  disobedience  had  been  con- 
demned to  wander  in  the  wilderness  forty  years,  during  which 
time  they  were  sustained  by  God.     The  ^jrophet  Elijah,  who  had 


Tkeivlnd,earthquah',andjire.     1  KINGS  XIX.  9 — 13. 


The  still  small  voice. 


^  And  he  came  thither  unto  a  cave,  and  lodged  there  ;  and,  behold,  the  word     chkTst 
of  the  Lord  came  to  him,  and  he  said  unto  him,  What  doest  thou  here,  Elijah  ?        " 
^0  And  he  said,  ^I  have  been  very  ^  jealous  for  the  Lord  God  of  hosts  :  for  the  r  Rom.  11.3. 
children  of  Israel  have  forsaken  thy  covenant,  thrown  down  thine  altars,  and  fs^"'"-^^"* 

Ps    09    ^ 

''  slain  thy  prophets  with  the  sword ;  and  '  I,  even  I  only,  am  left ;  and  they  h  ,1,.  is' '4. 
seek  my  life,  to  take  it  away.     ^'  And  he  said.  Go  forth,  and  stand  ^  upon  the  'RomMi.^s. 
mount  before  the  Ijord.     And,  behold,  the  Lord  passed  by,  and  '  a  great  and  1  Ezel.i. 4. & 
strong  wind  rent  the  mountains,^  and  brake  in  pieces  the  rocks  before  the 
Lord  ;  but  the  Lord  ?ra.s  not  in  the  wind  :  and  after  the  wind  an  earthquake  ; 
hut  the  Lord  2vas  not  in  the  earthquake :  ^'^  And  after  the  earthquake  a  fire ; 
hut  the  Lord  was  not  in  the  fire  :  a,nd  after  the  fire  a  still  small  voice.     *^And 


been  zealous  for  God's  worship,  and  had  boldly  rpproved  the  King 
and  people  for  tlieir  apostasy,  is  sLreiigthciU'd  by  food,  which  lie 
receives  after  one  day's  journey  from  Jiidah;  and  he  comes 
m  forty  days  and  forty  nights  to  the  same  mountain  where  the 
I^aw  was  given,  and  where  God  revealed  Himself  to  Moses 
(Kxod.  xxxiii.  18 — 23;  xxxiv.  5 — 10.  34).  Moses,  who  \vas 
faithful  to  God,  was  admitted  to  commune  with  Him  at  Horeb, 
and  was  t\\eve  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  without  eating  bread 
or  drinking  water  (Deut.  ix.  8,  9)  ;  and  at  the  end  of  those 
forty  days  he  received  the  Tables  of  the  Law  (Deut.  ix.  10). 

'J'here  was  a  contrast  between  Moses  and  Israel,  and  a 
resemblance  between  Moses  s^nd  Elijah  at  that  time.  Moses, 
the  faithful  servant  of  God,  was  admitted  to  the  Vision  of  God 
at  Horeb.  At  that  very  time  the  Israelites  were  guilty  of 
idolatry ;  "  they  made  a  calf  in  Koreb,  and  worshipped  the  Avork 
of  their  own  hands  "  (Ps.  cvi.  19).  Moses  remained  faithful, 
and  displayed  his  zeal  for  the  Lord,  and  was  admitted  to  a 
nearer  vision  of  Jehovah.  He  was  imitated  by  Elijah.  The 
King  and  People  of  Israel  had  fallen  away  from  God  to  idolatry, 
and  were  worshipping  I^aal.  Elijah  had  shown  his  zeal  for  the 
Lord  at  Carmel,  and  he  also  was  rewarded,  as  Moses  was.  The 
journey  from  Beersheba  to  Horeb  was  about  130  miles,  and 
might  have  been  accomphshed  in  much  less  than  forty  days. 
Moses  himself  says,  "There  are  eleven  rf(7_y.5' journey  from  Horeb 
by  the  way  of  Mount  Seir  unto  Kadesh-barnea"  (Deut.  i.  2). 
In  the  case  of  Elijah,  the  journey  was  perhaps  extended  io  forty 
days,  in  order  that  the  resemblance  between  Elijah  and  Moses, 
the  faithful  leader  of  Israel,  might  be  made  more  manifest  to 
himself  and  others  ;  and  that  the  contrast  between  Elijah  and 
the  unfaithful  Israelites  might  be  more  apparent. 

At  the  same  tiine,  the  mercy  of  God,  even  to  Israel,  had 
b.een  manifest  also.  For  they  had  been  miraculously  fed  by 
God  during  those  forty  years  ;  and  though  the  old  and  rebellious 
generation  were  excluded  from  Canaan,  yet  God  brought  the 
new  generation  into  the  promised  Land  under  Joshua,  the  type 
of  Christ ;  and  the  consideration  of  their  history  might  encourage 
Elijah  with  the  gracious  assurance,  that  if  Israel  were  brought 
to  repentance  by  his  means,  God  would  mercifully  receive  them 
again  into  favour  with  Himself:  cp.  Hengst.,  Auth.  i.  128, 129. 

This  leads  us  on  to  observe,  that  Elijah's  journey  in  the 
tvilderness  to  Horeb,  the  Mount  of  God,  and  to  the  hearing  of 
His  message  of  love  in  the  still  small  voice,  after  the  terrors  of 
the  wind,  eartlupiake,  and  fire,  had  not  only  a  retrospectire 
relation  to  the  stay  of  Moses  in  the  Mount,  neither  eating  bread 
nor  drinking  water  for  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  and  to  the 
admission  oi'  Moses  to  the  Vision  of  God  at  Horeb;  it  had  also 
a  prospective  reference  to  Cheist.  Elijah  stands,  as  it  were, 
at  a  middle  point  between  Moses  and  Christ.  He  looks  back 
to  the  Law,  and  forward  to  the  Gospel.  He  restores  the  one, 
and  prepares  the  way  for  the  other.  He  hears  an  echo  of  the 
terrors  of  the  Law  in  the  wind,  the  earthquake,  and  the  fire ;  he 
hears  the  far-off  whispers  of  love  in  the  Gospel  in  the  still  small 
voice.  He  represented  Moses,  and  he  prefigured  Christ.  Christ 
also  was  led  up  into  the  tvilderness,  and  was  there  forty  days 
and  forty  nights  ;  and  after  those  days  overcame  the  Tempter, 
and  Angels  came  and  ministered  unto  Him  (Matt.  iv.  1 — 11). 
And  Elijah's  journey  foreshadowed  those  other  great  forty  days 
and  forty  nights  of  Christ,  during  which  He  was  content  to 
sojom-n  in  the  wilderness  of  this  world  (Acts  i.  3),  before  His 
glorious  Ascension  to  the  heavenly  Horeb,  the  Mount  of  God. 

9.  a  cave^  Heb.  the  cave,  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  the 
same  cave  as  that  where  Moses  was  (Jarchi,  A  Lapide). 

—  lodged  there]  Passed  the  night  there.     {Gesen.  434.) 

—  JFhat  doest  thou  here,  Elijah  ?]  Why  hast  thou  left  thy 
work  in  the  cities  of  Israel,  and  hast  come  into  the  wilderness  ? 
Bee  V.  4 ;  Keble  (Christian  Year,  9th  Sunday  after  Trinity), 

75 


"  Perhaps  our  God  may  of  our  conscience  ask, 

'  What  dost  thou  here,  frail  wanderer  from  thy  task  ? ' " 
"The  Loed  God  of  Hosts." 

10.  /  have  been  very  Jealous  for  the  Loed  God  of  hosts'] 
This  is  the  first  place,  I  believe,  in  the  Bible,  where  any  one  is 
introduced  as  using  the  words,  "  Lord  God  of  Hosts." 

It  occurs  indeed  in  2  Sam.  v.  10,  but  there  it  is  in  the 
narrative  of  the  historian,  not  in  a  speech. 

Jt  is  very  appropriate  in  the  mouth  of  Elijah. 

God  had  revealed  Himself  in  a  special  manner  as  the  Loed 
(Jehovah)  to  Moses;  for  the  reasons  stated  above  in  the  note 
on  Exod.  vi.  2,  3. 

The  Name  "  Lord  of  Hosts  "  (Jehovah  Sabaotu)  as  used 
by  a  person  in  the  Sacred  History,  first  appears  in  a  prayer  in 
the  mouth  of  the  Mother  of  Samuel  the  Prophet ;  for  the  rea- 
sons mentioned  above  in  Introd.  to  Samuel,  p.  vii.,  and  note  ou 
1  Sam.  i.  3.  11.  The  title  LoED  God  of  Hosts  (Jehovah 
Eloi,  Sabaoth)  is  first  heard  in  the  mouth  of  Elijah  the 
prophet,  who  had  been  very  zealous  for  Jehovah,  in  oppo- 
sition to  Baal  and  Ashtaroth,  the  Phoenician  deities,  the  Sun 
and  Moon,  and  the  host  of  Heaven  (cp.  2  Kings  xxiii.  5), 
"  Baal,  the  Sun,  and  Moon,  and  Planets,  and  all  the  host  of 
heaven."  The  title  does  not  occur,  I  think,  in  any  other  place 
in  the  Kings  or  Chronicles.  It  is  found  in  the  Psalms  (Ps.  lix. 
5;  Ixix.  6;  Ixxx.  4.19;  Ixxxix.  8),  and  in  Isaiah  (x.  23,  24  j 
xxii.  5.  12.  14,  15;  xxviii.  22),  and  in  Jeremiah  (ii.  19;  v.  14; 
XV.  16;  XXXV.  17  ;  xHx.  5  ;  1.  25.  31).  Hosea  xii.  5.  Amos  v. 
15.  But  after  the  captivity,  the  prophets  seem  to  have  re- 
turned to  the  use  of  the  title,  "  the  Lord  of  Hosts,"  which  occurs 
about  fourteen  times  in  Haggai,  and  about  fifty  times  in  Zecha- 
riah,  and  about  twenty -five  times  in  Malachi;  but  the  "Lord 
God  of  Hosts '  is  never  found  in  those  books.  Elijah's  mission 
was  to  proclaim,  against  idolaters  in  Israel,  that  the  Jehovah 
of  Israel  was  also  the  Elohim  of  the  natural  world ;  but  the 
prophets  after  the  captivity  had  not  to  deal  with  idolaters. 

I  have  been  very  jealous,  says  Elijah.  Did  he  not  re- 
member the  promise  made  in  the  wilderness  to  Phinehas  for  his 
zeal,  as  recorded  in  Num.  xxv.  12,  13,  a  Parashah  appointed  to 
be  read  in  the  Synagogues,  together  with  this  chapter  ?  Elijah 
and  Moses  also,  were  betrayed  into  momentary  expressions  of 
vainglory  (see  Num.  xx.  10).  Christ  was  consumed  by  "the  zeal 
of  His  Father's  house ,-"  but  He  left  it  for  others  to  remember 
that  this  was  prophesied  of  Him  (John  ii.  17). 

—  I,  even  I  only,  am  leff]  The  Holy  Spirit,  speaking  by  St. 
Paul,  gives  the  clue  to  the  right  interpretation  of  this  passage. 
Elijah,  distressed,  disappointed,  desponding,  and  dejected  by  the 
seeming  unfruitfulness  of  his  service,  expostulates  with  God 
against  Israel,  /coxa  tov  'la-pa-qK  (Rom.  xi.  2).  He  is  betrayed 
by  human  infirmity  into  the  language  of  despair,  of  murmm-ing 
against  God,  and  of  severe  censure  against  Israel.  But  God 
corrects  his  erroneous  judgment,  and  yet  comforts  and  cheers 
His  faithful  servant  in  his  sadness  (v.  18),  as  He  afterwards 
consoled  the  prophet  Jonah  (iv.  3 — ll). 

How  strong  is  the  evidence  of  truth  afforded  by  this  history, 
which  does  not  disguise  the  weaknesses  of  the  greatest  and  most 
heroic  of  God's  saints ;  even  of  Elijah  himself,  who  stood  alone 
against  the  Projihets  of  Baal  in  Carmel,  and  was  carried  up 
into  Heaven,  without  passing  through  the  grave  ! 

11.  the  Lord  passed  by']  Though  the  Lord  was  not  in  the 
wind,  yet  the  wind  was  the  power  of  God. 

The  Wind,  the  Earthquake,  the  Fiee,  and  the 
Still  Small  Voice. 
11,  12.  a  great  and  strong  wind — before  the  Lord — earth- 
qnaJce — fire — a  stilt  small  voice. 


The  still  small  voice. 


1  KINGS  XIX.  14—16. 


Elijah  must  anoint  others. 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
906. 
mSo  Exod.  3.  C. 
Isa.  6.  2. 
n  ver.  9. 
o  ver.  10. 


it  was  so,  when  Elijah  heard  it,  that '"  he  wrapped  his  face  in  his  mantle,  and 
went  out,  and  stood  in  the  entering  in  of  the  cave.  "  And,  behold,  there  came 
a  voice  unto  him,  and  said.  What  doest  thou  here,  Elijah  ?  ^^  °  And  he  said, 
I  have  been  very  jealous  for  the  Lokd  God  of  hosts :  because  the  children  of 
Israel  have  forsaken  thy  covenant,  thrown  do^vn  thine  altars,  and  slain  thy 
prophets  with  the  sword ;  and  I,  even  I  only,  am  left ;  and  they  seek  my  life, 
to  take  it  away.  ^^  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Go,  return  on  thy  way  to 
p  2  Kings  8. 12,  tlio  wildomess  of  Damascus :  ^  and  when  thou  comest,  anoint  Hazael  to  he 
4 2 Kings 9. 1-3.  j^iug  oyer  Syria:  ^^  And  "^  Jehu  the  son  of  Nimslii  shalt  thou  anoint  to  he  king 


"What  was  the  significatiou  of  these  mauifestations  ? 

(1)  They  did  not  intimate  (as  some  have  said)  that  God 
desired  to  censure  Elijah  for  what  he  had  done  in  executing  the 
sentence  of  deatU  on  the  prophets  of  Baal  at  Kishou  (see  above, 
note  on  xviii.  40). 

The  Wind,  the  Earthquake,  and  the  Fire  were  in  the  Mount 
of  the  Lord,  and  passed  before  the  Lord.  They  were  all  tem- 
l)orary  and  preparatory ;  not  permanent,  and  God  was  not  in 
them.     He  did  not  a J»c?e  in  them. 

(2)  The  vision  to  Moses  at  this  place  was  similar.  God 
had  revealed  Himself  by  fire  and  thunder  on  Sinai ;  but  when 
Moses  came  up  a  second  time  to  the  mount,  and  "the  Lord 
jiroclaimed  the  Name  of  the  Lord,"  it  was  "  the  Lord, — the 
Lord  God  merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  and  aiundant 
in  goodness  and  truth"  (see  above,  note  on  Exod.  xxxiv.  6). 

(3)  The  Wind,  and  Earthquake,  and  Fire  came  first,  the 
still  small  Voice  was  reserved  for  the  last.  Storm,  Earthquake, 
and  Fire  are  symbols  of  God's  judgments  against  sin  (Ps. 
xviii.  8.  Isa.  xiii.  13 ;  xxix.  6.  Nahum  i.  5,  6).  Elijah  had 
performed  God's  commands  in  executing  His  sentence  against 
idolatry,  and  he  had  done  well ;  and  this  work  of  retribution 
was  to  be  continued  by  Elisha  (see  v.  17). 

Let  it  not,  therefore,  be  supposed  that  God  blamed  Elijah 
for  this.  No ;  but  God  expostulated  with  Elijah  for  supposing 
that  this  vehement  mode  of  procedure  is  God's  only  way  of 
vvorkiug;  or  that  because  God  does  not  at  once  interfere  to 
destroy  His  enemies,  such  as  Jezebel,  by  the  wind,  earthquake, 
and  fii-e  of  His  wrath,  therefore  God  does  not  observe  them, 
and  is  indifferent  to  what  they  do.  No :  God  spares  a  nation 
for  the  righteous,  who  are  unobserved  in  it.  As  S.  Justin 
Martyr  says  (Dial.  c.  Tryphon.  c.  39),  "  God  si)ared  Israel  on 
account  of  the  7000  iu  Israel  who  had  not  bowed  the  knee  to 
Baal "  (».  18),  and  whom  even  Elijah  had  overlooked. 

God  exercises  mildness  and  long-suftering,  in  order  to 
bring  sinners  to  repentance.  He  afterwards  called  Elijah's 
attention  even  to  the  outward  signs  of  repentance  in  Ahah 
(see  xxi.  29) ;  and  thus  He  showed  that  the  Earthquake  went 
before,  in  order  that  the  still  small  voice  might  follow ;  and 
the  goodness  of  God  was  designed  to  leaa  the  sinner  to  re- 
pentance (Rom.  ii.  4),  and  that  mercy  and  love  are  those 
attributes  which  are  most  pleasing  to  Him  in  others,  as  well  as 
those  which  He  delights  most  to  exercise  Himself.  Cp.  Ter- 
tullian,  c.  Marcion.  iv.  23  ;  Bp.  Andreioes,  iii.  267  ;  v.  318. 

(4)  But,  doubtless,  the  same  divine  truth,  which  was 
signified  by  the  vision  vouchsafed  to  Moses,  the  giver  of  t7ie 
Lata  at  Horeb,  when  after  the  terrors  of  the  cloud,  and  the 
fire,  and  the  thunder,  and  lightning  of  Sinai,  and  the  voice 
of  the  trumpet  exceeding  loud,  God  proclaimed  Himself  as 
"merciful,  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  and  abundant  in 
goodness  and  truth"  (Exod.  xxxiv.  6),  was  communicated  by 
this  revelation  which  God  gave  to  Elijah,  the  greatest  of  the 
Prophets,  at  Horeb,  when  after  the  wind,  the  earthquiike,  and 
the  fire.  He  revealed  Himself  in  the  still  small  Voice. 

These  visions  proclaimed  one  and  the  same  truth,  namely, 
that  the  Wind,  and  Earthquake,  and  Fire  of  the  Levitical  Laiv, 
and  of  Ancient  Frophecy,  were  preparatory  to  the  "  stiU  small 
voice  "  of  the  GospeI;. 

God  acted  hy  the  wind,  and  earthquake,  and  fire  of  those 
dispensations,  of  which  Moses  and  Elijah  were  the  representa- 
tives; but  God  is  in  the  still  small  voice  of  the  Gospel.  The 
former  pass  away,  the  Gospel  remains  for  ever.  This  was  made 
more  striking  by  the  place  chosen  for  these  revelations  to 
Moses  and  Elijah.  It  was  the  same  place, — Sinai  itself, — 
where  the  Law  was  given.  There  God  declared  to  Moses,  the 
Giver  and  Representative  of  the  Lato,  and  to  Elias  the  Prophet, 
the  Restorer  of  the  Law,  that  God  is,  that  is,  exists,  as 
Jehovah,  the  Everliving  One,  in  the  still  small  Voice,  to 
which  the  Wind,  the  Fire,  and  the  Earthquake  of  the  Law 
76 


and  the  Prophets  were  preparatory,  viz.  in  the  love  of  Clirist, 
preached  to  the  world,  as  "  fulfilling  the  Law  and  the  Prophets." 
By  the  Incarnation,  God  has  come  near  to  us,  and  dwells  in  us 
as  Love.  "  God  is  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  Him- 
self (2  Cor.  V.  19). 

The  Wiu*!)  the  Fire,  and  Earthquake  have  gone  before; 
and  He  dwells,  and  abides,  and  speaks  in  the  still  small  Voice 
of  the  Everlasting  Gospel  (Rev.  xiv.  6). 

This  Truth  was  declared  iu  all  its  divine  beauty  and  glory, 
when  Moses  and  Elias, — the  Representatives  of  the  Law  and 
the  Prophets, — were  brought  together  to  another  mountain, — 
the  Mountain  of  Transfiguration, — to  be  invested  with  the 
splendour  of  Christ,  and  to  speak  of  His  Death  (Luke  ix.  31). 
Then  another  Voice  was  heard, — a  Voice  of  love, — out  of  the 
bright  cloud,  saying,  "  This  is  My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
vf&\\  pleased ;  hear  ye  Jlim  "  and  then  they  passed  away,  and 
Jesus  was  left  alone  (Matt.  xvii.  5 — 8.  Mark  ix.  8.  Luke  ix.  36. 
Compare  the  excellent  remarks  of  S.  Irenceus,  iv.  37).  God 
makes  a  way  for  Himself  by  terror,  but  conveys  Himself  to  us 
in  sweetness.  It  is  happy  for  us,  if,  after  the  gusts  and  flashes 
of  the  Law,  we  have  heard  the  soft  voice  of  Evangelical  mercy 
{Bp.  Hall).  The  Word  was  in  the  still  small  voice.  God 
spoke  to  His  People  with  terror  in  the  Law ;  but  in  the  Gospel 
He  lays  aside  the  accents  of  terror,  and  speaks  in  the  voice  of 
love  {M.  Henry).  On  this  important  subject,  see  notes  above, 
on  Exod.  xxxiii.  22 ;  and  xxxiv.  33. 

13.  he  wrapped  his  face  in  his  mantle']  So  Moses  hid  his 
face  at  Horeb  ;  for  he  was  afraid  to  look  ujion  God  (Exod.  iii.  6. 
S.  Gregory  in  Ezek.  Hom.  lib.  ii.  13). 

The  mantle :  in  Heb.  addereth,  was  so  called,  from  adar, 
to  be  wide;  the  word  occurs  in  Gen.  xxv.  25.  Josh.  vii.  21, 
2  Kings  ii.  8,  see  the  note ;  cp.  Jonah  iii.  6.  Zech.  xi.  3 ;  xiii.  4, 
where  the  prophet  speaks  of  "  a  rough  garment,"  used  in  order 
to  deceive. 

It  is  translated  by  the  Sept.  firiXcori],  the  word  adopted 
in  Heb.  xi.  37:  "They  wandered  about  in  sheepskins,"  &c.; 
and  it  describes  the  large  garment,  made  of  sheep  skin  or 
goat  skin,  or  camel's  hair,  worn  by  the  prophet  (see  below, 
on  2  Kings  i.  8;  and  cp.  Matt.  iii.  4,  the  description  of  the 
dress  of  the  Baptist ;  Gesen.  15 ;  Fiierst,  24).  Q'his  rough 
mantle  of  hair  was  a  "  sermo  propheticus  realis ;"  it  was  like 
a  practical  Lenten  sermon  ou  repentance,  for  the  sins  of 
Israel. 

15.  anoint  Hazael]  This  was  not  done  by  Elijah  personally, 
but  by  his  successor  Elisha,  who  declared  to  Hazael  God's  will 
that  he  should  be  king  (2  Kings  viii.  13.    See  next  note). 

16.  and  Jehu — shall  thou  anoint]  This  also  was  uot  done  by 
Elijah  personally,  but  by  one  of  the  prophets  sent  by  Elisha, 
Elijah's  successor  (2  Kings  ix.  1 — 10). 

This  is  remarkable.  It  shows  the  continuation  of  Elijah's 
work  iu  Elisha,  and  in  those  who  were  sent  by  him,  and  in 
those  whom  they  sent.  He  worked  by  them,  and  in  them  (cp. 
Theodoret,  Qu.  60). 

Here  is  a  spiritual  mystery. 

Elijah,  going  up  into  heaven,  and  leaving  his  mantle, 
and  a  double  portion  of  his  spirit  to  Elisha,  has  always  been 
regarded  by  the  ancient  Fathers  as  a  figure  of  Cheist  ascend- 
ing to  heaven,  and  sending  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  His 
Apostles,  and  dwelling  in  them,  and  in  their  successors,  and 
acting  by  them.  And  this  commission  to  Elijah  to  do  works 
which  were  not  done  by  him  personally  on  earth,  but  by  those 
who  had  their  commission  from  him,  is  a  shadow  of  the  work- 
ing of  Christ  in  His  Apostles,  and  by  them  and  their  succes- 
sors, to  whom  He  has  promised  His  presence,  even  to  the  end 
of  the  world  (Matt,  xxviii.  20) ;  see  below,  on  2  Kings  ii.  1 — 
15. 

—  Jehu — Nimshi]  The  meaning  of  which  words  is,  "the 
Lord  is  He,"  and  "chosen,"  literally,  "drawn  out." 


Elisha's  call 


1  KINGS  XIX.  17—21.     XX.  1,  2. 


to  succeed  Elijah. 


over  Israel :  and  '  Elislia  the  son  of  Sliaphat  of  Abel-meliolah  slialt  thou 
anoint  to  he  prophet  in  thy  room.  ^'^  And  '  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  him  that 
escapeth  the  sword  of  Hazael  shall  Jehu  slay :  and  him  that  escapeth  from  the 
sword  of  Jehu  '  shall  Elislia  slay.  ^^ "  Yet  ||  I  have  left  vie  seven  thousand  in 
Israel,  all  the  Imees  wliicli  have  not  bowed  unto  Baal, ""  and  every  mouth  which 
hath  not  kissed  him. 

1^  So  he  departed  thence,  and  found  Elisha  the  son  of  Shaphat,  who  teas 
plowing  ivitli  twelve  yoke  of  oxen  before  him,  and  he  with  the  twelfth  :  and 
Elijah  passed  by  him,  and  cast  his  mantle  upon  him.  ^o  ^jj^-[  j-^g  i^^^  |-]^g  oxen, 
and  ran  after  Elijah,  and  said,  ^  Let  me,  I  pray  thee,  kiss  my  father  and  my 
mother,  and  then  I  will  follow  thee.  And  he  said  unto  him,  f  Go  back  again : 
for  what  have  I  done  to  thee  ?  ^^  And  he  returned  back  from  him,  and  took  a 
yoke  of  oxen,  and  slew  them,  and  "^  boiled  their  flesh  with  the  instruments  of 
the  oxen,  and  gave  unto  the  people,  and  they  did  eat.  Then  he  arose,  and 
went  after  Elijah,  and  ministered  unto  him. 

XX.  ^  And  Ben-hadad  the  king  of  Syria  gathered  all  his  host  together  :  and 
there  were  thirty  and  two  kings  with  him,  and  horses,  and  chariots :  and  he 
went  up  and  besieged  Samaria,  and  warred  against  it.  ^And  he  sent  mes- 
sengers to  Ahab  king  of  Israel  into  the  city,  and  said  unto  him.  Thus  saith 


Defore 
CHRIST 

about 
906. 
rLuke  4.  27, 
called  Eliseus. 
s  2  Kin^s  8.  12. 
&  9   14,  &c.  & 
10.  G,  S;c.  &  1:5.3. 
t  See  Hos.  6.  5. 
u  Rom.  11.4. 
II  Or,  I  will  leave. 
X  See  Hos.  13.  2. 


y  Ma>.  8.  21,  22. 
Luke  9.  f)l,  (52. 
t  Heb.  Go  relurn. 


z  2  Sam.  24.  22. 


—  Elisha']  This  name,  Elisha,  is  remarkable.  It  means, 
"God  is  salvation"  (Gesen.  52);  or,  "God  is  dispenser  of 
salvation  "  (Fuerst,  100),  and  was  very  appropriate  for  one  who 
succeeded  Elijah  (the  Lord  is  God),  and  wlio  was  a  figure  of 
Ckrist  giving  salvation  by  the  Apostles,  and  by  others  sent  by 
Him  to  continue  the  work  of  salvation,  which  He,  our  Divine 
Elijah,  had  come  into  the  world  to  perform. 

—  the  son  of  Shaphaf]  Which  mcvins  judge.  We  know  the 
generatiou  of  Mlisha ;  but  Elijah  came  forth  suddenly,  and, 
as  it  were,  without  any  predecessor :  he  was  the  Melchizedek 
of  Prophecy  (see  above,  Prelim.  Note  to  chap.  xvii.).  But 
Elisha  is  described  as  the  son  of  Shaphat,  and  he  is  sent  by 
Elijah.  Christ,  in  the  Apostles,  continued  the  work  which 
He,  who  is  from  Eternity,  had  begun  in  His  own  Divine 
Person. 

May  we  not  also  say  that,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  the  Apostles 
were  sons  of  Shaphat,  in  the  Hebrew  sense  of  the  word  sons 
{Gesen.  126,  127),  i.  e.  disciples,  servants  of  the  JuDaE,  and 
conforming  themselves  to  His  likeness  ? 

—  of  Abel-meholah']  In  the  Jordan  valley,  ten  miles  south 
of  Scythopolis,  where  Gideon  gained  a  great  victory  over  the 
Midianites  (Judg.  vii.  22). 

On  the  anointing  of  Prophets,  as  well  as  of  Kings  and 
Priests,  see  Pp.  Pearson,  Art.  ii.  93.  It  does  not  appear, 
wliether  Elisha  was  literally  anointed  with  oil,  and  whether 
Hazael  was  literally  anointed  by  him ;  and  these  instances 
may,  perhaps,  show  that  the  term  to  anoint  was  even  then 
gradually  acquiring  a  spiritual  sense  (cp.  Isa.  Ixi.  1.  Keil, 
p.  194). 

17.  the  sword  of  Hazael  shall  Jehu  slay']  Hence  it  is 
evident,  that  though  the  exercise  of  mercy  is  God's  own  desire 
and  design  (see  vv.  11,  12),  yet  He  will  not  spare  those  who 
presume  on  His  mercy,  and  wilfully  violate  His  laws.  It  is 
observable,  that  the  gracious  declaration  of  love  which  God 
made  to  Moses  at  Horeb  is  concluded  by  the  solemn  warning, 
"  that  He  mil  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty,  visiting  the  iniquity 
of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,"  who  walk  in  the  sins  of  their 
fathers  (Exod.  xxxiv.  7.  Cp.  xx.  7).  So  also  God  speaks  by 
the  Prophets,  even  in  His  most  gracious  announcements  of 
mercy  (see  Nahum  i.  3 — 7). 

18.  Yet  I  have  left  me  seven  thousand]  An  answer  to 
Elijah's  complaint  that  he  was  left  alone  {v.  14).  For  St.  Paul's 
application  of  those  words  to  the  believing  remnant  of  Israel 
in  the  days  of  the  Gospel,  see  Rom.  xi.  4,  5  j  and  compare 
Kehle,  Christian  Year  (Ninth  Sunday  after  Trinity) : — 

"  Yet  in  fall'n  Israel  are  there  hearts  and  eyes, 
That  day  by  day  in  prayer  like  thine  arise. 
Thou  know'st  them  not,  but  thy  Creator  knows  : 
Go,  to  the  world  return." 

—  not  kissed  him]  Either  by  kissing  the  hand  to  him 
(Job  xxxi.  27.    Mime.  Fel.  Oct.  2:  S.  Jerome  in  Hos.  xiii.), 

77 


or  in. kissing  his  image.  Cp.  Cicero  in  Verr.  iv.  43,  "Simu- 
lacrum non  solum  venerari  sed  osculari  solent;"  and  note 
below,  on  Rev.  xiii.  4.  14. 

19.  twelve  yoke  of  oxen  before  him,  and  he  with  the  twelfth] 
We  are  not  to  suppose  that  he  had  a  team  of  twelve  yoke  of 
oxen  before  him.  But  there  were  twelve  ploughs  following  one 
another,  as  is  usual  in  Syria  at  this  day.  "  I  have  seen  "  (says 
Dr.  Thomson,  p.  144)  "  more  than  a  dozen  of  them  thus  at 
work.  Elisha  was  their  master,  and  came  last  in  order  to 
keep  them  steadily  employed  in  their  work.  Elisha,  therefore, 
was,  like  St.  Matthew,  a  man  of  substance;  but  he  arose,  and 
went  after  Elijah,  as  St.  Matthew  left  all,  arose,  and  followed 
Christ  "  (Luke  v.  28).     The  Apostles  were  sent  forth  as  "yoke- 

fellows,"  "  two  and  two ;"  and  our  Lord  speaks  of  the  ministerial 
work  under  the  term  ploughing;  and  He  seems  to  refer  to  this  act 
of  Elijah  (Luke  ix.  62).  And  there  is  some  reason  for  the  opinion 
that  the  twelve  oxen  are  mentioned  as  representing  that  Elisha, 
who  is  henceforth  to  put  his  hand  to  the  plough  in  spiritual 
husbandry,  is  to  be  the  Prophet  of  the  Twelve  Tribes  of  Israel 
(cp.  Hengst.,  Auth.  i.  144). 

—  his  mantle]  See  below,  2  Kings  ii.  13.  Elijah  thus  in- 
vested Elisha  in  the  prophetical  office. 

20.  And  he  said  unto  him.  Go  back  again  :  for  what  have 
I  done  to  thee  ?]  Thou  sayest  that  thou  wilt  follow  me,  after 
that  thou  hast  kissed  thy  father  and  mother.  Go  back  then, 
if  thou  wilt ;  for  do  not  think  that  I  wish  to  constrain  thee 
by  force  to  do  any  thing  :  I  will  have  thjfree  service,  or  none. 
Compare  our  Lord's  words  in  Matt.  viii.  21,  22.     Luke  ix.  61. 

Elisha  felt  the  force  of  this  gentle  remonstrance,  and  did 
not  go  back  and  kiss  his  father  and  mother,  who  would  pro- 
bably have  detained  him  by  endearing  solicitations. 

Our  Lord  Himself  seems  to  refer  to  this  also,  when  Ho 
says,  "  If  any  man  "  (when  called  by  Me)  "  will  come  "  (lite- 
rally, willeth  to  come)  "  after  Me,  and  hate  not  his  father  and 
mother  "  (in  comparison  to  the  love  he  bears  to  Me),  "  he  cannot 
be  My  disciple  "  (Luke  xiv.  26). 

Elisha  went  and  slew  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  boiled  them 
with  fire,  lit  from  the  wood  of  his  plough  (see  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  22),  and  thus  showed  that  he  was  ready  to  sacrifice  his 
substance,  and  leave  his  occupation,  for  Elijah,  and  made  a 
public  declaration  of  this  resolve  by  a  farewell  entertainment 
to  his  friends.  He  thus  (says  Abulensis)  gave  us  an  exami^le 
that,  when  we  are  called  by  God,  we  should  immediately  leave 
all,  and  cheerfully  obey  the  call ;  and  in  this  respect  this 
history  may  have  been  in  the  minds  of  those  in  after  ages  in 
the  same  country,  who,  being  called  by  Christ,  foi-sook  all, 
and  followed  Him  (Matt.  iv.  20.  22.     Luke  v.  11.  28). 

—  ministered  unto  him]  See  2  Kings  iii.  11. 

Cn.  XX.  1.  Ben-hadad  the  king  of  Syria]  See  xv.  20. 

—  horses,  and  chariots]  Which  had  been  supplied  to  kings 
of  Syria  by  Solomon.    See  x.  29. 


Bcn-hadad's  menace 


1  KINGS  XX.  3—19. 


to  Allah. 


Before 

CHRIST 

yoi. 


t  Hc4).  desirable. 


t  Heb.  I  hrpl  not 
back  from  liim. 


\  Heb.  are  at  my 

So  Exod.  11.  8. 
Judg.  4.  10. 

f  Heb.  word. 

b  ver.  16. 

II  Or,  fe7its. 

II  Or,  Placi  the 

engines:  And 

tliey  placed 

engines. 

f  Heb. 

approached. 

c  ver.  28. 


II  Or,  servants. 
t  Heb.  bind,  or, 
tie. 


A  ver.  12. 
Ch.  10.  9. 


Ben-liadad,  ^  Thy  silver  and  thy  gold  is  mine ;  thy  wives  also  and  thy 
children,  even  the  goodliest,  are  mine.  ^  And  the  king  of  Israel  answered 
and  said,  My  lord,  0  king,  according  to  thy  saying,  I  am  thine,  and  all  that 

I  have. 

^  And  the  messengers  came  again,  and  said,  Thus  speaketh  Ben-hadad,  say- 
ing. Although  I  have  sent  unto  thee,  saying,  Thou  shalt  deliver  me  thy  silver, 
and  thy  gold,  and  thy  wives,  and  thy  children ;  ^  Yet  I  will  send  my  servants 
unto  thee  to  morrow  about  this  time,  and  they  shall  search  thine  house,  and 
the  houses  of  thy  servants ;  and  it  shall  be,  that  whatsoever  is  f  pleasant  in 
thine  eyes,  they  shall  put  it  in  their  hand,  and  take  it  away.  ^  Then  the  king 
of  Israel  called  all  the  elders  of  the  land,  and  said,  Mark,  I  pray  you,  and  see 
how  this  man  seeketh  mischief :  for  he  sent  unto  me  for  my  wives,  and  for  my 
children,  and  for  my  silver,  and  for  my  gold  ;  and  f  I  denied  him  not.  ^  And 
all  the  elders  and  all  the  people  said  unto  him,  Hearken  not  unto  Mm,  nor 
consent.  ^  Wherefore  he  said  unto  the  messengers  of  Ben-hadad,  Tell  my 
lord  the  Idng,  All  that  thou  didst  send  for  to  thy  servant  at  the  first  I  will  do  : 
but  this  thing  I  may  not  do.  And  the  messengers  departed,  and  brought  him 
word  asfain. 

10  And  Ben-hadad  sent  unto  him,  and  said,  ^  The  gods  do  so  unto  me,  and 
more  also,  if  the  dust  of  Samaria  shall  suffice  for  handfuls  for  all  the  people 
that  f  follow  me.  ^^  And  the  king  of  Israel  answered  and  said,  Tell  him,  Let 
not  him  that  girdeth  on  his  harness  boast  himself  as  he  that  putteth  it  off. 
^^And  it  came  to  pass,  when i?e/i-/ia^rt(i  heard  this  f  message,  as  he  was  ^drink- 
ing, he  and  the  kings  in  the  ||  pavilions,  that  he  said  unto  his  servants,  ||  Set 
yourselves  in  array.     And  they  set  themselves  in  array  against  the  city. 

i^And,  behold,  there  f  came  a  prophet  unto  Ahab  king  of  Israel,  saying, 
Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Hast  thou  seen  all  this  great  multitude  ?  behold,  "^  I  will 
deliver  it  into  thine  hand  this  day ;  and  thou  shalt  know  that  I  am  the  Lord. 
^^  And  Ahab  said.  By  whom  ?    And  he  said.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Even  by  the 

II  young  men  of  the  princes  of  the  provinces.  Then  he  said,  Who  shall  f  order 
the  battle  ?     And  he  answered.  Thou. 

1^  Then  he  numbered  the  young  men  of  the  princes  of  the  provinces,  and 
they  were  two  hundred  and  thirty  two  :  and  after  them  he  numbered  all  the 
people,  even  all  the  children  of  Israel,  being  seven  thousand.  ^^  And  they  went 
out  at  noon.  But  Ben-hadad  ivas  ^  drinking  himself  drunk  in  the  pavilions,  he 
and  the  kings,  the  thirty  and  two  kings  that  helped  him.  ^^^(j  the  young 
men  of  the  princes  of  the  provinces  went  out  first ;  and  Ben-hadad  sent  out, 
and  they  told  him,  saying.  There  are  men  come  out  of  Samaria.  ^^  And  he 
said.  Whether  they  be  come  out  for  peace,  take  them  alive ;  or  whether  they 
be  come  out  for  war,  take  them  alive.  ^^  So  these  young  men  of  the  princes 
of  the  provinces  came  out  of  the  city,  and  the  army  which  followed  them. 


5,  6.  Thou  shalt  deliver  me — they  shall  search']  The  second 
demand  was  more  importunate  and  overbearing  than  the  fii-st. 
In  the  first,  Ahab  was  to  send  what  he  thought  fit  to  give,  in 
the  second,  Ben-hadad's  servants  were  to  take  into  their  own 
hands  wliatever  tliey  thouglit  fit  to  seize. 

11.  Let  not  him  that  girdeth  on  his  harness]  Armour :  Let 
him  not  sing  a  paean  of  victory,  before  he  has  fought  the 
battle. 

12.  the  pavilions']  Heb.  succoth,  booths  made  of  boughs,  &c. 
See  Lev.  xxiii.  42.     Dent.  xvi.  13. 

—  Set]  See  1  Sam.  xv.  2,  where  the  same  Hebrew  verb 
occurs  in  this  sense. 

13.  there  came  a  prophet  unto  Ahah]  Here  is  an  example  of 
that  mercy  and  long-suffering,  intimated  above  in  the  "still 

78 


small  voice,"  by  which  God  would  call  Ahab  to  Himself  in  love, 
if  he  would  be  drawn. 

It  would  seem,  that  the  persecution  of  the  prophets  by 
Jezebel  had  somewhat  abated,  or  that  her  influence  over  Ahab 
was  not  now  so  strong  as  it  had  been.  We  hear  nothing  of 
any  attempt  made  on  her  part  to  seize  this  prophet  of  tho 
Lord. 

Elisha  had  been  commanded  to  go  toward  Damascus,  of 
Syria  (xix.  15),  and  perhaps  this  prophet,  who  foretells  tlm 
defeat  of  the  Syr,aas  to  Ahab,  was  sent  by  him  :  cp.  v.  28 

14.  bi/  the  young  men]  Their  armour-bearers,  a  feeble  com- 
pany compared  with  the  myriads  of  the  enemy  {vv.  1.  10).  Ry 
232  young  men  God  would  discomfit  Ben-hadad  with  the  vast 
army  of  his  thirty -two  tings. 


The  defeat  of  the  Suriniis. 


1  KINGS  XX.  20—33. 


Bcn-hadacVs  petition. 


^"  And  tliey  slew  every  one  his  man  :  and  the  Syrians  fled  ;  and  Israel  pursued 
them :  and  Ben-hadad  the  king  of  Syria  escaped  on  an  horse  with  the  horse- 
men. 21  And  the  king  of  Israel  went  out,  and  smote  the  horses  and  chariots, 
and  slew  the  Syrians  with  a  great  slaughter.  -'^  And  the  prophet  came  to  the 
king  of  Israel,  and  said  unto  him,  Go,  strengthen  thyself,  and  mark,  and  see 
what  thou  doest :  ""  for  at  the  return  of  the  year  the  king  of  Syria  will  come  up  e  2  s 
against  thee. 

2^  And  the  servants  of  the  king  of  Syria  said  unto  him.  Their  gods  are  gods 
of  the  hills ;  therefore  they  were  stronger  than  we ;  but  let  us  fight  against 
them  in  the  plain,  and  surely  we  shall  be  stronger  than  they.  ^^  And  do  this 
thing,  Take  the  kings  away,  every  man  out  of  his  place,  and  put  captains  in 
their  rooms  :  -^  And  number  thee  an  army,  like  the  army  f  that  thou  hast  lost,  fau-n 
horse  for  horse,  and'  chariot  for  chariot :  and  we  will  fight  against  them  in  the 
plain,  and  surely  we  shall  be  stronger  than  they.  And  he  hearkened  unto  their 
voice,  and  did  so. 

2^  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  return  of  the  year,  that  Ben-hadad  numbered 
the  S}Tians,  and  went  up  to  '^Aphek,  f  to  fight  against  Israel, 
children  of  Israel  were  numbered,  and  [j  were  all  present,  and  went  against 
them :  and  the  children  of  Israel  pitched  before  them  like  two  little  flocks 
of  kids ;  but  the  Syrians  filled  the  country.  ^8  p^^^  there  came  a  man  of  God, 
and  spake  unto  the  king  of  Israel,  and  said,  Thus  saith  the  Lokd,  Because  the 
Syi'ians  have  said.  The  Lord  is  God  of  the  hills,  but  he  is  not  God  of  the 
valleys,  therefore  ^  will  I  deliver  all  this  great  multitude  into  thine  hand,  and  ^ 
ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord.  ^9  ^^  f^jiey  pitched  one  over  against  the 
other  seven  days.  And  so  it  was,  that  in  the  seventh  day  the  battle  was 
joined :  and  the  children  of  Israel  slew  of  the  Syrians  an  hundred  thousand 
footmen  in  one  day.  ^^  But  the  rest  fled  to  Aphek,  into  the  city ;  and  there  a 
wall  fell  upon  twenty  and  seven  thousand  of  the  men  that  were  left.  And  Ben- 
hadad  fled,  and  came  into  the  city,  ||  f  into  an  inner  chamber. 


Before 

CHRIST 

901. 


+  Heb.  that  was 


27  Anrl    thp  fJnsh.  13.  4. 


u-Uh  Israel. 
Il  Or,  were 
victualled. 


I!  Or,  from 
chamber  to 

^^  And  his  servants  said  unto  him.  Behold  now,  we  have  heard  that  the  kings  t  Heb.'i«^, « 

chamlier  williin 

tiiher, 

I.  25. 

Gen.  37.  34. 


of  the  house  of  Israel  are  merciful  kings  :  let  us,  I  pray  thee,  *"  put  sackcloth  on  »^''^:^ 
our  loins,  and  ropes  upon  our  heads,  and  go  out  to  the  king  of  Israel :  perad-  '' 
venture  he  will  save  thy  life.  ^"^  So  they  girded  sackcloth  on  their  loins,  and 
jmt  ropes  on  their  heads,  and  came  to  the  Idng  of  Israel,  and  said.  Thy  servant 
Ben-hadad  saith,  I  pray  thee,  let  me  live.  And  he  said.  Is  he  yet  alive  ?  he 
is  my  brother.  ^3  ]^q^  i^\^Q  j^gj^  ^j^j  diligently  observe  whether  any  thing  would 
come  from  him,  and  did  hastily  catch  it :  and  they  said.  Thy  brother  Ben-hadad. 
Then  he  said.  Go  ye,  bring  him.    Then  Ben-hadad  came  forth  to  him ;  and  he 


20.  with  ilie  Jiorsemen]  Protecting  him. 

22.  at  the  retnrn  of  the  year]  When  the  vernal  rains  are 
over  (2  Sam.  xi.  1). 

23.  Their  gods  are  gods  of  the  hills'\  A  double  error  :  the 
Israelites  had  come  forth  from  the  hill  of  Samaria  {vv.  17 — 19), 
and  therefore  the  Syrians  supposed  that  the  God  of  Israel  was 
a  god  of  the  hills.  Observe  also  that  they  speak  of  God  as 
gods ;  i.  e.  as  plKral  in  number  as  well  as  local  in  presence  and 
power,  and  thus  they  provoked  Him  to  destroy  them  {v.  28). 

24.  captains'\  See  x.  15,  where  the  same  word  is  rendered 
governors;  see  also  2  Chron.  ix.  14.  Ezi-a  viii.  36.  Neh. 
ii.  7.  Esth.  iii.  12.  The  word  (pachoth)  seems  to  be  of  foreign, 
and  not  Hebrew,  origin  (Gesen.). 

—  i»  their  rooms^  So  that  there  wotdd  be  thirty -two.  See 
V.  1,  and  below,  xxii.  31. 

26.  ApJiek']    Probably  iu  the  plain  of  Jezreel,  near  Endor. 
1  Sam.  xxviii.  4;    xxix.  1;  Keil.     Others   suppose  it  to  have 
been  east  of  the  Sea  of  Gennesareth,  at  a  place  now  called  Fik 
{Vandevelde,  Stanley,  Thomson). 
79 


27,  ivere  all  presenf]  Or,  rather,  were  provisioned  or 
victualled  (as  in  the  margin) ;  the  original  word  is  the  pilpel 
passive  pret.  of  the  Hebrew  verb  all,  to  measure  out,  to  contain, 
to  sustain;  used  in  Gen.  xlv.  11;  xlvii.  12.  Ruth  iv.  15. 
2  Sam.  xix.  32.  1  Kings  xviii.  13  {Oesen.  386).  Here  is 
evidence  of  some  faith  and  obedience  in  Ahab,  as  well  as  of 
prudence,  and  God  rewarded  him  accordingly  {v.  29). 

29.  an  hundred  thonsand~\  God  had  promised  that,  if  His 
people  were  obedient,  "  one  should  chase  a  thousand,  and  two 
put  ten  thousand  to  flight "  (Deut.  xxxii.  30). 

30.  a  wall  fell]  Rather,  the  wall  fell,  i.  e.  the  city  wall ;  in 
order  that  the  Israelites  might  know  that  the  victory  had  not 
been  gained  by  their  own  strength,  but  by  the  hand  of  Gud 
{Theodoret). 

—  into  an  inner  chamber']  Literally,  from  one  chamber  to 
another.     Cp.  xxii.  25. 

33.  did  diligently  observe]  Augured,  divined,  took  as  an 
omen.     Cp.  Gen.  xxx.  27  ;  xliv.  15.     Gesen.  545. 

— •  whether  any  thing  would  come  from  him,  and  did  hasiUtf 


Allah's  disobedience. 


1  KINGS  XX.  34—43.     XXL  1,  2. 


Naboth, 


Before 
CHRIST 
900. 
1  ch.  15.  20. 


k  2  Kings  2.  3, 

5,  7,  15. 

Ich.  13.  17,  18. 


■f  Heb.  smiting 
avd  vioundi7ig. 


n  See  2  Sam.  12. 
1,  &o. 


o  2  Kings  10.  24 

f  Heb.  weigh. 

t  Ileb.  Ae  was 
nut 


pch.  22.  31-37 


q  ch.  21.  4. 


899. 
a  1  Sam.  8.  H. 


caused  him  to  come  up  into  the  chariot.  ^^  And  Bcn-hadad  said  unto  him, 
'  The  cities,  which  my  father  took  from  thy  father,  I  will  restore ;  and  thou 
slialt  make  streets  for  thee  in  Damascus,  as  my  father  made  in  Samaria.  Then 
said  Ahah,  I  will  send  thee  away  with  this  covenant.  So  he  made  a  covenant 
with  him,  and  sent  him  away. 

^^  And  a  certain  man  of  *"  the  sons  of  the  prophets  said  unto  his  neighbour 
'  in  the  word  of  the  Lord,  Smite  me,  I  pray  thee.  And  the  man  refused  to 
smite  liim.  ^'^  Then  said  he  unto  him.  Because  thou  hast  not  obeyed  the  voice 
of  the  Lord,  behold,  as  soon  as  thou  art  departed  from  me,  a  lion  shall  slay 
thee.  And  as  soon  as  he  was  departed  from  him,  "  a  lion  found  him,  and 
slew  Mm.  ^'  Then  he  found  another  man,  and  said.  Smite  me,  I  pray  thee. 
And  the  man  smote  him,  f  so  that  in  smiting  he  wounded  him.  ^^  So  the 
prophet  departed,  and  waited  for  the  king  by  the  way,  and  disguised  himself 
with  ashes  upon  his  face.  ^^  And  "  as  the  king  passed  by,  he  cried  unto  the 
king :  and  he  said.  Thy  servant  went  out  into  the  midst  of  the  battle ;  and, 
behold,  a  man  turned  aside,  and  brought  a  man  unto  me,  and  said.  Keep  this 
man :  if  by  any  means  he  be  missing,  then  "  shall  thy  life  be  for  his  life,  or 
else  thou  shalt  f  pay  a  talent  of  silver.  ^°  And  as  thy  servant  was  busy  here 
and  there,  f  he  was  gone.  And  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  him,  So  shall  thy 
judgment  be ;  thyself  hast  decided  it.  ^^  And  he  hasted,  and  took  the  ashes 
away  from  his  face ;  and  the  king  of  Israel  discerned  him  that  he  was  of  the 
prophets.  ^^  And  he  said  unto  him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  p  Because  thou  hast 
let  go  out  of  thy  hand  a  man  whom  I  appointed  to  utter  destruction,  therefore 
thy  Hfe  shall  go  for  his  hfe,  and  thy  people  for  his  people.  ^^  And  the  king  of 
Israel  "^  went  to  his  house  heavy  and  displeased,  and  came  to  Samaria. 

XXL  ^  And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  Naboth  the  Jezreelite 
had  a  vineyard,  which  icas  in  Jezreel,  hard  by  the  palace  of  Ahab  king  of 
Samaria.     ^And  Ahab  spake  unto  Naboth,  saying,   Give  me  thy  ^vineyard, 


catch  it]  Rather,  they  hastened,  and  made  him  declare  whether 
this  ivord  (my  brother)  was  from  him,  i.  e.  his  real  meaning. 
The  word  hastened  is  from  mahar  (see  Isa.  viii.  1.  Gesen. 
454).  The  word  made  him  declare  is  the  hiphil  from  chalat 
[Gesen.  280). 

34.  make  streets  for  thee  in  Damascus^  Make  an  Istaelite 
quarter, — a  bazaar, — in  my  capital  {Bottcher,  Thenius,  Keil). 

35 — 42.  a  certain  man  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets^  By  this 
act  and  parable  he  elicited  from  Ahab  a  condemnation  of  himself; 
as  Nathan  had  done  from  David.     2  Sam.  xii. 

36.  a  lion  found  him,  and  sleiv  him']  For  disobedience  to 
the  Word  of  the  Lord;  as  the  prophet  of  Judah  was  slain 
(xiii.  24). 

38.  ashes']  Rather,  a  head-hand,  reXafiuv  (Sept.).  The 
Hebrew  word  here  used,  apher,  has  been  rendered  by  some 
other  Versions,  as  well  as  in  our  own,  as  if  it  were  epher, 
dust,  ashes  (see  Gesen.  73;  Fiierst,  138). 

42.  Because  thou  hast  let  go]  Ahab  may  have  thought  his 
act  to  be  one  of  clemency,  which,  however,  is  not  to  be  exercised 
towards  bandits,  who,  when  let  loose,  become  worse  than 
before,  as  Ben-hadad  was ;  and  it  was  an  act  of  disobedience  to 
God,  who  by  a  wonderful  victory  had  delivered  Ben-hadad  into 
his  hands,  in  order  that  justice  might  be  executed  on  him,  in 
God's  name,  for  his  sins.  Ahab  was  indulgent  to  Ben-hadad, 
and  cruel  to  Naboth  and  to  the  prophets.  And  he  rued  his  sins 
when  too  late;  he  fell  in  battle  against  the  armies  of  Syria, 
the  kingdom  of  Ben-hadad  (xxii.  34,  35).  Here  is  a  lesson  for 
Christian  Nations.  If  they  persecute  Truth  and  Virtue,  and 
patronize  Error  and  Sin,  God  will  avenge  the  cause  of  what 
they  persecute,  and  will  punish  them  by  means  of  what  they 
patronize. 

43.  heavy  and  displeased]  Cp.  xxi.  4. 

Naboth  and  Cheist. 

The  following  Chapter  contains  a  true   history;   and,  as 
ancient  Expositors  observe,  it  is  also  typical  of  Christ. 

Naboth  signifies  fruit,  produce,  from  the  Hebrew  verb 
80 


n4b,  to  sprout,  as  a  branch,  to  germinate  {Gesen.  527.  537). 
Such  is  Christ,  Who  is  called  "  the  Bralich  "  (Isa.  xi.  1.  Jer. 
xxiii.  5  ;  xxxiii.  15.  Zech.  vi.  12),  and  Who  was  brought  up 
at  Nazareth,  "the  Branch-town"  (see  on  Matt.  ii.  23),  near 
Jezreel.  Naboth  had  a  Vineyard  at  Jezreel,  which  means  soivn 
of  God;  so  has  Christ  (see  Isa.  v.  1 — 7).  Ahab  and  Jezebel 
desired  to  deprive  Naboth  of  his  vineyard :  the  Jews  said  of 
Christ,  "Let  us  cast  Him  out  of  the  vineyard,  and  the  in- 
heritance shall  be  ours  "  (cp.  Matt.  xxi.  39.  Mark  xii.  8.  Luke 
XX.  15).  Naboth  was  willing  to  die,  rather  than  to  give  up  the 
inheritance  of  his  fathers :  Christ  shed  His  blood  for  His  vine- 
yard. Naboth  was  accused  by  two  false  witnesses;  so  was 
Chi-ist  (Matt.  xxvi.  60).  Naboth  was  an-aigned  before  the 
Elders  of  his  city ;  so  was  Christ.  Naboth  was  charged  with 
blasphemy  against  God  and  the  king;  so  was  Christ  (Matt. 
xxvi.  65.  Luke  xxiii.  2).  Death  and  Destruction  came  on 
Ahab  and  Jezebel  (the  type  of  false  teachers.  Rev.  ii.  20),  and 
their  house,  for  the  destruction  of  Naboth ;  so  the  persecutors 
and  murderers  of  Christ  were  condemned  to  extermination 
for  killing  Him,  and  His  blood  is  still  required  of  them  (cp. 
Angelonms,  p.  393). 

The  Church  is  Christ's  Vineyard ;  our  souls  are  His  Vine- 
yard (1  Cor.  iii.  9).  They  who  rob  Christ  of  His  inheritance 
in  the  Church  and  in  themselves,  imitate  Ahab  and  Jezebel  in 
theu"  sin,  and  will  incur  their  punishment. 

Ch.  XXI.  \.  Jezreel]  Samaria  was  the  metropolis  of  his  king- 
dom, but  Ahab  had  a  palace  at  Jezreel,  where  he  seems  to  have 
resided  during  part  of  the  year.  It  was  on  the  heights  at  the 
western  extremity  of  Mount  Gilboa,  on  the  eastern  borders  of 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  about  twenty-five  miles  north  of 
Samaria.  It  commands  a  fine  and  noble  view,  and  may  be 
called  the  Windsor  of  Israel  {Kitto).  It  is  now  called  Zeriu. 
It  was  probably  Ahab's  summer  residence  (cp.  xviii.  45).  Here 
Jezebel  was  killed  by  the  order  of  Jehu  (2  Kings  ix.  15 — 37). 

2.  Chive  me  thy  vineyard]  A  fulfilment  of  Samuel's  prophecy, 
"your  king  will  take  your  vineyards"  (1  Sam,  viii.  14). 


Naboth,  accused  of  blasphemy,       1  KINGS  XXI.  3 — IG. 


is  stoned. 


that  I  may  have  it  for  a  garden  of  herbs,  because  it  is  near  unto  my  house:     chrTst 
and  I  will  give  thee  for  it  a  better  vineyard  than  it ;  or,  if  it  f  seem  good  to  thee,  t  uch.fe'good  in 
I  will  give  thee  the  worth  of  it  in  money.     ^  And  Naboth  said  to  Ahab,  The  '"""'^"" 
Lord  forbid  it  me,  ^that  I  should  mve  the  inheritance  of  my  fathers  unto  thee,  i^  Lev.  25  23. 

'  o  J  Num.  3(i.  7. 

^  And  Ahab  came  into  his  house  heavy  and  displeased  because  of  the  word  ^'''^-  *^-  ^^^ 
which  Naboth  the  Jezreelite  had  spoken  to  him :  for  he  had  said,  I  will  not 
give  thee  the  inheritance  of  my  fathers.  And  he  laid  him  down  upon  his  bed, 
and  turned  away  his  face,  and  would  eat  no  bread.  ^  But  Jezebel  his  wife 
came  to  him,  and  said  unto  him,  Why  is  thy  spirit  so  sad,  that  thou  eatest  no 
bread  ?  ^  And  he  said  unto  her.  Because  I  spake  unto  Naboth  the  Jezreelite, 
and  said  unto  him.  Give  me  thy  vineyard  for  money ;  or  else,  if  it  please  thee, 
I  will  give  thee  another  vineyard  for  it :  and  he  answered,  I  will  not  give  thee 
my  vineyard.  ^  And  Jezebel  his  wife  said  unto  him,  Dost  thou  now  govern  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  ?  arise,  and  eat  bread,  and  let  thine  heart  be  merry :  I  will 
give  thee  the  vineyard  of  Naboth  the  Jezreelite.  ^  So  she  wrote  letters  in 
Ahab's  name,  and  sealed  them  with  his  seal,  and  sent  the  letters  unto  the 
elders  and  to  the  nobles  that  ivere  in  his  city,  dwelling  with  Naboth.  ^  And 
she  wrote  in  the  letters,  saying.  Proclaim  a  fast,  and  set  Naboth  f  on  high 
among  the  people :  ^^  And  set  two  men,  sons  of  Belial,  before  him,  to  bear 
witness  against  him,  saying.  Thou  didst "  blaspheme  God  and  the  king.  And 
then  carry  him  out,  and  ''  stone  him,  that  he  may  die. 

^'  And  the  men  of  his  city,  even  the  elders  and  the  nobles  who  were  the 
inhabitants  in  his  city,  did  as  Jezebel  had  sent  unto  them,  and  as  it  ivas 
wiitten  in  the  letters  which  she  had  sent  unto  them.     ^-  ^  They  proclaimed  a  « ^^^-  ^s-  <• 
fast,  and  set  Naboth  on  high  among  the  people.     ^^And  there  came  in  two 
men,  children  of  Belial,  and  sat  before  him :  and  the  men  of  Belial  witnessed 
against  him,  even  against  Naboth,  in  the  presence  of  the  people,  saying,  Naboth 
did  blaspheme  God  and  the  king.     *"  Then  they  carried  him  forth  out  of  the  f  see  2  Kings  9, 
city,  and  stoned  him  with  stones,  that  he  died.     ^^  Then  they  sent  to  Jezebel,         899. 
saying,  Naboth  is  stoned,  and  is  dead. 

^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jezebel  heard  that  Naboth  was  stoned,  and 
was  dead,  that  Jezebel  said  to  Ahab,  Arise,  take  possession  of  the  vineyard  of 
Naboth  the  Jezreelite,  which  he  refused  to  give  thee  for  money :  for  Naboth  is 
not  alive,  but  dead.     ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Aliab  heard  that  Naboth 


t  Heb.  in  Ike  top 
of  the  people. 


c  Exod.  22.  2S. 
Lev.  24.  15,  16. 
Acts  6.  U. 
d  Ley.  24.  14. 


3.  The  Lord  forbid— fathers']  This  was  not  a  churlish  an- 
swer, but  one  dictated  by  fear  of  God,  and  reverence  for  His 
Law,  which  forbade  an  Israelite  to  alienate  his  paternal  inhe- 
ritance, in  order  that  they  might  remember  that  their  land  was 
God's,  and  they  sojourners  in  it  (Lev.  xxv.  23.  Num.  xxxvi.  7). 
Here  is  another  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  Pentateuch. 
Naboth's  answer  is  grounded  upon  it. 

4.  Ahab — heavy  and  disiAeased — would  eat  no  bread]  Com- 
pare XX.  43.  Such  traits  of  childish  frowardness  as  these  in  Ahab 
show  the  moral  weakness  of  his  character,  making  him  an  easy 
prey  to  the  energetic  malice  of  Jezebel,  his  wife.  "  There  was 
none  like  unto  Ahab,  which  did  sell  himself  to  work  wickedness 
in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  whom  Jezebel  his  wife  stirred  \ip  "  {v.  25). 

7.  Dost  thou  noto  gox^ern — Israel  ?]  Is  this  the  way  that  thou 
actest  the  part  of  king  over  Israel  ?  {Sept.) 

8.  with  his  seal]  Compare  Esther  viii.  10.     Dan.  vi.  17. 

9.  Proclaim  a  fast]  As  if  some  public  calamity  had  hap- 
pened ;  such,  Jezebel  intimated,  Naboth's  blasphemy  was ;  and 
as  if  some  heavy  guilt  in  consequence  had  been  incurred  by  his 
city,  which  it  must  expiate.    Thus  Jezel)el  prejudged  the  cause. 

—  set  Naboth  on  high'\  Literally,  at  the  head  of  the  people  ; 
in  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  Court  of  Justice ;  there  to  bo 
arraigned  in  the  sight  of  the  people,  so  that  the  iniquitous  pro- 
ceeding might  have  the  semblance  of  religion  and  justice. 

10.  two  men]  Even  Jezebel  bears  witness  to  the  Pentateuch 
(see  Dent,  xvii.  6;  xix.  15.    Num.  xxxv.  30). 

Vol.  in  81 


—  sons  of  Belial]  Eather,  worthless  men :  see  Judg.  xix. 
22,  viol  -napafSfxaiy  (Sept.),  false  witnesses,  as  in  the  arraign- 
ment of  Christ  in  the  Palace  of  the  High  Priest :  Matt.  xxvi. 
60.     (<S^.  Ambrose  de  Nabuthe,  cap.  11.) 

—  Thou  didst  blaspheme  God  and  the  Mng]  The  original 
word,  barac,  which  is  of  very  frequent  occurrence,  and  almost 
always  means  bless,  is  correctly  rendered  blaspheme  here  and 
V.  10,  and  curse  in  Job  i.  5,  and  in  Job  ii.  9;  all  these  are  in 
piel.  The  explanation  of  this  usage  seems  to  be,  that  to  the 
Hebrew  mind  the  very  notion  of  blaspheming  and  cursing  the 
Most  High  was  so  repugnant  and  shocking,  that  it  was  ex- 
pressed by  an  euphemism,  and  the  meaning  of  the  verb  in  this 
passage  is,  thou  didst  bless,  in  the  sense  of  giving  a  parting 
salutation  to,  bidding  farewell  to,  of  renouncing,  as  x«'V*"'  *'•"» 
Xaipeiv  Keyo}  in  Greek  (Schilltens,  Fuerst,  Keil).  The  sense 
of  imprecation  is  deduced  by  Oesenius,  p.  142,  from  the  general 
idea  of  praying  expressed  in  the  word  barac,  literally,  to  kneel, 
to  invoke  by  prayer.  Naboth  was  falsely  accused  of  blaspheming 
"  God  and  the  King ;"  so  was  Christ  (Matt.  xxvi.  65.  Luke 
xxiii.  2)  :  see  above,  Prelim.  Note  to  this  chapter. 

—  stone  him]  Another  testimony  from  Jezebel  to  the  Pen- 
tateuch (cp.  Exod.  xxii.  28.  Deut.  xiii.  10;  xvii.  5.  John 
X.  33). 

13.  carried  him  forth  out  of  the  city,  and  stoned  him]  A3 
St.  Stephen  (Acts  vii.  58).  Some  have  inferred  from  2  Kings 
ix.  26,  that  this  was  done  at  night. 

G 


Elijah's  message  to  Ahah.  1  KINGS  XXI.  17—29. 


xihah's  repentance. 


Before 
CHRIST 

899. 

gPs.9.  12. 

hch.  13.  32. 
2  Chrgn.  22.  9. 


i  ch.  22.  38. 

k  ch.  18.  17. 

12  Kings  17.  17. 
Rom.  7.  14. 

m  ch.  14.  10. 
2  Kings  9.  8. 
n  1  Sam.  25.  22. 

o  ch.  14.  10. 

pch.  15.  29. 

q  ch.  16.  3,  n. 
r  2  Kings  9.  36. 

II  Or,  dilch. 

s  ch.  H.  II.  & 
16.  4. 

t  ch.  16.  30,  &c. 

u  ch.  16.  31. 
II  Or,  incited. 
X  Gen.  15.  16. 
2  Kings  21.  11. 


y  Gen.  37.  34. 


z  2  Kings  9.  25. 


was  dead,  that  Ahab  rose  up  to  go  down  to  the  vineyard  of  Naboth  the 
Jezreehte,  to  take  possession  of  it. 

^^  ^  And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  EHjah  the  Tishbite,  saying,  ^^  Arise, 
go  dow^  to  meet  Aliab  king  of  Israel,  ^  which  is  in  Samaria :  behold,  he  is  in 
the  vineyard  of  Naboth,  whither  he  is  gone  down  to  possess  it.  ^^  And  thou 
shalt  speak  unto  him,  saying.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Hast  thou  killed,  and  also 
taken  possession  ?  And  thou  shalt  speak  unto  him,  saying,  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  '  In  the  place  where  dogs  licked  the  blood  of  Naboth  shall  dogs  lick 
thy  blood,  even  thine.  '^^  And  Ahab  said  to  Elijah,  "  Hast  thou  found  me,  0 
mine  enemy  ?  And  he  answered,  I  have  found  thee :  because  '  thou  hast  sold 
thyself  to  work  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  -^  Behold,  "'  I  will  bring  evil 
upon  thee,  and  will  take  away  thy  posterity,  and  mil  cut  off  from  Ahab  "  him 
that  pisseth  against  the  wall,  and  °him  that  is  shut  up  and  left  in  Israel, 
22  And  will  make  thine  house  like  the  house  of  ^  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat, 
and  hke  the  house  of ''Baasha  the  son  of  Ahijali,  for  the  provocation  wherewith 
thou  hast  provoked  me  to  anger,  and  made  Israel  to  sin.  -^  And  '  of  Jezebel 
also  spake  the  Lord,  saying,  The  dogs  shall  eat  Jezebel  by  the  ||wall  of 
Jezreel.  ^4  ^  jjjj^  ^^isit  dieth  of  Ahab  in  the  city  the  dogs  shall  eat ;  and  him 
that  dieth  in  the  field  shall  the  fowls  of  the  air  eat. 

2^  But  '  there  was  none  like  unto  Ahab,  which  did  sell  himself  to  work 
wickedness  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  "  whom  Jezebel  his  wife  ||  stirred  up. 
26  And  he  did  very  abominably  in  follomng  idols,  according  to  all  things  ""  as  did 
the  Amorites,  whom  the  Lord  cast  out  before  the  children  of  Israel. 

27  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Ahab  heard  those  words,  that  he  rent  his 
clothes,  and  ^  put  sackcloth  upon  his  flesh,  and  fasted,  and  lay  in  sackcloth, 
and  went  softly.  28  ^^^i  ^i^^  -^tqy^  of  the  Lord  came  to  Elijah  the  Tishbite, 
saying,  29  Seest  thou  how  Ahab  humbleth  himself  before  me  ?  because  he 
humbleth  himself  before  me,  I  will  not  bring  the  evil  in  his  days  :  hut  ^  in  his 
son's  days  will  I  bring  the  e\dl  upon  his  house. 


16.  A7iah  rose  up  — to  take  possession']  It  appears  from 
2  Kings  ix.  26,  that  Nabotli's  sons  were  also  put  to  death,  and 
so  his  property  was  confiscated. 

Behind  Ahab,  perhaps  in  the  same  chariot,  rode  Biclkar, 
and  the  avenger  of  Naboth's  murder — Jehu :  see  the  words  of 
Jehu  to  Bidkar  in  2  Kings  ix.  25,  26. 

19.  Hast  thou  killed]  Naboth's  death  is  ascribed  by  EHjah 
to  Ahab,  as  Uriah's  death  is  attributed  by  Nathan  to  David 
(2  Sam.  xii.  9),  although  neither  Ahab  nor  David  had  been  the 
actual  perpetrator  of  the  murder.  "  Sed  qui  facit  per  alium, 
facit  per  se." 

—  In  the  place]  Jezreel.  It  is  objected  by  some  that  this 
prophecy  failed.  Ahab's  blood  was  not  licked  by  dogs  at  Jezreel, 
but  at  Samaria  (xxii.  38).     How  is  this  to  be  explained  ? 

It  is  to  be  accounted  for  by  what  is  added  in  v.  29.  In 
consequence  of  Ahab's  repentance,  the  sentence  upon  him  was 
modified.  "  In  his  son's  days  I  will  bring  the  evil  upon  his 
house,"  and  his  son's  blood  was  licked  at  Jezreel,  2  Kings  ix. 
25,  26 ;  and  Jehu  there  declares  that  this  was  the  word  of  the 
Lord. 

However,  since  Ahab  relapsed,  the  sentence,  in  substance, 
was  executed  upon  him ;  his  blood  was  licked  by  dogs,  and  in 
his  own  capital  city — Samaria.  Some  suppose  that  Naboth  was 
stoned  at  Samaria,  and  not  at  Jezreel  (Bib.  Diet.  ii.  28),  but 
thi  ■  is  not  probable. 

20.  thou  hast  sold  thyself]  Thou,  a  King,  the  representative 
of  Jehovah,  hast  sold  thyself  to  be  a  slave  of  Satan :  cp.  Rom. 
vi.  16;  vii.  14. 

23.  The  dogs  shall  eat  Jezebel — Jezreel]  The  prophecy  is, 
that  Jezebel,  the  Queen  of  Israel,  shall  be  eaten  by  dogs ;  and 
that  this  will  take  place,  not  at  Samaria,  the  capital,  where  she 
usually  resided,  but  in  Jezreel,  where  Naboth  had  been  mur- 
dered by  her  orders. 

It  was  also  said  of  Ahab,  that  dogs  should  lick  his  blood 


there,  but,  on  his  repentance,  this  sentence  was  modified,  and 
transferred  to  his  son  (see  v.  29).  But  Jezebel  did  not  repent, 
and  this  sentence  was  executed  upon  her  at  Jezreel ;  the  scene 
of  her  sin  was  made,  by  God's  dispensation,  the  scene  of  her 
punishment  (2  Kings  ix.  35—37).     Cp.  ii.  28. 

"  The  wall  of  Jezreel"  (Heb.  cheyl)  was  the  open  space 
(the  pomaerium)  between  the  houses  of  the  city  and  the  city 
wall  (cp.  2  Kings  ix.  36).  The  Palace  of  Ahab  was  near  the  city 
gate :  see  2  Kings  ix.  31,  32. 

25.  there  was  none  like  unto  Ahab]  There  were  twenty  Kings 
of  Israel,  and  not  one,  or  but  one  (Jehu)  good ;  and  of  these 
twenty,  none  like  Ahab  for  wickedness  :  cp.  xvi.  30.  33.  (-Bp. 
Sanderson.) 

These  words  are  inserted  as  a  preparation  to  Ahab's  death, 
to  be  described  in  the  following  chapter  :  see  xxii.  20. 

Ahab's  Repentance. 

27 — 29.  Ahab — rent  his  clothes — in  Ms  son's  days  will  1 
bring  the  evil  upon  his  house]  These  verses  suggest  some 
important  questions;  as  follows — 

(1)  Ahab's  repentance  was  only  superficial  and  temporary, 
as  appears  from  his  subsequent  conduct.  Could  God  be  de- 
ceived by  a  mere  alteration  of  gait  and  attire,  not  accompanied 
by  any  change  of  the  heart  ?  Coidd  the  purposes  of  God, 
who  had  just  before  denounced  the  heaviest  woes  on  Ahab, 
be  changed  by  such  a  show  of  repentance  as  that  ?  Can  it  be 
thought  that  God  could  approve  such  a  repentantre,  and  that 
He  should  revoke  the  sentence  in  consequence  of  it  ? 

(2)  Could  it  be  consistent  with  justice  to  transfer  the 
punishment  from  Ahab  to  his  son  ? 

As  to  the  first  of  these  questions,  it  may  be  replied,  that 
God  "  deals  with  men  exactly  as  they  deal  with  Him ;  He 
metes  to  them  according  to  their  own  measure."  God's  deal- 
ings  with  Ahab  were    exactly  proportioned  and  adjusted  to 


Jelwshaphat  and  Ahab. 


1  KINGS  XXII.  1—7. 


Allah's  false  prophets. 


XXII.  '  And  they  continued  three  years  without  war  between  Syria  and 
Israel.  -  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  third  year,  that  ""  Jehoshaphat  the  king 
of  Judah  came  down  to  the  king  of  Israel.  ^And  the  king  of  Israel  said 
unto  his  servants,  Know  ye  that  ^  Ramoth  in  Gilead  is  ours,  and  we  he  f  still, 
and  take  it  not  out  of  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Syria  ?  ^  And  he  said  unto 
Jehoshaphat,  Wilt  thou  go  with  me  to  battle  to  Ramoth-gilead  ?  And 
Jehoshaphat  said  to  the  king  of  Israel,  "I  am  as  thou  art,  my  people  as 
thy  people,  my  horses  as  thy  horses. 

^And  Jehoshaphat  said  unto  the  king  of  Israel,  Inquire,  I  pray  thee,  at 
the  word  of  the  Lord  to  day.  ^Then  the  king  of  Israel  "^gathered  the 
prophets  together,  about  four  hundred  men,  and  said  unto  them.  Shall  I 
go  against  Ramoth-gilead  to  battle,  or  shall  I  forbear  ?  And  they  said, 
Go  up  ;  for  the  Lord  shall  deliver  it  into  the  hand  of  the  king. 

^  And  ^Jehoshaphat  said.  Is  there  not  here  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  besides,  that 


Before 

CH  RIST 

897. 

a  2  Chron.  18.  2, 

S:c. 

b  Deut.  4.  43. 
t  Heb.  silent 
from  taking  it. 


c  2  Kings  3.  7. 


d  ch.  18.  19. 


e  2  Kings  3.  II. 


Ahab's  own  conduct.  To  a  tempoi-ary  and  superficial  repent- 
ance God  adapted  a  punisliment,  modified  by  certain  tem- 
porary and  local  incidents.  He  gave  him  a  promise  of  a 
prorogation  of  temporal  punishment  in  this  world,  but  He 
gave  him  no  promise  of  remission  of  future  and  eternal  punish- 
ment, which  is  the  proper  penalty  of  sin.  The  blood  of  Ahab's 
oivn  person  was  not  licked  by  dogs  at  Jezreel,  but  it  was  licked 
at  Samaria ;  and  his  blood  was  Ucked  at  Jezreel  in  the  person 
of  his  son  :  see  2  Kings  ix.  26. 

God  thus  showed  that  He  does  not  overlook  any  eflbrt, 
however  feeble,  toward  repentance.  He  is  compassionate  and 
merciful ;  He  does  not  break  the  bruised  reed,  nor  quench  the 
smoking  flax  (Isa.  xlii.  3.  Matt.  xii.  20) ;  "  He  cherishes  the 
least  sparks  of  goodness  in  any  one."  I3ut  by  giving  only  a 
temporary  and  local  modification  of  punishment  to  such  a 
superficial  and  transitory  repentance  as  that  of  Ahab,  He 
shows  that  the  repentance  for  which  He  looks  must  not  be 
superficial  and  transitory,  but  heartfelt  and  permanent.  And 
if  a  real  contrition  is  manifested  in  act,  then  He,  who  does 
not  despise  even  the  slightest  external  symptom  of  repentance, 
will  certainly  accept  and  reward  it  (see  Jer.  xviii.  7,  8. 
Ezek.  xviii.  21). 

The  history  of  Hezekiah  (2  Kings  xx.  1.  11)  and  of 
Nineveh  are  proofs  that  God's  judgments  are  denounced  con- 
ditionally, and  that  they  may  be  averted  by  repentance 
(Jonah  ili.  10). 

God  therefore  declared  by  this  saying  to  Elijah  (which 
was  probably  communicated  to  Ahab),  that  if  Ahab  would 
resolve  to  go  on  a  step  further  in  his  repentance,  and  if  he 
would  turn  to  God  with  his  whole  heart,  all  the  woes  denounced 
against  him  would  be  revoked. 

But  he  repented  of  his  repentance,  and  perished  (cp. 
S.  Ambrose  de  Nabuthe,  c.  17). 

(2)  As  to  the  second  question,  it  is  certain  that  God 
desires  that  all  men  should  be  saved  (Ezek.  xviii.  31;  xxxiii.  11. 
Matt,  xxiii.  37.  1  Tim.  ii.  4) ;  and  that  Ho  does  not  i^nnish 
children  by  what  are  properly  punishments,  viz.  sufferings  in 
another  world,  for  the  sins  of  their  parents  (see  Ezek.  xviii.  4. 
20 ;  and  note  above,  on  P3xod.  xx.  5) ;  and  that  God  well 
knew,  when  He  uttered  these  words,  that  tJte  son  of  Ahab, 
to  whom  they  referred  (let  us  observe  God  does  not  mention 
the  son's  name,  and  it  seems  that  Ahab  had  a  numerous  progeny, 
2  Kings  X.  1,  and  therefore  God  does  not  predestine  him  to  sin), 
would  not  be  moved  by  his  father's  miserable  end,  but  would 
do  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Loi-d  (2  Kings  iii.  3),  and  would 
deserve,  by  his  own  sins,  the  punishment  that  was  brought  on 
Ahab's  house  in  his  days.  And  it  is  certain,  that  if  Ahab's 
son  had  profited  by  this  warning,  as  God  intended  he  should 
do,  the  punishment  which  was  adjourned  upon  the  mere  tem- 
porary, superficial  repentance  of  Ahab  his  father,  would  have 
been  altogether  revoked  by  God.  See  below,  the  remarkable 
evidence  of  this  in  the  note  on  2  Kings  vi.  33. 

God  warns  men  of  coming  punishments,  not  in  order  that 
they  may  incur  them,  but  in  order  that  they  may  escape  them. 
If  God  did  not  despise  even  Ahab's  temporary  humiUation,  it 
is  clear  that  He  will  graciously  accept  all  genuine  repentance. 
He  rewarded  the  one  with  a  temporal  favour,  but  He  will  bless 
the  other  with  everlasting  happiness.  He  may  afflict  even 
the  penitent  sinner  with  temporary  chastisements  in  this  world  ; 
but  He  will  enable  him,  by  His  grace,  to  make  them  to  be 
occasions  of  growth  in  Christian  humility,  faith  and  patience, 

m 


hope  and  love.  He  may  visit  him  with  thorns  in  the  flesh 
for  sin ;  but  those  thorns  will  blossom  hereafter  into  roseate 
wreaths  of  glory  in  a  better  and  eternal  world. 

On  these  verses,  see  the  three  excellent  sermons  of 
Up.  Sanderso7i,  iii.  3 — 88. 

Ch.  XXII.  1.  three  gears']  After  the  defeat  of  Ben-hadad 
(xx.  29—31). 

2.  Jehoshaphat — came  doion  to  the  Jcing  of  Israel^  On  a 
friendly  visit,  having  united  his  son  Jehoram  in  marriage  with 
Ahab's  daughter,  Athaliah :  see  2  Kings  viii.  18;  and  2  Chron. 
xviii.  1,  2,  where  it  is  related  that  Ahab  made  a  great  enter- 
tainment for  him  and  his  retinue  at  Samaria. 

3.  Ramoth  in  Gilead^  About  twelve  miles  east  of  the  Jordan, 
and  thirty-five  south-east  of  Samaria  :  see  on  Deut.  iv.  43. 

—  we — the  king  of  Syria~\  Who,  it  would  seem,  had  promised 
to  restore  it  (see  xx.  34). 

4.  I  am  as  thou  art]  I  and  my  forces  are  at  thy  service  for 
the  war  (2  Chron.  xviii.  3). 

5.  Inquire — at  the  word  of  the  LoED  to  day']  How  is  it  to 
be  explained  that  Jehoshaphat  should  imagine  that  Ahab  would 
or  could  inquire  "  at  the  word  of  the  Lord  ?  " 

Jehoshaphat  had  doubtless  heard  of  Ahab's  former 
triumphant  campaign  against  the  same  nation  as  that  with 
which  he  was  about  to  contend,  Syria  (see  xx.  15 — 30) ;  and 
Jehoshaphat  had  heard  that  Ahab's  victory  over  Syria  had 
been  foretold  to  Ahab  by  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  (xx.  13.  22), 
and  that  it  had  been  achieved  by  a  miraculous  intervention  of 
Jehovah  in  Abab's  favour.  And  though  Ahab  had  been  guilty 
of  a  heinous  sin  in  the  mm'der  of  Naboth,  yet  he  had  shown 
tokens  of  repentance  (xxi.  28,  29).  Jehoshaphat,  therefore, 
hoped  that  God  would  again  interfere  on  Ahab's  side,  and  that 
He  would  encourage  him  against  Syria,  as  before. 

6.  Then  the  king  of  Israel  gathered  the  prophets  together] 
It  is  not  said  that  they  were  prophets  of  the  Lord,  nor  yet 
that  they  were  prophets  of  Baal.  One  who  performed  a  prin- 
cipal part  amongst  them,  Zedekiah,  derived  his  name  from 
Jehovah  (y.  11),  and  said,  "Thus  saith  the  Loed"  (t).  11). 
But,  as  a  body,  they  do  not  say,  that  "  the  LoED  will  deliver 
Ramoth-gilead  into  Ahab's  hand."  They  do  not  use  the  word 
Jehovah,  but  Adonai.  In  the  parallel  passage  of  Chronicles 
it  is  ha-Elohini  (2  Chron.  xviii.  5).  It  is  only  when  they  hear 
that  Micaiah  has  been  sent  for,  that  by  him  the  King  may 
inquire  of  the  Loed,  that  they  adopt  the  word  Jehovah 
(see  V.  12).  Jehoshaphat  does  not  openly  assert  that  they 
were  not  prophets  of  the  Lord,  as  they  probably  pretended  to 
be,  but  says,  "  I*  there  not  here  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  besides, 
that  we  might  inquire  of  him  ? "  Thy  prophets  have  spoken 
o^  Adonai  and  ISlohim;  but  what  does  Jehovah  say?  And 
Ahab  answers,  that  there  is  yet  one  man,  by  whom  we  may 
inquire  of  the  Loed. 

It  is  supposed  by  some  (ITengst.  i.  131;  Keil,  204; 
Bertheau,  Chronik.  335),  that  these  were  prophets  of  the 
golden  calves,  under  which  form  the  kings  of  Israel  pro- 
fessed to  worship  Jehovah  (xii.  28).  That  they  were  not  pro- 
phets of  the  Lord,  is  clear  from  what  Micaiah  says :  "  The 
Lord  hath  put  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  these  thy 
prophets  "  (».  23).  Cp.  Br.  Waterland,  Script.  Viud.,  p.  195, 
who  refutes  that  notion,  and  observes  that  they  prophesied 
smooth  things,  not  as  true  prophets,  but  "as  lying  parasites, 
and  flattering  sycophants."  Some  have  supposed  these  400 
M  2 


Micaiah, 


1  KINGS  XXII.  8—20. 


his  vision. 


Before 
CHRIST 

897. 


Or,  eunuch. 


t  Heb.  floor. 


f  Num.  22.  38. 


g  Matt.  9.  3G. 


hisa.  6.  1. 
Dan.  7.  9. 
i  Jobi.  6.  &  2.  1. 
Ps.  103.20,  21. 
Dan.  7.  10. 
Zech.  1.10. 
Matt.  18.  10. 
Heb.  1.  7,  14. 


we  might  inquire  of  him  ?  ^  And  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  Jehoshaphat, 
There  is  yet  one  man,  Micaiah  the  son  of  Imlah,  hy  whom  we  may  inquire 
of  the  Lord  :  but  I  hate  him ;  for  he  doth  not  prophesy  good  concerning 
me,  hut  eviL     And  Jehoshaphat  said,  Let  not  the  king  say  so. 

^  Then  the  king  of  Israel  called  an  ||  officer,  and  said.  Hasten  liither 
Micaiah  the  son  of  Imlah.  ^^And  the  king  of  Israel  and  Jehoshaphat  the 
king  of  Judah  sat  each  on  his  throne,  having  put  on  their  robes,  in  a  f  void 
place  in  the  entrance  of  the  gate  of  Samaria ;  and  all  the  prophets  prophe- 
sied before  them.  ^^And  Zedekiah  the  son  of  Chenaanah  made  him  horns 
of  iron :  and  he  said,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  With  these  slialt  thou  push 
the  Syrians,  until  thou  have  consumed  them.  ^'^kn([  all  the  prophets 
prophesied  so,  saying.  Go  up  to  Eamoth-gilead,  and  prosper :  for  the  Lord 
shall  deliver  it  into  the  king's  hand. 

^3  And  the  messenger  that  was  gone  to  call  Micaiah  spake  unto  him, 
saying.  Behold  now,  the  words  of  the  prophets  declare  good  unto  the  king 
with  one  mouth :  let  thy  word,  I  pray  thee,  be  like  the  word  of  one  of 
them,  and  speak  that  which  is  good.  ^'^  And  Micaiah  said.  As  the  Lord 
liveth,  Svhat  the  Lord  saith  unto  me,  that  will  I  speak.  ^^  So  he  came  to 
the  Idng. 

And  the  king  said  unto  him,  Micaiah,  shall  we  go  against  Ramoth-gilead  to 
battle,  or  shall  we  forbear  ?  And  he  answered  him,  Go,  and  prosper :  for  the 
Lord  shall  deliver  it  into  the  hand  of  the  king.  ^^  And  the  king  said  unto 
him.  How  many  times  shall  I  adjure  thee  that  thou  tell  me  nothmg  but  that 
ivhich  is  true  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  ?  ^^  And  he  said,  I  sav/  all  Israel 
^  scattered  upon  the  hills,  as  sheep  that  have  not  a  shepherd :  and  the  Lord 
said.  These  have  no  master :  let  them  return  every  man  to  his  house  in  peace. 
^^  And  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  Jehoshaphat,  Did  I  not  tell  thee  that  he 
would  prophesy  no  good  concerning  me,  but  evil  ?  ^^  And  he  said.  Hear  thou 
therefore  the  word  of  the  Lord  :  ''  I  saw  the  Lord  sitting  on  his  throne,  '  and 
all  the  host  of  heaven  standing  by  him  on  his  right  hand  and  on  his  left. 
20  And  the  Lord  said.  Who  shall  ||  persuade  Ahab,  that  he  may  go  up  and  fall 

II  Or,  deceive. 


to  be  the  same  as  the  400  prophets  of  Asherah,  who  were  fed 
at  Jezebel's  table  (xviii.  19) ;  but,  as  Waterland  observes,  it 
is  hardly  probable,  that  Ahab  would  have  insulted  Jehoshaphat 
by  bringing  the  prophets  of  Astarte  before  him. 

8.  yet  one  man]  The  false  prophets  at  Samaria  are  400, 
and  there  is  only  one  Micaiah :  the  prophets  of  Baal  at 
Carmel  were  400,  and  there  is  only  one  Elijah.  And  yet  some 
there  are,  who  would  measure  God's  truth  by  numerical 
majorities ! 

—  Micaiah']  A  very  appropriate  name,  meaning,  "  Who  is 
like  unto  Jehovah  ?" 

—  he  doth  not  prophesy  ffood]  And  Micaiah  was  therefore 
in  custody  (v.  26),  like  John  the  Baptist. 

9.  an  officer]  Heb.  saris :  see  Gen.  xxxvii.  36.  1  Sam. 
viii.  15. 

10.  a  void  place]  Heb.  goren ;  like  a  threshing-floor 
(Gen.  1.  10.     Judg.  vi.  37.     Qesen.  180). 

11.  ZedeTciah]  Whose  name  means,  righteousness  of  the 
Lord. 

—  With  these  shall  thou  push]  Even  Zedekiah,  the  false 
prophet,  derives  his  prophetic  symbols  and  imagery  from  Moses 
(see  Deut.  xxxiii.  17),  and  bears  testimony  to  the  Pentateuch 
(op".  Hengst.,  Auth.  i.  131,  132). 

11,  12.  Thus  saith  the  Lord— ^Ae  Loed  shall  deliver] 
Zedekiah  and  the  other  prophets,  having  heard  Jehoshaphat's 
question  {v.  7),  which  implied  some  doubt  as  to  their  pro- 
phetic commission,  and  that  Micaiah  was  sent  for,  that  the 
Loed  might  be  inquired  of  through  him,  now  take  upon  them- 
selves to  speak  in  the  name  of  the  Loed,  which  they  had  not 
84, 


done  before.  Compare  the  case  of  the  exorcists  in  Acts  xix.  13  ; 
and  2  Cor.  xi.  13—15. 

15.  Oo,  and  prosper]  Micaiah  imitates  the  irony  of  Elijah 
(xviii.  27). 

17.  as  sheep  that  have  not  a  shepherd]  Micaiah  adopts  the 
words  of  Moses  (Num.  xxvii.  16.     Cp.  Matt.  ix.  36). 

—  These  have  no  master :  let  them  return  every  man  to  his 
house  in  peace]  A  prophecy  fulfilled  by  Ahab's  fall,  and  the 
proclamation  consequent  upon  it :  "  Every  man  to  his  city, 
and  every  man  to  his  own  country"  {v.  36). 

Mioaiah's  Vision. 

19.  I  saw  the  Loed]  This  was  a  real  vision  of  the  Lord, 
like  that  vouchsafed  to  Isaiah  in  the  Temple  (Isa.  vi.  1),  and 
to  St.  John  in  Patmos  (Rev.  iv.  2 ;  v.  14.  Compare  Dan.  vii. 
9). 

20.  And  the  Loed  said,  Who  shall  persuade  Ahai]  Since, 
after  many  solemn  warnings,  and  merciful  expostulations,  and 
gracious  encouragements,  and  miraculous  deliverances,  Ahab 
had  utterlj'  forsaken  the  Lord,  and  wilfully,  presumptuously, 
and  obstinately  rebelled  against  Him,  and  had  "  sold  himself 
to  work  wickedness  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,"  that  is,  in  open 
defiance  of  Him,  therefore  the  Lord  now  punishes  him  by 
means  of  his  own  sin.  He  "  chooses  "  Ahab's  "  delusions  " 
as  the  means  of  Ahab's  destruction  (cp.  Isa.  Ixvi.  4),  and  makes 
Ahab's  own  backslidings  to  reprove  him  (Jer.  ii.  19),  "  Peccati 
poena  peccatum ;"  and  "  per  quod  quis  peccat,  per  idem  quoqne 
plectitur  idem."    Ahab  had  prefeiTed  lies  to  Ilim  Who  is  tho 


The  hjinfj  spirit. 


1  KINGS  XXII.  21—33.        The  battle  at  Ramoth-gilead, 


at  Ramoth-gilead  ?  And  one  said  on  tins  manner,  and  another  said  on  that 
manner,  ^i^^^  there  came  forth  a  spirit,  and  stood  before  the  Lord,  and 
said,  I  will  persuade  him.  ^^  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Wherewith  ?  And 
he  said,  I  will  go  forth,  and  I  will  be  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  all  his 
prophets.  And  he  said,  •"  Thou  shalt  persuade  him,  and  prevail  also  :  go  forth, 
and  do  so.  231  ;^q^  therefore,  behold,  the  Lord  hath  put  a  lying  spirit  in  the 
mouth  of  all  these  thy  prophets,  and  the  Lord  hath  spoken  evil  concerning  thee. 

-^  But  Zedekiah  the  son  of  Chenaanah  went  near,  and  smote  Micaiah  on  the 
cheek,  and  said,  "'  Which  way  went  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  from  me  to  speak 
unto  thee  ?  ^5  j^^  Micaiah  said.  Behold,  thou  shalt  see  in  that  day,  when 
thou  shalt  go  1|  into  f  an  inner  chamber  to  hide  thyself. 

2^  And  the  king  of  Israel  said.  Take  Micaiah,  and  carry  him  back  unto 
Amon  the  governor  of  the  city,  and  to  Joash  the  king's  son ;  ^^  j^^  g^y^  Thus 
saith  the  king,  Put  this  felloiv  in  the  prison,  and  feed  him  with  bread  of 
affliction  and  with  water  of  affliction,  until  I  come  in  peace.  -^  And  Micaiah 
said.  If  thou  return  at  all  in  peace,  "  the  Lord  hath  not  spoken  by  me.  And 
he  said.  Hearken,  0  people,  every  oile  of  you. 

"^  So  the  king  of  Israel  and  Jehoshaphat  the  king  of  Judah  went  up  to 
Ramoth-gilead.  ^^And  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  Jehoshaphat,  ||  I  will 
disguise  myself,  and  enter  into  the  battle ;  but  put  thou  on  thy  robes.  And 
the  king  of  Israel  °  disguised  himself,  and  went  into  the  battle.  ^^  But  the 
king  of  Syria  commanded  his  thirty  and  two  captains  that  had  rule  over  his 
chariots,  sajdng,  Fight  neither  with  small  nor  great,  save  only  with  the  king 
of  Israel.  ^•^And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  captains  of  the  chariots  saw 
Jehoshaphat,  that  they  said,  Surely  it  is  the  king  of  Israel.  And  they  turned 
aside  to  fight  against  him :  and  Jehoshaphat  ^  cried  out.     ^^  And  it  came  to 


Before 

CHRIST 

897. 


k  Judg.  9.  23. 
Job  12.  16. 
Ezek.  14.  9. 
2  Thess.  2.  11. 
1  Ezek.  14.  9. 


m  2  Chron.  18. 23. 


II  Or,  from 

chamber  lo 

chamber. 

t  Heb.  a  chamber 

in  a  chamber  J 

ch.  20.  30. 


n  Num.  16.  29. 
Deut.  18.  20,  21 
22. 


II  Or,  when  he 

was  to  disguise 

himself,  and 

enter  into  the 

battle. 

o  2  Chron.  35.  22. 


p  2  Chron.  18.  31. 
Prov.  13.  20. 


Truth ;  aud  He  Who  is  the  Truth,  will  make  the  Lies,  which 
Ahab  prefers,  to  be  the  instruments  of  punishing  him  who 
loves  them,  and  of  avenging  the  Cause  of  Him  Who  is  the  Truth. 

21.  a  spirit^  Literally,  the  Spirit, — the  Spirit  of  lying, 
whom  He,  Who  is  the  Truth,  has  declared  to  be  Satan  :  "  When 
he  spoaketh  a  lie,  he  speaketh  of  his  own ;  for  he  is  a  liar,  and 
the  father  of  it "  (John  viii.  44). 

In  the  Book  of  Job,  Satan  is  seen  as  allowed  to  present 
himself  in  the  courts  of  heaven  (Job  i.  6,  7 — 12;  ii.  2 — 7). 
And  it  is  not  till  after  the  Incarnation,  that  he  appears  to  have 
been  altogether  excluded  from  it,  so  as  to  be  now  limited  to 
the  lower  regions  of  the  air,  in  expectation  of  a  still  deeper 
downfall  at  the  Great  Day.  See  notes  below,  on  Matt.  viii.  29. 
Luke  viii.  31.     Eph.  ii.  2.     2  l\t.  ii.  4.     Jude  6. 

The  Evil  Spirit  is  here  represented  as  a  person;  and  to 
him  the  Holy  Spirit  is  opposed  as  a  Person  also  (Sp.  Pearson, 
Art.  viii.,  p.  310).  As  Milton  says  (Par.  Reg.  ii.),  in  a  speech 
to  Satan : — 

"  What  but  thy  malice  moved  thee  to  misdeem 
Of  righteous  Job,  then  cruelly  to  afflict  him 
With  aU  inflictions  ?  but  his  patience  won. 
The  other  service  was  thy  chosen  task. 
To  be  a  liar  in  four  hundred  mouths ; 
For  lying  is  thy  sustenance,  thy  food." 

22.  Thou  shalt  persuade  him,  and  prevail  also  :  go  forth'] 
God  is  not  the  Author  of  any  evil, — "  Non  est  Auctor  peccati 
cujus  est  Osor,  et  Ultor."  Rut  He  uses  evil  for  His  own  good 
purposes.  God  employed  an  evil  spirit  to  punish  Abimelech 
and  the  Shechcmites  for  their  sins  (see  Judg.  ix.  23).  God 
is  opposed  to  Satan,  and  He  denounces  punishment  in  His  law 
against  false  prophets  (Deut.  xiii.  5) ;  and  He  employs  Satan 
as  His  instrument  in  the  mouth  of  false  prophets,  for  punishing 
Ahab's  sin  in  forsaking  the  Truth,  and  in  loading  Israel  away 
from  God  to  the  service  of  idols,  and  in  selling  himself  as  a 
slave  to  Satan,  and  in  consulting  false  prophets :  "  Tophet  is 
ordained  of  old ;  yea,  for  the  king  it  is  prepared :  the  breath 
of  the  Lord  doth  kindle  it"  (Isa.  xxx.  33). 

The   reasons    of  this  divine  dealing   with  wilful    sinnei'S, 
85 


according  to  their  own  devices,  are  plainly  declared  in  a  re- 
markable passage  of  Ezekiel,  xiv.  1 — 11,  which  is  the  best 
commentary  on  this  history  of  Ahab.  Cp.  Theodoret,  Qu.  68 ; 
S.  Orej]orjj,  Moral,  ii.  16;  and  Angelomus,  p.  394;  and 
Waterland,  Script.  Vind.,  pp.  199,  200,  who  ably  refutes  the 
idle  suggestions  raised  by  some  against  this  history,  as  if  it  re- 
presented God  as  encouraging  wliat  was  evil.  Observe,  God 
would  have  saved  Ahab,  if  lie  would  be  saved,  from  the  power 
of  evil,  by  revealing  to  him,  through  the  faithful  and  courageous 
prophet,  Micaiah,  the  devices  of  the  Evil  One,  and  of  his  own 
prophets,  against  him. 

24.  smote  Micaiah  on  the  cheek]  As  Christ  was  smitten 
(Mark  xiv.  65).  Josephus  observes  (viii.  15.  4),  that  when 
Ahab  saw  that  no  evil  followed  to  Zedekiah  for  striking  Micaiah, 
he  was  emboldened  to  despise  Micaiah's  warning. 

25.  into  an  inner  chamber]  See  xx.  30. 

28.  Hearken,  O  people]  Literally,  Hearken,  all  ye  peoples. 
The  Prophet  Micaiah  appeals  to  all,  whether  present  or 
absent,  of  aU  nations,  "  Audite  populi  omnes  "  ( Vulg.).  He 
proclaims  that  Jehovah  is  Lord  of  all  the  world,  and  will  jirove 
Himself  to  be  so. 

The  prophet  Micah  marks  his  own  connexion  with  3Iicaiah, 
by  adopting  these  words  at  the  beginning  of  his  own  prophecy  : 
"  Hearken,  O  ye  people ;  hearken,  O  earth,  and  all  that 
therein  is  "  (Micah  i.  2). 

29.  and  Jehoshaphat  the  king  of  Judah]  Went  with  Ahab; 
for  which  he  was  afterwards  reproved  by  Jehu,  the  son  of 
Hanani  the  Seer :  see  2  Chron.  xix.  2. 

30.  /  will  disguise  myself,  and  enter]  On  the  syntax  of 
these  verbs,  which  are  in  the  infinitive  mood  in  the  original, 
see  Eivald,  §  328.  They  are  rightly  rendered  by  the  future 
indici  tive  in  the  Sept.,  as  in  our  Version. 

31.  thirty  and  two  captains]  Who  had  been  spared  by  Ahab  : 
cp.  above,  xx.  1.  16.  24. 

—  Fight — only  with  the  king  of  Israel:]  Who  had  spared  his 
life.    Thus  was  God  justified  :  see  above,  xx.  42. 

32.  Jehoshaphat  cried  out]  "And  the  Lord  helped  him, 
and  moved  them  to  depart  from  him"  (2  Chron.  xviii.  31). 

Jehoshaphat  was  clad  as  a  king  in  his  royal  robes ;  and 


The  boiv  drmvn  at  a  venture. 


1  KINGS  XXII.  34—46. 


Allah's  death. 


Before 
CHRIST 


f  Heb.  in  hit 
timpliciiy, 
2  Sam.  15.  11. 
+  Heb.  joints  and 
llie  breastplate. 
t  Heb.  made  sick. 
t  Heb.  ascended. 

t  Heb.  bosom. 


+  Heb.  came. 


qch.  21.  19. 
r  Amo.s  3.  15. 

897. 


914. 

Began  to  reign 
alone,  ver.  51. 
s  2  Chron.  20.  31. 


t  2  Chron.  17.  3. 


u  ch.  14.  23.  & 

15.  14. 

2  Kings  12.  3. 

X  2  Chron.  19.  2. 
2  Cor.  6.  14. 


y  ch.  14.  24.  & 
15.  12. 


pass,  when  the  captains  of  the  chariots  perceived  that  it  was  not  the  king  of 
Israel,  that  they  turned  back  from  pursuing  him.  ^"^  And  a  certain  man  drew  a 
bow  f  at  a  venture,  and  smote  the  king  of  Israel  between  the  f  joints  of  the 
harness :  wherefore  he  said  unto  the  driver  of  his  chariot,  Turn  thine  hand, 
and  carry  me  out  of  the  host ;  for  I  am  f  wounded.  ^^  And  the  battle  f  increased 
that  day :  and  the  king  was  stayed  up  in  his  chariot  against  the  Syrians,  and 
died  at  even :  and  the  blood  ran  out  of  the  wound  into  the  f  midst  of  the 
chariot.  ^^And  there  went  a  proclamation  throughout  the  host  about  the 
going  down  of  the  sun,  saying.  Every  man  to  his  city,  and  every  man  to  his 
own  country.  ^^  So  the  king  died,  and  f  was  brought  to  Samaria ;  and  they 
buried  the  king  in  Samaria.  ^^And  one  washed  the  chariot  in  the  pool  of 
Samaria ;  and  the  dogs  licked  up  his  blood ;  and  they  washed  his  armour ; 
according  '^  unto  the  word  of  the  Lord  which  he  spake. 

^^Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Ahab,  and  all  that  he  did,  and  ''the  ivory 
house  which  he  made,  and  all  the  cities  that  he  built,  are  they  not  written  in 
the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ?  ^°  So  Ahab  slept  with  his 
fathers  ;  and  Aliaziah  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

^'  And  '  Jehoshaphat  the  son  of  Asa  began  to  reign  over  Judah  in  the  fourth 
year  of  Aliab  king  of  Israel.  '^^Jehoshaphat  ivas  thirty  and  five  years  old 
when  he  began  to  reign ;  and  he  reigned  twenty  and  five  years  in  Jerusalem. 
And  his  mother's  name  was  Azubah  the  daughter  of  Shilhi.  ^^  And  *  he  walked 
in  all  the  ways  of  Asa  his  father ;  he  turned  not  aside  from  it,  doing  tliat  ivhich 
was  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord:  nevertheless  "the  high  places  were  not 
taken  away ;  for  the  people  ofiered  and  burnt  incense  yet  in  the  high  places. 
^^  And  '^  Jehoshaphat  made  peace  with  the  king  of  Israel. 

^^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  his  might  that  he  shewed, 
and  how  he  warred,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the 
kings  of  Judah  ?     ^^  ^  And  the  remnant  of  the  sodomites,  which  remained  in 


the  thirtj'-two  captains  of  Syria,  wlio  were  charged  to  fight 
with  Ahab,  and  him  only,  supposed  that  he  tons  Ahab,  and 
therefore  they  fought  against  him  ;  but  God  delivered  him 
from  them  all,  and  he  was  saved.  Ahab  was  not  clad  as  a  king 
in  his  royal  robes,  but  was  concealed  in  a  disguise,  but  God's 
hand  found  him  out,  and  he  was  smitten  and  died. 

34.  a  certain  man  dretv  a  how  at  a  venture^  Literally,  in  his 
simplicity,  as  the  same  Hebrew  phrase  is  rendered  in  2  Sam. 
XV.  11,  which  is  a  good  comment  on  this  passage. 

The  original  word  here  used  is  tarn,  which  is  often  ren- 
dered integrity,  and  sincerity.  See  Gen.  xx.  5, 6.  1  Kings  ix.  4. 
Ps.  xxvi.  1.  Prov.  XX.  7;  and  in  the  plural  is  Tkummim 
(Exod.  xxvili.  30.  Cp.  Gesen.  866).  This  archer  drew  his  bow 
at  a  distance,  with  no  intent  of  harm  to  Ahab ;  and  all  the 
thirty  two  captains  of  the  Syrians  waged  war  with  Ahab,  and 
him  only  {v.  31).  But  in  order  to  show  that  it  was  God's  doing 
that  Ahab  fell,  and  that  the  Syrians  should  not  boast  of  their 
success,  the  arrow  shot  from  a  distance  was  the  instrument  of 
destruction  to  Ahab,  against  whom  all  the  hands  of  the  thirty- 
two  captains  were  directed  in  close  fight. 

—  between  the  joints  of  the  harness^  Literally,  between  the 
junctures  (of  the  coat  of  mail)  and  the  coat  of  mail  {Le  Clerc, 

Gesen.,  Thenius,  Bertheau,  Keil).  As  if  the  arrow  had  been 
aimed  by  an  unerring  hand,  as  indeed  it  was ;  for  it  was  from 
the  hand  of  Him,  Who  has  bent  His  bow,  and  made  it  ready, 
and  has  ordained  His  arrows  against  the  persecutors  (Ps.  vii. 
13, 14). 

35.  the  battle  increased']  Rose,  like  a  flood. 

—  was  stayed  up  in  his  chariot]  Was  kept  standing  in  his 
chariot,  to  animate  his  troops,  and  to  prevent  them  from  flying ; 
■*'hen  he  ought  to  have  been  kneeling  in  penitential  prayer 
to  God,  into  whose  presence  he  was  going. 

36.  Every  man  to  his  city'''   See  above,  v,  17. 
86 


38.  the  dogs  licked  up  his  blood]  See  on  xxi.  19. 

—  they  washed  his  armour]  So  Targum,  Syr. ;  and  Viilg. 
has  "habenas  laverunt."  But  the  Hebrew  words  are  haz- 
zonoth  rachdtsu,  and  the  Hebrew  zonoth  is  the  participle 
feminine  poel  from  zanah,  to  commit  fornication  {Gesen.  249), 
and  signifies  harlots,  and  hence  the  Sept.  has  al  irSpvai  iXoicravro 
4v  t£  alfiari  (cp.  Sept.,  xx.  10).  On  the  word  rachats,  to 
wash  oneself,  see  Exod.  iv.  5.  Num.  xix.  19.  Ruth  iii.  3. 
2  Kings  V.  10.     Gesen.  766. 

On  the  whole,  the  sense  seems  to  be  : — such  was  the  demo- 
ralization and  profligacy  which  were  produced  in  Israel  by 
Ahab's  rule,  and  such  was  the  miserable  end  of  King  Ahab,  who 
had  forsaken  God  for  idolatry,  which  is  spiritual  harlotry ;  and 
such  was  the  indifference  and  unconcern  which  the  people  of  his 
own  capital  city  showed  at  the  death  of  their  King,  that,  instead 
of  mourning  for  him,  they  allowed  the  dogs  to  lick  his  blood, 
and  even  the  harlots  of  his  metropolis  bathed  themselves  in  the 
pool  wherein  his  blood  was  washed  oft'  from  his  chariot :  cp. 
Josephus,  viii.  15.  6;  and  Theodoret,  Qu.  68,  who  says,  that 
"  the  harlots  went  to  bathe  themselves  in  the  pool,  according  to 
their  custom,  although  at  that  time  it  was  stained  by  the  blood 
of  the  King  "  (see  R.  Levi,  Luther,  Pfeiffer,  and  Keil). 

39.  ivory  house]  i.  e.  inlaid  with  ivory  (x.  18),  probably  at 
Samaria.  Cp.  Amos  iii.  15 ;  and  above,  x.  18.  22,  concerning 
the  ivory  throne  of  Solomon,  and  the  ivory  imported  by  him. 

40.  Ahaziah]  This  name  Ahaziah  {helped  by  Jehovah),  given 
to  the  son  of  Ahab,  and  the  name  of  his  other  son,  Jehoram 
{exalted  by  Jehovah),  are  evidences  that,  though  Ahab  the 
husband  of  Jezebel  worshipped  Baal,  yet  he  did  not  cast  off" 
altogether  his  belief  in  Jeliovah. 

44.  made  peace]    And   even   married   his    son    Jehoram  to 
Athaliah,  a  daughter  of  Ahab.     2  Chron.  xviii.  1. 
46.  the  sodomites]  See  xiv.  24. 


JcJioshaphat's  ships. 


1  KINGS  XXII.  47—53. 


Ahaziah,  the  son  of  Ahah. 


the  days  of  Ms  father  Asa,  he  took  out  of  the  land.     '^'^^  There  ivas  then  no     chrTst 
king  in  Edom  :  a  deputy  was  king.  ,  Gen.'2'5;23. 

^^  ^  Jehoshaphat  || "  made  ships  of  Tharshish  to  go  to  Ophir  for  gold :  ^  but  I  K^shU:  & 
they  went  not ;    for  the   ships  were  broken  at  ^  Ezion-geber.     ^^  Then   said  ^  2  chron.  20. 35, 
Ahaziah  the  son  of  Ahab  unto  Jehoshaphat,  Let  my  servants  go  with   thy  I'^f ^;  ^""^  *"* 
servants   in  the  ships.     But  Jehoshaphat  would  not.     ^^And  ^  Jehoshaphat  c  2  chron"2o.  37. 
slept  mth  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  with  his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David  liis  e2Chron^2i.i. 
father :  and  Jehoram  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead.  now  he  begins 

^' ^Ahaziah  the  son  of  Ahab  began  to  reign  over  Israel  in  Samaria  the  f^erlTo.'' °"^' 

898. 

seventeenth  year  of  Jehoshaphat  king  of  Judah,  and  reigned  two  years  over 
Israel.     ■^-And  he  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  ^walked  in  the  way  gch.  15. 26. 
of  his  father,  and  in  the  way  of  his  mother,  and  in  the  way  of  Jeroboam  the 
son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin  :  ^^  For  ''  he  served  Baal,  and  worshipped  ch^'Ie^sf;  "• 
him,  and  provoked  to  anger  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  according  to  all  that  his 
father  had  done. 


47.  no  Icing  in  Edoni]  As  there  was  afterwards  in  Jeboram's 
days  (2  Kings  viii.  20).  This  is  mentioned  to  account  for 
Jehoshaphat's  naval  works  at  Ezion-geber  («.  48).  It  appears 
that  in  Jehoshaphat's  day  they  had  rebelled  against  Judah,  and 
were  conquered  by  him  (2  Chron.  xx.  10 — 23). 

—  a  deputi/^  A  viceroy,  set  over  them  by  the  King  of  Judah. 

48.  shij)s  of  Tliarshish'\  Not  to  go  to  Tharshish  (on  which 
see  above,  at  x.  22),  but  such  ships  as  traded  wnth  Tharshish, 
and  on  account  of  their  bulk  were  called  "  ships  of  Tharshish  " 
{Gesen.  64.  875;  Keil,  p.  112). 

—  to  go  to  Ophir']  Probably  in  Arabia.  See  above,  on  ix.  28 ; 
X.  22. 

—  at  Ezion-geber]  By  a  storm,  in  that  harbour  of  the  Red 
Sea,  where  they  were  launched.     See  on  ix.  26. 

If  we  combine  this  narrative  with  that  in  2  Chron.  xx. 
33 — 37,  we  learn  the  following  facts : — 

(1)  That  Jehoshaphat, — whose  son,  Jehoram,  had  married 
Athaliah,  Ahab's  daughter, — had  associated  himself  with  Aha- 
ziah, the  son  of  Ahab,  King  of  Israel,  "  who  did  very  wickedly;" 
and  that  Jehoshaphat  had  joined  himself  with  him  to  make 
ships  to  go  to  Tharshish,  or  Tartessus,  in  Spain ;  and  that  those 
ships  were  built  in  Jehoshaphat's  dockyard  at  Ezion-geber  on 
the  Red  Sea,  and  were  probably  designed  to  be  transported  to 
the  Mediterranean,  across  the  Isthmus  of  Suez.     For  evidence 


of  this  practice,  see  below,  on  2  Chron.  viii.  18 ;  Keil,  iiber  d. 
Hiram-Salomon  Schiff-fahrt,  p.  9. 

(2)  That  Eliezer,  the  son  of  Dodavah  of  Mareshah,  prophe- 
sied against  Jehoshaphat,  on  account  of  this  association  \vith 
Ahaziah,  and  said,  "  The  Lord  hath  broken  thy  works  :  and  the 
ships  were  broken,  that  they  were  not  able  to  go  to  Tharshish." 

This  is  what  we  learn  from  the  Chronicles.  From  the 
narrative  before  us  in  the  Kings  we  gather — 

(3)  That  Jehoshaphat  also  made  ships  of  Tharshish  (i.  e. 
ships  like  those  which  plied  in  the  Mediterranean  in  the  trade 
with  Tharshish)  to  go  to  Ophir,  in  Arabia,  for  gold ;  and  these 
ships  also  were  broken  in  his  dockyard  at  Ezion-geber  in  the 
Red  Sea.  Probably  this  was  a  divine  judgment  upon  him  for 
his  former  association  with  Ahaziah. 

(4)  That  after  this  calamity,  Ahaziah  the  son  of  Ahab 
requested  Jehoshaphat  to  allow  his  servants  to  go  with  those  of 
Jehoshaphat  in  the  ships.  But  Jehoshaphat  (warned  by  the 
double  catastrophe)  declined  the  offer. 

The  reading  in  the  margin  here,  "  ten  ships,"  arises  from 
a  confusion  of  the  Hebrew  asar  (for  eser,  ten)  and  asah  (he 
made).  The  former  is  the  chetib,  the  latter  the  keri,  and  is 
dovibtless  correct. 

51.  the  seventeenth  year]    On  the   supposed   chronological 
difficulty,  see  below,  2  Kings  i.  17. 


87 


THE   SECOND  BOOK  OF  THE   KINGS, 


COMMONLY   CALLED 


THE   FOURTH  BOOK   OF   THE   KINGS. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

S9ti. 

a  2  Sam.  8.  2. 

b  ch.  3.  5. 

c  1  Sam.  5.  10. 


t  Heb.  The  bed 
whither  Ihnu  art 
yone  up,  thou 
shall  not  come 
down  from  il 


I.  1  THEN  Moab  ''rebelled  against  Israel  "after  the  death  of  Ahab.  2 And 
Aliaziah  fell  down  through  a  lattice  in  his  upper  chamber  that  was  in  Samaria, 
and  was  sick :  and  he  sent  messengers,  and  said  unto  them.  Go,  inquire  of 
Baal-zebub  the  god  of  "Ekron  whether  I  shall  recover  of  this  disease.  ^But 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  said  to  Elijah  the  Tishbite,  Arise,  go  up  to  meet  the 
messengers  of  the  king  of  Samaria,  and  say  unto  them.  Is  it  not  because  tliere 
is  not  a  God  in  Israel,  that  ye  go  to  inquire  of  Baal-zebub  the  god  of  Ekron  ? 
■*  Now  therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord,  f  Thou  shalt  not  come  down  from  that 
bed  on  which  thou  art  gone  up,  but  shalt  surely  die,     And  Elijah  departed. 

^  And  when  the  messengers  turned  back  unto  him,  he  said  unto  them.  Why 
are  ye  now  turned  back  ?  ^  And  they  said  unto  him,  There  came  a  man  up  to 
meet  us,  and  said  unto  us,  Go,  turn  again  unto  the  king 'that  sent  you,  and 
say  unto  him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Is  it  not  because  there  is  not  a  God  in 
Israel,  tliat  thou  sendest  to  inquire  of  Baal-zebub  the  god  of  Ekron  ?  therefore 
thou  shalt  not  come  down  from  that  bed  on  which  thou  art  gone  up,  but  shalt 
surely  die.  ^  And  he  said  unto  them,  f  What  manner  of  man  was  he  which 
came  up  to  meet  you,  and  told  you  these  words  ?  ^  x\nd  they  answered  him, 
zech.13.4.  f/g  jy^5  d^n  hairy  man,  and  girt  with  a  girdle  of  leather  about  his  loins.  And 
he  said,  It  is  Elijah  the  Tishbite. 


+  Heb.  What  was 
the  manner  of  the 
man. 


d  See 
Matt. 


For  an  Introduction  to  this  Book,  see  before,  1  Kings. 
Ch.  I.  1.  Moab  rebelled  affainst  Israel^  To  whom  they  had 
been  subjected  under  David  (2  Sam.  viii.  2;  xxiii.  20).     Aha- 
ziah  could  not  reduce  them  to  subjection,  because  he  himself 
was  disabled  by  the  fall  here  mentioued. 

2.  J'ell — through  a  lattice^  through  the  lattice,  the  sebacah, 
literally  network  (1  Kiiia:s  vii.  17,  18.  20.  2  Kings  xxv.  17. 
Gesen.  783)  of  the  window  of  his  upper  chamber,  ally  yah, 
to  which  he  resorted  for  air,  refreshment,  and  the  prospect. 
See  Judg.  iii.  20,  and  on  1  Kings  xvii.  19,  and  below,  iv.  10. 

—  Baal-zebub']  The  Baal,  or  lord  of  the  fly,  from  Heb. 
zebtib,  a  fly  {Gesen.  237),  and  so  called  either  as  destroyer  of 
flies  {Gesen.  131;  Fiterst,  383,  and  so  Seidell,  Winer,  and 
Movers),  or  as  represented  in  that  form,  as  /j.v7a  6ehs  (so 
here) ;  and  since  the  appearance  of  insects  was  supposed  to 
prognosticate  physical  phenomena,  therefore  the  Fly-god  was 
imagined  to  have  a  prophetic  power  (Stark,  Keil). 

The  later  Jews  modified  the  name  Baal-zebub  into  Beel- 
zebub and  Beel-zebul  (Lord  of  the  heavenly  habitations),  and 
the  Rabbis  changed  it  into  Beel-zelel,  dominus  stercoris  {Light- 
foot  on  Matt.  xii.  24). 

—  Ekron']  Now  Akir,  the  most  northern  of  the  five  Philistine 
cities.     See  Josh.  xiii.  3. 

3.  the  angel  of  the  Lord]  See  on  Exod.  iii.  2.  The  Second 
Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity  directs  the  actions  of  Elijah,  as 
He  had  directed  those  of  Moses. 


—  because  there  is  not  a  God  in  Israel]  God  not  only 
invites  "  ut  petas,  sed  minatur  si  non  petas ;"  for  if  we  ask  of 
any  but  Him  He  is  angry,  as  He  was  with  this  King  of  Israel, 
and  Christ  was  oftended  with  the  disciples  for  not  asking  (John 
xvi.  2-i).  We  must  not  cease  our  suit,  but  say  witli  Jacob,  non 
dimittam  Te  (Gen.  xxxii.  26);  we  must  bo  instant,  as  the 
Canaanite  woman  was  (Matt.  xv.  26,  27) ;  we  must  be  earnest, 
as  he  that  came  at  midnight  to  borrow  bread  (Luke  xi.  5),  and 
importunate,  as  the  widow  with  the  Judge  (Luke  xviii.  5.  Bp. 
Andrewes,  v.  331). 

4.  therefore  thus  saith  the  Loed]  "  They  that  observe  lying 
vanities  forsake  their  own  mercy  "  (.Jonah  ii.  8).  The  King  was 
punished  with  death  for  forsaking  the  Lord,  and  inquiring  of 
Baal-zebub. 

5.  the  messengers  turned  back]  Awe-struck  with  the  presence 
of  Elijah,  whom  they  did  not  know.  Compare  the  eSects  of  our 
Lord's  presence  and  aspect.  Matt.  xxi.  12.  Mark  x.  32.  John 
xviii.  6. 

8,  an  hairy  man, — girt  toith  a  girdle  of  leather]  That  is,  clad 
in  a  hairy  garment.  The  mantle,  or  /utjXojttj,  mentioned  above, 
see  1  Kings  xix.  13  :  cp.  below,  ii.  8.  Zech.  xiii.  4.  Heb.  xi.  37. 
The  Aba  or  Meshleh  of  the  Arabs  is  often  "made  of  black 
sackcloth,  of  goat's  or  camel's  hair,  very  large,  so  that  the  owner 
wraps  himself  in  it  to  sleep"  {Thomson,  L.  and  B.,  p.  117).  So 
John  the  Baptist,  who  "  came  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias," 
is  described  as  having  his  raiment  of  camel's  hair,  and  a  leathern 


Tlie  two  fifties  are  consumed. 


2  KINGS  I.  9— IG. 


The  third  is  spared. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
896. 


^  Then  the  kmg  sent  unto  him  a  captain  of  fifty  with  his  fifty.  And  he  went 
lip  to  him :  and,  behold,  he  sat  on  the  top  of  an  hill.  And  he  spake  unto  him. 
Thou  man  of  God,  the  king  hath  said,  Come  down.  ^^And  Elijah  answered 
and  said  to  the  captain  of  fifty,  HI  he  Si  man  of  God,  then  ^  let  fire  come  down  ^  Lute  9. 54. 
from  heaven,  and  consume  thee  and  thy  fifty.  And  there  came  down  fire  from 
heaven,  and  consumed  him  and  his  fifty.  ^^  Again  also  he  sent  unto  him 
another  captain  of  fifty  with  his  fifty.  And  he  answered  and  said  unto  him, 
0  man  of  God,  thus  hath  the  king  said.  Come  down  quickly.  ^"  And  Elijah 
answered  and  said  unto  them.  If  I  6^  a  man  of  God,  let  fire  come  do^vn  from 
heaven,  and  consume  thee  and  thy  fifty.  And  the  fire  of  God  came  down  from 
heaven,  and  consumed  him  and  his  fifty.  ^^  And  he  sent  again  a  captain  of  the 
third  fifty  with  his  fifty.  And  the  third  captain  of  fifty  went  up,  and  came  and 
f  fell  on  his  knees  before  Elijah,  and  besought  him,  and  said  unto  him,  0  man  +  "^ij-  »o«'^''- 
of  God,  I  pray  thee,  let  my  life,  and  the  life  of  these  fifty  thy  servants,  '^be  fisam. 26.21 
precious  in  thy  sight.  ^^  Behold,  there  came  fire  do^vn  from  heaven,  and  burnt 
up  the  two  captains  of  the  former  fifties  with  their  fifties  :  therefore  let  my  life 
now  be  precious  in  thy  sight.  ^^  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  said  unto  Elijah, 
Go  down  with  him  :  be  not  afraid  of  him.  And  he  arose,  and  went  down  with 
him  unto  the  king.     ^^And  he  said  unto  him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Foras- 


girdle,  not  one  of  soft,  costly  materuils,  about  his  loins  (Matt. 
iii.  4.     Mark  i.  6). 

9.  lie  sat  on  the  top  of  an  hill'\  Rather,  he  was  sitting  (or 
abiding)  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  probably  Carmel.  Cp.  ii.  25  j 
and  1  Kings  xviii.  42. 

The  Fire  trom  Heaven. 

10.  Elijah  answered  —  there  came  dotvn  fire  from  heaven,  and 
consumed  him  and  his  fiftif\  From  the  words  of  Elijah,  and 
from  the  act  of  God  Himself,  signifying  His  divine  ajjproval  of 
those  words,  and  giving  effect  to  them,  we  may  conclude  that 
the  language  and  action  of  this  captain  and  his  fifty  were  the 
language  and  action  of  defiance  and  insult  to  Elijah  and  to 
Jehovah.  This  cajjtain  did  not  come  with  a  friendly  invitation, 
and  to  receive  counsel  from  Elijah,  but  with  a  hostile  force,  to 
aiTcst  him.  The  presence  of  the  band  of  fifty  was  tantamount  to 
a  condemnation  of  the  ca])tain,  who  had  probably  heard  of  the 
message  of  reproof  which  Elijah  had  sent  to  the  King  («».  5,  6). 
The  temper  and  behaviour  of  the  captain  and  his  company  may 
be  inferred  from  the  punishment  inflicted  on  them  by  God. 
The  fire  is  called  "  the  fire  of  God  "  {v.  12),  and  all  censures  of 
Elijah  here  are  in  fact  (as  Theodoret  and  Waterland  observe) 
"cavils  against  Elijah's  God,"  Who  would  not  have  given  effect 
to  Elijah's  words,  if  those  words  had  been  words  of  private 
revenge,  and  not  of  the  zeal  of  Elijah,  as  a  "  man  of  God,"  for 
the  glory  of  God,  Whose  prophet  he  was,  and  Wliose  command 
he  had  obeyed  in  denouncing  the  sin  of  King  Ahaziah  who  had 
sent  to  inquire  of  Baal-zebub  instead  of  Jehovah,  and  who  now 
desired  to  punish  Elijah  for  his  faithfulness  in  denouncing  that 
sin  (cp.  Waterland,  Scrip.  Vind.,  p.  158). 

Not  in  his  own  defence  could  Elijah  have  been  the  death  of 
so  many ;  but  God,  by  a  peculiar  instinct,  made  him  an  instru- 
ment of  His  just  vengeance  {Bp.  Hall). 

It  has,  indeed,  been  alleged,  that  our  Blessed  Lord  Him- 
self, in  Luke  ix.  54—56,  "turned  away  with  indignation  from 
the  remembrance  of  this  act  of  Elijah,  and  that  act  of  Elijah  was 
repudiated  for  ever  by  Christ"  {Stanley,  Lect.,  p.  292). 

But  is  not  this  an  unjust  sentence  on  Elijah,  and  on  Elijah's 
God? 

Our  Blessed  Lord  did  not  blame  this  act  of  Elijah.  No ; 
but  He  blamed  the  two  disciples,  who  dishonoured  Elijah,  by 
endeavouring  to  pervert  his  act  into  a  precedent  for  a  proposal 
which  was  altogether  dissimilar  to  that  act  of  Elijah,  in  all  the 
circumstances  of  the  case. 

It  is  the  calling  that  varies  the  spirit.  Elijah  was  God's 
minister  for  executing  His  divine  judgment.  The  two  disciples 
were  but  the  servants  of  their  own  anger.  There  was  a  fire  in 
their  breasts  which  God  had  never  kindled ;  far  was  it  from  the 
Saviour  of  the  world  to  second  their  earthly  fire  with  His  hea- 
venly {Bp.  Hall). 

Even  in  the  New  Testament  we  read,  "  Our  God  is  a  con- 
89 


suming  fire  "  (Heb.  xii.  29).  And  it  is  said  of  His  Witnesses, 
that  "fire  cometh  out  of  their  mouth  to  consume  their  enemies" 
(Rev.  xi.  5) ;  and  God,  Who  avenged  by  fire  the  honour  of 
Elijah  and  His  own,  will  hereafter  declare  His  wrath  and  in- 
dignation against  sin  at  the  Great  Day,  when  "  the  Lord  Jesus 
will  be  revealed  from  heaven  with  His  mighty  Angels  in  flaming 
fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey 
not  the  Gospel  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who  shall  be  punished 
with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and 
from  the  glory  of  His  power"  (2  Thess.  i.  9.  See  also  Matt.  xxv. 
5.     Mark  ix.  43—46). 

11,  12.  Come  doivn  quickly — the  fire  of  God  came  down  from 
heaven,  and  consumed  him  and  his  fifty'\  The  language  and 
conduct  of  the  second  captain  and  his  company  were  more  auda- 
cious than  that  of  the  former.  They  hardened  their  hearts 
against  the  warning  of  God  speaking  from  heaven  by  the  judg- 
ment on  their  predecessors.  Their  language  was  even  more 
imperious,  "  Come  down  quickly." 

Lest  any  one  should  censure  the  words  of  Elijah,  it  is  said 
by  the  Sacred  Historian,  that  "the  fire  of  God"  came  down 
and  consumed  them.  God  confirmed  Elijah's  words  by  a  miracle: 
see  on  v.  10. 

13.  he  sent  again~\  Such  was  his  obstinacy. 

—  the  third  captain  offifty~\  Here  is  a  corroboration  of  the 
narrative  of  the  two  miracles  just  described.  The  third  captain 
did  not  trust  in  the  power  of  his  fifty ;  he  did  not  venture  to 
ask  Elijah  to  come  down,  but  went  humbly  to  him,  and  came 
and  fell  on  his  knees  before  him,  and  besought  him,  "  0  man  of 
God,  I  pray  thee,  let  my  life,  and  the  life  of  these  thy  servants 
(he  docs  not  call  them  the  King's  servants,  but  Elijah's),  be  pre- 
cious in  thy  sight ;"  and  he  refers  to  the  two  former  judgments 
as  the  ground  of  his  request.  He  confesses  that  those  two  judg- 
ments were  from  God ;  and  therefore  he  comes  not  as  an  enemy, 
but  as  a  suppliant,  and  sues,  not  for  the  prophet's  surrender  of 
himself,  but  for  his  o\vn  life.  Elijah,  by  acceding  to  his  peti- 
tion, and  alstf  by  going  down  with  him,  at  the  bidding  of  the 
Angel  of  the  Lord,  shows  ivhat  would  have  been  his  own  con- 
duct to  the  tioo  former  captains,  if  their  language  and  de- 
meanour had  been  such  as  were  due  to  the  prophet  of  the 
Lord. 

15.  7ie  arose,  and  went  dotun"]  Observe  Elijah's  faith  and 
coui'age.  He  does  not  ask.  What  safety  can  there  be  in  such  a 
journey  as  this  ?  Shall  I  put  myself  into  the  hands  of  rude 
soldiers,  and  of  an  enraged  King  ?  He  knew  that  the  same 
God  who  had  fought  for  him  on  the  hill,  would  protect  him  iu 
the  plain  ;  and  he  goes  boldly  to  the  court  of  Ahaziah,  and  fear- 
lessly denounces  God's  judgments  against  him.  When  in  the 
King's  presence,  he  does  not  bate  a  jot  of  the  message  which 
he  had  sent  to  him  by  his  servants ;  he  repeats  the  same  words, 
and  he  goes  away  unharmed ;  for  "  God  was  with  him,"  and  th« 
"  hearts  of  Kings  are  in  God's  hands." 


JeJioram  succeeds  Ahaziah.      2  KINGS  I.  17,  18.    II.  1 — 4.     The  Lord  will  take  up  Elijah. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

896. 


896. 

II  The  second 
year  that 
Jehoram  was 
Prorex,  and  the 
eighteenth  of 
Jehoshtiphat, 
ch.  3.  1. 


a  Gen.  5.  24. 

I)  1  Kings  19.  21. 

c  See  Ruth  1.15, 

16. 

d  I  Sam.  I.  26. 

v(ir  4,  6. 

cli.  4.  30. 

e  1  Kings  20.  35. 

ver.  5,  ',  15. 

ch.  4.  1,  38.  & 

9.  1. 


much  as  thou  hast  sent  messengers  to  inquire  of  Baal-zebub  the  god  of  Ekron, 
is  it  not  because  there  is  no  God  in  Israel  to  inquire  of  his  word  ?  therefore  thou 
shalt  not  come  down  off  that  bed  on  which  thou  art  gone  up,  but  shalt  surely 
die. 

^'^  So  he  died  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  which  Elijah  had  spoken. 
And  II  Jehoram  reigned  in  his  stead  in  the  second  year  of  Jehoram  the  son  of 
Jehoshaphat  king  of  Judah  ;  because  he  had  no  son.  ^^  Now  the  rest  of  the 
acts  of  Ahaziah  which  he  did,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles 
of  the  kings  of  Israel  ? 

II.  ^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  Lord  would  ^  take  up  Elijah  into  heaven 
by  a  whirlwind,  that  Elijah  went  with  ''Elisha  from  Gilgal.  ^^^d  Elijah  said 
unto  Elisha,  "  Tarry  here,  I  pray  thee ;  for  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  Beth-el. 
And  Elisha  said  unto  him,  As  the  Lord  liveth,  and  ''  as  thy  soul  liveth,  I  will 
not  leave  thee.  So  they  went  down  to  Beth-el.  ^And  Uhe  sons  of  the  pro- 
phets that  ivere  at  Beth-el  came  forth  to  Elisha,  and  said  unto  him,  Knowest 
thou  that  the  Lord  will  take  away  thy  master  from  thy  head  to  day  ?  And  he 
said.  Yea,  I  know  it ;  hold  ye  your  peace.  "^  And  Elijah  said  unto  him,  EHsha, 
tarry  here,  I  pray  thee ;  for  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  Jericho.     And  he  said. 


17.  Jehoram  reigned  in  his  stead  in  the  second  year  of  Je- 
horam the  son  of  Jehoshaphat^  To  this  statement  it  has  been 
objected — 

(1)  That,  according  to  iii.  1,  Jehoram,  King  of  Israel,  began 
to  reign  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  Jehoshaphat  himself. 

To  this  it  may  be  replied,  that  Jehoshaphat  associated  his 
son  Jehoram  as  co-regent  with  himself,  in  the  seventeenth  year 
of  his  reign. 

To  this,  however,  it  is  objected — 

(2)  That,  according  to  viii.  16,  Jehoram,  King  of  Judah, 
began  to  reign  in  the  fifth  year  of  Jehoram,  King  of  Israel,  that 
is,  in  the  twenty-third  of  the  reign  of  his  own  father,  Jehosha- 
phat, inasmuch  as  Jehoshaphat,  according  to  1  Kings  xxii.  42, 
compared  with  2  Kings  iii.  1,  died  in  the  seventh  year  of  Jeho- 
ram, King  of  Israel. 

To  this  it  may  be  replied,  that 

Jehoshaphat  made  two  cessions  of  sovereignty  to  his  son 
Jehoram  ;  one  partial  and  temporary,  the  other  total  and  final. 
The  first  was  made  in  the  seventeenth  year  of  his  reign,  because 
he  then  quitted  Jerusalem  in  order  to  joinAhab  in  the  campaign 
against  the  Syrians  (1  Kings  xxii.)  ;  he  then  left  his  son  Jeho- 
ram as  Viceroy  in  his  absence.  But  in  the  twenty-third  year 
of  his  reign,  Jehoshaphat  associated  his  son  Jehoram  with  him 
in  the  entire  sovereignty,  and  therefore  the  eight  years  of  that 
son  are  not  to  be  reckoned  from  Jehoshaphat's  death,  but  from 
the  twenty-third  year  of  his  reign,  two  years  before  his  death 
(cp.  XTssher,  Annales,  A.  M.  3106,  3112.  Lightfoot's  Chronicle, 
Works,  1.  83,  81,  following  the  Seder  Olam.  Bp.  Patrick  on 
viii.  16, 17 ;  and  Keil,  pp.  215,  216.  Fynes  Clinton,  Fasti,  i.  315). 

—  because  he  had  no  son']  Because  Ahaziah,  the  son  of  Ahab, 
had  no  son,  therefore  Jehoram  his  brother,  another  son  of  Ahab, 
succeeded  hiin  in  the  throne  of  Israel. 

Cn.  II.  1.  when  the  LoED  ivotild  take  up  Elijah  into  heaven 
by  a  whirliuind~\  God  revealed  His  intention  of  doing  so  (see 
vv.  3.  5),  in  order  that  the  assumption  of  Elijah  into  heaven 
might  be  known  to  be  God's  doing,  and  that  Jehovah  (not 
Baal :  see  on  1  Kings  xvii.  1)  might  be  owned  as  Lord  of  the 
elements  ;  and  that  God's  approval  of  Elijah's  faithfulness  might 
be  more  manifest;  and  that  Elisha  and  the  sons  of  the  pro- 
phets might  be  witnesses  of  the  wonderful  event,  and  be  encou- 
raged to  tread  in  Elijah's  steps ;  and  that  all  of  every  age  might 
be  confirmed  in  the  true  faith. 

The  Hebrew  Church  was  then  in  a  degenerate  condition, 
and  God  would  give  a  clear  proof  of  a  future  life,  and  draw  off 
the  minds  of  men  from  doting  on  the  things  of  this  world,  and 
prepare  them  for  another  life.  He  would  also  lead  them  to  look 
forward  to  the  Gospel ;  and,  in  the  translation  of  Elijah,  He 
would  give  them  a  type  of  Christ's  Ascension,  and  of  the  opening 
of  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  all  believers." 

—  from  Qilgal]  Supposed  by  some  to  be  Jiljilia,  s.w,  of 
Shiloh ;  but  the  mention  of  Gilgal  {the  Gilgal,  as  it  is  in  the 

90 


original)  in  this  emphatic  manner,  can  hardly  point  to  any  other 
place  than  that  celebrated  Gilgal  which  had  been  consecrated 
by  the  history  of  Joshua,  and  was  commended  to  the  reverence 
of  the  faithful  by  so  many  holy  associations  :  cp.  note  below,  on 
V.  4. 

There  is  something  very  significant  in  this  local  connexion 
of  Elijah,  just  before  his  triumphant  Ascension,  with  Gilgal,  the 
place  from  which  Joshua,  the  type  of  Jesus,  had  marched  forth 
in  his  triumphant  campaign,  to  enter  and  subdue  Canaan,  the 
type  of  heaven.  On  the  history  of  GiLaAL,  see  above,  note  on 
Josh.  iv.  19;  v.  2.  9;  ix.  6. 

2.  Tarry  here']  Elijah  was  not  ambitious  that  any  one  should 
see  his  glory;  his  humble  modesty  aftected  a  silent,  calm  passage, 
and  he  tried  Elisha's  faith ;  and  after  the  triple  triid,  he  pro- 
mised him  a  spiritual  boon,  if  God  allowed  him  to  be  a  witness 
of  his  Ascension  :  see  vv.  9, 10. 

—  Beth-el]  Another  place,  like  Gilgal,  hallowed  by  ancient 
recollections.  Elijah's  Ascension  is  thus  connected  with  Jacob's 
vision  of  heaven  opened,  and  of  angels  descending  by  a  ladder 
from  heaven  and  ascending  to  it,  and  of  the  Lord  God,  standing 
above  the  angelic  ladder :  see  Gen.  xxviii.  12,  13. 

—  As  the  LOED  liveth — I  will  not  leave  thee]  So,  when  Christ 
was  about  to  ascend.  His  disciples  followed  Him  from  Jerusalem 
to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  looked  up  stedfastly  into  heaven 
as  He  went  up ;  and  so  we  must  "  ever  follow  Him  with  the 
wings  of  our  meditations,  and  with  the  chariots  of  our  affec- 
tions :"  Col.  iii.  1 — 3.     Cp.  Bp.  Pearson,  Art.  vi.,  p.  274. 

3.  the  sons  of  the  prophets]  Whence  it  appears  that  the 
effect  of  Elijah's  miracles  had  been  to  overrule  the  rage  of  Je- 
zebel, and  to  establish  "  Schools  of  the  Prophets  "  in  ditt'erent 
places  in  the  land  of  Israel,  as  Bethel  and  Jericho,  v.  5 ;  cp. 
iv.  1.  Those  "  sons  of  the  Prophets "  were  teachers  of  the 
people,  in  the  place  of  the  Priests  and  Levites  who  had  been 
driven  from  the  kingdom  of  Israel  by  Jeroboam's  idolatry. 
On  "  the  Schools  of  the  Prophets,"  which  seem  to  have  been 
established  by  Samuel,  and  fostered  by  Elijah,  see  1  Sam. 
xix.  19;  and  Hdvernick,  Vorlesungen,  282—284. 

—  Knowest  thou]  The  Lord  had  revealed  to  the  prophets 
and  to  Elisha  His  design  of  taking  away  Elijah  to  Himself :  see 
above,  on  v.  1. 

—  will  take  away  Ihy  master  from  thy  head]  He  will  take 
away  thy  master,  at  whose  feet  thou  hast  been  wont  to  sit :  cp. 
Acts  xxii.  3. 

4.  Jericho]  Jericho — another  place,  like  Gilgal  and  Bethel, 
see  vv.  1  and  2,  signalized  by  manifestations  of  God's  power,  and 
by  the  triumphs  of  the  faith  of  Israel  (Heb.  xi.  30),  and  of 
Rahab,  the  figure  of  the  Gentile  Church  (Heb.  xi.  31.  James 
ii.  25.     See  Josh.  vi.  1—27). 

In  bidding  farewell  to  the  world,  Elijah  visited  the  schools 
of  the  prophets,  on  his  way  to  heaven.  He  goes  in  a  holy  pro- 
gress from  Gilgal  to  Bethel,  from  Bethel  to  Jericho.  He  leaves 
with  them  the  legacy  of  his  love  and  counsel.     So  our  Great 


EUsha  follows  Elijah. 


2  KINGS  II.  5 — 10.      Double  portion  of  Elijalis  spirit. 


As  the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy  soul  Hveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee.  So  they 
came  to  Jericho.  ^And  the  sons  of  the  prophets  that  were  at  Jericho  came  to 
Elisha,  and  said  unto  him,  Knowest  thou  that  the  Lord  will  take  away  thy 
master  from  thy  head  to  day  ?  And  he  answered,  Yea,  I  know  it ;  hold  ye  your 
peace.  ^And  Elijah  said  unto  him,  Tarry,  I  pray  thee,  here;  for  the  Lord 
hath  sent  me  to  Jordan.  And  he  said.  As  the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy  soul 
liveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee.  And  they  two  went  on.  ^  ^^d  fifty  men  of  the 
sons  of  the  prophets  went,  and  stood  f  to  view  afar  off:  and  they  two  stood  by 
Jordan.  ^  And  Elijah  took  his  mantle,  and  wrapped  it  together,  and  smote  the 
waters,  and  Hhey  were  divided  hither  and  thither,  so  that  they  two  went  over 
on  dry  ground. 

^And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  were  gone  over,  that  Elijah  said  unto 
Elisha,  Ask  what  I  shall  do  for  thee,  before  I  be  taken  away  from  thee.  And 
Elisha  said,  I  pray  thee,  let  a  double  portion  of  thy  spirit  be  upon  me.     ^^And 


Before 
CHRIST 


+  Heb.  in  sight, 
or,  over  against. 


f  SoExod.  14.  21. 
Josh.  3.  16. 
ver.  14. 


Elijah,  Jesus  Christ,  when  ahout  to  leave  the  earth,  and  ascend  to 
heaven,  before  He  was  taken  up,  "  gave  commandment  unto  the 
Apostles  whom  He  had  chosen,  to  whom  also  He  showed  Himself 
alive  after  His  Passion, — forty  days,  speaking  of  the  things 
pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God  :"  Acts  i.  1.  3. 

7.  fifly  men  — stood  to  vieiv]  So,  the  Ascension  of  Christ  had 
many  witnesses. 

—  to  view']  Heb.  min-neged ;  over  against :  see  on  Gen.  ii.  2. 

—  bt/  Jordan]  Jordan  had  been  the  witness  of  God's  power 
when  He  dried  up  the  waters,  in  order  that  Joshua,  the  type  of 
Jesus,  and  that  Israel,  the  figure  of  the  Church,  might  pass 
over  and  enter  Canaan,  the  type  of  heaven  :  and  Jordan  was  to 
he  afterwards  the  witness  of  His  love,  when  the  heavens  would 
he  opened,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  woidd  descend  on  our  Jesus, 
baptized  therein,  and  the  Voice  be  heard  from  heaven,  "  This  is 
My  beloved  Son,  in  Whom  I  am  well  pleased "  (Matt.  iii.  16, 
17.     Mark  i.  10,  11.     Luke  iii.  21,  22). 

Elijah,  accompanied  by  his  scholar  and  successor,  Elisha, 
and  dividing  the  waters  of  Jordan,  is  like  a  connecting  link  be- 
tween Joshua  and  .lesus  Christ;  the  former  opening  Canaan,  the 
type  of  heaven,  to  Israel,  the  Other  opening  heaven  itself  to  all 
believers. 

8.  his  mantle]  See  i.  8. 

—  ivrapped  it  together]  So  as  to  be  like  a  staff;  a  wonder- 
working rod.  As  a  roll.  Gesen.  173.  The  Hebrew  word 
gulam  here  used,  and  found  only  in  this  place,  is  connected  with 
gdlal,  to  roll.  The  derivative  golem,  in  Ps.  cxxxix.  16,  means 
the  yet  undeveloped  form  :  see  Gesen.  173. 

The  Scene  of  Elijah's  Ascension. 

—  and  smote  the  waters,  and  they  tvere  divided]  The  Mantle 
was  the  prophetic  badge  or  ensign ;  it  was  to  Elijah  what  the 
Rod  of  Moses  was  to  him,  with  which  he  divided  the  Red  Sea 
(p]xod.  xiv.  16.  21);  and  this  act  of  J^lijah  the  prophet,  dividing 
the  Jordan  with  his  mantle,  is  another  link  of  connexion  be- 
tween him  and  Moses,  the  representative  of  the  Law.  As  Bp. 
Sail  says,  "  Jordan  must  be  crossed  by  Elijah  in  his  way  to 
heaven ;  there  must  be  a  fit  parallel  between  these  two  great 
prophets  who  should  meet  Christ  on  Tabor, — Moses  and  Elias. 
Both  fasted  forty  days ;  both  had  visions  of  God  in  Horeb ;  both 
were  sent  to  rebuke  kings ;  both  prepared  miraculous  tables ; 
both  opened  heaven;  both  revenged  idolatry;  both  quenched 
the  thirst  of  Israel;  both  divided  the  waters;  both  of  them  are 
forewarned  of  their  departure ;  both  are  fetched  away  beyond 
Jordan ;  the  body  of  Moses  is  hid ;  the  body  of  Elijah  is  trans- 
lated." 

There  also  was  a  connectmg  link  between  Elijah  and  Joshua 
— the  type  of  Jesus— crossing  over  the  Jordan  divided  before 
him  and  Israel,  when  the  feet  of  the  priests  bearing  the  Ark 
were  dipped  in  it ;  the  river  Jordan  is  like  a  silver  cord  which 
connects  the  history  of  Moses  and  the  Law,  and  of  Joshua  and 
the  Priesthood  with  the  Gospel  of  the  Sou  of  God  Himself,  Who 
wa-s  baptized  in  this  river  Jordan,  and  Who  began  His  work  as 
Messiah  there;  and  Who  was  preannounced  and  foreshadowed 
by  Moses  and  Joshua,  and  by  Elijah  and  all  the  Prophets. 

it  is  observable  that  the  Ascension  of  Elijah  did  not  take 

place  in  the  land  of  Israel,  properly  so  called,  but  on  the  East 

Bide  of  Jordan.     He  left  the  land  of  Israel  and  crossed  the 

Jordan  in  order  to  ascend  to  heaven.     He  inverted  the  order  of 

91 


Joshua,  before  whom  the  waters  of  Jordan  had  been  dried  up, 
that  he  might  enter  Canaan. 

Wliy  was  this?  Elijah's  Ascension  was  typical  and  pro- 
phetic of  Christ's  Ascension ;  and  in  His  ascending  from  beyond 
Jordan,  it  seems  to  have  been  foreshadowed  that  the  blessings 
of  the  Ascension,  and  of  the  consequent  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
would  not  be  confined  to  Israel,  but  be  extended  to  all  nations. 
Our  Lord  was  crucified  at  Jerusalem,  and  was  buried,  and  rose 
again  there ;  but  He  did  not  ascend  from  Jerusalem.  He  lea 
His  Apostles  (the  representatives  of  the  Christian  Israel),  whom 
He  had  commissioned  to  go  and  teach  all  nations  (Matt,  xxviii. 
19),  out  of  Jerusalem,  and  crossed  the  brook  of  Kedron,  and 
went  up  from  the  Mount  of  Olives  into  heaven. 

Elijah  was  a  type  of  Christ  in  His  Ascension,  and  he  was  a 
type  of  Christ  in  his  relation  to  Elisha,  his  disciple  and  suc- 
cessor. He  was  also  a  type  of  Christ's  forerunner,  John  the 
Baptist,  in  his  zeal  and  courage  (Luke  i.  17)  ;  and  it  is  remark- 
able that  the  Baptist's  ministry  closed  at  nearly  the  same  place 
as  that  of  Elijah.  John  the  Baptist,  the  Elijah  of  the  Gospel 
(Mark  ix.  13),  ended  his  mortal  life,  and  passed  to  a  better 
world,  at  Machserus,  in  Pera'a  {Joseph.,  Antt.  xviii.  5.  2). 

Elijah  and  Moses,  the  representatives  of  the  Law  and  Pro- 
phets, reappeared  in  Christ's  glory  at  the  Transfiguration. 
Prophecy  does  not  die ;  the  Law  does ;  and  both  are  trans- 
figured and  glorified  in  the  Gospel. 

—  let  a  double  portion  of  thy  spirit  be  upon  me]  A  double 
portion,  literally  a  mouth  of  two  in  thy  spirit.  This  request  is 
supposed  by  some  to  be  like  a  petition  for  a  double  portion  of 
an  inheritance  such  as  fell  to  the  firstborn,  according  to  the 
Law.  Dent.  xxi.  17 ;  so  R.  Levi  ben  Gers.,  Munster,  Vatablus, 
Bp.  Hall,  Hengst.,  Keil ;  cp.  B.  D.  i.  535;  Stanley,  p.  321. 

But  this  seems  hardly  consistent  with  what  follows;  it 
would  not  be  considered  as  "a  hard  thing"  that  Elisha  should 
be  regarded  as  the  eldest  son  of  Elijah. 

The  Ancient  Versions,  Sept.,  Vulg.,  Syriac,  Arabic,  agree 
in  rendering  it,  Let  thy  spirit  be  doubled  in  me ;  and  so  Augustine 
(Epist.  187),  "Elisseus  poposcit  ut  dupliciter  in  eo  fieret  Spi- 
ritus  Dei,  qui  crat  in  Elia;"  and  in  Joann.  Tract.  74;  and  so 
Ephraim  Syrus,  Theodoret,  Luther,  P/e/^er,  Dub.,  p.  234 ;  and 
Wouvers,  Dilucid.,  p.  952,  and  this  is  the  true  meaning. 

Elisha  did  not  pray  that  he  himself  might  be  greater  than 
Elijah,  but  that  God's  Spirit,  which  had  been  poured  forth 
abundantly  through  Elijah,  might  flow  still  more  copiously 
through  himself.  And  so  it  was.  In  Elijah,  that  Spirit  had 
been  manifested  in  the  land  of  Israel;  but  in  Elisha  it  was 
revealed  in  a  far  wider  range,  to  the  Syrians,  Edomites,  Moabites, 
and  other  foreign  nations :  see  below,  chaps,  iii.,  vi.,  vii.,  viii., 
xiii. 

Here  also,  as  in  numerous  cases,  the  New  Testament 
explains  the  Old.  The  history  of  the  Divine  Antitype,  Jesus 
Cheist,  lights  up  that  of  the  human  type,  and  helps  us  to 
understand  and  interpret  it.  As  it  was  with  King  David 
and  King  Solomon  in  succession,  the  one  gliding  into  the  other, 
so  it  was  with  Elijah  and  Elisha  in  succession.  David  and 
Solomon,  both  Kings  of  Israel  and  Judah,  the  one  a  warrior  and 
conqueror,  the  other  a  peaceful  sovereign,  the  one  preparing 
for  the  Temple,  the  other  building  it,  were  types  of  Christ,  the 
King  of  all  true  Israelites,  the  Lord  of  Hosts  and  Prince  of 
N  2 


The  chariot  of  fire. 


2  KINGS  II.  11,  12. 


The  cliariot  of  Israel. 


chriIt     lie  said,  f  Thou  hast  asked  a  hard  thing:  nevertheless,  if  thou  see  me  ivheii  I 
i  Heb'Ttukast  ciui  takeu  from  thee,  it  shall  be  so  unto  thee  ;  but  if  not,  it  shall  not  be  so. 
dj>nMin  11  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  still  went  on,  and  talked,  that,  behold,  there 

appeared  ^  a  chariot  of  fire,  and  horses  of  fire,  and  parted  them  both  asunder ; 
and  Elijah  went  up  by  a  whirlwind  into  heaven,  ^^^nfi  Ehsha  saw  it,  and  he 
cried,  "  My  father,  my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof. 


pch.  6.  17. 
Ps.  104.  4. 


h  ch.  13.  14. 


Peace,  "the  Author  and  Finisher  of  our  faith"  (Heb.  xii.  2), 
the  Founder  of  the  Church,  and  the  Builder  of  it.  So  it  was 
with  Elijah  and  Elisha;  both  were  types  of  Christ;  and  the  one 
imperceptibly  passed  into  the  other. 

Elijah,  in  his  a-sceusion,  was  a  type  of  Christ  ascending 
into  heaven  (see  on  v.  11) ;  Elisha,  the  successor  of  Elijah,  was 
a  figure  of  Cheist,  working  in  His  Apostles  after  His  Ascension. 
Our  Lord  had  promised  to  His  disciples  that  they  should  be 
enabled  to  do  greater  works  than  He  Himself  had  done  whUe 
upon  earth,  and  why  ?  "  Because,"  He  adds,  "  I  go  to  the 
Father."  The  Holy  Spirit,  whom  I  will  send  to  you,  when  I 
have  ascended  into  heaven,  will  flow  more  abundantly  in  your 
ministration  than  in  Mine.  I  will  do  more  by  you  when  I  am 
in  heaven,  than  I  ever  did  personally  when  I  was  on  earth  (see 
below,  note  on  John  xlv.  12) ;  and  so  it  was.  Our  Lord  limited 
His  own  preaching  on  earth  to  "  the  lost  sheep  of  the  House  of 
Israel "  (Matt.  x.  6 ;  xv.  24-) ;  but  the  commission  to  the 
Apostles  was  to  gather  "all  Nations"  into  His  fold  (Matt, 
xxviii.  19);  and  the  Spirit  was  poured  forth  ou  the  day  of 
Pentecost  "  on  all  flesh  "  (Acts  ii.  17). 

Hence  we  recognize  an  inner  meaning, — a  spiritual  and 
prophetical  mystery, — in  Elijah's  parting  words  to  Elisha,  "  Thou 
hast  asked  a  hard  thing ;  nevertheless  if  thou  see  me  when  I  am 
taken  from  thee  (the  words  ivhen  I  am  ai-e  not  in  the  Hebrew, 
and  would  be  better  omitted)  it  shall  be  so  unto  thee,  but  if  not, 
it  shall  not  be."  The  words  of  the  Septnajint  here,  when 
considered  in  connexion  with  Christ,  are  very  expressive,  (dv  fxe 
iSris  avaXaix^auSfMevoi/  anh  aov — "if  thou  seest  me  when  I 
am  being  taken  itp  from  thee;"  and  the  verb  there  used 
{avaXan^aviaeai)  has  been  adopted  in  the  Gospels  to  describe 
Christ  being  "  taken  up  "  into  heaven.  See  Mark  xvi.  19.  Acts 
i.  2;  ii.  22.     1  Tim.  iii.  16.     Cp.  Luke  ix.  51. 

It  was  by  seeing  Christ  being  taken  up  fi-om  them,  and  by 
following  Him  with  the  eye  of  faith  as  He  went  into  heaven,  and 
by  having  the  eye  of  faith  fixed  on  Him  reigning  in  heaven  (as 
Augustine  observes),  that  the  Apostles  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
■which  enabled  them  to  evangelize  the  world ;  and  ive  also  must 
ever  thus  behold  our  Ascended  Lord  with  the  eye  of  faith,  if 
we  are  to  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  within  us.  In  the  words  of 
the  Collect  for  Ascension  Day,  we  must  pray  for  grace  "  that  we 
may  with  heart  and  mind  ascend  with  Christ,  and  with  Him 
continually  dwell."  Cp.  S.  Prosper  Aqidtan.  (de  Prom.  ii.  30) ; 
and  Eucherius  (p.  lOOl),  "  duplex  spiritus  Helise  attributus  est 
Elispeo,  quia  post  Asccnsiouem  Domini  per  adventum  Spiritus 
Sancti  duplex  intelligentiae  donum  Apostolis  est  collatum  ;"  (p. 
1002),  "Sublatus  namque  Helias  Ascensionem  Domini  figuravit;" 
and  Angelomus  (p.  395)  says,  "Quern  significat  Elias  (Magister 
Elissei)  nisi  Christum  caput  nostrum?  Quern  Elisseus,  nisi 
corpus  Ejus,  quod  est  Ecclesia  ?  Spiritum  duplicem  accepit,  quia 
in  caelum  ascendens  Christus  Spiritum  Sanctum  misit,  dona  dans 
hominibus"  (Eph.  iv.  8 — 10). 

The  Chaeiot  and  Hoeses  of  Fiee. 

11.  a  chariot  of  fire — parted  them — and  Elijah  went  up  hy 
a  whirlwind  into  heaven^  Thus  it  was  shown  that  tlie  God  of 
Israel  is  Lord  of  the  elements,  and  Ruler  of  the  Universe. 
Thus  also  God  declared  His  approval  of  Elijah's  zeal,  and  en- 
couraged Elisha,  and  stimulated  all  believers  to  contend  earnestly 
for  the  faith,  and  cheered  them  with  hopes  of  glory. 

Thus  also  He  vouchsafed  to  the  Hebrew  Church  a  fore- 
shadowing of  the  Ascension  of  Christ :  therefore  this  chapter  is 
appointed  by  the  Church  to  be  read  on  the  Festival  of  the 
Ascension  (cp.  S.  Greg.,  Horn.  29  in  Evang. ;  and  S.  Bernard, 
Sermons  iii.  and  vi.  on  the  Ascension;  a.\i(!i  Dean  Jackson  on 
the  Creed,  ix.  chap.  35). 

Whether  Elijah  ascended  into  the  "heaven  of  heavens,"  or 
"  the  third  heaven,"  and  whether  he  is  there  now,  it  is  not  for 
us  to  say;  certain  it  is,  that  he  was  taken  up  from  earth,  and  is 
glorified  in  the  body ;  but  from  our  Lord's  words  (John  iii.  13), 
"  No  man  hath  ascended  up  to  heaven,  but  he  that  came  down 
from  heaven,"  some  question  may  arise,  as  to  the  particular 
region  of  heaven  to  which  Elias  has  been  received. 
92 


Elijah's  ascension,  while  in  the  body,  has  ever  been  regarded 
as  a  proof  that  the  human  body  may  exist  in  glory  without 
passing  through  death.  It  was,  like  the  translation  of  Enoch 
(see  on  Gen.  v.  2  i),  a  presignification  of  the  future  glorification 
of  the  faithfid,  who  will  be  "  quick  and  alive  at  Christ's  Coming," 
and  will  be  "  caught  up  into  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the 
air."  See  1  Thess.  iv.  15—17.  1  Cor.  xv.  51.  Tertullian  de 
Resurr.  Camis,  c.  54,  c.  58 ;  contra  Marcion.  v.  12.  S.  IrencBus, 
v.  5,  'HKias  a.veK7i<pdri,  tV  afdkri^ii'  roov  irwevfjiaTiKwi'  upoipr]- 
nvuiv. 

The  common  expectation  among  the  Jews,  that  Elias  will 
return  to  earth  before  the  end  of  the  world  (see  below,  on  Matt, 
xi.  14;  xvii.  10;  xxvii.  47.  49.  Mark  ix.  ll),  is  itself  a  corro- 
boration of  the  truth  of  the  history  of  his  ascension.  This 
expectation  was  entertained  by  some  in  the  Christian  Church  in 
early  times,  and  it  still  exists.  See  below,  on  Rev.  xi.  3.  It  is 
expressed  by  Milton,  Par.  Reg.  ii.,  near  the  beginning:  — 

"  The  great  Tishbite,  who  on  fiery  wheels 
Rode  up  to  heaven,  yet  once  again  to  come." 

The  appearance  of  Elias  with  Moses  in  glory  at  the  Trans- 
figuration of  Christ,  to  Whom  the  Voice  from  heaven  bare 
witness  that  He  is  the  "  Beloved  Son,"  was  a  manifestation  of 
the  perfect  harmony  subsisting  between  Moses,  Elias,  and  Clu-ist, 
and  between  the  Law,  the  Prophets,  and  the  Gospel ;  and  of  the 
subordination  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  as  servants,  to  Christ, 
Who  is  the  Son  of  the  Father,  the  Lord  of  Glory,  Who  sent 
them,  and  spake  by  them ;  and  it  was  also  a  declaration  of  the 
truth,  that  the  future  glory  of  the  bodies  of  all  the  saints  in 
bliss  will  be  derived  from  Him  Who  is  the  "  Resurrection  and 
the  Life  "  (John  xi.  25),  and  Who  will  fashion  "  theii-  bodies  so 
as  to  be  like  His  glorious  body  "  (Phd.  iii.  21). 

There  are  three  bodily  inhabitants  of  heaven,  Enoch, 
Elijah,  our  Saviour  Christ ;  the  first  before  the  Law,  the  second 
under  the  Law,  the  third  under  the  Gospel.  But  of  these  three, 
Christ  alone  raised  Himself  to  heaven  by  His  own  power. 
They  were  taken  up  as  servants;  He  went  up  as  the  Lord  of 
Glory.  "O  God,  wherefore"  (says  Bp.  Sail)  "hast  Thou  done 
this,  but  to  give  us  a  taste  of  what  shall  be  ?  to  let  us  see  that 
heaven  was  never  shut  to  the  faithful,  and  to  give  us  an 
assurance  of  the  future  glorification  of  our  bodies  ?  Even  thus, 
O  Saviour,  when  Thou  shalt  descend  from  heaven,  they  that  are 
alive  shall  be  caught  up  together  with  the  raised  bodies  of  Thy 
saints  into  the  clouds,  to  meet  Thee  in  the  air,  and  to  dwell 
with  Thee  in  glory."  The  chariot,  in  which  Elijah  went  up,  was 
of  fire.  So,  at  the  Great  Day,  when  the  Earth  will  be  con- 
sumed by  fire  (2  Pet.  iii.  7),  the  faithful  wiU  ascend  in  that 
awful  conflagration,  as  on  a  chariot,  to  heaven ;  the  Church  of 
God,  which  lias  been  militant,  like  Elijah,  wiU  then,  like  him, 
become  triumphant, — 


'  She  to  a  better  being  will  aspire. 
Mounting,  like  him,  to  eternity  in  fire  J' 


(^Cowley.) 


12.  My  father,  my  father^  Elisha,  though  he  was  to  be 
endued  with  a  double  portion  of  the  Spirit  that  was  in  Elijah, 
acknowledges  his  spiritual  parent.  .Christ  said  to  the  Apostles, 
"  I  will  not  leave  yon  fatherless  (op^auovs),  I  will  come  to  you  " 
(John  xiv.  18). 

—  the  chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof^  These 
words  were  suggested  by  the  sight  of  the  chariots  of  fire  and 
horses  of  fire,  which  carried  Elijah  into  heaven.  That  chariot  and 
those  horses  were  signs  of  the  divine  presence  and  power;  and 
the  utterance  of  these  words  was  a  sign  that  the  condition  of 
the  concession  of  Elisha's  request  in  v.  10  was  satisfied.  It 
proved  that  Elisha  did  see  Elijah  when  he  was  in  the  act  of 
being  taken  from  him;  and  therefore  his  petition  for  a  double 
portion  of  his  Spirit  was  granted. 

But  further,  these  words  seem  also  to  signify  that  the 
power  of  God  in  Elijah  himself  had  been  like  a  chariot  and 
horses  to  Israel.  The  sense  is, — Let  others  put  their  trust  in 
chariots  and  horses  oi  fiesh,  but  we  will  trust  in  the  Name  of 


Elijah's  mantle  falls  on  Elisha.      2  KINGS  II.   13—18. 


His  spirit  rests  on  Elisha. 


ceiore  i  ; 

CHRIST         \ 
896. 


And  he  saw  him  no  more  :  and  he  took  hold  of  his  own  clothes,  and  rent  them 
in  two  pieces.     ^^He  took  up  also  the  mantle  of  Elijah  that  fell  from  him,  and 
went  back,  and  stood  by  the  f  bank  of  Jordan ;  ^^  And  he  took  the  mantle  of  tHeb.  Hp. 
Elijah  that  fell  from  him,  and  smote  the  waters,  and  said.  Where  is  the  Lord 
God  of  Elijah  ?  and  when  he  also  had  smitten  the  waters,  '  they  parted  hither  i  ver.  s. 
and  thither  :  and  Elisha  went  over. 

^^  And  when  the  sons  of  the  prophets  which  were  ^  to  view  at  Jericho  saw  him,  t  ver.  7. 
they  said,  The  spirit  of  Elijah  doth  rest  on  Elisha.     And  they  came  to  meet 
him,  and  bowed  themselves  to  the  ground  before  him.     '^  And  they  said  unto 
him,  Behold  now,  there  be  mth  thy  servants  fifty  f  strong  men;  let  them  go,  ^Heb. *o«soy 
we  pray  thee,  and  seek  thy  master  :  'lest  peradventure  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  1  see  1  Kings  is. 
hath  taken  him  up,  and  cast  him  upon  f  some  mountain,  or  into  some  valley,  acu  s^sy' 
And  he   said,  Ye   shall  not  send.     '^  And  when  they  urged  him  till  he  ^as  l,^unia<nr^ "'^ 
ashamed,   he  said.    Send.     They  sent  therefore  fifty  men ;  and  they  sought 
three  days,  but  found  him  not.     ^^  And  when  they  came  again  to  him,  (for  he 
tarried  at  Jericho,)  he  said  unto  them,  Did  I  not  say  unto  you.  Go  not  ? 


the  Lord,  Wlio  was  in  Elijah  and  worked  by  him  (cp.  P.s.  xx.  7). 
The  prophetic  Spirit  and  the  prophetic  Word,  these  are  the 
"  cliariots  and  horses  of  Israel "  (cp.  Hab.  iii.  8,  "  Thou,  0 
God,  didst  ride  upon  Thy  chariots  and  horses  of  salvation," 
cp.  »'.  12.  Keuce  the  Targum  has  here,  "  0  my  master,  my 
master,  who  wast  better  to  Israel,  by  thy  prayers,  than  chariots 
and  horses." 

How  much  more  may  these  words  be  applied  to  Christ, 
Who,  in  the  language  of  the  Psalm  appointed  for  Whitsunday, 
"  rideth  upon  the  heavens  as  upon  a  horse  j  and  TAHiose  chariots 
are  twenty  thousand,  even  thousands  of  angels,  and  Who  is  gone 
up  on  high,  and  led  captivity  captive,  and  received  gifts  for  men  " 
(Ps.  Ixviii.  4. 17,  18),  even  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  Who 
reigns  in  heaven,  and  defends  the  Church  by  His  power,  and 
cherishes  her  with  His  love,  and  by  Whose  glorious  Ascension 
we  ascend,  as  by  horses  and  chariots  of  fire,  to  heaven  (cp. 
Procop.  Gaz.  here,  and  S.  Oregor.  in  Ezek.  lib.  ii.  horn.  20). 

The  text  suggests  the  reason  why  these  words  of  Elisha 
were  afterwards  applied  by  King  Joash  to  Elisha  himself,  "  O 
my  father,  my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen 
thereof"  (see  xiii.  14).  And  we  see  also  a  connexion  of  this 
saying  with  the  opening  of  the  eyes  of  the  young  man  at 
Dothan,  when  the  King  of  Syria  had  sent  his  horses  and 
chariots  to  terrify  Elisha  (vi.  13 — 17),  "  Behold  the  mountain 
was  full  of  horses  and  chariots  of  fire  about  Elisha ;"  and 
Elisha  said,  "  Fear  not :  for  they  that  be  with  us  are  more  than 
they  that  be  with  them." 

The  chariots  and  horses  of  Israel  are  the  power  and  love  of 
God.  By  them  He  fights  with  us,  and  with  them  we  mount  to 
heaven. 

—  he  took  hold  of  his  own  clothes,  and  rent  thent]  As  now 
useless,  for  he  had  the  mantle  of  Elijah :  so  the  Apostles,  after 
the  Ascension,  laid  aside,  as  it  were,  their  own  personality ;  they 
abandoned  their  former  desires  and  private  aspirations,  and 
were  clothed  with  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  They,  who  before  the 
Ascension  and  Day  of  Pentecost,  had  carnal  views  of  Christ's 
Kingdom,  and  had  striven  who  should  be  greatest,  and  had 
been  feeble,  and  fled  through  fear,  now  became  new  men,  and 
had  all  things  common,  and  preached  boldly  the  Resurrection 
of  Christ.  They  had  torn  iu  pieces  their  own  clothes,  and  were 
clad  with  the  mantle  of  Christ. 

14.  and  smote  the  waters^  The  first  miracle  of  Elisha  is  the 
same  as  the  last  of  Elijah.  This  marks  the  continuity  between 
them.  Elisha  succeeds  Elijah,  who  is  reproduced  in  him ;  see 
V.  9.  If-  we  may  use  the  expression,  Elijah  glides  into  Elisha. 
And  this  miracle  was  at  Jordan.  In  that  river,  Christ  "  sancti- 
fied water  to  the  mystical  washing  away  of  sin ;"  and  His  com- 
mission to  His  Apostles,  which  they  were  to  execute  after 
His  Ascension,  and  after  they  had  received  the  Spirit  (Luke 
xxiv.  49.  Acts  i.  8),  was,  "  Go  ye  and  baptize  all  nations " 
(Matt,  xxviii.  19). 

Elijah's  work  is  continued  in  Elisha.     This  was  figurative 

of  the  continuity  of  Christ's  own  work  in  His  Apostles  after  His 

Ascension.     Christ's  last  miracle  was  the  miraculous  draught  of 

fishes  by  St.  Peter's  hands  at  the  Sea  of  Tiberias  (see  John  xxi. 

93 


11).  He  continued  His  work  after  the  Ascension,  by  the  mi- 
nistry of  the  same  Apostle,  the  "  fisher  of  men,"  at  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  when  three  thousand  souls  were  caught  by  his  means 
iu  the  net  of  the  Gospel  (Acts  ii.  41). 

—  and  ivhen  he  also  had  smitten~\  Tlie  Hebrew  Original, 
after  the  words  translated,  "  Where  is  the  Lord  God  of  Elijah," 
has  aph  hu,  which  are  to  be  rendered,  Even  he.  See  Oesen.  69. 
Keil,  222,  and  so  Targum ;  the  Vulg.  has  "  etiam  nunc." 

The  Masorites,  however,  separate  aph  hu  from  the  pre- 
ceding words,  by  the  accent  aihnach,  and  throw  them  on  what 
follows,  and  then  the  words  are  to  be  rendered,  "  And  actually 
he  smote  the  water,"  i.  e.  Elisha  did,  what  Elijah  bad  done 
{Fuerst,  p.  132)  ;  and  so  the  Syriac  and  Arabic  Versions,  and 
Olassius.  Ffeiffer,  p.  235,  supposes  an  ellipsis  after  aph  hit, 
and  that  the  utterance  of  Elisha  was  suddenly  checked  by  the 
division  of  the  waters. 

15.  Jericho'\  Elisha  goes  to  Jericho,  and  to  Bethel  {v.  23), 
where  there  were  schools  of  the  prophets  which  Elijah  had 
visited  just  before  his  departure.  Elisha's  primary  visitation 
was  to  those  who  had  received  the  farewell  charge  of  Elijah. 
This  also  marks  the  continuity  between  Elijah  and  Elisha; 
V.  14. 

—  The  spirit  of  Elijah  doth  rest  on  Elisha']  So  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  rested  on  His  Apostles,  and  ever  rests  on  His  Church 
(John  xiv.  16). 

17.  till  he  was  ashamed']  To  deny  their  request  any  longer  : 
see  Judg.  iii.  25. 

—  they— found  him  not]  They  did  not  find  Elijah.  Elisha 
had  forbidden  them  to  seek  for  him ;  but  they  did  send,  and 
sought,  and  found  him  not. 

So  now,  there  are  some  who  seek  for  Christ's  carnal  pre- 
sence on  earth,  after  His  Ascension.  The  Word  of  God,  like 
Elisha,  tells  them  not  to  look  for  it  (see  on  John  xx.  17).  They 
seek  for  a  carnal  presence  in  the  Holy  Eucharist,  as  these  sons  of 
the  prophets  searched  for  Elijah,  but  they  found  him  not. 

On  the  Miracles  of  Elisha. 

The  miracles  of  Elisha,  which  extended  over  a  period  of 
about  forty  years,  occupy  a  considerable  portion  of  this  Book, 
and  command  attention  by  then'  multitude  and  variety. 

The  question  here  arises, — What  was  the  purpose  of 
Almighty  God  in  enabling  Elisha  to  perform  these  marvellous 
works  ? 

The  following  considerations  are  suggested  in  reply  to  this 
question  : — 

(1)  If  we  compare  the  miracles  of  Elisha  with  those  of 
Elijah,  we  find  that  they  have  a  wider  range.  Elijah's  wonder- 
working power  was  limited  (with  one  exception,  which  proves 
the  rule  :  see  on  1  Kings  xvii.  9)  almost  entirely  to  within  the 
range  of  Israel.  But  Elisha's  miracles  have  a  wider  scope; 
they  extend  to  Moab,  Edom,  and  Syria.  Elijah  showed  to 
Israel,  in  opposition  to  Ahab,  Jezebel,  and  the  worshippers  of 
Baal,  that  "  the  Lord,  He  is  the  God ;"  but  Elisha  manifested 
the  same  truth  to  the  Heathen.  He  proved  by  his  miracles, 
that  the  God  of  Israel  is  the  Supreme  and  Only  Lord  of  the 


Elisha's  miracles. 


2  KINGS  II.  19—23. 


The  vKiters  of  Jericho  healed. 


Before 
CHRIST 

896. 


^^  And  the  men  of  the  city  said  unto  EHsha,  Behold,  I  pray  thee,  the  situa- 
tion of  this  city  is  pleasant,  as  my  lord  seeth  :  but  the  water  is  naught,  and  the 
^  ne\>.  causing  to  OTouud  f  barrcu.     -^And  he  said.  Bring  me  a  new  cruse,  and  put  salt  therein. 

miscarry.  o  i  x  ^ 

And  they  brought  it  to  him.  ^^  And  he  went  forth  unto  the  spring  of  the 
waters,  and  '"  cast  the  salt  in  there,  and  said.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  have 
healed  these  waters  ;  there  shall  not  be  from  thence  any  more  death  or  barren 
land.  --  So  the  waters  were  healed  unto  this  day,  according  to  the  saying  of 
Elisha  which  he  spake. 

-2  And  he  went  up  from  thence  unto  Beth-el :  and  as  he  was  going  up  by  the 


m  See  Exod.  15. 

25. 

ch.  4.  41.  &  6.  6. 

John  9.  6. 


universe,  and  that  the  gods  whom  they  worshipped  were  no 
gods. 

(2)  The  mission  of  Elijah,  and  also  of  Elisha,  had  not  only 
a  reference  to  their  own  times,  but  it  had  a  prophetic  and 
typical  character. 

Before  he  was  carried  up  into  heaven,  Elijah  promised  that 
a  double  portion  of  his  spirit  should  rest  on  Elisha  (ii.  10),  and 
Elijah's  mantle  fell  upon  Elisha  ;  and  the  sons  of  the  prophets, 
seeing  his  mighty  power,  said,  "  The  spirit  of  Elijah  doth  rest 
on  Elisha"  (ii.  15). 

Elijah  was  a  type  of  Christ  in  his  Ascension  into  heaven. 
Elisha  was  a  type  of  Christ,  working  in  His  Apostles,  who  re- 
ceived power  from  Him  after  His  Ascension,  and  were  clothed 
with  His  Spirit.  And  the  extensive  range  of  the  miracles 
of  Elisha  foreshadowed  the  fulfilment  of  Christ's  promise,  that 
He  would  work  greater  works  by  His  disciples,  than  He  had 
wrought  in  person  when  on  earth  (see  on  v.  9).  He  Himself 
had  limited  His  own  ministry  within  the  range  of  Palestine ; 
but  they,  being  empowered  by  His  Spirit,  would  be  His  wit- 
nesses to  the  utmost  parts  of  the  earth  (Acts  i.  8)  ;  and  after 
He  was  received  up  into  heaven,  "they  went  forth  wadi preached 
every  where,  the  Lord  working  with  them,  and  confirming  the 
Word  with  signs  following  "  (Mark  xvi.  20). 

(3)  If  we  examine  the  miracles  of  Elisha,  we  shall  find 
that  they  have  a  typical  character,  foreshadowing  the  opera- 
tions of  Chi'ist,  working  by  His  Apostles,  after  His  Ascension 
into  heaven. 

The  parting  of  the  waters  of  Jordan,  the  healing  of  the 
waters  of  Jericho  by  the  salt  from  the  new  cruse,  the  punish- 
ment of  the  children  of  Bethel,  the  restoration  to  life  of  the 
Shunammite's  child,  the  healing  of  Naamau, — these  were  not 
merely  miraculous  acts,  really  performed  by  Ehsha,  but  they 
have  a  spiritual  meaning  for  every  age.  They  were  prophetic 
pre-significations  of  the  working  of  Christ,  manifested  after  His 
Ascension  into  heaven,  and  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  in  the 
miraculous  operation  of  the  Apostles,  and  in  the  spiritual 
agencies  of  the  Apostolic  Church,  even  to  the  end  of  time. 

(4)  It  is  said  by  some  that  the  miracles  of  Elisha  are  not 
related  in  chronological  order  (see  v.  27,  compared  with  viii.  4). 
Some  suppose  that  the  history  is  a  mere  loose  congeries  of 
incoherent  fragments  (cp.  Bib.  Diet.  i.  536).  Others  affirm 
that  they  are  arranged  mainly  with  a  view  to  their  inner 
connexion  (see  Keil,  p.  230). 

The  first  of  these  allegations  is  questionable  :  see  on  viii.  4. 
But  it  is  worthy  of  consideration,  whether  their  prophetic  and 
typical  character  may  not  have  had  its  influence  in  determining 
the  selection  of  them  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  this  book.  With 
reverence  be  it  said,  they  were  probably  chosen  by  Him,  as 
having  a  spiritual  reference  to  Christian  doctrine ;  and  if  they 
were  combined  together  (so  far  from  being  fragmentary  and 
disjointed),  they  would  be  found  to  form  a  systematic  body 
of  teaching  on  the  leading  articles  of  Christian  faith  and 
practice. 

(5)  In  the  miracles  of  Elisha  there  is  a  marked  resem- 
blance to  those  of  his  Master  Elijah :  for  example,  in  the 
increase  of  the  oil  (iv.  2 — 7.  Cp.  1  Kings  xvii.  14),  and  in  the 
raising  of  the  child  of  the  Shunamraite  (iv.  3.  Cp.  1  Kings 
xvii.  20).  This  resemblance  serves  to  mark  the  continuity  of 
the  working  of  God's  Spirit  in  them,  and  represents  the  con- 
tinuity of  our  Saviour  Christ's  working  in  His  Apostles. 

(6)  Further,  it  may  be  remarked,  there  is  a  characteristic 
distinction  between  the  miraculous  agency  of  Elijah  and  that  of 
Elisha  ; 

Elijah,  for  the  most  part,  worked  miracles  without  means, 
Elisha  with  means.     In  curing  the  watei-s  of  Jericho,  he  used 
salt ;  he  hea'ed  the  pottage  with  meal ;  he  made  the  iron  to 
94 


swim  by  wood.  The  spiritual  and  miraculous  working  of  Christ 
in  the  Apostles,  and  in  Apostolic  men,  and  in  the  Church,  even 
to  the  end,  is  by  the  means  of  grace,  which  He  Himself  has 
instituted,  and  has  put  into  their  hands. 

To  this  it  may  be  added,  that  Elisha  seems  to  have  resorted 
more  than  Elijah  did  to  external  helps  and  apphances  before 
he  wrought  his  miracles ;  see,  for  example,  iii.  15,  where  he  says, 
"  Bring  me  a  minstrel."  Christ's  working  in  the  Church  is  ac- 
companied and  aided  by  holy  music,  and  other  sacred  influences 
in  divine  worship. 

19.  the  loater  is  naught,  and  the  ground  barren']  Literally, 
causing  abortion  (cp.  Gen.  xxxi.  38.  Exod.  xxiii.  26) ;  a  con- 
sequence of  Joshua's  curse  upon  Jericho  (Josh.  vi.  26). 

—  the  water]  Probably  the  spring  now  called  by  the  Arabs 
Ain-es-  Sultan,  "  the  large  and  beautiful  fountain  of  sweet  and 
pleasant  water,"  about  thirty-five  minutes  north-west  of  Jericho 
{Robinson,  ii.  283).  The  Christians  and  Jews  recognized  it 
as  Elisha's  fountain,  and  gave  it  his  name  (Kitto,  p.  281). 

The  Waters  of  Jekicho  Healed. 
20 — 22.  Bring  me  a  new  cruse,  and  put  salt  therein] 
Rather,  bring  me  a  new  dish,  a  shallow  bowl,  or  saucer 
{(piaK-qv).  It  was  to  be  neio,  in  order  that  it  might  be  known 
that  there  was  nothing  adhering  to  it  from  former  use,  which 
might  be  supposed  to  have  a  curative  power;  and  it  was  to  be 
a  shallow  saucer,  bo  that  it  might  be  seen  to  have  salt  in  it, 
and  nothing  else.  And  it  was  to  have  salt,  which,  as  the 
inhabitants  of  Jericho,  who  dwelt  near  the  Dead  Sea,  or  Salt 
Sea,  knew  from  experience,  would  of  itself  be  more  likely  to 
produce  barrenness,  than  to  cure  it ;  and  therefore  the  healing 
of  the  waters  by  its  means  would  be  owned  to  be  miraculous. 

Elisha  went  forth  to  the  spring,  and  cast  the  salt  in  it, 
and  said,  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  have  healed  these  waters." 
So  the  waters  were  healed,  in  order  that  it  might  not  be 
supposed  that  he  did  it  by  any  power  of  his  own. 

This  is  the  first  miracle  recorded  of  Elisha  after  his  passage 
of  the  Jordan :  on  which,  see  v.  14.  Jericho  was  a  figure  ot 
the  city  of  this  world.  See  above,  on  Josh.  vi.  Prelim.  Note, 
p.  18.  "  The  situation  of  the  city  was  pleasant."  Such  was 
the  condition  of  the  world  by  Nature,  when  God  made  all 
things  good,  and  planted  man  in  Paradise  ;  but  the  waters  were 
vitiated,  and  the  earth  was  made  barren  by  vain  imaginations, 
and  vicious  practices  {Eucherius,  p.  1002 ;  Angelomus,  p.  396). 

Salt  is  the  Evangelic  symbol  of  sound  doctrine,  and  of 
those  who  preach  it :  "  Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth "  (Matt, 
v.  13).  "  Have  salt  in  yourselves  "  (Mark  ix.  50).  "  Let 
your  speech  be  alway  with  grace,  seasoned  with  salt " 
(Col.  iv.  6). 

The  healing  of  the  waters  of  Jericho  by  the  Lord,  working 
by  Elisha  (whose  name  signifies  Ood  is  healer),  after  Elijah's 
ascension  into  heaven,  casting  into  the  waters  of  Jericho  salt 
from  a  new  cruse,  was  typical  of  the  work  done  by  the  Lord 
after  the  Ascension  of  Christ,  by  means  of  the  Apostles  and 
their  successors,  casting  in  the  salt  of  Christian  doctrine  from 
the  new  cruse  of  the  Gospel  into  the  unhealthftd  waters  of  the 
Jericho  of  this  world,  and  healing  them  {Angelomus). 

Elisha's  words  were,  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  have  healed 
these  waters."  He  assumed  nothing  to  himself,  but  ascribed 
all  to  the  Lord.  So  the  Apostles  after  the  Ascension  said,  "  In 
the  Name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth  rise  up  and  walk." 
And  they  said  to  the  people,  "  Why  look  ye  on  us,  as  though  by 
our  own  power  or  holiness  we  had  made  this  man  to  walk  ?    The 

God   of  our   fathers   glorified   His  Son   Jesus And   His 

Name  through  faith  in  His  Name  hath  made  this  man  strong  " 
(Acts  iii.  6.  12.  16.    Cp.  Acts  ix.  34). 

23.  unto  Beth-el^  Elisha  treads  in  the  steps  of  Elijah  {vv.  2.  4). 


The  forty -tivo  children  torn     2  KINGS  II.  24,  25.     III.  1 — 3.       hij  hears  out  of  the  wood. 


Before 

CHRIST 

896. 


way,  there  came  forth  Httle  children  out  of  the  city,  and  mocked  him,  and  said 
unto  him,  Go  up,  thou  bald  head ;  go  up,  thou  bald  head.  ^^And  he  turned 
back,  and  looked  on  them,  and  cursed  them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  And 
there  came  forth  two  she  bears  out  of  the  wood,  and  tare  forty  and  two  children 
of  them.  25  ^^^  Ijq  ^qj^^  fj.^^  thence  to  mount  Carmel,  and  from  thence  he 
returned  to  Samaria. 

III.  1  Now  ^  Jehoram  the  son  of  Ahab  began  to  reign  over  Israel  in  Samaria  ^^^  'i?- 
the  eighteenth  year  of  Jehoshaphat  king  of  Judah,  and  reigned  twelve  years.         8%. 
2  And  he  wrought  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  ;  but  not  hke  his  father,  and 
like  his  mother:  for  he  put  away  the  f  image  of  Baal  Uhat  his  father  had  ^l^^^gfirsi, 
made.    ^  Nevertheless  he  cleaved  unto  Hlie  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  f/ Kings  12. 28, 
which  made  Israel  to  sin  ;  he  departed  not  therefrom. 


31,  32. 


23.  little  children]  Those  who  come  forth  are  called  little 
children ;  and  it  is  said  that  the  bears  tore  of  them  forty -two 
children  ;  but  a  diflerent  word  is  used  there  for  children,  viz. 
yeladim,  the  plural  of  the  word  rendered  young  man  in  Gen. 
iv.  23,  and  applied  to  those  who  had  been  brought  up  with 
Rehoboam,  who  was  forty-one  years  of  age  (1  Kings  xii.  8.  14), 
and  the  adjective  little  is  there  dropped.  It  would  seem  that 
the  Sacred  Writer  means  to  intimate  that  the  eldest  of  the 
number  were  taken  away  (cp.  Kitto,  p.  285). 

—  Oo  up,  thou  bald  head]  This  was  spoken  in  insult  (cp. 
Isa.  ill.  17.  24).  Elisha's  baldness  was  premature;  for  he  lived 
fifty  years  after  this  (xiii.  14). 

The  words  "go  up"  may  have  been  said  in  derision  of 
Elijah's  "going  up."  "  Go  up,  and  let  us  be  well  rid  of  thee, 
as  we  are  well  rid  of  thy  master."  (Auctor  quiest  ad  Orthodox  : 
ap.  Justin  Martyr,  Qu.  80 ;  and  so  Abarbanel.)  The  offence 
(says  Kitto,  p.  286),  involving  as  it  did  a  blasphemous  insult 
upon  one  of  the  Lord's  most  signal  acts,  made  a  near  approach 
to  what  is  called  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  a  spiritual  sense  this  insult,  "  Go  up,  thou  bald  head," 
has  been  interpreted  by  some  of  the  Fathers  as  prefiguring  the 
insults  offered  to  Christ,  in  His  own  person,  and  in  the  person 
of  His  disciples. 

It  may  seem  fanciful  to  connect  these  insults,  as  some  of 
the  Ancient  Fathers  have  done,  with  the  insults  of  Calvary, 
where  the  Son  of  Man  was  shorn  of  His  glory,  and  became,  as 
it  were,  bald,  for  our  sakes  (see  Augusti^ie,  vol.  iv.  5.  80; 
V.  2421;  viii.  398;  and  Eucherius,  p.  1024;  Angelonms, 
p.  396,  who  has  an  ingenious  remark  on  the  number  of  the 
children,  forty-two  :  see  also  Bede,  Qu.  3) ;  but  certainly  this 
has  been  the  reception  of  Christ,  both  in  Himself,  in  His  life- 
time on  earth,  and  in  His  Apostles  and  Saints  since  the  be- 
ginning, and  so  it  will  be  to  the  end.  They  must  be  content 
to  bear  the  reproach  of  the  world,  crying  after  them,  "  Go  up, 
thou  bald  liead." 

24.  he  turned  back,  and  looked  on  them,  and  cursed  them 
in  the  name  of  the  Loed]  At  Bethel,  once  "  the  house  of  God," 
as  its  name  declares,  but  now  made  the  seat  of  the  idolatrous 
worship  of  one  of  Jeroboam's  calves.  At  Bethel  there  was  also 
a  school  of  the  prophets  {v.  3). 

If  an  insult  offered  to  Elisha,  now  just  appointed  to  be 
the  successor  and  representative  of  Elijah,  and  bearing  his 
prophetic  mantle,  as  the  chosen  prophet  of  the  Lord,  had 
passed  unnoticed,  the  idolaters  of  Bethel  might  have  been 
hardened  in  their  idolatry,  and  the  prophets  and  worshippers 
of  the  Lord  would  have  been  discouraged. 

Elisha  imitated  Elijah  in  his  miracles  of  severity  (e.  g.  in 
the  destruction  of  the  fifties,  i.  10.  13),  as  well  as  in  his  miracles 
of  mercy. 

It  has  been  objected  by  some,  that  "  this  act  of  Elisha  was 
contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel"  (Stanley,  Lectures,  p.  326  : 
cp.  notes  above,  on  i.  10 — 14). 

But  the  destruction  of  the  children  was  not  the  act  of 
JiJlisha,  but  of  Elisha's  God ;  and  the  question  is, — Was  the 
God  of  Elisha  the  same  as  the  God  of  the  Gospel  ?  Was  He 
a  different  God,  as  the  Manichaeans  and  Marcionites  said  ? 
Certainly  He  was  the  same ;  and  with  Him  is  "  no  variableness, 
neither  shadow  of  turning"  (James  i.  17). 

Let  us  consider,  also,  the  circumstances  of  the  case. 

The  outrage  against   Elisha  was    a  public  one,   probably 

in  the  sight  of  his  own  scholars  at  Bethel.     The  children,  we 

read,   catne  forth  to  meet  him.     Probably  this  large  body  of 

children   was    gathered    together   by  their  parents,  and  was 

95 


instigated  by  them  against  Elisha  (as  the  writer  of  the  sermon 
observes,  in  S.  Augustine's  works.  Append.  Serm.  41,  vol.  v. 
p.  2421).  Elisha  did  not  pray  that  the  bears  might  come  forth 
and  rend  them,  but  he  committed  his  cause  to  God ;  he 
denounced  God's  judgments  upon  them;  and  God,  who  knew 
what  would  become  of  those  children,  and  who  would  make 
allowance  for  them  on  the  ground  of  their  tender  age,  and  the 
bad  example  of  their  elders,  took  the  matter  into  His  own 
hands,  and  in  the  righteous  exercise  of  His  justice,  destroyed 
the  scoffers  at  His  prophet.  God  would  not  have  said.  Amen 
to  Elisha's  curse,  if  that  curse  had  not  been  suggested  by  Him. 
God  made  the  two  bears  to  come  forth  out  of  the  wood,—"  et 
laceraverunt  quadraginta  duos  pueros,  ut  percussis  parvulis 
majores  reciperent  disciplinam,  et  mors  filiorum  fieret  disci- 
plina  parentum ;  ut  Prophetam,  quem  mirabilia  facientera 
nolebant  amare,  discerent  vel  timere.  Nemo  ergo  beato  Elisjeo 
derogare  prajsumat,  quia  hoc,  quod  de  pueris  illis  factum  est, 
non  tarn  ipse  propria  virtute  quSm  per  ilium  Spiritus  Sanctus 
fecisse  credendus  est "  (Append.  Serm.,  S.  Augustine,  p.  2421). 
Wlioever,  therefore,  takes  on  himself  to  censure  Elisha,  censures 
God. 

The  same  view  is  taken  by  the  author  of  Qusest.  ad 
Orthodoxos  (in  Justin  Martyr,  Qu.  80) ;  and  by  Br.  Water- 
land  (Script.  Vind.,  p.  159),  who  says,  "  This  was  a  lesson  of 
instruction  to  parents  to  educate  their  children  well,  and  not 
to  initiate  them  in  the  Devil's  service.  If  the  children  were 
little,  and  innocent  on  account  of  their  littleness,  then  God 
had  mercy  on  them.  Their  parents  were  not  taken  away,  but 
were  mercifully  warned  to  repent,  by  this  evidence  of  God's 
power,  exerted  in  behalf  of  His  prophet,  and  of  the  truth 
preached  by  him ;  and  no  one  can  say,  how  salutary  the  effect3 
may  have  been  of  this  instruction,  on  young  and  old  at  Bethel 
and  elsewhere  in  Israel,  in  drawing  men  away  from  idolatry  to 
the  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  in  disposing  them  to  receive  with 
reverence  the  preaching  of  Elisha." 

Thus  the  she-bears  at  Bethel  are  seen  to  have  had  the 
same  ministry  as  the  lion  which  punished  the  disobedient  prophet 
who  was  sent  against  Bethel :  see  1  Kings  xiii.  24.  28. 

But  further.  Elisha's  acts  have  a  typical  and  prophetic 
character.  He  is  a  figurative  representative  of  Christ,  work- 
ing by  His  Apostles,  after  His  ascension.  See  above,  on  the 
miracles  of  Elisha,  ii.  18.  The  insult  received  by  him  at  Bethel 
may  be  compared  with  the  insults  heaped  on  Christ  Himself 
in  the  first  preaching  of  the  Gospel  at  Corinth,  Rome,  and 
other  great  Bethels  of  this  world.  See  1  Cor.  xii.  3  ;  TertuUian, 
Apologet.,  c.  2,  c.  40.  Cp.  Augustine  c.  Faustum,  xii.  35  ; 
and  in  Ps.  bcxx. ;  and  the  treatise  of  Lactantius,  on  the  awful 
deaths  of  those  who  blasphemed  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

The  punishment  inflicted  on  those  who  despised  Elisha, 
and  mocked  at  the  Spirit  of  God  working  in  him,  are 
warnings  against  that  evil  spirit  of  sceptical  scorn,  which  the 
Gospel  has  now  to  encounter  from  a  godless  world.  If  such 
was  the  chastisement  inflicted  by  God  on  the  children  who 
insulted  Elisha,  what  fearful  penalties  are  in  store  for  those 
who  are  not  children,  but  grown-up  men,  and  perhaps  profess 
themselves  to  be  wise  and  prudent,  and  yet  venture  to  scoft", 
and  sneer  at  the  Scriptures,  and  cavil  at  the  words  of  Chi-ist ! 
See  Luke  x.  16.     Mark  vi.  11.     Jude  15. 

Cn.  III.  2.  like  his  mother']  Jezebel,  who  lived  during  the 
whole  of  his  reign  (ix.  30). 

—  he  put  aivay  the  image  of  Baal]  But  did  not  suppress 
the  worship  of  Baal  (x.  18). 


The  trenches 


2  KINGS  III.  4—17. 


to  he  made  in  the  Valley. 


Before 
CHRIST 
896. 
d  See  Isa.  IG.  1. 

ech.  1.  1. 


895. 


f  1  Kings  22.  4. 


t  Heb.  at  their 

feet. 

See  Exod.  11.  8. 


^  And  Mesha  king  of  Moab  was  a  slieepmaster,  and  rendered  unto  the  king 
of  Israel  an  hundred  thousand  '^  lambs,  and  an  hundred  thousand  rams,  with 
the  wool.  ^But  it  came  to  pass,  when  ^  Aliab  was  dead,  that  the  king  of  Moab 
rebelled  against  the  king  of  Israel. 

^  And  king  Jehoram  went  out  of  Samaria  the  same  time,  and  numbered  all 
Israel.  7  ^j^^  j^e  went  and  sent  to  Jehoshaphat  the  king  of  Judah,  saying.  The 
Idng  of  Moab  hath  rebelled  against  me :  wilt  thou  go  with  me  against  Moab 
to  battle  ?  And  he  said,  I  will  go  up  :  ^  I  am  as  thou  art,  my  people  as  thy 
people,  and  my  horses  as  thy  horses.  ^  And  he  said.  Which  way  shall  we  go 
up  ?  And  he  answered,  The  way  through  the  wilderness  of  Edom.  ^  So  the 
king  of  Israel  went,  and  the  king  of  Judah,  and  the  king  of  Edom :  and  they 
fetched  a  compass  of  seven  days'  journey  :  and  there  was  no  water  for  the 
host,  and  for  the  cattle  f  that  followed  them. 

^^  And  the  king  of  Israel  said,  Alas  !  that  the  Lord  hath  called  these  three 
gi  Kings 22. 7.   klngs  togctlier,  to  deliver  them  into  the  hand  of  Moab  !     ^^  But  ^Jehoshaphat 
said,  Is  there  not  here  a  prophet  of  the  Lord,  that  we  may  inquire  of  the  Lord 
by  him  ?     And  one  of  the  king  of  Israel's  servants  answered  and  said,  Here  is 
Ehsha  the  son  of  Shaphat,  which  poured  water  on  the  hands  of  Elijah.    ^^  And 
Jehoshaphat  said.  The  word  of  the  Lord  is  with  him.     So  the  king  of  Israel 
and  Jehoshaphat  and  the  king  of  Edom  ^  went  down  to  him.     ^^  And  Elisha 
said  unto  the  king  of  Israel,  '  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee  ?  "^  get  thee  to  •  the 
prophets  of  thy  father,  and  to  the  prophets  of  thy  mother.     And  the  king  of 
Israel  said  unto  him,  Nay :  for  the  Lord  hath  called  these  three  kings  toge- 
ther, to  deliver  them  into  the  hand  of  Moab.     ^''And  Ehsha  said,  "Ms  the 
Lord  of  hosts  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand,  surely,  were  it  not  that  I  regard 
the  presence  of  Jehoshaphat  the  king  of  Judah,  I  would  not  look  toward  thee, 
n Seel  Sam.  10.  j^qj,  ggg  theo.     ^^  But  now  bring  me  "  a  minstrel.     And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
«E^ek.i^3.&    the  minstrel  played,  that  Uhe  hand  of  the  Lord  came  upon  him.     ^*^And  he 
pch.'4. 3.         said.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  ^  Make  this  valley  full  of  ditches.     ^^  For  thus  saith 


hch.2.  25. 

i  Ezek.  14.  3. 
k  SoJudg.lO.  14. 
Ruthi.  15. 
1  1  Kings  18.  19. 


m  1  Kings  17.  1. 
ch.  5.  16. 


4.  Mesha— was  a  sheepmaster]  Heb.  noJced.  Literally,  a 
marker  ;  probably  because  it  was  the  duty  of  sheepmasters  to 
mark  their  sheep,  in  order  to  distinguish  them  from  the  flocks 
of  others,  in  the  vast  pastoral  sheepwalks  traversed  by  nomad 
tribes,  and  also  to  distinguish  his  own  several  breeds  {Kitto, 
Oesen.  Cp.  Isa.  xvi.  1 ;  and  Josephus,  Antt.  ix.  3.  1).  Tlie 
name  of  Mesha  occurs  in  the  lately  found  "  Moabite  stone  " 
(Report  of  Palest.  Explor.  Fund,  i.  182),  and  names  of  places  in 
Moab,  e.  g.  Baal-meon,  Kiriathaim,  Horonaim,  &c. 

8.  Which  way~\  Either  round  the  northern  end,  or  else  by 
the  southern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Jehoshaphat  chose  the 
latter,  in  order  to  press  the  King  of  Edom  into  their  service. 

9.  a  compass  of  seven  days'']  In  their  march  through  Wady- 
el-Kurahy,  and  the  deep  rocky  vaUey  of  Ahsy  {Bobinson,  ii. 
476.  488.  555). 

10.  And  the  king  of  Israel  said']  In  their  distress,  the  difier- 
ence  of  the  character  of  the  two  kings  is  revealed.  Jehoram 
despairs,  Jehoshaphat  resorts  to  God. 

11.  JSlisha  the  son  of  Shaphat,  which  poured  loater  on  the 
hands  of  Elijah]  After  the  daily  meal,  as  is  now  usual  in  the 
East  {Robinson,  ii.  451.  Cp.  iii.  26).  After  the  meals  the 
ibriek  and  tusht  (pitcher  and  ewer)  are  brought,  and  the 
servant,  with  a  napkin  over  his  shoulder,  pours  on  your 
hands  {Dr.  Thomson,  p.  128).  The  Orientals  have  a  scruple 
against  washing  in  any  water  that  is  not  running ;  hence  they 
do  not  usually  wash  in  a  basin,  but  employ  some  one  to  pour 
water  on  their  hands  into  a  basin,  with  a  pierced  false  bottom 
{Kitto). 

Elisha  poured  water  as  a  servant  on  the  hands  of  Elijah 
his  master.  Our  Divine  Master  took  the  form  of  a  servant, 
and  poured  water  on  the  feet  of  His  o^vn  disciples  (John  xiii.  5. 
liuke  ii.  27.     Phil.  ii.  7). 

13.  Elisha  said  unto  the  king  of  Israel]  Wliom  he  boldly 
96 


reproves,  in  order  to  humble  him,  and  to   bring  him  to  re- 
pentance, and  to  acknowledge  the  true  God. 

—  these  three  kings]  Not  one  only :  therefore  God  is  angry 
with  Jehoshaphat  as  well  as  with  me.  To  this  Elisha  replies 
by  telling  him  that  the  presence  of  Jehoshaphat  will  be  the 
cause  of  his  deliverance. 

15.  a  minstrel]  Not  only  to  compose  his  mind,  disturbed  by 
Jehoram's  presence,  and  to  elevate  it ;  but  to  invoke  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  (cp.  1  Sam.  x.  5,  6 ;  xvi.  23).  We  do  not  hear  that 
Elijah  ever  asked  for  such  help.  Here  is  another  point  of 
difference  between  him  and  Elisha :  compare  above,  on  ii.  18. 

The  Ditches  made  in  the  Valiet. 

16.  Make  this  valley  fill  of  ditches]  To  receive  the  water. 
Men  must  do  their  part,  in  order  that  God  may  do  His.  Tlicy 
must  show  faith  and  obedience  in  God's  power,  and  then  He 
will  exert  Himself  in  their  behalf. 

So  our  hearts  must  be  prepared  as  vessels,  in  order  that 
the  grace  of  the  Spirit  may  be  poured  into  them. 

God  says  by  Isaiah,  speaking  of  the  future  outpouring  of 
the  Spirit  in  the  parched  places  of  this  world,  "  I  will  open 
rivers  in  high  places,  and  fountains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys ; 
I  will  make  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water,  and  the  dry  land 
springs  of  water"  (Isa.  xli.  18).  In  this  miracle,  which  God 
wi-ought  by  the  instrumentality  of  Elisha,  there  is  another 
typical  representation  of  the  work  of  Christ  in  the  Apostolic 
Church  after  the  Ascension. 

The  Apostles,  by  the  infusion  of  the  salt  of  Christian 
doctrine,  healed  the  brackish  water  of  the  Jericho  of  human 
society  (see  above,  ii  20 — 22) ;  and  they  also  opened  out  springs 
of  living  waters  in  the  wilderness  of  Heathendom  by  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  ministered  by  Christ  through  them,  and  they 
commanded  men  to  make,  as  it  were,  trenches  to  receive  and 


Water  at  the  time  of  meat  offering.  2  KINGS  III.  18— 27.    IV.  1. 


Human  sacrifice. 


the  Lord,  Ye  sliall  not  see  wind,  neither  shall  ye  see  rain ;  yet  that  valley 
shall  he  filled  mth  wa.ter,  that  ye  may  drink,  hoth  ye,  and  your  cattle,  and 
your  beasts.  ^^  And  this  is  hut  a  light  thing  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  :  he  will 
deliver  the  Moahites  also  into  your  hand.  ^^  And  ye  shall  smite  every  fenced 
city,  and  every  choice  city,  and  shall  fell  every  good  tree,  and  stop  all  wells  of 
water,  and  f  mar  every  good  piece  of  land  with  stones. 

2<^  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  morning,  when  "^  the  meat  offering  was  offered, 
that,  behold,  there  came  water  by  the  way  of  Edom,  and  the  country  was  filled 
with  water.  ^^  And  when  all  the  Moahites  heard  that  the  kings  were  come  up 
to  fight  against  them,  they  f  gathered  all  that  were  able  to  f  put  on  armour, 
and  upward,  and  stood  in  the  border.  ^2  j^^  they  rose  up  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  the  sun  shone  upon  the  water,  and  the  Moahites  saw  the  water  on  the 
other  side  as  red  as  blood :  ^3  And  they  said.  This  is  blood  :  the  kings  are 
surely  f  slain,  and  they  have  smitten  one  another :  now  therefore,  Moab,  to  the 
spoil.  2"^  And  when  they  came  to  the  camp  of  Israel,  the  Israelites  rose  up 
and  smote  the  Moahites,  so  that  they  fled  before  them  :  but  ||  they  went  forward 
smiting  the  Moahites,  even  in  their  country.  ^^  And  they  beat  down  the  cities, 
and  on  every  good  piece  of  land  cast  every  man  his  stone,  and  filled  it ;  and 
they  stopped  all  the  wells  of  water,  and  felled  all  the  good  trees :  f  only  in 
'  lur-haraseth  left  they  the  stones  thereof ;  howbeit  the  slingers  went  about  it, 
and  smote  it.  ^^  And  when  the  king  of  Moab  saw  that  the  battle  was  too  sore 
for  him,  he  took  with  him  seven  hundred  men  that  drew  swords,  to  break 
through  even  unto  the  king  of  Edom  :  but  they  could  not.  '^'^  Then  '  he  took 
his  eldest  son  that  should  have  reigned  in  his  stead,  and  offered  him  for  a  burnt 
offering  upon  the  wall.  And  there  was  great  indignation  against  Israel :  '  and 
they  departed  from  Ihm,  and  returned  to  their  oivn  land. 

IV.  ^  Now  there  cried  a  certain  woman  of  the  wives  of  ^  the  sons  of  the  pro- 


Before 
CHRIST 

b95. 


+  Hub.  grieve. 

q  Exud.  29.  S9, 
■Jl). 


f  Heb.  were  crud 
lagrlhcr. 
t  Hfl).  ///■;(/ 
himself  with  a 
girdle. 


t  Heb.  dcstrc 


II  Or,  t/iri/  smnle 
in  it  even  sniitiiig. 


t  Heb.  until  he 
left  the  stoves 
therecif  in  Kir- 
haraseik. 
r  Isa.  16.  7,  11. 


t  ch.  8.  20. 


a  1  Kiii'rs  20,  3S. 


contain  it,  in  the  dry  valleys  of  their  hearts  (James  i.  21. 
1  Thess.  V.  19.     2  Tim.  i.  6). 

19.  ye  shall  smite  every  fenced  city']  Rather,  ye  will  smite — 
in  your  cruelty  and  rage  :  this  is  a  prophecy,  rather  than  a  com- 
mand :  compaie  Elisha's  speech  to  Hazael,  viii.  12 ;  and  see  the 
last  note  to  this  chapter. 

20.  token  the  meat  offering  tvas  offered']  Miraculous  manifes- 
tations of  God's  mercy  often  take  place  at  the  stated  times  of 
prayer,  and  thus  God's  approval  of  such  appointments  is  shown  ; 
and  especially  was  this  the  case  at  the  evening  sacrifice,  the  hour 
of  Christ's  Death,  from  which  all  hlessings  flow  (see  on  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  15;  1  Kings  xviii.  29;  and  Ezra  ix.  4).  The  morning 
sacrifice  was  offered  at  the  time  when  the  Crucifixion  iegan 
(Mark  xv.  25). 

Here  also  was  a  rebuke  to  Jehoram  for  deserting  the 
worship  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Temple,  and  for  resorting  to  the 
schismatical  altars  of  Jeroboam  (o.  3).  May  we  not  add  that  this 
miraculous  outpouring  of  water,  typifying  the  effusion  of  the 
Spirit,  is  also  instructive  to  us  as  being  associated  with  the 
reverent  use  of  regular  ministries  of  religion  in  the  Church  of 
God? 

—  hy  the  way  of  Udom]  From  the  wilderness,  not  from  the 
Dead  Sea ;  the  water  lay  between  them  and  the  Moabites. 

23.  they  have  smitten  one  another]  The  Moabites  knew  that 
Israel  had  separated  from  Judah,  and  that  in  heart  Edom  was 
hostile  to  both  (cp.  2  Chron.  xx.  22),  and  they  supposed  that  a 
feud  had  broken  out  among  them. 

25.  Kir-haraseth]  Literally,  the  city  of  bricks,  or  hrich 
fortress  (Isa.  xvi.  7.  11.     Gesen.  732),  still  existing  under  the 

name  Kerak.  It  was  buUt  on  a  high  and  steep  limestone  rock, 
from  which  the  Dead  Sea,  and  even  Jerusalem,  is  visible.  It  is 
surrounded  by  a  deep,  narrow  glen,  called  Wady  Kerah,  which 
descends  westward  to  the  Dead  Sea  (Burckhardt,  Raumer). 

26.  Icing  of  Edom]  From  whom  he  expected  least  opposition. 

27.  his  eldest  son]  His  own  eldest  son  :  not  the  son  of  the 
king  of  Edom,  as  is  suggested  in  the  heading  of  the  chapter  in 

Vol.  III.  97 


our  Version,  and  in  the  marginal  reference  to  Amos  ii.  1,  which 
relates  to  a  different  event;  see,  however,  Pusey  there. 

—  offered  him  for  a  burnt  offering  upon  the  wall]  To  his  god 
Chemosh  (1  Kings  xi.  7).  Such  offerings  in  times  of  distress 
were  not  uncommon  (cp.  Deut.  xii.  31.  Micah  vi.  7.  Eusebius, 
Prsep.  Evan.  iv.  16 ;  and  note  above,  on  Judg.  xi.  40). 

—  there  was  great  indignation  against  Israel]  God  showed 
his  wrath  against  Israel  {not  Judah)  by  some  judgment  upon 
them  for  this  act  of  the  king  of  Moab.  Such  is  the  meaning  of 
the  Hebrew  phrase  here  used  {ketseph  gadol  al)  :  see  Num. 
i.  53;  xvi.  46;  xviii.  5.  Deut.  xxix.  28.  Josh.  ix.  20;  xxii.  20. 
1  Chron.  xxvii.  24,  2  Chron.  xxiv.  18;  xxix.  8.  It  describes 
a  visible  outbreak  of  God's  indignation.     Cp.  KeiVs  note. 

But  why,  it  may  be  asked,  was  God  wroth  with  Israel  for 
this  sin  of  the  King  of  Moab  ? 

(1).  Because  by  their  ruthless  ravages  (tiu.  24,  25)  they  had 
driven  him  to  this  act  of  frantic  desperation.  According  to 
their  Law  (Deut.  xx.  10^12),  they  ought  first  to  have  pro- 
claimed peace  to  him,  and  have  called  on  him  to  submit ;  this 
they  had  omitted  to  do  {v.  21),  and  they  ought  to  have  spared 
the  fruit-trees  (Deut.  xx.  19),  and  they  were  bound  to  show 
special  kindness  to  the  Moabites  as  their  kinsmen  (Deut.  ii.  9). 
But  they  had  not  done  so ;  they  had  invaded  and  laid  waste  his 
country  without  mercy,  and  had  goaded  him  on  to  this  miserable 
extremity. 

(2)  Perhaps  also  the  Israelites  gave  occasion  to  that  sin 
by  their  idolatry,  and  by  the  sacrifices  of  their  own  children  to 
Molech  (cp.  Ps.  cvi.  37,  38.  Lev.  xx.  2 ;  xxi.  6 ;  xxiii.  10.  1  Kings 
xi.  7 ;  xxi.  26).  The  King  of  Moab  may  have  supposed  that  tlie 
present  victory  of  Israel  was  due  to  those  sacrifices ;  and  would 
therefore  be  encouraged  to  imitate  them,  in  order  that  he  also 
might  be  victorious.  God  therefore  visited  on  Israel  the  coiise- 
quences  of  their  own  idolatry.  His  anger  broke  fortli  again^it 
them ;  and  they  were  not  able  to  complete  their  conquest,  but 
returned  to  their  own  land. 

Ch.  IV.  1.  a  certain  woman]  Supposed  by  Josephus  to  have 

H 


The  ividow's  oil  multiplied. 


2  KINGS  I\.  2— IG. 


The  Sliunamnnte. 


BcTore 
CHRIST 

b  See  Lev,  25.  a 
Matt.  18.  25. 


c  See  ch.  3.  16. 
II  Or,  scimt  nut. 


H  Or,  creditor. 

t  Ileb.  iliere  was 
a  liny. 

d  Josh.  19.  18. 
t  Heb.  laid  hold 
on  him. 


e  Gen.  18.  10,  U. 
\  Heb.  set  time. 


pliets  uuto  Elislia,  saying,  Tliy  servant  my  husband  is  dead ;  and  thou  knowest 
that  thy  servant  did  fear  the  Lord  :  and  the  creditor  is  come  ^  to  take  unto  him 
my  two  sons  to  he  bondmen.  -  And  EHsha  said  unto  her,  What  shall  I  do  for 
thee  ?  tell  me,  what  hast  thou  in  the  house  ?  And  she  said.  Thine  handmaid 
hath  not  any  thing  in  the  house,  save  a  pot  of  oil.  ^  Then  he  said,  Go,  borrow 
thee  vessels  abroad  of  all  thy  neighbours,  even  empty  vessels ;  "  \\  borrow  not  a 
few.  ^  And  when  thou  art  come  in,  thou  shalt  shut  the  door  upon  thee  and 
upon  thy  sons,  and  shalt  pour  out  into  all  those  vessels,  and  thou  shalt  set 
aside  that  which  is  full.  ^  So  she  went  from  him,  and  shut  the  door  upon  her 
and  upon  her  sons,  who  brought  the  vessels  to  her  ;  and  she  poured  out.  ^  And 
it  came  to  pass,  when  the  vessels  were  full,  that  she  said  unto  her  son.  Bring 
me  yet  a  vessel.  And  he  said  unto  her.  There  is  not  a  vessel  more.  And  the 
oil  stayed.  ^  Then  she  came  and  told  the  man  of  God.  And  he  said,  Go,  sell 
the  oil,  and  pay  thy  ||  debt,  and  hve  thou  and  thy  children  of  the  rest. 

^  And  f  it  fell  on  a  day,  that  Elisha  passed  to  '^  Shunem,  where  ivas  a  great 
woman  ;  and  she  f-  constrained  him  to  eat  bread.  And  so  it  was,  that  as  oft  as 
he  passed  by,  he  turned  in  thither  to  eat  bread.  ^  And  she  said  unto  her  hus- 
band. Behold  now,  I  perceive  that  this  is  an  holy  man  of  God,  which  passeth 
by  us  continually.  ^°  Let  us  make  a  little  chamber,  I  pray  thee,  on  the  wall ; 
and  let  us  set  for  him  there  a  bed,  and  a  table,  and  a  stool,  and  a  candlestick : 
and  it  shall  be,  when  he  cometh  to  us,  that  he  shall  turn  in  thither.  ^^  And 
it  fell  on  a  day,  that  he  came  thither,  and  he  turned  into  the  chamber,  and  lay 
there.  ^-^And  he  said  to  Gehazi  his  servant,  Call  this  Shunammite.  And 
when  he  had  called  her,  she  stood  before  him.  ^^And  he  said  unto  him,  Say 
now  unto  her,  Behold,  thou  hast  been  careful  for  us  with  all  this  care ;  what  is 
to  be  done  for  thee  ?  wouldest  thou  be  spoken  for  to  the  king,  or  to  the  captain 
of  the  host  ?  And  she  answered,  I  dwell  among  mine  own  people.  ^^  And  he 
said.  What  then  is  to  be  done  for  her  ?  And  Gehazi  answered,  Verily  she  hath 
no  child,  and  her  husband  is  old.  ^^  And  he  said,  Call  her.  And  when  he 
had  called  her,  she  stood  in  the  door.     ^^  And  he  said,  ^  About  this  f  season. 


been  the  widow  of  Obadiab,  the  servant  of  Ahab  {Joseph,  ix. 
4.  2),  and  so  the  Chaldee  Targum,  and  many  of  the  Rabbis. 
She  speaks  of  her  husband  in  the  same  terms  as  Obadiah  used 
in  speaking  of  himself  (1  Kings  xviii.  12). 

The  Widow's  Oil  multiplied. 

—  to  he  hondmen^  Rather,  to  be  servants :  see  Lev.  xxv.  39. 

3.  Go,  borrow  thee  vessels]  Elisha  requires  an  act  of  faith 
nnd  obedience  on  the  part  of  the  widow  and  her  son  before  he 
works  the  miracle.  Compare  above,  iii.  16,  where  he  requires 
ditches  to  be  made  by  the  army  of  Israel,  in  the  dry  valley,  in 
order  that  they  may  be  filled  with  water. 

Here  we  see  another  type  of  the  working  of  Christ  in  His 
Apostles  after  the  Ascension. 

Elijah  had  promised  to  the  widow  of  Sarcpta,  who  received 
him  in  faith  and  love,  that  the  cruse  of  oil  should  not  fail  till 
the  Lord  sent  rain,  and  that  she  and  her  son  should  be  preserved 
in  time  of  famine  (1  Kings  xvii.  14)  ;  and  here  EUsha  tries  the 
faith  of  the  widow  by  prescribing  means  whereby  she  may  be 
delivered  from  debt,  and  her  son  from  the  bond- service  enforced 
by  the  creditor  straining  the  Levitical  Law  to  his  owTi  benefit. 

Here  we  recognize  a  resemblance  to  the  mu-acle  of  Elijah, 
with  some  additional  circumstances,  such  as  we  find  in  the 
Apostolic  teacliing  and  ministry  succeeding  that  of  our  Blessed 
Lord.  ^  There  is  a  widow  in  both  cases ;  she  has  a  son  in  both 
cases ;  in  the  one  case  there  is  famine,  in  the  other  there  is  debt 
and  fear  of  bondage.  In  both  cases  there  is  faith  and  obedience. 
In  both  cases  there  is  a  supply  of  oil,  the  fruit  of  faith  in  God. 
The  faithful  soul  and  its  oflspring  were  fed  with  spiritual  food 
by  Christ,  they  were  delivered  from  the  debt  of  sin,  and  fi-om 
the  fear  of  bondage  of  the  Levitical  Law,  by  the  preaching  of 
the  doctrine  of  Justificatica  after  the  Ascension  of  Chiist, 
98 


by  the  Holy  Apostles  (cp.  Append,  ad  Augustine,  Serm.  42). 
Eiicherius  (p.  1002)  compares  the  widow  to  the  Gentile  Church, 
whose  husband  was  dead,  i.  e.  who  was  no  longer  joined  to  her 
ancient  idolatries,  but  joyfully  embraced  the  Gospel  from  Apos- 
tolic preaching,  and  received  a  marvellous  supply  of  the  oil  of 
spiritual  grace  for  the  deliverance  of  herself  and  children — even 
all  nations — from  the  bondage  of  sin  and  death.  So  Angelomus, 
p.  397. 

6.  the  oil  stayed'\  Not  for  any  deficiency  in  its  supply,  but 
in  the  lack  of  vessels  to  receive  it.  So  the  supply  of  the  oil  of 
God's  grace  is  never  stinted  in  itself,  but  the  stint  is  in  our 
hearts.  We  are  not  straitened  in  God,  but  our  straitness  is  in 
ourselves.  Oin*  faith  falters.  His  promises  never  fail :  compare 
2  Cor.  vi.  12. 

8.  Shuneni]  In  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  the  native  place  of 
Abishag :  see  above,  1  Kings  i.  3. 

—  a  great  woman]  Wealthy  :  cp.  1  Sam.  xx.  2. 

10.  a  little  chamber']  An  upper  chamber :  see  above,  in  Elijah's 
history,  1  Kings  xvii.  19 :  cp.  Dr.  Thomson,  L.  and  B.  457. 

—  a  bed — candlestick]  See  how  few  needs  he  had.  On  the 
good  effects  of  hospitality  to  strangers,  especially  to  holy  men, 
see  Matt.  x.  41.     Heb.  xiii.  2.     1  Pet.  iv.  9. 

12.  Gehazi]  A  name  which  means  valley  of  vision  {Gesen.167). 
On  the  spiritual  meaning  assigned  by  some  to  this  name, 

see  below,  note  at  end  of  chapter  v. 

13.  spoken  for  to  the  king]  A  proof  of  the  effect  of  Elisha's 
miracles,  even  on  bad  men. 

—  I  dwell  among  mine  otun  people]  I  dwell  peaceably  and 
contentedly.  I  have  no  litigation  with  any  body,  and  have  no 
need  of  favours  from  princes,  or  of  any  intercession  with  them 
(Theodoret). 

16.  About  this  season,  according  to  the  time  of  life]   The 


The  Shunammite's  son  dies. 


2  KINGS  IV.  17—29. 


EUsha's  servant  and  staff. 


Before 
C  H  K  1ST 
895. 
f  ver.  28. 


t  Heb.  peace. 


ficcorcliiig  to  the  time  of  life,  thou  slialt  embrace  a  son.  And  she  said,  Nay, 
my  lord,  thou  man  of  God,  ^  do  not  lie  unto  thine  handmaid.  ^^  And  the  woman 
conceived,  and  bare  a  son  at  that  season  that  Elisha  had  said  unto  her,  accord- 
ing to  the  time  of  life. 

^^  And  when  the  child  was  grown,  it  fell  on  a  day,  that  he  went  out  to  his 
fiither  to  the  reapers.  ^^  And  he  said  unto  his  father,  My  head,  my  head.  And 
he  said  to  a  lad.  Carry  him  to  his  mother.  ^^  And  when  he  had  taken  him, 
and  brought  him  to  his  mother,  he  sat  on  her  knees  till  noon,  and  then  died. 
2i  And  she  went  up,  and  laid  him  on  the  bed  of  the  man  of  God,  and  shut  the 
door  upon  him,  and  went  out.  ^  And  she  called  unto  her  husband,  and  said, 
Send  me,  I  pray  thee,  one  of  the  young  men,  and  one  of  the  asses,  that  I  may 
run  to  the  man  of  God,  and  come  again.  ^3  ji^^  i^q  ^^^[^^  Wherefore  wilt  thou 
go  to  him  to  day  ?  it  is  neither  new  moon,  nor  sabbath.  And  she  said,  It  shall 
he  f  well.  24  Then  she  saddled  an  ass,  and  said  to  her  servant.  Drive,  and  go 
forward  ;  f  slack  not  thy  riding  for  me,  except  I  bid  thee.  ^^  So  she  went  and  i^fJ;Z'to'r7de. 
came  unto  the  man  of  God  ^  to  mount  Carmel.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  s  cii.  2. 25. 
the  man  of  God  saw  her  afar  off,  that  he  said  to  Gehazi  his  servant,  Behold, 
yonder  is  that  Shunammite :  ^6  j^un  now,  I  pray  thee,  to  meet  her,  and  say 
unto  her,  Is  it  well  with  thee  ?  is  it  well  with  thy  husband  ?  is  it  well  with  the 
cliild  ?  And  she  answered.  It  is  well.  ^'^  And  when  she  came  to  the  man  of 
God  to  the  hill,  she  caught  f  him  by  the  feet :  but  Gehazi  came  near  to  thrust  uuh.byhu 

'  01  ./  feet.  Matt.  2S.  9. 

her  away.     And  the  man  of  God  said.  Let  her  alone ;  for  her  soul  is  f  vexed  J  ^^^^  *''|^' 
within  her :  and  the  Lord  hath  hid  it  from  me,  and  hath  not  told  me.     ^8  Then 
she  said,  Did  I  desire  a  son  of  my  lord  ?  ''  did  I  not  say.  Do  not  deceive  me  ?  i^  ^e^-  ^^■ 
29  Then  he  said  to  Gehazi,  '  Gird  up  thy  loins,  and  take  my  staff  in  thine  hand,  '^  Kings  is.  46. 
and  go  thy  way  :  if  thou  meet  any  man,  •'salute  him  not ;  and  if  any  salute  k Luke  10.4. 
thee,  answer  him  not  again  :  and  '  lay  my  staff  upon  the  face  of  the  child.  1  see  Exod.  7. 19 

ch.  2.  8,  14.     Acts  19.  12. 


words  of  the  Angel  of  God  to  Sarah  (Gen.  xviii.  10).  Accord- 
ing  io  the  time  of  life,  i.  e.  when  the  time,  or  season,  lives,  or 
revives ;  that  is,  in  the  following  year.  This  was  an  assurance 
that  the  God  of  Ahraham  still  ruled  and  worked  in  Israel. 

18.  And  when  the  child  ivas  grown]  The  history  of  the  child 
is  continued.  The  narrative  of  Elisha's  miracles  is  not  com- 
posed strictly  according  to  annals,  but  according  to  an  inner 
connexion :  see  above,  on  ii.  18. 

19.  My  head]  Probably  he  was  smitten  by  a  sun-stroke 
{Dr.  Thomson,  457). 

23.  Wherefore  ivilt  thou  go]  She  had  not  told  her  husband 
tlie  reason  of  her  going  to  Elisha.  Perhaps  she  feared  that  he 
would  deter  her  fi-om  going,  on  what  he  might  consider  a  fruit- 
less errand,  and  she  would  not  enter  into  an  altercation  with 
him,  but  would  hasten  to  the  man  of  God.  So  Abraham  does  not 
seem  to  have  communicated  to  Sarah  the  reason  of  his  journey 
to  Moriah  (Gen.  xxii.). 

—  it  is  neither  neio  moon,  nor  sabbath]  It  seems,  therefore, 
that  the  prophets  of  Israel,  who  supplied  the  lack  of  the  Levitical 
Priesthood,  had  kept  aUve  in  Israel  the  observance  of  these  days 
as  seasons  for  religious  instruction :  cp.  A  Lapide  here,  and 
llengst.,  Auth.  i.  136. 

26.  It  is  well]  She  had  faith  in  God,  that  whatever  might 
seem  to  be  her  own  present  condition,  all  would  be  seen  to  be 
ordered  in  mercy  and  love.  She  therefore  answered  Elisha's 
inquiry  by  the  usual  word  of  salutation  (shalom). 

27.  t?ie  LoED  hath  hid  it]  A  proof  of  Elisha's  modesty.  He 
claims  nothing  for  himself,  but  ascribes  all  to  God;  so  did 
St.  Peter  and  the  Apostles  (Acts  iii.  11,  12). 

Elisha  eaises  the  Shtjnammite's  Soy. 

29 — 37.]  Elisha  sent  Gehazi  his  servant  with  his  staff — the 
badge  of  prophetic  authority,  like  the  rod  of  Moses  and  of  Aaron, 
and  even  the  rods  of  the  Magicians  of  Egypt  (cp.  Kitto,  p.  313), 
and  commanded  him  to  gu-d  up  his  loins,  and  to  salute  no  man 
by  tlie  way,  and  to  lay  his  staff  on  the  face  of  the  child. 

Gehazi  was  forbidden  to  salute  any  one  by  the  way;  an 
99 


exhortation  to  those,  who  are  engaged  in  a  holy  errand,  to  give 
their  whole  mind  to  it,  and  not  to  spend  time  in  talking  of  it  to 
others,  but  to  despatch  it  with  eagerness  and  haste  {Theodoret, 
App.  ad  August.,  Serm.  42). 

Our  Lord  adopts  this  precept  in  His  charge  to  His  disciples 
(Luke  X.  4.     Tertullian  c.  Marcion.  iv.  24). 

Why  did  Elisha  send  his  staff  with  Gehazi,  and  command 
him  to  lay  it  on  the  child's  face,  before  he  came  himself? 

We  are  not  to  suppose,  with  some,  that  he  was  guilty  of 
presumption,  in  expecting  that  the  child  would  revive  by  the 
application  of  the  staff,  and  that  he  was  punished  for  that  pre- 
sumption, by  the  abortion  of  his  design.  He  did  not  encourage 
the  mother  to  expect  that  the  child  would  be  revived  by  it.  The 
mother  did  not  go  with  Gehazi  the  servant,  but  remained  with 
Ehsha  the  master;  she  said  to  the  Prophet,  "As  the  Lord 
liveth,  and  as  thy  soul  hveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee"  (v.  30) 
and  Elisha  himself  set  off  from  Mount  Carmel  in  her  company, 
and  went  after  Gehazi  to  her  house,  where  the  dead  child  lay. 
And  when  Gehazi  came  to  meet  them,  and  reported  to  thera 
that  he  had  laid  the  staff  on  the  child's  face,  and  that  the  child 
showed  no  sign  of  hfe,  Elisha  went  up  into  the  upper  room,  and 
prayed  to  the  Lord,  and  lay  upon  the  child,  and  put  his  mouth 
ujwn  the  child's  mouth,  and  his  eyes  upon  his  eyes,  and  his 
hands  upon  his  hands,  and  stretched  himself  upon  the  child,  and 
the  flesh  of  the  child  waxed  warm,  and  it  was  revived. 

Elisha  sent  Gehazi  liis  servant  with  his  staff;  but  no  heal- 
ing effect  ensued  from  the  application  of  it  to  the  face  of  tho 
child.  The  sending  of  Gehazi,  and  the  absence  of  any  result 
from  the  mission,  was  an  instructive  practical  lesson,  that  Elisha 
was  not  a  source  of  miraculous  working,  and  could  not  commu- 
nicate  it  to  others,  but  was  himself  an  instrument  in  the  handj 
of  God,  who  worked  miracles  by  him. 

Thus  his  work  resembled  the  working  of  the  Apostles. 
Clirist,  when  on  earth,  not  only  wrought  miracles  in  His  own 
person,  but  He  also  gave  power  to  others  to  work  them  (see  on 
Matt.  X.  1).  He,  being  God,  is  a  source  of  miraculous  agency ; 
they  were  only  channels  by  which  it  flowed  from  Him;  and  they 


The  staff  is  sent  before. 


2  KINGS  IV.  30—37.      Elisha  comes,  revives  the  child. 


Before 
CHRIST 
895. 
m  ch.  2.  2. 


2<^And  the  mother  of  the  child  said,   ""^.s  the  Lord  hveth,  and  as  thy  soul 

liveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee.     And  he  arose,  and  followed  her.     ^^  And  Gehazi 

passed  on  before  them,  and  laid  the  staff  upon  the  face  of  the  child  ;  but  there 

t  Heb.  atienfwn.  loas  neither  voice,  nor  f  hearing.     Wherefore  he  went  again  to  meet  him,  and 

n John  11. 11.     told  him,  saying,  The  child  is  "not  awaked.     ^2 ^j^^-[  ^yj-^g^  Elisha  was  come 

into  the  house,  behold,  the  child  was  dead,  and  laid  upon  his  bed.     ^^  Ho 

over. 4.  o  ^gj^^  [j^  therefore,  and  shut  the  door  upon  them  twain,  ^  and  prayed  unto  the 

pi  Kings  17. 20,  Lqpj)^     24^j2(J  he  went  up,  and  lay  upon  the  child,  and  put  his  mouth  upon 

his  mouth,  and  his  eyes  upon  his  eyes,  and  his  hands  upon  his  hands  :  and 

'^  he  stretched  himself  upon  the  child ;  and  the  flesh  of  the  child  waxed  warm. 

2^  Then  he  returned,  and  walked  in  the  house  f  to  and  fro  ;  and  went  up,  '  and 

stretched  himself  upon  him  :  and  '  the  child  sneezed  seven  times,  and  the  child 

opened  his  eyes.     ^^^And  he  called  Gehazi,  and  said,  Call  this  Shunammite. 

So  he  called  her.     And  when  she  was  come  in  unto  him,  he  said.  Take  up  thy 

son.     ^^  Then  she  went  in,  and  fell  at  his  feet,  and  bowed  herself  to  the  ground, 

and  *■  took  up  her  son,  and  went  out. 


q  1  Kings  17.  21. 

Acts  20.  10. 

i  Heb.  once 

hilher,  and  once 

thither. 

r  1  Kings  17.  21. 

s  ch.  8.  1,  5. 


t  1  Kings  17.23 
Heb.  11    35. 


were  uot  enabled  by  Him  to  give  tbeir  power  to  others.  Christ, 
in  His  Apostles,  wrought  miracles  after  His  Ascension,  but  they 
did  not  possess  the  power  of  imparting  miraculous  agency  to 
others.  He  healed  the  sick  by  Peter's  shadow,  and  by  the 
handkerchiefs  of  Paid  (see  Acts  v.  15 ;  xix.  12 ;  and  note  on  John 
xiv.  12) ;  but  He  did  not  give  to  Peter  or  Paul  the  power  of  com- 
municating this  power  to  any. 

This  miracle  of  the  Prophet  Elisha  raising  the  Shunam- 
mite's  son  to  life  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  miracle 
of  Elijah  raising  the  widow  of  Zarephath's  son  to  life  (1  Kings 
xvii.  19—23).  Elijah  prefigured  Christ  working  miracles  in 
person  on  earth.  Elisha,  the  successor  of  Elijah,  prefigured 
Christ  working  by  His  Apostles  after  His  Ascension. 

The  Shunammite's  son  was  dead;  so  was  the  Heathen 
World,  when  the  Apostles  went  forth  to  preach. 

The  action  of  Elijah  stretching  himself  over  the  dead  child, 
and  thus  restoring  it  to  life,  represents  the  quick'cning  power  of 
God  made  Man  in  Christ,  and  restoring  mankind  to  spiritual 
health  by  means  of  His  Incarnation  and  Death,  and  animating 
and  informing  us  by  His  Spirit  and  Example ;  and  the  action  is 
repeated  by  Elisha,  the  successor  of  Elijah,  because  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Incarnation  preached  to  the  world  by  Christ  in  His 
Apostles  and  their  successors  unto  the  end  of  the  world,  is  that 
which  revives  the  dead,  and  raises  them  to  newness  of  life,  and 
to  hopes  of  a  blessed  Immortality. 

In  another  respect  EUsha's  act  was  prefigurative  of  Christ. 
The  prophetic  staff,  as  the  ancient  Expositors  observed,  was 
typical  of  the  Levitical  Law.  It  was  like  the  rod  of  Moses,  the 
badge  of  its  power.  The  Law  was  sent  by  Christ  before  His 
Advent.  It  was  sent  in  the  hand  of  Moses,  His  servant.  The 
staff  was  applied  to  the  face  of  the  world  lying  dead  in  sins,  but 
it  could  not  raise  it  to  life.  The  Law  declared  our  death,  and 
it  declared  its  own  inability  to  revive  the  dead.  And  the  Law 
was  sent  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  Coming  of  Christ,  Who  alone 
could  raise  the  dead.  The  faithful  Shunammite  did  not  look 
to  Gehazi  and  the  stafi",  but  had  faith  in  Elisha,  who  sent  them, 
and  she  clave  to  him.  The  faithful  Israelite  did  not  look  for  life 
to  Moses  and  the  Law,  but  to  Christ,  Who  sent  them  before  Him- 
self. The  Shunammite  and  the  widow  of  Zarephath  were  in  the 
Apostle's  mind  when  he  said,  "  Bi/ faith -women  received  their 
dead  raised  to  life"  (Heb.  xi.  35).  Christ  sent  the  staff  of  the 
Levitical  Law  by  Moses  His  servant ;  but  Christ  Himself,  our 
Divine  Elisha,  came  in  His  Apostles  to  the  whole  world  lying  in 
a  state  of  sin  and  death.  As  Aiignstine  says  (Tract  3  in  Joann., 
n.  2),  "  Qui  dedit  Legem,  dedit  et  Gratiam,  sed  Legem  per  ser- 
vum  (Moysem)  misit.  Ipse  cum  Gratia  descendit.  Lex  osten- 
dit  peccata,  non  tollit;"  and  again,  "Legem  misit  per  servum; 
misericordiam  per  se  ipsum."  The  Levitical  Law,  which  He 
Bcnt  before,  declared  man's  sinfulness ;  and  it  avowed  its  own 
inability  to  heal  him  (see  above,  Introd.  to  Romans,  pp.  188 — 
194).  And  the  Law  prepared  the  way  for  the  Gospel,  as  Gehazi 
(lid  for  Elisha ;  and  the  very  inability  of  the  servant,  with  the 
staff,  displayed  more  clearly  the  divine  power  of  the  Master. 
Eucherius  says  (p.  1003),  "  Per  Moysem  Dominus  quasi  virgam 
misit.  Bed  per  Legem  peccati  timor  a  morte  nos  non  suscitare 
valuit.;  nos  ad  statum  vitae  aspirata  mansuetudinis  Gratia 
erexit  •"  and  so  Angelomus,  p.  397,  and  JBede,  Qu.  4. 
100 


Elisha  went  tip  into  the  chamber  and  "  stretched  himself," 
and  yet  he  "  contracted  himself."  He  applied  his  own  limbs  to 
the  child's  limbs;  his  mouth,  eyes,  and  hands,  to  the  child's  mouth, 
eyes,  and  hands.  So,  God  in  Christ  humbled  Himself,  and  took 
our  Nature,  and  became  a  little  child  for  our  sakes ;  and  was 
obedient  to  death,  that  we  might  live  for  ever  by  Him.  He 
contracted  His  Godhead  to  the  narrow  span  of  our  Manhood, 
and  embi-aced  its  cold  limbs,  and  restored  it  to  life.  As  S.  Ire- 
nceus  says,  Christ  passed  through  every  age — infancy,  childhood, 
manhood — that  He  might  sanctify  every  age.  "  He  quickened 
us  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins"  (Eph.  ii.  1),  and  of 
"  His  fulness  we  all  receive,  and  grace  for  grace"  (John  i.  16). 
He  has  warmed  us  by  His  breath.  He  restores  us  to  the  divine 
image.  He  makes  His  own  most  precious  blood  to  flow  in  our 
veins.  By  the  ministry  of  His  Word  and  Sacraments,  He,  Who 
is  God  Incarnate,  our  heavenly  Elisha  (which  signifies  "  God 
the  Saviour"),  and  Who  acted  in  and  by  His  Apostles,  and  is 
ever  present  in  His  Church,  is  ever  doing  the  same  blessed  work 
of  spiritual  reanimation.  He  is  ever  quickening  those  who  are 
dead  in  sin,  and  is  raising  them  to  life,  and  is  giving  to  them 
a  blessed  hope  and  assurance  of  a  future  resurrection  to  ever- 
lasting life  and  glory,  through  Himself,  "  the  Resurrection  and 
the  Life  :"  see  John  v.  21;  xi.  26.  Eph.  ii.  1.  Col.  ii.  13,  and 
the  exposition  by  S.  Augustine  of  this  history,  c.  Faust.  Man. 
xii.  35 ;  contra  duas  Epistolas  Pelagian,  iv.  c.  2 ;  and  Serm.  136. 
Appendix  ad  Serm.  42,  p.  2425 :  "  Inclinavit  se  ElisKus,  ut 
puerum  resuscitaret ;  humiliavit  se  Christus,  ut  mundum  in 
peccatis  jacentem  erigeret.  Misit  Elisseus  oculos  super  oculos, 
manus  sujier  manus.  Quod  Elisajus  in  puero  prrofiguravit,  hoc 
in  toto  genere  humano  Christus  implevit.  Humiliavit  se  ipsum 
factus  obediens  usque  ad  mortem  (Phil.  ii.  8).  Quia  parvuli 
eramus,  parvidum  se  fecit;  quia  mortui  jacebamus,  plus  se 
medicus  inclinavit.  Quod  puer  oscitavit  septies,  omnis  gratia 
Spiritus  ostenditur  generi  humano,  ut  resuscitetur  in  adventu 
Christi."  And  in  Sermon  26,  S.  Augustine  says,  "  Non  potuit 
Lex  vivificare ;  Venit  Ipse,  Grandis  ad  parvulum,  Salvator  ad 
salvandum,  Vivus  ad  mortuum.  Membra  contraxit,  tanquam  se 
exinaniens,  ut  formam  servi  acciperet  (Phd.  ii.  7),  parvum  se 
parvo  coaptavit,  ut  efficeret  corpus  humilitatis  nostra;  conforme 
corpori  glorice  suaj :  Phil.  iii.  21."  Cp.  S.  Prosper  Aquitan.  ii. 
31;  lEucherius,  Bede,  and  Angelomus  here,  and  S.  Bernard, 
in  Cantica,  Serm.  6,  where  he  applies  this  history  to  Christ, 
preached  to  the  world,  uot  only  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  and  as  the 
giver  of  life,  but  also  as  our  Perfect  Example,  to  which  we  must 
be  conformed :  "Manus  suas  meis  superposuit,  exemplum prasbeus 
bonorum  operum  et  formam  obedientife."  See  also  Bp.  Taylor, 
Life  of  Christ,  Introd.  §  3.  These  expositions  have  been  adopted 
in  the  Holy  Year,  in  the  Hymn  for  the  Second  Sunday  after 
Eastei',  on  which  day  the  Church  teaches  this  doctrine  of  con- 
formity to  Christ,  in  her  Collect  and  Epistle. 
33.  and  prayed']  See  on  1  Kings  xvii.  21. 

36.  Call  this  Shunammite']  Shunem  was  near  to  Nain,  where 
our  Lord  raised  the  widow's  son  to  Ufe.  The  act  of  Elisha 
reminds  us  of  the  act  of  our  Blessed  Lord ;  but  Elisha  worked 
as  a  "man  of  God,"  Christ  worked  as  God  Himself.  See 
Luke  vii.  14. 


The  dcaclhj  poltage  healed.     2  KINGS  IV.  38 — 44.     V.  1,  2.         Tlie  miraculous  feeding. 


^  And  Elislia  came  again  to  "  Gilgal :  and  there  was  a  "  dearth  in  the  land ; 
and  the  sons  of  the  prophets  ivere  ^  sitting  before  him :  and  he  said  unto  his 
servant,  Set  on  the  great  pot,  and  seethe  pottage  for  the  sons  of  the  prophets. 
^  And  one  went  out  into  the  field  to  gather  herbs,  and  found  a  wild  vine,  and 
gathered  thereof  wild  gourds  his  lap  full,  and  came  and  shred  tlicm  into  the  pot 
of  pottage  :  for  they  knew  them  not.  ^^  So  they  poured  out  for  the  men  to  eat. 
And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  were  eating  of  the  pottage,  that  they  cried  out, 
and  said,  0  thou  man  of  God,  there  is  ^  death  in  the  pot.  And  they  could  not 
eat  thereof.  ^^  But  he  said.  Then  bring  meal.  And  *  he  cast  it  into  the  pot ; 
and  he  said,  Pour  out  for  the  people,  that  they  may  eat.  And  there  was  no 
f  harm  in  the  pot. 

^■^And  there  came  a  man  from  '' Baal-shalisha,  ""and  brought  the  man  of 
God  bread  of  the  firstfruits,  twenty  loaves  of  barley,  and  full  ears  of  corn  ||  in 
the  husk  thereof.  And  he  said,  Give  unto  the  people,  that  they  may  eat. 
^^  And  his  servitor  said,  "^  What,  should  I  set  this  before  an  hundred  men  ? 
He  said  again,  Grve  the  people,  that  they  may  eat :  for  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
""  They  shall  eat,  and  shall  leave  thereof.  ^^  So  he  set  it  before  them,  and  they 
did  eat,  'and  left  thereof,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord. 

V.  ^  Now  ^  Naaman,  captain  of  the  host  of  the  king  of  Syria,  was  ''  a  great 
man  f  with  his  master,  and  ||  f  honourable,  because  by  him  the  Lord  had  given 
II  deliverance  unto  Syria  :  he  was  also  a  mighty  man  in  valour,  hiU  he  ivas  a 
leper.     ^  And  the  Syrians  had  gone  out  by  companies,  and  had  brought  away 


countenance. 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
891. 
u  ch.  2.  1. 
X  eh.  8.  1. 
y  ch.  2.  5. 
Luke  10.  39. 
Acts  22.  3. 


zExod.  10.  17. 

a  See  Exod.  15. 

25. 

ch.  2.  21.  &  5.  10. 

John  9.  0. 

t  Heb.  evil  tiling. 

b  1  Sam.  9.  i. 
c  1  Sam.  y.  7. 

I  Cor.  9.  11. 
Gal.  6.  6. 

II  Or,  in  his  scrip, 
or,  garment. 

A  Luke  9.  13. 
John  6.  9. 


e  Luke  9.  17. 
John  6.  11. 

f  Matt.  14.  20.  & 
15.  37. 
John  6.  13. 
about 
894. 
a  Luke  4.  27. 
b  Exod.  11.  3. 
t  Heb.  before. 
II  Or,  graciiius. 
■t  Heb.  lijted  up, 
or,  accepted  in 
I  Or,  victory. 


38.  to  OilgaV]  See  ii.  1. 

—  a  dearth  in  the  land^  In  a  spiritual  sense,  this  represents 
a  time  in  God's  Chm-ch  when  tlie  food  of  God's  Holy  Word  is 
scarce.     See  below,  on  Rev.  vi.  5,  6  :  cp.  Amos  viii.  11. 

—  sitting  before  him']  Listening  to  his  instruction,  and 
waiting  also  to  be  fed  by  him. 

39.  herbs']  Heb.  oroth,  bright  green  herbs  (Gesen.  24). 

—  a  ivild  vine]  Probably  the  Colocynth  {Vidg.,  Arab.). 

40.  death  in  the  pot]  It  was  not  only  nauseous,  but  noxious. 

The  Deadly  Pottage  Healed. 

41.  bring  meal — And  there  was  no  harm]  Elisha  not  only 
made  it  wholesome,  but  pleasant. 

In  a  figurative  sense,  noxious  and  nauseous  herbs  are  symbols 
of  unsound  and  heretical  doctrine  (see  above,  on  Deut.  xxix.  18 ; 
jind  below,  Heb.  xii.  15).  There  was  a  dearth  in  the  land,  "  a 
famine  of  hearing  God's  Word"  (see  v.  38).  The  sons  of  the 
prophets  exclaimed,  "  there  is  death  in  the  pot." 

Such  is  the  language  of  faithful  members  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  detesting  nnsound  doctrine  :  to  them  heresy  is  like  death. 

The  Meal,  which  is  corn  ground  into  flour  and  sifted,  repre- 
sented the  pure  grain  of  God's  Holy  Word,  ground  and  sifted  by 
the  human  labour  of  sound  Learning  ;  and  the  action  of  Elisha 
casting  the  meal  into  the  vessel,  represented  the  work  of  Christ, 
our  Divine  Elisha,  working  in  the  Apostles  and  in  Apostolic 
Churches,  counteracting  and  healing  the  poison  of  heresy  by  the 
infusion  of  the  sound  doctrine  of  God's  holy  Word  (Angelonms, 
p.  398).  Such  was  the  work  of  Christ,  acting  by  His  Holy 
iSpirit,  in  the  primitive  Councils  of  the  Church,  such  as  that  at 
Jerusalem  (Acts  xv.  6 — 9).  Such  was  the  work  of  Christ  in 
the  Oecumenical  Synods  of  Nica?a,  Constantinople,  Ephesus,  and 
Chalcedon,  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries,  counteracting  the 
deadly  poison  of  Heresy  by  the  infusion  of  the  pure  meal  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  carefully  examined  and  rightly  applied  with 
prayer,  diligence,  and  mutual  conference,  to  the  determining 
of  conti'oversies,  the  refutation  of  error,  and  the  establishing  of 
the  Truth. 

42.  Baal-shalisha]  West  of  Bethel.     See  1  Sam.  ix.  4. 

—  brought  the  man  of  Ood  bread]  As  an  oflFering  to  Elisha. 
The  Prophets  in  the  Kingdom  of  Israel,  which  was  now  without 
a  regular  Priesthood,  were  regarded  by  the  faithful  as  holding 
the  place  of  the  Levitical  ministry  (cp.  llengst.,  Auth.  i.  136). 

— full  ears  of  corn]  Heb.  caremel ;  probably  early  grain 
ground  into  polenta  (cp.  Lev.  xxiii.  14.     Gesen.  415). 

—  in  the  husk  thereof]  Rather,  iu  his  sack  (Vulg.;  and  so 

101 


Sengsf.,  Keil.     Cp.  Syr.,  Arab,.,  and  Targum,  which 
explain  it  by  vest,  or  cloth). 

The  MiEACTiLors  FEEDinra. 
43.  Give  the  people]  Elisha,  having  received  thank-offerings 
intended  for  his  own  use,  dispenses  them,  when  multiplied,  to  the 
people.  Here  is  a  specimen  of  the  work  of  Christ  in  Apostolic 
Churches,  receiving  the  alms  of  the  faithful  at  God's  altar,  and 
seeking  for  true  riches  by  bestowing  those  offerings,  blessed  by 
God  with  increase,  to  the  benefit  of  His  people. 

This  action  is  contrasted  with  the  sordid  covetousness  of 
the  evil  minister  of  Ehsha,  Gehazi  (the  Judas  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment), who  endeavours  to  enrich  himself  by  treachery  to  big 
master  (v.  20). 

This  miracle  of  Elisha,  Hke  that  of  raising  the  Shunammite's 
son  (see  on  v.  36),  presents  a  figurative  glimpse  of  the  _  mighty 
working  of  Christ  in  feeding  the  multitudes  (cp.  Matt.  xiv.  15— 
21.  Mark  vi.  34— 44.  Luke  ix.  12.  John  vi.  11).  In  Christ's 
miracle,  the  Lord  Himself  worked  as  supreme,  by  His  own  divine 
authority;  He  works  in  Ehsha  as  by  an  instrument  in  the 
Lord's  hands. 

Observe,  the  former  of  this  pair  of  miracles  {vv.  38—41) 
represents  the  work  of  Christ  in  the  Church  of  God,  providing 
an  antidote  for  the  poison  of  heresy  :  the  other  miracle  represents 
His  work  in  the  Church,  feeding  the  people  with  the  wholesome 
food  (the  first-fruits  and  the  full  ears  of  corn  {v.  42),  the  first-ripe, 
and  the  last)  of  Holy  Scripture.  The  Church  of  God  must  be 
careful  to  perform  both  these  duties  to  her  people.  She  must 
not  be  content  with  counteracting  error,  she  must  also  diffuse 
truth  ;  and  she  must  not  think  it  enough  to  disseminate  saving 
truth,  without  providing  an  antidote  agamst  the  poison  of  heresy, 
which  is  spiritual  death. 

Cn.  V.  1.  Naaman]  Which  me^-ns  pleasant  {Gesen.  ^hh). 

—  deliverance]  Victory  and  prosperity. 

—  a  leper]  Although  Naaman  was  a  leper,  yet  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  high  affairs  of  state  ;  he  was  allowed  to  dwell  in  the 
society  of  his  friends,  and  even  to  enter  the  temple  of  his  god 
\v.  18).  Leprosy  was  the  type  of  sin,  in  God's  Law,  and  m  the 
eye  of  the  faithful  Israelite  ;  and  it  required  the  separation  ot 
the  leper  from  the  society  of  his  fellow-men,  and  from  tbc  wor- 
ship  of  the  sanctuary  (see  above,  on  Lev.  xiii.  2— 46,  ana  tna 
interesting  remarks  of  Dr.  Thomson,  L.  and  B.,  p.  fa5d> 

But  it  was  not  regarded  in  the  same  light  by  the  heathens 
(cp.  Uengst.,  Christ,  iii.  594.     Auth.  i.  137).     It  ib  only  th? 


Naaman  the  Syrian 


2  KINGS  V.  3—11. 


is  sent  to  ivash  in  Jordan. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

894. 

t  Heb.  wasbffore. 

t  Heb.  before. 

t  Heb.  gather  in. 


C  1  Sam.  9.  8. 
ch.  H.  8,  9. 
t  Heb.  in  his 
hand. 


d  Gen.  30.  2. 
Deut.  32.  Si). 
1  Sam.  2.  0. 


e  ?ee  ch.  4.  41. 
Joan  9.  7. 


captive  out  of  the  land  of  Israel  a  little  maid ;  and  she  f  waited  on  Naaman' s 
wife.  ^  And  she  said  unto  her  mistress,  Would  God  my  lord  tvere  |  with  the 
prophet  that  is  in  Samaria  !  for  he  would  f  recover  him  of  his  leprosy.  ^  And 
one  went  in,  and  told  his  lord,  saying,  Thus  and  thus  said  the  maid  that  is  of 
the  land  of  Israel.  ^  And  the  king  of  Syria  said.  Go  to,  go,  and  I  will  send  a 
letter  unto  the  king  of  Israel.  And  he  departed,  and  ""  took  f  with  him  ten 
talents  of  silver,  and  six  thousand  jneces  of  gold,  and  ten  changes  of  raiment. 
^  And  he  brought  the  letter  to  the  king  of  Israel,  saying,  Now  when  this  letter 
is  come  unto  thee,  behold,  I  have  theretuith  sent  Naaman  my  servant  to  thee, 
that  thou  mayest  recover  him  of  his  leprosy.  ^  ^^d  it  came  to  pass,  when  the 
king  of  Israel  had  read  the  letter,  that  he  rent  his  clothes,  and  said.  Am  I 
'^  God,  to  kill  and  to  make  alive,  that  this  man  doth  send  unto  me  to  recover  a 
man  of  his  leprosy  ?  wherefore  consider,  I  pray  you,  and  see  how  he  seeketh  a 
quarrel  against  me, 

^  And  it  was  so,  when  Elisha  the  man  of  God  had  heard  that  the  king  of 
Israel  had  rent  his  clothes,  that  he  sent  to  the  king,  saying,  Wherefore  hast 
thou  rent  thy  clothes  ?  let  him  come  now  to  me,  and  he  shall  know  that  there 
is  a  prophet  in  Israel,  ^  So  Naaman  came  with  his  horses  and  with  his  chariot, 
and  stood  at  the  door  of  the  house  of  Elisha.  ^^And  Elisha  sent  a  messenger 
unto  him,  saying,  Go  and  ^  wash  in  Jordan  seven  times,  and  thy  flesh  shall 
come  again  to  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  clean.     ^^  But   Naaman  was  wroth, 


Church  of  God,  enlightened  by  His  Holy  Word,  which  has  any 
clear  apprehension  of  the  foulness,  heinousness,  and  deiidliiiess 
of  moral  Leprosy. 

The  contrast  between  the  Hehre\\'  view  of  Leprosy,  and 
the  Heathen  treatment  of  it,  was  displayed  by  the  Hebrew 
Church  in  a  striking  manner,  by  the  appointment  of  this  part 
of  Scripture  (2  Kings  iv.  42 — v.  19),  as  a  Proper  Lesson  to  be 
road  in  the  Synagogijes  with  Lev.  xii.  1 — xiii.  59,  which  relates 
to  Leprosy,  as  its  accompanying  Pt^rashah,  or  Proper  Lessou  of 
the  Law  :  see  above,  on  Lev.  xii.  1. 

2.  a  little  maid']  This  httle  captive  maiden  of  Israel  was  made 
in  God's  hands  the  instrument  of  great  blessing  to  this  great 
Captain  of  Syria,  and  to  his  household,  and  of  spreading  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God  in  Syria ;  as  Joseph,  the  bondslave, 
was  in  Egypt ;  and  as  Daniel  at  Babylon ;  and  as  many  Christian 
slaves  were  to  heathen  nations  in  primitive  times :  cp.  below, 
V.  13. 

3.  Would  God]  Literally,  oh !  if—\leh.  acJialei,  fi'om  aeh, 
ob  !  and  lei,  if  (see  Oesen.  32.  432 ;   and  Fuerst,  61). 

—  the  prophet — in  Samaria]  Elisha :  not  that  he  always 
dwelt  there ;  but  Samaria  is  mentioned  as  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom,  where  he  would  be  heard  of.     Cp.  iv.  38 ;  vi.  1. 

— •  recover  him]  The  Israelitish  maiden  uses  a  remarkable  word 
here,  asaph,  to  gather  together,  i.  e.  to  receive  into  the  camp ;  she 
speaks  from  an  Israelitish  point  of  view ;  how  natural  this  is ! 
cp.  Num.  xii.  15,  where  the  same  word  is  used ;  it  is  said  that 
Miriam,  who  had  been  leprous,  was  gathered  into  the  camp,  i.  e. 
healed  of  her  leprosy.  Accordingly,  the  Sept.  here  has  airo- 
ffvvdlii.  The  word  represents  a  restoration  to  the  commu- 
nion of  the  faithful  (in  their  trufaleiy,  or  assemblies)  after 
excommunication.  The  King  of  Syria  adopts  the  word  in  bis 
letter  to  the  King  of  Israel,  v.  6. 

5.  I  will  send  a  letter]  The  letter  from  the  King  of  Syria  was 
a  public  attestation  to  the  fiict  of  Naaman's  leprosy ;  and  this 
royal  letter  would  be  the  means  of  drawing  more  attention  also 
to  the  fact  of  Naaman's  cure :  cp.  below,  on  viii.  7. 

—  ten  talents  of  silver — ten  changes  of  raiment]  The  gift 
here  mentioned  was  one  of  very  great  value.  The  ten  talents 
of  silver  alone  are  reckoned  by  some  as  worth  more  than  £3000. 
Tliey  show  how  wealthy  a  man  Naaman  was  ;  and  what  a  great 
price  he  would  pay,  even  for  the  hope  of  being  healed  of  this 
disease.  They  show  also  the  inability  of  the  physicians  of  Syria 
to  heal  him.  If  he  could  have  been  healed  by  them,  he  would 
not  have  gone  to  the  land  of  Israel,  whose  armies  he  had  con- 
quered. 

—  changes  of  raiment]  See  Gen.  xlv.  22. 

6.  tlie  king  of  Israel]  Probably  Jehoram  ;  but  the  exact  date 
of  this  event  is  not  certain  :  pee  v.  27 

102 


7.  Am  I  God — lepirosg  1]  The  King  of  Israel  regards  the 
4isease  of  lepro.sy  as  incurable  by  human  skill.  On  the  spiritual 
force  of  these  words,  and  of  this  history,  see  below,  at  v.  19. 

10.  Elisha  sent  a  messenger  unto  him]  Elisha  did  not  come  to 
Naaman  in  his  own  person,  because  he  would  work  a  salutary 
effect  on  Naaman's  heart  by  means  of  his  bodily  disease. 
Naaman  had  come  with  magnificent  presents,  and  with  pomp 
of  horses,  and  chariots,  and  servants;  and  with  vainglorious 
notions  of  his  own  self-importance,  and  of  the  dignity  and  gran- 
deur of  his  country,  as  compared  with  Isj-ael  (see  vv.  11,  12) ; 
and  he  expected  tq  be  treated  with  obsequious  homage  by 
Elisha.  But  "  Elisha,  the  man  of  God,"  would  bring  down  his 
high  thoughts  and  vainglorious  imaginations,  and  would  work 
m  him  the  requisite  temper  and  disposition  of  humility  and 
faith,  in  order  that  he  might  be  a  recipient  of  the  marvellous 
blessing  of  God's  mercy,  both  in  body  and  soul. 

—  Go  and  roash  in  Jordan  seven  times]  Elisha  commanded 
him  to  go  and  wash,  wash  seven  times,  in  the  river  of  Israel, 
— that  country  which  was  the  scene  of  his  victories, — in  the 
Jordan,  a  journey  of  more  than  twenty  miles  from  Samaria,  and 
where,  doubtless,  he  would  have  many  spectators  of  his  act. 
Many  would  be  witnesses  of  his  journey  to  Jordan,  and  of  his 
return  fi-om  it.  In  this  way  also  Elisha  exercised  his  humility, 
faith,  and  obedience.  This  great  Captaiij  of  Syria  must  not 
only  be  humbled,  believe,  and  obey,  but  he  must  openly  show 
his  humility,  faith,  and  obedience  to  the  word  of  the  God  of 
Israel,  spoken  by  His  prophet  Elisha. 

He  must  do  this  in  the  presence  of  Syrians,  his  servants, 
as  well  as  of  Israelites ;  and  the  Name  of  the  God  of  Israel, 
whose  King  and  people  had  lapsed  to  idolatry,  would  thus  be 
magnified.  By  not  coming  to  Naaman  in  person,  but  by  send- 
ing him  to  Jordan  to  wash  there,  Elisha  would  also  show  that 
the  cm-e  was  not  due  to  his  own  touch,  or  to  any  virtue  iulio- 
rent  in  himself;  but  only  to  the  power  of  God  acting  by  such 
means  as  God  Himself  was  pleased  to  appoint  and  prescribe 
by  the  mouth  of  His  Prophet. 

In  like  manner,  our  Blessed  Lord  tried  the  faith  and  obe- 
dience of  the  blii)d  man — "  Go,  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam. 
He  went  his  way  therefore  and  washed,  and  came  seeing  "  (John 
ix.  7).  But  in  this  Christ  diflered  from  Elisha,  that  He  not 
only  prescribed  the  means,  but  worked  by  them. 

—  seven  times]  Cp.  iv.  35.  Was  not  this  a  prophetic  utter- 
ance ?  "  Lava  septies,  dixit,  propter  septifortnem  gratiam  Spiritus 
Sancti"  (App.  ad.  Augustine,  Serm.  41). 

11.  Hut  Naaman  loas  tvroth]  His  temper  and  words  showed 
bis  need  of  such  treatment  as  he  received  fi-om  Elisha.  He  must 
first  be  humble,  believe,  and  obey,  before  he  can  receive  any 
blessing  from  God :  see  on  v.  10. 


His  leprosy  is  healed. 


2  KINGS  V.  12—18. 


His  gifts  declined  hij  Elisha. 


and  went  caway,  and  said,  Behold,  f  ||  I  tlionglit,  He  will  surely  come  out  to  me, 
and  stand,  and  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  his  God,  and  f  strike  his  hand 
over  the  place,  and  recover  the  leper.  ^"^  Are  not  ||  Abana  and  Pharpar,  rivers 
of  Damascus,  better  than  all  the  waters  of  Israel  ?  may  I  not  wash  in  them, 
and  be  clean  ?  So  he  turned  and  went  away  in  a  rage.  ^^  And  his  servants 
came  near,  and  spake  unto  him,  and  said,  My  father,  if  the  prophet  had  bid 
thee  do  some  great  thing,  wouldest  thou  not  have  done  it?  how  much  rather 
then,  when  he  saith  to  thee.  Wash,  and  be  clean  ?  ^^  Then  went  he  down,  and 
dipped  liimself  seven  times  in  Jordan,  according  to  the  saying  of  the  man  of 
God:  and  ^his  flesh  came  again  hke  unto  the  flesh  of  a  little  child,  and  ^he 
was  clean. 

^^  And  he  returned  to  the  man  of  God,  he  and  all  his  company,  and  came, 
'and  stood  before  him  :  and  he  said.  Behold,  now  I  know  that  tliere  is  ''no  God 
in  all  the  earth,  but  in  Israel :  now  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  take  '  a  blessing  of 
thy  servant.  ^^  But  he  said,  '^  As  the  Lord  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand,  '  I 
will  receive  none.  And  he  urged  him  to  take  it;  but  he  refused.  ^^And 
Naaman  said,  Shall  there  not  then,  I  pray  thee,  be  given  to  thy  servant  two 
mules'  burden  of  earth  ?  for  thy  servant  will  henceforth  ofier  neither  burnt 
ofl'ering  nor  sacrifice  unto  other  gods,  but  unto  the  Lord.  -^  In  this  thing  the 
Lord  pardon  thy  servant,  that  when  my  master  goeth  into  the  house  of  Rimmon 
to  worship  there,  and  '"  he  leaneth  on  my  hand,  and  I  bow  myself  in  the  house 
of  Rimmon :  when  I  bow  down  myself  in  the  house  of  Rimmon,  the  Lord 


Before 
C  II  R  [  S  T 
atiout 
8!)4. 
+  Heb.  /  said. 
II  Or,  /  said  with 
mijself,  lie  tvill 
surely  come  <jZ4t, 

i  Heb   move  tip 
and  dn It'll. 
;i  Or,  Ama/ia. 


f  Job  3.!.  25. 
g  Luke  4.  27. 


h  Dan.  2.  47.  & 
3.  2i).  &  (i.  2(;,  27. 
i  Gen.  33.  11. 

k  ch.  3.  14. 
1  Gen.  14.  23. 

See  Matt.  10.  8. 
Acts  S.  18,  20. 


m  ch.  7.  2,  17. 


—  strike  his  hand']  Literally,  wave  his  hand. 

12.  Axe  not  Ah  ana  and  Pharpar,  rivers  of  Damascus,  hetier 
than  all  the  icaters  of  Israel '?]  The  Abaua,  or  Amana,  flows 
from  Autilibauus,  and  is  now  called  Barady,  or  Barada  (i.  e. 
the  cold  stream).  By  the  Greeks  and  Latins  it  was  called 
Chrysorrhoas  (the  golden  stream)  ;  it  passes  through  the  Syrian 
capital,  Damascus.  The  water  of  the  Abana  is  clear  and 
beautiful,  and,  in  this  respect,  might  well  be  preferred  by 
Naaman  to  the  clay-coloured  stream  of  Israel  (Bobinson,  Grove, 
Tristram). 

The  Pharpar,  called  so  fi-om  its  swiftness,  is  probably  the 
Away,  or  Awodsch,  which  flows  through  the  plain  at  the  south 
of  Damascus,  which  is  about  seven  miles  off,  into  the  Lake 
ILeidsh/iny  (Bohinson). 

Carnal  minds  despise  the  foolishness  of  Preaching,  and  the 
simplicity  of  the  Sacraments.  They  look  on  the  Christian 
Jordan  with  Syrian  eyes ;  but  the  true  Believer  knows  that  one 
drop  of  water,  set  apart  by  the  Divine  Ordinance  of  God,  has 
more  virtue  than  all  the  Abanas  and  Pharpars  of  the  world.  It 
is  the  Word  of  the  Almighty  which  gives  efiicacy  to  those  means 
which  ai'C  impotent  in  themselves.  It  is  He  who  puts  virtue 
into  our  Jordans,  and  enables  them  to  wash  away  the  leprosy  of 
our  souls  (cp.  Bp.  Sail  here,  and  see  the  note  below,  after  ■y.  19, 
on  the  spiritual  meaning  of  this  history). 

13.  his  servants  came  near]  God  had  used  the  little  captive 
maid  as  His  instrument  for  bringing  Naaman  to  Elisha  (see 
above,  on  v.  2) ;  He  now  uses  Naaman's  servants  as  His  in- 
struments for  bringing  Naaman  to  a  right  mind.  God  choo.scs 
"tac  weak  things  of  this  world"  to  work  His  own  gracious 
purposes,  in  promoting  His  own  truth,  and  in  saving  souls ;  and 
the  weakness  of  the  human  instruments,  which  are  chosen,  shows 
the  strength  of  the  Divine  Power  which  works  by  them :  see 
1  Cor.  i.  27,  28. 

14.  Then  tvent  he  down — Jordan]  From  Samaria  to  Jordan ; 
more  than  twenty  miles. 

—  his  flesh  came  again  liJce  unto  the  flesh  of  a  little  child, 
and  he  ivas  clean]  So,  when  the  soul  turns  to  Christ,  with 
repentance,  faith,  love,  and  obedience,  and  is  washed  in  the 
Jordan  of  Christian  baptism,  it  is  cleansed  from  the  leprosy  of 
sin,  and  becomes  like  a  little  child,  and  is  clean  {Augustine, 
A  pp.  Serm.  44) ;  and  after  baptism  that  temper  of  meekness 
and  teachableness,  which  is  the  grace  of  little  children,  must 
ever  be  cherished,  if  the  soul  is  to  be  cleansed  from  sin  by  the 
baptism  of  repentance,  and  by  the  blood  of  Christ  in  the  Holy 
Eucharist.     "Except  ye  be  converted,  and  become   as   little 

103 


children,  ye  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  "  (Matt, 
xviii.  3). 

15.  And  he  returned  to  the  man  of  Ood,  he  and  all  his 
company]  After  his  public  act  of  self-humiliation,  fiiith,  and 
obetlience,  this  great  Captain  of  Syria,  in  the  presence  of  Elisha, 
and  of  his  own  servants,  made  a  public  profession  of  thankfulness 
to  the  God  of  Israel  as  the  only  God  of  all  the  earth,  and  asked 
permission  to  present  a  blessuig  (Gen.  xxxlii.  11.  1  Sam.  xxv. 
27)  to  Elisha.  Gaudet  Naaman,  Propheta  laetatur,  Dominus 
collaudatur :  Gaudet  Judjea,  quod  veuieutibus  ad  se  prajstet 
auxiliaj  dicent  et  Gentes  inveniri  in  Israel,  quod  apud  so 
invenire  non  poterant.  Seminatur  per  Gentes  gloria  Dei.  See 
the  two  excellent  sermons,  perhaps  by  Ccesarius,  in  the  Ap- 
pendix to  S.  Augustine,  Serm.  43,  44. 

16.  As  tJie  Lord  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand,  I  tuill  receive 
none]  As  the  Lord,  Jehovah,  the  Evcriiving  One,  liveth,  and 
is  the  only  Author  of  life  and  health,  before  whom  I  stand, 
whose  servant  I  am  (see  Elijah's  words,  1  Kings  xvii.  1),  I  will 
receive  none  ;  lest  it  be  said  that  the  Lord's  prophets  are  like 
the  prophets  of  heathen  gods,  who  are  dead,  and  seek  for  worldly 
benefit  to  themselves,  instead  of  acting  with  a  view  to  God's 
glory,  and  to  an  eternal  reward  from  Him. 

Besides,  the  prophet  himself  thus  raised  Naaman's  eyes 
from  Elisha  to  Elisha's  God.  Not  I,  but  the  living  God  whom 
I  serve,  is  the  Author  of  thy  cure,  which  fills  thee  with  joy. 
Show  thy  gratitude  to  Him,  by  devoting  thy  body,  now  restored 
by  Him,  to  His  service ;  and  by  worshipping  Him,  and  Him  alone. 

17.  Shall  there  not  then]  Rather,  and  if  not  (i.  e.  if  thou  wilt 
not  receive  my  present)  let  there  be  given  (so  Sept.,  Sgriac). 

—  of  earth  ?]  Naaman  supposed  that  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
could  only  receive  acceptable  sacrifice  from  His  own  land. 
This  notion  was  a  remnant  of  his  heathen  belief  in  mere  local 
deities.  See  above,  the  language  of  the  Syrians,  1  Kings  xx.  23, 
"  their  gods  are  gods  of  the  hills."  Naaman  may  have  heard 
that  God  required  that  His  altar  should  be  of  earth  (Exod. 
XX.  24),  and  he  may  have  thought  that  no  earth  but  that  of  the 
Holy  Land  would  serve  for  the  jnirpose. 

18.  Bimmon]  The  God  of  the  Syrians;  worshipped  with  the 
symbol  of  the  pomegranate  {rimmon),  the  emlilem  of  fruitfulness 
(Bdhr,  Symbolik  ii.  122,  123.  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  331). 
The  name  seems  to  be  abbreviated  from  Hadad  Rimmon,  the 
sun-god  of  Syria  (see  2  Sam.  viii.  3.  Zecb.  xii.  11.  Movers, 
Phocniz.  i.  196—198). 

—  and  he  leaneth  on  mg  hand]  As  IiJs  adjutant.  See  vii.  2. 
17,  "  a  lord  on  whose  hand  the  king  leaned." 


'^  Go  in  peace. 


2  KINGS  V.  19,  20. 


Gehazi  folloivs  him. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
894. 
t  Heb.  a  Utile 
pii'cr  of  graund, 
as  Gen.  35.  16. 


pardon  thy  servant  in  this  thing.     ^^  And  he  said  unto  him,  Go  in  peace.     So 
he  departed  from  him  f  a  httle  way. 

2*^  But  Gehazi,   the  servant  of  EHsha  the  man  of  God,   said.  Behold,   my 


19.  And  he  said — Go  in  peace]  Elisha  did  not  approve 
Naaman's  act  of  reservation,  but  he  did  not  impose  upon  him  a 
condition  which  he  had  no  power  to  enforce.  He  treated  him 
tenderly,  as  a  fresh  convert.  Our  Lord  Himself  has  taught 
His  ministers  that  the  same  Wine  will  not  suit  all  bottles 
(Matt.  ix.  16,  17  :  cp.  ix.  15). 

This  incident,  so  natural,  is  one  of  the  proofs  of  the  truth 
of  the  history.  The  eflect  of  Elisha's  miracle  is  not  exagge- 
rated. Naamau  is  not  represented  as  perfected  at  once;  he 
is  feeble  in  the  faith.  As  in  nature,  so  it  is  in  Grace,  "  nihil 
agitur  per  saltum."  "  It  is  not  for  us  to  expect  a  full  stature  in 
the  cradle  of  conversion  "  (j5/>.  Sail).  "  Naaman's  dissembling 
his  religion  cannot  be  approved ;  yet  by  promising  to  offer  no 
sacrifice  to  any  but  the  God  of  Israel,  and  by  asking  pardon  in 
this  matter,  he  showed  such  ingenuousness  as  gave  hope  of 
further  improvement;  and  young  converts  must  be  tenderly 
dealt  with"  {M.  Henry).  Naamau  had  declared  that  he  would 
not  offer  burnt-offering  or  sacrifice  to  other  gods,  but  to  the 
Lord  only.  He  had  taken  earth  for  an  altar  to  the  Loi-dj  thus 
he  made  a  public  profession  that  he  would  acknowledge  no  god 
but  Jehovah.  But  he  was  next  in  rank  to  the  King  of  Syria, 
and  his  attendance  was  required  by  his  master,  when  his  master 
went  to  the  Temple  of  Rimmon,  the  god  of  Syria.  His  master 
would  bow  in  the  house  of  Rimmou ;  what  was  he  himself  to 
do  ?  He  knows  that  it  is  wrong  to  bow  in  the  house  of  Rimmon, 
and  he  says,  "  The  Lord  pardo.n  thy  servant  in  this  thing."  If 
he  had  not  thought  it  a  fixult,  he  would  not  have  asked  for 
pardon.  I  do  it  in  loyalty  to  my  master,  as  an  act  of  civil 
allegiance,  not  of  relirjious  reverence,  and  I  do  it  under  protest, 
as  is  evident  from  my  con-duct,  and  from  this  declaration  by 
which  I  abjure  idolatry.  But  still  I  know  that  what  I  propose 
to  do  is  not  right,  and  needs  pardon  from  God. 

Elisha  says,  "  Go  in  peace,"  but  at  the  same  time,  by  his 
own  example  in  refusing  all  worldly  benefits,  when  offered  to 
him  as  the  prophet  of  the  true  God,  he  teaches  him  how  he 
himself  ought  to  act  in  relation  to  a  false  God  :  viz.,  that  he 
ought  to  forego  worldly  advantages,  rather  than  be  a  party  by 
his  presence  to  any  act  of  idolatry.  Having  said  this,  Elisha  left 
Naaman  to  God  and  his  own  conscience ;  and  the  prophet  gave 
him  another  practical  lesson  to  the  same  effect,  by  the  punish- 
ment, which,  in  God's  name  and  by  His  guidance,  he  inflicted 
on  his  own  servant,  Gehazi,  who  was  not  a  new  convert,  like 
Naaman,  for  preferring  woi'ldly  advantages  to  God's  service, 
and  for  attempting  to  tamper  with  his  own  conscience,  and  to 
make  a  compromise  with  God. 

This  text,  therefore,  affords  no  countenance  to  those  wl^o 
say  (with  Hobbes,  Leviathan,  c.  42),  it  is  lawful,  for  a  good 
end,  to  connive  at  a  false  religion,  or  to  disguise  the  true, — a 
notion  which  was  propagated  by  some,  even  in  Apostolic  times, 
e.  g.  the  Nicolaitans  :  see  Rev.  ii.  15.  20 ;  and  afterwards  by 
some  among  the  Gnostics,  and  others.  See  Tertullian  against  this 
heresy,  Scorpiace,  c.  1.  11.  13.  Cp.  de  Idol.  c.  15;  de  Corona 
ISIilitis,  c.  1. 7.  10 ;  and  by  the  Helcesaites  {Euseb.,  E.  H.  vi.  31) ; 
and  by  the  Priscillianists  {Augustine,  Hajr.,  c.  70).  Cp.  Pfeiffer, 
Dubia,  p.  235 ;  and  see  the  elaborate  discourse  in  Wouvers, 
Dilucidat,  pp.  954-960. 

It  follows  also,  that  this  text  affords  no  apology  to  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  England,  who  are  not  mere  novices  as 
Naaman  was,  nor  are  under  any  constraint  like  his,  and  who  run 
willingly  into  temptation,  and  give  countenance  to  the  opinion 
that  idolatry  is  a  matter  of  indifference,  l)y  resorting,  for  the 
gratification  of  curiositj',  or  to  indulge  a  love  of  music,  or  any 
other  taste,  to  religious  services  which  make  any  approach  to 
idolatry.  Let  not  such  persons  look  for  any  peace  ft'om  God ; 
but  let  them  remember  His  awful  warnings  against  idolatry 
(Rev.  xxi.  8 ;  xxii.  15),  and  let  them  imitate  the  glorious  ex- 
amples of  His  saints  and  martyrs,  who  rejoiced  to  die,  rather 
than  give  any  countenance  to  it  (Dan.  iii.  17,  18). 
—  a  little  way']  See  Gen.  xxxv.  16 ;  xlviii.  7. 

On  the  Healing-  of  Naaman. 

The  historical  circumstances  of  this  miraculous  cure  have 
Ijcen  already  presented  to  the  reader  in  the  narrative.  But 
we  should  be  taking  a  low  view  of  it,  if  we  did  not  also  con- 
sider it  in  its  spiritual  meaning.  It  is  not  only  an  historical 
tjveut ;  it  is  also  a  type  and  prophecy. 

Elisha  the  prophet  was  a  figure  of  Christ  Himself,  working 
101 


by  the  Apostles  and  Apostolic  Churches  after  His  Ascension,  not 
only  on  the  Jews,  but  on  the  Heathen  World. 

Naaman,  the  heathen  stranger,  the  mighty  man  of  valour, 
the  victorious,  honourable,  and  wealthy  captain  of  Syria,  is  a 
type  of  the  Gentile  world  in  its  power  and  prosperity.  This 
mighty  man  of  valour  was  a  Leper.  Leprosy  is  the  type  of  sin. 
See  Intr.  to  Leviticus,  p.  iii. ;  and  Lev.  xiii.  Such  was  the 
Heathen  World.  It  vaunted  its  military  power  and  glory ;  but 
it  was  polluted  with  the  foul  taint  of  sin.  It  was  a  Leper — a 
Naaman.  But  Christ,  the  Divine  Healer,  sent  forth  His  Apostles, 
and  said,  "  Go  and  teach  all  Nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost " 
(Matt,  xxviii.  19).  Often  a  little  maid,  or  some  other  feeble 
instrument,  was,  in  ancient  times,  the  means  of  bringing  the 
knowledge  of  the  Gospel  to  the  great  and  powerful  Lepers  of 
this  world,  and  of  causing  them  to  come  to  the  Elishas  of  the 
Christian  Israel.  As  Eiicherius  says  (p.  1003),  "Populus 
gentium  audivit  famam,  et  venit  ad  Christum,  ab  omnium 
peccatorum  lepra  sanandus." 

Perhaps  they  came  proudly  at  first,  like  Naaman;  but 
the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  abated  their  pride,  and  bade  them, 
if  they  desired  to  be  healed,  to  submit  with  meekness,  faith, 
and  obedience,  to  those  conditions,  and  to  use  those  means  which 
God  prescribed  for  their  healing. 

Elisha  did  not  speak  to  Naaman  in  person,  but  sent  a 
messenger  to  him.  Thus  he  endeavoured  to  heal  his  pride, 
and  to  teach  him  humility  (see  v.  10) ;  and  by  his  messenger 
he  sent  him  a  command,  — "  Go  and  wash  in  Jordan,  and  thou 
shalt  be  clean."  At  first  Naaman  turned  away  in  a  rage :  he 
despised  Jordan.  So  the  cross  of  Christ  was  foolishness  to 
the  learned  heathens  (1  Cor.  i.  23),  in  comparison  with  their 
own  Abanas  and  Pharpars.  But  they  must  not  look  to  any 
Abanas  and  Pharpars  of  their  own  philosophy,  or  of  their  own 
merits,  or  reason,  or  intelligence,  or  will,  or  power,  and  glory ; 
but  they  must  meekly  receive  God's  Word,  and  faithfully 
believe  it,  and  humbly  obey  it,  and  must  resort  to  the  waters 
of  Israel,  — to  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  blood,  which  is  first 
applied  to  the  soul  in  the  Baptismal  Waters,  sanctified  by  His 
own  Baptism  in  the  river  Jordan,  "  to  the  mystical  washing 
away  of  sin,"  and  which  is  afterwards  applied  to  the  penitent, 
faithful,  devout,  and  loving  soul,  in  subsequent  means  of  grace, 
especially  in  the  Holy  Communion.  Observe  this  (says  Euche- 
rius),  "  Naaman,  qui  populum  gentium  figuravit,  in  illo  fluvio 
sanitatem  recepit,  quam  postea  Christus  suo  baptismate  con- 
secravit."  The  simplicity  of  the  means  prescribed  would  try 
their  faith  in  Him,  Who  was  pleased  to  appoint  the  means,  and 
to  work  by  them ;  and  Wlio  proves  His  Divine  Power  by  the 
greatness  of  the  effect  produced  by  such  feeble  means.  They 
must  resort  to  the  means,  with  repentance,  fiiith,  and  obedience, 
and  they  will  be  clean :  see  Acts  xxii.  16.     Titus  iii.  5. 

If  the  Heathen  World  had  not  iinitated  Naaman  in  his 
self-humiliation,  faith,  and  obedience,  and  if  it  had  not 
hearkened  to  God's  Word,  and  had  not  received  the  gift  of  Bap- 
tism, through  the  grace  of  Christ,  it  could  not  have  been 
cleansed  from  the  original  and  actual  leprosy  of  sin.  See 
iS".  Ambrose  de  Sacr.  ii.  3 ;  App.  ad.  Augustine,  Serm.  44; 
Prosper.  Aquitan.,  Eucherius,  p.  1003,  wlio  says,  "Naaman 
figuravit  populum  gentium,  qui  de  libero  arbitrio  et  de  pro- 
priis  meritis  prresumebat."  But  it  must  lay  aside  these  proud 
notions,  in  order  to  be  cleansed.  It  can  never  be  washeel  without 
the  grace  of  Christ :  "  Et  nisi  per  Christi  gratiam  donum  bap- 
tismatis  excepisset,  de  original!  et  actuali  lepra  liberari  non 
potuisset," 

Here,  then,  in  this  act  of  Elisha,  and  in  the  obedience  of 
Naaman,  and  its  results,  we  see  a  prophetic  history  of  Christ 
continually  working,  even  to  the  end  of  time,  by  means  of  an 
Apostolic  ministry,  dispensing  His  Word  and  Sacraments,  for 
the  cleansing  of  the  Heathen  World  from  the  leprosy  of  sin. 
In  the  Holy  Land  of  Christ's  Church  Universal,  the  waters  of 
the  Jordan,  sanctified  by  His  blood,  are  ever  flowing,  and  the 
prophetic  voice  is  ever  sounding  fortli  from  the  lips  of  the 
Divine  Elisha  (which  means  God  the  Saviour),  "  Go  and 
wash  in  Jordan,  and  thou  shalt  be  clean." 

20.  Oehazi,  the  servant  of  Elisha  the  man  of  God]  The 
words  added  to  Gehazi's  name  here, — "  the  servant  of  Elisha 
the  man  of  God," — have  a  solemn  power,  as  showing  the 
greatness  of  his  sin.  They  are  like  the  words,  "  one  of 
the   twelve,"   added    to    the   name    of    Judas    in    the   Gospel 


Gehazi  is  smitten 


2  KINGS  V.  21—27. 


with  leprosy. 


master  hath  spared  Naaman  this  Syrian,  in  not  receiving  at  his  hands  that 
which  he  brought :  but,  as  the  Lokd  Hveth,  I  will  run  after  him,  and  take 
yomewhat  of  him.  ^i  go  Gehazi  followed  after  Naaman.  And  when  Naaman 
saw  him  running  after  him,  he  lighted  down  from  the  chariot  to  meet  him,  and 
said,  f  Is  all  well  ?  ^^  And  he  said,  All  is  well.  My  master  hath  sent  me, 
saying.  Behold,  even  now  there  be  come  to  me  from  mount  Ephraim  two  young 
men  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  :  give  them,  I  pray  thee,  a  talent  of  silver,  and 
two  changes  of  garments.  ^^And  Naaman  said.  Be  content,  take  two  talents. 
And  he  urged  him,  and  bound  two  talents  of  silver  in  two  bags,  with  two 
changes  of  garments,  and  laid  them  upon  two  of  his  servants ;  and  they  bare 
than  before  him.  '^  And  when  he  came  to  the  ||  tower,  he  took  them  from  their 
hand,  and  bestowed  them  in  the  house :  and  he  let  the  men  go,  and  they 
departed.  ^^  But  he  went  in,  and  stood  before  his  master.  And  Elisha  said 
unto  him,  Whence  comest  thou,  Gehazi  ?  And  he  said.  Thy  servant  went  f  no 
wliither.  ^^And  he  said  unto  him.  Went  not  mine  heart  ivith  thee,  when  the 
man  turned  again  from  his  chariot  to  meet  thee  ?  Is  it  a  time  to  receive 
money,  and  to  receive  garments,  and  oliveyards,  and  vineyards,  and  sheep, 
and  oxen,  and  menservants,  and  maidservants  ?  ^^  The  leprosy  therefore  of 
Naaman  "  shall  cleave  unto  thee,  and  unto  thy  seed  for  ever.  And  he  went 
out  from  his  presence  °  a  leper  as  white  as  snow. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
894. 


t  Hel).  Is  there 
peace  ? 


II  Or,  secret 
place. 


t  Heb.  not  hither 
or  thither. 


n  1  Tim.  6.  10. 

o  Exod.  4.  C. 
Num.  12.  10. 
ch.  15.  5. 


history  of  the  betrayal  of  Christ  (Matt.  xxvi.  14.  47.     Mark 
xiv,  10). 

—  as  the  LoED  livetK]  Gehazi  attempts  to  sanctify  his  sin 
by  the  Lord's  name,  by  which  he  seeks  to  disguise  that  sin 
even  to  himself.  "  lu  Nomine  Domini,  incipit  omne  malum," 
has  been  too  often  verified  in  the  Church. 

24.  the  tower']  Rather,  the  hill,  where  Elisha  dwelt. 

25.  Whence  comest  thou]  Elisha  gave  to  Gehazi  an  oppor- 
tunity of  self-recollection,  and  of  repentance,  as  St.  Peter  did 
to  Ananias  and  Sapphira  (Acts  v.  3.  8). 

26.  Went  not  mine  heart  with  thee]  GofJ  exercised  His 
power  of  tracing  men's  steps,  and  searching  their  spirits,  by 
Prophets  and  Apostles  (Acts  v.  2 — 8).  How  awful  will  be 
that  power  when  exercised  by  Himself,  and  when  applied  to 
the  judgment  of  men's  thoughts,  words,  and  works  at  the  Great 
Day  !  Elisha's  heart  went  with  Gehazi.  Elisha  saw  with  his 
heart.  Here  also  it  seems  to  be  suggested,  that  the  souls  of 
the  saints,  in  a  disembodied  state,  will  recognize  each  other; 
and,  especially,  when  they  exist  in  glorified  bodies  in  Heaven, 
will  have  a  clear  vision  of  things  which  are  invisible  to  them 
now  (1  Cor.  xiii.  10—12). 

—  Is  it  a  time  to  receive  money']  When,  by  so  doing,  we 
expose  ourselves  to  be  confounded  with  false  prophets,  and 
when  we  also  expose  our  God  to  be  confounded  with  theirs. 

27.  The  leprosi/  therefore  of  Naatnati]  The  white  leprosy  : 
see  Exod.  iv.  6.  Num.  xii.  10.  Gehazi  appears  again  before 
us  in  chap.  viii.  4,  as  talking  with  the  king ;  and  it  has 
thence  been  supposed  by  some,  that  the  chronological  order 
has  not  been  followed  in  the  arrangement  of  the  miracles  of 
EHsha  in  this  history.  But  on  this  point  see  below,  note  on 
viii.  4. 

Elisha  denounces  on  Gehazi  the  punishment  which  God 
would  inflict  on  him,  as  St.  Peter  did  afterwards  on  Ananias 
and  Sapphira.  The  sin  of  Gehazi  was  like  that  of  Ananias ;  he 
•was  guilty  of  covetousness,  simony,  and  sacrilege,  under  the 
plea  of  zeal  for  his  master's  service  {v.  22).  He  robbed  God 
and  his  master  of  their  due  honour,  and  was  punished  accord- 
ingly :  cp.  notes  below,  on  Acts  v.  2 — 5. 

Gehazi's  Puxishment. 

Gehazi  was,  in  some  respects,  the  Judas  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. He  had  great  spiritual  advantages.  He  was  the  minister 
cf  Elisha,  and  saw  his  miracles,  and  heard  his  teaching.  Thus 
he  resembled  Judas  :  "  Juda?  proditoris  typum  gessisse  non 
dubium  est"  (says  Eucherins).  And  he  fell  by  the  same  sin, — 
the  love  of  money.  He  was  treacherous  to  his  master,  and  to 
Godj  in  order  to  enrich  himself.  The  punishment  fo""  his  sin 
105 


was  this  :  "  The  leprosy  of  Naaman  shall  cleave  unto  thee,  and 
unto  thy  seed  for  ever." 

Judas  is  displayed  in  Scripture  as  a  representative  of  the 
Jewish  Nation,  enjoying  great  privileges,  and  yet  enslaved  by 
worldly  desires,  and  thus  forfeiting  its  blessings,  and  incurring 
God's  wrath  by  sin  :  see  on  Acts  i.  20.  So  it  was  with  Gehazi : 
"  Giezi,  discipulus  EHspei,  Judam  traditorem,  vel  Juda;orum 
populum,  dicitur  figurasse"  (App.  ad  Augustine,  Serm.  44). 
Naaman,  the  figure  of  the  Gentile  World,  is  cleansed  of  his 
leprosy ;  and  that  leprosy  cleaves  to  Gehazi,  the  figure  of  the 
Jews.  The  Heathen  believed  in  Christ,  preached  by  His 
Apostles,  and  were  cleansed  from  the  leprosy  of  sin.  But  the 
Jews  rejected  the  Gospel,  and  the  leprosy  cleaves  to  them. 
As  Eucherius  says,  "  Giezi  Judajorum  populum  figuravit,  qui 
eo  tempore  peccati  lepra  percutitur,  quo  ab  ea  populus  Gen- 
tium"  (quem  Naaman  Syrus  figuravit)  "hberatur;  quando 
doctrin^,  Apostolqrum  ad  Gentes  pej-vasit,  tunc  in  miseris 
Judseis  peccati  lepra  permansit." 

Naaman  represented  the  Gentile  world  coming  to  Christ 
in  faith  and  love,  and  cleansed  from  the  leprosy  of  sin.  Gehazi 
represented  the  Jewish  Nation,  especially  their  rulers,  the 
Pharisees,  whp  "  were  covetous  "  (Luke  xvj.  14),  and  measured 
all  things  by  a  worldly  standard,  and  were  rejected  by  God; 
and  the  Jews,  on  account  of  unbelief,  are  afiiicted  by  the 
spiritual  leprosy,  from  which  the  Gentile  world  was  cleansed ; 
and,  as  long  as  the  Jews  are  inheritors  of  Gehazi's  worldliness, 
and  remain  his  seed  by  unbelief,  so  long  will  his  leprosy  cleave 
to  them. 

The  napie,  Gehazi,  means,  "  Valley  of  Vision."  The 
spiritual  condition  of  the  Jews  has  been  prophetically  dis- 
played in  the  Valley  of  Vision  of  Isaiah  xxii.,  and  Ezekiel 
xxxi.,  where  it  is  foretold,  that  the  day  is  coming,  when 
the  Spirit  of  God  will  breathe  on  the  bones  which  lie  there,  and 
they  will  live ;  and  our  Lord  foretells  the  time  when  they  will 
see  Him,  and  say,  "  Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  Name 
of  the  Lord "  (Matt,  xxiii.  39).  And  the  Apostle  St.  Paul 
declares  the  same  blessed  truth  (Rom.  xi.  26,  27).  The  leprosy 
of  the  Gentile  Naaman,  which  now  cleaves  to  the  Jewish 
Gehazi,  will  one  day  be  washed  away,  in  the  Jordan  of  Chris- 
tian baptism.  By  repentance,  taith,  and  humility,  they  will  be 
converted,  and  become  like  little  children  {v.  14) ;  and  the 
Gentile  Naaman,  and  the  Hebrew  Gehazi,  will  rejoice  together 
before  the  Divine  Elisha,  in  the  Christian  Church,  as  the  Israel 
of  God.     May  He  hasten  the  time ! 

It  is  observable,  that  this  blessed  consummation,— the 
future  recovery  of  the  Jewish  People  from  the  leprosy  of  unbe- 
lief,—seems  to  be  foreshadowed  in  the  history  of  Gehazi  himself: 
see  below,  on  viii.  4. 


The  iron  is  made  to  swim 


2  KINGS  VI.  1—9. 


hij  means  of  wood,  in  Jordan. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

sy;i. 

a  ck.  i.  SS. 


t  Ht'b.  iron. 


VI.  ^  And  *  the  sons  of  the  prophets  said  unto  Ehsha,  Behold  now,  the  place 
where  we  dwell  "uith  thee  is  too  strait  for  us.  -  Let  us  go,  we  pray  thee,  unto 
Jordan,  and  take  thence  every  man  a  heam,  and  let  us  make  us  a  place  there, 
where  we  may  dwell.  And  he  answered,  Go  ye.  ^  And  one  said,  Be  content, 
I  pray  thee,  and  go  with  thy  servants.  And  he  answered,  I  \d\l  go.  ^  So  he 
went  with  them.  And  when  they  came  to  Jordan,  they  cut  down  wood.  ■^But 
as  one  was  felling  a  beam,  the  f  axe  head  fell  into  the  water :  and  he  cried, 
and  said,  Alas,  master  !  for  it  was  borrowed.     *'  And  the  man  of  God  said, 

ch. 2. 21.  "\Miere  fell  it?  And  he  shewed  him  the  place.  And  ''he  cut  do-^ii  a  stick, 
and  cast  it  in  thither ;  and  the  iron  did  swim.  '^  Therefore  said  he.  Take  it  up 
to  thee.     And  he  put  out  his  hand,  and  took  it. 

^  Then  the  king  of  Sma  warred  against  Israel,  and  took  counsel  ^ith  his 

Or,  encampwg  servauts,  saylug.  In  such  and  such  a  place  shall  he  my  ||  camp.  ^  And  the  man 
of  God  sent  unto  the  king  of  Israel,  saying,  Beware  that  thou  pass  not  such  a 


Ch.  VI.  1.  the  place  where  tee  dicell^  Probably  Gilgal,  near 
Joi-dan  :  see  xi.  1. 

2.  unto  Jordan']  Xear  wliich  there  was  timber,  and  wbicb  is 
not  far  to  the  east  of  Gilgal. 

3.  I  pray  thee,  arid  go  tcith  thi/  servants']  Good  disciples 
desire  to  be  always  under  good  discipline  (M.  Senrt/). 

5.  the  axe  head]   Heb.  the  iron. 

—  horroiced]  Heb.  asJced  for,  prayed  for  :  see  on  Exod. 
iii.  22.  The  iron  was  not  borrowed,  nor  bought ;  but  it  was  a 
gifV,  obtained  by  the  user  in  answer  to  a  request,  perhaps  on 
the  plea  of  poverty  (cp.  Keil  hero). 

6.  a  stick]  Heb.  tcood :  ^vXov  (Sept.^;  lignum  {Vulg.),  the 
same  word  as  is  applied  to  the  Cross  of  Christ  in  the  New 
Testament.     See  1  Pet.  ii.  2J..     Acts  v.  30 ;  x.  39  ;  xiii.  29. 

Elisha  did  not  use  the  dry  wood  of  the  axe,  but  he  cut  down 
a  living  branch  :  see  note  after  v.  7. 

—  and  the  iron  did  stcim]  Hob.  he  made  the  iron  to  flow, 
to  float,  and  swim,  as  water,  on  the  water  {Gesen.  705.  Cp- 
Dent.  xi.  4). 

The  Ikox  made  to  s^wim  by  meaxs  or  Wood,  ix  Jobdak. 

The  scene  of  this  miracle  was  Jordan,  the  waters  of  which 
had  formerly  tlowed  back  to  a  place  called  Adam,  in  order  to 
make  a  way  for  Joshua,  the  figure  of  Jesfs,  and  for  the  people 
of  Israel,  into  Canaan, — the  figure  of  the  Church  Militant,  and 
of  the  Church  glorified :  see  above,  on  Josh.  iii.  7.  16.  At 
Jordan,  Xaaman  had  been  cleansed  of  his  leprosy,  and  became 
a  figure  of  the  Heathen  World  converted  to  Clu-ist :  see  note 
above,  after  v.  19. 

In  this  historj-,  the  iron,  which  was  used  to  do  the  work  of 
building  an  abode,  ftdls  into  the  depth  of  the  river,  and  seems 
to  be  lost.  The  user  of  it  mourns  over  it  as  something  not  his 
own,  but  prayed  for.  The  prophet  cuts  down  wood  (he  did 
not  use  the  helve,  but  cut  down  a  new  stick),  and  casts  it  into 
the  Jordan,  and  he  makes  the  iron  to  flow  or  swim  upon  the 
stream  (see  on  jj.  6). 

In  this  miracle  we  see  no  concurrence  of  human  labour,  as 
in  the  other  miracles  of  Elisha.  The  miracle  is  simply  an  act 
of  Divine  Grace  working  by  Elisha. 

The  history  of  this  miracle  follows  after  that  of  the  cleansing 
of  Naaman,  in  the  same  river,  fi'om  leprosy,  the  type  of  sin.  In 
that  miracle,  the  duty  of  humility,  repentance,  and  faith  on 
man's  part  has  been  set  forth ;  and  the  duty  of  compliance  with 
those  appointed  means  of  grace,  which  stagger  the  pride  of 
human  reason,  and  test  the  submission  of  the  human  vrill  to  the 
divine,  by  their  simplicity. 

But  now,  lest  it  should  be  imagined,  that  the  work  of 
cleansing  from  sin  is  due  to  man's  merits,  and  not  to  the  free 
grace  of  God,  we  have  in  this  miracle,  as  the  ancient  Expo- 
sitors observed,  a  representation  of  man's  lost  state  by  nature,  and 
of  his  recovery  from  the  eflects  of  the  faU,  by  God's  love  in  Christ. 

The  iron  was  not  bought,  but  given ;  so  is  our  nature ;  it 
is  a  free  gift  from  God.  The  iron  fell  into  the  stream,  when  the 
people  were  building  a  place  for  themselves,  and  was  drowned. 
tSo  Adam  fell,  when  he  was  planning  an  abode  for  himself. 
Ehsha's  scholar  mourned  for  the  loss,  but  was  unable  to  re- 
ptiir  it.  This  was  oiir  case.  We  fell  in  Adam,  but  could  not 
raise  oui*selves.  Elisha  did  not  use  the  old  dry  wood  of  the  axe 
far  his  purpose,  but  he  cut  down  li\-ing  wood,  and  cast  it  into 
106 


the  Jordan,  and  raised  the  iron  fi-om  the  depth  of  the  river,  and 
made  the  iron  to  float  upon  the  surface,  and  the  man  put  out  his 
hand  and  recovered  it.  So  the  wood  of  the  Cross,  which  is  not 
dry  wood  and  barren,  but  a  living,  growing  tree,  even  the  Ti'ee 
of  Life  (see  on  Gen.  ii.  9),  whose  leaves  are  for  the  healing  of 
the  nations  (Kev.  xxii.  2),  is  cast  into  the  waters  of  Christian 
Baptism ;  and  man's  nature,  which  was  dro\\"ued  like  the  Old 
World  before  the  Creation  (see  on  Gen.  i.  2),  and  again  at  tUe 
Flood  (see  prelim,  note  to  Gen.  vi.),  is  raised  up  fixim  the  depth, 
and  floats  upon  the  siu-face,  and  is  restored  to  the  service  of 
God,  What  (asks  TertuUian,  c.  Jud.  c.  13)  is  more  clear  than 
the  spiritual  meaning  of  this  wood  ?  The  hardness  of  this 
world  is  drowned  in  the  depth  of  sin,  but  it  is  raised  up  in  bap- 
tism by  the  Wood  of  Christ's  Passion;  and  that  nature,  which 
had  perished  by  means  of  the  tree  in  Adam,  is  restored  by  means 
of  the  tree  in  Christ;  see  also  S.  Ambrose  de  Sacr.  ii.  c.  4,  and 
Theodoret  here,  Qu.  19,  who  says,  "The  Divine  Xature  of  Christ- 
on  the  Cross  raised  tie  iron  of  human  nature  from  the  depths 
of  sin  and  ruin  :"  and  so  Irenceus,  v.  17,  "  In  cutting  wood  for 
ourselves  we  lost  the  iron  ;  but  by  the  wood,  which  Christ  cut 
for  us,  we  recover  it.  We  perished  by  the  wood  in  Adam,  we 
are  restored  by  wood  in  Christ."  See  also  the  excellent  Sermon, 
perhaps  by  Ccesarius,  in  App.to  Augustine,  Serm.  45,  and  Euche- 
rius,  p.  1004,  '•  Sicut  securis  in  profundum  corruit,  ita  genus 
hunianum  se  in  peccatorum  gurgito  submersit ;  sed  veniens 
Ilelisjeus  niisit  lignum,  et  natavit  ferrum.  Quid  est  lignum 
mittere,  et  ferrum  in  lucem  promittere,  nisi  humanum  genus  de 
peccatorum  Umo  per  crucis  mysterium  liberare  ?  Postquam 
natavit  ferrum,  misit  manum,  et  recepit  illud.  Ita  factum  est 
de  nobis,  qui  per  crucis  lignum  ad  raanum  Domini  redimus." 
And  now  we  are  bound  to  use  the  instrument  of  oiu"  nature, 
which  was  bestowed  on  us  originally  by  the  free  gift  of  God 
(see  V.  5),  and  which  has  been  restored  to  us  by  His  ti-ee  grace 
in  Christ,  dying  for  us  on  the  Cross,  and  htxs  been  raised  by 
Him  from  the  mire  and  depth  of  sin,  and  has  been  joined  to  His 
Cross ;  for  we  are  "  cnicified  in  Him "  to  the  World,  and  are 
"conformed  to  the  likeness  of  his  Death  and  Resurrection" 
(Gal.  vi.  14.  Eom.  vi.  5),  in  the  Jordan  of  the  Baptismal  Waters, 
sanctified  by  Christ's  Baptism  ia  the  Eiver  Jordan,  to  the  wash- 
ing away  of  sin.  It  is  our  duty  to  use  that  nature,  so  given  and 
so  restored  by  God's  free  love,  in  the  building  of  houses,  not  for 
ourselves,  but  for  Him  to  dwell  in ;  we  are  boimd  to  devote  our- 
selves, in  soul  and  body,  to  His  honour  and  service,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  (Rom.  xii.  1),  This  act  of  raising  the 
soul  was  done  once,  but  it  is  ever  going  on.  God's  grace  in 
Christ  is  ever  raising  the  iron  heart,  which  has  sunk  into  the 
mire  of  this  world ;  and  it  is  ever  lifting  it  up  from  earthly 
affections  to  things  above. 

8.  Then  the  Aing  of  Syria  warred]  Rather,  And  the  King  of 
Syria  tcarred.  It  is  not  asserted  by  the  Sacred  Historian,  that 
the  events  now  to  be  narrated  took  place  at  the  same  time  with, 
or  immediately  after,  those  which  had  been  just  related:  cp.  on 
viii.  1.  He  is  now  about  to  pass  from  a  description  of  Elisha's 
acts  upon  private  individuals,  to  an  account  of  his  working  upon 
Kings  and  Nations.  Such  also  is  the  progi-ess  of  the  history  of 
Christ's  operations  in  His  Church.  It  began  with  addressing 
itself  to  individuals,  and  soon  extended  itself  to  Kingdoms  and 
Empires. 

9.  Beware  ifiat  thou  pass  not]  Rather,  as  the  contest  shows, 


The  chariots  and  horses  of  fire       2  KINGS  VI.  10—20. 


around  Elisha. 


place  ;  for  thither  the  Syrians  are  come  down.  "^And  the  king  of  Israel  sent 
to  the  place  which  the  man  of  God  told  him  and  warned  him  of,  and  saved 
himself  there,  not  once  nor  twice. 

^1  Therefore  the  heart  of  the  king  of  Syria  was  sore  troubled  for  this  thing ; 
and  he  called  his  seiwants,  and  said  unto  them.  Will  ye  not  shew  me  which 
of  us  is  for  the  king  of  Israel  ?  ^^  And  one  of  his  servants  said,  f  None,  my 
lord,  0  king :  but  Elisha,  the  prophet  that  is  in  Israel,  telleth  the  king  of 
Israel  the  words  that  thou  speakest  in  thy  bedchamber.  '^  And  he  said.  Go 
and  spy  where  he  is,  that  I  may  send  and  fetch  him.  And  it  was  told  him, 
saying.  Behold,  he  is  in  "^  Dothan. 

^■^  Therefore  sent  he  thither  horses,  and  chariots,  and  a  f  great  host :  and 
they  came  by  night,  and  compassed  the  city  about.  ^^  And  when  the  I|  servant 
of  the  man  of  God  was  risen  early,  and  gone  forth,  behold,  an  host  compassed 
the  city  both  with  horses  and  chariots.  And  his  servant  said  unto  liim,  Alas, 
my  master  !  how  shj^U  we  do  ?  ^^And  he  answered.  Fear  not :  for  ''they  that 
he  with  us  are  more  than  they  that  be  with  them.  ^^  And  Elisha  prayed,  and 
said,  Lord,  I  pray  thee,  open  his  eyes,  that  he  may  see.  And  the  Lord 
opened  the  eyes  of  the  young  man ;  and  he  saw :  and,  behold,  the  mountain 
was  full  of  *  horses  and  chariots  of  fire  round  about  Ehsha.  ^^  And  when  they 
came  down  to  him,  Elisha  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  and  said,  Smite  this  people, 
I  pray  thee,  with  blindness.  And  *"  he  smote  them  with  blindness  according  to 
the  word  of  Ehsha.  ^^  And  Ehsha  said  unto  them.  This  is  not  the  way,  neither 
is  this  the  city :  f  follow  me,  and  I  will  bring  you  to  the  man  whom  ye  seek. 
But  he  led  them  to  Samaria.  ^^And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  were  come 
into  Samaria,  that  Elisha  said,  Lord,  open  the  e^^es  of  these  vien,  that  they 
may  see.  And  the  Lord  opened  their  eyes,  and  they  saw ;  and,  behold,  they 
were  in  the  midst  of  Samaria. 


Before 
CHRIST 

aliout 
893. 


t  Helj.  No. 


c  Gc-n.  37.  17. 
t  Heb.  heaty. 
II  Or,  minister. 


d  2  Chroii.  32  7. 
I's.  55.  18. 
Rom.  8.  31. 


ech.  2.  11. 
Ps.  34.  7.  & 
fi8.  17. 

Zech.  1.  8.  & 
0.  1—7. 
f  Gen.  19.  II. 


t  Hel).  come  ye 
aflei  me. 


beware  thai  thpu  do  not  omit  to  guard  that  place.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  advice,  tlie  King  of  Israel  went  to  the  place  with 
Lis  army,  and  attacked  the  S_vrian.s,  who  were  lying  in  amhu.sli 
there,  ready  to  sally  forth  and  invade  Israel.  Or  it  may  mean, 
he  pre-occupied  the  place  before  the  Syrians  came  down  to  it. 

10.  and  saved  himself  there']  Invested  the  place  with  his 
military  guard. 

12.  Elisha,  the  prophet — telleth  the  Mng']  God  showed  His 
Omniscience  hy  means  of  Elisha,  whom  He  enabled  to  reveal 
the  secrets  of  Gehazi's  heart  {v.  26),  and  of  the  King  of  Syria's 
councils.  So,  the  Spirit  of  Christ  in  the  Church  of  God  reveals 
the  secret  acts  of  the  Enemy  of  souls,  and  puts  the  people  of 
Christ  on  their  guard  against  them.  We  are  not  ignorant  of 
his  devices,  says  St.  Paul  (2  Cor.  ii.  12).  Here  we  see  the  work 
of  Christian  ministers,  as  spiritual  watchmen  (Ezek.  iii.  17  ; 
xxxiii.  7),  in  foreseeing  spiritual  danger,  and  in  forewarning 
others  against  it,  and  in  exciting  their  flocks  to  watchfulness, 
and  resi-stance  to  eyil  (1  Ret.  v.  8.  1  Cor.  xvi.  13,  2  Tim.  iv.  5. 
Heb.  xiii.  7.     Rev.  iii.  2,'  3). 

13.  Dothan]  Which  means  two  wells :  see  Gen.  xxxvii.  17; 
there  Joseph  was  sold  by.  his  brethren ;  twelve  Roman  miles 
K.  of  Samaria;  still  called  Dothan;  ou  a  hill  s.w.  of  Jenin 
{Vandevelde). 

15.  his  servant]  Not,  it  seems,  Gehazi,  who  had  been  smitten 
with  leprosy  (v.  27),  and  who  lost  the  privilege  of  the  glorious 
vision  here  described. 

The  Hoeses  and  Chaeiots  of  Fiee  aeotjnd  Elisha. 

15 — 17.]  The  servant  of  Elisha,  seeing  the  horses  and  chariots 
of  SjTia,  is  terrified,  and  exclaims,  "  Alas !  my  master,  how 
shall  we  do  ?"  But  the  prophet  cheers  him  with  the  assurance, 
"  Fear  not :  for  they  that  be  with  us  are  m«re  than  they  that  be 
with  them."  And  he  prays  to  God  to  open  the  eyes  of  the 
young  man,  who  "  saw,  and,  behold,  the  mountain  of  Dothan 
was  full  of  horses  and  chariots  of  fire  round  about  Elisha." 
107 


What  aj-e  the  horses  and  chariots  of  the  Kings  of  Syria  against 
the  horses  and  chariots  of  God  ?  Both  are  around  Elisha.  But 
what  can  the  one  avail  against  the  other  ?  The  servant  of  God 
fears  not,  though  10,000  of  the  peojjle  are  encamped  against 
him  (Ps.  xci.  11).  The  natural  man  sees  the  horses  and  chariots 
of  Syria,  and  is  afraid ;  but  the  eye  of  faith  beholds  the  horses 
and  chariots  of  fire,  and  beams  with  hope  and  joy  at  the  sight 
(cp.  ^.  Hilar,  in  Ps.  cxxxvii.  5). 

Ehsha  is  a  figure  of  Christ,  acting  after  the  Ascension,  in 
His  Church.  He  revealed  to  the  eye  of  St.  Stephen  in  his  dying 
hbpr,  the  form  of  the  Son  of  God  in  Heaven,  succouring  him, 
and  ready  to  receive  his  spirit  (Acts  vii.  56).  He  reveals  to  us, 
in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  the  holy  Angels  delivering  all  the 
Apostles  from  the  prison,  and  striking  off  St.  Peter's  chains,  and 
smiting  Herod;  the  persecutor  of  the  Church,  at  Csesarea  (Acts 
V.  19  ;  xii.  7.  23). 

He  reveals  to  us  in  the  Apocalypse  the  glorious  imagery  of 
the  heavenly  host,  gathering  in  the  elect  of  God,  and  praising 
God  for  her  victory  (Rev.  vii.  11,  12 ;  ix.  14).  He  reveals  to 
us  Christ  as  the  Rider  on  the  white  horse,  going  forth  conquer- 
ing and  to  conquer  (Pi^ev.  vi.  12).  He  reveals  Him  followed  by 
armies  out  of  heaven,  riding  on  white  horses  (Rev.  xix.  11.  15). 
WHienever  the  Church  of  Christ  is  beleaguered  bj-  enemies.  He 
opens  our  eyes,  if  we  have  faith,  and  shows  to  us  horses  of  fire, 
and  chariots  of  fire,  which  are  fighting  for  her,  and  which  will 
caiTy  her,  like  Elijah,  to  heaven  :  see  above,  on  ii.  12. 

18.  Smite  this  people— with  lliiidness]  As  the  Sodomites,  be- 
sieging the  house  of  Lot  (Gen.  xix.  11),  and  as  Elj-mas  was 
smitten,  when  perverting  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord  (Acts  xvii. 
2),  and  as  the  enemies  of  Christ  and  His  Church  will  be  smitten 
when  they  hope  to  succeed  in  their  evil  devices  against  her 
(Rev.  XX.  20,  21). 

19.  But  he  led  them]  Rather,  and  he  led  them.  There  is 
no  opposition  between  what  precedes  and  what  follows.  Tliey 
sought  Ehsha,  and  he  brought  them  into  his  presence  so  as  to 
see  him,  which  they  did  at  Samaria ;  not  before  [v.  20). 


Famine  at  Samaria. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

893. 


g  Rom.  12.  20. 


h  ch.  .■;.  2 

VLT.  8,  9. 


about 
892. 


II  Or,  Let  not  Hie 
LORD  save  thee. 


i  Lev.  26.  29. 
Deut.  28.  53,  57. 

t  Hsb.  other. 


k  1  Kings  21.  27. 


1  Ruth  1.  17. 
1  Kings  19.  2. 


m  Ezek.  8.  1.  & 
20.  1. 


n  Luke  13.  32. 
o  1  Kings  18.  4. 


2  KINGS  VI.  21— 3B.    Elisha  is  threatened  by  the  King. 

21  And  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  Elisha,  when  he  saw  them,  My  father, 
shall  I  smite  them  ?  shall  I  smite  them  ?  22  j^^  j^g  answered,  Thou  shalt  not 
smite  them :  wouldest  thou  smite  those  whom  thou  hast  taken  captive  with  thy 
sword  and  with  thy  how  ?  ^  set  bread  and  water  before  them,  that  they  may  eat 
and  drink,  and  go  to  their  master.  -^And  he  prepared  great  provision  for 
them  :  and  when  they  had  eaten  and  drunk,  he  sent  them  away,-  and  they 
went  to  their  master.  So  ''  the  bands  of  Syria  came  no  more  into  the  land  of 
Israel. 

24  And  it  came  to  pass  after  this,  that  Ben-hadad  king  of  Syria  gathered  all 
his  host,  and  went  up,  and  besieged  Samaria,  ^s  ^^^^  there  was  a  great  famine 
in  Samaria:  and,,  behold,  they  besieged  it,  until  an  ass's  head  was  sold  for 
fourscore  jneces  of  silver,  and  the  fourth  part  of  a  cab  of  dove's  dung  for  five 
pieces  of  silver. 

2^  And  as  the  king  of  Israel  was  passing  by  upon  the  wall,  there  cried  a 
woman  unto  him,  saying,  Help,  my  lord,  0  king.  27  And  he  said,  ||  If  the 
LoBD  do  not  help  thee,  whence  shall  I  help  thee  ?  out  of  the  barnfloor,  or  out 
of  the  winepress  ?  ^s  ^^^  ^^q  j^^g  g^j^j  ^^|.Q  j-^g^,^  "What  aileth  thee  ?  And 
she  answered.  This  woman  said  unto  me.  Give  thy  son,  that  we  may  eat  him 
to  day,  and  we  will  eat  my  son  to  morrow.  29  go  i  ^e  boiled  my  son,  and  did 
eat  him :  and  I  said  unto  her  on  the  f  next  day,  Give  thy  son,  that  we  may 
eat  him :  and  she  hath  hid  her  son.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king 
heard  the  words  of  the  woman,  that  he  "^  rent  his  clothes  ;  and  he  passed  by 
upon  the  wall,  and  the  people  looked,  and,  behold,  he  had  sackcloth  within 
upon  his  flesh.  ^^  Then  he  said,  '  God  do  so  and  more  also  to  me,  if  the  head 
of  Elisha  the  son  of  Shaphat  shall  stand  on  him  this  day. 

^2  But  Ehsha  sat  in  his  house,  and  "  the  elders  sat  with  him ;  and  the  king 
sent  a  man  from  before  him :  but  ere  the  messenger  came  to  him,  he  said  to 
the  elders,  "  See  ye  how  this  son  of  °  a  murderer  hath  sent  to  take  away  mine 
head  ?  look,  when  the  messenger  cometh,  shut  the  door,  and  hold  him  fast  at 
the  door :  is  not  the  sound  of  his  master's  feet  behind  him  ?     ^^  And  while  he 


21.  shall  I  smite  them  ?]  Probably  the  King  of  Israel  remem- 
bered the  prophet's  rebuke  to  his  father  Abab  for  not  smiting 
those  whom  God  bad  brought  iuto  his  bauds  (1  Kings  xx. 
36—43). 

22.  wouldest  thou  smite  those']  Thou  wouldest  not  even  smite 
those  whom  thou  hast  made  captive  in  war.  But  I  have 
brought  them  iuto  thine  hands  ;  they  ^re  not  thy  prisoners,  but 
(lod's;  therefore  smite  them  not.  Here  is  a  protest  against  acts 
of  violence  and  bloodshed  in  the  cause  of  God's  Church.  Set 
bread  and  water  before  them.  Here  is  a  figure  of  Christ,  in 
the  Church  of  God,  committing  her  cause  to  Him,  and  returning 
good  for  evil,  overcoming  evil  with  good,  and  conquering  her 
enemies  by  forbearance  and  love.  "  If  thine  enemy  hunger, 
feed  him ;  if  he  thirst,  give  him  drink  "  (Rom.  xii.  2Q,  21). 

23.  he  prepared  great  provision  for  them]  Literally,  he  dug 
afoast  (cp.  Oesen.  413). 

—  the  bands  of  Si^ria]  Marauding  companies,  such  as  those 
described  in  vv.  9,  10.  This  does  not  exclude  a  regular  open 
war,  such  as  is  described  in  v.  24  {KeiV). 

25.  an  ass's  head]  An  unclean  animal  (Lev.  xi.  3).  Such 
was  their  distress,  that  even  the  bead  of  an  animal,  forbidden  by 
the  law  to  be  eaten  at  all,  was  sold  at  a  great  price, — 80  shekels, 
about  five  guineas  :  cp.  Plutarch,  Artaxerx.  c.  24. 

—  a  cab]  The  smallest  dry  measure  of  the  Hebrews. 

—  of  dove's  dung]  Josephus  gives  a  similar  account  of  the 
famine  before  the  taking  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus  (B.  J.  v.  13.  7 ; 
and  so  Abdallatif  in  the  history  of  the  famine  at  Cairo  in 
A.D.  1200.  Kitto).  Some  understand  by  the  jjlirase  the 
herb  kali,  asa  foetida  {Gesen.  305),  or  a  kind  of  pulse  {Kitto, 

325). 
108 


28.  Give  thy  son]  Tliese  horrible  details  prove  the  truth  of 
the  Lord's  warning  in  the  Law,  for  the  disobedience  of  His 
People.  Israel  had  for  many  years  been  guilty  of  schism  and 
idolatry;  and  the  king  seeks  to  destroy  the  man  of  God,  as  if 
he  were  the  cause  of  the  famine;  and  these  warnings  of  the 
Mosaic  Law  are  now  fulfilled  (see  Lev.  xxvi.  27.  Deut.  xxviii. 
53 — 57).  Other  like  punishments  awaited  her  for  like  sins  (see 
Lam.  iv.  10.  Ezek.  v.  10),  and  they  came  to  their  climax  (after 
the  crucifixion  and  rejection  of  Christ)  in  the  siege  of  Jeru- 
salem ;  as  described  by  Josephus  (B.  J.  v.  10.  3). 

31.  God  do  so — to  me]  Jehoram  had  sackcloth  on  his  loins, 
but  not  on  his  heart;  he  mourned  indeed  for  the  famine,  but 
not  for  the  cause  of  it,  namely,  his  own  sins,  and  the  sins  of  the 
people ;  and  instead  of  being  penitent  towards  God,  he  is  furious 
against  God's  prophet. 

—  if  the  head  of  Elisha]  The  King  charges  Elisha,  who  had 
so  often  saved  Israel  in  its  distress  (iii.  14;  vi.  10),  as  if  he, 
the  man  of  God,  was  the  cause  of  the  miseries  with  wliich  God 
visited  him  and  his  kingdom,  on  account  of  their  sins  (see  above, 
on  1  Kings  xxi.  29).  So  his  father  Ahab  bad  called  Elijah  his 
"  enemy,"  and  had  accused  him  of  troubling  Israel  (1  Kings 
xviii.  17). 

In  this  respect  also  Elisha  was  a  type  of  Christ,  per- 
secuted in  His  Church  in  primitive  times.  As  TertulUan 
says  (Apol.  40),  "  If  there  is  any  visitation  from  Heaven, 
immediately  the  people  cry,  '  The  Christians  to  the  lions.' " 

32.  this  son  of  a  murderer]  Jehoram  is  a  genuine  son  oi 
Ahab,  for  be  imitates  his  acts.  Ahab  murdered  Naboth  and  the 
prophets;  and  Jehoram  seeks  to  kill  Elisha;  and  he  slew  his 
own  brethren  (2  Chron.  xxi.  3,  1). 


Elisha  projjhesies  plcntij. 


2  KINGS  VII.  1—10. 


Four  Lepers  announce  it. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

892. 

p  Job  2.  9. 


b  ver.  17,  19,  20. 
t  Heb.  a  lord 
ii'liich  belonged 
to  the  King 
leiining  upon  his 
hand,  ch.  5.  18. 
c  Mai.  3.  10. 


(1  Lev.  13.  4G. 


yet  talked  with  them,  behold,  the  messenger  came  down  unto  him :   and  he 

said.  Behold,  this  evil  is  of  the  Lord  ;  ^  what  should  I  wait  for  the  Lord  any 

longer?     VII.   ^  Then  Ehsha  said,  Hear  ye  the  word  of  the  Lord  ;  Thus  saith 

the  Lord,  ""  To  morrow  about  this  time  shall  a  measure  of  fine  flour  he  sold  for  a  ver.  is,  19. 

a  shekel,  and  two  measures  of  barley  for  a  shekel,  in  the  gate  of  Samaria. 

2  ^  Then  f  a  lord  on  whose  hand  the  king  leaned  answered  the  man  of  God,  and 

said.  Behold,  "  if  the  Lord  would  make  windows  in  heaven,  might  this  thing 

be  ?     And  he  said.  Behold,  thou  shalt  see  it  with  thine  eyes,  but  shalt  not  eat 

thereof. 

^  And  there  were  four  leprous  men  ^  at  the  entering  in  of  the  gate  :  and  they 
said  one  to  another,  "Why  sit  we  here  until  we  die  ?  ^  If  we  say,  We  will  enter 
into  the  city,  then  the  famine  is  in  the  city,  and  we  shall  die  there  :  and  if  we 
sit  still  here,  we  die  also.  Now  therefore  come,  and  let  us  fall  unto  the  host 
of  the  Syrians :  if  they  save  us  alive,  we  shall  live ;  and  if  they  kill  us,  we 
shall  but  die.  ^  And  they  rose  up  in  the  twihght,  to  go  unto  the  camp  of  the 
Syrians :  and  when  they  were  come  to  the  uttermost  part  of  the  camp  of  Syria, 
behold,  there  ivas  no  man  there.  ^For  the  Lord  had  made  the  host  of  the 
Syrians  ^  to  hear  a  noise  of  chariots,  and  a  noise  of  horses,  eveji  the  noise  of  a 
great  host :  and  they  said  one  to  another,  Lo,  the  king  of  Israel  hath  hired 
against  us  '^the  kings  of  the  Hittites,  and  the  kings  of  the  Egyptians,  to  come  n  Kings  10. 29. 
upon  us.  ^  Wherefore  they  ^  arose  and  fled  in  the  twdlight,  and  left  their  tents,  g 
and  their  horses,  and  their  asses,  even  the  camp  as  it  luas,  and  fled  for  their 
Hfe. 

^  And  w^hen  these  lepers  came  to  the  uttermost  part  of  the  camp,  they  went 
into  one  tent,  and  did  eat  and  drink,  and  carried  thence  silver,  and  gold,  and 
raiment,  and  w^ent  and  hid  it ;  and  came  again,  and  entered  into  another  tent, 
and  carried  thence  also,  and  went  and  hid  it.  ^  Then  they  said  one  to  another. 
We  do  not  well ;  this  day  is  a  day  of  good  tidings,  and  we  hold  our  peace  :  if  we 
tarry  till  the  morning  light,  f  some  mischief  will  come  upon  us :  now  therefore 
come,  that  we  may  go  and  tell  the  king's  household. 

^^  So  they  came  and  called  unto  the  porter  of  the  city :  and  they  told  them, 


e  2  Sam.  5.  24, 
ch.  19.  7. 
Job  15.  21. 


Ps.  48.  4,  5,  6. 
Prov.  28.  1. 


+  Heb.  we  shall 
find  punishment. 


33.  and  he  said'\  The  King  said,  who  followed  immediately 
on  the  steps  of  the  messengers  (see  vv.  32,  33).  Evidently  the 
King  is  present,  for  Elisha  addresses  him  (vii.  1),  and  he  is 
mentioned  as  present,  vii.  1,  2.     Cp.  Keil  here. 

There  is  a  tone  of  murmuring  in  the  King's  words,  not 
however  unmingled  with  faith.  His  coming  in  person  to  Elisha 
was  a  symptom  of  remorse  ;  and  though  he  says  that  he  is  weary 
of  waiting  for  the  Lord's  mercy,  yet  he  recognizes  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  in  the  evil  which  presses  upon  him.  He  had  put 
sackcloth  on  his  loins,  and  rent  his  clothes ;  and  he  does  not 
ascribe  the  famine  to  chance,  or  mere  natural  causes,  but  says, 
in  the  hearing  of  the  elders,  "  This  evil  is  of  the  Lord."  Even 
this  feeble  act  of  repentance,  like  that  of  his  father  Ahab  (see 
above,  note  on  I.Kings  xxi.  29),  is  not  without  its  reward  from 
God.  Elisha  changes  his  tone,  and  is  authorized  to  aunounce 
to  the  King  a  withdrawal  of  God's  judgment,  and  a  change  of 
dearth  into  plenty  (see  vii.  1) ;  and  thus  Jehorara  is  assured 
that  if  he  iierseveres  in  his  repentance,  God  will  revoke  the 
sentence  of  chastisement  against  him,  and  turn  it  into  a  mes- 
sage of  mercy.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  present  verse 
is  separated  from  what  follows  by  the  breaking  off  of  the 
chapter. 

If  even  Jehoram,  the  son  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  recognized 
in  this  famine  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  shall  Christian  Rulers  and 
Nations  attribute  faniiues  and  pestilences  to  mere  secondary 
causes  ?  Shall  they  be  ashamed  to  own  that  they  are  sent  as 
punishments  for  sin  ?  shall  they  be  slow  to  deprecate  God's 
■wrath  by  repentance,  self-abasement,  and  supplication?  Cp. 
above,  2  Sam.  xxi.  1 ;  and  below,  on  viii.  1.  » 

109 


Ch.  vii.  1.  Then  Misha  said']  In  answer  to  the  King 
Jehoram,  and  his  courtiers,  and  to  the  elders,  then  present. 

—  a  measure']  Heb.  a  seah,  the  third  of  an  ephah.  See 
1  Kings  xviii.  32. 

—  the  gate]  Market-place :  cp.  Dr.  Thomson,  L.  and  B. 
pp.  26 — 28,  on  the  public  transactions  at  the  gates  of  eastern 
cities. 

2.  a  lord— hand]  His  prime-minister:  cp.  v.  18;  and  2  Sam. 
xxiii.  8.  It  is  mentioned,  that  this  lord  was  incredulous,  but  we 
do  not  hear  that  Jehoram  himself  was.  He  had  been  a  witness 
of  God's  majesty,  working  by  Elisha,  in  a  still  greater  strait 
than  this  :  see  above,  iii.  13 — 20. 

—  tvindows  in  heaven]  Cp.  Gen.  vii.  11.     Mai.  iii.  10. 

—  thou  shalt  see  it]  For  the  fulfilment,  see  vv.  17 — 20. 

3.  at  the  entering  in  of  the  gate]  Perhaps  in  a  separate 
dwelling  there  (cp.  xv.  5.  Lev.  xiii.  46.  Num.  v.  3),  as  is  the 
case  at  this  day  at  Jerusalem,  near  the  Zion  gate.  See  Bobinson, 
i.  359.     Thomson,  p.  651. 

This  passage  {vv.  3 — 20)  is  appointed  to  be  read  in  the 
synagogues  as  a  proper  lesson  with  Lev.  xiv.  1 ;  xv.  33,  which 
relates  to  the  plague  of  Leprosy,  and  to  the  rules  and  sacrifices 
in  its  cleansing. 

5.  in  the  twilight]  of  evening.     See  v.  12. 

6.  the  Lord  had  made]  He  revived  the  wonders  of  former 
ages,  as  in  the  days  of  Gideon  (Judg.  vii.  22),  and  of  Saul 
(1  Sam.  xiv.  20:  cp.  2  Kings  xix.  7.  Prov.  xxviii.  1.  Job 
xviii.  11 ;  xv.  21.     Jer.  xx.  4). 

—  Hittites]  Of  Canaan  generally,  especially  of  northern 
Canaan  (1  Kings  x.  29). 


The  Syrian  tents  spoiled.    2  KINGS  VII.   11 — 20.     VIII.   1,  2.  The  unbelieving  lord. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

892. 


I  Hob.  17!  il. 


h  vcr.  1. 


Ich.  6.  32. 
ver.  2. 


k  ver.  1. 


about 

891. 

a  ch.  4.  35. 

b  Ps.  105.  16. 
Hag.  1,  11 


saying,  We  came  to  the  camp  of  the  Syrians,  and,  behold,  there  ivas  no  man 
there,  neither  voice  of  man,  but  horses  tied,  and  asses  tied,  and  the  tents  as 
they  were.  ^^  And  he  called  the  porters  ;  and  they  told  it  to  the  king's  house 
within. 

^2  And  the  king  arose  in  the  night,  and  said  unto  his  servants,  I  will  now 
shew  you  what  the  Syrians  have  done  to  us.  They  know  that  we  he  hungry ; 
therefore  are  they  gone  out  of  the  camp  to  hide  themselves  in  the  field,  saying, 
When  they  come  out  of  the  city,  we  shall  catch  them  alive,  and  get  into  the 
city.  ^^  And  one  of  his  servants  answered  and  said.  Let  so7ne  take,  I  pray  thee, 
five  of  the  horses  that  remain,  which  are  left  f  in  the  city,  (behold,  they  are  as 
all  the  multitude  of  Israel  that  are  left  in  it :  behold,  /  say,  they  are  even  as 
all  the  multitude  of  the  Israelites  that  are  consumed  :)  and  let  us  send  and 
see.  ^^  They  took  therefore  two  chariot  horses  ;  and  the  king  sent  after  the 
host  of  the  Syrians,  saying,  Go  and  see.  ^^And  they  went  after  them  unto 
Jordan :  and,  lo,  all  the  way  was  full  of  garments  and  vessels,  which  the 
Syrians  had  cast  away  in  their  haste.  And  the  messengers  returned,  and  told 
the  king. 

^^  And  the  people  went  out,  and  spoiled  the  tents  of  the  Syrians.  So  a 
measure  of  fine  flour  was  sold  for  a  shekel,  and  two  measures  of  barley  for  a 
shekel,  ''according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord.  ^^And  the  king  appointed  the 
lord  on  whose  hand  he  leaned  to  have  the  charge  of  the  gate :  and  the  people 
trode  upon  him  in  the  gate,  and  he  died,  '  as  the  man  of  God  had  said,  who 
spake  when  the  king  came  down  to  him.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass  as  the  man 
of  God  had  spoken  to  the  king,  saying,  "  Two  measures  of  barley  for  a  shekel, 
and  a  measure  of  fine  flour  for  a  shekel,  shall  be  to  morrow  about  this  time  in 
the  gate  of  Samaria :  ^^  And  that  lord  answered  the  man  of  God,  and  said, 
Now,  behold,  if  the  Lord  should  make  windows  in  heaven,  might  such  a  thing 
be  ?  And  he  said,  Behold,  thou  shalt  see  it  with  thine  eyes,  but  shalt  not  eat 
thereof.  ^^  And  so  it  fell  out  unto  him  :  for  the  people  trode  upon  him  in  the 
gate,  and  he  died. 

VIII.  ^  Then  spake  Ehsha  unto  the  woman,  *  whose  son  he  had  restored  to 
life,  saying,  Arise,  and  go  thou  and  thine  household,  and  sojourn  wheresoever 
thou  canst  sojourn :  for  the  Lord  ''  hath  called  for  a  famine  ;  and  it  shall  also 
come  upon  the  land  seven  years.     ^  And  the  woman  arose,  and  did  after  the 


13.  the?/  are  as  all  the  multitude']  Rather,  they  will  be  as  all 
tlie  multitude,  that  is,  tliey  will  fare  neither  Avorse  nor  better 
tlian  we  shall;  if  they  perish,  so  shall  we;  if  they  live,  we  shall 
live  also. 

14.  two  chariot  horses']  Rather,  two  pair  of  horses,  yoked 
to  chariots.  The  proposal  had  been  to  take  five  horses  with 
riders  {v.  13),  hut  this  was  modified,  perhaps  in  order  that  if 
the  story  of  the  lepers  were  true,  they  might  more  easily  bring 
samples  of  the  spoil. 

16.  the  people  went  out,  and  spoiled  the  tents  of  the  Syrians'] 
The  heathen  King  of  Syria,  Benhadad,  had  come  with  his 
army,  and  besieged  the  capital  of  Israel,  and  reduced  it  to  the 
greatest  distress  by  famine  (vi.  25 — 29);  but  the  God  of 
Israel,  having  first  declared  by  His  prophet  that  the  famine 
would  cease  on  the  morrow,  routs  the  army  of  Syria  by  a 
sudden  panic,  and  makes  the  Syrian  camp  to  afford  provision 
to  the  capital  of  Israel.  At  the  same  time  He  inflicts  punish- 
ment on  the  incredulous  lord  of  Israel,  who  had  disbelieved 
God's  promise,  and  mocked  at  the  prophecy  of  Elisha.  Thus 
God  proved  His  o^vn  supremacy  over  the  gods  of  the  heathen, 
and  called  Jehoram  and  his  people  to  repentance  and  faith  in 
Him. 

Here  is  a  specimen  of  God's  working  in  His  Church.    He 
110 


makes  even  the  camp  of  her  enemies  to  yield  food  to  her  in 
her  distress,  as  He  made  the  carcase  of  the  lion,  who  had  attacked 
Samson,  to  yield  food  to  him  and  his  fi-iends :  see  above,  on 
Judg.  xiv.  9.  God  also  makes  even  the  most  despised  persons, 
such  as  the  four  lepers,  who  stand  forth  here  in  striking  contrast 
to  the  unbelieving  nobleman  of  Samaria,  to  be  the  spectators 
and  reporters  of  the  defeat  of  her  enemies ;  and  at  the  end  He 
will  disperse  her  adversaries,  without  any  human  aid,  by  a 
sudden  overthrow :  see  2  Thess.  ii.  8. 


Ch.  VIII.  1.  Then  spake  Elisha']  Rather,  And  Ulisha 
spaJce  (cp.  on  vi.  8).  It  is  not  asserted  that  Elisha  said  this 
after  the  discomfiture  of  the  Syrians,  recorded  in  the  fore- 
going chapter.  It  may  have  been  so;  but  it  may  also  be 
supposed,  that  these  words  are  inserted  here  as  introductory 
to  the  record  of  what  happened  at  the  end  of  the  seven  year« 
{vv.  3—6). 

—  the  Lord  hath  called  for  a  famine]  Famines  do  not  come 
by  chance,  but  they  are  messengers  whom  the  Lord  calls,  and 
whom  He  sends  to  call  His  people  to  repentance.  Cp.  2  Sam. 
xxi.  1 ;  and  Dr.  Fothergill's  excellent  Sermon  on  Isa.  xxvi.  9, 
vol.  i.  pp.  227 — 264 ;  and  above,  vii.  33. 


Gehazi  recounts  EUsha's  miracles    2  KINGS  VIII.  3 — 8. 


to  the  King. 


Tiefore 
CHRIST 

about 
885. 


c  ch.  5.  27. 


sa3ing  of  the  man  of  God  :  and  she  went  with  her  household,  and  sojourned  in 
the  land  of  the  Phihstines  seven  years. 

^  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  seven  years'  end,  that  the  woman  returned  out 
of  the  land  of  the  Philistines :  and  she  went  forth  to  cry  unto  the  king  for  her 
house  and  for  her  land.  ^  And  the  king  talked  with  '^  Gehazi  the  servant  of  the 
man  of  God,  saying,  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  all  the  great  things  that  Ehsha  hath 
done.  ^  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was  telling  the  king  how  he  had  "^  restored  ^  '^^-  *■  35. 
a  dead  body  to  life,  that,  behold,  the  woman,  whose  son  he  had  restored  to 
life,  cried  to  the  king  for  her  house  and  for  her  land.  And  Gehazi  said,  My 
lord,  0  king,  this  is  the  woman,  and  this  is  her  son,  whom  Elisha  restored 
to  hfe.  ^And  when  the  king  asked  the  woman,  she  told  him.  So  the 
king  appointed  unto  her  a  certain  H  officer,  saying,  Kestore  aU  that  was  hers,  11  or.  ''«""'^*- 
and  all  the  fruits  of  the  field  since  the  day  that  she  left  the  land,  even  until 
now. 

^  And  Elisha  came  to  Damascus  ;  and  Ben-hadad  the  king  of  Syria  was  sick;         sss. 
and  it  was  told  him,  saying.  The  man  of  God  is  come  liither.     ^  And  the  king 
said  unto  ^  Hazael,  ''  Take  a  present  in  thine  hand,  and  ^0,  meet  the  man  of  e  1  Kings  19. 15. 

■••  ^  f  1  Sam.  9.  7. 


1  Kings  14.  3.     ch.  5.  5. 


Gehazi  eelates  Elisha's  Miracles  to  the  King  of 

ISEAEL. 

4.  the  king  talked  with  Gehazi^  From  this  statement  it  has 
been  inferred  by  some  interpreters  that  this  event  took  place 
before  the  cleansing  of  Naaman,  related  above  in  the  fifth 
chapter.  If  Gehazi  had  been  now  a  leper  (see  there,  vv.  26,  27), 
he  would  not  (they  say)  have  been  admitted  to  converse  with 
the  king  (Schmidt,  Keil,  and  others). 

But  this  is  not  conclusive.  It  seems  more  probable  that 
Gehazi  was  brought  to  repentance,  and  that  the  sentence  of 
leprosy,  which  had  been  pronounced  upon  him,  was  revoked. 
See  the  note  of  A  Lapide  on  v.  27,  and  of  Malvenda  here. 

Elisha's  ministry  lasted  more  than  fifty  years  :  see  on  xiii. 
20;  and  he  wTOught  many  miracles  of  mercy,  and  delivered 
many  prophecies  of  forgiveness  to  penitent  sinners.  For  speci- 
mens of  this  we  may  refer  to  the  wonderful  interventions  of 
goodness,  recorded  in  the  preceding  chapters,  in  behalf  of  the 
Syrian  captives,  and  of  the  murderous  Jehoram  (vi.  23;  and 
vii.  7).  Such  mercies  as  those  must  have  been  known  to 
Gehazi ;  and  would  surely  have  brought  comfort  to  him,  and  have 
had  a  healthful  effect  on  his  soul.  "  Perhaps  his  leprosy  had 
brought  him  to  repentance ;  and  he  that  had  told  a  lie  to  his 
master  the  prophet,  now  tells  the  truth  concerning  his  master's 
miracles  to  the  king"  {Bp.  Hall).  The  incident  related  in 
the  last  chapter,  that  the  great  mercy  of  God  to  the  king  and 
the  inhabitants  of  Samaria,  was  made  known  first  to  four 
lepers,  and  was  first  notified  by  them  to  Jehoram  and  the 
famishing  people,  is  not  without  its  significance  in  the  con- 
aderation  of  the  history  of  Gehazi  the  leper. 

True  it  is,  that  Elisha  denounced  punishment  on  Gehazi 
and  his  seed  for  his  sin  (v.  27).  But  the  Holy  Scriptures  abound 
with  instances  in  which  Divine  chastisements  are  revoked  on 
the  repentance  of  those  on  whom  they  are  denounced.  Indeed, 
Divine  punishments  are  denounced,  in  order  that  the  sinner 
may  repent,  and  that  the  chastisements  may  not  be  inflicted. 
The  case  of  Nineveh  is  a  striking  example  of  this  (see  Jonah 
iii.  4 — 10) ;  and  in  the  present  books  we  have  clear  evidence 
that  if  even  Ahab  had  repented,  the  judgments  denounced  on 
him  and  his  house  by  God,  would  not  have  been  executed  (see 
on  1  Kings  xxi.  27 — 29.    Cp.  the  case  of  Hezekiah,  below,  xx. 

Certain  it  is  that  Gehazi  and  Gehazi's  seed  would  escape 
the  punishment  of  Gehazi,  if  they  repented  of  the  sin  of  Gehazi. 

Doubtless  Gehazi,  the  servant  of  Elisha,  knew  this;  and 
we  may  reasonably  suppose  that  he  profited  by  his  knowledge. 

Further,  if  there  is  no  strong  argument  for  disturbing  the 
chronological  order,  it  seems  most  reasonable  to  accept  it. 

A  confirmation  of  this  supposition,  that  Gehazi  repented, 
and  was  cleansed,  is  suggested  by  the  fact  of  his  appearance  in 
the  company  of  the  King  of  Israel. 

Bat  further;  there  is  a  spiritual  mystery  here,  as  in  all 
Elisha's  history. 

The  Syriayi  captain,  Naaman,  cleansed  of  his  leprosy  by 
the  instrumentality  of  Elisha,  was  a  type  of  the  Oentile  world, 
«Qming  to  Christ,  and  healed. 

in 


Gehazi  the  Israelite, — the  servant  of  Elisha  the  prophet, 
punished  for  his  sin  with  Naaman's  leprosy, — was  a  figure  of 
the  Jews,  rejected  for  their  sins :  see  above,  note  on  v.  19  and 
27. 

But  there  is  a  promise  to  the  Jews,  that,  on  their  re- 
pentance, they  will  be  cleansed  from  their  spiritual  leprosy, 
and  be  re-admitted  to  the  favoui-  of  God,  May  not  this  blessed 
consummation  be  foreshadowed  by  this  re-appearance  of  Gehazi, 
the  penitent  and  cleansed  leper,  in  the  presence  of  the  King  of 
Israel ? 

Observe,  the  King  of  Israel  ia  here  displayed  to  us  as 
appealing  to  Gehazi  as  a  faithful  remembrancer  and  witness  of 
all  Elisha's  actions  :  "  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  aU  the  great  things 
that  Elisha  hath  done ;"  and  Gehazi  is  here  introduced  as  cheer- 
fully complying  with  the  request,  and  as  recounting  the  won- 
derful works  of  Elisha  {vv.  4,  5),  especially  the  restoration  of 
life  to  the  dead  child  of  the  Shunammite  of  Galilee,  and  he  is 
the  instrument  of  obtaining  a  boon  for  her  from  the  king. 

May  we  not  say,  that  we  have  here  a  suggestion  of  the 
glorious  truth,  that  the  Hebrew  Nation,  the  Jewish  Gehazi, 
will  one  day  be  cleansed  from  its  leprosy,  and  be  restored  to 
the  communion  of  the  Israel  of  God  ? 

May  we  not  here  see  an  assurance  that  the  Jewish  Gehazi 
will  one  day  believe,  and  proclaim  the  mighty  and  merciful 
acts  of  Jesus  Cheist,  the  Divine  Elisha, — God  the  Saviour, — 
especially  in  His  Incarnation,  by  which  He  lowered  Himself  to 
our  poor  and  lifeless  humanity,  and  stretched  Himself  over  it, 
to  reanimate  it,  as  Elisha  bowed  down  and  stretched  himself 
upon  the  dead  body  of  the  Shunammite's  son,  and  revived  it  ? 
See  above,  on  iv.  35 — 37. 

There  is  something  also  interesting  in  the  circumstance 
that  Gehazi  (who  in  chap.  v.  has  been  displayed  to  us  as  eager 
to  enrich  himself  at  any  cost)  is  here  exhibited  as  pleading  for 
the  widow  of  Shunem,  and  as  procuring  the  restoration  of  her 
property  to  her.  He,  who  was  there  like  Judas,  has  here 
become  like  Zacchseus  (Luke  xix.  2—8).  Is  not  this  also  cha- 
racteristic of  the  spiritual  change  which  will  be  wrought  in  the 
Jewish  Nation,  when  cleansed  by  conversion  to  Christ  ?  Cp. 
above,  note  at  the  end  of  chap.  v. 

6.  Restore  all  that  was  hers']  It  is  still  common  in  the  East 
(says  a  resident  in  Palestine)  for  even  petty  Sheiks  to  confiscate 
the  property  of  any  one  who  is  exiled  even  for  a  time.  Espe- 
cially is  this  true  of  widows  and  orphans ;  and  the  Shunammite 
was  now  a  widow ;  and  small  is  the  chance  of  their  having 
that  property  restored,  unless  they  can  secure  the  mediation 
of  some  one  more  influential  than  themselves.  The  conversa- 
tion between  the  king  and  Gehazi  is  in  perfect  keeping  with 
the  habits  of  Eastern  princes  {Dr.  Thomson,  p.  458). 

7.  Elisha  came  to  Damasctis~\  The  time  had  arrived  for  the 
execution  of  the  commission  given  at  Horeb  to  anoint  Hazael 
King  of  Syria  (1  Kings  xix.  15).  As  to  the  meaning  of  anoint 
in  that  passage,  see  Dr.  Waterland,  Script.  Vind.  p.  161. 

The  King  of  Steia's  Message  to  Elisha. 

8.  The  king  said}   The  heathen  Kmg  of  Syria,  Benhadad. 


EUsha's  prophemj. 


2  KINGS  VIII.  9—16. 


Hazael  hills  Ben-hadad. 


Before 
CHRIST 
885. 
gch.  1.  2. 
t  Heb.  in  his 
hand. 


h  ver.  15. 

t  Heb.  and  S't  it. 

iLuke  19.  41. 

kch.  10.  32.  & 
12.  17.  &  13.  3,  7. 
Amos  1.  3. 

!  ch.  15.  16. 
lies.  13.  16. 
Amos  1.  13. 
m  1  Sam.  17.  43. 

n  1  Kings  19,  15, 


0  2  Chron.  21.  3, 
4. 


God,  and  ^  inquire  of  the  Lord  by  him,  saying,  Sliall  I  recover  of  this  disease  ? 
^  9o  Hazael  went  to  meet  him,  and  took  a  present  f  with  him,  even  of  eveiy 
good  thing  of  Damascus,  forty  camels'  burden,  and  came  and  stood  before 
him,  and  said.  Thy  son  Ben-hadad  king  of  Syria  hath  sent  me  to  thee,  saying, 
Shall  I  recover  of  this  disease  ?  ^^  And  Elisha  said  unto  him,  Go,  say  unto 
him,  Thou  mayest  certainly  recover :  howbeit  the  Lobd  hath  shewed  me  that 
^  he  shall  surely  die.  ^^  And  he  settled  his  countenance  f  stedfastly,  until  he 
was  ashamed  :  and  the  man  of  God  '  wept.  ^"  And  Hazael  said,  Why  weepeth 
my  lord  ?  And  he  answered.  Because  I  know  "^  the  evil  that  thou  wilt  do  unto 
the  children  of  Israel :  their  strong  holds  wilt  thou  set  on  fire,  and  their  young 
men  wilt  thou  slay  with  the  sword,  and  '  wilt  dash  their  children,  and  rip  up 
their  women  mth  child.  ^^And  Hazael  said,  But  what,  "is  thy  servant  a  dog, 
that  he  should  do  this  great  thing  ?  And  Elisha  answered,  "  The  Lord  hath 
shewed  me  that  thou  slialt  he  king  over  Syria.  ^^  So  he  departed  from  Elisha, 
and  came  to  his  master ;  who  said  to  him.  What  said  Elisha  to  thee  ?  And 
he  answered.  He  told  me  that  thou  shouldest  surely  recover.  ^^  And  it  came 
to  pass  on  the  morrow,  that  he  took  a  thick  cloth,  and  dipped  it  in  water,  and 
spread  it  on  his  face,  so  that  he  died :  and  Hazael  reigned  in  his  stead. 

^^  And  in  the  fifth  year  of  Joram  the  son  of  Ahab  king  of  Israel,  Jehoshaphat 
hcing  then  king  of  Judah,  "Jehoram  the  son  of  Jehoshaphat  king  of  Judah 


whose  name  was  derived  from  a  heathen  idol,  has  no  faith  in 
his  own  gods,  but  publicly  sends  in  his  sickness  to  consult 
Elisha,  the  prophet  of  Jehovah, — a  remarkable  fact.  How  is 
this  to  be  explained  ?  May  it  not  be  accounted  for  from  the 
miracle  WTOught  upon  Naaman  the  leper,  the  great  captain  of 
the  host  of  the  King  of  Syria  ?  (chap,  v.)  And  may  it  not  be 
regarded  as  an  incidental  attestation  to  the  truth  of  that 
miracle  ?  The  fact  of  Naaman's  cure  must  have  been  generally 
known,  and  specially  to  the  Syrian  King,  who  had  sent  a  letter 
to  the  King  of  Israel,  to  implore  a  remedy  for  Naaman's 
disease :  see  above,  on  v.  5. 

Elisha  was  a  type  of  Jesus  Christ :  and  that  royal  letter 
from  Syria  in  Naaman's  behalf,  and  this  message  from  the 
King  of  Syria  to  Elisha  in  his  own  behalf,  may  be  considered 
in  connexion  with  that  interesting  history,  which  is  related  by 
Eusebius  (H.  E.  i.  13),  and  which  has  been  recently  illustrated 
and  confirmed  from  Syrian  documents  by  the  late  learned 
Dr.  Cureton,  concerning  the  intercourse  of  a  Syrian  king  with 
the  Divine  Elisha,  our  Blessed  Lord  Himself. 

King  Abgar,  of  Edessa,  properly  in  Mesopotamia,  but 
being  a  border  town,  popularly  said  to  be  in  Syria,  is  related 
by  Miisehius  (translating  from  Syrian  records)  to  have  sent  a 
message  to  our  Blessed  Lord,  of  whose  mighty  works  he  had 
heard,  and  whom  he  desired  to  come  and  heal  him  of  a  severe 
disease.  Our  Lord  is  reported  to  have  replied,  that  He  would 
not  leave  the  land  of  Israel,  to  which  His  own  pwsonal  ministry 
was  to  be  confined,  but  that,  after  His  Ascension,  He  would 
send  one  of  His  disciples  to  heal  the  King,  and  to  preach  the 
words  of  Life  to  him  and  his  subjects;  and  that  accordingly 
after  the  Ascension,  Thaddseus  was  sent,  who  healed  the  King, 
on  his  profession  of  faith  in  Christ,  and  many  others,  and  con- 
verted a  multitude  to  the  faith ;  and  that  the  King  offered  him 
many  rich  presents,  which  he  declined  to  receive,  saying,  "  Since 
we  have  left  our  own  things  to  follow  Jesus,  how  shall  we 
receive  the  things  of  others  ?  " 

The  resemblance  of  this  history,  in  some  respects,  and  its 
contrast  in  others,  to  that  of  the  kings  and  captains  of  Syria, 
and  their  intercourse  with  Elisha  and  Gehazi,  are  surely 
entitled  to  the  reader's  notice  here. 

—  Hazael^  Which  means  whom  God  sees,  watches  over : 
cp.  Gesen.  258. 

9.  took  a  present  with  Mm]  It  is  not  said  that  Elisha 
accepted  it :  cp.  Waterland,  Scr.  Vind.  p.  162. 

10.  Go,  say  unto  him.  Thou  mayest  certainly  recover"] 
Literally,  Go,  and  say  to  him.  Living,  thou  shalt  live,  i.  e., 
ITiou  shalt  surely  live.  So  the  Heb.,  margin,  and  some  MSS.  j 
and  so  Sept.,  Vulg.,  Syriac,  Arabic,  and  Targum.  But  the 
Hebrew  text,  or  Cethib,  in  the  majority  of  MSS.,  has  "  Say 
thou  wilt  not  live;"  i.e.  they  have  lo  with  aleph,  signifying 

112 


not,  and  not  lo  with  vau,  signifying  to  Mm,  Cp.  Siller., 
Arcan.  Keri,  p.  62,  where  fifteen  places  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment are  specified,  in  which  this  variation  occurs.  The  read- 
ing of  the  majority  of  MSS.  of  the  Hebrew  Text  is  defended 
by  Witsius  (Miscell.  Prajf.,  sect.  9),  Buddeus  (Hist.  Eccl. 
ii.  372),  and  others ;  that  of  the  Hebrew  margin,  by  Vitringa, 
Leusden,  and  others.  See  Waterland,  Script.  Vind.  p.  163. 
Keil,  in  his  earlier  edition,  prefers  the  marginal  reading ;  but 
in  his  later,  he  is  in  favour  of  that  in  the  Hebrew  Text :  "  Thou 
shalt  not  recover."  And  if  this  is  the  true  reading,  then  the 
following  Hebrew  conjunction  vau  ought  to  be  rendered  and, 
ovfor,  and  not  howbeit,  as  in  our  translation. 

On  the  whole,  the  reading  of  the  Hebrew  Text  seems 
preferable:  "Thou  shalt  not  live ;  for  the  Lord  hath  shown 
to  me  that  he  shall  surely  die."  Hazael  took  occasion  from 
this  prophecy,  joined  with  the  other,  that  he  himself  should  be 
King  of  Syria  (v.  13),  to  put  an  end  to  the  life  of  Benhadad. 
He  might  probably  stifle  his  own  conscience  by  a  plea  that  he 
was  only  fulfilling  the  prophecy  of  Elisha,  and  giving  eflect  to 
the  will  of  Jehovah, 

11.  He  settled  his  countenance — ashamed]  He  fixed  his 
eyes  steadily  on  Hazael,  till  he  made  him  blush:  cp.  Judg. 
iii.  25. 

12.  the  evil  that  thou  tcilt  do]  This  was  begun  to  be  fulfilled 
under  Jehu,  on  account  of  Israel's  sins  (x.  30.  Cp.  xii.  17  j 
xiii.  3 ;  aud  Hosea  x.  14). 

13.  is  thy  servant  a  dog]  Rather,  What  is  thy  servant, 
(who  am)  only  a  dog  (see  2  Sam.  ix.  8),  that  he  should  do 
such  great  acts  as  these  ?  See  Sept.,  Vulg.,  Syriac,  and 
Arabic. 

14.  thou  shouldest  surely  recover]  Literally,  living,  thou 
shalt  live.  Hazael  gives  a  false  report  of  Elisha's  reply,  ia 
order  to  put  Benhadad  off  his  guard. 

15.  And  it  came  to  pass — died]  Elisha  had  foretold  the 
event,  but  did  not  authorize  the  means.  The  wicked  ambition 
of  Hazael  drew  an  evil  conclusion  from  holy  premises.  How 
difierent  from  the  case  of  David,  who,  having  been  anointed 
by  Samuel  the  prophet,  saved  the  life  of  Saul  twice  (1  Sam. 
xxiv.  4;  xxvi.  5) ! 

—  a  thick  cloth]  Rather,  the  coverlid,  or  quilt.  Perhaps 
he  wetted  it,  under  pretence  of  allaying  the  fever  {Kitto, 
p.  334). 

16.  Jehoram — began  to  reign]  In  the  lifetime  of  Jehoshaphat, 
his  father :  see  above,  on  i.  17.  The  words,  "  Jehoshaphat  being 
tlien  King  of  Israel,"  or,  literally,  "  and  of  Jehoshaphat,  King 
of  Israel,"  are  omitted  in  some  MSS.  and  Versions.  Davidson 
(Intr.  ii.  19),  with  Thenius,  and  others,  doubts  the  association 
of  Jehoram  with  his  father,  but  without  reason. 


Joram,  King  ofJudah, 


'2  KINGS  VIII.  17—29.      succeeded  hy  Ids  son  Ahaziah. 


f  began  to  reign.  ^^  ^  Thirty  and  two  years  old  was  he  when  he  began  to  reign; 
and  he  reigned  eight  years  in  Jerusalem.  ^^  And  he  walked  in  the  way  of  the 
kings  of  Israel,  as  did  the  house  of  Ahab :  for  '^  the  daughter  of  Ahab  was  his 
wdfe  :  and  he  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  ^^  Yet  the  Lord  would  not 
destroy  Judah  for  David  his  servant's  sake,  '  as  he  promised  him  to  give  him 
alway  a  f  light,  and  to  his  children. 

2°  In  his  days  '  Edom  revolted  from  under  the  hand  of  Judah,  ^  and  made  a 
king  over  themselves,  ^i  go  Joram  went  over  to  Zair,  and  all  the  chariots  with 
him :  and  he  rose  by  night,  and  smote  the  Edomites  which  compassed  him 
about,  and  the  captains  of  the  chariots :  and  the  people  fled  into  then*  tents. 
^'-  II  Yet  Edom  revolted  from  under  the  hand  of  Judah  unto  this  day.  "  Then 
Libnah  revolted  at  the  same  time. 

^^  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Joram,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not  written 
in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  ^4  ^^  Joram  slept  with 
his  fathers,  and  was  buried  with  his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David  :  and  ""  \\  Aha- 
ziah his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

'^  In  the  twelfth  year  of  Joram  the  son  of  Aliab  king  of  Israel  did  Aliaziah 
the  son  of  Jehoram  king  of  Judah  begin  to  reign.  ^^^^Two  and  twenty  years 
old  loas  Aliaziah  when  he  began  to  reign ;  and  he  reigned  one  year  in  Jeru- 
salem. And  his  mother's  name  ivas  Athaliah,  the  ||  daughter  of  Omri  king  of 
Israel.  ^^  ^  And  he  walked  in  the  way  of  the  house  of  Ahab,  and  did  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  as  did  the  house  of  Ahab  :  for  he  ivas  the  son  in  law  of  the 
house  of  Ahab.  ^8  ^^  \^q  ^Neni  ^  with  Joram  the  son  of  Ahab  to  the  war 
against  Hazael  king  of  Syria  in  Kamoth-gilead ;  and  the  Syrians  wounded 
Joram.  ^9  ^^d  ^  king  Joram  went  back  to  be  healed  in  Jezreel  of  the  wounds 
f  which  the  Syrians  had  given  him  at  ||Ilamah,  when  he  fought  against  Hazael 
king  of  Syria.  "  And  Ahaziah  the  son  of  Jehoram  king  of  Judah  went  down 
to  see  Joram  the  son  of  Ahab  in  Jezreel,  because  he  was  f  sick. 


Before 
C  UK  1ST 
892. 
t  Heb.  reigned. 
Began  to  reign 
in  consort  with 
his  father. 
p  2  Chron.  21.  5, 
&c. 

q  ver.  26. 
r  2  Sam.  7.  13. 

1  Kings  11.  36.  & 
15.  4. 

2  Chron.  21  ?. 
t  Hub.  caudle, 
or,  lamp. 

s  Gen.  27.  40. 

ch.  3.  27. 

2  Chron.  21.  8,  9, 

10. 

t  1  Kings  22.  47. 

II  And  so  ful- 
filled, 
Gen.  27.  40. 
u  2  Chron.  21.  10. 


X  2  Chron.  22.  1. 
885. 

1  CnWei  Azariah, 

2  Chron.  22.  6, 
and  Jehoahaz, 
2  Chron.  21.  17. 
&  25.  23. 

y  See  2  Chron. 
22.  2. 


II  Or,  grand- 
daughter: 
See  ver.  18. 
z  2  Chron,  22. 
3,  4. 


a  2  Chron.  22. 


boh.  9.15. 

t  Heb.  where- 
with the  Syrians 
had  wounded. 
II  CaUedRainuth, 
ver.  28. 
c  ch.  9.  IG. 
2  Chron.  22.  6,  7. 
t  Heb.  wounded. 


18.  the  daugJiter  ofAhaV^  Athaliali :  see  r.  26.  The  heathen 
and  idolatrous  kingdom  of  Phajuicia  brought  sin  and  misery 
hy  moans  of  marriages  :  first  into  Israel,  hy  Jezebel ;  and  next 
into  Judah,  by  her  daughter  Athaliah,  who,  after  her  husband's 
death,  murdered  the  heirs  of  the  throne,  and  usurped  it. 
Michaelis  supposes  that  those  events  synchronised  'WTth  the 
migration  of  the  Tyrian  Dido  to  Carthage,  and  with  the  reign 
of  Pygmalion,  her  brother. 

—  he  did  evW]  See  2  Chron.  x.xi.  2 — 4. 

20.  Edom  revolted']  2  Chron.  xxi.  10.  Cp.  with  1  Kings 
XX  ii.  47;  above,  iii.  9. 

21.  Zair]  Supposed  by  some  to  be  the  Zoar  of  Gen.  xix. 
22,  23  {Movers,  Ewald.  Cp.  Grove,  B.  D.  ii.  1813) ;  but  this 
is  hardly  probable.  The  non-occurrence  of  the  name  in  the 
parallel  passage  (2  Chron.  xxi.  9),  seems  to  show  the  antiquity 
of  the  present  narrative,  and  that  the  place  had  ceased  to  exist 
when  the  Chronicles  were  written. 

22.  LihnaK]  About  twenty-eight  miles  south-west  of  Jeru- 
salem :  see  Josh.  x.  29. 

24.  Joram  slept  with  his  fathers']  He  died  of  a  dreadful 
disease,  and  was  buried  with  his  fathers,  in  the  city  of  David, 
but  not  in  the  burial-place  of  the  kings  of  Judah,  nor  with  the 
funeral  honours  paid  to  his  fathers  (2  Chron.  xxi.  18 — 20). 

—  Ahaziah  his  son]  His  youngest  son.  All  his  elder  sons 
had  been  slain  by  the  Philistines  and  Arabians  (2  Chron.  xxi.  16 ; 
xxii.  1). 

26.  Two  and  tioenty  years  old]  Cp.  on  2  Chron.  xxii.  2. 

—  daughter  of  Omri]  Granddaughter :  see  v.  18.  Omri  is 
mentioned  as  the  founder  of  the  dynasty  of  Ahab's  house  : 
cp.  below,  on  x.  32. 

27.  as  did  the  house  of  Ahab]  "  For  his  mother "  (Athaliah, 
the  daughter  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel)  "  was  his  counsellor  to  do 
wickedly  "  (2  Chron.  xxii.  3). 

Vol.  III.  113 


-^the  son  in  latv]  Literally,  a  son-in-law;  and  thus  this 
King  of  Judah  was  connected  with  the  house  of  Ahab  by  a 
double  tie  of  mother  and  wife. 

On  the  moral  lesson  to  be  derived  from  these  statements, 
see  JBp.  Sanderson,  iii.  74,  who  says,  "  John  Baptist  speaks  of 
a  generation  of  vipers  (Matt.  iii.  7) ;  and  if  we  will  observe 
the  conditions  of  some  families  in  a  loug  line  of  succession, 
might  we  not  espy  here  and  there  whole  generations  of 
drunkards,  swearers,  and  such  like  ?  Little  doth  a  man  think 
what  plague  he  may  bring  on  his  posterity  by  joining  himself 
with  an  ill  house  or  stock  !  Ahaziah,  the  grandchild  of  Jeho- 
shaphat  by  the  fathei-'s  side,  and  of  Ahab  by  his  mother's,  drew 
infection  from  his  mother,  and  trod  in  the  steps  of  his  wicked 
grandfather  Ahab,  rather  than  in  those  of  his  good  grandfather 
Jehoshaphat." 

28.  he  went  with  Joram  the  son  of  Ahab]  His  uncle.  The 
union  between  the  idolatrous  King  of  Judah,  the  nephew,  and 
the  idolatrous  King  of  Israel,  the  uncle,  was  so  intimate,  and 
the  evil  spirit  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and  of  the  priests  and  the 
prophets  of  Baal,  worked  with  such  intense  energy  in  them, 
that  at  this  crisis  both  the  kingdoms,  of  Judah  as  well  as  of 
Israel,  might  have  been  utterly  delivered  over  to  idolatry,  if  God 
had  not  raised  up,  by  the  ministry  of  Elislia,  a  man  -with  a 
strong  will  and  vigorous  prowess  Uke  Jehu,  who  executed  God's 
judgments  on  the  wicked  rulers  of  His  people.  The  sins  also  of 
these  two  Kings  were  the  causes  of  the  incm'sions  and  victories 
of  the  Syrian  monarch  Hazael  (v.  29),  whose  sovereignty  had 
been  pre-announced  by  Elisha  (v.  13). 

29.  Hamah]  Ramoth-gilead  (1  Kings  xxii.  8;  and  see  below, 
ix.  14).  Ramoth-gilead  had  been  recovered  by  Israel,  and  was 
now  governed  by  Joram,  wth  a  military  force  under  the  com- 
mand of  Jehu. 


Bij  Elislia's  command 


2  KINGS  IX.  1 — 14.     Jehu  is  anointed  King  of  Israel. 


Before 
CHRIST 
S84. 
a  1  Kings  20.  35. 
b  ch.  4.  29. 
Jer.  1.  17. 
c  ch.  8.  28,  29. 


d  ver.  5,  11. 
t  Heb.  chamber 
in  a  chamber. 
e  1  Kings  19.  16. 


IX.  ^  And  Elisha  the  prophet  called  one  of  ^  the  children  of  the  prophets, 
and  said  unto  him,  ''  Gird  up  thy  loins,  and  take  this  box  of  oil  in  thine  hand, 
""  and  go  to  Ramoth-gilead  :  ^  And  when  thou  comest  thither,  look  out  there 
Jehu  the  son  of  Jehoshaphat  the  son  of  Nimshi,  and  go  in,  and  make  him  arise 
up  from  among  "^  his  brethren,  and  carry  him  to  an  f  inner  chamber ;  ^  Then 
^  take  the  box  of  oil,  and  pour  it  on  his  head,  and  say,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I 
have  anointed  thee  king  over  Israel.  Then  open  the  door,  and  flee,  and  tarry 
not.  ^  So  the  young  man,  even  the  young  man  the  prophet,  went  to  Ramoth- 
gilead. 

^  And  when  he  came,  behold,  the  captains  of  the  host  were  sitting ;  and  he 
said,  I  have  an  errand  to  thee,  0  captain.  And  Jehu  said.  Unto  which  of  all 
us  ?  And  he  said,  To  thee,  0  captain.  ^And  he  arose,  and  went  into  the 
house ;  and  he  poured  the  oil  on  his  head,  and  said  unto  him,  ^  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel,  I  have  anointed  thee  king  over  the  people  of  the  Lord, 
even  over  Israel.  ^  And  thou  shalt  smite  the  house  of  Ahab  thy  master,  that  I 
may  avenge  the  blood  of  my  servants  the  prophets,  and  the  blood  of  all  the 
servants  of  the  Lord,  ^  at  the  hand  of  Jezebel.  ^  For  the  whole  house  of  Ahab 
shall  perish  :  and  ''  I  will  cut  off  from  Ahab  '  him  that  pisseth  against  the  wall, 
and  "  him  that  is  shut  up  and  left  in  Israel  :  ^  And  I  will  make  the  house  of 
Ahab  like  the  house  of  '  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  and  like  the  house  of 
■"Baasha  the  son  of  Ahijali :  ^°"  And  the  dogs  shall  eat  Jezebel  in  the  portion 
of  Jezreel,  and  there  shall  he  none  to  bury  her.  And  he  opened  the  door,  and 
fled. 

^^  Then  Jehu  came  forth  to  the  servants  of  his  lord  :  and  one  said  unto  him, 
Is  all  well  ?  wherefore  came  °  this  mad  felloio  to  thee  ?  And  he  said  unto  them, 
Ye  know  the  man,  and  his  communication.  ^^  ^^  i\^Qy  b^\^,  It  is  false  ;  tell 
us  now.     And  he  said.  Thus  and  thus  spake  he  to  me,  saying.  Thus  saith  the 

pMatt.  21. 7.      Lord,  I  have  anointed  thee  king  over  Israel.     ^^Then  they  hasted,  and  ^took 
every  man  his  garment,  and  put  it  under  him  on  the  top  of  the  stairs,  and  blew 

M\eh.rciij>,eih.   wltli  trumpets,  saying,  Jehu  f  is  king.     ^^  So  Jehu  the  son  of  Jehoshaphat  the 


f  1  Kings  19.  16. 
2  Chron.  22.  7. 


g  1  Kings  18.  4. 

&  21.  1.^). 

h  1  Kings  14.  10. 

&•  21.  21. 

i  I  Sam.  25    22. 

k  Deut.  32.  .36. 

1  1  Kings  14.  10. 
&  15.  29.&21.  22. 

m  1  Kings  16. 
3,  11. 

n  1  Kings  21.  23. 
ver.  35,  30. 


0  Jer.  29.  ?G. 
John  10.  20. 
Acts  26.  24. 

1  Cor.  4.  10. 


Ch.  IX.  1.  this  box  of  oi7]  Rather,  this  flash  of  oil  (1  Sam. 
X.  1),  where  the  same  words  are  rendered  "vial  of  oil"  in  om* 
Version.     Cp.  Oesen.  674. 

—  ffo  to  Ramoth-gileaci^  Wliere  Jehu  was  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  host  of  Israel  {v.  5). 

2.  Jehu~\  Jehu  was  left  in  charge  of  the  fortress  of  Ramoth- 
gilead  hy  King  Joram,  who  had  been  obliged  by  his  wounds  to 
retire  from  Ramoth  to  Jezreel,  his  summer  residence,  in  order 
to  be  healed  there. 

—  the  son  of  Jehoshaphat  the  son  of  Nimshi']  The  names 
are  significant.  Jehu  means  Jehovah  is  he  (Gesen.  336),  and 
Jehoshaphat  mea,ns  J uclffinent  of  Jehovah.  Jehu  was  raised  up 
by  Jehovah  to  execute  His  judgments  on  the  idolatrous  royal 
houses  of  Israel  and  Judah  (cp.  on  viii.  28).  Nimshi  means 
chosen,  drawn  out, 

—  carry  him  to  an  inner  chaniber']  Elisha  commanded  the 
young  prophet  to  do  this  act  privately,  and  to  flee  when  he  had 
done  it  {v.  3) ;  he  would  not  expose  his  scholar  to  unnecessary 
danger  from  the  soldiers  of  Joram,  by  the  declaration  of  his 
message  {Theodoret). 

3.  I  have  anointed  thee  Jcing']  The  long  interval  of  time 
between  the  commission  at  Horeb  (1  Kings  xix.  16),  and  this 
execution  of  it  by  one  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  sent  by  Elisha, 
was  mercifully  ordained  by  God  as  a  sign  of  His  own  long- 
suffering,  and  as  affording  time  for  repentance  to  the  house  of 
Ahab,  if  it  would  repent. 

7.  thou  shall  smite  the  house  of  Ahab"]  Therefore  Jehu  was 
not  an  usurper,  like  Jeroboam.  He  had  a  commission  against 
King  Joram  from  the  King  of  kmgs  j  and  the  reason  of  it  is 
declared,  vv.  7—10.  Cp.  1  Kings  xxi.  22,  23.  29,  where  the 
warning  had  been  already  given. 

11.  this  mad  fellow]  One  who  labours  under  aberration  of 
114 


mind.  The  original  word  is  the  pual  participle,  from  shaga,  to 
be  in  a  state  of  frenzy  or  fanaticism ;  and  tlie  root  seems  to  be 
shagag,  and  shaga,  to  loander,  to  sufler  from  mental  aljerration ; 
cp.  Oesen.  805.  It  occurs  in  Deut.  xxviii.  34.  1  Sam.  xxi.  15. 
Jer.  xxix.  26.  Hos.  ix.  7  ;  and  it  seems  here  to  show  that  there 
was  something  of  a  supernatural  mien  in  the  prophets  when  they 
delivered  their  messages.     Cp.  Hengst.,  Christol.  i.  294. 

—  Ye  know  the  man,  and  his  commiinication']  Ye  know  his 
character  and  his  discourse  {Gesen.  789).  Jehu  endeavours  to 
put  them  off  by  this  reply ;  but  they  had  seen  something  in  the 
air  of  the  prophet  which  betokened  a  divine  commission,  and 
they  wiU  hear  it;  and  when  they  hear  it,  they  immediately  act 
upon  it. 

13.  they  hasted,  and  tooTc  every  man  his  garment,  and  put 
it  under  him  on  the  top  of  the  stairs~\  As  soon  as  they  heard 
what  the  prophet  had  said,  they  immediately  took  off  their  loose 
upper  garments,  and  did  homage  to  Jehu  as  king,  by  strewing 
them  upon  the  stairs  {Kinichi  and  Bp.  Patrickhiive),  i.  e.  on  the 
stairs  themselves,  lit.  on  the  bone  or  substance  of  the  steps 
{Gesen.  180 j  Fuerst,  300),  perhaps  the  stone  flight  of  stairs  of 
the  fortress  of  the  citadel,  or  which  communicated  from  the 
court-yard.  Seated  on  those  steps,  Jehu  would  be  visible  to  the 
soldiery  and  the  people ;  and  by  placing  him  upon  them  as 
king,  on  a  throne  suddenly  extemporized  for  him,  they  pro- 
claimed him  as  such,  and  blew  the  trumpet,  saying,  "Jehu  is 
king." 

The  strewing  of  the  garments  as  a  token  of  homage  is 
made  familiar  to  us  by  the  action  of  the  disciples  to  Our  Blessed 
Lord  at  His  triumphant  entry  into  Jerusalem  (see  Matt.  xxi.  8  j 
and  the  notes  oi  JJghtfoot  and  Wetstein  there).  The  meaning 
of  it  is  well  explained  in  the  Arabic  and  Syriac  Versions,  and 
the  Vulg. 


Joram  is  slain  at  Jczrccl ; 


2  KINGS  IX.  15—26.         is  cast  on  the  plat  of  Nahotfi. 


son  of  Nimslii  conspired  against  Joram.      (Now  Joram  had  kept  Eamotli-     chrTst 
gilead,  he   and  all  Israel,   because   of  Hazael  king  of  Syria.     ^^  But  "^  king  q  ch.  s^ll'. 
f  Joram  v/as  returned  to  be  healed  in  Jezreel  of  the  wounds  which  the  Syrians  +  Heb.  yc-Aoranj. 
f  had  giA^en  him,  when  he  fought  with  Hazael  king  of  Syria.)  tiieD.mo/e. 

And  Jehu  said,  If  it  be  your  minds,  then  f  let  none  go  forth  nor  escape  out  Ifaf/rfo'^-c. 
of  the  city  to  go  to  tell  it  in  Jezreel.     ^^  So  Jehu  rode  in  a  chariot,  and  went 
to  Jezreel ;  for  Joram  lay  there.     ""  And  Ahaziah  king  of  Judah  was  come  down  rcu.s.  29. 
to  see  Joram.     ^^  And  there  stood  a  watchman  on  the  tower  in  Jezreel,  and  he 
spied  the  company  of  Jehu  as  he  came,  and  said,  I  see  a  company.    And  Joram 
said,  Take  an  horseman,  and  send  to  meet  them,  and  let  him  say,  7s  it  peace  ? 
^^  So  there  went  one  on  horseback  to  meet  him,  and  said.  Thus  saith  the  king. 
Is  it  peace  ?     And  Jehu  said.  What  hast  thou  to  do  with  peace  ?  turn  thee 
behind  me.     And  the  watchman  told,  saying.  The  messenger  came  to  them, 
but  he  Cometh  not  again.     ^^  Then  he  sent  out  a  second  on  horseback,  which 
came  to  them,  and  said,  Thus  saith  the  king,  Is  it  peace  ?     And  Jehu  an- 
swered, What  hast  thou  to  do  with  peace  ?  turn  thee  behind  me.     -"  And  the 
watchman  told,  saying,  He  came  even  unto  them,  and  cometh  not  again  :  and 
the  II  driving  is  like  the  driving  of  Jehu  the  son  of  Nimshi ;   for  he  driveth  wor,  marcim,^. 
f  furiously.     ^^  And  Joram  said,  f  Make  ready.     And  his  chariot  was  made 
ready.     And  '  Joram  king  of  Israel  and  Ahaziah  king  of  Judah  went  out,  each 
in  his  chariot,  and  they  went  out  against  Jehu,  and  f  met  him  in  the  portion  meh.  found. 
of  Naboth  the  Jezreelite. 

^^And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Joram  saw  Jehu,  that  he  said.  Is  it  peace, 
Jehu  ?  And  he  answered,  What  peace,  so  long  as  the  whoredoms  of  thy 
mother  Jezebel  and  her  witchcrafts  are  so  many  ?  ^3  ^^^j  Joram  turned  his 
hands,  and  fled,  and  said  to  Aliaziah,  There  is  treachery,  0  Ahaziah.  ^^  And 
Jehu  f  drew  a  bow  with  his  full  strength,  and  smote  Jehoram  between  his  {^.fJUl'^hil 
arms,  and  the  arrow  went  out  at  his  heart,  and  he  f  sunk  down  in  his  chariot. 
2^  Then  said  Jehu  to  Bidkar  his  captain.  Take  up,  and  cast  him  in  the  portion 
of  the  field  of  Naboth  the  Jezreelite  :  for  remember  how  that,  when  I  and  thou 
rode  together  after  Ahab  his  father,  *  the  Lord  laid  this  burden  upon  him  ; 
2^  Surely  I  have  seen  yesterday  the  f  blood  of  Naboth,  and  the  blood  of  his  t  Heb.  uoods. 
sons,  saith  the  Lord  ;  and  "I  will  requite  thee  in  this  ||  plat,  saith  the  Lord.  «  i  Kings 21. 19. 


t  Heb.  in 

mndiiess. 

t  Heb.  Bind. 

s  2  Cbroii.  22.  7. 


bow. 
t  H(;b.  bowed. 


t  1  Kings  21.  29. 


14.  conspired']  See  x.  1.  Literally,  he  bound  himself  in  a 
league  with  others  (Gesen.  747). 

—  had  kept  Ramoth-gilead']  Rather,  was  keeping  guard 
over  Ramotli,  to  defend  it  from  the  Syrians. 

17.  he  spied  the  company  of  Jehu]  From  the  hill  of  the  watch- 
tower,  now  occupied  by  a  castle.  Jehu  could  have  been  seen 
for  at  least  six  miles,  as  he  drove  up  the  valley  of  Jezreel  ( J>r. 
Thomson,  p.  460.     Cp.  Rolinson,  Pal.  sect.  xiv.). 

21.  And  Joram  said]  By  a  remarkable  dispensation  of  God's 
providence,  Joram  was  not  at  Ramoth-gilead,  where  his  army 
was,  and  where  Jehu  was  commander-in-chief;  and  though 
Joram  had  been  wounded  at  Ramoth,  yet  now,  of  his  own 
accord,  he  goes  forth,  in  company  with  his  nephew  Ahaziah,  to 
encounter  Jehu,  and  meets  him  in  "  the  portion  of  Naboth  the 
Jezreelite." 

Thus  Joram,  the  son  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and  Ahaziah, 
the  grandson  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  were  brought  together 
face  to  face  with  Jehu,  the  son  of  Jehoshaphat,  whom  God  had 
raised  up  by  the  ministry  of  Elisha  to  execute  the  divine  judg- 
ment pronounced  against  the  house  of  Ahab  by  Elijah.  And 
this  encounter  took  place,  not  at  Samaria,  the  capital,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  but  at  Jezreel,  and  at  the  Vineyard  of 
Naloth,  which  had  been  coveted  by  Ahab,  and  had  been  added 
to  his  own  royal  demesne,  after  that  the  blood  of  its  owner  and 
of  his  sons  had  been  shed  by  the  counsel  of  Jezebel. 

Surely  the  hand   of  God  was  visible  in  this  remarkable 
concurrence  of  circumstances. 
X15 


—  portion]  or  lot;  Heb.  cheleJc  {Gesen.  284). 

22.  whoredoms — witchcrafts]  Joined  together  in  idolatrous 
worship ;  as  was  displayed  in  the  history  of  Balaam  tempting 
Israel  to  idolatry  (Num.  xxiv.  1 ;  xxv.  1 ;  xxxi.  16).  The  same 
words  are  joined  together  in  Nahum  iii.  3 ;  and  therefore  Balaam 
and  Jezebel  are  nuited  in  the  Apocalypse  as  representatives  of 
false  doctrine  and  idolatry  (Rev.  ii.  14). 

23.  turned  his  hands]  Cp.  1  Kings  xxii.  34. 

24.  dretu  a  boiv  vnth  his  full  strength^  Literally,  filled  his 
hand  with  a  boio  ;  he  aimed  at  Joram,  not  at  Ahaziah. 

—  between  his  arms]  On  his  back,  between  his  shoulders. 

25.  his  captain]  His  adjutant.     See  2  Sam.  xxui.  8. 

—  rode  together]  Drove  together  in  the  same  chariot,  after 
the  chariot  of  Ahab  (Kimchi,  Bochart). 

—  laid  this  burden  upon  him]  Pronounced  this  doom  on 
him. 

26.  yesterday]  Literally,  last  night  {Gesen.  62).  It  was  so 
fi-esh  in  the  divine  memory. 

—  his  sons]  This  is  not  expressly  mentioned  in  1  Kings 
xxi.  13.  One  crime  led  Ahab  on  to  another,  and  he  put 
Naboth's  sons  to  death,  in  order  that  he  might  confiscate  his 
property  with  greater  ease.  Shakspeare's  Macbeth  and  Lady 
Macbeth  seem  to  have  derived  some  features  from  the  sacred 
history  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel.  Jezebel  was  to  Ahab  what  Lady 
Macbeth  was  to  her  husband  (see  1  Kings  xxi.  25) ;  and  one 
murder  led  on  to  others  in  both  cases. 

—  this  plat]  or  portion,  or  lot.     See  v.  21.    The  vmeyard  at 


Ahaziah's  death. 


2  KINGS  IX.  27—37.     X.  1. 


JezcheVs  death  at  Jezreel. 


Before 
CHRIST 

i>S4. 


X  In  the  kingdow 
of  Samaria, 
2  Chron.  22.  9. 

about 

88G. 
Then  he  began 
to  reign  as 
viceroy  to  his 
father  in  his 
sickness, 
2  Chron.  21.  18, 
19.     But  in 
Joram's  12th 
year  he  began  to 
leign  alone, 
ch.  8.  25. 
about 

884. 
y  Ezek.  23.  40. 
t  Heb.  put  her 
eyes  in  painting. 
z  1  Kings  16. 
9—20. 
II  Or,  cham- 
berlains. 

B  1  Kings  16.31. 


1  Heb.  by  the 
hand  of. 

b  1  Kings  21.  23. 
c  Ps.  83.  10. 


t  Heb. 
nuurishen. 


Now  therefore  take  and  cast  him  into  the  plat  of  ground,  according  to  the  word 
of  the  Lord. 

27  But  when  Ahaziah  the  king  of  Judah  saw  this,  he  fled  by  the  way  of  the 
garden  house.  And  Jehu  followed  after  him,  and  said,  Smite  him  also  in  the 
chariot.  And  they  did  so  at  the  going  up  to  Gur,  which  is  by  Ibleam.  And 
he  fled  to  "Megiddo,  and  died  there.  28j^f-[  j^jg  servants  carried  him  in  a 
chariot  to  Jerusalem,  and  buried  him  in  his  sepulchre  with  his  fathers  in  the 
city  of  David.  ^^  And  in  the  eleventh  year  of  Joram  the  son  of  Ahab  began 
Ahaziah  to  reign  over  Judah. 

3^  And  when  Jehu  was  come  to  Jezreel,  Jezebel  heard  of  it ;  ^  and  she 
f  painted  her  face,  and  tired  her  head,  and  looked  out  at  a  window.  ^^  And 
as  Jehu  entered  in  at  the  gate,  she  said,  ^  Had  Zimri  peace,  who  slew  his 
master  ?  ^^  And  he  lifted  up  his  face  to  the  window,  and  said,  Who  is  on  my 
side  ?  who  ?  And  there  looked  out  to  him  two  or  three  ||  eunuchs.  ^^  And  he 
said.  Throw  her  down.  So  they  threw  her  down  :  and  some  of  her  blood  was 
sprinkled  on  the  wall,  and  on  the  horses  :  and  he  trode  her  under  foot.  ^^  And 
when  he  was  come  in,  he  did  eat  and  drink,  and  said.  Go,  see  now  this  cursed 
ivoman,  and  bury  her  :  for  ^  she  is  a  Idng's  daughter.  ^^  And  they  went  to  bury 
her :  but  they  found  no  more  of  her  than  the  scull,  and  the  feet,  and  the  palms 
of  her  hands.  ^^  Wherefore  they  came  again,  and  told  him.  And  he  said, 
This  is  the  word  of  the  Lord,  which  he  spake  fby  his  servant  Elijah  the 
Tishbite,  saying,  ^  In  the  portion  of  Jezreel  shall  dogs  eat  the  flesh  of  Jezebel : 
^7  And  the  carcase  of  Jezebel  shall  be  "  as  dung  upon  the  face  of  the  field  in  the 
portion  of  Jezreel ;  so  that  they  shall  not  say,  This  is  Jezebel. 

X.  ^  And  Ahab  had  seventy  sons  in  Samaria.  And  Jehu  wrote  letters,  and 
sent  to  Samaria,  unto  the  rulers  of  Jezreel,  to  the  elders,  and  to  f  them  that 


Naboth  was  probably  near  tbe  great  fountain  of  Jalud,  at  the 
east  of  Jezreel.  Water  was  necessary  for  a  "  garden  of  herbs," 
and  there  is  no  other  perennial  fountain  near  it  (Z>r.  Thomson, 
p.  460). 

—  according  to  the  tcord  of  the  Lord]  See  1  Kings  xxi.  19. 
27.  of  the  garden  house']  Perhaps  the  house  of  the  garden ; 

the  royal  garden,  probably  connected  with  the  vineyard  that 
belonged  to  Naboth  (1  Kings  xxi.  2).  Some  suppose  that  the 
garden  house  (Heb.  heth-hag-gan)  is  the  same  as  Engannim,  now 
Jenin  (see  the  next  note),  but  this  is  hardly  probable. 

—  Smite  him  also  in  the  chariot — Ibleam]  It  appears  from 
2  Chron.  xxii.  9  that  Ahaziah  fled  first  to  Samaria,  in  order  to 
be  protected  by  the  royal  family  of  his  uncle  and  grandparents 
(op.  X.  13),  but  that  he  was  discovered  there,  and  his  hope  of 
an  asylum  there  was  frustrated  by  the  destruction  of  Ahab's 
sons.  He  therefore  tried  to  escape;  and  perhaps  thinking  to 
elude  his  pursuers,  who  would  suppose  that  he  would  endeavour 
to  go  soutMoards  to  his  capital,  Jerusalem ;  and  also  hoping,  it 
may  be,  to  reach  Sidon,  the  capital  of  his  grandmother  Jezebel's 
family,  and  then  to  escape  by  sea,  and  so  to  return  home  to 
Judah  and  Jerusalem,  he  drove  northwards  towards  the  plain 
of  Esdraelon,  and  was  overtaken  and  wounded  at  the  going  up 
to  Gur,  which  is  by  Ibleam,  probably  at  Kirlet  Belo^neh, 
and  also  called  Bileam  (see  Josh.  xvii.  10.  1  Chron.  vi.  55), 
about  a  mile  south  oi  Jenin,  the  Engannim  of  Scripture  {Thom- 
son, 463),  a  short  distance  to  the  east  of  Dothan,  and  about 
twelve  miles  S.E.  from  Megiddo,  which  is  about  eight  miles  west 
of  Jezreel.  Cp.  Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  250;  and  Ughtfoot,  p.  88; 
Keil,  note,  p.  256 ;  Lord  A.  Uervey,  B.  D.  11.  35 ;  and  Dr. 
Sessey,  Kings  of  Judah,  pp.  70 — 72. 

30.  painted  her  face]  Literally,  placed  her  eyes  in  paint ; 
Heb.  puc ;  Gr.  <pvKos;  Jjaim  fucus,  sea-weed,  or  alkaline  pig- 
ment ;  it  was  a  dye  prepared  from  stibium  or  antimony,  which 
Eastern  women  used  for  tinging  the  eyelids  and  eyelashes,  in 
order  to  give  an  appearance  of  brilliancy,  power,  and  largeness 
to  the  eye.  Cp.  Jer.  vi.  30.  Ezek.  xiii.  40.  Russell,  Aleppo, 
p.  102 ;  Qesen.  658 ;  Winer,  ii.  417,  Art.  "  Schminke ;"  and  JDr. 
Thomson,  who  says  that  Eastern  women  paint  or  blacken  their 
116 


eyelids  with  Icohl,  and  prolong  the  application  in  a  decreasing 
pencil  so  as  to  give  an  admired  shape  to  the  eye.  The  powder 
from  which  kohl  is  made,  is  collected  from  burning  almond- 
shells  or  frankincense,  which  is  intensely  black.  Antimony  and 
various  ores  of  lead  are  also  used.  The  powder  is  applied  with  a 
small  probe  of  wood,  ivory,  or  silver,  called  ineel.  Engravings 
of  the  instruments  used  in  this  process  may  be  seen  in  Dr. 
Thomson's  volume,  p.  461,  and  also  mKitto's  Illustrations,  p.  341. 
Jezebel's  proud  heart  could  not  bear  to  stoop,  and,  instead 
of  humbling  her  soul  by  repentance,  she  pranked  up  her  old 
carcase,  and  painted  her  wrinkled  face,  as  one  that  hoped  to 
daunt  the  courage  of  Jehu  by  the  sudden  beams  of  mqjesty ; 
and  thought  to  frighten  him  by  the  challenge  of  a  traitor 
{Bp.  Hall). 

31.  Had  Zimri  peace]  1  Kings  xvi.  9 — 15.  Jezebel  endea- 
vom-ed  to  maintain  her  royal  dignity  and  authority,  and  to 
overawe  Jehu  and  the  beholders  with  the  pompous  majesty  of 
her  appearance ;  and  she  mustered  all  her  courage,  and  in  a  tone 
of  impotent  rage  called  Jehu  a  second  Zimri,  and  threatened  him 
with  Zimri's  fate.  Jezebel,  the  daughter-in-law  of  Omri,  thought 
to  treat  Jehu  as  Omri  had  treated  Zimri. 

34.  a  king's  daughter]  1  Kings  xvi.  31. 

35.  feet,  and — hands]  Which,  it  is  asserted,  the  dogs  of  the 
East,  who  devour  all  other  parts  of  the  human  frame,  do  not 
eat  {Kitto,  p.  343). 

36.  In  the  portion  of  Jezreel]  Where  she  had  shedNaboth's 
blood  (1  Kings  xxi.  14—23). 

Ch.  X.  1.  Ahah  had  seventy  sons]  Including  grandsons  and 
great-grandsons  (cp.  vv.  2,  3.  13).  Ahab  had  now  been  dead 
about  fourteen  years. 

—  unto  the  rulers  of  Jezreel — the  elders]  How  is  it  that 
"  the  rulers  of  Jezreel,"  who  are  called  "  the  elders,"  were  now 
at  Samaria  1 

This  question  seems  to  have  caused  much  perplexity,  and 
some  commentators  have  proposed  to  alter  the  Hebrew  text 
here,  by  changing  Jezreel  into  Israel  (Calmet,  Michaelis),  or  by 
altering  it  into  ha-ir-el,  i,  e.  of  the  city  (Samaria),  to —  {Keil). 


The  elders  of  Jezrecl 


2  KINGS  X.  2 — 13.  slay  Ahah's  soiis  at  Samaria. 


brought  up  Aliab's  children,  saying,  -  Now  as  soon  as  this  letter  cometh  to 
you,  seeing  your  master's  sons  are  with  you,  and  there  are  with  you  chariots 
and  horses,  a  fenced  city  also,  and  armour ;  ^  Look  even  out  the  best  and 
meetest  of  your  master's  sons,  and  sot  him  on  his  father's  throne,  and  fight  for 
your  master's  house.  ^  But  they  were  exceedingly  afraid,  and  said,  Behold, 
two  kings  stood  not  before  him :  how  then  shall  we  stand  ?  ^  And  he  that  loas 
over  the  house,  and  he  that  was  over  the  city,  the  elders  also,  and  the  bringers 
up  of  the  children,  sent  to  Jehu,  saying.  We  are  thy  servants,  and  will  do  all 
that  thou  shalt  bid  us ;  we  will  not  make  any  king :  do  thou  thctt  which  is  good 
in  thine  eyes. 

^  Then  he  wrote  a  letter  the  second  time  to  them,  saying.  If  ye  he  f  mine, 
and  if  ye  will  hearken  unto  my  voice,  take  ye  the  heads  of  the  men  your 
master's  sons,  and  come  to  me  to  Jezreel  by  to  morrow  this  time.  Now  the 
king's  sons,  being  seventy  persons,  were  with  the  great  men  of  the  city,  which 
brought  them  up.  ^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  letter  came  to  them,  that 
they  took  the  king's  sons,  and  "  slew  seventy  persons,  and  put  their  heads  in 
baskets,  and  sent  him  them  to  Jezreel.  ^  And  there  came  a  messenger,  and 
told  him,  saying.  They  have  brought  the  heads  of  the  king's  sons.  And  he 
said.  Lay  ye  them  in  two  heaps  at  the  entering  in  of  the  gate  until  the  morn- 
ing. ^  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  morning,  that  he  went  out,  and  stood,  and 
said  to  all  the  people.  Ye  he  righteous :  behold,  ^  I  conspired  against  my 
master,  and  slew  him  :  but  who  slew  all  these  ?  ^^  Know  now  that  there  shall 
^  fall  unto  the  earth  nothing  of  the  word  of  the  Lord,  which  the  Lord  spake 
concerning  the  house  of  Ahab  :  for  the  Lord  hath  done  that  which  he  spake 
'^f  by  his  servant  Elijah.  ^^  So  Jehu  slew  all  that  remained  of  the  house  of 
Ahab  in  Jezreel,  and  all  his  great  men,  and  his  ||  kinsfolks,  and  his  priests, 
until  he  left  him  none  remaining. 

^"  And  he  arose  and  departed,  and  came  to  Samaria.  And  as  he  ivas  at  the 
f  shearing  house  in  the  way,     ^^  ^  Jehu  f  met  with  the  brethren  of  Ahaziah 

slieep.  e  cli.  8.  29,     2  ^hroi;!.  22.  8. 


Before 
CHRIST 


t  Ht;',). /or  m*. 


al  Kings  21.  21. 


bch.  9.  14,  24. 


c  1  Sam.  3.  19. 


d  1  Kings  21. 
19,  21,  29. 
t  Heb.  by  the 
hand  of. 
II  Or,  ac- 
quaintance. 


+  Heb.  house  of 
shepherds  binditii) 
t  Heb. /oanrf. 


But  the  question  seems  to  admit  an  easy  solution.  The 
"  rulers  of  Jezreel,  the  elders  "  of  Jezreel,  had  been  the  accom- 
plices and  instruments  of  Jezebel  in  the  mock  trial  of  Naboth 
the  Jezreelite,  and  in  the  perpetration  of  his  murder.  See 
1  Kings  xxi.  8.  11,  where  the  elders  are  specially  mentioned. 

Well  might  these  elders  therefore  tremble  for  themselves 
and  ^jfrom  Jezreel,  and  from  Jehu,  who  was  there,  to  their 
princely  friends  and  patrons  at  Samaria,  when  they  heard  Jehu's 
words,  rehearsing  the  sentence  of  God,  "surely  I  have  seen 
yesterday  the  blood  of  Nahoth,  and  the  blood  of  his  sons,  saith 
the  Lord,  and  I  will  requite  them  in  this  plat,  saith  the  Lord" 
(ix.  26).  Indeed  in  v.  4  they  are  described  as  "exceedingly 
afraid;"  and  this  compliance  with  Jehu's  orders  shows  how 
much  they  dreaded  his  anger  for  themselves.  Being  conscience- 
stricken  for  their  guilt,  they  feared,  that  if  they  did  not  do  as 
Jehu  bade  them,  he  would  bring  them  to  justice  for  Naboth's 
murder.  Jehu,  wishing  to  calm  their  fears,  and  to  enlist  them 
in  support  of  his  new  dynasty,  sent  therefore  messengers  to 
them,  as  well  as  to  the  rulers  of  Samaria,  and  to  the  bringers 
up  of  Ahab's  children,  and  by  this  device  he  ingratiated  himself 
with  all  his  opponents ;  and  he  used  the  elders  of  Jezreel  to 
avenge  the  blood  of  Naboth,  which  Ahab  and  Jezebel  had  shed 
by  their  means. 

7.  they — slew  seventy  persons']  Such  were  the  chosen  friends 
and  allies  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel;  they  united  in  slaying  the 
relatives  of  their  royal  patrons.  Ahab  and  Jezebel  had  been 
false  to  God ;  how  should  men  be  true  to  them  ?  Jezebel,  by 
Ler  letters  to  the  elders  of  Jezreel,  had  shed  the  blood  of  Naboth 
and  his  sons ;  and  now,  by  a  letter  to  the  elders  of  Jezreel,  the 
blood  of  her  own  sons  is  shed  by  the  samje  instrumentality. 
Remarkable  retribution  even  in  this  world  ! 

—  baskets']    Heb.   dudim :    cp.    Jcr.    xxiv.    2.     Oesen.   191. 
Ahab  had  gone  down  from  Samaria  to  Jezreel,  and  hud  gathered 
117 


grapes  in  baskets  in  vintage-time  from  Naboth's  vineyard  afc 
Jezreel ;  and  now  the  vintage  of  God's  wrath  is  come  (Rev.  xiv. 
18),  and  the  heads  of  his  Q\Yn  posterity  are  heaped  in  baskets, 
and  are  sent  from  Samaria  to  Jezreel  by  the  elders  of  Jezreel. 

9.  Ye  be  righteous]  Jehu  flatters  the  people,  and  appeals  to 
them  for  judgment ;  he  does  not  tell  them  that  these  seventy 
persons  had  been  slain  by  his  own  orders.  Having  gained  over 
the  rulers  of  Samaria,  and  elders  of  Jezreel,  to  his  side,  he 
obtains  also  the  assent  of  the  people.  God  did  not  approve  the 
means  which  Jehu  used,  but  gave  effect  to  his  acts,  and  over- 
ruled his  designs  to  His  own  ends  (1  Kings  xxi.  21). 

11.  his  priests]  The  court  priests  (Keil). 

13.  at  the  shearing  house]  Literally,  the  Jwuse  of  binding  of 
the  shepherds,  i.  e.  the  place  of  their  meeting  together  (cp. 
Gesen.  118.  649).  Some  interpret  it  "house  of  binding  the 
sheep,  in  order  to  be  shorn."  It  was  on  the  road  between 
Jezreel  and  Samaria,  perhaps  at  Beit-Kad,  east  of  Jenin, 

13.  brethren  of  Ahaziah]  That  is,  his  near  relatives. 

The  following  allegations  have  been  made  here  by  some 
critics :  — 

It  is  said,  in  2  Chron.  xxii.  8,  that  Jehu  found  the  sons 
of  the  brethren  of  Ahaziah,  and  slew  them ;  but  in  2  Kings 
X.  13,  they  are  said  to  be  brethren  of  Ahaziah.  In  2  Chron. 
xxi.  16,  17,  all  these  brethren  are  represented  as  having  been 
carried  off  by  the  Philistines  and  Arabians,  except  the  youngest, 
Ahaziah,  which  is  at  variance  with  2  Kings  viii.  26 ;  xi.  2. 

Further,  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles  states  that  Ahaziali 
was  the  youngest  son  of  Jehoram ;  but  this  could  hardly  be 
the  case.  He  was  twenty-two  years  old  when  he  began  to 
reign.  His  father,  Jehoram,  was  thirty-two  years  old  when 
he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  eight  years.  Thus  Jehoram 
is  made  to  beget  Ahnziah  when  he  was  seventeen  years  old,  and 
yet  ho  was  the  youngest  of  forty-two!  {Davidson,  Intr.  ii.  102). 


Jehonadah  the  son  of  Recliah.  2  KINGS  X.  14 — 25.    Jekus  suhtilhj  in  destroying  idolaters. 


Before 
CHRIST 
884. 
t  Heb.  In  the 
peace  of,  8(C. 


+  Heh.  found. 
f  Jer.  35.  6,  &c. 
gl  Chron.  2.  55. 
t  Heb.  blessed. 


h  Ezra  10.  19. 
I  1  Kings  19.  10. 


k  ch.  9.  8. 

2  Chron.  22.  8. 

1  1  Kings  21.  21. 


m  1  Kings  16. 

31,  32. 

n  1  Kings  22.  6. 


t  Heb.  Sanct  fy. 


o  1  Kings  16.  32. 

H  Or,  no  full, 
that  they  stood 
mouth  to  mouth. 


p  1  Kings  20.  39. 


t  Heb.  the 
mouth. 


king  of  Judah,  and  said,  Who  are  ye  ?  And  they  answered,  We  are  the 
brethren  of  Ahaziah ;  and  we  go  down  f  to  salute  the  children  of  the  king  and 
the  children  of  the  queen.  ^^  And  he  said.  Take  them  alive.  And  they  took 
them  alive,  and  slew  them  at  the  pit  of  the  shearing  house,  even  two  and  forty 
men ;  neither  left  he  an}''  of  them. 

^^  And  when  he  was  departed  thence,  he  f  lighted  on  ^  Jehonadah  the  son  of 
^  Kechab  coming  to  meet  him  :  and  he  f  saluted  him,  and  said  to  him.  Is  thine 
heart  right,  as  my  heart  is  with  thy  heart  ?  And  Jehonadah  answered.  It  is. 
If  it  be,  •'give  me  thine  hand.  And  he  gave  Iwn  his  hand ;  and  he  took  him  up 
to  him  into  the  chariot.  ^^  And  he  said.  Come  with  me,  and  see  my  '  zeal  for 
the  Lord.     So  they  made  him  ride  in  his  chariot. 

^^  And  when  he  came  to  Samaria,  ^  he  slew  all  that  remained  unto  Aliab  in 
Samaria,  till  he  had  destroyed  him,  according  to  the  saying  of  the  Lord,  'which 
he  spake  to  Elijah.  ^^And  Jehu  gathered  all  the  people  together,  and  said 
unto  them,  ""  Ahab  served  Baal  a  little  ;  hut  Jehu  shall  serve  him  much. 
^^  Now  therefore  call  unto  me  all  the  "  prophets  of  Baal,  all  his  servants,  and 
all  his  priests ;  let  none  be  wanting :  for  I  have  a  great  sacrifice  to  do  to  Baal ; 
whosoever  shall  be  wanting,  he  shall  not  live.  But  Jehu  did  it  in  subtilty,  to 
the  intent  that  he  might  destroy  the  worshippers  of  Baal.  ^^  And  Jehu  said, 
f  Proclaim  a  solemn  assembly  for  Baal.  And  they  proclaimed  it.  21  j^^^  Jehu 
sent  through  all  Israel :  and  all  the  worshippers  of  Baal  came,  so  that  there 
was  not  a  man  left  that  came  not.  And  they  came  into  the  "house  of  Baal ; 
and  the  house  of  Baal  was  ||full  from  one  end  to  another.  "^^And.  he  said  unto 
him  that  ivas  over  the  vestry,  Bring  forth  vestments  for  all  the  worshippers  of 
Baal.  And  he  brought  them  forth  vestments.  ^^  And  Jehu  went,  and  Jeho- 
nadah the  son  of  Kechab,  into  the  house  of  Baal,  and  said  unto  the  worshippers 
of  Baal,  Search,  and  look  that  there  be  here  with  you  none  of  the  servants  of 
the  Lord,  but  the  worshippers  of  Baal  only.  ^^  And  when  they  went  in  to 
offer  sacrifices  and  burnt  offerings,  Jehu  appointed  fourscore  men  without,  and 
said.  If  any  of  the  men  whom  I  have  brought  into  your  hands  escape,  he  that 
letteth  him  go,  ^  his  hfe  shall  he  for  the  life  of  him. 

2^  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  soon  as  he  had  made  an  end  of  offering  the  burnt 
offering,  that  Jehu  said  to  the  guard  and  to  the  captains,  G-o  in,  and  slay  them; 
let  none  come  forth.     And  they  smote  them  with  f  the  edge  of  the  sword ;  and 


But  these  allegatioiis  are  grounded  on  the  mistaken 
notion  that  the  word  brethren  is  to  be  taken  literally.  The 
writer  of  the  Chronicles  guards  us  against  this  mistake. 
The  word  hi-ethren,  as  is  generally  allowed,  here  means  not 
literally  full  brothers,  i.  e.  sons  of  his  fiither  and  mother,  but 
near  relatives  (Keil,  Chronik.  p.  414;  and  so  lEioald  and 
Movers.  Cp.  2  Chron.  xxii.  8,  where  we  have  "  sons  of  the 
brethren."  On  this  comprehensive  sense,  in  Hebrew,  of  the 
word  Jre^Arew,  see  Gen.xiii.  8;  xxix.  12.  Lev.  x.  4.  Bp.  Pearson 
on  the  Creed,  Art.  iii.  p.  175).  Ahaziah's  own  brothers  had 
been  slain  by  the  Arabians  (2  Chron.  xxi.  17;  xxii.  1). 

This  accounts  for  their  large  number,  forty-hoo.  Some 
of  them  may  have  been  sons  of  Jehora.m  by  concubines. 

—  of  the  queeni  Of  the  queen  mother  Jezebel,  and  therefore 
brothers  of  Joram  (Keil).  Cp,  1  Kings  xv.  10 — 13.  2  Chron. 
XV.  16.     The  Hebrew  word  is  gehirah,  not  malecdh. 

15.  Jehonadah  the  son  of  Hechab^  The  father  of  the  Re- 
chabites,  described  in  Jer.  xxxv-,  who  was  the  son  of  Hemath 
(1  Chron.  ii.  55),  and  belonged  to  the  family  of  the  Kenites, 
the  descendants  of  the  father-in-law  of  Moses  (Num.  x,  29. 
Judg.  i.  16 ;  iv.  11.    1  Sam.  xv.  6). 

Jehonadah,  the  son  of  Rechab,  was  probably  held  in  great 
repute  among  the  people,  on  account  of  the  patriarchal  strict- 
ness, and  religious  sanctity  of  his  life,  and  the  dutiful  obedience 
118 


of  his  family;  and  therefore  Jehu  desired  to  associate  him 
with  himselfj  and  to  gain  influence  and  credit  for  his  owu  acts 
by  his  means.     Compare  the  note  below,  on  1  Chron.  ii.  55. 

16.  Come  with  me,  and  see  my  zeal  for  the  Lord]  If  Jehu 
had  been  really  zealous  for  the  Lord,  he  would  not  have  main- 
tained the  worship  of  the  calves  of  Jeroboam  in  opposition  to 
that  of  the  Lord  (see  vv.  29 — 31) ;  but  "  zeal  for  the  Lord  " 
was  made  by  him  a  pretext  for  his  own  aggrandizement. 
Yet  God  used  him  as  an  instrument  for  executing  His  own 
purposes. 

19.  Jehu  did  it  in  suhtilty']  The  means  which  he  used  for 
a  good  end  were  detestable,  as  S.  Augustine  observes,  who 
calls  this  stratagem,  "Mendacium  impium  et  sacrificiinn 
sacrilegum "  (S.  Aug.,  Contra  Mendacium,  c.  2.  See  also 
S.  Aug.,  Retract,  ii.  60).  Jehu's  act  in  pretending  to  be  a 
worshipper  of  Baal,  in  order  to  destroy  Baal,  is  discussed  by 
Wouvers  (Dilucid.  pp.  961 — 964),  who  rightly  says,  that  Jehu 
is  praised  for  his  zeal  in  destroying  idolatry,  not  for  his  subtilty 
in  slaying  idolaters,  whom  he  cut  ofl"  in  an  act  of  sin. 

21.  from  one  end]  Literally,  from  one  mouth  to  the  other, 
as  a  vessel  filled  up  to  the  brim  (Vatabl.,  Keil). 

22.  vestments']  Probably  of  white  byssus  (Sil.,  Ital.  iii.  23 ; 
Bdhr,  Symbol,  ii.  87). 


Jehu  follows  Jerohoains  sins.  2  KINGS  X.  26 — 34. 


TIazael  smites  Israel. 


the  guard  and  the  captains  cast  them  out,  and  went  to  the  city  of  the  house 
of  Baal.  2^  And  they  brought  forth  the  f  '^  images  out  of  the  house  of  Baal,  and 
burned  them.  -^  And  they  brake  down  the  image  of  Baal,  and  brake  down  the 
house  of  Baal,  "■  and  made  it  a  draught  house  unto  this  day.  ^8  Thus  Jehu 
destroyed  Baal  out  of  Israel.  ^^  Howbeit  from  the  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son 
of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin,  Jehu  departed  not  from  after  them,  to  wit, 
*  the  golden  calves  that  tvere  in  Beth-el,  and  that  ivere  in  Dan. 

20  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Jehu,  Because  thou  hast  done  well  in  executing 
iJiat  U'hich  is  right  in  mine  eyes,  and  hast  done  unto  the  house  of  Ahab  accord- 
ing to  all  that  ivas  in  mine  heart,  '  thy  children  of  the  fourth  generation  shall 
sit  on  the  throne  of  Israel.  ^^  But  Jehu  f  took  no  heed  to  walk  in  the  law  of 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel  with  all  his  heart :  for  he  departed  not  from  "  the  sins 
of  Jeroboam,  which  made  Israel  to  sin.  ^^  In  those  days  the  Lord  began  f  to 
cut  Israel  short :  and  ""  Hazael  smote  them  in  all  the  coasts  of  Israel ;  ^^  From 
Jordan  f  eastward,  all  the  land  of  Gilead,  the  Gadites,  and  the  Keubenites, 
and  the  Manassites,  from  Aroer,  which  is  by  the  river  Arnon,  |]  even  ^  Gilead 
and  Bashan. 

2*  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jehu,  and  all  that  he  did,  and  all  his  might, 


Before 

C  H  U  t  S  T 

SS-l. 

+  Hell.  sUitm's. 

q  1  Kings  !4.  23. 

r  Ezra  fi.  11. 
Dan.  2.  5.  &  3.  VJ, 


s  1  Kin- 
2a. 


12.28 


t  See  ver.  35. 

ch.  13.  1,  10.  & 

14.  23.  &  15.8,12. 

t  Heb.  observed 

not. 

u  1  Kings  H.  16. 

about 
SCO. 
+  Heb.  to  cut  off 
the  ends. 
X  ch    8.  12. 
t  Heb.  toward 
iJie  rining  of  the 
sun. 

II  Or,  even  to 
Gilead  and 
Bashtin. 
y  Amos  1.  3. 


25.  to  the  city  of  the  house  of  BaaV]  After  they  had  slain  the 
worshippers  of  Baal  in  the  outer  court  or  house  (v.  21)  where 
the  altar  was,  and  the  sacrifices  were  oflcred,  they  went  into 
the  inner  enclosure,  called  here  the  city  (?>),  the  fortress-like 
sanctuary,  the  penetrate,  or  adt/tum,  where  the  image  of  Baal 
was  {Movers). 

26.  the  images  out  of  the  house"]  Literally,  the  statues  or 
pillars  of  the  house,  that  is,  which  helonged  to  the  house. 
The  statues  or  pillars,  matseboth  (Exod.  xxiii.  24;  xxiv.  4; 
xxxiv.  13.  Deut.  vii.  5.  1  Kings  xiv.  23),  were  probably  of 
wood,  and  therefore  cast  into  the  fii-e,  and  burnt ;  and  they 
seem  to  have  been  idolatrous  emblems,  in  honour  of  other 
deities  associated  with  Baal  {Movers,  Phoen.  cap.  15,  p.  563, 
and  cap.  18,  p.  674). 

27.  a  draught  house"]   Xvrpdv  {Sept.)  ;  latrina  {Vulg.). 

29.  Soioheit  from  the  sins  of  Jeroboam — JeMt  departed  not] 
Jehu  extirpated  the  worship  of  Baal,  but  not  of  the  golden 
calves ;  for  in  his  worldly  policy  he  feared,  as  Jeroboam  did, 
that  if  the  people  of  Israel  went  up  to  Jerusalem,  to  worship 
the  Lord,  then  his  own  kingdom,  that  of  Israel,  would  be 
absorbed  into  that  of  Judah,  and  that  the  ten  tribes  would 
return  to  the  house  of  Da^-id :  see  1  Kings  xii.  26,  27. 

By  this  worldly  policy,  like  the  expediency  of  Caiaphas  in 
its  spirit  and  its  consequences  (see  John  xi.  50 ;  xviii.  14),  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  was  weakened,  and  eventually  ruined  (see 
V.  32  ;  and  xvii.  6 — 18). 

30.  Because  thou  hast  done  well]  Here  it  appears  that 
actions  may  in  certain  respects  be  pleasing  to  God,  and  may  be 
recompensed  with  a  reward  suited  to  their  character,  viz.  a 
temporal  reward,  although  the  motives  from  which  they  are 
done  may  not  be  approved  by  Him. 

The  Reformation  effected  by  Jehu,  in  the  punishment  of  the 
house  of  Ahab,  and  in  the  extermination  of  the  worship  of 
Baal,  was  pleasing  in  God's  sight,  and  received  a  certain  ac- 
knowledgment from  Him,  adjusted  to  the  secidar  motives  of 
Jehu  himself.  Compare  the  note  above,  on  Ahab's  repentance 
(1  Kings  xxi.  27 — 29).  S.  Augustine  (c.  Mendacium,  c.  2) 
well  says,  "  Pro  nonnulla  obedientia,  quam  de  domo  Achah 
omnino  delenda  cupiditate  suffi  dominationis,  exhibidt,  aliquan- 
tum  mercedem  transitoriam  regni  temporalis  accepit."  Bp. 
Sanderson  (iii.  26)  observes  that  Jehu  and  others,  for  temporal 
obedience  were  rewarded  by  temporal  blessings,  or  by  the 
removal  or  adjournment  of  temporal  punishments. 

These  remarks  may  he  applied  to  other  royal  Reformers, 
such  as  King  Henry  VIII.  of  England.  Much  that  he  did, 
especially  in  the  overthrow  of  the  usurped  dominion  of  the 
Bishop  of  Rome,  and  in  "  beheading  superstition,"  as  JRichard 
Hooker  expresses  it  (iv. — xiv.  7),  was  acceptable  to  God,  and 
received  a  reward  and  blessing  from  Him ;  although  the  motives 
by  which  he  was  swayed,  and  also  some  of  his  actions,  could 
not  be  otherwise  than  oiFensive,  like  those  of  Jehu,  to  the 
God  of  holiness  and  truth  (cp.  Theophilus  Anglicanus,  pt.  ii. 
ch.  iv.). 

119 


— fourth  generation]  Jehoahaz,  Joash,  Jeroboam,  Zachariah. 
This  was  more  than  was  granted  in  any  other  of  the  royal 
families  of  Israel.  Of  the  house  of  Omri  were  four  kings, 
— Omri,  Ahab,  Ahaziah,  and  Joram ;  but  the  last  two  were 
brothers,  and  that  fomily  reigned  only  about  forty-five  years. 
Jehu's  continued  about  102  years. 

32.  to  cut  Israel  shorty  Litei'ally,  to  maTce  gashes  in  Israel; 
to  amputate  it,  by  cutting  ofi"  portions  of  its  territory.  As  it 
had  been  in  the  wilderness,  when  Israel  rebelled  against  God 
at  Kadesh  Barnea,  He  cut  them  oflf  by  dismemberment,  and 
almost  by  a  ban  of  excommunication  from  His  presence,  so 
that  they  ceased  for  a  time  to  have  a  history  (see  above,  on 
Num.  xx)  :  so  it  was  now.  The  att'airs  of  Israel,  after  the  time 
of  Jehu  to  the  Captivity,  extend  over  a  period  of  about  160 
years,  but  are  scarcely  noticed  in  the  sacred  history. 

The  duration  of  the  lives  of  men  and  of  nations  is  not 
measured,  in  God's  sight,  by  years,  but  by  acts  of  faith  and 
obedience.  The  moments  of  holy  men  and  godly  nations  bear 
fruit  for  millenniums;  but  the  millenniums  of  unholy  men 
and  godless  nations  vanish  and  fade  away  as  moments. 

—  Kazael]  Who  was  not  able,  by  his  own  might,  to  do  what 
he  did,  but  who  was  raised  up  by  God,  to  execute  His  judg- 
ments on  His  rebellious  people:  see  1  Kings  xix.  15—17.  As 
Nebuchadnezzar,  and  the  Romans  afterwards,  were  God's 
executioners  of  His  righteous  retribution  on  Jerusalem. 

Thus  God  ever  triumphs,  even  by  means  of  those  who  know 
nothing  of  Him  :  cp.  2  Kings  xix.  25. 

On  Hazael's  conquests  see  further,  xili.  3.  7,  where  it  is 
said  that  the  Lord  delivered  Israel  into  his  hand;  and  that 
when  Israel  repented,  and  turned  to  God,  He  delivered  them. 

On  the  internal  corruption  of  Israel  at  this  period,  and 
the  following,  see  Hos.  ii.  iv.  vi.  xiii.     Amos  iii.  viii. 

An  evidence  that  in  Jehu's  days  Ood  began  to  cut  Israel 
short,  is  supplied  by  an  obehsk  of  black  basalt,  brought  from 
Nimroud,  and  set  up  by  Shalmaueser  I.,  to  commemorate 
his  victories,  and  now  in  the  British  Museum.  There,  among 
the  tributaries  of  Assyria,  is  mentioned  "  Jehu,  the  son  of 
Khimiri  (i.  e.  Omri).  Omri,  the  head  of  the  dynasty  of  Ahab's 
house  (cp.  viii.  26),  was  regarded  as  the  founder  of  the  king- 
dom of  Samaria,  which  in  the  inscription  on  the  ol)elisk  is 
called  Beth  Khumri  (the  house  of  Ouiri)  {Layard,  Nineveh, 
p.  643.  Eaivlinson,  Herod,  i.  465.  C]}.  Brandis,  on  Assyrian 
Inscriptions,  pp.  49,  50).  Dr.  Oppert,  in  an  inscription  of 
the  king,  whose  annals  are  on  the  Nimroud  obelisk,  found 
the  name  Achabbu  Ciri'lay,  "Ahab  the  Israelite,"  as  that 
of  a  king  reigning  in  his  s'i.xth  year.  The  names  of  both  the 
king  and  his  country  are  new ;  and  the  spelling  of  the  latter 
is  remarkable.  This  Shalmaueser,  who  reigned  at  least  thirty 
years,  received  presents  from  Jehu,  whom  he  calls  the  son  of 
'Omri;  and  he  waged  war  with  Hazael,  King  of  Syria,  m  his 
eighteenth  year.  The  last  three  royal  names  were  discovered 
by  Br.  Hincks  in  1851.  The  contemporary  Assyrian  records  are 
here  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  statements  in  the  Bible. 


Athaliah  usurps  the  throne.  2  KINGS  X.  35,  36.     XI.  1 — 5.  Joash  is  rescued — Jehoiada. 


Before 
CHRIST 

860. 


t  Heb.  Ike  dryt 
were. 


a  2  Clnon.  22.  10. 

bch.  8.  26. 

t  Heb.  seed  of  the 

kingdom. 

I  2  Chron.  22.  11, 
Jehoshcibnaih. 

II  Or,  Jehoash. 


878. 
e  2  Chron.  23.  I, 


are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ? 
^^  And  Jehu  slept  with  his  fathers :  and  they  buried  him  in  Samaria.  And 
Jehoahaz  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead.  ^^  And  f  the  time  that  Jehu  reigned 
over  Israel  in  Samaria  vjas  twenty  and  eight  years. 

XI.  ^  And  when  *  Athaliah  ^  the  mother  of  Ahaziah  saw  that  her  son  was 
dead,  she  arose  and  destroyed  all  the  f  seed  royal.  ^  But  ||  Jehosheba,  the 
daughter  of  king  Joram,  sister  of  Ahaziah,  took  ||  Joash  the  son  of  Ahaziah, 
and  stole  him  from  among  the  king's  sons  lohich  ivere  slain ;  and  they  hid  him, 
even  him  and  his  nurse,  in  the  bedchamber  from  Athaliah,  so  that  he  was  not 
slain.  ^  And  he  was  with  her  hid  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  six  years.  And 
Athaliah  did  reign  over  the  land. 

^  And  "  the  seventh  year  Jehoiada  sent  and  fetched  the  rulers  over  hundreds, 
with  the  captains  and  the  guard,  and  brought  them  to  him  into  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  and  made  a  covenant  with  them,  and  took  an  oath  of  them  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  and  shewed  them  the  king's  son.  ^  And  he  commanded 
them,  saying,  This  is  the  thing  that  ye  shall  do ;  A  third  part  of  you  that  enter 


Cn.  XI.  1.  AthaViah']  Dau<T:htcr  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and 
therefore  sister  of  Jeboram,  King  of  Israel.  She  was  married 
to  Jehoram,  the  sou  of  Jehoshajihat,  King  of  Judah ;  and  after 
Jehoram's  death,  she  usurped  the  government,  and  resolved  to 
jnaintain  her  own  power,  and  the  worship  of  Baal  at  Jerusalem, 
by  destroying  the  seed  royal,  that  is,  all  the  members  of  the 
royal  family  who  had  escaped  the  sword  of  Jehu.  Cp.  Bp. 
Cotton,  in  B.  D.  i.  iSl ;  Dr.  Hessey,  Lect.  iv. 

Athaliah  means,  Jehovah  ajflicts  {Gesen.  663)  ;  and,  like 
the  name  Ahaziah  and  Jehoram,  it  shows  that  Ahab  did  not 
altogether  cast  away  his  reverence  for  Jehovah,  at  the  time 
when  in  subservience  to  Jezebel  his  wife  from  Phoenicia  he 
introduced  the  Baal-worship  into  Israel :  he  drew  near  to 
God  with  his  lips,  but  his  heart  was  far  from  Him. 

—  she  arose  and  destroyed  all  the  seed  royaV]  Athaliah,  a 
woman  allied  by  marriage  to  the  royal  house  of  David,  en- 
deavoured to  destroy  all  the  members  of  that  house, — the 
children  of  her  own  son, — probably  by  several  wives.  She 
ficted  with  the  savage  cruelty  of  her  mother  Jezebel,  and 
probably  with  the  same  design  as  animated  her,  viz.  to  extir- 
pate the  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  to  establish  the  worship  of 
Baal,  and  to  build  up  her  own  power  on  the  ruins  of  all 
other  institutions,  civil  and  sacred,  and  to  bring  the  house  of 
Judah  into  subjugation  to  that  of  Ahab ;  and  this  she  did  at 
Jerusalem. 

But  God  had  promised  to  David  that  his  "  throne  should 
be  established  for  ever  "  (2  Sam.  vii.  15,  16).  He  had  sworn 
by  His  holiness  that  He  "would  never  fail  David"  (Ps.  Ixxxix. 
35) ;  and,  by  a  marvellous  intervention  of  His  providence,  God 
saved  a  child  of  that  house,  an  infant  of  one  year,  from  the 
sword  of  Athaliah,  and  nourished  him  in  the  Temple,  and 
brought  him  forth,  when  seven  years  old,  to  be  king  in  Jeru- 
salem,—  "as  a  branch  from  the  root  of  Jesse,  out  of  a  dry 
ground  "  (Isa.  xi.  1).  God  assured  David  that  Ho  had  ordained 
"a  lamp  for  His  anointed"  (Ps.  cxxxii.  18);  and  that  lamp, 
now  nearly  extinguished,  was  wonderfully  preserved.  May  we 
not  recognize  here  a  divine  foreshadowing  of  the  miraculous 
rescue  and  preservation  of  the  divine  Child  of  the  house  of 
David,  to  be  raised  miraculously  by  God  to  the  throne  of  the 
world  ? 

2.  JehosTieha']  Called  Jehoshaheath  in  Clironicles  (2  Chron. 
xxii.  11),  whose  name  signifies  oath  of  the  Lord :  compare 
Elishela  (see  the  next  note),  whose  name  signifies  oath  of 
God :  and  see  note  on  Luke  i.  5.  73. 

—  daughter  of  king  Jora^nl  Jehosheba  was  not  only  sister 
of  Ahaziah,  but  daughter  of  Joram. 

The  wife  of  Aaron  the  Priest  Was  called  Ulisheba  (Exod. 
VI.  23) ;  and  that  name  re-appears  in  Elizabeth,  in  the 
Gospel,  the  wife  of  Zacharias  the  priest  (Luke  i.  5) ;  and  this 
Jehosheba,— whose  name  resembles  Elislicba,  or  Elizabeth, — 
was  the  wife  of  Jehoiada  the  priest  (2  Chron.  xxii.  11). 

Three  holy  women,  — Elisheba,  Jehosheba,  Elizabeth, — 
were  instruments  in  God's  hands  for  realizing  in  their  lives 
the  meaning  of  their  names,  and  for  fulfilling  the  promise  and 
"  oath  which  God  sware "  to  their  fathers,  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob,  and  their  seed  for  ever.  Elisheba,  the  wife  of  Aarou, 
120 


by  giving  birth  to  Elcazar  and  Itharaar,  the  heads  of  the 
Levitical  Priesthood,  the  types  of  Christ  as  Priest;  Jehosheba, 
the  wife  of  Jehoiada,  by  rescuing  Joash,  the  only  survivor, — 
in  the  royal  line  of  Solomon, — of  the  seed  of  David,  the  ancestor 
of  Christ;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Zacharias,  by  giving  birth  to 
John  the  Baptist,  the  promised  forerunner  of  Christ.  To  this 
significance  of  her  name,  Zacharias,  her  husband,  refers  in 
his  divinely-inspired  song  of  praise :  see  below,  Luke  i.  68 — 
73, — "  Blessed  be  the  liord  God  of  Israel," — where  he  speaks 
of  the  promise  made  to  David,  and  the  "  oath  which  God  sware 
to  Abraham." 

Jehosheba  was  sister  of  Ahaziah,  but  probably  only  by  the 
father's  side ;  she  is  not  called  daughter  of  Athaliah ,-  Athaliah, 
the  daughter  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  the  worshipper  of  Baal, 
would  hardly  have  allied  her  daughter  in  marriage  with 
Jehoiada,  the  priest  of  the  Lord  (cp,  2  Chron.  xxii.  11). 

—  Joash']  A  name  which  means  the  Lord  gave  {Gesen. 
336). 

—  in  the  hedchamier']  Literally,  in  the  cTiamher  oftJie  beds  ; 
.  e.  where  the  mattresses,  &c.,  of  the  palace  were  kept. 

3.  with  her— in  the  house  of  the  LoEDJ  Jehosheba,  being 
the  priest's  wife,  concealed  him  there. 

If  any  woman  might  have  claimed  the  throne,  none  had 
so  good  a  right  to  it  as  Jehosheba  herself;  but  Jehoiada,  the 
priest,  would  rather  be  a  loyal  guardian  to  an  infant  king, 
than  a  husband  to  a  queen ;  and  Jehosheba  would  rather  pre- 
serve a  future  king  for  the  usurped  throne,  than  occupy  that 
throne  herself.  She  is,  therefore,  set  before  us  in  striking 
contrast  to  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  Ahab,  the  destroyer  of  the 
seed  royal,  the  usurper  of  the  throne  of  Judah. 

4.  And  the  seventh  year]  With  this  narrative,  compare 
2  Chron.  xxiii.  It  has  been  asserted  by  some  {L>e  Wette, 
Gramberg,  Thenius,  Bertheau,  and  Davidson),  that  the 
writer  of  the  Chronicles  has  been  swaj-ed  by  partiality  for  the 
Hebrew  Hierarchy  to  represent  the  intervention  of  the  Priests 
and  Levites  in  too  favourable  a  light :  see  also  Movers,  Krit. 
Unters,  p.  307.  On  the  other  side,  Dahler  (de  Libror.  Paralip. 
Auctoritate,  1819,  p.  109),  has  mamtained  the  accuracy  of  the 
narrative  in  the  Chronicles ;  Keil  (Apol.  Vers.  p.  362.  371) ;  and 
HUvertiick  (Einleit.  ii.  253 — 255),  have  displayed  the  harmony 
of  both.  It  is  well  observed  by  Keil  that  the  two  sacred 
writers  composed  their  narratives  with  two  difierent,  but  not 
opposite,  designs.  The  writer  of  the  Book  of  Kings  proposed 
to  show  how  the  royal  family  of  the  house  of  David  was  brought 
to  the  brink  of  ruin  by  Athaliah,  a  queen  allied  by  marriage  to 
that  house,  and  how  it  was  miraculously  preserved  by  Jehoiada. 
The  writer  of  the  Book  of  Chronicles  shows,  more  in  detail, 
by  what  instrumentality  these  marvellous  deliverances  w-ere 
effected,  and  exhibits  the  Priests  and  the  Levites  as  chosen  by 
God  to  effect  it. 

—  Jehoiada]  The  Priest  {v.  15).  His  name  is  significant,-  • 
tvJiom  the  Lord  knows,  i.  e.  loves  (Gesen.  338). 

—  captains  and  the  guard]  Probably  the  Temple-watch  of 
the  Levites.  See  the  next  note,  and  2  Chron.  xxiii.  4;  and 
Bertheau,  Chronik.  p.  359. 

5.  enter  in  on  the  sabbath]    lie   is  s^icakiug  here   of  the 


Joash  is  anointed  King. 


2  KINGS  XI.  6—14. 


Athaliah  is  slain. 


Before 
CHRIST 

878. 
ron.  9.  25. 


breaking  up. 

II  Or,  companies, 

t  Heb.  hands. 


in  ^  on  the  sabbatli  shall  even  be  keepers  of  the  watch  of  the  king's  house ; 
^  And  a  third  part  shall  he  at  the  gate  of  Sur ;  and  a  third  part  at  the  gate  d  i  ch 
behind  the  guard :  so  shall  ye  keep  the  watch  of  the  house,  ||  that  it  be  not  w  or,  from 
broken  down.  ^  And  two  ||  f  parts  of  all  you  that  go  forth  on  the  sabbath, 
even  they  shall  keep  the  watch  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  about  the  king. 
^  And  ye  shall  compass  the  king  round  about,  every  man  with  his  weapons  in 
his  hand  :  and  he  that  cometh  within  the  ranges,  let  him  be  slain :  and  be  ye 
with  the  king  as  he  goeth  out  and  as  he  cometh  in. 

^  ^  And  the  captains  over  the  hundreds  did  according  to  all  things  that  ^  2  chron.  23.  s 
Jehoiada  the  priest  commanded  :  and  they  took  every  man  his  men  that  were 
to  come  in  on  the  sabbath,  with  them  that  should  go  out  on  the  sabbath,  and 
came  to  Jehoiada  the  priest.  ^°  And  to  the  captains  over  hundreds  did  the 
priest  give  king  David's  spears  and  shields,  that  icere  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord. 
^^  And  the  guard  stood,  every  man  with  liis  weapons  in  his  hand,  round  about 
the  king,  from  the  right  f  corner  of  the  temple  to  the  left  corner  of  the  temple, 
along  by  the  altar  and  the  temple.  ^^  And  he  brought  forth  the  king's  son,  and 
put  the  crown  upon  him,  and  gave  him  the  testimony  ;  and  they  made  him  king, 
and  anointed  him ;  and  they  clapped  their  hands,  and  said,  f  ^  God  save  the 
king.  ^^^And  when  Athaliah  heard  the  noise  of  the  guard  and  of  the  people, 
she  came  to  the  people  into  the  temple  of  the  Lord.  ^^  And  when  she  looked, 
behold,  the  king  stood  by  "^  a  pillar,  as  the  manner  was,  and  the  prmces  and 


t  Heb.  shoulder. 


t  Heb.  Lei  the 

king  live. 

f  1  Sam.  10.  24. 

g  2  Chron.  23.  12, 

&c. 


h  cb.  23.  3. 

2  Chron.  34.31. 


Levites,  and  of  their  service  at  the  Temple  :  cp.  2  Chron. 
x.\iii.  4—8.  Tliis  service  was  arranged  according  to  weeks, 
beginning  with  the  sabbath.  Compare  1  Chron.  ix.  25 ; 
xxiii. — xxvi.,  with  Joseph,  vii.  14.  7. 

On  comparing  the  narrative  here  with  that  in  Chronicles 
(2  Chron.  xxiii.),  it  appears  that  Jehoiada  the  priest  communi- 
cated his  design  of  restoring  the  rightful  heir,  to  the  captains 
Off  the  royal  body-guard,  and  to  the  heads  of  the  families  of 
the  people  of  Jerusalem ,-  and  that  he  made  a  solemn  covenant 
with  them  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  to  place  him  on  the 
throne,  which  had  been  usurped  by  Athaliah ;  and  that  then 
he  associated  with  himself  the  Priests  and  Le^-ites  who  came  in 
and  went  out  on  the  Sabbaths,  in  the  appointed  order  of  the 
service  of  the  Temple ;  and  that  he  organized  them  in  a  body, 
under  the  command  of  the  chief  officers  of  the  royal  guard, 
so  as  to  defend  the  Temple,  and  protect  the  young  king,  and 
to  prevent  an  irruption  upon  them  from  the  palace. 

6.  gate  of  Sur]  Called  the  "gate  of  the  foundation,"  in 
2  Chron.  xxiii.  5 ;  probably  of  the  outer  court  of  the  Temple, 
leading  to  the  Tyropoeum,  or  to  Kidron. 

—  gate  leliitid  the  gitard]  Cp.  v.  19  :  whence  it  appears 
probable,  that  it  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  Temple  court,  and 
led  to  the  palace,  on  Mount  Zion.  Cp.  2  Chron.  xxiii.  4,  with 
1  Chron.  ix.  19. 

—  that  it  he  not  hroTcen  down]  Invaded  by  a  sudden  irrup- 
tion of  the  troops  of  Athahah  from  the  palace.  The  literal 
meaning  of  the  word  here  used  {massach)  is  a  warding-off 
(Oesen.  489.    Cp.  the  Arabic  Version). 

7.  two  parts — that  go  forth']  The  Priest  engaged  the  Levites, 
who  we7it  out  on  the  Sabbath  (being  released  from  their  at- 
tendance on  the  Temple  service),  to  remain  on  guard  for  the 
service  of  the  king.  The  Levites  also,  who  came  in  on  the 
Sabbath,  were  induced  by  him  to  keep  guard  in  th6  Temple 
{vv.  5,  6). 

By  choosing  the  Sabbath  Day  as  the  day  of  the  move- 
ment, and  by  retaining  those  of  the  Levitical  course,  whose 
turn  it  was  to  retire  from  its  allotted  service,  he  doubled  the 
number  of  the  official  forces  of  the  Temple,  without  exciting 
suspicion. 

8.  within  the  ranges}  Within  the  ranks,  i.  e.  of  soldiers 
{Gesen.  785). 

—  as  he  goeth  out  and  as  he  cometh  in]  i.  e.  in  all  his 
movements.  Cp.  Deut.  xxviii.  6;  xxxi.  2.  Josh,  xiv.  11. 
1  Sam.  xxix.  6.     1  Kings  iii.  7. 

10.    to    the  captains— did   the  priest  give}    In    order   that 
the"  might  distribute  them  among  their  followers  {Bertheau, 
121 


Chronik.  360) ;  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  the  captains  themselves 
had  come  unarmed. 

—  king  David's  spears  and  shields]  His  votive  offerings 
from  his  victories  (2  Sam.  viii.  7.     Cp.  2  Chron.  xxiii.  9). 

11.  from  the  right  corner]  Probably  an  armoury  had  been 
formed  in  the  Temple  by  David,  and  had  received  fresh  addi- 
tions from  time  to  time.  Cp.  1  Kings  x.  17.  Josephus,  ix. 
7.  2.  The  guard  was  stationed  in  the  outer  court  of  the 
Temjjle,  and  extended  from  the  right  side  (literally,  shoulder  : 
see  Oesen.  420)  of  the  Temple  to  the  left  side,  in  front  of  the 
Altar  of  burnt-offering,  and  the  Temple,  so  as  to  be  around  the 
king :  cp.  2  Chron.  xxiii.  10. 

12.  the  testimony/]  The  Book  of  the  Law  (Jarchi,  Aharhanel, 
A  Lapide,  Schmidt,  SdvernicJc,  Einleit.  i.  595;  Bertheau, 
Chronik.  p.  360.   Cp.  Deut.  xvii.  18—20 ;  xxxi.  9). 

Before  the  Book  of  the  Law  was  completed,  the  word 
testimony  (eduth)  was  used  specially  to  denote  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments (see  on  Exod.  xxv.  16.  Oesen.  608) ;  but  when 
the  Pentateuch  was  written,  and  was  delivered  to  the  Priests 
to  be  placed  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  at  the  side  of  the  Ark,  in 
which  the  Two  Tables  of  Testimony  were,  then  the  Law  itself, 
which  was  to  be  copied  out  by  the  king,  as  the  rule  of  his 
conduct,  seems  to  have  received  the  name  of  Testimony,  i.  e. 
Covenant  of  witness  between  him  and  Jehovah,  whose  minister 
he  was. 

The  Testimony  was  delivered  to  the  king  on  his  inaugura- 
tion, as  the  Code  of  Law  by  which  he  was  to  govern  God's 
people. 

In  imitation  of  this  pious  usage,  the  Holy  Bible,  taken 
from  God's  4-ltar,  is  delivered  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury 
to  the  sovereigns  of  England,  at  their  Coronation  in  the  Abbey 
Church  of  Westminster. 

—  they  made  him  king]  By  the  ministry  of  Jehoiada,  and 
the  Priests,  his  sons,  who  anointed  him  (2  Chron.  xxiii.  11). 

—  clapped  their  hands]  And  cried,  "  God  save  the  king " 
(2  Chron.  xxiii.  11). 

14.  a  pillar]  The  pillar.  So  Sept.,  Syriac,  Targum;  but 
Vulg.  renders  it  "tribunal;"  and  ^nrijc  translates  it  by 
"throne;"  and  Qesen.  638;  Keil,  370,  render  it  a  platform, 
or  scaffold  :  cp.  2  Chron.  xxiii.  13. 

The  original  word  (ammud),  is  of  very  frequent  occurrence, 
and  almost  always  means  pillar  ;  and  it  is  not  improbable  that 
he  was  stationed  at  one  of  the  t\vo  pillars,  Jachin  and  Boaz, 
of  the  Temple  (1  Kings  vii.  21.  2  Chron.  iii.  15);  but  it  is 
most  likely  also  that  he  was  placed  on  a  raised  scaffold, 
in  order  to  be  seen  by  the  people,  as  Solomon  was  at  the 
dedication  of  the  Temple  (2  Chron.  vi.  13). 


Jchoiada's  reformation.       2  KINGS  XI.  15 — 21.    XII.  1 — 4.     Jelwash  reigns  ivcll  at  first. 


Before 
CHRIST 

878. 


i  2  Chron.  23.  16. 

k  2  Sam.  5.  3. 

1  ch.  10.  26. 

m  Deut.  12.  3. 

2  Chron.  23.  17. 

n  2  Chron.  23.  18, 

&c. 

t  Hel).  offices. 


o  2  Chron.  24.  1. 


a  2  Chron.  24.  1. 


b  1  Kings  15.  14. 
&  22.  43. 
ch.  14.  4. 

c  ch.  22.  4. 

I)  Or,  Ao/t/  things. 
•f  Heb.  holinesses. 
d  Exod.  30.  13. 


the  trumpeters  by  the  king,  and  all  the  people  of  the  land  rejoiced,  and  blew 
with  trumpets :  and  Athaliah  rent  her  clothes,  and  cried,  Treason,  Treason. 
^^  But  Jehoiada  the  priest  commanded  the  captains  of  the  hundreds,  the  officers 
of  the  host,  and  said  unto  them,  Have  her  forth  without  the  ranges  :  and  him 
that  foUoweth  her  lull  with  the  sword.  For  the  priest  had  said.  Let  her  not 
be  slain  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^  And  they  laid  hands  on  her ;  and  she 
went  by  the  way  by  the  which  the  horses  came  into  the  king's  house  :  and  there 
was  she  slain. 

17 '  And  Jehoiada  made  a  covenant  between  the  Lord  and  the  king  and  the 
people,  that  they  should  be  the  Lord's  people ;  "^  between  the  king  also  and  the 
people.  i^And  all  the  people  of  the  land  went  into  the  'house  of  Baal,  and 
brake  it  down ;  his  altars  and  his  images  ""  brake  they  in  pieces  thoroughly, 
and  slew  Mattan  the  priest  of  Baal  before  the  altars.  And  "the  priest  ap- 
pointed f  officers  over  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^And  he  took  the  rulers  over 
hundreds,  and  the  captains,  and  the  guard,  and  all  the  people  of  the  land  ;  and 
they  brought  down  the  king  from  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  came  by  the  way 
of  the  gate  of  the  guard  to  the  king's  house.  And  he  sat  on  the  throne  of  the 
kings.  2*^  And  all  the  people  of  the  land  rejoiced,  and  the  city  was  in  quiet : 
and  they  slew  Athaliah  with  the  sword  beside  the  king's  house.  ^^ "  Seven  years 
old  ivas  Jehoash  when  he  began  to  reign. 

XII.  1  In  the  seventh  year  of  Jehu  ^  Jehoash  began  to  reign ;  and  forty  years 
reigned  he  in  Jerusalem.  And  his  mother's  name  ivas  Zibiah  of  Beer-sheba. 
2  And  Jehoash  did  tliat  ivhich  ivas  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  all  his  days 
wherein  Jehoiada  the  priest  instructed  him.  ^  But  ^  the  high  places  were  not 
taken  away :  the  people  still  sacrificed  and  burnt  incense  in  the  high  places. 

*  And  Jehoash  said  to  the  priests,  ""  All  the  money  of  the  [jf  dedicated  things 
that  is  brought  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  even  ^  the  money  of  every  one  that 
passeth  the  account,  f  the  money  that  every  man  is  set  at,  and  all  the  money 
that  f^  Cometh  into  any  man's  heart  to  bring  into  the  house  of  the  Lord, 


t  Heb.  the  mnnry 

of  th''  souls  of  his 

cslimation, 

Lev.  27.  2. 

+  Heb.  ascendelh  upon  the  heart  of  a  man. 


e  Exod.  35.  5.     1  Chron.  29.  9. 


—  Treason]  A  conspiracy .  Literally,  a  handing  together 
(Oesen.  747). 

15.  the  ranges']  The  rauks  of  soldiers  (w.  8).  Make  way  for  lier 
to  pass  through  the  ranks,  aud  pursue  her  forth  out  of  the  Temple. 

On  the  question,  whether  Athaliah,  being  an  usurper,  might 
be  slain  by  eommaud  of  Jehoiada  the  Priest,  as  guardian  of  the 
rights  of  Joash,  the  rightful  king,  see  Grotius  de  Jure  Belli  et 
Pads,  i.  4.  8. 

16.  the  way — Icing's  7iouse]  The  gat^  of  the  King's  mews 
(cp.  2  Chron  xxiii.  15) ;  not  the  horse-gate  in  Neh.  iii.  28,  which 
was  in  the  city  wall.  This  gate  was  between  the  Temple  and 
the  Palace,  and'near  the  latter :  see  2  Chron,  xxiii.  20. 

17.  Jehoiada  made  a  covenant]  As  Moses  had  done  at  Sinai 
(E.xod.  xix.  xxiv.  Cp.  Deut.  iv.  20 ;  xxvii.  9),  and  as  Joshua  at 
Shechcm  (Josh.  xxiv.  1—25),  aud  as  Ezra  did  :  see  on  Neh.  x.  1. 

Observe,  Jehoiada  begins  with  binding  both  the  king  and 
the  people  in  a  covenant  with  God,  as  the  only  sure  foundation 
of  the  covenant  between  the  king  and  the  people. 

The  consequence  of  their  covenant  with  the  Lord  was,  that 
they  (1)  destroyed  idolatry,  (2)  repaired  the  Temple. 

18.  the  house  of  Baal]  Probably  erected  by  Jehoram,  to 
gratify  his  wife  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel : 
see  2  Chron.  xxi.  6. 

—  images]  Literally,  similitudes  (Gesen.  710). 

—  the  priest  appointed  officers]  That  is,  after  this  crisis 
was  over,  Jehoiada  the  Priest  reinstated  the  former  order  of 
Ivcvitical  officers  for  the  service  of  the  Temple :  see  2  Chron. 
xxiii.  18,  19. 

19.  the  gate  of  the  guard]  Called  the  high  gate  (2  Chron. 
xxiii.  20),  between  the  Temple  and  the  Palace. 

Ch.  XII.  2.  all  his  days  wherein]  That  is,  not  as  long  as 
Jehoash  himself  lived,  but  as  long  as  Jehoiada  lived  and  guided 
122 


him  :  cp.  2  Chron.  xxiv.  2.  Here  is  a  silent  reference  to  the 
subsequent  defection  of  Jehoash,  which  is  here  implied,  but  is 
not  described  in  this  Book,  aud  is  related  in  2  Chron.  xxiv. 
15 — 23.  The  distresses  and  unhappy  end  of  Joash  « re  mentioned 
in  this  book  {vv.  23—27),  aud  are  to  be  accounted  for  by  that 
defection  fi'om  God,  which  is  fully  recorded  in  the  Chronicles. 

The  Holy  Spirit  guided  the  sacred  writer  of  this  liook, 
not  only  in  what  is  inserted  in  his  histoxy,  but  also  in  what  is 
omitted.  He  reserved  the  narrative  of  the  falling  away  of 
Jehoash  for  the  histoi-y  of  the  Chronicles.  On  the  other  band, 
we  see  that  the  history  of  Solomon's  defection  is  related  in  the 
Kings,  but  not  in  the  Chronicles :  see  1  Kings  xi.  1 — 8. 

The  reverent  reader  of  Holy  Scripture  will  refer  such 
phenomena  as  these  to  the  working  of  the  Divine  Author  of 
Scripture, — the  Holy  Spirit.  He  guided  the  writer  of  the  Book 
of  Kings  to  write  what  he  has  written,  and  to  omit  what  he 
has  omitted ;  He  knew  what  He  Himself  would  afterwards  do  j 
that  He  would  supply  in  the  Books  of  Chronicles  thiugs  omitted 
in  the  Books  of  Kings;  and  He  guided  the  writer  of  the  Chro- 
nicles to  omit  other  things  that  had  been  recorded  in  that 
book ;  and  thus  He  provided  that  the  Books  of  Kings  and  of 
Chronicles  should  be  mutually  subsidiary  to  each  other;  and 
He  exercises  the  faith  and  diligtpce  of  the  readers  of  Holy 
Scripture  ;  He  tests  them,  whether  they  will  reverently  examine 
aud  carefully  compare  these  two  narratives;  He  has  done 
the  same  in  the  Gospels  :  see  Introduction  to  the  Gospels, 
pp.  xlvi. — xlviii. 

—  Jehoiada  the  priest  instructed  him]  Jehoash  reigned  well 
till  Jehoiada  died.  The  full  benefit  of  a  truly  religious  prelate 
and  statesman  is  not  known  till  their  death  {Bp.  Hall). 

3.  the  high  places  ivere  not  taken  a^vag]  See  on  1  Kings  xv.  14. 

4.  the  money  of  every  one  that  passeth  the  account — hotise 
of  the  Lokd]  The  words,  the  account,  are  not  in  the  original. 


Joash  gives  orders 


2  KINGS  XII.  5— IG. 


for  the  repairs  of  the  Temple. 


^  Let  the  priests  take  it  to  tliem,  every  man  of  his  acquaintance  :  and  let  them 
rejDair  the  breaches  of  the  house,  wheresoever  any  breach  shall  be  found. 

^But  it  was  so,  that  f  in  the  three  and  twentieth  year  of  king  Jehoash  '^the 
priests  had  not  repaired  the  breaches  of  the  house.  ^  ^  Then  king  Jehoash 
called  for  Jehoiada  the  priest,  and  the  other  priests,  and  said  unto  them,  Why 
repair  ye  not  the  breaches  of  the  house  ?  now  therefore  receive  no  more  money 
of  your  acquaintance,  but  deliver  it  for  the  breaches  of  the  house. 

^And  the  priests  consented  to  receive  no  more  money  of  the  people,  neither 
to  repair  the  breaches  of  the  house.  ^  But  Jehoiada  the  priest  took  ^  a  chest, 
and  bored  a  hole  in  the  lid  of  it,  and  set  it  beside  the  altar,  on  the  right  side 
as  one  cometh  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  :  and  the  priests  that  kept  the  f  door 
put  therein  all  the  money  that  was  brought  into  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

^^And  it  was  so,  when  they  saw  that  there  was  much  money  in  the  chest, 
that  the  king's  ||  scribe  and  the  high  priest  came  up,  and  they  f  put  up  in  bags, 
and  told  the  money  that  was  found  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^  And  they  gave 
the  money,  being  told,  into  the  hands  of  them  that  did  the  work,  that  had  the 
oversight  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  :  and  they  f  laid  it  out  to  the  carpenters 
and  builders,  that  wi'ought  upon  the  house  of  the  Lord,  ^^And  to  masons, 
and  hewers  of  stone,  and  to  buy  timber  and  hewed  stone  to  repair  the  breaches 
of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  for  all  that  f  was  laid  out  for  the  house  to 
repair  it.  ^^  Howbeit '  there  were  not  made  for  the  house  of  the  Lord  bowls 
of  silver,  snuffers,  basons,  trumpets,  any  vessels  of  gold,  or  vessels  of  silver,  of 
the  money  that  ivas  brought  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  :  ^^  But  they  gave  that 
to  the  workmen,  and  repaired  therewith  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^  Moreover 
^  they  reckoned  not  with  the  men,  into  whose  hand  they  delivered  the  money 
to  be  bestowed  on  workmen  :  for  they  dealt  faithfully.  ^^ '  The  trespass  money 
and  sin  money  was  not  brought  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  :  ""  it  was  the 
priests'. 


Before 
CHRIST 

87S. 

85G. 
+  Heb.  in  the 
twentieth  year 
(ivd  third  year. 
f  2  Chron.  24.  5. 
g  2  Chron.  24.  6. 


h  2  Chron.  24.  8, 
&c. 


t  Heb.  threshhold. 


II  Or,  secretary. 
t  Heb.  bound  up. 


t  Heb.  brought  it 
forth. 


t  Heb.  went  forth. 


i  See  2  Chron.  24. 
14. 


k  ch.  22.  7. 


ILev.  5.  15,  18. 


m  Lev.  7.  7. 
Num.  18.  9. 


and  would  be  better  omitted.     The  sacred  historian  specifies 
three  sources  of  revenue  to  the  Temple  fabric,  viz. — 

(1)  the  money  of  evert/  one  that  fasseth  ;  that  is,  every 
one  tvho  is  numbered  in  the  annual  census  (see  2  Chron. 
xxiv.  5),  the  poll-tax  of  half  a  shekel  (see  Exod.  xxx.  13). 
Every  one  that  passeth  among  them  that  are  numbered  shall 
give  an  offering  (half  a  shekel)  to  the  Lord,  which  was  to  be 
applied  to  the  service  of  the  Lord's  house  (Exod.  xxx.  12 — 16. 
Cp.  2  Chron.  xxiv.  6.  9.    Matt.  xvii.  24). 

(2)  the  money  that  every  man  is  set  at; — the  redemption - 
money,  paid  by  him,  according  to  the  law  of  Lev.  xxvii,  1 — 13. 
Num.  xviii.  15,  16. 

(3)  Freewill-offerings. 

5.  of  his  acquaintance]  From  his  friend  {Targum,  Oesen. 
472).  The  Sept.  seems  to  have  read  mecer  (a  sale,  Oesen.  472), 
not  maccar  (a  friend).     See  also  v.  7.     Cp.  2  Chron.  xxiv.  5. 

lu  this  section  (vv.  5 — 16),  as  compared  with  2  Chron. 
xxiv.  4 — 14,  some  modern  critics  (especially  De  Wette)  have 
imagined  that  they  have  discovered  contradictions,  and  they 
have  alleged  that  the  narrative  of  the  Chronicles  is  tinged  with 
Levitical  partialities;  but  see  Keil,  Apol.  Vers.  pp.  371 — 373. 

It  may  be  observed,  that  the  writer  of  the  Chi'onicles  taxes 
the  Levites  -with  want  of  zeal  in  the  work.  "  The  Levites 
hastened  it  not "  (xxiv.  5 :  see  also  on  v.  9  here).  The  one 
account,  when  candidly  considered,  will  be  found  to  be  quite 
consistent  with  the  other,  and  supplementary  to  it. 

6.  had  not  repaired  the  breaches']  Made  by  Athaliah 
(2  Chron.  xxiv.  7). 

7.  deliver  if]  To  me.  The  king  undertook  the  restoration 
of  the  Temple,  in  the  place  of  the  Priests  :  see  vv.  8—10.  The 
royal  authority  was  more  effectually  applied  than  the  priestly, 
for  the  execution  of  the  work. 

9.  Jehoiada  the  priest  took  a  chest]  At  the  king's  command 
(2  Chron.  xxiv.  6—8). 
123 


—  the  priests — put  therein  all  the  money]  Therefore  the 
alteration  of  the  arrangement  for  the  collection  did  not  arise 
from  ariy  suspicion,  on  the  king's  part,  of  embezzlement  by  the 
priests,  as  some  have  imagined. 

10.  the  high  priest  came]  Either  in  person,  or  by  his  deputy 
(2  Chron.  xxiv.  11).  " 

—  they  put  up  in  bags]  Literally,  they  bound,  or  tied  up  : 
cp.  v.  23. 

13.  not  made — boiols  of  silver,  snuffers,  basons]  Cups, 
snuffers,  basons  for  sprinkling :  see  Gesen.  462.  But,  when 
the  repairs  of  the  Temple  had  been  completed,  these  were  pro- 
vided (2  Chron.  xxiv.  14.  Cp.  Movers,  p.  314;  Keil,  Chronik. 
p.  376;  and  Bertheau,  Chronik.  p.  365).  There^.is.  no  dis- 
crepancy (as  some  allege)  between  the  statements;  but,  as 
Michaelis  observes,  the  narrative  in  the  Chronicles  is  a  "  com- 
mentary on  the  other  in  the  Kings." 

16.  The  trespass  money]  As  to  the  trespass-money,  or  money 
(or  guilt  (Heb.  ashdm),  see  Lev.  v.  16.     Num.  v.  6  —  9. 

—  sin  money]  Money  for  sin  (Heb.  chattuih).  In  the 
Levitical  Law  we  do  not  find  any  mention  of  any  pecuniary 
offering  for  sin  (Lev.  iv.).  But  in  certain  sin-offerings  the 
flesh  of  the  victim  was  eaten  by  the  Priests  (Lev.  vi.  29,  30; 
vii.  7,  8 ;  X.  16,  17).  It  is  probable,  that  Israelites,  who  lived 
at  a  distance  from  Jerusalem,  gave  money  for  the  purchase  of 
victims  for  sin-offerings,  and  that  part  of  the  money  so  given 
was  assigned  to  the  Priests,  as  a  recompense  for  their  pains 
in  procuring  those  victims ;  or,  if  there  was  any  surplus  after 
the  purchase,  it  accrued  to  them  (Vatabl.,  Abul.). 

The  history  of  the  restoration  of  the  Temple  by  Joash  is 
instructive  to  later  ages,  as  showing  that  youthful  princes  may 
sometimes,  by  God's  blessing,  do  more  for  His  glory  than  aged 
Priests.  It  is  God's  wiU  that  "  kings  "  should  be  the  "  nursing 
fathers,  and  queens  the  nursing  mothers"  of  His  Church 
(Isa.  xlix.  23) ;  blessed  are  the  Rulers  who  duly  appreciate  the 
privilege  of  serving    Christ    by  promoting  her  weLftu-e;    and 


Joash  bribes  Hazael. 


2  KINGS  XII.  17—21.     XIII.  1. 


Joash  is  slain. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
840. 
n  ch.  8.  12. 
o  See  2  Chron. 
24.  23. 

p  1  Kings  1,5.  18. 
ch.  IS.  15,  l(j. 


t  Heb.  went  up. 


q  ch.  14.  5. 

2  Chron.  24.  25. 

8.39. 
II  Or,  Beth-millo. 

r  2  Chron.  24.  26, 
Zabad. 

II  Or,  Shimrith. 
839. 

s  2  Chron.  24.  27. 


856. 
+  Heb.  the 
twentieth  year 
and  third  year. 


^7  Then  "  Hazael  king  of  Syria  went  up,  and  fought  against  Gath,  and  took 
it :  and  °  Hazael  set  his  face  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem.  ^^  And  Jehoash  king  of 
Judah  Ptook  all  the  hallowed  things  that  Jehoshaphat,  and  Jehoram,  and 
Ahaziah,  his  fathers,  kings  of  Judah,  had  dedicated,  and  his  own  hallowed 
things,  and  all  the  gold  that  luas  found  in  the  treasures  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  and  in  the  king's  house,  and  sent  it  to  Hazael  king  of  Syria  :  and  he 
f  went  away  from  Jerusalem. 

^^  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Joash,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not  wiitten 
in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  ^^  And  '^  his  servants 
arose,  and  made  a  conspiracy,  and  slew  Joash  in  ||  the  house  of  Millo,  which 
goeth  down  to.Silla.  ^^  For  'Jozachar  the  son  of  Shimeath,  and  Jehozabad 
the  son  of  |[  Shomer,  his  servants,  smote  him,  and  he  died ;  and  they  buried 
him  with  his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David  :  and  '  Amaziah  his  son  reigned  in  his 
stead. 

XIII.  ^  In  t  the  three  and  twentieth  year  of  Joash  the  son  of  Ahaziah  king 
of  Judah  Jehoahaz  the  son  of  Jehu  began  to  reign  over  Israel  in  Samaria,  and 


glorious  will  be  their  reward  in  heaven,  if  they  persevere  in 
that  blessed  work  unto  the  end. 

The  Temple  was  built  by  a  youthful  king,  Solomon ;  it 
was  restored  by  two  youthful  kings,  Joash,  and  Josiah  (2  Chron. 
xxiv,  xxxiv.).  At  the  same  time,  be  it  remembered,  that 
Joash  the  king  did  what  he  did,  by  the  fatherly  counsel  of 
Jehoiada  the  Priest  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  2.  14).  "  The  counsel  of 
peace  was  between  them  both"  (Zech.  vi.  13);  and  we  have 
here  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  happy  results  of  the  union  of 
the  Civil  and  Ecclesiastical  Powers,  when  the  energy  and  vigour 
of  the  Royal  Authority  are  exerted  to  stimulate  the  Spiritualty, 
and  the  wisdom  and  sanctity  of  the  Spiritualty  are  employed 
in  consecrating  and  directing  the  counsels  of  the  Throne. 

17.  Then  Hazael — set  Ids  face  ta  go  up  to  Jerusaleni]  For 
the  moral  reasons  of  this  invasion,  namely,  the  idolatrous 
defection  of  Joash,  which  is  not  mentioned  here,  but  is  de- 
scribed in  the  Chronicles ;  and  for  the  unhappy  end  of  King 
Joash,  see  2  Chron.  xxiv.  15—25. 

The  one  narrative  states  the  punishment,  the  other  records 
also  the  sin  which  caused  it ;  and  the  one  illustrates  and  con- 
firms the  other,  and  both  tally  together. 

Hazael  was  appointed,  and  enabled  by  God  Himself  to 
be  the  executioner  of  His  judgments  on  the  rebellious  and 
idolatrous  kings  of  His  own  people  (1  Kings  xix.  15). 

—  Gatli]  ^Vliich  was  tributary  to  Israel  in  Solomon's  days 
(1  Kings  ii.  39  j  iv.  21),  and  had  been  fortified  by  King  Reho- 
boam  (2  Chron.  xi.  8). 

18.  Jehoash — tooJc  all  the  hallowed  things']  Thus  all  his  good 
work,  about  which  he  had  been  so  zealous  {v.  7),  was  marred  by 
his  sin.  Jehoash  propitiated  Hazael  for  a  time  by  these  presents. 
But,  because  he  did  not  repent,  although  he  was  warned  by  the 
prophets,  especially  by  Zechariah,  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  but  added 
sin  to  sin,  and  at  last  cruelly  murdered  Zechariah  (see  2  Chron. 
xxiv.  19 — 22),  therefore  God  sent  another  expedition  of  Syrians 
against  Jerusalem,  who  spoiled  the  city,  and  destroyed  the 
princes;  and  the  people  were  distressed  and  exasperated  by 
these  calamities,  and  his  own  servants  rose  against  King  Joash, 
and  slew  him.  Such  were  the  results  of  apostasy.  See  2  Chron. 
xxiv.  23-26. 

18.  Jehoram,  and  Ahaziah']  Although  Jehoram  was  son-inT 
law  of  Ahab,  and  Ahaziah  his  son  was  closely  connected  with 
that  idolatrous  house,  and  both  were  addicted  to  the  service  of 
Baal  (viii.  27.  2  Chron.  xxi.  6.  11 ;  xxii.  3),  yet,  probably  for 
political  reasons,  and  by  way  of  compromise,  they  would  occa- 
sionally make  offerings  to  the  Temple  of  Jehovah  (with  whose 
Name  their  own  names  were  connected),  just  as  Herod  the 
Great,  for  mere  secular  reasons,  enlarged  and  beautified  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem.    See  John  ii.  20.    Cp.  Uoolcer,  V.  xv.  2. 

20.  h'ls  servants  arose — and  slew  Joash]  on  his  bed.  See 
2  Chron.  xxiv.  25,  which  reveals  the  causes  that  led  to  the 
shameful  and  miserable  end  of  his  reign  and  life. 

—  Millo^  The  castle  on  Mount  Zion,  See  2  Sam.  v.  9. 
1  Kings  ix.  15. 

—  Silla']  a  town  near  Jerusalem  (Gesen.  587);  others  sup- 
pose it  to  have  the  same  meaning  as  meshilldh,  a  street. 

124 


21.  Jozachar  the  son  of  Shimeath]  In  the  hitherto  collated 
MSS.  of  2  Chron.  xxiv.  26  he  is  called  Zabad,  the  son  of 
Shimeath.  Zabad  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  an  error  of  the 
copyists  for  Zachar,  an  abbreviation  of  Jozachar,  or  he  may 
have  had  two  names,  as  many  of  the  Hebrews  had  (see  Glass., 
Phil.  Sacr.  p.  620;  Surenhus,  Bibl.  Catall.  pp.  91,  92).  Zabad 
signifies  a  gift  {Gesen.  237).  We  have  a  remarkable  example  of 
two  names  assigned  to  one  and  the  same  person,  in  the  principal 
agents  in  this  history;  Joash  is  also  called  Jehoash  ;  Jehosheba 
is  also  called  Jehoshabeath ;  and  Jehoiada  the  Priest  was  also 
called  Barachias.  See  below,  note  on  Matt,  xxiii.  35;  see  also 
the  next  note;  and  on  2  Chron.  xxiv.  21. 

—  Shomer]  called  Shimeath  in  2  Chron.  xxiv.  26.  These 
variations  of  names  (see  the  foregoing  note)  serve  the  important 
purpose  of  showing  the  independence  of  the  testimony  of  the 
Authors  of  the  Books  of  Kings  and  Chronicles ;  and  of  corro- 
borating their  testimony  as  to  the  facts  of  the  history  which 
they  narrate. 

—  theg  buried  him  with  his  fathers']  In  the  city  of  David, 
but  not  in  the  royal  tombs  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  25). 

—  Amaziah  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead]  An  evidence  of 
national  faith  in  the  divine  promise  to  David.  See  below,  on 
2  Chron.  xxiv.  27. 

Cn.  XIII.  1.  Tn  tlie  three  and  twentieth  year  of  Joash — 
Jehoahaz — seventeen  years']  How  is  this  to  be  reconciled  with 
other  statements  ? 

In  V.  10  it  is  said  that  Jehoash  the  son  of  Jehoahaz  began 
to  reign  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of  Joash,  king  of  Judah,  and 
reigned  sixteen  years.  How  then  could  Jehoahaz  have  become 
king  in  the  twenty -third  year  of  Joash,  and  have  reigned  seven- 
teen years  ? 

To  this  it  is  replied  by  several  of  the  Rabbis  (cp.  Ussher, 
ad  A.  M.  31763 ;  Lightfoot,  i.  90 ;  Budd,  Eccl.  Hist.  ii.  401) 
that  Jehoash  had  been  associated  with  his  father  Jehoahaz  in 
the  government  two  or  three  years  before  his  death.  It  is 
supposed  by  Lightfoot  that  the  same  was  the  case  with  Amaziah, 
and  he  was  associated  with  his  father  Joash  in  the  kingdom, 
because  his  father  was  disabled  by  disease  (2  Chron  xxxv.  25 ; 
and  see  here,  xiv.  1).  Others  suppose  that  for  twenty -third  year 
in  our  text  we  ought  to  read  twenty-second  (Keil).  Josephus 
(Ant.  ix.  8.  5)  reads  twenty-first.  Others  are  of  opinion  that 
in  V,  10  we  ought  to  read  thirty-nine  instead  of  thirty-seven, 
with  the  Aldine  edition  of  the  Sept.  (TFlner,  Thenius).  In  the 
latter  years  of  the  Kingdom  of  Israel  the  dates  of  the  acces- 
sion of  the  sovereigns  are  fiuctuating.  This  was  a  natural 
and  necessary  consequence  of  the  precarious  tenure  of  their 
rule.  It  often  happened,  by  reason  of  the  confusion  and  disso- 
lution of  their  polity,  that  it  was  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  a 
king  was  really  king  or  no  at  any  given  time.  No  wonder, 
therefore,  that  the  dates  are  variously  given.  The  circumstances 
of  the  case  -did  not  admit  of  certainty.  Compare  notes  below, 
XV.  1 ;  and  xv.  9.  30. 

Another  consideration  will  be  stated  below,  on  the  note  on 
xiv.  1,  which  will  account  for  some  seeming  discrepancies  in  the 
chi-onology  of  the  Kings  of  Israel. 


Elifiha,  ill  liis  sickness, 


2  KINGS  XIII.  2— IC. 


IS  visited  hy  King  Joash. 


reigned  sevente'en  years.  '^And  lie  did  that  ivliicli  loas  evil  in  tlie  sight  of  the 
Lord,  and  f  followed  the  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  which  made  Israel 
to  sin ;  he  departed  not  therefrom.  ^  And  *  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled 
against  Israel,  and  he  delivered  them  into  the  hand  of  ^  Hazael  king  of  Syria, 
and  into  the  hand  of  Ben-hadad  the  son  of  Hazael,  all  their  days.  ^  And 
Jehoahaz  *"  besought  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  hearkened  unto  him  :  for  ''  he 
saw  the  oppression  of  Israel,  because  the  king  of  Syria  oppressed  them. 
^  (*  And  the  Lord  gave  Israel  a  saviour,  so  that  they  went  out  from  under  the 
hand  of  the  Syrians :  and  the  children  of  Israel  dwelt  in  their  tents,  f  as  before- 
time.  ^  Nevertheless  they  departed  not  from  the  sins  of  the  house  of  Jero- 
boam, who  made  Israel  sin,  hut  f  walked  therein :  *"  and  there  f  remained  the 
grove  also  in  Samaria.)  7]s[either  did  he  leave  of  the  people  to  Jehoahaz  but 
fifty  horsemen,  and  ten  chariots,  and  ten  thousand  footmen ;  for  the  king  of 
Syria  had  destroyed  them,  ^  and  had  made  them  like  the  dust  by  threshing. 

^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jehoahaz,  and  all  that  he  did,  and  his  might, 
are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ? 
^  And  Jehoahaz  slept  with  his  fathers ;  and  they  buried  him  in  Samaria :  and 
II  Joash  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead  *. 

^^  In  the  thirty  and  seventh  year  of  Joash  king  of  Judah  began  ||  Jehoash  the 
son  of  Jehoahaz  to  reign  over  Israel  in  Samaria,  and  reigned  sixteen  years. 
^^  And  he  did  that  which  ivas  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord;  he  departed  not 
from  all  the  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  sin :  hut  he 
walked  therein.  ^^  ^  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Joash,  and  '  all  that  he  did, 
and  "  his  might  wherewith  he  fought  against  Amaziah  king  of  Judah,  are  they 
not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ?  ^^  And  Joash 
slept  with  his  fathers ;  and  Jeroboam  sat  upon  his  throne :  and  Joash  was  buried 
in  Samaria  with  the  kings  of  Israel. 

^^  Now  EHsha  was  fallen  sick  of  his  sickness  whereof  he  died.  And  Joash 
the  king  of  Israel  came  down  unto  him,  and  wept  over  his  face,  and  said,  0 
my  father,  my  father,  '  the  chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof.  ^^  And 
Ehsha  said  unto  him,  Take  bow  and  arrows.  And  he  took  unto  him  bow  and 
an-ows.     ^^  And  he  said  to  the  king  of  Israel,  f  Put  thine  hand  upon  the  bow. 


Before 
CHRIST 
856. 
t  lleb.  walked 
after. 

about 
849. 
a  Judg.  2.  14. 
b  ch.  8.  12. 
about 
842. 
c  Ps.  78.  34. 
d  Exod.  3.  7. 
ch.  14.  26. 


e  See  ver.  25.  St 
ch.  14.  25,  27. 
t  Heb.  as  yester- 
day, and  third 
day. 

t  Heb.  he 

walked. 

f  1  Kings  16.  33. 

t  Heb.  stocd. 


g  Amos  1.  3. 


II  ver.  10, 
Jehoash. 
*  Alone. 

841. 
i|  In  consort  with 
iiis  father, 
ch.  14.  1. 


h  ch.  14.  15. 

i  See  ver.  14.  & 

25. 

k  ch.  14.  9,  &c. 

2  Chron.  25.  17, 

&c. 

825. 


about 
839. 


1  ch.  2.  12. 


t  Heb.  Make 
thine  hand  to 
ride. 


3.  all  their  daj/s"]  Rather,  all  his  days.     See  vv.  22 — 25. 

5.  a  saviour^  supposed  by  some  to  be  an  angel ;  by  others, 
Eli.sha ;  by  others,  a  general  of  Jehoahaz  ;  by  others,  to  be  the 
Buceessor  of  Jehoahaz :  see  v.  25 ;  xiv.  27.  It  seems  to  have 
been  a  mere  temporaiy  deliverer,  in  the  days  of  Jehoahaz ;  who 
was  not  induced  by  God's  mercy  to  work  any  permanent  refor- 
mation (v.  6) ;  and  therefore  it  is  said  that  "  Hazael  oppressed 
Israel  all  the  days  of  Jehoahaz"  (v.  22).     The   interval  of 

"deliverance  was   so  short  that   it  did  not  affect  the  general 
character  of  his  reign. 

—  dwelt  in  their  tents']  Not  being  distui-bed  by  invasion. 

6.  the  grove']  The  asherah,  or  idol-pillar :  cp.  1  Kings  iv.  13. 

7.  by  threshing']  Cp.  Amos  i.  3.     Hab.  iii.  12. 

11.  he  did  that  which  was  evil]  Cp.  Joseph.,  ix.  8.  6,  who 
speaks  of  him  in  more  favourable  terms,  perhaps  on  account  of 
his  language  to  Elisha  (v.  14). 

14.  Elisha  was  fallen  sick — die(T]  A  contrast  between  him 
and  Elijah  :  we  never  hear  of  Elijah  as  sick ;  and  he  did  not  die. 
Elijah  taken  up  into  heaven  and  followed  by  Elisha,  prefigured, 
in  this,  as  in  other  respects,  Christ  ascending  into  heaven  and 
followed  by  His  Apostles.  They  were  taken  away  by  death ; 
but  "  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  for 
ever"  (Heb.  xiii.  8). 

The  King's  Faith  is  Teied  by  Elisha. 

—  O  my  father,  my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel,  and  the 
horsemen  thereof]  The  King  addresses  Elisha,  now  about  to 

125 


depart  this  life,  in  the  same  words  which  Elisha  had  used  in 
speaking  of  Elijah  at  his  assumption  into  heaven.   See  on  ii.  12. 

Israel  and  its  king  had  been  deprived  by  Syria  of  chariots 
and  horses  (see  v.  7),  but  in  the  prophet  Elisha  they  had  spiritual 
strength ;  they  had  the  chariots  and  horses  of  God's  protection, 
which  had  made  itself  visible  in  "  the  chariots  and  horses  of  fire 
round  about  Ehsha"  at  Dothan  (vi.  17),  when  he  was  be- 
leaguered by  the  chariots  and  horses  of  Syria, — that  same  hostile 
power  which  now  affficted  Israel  and  Judah. 

Joash,  the  king  of  Israel,  had  therefore  some  faith ;  but  it 
was  a  feeble  faith,  and  it  was  recompensed  accordingly.  His  words 
were  good ;  his  tears  were  pious ;  but  his  acts  were  not  so.  His 
outward  kindness  received  an  outward  recompense  {Bp.  HalT), 

By  the  act  which  is  now  to  be  related,  the  prophet  Elisha 
designed  to  show  to  the  king,  that  the  Lord's  power  to  protect 
him  and  his  people  would  not  be  impaired  by  Elisha's  own  death, 
but  that,  if  he  had  faith,  it  would  continue  to  work  for  Israel. 

16.  Put  thine  hand  upon  the  how]  Literally,  maJce  it  to  ride  on 
the  boio.  Thou  hast  spoken  to  me  of  chariots  and  horses;  thou 
hast  called  me  by  that  name.  Thou  weepest  over  me,  now 
about  to  depart.  "  Some  put  their  trust  in  chariots,  and  some 
in  horses,  but  we  will  remember  the  Name  of  the  Lord  our 
God"  (Ps.  XX.  7).  He  rides  on  the  heavens  as  a  horse  (Ps. 
Lxviii.  4).  He  has  a  bow  in  His  hand,  and  maketh  His  arrows 
ready  against  the  persecutors  (Ps.  vii.  14;  xlv.  6;  Ixiv.  7). 
And  if  thou  hast  faith,  this  bow,  the  bow  of  the  Lord,  may 
become  like  "  chariots  and  horses  "  to  thee.    Therefore  take  it, 


The  King's  lack  of  faith.    2  KINGS  XIII.   17 — 21.  yi  dead  man  revived  hy  ElishcCs  hones. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
839. 


And  he  put  his  hand  upon  it :  and  EHsha  put  his  hands  upon  the  king's  hands. 
^'^  And  he  said,  Open  the  window  eastward.  And  he  opened  it.  Then  Ehsha 
said,  Shoot.  And  he  shot.  And  he  said,  The  arrow  of  the  Loed's  dehver- 
ance,  and  the  arrow  of  dehverance  from  Syria  :  for  thou  shalt  smite  the  Syrians 

ml  Kings  20. 2;.  iu  "Aphek,  till  thou  have  consumed  them.  ^^And  he  said.  Take  the  arrows. 
And  he  took  them.  And  he  said  unto  the  king  of  Israel,  Smite  upon  the 
ground.  And  he  smote  thrice,  and  stayed.  ^^  And  the  man  of  God  was  wroth 
with  him,  and  said,  Thou  shouldest  have  smitten  five  or  six  times  ;  then  hadst 

nver.  25.  thou  smitteu  Syria  till  thou  hadst  consumed  it :  "whereas  now  thou  shalt  smite 

Syria  hut  thrice. 
about  20  ^T^^  Elisha  died,  and  they  buried  him.     And  the  bands  of  the  Moabites 

invaded  the  land  at  the  coming  in  of  the  year.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they 
were  burying  a  man,  that,  behold,  they  spied  a  band  of  men ;  and  they  cast  the 
man  into  the  sepulchre  of  Elisha :  and  when  the  man  f  was  let  down,  and 
touched  the  bones  of  Elisha,  he  revived,  and  stood  up  on  his  feet. 


\  Heb.  went 
flown. 


and  let  thine  hand  ride  upon  it,  and  make  the  arrows  to  go 
forth  from  it  against  the  enemies  of  Israel. 

—  he  put  his  hand~\  Literally,  he  made  his  hand  to  ride. 

—  Elisha  put  his  hands']  to  signify,  that,  if  Joash  had  faith, 
the  Lord,  Whose  minister  Elisha  was,  would  strengthen  and 
direct  the  king's  hands.  The  king  would  be  able  to  say  with  the 
royal  Psalmist,  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  my  strength,  who  teacheth 
my  hands  to  war  and  my  fingers  to  fight "  (Ps.  cxliv.  1). 

17.  eastward]  Toward  Syria  and  GUead,  which  they  had 
occupied  (x.  33). 

—  he  said,  The  arrotv  of  the  Loed's  deliverance']  Elisha 
disclaims  the  honour  which  the  king  had  proffered  to  him 
(v.  14),  and  ascribes  it  all  to  the  Lord.  I  die,  but  the  Lord 
liveth ;  and  if  thou  hast  fiiith  in  Him,  He  will  deliver  Israel 
from  Syria,  aiid  rout  thy  enemies. 

This  history  has  also  a  spiritual  significance  for  all  Chris- 
tians, especially  for  Christian  Preachers.  We  put  our  hands  on 
the  bow  (to  use  the  words  of  Angelomus,  slightly  modified)  when 
we  take  the  Word  of  God  into  our  hands,  and  we  discharge  arrows 
from  the  bow,  when  we  send  forth  the  missiles  of  that  Word 
against  the  enemies  of  our  faith.  Christ  Himself  deigns  to  put 
His  hand  upon  our  hand,  in  order  that  we  may  draw  the  bow 
aright.  He  is  the  Divine  Conqueror,  riding  on  the  horse  of 
Victory,  and  holding  His  bow  in  His  hand  (see  Ps.  xlv.  5,  6 ; 
and  Rev.  vi.  2),  He  makes  our  hand  to  ride  on  the  how,  and 
strengthens  us  in  our  work.  But  we  must  shoot  forth  His 
arrows  boldly;  we  must  do  our  part  with  faith,  earnestness, 
energy,  and  perseverance,  if  we  are  to  have  a  blessing  from  Him. 
- —  Aphek]  See  1  Kings  xx.  26. 

18.  Smite  upon  the  ground]  Shoot  thine  arrow  dowTiwards 
to  the  earth,  in  token  of  the  subjection,  prostration,  and  de- 
struction of  the  Syrians,  which  will  be  effected  by  God,  working 
together  with  thy  faith. 

As  the  King  of  Israel  was  commanded  by  Elisha  to  smite 
on  the  earth,  so  the  Christian  believer,  and  especially  the  Chris- 
tian preacher,  must  aim  his  shafts  agaiast  earthly  and  carnal 
things  {Angelomus). 

The  verb  here  used  is  the  hiphil  of  ndcah,  to  strike  (cp.  ico, 
neco,  noceo,  knock,  veKphs,  Gesen.  549),  and  is  applied  to  the 
smiting  with  missiles  (1  Sam.  xviii.  11 ;  xix.  10.  1  Kings  xxii. 
34.     2  Kings  iii.  25 ;  ix.  24). 

19.  Thou  shouldest  have  smitten]  Thou  shouldest  have  dis- 
charged all  thine  arrows,  till  thou  hadst  emptied  thy  quiver,  and 
thou  wouldest  have  done  so,  if  thy  faith  had  not  been  feeble. 
Syria  deserved  such  chastisement  as  this  for  its  cruelty.  See 
atjove,  viii.  12. 

20.  Elisha  died]  He  had  been  called  to  the  prophetic  ofiice 
by  Elijah  in  the  days  of  Ahab  (1  Kings  xix.  19)  ;  and  from  the 
death  of  Ahab  to  the  accession  of  Joash  were  forty-one  years. 
His  prophetic  ministry  seems  to  have  lasted  fifty  years. 

—  they  buried  him]  At  Samaria,  says  S.  Jerome  (in  Abdiam. 
and  Epitaph.  Paulfc). 

—  at  the  coming  in  of  the  year']  As  the  spring  of  the  year 
came  round,  the  invading  army  of  the  Moabites  appeared  (cp. 
2  Sam.  xi.  1) ;  probably  the  next  sprmg  after  EHsha's  death. 
They  had  been  exasperated  by  the  cruelty  of  Israel,  related  in 
iii.  24—27. 

21.  thet/  cast  the  man]  In  fear  of  the  invaders;  they  did  not 
126 


make  a  grave  for  him,  but  they  hastily  laid  the  corpse  in  the 
grave, — probably  lately  made,  and  easily  opened, — of  Elisha. 
Josephus  afiirms  (ix.  8.  6)  that  Elisha  had  been  buried  with 
great  solemnity  and  honour. 

—  and  lohen  the  man  was  let  doion,  and  touched]  Rather, 
and  the  man  came,  and  touched,  as  the  Sept.  rightly  renders  it. 
The  corpse  was  not  enclosed  in  a  coffin,  but  only  wrapt  in  linen 
cloths  (John  xi.  44;  xix.  40),  so  that  it  would  easily  come  in 
contact  with  another  body,  already  laid  there. 

The  Retitai  of  a  Dead  Mak,  when  totjchino  the 
BONES  OP  Elisha. 

—  he  revived,  and  stood  up  on  his  feet]  Why  was  this  miracle 
wrought  ?  and  what  did  it  teach  ? 

(1)  The  time  in  which  it  was  wrought,  was  a  time  of  national 
distress.  Israel  was  invaded  by  Moab  :  the  Israelites  tied  before 
their  enemies ;  and  had  not  time  to  biu-y  their  dead.  At  this 
crisis,  a  dead  man,  whose  corpse  is  cast  hastily  into  the  grave  of 
Elisha,  and  touches  his  bones,  is  revived  and  stands  on  his  feet. 
God  raised  the  dead  man  to  life  by  means  of  the  bones  of  the 
prophet ;  and  thus  he  showed,  that  though  the  people  of  Israel 
were  now  nationally  dead  like  this  man,  yet  if  they  had  faith  in 
Him,  He  would  revive  them,  and  they  would  stand  again  on 
their  feet.  Thus,  as  Ben-sirach  says,  "  After  the  death  of  Elisha, 
his  body  prophesied ;  he  did  wonders  in  his  life,  and  at  his 
death  his  works  were  marvellous"  (Ecclus.  xlviii.  13,  14). 

(2)  He  prophesied  also  after  his  death  in  another  respect. 
By  the  Levitical  Law,  Death  was  the  cause  of  pollution  (see 
above,  on  Lev.  x.  6,  7),  and  whoever  touched  a  dead  body  was 
unclean  seven  days  (Num.  xix.  14).  The  body  of  Moses,  the 
giver  of  the  Law,  was  buried  by  the  All-holy  One  Himself;  and 
thus  God  had  declared  that  the  bodies  of  His  Saints  are  holy, 
and  that  the  enactments  of  the  Ceremonial  Law  were  only 
provisional  (see  above,  on  Dent,  xxxiv.  6),  for  "the  time  then 
present,"  and  to  continue  only  to  "  the  time  of  reformation  " 
(Heb.  ix.  9,  10).  That  reformation  was  wrought  by  Christ,  Wlio 
overcame  Death  by  dying,  and  swallowed  up  Death  in  victory 
(Isa.  XXV.  8).  And  then  God,  Who  gave  life  to  the  dead  by 
means  of  the  bones  of  Elisha,  proclaimed  the  same  truth  in  still 
clearer  terms  by  om*  Divine  EUsha  (God  the  Satioue)  to  His 
people  Israel. 

When  Israel  was  discomfited  by  Moab,  God,  by  means  of 
the  death  and  burial  of  Elisha,  raised  the  dead  Israelite  to  life. 
And  when  all  Mankind  was  "iu  fear  of  bondage"  from  its 
spiritual  Moabites,  Sin,  Satan,  and  Death,  Christ,  "by  means  of 
Death,  destroyed  him  that  had  the  power  of  it,  that  is,  the 
Devil"  (Heb.  ii.  14,  15).  By  the  Death  and  Burial  of  Jesus 
Christ,  Who  is  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life,  the  Grave  has 
become  to  all  true  Israelites  the  gate  to  a  blessed  Immortality. 

Whoever  touches  by  faith  the  Death  of  Chi-ist,  that  is, 
firmly  believes  in  its  efficacy,  and  places  his  hope  in  that  Death, 
without  doubt  will  become  partaker  of  His  Resurrection.  When 
we  are  buried  in  the  grave  of  sin,  then  the  touch  of  the  Prophets 
applying  unto  us  the  Death  and  Resurrection  of  the  Son  of  God, 
wdl  put  new  life  into  us  {Angelomus,  Bp.  Hall). 

(3)  Elisha,  who  succeeded  Elijah  after  his  assumption  into 
heaven,  and  worked  miracles  by  the  power  of  God,  is  specially  a 
figui-e  of  the  presence  and  power  of  Christ  in  the  Apostles,  who 


AmnziaU  King  of  Judah ;  2  KINGS  XIII.  22—25.     XIV.  1—7. 


his  victories. 


^■■^Biit  "Hazael  king  of  Syria  oppressed  Israel  all  the  days  of  Jehoahaz. 
^^^Aud  the  LoED  was  gracious  unto  them,  and  had  compassion  on  them,  and 
''had  respect  unto  them,  'because  of  his  covenant  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  and  would  not  destroy  them,  neither  cast  he  them  from  his  f  presence 
as  3'et.  ^•^  So  Hazael  king  of  Syria  died ;  and  Ben-hadad  his  son  reigned  in 
his  stead.  ^^  And  Jehoash  the  son  of  Jehoahaz  f  took  again  out  of  the  hand 
of  Ben-hadad  the  son  of  Hazael  the  cities,  which  he  had  taken  out  of  the  hand 
of  Jehoahaz  his  father  by  war.  '  Three  times  did  Joash  beat  him,  and  reco- 
vered the  cities  of  Israel. 

XIV.  ^  In  ''  the  second  year  of  Joash  son  of  Jehoahaz  king  of  Israel  reigned 
^  Amaziah  the  son  of  Joash  king  of  Judah.  ^  He  was  twenty  and  five  years 
old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  reigned  twenty  and  nine  years  in  Jerusalem. 
And  his  mother's  nanie  ivas  Jehoaddan  of  Jerusalem.  ^And  he  did  that  which 
was  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Loed,  yet  not  like  David  his  father:  he  did 
according  to  all  things  as  Joash  his  father  did.  ^ ""  Howbeit  the  high  places 
were  not  taken  away :  as  yet  the  people  did  sacrifice  and  burnt  incense  on  the 
high  places.  ^  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  soon  as  the  kingdom  was  confirmed  in 
his  hand,  that  he  slew  his  servants  "^wliich  had  slain  the  king  his  father.  ^But 
the  children  of  the  murderers  he  slew  not :  according  unto  that  which  is 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses,  wherein  the  Loed  commanded,  saying, 
'  The  fathers  shall  not  be  put  to  death  for  the  children,  nor  the  children  be  put 
to  death  for  the  fathers  ;  but  every  man  shall  be  put  to  death  for  his  own  sin. 
^  ""He  slew  of  Edom  in  Hhe  valley  of  salt  ten  thousand,  and  took  ||  Selah  by 
war,  ''  and  called  the  name  of  it  Joktheel  unto  this  day. 

II  Or,  The  rocfc. 


Before 
CHRIST 

al)out 
833. 
o  ch.  8.  12. 
p  ch.  14.  27. 
q  Exod.  2.24,25. 
r  Exod.  32.  13. 
t  Heb.  face. 

about 
831). 
t  Heb.  relurjied 
and  loitk. 

about 
S3C. 
s  ver.  18,  19. 


839. 
ach.  13.  10. 
b  2  Chron.  25.  1. 


e  Deut.  24.  16. 
Ezek.  18.  4,  20, 


about 
827. 
f  2  Chron.  25.  U. 
g  2  Sam.  8.  13. 
Ps.  Gil,  title, 
h  Josh.  15.  38. 


worked  miracles  after  His  Ascension.  And  as  God  worked  by 
Elisba  after  bis  deatb  and  in  bis  grave,  and  restored  tbe  dead 
to  life  by  means  of  bis  bones,  in  days  of  national  distress,  so 
in  the  worst  times  God  quickened,  and  still  quickens,  tbe 
spiritually  dead,  by  means  of  tbe  boly  Apostles  and  primitive 
Saints,  after  tbeir  deatb  and  by  tbeir  deatb.  "  Tbe  blood  of 
tlie  Martyrs  was  tbe  seed  of  tbe  Cburcb  "  (see  below,  on  Acts 
viii.  1 — 4).  Tbe  Apostles  and  Evangelists  being  dead  yet  speak 
to  all  tbe  world  in  tbe  Gospels  and  Epistles  of  tbe  New  Testa- 
ment (Heb.  xi.  4),  and  by  tbe  Word  of  God  in  tbem  tbey 
i-aise  souls  to  life  eternal ;  and  tbe  remembrance  of  tbe  faitb, 
courage,  and  sufierings  of  tbe  Saints  exercises  a  vivifying  power 
on  tbe  dead  bones  of  every  age,  in  tbe  worst  days  of  national 
degeneracy,  and  in  tbe  darkest  bours  of  tbe  Cburcb's  distress. 

God  wrougbt  by  the  bones  of  Babylas  at  Antioch 
{Chrys.),  and  of  Gervasius  and  Protasius  at  Milan,  in  evil 
days  (Ambrose). 

Ch.  XIV.  1.  In  the  second  year  oJ[  Joash"]  According  to 
xiii.  10,  Joash,  King  of  Israel,  began  to  reign  in  the  thirty- 
seventh  year  of  Joa.sh,  King  of  Judah.  Amaziah's  accession 
would  have  been  in  the  second  year  of  Joash,  King  of  Israel, 
if  Joash,  tbe  father  of  Amaziah,  had  reigned  only  thirty-nine 
years.  But  bis  reign  is  stated  at  forty  years  (xii.  1).  Some 
chronologers  account  for  this  by  means  of  a  co-regency  (see 
on  xiii.  1) ;  but  this  is  not  necessary.  For  tbe  sacred  historian 
dates  his  years  from  Nisan,  and  reckons  current  years  as  com- 
plete years  (cp.  Keil,  Kommentar,  p.  139 — 142) ;  and  if  Joash 
came  to  the  throne  a  little  before  Nisan,  and  died  a  little  after 
Nisan,  bis  reign,  though  not  much  more  than  thirty-eight 
years,  would  be  counted  as  forty  years. 

3.  as  Joash  his  father']  That  is,  he  began  well,  and  ended 
ill :  cp.  2  Chron.  xxv.  2.  14. 

4.  Howbeit  the  high  places]  See  1  Kings  xv.  14. 

6.  the  children  of  the  murderers  he  sleio  not :  according 
itnfo  that  which  is  tcritten  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses] 
Here  is  a  practical  testimony  to  the  existence  and  influence  of 
Deuteronomy  (Deut.  xxiv.  16),  which  some  modern  critics 
ascribe  to  an  age  later  than  Amaziah.  See  above.  Introduction 
to  Deuteronomy,  p.  195.     Cp.  SavernicJc,  Eiuleit.  i.  596. 

7.  He  slew  of  Edom]  The  nai-rative  of  the  Chronicles  comes 

127 


in  very  happily  here,  to  supply  additional  particulars,  and  to 
explain  tbe  circumstances  related  here  in  this  history  of  the 
kings.  For  instance,  the  victory  gained  by  Amaziah,  and  the 
name  given  by  him  to  Selah  (viz.  JoJctheel,  see  here),  are  illus- 
trated by  the  account  in  the  Chronicles  of  his  exemplary  re- 
pentance, lively  faith,  and  prompt  obedience,  and  noble  sacrifice 
of  worldly  considerations,  in  consequence  of  the  word  of  God 
speaking  to  him  by  the  projDbet :  see  2  Chron.  xxv.  5 — 11. 

—  valley  of  salt]  On  the  south  of  the  Dead  Sea.  See 
2  Sam.  viii.  13.    Robinson,  ii.  483. 

—  Selah]  Heb.  the  Selah,  i.  e.  the  Bock,  Petra,  the  chief 
city  of  Edom,  in  the  valley,  called  by  the  Crusaders  the  "  Vale 
of  Moses,"  and  now  called  Wady-Musa,  between  the  Dead 
Sea  and  the  yElanitic  Gulf  {Burckh.  ii.  703;  Oesen.  689; 
Robinson,  n.  512-538.  573—580.  653-659;  Stanley,  Pales- 
tine,  95;  Sayman,  B.  D.  ii.  1191),  about  sixty-fom-  geogra- 
phical miles  from  the  latter,  and  forty-five  from  tbe  former, 
and  east  of  Mount  Hor,  where  Aaron  died.  The  city  is  situated 
on  an  eminence  in  a  hollow,  shut  in  by  mountain  clifls,  and 
approachable  only  by  a  narrow  ravine,  through  which  a  river 
{Sik)  winds  its  way.  Its  former  glory  is  attested  by  the  ruins 
of  the  magnificent  Khuzneh  (or  treasure),  as  it  is  called  by  the 
Arabs,  a  theatre,  a  naumacbia,  bridges,  a  triumphal  arch,  and 
many  columnar  tombs,  hewn  in  tbe  rocks  of  red  sand-stone, 
with  niches,  once  occupied  by  busts  and  statues.  These  are 
principally  in  a  Greek  or  Eoman  style  of  architecture :  some 
few  seem  to  be  Egyptian  {Robinson,  ii.  531). 

—  Joktheel]  Subdued  by  God  {Gesen.  364),— an  evidence 
of  Amaziah's  pious  gratitude,  ascribing  bis  conquests  to  God. 
See  the  foregoing  note  on  the  supplementary  use  of  the 
narrative  of  the  Chronicles  here.  Observe  that  the  history  of 
the  Chronicles  gives  an  account  of  the  trust,  obedience,  and 
self-devotion  of  the  King  before  the  battle ;  and  that  of  the 
Kings  supplies  this  incident  concerning  the  name  Joktheel, 
given  by  Amaziah  after  the  victory.  Both  narratives  are  har- 
monious ;  and  the  one  illustrates  the  other. 

Amaziah,  having  conquered  and  taken  Selah,  tbe  capital 
of  Edom,  called  it  Joktheel,  i.  e.  conquered  by  God.  He  did 
not  attribute  the  conquest  to  his  own  arms,  but  to  God's_  aid. 
Here  he  is  exemplary  to  us.  The  Selahs  of  our  spiritual 
Edonis  will  become  Joktheels,  if  we  go  forth  in  faith,  and 


Amaziah's  vainglory. 


2  KINGS  XIV.  8—19. 


He  is  slain  hy  his  servants. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

826. 
Joseph.  Ant.  IX. 
i  2  Chron.  25.  17, 
18,  &c. 

k  See  Judg.  9.  8. 
1  1  Kings  4.  33. 


Ill  Deut.  8   H. 
2  Chron.  32.  25, 
Ezek.  28.  2,  5,17. 
Hab.  2.  4. 
t  Heb.  at  thy 
house. 


n  Josh.  19.  J 
21.  16. 
t  Heb.  was 
smitten. 


o  Neh.  8.  16.  & 
12.  39. 

p  Jer.  31.  38. 
Zech.  14.  10. 
q  1  Kings  7.  51. 

about 

825. 

r  ch.  13.  12. 


s  2  Chron.  25.  25, 


t  2  Chron.  25.  27. 


u  Josh.  10.  31. 
Sib. 


^ '  Then  Amaziali  sent  messengers  to  Jehoash,  the  son  of  Jehoahaz  son  of 
Jehn,  king  of  Israel,  saying,  Come,  let  ns  look  one  another  in  the  face.  ^  And 
Jehoash  the  king  of  Israel  sent  to  Amaziah  king  of  Judah,  saying,  "^  The  thistle 
that  was  in  Lebanon  sent  to  the  '  cedar  that  ivas  in  Lebanon,  saying,  Give  thy 
daughter  to  my  son  to  wife :  and  there  passed  by  a  wild  beast  that  ivas  in 
Lebanon,  and  trode  down  the  thistle.  ^^  Thou  hast  indeed  smitten  Edom,  and 
™  thine  heart  hath  lifted  thee  up  :  glory  of  this,  and  tarry  f  at  home  :  for  why 
shouldest  thou  meddle  to  thy  hurt,  that  thou  shouldest  fall,  even  thou,  and 
Judah  with  thee  ?  ^^  But  Amaziah  would  not  hear.  Therefore  Jehoash  king 
of  Israel  went  up  ;  and  he  and  Amaziah  king  of  Judah  looked  one  another  in 
the  face  at "  Beth-shemesh,  which  helongeth  to  Judah.  ^-  And  Judah  f  was  put 
to  the  worse  before  Israel ;  and  they  fled  every  man  to  their  tents.  ^^  And 
Jehoash  king  of  Israel  took  Amaziah  king  of  Judah,  the  son  of  Jehoash  the 
son  of  Ahaziah,  at  Beth-shemesh,  and  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  brake  down  the 
wall  of  Jerusalem  from  °  the  gate  of  Ephraim  unto  ^  the  comer  gate,  four  hun- 
dred cubits.  ^^  And  he  took  aU  '^  the  gold  and  silver,  and  all  the  vessels  that 
were  found  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  treasures  of  the  king's  house, 
and  hostages,  and  returned  to  Samaria.  ^^ '  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jehoash 
which  he  did,  and  his  might,  and  how  he  fought  with  Amaziah  king  of  Judah, 
are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ?  ^^  And 
Jehoash  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  in  Samaria  with  the  kings  of 
Israel ;  and  Jeroboam  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead* 

^^ '  And  Amaziah  the  son  of  Joash  king  of  Judah  lived  after  the  death  of 
Jehoash  son  of  Jehoahaz  king  of  Israel  fifteen  years.  ^^  And  the  rest  of  the 
acts  of  Amaziah,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings 
of  Judah  ?  ^^  Now  '  they  made  a  conspiracy  against  him  in  Jerusalem  :  and 
he  fled  to  **  Lachish  ;  but  they  sent  after  him  to  Lachish,  and  slew  him  there. 


praise  Him  for  our  victories.  The  same  name  had  been  given 
to  a  city  of  Canaan  (perhaps  by  Joshua,  xv.  38),  in  the  tribe  of 
Judah ;  and  the  remembrance  of  that  name  may  have  induced 
Amaziah  to  adopt  it,  and  give  it  to  Selah. 

8.  Amaziah  sent  messengers']  Amaziah,  after  his  victory 
over  Elam,  was  elated  by  pride  (v.  10),  and  lapsed  into 
idolatry,  and  God  made  his  arrogant  challenge  of  Israel  to  be 
the  occasion  of  his  chastisement :  compare  2  Chron.  xxv. 
14—24. 

—  let  us  look  one  another  in  the  face]  On  the  field  of 
battle. 

9.  The  thistle']  Rather  a  thorn,  or  hriar  {Gesen.  264).  The 
original  word  {chSvacIi)  is  rendered  thorn  in  our  Version,  in 
2  Chron.  xxxiii.  11,  Job  xli.  2.  Prov.  xxvi.  9.  Cant.  ii.  2. 
Hos.  ix.  6 ;  and  bramlle,  Isa.  xxxiv.  13.  For  a  similar  parable, 
see  Judg.  ix.  8. 

10.  ivkt/  shouldest  thou  meddle  to  thy  hurt]  Rather,  whi/ 
shouldest  thou  meddle  with  mischief  1  Wliy  shouldest  thou 
hurt  thyself?  (Tarc/um.) 

11.  Beth-shemesh)  Literally,  7iOMje  o/ ^7i!e  (Smm,  on  the  frontier 
of  Judah  and  Dan  (Josh.  xv.  10),  now  Ain-Shems,  about  fifteen 
miles  south-west  of  Jerusalem.  It  was  a  city  of  refuge,  and 
a  city  of  the  Priests  (Josh.  xxi.  9. 13.  16).  God's  mercy  and 
power  had  been  shown  there  of  old  (1  Sam.  vi.  12) ;  but  now 
Judah  had  angered  Him  by  idolatry;  and  Beth-shemesh 
became  a  scene  of  sorrow  to  Judah ;  and  the  defeat  there  led 
to  more  misery  at  Jerusalem  {v.  13). 

13,  from  the  gate  of  Ephraim]  Perhaps  the  same  as  the 
gate  of  Benjamin  (Jer.  xxxvii.  13.  Zech.  xiv.  10),  at  the 
northern  wall  of  Jerusalem  (Neh.  viii.  16 ;  xii.  39,  B.  D.  i. 
986.     Cp.  Winer,  i.  548 ;  Eobinson,  i.  473). 

—  the  corner  gate]  Probably  at  the  north-western  corner 
of  the  same  wall.     See  Jer.  xxxi.  38.     Zech.  xiv.  10. 

It  does  not  seem  to  be  clearly  ascertained  whether  these 
were  gates  in  the  wall    of  the  lower  city   (as  Thenius   and 
Mobinson  suppose),  or  in  Ziou,  as  is  the  opinion  of  Keil,  and 
128 


others,  who  suppose  that  the  wall  of  the  lower  city  was  first 
built  by  Hezekiah  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  5.  Cp.  Krafft,  Topog.  v. 
Jerus.  p.  117), 

Robinson  (i.  472)  says,  that  "all  the  accounts  of  the  Old 
Testament  relate  to  the  city  as  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
second  wall  of  Josephus.  There  is  no  allusion  to  any  of  the 
gates  of  the  subsequent  third  wall ;"  and  he  supposes  that  the 
gate  of  Ephraim  or  Benjamin  was  not  far  from  the  present 
"  Damascus  gate,"  to  the  north  of  Acra,  and  north-west  of 
Bezetha  (i,  473). 

14.  all  the  vessels — in  the  house  of  the  Loed]  The  first 
robbery  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  was  by  a  king  of  Israel : 
cp.  note  on  vv.  15,  16. 

—  hostages]  Literally,  sons  of  surety/  (Oesen.  651.  671)  ; 
pledges  that  Amaziah  would  not  renew  hostilities  against 
Israel, 

15,  16.  Noiv — stead]  Here  is  a  recapitulation  of  what  had 
been  said  in  xiii.  12,  13.  In  this  notice  the  name  of  the  king 
is  Jehoash,  as  throughout  this  narrative  (vv.  8 — 17).  In  that 
other  record  it  is  sometimes  Joash,  but  not  throughout.  In 
V.  10,  he  is  called  Jehoash,  perhaps  because  the  king  of  Judah, 
called  Joash,  is  mentioned  in  the  same  verse. 

There  does  not  seem  to  be  any  reason  for  the  hypothesis 
of  difierence  of  authorship,  on  the  ground  of  this  variety. 
This  second  notice  was  inserted  here,  in  order  to  remind  the 
reader  that  Amaziah,  the  King  of  Judah,  survived  Joash,  King 
of  Israel;  that  after  his  disastei-s  he  had,  by  God's  mercy, 
had  a  reprieve  given  him  for  repentance ;  and  that  Joash  did 
not  long  outlive  his  sacrilegious  spoliation  of  the  Temple 
{v.  14). 

19.  they  made  a  conspiracy]  The  reason  of  which  is  stated 
in  2  Chron.  xxv.  27,  God  withdrew  from  the  king  the  love  of 
his  subjects,  because  the  king  had  withdrawTi  his  own  obedience 
from  God. 

—  Lachish']  About  thirty -five  miles  south-west  of  Jerusalem, 
and  seventeen  north-east  of  Gaza,  now  Um  Lalchis  (Josh.  x.  3). 


Azariah. 


2  KINGS  XIV.  20—29.     XV.  1,  2. 


Jcrohoam. 


Before 

CHRIST 

810. 


X  ch.  15.  13.  & 
2  Chron.  26.  1, 


yell.  16.  6. 
2  Chron.  26.  2. 


825. 
Now  he  begins 


^^  And  they  brought  him  on  horses :  and  he  was  buried  at  Jerusalem  with  his 
fathers  in  the  city  of  David. 

^^  And  all  the  people  of  Judah  took  "  Azariah,  which  ivas  sixteen  years  old, 
and  made  him  king  instead  of  his  father  Amaziah.     ^2  jjg  j^^^ji^  y  Elath,  and  "uzziah^}^^ 
restored  it  to  Jndah,  after  that  the  king  slept  with  his  fathers. 

23  In  the  fifteenth  year  of  Amaziah  the  son  of  Joash  king  of  Judah  Jeroboam 
the  son  of  Joash  king  of  Israel  began  to  reign  in  Samaria,  a7Kl  reigned  forty  ^o  reign  aione. 
and  one  years.     ^^  And  he  did  that  ivliieh  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  :  he 
departed  not  from  all  the  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel 
to  sin.     -^  He  restored  the  coast  of  Israel  ^from  the  entering  of  Hamath  unto  z^Num.  13.21.  & 
^the  sea  of  the  plain,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  which  aDeut.3.  ir. 
he  spake  by  the  hand  of  his  servant  *"  Jonah,  the  son  of  Amittai,  the  prophet,  ^i^riV'sg^o 
which  was  of "  Gath-hepher.     ^^  For  the  Lord  "^  saw  the  affliction  of  Israel,  that  lfo^i,'^ilj°ti 
it  was  very  bitter :  for  ^  there  was  not  any  shut  up,  nor  any  left,  nor  any  helper  dch.  is^t 
for  Israel.     2^*^  And  the  Lord  said  not  that  he  would  blot  out  the  name  of  fch!i3.5.' 
Israel  from  under  heaven :  but  he  saved  them  by  the  hand  of  Jeroboam  the 
son  of  Joash. 

2^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jeroboam,  and  all  that  he  did,  and  his  might, 
how  he  warred,  and  how  he  recovered  Damascus,  and  Hamath,  ^ which  belonged  fK^u't 
to  Judah,  for  Israel,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the 
kings  of  Israel  ?     -^  And  Jeroboam  slept  with  his  fathers,  eve7i  with  the  kings 
of  Israel ;  and  ^  Zachariah  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XV.  ^  In  the  twenty  and  seventh  year  of  Jeroboam  king  of  Israel  ^  began  cL^fs^s'. 
^  Azariah  son  of  Amaziah  king  of  Judah  to  reign.     ^  Sixteen  years  old  was  he 


24. 

2  Chron.  8.  3. 


h  After  an 
interregnum  of 


784 
about 

810. 

This  is  the  27th  year  of  Jeroboam's  partnership  in  the  kingdom  with  his  father,  who  made  him  consort  at  his  going  to  the  Syrian  wars.     It 
is  the  sixteenth  year  of  Jeroboam's  monarchy.  a  ch.  14.  21.     2  Chron.  26.  1,  3,  4.  b  Called  Uzzia/i,  ver.  13,  30,  &c.  & 

2  Chron.  26.  1. 


20.  on  horses]  Rather,  on  the  horses ;  iu  a  chariot,  drawn 
by  the  king's  horses. 

21.  Azariah]  Called  also  Uzziah  (xv.  13.  30.  32.  2  Chron. 
xxvi.  1.  Isa.  i.  1 ;  vi.  1.  Hos.  i.  1.  Amos  i.  1.  Zeeh.  xiv.  5). 
In  the  Chronicles  he  is  once  called  Azariah  (1  Chron.  iii.  12). 
This  variety  was  natural,  on  account  of  the  similar  meaning 
of  the  two  names.  Azariah  means,  whom  Jehovah  helps: 
Uzziah  means,  whose  strength  Jehovah  is  {Gesen.  619,  620). 
We  have  the  same  interchange  in  the  names  of  other  persons. 
Thus  Uzziah,  the  Kohathite,  is  also  called  Azariah  (1  Chron. 
vi.  2i.  36)  ;  and  Uzziel  is  also  called  Azareel  (1  Chron.  xxv. 
4.  18.  Cp.  1  Kings  xv.  2).  Perhaps  Uzziah  the  Jcing  is  also 
called  Azariah,  to  distinguish  him  from  the  celebrated  Priest, 
Azariah,  who  withstood  him,  when  he  presumed  to  burn 
incense  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  17 — 20). 

For  another  inference  from  such  appellative  valuations  as 
these,  see  note  above,  on  xii.  21. 

22.  Se  built  Elath']  Fortified  it.  Elath,  on  the  Red  Sea : 
see  1  Kings  ix.  26. 

—  after  that  the  Jcing  slepf]  Azariah  completed  the  conquest 
of  Edom,  which  Amaziah  his  father  had  begun  {v.  7),  but  left 
unfinished.  The  young  king,  who  feared  God,  was  more  power- 
ful than  his  father,  who  fell  away  from  Him. 

23.  forty  and  one  years]   See  on  xv.  8. 

25.  He  restored  the  coast  of  IsraeV]  Here  is  a  reference  to 
the  boundaries  specified  iu  Deut.  iii.  17;  iv.  49.  Cp.  Amos 
vi.  14,  who  refers  to  this  restoration;  and  Sengst.  Auth.  i. 
140.     See  Num.  xiii.  21 ;  xxxiv.  8.     Josh.  xiii.  5. 

—  sea  of  the  plain]  The  Dead  Sea :  see  above,  on  Deut. 
iii.  17. 

—  Jonah,  the  son  of  Amittai']  Whose  prophecy  concerning 
Nineveh  is  extant  in  the  book  called  by  his  name  {Ilavernick, 
Einleit.  ii.  324;  Dr.  Fusey,  on  Jonah,  p.  248). 

—  Gath-hepher]  In  Zebidon,  north  of  Nazareth,  now  called 
Meshed  :  cp.  Josh.  xix.  13. 

26.  For  the  Lord  saw  the  affliction  of  Israel]  And,  there- 
fore, even  under  a  wicked  prince,  such  as  Jeroboam  the  son 
of  Joash,  He  gave  them  deliverance  and  eidargemeut,  in  order 
to  encourage  them  by  this  merciful  dealing  with  them,  and  to 
show  hovv  gracious  He  would  be  to  them,  if  they  and  their 

Vol.  III.  129 


princes  would  return  to  Him.  But  they  despised  this  overture 
of  Divine  forbearance  and  love,  and  God  gave  them  no  further 
reprieve,  but  cast  them  off,  and  removed  them  from  their  land  i 
see  XV.  9. 

—  not  any  shut  up,  nor  any  left]  No  remnant  or  reserve 
on  which  they  could  depend  for  help.  All  their  resources  were 
drained  off  and  exhausted.  See  above,  on  1  Kings  xiv,  10;  and 
Deut.  xxxii.  36.  The  sacred  historian  here  re^rs  to  the  ful- 
filment of  the  Divine  prophecy  in  Deuteronomy,  and  confirms 
its  authority. 

28.  Hamath  which  belonged  to  Judah]  Literally,  Hamath 
of  Judah.  So  merciful  was  God  to  Israel,  that  He  even  gave 
to  them  Damascus  and  Hamath,  which  God  had  specified  by 
name  in  His  promises  of  territory  to  His  people  (see  Num. 
xxxiv.  8),  and  which  had  consequently  belonged  to  Judah,  when 
it  formed  one  kingdom  with  Israel,  imder  the  prosperous  reigns 
of  David  and  Solomon,  whose  seat  of  empire  was  in  Judah  and 
Jerusalem.  See  2  Sam.  viii.  3.  1  Kings  iv.  21  — 24.  1  Chron. 
xviii.  4.  2  Chron.  viii.  4.  This  seems  to  be  the  correct  in- 
terpretation. Other  expositions  may  be  seen  in  Lightfoot,  i.  90 ; 
Winer,  R.  W.  B.  i.  457,  note.  Cp.  RawUnson,  in  B.  D. 
i.  745. 

Ch.  XV.  1.  In  the  twenty  and  seventh  year  of  Jeroboam — 
began  Azariah]  How  is  this  statement,  which  is  also  made  in 
2  Chron.  xxvi.  1 — 3,  to  be  reconciled  with  the  statements  in  the 
foregoing  chapter  ?  It  is  thei-e  said,  that  Amaziah  began  to 
reign  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  Joash,  King  of  Israel,  and  reigned 
twenty-nine  years,  and  outlived  Joash  fifteen  years  (xiv.  2.  17). 
But  Jeroboam  succeeded  his  father  Joash  in  the  fifteenth  year 
of  Amaziah  (xiv.  23) ;  therefore  Amaziah  died  in  the  fifteentli 
year  of  Jeroboam,  and  therefore  Azariah  (or  Uzziah),  who  was 
made  king  on  the  death  of  his  father,  began  to  reign,  not  in 
the  twenty-seventh,  but  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  Jeroboam. 

Some  have  supposed  that  Jeroboam  was  made  regent  with 
his  father  Joash,  twelve  years  before  his  death  (  Ussher,  at  A.  M. 
3160;  Budd.,  Hist.  Eccl.  ii.  410;  Tiele,  Chronol.  p.  70): 
others  are  of  opinion  that  there  was  an  interregnum  in  Judah 
of  eleven  years  between  Amaziah's  death  and  Azariah's  suc- 
cession {^Lightfoot,  i.  90.     Cp.  Hales,  ii.  410). 


Azariah,  a  leper. 


2  KINGS  XV.  3—10. 


Zachariah 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

810. 


c  ver.  35. 
ch.  12.  3.  &  14. 
about 
765. 
d  2  Chron.  26. 
19—21. 

e  Ley.  13—46. 


about 

758. 
f  2  Chron.  26.  23. 


about 
773. 
There  having 
been  an  inter- 
regnum for  1 1 
years. 


about 
772. 
g  As  prophesied, 
Amos  7.  9. 


when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  two  and  fifty  years  in  Jerusalem.  And 
his  mother's  name  ivas  Jecholiah  of  Jerusalem.  ^  And  he  did  that  which  tms 
right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  according  to  all  that  his  father  Amaziah  had 
done  ;  ^ ""  Save  that  the  high  places  were  not  removed  :  the  people  sacrificed 
and  burnt  incense  still  on  the  high  places. 

^  And  the  Lord  '^  smote  the  king,  so  that  he  was  a  leper  unto  the  day  of  his 
death,  and  ^  dwelt  in  a  several  house.  And  Jotham  the  king's  son  ivas  over 
the  house,  judging  the  people  of  the  land. 

^  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Azariah,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not  written 
in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  ^  So  Azariah  slept  with 
his  fathers;  and  Hhej  buried  him  with  his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David:  and 
Jotham  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

^  In  the  thirty  and  eighth  year  of  Azariah  king  of  Judah  did  Zachariah  the 
son  of  Jeroboam  reign  over  Israel  in  Samaria  six  months.  ^  And  he  did  that 
ivhich  ivas  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  as  his  fathers  had  done  :  he  departed 
not  from  the  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin. 
^*^And  Shallum  the  son  of  Jabesli  conspired  against  him,  and  ^  smote  him 
before  the  people,  and  slew  him,  and  reigned  in  his  stead. 


It  is  alleged  that  this  cannot  be  reconciled  with  the  state- 
ment in  xiv.  21.  But  this  is  not  certain.  The  original  Hebrew 
would  seem  to  admit  this  sense,  "  All  the  people  of  Judah  took 
Azariah ;  and  he  was  a  son  of  sixteen  years,  and  they  raado 
Lim  king  for  his  father."  "  The  throne"  (says  Lightfoot,  i.  97), 
"  was  empty  fourteen  years,  and  the  rule  was  managed  by  some 
as  protectors,  while  IJzziah  was  in  his  minority.  But  this 
hypothesis  necessitates  the  supposition  of  an  interregnum  of 
twenty -two  years  between  Jeroboam  and  his  son  (so  Hales  and 
Du  Fresnoy).  Others  (as  Jackson,  Des  Vignolles,  Greswell, 
and  Keil)  suppose  an  error  in  the  MSS.  and  Versions,  and  that 
we  ought  to  read  "  i\\e  fifteenth  year  "  in  the  text  here,  instead 
of  "  in  the  twenty  and  seventh  year ;"  and  Josephtis  (ix.  10.  3) 
places  the  succession  of  Uzziah  in  the  fourteenth  year  of 
Jeroboam  :  cp.  Fynes  Clinton,  Fasti,  i.  317.  On  the  chrono- 
logical difficulties  of  this  period,  cp.  on  xiii.  1 :  and  below,  v.  30. 
Observe,  that  during  the  reign  of  Uzziah,  King  of  Judah, 
no  less  than  six  kings  sat  in  succession  on  the  throne  of  Israel. 
Jeroboam  II.,  Zachariah,  Shallum,  Menahem,  Pekahiah,  Pekah ; 
and  in  the  reign  of  Pekah's  successor,  Hoshea,  Israel  was  carried 
into  captivity. 

3.  according  to  all  that  his  father  Amaziah  had  done]  See 
2  Chron.  xxvi.  3 — 23,  whence  it  appears  that  having  begun 
well,  like  his  father  Amaziah,  he  was  elated  like  him;  and 
"  when  he  was  strong,  his  heart  was  lifted  up  to  his  destruc- 
tion" {ib.  16);  for  he  invaded  the  Priest's  office,  and  burnt 
incense,  and  was  smitten  with  leprosy  for  his  sin,  and  was  a 
leper  till  the  day  of  his  death  (ib.  21). 

6.  the  LoBD  smote  the  king']  Here  again  the  Book  of  Chro- 
nicles comes  in,  to  explain  the  Book  of  Kings.  The  Book  of 
Kings  relates  the  punishment  of  the  king ;  the  Book  of 
Chronicles  supplies  the  history  of  the  sin  for  which  it  was 
inflicted  :  see  2  Chron.  xxvi.  16 — 20. 

—  in  a  several  house]  Literally,  in  a  house  of  relief;  so 
called  by  an  euphemism.  The  king  being  severed  from  his 
royal  duties  and  dignities,  was  said  to  be  relieved  from  them  ; 
literally,  set  free  from  them,  discharged  fi-om  them.  The  root 
of  the  word  here  used  is  chdphash,  to  set  free  :  see  Oesen.  297. 

The  writings  of  the  Prophets  Hosea,  Joel,  Amos,  Jonah, 
Isaiah,  in  part,  belong  to  this  period,  from  the  latter  days  of 
Joash,  King  of  Judah,  to  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Uzziah 
(cp.  Lightfoot,  i.  p.  91—97). 

—  Jotham  the  king's  son  was  over  the  house"]  Over  the 
king's  house  (2  Citron,  xxvi.  21).  On  account  of  his  father's 
leprosy.  Uzziah  forfeited  the  dignity  of  the  kingdom  by  in- 
vading that  of  the  priesthood;  and  his  son  Jotham  was  his 
viceroy. 

7.  Azariah  slept  with  Ids  fathers]  In  this  year  the  prophet 
Isaiah  had  a  vision  of  the  Ever  Blessed  Teinity  in  the  Temple 
at  Jerusalem  (Isa.  vi.  1 — 9 ;  see  below,  on  John  xii.  41).  That 
vision  is  introduced  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  with  the  words,  "  In 
the  year  that  King  Uzziah  died  I  saw  the  Lord  sitting  uiion  a 

130 


throne,  high  and  lifted  up,  and  his  train  filled  the  temple :  above 
it  stood  the  seraphim."  It  is  remarkable  that  this  vision  of 
the  Everlasting  One  in  the  Temple,  glorified  by  the  ministra- 
tions of  Holy  Angels,  coincided  with  the  death  of  the  King  who 
intruded,  in  the  Temple,  into  the  sacred  ministi-y  of  those  whose 
office  it  was  to  bless  in  the  Name  of  the  The  Thrice  Holy  One 
(see  on  Num.  vi.  23—27). 

8.  In  the  thirty  and  eighth  year]  From  a  comparison  of  this 
statement  with  xiv.  29,  where  it  is  said  that  Jeroboam  died  in 
the  twenty-seventh  year  of  Azai-iah,  or  Uzziah,  it  has  been  sup- 
posed that  there  was  an  interregnum  of  eleven  years  between 
Jeroboam's  death  and  his  son's  accession  (see  TJssher,  Biiddeus, 
Des  Vignolles,  Tiele,  Winer,  Keif).  Others  suppose  a  still 
longer  interregnum  :  see  above,  on  v.  1. 

9.  he  did  that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord] 
After  the  respite  given  to  Israel  under  Jeroboam  II.,  and  after 
the  royal  and  national  contempt  of  God's  gracious  overtures 
then  made,  and  mercies  vouchsafed  to  the  King  and  People, 
their  doom  was  sealed. 

Zachariah  persevered  in  the  sins  of  his  fathers,  in  the  worship 
of  the  calves,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  uttered  concerning 
Jehu  (x.  30),  was  therefore  fulfilled  in  him.  In  consequence  of 
a  conspiracy  he  was  put  to  death,  and  the  throne  taken  from 
the  house  of  Jehu,  before  the  people  {v.  10),  that  is,  openly, 
before  the  eyes  of  all.  Israel  was  not  moved  to  repentance  by 
the  tokens  of  the  Lord's  mercy  experienced  under  Joash,  and 
especially  under  Jeroboam,  any  more  than  by  the  previous  heavy 
judgments,  and  the  earnest  appeals  and  warnings  of  the  pro- 
phets Hosea  and  Amos,  to  repent  and  return  to  the  Lord  their 
God  and  King.  Therefore  the  judgment  of  rejection  must  now, 
at  last,  be  inflicted  upon  a  people  so  shamefully  scorning  the 
grace,  long-suffenng,  and  faithfulness  of  God.  We  see  the 
kingdom,  therefore,  after  the  death  of  Jeroboam,  hastening 
rapidly  to  its  fall. 

In  the  sixty -two  years  from  the  death  of  Jeroboam  to  the 
conquest  of  Samaria  by  Shalmaneser,  two  anarchies,  making  up 
twenty  years,  prevailed,  and  six  kings  followed  one  another,  of 
whom  only  one,  Menahem,  died  a  natural  death,  so  that  his  son 
succeeded  him  on  the  throne ;  the  remaining  five  were  dethroned 
and  murdered  by  rebels,  and  with  the  murder  of  Zachariah,  not 
only  the  sentence  of  Hosea  (i.  4),  "  I  will  visit  the  blood  of 
Jezreel  upon  the  house  of  Jehu,"  but  also  the  sentence  forming 
a  parallel  with  it,  "  and  will  cause  to  cease  the  kingdom  of  the 
house  of  Israel,"  was  carried  into  eff'ect.  With  Zachariah  the 
kingdom  properly  ceased  in  Israel.  The  successors  of  Zacha- 
riah were  assassins ;  "  thieves  and  robbers,"  rather  than  kings; 
they  gained  the  royal  power  by  wicked  means,  and  administered 
it  in  a  wicked  manner,  and  lost  it  by  a  shameful  end  {Witsins, 
Keil).  Thus  the  latter  days  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  were  like 
the  last  days  of  Jerusalem ;  cp.  below,  Matt.  xxiv.  15). 

10.  before  the  people]  "  Coram  populo"  (Horat.  A.  P,  185). 


Shallum,  Menahem. 


2  KINGS  XV.  11—23. 


Pul,  King  of  Assyria. 


^'  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Zachariah,  behold,  they  are  written  in  the  book 
of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel.  ^^  This  urns  ''  the  word  of  the  Lord 
which  he  sjmke  unto  Jehu,  saying.  Thy  sons  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  Israel 
unto  the  fourth  generation.     And  so  it  came  to  pass. 

^^  Shallum  the  son  of  Jabesh  began  to  reign  in  the  nine  and  thirtieth  year 
of '  Uzziah  Idng  of  Judali ;  and  he  reigned  f  a  full  month  in  Samaria.  ^^  For 
Menahem  the  son  of  Gadi  went  up  from  ^  Tirzah,  and  came  to  Samaria,  and 
smote  Shallum  the  son  of  Jabesh  in  Samaria,  and  slew  him,  and  reigned  in 
his  stead. 

^^  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Shallum,  and  his  conspiracy  which  he  made, 
behold,  they  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel. 
^^  Then  Menahem  smote  '  Tiplisah,  and  all  that  were  therein,  and  the  coasts 
thereof  from  Tirzah:  because  they  opened  not  to  him,  therefore  he  smote  it; 
and  all  ""the  women  therein  that  were  with  child  he  ripped  up. 

^^  In  the  nine  and  thirtieth  year  of  Azariah  king  of  Judah  began  Menahem 
the  son  of  Gadi  to  reign  over  Israel,  and  reigned  ten  years  in  Samaria.  '^  And 
he  did  that  ivhich  ivas  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  :  he  departed  not  all  his  days 
from  the  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin.  ^^And 
"  Pul  the  king  of  Assyria  came  against  the  land :  and  Menahem  gave  Pul  a 
thousand  talents  of  silver,  that  his  hand  might  be  with  him  to  °  confirm  the 
kingdom  in  his  hand.  ^^  And  Menahem  f  exacted  the  money  of  Israel,  eveii  of 
all  the  mighty  men  of  wealth,  of  each  man  fifty  shekels  of  silver,  to  give  to  the 
king  of  Assyria.  So  the  king  of  Assyria  turned  back,  and  stayed  not  there  in 
the  land. 

21  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Menahem,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not 
written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel  ?  ^-  And  Menahem 
slept  with  his  fathers ;  and  Pekahiah  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

23  In  the  fiftieth  year  of  Azariah  king  of  Judah  Pekahiah  the  son  of  Mena- 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

772. 

h  ch.  10.  30. 


about 
772. 

i  Matt.  1.  8,  9, 
called  Ozias,  and 
ver.  1,  Azariah. 
t  Heb.  a  month 
of  days. 
k  1  Kings  14.  17. 


1  1  Kings  4.  24. 

m  ch.  8.  12. 
772. 

771. 

n  1  Chron.  5.  26. 
Isa.  9.  1. 
Hos.  8.  9. 
o  ch.  14.  5. 

f  Heb.  caused  to 
come  forth. 


14.  from  TirzaK]  The  residence  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  before 
their  removal  to  Samaria  (1  Kings  xiv.  17  ;  xv.  21 ;  xvi.  8)  ; 
now  Telluzah,  about  nine  miles  N.  of  Samaria  (cp.  1  Kings  xiv.  17). 

16.  TiphsaK]  Supposed  to  be  Thapsacus,  on  the  Euphrates,  the 
border  city  of  Israel  under  Solomon  :  see  1  Kings  iv.  24  (Keil). 
Others  suppose  it  to  be  a  city  of  Palestine  near  Tirzah  {Raumer, 
Pal.  164.  TTitier,  ii.  613.  Ewald,  iii.  599.  Shnson  (Hos. 
p.  20).  Theniits  and  3Iaurer).  The  former  opinion  seems  most 
probable  (cp.  Bullock,  B.  D.  ii.  322.  RatcUnson,  B.  D.  ii.  970). 
We  hear  of  no  city  bearing  that  name  in  Palestine ;  and  in  the 
state  of  confusion  in  which  Israel  was  at  this  time,  we  need  not 
be  surprised  that  a  restless  and  aspiring  man,  like  Menahem, 
going  forth  from  Tirzah,  should  have  been  able  to  carry  his 
marauding  and  desolating  conquests,  even  to  the  banks  of  the 
Euphrates.  The  words  "from  Tirzah"  do  not  mean  that  he 
smote  all  the  country  between  Tirzah  and  Tiphsah,  but  that  he 
went  forth  on  au  expedition  from  Tirzah,  in  order  to  occupy 
Tiphsah,  the  possession  of  which  was  of  great  importance ;  and 
that  he  smote  it,  because  it  would  not  open  its  gates  to  him. 

—  all  the  tvomen  therein]  Such  was  his  cruelty  ;  he  was  like 
the  accursed  Ammonites  (Amos  i.  13),  and  did  not  spare  even 
the  children  in  their  mother's  womb.  No  wonder  that  the 
monarchy  of  Israel  was  now  near  its  destruction  ;  and  that  God 
threatened  Israel  with  the  same  punishment  that  they  inflicted 
so  barbai-ously  on  others  :  see  Hos.  xiii.  16. 

Kings  of  Assteia. 
19.  Pul  the  Jcing  of  Assyria]  Pul,  or  Pliul,  seems  to  have 
been  invited  in  the  first  instance,  either  by  Menahem  himself,  or 
by  some  rival  party  in  Israel :  see  Hos.  v.  13  ;  cp.  vii.  11 ;  viii.  9. 
This  is  the  first  notice  we  have  of  kings  of  Assyria  in  con- 
nexion with  the  history  of  Israel  and  Judah ;  the  second  is  in 
tne  days  of  Ahaz  (xvi.  7). 

—  a  thousand  talents  of  silver]  About  £340,000.  There 
appears  to  be  a  record  of  this  payment  in  the  ancient  Assyrian 

131 


Inscription,  where  it  is  said  that  "  Minikhimmi  of  Samirina  " 
(Menahem  of  Samaria)  paid  tribute  to  a  King  of  Assyria  (see 
Brandis  on  the  historic  results  from  the  Assyrian  Inscriptions, 
Berlin,  1856,  pp.  8.  50  j  cp.  Rawlinson,  Bampton  Lect.  p.  133. 
Niebuhr,  Geschichte  Assurs,  p.  132).  He  is  called  Phua,  Phula, 
Phalos,  Phaloch,  by  the  Sept. ;  on  his  history,  cp.  Winer,  ii. 
259 ;  and  Rawlinson,  B.  D.  ii.  970,  who  supposes  him  to  be 
identical  with  the  King  called  Vul-lush,  or  Iva-lush,  in  the 
Assyrian  monuments,  where  the  Samaritans  (called  Beth-Khumri; 
see  above,  on  x.  32),  are  enumerated  among  the  tributaries  of 
the  Assyrian  King. 

With  Pul,  the  conquests  of  the  Assyrians  in  south-western 
Asia  began,  and  were  continued  by  his  successors,  Tiglath- 
pileser  {v.  29 ;  xvi.  9.  1  Chron.  v.  26),  Shalmaneser  (xvii.  5 ; 
xviii.  9),  and  Sennacherib,  who  is  called  Shalmaneser's  successor 
Tobit  i.  15),  and  whose  army  was  destroyed  in  the  days  of 
Hezekiah,  and  who  was  slain  by  his  sons  (xix.  35 — 37). 

Sargon  (mentioned  in  Isa.  xx.  1)  is  rightly  supposed  by  some 
{Gesen.,  Hitzig,  PJwald,  Winer)  to  have  reigned  between  Shal- 
maneser and  Sennacherib,  and  to  have  been  the  conqueror  of 
Samaria:  see  xvii.  5.  By  others  {Vitringa,  Movers,  Niebuhr), 
he  is  identified  with  Shalmaneser,  as  is  Shalman  (Hos.  x.  14)  ; 
by  others  (Mosheim,  Michaelis,  Keil),  Sargon  has  been  identified 
with  Sennacherib. 

The  Assyrian  Inscriptions  appear  to  show  that  he  is  to  be 
placed  between  Shalmaneser  and  Sennacherib.  Sargon's  acts  are 
recorded  by  himself  in  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  of  his  palace  at 
Khorsabad  (near  Nineveh)  which  have  been  published  by  Oppert 
and  Menant.  Paris,  1863.  A  summary  of  the  history  of  these 
Assyrian  kings  will  be  found  in  the  learned  work  of  Marcus 
V.  Niebuhr,  Geschichte  Assurs  u.  Babels,  Berlin,  1857,  pp.  129. 
133,  &c. — 462 ;  and  in  Ratvlinson,  "  Five  Great  Monai-chies ;" 
op.  xvii.  3.  6 ;  xviii.  9.  13. 

20.  turned  back]  Cp.  below,  on  1  Chron.  v.  26. 

28.  fiftieth  year]  From  a  comparison  of  this  statement  with 


Pekahiah  slain 


2  KINGS  XV.  24—33.  by  PeJcah  son  of  Eemaliah. 


Before 

CHRIST 

761. 


759. 
p  Isa.  7.  1. 


q  1  Chron.  5.  26. 

Isa.  9.  1. 

r  1  Kings  15.  20. 


3  After  an 
anarchy  for 
some  years, 
ch.  17.  1. 
Hos.  10.  3,  7,  15. 
t  In  the  fourth 
year  of  Ahaz,  in 
the  twentieth 
year  after  Jotham 
had  begun  to 
reign :   Usb. 

u  2  Chron."  27.  1. 


hem  began  to  reign  over  Israel  in  Samaria,  and  reigned  two  years.  ^^^  And  lie 
did  that  ivhich  ivas  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  :  he  departed  not  from  the 
sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin.  ^5  ^^^  Pekah 
the  son  of  Remahah,  a  captain  of  his,  conspired  against  him,  and  smote  liim 
in  Samaria,  in  the  palace  of  the  king's  house,  with  Argob  and  Arieh,  and 
with  him  fifty  men  of  the  Gileadites :  and  he  killed  him,  and  reigned  in  his 
room. 

"^^  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Pekahiah,  and  all  that  he  did,  behold,  they  are 
written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel. 

^'^  In  the  two  and  fiftieth  year  of  Azariah  king  of  Judah  ^  Pekah  the  son  of 
Remaliah  began  to  reign  over  Israel  in  Samaria,  and  reigned  twenty  years. 
23  And  he  did  that  ivhich  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  :  he  departed  not  from 
the  sins  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin.  -^  In  the  days 
of  Pekah  king  of  Israel  "^  came  Tiglath-pileser  king  of  Assyria,  and  took  '  Ijon, 
and  Abel-beth-maachah,  and  Janoah,  and  Kedesh,  and  Hazor,  and  Gilead,  and 
Gahlee,  all  the  land  of  Naphtali,  and  carried  them  captive  to  Assyria.  ^^  And 
Hoshea  the  son  of  Elah  made  a  conspiracy  against  Pekah  the  son  of  Remahah, 
and  smote  him,  and  slew  him,  and  '  reigned  in  his  stead,  '  in  the  twentieth  year 
of  Jotham  the  son  of  Uzziah. 

^^  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Pekah,  and  all  that  he  did,  behold,  they  are 
written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Israel. 

^2  In  the  second  year  of  Pekah  the  son  of  Remaliah  king  of  Israel  began 
"  Jotham  the  son  of  Uzziah  king  of  Judah  to  reign.     ^^  Five  and  twenty  years 


V.  17,  it  appears  that  there  was  an  interregnum  of  some 
months  between  the  death  of  Menahem  and  the  accession  of 
his  son. 

25.  in  the  palace^  Or  rather,  in  the  castle,  or  fortress; 
to  which  he  had  probably  retreated  for  safety  :  see  1  Kings 
xvi.  18.  On  Pekah,  son  of  Remaliah,  who  joined  with  Rezin, 
King  of  Syria,  against  Ahaz,  King  of  Judah,  see  Isaiah  vii.  1. 

—  with  Argob  and  Arieh']  Who  were  killed  with  the  King. 

—  and  tvith  ?dm]  With  Pekah,  as  their  commander,  were 
fifty  Gileadites ;  they  were  probably  under  the  command  of 
Pekah,  as  captain  of  the  royal  guard  :  cp.  Lightfoot,  i.  100. 

Kingdoms  of  Assteia  and  Babylon. 

In  the  interval  between  the  events  described  in  the  fore- 
going verses  and  the  following,  a  great  event  had  taken  place; 
the  dissolution  of  the  older  Assyrian  empire,  and  the  rise  of  two 
kingdoms  on  its  ruins  ;  viz.,  the  later  kingdom  of  Assyria  under 
Arbaces  (whom  some  identify  with  Tiglath-pileser)  and  the 
kingdom  of  Babylon  (B.C.  747),  under  Belesis,  whom  some  sup- 
pose to  be  the  same  as  Nabonassar,  from  the  beginning  of  whose 
reign  the  era  of  Nabonassar  is  dated  (cp.  M.  v.  Niebuhr, 
Geschichte  Assurs,  pp.  133.  156.  463).  The  seat  of  the  former 
of  these  kingdoms  was  Nineveh ;  that  of  the  second,  Babylon. 

About  B.C.  605,  Nineveh  fell,  by  the  combined  forces  of 
Nabopolassar,  of  Babylon,  and  Cyaxares ;  and  Babylon  for  a 
time  was  supreme  under  Nebuchadnezzar  (b.c.  601 — 560). 

29.  Tiglath-pileser']  Which  is  explained  by  some  to  mean 
Lord  of  Tigris  ,•  Pileser  being  connected  with  polasar,  lord ; 
and  Tiglath  being  equivalent  to  Diglath,  the  river  Tigris  (Ge«e». 
856).  Others  derive  it  from  Tiglath,  or  Tilgath,  the  name  of 
the  Assyrian  goddess  Derketo  {M.  t).  Niebuhr,  p.  131) ;  on  his 
history,  cp.  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  611.  Niebuhr,  pp.  129.  157. 
Rawlinson,  B.  D.  ii.  1499. 

In  the  reign  of  Jotham,  Micah  began  to  prophesy,  and 
raourued  the  captivity  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  which  now  drew  near, 
and  at  the  same  time,  through  that  dark  cloud  of  suffering,  he 
foresaw  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  cheered  the  faithful  in  Israel 
by  glorious  descriptions  of  it.  He  begins  his  prophecy  with  the 
words  of  Micaiah  to  Ahab  (1  Kings  xxii.  28),  and  while  the 
hostile  forces  of  Assyria  were  mustering  themselves  against 
Israel,  he  uses  the  same  words  as  the  Evangelical  Prophet 
Isaiah,  who  was  now  alive,  to  express  the  gathering  together  of 
all  nations  in  the  peaceful  Kingdom  of  Christ  (cp.  Lightfoot, 
i.  100;  and  Stanley,  Lectures,  pp.  865,  366). 
132 


—  and  took  Ijon]  Probably,  Ayun,  in  Naphtali,  N.w.  of 
Dan  {Mobinson,  iii.  346). 

—  Abel-beth-maachah]  On  the  sea  of  JELuleh  (cp.  1  Kings 
XV.  20). 

—  Janoah]  In  Naphtali  (^Grove,  B.  D.  i.  928),  now  Yanoah, 
about  twelve  miles  n.e.  of  Acre;  and  where  ruins  of  great  anti- 
quity were  seen  by  Dr.  Thompson,  p.  301. 

—  Kedesh]  West  of  the  Suleh  :  see  Josh,  xii,  22;  xix.  37- 

—  Hazor]  See  Josh.  xi.  1. 

—  Galilee,  all  the  land  of  Naphtali]  The  arrangement  of 
the  names  of  these-  regions  describes  the  order  in  which  the  con- 
quests of  Tiglath-pileser  were  effected. 

The  Prophet  Isaiah  refers  to  these  conquests,  in  which  God 
used  the  sword  of  Assyria,  as  He  had  used  the  sword  of  Syria 
in  the  same  region  (1  Kings  xv.  20),  to  afflict  Israel  for  its  sins 
against  Him ;  and  Isaiah  takes  occasion  thence  to  prophesy  that 
in  that  very  same  region,  where  God  had  visited  them  with 
judgment  for  their  iniquities,  by  the  hand  of  their  enemies.  He, 
in  His  great  mercy,  would  comfort  them  with  grace  in  Christ. 
In  that  same  region,  where  their  Captivity  had  commenced, 
there  the  Gospel  would  first  be  preached,  and  liberty  be  pro- 
claimed to  the  world.  Where  Israel  had  been  carried  into  bon- 
dage by  Assyria,  there  Mankind  would  be  freed  from  the  slavery 
of  Sin  and  Satan,  by  Christ ;  see  the  ninth  chapter  of  Isaiah, 
vv.  1 — 8,  which  is  appointed  as  the  Proper  Lesson  for  the  Morn- 
ing of  Cheistmas  Day  :  cp.  on  v.  37. 

30.  in  the  twentieth  year  of  Jotham]  That  is,  in  the  twentieth 
year  after  his  accession.  In  v.  33  it  is  stated  that  he  reigned 
sixteen  years ;  and  Ahaz  the  successor  of  Jotham  became  king 
in  the  seventeenth  year  of  Pekah  (xvi.  1),  so  that  Pekah's  death 
was  in  the  fourth  year  of  Ahaz.  No  mention  had  yet  been 
made  of  Ahaz,  Jotham's  successor,  and  Jotham  is  first  mentioned 
in  V.  32,  and  therefore  the  years  are  reckoned  from  Jotham's 
accession  (JJssher ;  and  so  the  Rabbis  in  Seder  Olam,  and 
Abulensis,  Genebrardus,  Salianus,  A  Lapide,  and  Keil ;  other 
solutions  are  offered  in  JViner,  R.  W.  B.  i.  614).  The  years  of 
the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah  are  in  great  confusion  at  this 
time,  because  the  kingdom  itself  was  so  (see  on  xiii.  1 ;  xv.  1). 
We  may  compare  the  times  of  the  "  Great  Rebellion  "  in  England, 
the  years  of  which  are  sometimes  reckoned  as  years  of  the 
Commonwealth ;  but  the  Acts  of  the  Legislature  after  the 
king's  Restoration  are  dated  from  the  death  of  King  Charles  I., 
and  bis  son  is  supposed  to  have  succeeded  him  without  inter- 
ruption. 


Eezin  and  Fekah. 


2  KINGS  XV.  34—38.     XVI.  1—8. 


Aliaz  sues  to  Assyria. 


old  was  he  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  sixteen  years  in  Jerusalem. 
And  his  mother's  name  ^vas  Jerusha,  the  daughter  of  Zadok.  ^^  And  he  did 
that  which  was  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  :  he  did  ""  according  to  all  that  his 
father  Uzziah  had  done.  ^  ^  Howbeit  the  high  places  were  not  removed  :  the 
people  sacrificed  and  burned  incense  still  in  the  high  places-  ^  He  built  the 
higher  e:ate  of  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

^^Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jotham,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not  written 
in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  ^^  In  those  days  the 
Lord  began  to  send  against  Judah  ""  Eezin  the  king  of  Syria,  and  ^  Pekah  the 
son  of  Eemaliah.  ^And  Jotham  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  with 
his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David  his  father :  and  Aliaz  his  son  reigned  in  his 
stead. 

XVI.  ^  In  the  seventeenth  year  of  Pekah  the  son  of  Eemaliah  "  Ahaz  the  son 
of  Jotham  king  of  Judah  began  to  reign.  ^  Twenty  years  old  was  Ahaz  when 
he  began  to  reign,  and  reigned  sixteen  years  in  Jerusalem,  and  did  not  that 
which  ivas  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  his  God,  like  David  his  father.  ^  But 
he  walked  in  the  way  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  yea,  ^  and  made  his  son  to  pass 
through  the  fire,  according  to  the  ''abominations  of  the  heathen,  whom  the 
Lord  cast  out  from  before  the  children  of  Israel.  •*And  he  sacrificed  and 
burnt  incense  in  the  high  places,  and  "^on  the  hills,  and  under  every  green 
tree. 

^  '^  Then  Eezin  king  of  Syria  and  Pekah  son  of  Eemaliah  king  of  Israel  came 
up  to  Jerusalem  to  war :  and  they  besieged  Ahaz,  but  could  not  overcome  him. 
•^  At  that  time  Eezin  king  of  Syria  ^  recovered  Elath  to  Syria,  and  drave  the 
Jews  fi'om  f  Elath :  and  the  Syrians  came  to  Elath,  and  dwelt  there  unto  this 
day.  7  So  Ahaz  sent  messengers  ^  to  f  Tiglath-pileser  king  of  Assyria,  saying, 
I  am  thy  servant  and  thy  son :  come  up,  and  save  me  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
king  of  Syria,  and  out  of  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Israel,  which  rise  up  against 
me.     ^  And  Aliaz  ^  took  the  silver  and  gold  that  was  found  in  the  house  of 


Before 
CHRIST 

758. 


X  ver.  3. 
y  ver.  4. 


z  2  Chron.  27.  S, 


about 
742. 
At  the  end  of 
Jotliam's  reign, 
a  cli.  16.  5. 
Isa.  7.  1. 
b  ver.  27. 
742. 


about 
742. 
a  2  Chron.  28.  I, 
&c. 


b  Lev.  18.  21. 
2  Chron.  28.  3. 
Ps.  106.  37.38. 
c  Deut.  12.  31. 


d  Deut.  12.  2. 
I  Kings  14.  23. 


742. 
e  Isa.  7.  1,  4, 


fch.  14.22. 
t  Heb.  Eloth. 

gch.  15.  29. 
t  Heb.  Tilgath- 
pileser, 

1  Chron.  5.  26.  & 

2  Chron.  28.  20, 
Tilgalh-pilneser. 

740. 
h  ch.  12.  18. 
See  2  Chron.  28. 
21. 


33.  the  daughter  of  Zado¥]  The  Priest,  pi'obably  the  Zadok 
mentioned  in  1  Chron.  vi.  12  {Bertheau).  Perhaps  Uzziah  his 
father  was  tempted  to  invade  the  Priest's  office  because  he  had 
married  Jerushah,  a  Priest's  daughter  (Lightfoot,  i.  100). 

34.  according  to  aW]  All  the  good.  He  did  not  imitate  him 
in  his  sin.     See  2  Chron.  xxvii.  2. 

35.  the  higher  gate']  On  the  North  of  the  Temple.  See 
2  Chron.  xxvii.  3. 

37.  the  Lord  began  to  send — Meziii]  Therefore  the  events 
described  in  the  following  chapter  were  mercifully  designed  by 
God  to  awaken  the  repentance  and  exercise  the  faith  of  Judah  and 
its  king :  cp.  Isaiah  vii.  1 — 16,  a  portion  of  which  (vv.  10 — 17) 
is  another  lesson  appointed  for  Christmas  Day  :  see  on  v.  29. 

Cn.  XVI.  2.  Twenty  years  oZfZ]  See  on  xviii.  2. 

—  Ahaz — did  not — right]  Compare  the  state  of  religion  at 
this  time  as  described  by  the  Prophet  Isaiah  in  Chapters  ii. — vi., 
and  in  2  Chron.  xxviii. 

3.  made  his  son  to  pass  through  the  fire]  To  Molech,  in  the 
valley  of  Beth-hinnom  (cp.  xxiii.  10;  and  see  note  above,  on 
Lev.  xviii.  21).  Probably  this  was  done  by  Ahaz,  in  a  season  of 
great  distress  and  despair  (cp.  2  Chron.  xxviii.  22 ;  and  above, 
on  iii.  26,  27).  It  was  done  by  him  in  imitation  of  the  worsliip 
of  Assyria,  then  acquiring  great  power  over  Palestine  (Movers, 
Phceniz.  p.  64) ;  and  of  the  old  superstitions  of  Canaan  (Deut. 
xviii.  9 — 12.  1  Chron.  xxviii.  3).  The  Sacred  Writer  here 
speaks  of  one  son,  in  the  singular.  In  2  Chron.  xxviii.  3  it  is 
said  "  he  burnt  his  children  in  the  fire." 

4.  in  the  high  places]  Not  only  in  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem  : 
he  combined  the  idolatry  of  Baal  (2  Chron.  xxviii.  2)  and  of 
Molech  with  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  he  worshipped  Jehovah, 
not  in  His  appointed  way,  but  in  other  places  besides  that  where 
He  had  set  His  Name. 

133 


Ahaz  weakly  and  wickedly  endeavoured  to  conciliate  the 
favour  of  other  deities  (see  v.  10),  while  he  professed  to  be  stiU 
a  worshipper  of  Jehovah,  Wlio  is  a  jealous  God,  and  will  not 
give  His  honour  to  another. 

5.  Rezin  king  of  Syria  and  PeJcah — Jcing  of  Israel]  This 
invasion,  though  not  successful,  was  a  severe  chastisement  to 
Ahaz  and  his  people  for  their  sins ;  many  of  the  subjects  of  Ahaz 
were  slain  by  them,  and  many  were  carried  captive  to  Samaria 
and  Damascus  (2  Chron.  xxviii.  5,  6.  8). 

—  could  not  overcome  him]  See  the  divine  prophecy  of  the 
Messiah  (Emmanuel,  God  with  us, — AVho  was  to  come  from  the 
house  of  Judah),  which  was  called  forth  by  this  expedition  (Isa. 
vii.  1 — 16.  Cp.  Caspari,  iiber  den  Syrischen  ephraimitischen 
Krieg,  p.  28 ;  Bertheau,  Chronik.  p.  380). 

The  historian  of  the  Chronicles  supplies  some  additional 
details  here.     See  2  Chron.  xxviii.  5 — 15  ;  and  the  note  there. 

6.  and  dwelt  there]  Rezin  planted  a  Syrian  Colony  at  Elath, 
which  remained  there  till  the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  Book. 

Some  Versions  (Sept.,  Vulg.;  and  so  Robinson)  read  J£'(fo»t 
for  Aram  (Syria)  here  (cp.  on  2  Sam.  viii.  13 ;  and  so  Bertheau, 
Chronik.  p.  383),  bijt  this  does  not  seem  admissible :  cp.  Keil, 
p.  300. 

7.  So  AJiaz  sent  messengers  to  Tiglath-pileser]  Ahaz  pre- 
ferred the  help  of  Assyria  to  that  of  God,  which  had  been 
promised  by  Isaiah ;  and  he  robbed  God  to  conciliate  Assyria ; 
and  though  for  a  time  Assyria  was  made  by  God  the  instrument 
for  punishing  Israel  and  Syria,  and  for  protecting  Judah,  yet 
Ahaz  thus  incurred  the  wrath  of  God,  Who  warned  him  against 
trusting  in  Assyria  (Isa.  vii.  17),  as  He  had  warned  Israel 
(Hos.  V.  13;  vii.  11,  12;  viii.  9;  xi.  5),  who  was  destroyed  by 
that  same  power  in  which  he  trusted ;  Judah  also  was  spoded 
by  Assyria,  according  to  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  (Isa.  vii.  17);  cp. 
I'.  18 ;  and  2  Chron.  xxviii.  19—22. 


Thekingdom  of  Syria  destroyed.      2  KINGS  XVI.  9— IG.  The  idolatrous  altar  set  up . 


Before 

CHRIST 

740. 

t  Heb. 
Dnmmesek. 
i  Foretold, 
Amos  1.  5. 


k  2  Chron.  26. 
16,  19. 


f  Heb.  which 

were  his. 

1  2  Chron.  4.  1. 


m  Exod.  29.  39, 
40,41. 


the  Lord,  and  in  the  treasures  of  the  king's  house,  and  sent  it  for  a  present 
to  the  king  of  Assyria.  ^  And  the  king  of  Assyria  hearkened  unto  him :  for 
the  king  of  Assyria  went  up  against  f  Damascus,  and  '  took  it,  and  carried 
the  people  of  it  captive  to  Kir,  and  slew  Rezin. 

^^  And  king  Ahaz  went  to  Damascus  to  meet  Tiglath-pileser  king  of  Assyria, 
and  saw  an  altar  that  urns  at  Damascus :  and  king  Ahaz  sent  to  Urijah  the 
priest  the  fashion  of  the  altar,  and  the  pattern  of  it,  according  to  all  the  work- 
manship thereof.     ^^  And  Urijah  the  priest  built  an  altar  according  to  all  that 
king  Ahaz  had  sent  from  Damascus :  so  Urijah  the  priest  made  it  against  king 
Ahaz  came  from  Damascus.     ^^  ^^d  when  the  king  was  come  from  Damascus, 
the  king  saw  the  altar :  and  *"  the  king  approached  to  the  altar,  and  offered 
thereon.     '^  And  he  burnt  his  burnt  offering  and  his  meat  offering,  and  poured 
his  drink  offering,  and  sprinkled  the  blood  of  f  his  peace  offerings,  upon  the 
altar.     ^*  And  he  brought  also  ^  the  brasen  altar,  which  tvas  before  the  Lord, 
from  the  forefront  of  the  house,  from  between  the  altar  and  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  and  put  it  on  the  north  side  of  the  altar.     ^'^  And  king  Ahaz  commanded 
Urijah  the  priest,  saying.   Upon  the  great  altar  burn  ""the  morning  burnt 
offering,  and  the  evening  meat  offering,  and  the  king's  burnt  sacrifice,  and  his 
meat  offering,  with  the  burnt  offering  of  all  the  people  of  the  land,  and  their 
meat  offering,  and  their  drink  offerings ;  and  sprinkle  upon  it  all  the  blood  of 
the  burnt  offering,  and  all  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  :    and  the  brasen  altar 
shall  be  for  me  to  inquire  hy.     ^^  Thus  did  Urijah  the  priest,  according  to  all 


8.  sent  it  for  a  present  to  the  king  of  Assyria]  Ahaz  spoiled 
God's  house  in  order  to  win  the  friendship  of  Tiglath-pileser, 
and  therefore  God  gave  up  Ahaz  to  be  spoiled  by  him.  Such 
was  the  policy  of  Caiaphas,  "If  we  let  him  thus  alone,  the 
Romans  will  come  and  take  away  both  our  place  and  nation " 
(John  xi.  48).  They  did  not  let  him  alone,  and  therefore  the 
Romans  did  come,  and  took  away  their  place  and  nation. 

9.  went  up  against  Damascus,  and  took  it]  And  thus  he 
destroyed  the  kingdom  of  Syria,  which  had  lasted  about  235 
years. 

—  carried  the  people— ca^^iue  to  Kir]  Supposed  by  some  to 
have  been  on  the  river  Kur,  which  rises  in  Ai-menia,  and,  after 
flowing  into  the  Araxes,  falls  into  the  Caspian  Sea  {Mich., 
Rosen.,  Gesen.,  Keil).  JosepMis  (Ant.  ix.  13.  3)  says  that  the 
people  of  Damascus  were  carried  into  upper  Media.  Isaiah 
joins  Kir  with  Elam  (xxii.  6),  and  perhaps  Kir  may  have  been 
near  the  mouths  of  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates  (Bawlinson,  B.  D. 
ii,  39).     This  deportation  had  been  predicted  by  Amos.  i.  5. 

10.  tvent  to  Damascus]  To  pay  homage  to  Tiglath-pileser, 
instead  of  trusting  in  God,  and  of  doing  honour  to  Him : 
according  to  the  exhortation  of  Isaiah  the  Prophet,  "  Sanctify 
the  Lord  of  Hosts  Himself;  and  let  Him  be  your  fear,  and  let 
Him  be  your  dread  :  and  He  shall  be  for  a  sanctuary  "  (Isa.  viii. 
13,  14)  :  and,  as  the  historian  proceeds  to  show,  he  did  that 
very  thing  which  God  forbad  by  the  prophet ;  he  turned  away 
from  the  living  God  to  worship  idols  (v.  19),  and  therefore  the 
prophet  speaks  of  coming  judgments  (Isa.  xvii). 

The  Idolateous  Altab  of  Damascus. 

10 — 15.  an  altar  that  was  at  Damascus]  King  Ahaz  sent  a 
sketch  and  a  model  of  this  altar  from  Damascus  to  Urijah  the 
priest  at  Jerusalem,  who  is  mentioned  by  Isaiah  (viii.  2)  as  being 
made  witness  of  his  prophecy  that  Syria  should  be  subdued  by 
Assyria.  The  Priest  made  an  altar  according  to  the  pattern 
sent  by  the  King  ;  and  when  Ahaz  came  back  to  Jerusalem  he 
caused  sacrifices  to  be  offered  upon  it,  his  burnt-offering  and 
drink-offering,  and  peace-offering,  for  his  safe  return,  and  for  the 
defeat  of  his  enemies.  He  also  caused  the  great  brazen  altar  of 
burnt-offering  (2  Chron.  iv.  1),  which  was  in  the  middle  of  the 
fore-court  of  the  Temple  (cp.  Exod.  xl.  6.  29.  Joel  ii.  17),  to  be 
brought  from  the  place  between  the  new  Damascene  Altar  and 
the  Temple,  and  placed  it  on  the  north  of  the  new  altar ;  so 
that  the  new  altar  became  the  principal  central  object,  and  the 
brazen  altar  was  only  an  adjunct  and  appendage  to  it.  The 
King  also  commanded  the  Priest  to  use  the  new  altar  in  lieu  of 
134 


the  ancient  Levitical  brazen  altar,  for  the  offering  of  daily 
sacrifice.  Ahaz  began  with  combining  the  Damascene  altar 
with  the  Altar  of  Jehovah,  in  the  House  of  the  Lord ;  but  he 
soon  proceeded  to  supplant  the  Altar  of  Jehovah  by  that  which 
he  had  borrowed  from  Damascus.  So  it  has  been,  and  is, 
even  in  parts  of  the  Christian  Church.  Men  begin  with  joining 
the  worship  of  creatures  with  the  worship  of  the  Creator ;  but 
in  a  short  time  the  Creator  is  supplanted  by  the  creature,  in  His 
own  Sanctuary.  In  a  large  portion  of  Christendom  itself,  the 
worship  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  has  first  been  associated  with  the 
worship  of  Christ,  and  it  seems  as  if,  in  course  of  time,  it  would 
almost  supersede  it. 

The  sacred  writer  of  the  Chronicles  seems  to  refer  to  these 
acts  of  Ahaz,  when,  pointing,  as  it  were,  liis  finger  towards  him  in 
sorrow  and  shame,  he  says,  "  this  is  that  king  Ahaz ;  he  sacrificed 
unto  the  gods  of  Damascus  which  smote  him ;  and  he  said.  Because 
the  gods  of  the  kings  of  Syria  help  them,  therefore  will  I 
sacrifice  to  them  that  they  may  help  me.  But  they  were  the 
ruin  of  him  and  of  all  Israel"  (2  Chron.  xxviii.  22,  23). 

It  has  been  objected  by  some  (e.  g.  by  Keil)  that  Ahaz 
would  not  have  done  honour  to  the  gods  of  Syria  after  the  con- 
quest of  Damascus.  But  it  is  expressly  said  here  that  after 
that  conquest  he  made  the  copy  of  their  altar,  and  set  it 
up  in  the  Temple ;  and  the  conquest  (it  must  be  remembered) 
was  not  achieved  by  himself,  but  by  Assyria ;  and  in  2  Chron. 
XXV.  14,  it  is  recorded  that  a  preceding  King  of  Judah,  Ama- 
ziah,  after  he  had  subdued  Edom,  brought  their  gods  to  be  his 
gods,  and  bowed  himself  before  them.  Josephus  distinctly 
affirms  that  Ahaz  worshipped  the  gods  of  Syria  (Ant.  ix.  12.  3), 
and  that  he  seemed  desirous  to  do  honour  to  any  god  rather 
than  the  God  of  Israel.  Ahaz  had  been  smitten  by  Syria,  and 
he  desired  to  secure  the  favour  of  their  gods,  without  (as  he 
supposed)  forfeiting  that  of  Jehovah;  and  he  probably  wished 
to  propitiate  the  gods  of  Syria,  who,  he  thought,  would  be  angry 
with  him  for  bringing  an  enemy  against  Damascus.  Imperial 
Rome  did  the  same.  She  joined  the  deities  of  conquered 
nations  in  her  own  Pantheon. 

15.  to  inquire  by]  The  Hebrew  verb  Idkar  here  used  occurs 
seven  times,  and  the  cognate  Chaldee  verb  hekdr  occurs  five 
times,  and  generally  with  the  sense  of  searching,  examining, 
inquiring  (see  Levit.  xiii.  26 ;  xxvii.  33.  Ezra  iv.  15.  19.  Ps. 
xxvii.  4.     Ezek.  xxxiv.  11,  12). 

The  Vulgate  renders  it  "  ad  voluntatem  meam  :"  the  Syriac 
and  Arabic  render  it  "for  prayer."  The  Sept.  has  confounded 
the  word  with  boker,  morning.     Keil  supposes  it  to  mean,  "  for 


Shalmaneser 


2  KINGS  XVI.  17—20.     XVII.  1—3. 


besieges  Samaria. 


that  king  Ahaz  commanded.  ^^ "  And  king  Aliaz  cut  off  °  the  borders  of  the 
bases,  and  removed  the  laver  from  off  them ;  and  took  down  ^  the  sea  from  off 
the  brasen  oxen  that  ivere  under  it,  and  put  it  upon  a  pavement  of  stones. 
'^  And  the  covert  for  the  sabbath  that  they  had  built  in  the  house,  and  the 
king's  entry  without,  turned  he  from  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  the  king  of 
Assyria. 

^^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Ahaz  which  he  did,  are  they  not  written  in  the 
book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  ^^  And  Ahaz  slept  with  his 
fathers,  and  '^  was  buried  with  his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David :  and  Hezekiah 
his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XVII.  ^  In  the  twelfth  year  of  Ahaz  king  of  Judah  began  "  Hoshea  the  son 
of  Elah  to  reign  in  Samaria  over  Israel  nine  years.  ^  And  he  did  that  ivliich 
was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  but  not  as  the  kings  of  Israel  that  were 
before  him.  ^  Against  him  came  up  ^  Shalmaneser  king  of  Assyria ;  and 
Hoshea  became  his  servant,  and  f  gave  him  ||  presents. 


Before 

CHRIST 

73». 

n  2  Chron.  28.  24 

o  1  Kings  7.  27, 

28. 

p  1  Kings  7.  23, 

25. 


726. 
q2  ChroD.  28.  27. 


730. 
a  After  an  in- 
terregnum, 
ch.  15.  30. 


bch.  18.  9. 

t  Heb.  rendered, 
2  Sam.  8.  2. 
y  Or,  tribute. 


me  to  cousulcr  what  I  shall  do  with  it ;"  and  so  Fuersf,  232. 
Gesenius  (p.  137)  renders  it,  "to  contemplate"  with  the  mind, 
to  consider,  to  think  on;  and  this  rendering  seems  to  be  the 
best :  and  it  does  not  exclude  the  notion  of  prayer,  and  seeking 
for  God,  which  is  expressed  by  the  same  verb,  in  Ps.  xxvii.  4. 

Ahaz  would  not  use  God's  altar  for  the  purpose  prescribed 
by  God ;  but,  iu  that  hypocritical  faithlessness  (for  which  he  was 
censured  by  Isaiah,  vii.  12,  13),  while  he  professes  reverence  for 
it,  he  will  use  it  for  a  purpose  devised  by  himself. 

May  not  the  Christian  Church  see  here  also  a  warniug  to 
herself.  God  has  set  up  an  altar  iu  His  Church,  in  order  that 
the  faithful  communicant  should  there  partake  of  the  Eucha- 
ristic  Peace-offering.  But  this  is  perverted  by  some  to  other 
uses ;  the  Sacrament  of  the  Blessed  Communion  of  the  Body  and 
Blood  of  Christ,  which  lie  has  commanded  to  be  received  by  all, 
as  the  food  of  life  to  the  faithful,  is  degraded  by  the  Zwing- 
lian,  on  the  oue  side,  into  a  mere  picture  for  contemplation ;  and 
it  becomes  to  the  Romanist,  on  the  other,  like  an  image  for 
distant  adoration. 

Ahaz  proceeded  at  length  to  shut  up  the  Temple  (2  Chron. 
xxviii.  24).  Such  are  the  consequences  of  mixed  worship.  It 
ends  in  abolition  of  the  True.  In  like  manner,  mixtures  of  false 
doctrine  with  the  true  lead  on  to  persecution  of  the  Faith. 

16.  T/iiis  did  JJrijah  the  Priest^  How  different  was  the  con- 
duct of  Azai'iah  who  resisted  King  Uzziah  when  he  intruded 
into  the  priest's  office  (2  Chi'on.  xxvi.  17,  18) ;  and  how  dif- 
ferent also  was  the  conduct  of  the  holy  Apostles  !  Acts  iv.  19 ; 
V.  29. 

Urijah's  name  does  not  appear  in  the  list  of  the  high 
priests  in  1  Chron.  vi.  3 — 15;  was  it  blotted  out  for  this  sin? 

17.  took  doivn  the  sea  from  off  the  brasen  oxerf\  Described 
above,  1  Kings  vii.  23 — 26.  Perhaps  he  used  the  borders  or 
pannels,  and  the  oxen,  for  the  adornment  of  some  secular  build- 
ing, or  of  some  idolatrous  sanctuary.  They  were  not  given  away 
to  the  King  of  Assyria  at  that  time  (see  xxv.  13.     Jer.  lii.  20). 

The  brazen  Sea,  supported  by  twelve  oxen,  had  a  typical 
meaning  (see  on  1  Kings  vii.  23 — 26);  and  they  who  tamper  with 
the  doctrine  of  Christian  Baptism,  or  prevent  its  ministration  by 
Apostolic  hands,  at  home  or  abroad,  may  be  said  to  imitate 
Ahaz,  who  took  the  brazen  sea  from  off  the  necks  of  the  twelve 
oxen,  and  put  it  on  the  ground,  upon  a  pavement  of  stones. 

18.  the  covert  for  the  sabbath']  Either  the  place  where  the 
Priests  and  Levites  met,  when  they  succeeded  and  relieved  each 
other  in  their  stated  courses,  on  the  sabbath  (Grotius),  or  the 
rendezvous  of  the  King  and  his  retinue,  when  he  came  on  the 
sabbath  to  the  Temple  for  worship. 

—  the  king's  entrt/']  Probably,  that  which  was  admired  by 
the  Queen  of  Sheba  (1  Kings  x.  5). 

—  turned  he  from  the  house  of  the  LoED  _/br  the  king  of 
Assyria}  Rather,  turned  he  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  for 
fear  of  the  King  of  Assyria  ;  literally,  to  defend  himselfyrowi  the 
^ace  of  the  King  of  Assyria,  whose  help  he  had  sought. 

The  verb  here  used  is  the  hiphil,  or  causative  of  sdbab,  to 
turn  {Gesen.  572),  to  change  (see  xxiii.  34;  xxiv.  17),  to  bring 
or  carry  about  to  (1  Sam.  v.  9,  10.  2  Sam.  iii.  12;  v.  23),  and 
the  meaning  seems  to  be,  that,  for  fear  of  the  King  of  Assyria, 
against  whom  Ahaz  desired  to  defend  himself,  when  that  King, 
135 


instead  of  being  his  protector,  became  his  enemy  (see  2  Chron. 
xxviii.  20),  he  turned  the  King^s  entrance,  and  c?onverted  it  into 
a  part  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  so  that  he  might  be  protected 
by  the  walls  of  the  Temple. 

The  moral  of  this  statement  is,  that  King  Ahaz,  having 
despised  God's  help,  and  having  preferred  the  aid  of  the  King 
of  Assyria,  was  reduced  by  fear  of  that  King,  to  avail  himself  of 
the  material  fabric  of  God's  house,  and  to  shelter  his  own  en- 
trance by  including  it  in  the  Temple,  which  he  thus  invaded 
and  profaned. 

This  also  is  applicable  to  later  days.  There  have  been  some, 
who  cared  little  for  the  moral  and  spiritual  uses  of  the  Christian 
Chm'ch,  but  who,  in  times  of  national  confusion,  were  desirous  of 
using  her  as  a  political  bulwark  for  themselves. 

19.  the  rest  of  the  acts — book  of  the  chronicles']  In  our  extant 
Book  of  Chronicles  (or  "Verba  dierum :"  see  on  2  Kings  xiv. 
19),  it  is  stated  that  he  burnt  incense  in  high  places  in  every 
several  city  of  Judah  to  other  gods  2  Chron.  xxviii.  25,  and 
there  a  reference  is  made  to  the  "  Book  of  the  Kings  of  Judah 
and  Israel "  for  further  particulars. 

20.  with  his  fathers']  In  the  city  of  David ;  but  not  in  the 
tombs  of  the  Kings  (2  Chron.  xxviii.  27). 

Cn.  XVII.  1.  In  the  twelfth  year  of  AJiaz]  Therefore  there 
was  an  anarchy  of  eight  years  between  Pekah  and  Hoshea.  For  it 
is  stated  in  xv.  30,  that  Hoshea  conspired  against  Pekah  in  the 
20th  year  of  Jotham,  i.  e.  in  the  fourth  year  of  Ahaz,  and  slew 
hm\{Ussher,  Bengel,  'Wilier,  Lightfoot) :  cp.  above,  on  xiii.  1. 

—  Hoshea]  Which  means  Saviour,  the  same  name  as  Joshua 
and  Jesus  {Bp.  Pearson,  p.  69).  Israel  was  saved  and  lost 
under  leaders  bearing  the  same  name :  cp.  note  above,  on  Gen. 
iv.  17. 

2.  not  as  the  kings  of  Israel  that  toere  before  him]  This  in- 
cidental notice  serves  to  explain  a  fact  recorded  in  the  Chroni- 
cles, which  otherwise  might  have  seemed  unaccountable.  Heze- 
kiah, King  of  Judah,  is  related  in  the  Chronicles  to  have  sent 
messengers  throughout  the  land  of  Israel,  to  invite  the  Ten 
Tribes  to  Jerusalem,  to  the  Passover  (2  Chron.  xxx.  5—11). 

This  is  remarkable,  when  we  consider  what  the  policy  of 
Jeroboam,  Baasha,  and  other  Kings  of  Israel  had  been ;  viz.,  to 
prevent  their  subjects  from  having  any  religious  communion 
with  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem  (see  above,  1  Kings  xii.  27 ;  xv. 
17 ;  below,  2  Chron.  xi.  14 ;  xiii.  9). 

Such  Kings  of  Israel  would  never  have  allowed  Hezekiah'a 
messengers  to  enter  their  kingdom  for  such  a  purpose  as  is  there 
described  in  the  Chronicles. 

But  the  Sacred  Historian  here  informs  us,  that  Hoshea  was 
not  "  as  the  Kings  of  Israel  that  were  before  him.''  Therefore 
Hoshea  allowed  Hezekiah's  couriers  to  traverse  his  kingdom, 
and  invite  his  subjects  to  the  Passover;  but  he  did  not  accept 
the  invitation  in  his  own  person,  or  encourage  them  to  do  so . 
see  2  Chron.  xxx.  1 — 5. 

3.  Shalmaneser]  Supposed  by  some  to  be  the  same  as  Shal- 
man  mentioned  as  a  spoiler  of  cities  by  Hosea,  x.  14  (see  Pusey 
there)  ;  he  was  the  predecessor  of  Sargon,  who  is  mentioned  in 
Isa.  XX.  1,  and  whose  acts  are  described  by  himself  in  the 
cuneiform  inscriptions  of  his  own  royal  palace  at  Khorsabad,  at 


Samaria  is  besieged 


2  KINGS  XVII.  4—9. 


three  years,  and  talcen. 


Before 
CHRIST 

730. 

725. 

723. 
c  cli.  18.  9. 

721. 
d  ch.  18.  10,  11. 
Hos.  13.  16, 
foretold, 
e  Lev.  26.  32,  33. 
Deut.  28.  36,  64. 
&  29.  27,  28. 
f  1  Chron.  5.  26. 


fi  Lev.  IS.  3. 
Deut.  18.  9. 
ch.  16.  3. 


■*  And  the  king  of  Assyria  found  conspiracy  in  Hoshea :  for  he  had  sent 
messengers  to  So  king  of  Egypt,  and  brought  no  present  to  the  king  of 
Assyria,  as  he  had  done  year  by  year :  therefore  the  king  of  Assyria  shut  him 
up,  and  bound  him  in  prison.  ^Then  'the  king  of  Assyria  came  up  throughout 
all  the  land,  and  went  up  to  Samaria,  and  besieged  it  three  years.  ^  "^  In  the 
ninth  year  of  Hoshea  the  king  of  Assyria  took  Samaria,  and  ^  carried  Israel 
away  into  Assyria,  ''and  placed  them  in  Halah  and  in  Habor  hy  the  river  of 
Gozan,  and  in  the  cities  of  the  Modes. 

7  For  so  it  was,  that  the  children  of  Israel  had  sinned  against  the  Lord  their 
God,  which  had  brought  them  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  under  the 
hand  of  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt,  and  had  feared  other  gods,  ^And  ^  walked 
in  the  statutes  of  the  heathen,  whom  the  Lord  cast  out  from  before  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  which  they  had  made.     ^  And 


the  N.E.  border  of  ancient  Nineveh,  and  who  appears  to  have 
finished  the  conquest  of  Samaria,  which  Shalmaneser  began. 
Cp.  notes  above,  on  xv.  19;  and  below,  on  vv.  5  and  24;  and 
xviii.  13. 

4.  So  Jcing  of  Egypf]  Shebeck,  the  second  King  of  the 
twenty-fifth  dynasty— an  Ethiopian  dynasty;  the  Sebechus  of 
Manetlio,  who,  according  to  Wilkinson,  ascended  the  throne, 
B.C.  728  {Briigscli.,  Hist.  d'Egyptc,  i.  244).  He  is  inentioned 
by  Sargon  in  his  inscriptions  (p.  2)  ;  "  Sebechus  King  of  Egypt 
could  not  resist  tlie  attack  of  my  servants,  and  fled." 

Tliis  passage  brings  before  us  the  names  of  the  two  great 
rival  Kingdoms  at  this  time — Assyria  and  Egypt.  Palestine 
lay  between  them,  and  endeavoured  to  avail  itself  of  Egypt 
against  Assyria. 

Sennacherib's  expedition  (chap,  xix.),  in  which  his  army 
was  destroyed  under  Hezekiah,  was  directed  against  Egypt; 
and  Pharaoh-necho's  campaign,  in  which  Josiah  fell  (chap,  xxiii. 
29),  was  against  Assyria.  See  note  below,  on  xxiii.  27,  and 
xxiv.  1,  for  some  considerations  on  the  history  of  these  empires, 
and  their  connexion  with  Israel  and  Judah. 

—  shut  him  up]  Took  him  prisoner;  probably  in  a  battle  in 
which  Hoshea  engaged,  before  the  capture  of  Samaria  (Buddevs) ; 
others  suppose  that  this  imprisonment  of  the  King  of  Israel  was 
subsequent  to  the  capture  of  Samaria  {Ben  Oersom,  Thenius). 

Samaeia  is  Taeek. 

In  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  at  Khorsabad  (see  v.  3),  the 
capture  of  Samaria  is  claimed  by  Sargon,  the  successor  of  Shal- 
maneser, as  his  own  act :  "  Samaria  I  besieged,  I  took ;  27,280 
men  who  dwelt  in  it  I  carried  away." 

Is  there  not,  therefore,  a  discrepancy  between  the  Assyrian 
inscriptions  and  Holy  Scripture  ?  No  :  it  is  not  said  in  Scripture 
that  Shalmaneser  took  Samaria,  but  that  he  besieged  it ;  and 
that  the  siege  lasted  three  years,  and  that  the  King  of  Assyria 
took  it  {v.  6).  The  language  in  xviii.  9,  10,  is  very  observable  : 
"  Shalmaneser  came  up  against  Samaria,  and  besieged  it.  And 
at  the  end  of  three  years  they  took  it,  and  Samaria  tvas  taken." 

It  seems  most  probable,  that  Sargon  was  generalissimo  of 
Shalmaneser,  and  that  Shalmaneser  died  in  the  course  of  the 
siege,  and  that  Sargon,  taking  advantage  of  his  own  position 
at  the  head  of  the  Assyrian  forces,  raised  himself  to  the  throne 
of  Assyria :  cp.  Delitzsch,  on  Isaiah  xx.  1. 

6.  in  the  ninth  year  of  Sosliea']  The  siege  began  in  the 
fourth  year  of  Hezekiah  :  see  xviii.  9,  10. 

This  is  carefully  to  be  noted,  because  it  brings  out  a  fact  of 
great  importance  which  is  recorded  in  the  Chronicles ;  namely, 
that  the  good  King  of  Judah,  Hezekiah,  had  restored  religion 
in  that  kingdom  at  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  and  had  invited 
the  tribes  of  Israel  to  take  part  in  the  work  of  national  repent- 
ance and  reformation,  especially  by  resorting  to  Jerusalem,  as 
the  divinely  appointed  centre  of  national  unity,  and  by  cele- 
brating there  the  Passover,  the  divinely  instituted  festival  of 
national  religion.  But  they  slighted  the  offer,  they  laughed 
his  messengers  to  scorn  and  mocked  them.  See  below,  on 
2  Chi'on.  XXX.  1 — 10.  This  was  the  final  ofier  of  mercy  from 
God ;  they  rejected  it,  and  were  cast  ofl'  by  him. 

If  Hoshea,  King  of  Israel,  had  united  with  Hezekiah, 
King  of  Judah,  in  this  blessed  work  of  religious  reformation, 
perhaps,  the  glories  of  David's  days  might  have  returned,  and 
who  can  say  whether  the  Tribes  of  Israel  would  have  now  been 
scattered  abroad,  and  banished  from  their  home  ?  Certain  it  is, 
136 


that  their  only  hope  of  recovery  is  in  their  union  in  Him  who  is 
the  Seed  of  David  and  Hezekiah,  and  who  was  foreshadowed  by 
all  the  godly  Kings  of  Judah,  the  Divine  King  of  the  Jews — 
Jesus  Cheist  :  cp.  below,  on  2  Chron.  xxx.  1.  10. 

—  took  Samaria]  Cp.  Isa.  xxviii.  1 — 6.  Hos.  x.  14;  xiii.  16. 
Amos  vi.  9,  10.  Mic.  i.  7,  on  the  horrors  of  this  siege  and  cap- 
ture ;  and  Stanley,  Lect.  xxxiv.  p.  368. 

—  Halah']  On  the  east  bank  of  the  Tigris,  N.  of  Nineveh. 

—  Halor]  The  river,  still  bearing  the  name,  which  rises  at 
the  foot  of  Mount  Habor,  or  Chabor,  above  Talamerk,  and  flows 
in  a  s.w.  direction  into  the  Tigris  {Dr.  Grant,  Nestorians, 
p.  40 ;  cp.  Bertheau  on  1  Chron.  v.  25,  p.  59). 

The  caeetino  away  of  the  Ten  Teibes. 

—  by  the  river  of  Oozan]  Or,  the  river  of  Gozan;  viz., 
Habor.  So  Sept.  Gozan  seems  to  be  Gauzania  of  Plolemy,  vi.  2, 
in  Media;  and  the  "  river  of  Gozan"  may  perhaps  be  identified 
with  the  Kisil  (the  red  river),  which  flows  from  the  S.  E.  of 
Urumiah  lake  into  the  Caspian. 

The  Jewish  traditions  favour  these  conclusions.  According 
to  them  the  region,  into  which  the  Ten  Tribes  were  carried,  was 
the  northern  tract  of  Assyria,  and  the  mountain  territory  on  the 
borders  of  Assyria  and  Media  {Ewald,  M.  v.  Niebuhr). 

These  traditions  have  received  a  formal  expression  in  the 
Book  of  Tobit ;  the  scene  of  which  is  laid  in  Assyria  at  Nineveh 
(i.  3.  10),  and  in  Media  (i.  14 ;  iv.  1),  at  Ecbatane  (vii.  1) 

On  the  present  condition  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  see  below,  on 
Acts  ii.  9—11.  Joseplnis,  Ant.  xi.  5.  2.  B.  J.  ii.  16.  4.  Wit- 
sius,  AcaSeKa.fpvXoi',  Basil,  1739.  Michaelis,  J.  D.  De  Exsilio  x. 
Tribuum,  com.  iii.  Dr.  Asahel  Grant,  on  the  Nestorians,  1841. 
Ritter,  Erdk.  x.  p.  246  :  cp.  Bertheau  on  Chronicles,  p.  60. 

Abraham,  the  Father  of  the  Twelve  Tribes,  was  brought 
by  faith  from  XJr  and  from  Haran  into  Canaan,  and  received 
the  promise  of  that  land.  But  the  Ten  Tribes,  wlio  were  Abra- 
ham's seed,  were  carried  away  for  disobedience,  from  Canaan  to 
beyond  that  region  from  which  Abraham  came  (see  on  Acts  vii. 
24).  But  when  they  repent  and  believe  in  Christ,  who  is  the 
promised  Seed  of  Abraham,  then  the  scattered  tribes  of  Israel 
will  inherit  the  heavenly  and  everlasting  Canaan,  of  which  the 
earthly  and  temporal  land  of  promise  was  a  type  and  shadow 
(Isa.  xi.  11, 12.     Rom.  xi.  25,  26). 

There  is  great  uncertainty  as  to  the  precise  site  of  the  placo 
here  mentioned  to  which  the  Ten  Tribes  were  carried.  Whither 
the  Tribes  were  taken,  and  where  they  now  are,  are  questions 
which  baffle  the  inquiries  of  geographers. 

Is  there  not  a  spiritual  significance  in  this  ?  Men  cannot 
solve  these  questions.  But  God  can.  He  knows  where  all  the 
scattered  families  of  Israel  are,  and  in  His  own  due  time  He 
will  join  them  together.  It  is  with  the  Jews,  as  it  was  with 
their  great  Legislator — Moses.  God  buried  him,  and  no  man 
knows  the  place  of  his  sepulchre  (Deut.  xxxiv.  6).  But  God 
knew  it,  and  brought  Moses  forth  into  Canaan  to  see  the  glory 
of  Christ  at  the  Transfiguration  (see  on  Matt.  xvii.  3  ;  and  on 
Deut.  xxxiv.  6).  So  wiU  it  one  day  be  with  the  Jewish  nation. 
No  man  knows  the  place  of  their  burial.  But  God  knows  it, 
and  will  one  day  bring  them  forth  from  their  grave  to  behold 
the  glory  of  Christ  in  the  Canaan  of  the  Visible  Church  on 
earth,  and  of  the  Church  triumphant  in  Heaven. 

7,  8.  the  children  of  Israel  had  sinned]  Tliis  statement 
referring  to  the  history  of  Israel,  confirms  the  truth  of  tha 
Pentateuch  :  cp.  v.  12,  and  see  marginal  references. 


Israel,  for  their  sins, 


2  KINGS  XVII.  10 — 23.        are  carried  aimtj  to  Assyria. 


Before 

CHRIST 

721. 


r  Deut.  29.  25. 

s  Deut.  32.  21. 
1  Kings  16.  13. 
1  Cor.  8.  4. 
t  Ps.  115.  8. 
Rom.  1.  21. 


the  children  of  Israel  did  secretly  those  things  that  ivere  not  right  against  the 
Lord  their  God,  and  they  built  them  high  places  in  all  their  cities,  *'  from  the  h  ch.  il's" 
tower  of  the  watchmen  to  the  fenced  city.     ^° '  And  they  set  them  up  f  images  W^^-^^i  ^^-  ^^■ 
and  "groves  'in  every  high  hill,  and  under  every  green  tree  :     ^^  And  there  they  ^Exo,i!'34"n. 
burnt  incense  in  all  the  high  places,  as  did  the  heathen  whom  the  Lord  car-  Slc.^'s!  h!'" 
ried  away  before  them;  and  wrought  wicked  things  to  provoke  the  Lord  to  ch.lo^V.^'^' 
anofer  :     ^^  Yoy  they  served  idols,  ""  whereof  the  Lord  had  said  unto  them,  "Ye  ^^^-j^i-i- ' 

n  J  '  '  Deut.  5.  7,  8. 

shall  not  do  this  thing.  °  ^'^^^  *■  "*• 

^^Yet  the  Lord  testified  against  Israel,  and  against  Judah,  f  by  all  the  pro-  l^fi^lU'f 
phets,  and  hy  all  °  the  seers,  saying,  ^  Turn  ye  from  your  evil  ways,  and  keep  ° }e^r^^8.^i-,^& 
my  commandments  and  my  statutes,  according  to  all  the  law  which  I  com-  "•  ^-  *  ^^-  '^• 
manded  your  fathers,  and  which  I  sent  to  you  by  my  servants  the  prophets. 
1^  Notwithstanding  they  would  not  hear,  but  ^  hardened  their  necks,  like  to  the  ^ror2'9^i;^'^' 
neck  of  their  fathers,  that  did  not  beheve  in  the  Lord  their  God.     ^^  And  they 
rejected  his  statutes,  '  and  his  covenant  that  he  made  with  their  fathers,  and 
his  testimonies  which  he  testified  against  them ;  and  they  followed  '  vanity,  and 
'  became  vain,  and  went  after  the  heathen  that  were  round  about  them,  con- 
cerning whom  the  Lord  had  charged  them,  that  they  should  "not  do  like  them.  uDeut.iV.'so.si 
^^  And  they  left  all  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  their  God,  and  "made  them  f  l^^'J^  jl' gg. 
molten  images,  even  two  calves,  ^  and  made  a  grove,  and  worshipped  all  Llie  y  ^'^^^^l*-^^ 
host  of  heaven,  *and  served  Baal.     ^^^And  they  caused  their  sons  and  their  z*';  f ings  le.  31 
daughters  to  pass  through  the  fire,  and  ^  used  divination  and  enchantments,  ck^' ^^' 
and  "  sold  themselves  to  do  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  to  provoke  him  to  ch 
anger.     ^^  Therefore  the  Lord  was  very  angry  with  Israel,  and  removed  them  ^  d^".'^  i^s^/^io 
out  of  his  sight :  there  was  none  left  '^  but  the  tribe  of  Judah  only.     ^^  Also  %]  f^^^^  ^^■ 
'  Judah  kept  not  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  their  God,  but  walked  in  the  e  Jer.  3.  $. 
statutes  of  Israel  which  they  made. 

2^  And  the  Lord  rejected  all  the  seed  of  Israel,  and  afflicted  them,  and  ^ deli-  {^^^o^- ^- ^ 
vered  them  into  the  hand  of  spoilers,  until  he  had  cast  them  out  of  his  sight. 
21  YoY  ^he  rent  Israel  from  the  house  of  David  :  and  ^  they  made  Jeroboam  the  gi  Kings  n. 

'  "^  11,  31. 

son  of  Nebat  king:  and  Jeroboam  drave  Israel  from  following  the  Lord,  and  20, ^sl"^^^^' 
made  them  sin  a  great  sin.     ^-^  For  the  children  of  Israel  walked  in  all  the  sins 
of  Jeroboam  wliich  he  did ;  they  departed  not  from  them  ;     ^^  Until  the  Lord 
removed  Israel  out  of  his  sight,  '  as  he  had  said  by  all  his  servants  the  pro-  *  ^  ^'"^^  ^^-  "^ 
phets.     ^  So  was  Israel  carried  away  out  of  their  own  land  to  Assyria  unto  this  ^  v".  e. 
day. 


11.  18. 
a  Lev.  18.  21. 

16.  3. 
Ezek.  23.  37. 


9.  the  children  of  Israel  did  secretly — against  the  Lord 
their  Ood]  Literally,  the  children  of  Israel  covered  words  with 
regard  to  which  it  was  not  so  with  the  Lord  their  God.  The 
word  rendered  did  secretly,  is  from  chdpha,  to  cover,  cognate 
with  chdpaph,  to  hide,  to  conceal  (Qesen.  295,  296).  The  Sept. 
renders  it  here  by  i]ix.<^ii<TavTo,  they  cloked ;  other  Versions  ren- 
der it  they  llasphemed.  Gesenius  translates  it,  they  acted  se- 
cretly, and  treacherously.  Hengst.  (Auth.  i.  176;  Christol.  iii. 
9)  explains  it  to  mean,  they  obscured  the  true  nature  of  God  and 
His  commands,  by  overlaying  them  with  a  multitude  of  perver- 
sions ;  as  the  Pharisees  afterwards  did  by  wrapping  up  and  dis- 
guising God's  Word  with  the  envelopements  of  human  tradi- 
tions (Matt.  vii.  9). 

—  from  the  tower  of  the  toatchmen  to  the  fenced  city]  That 
K.  even  from  the  lowest  hamlet  to  the  highest  fortified  town. 
The  "  tower  of  the  watchmen  "  represents  the  little  walled  en- 
closure built  by  shepherds  watching  their  flocks  in  rural  sheep- 
walks.  This  proverbial  expression  describes  the  utiiversal 
spread  of  idolatry  to  villages  as  well  as  cities  (cp.  xviii.  8, 
and  2  Chron.  xxvi.  10). 

10.  images  and  groves']  Pillars.  Cp.  1  Kings  xiv.  15.  23; 
svt.  33. 

137 


12.  idols]  Heb.  gilluUm,  stone  cylinders.  See  Lev.  xxvi.  31. 
Deut.  xxix.  17. 

—  the  LoED  had  said]  By  Moses  in  the  Pentateuch  (e.  g. 
E.xod.  XX.  3 ;  xxiii.  13.     Lev.  xxvi.  1). 

13.  ly  all  the  prophets]  Not  only  in  the  Law  of  Moses,  but 
by  the  Prophets,  such  as  Samuel,  Elijah,  Elisha,  Hosea,  Isaiah, 
Micah,  and  others,  whom  He  raised  up  to  restore  it. 

14.  hut  hardened  their  necls]  See  E.\od.  xxxii.  9.  Deut. 
X.  16. 

16.  a  grovel  Asherah  :  see  v.  10. 

—  the  host  of  It.eaven']  The  Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars.  See 
Deut.  iv.  19;  xvii.  3.     1  Kings  xvi.  32.     Acts  vii.  42. 

17.  to  pass  througli  the  fire]  Lev.  xviii.  21.  Deut.  xviii.  10. 

—  divination  and  enchantments]  Deut.  xviii.  10.  Lev. 
xix.  26.  A  warning  to  modern  times.  The  recourse  to  familiar 
spirits  was  one  of  the  sins  which  caused  the  captivity  of  Israel. 
Cp.  on  1  Sam.  xxviii.  8.  Acts  xvi.  16.     Rev.  i.v.  21. 

21.  For  he  rent  Israel]  The  defection  of  l&vAcl  is  represented 
as  a  punishment  inflicted  upon  them  for  their  sins.  Schism  and 
rebellion  are  not  only  sins,  but  they  are  also  punishments  for 
sins. 


The  mixed  religions 


2  KINGS  XVII.  24—30. 


of  the  Samaritans. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
678. 
iEzra4.  2,  10. 
m  See  ver.  30. 
n  ch.  18.  34, 
Ivah. 


"^ '  And  the  king  of  Assyria  brought  men  '"  from  Babylon,  and  from  Cuthah, 
and  from  "  Ava,  and  from  Hamath,  and  from  Sepharvaim,  and  placed  them  in 
the  cities  of  Samaria  instead  of  the  children  of  Israel :  and  they  possessed 
Samaria,  and  dwelt  in  the  cities  thereof.  ^5  ^^^j  gg  ]^  ^.g^g  c^^  ^j^g  beginning  of 
their  dwelling  there,  that  they  feared  not  the  Lord  :  therefore  the  Lord  sent 
lions  among  them,  which  slew  some  of  them.  ^6  Wherefore  they  spake  to  the 
king  of  Assyria,  saying,  The  nations  which  thou  hast  removed,  and  placed  in 
the  cities  of  Samaria,  know  not  the  manner  of  the  God  of  the  land :  therefore 
he  hath  sent  lions  among  them,  and,  behold,  they  slay  them,  because  they  know 
not  the  manner  of  the  God  of  the  land.  -^  Then  the  king  of  Assyria  com- 
manded, saying,  Carry  thither  one  of  the  priests  whom  ye  brought  from  thence ; 
and  let  them  go  and  dwell  there,  and  let  him  teach  them  the  manner  of  the 
God  of  the  land.  ^'^  Then  one  of  the  priests  whom  they  had  carried  away  from 
Samaria  came  and  dwelt  in  Beth-el,  and  taught  them  how  they  should  fear  the 
Lord.  -^  Howbeit  every  nation  made  gods  of  their  own,  and  put  thein  in  the 
houses  of  the  high  places  which  the  Samaritans  had  made,  every  nation  in 
their  cities  wherein  they  dwelt.  ^^And  the  men  of  "Babylon  made  Succoth- 
benoth,  and  the  men  of  Cuth  made  Nergal,   and  the  men  of  Hamath  made 


24.  the  Jcing  of  Assyria]  Esarhaddon  (Ezra  iv.  2.  10),  the 
son  of  Sennacherib  (xix.  37) :  cp.  Isa.  vii.  8,  who  predicted  the 
occupation  of  Samaria  by  Assyrians  {Prideaiix,  on  B.  C.  677  j 
Keil,  p.  314;  Br.  J.  A.  Ressey,  B.  D.  ii.  1102. 

Some  have  supposed  that  the  king  here  mentioned  was 
Sargon,  the  predecessor  and  father  of  Sennacherib ;  and 
it  is  not  impossible  that  a  colony  of  Assyrians  may  have  been 
planted  at  Samaria  before  the  time  of  Esarhaddon. 

The  mention  of  the  lions  (in  v.  25)  favours  the  former 
opinion,  as  intimating  that  a  considerable  time  had  elapsed 
since  the  deportation.  The  land  being  depopulated,  the  beasts 
of  the  field  increased  and  ravaged  it. 

This  record  of  the  capture  of  Samaria  by  the  King  of 
Assyria,  and  of  the  carrying  away  of  its  inhabitants,  and  of 
the  planting  of  settlers  from  Assyria  there,  and  of  the 
setting  up  of  other  gods  and  divers  religions  there,  receives 
much  light  from  the  recently  discovered  annals  of  Sargon,  King 
of  Assyria  (who  took  Samaria  :  sec  on  v.  3),  which  are  still  legible 
in  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  which  he  caused  to  be  engraved 
on  his  palace  at  Khorsabad,  at  the  n.e.  of  Nineveh,  and  which 
have  been  published  by  Oppert  and  Menani  in  "  Les  Fastes 
de  Sargon,  Roi  d'Assyrie,"  Paris,  1863.  The  following  is  a 
specimen  (p.  4),  "  I  besieged  and  conquered  Kilbaba,  governor 
of  the  city  of  Kharkar,  and  I  have  reduced  to  captivity  the 
inhabitants  of  his  country.  I  rebuilt  his  city  and  planted  in 
it  inhabitants  of  provinces  which  I  had  conquered,  and  set  a 
governor  over  them,  and  called  the  city  Kir  Sargon,  and  set  up 
there  the  worship  of  the  god  Assour."     Cp,  above,  on  v.  5. 

—  brought  men  from  Babylon]  Were  these  wholly  a  heathen 
people,  or  were  they  mingled  with  Israelites  ? 

The  former  opinion  is  maintained  by  Sengstenberg  (Auth. 
i.  3 — 27) ;  and  so  Suicer,  Reland,  Hammond,  H'dvernick, 
Drusius,  Robinson,  Archbishop  Trench  (Parables,  p.  310),  and 
Br.  Ressey  (B.  D.  ii.  1105). 

The  latter  alternative  is  defended  by  Kalkar  (in  Pelt's 
Theol.  Mitarbeiten,  iii.  24);  and  Keil,  p.  315,  who  refers  to 
2  Chron.  xxxiv.  9,  as  showing  that  many  Israelites  were  left 
in  the  kingdom  of  Samaria  after  the  captivity. 

The  truth  appears  to  be,  that  the  persons  who  were  settled 
in  Samaria  by  the  Assyrian  king  were  heathens,  and  not 
Israelites ;  but  that  in  course  of  time  they  were  mingled  with 
the  remnant  of  Israel,  still  surviving  there,  and  afterwards 
received  a  Jewish  infusion  from  Jerusalem  itself.  See  below, 
on  V,  41. 

—  Cuthah]  The  Cuthites  dwelt  in  Persia  and  Media  (Joseph., 
Ant.  ix.  14.  3 ;  x.  9.  7),  perhaps  the  same  as  the  Cissians,  n.e. 
of  Susa.  Others  place  Cutha  at  the  n.e.  of  Babylon  (Gesen., 
Spiegel.    Cp.  £evan,  B.  D.  i.  374). 

—  Ava]  Perhaps  the  same  as  Ivah  (cp.  on  xviii.  34). 

—  Ramath]  In  Syria,  on  the  Orontes.  See  Num.  xiii.  21 
1  Kings  vili.  65. 

138 


—  Sepharvaim]  Sippara,  in  the  southern  region  of  Meso- 
potamia, on  the  Euphrates  {Ptolem.  v.  18.  7),  perhaps  at 
Iloslaib.  The  places  here  mentioned,  —  Babylon,  Sippara, 
and  Hamath, — are  specified  by  Sargon  in  his  inscriptions  at 
Khorsabad,  among  his  conquests  :  cp.  xviii.  34  ;  xix.  12. 

26.  the  manner  of  the  God]  The  manner  (Heb.  mishpat), 
the  worship  which  is  due  to  Him  as  His  right :  cp.  1  Sam. 
viii.  9,  the  manner  of  the  king. 

28.  one  of  the  priests']  Not  of  Judah,  but  of  Israel ;  not  a 
Levitlcal  Priest  (as  Josephus  seems  to  intimate,  ix.  14.  3), 
but  a  Priest  of  the  calves  of  Jeroboam  ;  and  therefore  he  goes 
to  Beth-el.  Like  to  Jeroboam,  they  made  priests  of  any  class 
of  the  people  (1  Kings  xii.  31 ;  xiii.  33).  For  the  rabbinical 
version  of  this  history,  see  Pp.  Patrick  here. 

29.  every  nation  made  gods  of  their  own]  Here  was  a 
specimen  of  that  composite  theology,  or  religious  syncretism, 
which  God  hates  and  condemns  (see  lielow,  vv.  33 — 44).  Here 
is  a  warning  to  modern  Nations.  They  seem  chargeable  with 
this  sin,  when  they  encourage  and  endow  various  and  conflicting 
forms  of  religion.  See  above,  note  on  Lev.  xix.  19;  and  on 
1  Kings  iii.  16 — 28;  and  Theophilus  Anglicanus,  part.  iii. 
ch.  ii. ;  "  Deus  est  zelotypus,  itaque  cultus  Ejus  uon  fert 
mixturam  "  {Lord  Paeon). 

"  Vain  politicians  think  to  please  God  by  patching  up  re- 
ligions ;  but  above  all  things  God  hates  a  mingled  devotion  " 
{Pp.  Rail).  "He  cannot  love  the  Lord  Jesus  with  all  his 
heart,  who  Icndcth  one  ear  to  His  Apostles,  and  another  to 
false  apostles ;  and  can  brook  to  see  a  mingle-mangle  of  re- 
ligion and  superstition,  of  light  and  darkness.  We  have  no 
lord  but  Jesus ;  no  doctrine  but  the  Gospel ;  no  teachers  but 
His  Apostles  "  {Richard  Rooker,  Serm.  v.  §  7). 

30.  And  the  men  of  Babylon]  There  are  five  nations  men- 
tioned here  (see  v.  24) ;  and  each  of  these  five  nations  in- 
troduced its  own  idolatry,  as  is  remarked  by  Josephus  (Ant.  ix. 
14.  3).  Thus  Samaria  became  guilty  of  spirihial  adultery 
with  five  several  husbands,  according  to  the  language  of  the 
Old  Testament.  Cp.  Isa.  liv.  5.  Cp.  with  xxiii.  17.  Jer.  xxii. 
20.  Hos.  ii.  10 — 12 ;  and  (as  Rengstenberg  observes,  Auth.  i. 
21),  it  is  to  this  spiritual  polygamy  that  our  Lord  appears  to 
refer,  when  he  says  to  the  Samaritan  woman,  the  representa- 
tive of  the  Samaritan  Nation,  "  Thou  hast  had  five  husbands" 
(John  iv.  10).  What  Our  Lord  said,  was  not  only  true  of  her- 
self personally,  but  of  her  Nation  also. 

Samaria  had  committed  spiritual  harlotry  with  five  idola- 
tries. She  had  had  "five  husbands  ;"  and  he,  whom  she  then  had, 
was  not  her  husband;  for  she  ivorshipped  what  she  knew  not 
(John  iv.  22).  Hers  was  a  schismatical  religion;  and  "salva- 
tion was  of  the  Jews."  But  Christ  did  not  cast  her  off.  He 
graciously  came  to  reveal  Himself  to  her,  and  to  espouse  her 
to  Himself,  according  to  the  Prophet's  words,  "  Thy  Maker  ii 
thine  husband  "  (Isa.  liv.  5). 

30.  Succoth-benoth]    Literally,  tents  of  daughters   {Gesen. 


The  Samaritans ; 


2  KINGS  XVII.  31—41. 


their  idolatrous  worship. 


Asliima,  ^^PAnd  the  Avites  made  Nibliaz  and  Tartak,  and  the  Sepharvites 
•"  burnt  their  children  in  fire  to  Adrammelech  and  Anammelech,  the  gods 
of  Sepharvaim.  ^"^  So  they  feared  the  Lord,  "■  and  made  unto  themselves  of 
the  lowest  of  them  priests  of  the  high  places,  which  sacrificed  for  them  in 
the  houses  of  the  high  places.  ^^'They  feared  the  Lord,  and  served  their 
own  gods,  after  the  manner  of  the  nations  ||  whom  they  carried  away  from 
thence. 

2^  Unto  this  day  they  do  after  the  former  manners  :  they  fear  not  the  Lord, 
neither  do  they  after  their  statutes,  or  after  their  ordinances,  or  after  the  law 
and  commandment  which  the  Lord  commanded  the  children  of  Jacob,  '  whom 
he  named  Israel ;  ^^  With  whom  the  Lord  had  made  a  covenant,  and  charged 
them,  saying,  "  Ye  shall  not  fear  other  gods,  nor  ""  bow  yourselves  to  them,  nor 
serve  them,  nor  sacrifice  to  them :  '■^^  But  the  Lord,  who  brought  you  up  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt  with  great  power  and  ^  a  stretched  out  arm,  ^  him  shall  ye 
fear,  and  him  shall  ye  worship,  and  to  him  shall  ye  do  sacrifice.  ^'^  And  the 
statutes,  and  the  ordinances,  and  the  law,  and  the  commandment,  which  he 
wTote  for  you,  *  ye  shall  observe  to  do  for  evermore ;  and  ye  shall  not  fear  other 
gods.  ^^  And  the  covenant  that  I  have  made  with  you  ''  ye  shall  not  forget ; 
neither  shall  ye  fear  other  gods.  ^^But  the  Lord  your  God  ye  shall  fear  ;  and 
he  shall  deliver  you  out  of  the  hand  of  all  your  enemies.  '**^  Howbeit  they  did 
not  hearken,  but  they  did  after  their  former  manner. 

^1 "  So  these  nations  feared  the  Lord,  and  served  their  graven  images,  both 
their  children,  and  their  children's  children  :  as  did  their  fathers,  so  do  they 
unto  this  day. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

678. 
p  Ezra  4.  9. 
q  Lev.  18.  21. 
Deut.  12.  31. 
r  1  Kings  12.  31. 

s  Zeph.  1.  5. 

II  Or,  who  carriid 
lliem  away  fium 
thence. 


t  Gen.  32.  28   & 

35.  10. 

1  Kings  11.  31. 

u  Judg.  6.  in. 
X  Exod.  20.  5. 


y  Exod.  fi.  fi. 
z  Deut.  10.  20. 


a  Deut.  5.  32. 
b  Deut.  4.  23. 


c  ver.  32,  33. 


586),  supposed  by  some  to  be  booths,  such  as  that  infamous 
alcove  de.scribed  in  Num.  xxv.  8,  made  for  impure  purposes ; 
like  shrines  consecrated  to  Mylitta  or  Astarte  {Herod,  i.  199 ; 
Seidell,  de  Diis  Syriis,  ii.  1;  Bp.  Patrick  here;  Miinter, 
Rel.  d.  Babylon,  p.  74 ;  Winer,  ii.  543 ;  and  see  below,  on 
xxiii.  7). 

The  Rabbis  suppose  the  words  to  mean  a  deity  represented 
by  a  hen  and  her  chickens,  or  the  Pleiades  (Carpzov,  Apparat. 
p.  516 ;  Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  238),  or  a  constellation  in  Taurus, 
a  symbol  of  the  heavenly  Venus.  Sir  H.  Rawlinson  supposes 
it  to  be  a  Hebraizing  form  of  the  Chaldee  goddess  Zirbanit 
(B.  D.  iii.  1389). 

The  uncertainty  of  these  conjectures,  and  the  ignorance 
of  the  most  learned  men  as  to  the  meaning  of  these  idol 
names,  may  suggest  spiritual  instruction. 

The  Living  God  has  declared  that  the  idols  of  the  heathen 
should  perish,  and  theu-  names  be  hidden  in  darkness  :  see 
Jer.  X.  11.  So  it  has  come  to  pass.  The  meaning  of  their 
names  is  lost.  But  God  has  also  declared  that  all  men  should 
know  His  One  Name  from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other, 
and  that  the  "  earth  will  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea"  (Hab. 
ii.  14). 

—  NergaV]  The  planet  Mars  {Winer,  Rawlinsori).  Others 
derive  it  from  Ner,  light,  and  gal,  source,  and  suppose  it  to  be 
the  sun-god  Bel  {Selden).  The  Rabbis  regard  it  as  the  name 
of  a  Cuthite  deity,  symbolized  by  a  cock  :  and  so  Movers,  p.  68 ; 
and  Keil,  p.  316,  who  asserts  that  this  opinion  is  confirmed  by 
ancient  Syrian  monuments  (cp.  Layard,  Nineveh,  p.  410) ;  and 
this  opinion  is  consistent  with  the  theory  of  those  who  regard 
Nergal  as  the  war-god.  Cp.  Rawlinson,  Herod,  i.  631 — 634 ; 
B.  D.  ii.  500 ;  and  Aristoph.,  Aves,  834,  where  the  cock  is 
called  "'Apecor  viOTr6s. 

—  Ashima~]  A  Syrian  idol,  under  the  form  of  a  he-goat, 
according  to  the  Rabbis,  the  oriental  Pan  or  Faunus  {Selden, 
de  Dis  Syriis,  ii.  9).  He  has  been  compared  with  the  Phoenician 
deity  Es-mun  {Movers,  Phoen.  i.  532 ;  Winer,  R.  W.  B. 
i.  98). 

31.  Nibhaz  and  Tarfak]  The  one  like  Anubis,  the  other 
like  an  ass,  according  to  the  Rabbis  {Selden,  ii.  9 ;  Pfeiffer, 
Dubia,  p.  238). 

—  Adrammelech  and  Anammelech]    Literallv,  mighti)  Icing, 

139 


or  fire  Jcing ;  probably  a  sun-god  {Gesen.,  Rawlinson). 
Anammelech  seems  also  to  have  been  a  fire  deity.  They  were 
the  Molech  of  the  Sepharvites  (cp.  Movers,  p.  410). 

32.  they  feared  the  Loed]  They  feared  Him,  but  did  not 
love  and  obey  Him.  In  a  spirit  of  dread  they  professed  to 
honour  Him ;  but  they  presumed  to  combine  His  worship  with 
that  of  an  idol  crew  of  false  deities.  And,  therefore,  while  it 
was  true  in  a  certain  sense  that  they  feared  the  Lord  {vv.  32, 
33),  yet  it  was  also  true  that  thej  feared  not  the  Lord,  because 
they  did  not  show  their  fear  by  believing,  loving,  and  serving 
Him,  and  Him  alone  with  all  their  heart,  mind,  soul,  and 
strength,  as  He  had  commanded  (Exod.  xx,  1 — 5.  Deut.  vi.  13 ; 
X.  20). 

—  of  the  lowesf]  See  on  1  Kings  xii.  31. 

37.  the  statutes,  and  the  ordinances,  and  the  laio]  Here  is  a 
testimony  to  the  existence  of  a  written  code  at  this  time ;  and 
no  other  WTitten  Code  was  ever  received  by  the  Hebrew  Nation 
but  the  Pentateuch  ;  therefore  this  verse,  and  indeed  the  whole 
chapter,  is  a  witness  to  its  existence  and  divine  authority. 

The  Samaritans. 

41.  unto  this  day"]   When  this  book  was  written. 

A  question  here  arises ; — 

How  came  it  to  pass,  that  the  Samaritans  afterwards 
abandoned  idolatry,  and  that  in  our  Lord's  age  there  is  no  evi- 
dence of  the  existence  of  any  such  worship  as  is  here  described  ? 

The  answer  seems  to  be; — 

The  Ten  Tribes  were  carried  captive  to  Assyria  and  Media ; 
and  Samaria  was  colonized  by  the  king  of  Assyria  with  a  mixed 
idolatrous  population,  as  described  in  v.  24.  This  was  the 
substance  of  the  nation ;  it  was  foreign,  heathen,  and  idolatrous. 
The  Samaritans  themselves  asserted  this,  "  We  are  the  people 
whom  the  great  and  noble  Asnapper  brought  over  and  set  in 
the  cities  of  Samaria"  (see  Ezra  iv.  9,  10);  and  therefore  the 
Jews  would  not  allow  them  to  join  in  building  the  Temple 
(Ezra  iv.  3).  "Ye  have  nothing  to  do  with  us  to  build  an 
House  unto  our  God."  Hence  they  were  always  regarded  as 
foreigners,  and  were  abhorred  by  the  Jews ;  see  Ecclus.  1.  25. 
"  There  are  two  manner  of  nations  which  my  heart  abhorreth, 
and  the  thu-d  is  no  nation ;  they  that  sit  upon  the  mountain  of 
Samaria,  and  they  that  dwell  among  the  Philistines,  and  that 
foolish  people  that  dwell  in  Sichem ;"  and  Josephus  constantly 


llezekiali  s  good  reign ; 


2  KINGS  XVIII.  1 — 5.  he  breaks  the  hrasen  serpent. 


Before 
CHRIST 

atout 
726. 
a  2  Chron.  28.  27. 
&  29.  1. 
He  is  called 
Hzekias, 
Matt.  1.  9. 
b2  Chron.  29.  1, 
Abijah, 
c  2  Chron.  31.  1. 

t  Heb.  statues. 

dNum.  21.  9. 

II  That  is,  A 
piece  of  brass. 
e  ch.  19.  10. 
Job  13.  15.     Ps. 


XVIII.  ^  Now  it  came  to  pass  in  the  third  year  of  Hoshea  son  of  Elah  king 
of  Israel,  that  ^  Hezekiah  the  son  of  Ahaz  king  of  Judah  began  to  reign. 
2  Twenty  and  five  years  old  was  he  when  he  began  to  reign ;  and  he  reigned 
twenty  and  nine  years  in  Jerusalem.  His  mother's  name  also  ivas  ''Abi,  the 
daughter  of  Zachariah.  ^  And  he  did  that  lohich  ivas  right  in  the  sight  of  the 
LoKD,  according  to  all  that  David  his  father  did.  ^"He  removed  the  high 
places,  and  brake  the  f  images,  and  cut  down  the  groves,  and  brake  in  pieces 
the  "*  brasen  serpent  that  Moses  had  made  :  for  unto  those  days  the  children  of 
Israel  did  bum  incense  to  it :  and  he  called  it  ||  Nehushtan.     ^  He  ^  trusted  in 


affirms  their  heathen  and  foreign  origin  (see  Ant.  ix.  14.  3 ; 
X.  9.  7 :  cp.  his  remark,  xi.  8.  6 ;  xii.  5.  5).  They  are  commonly 
termed  Cuthites  in  the  Tahiiud  (xi.  4.  4).  In  the  New  Testa- 
ment the  Samaritans  are  called  foreigners  (see  Luke  xvii.  18), 
and  are  contrasted  with  the  "  house  of  Israel "  (Matt.  x.  5,  6). 
This  view  of  their  national  origin  has  been  clearly  displayed  by 
Mengstenherg  (Auth.  i.  3 — 27). 

But,  while  it  is  certain  that  by  origin  the  Samaritans  were 
heathen  and  foreigners,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  they 
received  many  admixtures  from  Israel  and  Judah  after  the 
settling  of  the  Assyrian  Colony.  There  was  some  remnant  of 
Israel  left  after  the  deportation  into  Assyria  (see  2  Chron. 
xxxiv.  6.  9)  J  but  the  principal  Jewish  infusion  was  after  the 
reformation  of  mixed  marriages  at  Jerusalem  by  Nehemiah 
(Neh.  xiii.  3.  23—31). 

One  of  the  sons  of  Joiada,  the  high  priest,  whom  Josephus 
calls  Manasseh  (Ant.  xi.  7;  and  xi.  8.  2 — 4),  had  married  the 
wife  of  Sanballat,  the  Horonite,  and,  being  unwilling  to  piat 
away  his  wife,  fled  to  Samaria,  and  erected  the  Temple  at 
Gerizim,  which  "  became  the  common  refuge  and  asylum  of 
refractory  Jews."  As  to  the  date  of  these  transactions,  they 
seem  to  be  connected  with  the  history  of  Nehemiah ;  Josephus 
appears  to  have  been  misled  in  placing  them  at  a  later  period,  viz., 
in  the  time  of  Darius  Codomannus,  the  last  king  of  Persia,  and 
Alexander  the  Great.     See  below,  on  Neh.  xiii.  28. 

But  whatever  the  precise  time  of  these  events  may  have 
been,  it  is  probable  that  the  Pentateuch  was  then  introduced 
into  the  heterogeneous  medley  of  that  strange  and  idolatrous 
population,  and  that,  together  with  the  knowledge  of  the  Law 
of  Moses,  and  with  the  practice  of  such  a  religions  ritual  as  was 
then  celebrated  at  Gerizim,  and  under  the  salutary  influence  of 
such  Jews  as  returned  from  the  captivity,  Idolatry  gradually 
disappeared.  Certain  it  is,  that  we  see  no  signs  of  idolatry 
among  the  Samaritans  in  the  New  Testament.  We  find  also 
that  the  Samaritans  expected  the  Messiah,  Wlio  would  teach 
them  all  things  (John  iv.  25.  29),  and  they  gladly  acknowledged 
Jesus  as  the  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world  (John  iv.  42). 
And  there  is  a  striking  contrast  between  Jerusalem,  stoning 
St.  Stephen  the  deacon,  and  Samaria,  receiving  St.  PhUip  the 
deacon  (see  below,  on  Acts  vii.  57,  compared  with  Acts  viii.  6)  j 
and  Peter  and  John  are  sent  by  the  Apostles  at  Jerusalem  to 
confirm  at  Samaria  those  whom  St.  Phibp  had  baptized  (Acts 
viii.  14 — 16).  Some  remarks  on  the  facts  above  noticed  may  be 
seen  in  Ilean  Prideaux,  Connexion  on  B.  C.  677 ;  and  on  B.  C. 
534;  and  particularly  on  B.  C.  409.  Cp.  Winer,  B.  W.  B. 
ii.  369—373 ;  M.  Senry  on  v.  41 ;  and  Dr.  J.  A.  Uessey,  B.  D, 
ii.  1101 — 5  ;  Stanley,  Lectures  xxxiv.  p.  375. 

If,  as  some  allege,  the  Samaritans  had  been  mere  heathens, 
then  it  could  not  have  been  said  that  Cornelius  at  Cajsarea,  and 
those  who  were  baptized  ■with  him  were  the  first  fruits  of  the 
Gentile  world  (see  Acts  xi.  1 — 18) ;  and  St.  Peter  and  the  other 
Apostles  would  have  felt  the  same  scruple  as  to  the  reception  of 
the  Samaritans  into  the  Church,  as  they  did  feel  with  regard 
to  the  admission  of  Cornelius ;  which  was  made  a  ground  for  a 
charge  against  St.  Peter,  and  required  a  special  explanation 
from  him  :  see  Acts  xi.  1 — 18. 

Our  conclusion,  therefore,  is,  that  the  Samaritans  were  of 
heathen  origin,  but  that  they  received  the  infusion  of  Israelitish 
elements,  which  tinged  the  foreign  stream  which  had  flowed 
froiu  Assyria.  The  Samaritans  hold,  in  the  New  Testament,  a 
middle  place  between  the  Jews  and  Gentiles ;  in  that  place  they 
are  set  by  our  Blessed  Lord  Himself  in  His  last  words  to  the 
Apostles  (Acts  i.  8) ;  and  in  many  respects  they  were  exemplary 
both  to  the  Jewish  and  Gentile  World. 

Thus,  in  reviewing  the  history  of  Samaria  from  the  time  of 
the  captivity  of  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel  to  the  present,  we  see 
that,  in  His  great  wisdom,  God  overruled  e\'il  by  good,  and 
140 


made  the  most  untoward  circumstances  to  be  ministerial  to  the 
progress  of  Truth :  and  it  is  never  to  be  forgotten,  that  the 
Samaritan  Pentateuch,  coinciding  as  it  does  in  all  main  respects 
with  the  Pentateuch  in  the  hands  of  the  Jews,  their  rivals  and 
adversaries,  afibrds  a  strong  argument  in  favour  of  the  genuine- 
ness and  authenticity  of  the  Books  of  Moses. 

Cn.  XVIII,  1.  Sezekiah']  which  means,  ivhom  Jehovah 
strengthens  ;  a  name  fulfilled  in  his  history. 

2.  Twenty  and  five  years  old  was  he']  Therefore,  according 
to  xvi.  2,  which  states  that  Ahaz  was  twenty  years  old  when  he 
began  to  reign,  and  that  he  reigned  sixteen  years,  Hezekiah 
must  have  been  born  when  Ahaz,  his  fathei",  was  only  eleven 
years  old.  This  conclusion  is  avoided  if  Ahaz  is  supposed  to 
have  been  twenty-five  years  old  when  he  came  to  the  throne : 
so  Sept.,  Syr.,  Aral.,  in  2  Chron  xxviii.  1. 

But  the  reading  of  the  text  need  not  be  suspected.  For 
examples  of  similar  precocity  see  S.  Jerome,  Epist.  ad  Vital. 
132 ;  Bochart,  Georg.  Sacr.  p.  920  ,•  TFouvers,  Dilucidat,  p.  894, 
cd  Mignej  and  Thevenofs  Travels,  iii.  100.  165;  Volney, 
ii.  360;  Burchh.,  p.  570;  Keil,  295.  Since  Hezekiah  was  born 
before  Ahaz  became  King,  therefore  Hezekiah  could  not  have 
been  (as  some  of  the  Jews  allege)  the  Emmanuel  promised  to 
Aliaz  (Isa.  vii.  14).  See  Justin  M.,  c.  Tryphon.  §  43,  and  §  77 ; 
and  Bj).  Bearson  on  the  Creed,  p.  172,  Art.  iii. 

—  Ilis  mother's  name]  The  names  of  the  mothers  of  all  the 
later  kings  of  Judah  are  mentioned  in  Holy  Scripture  (see 
below,  xxi.  1.  19;  xxii.  1;  xxiii.  31.  36;  xxiv.  8. 18);  intimating 
the  importance  of  a  mother's  influence,  especially  in  evil  days. 

4.  he  removed  the  high  places']  The  reformation  effected  by 
Hezekiah  is  described  more  fully  in  the  Book  of  Chronicles 
(2  Chron.  xxix.  3 ; — xxxi.  19) ;  on  which,  as  compared  with  the 
history  in  this  Book,  and  for  a  refutation  of  the  allegations 
against  the  two,  as  not  harmonizing  with  each  other,  see  the 
notes  there,  and  Keil,  Apol.  Versuch,  p.  399,  who  justly  remarks 
that  what  is  related  in  the  Chronicles  is  the  historical  filling-up 
of  the  sketch  dra\vn  in  a  few  rapid  touches  by  the  writer  of  the 
Kings;  see  also  Hdvernick,  Einleit  ii.  pp.  22.  131. 

The  Breaking  of  the  Brazen  Serpent  in  Pieces  by 
Hezekiah. 

—  he — hrake  in  pieces  the  hrasen  serpent  that  Moses  had 
made; — and  he  called  it  Nehushtan]  On  the  history  of  the 
Brazen  Serpent,  see  above,  notes  on  Num.  xxi.  9. 

The  serpent,  in  Hebrew  nachash,  from  the  root  nachash,  to 
shine,  was  called  (the  verb  he  called  is  properly  impersonal) 
nechushtan,  i.  e.  of  brass  {Gesen.  545),  by  a  significant  modifi- 
cation, in  order  to  remind  the  world,  that  things,  however  holy, 
by  which  God  works,  as  He  did  by  the  brazen  serpent  in  the 
wilderness,  became  mere  nehushtans,  like  "  sounding  brass  and 
tinTcling  cymbals "  (1  Cor.  xiii.  1)  when  diverted  from  their 
true  use,  and  applied  to  purposes  of  adoration. 

Thus  this  history  of  the  act  of  Hezekiah  suggests  spiritual 
instruction  to  the  CTiurch. 

(1)  We  may  apply  it  to  the  Christian  Sacraments. 

What  the  wise  man  says  of  the  Brazen  Serpent  is  appro- 
priate to  them,  "  He  that  turned  himself  towards  it,  was  not 
saved  by  the  thing  that  he  saw,  but  by  Thee,  that  art  the 
Satiour  of  all"  (Wisd.  xvi.  7).  Christ,  dyaig  on  the  Cross, 
was  prefigured  by  the  Serpent  lifted  up  on  the  pole;  as  He 
Himself  teaches  us  (John  iii.  14)  ;  and  He,  as  God  from  ever- 
lasting, vouchsafed  to  work  by  it  (see  above,  on  Num.  xxi.  9) ; 
so  He  has  set  up  His  Sacraments  in  the  Church,  and  He  works 
by  them,  upon  all  those  who  look  by  faith  to  Him  in  them 
(see  on  John  iii.  14;  and  Hool-er,  v.  hdi.  4). 

But  if  the  Holy  Sacraments, — particularly  that  Sacrament 
which  represents  His  Death,  and  exhibits  and  applies  the  benefits 


Samaria  is  taken. 


2  KINGS  XVIII.  6—13. 


Sennacherib  invades  Judah. 


the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;  ^  so  that  after  him  was  none  hke  him  among  all  the 
kings  of  Judah,  nor  any  that  were  before  him.  ^  For  he  ^  clave  to  the  Lord, 
and  departed  not  f  from  following  him,  hut  kept  his  commandments,  which  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 

7  And  the  Lord  ''  was  with  him  ;  and  he  '  prospered  whithersoever  he  went 
forth:  and  he  ''rebelled  against  the  king  of  Assyria,  and  served  him  not.  ^'  He 
smote  the  Phihstines,  even  unto  f  Gaza,  and  the  borders  thereof,  ""  from  the 
tower  of  the  watchmen  to  the  fenced  city. 

^  And  "  it  came  to  pass  in  the  fourth  year  of  king  Hezekiah,  which  ivas  the 
seventh  year  of  Hoshea  son  of  Elah  king  of  Israel,  that  Shalmaneser  king  of 
Assyi'ia  came  up  against  Samaria,  and  besieged  it.  ^^  And  at  the  end  of  three 
years  they  took  it :  even  in  the  sixth  year  of  Hezekiah,  that  is  °  the  ninth  year 
of  Hoshea  king  of  Israel,  Samaria  was  taken.  ^^^And  the  king  of  Assyria 
did  carry  away  Israel  unto  Assyria,  and  put  them  "^  in  Halah  and  in  Habor  hy 
the  river  of  Gozan,  and  in  the  cities  of  the  Modes  :  ^" '  Because  they  obeyed 
not  the  voice  of  the  Lord  their  God,  but  transgressed  his  covenant,  and  all 
that  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord  commanded,  and  would  not  hear  them,  nor 
do  them. 

^^  Now  '  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  king  Hezekiah  did  f  Sennacherib  king  of 


Isa.  S6.  1,  &c. 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
72(i. 
f  ch.  23.25. 
g  Deut.  10.  20. 
Josh.  23.  8. 
+  Heb.  from 
after  him. 

h  2  Chron.  15.  2. 

about 
725. 
i  1  Sam.  18.  5,  14. 
Ps.  60.  12. 
k  ch.  16.  7. 
1  1  Chron.  4.  41. 
Isa.  14.  29. 
t  Heb.  Azzah. 
m  ch.  17.  9. 
n  ch.  17.3. 

about 
723. 

about 

72  . 

och.  17.  6. 

pch.  17.6. 

q  1  Chron.  5.  20. 

rch.  17.  7. 
Dan.  9.  6,  10. 


713. 
s  2  Chron.  32.  1, 
&c. 
t  Heb.  Sanherib. 


of  it  to  all  penitent  and  faithful  people,— is  altered  from  a 
Communion  of  His  Body  and  Blood  into  an  object  of  Adoration, 
if  the  worshippers  burn  incense  to  it,  instead  of  looking  at  it 
by  faith,  and  feeding  on  Him  Who  gives  Himself  by  it,  then  it 
loses  its  divine  efficacy  and  healing  virtue  to  them,  and  by 
consequence  of  their  own  acts  it  becomes  to  them  a  vain  and 
profitless  NeTiushtan. 

(2)  But  we  must  guard  against  the  misapplication  of  this 
example,  which  has  been  perverted  by  some  of  very  diverse 
opinions  into  a  plea  for  the  abolition  or  suppression  of  things 
which  ought  to  be  maintained. 

The  Holy  Scriptures  were  given  by  divine  inspiration,  in 
order  to  make  men  wise  unto  salvation ;  and,  however  much 
they  have  been  abused,  they  are  not  to  be  discarded  on  that 
account,  or  to  be  withheld  from  the  people,  but  to  be  reverently 
received  and  read.  Again;  the  Sacraments  of  Christ,  being 
ordained  by  Christ  Himself  for  the  attainment  of  a  necessary 
end,  as  long  as  the  world  lasts  (namely,  for  the  conveyance  of 
grace,  and  for  the  attainment  of  everlasting  salvation),  are 
never  to  be  rejected  or  impaired ;  but  are  to  be  cleared  from 
that  rust  of  abuse,  with  which  they  may  have  been  overlaid  by 
superstition.  And  even  those  things,  which  are  not  themselves 
of  divine  institution, — such  as  the  use  of  the  Cross  in  Baptism, — 
but  which  may  be  easily  guarded  against  abuse,  or  recovered 
from  it,  are  not  lightly  to  be  discarded,  because  they  have  been 
abused.  "  Rei  abusus  legitimum  non  tollit  usum,"  says  the 
Church  of  England  on  this  point  in  the  Canons  of  1603,  Canon 
30.  But  "  qui  tollit  abusum,  is  confirmat  usum."  Nor  are  the 
material  fabrics  of  heathen  temples,  and  still  less  of  Christian 
Churches,  to  be  demolished,  because  they  have  been  abused ; 
but  they  are  to  be  cleansed  and  purified,  and  to  be  restored  to 
Him  from  \Vhom  are  all  things,  and  Whose  is  "  the  Earth  and 
the  fulness  thereof."  See  the  excellent  remarks  of  Hooker,  on 
the  case  of  Hezekiah  and  the  Brazen  Serpent,  Eccl.  Pol.  V.  Ixv. 
12—19 ;  and  V.  xvii.  1—6. 

5.  none  like  him']  For  trust  in  God :  cp.  xxiii.  25,  where  the 
same  is  said  of  Josiah,  but  in  a  different  respect;  see  also 
Theodoret,  Qu.  57,  who  observes,  that  the  Sacred  Writer  does 
not  compare  Hezekiah  with  Josiah,  but  with  other  Kings. 

On  the  histories  of  Hezekiah  and  Josiah,  as  exemplary  to 
Kings  and  States  in  the  work  of  National  Repentance  and 
Religious  Reformation,  see  Hooker,  VIII.  iii.  1 — 6j  and  VIII. 
viii.  2;  and  the  authorities  cited  in  Theophilus  Anglicanus, 
Part  iii.  and  ch.  ii. ;  and  ch.  iv. 

8.  from  the  tower  of  the  watchmen]  See  xvii.  9. 
9 — 12.  it  came  to  pass'[  See  xvii.  3 — 6. 

9.  king  of  Assyria]  In  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  at  the 
palace  of  Khorsahad,  built  by  Sargon,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  successor  of  Shalmaneser,  and  the  father  and  predecessor 
of  Sennacherib,  are  these  words — "  I  (Sargon)  besieged  the  city 

141 


of  Samaria,  and  carried  away  27,280  men  who  dwelt  there,  into 
captivity,  and  took  fifty  chariots  from  them,  and  ordered  the 
rest  to  be  taken.  I  set  my  judges  over  them,  and  imposed 
upon  them  the  tributes  of  the  former  King,"  perhaps  Shal- 
maneser. See  "Pastes  de  Sargon,"  published  by  Oppert  and 
Menant,  Paris,  1863,  plate  2.    Cp.  on  xv.  19 ;  xvii.  6. 

Sennacheeib's  Invasion'  of  Judah. 

13.  Now  in  the  fourteenth  year]  The  narrative,  which  is 
continued  from  this  verse  to  xix.  37,  is  inserted  also  in  Isa. 
xxxvi.,  xxivii.,  and  more  briefly  in  2  Chron.  xxxii.  (see  note). 

In  addition  to  this  foreign  danger,  in  the  fourteenth  year 
of  his  reign,  the  good  king  Hezekiah  was  visited  with  a  per- 
sonal affliction, — a  sore  sickness  unto  death :  see  on  xx.  1. 
His  faith  is  more  exemplary  on  that  account. 

—  Sennacherib]  Called  Sanacharibus  by  Herodotus  (ii.  141), 
who  describes  him  as  "  king  of  the  Arabians  and  Assyrians," 
and  as  engaged  in  an  expedition  against  Egypt :  he  attacked 
Judah  in  his  way  thither.  Cp.  xix.  9.  24;  and  Isa.  x.  24. 
He  was  the  son  and  successor  of  Sargon.  For  a  summary  of  his 
life,  as  derived  from  Assyrian  inscriptions,  see  Layard,  Nineveh, 
138 — 147 ;  Eawlinson,  Anc.  Monarchies,  ii.  428 — 166. 

Some  have  inferred,  from  the  recently  discovered  Assyrian 
inscriptions,  that  Sargon  was  King  of  Assyria  at  this  time ;  aud 
that  his  reign  extended  from  B.C.  721,  to  B.C.  703,  and  that 
Sennacherib  is  here  confounded  with  Sargon ;  and  that  the 
name  of  Sennacherib,  "  whose  expedition  was  much  later,"  has 
been  inserted  here  and  in  Isa.  xxxvi.  1,  by  "  a  mistake  of  the 
copyists"  (Dr.  Smith,  Student's  Old 'Test.  Hist.  p.  4.86;Farrar, 
B.  D.  i.  799 ;  Hervey,  B.  D.  ii.  25 ;  Eawlinson,  B.  D.  ii.  1196). 
But  on  this  supposition  it  may  be  observed, — 

(1)  It  is  not  probable  that  such  an  error  as  this  should  have 
propagated  itself  in  all  the  Hebrew  MSS.  and  Ancient  Versions 
of  this  book  and  of  Isaiah,  and  of  Chronicles  also. 

(2)  Josephus  (Antt.  x.  1. 1)  follows  the  narrative  as  it  stands 
in  the  Hebrew  text ;  and  ascribes  the  Assyrian  expedition  in  the 
fourteenth  year  of  Hezekiah  to  Sennacherib,  and  not  to  Sargon. 

(3)  Sargon  came  to  the  throne,  B.C.  721  (see  xvii.  6),  but 
how  long  his  reign  extended,  is  not  certain. 

(4)  Even  supposing  that  Sargon  was  King  at  this  time,  is 
it  not  probable  that  Sennacherib  acted  as  his  father's  vicegerent 
in  this  invasion  of  Judah,  and,  perhaps  was  associated  with  him 
in  the  empu-e,  and  is  called  "King  of  Assyria,"  as  his  colleague 
and  successor  ?     Cp.  on  Mark  ii.  26,  for  a  like  mode  of  speech. 

(5)  Jerusalem  was  taken  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  warring  for 
his  father  Nabopolassar  ;  and  Nebuchadnezzar  is  called  "  King 
of  Babylon  "  in  his  father's  lifetime  (see  on  xxiv.  1.  10).  May 
not  Sennacherib  likewise  be  called  "  King  of  Assyria,"  because 
he  warred  for  his  father,  and  was  co-regent  with  him  ?  The 
learned  world  was  long  perplexed  as  to  how  Belshazzar  could 


HezeMah's  siibmission. 


2  KINGS  XVIII.  14—22.     Bah-shaheh  sent  to  Jerusalem 


Before 

CHRIST 

713. 


t  Ileb.  iliem. 

about 
710. 

t  Hel).  heavy. 


Or,  secretary. 


X  2  Chron.  32.  10, 

&c. 

a  Or,  lalkest 

i  Heb.  Jiiord  of 

the  lips. 

II  Or,  But  counsel 

and  strength  are 

for  the  war. 

y  Ezek.  29.  6,  7. 

t  Heb.  truslest. 

thee. 


z  ver.  4. 

2  Chron.  31.  1.  & 

32.  12. 


Assyria  come  up  against  all  the  fenced  cities  of  Judali,  and  took  them.  ^^  And 
Hezekiah  king  of  Judah  sent  to  the  king  of  Assyria  to  Lachish,  saying,  I  have 
ofifended  ;  return  from  me  :  that  which  thou  puttest  on  me  will  I  bear.  And 
the  king  of  Assyria  appointed  unto  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah  three  hundred 
talents  of  silver  and  thirty  talents  of  gold.  ^^  And  Hezekiah  '  gave  him  all  the 
silver  that  was  found  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  treasures  of  the 
lung's  house.  ^^At  that  time  did  Hezekiah  cut  off  the  gold  from  the  doors  of 
the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  frwn  the  pillars  which  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah 
had  overlaid,  and  gave  f  it  to  the  king  of  Assyria. 

^7  And  the  king  of  Assyria  sent  Tartan  and  Eahsaris  and  Kab-shakeh  from 
Lachish  to  king  Hezekiah  with  a  f  great  host  against  Jerusalem.  And  they 
went  up  and  came  to  Jerusalem.  And  when  they  were  come  up,  they  came 
and  stood  by  the  conduit  of  the  upper  pool,  "  which  is  in  the  highway  of  the 
fuller's  field.  ^^  And  when  they  had  called  to  the  king,  there  came  out  to  them 
Eliakim  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  which  was  over  the  household,  and  Shebna  the 
II  scribe,  and  Joah  the  son  of  Asaph  the  recorder. 

^^And  Rab-shakeh  said  unto  them,  Speak  ye  now  to  Hezekiah,  Thus  saith 
the  great  king,  the  king  of  Assyria,  "  What  confidence  is  this  wherein  thou 
trustest  ?  ^^  Thou  ||  sayest,  (but  they  are  hut  f  vain  words,)  ||  I  have  counsel 
and  strength  for  the  war.  Now  on  whom  dost  thou  trust,  that  thou  rebellest 
against  me  ?  ^^  ^  Now,  behold,  thou  f  trustest  upon  the  staff  of  this  bruised 
reed,  even  upon  Egypt,  on  which  if  a  man  lean,  it  will  go  into  his  hand,  and 
pierce  it :  so  is  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  unto  all  that  trust  on  him.  ^-  But  if 
ye  say  unto  me,  We  trust  in  the  Lord  our  God :  is  not  that  he,  ^  whose  high 
places  and  whose  altars  Hezekiah  hath  taken  away,  and  hath  said  to  Judah 


be  King  of  Babylon  at  its  capture,  as  Daniel  affirms  (Dan.  v. 
1 — 30),  when  all  profane  History  declared  that  Nabonnedus  was 
then  King.  But  we  now  all  know  that  Belshazzar  was  co-regent 
with  his  fother.  May  not  the  same  have  been  the  case  with 
Sennacherib? 

(6)  The  reign  of  Sennacherib  extended  to  eighteen  years 
(Berosus),  and  his  accession  is  placed  in  Tobit  i.  15  after  the 
death  of  Enemessar  (Shalmaneser). 

(7)  The  mention  of  Sennacherib' by  Herodotus  (ii.  141), 
confirms  the  opinion  that  he  had  royal  authority  at  this  time. 

14.  Lachish^  In  the  lowland  of  Judah,  about  thirty-five 
miles  s.w,  of  Jerusalem,  on  the  way  to  Egypt,  whither  Senna- 
cherib was  going.     See  v.  17.    Cp.  xiv.  19 ;  and  on  Josh.  x.  3. 

—  that  which  thou  puttest  on  me  will  I  bear']  Let  no  one 
tax  Hezekiah  with  cowardice.  Let  it  be  remembered,  that  the 
great  King  of  Assyria,  who  was  coming  against  him,  had 
recently  earned  Israel  captive,  which  was  twice  as  powerful 
as  Judah,  and  had  overrun  other  countries  with  his  victorious 
marches  (v.  33),  and  had  taken  the  fenced  cities  of  Judah  itself. 
The  wonder  is  rather,  that  Hezekiah  recovered  from  his  alarm, 
and  that  fear  gave  way  to  faith  (xix.  1).  See  also  below,  on 
2  Chron.  xxxii.  2. 

16.  Hezekiah  gave  him  all  the  silver — and  in  the  treasures 
of  the  king's  house]  How,  then,  came  it  to  pass,  that  Hezekiah 
had  such  great  treasures  afterwards  to  show  to  the  ambassadors 
from  Babylon  ?  (xx.  12,  13.)  This  is  explained  by  2  Chron. 
xxxii.  23.  27.  Besides  the  gifts  there  mentioned,  probably 
much  treasure  accrued  to  Hezekiah  from  the  spoil  of  the 
Assyrian  army,  suddenly  destroyed  by  God  (xix.  35.  Blunt, 
Coincidences,  pp.  230,  231 ;   Woodward,  Tracts,  &c.,  p.  236). 

16.  the  pillars']  The  door-posts. 

17.  Tartan]  Lofty  (Hitzig).  The  name  Tartan  occurs  also 
in  Isa.  XX.  1.  This  name  and  the  two  following  are  probably 
official  titles  {RawUnson,  Delitzsch). 

—  Eabsaris]  Literally,  chief  of  tlae  eunuchs  (Gen.  xxxvii.  36 ; 
xxxix.  1). 

—  Mab-shakeh]  Chiefcup-bearer.  C^^. SacasmXenop. C^.'i.^. 

—  conduit  of  the  upper  pool]  The  upper  Gihon,  on  the 
west  of  Jerusadem.  See  above,  on  1  Kings  i.  33.  Isa.  vii.  3. 
See  also  below,  xx.   20;  and  2   Chron.  xxxii.  30,  whence  it 

142 


appears  that  Hezekiah  covered  this  conduit,  and  brought  the 
water  into  the  city,  so  that  he  might  withdraw  it  from  the 
besiegers,  and  provide  a  supply  for  the  inhabitants. 

On  the  upper  and  lower  pools  of  Gihon,  and  on  the  works 
of  Hezekiah  there,  see  Robinson,  Pal.  i.  pp.  483 — 489 ;  Keil, 
324;  Grove,  B.  D.  i.  69;  and  Fergusson,  B.  D.  i.  1028. 

—  fuller's  field]  Which  was  chosen  as  a  site  for  that  trade, 
on  account  of  its  nearness  to  the  water. 

18.  JEliakim]  The  name  Eliakim  means,  whom  God  has 
set  up  (Gesen.  52). 

—  Shebna]  His ya^Aer's  name  is  not  mentioned,  as  is  that  of 
Eliakim  and  Joah;  his  own  name  means  delicate  {Gesen.  802). 
Shebna  seems  to  have  been  a  "  novus  homo,"  who  proudly  and 
covetously  abused  his  high  station  to  his  own  aggrandizement 
(see  Isa.  xxii.  15 — 19),  and  was  therefore  superseded  by  Eliakim 
(Isa.  xxii.  20);  and,  according  to  Isaiah's  prediction,  was  carried 
captive  to  a  strange  laud,  Babylon,  probably  with  his  master. 
King  Manasseh,  and  died  there :  see  Prideaux,  on  B.  C.  677, 
who  supposes  that  it  was  King  Manasseh,  who,  on  his  repent- 
ance and  return,  raised  Eliakim  to  that  high  station  which  was 
pre-announced  by  Isaiah.     Cp.  Bhmt,  Coincidences,  p.  236. 

19.  the  great  kitig]  A  title  assumed  by  the  Assyrian,  and 
afterwards  by  the  Babylonian  and  Persian,  kings  (cp.  Ezek. 
xxvi.  7.  Dan,  ii.  37).  Its  vanity  is  evident  from  the  fact, 
that  the  one  superseded  the  other  in  rapid  succession. 

20.  vain  ivords]  Literally,  a  ivord  of  the  lip,  not  of  the  heart. 

21.  reed — Egypt]  An  appropriate  figure,  derived  from  the 
reeds  of  the  Nile,  the  river  of  Egypt :  cp.  Ezek.  xxix.  6. 
Hezekiah  did  not  trust  in  a  reed,  but  in  the  Rock. 

—  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt]  The  father  of  Sennacherib, 
Sargon,  thus  speaks  of  bis  own  conquests  over  Egypt,  "  Hanon, 
King  of  the  city  Gaza,  came  with  Sebechus,  lord  of  Egypt,  in 
the  city  Raphia  to  fight  a  great  battle  against  me ;  I  put 
them  to  flight.  Sebechus  could  not  withstand  the  attack  of  my 
servants  :  he  fled  away ;  and  his  footstep  was  not  seen.  I  took 
with  my  hand  Hanon,  King  of  Gaza.  I  received  tribute  from 
Pharaoh  King  of  Egypt "  (see  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  from 
the  palace  of  Khorsabad,  built  by  Sargon ;  published  by  Oppert 
and  Menant,  Paris,  1863,  plate  2). 

22.  If  ye  say— is  not  that  he, — whose  altars]    Rab-shakeh 


Bab-shakeWs  proud  defiance        2  KINGS  XVIII.  23—37. 


and  blasphemous  language. 


and  Jerusalem,  Ye  shall  worship  before  this  altar  in  Jerusalem  ?  ^3  j^q^ 
therefore,  I  pray  thee,  give  [|  pledges  to  my  lord  the  king  of  Assyria,  and  I  will 
deliver  thee  two  thousand  horses,  if  thou  be  able  on  thy  part  to  set  riders  upon 
them.  24  How  then  wilt  thou  turn  away  the  face  of  one  captain  of  the  least  of 
my  master's  servants,  and  put  thy  trust  on  Egypt  for  chariots  and  for  horse- 
men ?  2^  Am  I  now  come  up  without  the  Lord  against  this  place  to  destroy 
it  ?     The  Lord  said  to  me.  Go  up  against  this  land,  and  destroy  it. 

-^  Then  said  Eliakim  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  and  Shebna,  and  Joah,  unto  Eab- 
shakeh.  Speak,  I  pray  thee,  to  thy  servants  in  the  Syrian  language ;  for  we 
understand  it :  and  talk  not  with  us  in  the  Jews'  language  in  the  ears  of  the 
people  that  are  on  the  wall.  ~'^  But  Kab-shakeh  said  unto  them.  Hath  my 
master  sent  me  to  thy  master,  and  to  thee,  to  speak  these  words  ?  hath  he 
not  sent  me  to  the  men  which  sit  on  the  wall,  that  they  may  eat  their  own 
dung,  and  drink  f  their  own  piss  with  you  ? 

-^  Then  Kab-shakeh  stood  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice  in  the  Jews'  language, 
and  spake,  saying.  Hear  the  word  of  the  great  king,  the  king  of  Assyria : 
2^  Thus  saith  the  king,  ^  Let  not  Hezekiah  deceive  you  :  for  he  shall  not  be 
able  to  deliver  you  out  of  his  hand  :  ^^  Neither  let  Hezekiah  make  you  trust 
in  the  Lord,  saying.  The  Lord  will  surely  deliver  us,  and  this  city  shall  not 
be  delivered  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria.  ^^  Hearken  not  to  Hezekiah : 
for  thus  saith  the  king  of  Assyria,  ||  f  Make  an  agreement  with  me  by  a  present, 
and  come  out  to  me,  and  then  eat  ye  every  man  of  his  own  vine,  and  every  one 
of  his  fig  tree,  and  drink  ye  every  one  the  waters  of  his  ||  cistern :  ^^  Until  I 
come  and  take  you  away  to  a  land  like  your  own  land,  ^  a  land  of  corn  and 
wine,  a  land  of  bread  and  vineyards,  a  land  of  oil  olive  and  of  honey,  that  ye 
may  live,  and  not  die  :  and  hearken  not  unto  Hezekiah,  when  he  ||  persuadeth 
you,  saying.  The  Lord  will  deliver  us.  ^^ "  Hath  any  of  the  gods  of  the  nations 
delivered  at  all  his  land  out  of  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria  ?  ^^'*  Where 
are  the  gods  of  Hamath,  and  of  Arpad  ?  where  are  the  gods  of  Sepharvaim, 
Hena,  and  ^  Ivali  ?  have  they  delivered  Samaria  out  of  mine  hand  ?  ^^  Who 
are  they  among  all  the  gods  of  the  countries,  that  have  delivered  their  country 
out  of  mine  hand,  *^that  the  Lord  should  deliver  Jerusalem  out  of  mine 
hand  ? 

2^  But  the  people  held  their  peace,  and  answered  him  not  a  word :  for  the 
king's  commandment  was,  saying.  Answer  him  not. 

^^  Then  came  Eliakim  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  which  loas  over  the  household,  and 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

710. 

Or,  hostages. 


t  Heb.  the  water 
of  their  feet. 


a  2  Chron.  32.  15. 


ii  Or,  Seeh  mij 

favour, 

t  Heb.  Make 

witk  me  a 

blessing. 

Gen.  32.  20.  & 

33.  11. 

Prov.  18.  16. 

II  Or,  pit. 

b  Deut.  8.  7,  8. 

II  Or,  deceiveth. 

c  ch.  19.  12. 
2  Chron.  32.  14. 
Isa.  10.  10,  11. 
d  ch.  19.  13. 


e  ch.  17.  24, 
Ava? 


attempts  to  prejudice  the  people  against  their  king,  on  account 
of  his  religious  reformation. 

In  Isa.  xxxvi.  7,  the  pronoun  is  in  the  second  person 
singular,  "  If  thou  say."  Rab-shakeh  probably  spoke  to  one 
of  the  king's  ministers  specially ;  but  what  he  said  was  designed 
for  them  all,  and  for  the  people  also  (see  v.  26.  Cp.  v.  27, 
where  the  second  person  is  used). 

25.  Am  Inoto  come  up  without  the  Loed]  He  had  probably 
heard  of  the  Lord's  prophetic  denunciations  against  Judah  for 
its  sins ;  and  he  represents  his  master  as  doing  the  Lord's  work, 
as  indeed  the  kings  of  Assyria  and  Babylon  did  (xix.  25.  Cp. 
Isa.  X.  5). 

26.  in  the  Syrian  language"]  The  Aramaic,  the  popular 
language  of  Syria,  Babylonia,  and  Assyria,  and  probably  the 
mother-tongue  of  Rab-shakeh  himself ;  and  it  was  understood 
by  the  chief  men  of  Judah,  such  as  Eliakim  and  Shebna,  but 
not  by  the  common  people  of  Jerusalem.  The  court  languige 
of  Assyria  was  an  Aryan  dialect. 

27.  that  they  may  eat,  &c.]  In  the  straitness  of  the  siege, 
by  which  they  will  be  afflicted  and  reduced  to  the  exti-emity 
of  misery  and  shame,  unless  they  surrender  "to  my  master, 

143 


the  great  king,  the  King  of  Assyria."  The  Chaldee  Targum 
paraphrases  the  words  in  the  text  by  another  phrase,  viz. 
"  their  outgoing,"  and  "  the  water  of  their  feet." 

Observe  the  contrast :  If  they  yield  to  the  great  king, 
then  every  one  of  them  will  eat  of  his  own  vine  and  fig-tree, 
and  drink  the  waters  of  his  own  cistern  (cp.  1  Kings  iv.  25) ; 
but  if  not,  then  the  mind  recoils  from  the  alternative. 

34.  Arpad .?]  Near  Hamath  (see  xvii.  24;  xix.  13.  Isa.  x.  9; 
xxxvi.  19;  xxxvii.  13.  Jer.  xlix.  23),  about  twenty  miles  to 
the  north  of  it  (Niebuhr). 

—  Sepharvaim']  On  the  Euphrates,  above  Babylon :  xvii. 
24. 

—  ITena]  Probably  Ana,  on  the  Euphrates,  near  Sephar- 
vaim (Rawlitison,  B.  D.  i.  786). 

—  Ivah  ?]  Probably  the  same  as  Avah,  in  xvii.  24;  perhaps 
on  the  site  of  Sit  (the  Is  of  Serodotus,  i.  179),  between 
Sepharvaim  and  Henah  (Rawlinsoti,  B.  D.  i.  906). 

—  Samaria]  See  xvii.  5.  24.  In  the  cuneiform  Inscriptions 
of  Khorsabad  (p.  2),  Sargon  mentions  three  of  the  cities 
here  specified,  Hamath,  Arpad,  and  Samaria,  as  among  his 
conquests. 


King  Hezehiah,  mournmg, 


2  KINGS  XIX.  1—9. 


sends  to  Isaiah  the  prophet. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

710. 

g  Isa.  33.  7. 

a  Isa.  37.  1,  &c. 


b  Luke  3.  4, 
called  Eiaias. 


Q  Or, provocation, 
c  2  Sam.  IG.  12. 
d  ch.  18.  3b. 
e  Ps.  50.  21. 

t  Heb.  found. 
f  Isa.  37.  6,  &c. 

gch.  18.  17. 

h  ver.  35,  30,  37. 
Jer.  51.  1. 


ich.  18.14. 
710. 
k  See  1  Sam.  23.  27. 


Shebna  the  scribe,  and  Joah  the  son  of  Asaph  the  recorder,  to  Hezekiah  ^  with 
their  clothes  rent,  and  told  him  the  words  of  Eab-shakeh.  XIX.  ^  And  ^  it 
came  to  pass,  when  king  Hezekiah  heard  it,  that  he  rent  his  clothes,  and 
covered  himself  with  sackcloth,  and  went  into  the  house  of  the  Lokd.  ^And 
he  sent  Eliakim,  which  was  over  the  household,  and  Shebna  the  scribe,  and 
the  elders  of  the  priests,  covered  with  sackcloth,  to  ^  Isaiah  the  prophet  the 
son  of  Amoz.  ^  And  they  said  unto  him.  Thus  saith  Hezekiah,  This  day  is  a 
day  of  trouble,  and  of  rebuke,  and  ||  blasphemy :  for  the  children  are  come  to 
the  birth,  and  there  is  not  strength  to  bring  forth.  ^  '^  It  may  be  the  Lord  thy 
God  will  hear  all  the  words  of  Kab-shakeh,  ''whom  the  king  of  Assyria  his 
master  hath  sent,  to  reproach  the  living  God ;  and  will "  reprove  the  words  which 
the  Lord  thy  God  hath  heard :  wherefore  hft  up  tluj  prayer  for  the  remnant 
that  are  f  left. 

^  So  the  servants  of  king  Hezekiah  came  to  Isaiah.  ^  ^And  Isaiah  said  unto 
them.  Thus  shall  ye  say  to  your  master.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Be  not  ah'aid 
of  the  words  which  thou  hast  heard,  with  which  the  ^  servants  of  the  king  of 
Assyria  have  blasphemed  me.  '  Behold,  I  will  send  ^  a  blast  upon  him,  and 
he  shall  hear  a  rumour,  and  shall  return  to  his  own  land ;  and  I  will  cause  him 
to  fall  by  the  sword  in  his  own  land. 

^  So  Kab-shakeh  returned,  and  found  the  king  of  Assyria  warring  against 
Libnah  :  for  he  had  heard  that  he  was  departed  '  from  Lachish.     ^  And  ^  when 


Ch.  XIX.  1.  rent  his  clothes,  and  covered  himself  with 
saclcclothi  The  king  was  not  ashamed  to  show  his  penitential 
sorrow  for  his  own  sins,  and  those  of  his  people,  and  his  in- 
dignation for  the  blasphemy  of  Rab-shakeh  against  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel  (cp   1  Kings  xxi.  27). 

2.  to  Isaiah  the  2»'ophet^  The  name  Isaiah,  or  Yeshaiah, 
means.  Salvation  of  Jehovah  (Gesen.  374),  and  was  a  very 
appropriate  appellation  for  him  who  was  inspu-ed  to  foretell 
the  salvation  of  Hezekiah  by  the  Lord  (m.  20),  and  to  announce 
the  salvation  of  the  World  by  Jchovala  in  Christ,  "  God  with 
us  "  (Isa.  vii.  14 ;  liii.  1—12). 

The  wise  king,  having  heard  the  blasphemy  of  Sennacherib, 
speaking  by  his  ambassadors,  resorts  to  penitence  and  prayer, 
as  his  arms  against  Sennacherib,  and  entreats  Isaiah  the  prophet 
to  become  his  own  ambassador  with  God  :  see  v.  4  {Theodoret). 
God  comforted  Hezekiah  by  the  ministry  of  prophets,  especially 
Isaiah  and  Mieah  (see  Micah  i.  1,  chaps,  iii.  and  iv.) ;  and  the 
prophecies  of  both  reached  forward  to  the  glorious  redemption 
which,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  was  to  be  wrought  for  the  Israel 
of  God  by  Christ,  who  sprang  from  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and 
of  the  seed  of  Hezekiah :  see  Micah  v.  2 — 13. 

3.  the  children  are  come  to  the  hirtK\  Literally,  "  ad  uteri 
rupturam."  The  children  in  the  womb  are  struggling  for 
light  and  life,  and  we  are  like  a  woman  in  the  loZ7ves,  or  throes 
of  parturition,  who  has  not  strength  to  bring  forth  {Tar gum). 
This  proverb,  denoting  gi-eat  anguish  of  soul,  is  used  by 
Hosea,  xiii.  13  (cp.  Isa.  xxvi.  17.  Jer.  xxx.  6),  and  is  familiar 
to  the  Arabs  {Schultens,  on  Job,  p.  31). 

"The  children  are  come  to  the  birth,  and  there  is  not 
strength  to  bring  forth."  So  they  said  to  Isaiah;  but  the 
prophet  cheered  them  with  the  assurance  of  a  glorious  deliver- 
ance, not  by  their  own  strength,  but  by  the  might  and  mercy 
of  God  {vv.  6,  7.  30,  31) ;  and  by  the  Bu-th  of  Emmanuel,  God 
with  us, — "  For  unto  us  a  Child  is  born,  unto  us  a  Son  is  given  " 
(Isa.  ix.  6). 

So  it  is  spiritually  with  the  whole  Israel  of  God. 

Before  the  First  Advent  of  Christ,  the  World  travailed 
with  pain  and  anguish  for  the  birth  of  the  Redeemer ;  but  in 
the  fulness  of  time  the  promised  Seed  was  born,  and  Man  was 
born  again  with  Him. 

This  was  its  state  also  before  His  Second  Birth  from  the 
Womb  of  the  Grave.  But  at  His  Resurrection,  He,  who  is 
"  the  firstborn  from  the  dead,"  "  the  firstborn  among  many 
brethren,"  broke  forth  from  the  w^lvis  of  the  Grave.  See  on 
John  xvi.  21 ;  and  on  Acts  ii.  24. 

So  it  is  still :  "  The  whole  Creation  groaneth  and  travaileth 
144 


in  pain  together  "  {awa^ivei)  "  until  now."     But  in  God's  own 
time  it  will  be  delivered :  Rom.  viii.  22  :  see  the  notes  there. 

4.  It  may  Je]  Hezekiah  adopts  the  words  of  David,  when 
he  was  cursed  by  Shimei  (2  Sam.  xvi.  12). 

—  the  LoED  thy  Ood'\  Observe  the  king's  humihty, — "the 
Lord  thy  God."  He  is  penitent  for  his  distrust  (see  xviii.  15), 
and  hardly  ventures  to  call  the  Lord  his  own  God. 

—  the  living  Qod~\  Who  has  been  blasphemed  by  those  who 
worship  dead  idols. 

—  will  reprove  the  words']  Literally,  will  chastise  him  for 
the  words. 

6.  the  servants  of  the  king"]  Literally,  the  young  men  of  the 
king.  Rab-shakeh  and  Rabsaris  are  in  their  own  esteem  great 
and  valiant  generals;  but  in  the  Eye  of  God,  the  Ancient  of 
Days,  the  Everlasting,  they  are  merely  young  men,  arrogantly 
vaunting  themselves,  like  striplings,  in  the  presumptuous  con- 
fidence, and  vainglorious  self-display  of  youth.  The  Sept.  has 
iraiSopm  ;   Vulg.  has  "  pueri." 

7.  /  will  send  a  blast  upon  him]  Literally,  I  toill  give  in  him 
a  spirit,  that  he  may  hear  a  rumour,  and  retiu-n  to  his  own 
laud.  I  will  take  possession  of  him  by  means  of  a  panic, 
depriving  him  of  his  strength,  and  making  him  tremble  and 
flee  like  a  dastard  before  Me,  as  one  that  hears  a  strange, 
mysterious  noise,  which  I  will  send  forth  to  scare  and  bewilder 
him  (cp.  Jer.  li.  46.  Obad.  v.  1).  This  shall  be  the  retribution 
for  his  blasphemous  words  against  Me. 

This  rumour  can  hardlv  have  been  (as  some  suppose)  the 
tidings  of  Tirhakah's  advance  (v.  9),  that  was  not  a  rumour 
sent  by  Ood.  Besides,  this  rumour  only  caused  him  to  re- 
double his  menaces  against  Hezekiah  in  a  letter  (see  vv.  9—13). 
Much  less  could  the  "  rumour  "  be  the  news  of  the  destruction 
of  his  own  army,  in  which  he  himself  was  (vv.  35,  36).  The 
"  rumour  "  was  like  "  the  noise  of  chariots  and  horses,  and  of 
a  great  host,"  with  which  God  astounded  the  Syrians,  and  made 
them  fly  j^anic-struck  from  Samaria  (vii.  6,  7). 

—  cause  him  to  fall]  For  the  fulfilment  of  this,  see  v.  37. 

8.  Libnah]  Near  Lachish,  about  thirty  miles  S.W.  of  Jeru- 
salem (cp.  viii.  22.  Josh.  x.  29),  Sennacherib  imagined  that 
Jerusalem  would  fall  an  easy  prey,  and  was  on  his  march  beyond 
it,  toward  Egypt. 

—  he  had  heard]  Rab-shakeh  heard. 

— from  Lachish]  Which  Sennacherib  had  probably  taken. 
It  is  supposed  by  some  {Layard,  Nineveh,  pp.  149 — 153),  that 
the  capture  of  Lachisli  by  Sennacherib  is  represented  on  a 
slab  in  the  palace  of  Kouyunjik,  which  is  inscribed,  "  Senna- 
cherib,  the  mighty  King,    King  of  the   country   of  Assyria, 


Sennacherib's  letter. 


2  KINGS  XIX.  10—21. 


Hezehah's  prayer. 


he  heard  say  of  Tirhakah  king  of  Ethiopia,  Behold,  he  is  come  out  to  fight 
against  thee  :  he  sent  messengers  again  unto  Hezekiah,  saying,  ^^  Thus  shall 
ye  speak  to  Hezekiah  kmg  of  Judah,  saying,  Let  not  thy  God  '  in  whom  thou 
trustest  deceive  thee,  saying,  Jerusalem  shall  not  be  delivered  into  the  hand  of 
the  king  of  Assyria.  ^^  Behold,  thou  hast  heard  what  the  kings  of  Assyria  have 
done  to  all  lands,  by  destroying  them  utterly  :  and  shalt  thou  be  delivered  ? 
^2 '"  Have  the  gods  of  the  nations  delivered  them  which  my  fathers  have  de- 
stroyed ;  as  Gozan,  and  Haran,  and  Kezeph,  and  the  children  of "  Eden  which 
were  in  Thelasar  ?  ^^°  Where  is  the  king  of  Hamath,  and  the  king  of  Arpad, 
and  the  king  of  the  city  of  Sepharvaim,  of  Hena,  and  Ivah  ? 

^*''  And  Hezekiah  received  the  letter  of  the  hand  of  the  messengers,  and  read 
it :  and  Hezekiah  went  up  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  spread  it  before 
the  Lord.  ^^And  Hezekiah  prayed  before  the  Lord,  and  said,  0  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  "^  which  dwellest  between  the  cherubims,  '  thou  art  the  God,  even  thou 
alone,  of  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth ;  thou  hast  made  heaven  and  earth. 
i^LoRD,  'bow  down  thine  ear,  and  hear:  *open.  Lord,  thine  eyes,  and  see: 
and  hear  the  w^ords  of  Sennacherib,  "which  hath  sent  him  to  reproach  the 
living  God.  ^^Of  a  truth.  Lord,  the  kings  of  Assyria  have  destroyed  the 
nations  and  their  lands,  ^^  And  have  f  cast  their  gods  into  the  fire  :  for  they 
were  no  gods,  but ""  the  work  of  men's  hands,  wood  and  stone  :  therefore  they 
have  destroyed  them.  ^^  Now  therefore,  0  Lord  our  God,  I  beseech  thee,  save 
thou  us  out  of  his  hand,  ^  that  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  may  know  that 
thou  art  the  Lord  God,  even  thou  only. 

2"  Then  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz  sent  to  Hezekiah,  saying,  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel,  '  That  which  thou  hast  prayed  to  me  against  Sennacherib 
king  of  Assyria  ^  I  have  heard,  ^i  xhis  is  the  word  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
concerning  him  ;  The  virgin  ''  the  daughter  of  Zion  hath  despised  thee,  and 


Before 

CHRIST 

710. 


m  ch.  18.  33. 
n  Ezek.  27.  23. 
och.  18.  34. 

p  Isa.  37.  14,  &c. 


q  1  Sam.  4.  4. 

Ps.  80.  1. 

r  1  Kings  13.  39. 

Isa.  44.  6. 

Jer.  10.10,  11,  12. 

s  Ps.  31.2. 

t  2  Chron.  6.  40. 

u  ver.  4. 


t  Heb.  given. 
X  Ps.  115.4. 
Jer.  10.  3. 


y  Ps.  83.  IS. 


z  Isa.  37.  21,  &c. 

aPs.  65.  2. 
b  Lam.  2.  13. 


sitting  on  the  throne  of  judgment  before  the  city  of  Lakhisha." 
In  these  inscriptions  the  name  also  of  Hezekiah  has  been 
deeyphered  by  Rawlinson  and  Sincks ;  and  the  names  of 
Jerusalem,  and  Askalon  ;  see  Layard,  p.  139.  Brandis  (p.  43), 
who  enlarges  on  the  harmony  between  the  narrative  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and  the  testimony  of  the  Assyrian  inscrip- 
tions in  the  Palace  of  Kouyunjik,  which  was  probably  built  by 
Sennacherib. 

9.  when  he  heard  say  of  Tirhakah  king  of  Ethiopia']  When 
Sennacherib  heard  the  tidings  of  Tirhakah's  advance  from 
Egypt  against  liim. 

—  Tirhakah  king  of  Ethiopia']  Called  Taracus  by  Manetho  ; 
he  was  the  successor  of  Sebechus  (Shebek  II.),  the  third  king  of 
the  twenty-fifth,  or  Ethiopian,  Dynasty  of  Egypt :  see  xvii.  4. 
On  the  chronology  of  his  reign,  see  Brugsch,  Hist.  d'Egypte,  i. 
pp.  244 — 247  J  Nieiuhr,  M.  v.,  Gesch.  Assurs,  p.  458;  Poole, 
B.  D.  ii.  1514. 

Though  here  called  King  of  Cush,  or  Ethiopia,  he  ruled 
also  over  Egypt,  and  was,  like  Sesostris,  one  of  the  great  Con- 
querors of  the  ancient  World.  See  Strabo,  xv.  687.  Cp. 
Jul.  African.,  in  Syncell.  i.  p.  39,  ed.  Dindorf ;  Eusebius,  in 
Syncell.  i.  p.  140.  God  raised  up  Tirhakah  against  Sennacherib ; 
but  He  asserted  His  own  divine  supremacy  by  destroying 
Sennacherib's  army. 

12.  my  fathers]  Especially  Sargon.  See  above,  xv.  19 ;  xvii. 
3—6.  24;  xviii.  13. 

—  Oozan]  See  xviii.  11. 

—  Saran]  Celebrated  in  the  history  of  Abraham  :  see  Gen. 
xi.  31. 

—  Sezeph]  Probably  the  Resapha  of  Ptolemy  (v.  15),  a 
day's  journey  west  of  the  Euphrates,  on  the  road  from  Eacca 
to  Emesa,  or  Sums. 

—  Eden]  Supposed  by  some  to  be  Ehden,  in  Syria,  not  far 
'  from  Damascus  (Amos  i.  5),  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  Lebanon 

(Burckh.,  Schubert,  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  i.  168).     Others  place  it 
Vol.  III.  145 


in  Mesopotamia  (B.  D.  i.  487 ;  Keil,  331.   Cp.  Ezek.  xxvii.  23). 
See  the  following  note. 

—  Thelasar  ?]  Or  rather,  Telassar.  Perhaps  it  signifies 
"Hill  of  Assur"  (Rawlinson,  B.  D.  ii,  1449),  who  observes 
that  it  is  connected  with  Gozan  (Gauzanitis),  Haran  (Carrhae, 
now  Sarran),  and  Rezaph  (the  Razappa  of  the  Assyrian  in- 
scriptions), which  belong  to  the  Hill  Country,  above  the 
Upper  Mesopotamian  plain,  the  district  from  which  rise  the 
Khabur  and  Belik  rivers ;  and  hence  we  find  Eden  joined  with 
Haran  and  Asshur  (Ezek.  xxvii.  23) ;  and  it  seems  probable 
that  Telassar  was  the  chief  city  of  a  tribe,  called  Beni  Eden, 
in  Upper  Mesopotamia,  near  Sarran  and  Orfa.  It  is  placed 
between  Tadmor  and  Tipsach  by  Niebuhr. 

14.  Hezekiah  went  up]  Though  he  had  asked  for  Isaiah's 
prayers  (v.  4),  he  did  not  omit  his  own. 

15.  which  dwellest]  He  adopts  the  words  of  his  ancestor 
King  David  (Ps.  Ixxx.  1). 

—  thou  alone]  Some  imagine  Thee  to  be  but  one  of  many 
gods  (see  xvii.  33) ;  but  I  know  Thee  to  be  the  only  God,  the 
Maker  and  Ruler  of  the  Universe :  cp.  v.  19. 

16.  bow  down  thine  ear]  Again  he  adopts  David's  words 
(Ps.  xxxi.  2)  and  Solomon's  (2  Chron.  vi.  40). 

18.  for  they  were  no  gods]  Because  they  were  not  gods,  but 
were  worshipped  as  God;  therefore  Thou,  Who  art  God,  and 
a  jealous  God,  the  only  God,  didst  use  the  Assyrian  as  a  "  rod 
of  Thine  anger"  against  them,  and  as  Thine  own  instrument 
for  destroying  them.    See  v.  25 ;  and  Isa.  x.  5. 

20.  I  have  heard]  Here  is  a  distinct  assertion  of  Isaiah's 
divine  inspiration.  The  prophet  unfolds  the  secrets  of  heaven 
which  were  revealed  to  him ;  and  the  truth  of  this  assertion 
is  confirmed  by  the  fulfilment  of  that  prophecy,  which  Isaiah 
proceeds  to  deliver, — a  prophecy  reaching  forward  to  the 
Coming  of  Christ  (vv.  28—34).  Compare  below,  the  words  of 
Isaiah  to  Hezekiah,  in  xx.  5. 

21.  The    virgin]      Wliom    thou    hadst  hoped   to   (losiwil. 

Ii 


Isaiah's  prophecy 


2  KINGS  XIX.  22—29. 


to  Hezehiah. 


Before 
CHRIST 

no. 

c  Job  16.  4. 
Ps.  22.  7,  8. 
Lam.  2.  15. 
d  Ps.  71.22. 
Isa.  5.  24. 
Jer.  51.  5. 
t  Heb.  By  the 
hand  of. 
ech.  18.  17. 
f  Ps.  20.  7. 
t  Heb.  the 
tallness,  %c. 

il  Or,  the  farest 

and  his  fruitful 

field, 

Isa.  10.  18. 

II  Ot,  fenced. 


laughed  thee  to  scorn ;  the  daughter  of  Jerusalem  ""  hath  shaken  her  head  at 
thee.  ^  Whom  hast  thou  reproached  and  hlasphemed  ?  and  against  whom 
hast  thou  exalted  thij  voice,  and  lifted  up  thine  eyes  on  high?  even  against  ^the 
Holy  One  of  Israel.  ^3 1  e  gy  ^^ij  messengers  thou  hast  reproached  the  Lord, 
and  hast  said,  ^With  the  multitude  of  my  chariots  I  am  come  up  to  the  height 
of  the  mountains,  to  the  sides  of  Lehanon,  and  will  cut  down  f  the  tall  cedar 
trees  thereof,  and  the  choice  fir  trees  thereof:  and  I  will  enter  into  the  lodgings 
of  his  borders,  and  into  ||  the  forest  of  his  Carmel.  ^'^  I  have  digged  and  drunk 
strange  waters,  and  with  the  sole  of  my  feet  have  I  dried  up  all  the  rivers  of 
II  besieged  places. 

^^  II  Hast  thou  not  heard  long  ago  hoiv  ^  I  have  done  it,  and  of  ancient  times 

%7,Tnd formed  that  I  havc  formed  it  ?  now  have  I  brought  it  to  pass,  that '' thou  shouldest  be 

to  lay  waste  fenced  cities  into  ruinous  heaps.     ^^  Therefore  their  inhabitants 


II  Or,  Hast  thou 
nut  heard  how  / 


il  of  ancient 

times  1  should  I 

now  bring  it  to  be  ip  n  n  t  ->  -i  p  -i      i  i  n 

laid  waste,  ^ucl    wcre  t  01  Small  power,  they  were  dismayed  and  comounded  :  they  were  as  the 

fenced  cities  to  be  i  '  t/  ./  /  t/ 

g"isa."45*7^*'     g^ass  of  the  field,  and  as  the  green  herb,  as  '  the  grass  on  the  house  tops,  and 

h  Isa.  10.  5. 

t  Heb.  short  of 

hand. 

i  Ps.  129.  6. 

k  Ps.  139.  1,  &c. 

II  Or,  sitting. 

lJob4l.  2. 

Ezek.  29.  4.  & 

38.4. 

Amos  4.  2. 

m  ver.  33,  36,  37. 

n  1  Sam.  2.  34. 

ch.  20.  8,  9. 

Isa.  7.  11,  14.    Luke  2.  12. 


as  corn  blasted  before  it  be  grown  up.  ^7  jg^i;  k  j  j^jjq^  ^j^y  jj  abode,  and  thy 
going  out,  and  thy  coming  in,  and  thy  rage  against  me.  -^Because  thy  rage 
against  me  and  thy  tumult  is  come  up  into  mine  ears,  therefore  '  I  will  put  my 
hook  in  thy  nose,  and  my  bridle  in  thy  lips,  and  I  will  turn  thee  back  "'  by  the 
way  by  which  thou  camest. 

2^  And  this  shall  be"  a  sign  unto  thee,  Ye  shall  eat  this  year  such  things  as 


Jerusalem's   impregnability   is  expressed   by  this   figure  {Oe- 
sen.). 

—  dauffhter  of  Zion]  i.  e.  the  daugJder  of  Zion  regarded  as 
a  Virgin,  a  daughter  dear  to  God.   Cp.  Zeeh.  ii.  10 ;  i.\;.  9. 

The  "  status  constructus "  is  not  here  one  of  subordina- 
tion, but  of  apposition  (Oesen.,  §  116  j  Ewald,  §  287; 
Keil). 

—  hath  shaJcen  her  head  at  thee"]  In  scorn.  Cp.  Ps,  xxii.  7 ; 
cix.  25.     Lam.  ii.  15. 

—  at  thee']  Literally,  after  thee,  retreating  from  before  her. 

23.  With  the  multitude  of  my  chariots']  Literally,  tvitJi  my 
chariots  upon  chariots,  following  one  another  in  an  endless 
train, — a  noble  picture ! 

—  to  the  height  of  the  mountains}  I  have  even  scaled  the 
mountains,  and  made  them  highways  for  the  triumphal  pro- 
gress of  my  power. 

—  to  the  sides  of  Lelanon]  Rather,  to  the  utmost  sides  or 
summits  of  Lebanon  :  "  In  summitate  Libani"  {Vulg.). 

— fir  trees]  Cypresses :  cp.  1  Kings  v.  10. 

—  his  Carmel]  The  forest  of  Lebanon,  called  a  Carmel, 
from  its  noble  forest  trees.   Cp.  1  Kings  v.  6.  20.   Isa.  x.  18. 

24.  I  have  digged  and  drunk  strange  waters]  I  will  cross 
over  the  parched  desert  of  Arabia,  and  dig  wells  for  myself, 
even  in  its  scorched  sands,  and  make  them  gush  forth  with 
streams. 

—  have  I  dried  up  all  the  rivers]  Sennacherib  is  repre- 
sented as  already  anticipating  the  conquest  of  Egypt,  whither 
he  was  marching,  and  as  drying  up  the  streams  of  the  Nile. 
Cp.  Juvenal,  x.  Ill : — 

" Credimua  altos 


Defecisse  amnes,  epotaque  flumina  Medo 
Prandente ;" 

and  Alaric's  boast  m  Claudian  (De  Bello,  Get.  527)  : — 


■  Subsidere  nostris 


Sub  pedibus  montes,  arescere  vidimus  amnes." 

Sennacherib's  boast,  in  these  two  respects,  seems  to  be 
like  a  reference  to  the  miraculous  works  of  God  Himself  in  the 
wilderness,  when  He  brought  water  out  of  the  stony  rock,  so 
that  the  rivers  flowed  in  dry  places,  and  wher  He  dried  up 
the  Red  Sea  and  the  river  Jordan  for  His  people  to  pass 
over. 

In  the  inscriptions  engraved  by  Sargon,  the  father  of 
Sennacherib,  on  his  p  ilace  at  Khor salad,  are  the  following  words. 
146 


"  I  have  filled  with  terror  the  lands  of  those  who  rebelled 
against  me,  and  have  displayed  the  signs  of  my  dominion  to  the 
four  elements ;  I  have  laid  open  thick  and  vast  forests  without 
number,  and  have  removed  their  glades;  I  have  traversed 
winding  valleys  in  the  deserts  where  desolation  abides,  and  in  my 
passage  I  have  dug  deep  wells"  (see  the  Pastes  de  Sargon, 
Oppert  et  Menant,  first  plate,  Paris,  1863). 

25.  Hast  thou  not  heard]  Observe  the  magnificence  of  this 
sudden  transition.  Almighty  God  now  speaks,  and  tells 
Sennacherib,  and  all  earthly  Conquerors,  that  they  are,  how- 
ever unwillingly  and  unconsciously,  instruments  in  His  hands, 
for  the  working  out  of  His  purposes.  This  is  the  true  account 
of  the  victories  of  the  Ciesars,  the  Alexanders,  and  Napoleons 
of  this  world.  Their  history  may  be  said  to  be  summed  up  in 
this  verse.     Cp.  Isa.  x.  5.  7.  15;  xxii.  11;  xlvi.  11. 

—  thou  shouldest  he]  So  Oesen.,  Knobel,  and  others ;  and  so 
the  Arabic  Version ;  and  Keil,  in  his  last  edition,  p.  336.  The 
Sept.  and  others  render  them  in  the  third  person,  "  I  have 
brought  it,  and  formed  it,  that  it  should  be  to  destroy."  But 
the  former  rendering  seems  preferable. 

26.  grass  on  the  house  tops]  Ps.  cxxix.  6. 

—  before  it  be  grown]  Literally,  before  the  sialic. 

28.  my  hook]  Literally,  my  ring  ( Vulg.)  ;  in  thy  nose,  as  if 
thou  wert  a  wild  beast  (Ezek.  xix.  4 ;  xxix.  4). 

—  my  bridle  in  thy  lips]  Or  mouth,  as  easily  as  to  a  horse 
(Ps.  xxxii.  9). 

29.  And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  thee]  Here  is  another 
transition.  The  prophet  turns  to  Hezekiah,  and  shows  by  the 
quietness  of  his  address,  that  what  he  has  before  said,  was  not 
the  utterance  of  passionate  enthusiasm,  but  of  sober  truth, 
and  tranquil  inspiration. 

—  Ye  shall  eat  this  year]  Hence  it  appears  that  Hezekiah's 
faith  and  patient  endurance  were  exercised  by  God  for  some 
considerable  time,  before  the  destruction  of  Sennacherib's  host ; 
and  that,  on  account  of  their  fear  of  the  Assyrian  army,  the 
inhabitants  of  Judah  did  not  plough  or  sow  the  land.  But 
God  sustained  them,  and  this  sustenance,  predicted  by  Isaiah, 
was  an  earnest  of  the  fulfilment  of  his  other  prophecy, — the 
deliverance  of  Jerusalem  from  the  Assyrians. 

The  first  assault  of  Sennacherib  was  in  the  fourteenth 
year  of  Hezekiah ;  but  the  destruction  of  Sennacherib's  army 
was  not  till  his  eighteenth  year  {Whiston,  on  Josephus,  Antt.  x. 
1,  2.   Cp.  above,  on  xviii.  13). 

For  some  supplementary  details  as  to  what  was  done  by 
Hezekiah,  see  2  Chrou.  xxxii. 


Three  years'  trial. 


2  KINGS  XIX.  30—37. 


The  deliverance. 


grow  of  themselves,  and  in  the  second  year  that  which  springeth  of  the  same ; 
and  in  the  third  year  sow  ye,  and  reap,  and  plant  vineyards,  and  eat  the  fruits 
thereof.  ^^  °  And  f  the  remnant  that  is  escaped  of  the  house  of  Judah  shall  yet 
again  take  root  doTviiward,  and  bear  fruit  upward.  ^^  For  out  of  Jerusalem 
shall  go  forth  a  remnant,  and  f  they  that  escape  out  of  mount  Zion  :  ^  the  zeal 
of  the  Lord  of  hosts  shall  do  this.  ^^  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  concerning 
the  king  of  Assyria,  He  shall  not  come  into  this  city,  nor  shoot  an  arrow  there, 
nor  come  before  it  with  shield,  nor  cast  a  bank  against  it.  ^^  By  the  way  that 
he  came,  by  the  same  shall  he  return,  and  shall  not  come  into  this  city,  saith 
the  Lord.  ^^  For  *•  I  will  defend  this  city,  to  save  it,  for  mine  own  sake,  and 
""for  my  servant  David's  sake. 

^^  And  '  it  came  to  pass  that  night,  that  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  out,  and 
smote  in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians  an  hundred  fourscore  and  five  thousand  : 
and  when  they  arose  early  in  the  morning,  behold,  they  ivere  all  dead  corpses. 
^^  So  Sennacherib  king  of  Assyria  departed,  and  went  and  returned,  and  dwelt 
at  *  Nineveh.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was  worshipping  in  the  house  of 
Nisroch  his  god,  that  "  Adrammelech  and  Sharezer  his  sons  "  smote  him  with 


Before 

CHRIST 

710. 

o  2  Chron.  32. 
22,  23. 
t  Heb.  the 
escaping  of  the 
house  of  Jiidnh 
that  remaineth. 
t  Heb.  the 
escaping. 
p  Isa.  9.  7. 


q  ch.  20.  fi. 

r  1  Kings  II. 
12,  13. 

s  2  Chron.  32.  22. 
Isa.  37.  3G. 


t  Gen.  10.  II. 

709. 
u  2  Chron.  32.21. 
X  ver.  7. 


—  in  the  third  year  sow  ye']  For  then  you  will  have  been 
delivered  from  the  army  of  Assyria.  This  deliverance  of  the 
literal  Israel  in  the  third  year,  after  severe  trial,  may  be  com- 
pared with  the  deliverance  of  the  whole  world  on  the  third  day 
by  the  Resurrection  of  Christ,  and  overthrow  of  Satan :  cp. 
on  V.  30 ;  and  below,  xx.  5  ;  and  Esther  v.  1. 

God's  Peomise  of  Futuee  Deiiveeance  to  Judah. 

30.  the  remnant  that  is  escaped]  To  which  Hezekiah  had 
referred  (v.  4).  Tfiat  remnant  will  be  like  the  seed,  of  which 
the  prophet  had  just  spoken  {v.  29).  It  will  "strike  root  down- 
wards, and  bear  fruit  upwards,"  without  human  help,  and  will 
flourish  in  a  far  more  glorious  salvation,  of  which  the  deliver- 
ance of  Jerusalem  from  Sennacherib  was  a  pledge  and  a  type, — 
the  salvation  wrought  by  Cheist. 

The  prophet  proceeds  to  speak  of  this  deliverance,  when 
he  says,  "  The  zeal  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  shall  do  this." 
Observe  these  words.  They  are  the  same  as  those  by  which  he 
had  described  the  salvation  to  be  effected  by  the  birth  of  the 
King  "  upon  the  throne  of  David,"  whom  he  announced  as  no 
other  than  "the  mighty  God,  the  Everlasting  Father,  the 
Prince  of  Peace.  The  zeal  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  will  perform 
this  "  (Isa.  ix.  6,  7). 

The  reader  will,  doubtless,  compare  the  magnificent  pro- 
phecy of  Isaiah  in  the  tenth,  eleventh,  and  twelfth  chapters, 
beginning  at  the  fifth  verse  of  the  tenth,  where  the  Evangelical 
Prophet,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  comments  with  divine  wisdom 
and  enthusiasm  on  the  invasion  of  Judah  by  the  Assyrians  ("  O 
Assyrian,  the  rod  of  Mine  anger,"  &c.),  and  is  led  thereby  to 
deliver  a  prophecj%  which  reaches  onward  from  his  own  day 
to  that  of  Cheist,  and  the  future  conversion  of  the  Jews  to 
Christianity  (see  also  Isa.  x.  20—23),  where  the  future  glory  of 
the  "  remnant  of  Israel "  is  declared.  The  Apostle  St.  Paul 
adopts  those  words,  when  he  rejoices  in  the  prospect  of  that 
blessed  consummation  :  see  Rom.  ix.  27. 

Thus  the  deliverance  of  Jerusalem  from  Sennacherib,  hy 
the  zeal  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  becomes  to  us  a  prophetic 
picture  of  that  Redemption,  which  has  been  accomplished  for 
all  Mankind  by  the  Seed  of  the  house  of  Judah,  on  the  throne 
of  David,  Jesus  Cheist. 

In  a  similar  tone  Micah,  who  lived  and  prophesied  under 
Hezekiah  (Micah  i.  1),  after  describing  the  national  deliver- 
ances of  the  literal  Israel,  proceeds  to  foretell  the  deliverance 
to  be  wTought  for  the  whole  World  by  Him  Who  was  to  come 
forth  from  Bethlehem  (Micah  v.  2 — 15). 

35.  that  night]  Not  the  night  in  which  the  prophecy  was 
delivered,  but  about  two  years  after  it :  see  on  v.  29.  "  That 
night"  signifies  that  great  and  fearful  night,  which  the 
prophet  had  foreseen  and  pre-announccd,  and  in  which  the 
terrible  judgment  was  accomplished  at  once.  It  was  like  that 
night,  of  which  God  had  spoken  by  Moses,  and  on  which  the 
firstborn  of  Egypt  were  destroyed :  see  on  Exod.  xii.  12. 

It  may  be  compared  with  the  expression  that  day,  meaning 
the  Great  Day, — the  Last  Day  (Luke  xxi.  34.     1  Thess.  v.  4). 
147 


—  the  angel  of  the  Loed]    The  Destroyer.     See  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  16. 

—  in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians  an  hundred  fourscore 
and  five  thousand]  Where  was  the  camp  of  the  Assyiuans,  in 
which  this  judgment  was  inflicted  ? 

In  2  Chron.  xxxii.  9,  it  is  related  that  all  the  power  of 
Sennacherib  was  at  Lachish,  and,  after  the  capture  of  Lachish, 
he  went  to  Libnah  (above,  xix.  8),  on  his  march  towards  Egypt, 
It  does  not  appear  that  any  large  body  of  the  Assyrians  en- 
camped for  any  length  of  time  against  Jerusalem  itself :  see  v.  32. 

Perhaps  there  is  a  reference  to  this  event  in  Merodotus, 
ii.  141,  who  says,  that  in  compliance  with  the  prayers  of  the 
Egyptian  king  Sethon,  a  priest  of  Hephaestus,  God  discomfited 
the  Assyrian  army  by  means  of  field-mice  gnawing  their  bow- 
strings, quivers,  and  shield-straps.  The  truth  is  much  dis- 
guised in  this  relation,  which  may  easily  be  accounted  for, 
when  we  consider  that  it  comes  to  us  through  those  who  had 
the  greatest  aversion  to  the  nation  and  religion  of  the  Jews. 

It  is  remarkable  that  in  both  cases  the  defeat  of  the  enemy 
is  ascribed  to  the  power  oi prayer. 

Herodotus  places  the  scene  of  it  near  Pelusium,  on  the  n.e. 
of  Egypt.  Some  suppose  it  to  have  happened  at  Libnah 
{Rawlinson,  B.  D.  ii.  116;  Stanley,  479,  480).  On  the  whole, 
it  seems  most  probable,  that  after  spending  some  time  before 
Lachish  and  Libnah,  and  penetrating  into  Egypt,  Sennacherib 
marched  back  northward  to  attack  Jerusalem,  and  that  his 
army  was  destroyed  there,  when  he  was  on  the  point  of  attack- 
ing it.  This  is  corroborated  by  the  authority  of  Berosus  (in 
Josephus,  X.  1.  5.  Cp.  Prideaux,  on  B.  C.  709),  and  seems  to 
be  confirmed  by  what  follows. 

—  ivhen  they  arose]  The  king  and  the  few  who  were  left 
with  him  (Sept.). 

36.  departed]  From  before  Jerusalem.  •  Ps.  Ixxvi.  (in  our 
Version)  is  entitled  in  the  Septuagint,  "  A  Song  of  Thanks- 
giving for  Deliverance  from  the  Assyrians,"  and  may  have  been 
composed  by  Hezekiah  on  this  occasion  :  cp.  xci.  6,  7.  Other 
Psalms  have  been  ascribed  to  Hezekiah,  or  his  contemporaries, 
e.  g.  Ps.  xlvi.,  Ixxv.,  Ixxxviii.  "  Tlie  men  of  Hezekiah,  King  of 
Judah,"  copied  out  some  of  Solomon's  Proverbs  (Prov.  xxv.  1). 

—  dwelt  at  Nineveh]  His  capital  (see  Gen.  x.  11.  Cp. 
Jonah  i.  2 ;  iii.  3 ;  iv.  11),  afterwards  taken  by  the  combined 
forces  of  the  Babylonians  and  Medes.  Sennacherib  dwelt  some 
time  at  Nineveh  after  his  return,  before  his  death  (cp.  Baw- 
linson,  B.  D.  ii.  1196,-  Layard,  B.  D.  ii.  546). 

37.  Nisroch]  Represented  as  a  colossal  figure,  with  an  Eagle's 
head  and  wings,  emblematic  of  sovereign  power  and  sway 
{Layard  ii.  458;  Movers,  Phoeniz.  i.  68). 

—  Nisroch  his  god]  In  the  Assyrian  inscriptions,  on  the 
reverse  of  the  slabs  of  the  Palace  of  Khorsabad  (n.e.  of  Mosul, 
Nineveh),  built  by  Sargon,  the  predecessor  and  father  of  Senna- 
cherib, are  the  following  words : — 

"  I  (Sargon)  have  ground  to  powder  the  nations  (my 
enemies),  and  have  displayed  the  signs  of  dominion  to  the 
four  elements;    I  have  set  judges  and  governors  over  them. 


Sennacherib's  death. 


2  KINGS  XX.  1—7. 


Hezeldah's  sickness. 


t  Heb.  Ararat. 
y  Ezra  4.  2. 

713. 
a  2  Chron.  32. 
24,  &c. 
Isa.  38.  1,  &c. 

t  Heb.  Give 
charge  concerning 
thine  house, 
2  Sam.  17.  23. 

b  Neh.  13.  22. 
c  Gen.  17.  1. 

I  Kings  3.  G. 

t  Heb.  with  a 
great  weeping. 

II  Or,  city. 


a  1  Sam.  9.  16.  & 

10.  1. 

e  ch.  19.  20. 

Ps.  65.  2. 

f  Ps.39.  12.  & 

56.  8. 


g  ch.  19.  34. 
h  Isa.  38.  21. 


the  sword  :  and  they  escaped  into  the  land  of  f  Armenia.     And  ^  Esarhaddon 
his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XX.  ^In  ""  those  days  was  Hezekiah  sick  unto  death.  And  the  prophet 
Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz  came  to  him,  and  said  unto  him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord, 
t  Set  thine  house  in  order ;  for  thou  shalt  die,  and  not  Hve.  ^  Then  he  turned 
his  face  to  the  wall,  and  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  saying,  ^  I  beseech  thee,  0 
Lord,  ''remember  now  how  I  have  "walked  before  thee  in  truth  and  with  a 
perfect  heart,  and  have  done  that  tvhich  is  good  in  thy  sight.  And  Hezekiah 
wept  f  sore. 

^  And  it  came  to  pass,  afore  Isaiah  was  gone  out  into  the  middle  1|  court,  that 
the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  him,  saying,  ^  Turn  again,  and  tell  Hezekiah 
"^  the  captain  of  my  people.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  David  thy  father, 
^  I  have  heard  thy  prayer,  I  have  seen  ^  thy  tears  :  behold,  I  will  heal  thee  :  on 
the  third  day  thou  shalt  go  up  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^  And  I  will  add 
unto  thy  days  fifteen  years ;  and  I  will  deliver  thee  and  this  city  out  of  the  hand 
of  the  king  of  Assyria ;  and  ^  I  will  defend  this  city  for  mine  own  sake,  and  for 
my  seiwant  David's  sake.     ^  And  *"  Isaiah  said,  Take  a  lump  of  figs.     And  they 


and  have  imposed  tributes  and  taxes  over  tliem,  as  over 
the  Assyrians.  In  ...  of  my  ears "...  (the  words  in  the 
inscription  here  are  obscure)  "  Nisroch,  Mylitta,  upon  the 
Kings  my  fathers.  According  to  my  will,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  region  of  the  mountains,  iu  the  province  of  Nineveh, 
I  have  built  a  city,  the  city  Dur-Sarkin,  and  have  given  it  a 
name"  (from  myself  .  .  .  Sargun,  now  Kliorsabad);  "I  have 
laid  (dedicated)  the  stones  of  its  foundations  to  Nisroch  .  .  . 
Sin,  Sanas,  Ao,  and  Ninip ;  I  have  placed  in  the  midst  of  it 
men  of  the  countries  as  many  as  the  sun  looks  upon,  the  prey 
of  my  hands.  The  great  gods,  who  dwell  in  the  heaven  and 
earth,  and  the  gods  who  dwell  in  this  city  have  granted  to 
me  the  building  of  this  city,  the  success  of  my  hands  in  the 
midst  of  it,  for  evermore."  (Inscriptions  of  the  Palace  of 
Khorsabad,  translated  fi'om  the  Assyrian  by  Menant,  Paris, 
1865,  pp.  13—23.) 

The  spirit  which  breathes  in  this  inscription,  is  similar  to 
that  which  dictated  the  letter  of  Sennacherib  to  Hezekiah, 
and  animated  his  messenger,  as  displayed  iu  the  present  chapter, 
and  in  the  foregoing  one. 

—  AdrammelecK]  So  called  from  the  name  of  the  god  of 
Sepharvaim  (xvii.  31). 

—  Sharezer']  Which  means  "  prince  of  fire." 

—  Armenia]  Heb.  Ararat  (Gen.  viii.  4). 

—  Esarhaddoii]  Called  Sarchedonus  in  Tobit  i.  21,  22.  He 
overthrew  the  sons  of  Merodach-Baladan,  and  abolished  the 
viceroyalty  at  Babylon,  and  fixed  his  own  residence  there 
(B.C.  680—667),  and  to  it  he  carried  Manasseh  (2  Chron. 
xxxiii.  11).     He  colonized  Samaria.     See  above,  ou  xvii.  24. 

Concerning  his  works  at  Nineveh,  see  Layard,  p.  634; 
RawUnson,  B.  D.  i.  573.  On  his  acts  and  history,  cp.  Niebuhr, 
M.  v.,  pp.  38.  180 ;  Brandis,  Rer.  Assyr.  Tempora,  p.  41 ;  and 
on  Assyrian  Inscriptions,  pp.  26.  48.  73.  105 ;  and  Keil,  p.  342. 

From  this  time, — when  the  King  of  Assyria  had  uttered 
the  blasphemies  against  God,  which  are  recited  in  this  and  the 
foregoing  chapter, — not  only  did  he  himself  feel  God's  wrath 
m  his  own  army  and  person,  but  the  strength  and  splendour  of 
Nineveh  began  to  decline  and  fade  gradually.  The  next  year 
after  the  death  of  Sennacherib  the  Medes  revolted  from  Assyria, 
bemg  emboldened  by  the  loss  which  Sennacherib  had  sustained 
in  his  expedition  into  Judisea,  and  by  the  death  of  the  king 
himself  (^M.  v.  Niebuhr,  Geschichte  Assurs,  p.  180);  and 
although  for  a  time  the  power  of  Assyria  made  some  efforts  to 
recover  its  sway,  especially  under  Esarhaddon,  the  conqueror 
of  Babylon,  yet  eventually  Babylon  prevailed  over  Nineveh; 
and  in  about  eighty-five  years  after  the  death  of  Sennacherib, 
Nineveh  was  destroyed  by  the  united  forces  of  the  Babylonians 
and  Medes. 

Ch.  XX.  1.  In  those  days  tvas  HezeJciah  sick  tinto  death] 
Cp.  Isa.  xxxviii.,  xxxix. :  in  those  days,  that  is,  about  the  time 
of  the  Assyrian  invasion  already  described,  and  before  the 
destruction  of  Sennacherib's  army.  This  appears  from  the  fact 
that  («.  6)  fifteen  years  arc  added  to  his  life;  and  that  he 
reigned  twentv-nine  years  (see  xvlii.  2),  and  therefore  the 
148 


sickness  occurred  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  his  reign ;  that  is, 
when  the  King  of  Assyria  was  coming  against  the  fenced  cities 
of  Judah,  and  Jerusalem  was  first  threatened  with  the  army : 
see  xviii.  13.  Besides,  in  v.  6  there  is  a  promise  from  God  to 
Hezekiah  that  He  will  deliver  Jerusalem  from  the  hand  of  tlio 
King  of  Assyria. 

Hezekiah  was  visited  by  a  personal  and  public  affliction 
at  the  same  time ;  his  faith  and  obedience  were  severely  tried, 
and  shine  more  brightly  on  that  account. 

—  Set  thine  house  in  order]  Give  charge  concerning  it  and 
the  kingdom :  make  thy  last  will  and  testament.  Cp.  2  Sam. 
xvii.  33. 

— for  thou  shalt  die]  Thy  sickness  is  unto  death  (cp.  John 
xi.  4),  and  must  be  fatal,  unless  God  interferes  by  a  supernatural 
deliverance.  The  truth  of  this  prophecy  of  Isaiah  was  proved 
by  the  fulfilment  of  that  prediction,  which  he  delivered  after 
the  prayer  of  Hezekiah,  by  which  God  was  moved  to  revoke  the 
sentence  of  death,  and  enable  him  to  go  to  the  Temple  on  the 
third  day,  and  to  add  fifteen  years  to  the  King's  life :  see  v.  5. 

Hezekiah  therefore  prayed ;  and  God  interfered  to  rescue 
him  from  death,  and  also  to  save  his  capital  and  his  kingdom 
by  a  miracle,  from  the  invading  army  of  Sennacherib  (see  v.  6 ; 
and  xix.  35).  Therefore  Hezekiah  is  a  signal  instance  of  the 
power  of  prayer  in  imminent  peril,  both  private  and  public,  and  is 
an  example  in  this  respect  to  all,  whether  sovereigns  or  subjects. 

2.  he  turned  his  face  to  the  wall]  Not  as  Ahab  did,  in 
vexation  of  spirit  (1  Kings  xxi.  4),  but  turning  with  his  whole 
heart  and  soul  from  man  to  God.  His  name,  Hezekiah,  was 
characteristic  of  his  life, — "  The  Lord  was  his  strength." 

3.  I  have  walked  before  thee]  Compare  Nehem  v.  19;  xiii. 
14.  God  did  not  despise  even  this  prayer ;  and  from  its  accept- 
ance it  may  be  inferred,  that  Hezekiah  was  pleading  what  God, 
(in  Whom  was  his  strength,  as  he  well  knew,  and  proved  that  he 
knew),  had  enabled  him  to  do;  and  not  what  he  had  done  by 
his  own  will  and  power. 

—  wept  sore]  He  was  in  the  prime  of  life,  forty  years  of  age, 
and  had  then  no  heir  to  the  throne  (see  xxi.  1) ;  and  his  beloved 
city  Jerusalem  was  threatened  by  the  Assyrian  invasion  at  this 
time.     See  on  v.  1. 

4.  into  the  middle  court]  Rather,  out  of  the  middle  city,  the 
middle  portion  of  the  city,  that  is,  of  Mount  Zion,  where  the 
royal  palace  was.  Or  it  may  mean,  before  he  had  gone  out  of 
the  middle  court  of  the  palace.  Cp.  x.  5,  where  the  Hebrew 
word  here  used,  ir  (which  usually  means  city),  signifies  the 
royal  court  or  castle. 

5.  6.  I  will  heal  thee— for  my  servant  David's  sake]  Four 
prophecies  are  joined  here  together, — 

(1)  I  will  heal  thee. 

(2)  On  the  third  day  thou  shalt  go  up  unto  the  house  of 
the  Lord. 

(3)  I  will  add  unto  thy  days  fifteen  years. 

(4)  I  will  deliver  thee  and  this  city  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
King  of  Assyria. 

Such  persons  as  except  against  one  of  these  prophecies 
must  except  against  them  idl,  for  they  are  all  woven  together. 


The  going  hack  of  the  sun 


2  KINGS  XX.  8—12. 


on  the  dial  of  Ahaz. 


took  and  laid  it  on  the  boil,  and  lie  recovered.  ^  And  Hezekiah  said  unto  Isaiah, 
*  What  shall  he  the  sign  that  the  Lokd  mil  heal  me,  and  that  I  shall  go  up  into 
the  house  of  the  Lord  the  third  day  ?  ^  And  Isaiah  said,  "^  This  sign  shalt  thou 
have  of  the  Lord,  that  the  Lord  mil  do  the  thing  that  he  hath  spoken :  shall 
the  shadow  go  forward  ten  degrees,  or  go  back  ten  degrees  ?  ^°  And  Hezekiah 
answered,  It  is  a  light  thing  for  the  shadow  to  go  down  ten  degrees :  nay,  but 
let  the  shadow  return  backward  ten  degrees.  ^^  And  Isaiah  the  prophet  cried 
unto  the  Lord  :  and  '  he  brought  the  shadow  ten  degrees  backward,  by  which 
it  had  gone  down  in  the  f  dial  of  Ahaz. 

^2 -"At  that  time  ||Berodach-baladan,  the  son  of  Baladan,  king  of  Babylon, 


Before 
CHRIST 
713. 
i  See  Judg.  6. 
17,  37,  39. 
Isa.  7.  II,  14.  & 
38.  22. 
k  See  Isa.  33.  7 


I  See  Josh.  10. 
12,  14. 

Isa.  38.  8. 

t  Heb.  (Ifgrees. 

712. 
m  Isa.  39.  1,  &c. 

II  Or,  Merodach- 
baludan. 


It  must  have  been  well  known  to  the  Hebrew  Nation 
whether  these  prophecies,  or  any  of  them,  failed  of  effect.  They 
concerned  the  king  privately  and  publicly ;  and  they  concerned 
the  city,  and  all  the  people.  And  if  these  prophecies  had  not 
been  fulfilled,  the  Books  in  which  they  are  contained,  viz.,  this 
Book,  and  the  Book  of  Isaiah,  would  never  have  been  received 
(as  they  are  to  this  day)  by  the  whole  Hebrew  Nation  as 
divinely-inspired  Scripture,  and  by  our  Blessed  Lord  and  His 
Apostles,  and  by  the  Universal  Church  of  Christ. 

May  we  not  further  say,  with  reverence,  that  this  history  is 
not  only  a  history,  but  a  prophecy  ?  May  we  not  say  that  a 
greater  than  Hezekiah  is  here  ? 

The  Resurrection  (so  to  speak)  of  Hezekiah  from  death  on 
the  third  day  seems  to  be  a  foreshadowing  of  another  Resur- 
rection, that  of  our  divine  Hezekiah,  in  whom  the  Strength  of 
the  Lord  is.  Hezckiah's  prayers,  and  tears,  and  sore  weeping, 
bring  before  us  a  glimpse  of  Christ,  Who  "  offered  up  prayers 
and  supplications  with  strong  crying  and  tears  unto  Him  that 
was  able  to  save  Him  from  death,  and  was  heard  in  that  He 
fearetl "  (Heb.  v.  7) ;  and  of  Whom  alone  it  could  be  truly  said, 
that  He  "  walked  before  God  in  truth  and  with  a  perfect  heart, 
and  did  that  which  was  good  in  His  sight "  {v.  3) ;  and  Who, 
by  His  prayer,  delivered  His  body  and  soul  from  death,  and 
delivered  His  own  mystical  body,  the  Church,  from  the  sentence  of 
death  under  which  it  lay  in  Adam ;  and  Who  delivered  His 
•Terusalem  from  her  ghostly  enemy, — our  spiritual  Sennacheribs, 
Satan,  Sin,  and  Death, — by  a  mighty  deliverance,  wrought  by 
"the  Captain  of  our  Salvation,"  which,  as  we  have  seen,  is 
coimected  by  the  Evangelical  Prophet  Isaiah  with  the  deliverance 
of  Jerusalem  under  "the  captain  of  God's  people"  {v.  5), 
Hezekiah.     See  above,  xix.  30,  31. 

Thus  the  history  of  Hezekiah  and  of  Jerusalem  at  this 
crisis  have  a  special  interest  for  us,  as  being  a  foreshadowmg 
of  the  history  of  Christ  Himself,  and  His  Church. 

7.  Take  a  lump  of  figs']  This  act  was  prescribed  as  a  test 
and  visible  proof  of  the  faith  and  obedience  of  the  king  and  of 
his  sci-vants ;  it  was  like  the  trial  of  faith  and  obedience  which 
Elisha  the  Prophet  prescribed  to  Naaman  the  leper,  "  Go  and 
wash  in  Jordan  seven  times,  and  thy  flesh  shall  come  again 
and  be  clean"  (v.  10) ;  and  the  promised  cure  resulting  from  it 
was  a  visible  proof  of  the  divine  mission  of  Isaiah,  and  of  the 
jjower  and  goodness  of  God,  working  together  with  the  faith  of 
Hezekiah. 

There  was  a  natural  fitness  in  both  the  instruments  used 
for  a  preternatural  end  :  viz.,  in  the  water  of  Jordan  for  the 
cleansing  of  the  leprosy,  and  of  the  lump  of  figs  (recommended 
by  physicians,  see  Celsitts,  Hieroljotau,  ii.  373)  for  the  healing  of 
the  boil.  The  God  of  Nature,  Who  alone  can  give  Grace,  uses 
Nature  for  the  purpose  of  bestowing  grace ;  especially  He  does 
this  in  the  Holy  Sacraments.  He  uses  the  element  of  water  for 
washing  the  soul  from  sin  in  Baptism,  and  He  uses  bread  and 
wine  for  the  nourishment  and  refreshment  of  the  soul  in  the 
Holy  Communion. 

9.  ten  degrees  ?]  Literally,  ten  steps  of  ascent  j  Se'/co  ^aOfiovs 
(Sept. ;  Josephus,  Antt.  x.  1.  1). 

10.  for  the  shadoio  to  go  down']  Rather,  to  go  forward 
(Sgriac,  Arabic,  Targum). 

—  nay,  but  let  the  shadow  return  backward]  The  retro- 
gression of  the  shadow  was  significant  of  the  recovery  of 
Hezekiah  from  the  brink  of  the  grave. 

Thb  Going  Backward  of  the  Sun  on  the  Dial  of 
Ahaz.    The  Recovery  oe  Hezekiah. 

11.  in  the  dial  of  Ahaz]  Literally,  on  the  steps  of  Ahaz. 

149 


Josephus  (Antt.  x.  11.  1)  supposes  this  to  be  the  steps  of  the 
staircase  in  the  palace  of  Ahaz,  which  measured  the  hours  of 
the  day  by  a  shadow  cast  upon  them  by  the  sun,  by  means  of  a 
style,  or  gnomon,  as  in  a  dial.  So  S.  Jerome  on  Isa.  xxxviii. 
Ahaz,  who  seems  to  have  been  fond  of  imitating  foreign  in- 
ventions (xvi.  10 — 16),  may  have  had  a  dial  fi-om  Babylon, 
where  they  were  invented,  accoi'ding  to  Herodotus,  ii.  109. 
For  other  opinions  as  to  the  fashion  of  this  dial,  see  Winer, 
R.  W.  B.  i.  499;  ii.  640.  RaivUnson,  B.  D.  i.  799.  The  sides 
of  the  "Temple  of  the  Winds,"  at  Athens,  served  also  as  a 
sun-dial :  see  Athens  and  Attica,  chap.  xix. ;  cp.  the  Commen- 
tators on  Aristoph.,  Eccles.  652 ;  and  on  Persius,  iii.  4,  "  quinta 
dum  linea  tangitur  umbra." 

It  is  not  said  by  the  Sacred  Writer,  that  this  miracle  was 
wrought  on  any  other  dial  at  Jerusalem,  besides  that  of  Ahaz, 
the  father  of  Hezekiah  :  and  there  was  a  special  propriety  in 
the  performance  of  this  miracle  upon  that  dial.  It  was  in  a 
public  place,  the  royal  palace,  visible  to  the  king;  perhaps 
Hezekiah  could  see  it  through  his  chamber  window;  and 
that  dial  was  visible  to  his  courtiers,  who  would  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  reality  of  tlie  miracle.  And  Hezekiah's  faith 
was  thus  contrastetl  with  the  unbelief  of  Ahaz  his  father,  who, 
when  the  same  prophet,  Isaiah,  asked  him  whether  God  should 
show  him  a  sign  in  the  height  or  in  the  depth,  despised  the 
divine  offer  (Isa.  vii.  11,  12).  Hezekiah's  life  was  prolonged 
fifteen  years,  and  he  reigned  twenty-nine  years.  Ahaz  reigned 
only  sixteen  years  (xvi.  2). 

Nor,  again,  are  we  to  imagine  that  in  this  miracle  any 
effect  was  wrought  upon  the  motion  of  the  Earth  round  its  axis. 
A  miraculous  refraction  of  the  sun's  rays  was  effected  by  God 
on  a  particular  sun-dial,  at  the  prayer  of  King  Hezekiah.  It 
was  a  miracle,  wrought  on  a  particular  dial,  in  a  particular 
place,  showing  that  it  concerned  a  particular  2>^^son;  and  it 
was  not  wrought  on  the  solar  orb,  but  on  the  solar  light ;  and 
may  be  compared  with  the  miracle  wrought  by  God  at  the 
prayer  of  Joshua  :  see  above,  note  on  Josh.  x.  12,  13.  "  Umbra 
solis  recessit,  non  sol"  (cp.  Ffeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  210).  As  Bishop 
Hall  says,  "  The  demonstration  of  the  miracle  is  reported  to  be 
local  in  the  dial  of  Ahaz,  not  universal  in  the  sensible  length  of 
the  day  ;  whethersoever  to  draw  the  sun  back  with  the  shadow, 
or  to  draiv  the  shadow  back  ivithout  the  sun,  was  the  proof  of  a 
Divine  Omnipotence,  able  to  draw  back  the  life  of  Hezekiah 
from  the  night  of  death."  Cp.  Lilienthal,  d.  gutc  Sache, 
ix.  p.  422.  Accordingly  we  find  that  ambassadors  came  to 
Jerusalem  from  Babylon,  a  country  famous  for  its  astronomical 
skill,  who,  having  heard  of  this  miracle,  and  being  curious  to 
know  the  circumstances  of  it,  are  said  in  the  Sacred  History  to 
have  inquired  concerning  "  the  wonder  that  had  been  done  in 
the  land  "  (i.  e.  in  the  land  of  Judah).  2  Chron.  xxxii.  31.  It 
had  not  been  wrought  in  their  otvn  land,  or  in  any  other  land 
but  Judah.     Cp.  Kitto,  pp.  397—402. 

Here  also  is  another  resemblance  between  Hezekiah's 
"sickness  unto  death,"  followed  by  his  resurrection  from 
the  brink  of  the  gi'ave,  and  the  Passion  and  Resurrection  of 
Christ  (see  above,  on  vv.  5,  6).  Both  were  accompanied  with 
miraculous  phenomena  in  the  Light  of  the  sun.  At  Jerusalem 
Christ's  Death  was  attended  with  a  marvellous  darkness  in  that 
region  (Matt,  xxvii.  45) ;  and  His  Resurrection  was  accompanied 
by  a  going  back  of  the  shadow  on  the  dial  of  our  Human  Life, 
not  of  ten  degi-ees  only,  but  by  the  driving  back  of  the  powers 
of  darkness,  and  by  the  bringing  in  upon  us  of  the  glorious 
Light  of  an  eternal  day  (cp.  Jiucherius,  p.  1010). 

12.  Berodach-baladan]  Called  (by  interchange  of  the  labial) 
Merodach-baladan  by  Isaiah  xxxix.  1,  from  the  Chaldee  god, 
Merodach ;  he  reigned  twelve  years,  and  was  then  deposed,  and 


Isaiah  foretells 


2  KINGS  XX.  13—18. 


the  taking  aioay  to  Babylon, 


Before 
CHRIST 
712. 
n  2  Chron.  32. 
27,  31. 
II  Or,  spicery. 

H  Or,  jewels. 
i  Heb.  vessels. 


p  ch.  24.  13.  & 
25.  13. 

Jer.  27.  21,  22.  i 
S2.  17. 


sent  letters  and  a  present  unto  Hezekiah :  for  lie  had  heard  that  Hezeldah  had 
been  sick.  ^^  And  °  Hezekiah  hearkened  unto  them,  and  shewed  them  all  the 
house  of  his  ||  precious  things,  the  silver,  and  the  gold,  and  the  spices,  and  the 
precious  ointment,  and  all  the  house  of  his  ||  f  armour,  and  all  that  was  found 
in  his  treasures :  there  was  nothing  in  his  house,  nor  in  all  his  dominion,  that 
Hezekiah  shewed  them  not. 

^^  Then  came  Isaiah  the  prophet  unto  king  Hezeldah,  and  said  unto  him, 
What  said  these  men  ?  and  from  whence  came  they  unto  thee  ?  And  Heze- 
kiah said.  They  are  come  from  a  far  country,  even  from  Babylon.  ^^  And  he 
said.  What  have  they  seen  in  thine  house  ?  And  Hezekiah  answered,  °  All  the 
things  that  are  in  mine  house  have  they  seen :  there  is  nothing  among  my  trea- 
sures that  I  have  not  shewed  them.  ^^  And  Isaiah  said  unto  Hezekiah,  Hear 
the  word  of  the  Lord.  ^''Behold,  the  days  come,  that  all  that  is  in  thine 
house,  and  that  which  thy  fathers  have  laid  up  in  store  unto  this  day,  ^  shall 
be  carried  into  Babylon :  nothing  shall  be  left,  saith  the  Lord.     ^^  And  of  thy 


recovered  the  throne,  and  reigned  six  months  at  Babylon,  and 
was  murdered  by  Elibus,  or  Belibus,  the  viceroy  whom  Senna- 
cherib appointed  at  Babylon  {MawUnson,  B.  D.  ii.  332). 

In  the  cuneiform  inscriptions,  engraved  by  Sargon,  King  of 
Assyria  (see  above,  on  xvii.  24),  there  is  the  following  notice  of 
this  sovereign  (p.  7)  : — 

"  Merodach-baladan,  son  of  Jakin,  King  of  Chaldfea  .  .  . 
did  not  revere  the  memory  of  the  gods  .  .  .  He  trusted  in  the 
sea,  and  allied  himself  with  Khoum-bauigas,  King  of  Elam, 
and  stirred  up  against  me  all  the  nomad  tribes,  and  prepared 
himself  to  the  battle,  and  advanced  against  me.  During  twelve 
years,  against  the  will  of  the  gods  of  Babylon,  the  city  of  Bel, 
who  is  judge  of  the  gods,  he  stirred  up  the  countries  of  the 
Soumirs  and  Accads  ...  In  honour  of  the  god  Assom%  the 
father  of  gods,  and  the  great  and  august  lord  Merodach,  I  aroused 
my  courage,  and  prepared  for  the  battle,  and  resolved  on  an 
expedition  against  the  Chaldseans,  that  rebellious  and  impious 
nation.  Merodach-baladan  heard  of  my  approach,  and  fled 
from  Babylon.  ...  I  besieged  and  took  the  city  of  Hisir- 
Jakin,  and  took  him  prisoner,  and  his  wife,  and  his  sons,  and  his 
daughters,  his  gold,  and  silver,  and  all  that  he  had.  ...  I 
allowed  the  inhabitants  of  Sippara,  Nipour,  Babylon,  and 
Borsippa  to  enjoy  their  goods  in  peace,  and  protected  them. 
...  I  went  to  Babylon,  and  entered  alone  into  the  sanctuaries 
of  Bel,  the  judge  of  gods,  in  the  exaltation  of  my  heart,  and 
in  the  brightness  of  my  face,  and  took  hold  of  the  hands  of 
Merodach,  the  mighty  god." 

Sargon  does  not  say  that  he  put  Merodach-baladan  to 
death ;  and  he  recovered  for  a  time  the  throne  of  Babylon,  but 
was  eventually  deposed  by  Sennacherib. 

—  king  of  Bahylan']  This  is  the  first  occasion  on  which  the 
empire  of  Babylon,  which  was  destined  to  become  so  celebrated 
in  its  relations  to  God's  People,  makes  its  appearance  in  Holy 
Scripture.  It  is  observable  that  this  appearance  is  combined 
with  an  act  of  vainglory  on  the  part  of  the  King  of  Judah,  and 
with  a  prophecy  concerning  Judah's  captivity  at  Babylon. 

—  sent  letters  and  a  present — siclc]  These  ambassadors  from 
Babylon  came  for  a  double  purpose,  to  congratulate  Hezekiah 
on  his  recovery,  and  also,  as  the  author  of  the  Chronicles  informs 
us  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  31),  to  inquire  concerning  the  miraculous 
sign  which  had  occurred  at  Jerusalem  on  the  sun-dial  of  Ahaz, 
which  had  excited  the  curiosity  of  the  Babylonians,  who  gave 
much  attention  to  Astronomy.  Probably  also  they  desired  to 
enlist  Hezekiah's  support  in  behalf  of  their  own  city,  Babylon, 
.igainst  the  domination  of  Assyria;  and  Hezekiah  wished  to 
show  them  how  powerful  an  ally  he  would  be. 

13.  Hezekiah — shelved  them  all — his  precious  things — Ms 
treasures^  As  to  the  difficulty  supposed  by  some  to  lie  in  this 
statement,  see  above,  on  xviii.  15.  Hezekiah  was  here  forsaken 
of  God  :  see  2  Chron.  xxiii.  31. 

—  of  his  precious  things']  Literally,  of  his  spices  {Vulg.; 
Gesen.  549 :  cp.  Gen.  xxxvii.  25). 

—  precious  ointment]  Balsam-oil,  as  the  Rabbis  affirm 
(Movers,  Phoeniz.  p.  227). 

14.  Then  came  Isaiah  the  prophet]  Whose  moral  courage 
was  proved  by  this  interview.  Isaiah  was  to  Hezekiah  what 
Nathan  and  Gad  had  been  to  David.     The  record  here  given 

150 


of  this  frailty  of  Hezekiah,  the  great  and  good  king  of  Judah, 
is  an  evidence  also  of  the  veracity  of  the  Historian,  as  well  as  of 
the  honesty  of  the  Prophet.  Neither  of  them  were  courtly 
flatterers.  We  have  therefore  more  confidence  in  what  they 
said  and  wrote.  Compare  what  has  been  said  above,  on  the 
narrative  of  David's  sin.  Prelim.  Note  to  2  Sam.  xi. ;  and  see 
the  remarks  of  Josephus  (Antt.  x.  2.  2)  on  the  character  and 
prophecies  of  Isaiah,  whom  he  calls  "a  divine  and  wonderful 
man,  in  speaking  the  truth,"  and  who  is  called  by  the  Son  of 
Sirach  (Ecclus.  xlviii.  22)  "great  and  faithful  in  his  vision." 
The  same  may  be  said  of  Micah,  who  prophesied  in  the  days  of 
Hezekiah,  and  foretold  the  carrying  away  of  Judah  to  Baby- 
lon (Micah  iv.  10). 

The  ruTTJEE  taking  away  of  Judah  to  Babylon  is 

FORETOLD    BY    ISAIAH. 

17.  shall  he  carried  into  Bahylon]  A  remarkable  prophecy. 
At  this  time,  Bahylon  was  of  small  account  {Dean  Jackson). 
According  to  human  probability,  if  the  Kingdom  of  Judah  was 
to  suffer  spoliation  and  shame,  these  calamities  might  have  been 
expected  to  come  either  from  Egypt,  which  was  then  at  the 
zenith  of  its  power,  or  from  Assyria,  which  was  much 
stronger  than  Babylpn,  and  which  had  recently  shown  its 
superiority  over  that  city,  and  was  about  to  prove  it  again  (see  on 
xix.  37;  and  below,  on  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  11),  and  which  was 
bitterly  hostile  to  Judah,  as  was  shown  in  the  expedition  of 
Sennacherib  to  Palestine;  whereas,  on  the  contrary,  Babylon 
was  at  this  time  professing  friendship  for  Judah,  and  was,  it 
seems,  seeking  an  alliance  with  Hezekiah.  But  "God  seeth 
not  as  man  seeth;"  He  foretold  that  the  riches  of  Hezekiah 
would  be  carried,  not  to  Egypt,  or  to  Nineveh,  but  to  Babylon. 
And  so  it  came  to  pass  about  125  years  after  this  prophecy 
of  Isaiah,  whose  divine  inspiration  is  evinced  by  these  cir- 
cumstances (cp.  below,  on  xxiv.  1). 

Observe,  also,  that  Isaiah's  prophetic  range  extended  far 
beyond  the  deportation  of  Judah  to  Babylon,  and  embraced  the 
future  destruction  of  Babylon  itself  by  a  kuig  yet  unborn, 
and  by  a  nation  then  almost  unknown  (see  Isa.  xiii.  xiv.  xxi. 
xxii.  xhii.  xlv.  xlvi.  xlvii).  He  revealed  also  the  subsequent 
return  of  the  Jews  from  Babylon  (xlviii.  xlix.),  and  their 
admission  into  the  true  Siou  in  Christ  (Isa.  xi.  xxiv.  xxvii.  xl. 
xlii.  lii.),  and  His  futui-e  victories  over  Sin,  Satan,  and  the 
Grave  (Isa.  xxv.  xxxii. — xxxv.).  "  Isaiah"  (says  the  Son  of  Sirach, 
Ecclus.  xlviii.  24,  25)  "  comforted  them  that  mom-ned  in  Sion ; 
he  showed  what  should  come  to  pass  for  ever,  and  secret  things 
or  ever  they  came ;"  and  doubtless  Hezekiah  was  consoled  by 
his  ministry,  and  was  enabled  to  see  beyond  the  ruin  and 
desolation  of  the  earthly  Jerusalem,  and  to  behold  the  happiness 
and  glory  of  the  heavenly  Sion,  in  which  he  would  have  a 
blissfiil  mansion  for  evermore. 

The  carrying  away  of  Judah  into  captivity  to  Bahylon  is 
foretold  here  and  elsewhere  (cp.  Isa.  xxxix.  6).  It  was  very 
providential  that  this  deportation  to  Babylon  was  revealed 
heforehand,  for  thus  God's  truth  was  proved,  and  it  was  seen 
that  this  deportation  was  not  due  to  the  power  of  Babylon, — a 
heathen  and  idolati'ous  city, — conquering  ^od's  people,  but  was 


Hezekialis  son. 


2  KINGS  XX.  19—21.    XXI.  1—6. 


Manasseli, 


sons  that  shall  issue  from  thee,  which  thou  shalt  beget,  ''shall  they  take  away; 
II  and  they  shall  be  eunuchs  in  the  palace  of  the  king  of  Babylon.  ^^  Then  said 
Hezekiah  unto  Isaiah,  '  Good  is  the  word  of  the  Lord  which  thou  hast  spoken. 
And  he  said,  ||  Is  it  not  good,  if  peace  and  truth  be  in  my  days  ? 

2° '  And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Hezekiah,  and  all  his  might,  and  how  he 
'  made  a  pool,  and  a  conduit,  and  "  brought  water  into  the  city,  are  they  not 
written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  "^^  And  ""  Heze- 
kiah slept  with  his  fathers  :  and  Manasseli  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XXI.  ^  Manasseh  ^  ims  twelve  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  reigned 
fifty  and  five  years  in  Jerusalem.  And  his  mother's  name  was  Hephzi-bah. 
-And  he  did  that  wliich  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  ''after  the  abomina- 
tions of  the  heathen,  whom  the  Lord  cast  out  before  the  children  of  Israel. 
^  For  he  built  up  again  the  high  places  ^  which  Hezekiah  his  father  had  de- 
stroyed ;  and  he  reared  up  altars  for  Baal,  and  made  a  grove,  ^  as  did  Aliab  king 
of  Israel ;  and  ^  worshipped  all  the  host  of  heaven,  and  served  them.  ^  And 
^he  built  altars  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  of  which  the  Lord  said,  ^In  Jeru- 
salem will  I  put  my  name.  ^  And  he  built  altars  for  all  the  host  of  heaven  in 
the  two  courts  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.     ^  ^  And  he  made  his  son  pass  through 


Before 
CHRIST 
712. 
q  ch.  24.  12. 
2  Chron.  33.  11. 
II  Fulfilled, 
Dan.  1.  3. 
r  1  Sam.  3.  18. 
Job  1.  21. 
Ps.  39.  9. 
II  Or,  Shall  there 
not  be  peace  and 
truth,  S(c. 

about 
710. 
s  2  Chron.  32.  32. 
t  Neh.  3.  16. 
u  2  Chron.  32.  30. 
X  2  Chron.  32.  33. 

about 
698. 
a  2  Chron.  33.  1, 
&c. 
b  ch.  16.  3. 


c  ch.  18.  4. 

d  1  Kings  16.  32, 

33. 

e  Deut.  4.  19.  & 

17.  3. 

ch.  17.  16. 

f  Jer.  32.  34. 

g  2  Sam.  7.  13. 

1  Kings  8.  29.  & 

9.  3. 

h  Lev.  18.  21.  & 

20.  2. 

ch.  16.3.  8e  17.1; 


due  to  God  Himself,  usiug  the  power  of  Babylon  as  His  own 
instrument  for  punishing  His  people  for  their  sins  against 
Himself.  Thus  tliis  revelation  served  important  moral  purposes. 
If  this  captivity  had  not  been  revealed  beforehand,  it  might  have 
been  supposed  that  God  Himself  had  been  vanquished,  and  was 
unable  to  protect  His  chosen  People  (cp.  below,  on  xxiii.  27). 
For  the  same  reasons  our  Lord  foretold  the  taking  of  Jerusalem 
by  the  Romans  (see  Matt.  xxiv.  25.  Mark  xiii.  23.  Cp.  John 
xvi.  4).  Yet,  further,  in  the  Old  Testament  the  doom  of 
Babylon  itself  is  revealed ;  and  in  the  New  Testament  we  have 
clear  prophecies  of  the  future  destruction  and  desolation  of 
Rome,  the  Western  Babylon,  as  S.  Augustine  calls  it  (de  Civ. 
Dei,  xvi.  17;  xviii.  2.  22). 

God  adjusts  punishments  to  sins  j  Babylon  will  be  the  ruin 
of  those  who  are  fond  of  Babylon  {31.  Hetiry). 

18.  eunuchs']  Courtiers,  chamberlains.  See  Gen.  xxxvii.  36  : 
and  cp.  Dan.  i.  3. 

19.  Then  said  SezeJciah']  It  must  be  remembered,  that  at 
the  message  of  Isaiah,  Hezekiah  was  not  exasperated,  but 
"  humbled  himself,"  and  doiibtless  received  an  assurance  from 
the  prophet  that  the  wrath  would  not  come  in  his  day  (see 
2  Chron.  xxxii.  26). 

—  peace  and  truth  he  in  my  days .?]  A  grief  it  is  to  know 
that  these  things  shall  happen ;  but  some  happiness  withal,  and 
to  be  acknowledged  as  a  great  favour  from  God,  to  be  assured 
that  we  shall  never  see  them.  It  is  no  small  mercy  in  Him 
and  no  small  comfort  to  us,  if  either  He  take  us  away  before 
His  judgments  come,  or  keep  His  judgments  till  we  are  gone 
{Bp.  Sanderson,  iii.  52 :  cp.  below,  xxii.  16 — 20). 

20.  pool,  and  a  conduit]  See  on  xviii.  17;  and  Sohinson, 
Palestine,  i.  487.  The  pool,  now  called  the  pool  of  Hezekiah, 
lies  to  the  n.e.  of  the  Jaffa  Gate,  and  w.  of  the  street  that  leads 
to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre ;  and  is  now  called  BirJcet 
el  Hummdm.  Dr.  Mohinson  supposes  that  the  pool  mentioned 
in  the  text  extended  to  about  sixty  feet  to  the  north  of  this 
pool.  On  this  and  the  other  acts  of  Hezekiah,  see  the  interesting 
comment  in  Ecclus.  xlviii.  17 — 25. 

21.  Manasseh]  Wliich  means  forgetting ;  he  was  probably 
so  called  by  Hezekiah,  imitating  Joseph  (Gen.  xli.  51),  because 
in  the  birth  of  this  son  from  his  wife  Hephzi-bah,  which  means 
tny  delight  is  in  her  (see  xxi.  1),  when  the  house  of  David  had 
been  for  some  time  without  any  heir  to  the  throne,  God  made 
him  to  forget  the  sorrow  of  his  former  sufferings  from  sickness, 
and  the  invasion  of  the  Assyrians.  Cp.  Josephus,  Antt.  x.  2.  1, 
commenting  on  Hezekiah's  prayer,  then  childless,  and  in  great 
affliction,  pubUc  and  private.  By  giving  this  name,  Manasseh, 
the  name  of  a  leading  tribe  of  Israel  on  both  sides  of  Jordan,  to 
his  firstborn  son,  Hezekiah  may  have  also  designed  to  intimate 
that  the  Tribes  of  Israel,  though  wasted  and  scattered  by  the 
kings  of  Assyria,  were  federally  united  in  the  house  of  Judah, 
and  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem ;  a  noble  and  glorious  truth,  which 
he  had  endeavoured  to  exhibit  by  inviting  them  to  partake  in 

151 


the  Passover  at  Jerusalem.  See  below,  2  Chron.  xxx.  1 — 11, 
where  we  read  that  "  divers  of  Manasseh  humbled  themselves 
and  came  to  Jerusalem." 

Here  surely  is  a  foreshadowing  of  the  future ;  and  here 
also  the  history  of  Hezekiah  has  a  deep  interest  for  ourselves. 
Hezekiah,  the  good  King  of  Judah,  is,  as  we  have  seen,  a  type 
of  the  divine  King  of  Israel,  Jestjs  Cheist.  He  prefigured 
Christ  in  his  name,  in  his  faith,  in  his  prayers  and  tears,  in  his 
su&'erings,  in  his  acts,  and  in  his  resurrection  from  the  dead.  After 
his  resurrection  (see  above,  on  v.  11)  we  hear  of  Sephzi-bah, 
his  wife,  the  delightsome,  a  name  which  the  prophet  Isaiah, 
the  counsellor  of  Hezekiah,  gives  to  the  Church  of  Christ, 
the  Bride,  whom  He  loveth  and  cherisheth  as  His  own  flesh. 
See  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  Ixii.  4 — 12 :  cp.  Eph.  v.  25.  29.  32. 
1  Pet.  iii.  7. 

The  firstborn  of  this  marriage  is  Manasseh,  the  significance 
of  whose  name  has  been  already  noticed ;  he  lapsed  into  idolatry, 
was  carried  to  Babylon,  but  repented,  and  was  restored,  as  is 
fully  related  in  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  xxxiii.  11 — 20).  May  we 
not  here  see  a  vision  of  God's  family,  especially  of  the  Jews, 
falling  away  to  sin,  and  punished ;  but  on  their  repentance 
brought  home  again  to  Jerusalem,  and  restored  to  the  favour  of 
God? 

Ch.  xxi.  1.  Manasseh  was  twelve  years  old]  And  therefore 
was  born  after  his  father  Hezekiah's  dangerous  sickness.  See 
XX.  6 ;  and  on  the  meaning  of  the  name,  see  xx.  21. 

—  Sephzi-bah]  Which  means,  my  delight  is  in  her  {Gesen. 
296 ;  cp.  Isa.  Ixii.  4,  where  this  name  is  given  to  Zion.  See 
above,  on  xx.  21. 

Up  to  this  point  the  Author  of  the  Books  of  Chronicles 
agrees  with  the  Author  of  the  Books  of  Kings  in  giving  the 
names  of  the  mothers  of  the  Kings  of  Judah;  but  from 
Manasseh  to  Zedekiah  inclusive,  making  a  list  of  seven  names, 
the  Author  of  the  Books  of  Kings  gives  the  names  of  the  queen 
mothers,  but  in  no  case  are  they  mentioned  in  the  Chronicles. 

2.  he  did  that  which  was  evil]  Being  only  twelve  years  old 
at  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  and  being  corrupted  by  the 
evil  example  of  such  ministers  as  Shebna  (see  xviii.  26),  and  of 
vicious  priests,  and  prophets  (see  Isa.  xxvlii.  7),  and  people 
(Isa.  i.  4;  xxx.  9,  10),  who  sought  help  from  Egypt  (Isa.  xxxi. 
1 — 7)  rather  than  from  God. 

3.  a  grove]  An  asherah.  Cp.  below,  v.7 ;  and  xxiii.  6;  and 
1  Kings  xvi.  32 :  cp.  Jer.  vii.  17,  18,  on  the  worship  of  Astarte 
at  this  time. 

—  the  host  of  heaven]  The  Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars,  according 
to  the  Chaldean  and  Assyrian  worship,  and  that  of  the  ancient 
Canaanites.  See  Deut.  iv.  19;  xvii.  3.  Movers,  Phocniz. 
pp.  65.  161.  164:  cp.  below  xxiii.  5.  Jer.  vii.  18;  xviii.  19; 
xix.  13 ;  xliv.  17.     Ezek.  viii.  16.     Zeph.  i.  5. 

6.  made  his  son  pass  through  the  fire]  As  Ahaz  his  grand- 
father had  done  (xvi.  3 :  cp.  xxiii.  10.     Deut.  xviii.  10).     The 


The  divine  judgments 


2  KINGS  XXL  7—18. 


denounced  against  Judah, 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

698. 

i  Lev.  19.  26,  31. 

Deut.  18.  10,  11. 

ch.  17.  17. 


k  2  Sam.  7.  13. 
1  Kings  8.  29.  & 
9.  3. 

ch.  23.  27. 
Ps.  132.  13,  14. 
Jer.  32.  31. 
12  Sam.  7.  10. 


ni  Prov.  29.  12. 


n  ch.  23.26,  27.  & 

24.  3,  4. 

Jer.  15.  4. 

o  1  Kings  21.  26. 

p  ver.  9. 


q  1  Sam.  3.  11. 
Jer.  19.  4. 
r  See  Isa.  34.  11. 
Lam.  2.  8. 
Amos  7.  7,  8. 
t  Heb.  he  tvipeih 
and  turneih  it 
upon  the  face 
thereof. 


t  HeT).  from 
mouth  to  mouth. 


t  2  Chron.  33. 
11—19. 


u  2  Chron  33.  20. 


the  fire,  and  observed  '  times,  and  used  enchantments,  and  dealt  with  famihar 
spirits  and  wizards :  he  wrought  much  wickedness  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  to 
provoke  him  to  anger.  ^  And  he  set  a  graven  image  of  the  grove  that  he  had 
made  in  the  house,  of  which  the  Lord  said  to  David,  and  to  Solomon  his  son, 
^  In  this  house,  and  in  Jerusalem,  which  I  have  chosen  out  of  all  tribes  of  Israel, 
will  I  put  my  name  for  ever  :  ^ '  Neither  will  I  make  the  feet  of  Israel  move 
any  more  out  of  the  land  which  I  gave  their  fathers ;  only  if  they  will  observe 
to  do  according  to  all  that  I  have  commanded  them,  and  according  to  all  the 
law  that  my  servant  Moses  commanded  them.  ^  But  they  hearkened  not :  and 
Manasseh  ""  seduced  them  to  do  more  evil  than  did  the  nations  whom  the  Lord 
destroyed  before  the  children  of  Israel. 

^•'And  the  Lord  spake  by  his  servants  the  prophets,  saying,  ^^"  Because 
Manasseh  king  of  Judah  hath  done  these  abominations,  °  and  hath  done  wick- 
edly above  all  that  the  Amorites  did,  which  were  before  Mm,  and  ^  hath  made 
Judah  also  to  sin  with  his  idols  :  ^^  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel,  Behold,  I  am  bringing  such  evil  upon  Jerusalem  and  Judah,  that  whoso- 
ever heareth  of  it,  both  '^  his  ears  shall  tingle.  ^^  And  I  will  stretch  over  Jeru- 
salem '  the  line  of  Samaria,  and  the  plummet  of  the  house  of  Aliab  :  and  I  will 
wipe  Jerusalem  as  a  man  wipeth  a  dish,  f  wiping  it,  and  taming  it  upside  down. 
^^  And  I  will  forsake  the  remnant  of  mine  inheritance,  and  deliver  them  into 
the  hand  of  their  enemies ;  and  they  shall  become  a  prey  and  a  spoil  to  all 
their  enemies ;  ^^  Because  they  have  done  that  which  was  evil  in  my  sight,  and 
have  provoked  me  to  anger,  since  the  day  their  fathers  came  forth  out  of  Egypt, 
even  unto  tliis  day.  ^^ '  Moreover  Manasseh  shed  innocent  blood  very  much, 
till  he  had  filled  Jerusalem  ffrom  one  end  to  another;  beside  his  sin  where- 
with he  made  Judah  to  sin,  in  doing  that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord. 

'^  Now  '  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Manasseh,  and  all  that  he  did,  and  his  sin 
that  he  sinned,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings 
of  Judah  ?     ^^  And  "  Manasseh  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  in  the 


name  of  Molech  became  a  common  oath  at  this  time  (Zeph.  i.  5), 
nnd  human  sacrifices  were  often  ofiered  (Jer.  xxxii.  35.  Ezek. 
Txiii.  37). 

—  observed  times]  See  Deut.  xviii.  10. 

—  used  enchantments]  See  Lev.  xix.  26.  31.  Deut.  xviii.  10. 
These  practices  are  denounced  by  Isaiah,  viii.  19 ;  xxix.  4. 

— familiar  spirits]  See  on  Lev.  xix.  31.     Deut.  xviii.  11. 

—  wizards]  See  Lev.  xix.  31.  Deut.  xviii.  11.  Warning 
had  been  given  by  God  in  the  Law  against  these  sins,  which,  in 
the  passages  cited,  are  described  in  the  same  terms  as  are  here 
used.  Evidently  the  Sacred  Historian  had  the  words  of  the 
Law  before  his  eyes  when  he  composed  this  history. 

7.  of  the  grove]  Rather,  of  the  asherah.  See  v.  3,  and  cp. 
2  Chron.  xxxiii.  7,  where  it  is  "  the  idol."  The  Altar  in  front 
of  the  Temple  was  desecrated  (2  Chron.  xxxiii.  16),  and  the  Ark 
was  removed  out  of  the  Holy  of  Holies  (2  Chron.  xxxv.  3). 

—  the  LoED  said]  See  the  divine  promise  in  2  Sam.  vii. 
10.  13.     1  Kings  ix.  3.  5. 

10.  by  his  servants  the  prophets]  Perhaps  Habakkuk,  i.  5 : 
cp.  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  18.  Isaiah  was  about  eighty  years  of  age 
at  the  accession  of  Manasseh,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
martyred  by  him  :  see  v.  16. 

12.  both  his  ears  shall  tingle]  Cp.  1  Sam.  iii.  11.  Jer. 
xix.  3. 

13.  the  line  of  Samaria,  and  the  plummet  of  the  house 
of  Ahab]  The  line  and  plummet  employed  in  building,  are 
also  applied  to  a  work  of  destruction  (Lam.  ii.  8.  Amos  vii.  7. 
Zcch.  i.  16) ;  hence  Isaiah  says,  "  He  shall  stretch  out  upon  it 
the  line  of  confusion"  (Isa.  xxxiv.  11).  The  meaning  is,  I  will 
destroy  Jerusalem,  as  I  have  destroyed  Samaria,  and  the  house 

152 


of  Ahab.  My  work  of  building,  which  I  would  gladly  have 
executed  and  sustained,  will  become,  through  her  sins,  a  work 
of  desolation.  Tertullian  has  a  similar  phrase,  "  ajdificare  in 
ruinam  "  (Prjescr.  Ha3rct.  3). 

16.  Manasseh  shed  innocent  blood]  See  Jb*e/)A?<5,  Antt.  x.  3. 1. 
There  is  a  wide-spread  tradition,  that  the  prophet  Isaiah  was 
one  of  his  victims.  Cp.  Heb.  xi.  37.  Justin  Martyr,  c. 
Tryphon.  §  120;  Origen,  in  Ps.  37;  Siivernick,  Eiuleit.  ii.  57; 
Winer,  R.  W.  B.  i.  554 ;  Stanley,  p.  492.  The  divine  retribution 
for  the  shedding  of  this  innocent  blood  is  declared  in  xxiii.  26, 
27 ;  xxiv.  24. 

The  sufferings  of  the  Jewish  Martyrs  during  the  persecution 
in  Manasseh's  reign,  and  the  length  of  days  given  to  the  per- 
secutor himself,  served  to  bring  out  in  clearer  light  the  doctrines 
of  a  Resurrection,  future  Judgment,  and  Life  Everlasting 
(Isa.  XXV.  8;  xxvi.  19.  Ezek.  xxxvii.);  and  also  to  exercise  the 
faith,  and  to  comfort  the  hearts  of  holy  men,  such  as  Isaiah, 
Zephaniah,  and  Habakkuk,  the  prophets,  in  the  contemplation  of 
a  suffering  Messiah  (cp.  below,  on  xxiii.  30) ;  and  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  Apostolic  preaching  of  the  doctrine  of  Justifica- 
tion by  faith.     See  below,  on  Gal.  vi.  11. 

17.  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Manasseh]  His  captivity  at  Baby- 
lon, and  his  repentance  and  return  to  Jerusalem,  and  his  death 
and  burial  there,  are  reserved  by  the  Holy  Spirit  for  full  record 
in  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  11 — 20 ;  see  the  notes  there.  These  acts  of 
remorse  and  reparation  had  the  effect  of  lengthening  his  own 
life  and  reign,  which,  as  our  historian  relates  above  {v.  1),  was 
prolonged  to  fifty-five  years,  the  longest  reign  of  any  King  of 
Judah.  Cp.  Tertullian,  de  Patient.  14;  S.  Jerome  in  Esai.  57. 
64;  S.  Aug.  de  Civ.  Dei,  xviii.  24- 


Manasselis  son,  Anion.  2  KINGS  XXI.  19 — 26.    XXII.  1 — 7.  Josiah  repairs  the  Temple. 


garden  of  his  own  house,  in  the  garden  of  Uzza  :  and  Amon  his  son  reigned  in 
his  stead. 

^^ '  Anion  was  twenty  and  two  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he 
reigned  two  years  in  Jerusalem.  And  his  mother's  name  tvas  Meshullemeth, 
the  daughter  of  Haruz  of  Jotbah.  ^^And  he  did  that  which  tvas  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  ^  as  his  father  Manasseh  did.  '^^  And  he  walked  in  all  the 
way  that  his  father  walked  in,  and  served  the  idols  that  his  father  served,  and 
worshipped  them  :  ^'-^  And  he  ^forsook  the  Lord  God  of  his  fathers,  and  walked 
not  in  the  way  of  the  Lord.  ^^'^  And  the  servants  of  Amon  conspired  against 
liim,  and  slew  the  king  in  his  own  house.  ^'^  And  the  people  of  the  land  slew 
all  them  that  had  conspired  against  king  Amon ;  and  the  people  of  the  land 
made  Josiah  his  son  king  in  liis  stead. 

25  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Amon  which  he  did,  are  they  not  written  in 
the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ?  ^6  ^^j  j^g  ^g^g  i^m-ied  in 
his  sepulchre  in  the  garden  of  Uzza :  and  ^  Josiah  his  son  reigned  in  his 
stead. 

XXII.  ^  Josiah  ^  was  eight  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned 
thirty  and  one  years  in  Jerusalem.  And  his  mother's  name  was  Jedidah,  the 
daughter  of  Adaiah  of  ^Boscath.  ^  And  he  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord,  and  walked  in  all  the  way  of  David  his  father,  and  '^  turned  not 
aside  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left. 

^  ^  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  king  Josiah,  that  the  king 
sent  Shaphan  the  son  of  Azaliah,  the  son  of  MeshuUam,  the  scribe,  to  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  saying,  ^  Go  up  to  Hilkiah  the  high  priest,  that  he  may 
sum  the  silver  which  is  ^brought  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  which  *"the  keepers 
of  the  f  door  have  gathered  of  the  people  :  ^  And  let  them  ^  deliver  it  into  the 
hand  of  the  doers  of  the  work,  that  have  the  oversight  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord  :  and  let  them  give  it  to  the  doers  of  the  work  which  is  in  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  to  repair  the  breaches  of  the  house,  ^Unto  carpenters,  and  builders, 
and  masons,  and  to  buy  timber  and  hewn  stone  to  repair  the  house,  ''jjowbeit 
•*  there  was  no  reckoning  made  with  them  of  the  money  that  was  delivered  into 
their  hand,  because  they  dealt  faithfully. 


Before 

CHRIST 

643. 


X  2  Chron.  33. 
21—23. 


y  ver.  2,  &c. 


z  1  Kings  U.  33. 

641. 
a  2  Chron.  33. 
24,  25. 


b  Matt.  1.  10, 
called  Josias. 


a  2  Chron.  34.  1. 


b  Josh.  15.  33. 
c  Deut.  5.  32. 


about 
024. 
d  2  Chron.  34. 
&c. 


ech.  12.  4. 

f  ch.  12.  9. 

Ps.  84.  10. 

t  Heb.  threshold. 

gch.  12.  11,  12, 

14. 


h  ch.  12.  15. 


18.  garden  of  his  own  house']  Not  in  the  sepulchres  of  the 
kings  (cp.  2  Chron.  xxi.  20),  but  in  a  private  mausoleum,  as 
Amon  his  son  was  (v.  26) ;  the  site  of  his  garden  is  unknown, 
and  who  Uzza  was,  is  uncertain.  Cp.  Pridemix  on  B.  C.  614, 
who  observes  (from  Maimonides)  that  no  sepulchre  was  allowed 
in  Jerusalem  except  the  sepulchres  of  the  house  of  David,  and 
of  Hiildah  the  prophetess.  Manasseh,  it  is  probable,  ui  his 
humility,  did  not  judge  himself  worthy  to  be  called  a  son  of 
David,  and  to  be  buried  in  the  sepulchres  of  his  fathers  {M. 
Henry).  Compare  the  case  of  the  prodigal  son  in  the  Gospel 
(Luke  XV.  19). 

19.  Amon']  A  name  supposed  by  some  to  be  derived  from 
Egyptian  mythology,  where  the  supreme  deity,  worshipped  at 
Thebes,  and  called  Amnion  by  the  Greeks,  bears  this  name 
{Stanley,  p.  491 :  cp.  Fuerst;  110) ;  but  this  is  doubtful ;  it 
seems  rather  to  be  a  pure  Hebrew  word,  from  dman,  to  establish 
{Gesen.  58). 

26.  in  his  sepulchre  in  the  garden  of  Uzza]  The  people 
refused  him  the  honour  of  a  burial-place  among  the  sepulchres 
of  the  sons  of  David  (Prideaux,  B.  C.  643). 

Ch.  XXII.  1.  Josiah]  Wliich  means  one  whom  Jehovah 
heals  {Gesen.  326),  or  whom  Jehovah  gives  {Simonis)  ;  he  was 
born  after  his  father's  repentance  and  return  from  Babylon  to 
his  kingdom,  and  his  name  seems  to  be  a  memorial  of  the 
Lord's  mercy  to  the  penitent  king. 

—  -Jedidah]  i.  e.  beloved ;  a  name  which  resembles  that  of 
153 


his  grandfather's  mother, — the  wife  of  Hezekiah, — Hephzi-bah. 
See  V.  1;  and  on  xx.  21. 

2.  did  that  which  was  right]  What  a  vast  difference  is  made 
by  divine  grace  and  human  obedience !  Manasseh  began  to 
reign  at  twelve  years,  Josiah  at  eight;  Manasseh  was  bred 
under  Hezekiah,  a  pious  father,  Josiah  under  Amon,  a  godless 
one ;  and  yet  Manasseh  was  an  idolater,  but  Josiah  was  holy 
and  devout.  Let  no  one,  who  sins,  impute  his  sin  to  his 
circumstances,  but  to  himself. 

—  turned  not  aside — left]  Josiah  is  the  only  King  of  whom 
this  is  said. 

3.  in  the  eighteenth  year]  Cp.  xxiii.  23.  The  eighteenth 
year  was  the  climax  of  his  reformation  ;  it  had  been  set  on  foot 
before  that  time  :  the  pious  king  did  not  wait  so  long  before  he 
adopted  measures  of  religious  restoration.  See  2  Chron.  xxxiv. 
3,  where  it  is  said  that  in  the  "twelfth  year  he  began  to 
purge  Judah  and  Jerusalem  "  of  idolatry :  compare  there  v.  8 ; 
Sdvernick,  Eiuleit.  ii.  226 :  and  Bertheau,  Chrouik.  p.  409. 

The  prophet  Jeremiah  had  been  called  to  his  office  in  the 
thirteenth  year  of  his  reign  ( Jer.  i.  2 ;  xxv.  3),  and  doubtless 
strengthened  llie  King's  hands,  as  Isaiah  had  encouraged  his 
grandfather,  JJfzekiah,  and  urged  on  the  work  of  Reformation. 
Jeremiah  prophesied  during  the  whole  of  Josiah's  reign. 

4.  mikiah  the  high  priest]  The  son  of  Shallum,  a!id  father 
of  Azariah.     See  1  Chron.  vi.  13. 

—  may  sum  the  silver]  Make  it  up  perfectly,  and  pay  it 
over. 


Tlie  Booh  of  the  Law  is  found  2  KINGS  XXII.  8—14. 


and  read — Hiddah, 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

624. 

iDeut.  31.  24, 

&c. 

2  Chron.  34.  14, 
&c. 
t  Heb.  melted. 


k  Abdoti, 

2  Chron.  34.  20. 

II  Or,  Mica/i. 


1  Deut.  29.  27. 


m  Tikvath, 

2  Chron.  34.  22. 


^  And  Hilkiah  the  high  priest  said  unto  Shaphan  the  scribe,  '  I  have  found 
the  book  of  the  law  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  And  Hilkiah  gave  the  book  to 
Shaphan,  and  he  read  it.  ^And  Shaphan  the  scribe  came  to  the  king,  and 
brought  the  king  word  again,  and  said.  Thy  servants  have  f  gathered  the  money 
that  was  found  in  the  house,  and  have  delivered  it  into  the  hand  of  them  that 
do  the  work,  that  have  the  oversight  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^  And  Shaphan 
the  scribe  shewed  the  king,  saying,  Hilkiah  the  priest  hath  delivered  me  a 
book.  And  Shaphan  read  it  before  the  king.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
the  king  had  heard  the  words  of  the  book  of  the  law,  that  he  rent  his  clothes. 
^2  And  the  king  commanded  Hilkiah  the  priest,  and  Ahikam  the  son  of  Sha- 
phan, and  ^  Achbor  the  son  of  ||  Michaiah,  and  Shaphan  the  scribe,  and  Asahiah 
a  servant  of  the  king's,  saying,  ^^  Go  ye,  inquire  of  the  Lord  for  me,  and  for 
the  people,  and  for  all  Judah,  concerning  the  words  of  this  book  that  is  found : 
for  great  is  ^  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  that  is  kindled  against  us,  because  our 
fathers  have  not  hearkened  unto  the  words  of  this  book,  to  do  according  unto 
all  that  which  is  written  concerning  us.  _ 

^•*  So  Hilkiah  the  priest,  and  Ahikam,  and  Achbor,  and  Shaphan,  and  Asa- 
hiah, went  unto  Huldah  the  prophetess,  the  wife  of  Shallum  the  son  of ""  Tikvali, 


The  Book  of  the  Law  Found. 
8.  I  have  found  the  book  of  the  laio  in  the  house  of  the  Loed] 
From  these  words  of  Hilkiah  the  priest,  "I  have  found  tlie 
Book  of  the  Law,"  it  appears  that  he  was  not  unacquainted 
with  the  Law;  for  how  otherwise  could  he  have  recognized 
this  Book  to  be  the  Book  of  the  Law?  how  could  he  have 
identified  it  ?  What  he  means  is,  that  he  had  found  the  original 
copy  of  the  Pentateuch,  which  had  been  laid  up  at  the  side  of 
the  Ark  in  the  Holy  of  Holies  (see  above,  on  Deut.  xxxi.  24 — 
26).  That  copy  had  probably  been  secreted  for  security  in  the 
previous  persecutions  of  the  days  of  King  Manasseh  (xxi.  16), 
or  in  the  evil  time  of  hjs  son  and  successor  Anion  (xxi.  21). 
Perhaps  the  Priest  or  Levite  who  had  secreted  it  for  safety  had 
perished  in  the  persecution,  and  the  place  where  it  was  deposited 
was  forgotten. 

But  now,  when  Josiah  was  engaged  in  "  purging  the 
Temple  "  (a  work  which  was  twice  done  by  his  great  Antitype, 
the  Divine  King  of  Judah,  Jesus  Clu-ist  (see  Matt.  xxi.  12. 
John  ii.  14 — 17),  and  in  removing  every  vestige  of  idolatry,  and 
when  Hilkiah  the  priest  was  commanded  by  King  Josiah  to 
oversee  the  repairs  of  the  Temple,  his  zeal  for  God  was  rewarded, 
and  the  hiding-place  of  His  Holy  Word  was,  by  God's  mercy, 
discovered, — probably  in  the  treasury  of  the  Temi^le  (see  below, 
on  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  14), — and  this  venerable  a^d  precious 
treasure  was  brought  to  light. 

Hilkiah  the  priest  found  it  while  he  laboured  in  the  work 
of  religious  restoration.  "  Never  man  laboured  to  the  reparation 
of  God's  Church  but  he  met  with  a  blessing  more  than  he 
looked  for"  {Bp.  Hall). 

On  this  subject  sec  also  Josephus  (Antt.  x.  4.  2),  who  says 
that  the  High  Priest,  in  his  researches  in  the  Lord's  house,  "  Ut 
upon  the  holy  books  of  Moses  that  were  laid  up  in  the  Temple ;" 
and  Bp.  Patrick's  note  here,  and  Bp.  Hall,  and  Dean  Prideaux, 
who  rightly  states  "  that  the  High  Priest,  in  pursuance  of  the 
King's  order,  took  a  general  view  of  the  house,  to  see  what  was 
necessary  to  be  done,  and  while  he  was  thus  examining  every 
place,  he  found  the  authentic  copy  of  the  Book  of  Moses."  Cp. 
Savernick,  Einleituug,  §  139 ;  Keil,  p.  355 ;  Kitto,  p.  404. 

On  the  allegation  of  some,  that  the  Book  brought  forth  was 
only  a  document  invented  by  these  discoverers  themselves,  and 
their  accomplices, — in  other  words,  that  Hilkiah  the  priest,  and 
Huldah  the  prophetess,  and  Jeremiah  the  prophet,  and  othei's, 
conspn-ed  in  an  act  of  forgery ; — and  that  this  document  was 
the  Book  of  Deuteronomy  {Bp.  Colenso  on  the  Pentateuch, 
Part  iii.  415 — 429),  see  above.  Introduction  to  Deuteronomy, 
pp.  195—202). 

10.  Shaphan  read  if]  Probably  Shaphan  read  those  parts  of 
it  which  declared  God's  punishments  for  disobedience,  such  as 
Deut.  xxviii.  (as  the  Jerusalem  Talmud  says),  and  Lev.  xxvi. 
This  may  be  inferred  from  the  effect  produced  on  the  King. 
See  Bp.  Patrick  here. 
154 


11.  he  rent  his  clothes']  Could,  then,  Josiah  (it  has  been 
asked  by  some)  have  ever  heard  of  the  Law  before  ?  There  is 
no  reason  to  doubt  that  he  had ;  he  had  done  "  that  which  was 
right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  had  walked  in  all  the  way 
of  David  his  father  "  («.  2),  and  was  zealous  for  the  restoration 
of  the  Temple  and  its  sacred  services  (vv.  4,  5).  What  touched 
him  with  irresistible  force  was  the  sight  of  the  sacred  archetype, 
and  the  sound  of  the  words  of  God,  fresh  (as  it  were)  from  the 
lips  of  Moses  himself  (cp.  Kitto,  p.  404 ;  Smith,  497). 

12.  Ahikam]  The  friend  of  Jeremiah  (Jer.  xxvi.  24)  and  the 
father  of  Gedaliah,  who  was  appointed  governor  of  Jerusalem 
by  Nebuchadnezzar  (xxv.  22.     Jer.  xxxix.  14;  xl.  5). 

—  Achbor  the  son  of  Michaiah]  Called  Abdon  the  son  of 
Micah  in  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  20.  These  variations  show  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  two  narratives. 

14.  Huldah  the  prophetess]  The  wife  of  Shallum,  "  keeper  of 
the  wardrobe"  probably  of  the  sacred  robes  of  the  priests,  as 
the  Rabbis  suppose,  or  of  the  royal  apparel  (cp.  2  Kings  x.  22. 
Bertheau),  and  one  of  the  eight  prophets  who  descended  from 
Rahab  of  Jericho  (  Witsius  de  Prophetissis,  p.  356 ;  Bp.  Patrick 
here). 

Hilkiah  the  High  Priest  came  to  Huldah  the  prophetess 
'.'  to  inquire  concerning  the  words  of  the  book  that  was  found." 
In  such  cases  as  these  it  would  seem,  that  inquiry  by  the  Urim 
and  Thummim  (which  Hilkiah  himself  had),  was  not  available. 
By  Urim  and  Thummim  God  declared  what  was  to  be  done; 
but  here  the  question  was,  "  what  was  meant  ?" 

Here  in  this  narrative  is  a  striking  testimony  to  the 
presence  and  working  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Women.  The  grave 
Priest,  the  learned  Scribe,  the  honourable  Courtiers,  did  not 
disdain  to  knock  at  the  door  of  a  prophetess,  but  came  to  learn 
the  will  of  God  at  her  mouth.  It  may  be  true  that  Jeremiah, 
who  had  entered  on  his  prophetical  office  (Jer.  i.  2 ;  xxv.  3), 
was  not  then  at  Jerusalem,  but  (as  Kimchi  and  others  suppose) 
at  his  native  town,  Anathoth,  which,  however,  was  very  near 
Jerusalem ;  so  that  in  that  case  he  was  easy  of  access. 

"Perhaps  God  had  called  him  away,  in  order  that  the 
weaker  vessel  might  be  honoured  with  this  divine  oracle,  and 
that  the  faith  and  humility  of  the  King,  the  Priest,  and  the 
Courtiers  might  be  exercised"  {Bp.  Hall). 

Their  resort  to  Huldah  affords  clear  proof  that  God  had 
been  pleased  to  manifest  His  divine  Will  by  her,  as  He  had 
done  of  old  by  holy  women,  such  as  Miriam,  Deborah,  and 
Hannah,  and  as  He  did  afterwards,  under  the  Gospel,  by 
Elizabeth  and  Anna,  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  and  by  the 
daughters  of  Philip  the  Evangelist. 

Perhaps  the  degeneracy  and  corruption  of  the  Prophets, 
which  Isaiah  had  deplored  (ix.  15),  and  which  Jeremiah  de- 
nounced (v.  13.  31;  xiv.  14;  xxiii.  14 — 30;  xxxvii.  19.  Lam. 
ii.  14),  and  Ezekiel  after  him  (xiii.  2 — 23),  may  be  inferred 
from  this  reference  to  Huldah  the  prophetess ;  and  she,  by 
her  courageous  reply  {vv.  15 — 18),  rebuked  the  time-serving 


Huldah's  jjropJiecy.         2  KINGS  XXII.  15 — 20.     XXIII.  1,  2.       Josiah's  reformation. 


the  son  of  ||  Harhas,  keeper  of  the  f  wardrobe ;  (now  she  dwelt  in  Jerusalem 
II  in  the  college  ;)  and  they  communed  with  her.  ^^  And  she  said  unto  them, 
Thus  saitli  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  Tell  the  man  that  sent  you  to  me, 
^^  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Behold,  "  I  will  bring  evil  upon  this  place,  and  upon 
the  inhabitants  thereof,  even  all  the  words  of  the  book  which  the  king  of  Judah 
hath  read  :  ^^  °  Because  they  have  forsaken  me,  and  have  burned  incense  unto 
other  gods,  that  they  might  provoke  me  to  anger  with  all  the  works  of  their 
hands ;  therefore  my  wrath  shall  be  kindled  against  this  place,  and  shall  not 
be  quenched.  ^^  But  to  ^  the  king  of  Judah  which  sent  you  to  inquire  of  the 
Lord,  thus  shall  ye  say  to  him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  As  touching 
the  words  which  thou  hast  heard ;  ^^  Because  thine  "^  heart  was  tender,  and 
thou  hast  '  humbled  thyself  before  the  Lord,  when  thou  heardest  what  I  spake 
against  this  place,  and  against  the  inhabitants  thereof,  that  they  should  be- 
come '  a  desolation  and  '  a  curse,  and  hast  rent  thy  clothes,  and  wept  before 
me  ;  I  also  have  heard  thee,  saith  the  Lord,  ^o  Behold  therefore,  I  will  gather 
thee  unto  thy  fathers,  and  thou  "  shalt  be  gathered  into  thy  grave  in  peace  ; 
and  thine  eyes  shall  not  see  all  the  e^dl  which  I  will  bring  upon  this  place. 
And  they  brought  the  king  word  again. 

XXIII.  ^  And  ""  the  king  sent,  and  they  gathered  unto  him  all  the  elders  of 
Judah  and  of  Jerusalem.  "^  And  the  king  went  up  into  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
and  all  the  men  of  Judah  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  with  him,  and 
the  priests,  and  the  prophets,  and  all  the  people,  f  both  small  and  great :  and 


Before 
CHRIST 
624. 
II  Or,  Hasrah. 
t  Heb.  garments. 
II  Or,  in  the 
second  part. 
n  Deut.  29.  27. 
Dan.  9.  II,  12, 
13,  14. 

o  Deut.  29.  25, 
20,  27. 


p  2  Chron.  34.  2f>, 
&c. 


q  Ps.5I.  ir. 
Isa.  57.  15. 

r  1  Kings  21.  29. 


s  Lev.  26.31,  32. 
t  Jer.  26.  G.  & 
44.  22. 

u  Ps.  37.  37. 
Isa.  57.  1,  2. 


a  2  Chron.  34.  29, 
30,  &c. 


+  Heb.  from 
small  even  unto 
great. 


sycophancy  of  those  Prophets  who  prophesied  falsely,  pro- 
phesying smooth  things,  lies,  and  deceits,  and  the  people  loved 
to  have  it  so  (Isa.  xxx.  10.  Jer.  v.  31).  God  also  showed 
thereby  that  in  the  most  corrupt  times  He  would  not  leave 
Himself  without  a  witness,  and  that  when  "  strong  men  fail, 
and  become  as  tow  "  (Isa.  i.  31),  and  when  the  "  heart  of  the 
standard-bearer  fainteth  "  (Isa.  x.  18).  and  when  many  in  high 
places  in  God's  Church  cringe  and  flatter,  "  because  of  ad- 
vantage "  (Jude  16),  He  will  raise  up  soine  who  may  be 
despised  as  weak  by  the  world ;  and  that  His  strength  will  he 
made  more  manifest  even  by  the  feebleness  of  the  instruments 
which  He  uses  for  His  great  and  glorious  purposes.  How  often, 
in  the  history  of  the  Church,  has  ihe  Faith  seemed  to  be  quitting 
the  heads  of  men  for  the  hearts  of  women  ! 

The  name  Huldah  signifies  a  mole  (Gesen.  279).  It  may 
serve  to  remind  us  that  those  weak  instruments  which  are  con- 
temned by  the  world  as  blind,  and  as  obscure  and  grovelling 
creatures,  may  perhaps  see  more  clearly  by  the  eye  of  faith 
than  the  wise  of  the  world,  and  may  reveal  God's  judgments 
to  come,  as  Huldah  did.  The  pious  Josiahs  and  learned  Hil- 
kiahs  will  not  despise  their  warnings,  which,  although  they 
may  not  be  pleasant  to  the  ear,  wiU  be  helpful  to  the  soul,  and 
they  will  profit  by  them,  as  Josiah  did. 

The  designation  of  "  Huldah  the  prophetess,"  as  "  the  wife 
of  Shallum,"  like  that  of  "  Deborah  the  prophetess,"  as  "  the 
wfe  of  Lapidoth "  (Judg.  iv.  4),  seems  to  be  intended  by  the 
sacred  writer  to  show  that  virginity  is  not  necessary  for  the 
reception  of  spiritual  gifts.  The  Evangelical  Prophet  Isaiah 
was  married ;  and  Hilkiah  the  Priest  does  not  disdain  to 
resort  to  Huldah  the  prophetess,  the  wife  of  Shallum,  in  order 
to  inquire  of  the  Lord  by  her. 

The  reverence  of  the  ancient  Hebrew  Church  for  Huldah 
the  prophetess  was  shown  by  her  burial  amid  the  royal  tombs 
of  Mount  Zion,  in  the  city  of  David :  see  above,  on  xxi.  18. 

The  circumstances  which  are  here  specified  concerning 
"  Huldah  the  'prophetess,"  "  the  tvfe  of  Shallum,"  who  reveals 
the  meaning  of  God's  Word  to  the  Scribe  and  Priest  of  Jeru- 
salem, seem  to  show  that  she  is  a  type  of  the  Church  of  Christ, 
which  revealed  to  the  doctors  of  the  Law  at  Jerusalem  the  true 
sense  of  the  Scriptures,  the  Law,  and  the  Prophets.  See  below, 
at  xxiii.  30,  on  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  liistory  of  Josiah. 

—  in  the  college]  Rather,  in  the  other  part  of  the  city ; 
the  lower  part  of  it,  called  the  other  city  by  Josephus  (Antt.  xv. 
11.  5),  namely,  in  what  was  called  Acra,  north  of  Zion.  See 
i?o&?«so«,  i.  391.  410— 412.  Cp.  Zeph.  i.  10.  Neh.  xi.  9;  and 
cp.  Keil  and  Thenius  here,  and  Bertheau,  Chronik.  p.  414. 
155 


The  Hebrew  word  here  used  is  mishneh  (fi-om  the  root 
shanah,  second :  Oesen.  509) ;  and  hence  the  word  mishneh 
means  a  copy,  a  repetition  (whence  the  Talmudic  word  Mish- 
nah) :  thence  we  find  this  word  here  rendered  by  the  Syriao 
Version,  "in  the  repetition  "  and  in  the  Targum,  "  the  house 
of  learning ;"  whence  we  have  in  our  authorized  Version,  "  in 
the  college." 

17.  JBfiCfiuse  they,  hane  forsaken  me]  Huldah  adopts  the 
words  of  Deuteronomy  (xxix.  25 — 27).  Josiah  did  not  despise 
Huldah,  because  she  was  a  woman ;  and  Huldah  did  not  flatter 
Josiah,  because  he  was  a  king  {Bp.  Hall), 

18.  As  touching  the  words  tvhieh  thou  hast  heard]  Rather, 
the  sense  is,  as  expressed  in  the  Vulgate,  here  and  in  2  Chron. 
xxxiv.  26,  the  words  lohich  thou  hast  hearkened  to  ;  that  is, 
since  thou  hast  not  been  deaf  to  the  divine  warnings,  but  hast 
listened  humbly  to  them,  therefore  Qod  has  heard  thee,  and 
will  be  merciful  to  thee.  Thou  hast  heard  God,  and  God  has 
heard  thee  (cp.  Bertheau,  Chronik.  p.  414). 

19.  Because]  In  that.    With  Huldah's  speech  cp.  Isa.  Ivii.  1. 

—  thine  heart  was  tender]  And  fearful.  See  Deut.  xx.  8. 
Cp.  Isa.  Ivii.  15.     Gesen.  768. 

—  a  desolation  and  a  curse]  Another  phrase  adopted  from 
the  Pentateuch  (Lev.  xxvi.  31.  Deut.  xi.  26;  xxviii.  15 — 19; 
xxix.  19  ;  xxx.  1,  as  in  Jer.  xliv.  22. 

—  /  also  have  heard  thee]  Therefore  Josiah's  repentance 
and  prayers,  like  those  of  Hezekiah  (see  above,  xx.  19),  were 
not  unavaiUng,  even  in  this  life.  And  how  blessed  will  their 
fruits  be  in  that  life  which  is  to  come !  See  above,  on  the 
similar  history  of  the  good  King  Hezekiah  (xx.  1 — 7). 

20.  in  peace]  It  has  been  objected  by  some  that  this  pro- 
phecy was  not  fulfilled,  because  Josiah  died  in  war  (xxiii.  30). 
As  if  a  good  man,  who  falls  on  the  field  of  battle,  does  not  die 
in  peace  !  On  the  contrary,  these  words  of  the  prophetess  to 
Josiah  are  very  comforting  to  the  loyal  soldier  so  falling,  and 
they  are  very  consolatory  to  his  surviving  friends  and  relatives 
(see  Dr.  Waterland,  Script.  Viud.  p.  201). 

Cn.  XXIII.  1.  And  the  king  sent]  Instead  of  selfishly  re- 
posing in  the  assurance  that  he  himself  would  personally  be 
exempt  from  the  affliction,  which  was  now  hanging  over  Jeru- 
salem, the  king  exerted  himself  much  more  to  bring  his  people 
to  repentance.  He  caused  the  Book  of  the  Law  to  be  read  in 
their  ears,  and  renewed  their  covenant  with  God, — a  noble 
example  of  genuine  royalty  and  true  patriotism  ! 

2.  the  priests]  And  the  Levites  also.  See  2  Chron.  xxxiv. 
30. 


The  covenant  renewed. 


2  KINGS  XXIII.  3—10. 


Josiah  destroys  idolatry. 


Before 
CHRIST 
624. 
b  ch.  22.  8. 
cch.  11.  14.  17. 


d  ch.  21.  3,  7. 


t  Heb.  caused  to 

cease. 

t  Keb.Chemarim, 

Hos.  10.  5. 

Foretold, 

Zeph.  1.4. 


II  Or,  twelve 
signs,  or,  con- 
stellations. 
ech.  21.  3. 
f  ch.  21.  7. 


g  2  Chron.  34.  4. 

h  1  Kings  14.  24. 
&  15.  12. 
i  Ezek.  16.  16. 
t  Heb.  houses. 


k  1  Kings  15.22. 


1  See  Ezek.  44. 
10—14. 


m  1  Sam.  2.  36. 


he  read  in  their  ears  all  the  words  of  the  book  of  the  covenant ''  which  was 
found  in  the  house  of  the  Loed.  ^  And  the  king  '^  stood  by  a  pillar,  and  made 
a  covenant  before  the  Lord,  to  walk  after  the  Lord,  and  to  keep  his  command- 
ments and  his  testimonies  and  his  statutes  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their 
soul,  to  perform  the  words  of  this  covenant  that  were  written  in  this  book. 
And  all  the  people  stood  to  the  covenant. 

^  And  the  king  commanded  Hilkiah  the  high  priest,  and  the  priests  of  the 
second  order,  and  the  keepers  of  the  door,  to  bring  forth  out  of  the  temple  of 
the  Lord  all  the  vessels  that  were  made  for  Baal,  and  for  ^  the  grove,  and  for 
all  the  host  of  heaven  :  and  he  burned  them  without  Jerusalem  in  the  fields  of 
Kidron,  and  carried  the  ashes  of  them  unto  Beth-el.  ,  ^  And  he  f  put  down  the 
f  idolatrous  priests,  whom  the  kings  of  Judah  had  ordained  to  burn  incense  in 
the  high  places  in  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  in  the  places  round  about  Jerusalem  ; 
them  also  that  burned  incense  unto  Baal,  to  the  sun,  and  to  the  moon,  and  to 
the  II  planets,  and  to  ^all  the  host  of  heaven.  ^  And  he  brought  out  the  ^  grove 
from  the  house  of  the  Lord,  without  Jerusalem,  unto  the  brook  Kidron,  and 
burned  it  at  the  brook  Kidron,  and  stamped  it  small  to  powder,  and  cast  the 
powder  thereof  upon  ^  the  graves  of  the  children  of  the  people.  ^And  he  brake 
down  the  houses  ''of  the  sodomites,  that  were  by  the  house  of  the  Lord,  'where 
the  women  wove  f  hangings  for  the  grove.  ^  And  he  brought  all  the  priests 
out  of  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  defiled  the  high  places  where  the  priests  had 
burned  incense,  from  "  Geba  to  Beer-sheba,  and  brake  down  the  high  places  of 
the  gates  that  were  in  the  entering  in  of  the  gate  of  Joshua  the  governor  of  the 
city,  which  were  on  a  man's  left  hand  at  the  gate  of  the  city.  ^ '  Nevertheless 
the  priests  of  the  high  places  came  not  up  to  the  altar  of  the  Lord  in  Jeru- 
salem, ""but  they  did  eat  of  the  unleavened  bread  among  their  brethren.     ^^And 


—  the  prophets^  Whom  he  gathered  together  from  all  parts  ; 
probably  Jeremiah  and  Zephaniah  were  among  them.  The 
Prophets  preached  to  the  People,  and  stirred  their  hearts,  that 
they  might  profit  more  by  what  was  read  to  them  from  the 
Book  of  the  Law.  Cp.  Jer.  xxv.  4,  where  the  activity  of  the 
prophets  at  this  time  is  attested. 

—  he  read']  He  caused  to  be  read  {Keil). 

3.  bi/  a  pillar]  On  a  raised  scaffold  {betna,  suggestus).  See 
xi.  14.     Cp.  Viilg.,  Arabic,  and  Targum  here. 

—  the  people  stood  to  the  covenant]  Literally,  took  their 
stand  upon  it.  The  king  stood  on  a  platform,  and  caused  the 
book  of  the  covenant  to  be  read;  and  the  People,  who  heard 
it,  stood,  as  it  were,  on  the  covenant  as  their  vTr6(TTa<ns  (2  Cor. 
ix.  4;  xi.  17.  Heb.  xi.  1),  or  foundation  of  faith  and  obedience. 
Their  constancy,  however,  was  not  of  long  duration,  as  appears 
from  Jeremiah's  lamentation  over  their  apostasy :  "  Hear  ye 
the  words  of  this  covenant"  (Jer.  xi.  2—20). 

4.  priests  of  the  second  order]  Ordinary  priests  (cp.  xxv. 
18). 

—  the  grove]  The  Asherah  (xxi.  3.  7). 

—  the  host  of  heaven]  See  xxi.  3. 

—  burned  them]  As  the  Law  prescribed  (Deut.  vii.  25). 

—  the  fields  of  Kidron]  On  the  E.  and  N.E.  of  Jerusalem, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  Olives.  See  above,  1  Kings  ii.  37 ; 
XV.  13.     Below,  V.  6  ;  and  on  John  xviii.  1. 

—  unto  Beth-el]  In  order  to  defile  the  altar  there. 

5.  priests]  Heb.  cemdrim ;  x'^A'^P'/'*  ( Sept.) ;  aruspices 
{Vulg.).  The  word  occurs  only  here,  and  in  Hos.  x.  5. 
Zeph.  i.  4.  In  Hosea  it  designates  the  priests  of  Bethel,  in 
Zephaniah  (where  it  is  rendered  chemarims  in  our  Version) 
it  seems  to  be  applied  to  the  priests  of  Baal.  As  to  the  origin 
of  the  word,  we  find  a  vei-b  cdmar,  signifying  to  be  warm,  to 
glow,  to  be  scorched,  to  be  black,  to  be  moved  with  strong 
passion.  See  Gen.  xliii.  20.  Lam.  v.  10.  Hos.  xi.  8.  Cp. 
Job  iii.  5,  where  the  cognate  substantive  occurs,  which  is  ren- 
dered blackness.  Hence  some  have  imagined  that  the  word 
here  used  signifies  to  be  dressed  in  black,  as  certain  priests 

156 


were  {Talmud,  in  Middoth;  Kimchi,  Selden,  Bp.  FatricJc  here. 
Oesen.  402),  or  to  practise  dark  secret  arts  (see  Fuerst,  666), 
who  says  that  the  root  of  the  word  signifies  to  draw  together, 
to  contract,  as  in  a  corner,  to  be  obscure,  as  in  a  secret  place ; 
hence  to  resort  to  narrow  nooks,  or  to  lurk  in  dark  places,  for 
the  sake  of  imposture.  (Cp.  Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  240;  and  Iken, 
Diss.  Phil.  i.  Diss.  xii.).  Is  the  word  Kufidpa  an  arch,  connected 
with  it  ? 

6.  the  grove]  The  wooden  Asherah,  which  Manasseh  had 
set  up  there,  but  which  he  removed  on  his  restoration  from 
Babylon,  had  been  reinstated  by  Amon  his  son.  Cp.  2  Chron. 
xxxiii.  15.  22 ;  and  see  Bp.  Patrick  here,  who  quotes  Procopius 
Oazaeus,  saying,  that  where  the  Sej)t.  translates  the  original 
word  by  grove,  the  word  means  a  wooden  statue  (i,6avov)  of 
Astarte.     Cp.  Selden,  de  Dis  Syr.  ii.  2. 

7.  the  sodomites]  See  on  1  Kings  xiv.  24. 

—  tvove  hangings  for  the  grove]  Rather,  toove  tents  (lite- 
rally houses,  domunculas,  Vulg.),  for  the  Asherah,  or  idol 
of  Astarte  (see  Qesen.  116).  These  tents  were  used,  it  seems, 
for  impure  purposes,  like  the  "  tent "  in  Num.  xxv.  8.  See 
the  note  there ;  and  above,  xvii.  30.  Cp.  Ezek.  xvi.  24.  31.  39 ; 
and  Bp.  Patrick  here ;  and  Oesen.  152. 

8.  Geba]  Now  Jeba,  about  nine  miles  north  of  Jerusalem : 
see  Josh,  xviii.  24. 

—  Beer-sheba]  The  southern  limit  of  Palestine  (Gen.  xxi.  31. 
Judg.  XX.  1). 

—  the  gate  of  Joshua']  The  site  of  which  is  unknowTi. 

9.  the  priests  of  the  high  places]  Not  idolatrous  priests,  but 
they  who  offered  to  Jehovah  in  other  places  than  Jerusalem. 

—  came  not  up  to  the  altar]  Were  not  admitted  to  ofier 
sacrifice  upon  it. 

—  they  did  eat — among  their  brethren]  They  were  allowed 
to  eat,  but  not  to  offer  sacrifice :  they  were  regarded  as  cere- 
monially unclean,  and  as  disqualified  from  ministering  at  the 
altar  there,  by  reason  of  their  schismatical  separation  from 
Jerusalem  and  the  Temple.  Cp.  Lev.  xxi.  17 — 23.  Ezek. 
xhv.  10;  and  Bp.  Patrick  here;  and  Keil. 


He  fulfils  the  piophecy 


2  KINGS  XXIII.  11—17.    concerning  the  altar  at  Beth-el. 


Before 
CHRIST 

G24. 
n  Isa.  30.  33. 
Jer.  7.  31.  & 
19.  6,  11,  12,  13. 
o  Josh.  15.  8. 
p  Lev.  18.  21. 
Deut.  18.  10. 
Ezek.  23.  37,  39. 
II  Or,  eunuch, 
or,  officer. 
q  See  Jer.  19.  13. 
Zeph.  1.  5. 
roll.  21.  5. 


he  defiled  "  Topheth,  which  is  iu  "  the  valley  of  the  children  of  Hinnom,  p  that 
no  man  might  make  his  son  or  his  daughter  to  pass  through  the  fire  to  Molech. 
^^  And  he  took  away  the  horses  that  the  kings  of  Judah  had  given  to  the  sun, 
at  the  entering  in  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  by  the  chamber  of  Nathan-melech 
the  II  chamberlain,  which  loas  in  the  suburbs,  and  burned  the  chariots  of  the 
sun  with  fire.  ^-  And  the  altars  that  ivere  "^  on  the  top  of  the  upper  chamber  of 
Aliaz,  which  the  kings  of  Judah  had  made,  and  the  altars  which  '  Manasseh 
had  made  in  the  two  courts  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  did  the  king  beat  down, 
and  II  brake  tliem  down  from  thence,  and  cast  the  dust  of  them  into  the  brook 
Kidron.  ^^And  the  high  places  that  ivere  before  Jerusalem,  which  ivere  on  the 
right  hand  of  [|  the  mount  of  corruption,  which  "  Solomon  the  king  of  Israel  had 
builded  for  Ashtoreth  the  abomination  of  the  Zidonians,  and  for  Chemosh  the 
abomination  of  the  Moabites,  and  for  Milcom  the  abomination  of  the  children 
of  Ammon,  did  the  king  defile.  ^^  And  he  'brake  in  pieces  the  f  images,  and 
cut  down  the  groves,  and  filled  their  places  with  the  bones  of  men. 

^^  Moreover  the  altar  that  ims  at  Beth-el,  and  the  high  place  "  which  Jero- 
boam the  son  of  Nebat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin,  had  made,  both  that  altar  and 
the  high  place  he  brake  down,  and  burned  the  high  place,  and  stamped  il  small 
to  powder,  and  burned  the  grove.  ^^  And  as  Josiah  turned  liimseli',  he  spied 
the  sepulchres  that  were  there  in  the  mount,  and  sent,  and  took  the  bones:  out 
of  the  sepulchres,  and  burned  them  upon  the  altar,  and  polluted  it,  according  to 
the  "word  of  the  Lord  which  the  man  of  God  proclaimed,  who  proclaimed  these  ^  >  ^^'"es  is  2. 
words.  ^'^  Then  he  said.  What  title  is  that  that  I  see  ?  And  the  men  of  the 
city  told  him,  It  is  ^the  sepulchre  of  the  man  of  God,  which  came  from  Judah,  [/a^'"^'  '^• 


II  Or,  ran  frum 
thence. 


II  That  is,  the 
mount  of  Olives. 
&  >  Kines  II.  7. 


I  3:<o<!.  23.  24. 
De\\t.  7.5,  25. 
+  Heb.  statues. 

«  1  Kings  12. 
•?S,  33. 


10.  he  defiled  Topheth — Hinnom']  The  valley  of  Hinnom, 
on  the  south  of  Jerusalem  (see  Josh.  xv.  8;  xviii.  16),  had 
been  chosen  as  the  place  for  the  worship  of  Molech  (Jer.  vii. 
31,  32 ;  xix.  2.  6) ;  whence  it  received  the  name  of  Tophet,  or 
ahomination,  from  tuph,  to  spit  out  (Gesen.  859).  Cp.,  how- 
ever, Oesen.  872.  From  its  tires  and  abominations  the  name 
Gehenna,  or  Hell,  is  derived.  See  below,  on  Matt.  v.  22 ;  and 
Selden,  de  Dis  Syriis,  i.  6 ;  and  Bp.  Patrick  here. 

11.  horses^  Consecrated  to  the  sun,  and  oft'ered  in  sacrifice 
to  it.  See  the  note  of  A  Lapide  here ;  and  Bochart,  Hierozoic, 
i.  ii.  10. 

—  at  the  entering  in — Nathan-melech']  Rather,  from  the 
entering  in  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  to  the  chamber.  The 
horses  were  given ;  i.  e.  they  were  stationed  in  the  Temple- 
court,  from  the  entrance  of  it  to  the  chamber  of  Nathan- 
melech.  Such  was  the  profanation  of  the  Court  of  the  Temple 
of  the  Lord,  in  those  miserable  days.  It  was  converted  into 
a  stable.  Perhaps  the  "  chamber  of  Nathan-melech,"  which 
had  been  constructed  for  the  reception  of  holy  vessels  (cp. 
1  Chron.  ix.  26.  Neh.  x.  38),  was  employed  as  a  room  for 
the  harness  and  other  furniture  of  the  horses.  Such  profana- 
tions as  these  have  been  imitated  by  some,  in  more  recent  days, 
who  have  made  use  of  Cathedrals  and  Parish  Churches  for 
stables. 

—  in  the  suhurhs]  So  Targum  and  Talmud :  others  render 
it  in  the  courts.  The  place  called  in  the  Hebrew  Parvdrim, 
is  the  same  place  as  is  called  Parhar,  in  1  Chron  xxvi.  18. 
May  it  not  be  connected  with  Parvdim,  in  2  Chron.  iii.  6  ? 

12.  on  the  top]  On  the  roof.  These  domestic  altars  were 
dedicated  to  the  host  of  heaven.  Cp.  Zeph.  i.  5.  Jer.  xix.  13  ; 
xxxii.  29. 

—  altars — in  the  two  courts]  See  xxi.  5. 

13.  on  the  right  hand]  The  south  side  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives  :  see  1  Kings  xi.  7. 

—  of  the  moutit  of  corruption]  The  Mount  of  Mashechith, 
i.e.  of  offence,  snare,  scandal,  destruction  {Gesen.  515);  from 
shachath,  to  destroy;  and  shachath,  a  pit  (ibid.  816).  Milton, 
Par.  Lost,  i.,  calls  it  "  that  opprobrious  hill :"  see  below,  on 
Matt.  V.  22. 

—  Chemosh — Milcom]  See  above,  1  Kings  xi.  5.  7. 

14.  the  groves']  Rather,  the  pillar-statues  of  wood. 

157 


15.  the  altar  that  was   at  Beth-el]  See  1   Kings  xii.   29 ; 
xiii.  1,  2. 

These  religious  reforms  of  Josiah,  the  King  of  Judah, 
extended  to  what  was  once  the  Kingdom  of  Israel.  Here  is 
evidence  of  the  superior  permanence  of  Judah.  The  Kingdom 
of  Israel,  which  had  been  founded  by  Jeroboam  in  schism  and 
rebellion,  had  passed  away.  It  had  been  dissolved,  never  to 
coalesce.  But  Judah  still  remained,  and  its  pious  King  Josiah 
endeavoured  to  root  out  idolatry  not  only  from  Judah,  but 
from  Israel  also,  and  to  bring  back  the  inhabitants  of  Israel  to 
the  worship  of  the  true  God  at  Jerusalem.  King  Hezekiah 
had  set  the  example  in  this  respect,  just  before  the  captivity 
of  Israel :   see  2  Chron.  xxx.  1 — 25. 

It  has  been  asked.  By  what  right  Josiah  did  this  ?  Some 
have  replied,  as  a  vassal  of  the  King  of  Assyria.  But  surely 
this  is  an  erroneous  view  of  the  subject.  In  holy  things  the 
King  of  Judah  owed  no  homage  to  the  Kings  of  Assyria. 
But  he  owed  allegiance  to  God;  and  what  he  did  in  this 
matter  he  did  as  a  vassal  of  Jehovah,  and  as  the  lineal  suc- 
cessor of  David,  to  whom  God  had  assured  an  inalienable 
sovereignty  by  oath  (see  2  Sam.  vii.  16),  and  much  more,  as  a 
forerunner  and  figure  of  Cheist,  the  Divine  Son  of  David, 
and  the  King  of  all  true  Israelites,  to  whom  God  has  given  an 
eternal  and  universal  dominion,  and  who  came  into  the  world 
to  "destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil"  (1  John  iii.  8),  especially 
idolatry,  and  "  to  bear  witness  to  the  truth "  (John  xviii. 
37). 

16.  And  as  Josiah  turned  himself — according  to  the  word 
of  the  Lord]  See  above,  1  Kings  xiii.  2. 

—  burned  them  upon  the  altar,  and  polluted  it]  This  act 
of  King  Josiah  has  been  condemned  by  some  as  a  "  sanguinary 
act,"  and  a  "violation  of  the  sanctity  of  the  sepulchre" 
{Stanley,  p.  502).  Ought  it  not  rather  to  be  regarded  as  an 
awful  execution  of  divine  vengeance  against  idolatry,  and  a 
solemn  warning  against  it,  publicly  proclaimed  by  the  King  of 
Judah,  the  Vicegerent  of  Jehovah  ? 

The  man  of  God,  who  came  from  Judah  in  the  days  of 
Jeroboam,  and  foretold  it  (1  Kings  xiii.  2),  regarded  it  in  that, 
light. 

17.  What  title]  Rather,  what  pillar  or  grave-stone  1  {Gesen 
708.) 


Josiah  destroys  idolatry  ; 


2  KINGS  XXIII.  18—26. 


holds  a  solemn  passover. 


Before 

CHRIST 

624. 

t  Heb.  to  escape. 
z  1  Kings  13.  31. 
a  See  2  Chron. 
34.  6,  7. 


b  1  Kings  13.  2. 
II  Or,  sacrificed. 
c  Exod.  22.  20. 

I  Kings  18.  40. 
ch.  11.  18. 

d  2  Chron.  34.  5. 

e2  Chron.  3.5.  1. 

f  Exod.  12.  3. 
Lev.  23.  5. 
Num.  9.  2. 
Deut.  16.  2. 
g  2  Chron.  35. 
18,  19. 

about 
623. 
His  18th 
year  ending. 

h  ch.  21.  6. 

II  Or,  leraphim, 
Gen.  31.  19. 


iLev.  19.  31.  & 
20.  27. 
Deut.  18.  11. 
k  ch.  18.  5. 


Ich.  21.  11,  12.  & 
24.  3,  4. 
Jer.  15.  4. 


and  proclaimed  these  things  that  thou  hast  done  against  the  altar  of  Beth-el. 
^^  And  he  said,  Let  him  alone  ;  let  no  man  move  his  bones.  So  they  let  his 
bones  f  alone,  with  the  bones  of  ^  the  prophet  that  came  out  of  Samaria. 

1^  And  all  the  houses  also  of  the  high  places  that  were  *  in  the  cities  of 
Samaria,  which  the  kings  of  Israel  had  made  to  provoke  the  LOBD  to  anger, 
Josiah  took  away,  and  did  to  them  according  to  all  the  acts  that  he  had  done 
in  Beth-el.  ^^^And  ''he  jpslew  all  the  priests  of  the  high  places  that  v:ere 
there  upon  the  altars,  and  ^  burned  men's  bones  upon  them,  and  returned  to 
Jerusalem. 

21  And  the  king  commanded  all  the  people,  saying,  ^  Keep  the  passover  unto 
the  Lord  your  God,  *"  as  it  is  written  in  the  book  of  this  covenant.  22  g^rely 
s  there  was  not  holden  such  a  passover  from  the  days  of  the  judges  that  judged 
Israel,  nor  in  all  the  days  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  nor  of  the  kings  of  Judah ; 
23  But  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  king  Josiah,  wherein  this  passover  was  holden 
to  the  Lord  in  Jerusalem. 

2"*  Moreover  ^  the  workers  with  famihar  spirits,  and  the  wizards,  and  the 
II  images,  and  the  idols,  and  all  the  abominations  that  were  spied  in  the  land 
of  Judah  and  in  Jerusalem,  did  Josiah  put  away,  that  he  might  perform  the 
words  of '  the  law  which  were  written  in  the  book  that  Hilkiah  the  priest  found 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  25 1  j^^  ]^]^q  ^jjI^q  i^[j^  ^^s  there  no  king  before  him, 
that  turned  to  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart,  and  with  all  his  soul,  and  with  all 
his  might,  according  to  all  the  law  of  Moses ;  neither  after  him  arose  there 
any  hke  him.  26  Notwithstanding  the  Lord  turned  not  from  the  j&erceness  of 
his  great  wrath,  wherewith  his  anger  was  kindled  against  Judah,  '  because  of 


—  and  proclaimed  these  things  that  thou  hast  done']  Tbo 
fulfilment  by  Josiali  of  the  prophecy  uttered  350  years  before, 
would  be  to  him  a  strong  practical  evidence  that  the  other 
prophecies  delivered  to  himself  would  be  fulfilled  also ;  and  that 
whatever  might  happen  to  Judah,  he  himself  would  not  fail 
of  a  reward, — not  in  this  world,  but  in  eternity, — for  executing 
the  will  of  God  in  the  destruction  of  idolatry. 

18.  of  Samaria']  i.  e.  the  land  of  Israel :  see  v.  19.  Cp. 
xxi.  13,  where  Samaria  is  put  for  the  Kingdom  of  Israel,  as 
contrasted  with  that  of  Judah. 

20.  burned  men's  hones  upon  them]  To  pollute  them. 

The  Passovee  undeb  Josiah. 

21.  Keep  the  passover]  Cp.  2  Chi-on.  xxxv.  1 — 19,  where  it 
is  more  fully  described. 

The  great  Passover,  under  Hezekiah,  was  held  when  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  was  on  the  eve  of  its  dissolution.  The 
invitation  to  that  Passover  was  God's  farewell  voice  to  that 
kingdom  (2  Chron.  xxx.  1—26).  And  now,  in  the  days  of 
Josiah,  when  Israel  had  been  carried  away  captive  by  the  King 
of  Assyria,  and  when  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
arms  of  Babylon  was  near  at  hand,  another  great  Passover  is 
holden. 

Why  was  this  ?  Could  it  be  supposed  that  these  great 
preparations  would  be  made  by  such  pious  princes,  so  beloved 
of  God,  and  prove  abortive  ?  Why  are  the  circumstances  of 
these  two  Passovers  set  down  by  the  Holy  Spirit  (cp.  2  Chron. 
xxxv.  1 — 19)  with  such  scrupulous  care  ?  Sm-ely  it  was,  because 
these  Passovers  pointed  to  the  Great  Passover,  the  True  Pass- 
over, the  Antitype  of  these  pious  Kings,  and  of  all  Passovers, 
Jesus  Cheist  ;  and  because  such  good  kings  as  Hezekiah,  and 
Josiah,  and  other  pious  Israelites,  kept  these  Passovers  in 
faith  (as  Moses  kept  the  first  Passover :  see  Heb.  xi.  28)  j 
and  because  the  comfort  of  the  true  Israelite  is  this,  that 
though  the  Tribes  of  Israel  be  scattered  abroad,  never  to  return 
to  their  own  land  on  earth,  and  though  the  material  Temple  of 
Jerusalem  be  destroyed,  and  though  the  literal  Jerusalem  itself 
be  trodden  under  foot  by  Gentiles,  yet  all  the  faithful  Israelites, 
of  every  age  and  country,  however  separated  by  earthly 
distances,  may  join  in  spiritual  communion,  and  in  eating  the 
true  Passover  in  the  Christian  Church,  and  may  look  for  ever- 
lasting union  under  Him,  Wlio  is  the  Divine  Hezekiah  and 
158 


the  Divine  Josiah,  and  Who  reigns  for  ever  in  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  the  Church  glorified. 

22.  Surely  there  was  not  holden  such  a  passover]  In  the 
zeal  and  numbers,  with  which  the  people  flocked  to  it  from  all 
parts,  and  in  the  care  and  precision  with  which  the  Mosaic 
requirements  were  complied  with.  Such  a  Passover  could  not  have 
been  holden  in  the  days  of  the  Judges,  and  of  Samuel,  because 
no  special  place  had  as  yet  been  fixed  on  by  God  to  which  tlie 
people  should  resort;  and,  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
dominion  of  the  Kings  of  Judah,  the  inhabitants  of  the  king- 
dom of  Israel  were  restrained  by  their  own  Monarchs  from 
resorting  to  Jerusalem. 

It  has  been  alleged  by  some,  that  the  statement  here  made 
(and  in  2  Chron.  xxxv.  18)  as  to  the  greatness  of  the  Passover 
under  Josiah  is  at  variance  with  the  assertion  in  the  Chronicles 
concerning  the  Passover  of  Sezehiah.  "  Since  the  time  of 
Solomon,  the  Son  of  David,  King  of  Israel,  there  was  not  the 
like  in  Jerusalem"  (2  Chron.  xxx.  26).  But  there  is  no  dis- 
crepancy in  the  two  accounts.  Josiah's  Passover  was  greater 
than  that  of  Hezekiah,  as  Hezekiah's  was  greater  than  that 
of  any  king  since  the  days  of  Solomon.  Josiah's  Passover 
eclipsed  that  of  Hezekiah  in  one  especial  respect,  namely,  in 
its  more  exact  conformity  to  the  Levitical  ritual  (as  to  time 
and  other  matters),  which  was  not  exactly  followed  in  that  of 
Hezekiah,  as  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles  observes  (2  Chron. 
xxx.  13 — 19),  although,  in  the  numbers  of  those  who  resorted 
to  it,  and  in  some  other  respects,  Hezekiah's  Passover  eclipsed 
all  that  had  preceded  it  since  the  days  of  Solomon.  See 
Bertheau's  note,  on  2  Chron.  xxx.  26 ;  and  Havernick,  Ein- 
leitung,  ii.  233. 

Observe,  therefore,  that  the  greatest  Passover  ever  holden 
at  Jerusalem  was  holden  when  the  Kingdom  of  Israel  had 
been  dissolved,  and  when  the  Kingdom  of  Judah  was  rapidly 
hastening  to  its  dissolution.  Earthly  kingdoms  pass  away,  the 
literal  Israel  and  Judah  vanish,  but  God's  Church  remains 
unshaken,  and  grows  greater  and  firmer  amid  earthly  revolu- 
tions, and  is  prepared  and  perfected  thereby  for  her  heavenly 
and  everlasting  inheritance.  The  Sunset  of  the  World  will  be 
the  Sunrise  of  the  Church  glorified. 

24.  familiar  spirits — wizards]  See  xxi.  6. 

—  images]  Heb.  teraphim]  See  Gen.  xxxi.  19. 

25.  like  unto  him  was  there  no  king]  See  xviii.  5. 


God's  ivrath  against  Judah.        2  KINGS  XXIII.  27 — 30.         Josialis  death  at  Megiddo. 


all  tlie  f  provocations  that  Manasseh  had  provoked  him  withal.  ^^  And  the 
Lord  said,  I  will  remove  Judah  also  out  of  my  sight,  as  ""  I  have  removed 
Israel,  and  will  cast  oJBf  this  city  Jerusalem  which  I  have  chosen,  and  the 
house  of  which  I  said,  "  My  name  shall  be  there. 

-^  Now  the  rest  of  the  Acts  of  Josiah,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not 
written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ? 

29  "  In  his  days  Pharaoh-nechoh  king  of  Egypt  went  up  against  the  king  of 
Assyiia  to  the  river  Euphrates :  and  king  Josiah  went  against  him ;  and  he 
slew  him  at  ^ Megiddo,  when  he  ''had  seen  him.  ^or^^^-j  j^^g  servants  carried 
him  in  a  chariot  dead  from  Megiddo,  and  brought  him  to  Jerusalem,  and 
buried  him  in  his  own  sepulchre.     And  '  the  people  of  the  land  took  Jehoahaz 


t  Hub.  angers. 

mch.  17.  18,  20. 
Si  18  11.&21.  13. 


n  1  Kings  8.  29. 
&9.  3. 
ch.  21.  4,  7. 


o  2  Chron.  35.  20. 


p  Zech.  12.  11. 

q  ch.  14.  8. 

r  2  Chron.  35.  24. 


s  2  Chron.  3C.  1. 


26.  tJ^af  Manasseh  had  provoked  him  withall  Altbougli 
Manasseh  himself  was  penitent,  yet  in  this  world  the  con- 
sequences of  his  sin  remained.  Cp.  xxi.  11,  12;  xxiv.  3. 
Jer.  XV.  4.  The  people  of  Judah  by  their  sins  revived  God's 
wrath  for  the  sins  of  Manasseh,  and  brought  it  down  upon 
themselves.     See  Christ's  words.  Matt,  xxiii.  36.     Luke  xi.  50. 

27.  I  will  remove  Jndah']  It  is  not  the  King  of  Babylon  by 
his  own  power,  who  will  vanquish  My  People,  and  destroy  My 
House,  and  remove  Judah  into  captivity.  No;  but  it  is  I, 
Who,  by  the  King  of  Babylon,  will  punish  Judah  for  its  sins. 
"I  will  remove  Judah,  as  I  have  removed  Israel."  This  was 
said  by  God  before  the  event,  in  order,  that  when  it  came  to 
pass,  it  might  be  assigned  to  the  true  cause — His  own  anger 
against  sin.  See  above,  on  xx.  17 ;  xxi.  13.  Therefore,  the 
sins  of  the  people, — sins  more  heinous,  even  on  account  of  the 
holy  example  and  godly  efforts  of  their  King  Josiah,  and  on 
account  of  the  solemn  warning  given  to  Judah  by  the  captivity 
of  Israel  (cp.  Bp.  Patriclc,  on  vv.  26,  27),  are  denounced  by 
the  prophets  as  the  cause  of  their  ruin.  See  Zeph.  i.  1 — 3. 
Jer.  iii.  6 — 25 :  "  The  Lord  said  unto  me  in  the  days  of  JOsiah 
the  king."  The  whole  of  that  prophecy,  and  of  that  in  chapters 
iv.  v.  vi.  vii.  viii.  ix.  x.  xi.,  are  like  a  divine  comment  on  the 
reasons  of  the  doom  announced  in  the  text  before  us. 

The  Kings  of  Egypt  and  Assyria:  and  Josiah's 
Death  at  Megiddo. 
29.  Fharaoh-nechoh']  The  sixth  king  of  the  twenty-sixth,  or 
Sahidic  dynasty,  the  son  of  Psammetichus,  and  grandson  of 
Nechoh  I.  See  2  Chron.  xxxv.  20.  Jer.  xlvi.  2.  Herod,  ii. 
158 ;  Diodor.  Sic.  i.  33 ;  Josephus,  Antt.  x.  5.  1 ;  Winer, 
R.  W.  B.  i.  145. 

—  the  king  of  Assyria']  Who  was  this  King  of  Assyria  ? 

(1)  Some  suppose  him  to  have  been  Sardanapalus,  or 
rather  Saracus,  the  last  king  of  the  Assyrian  monarchy  at 
Nineveh.     So  Ghimpach,  cp.  Poole,  B.  D.  ii.  817. 

(2)  Others,  that  it  was  Nabopolassar,  the  King  of  Balylon 
(the  father  of  Nebuchadnezzar),  who  had  put  an  end  to  the 
Assyrian  monarchy,  by  the  capture  of  Nineveh.  So  Josephus, 
X.  5.  1 ;  and  x.  6.  1 ;  Bertheau,  and  Thenius. 

The  former  opinion  seems  the  more  probable,  because  the 
king  is  called  "  the  King  of  Assyria,"  and  not  the  "  King  of 
Babylon," — a  title  which  occurs  in  the  first  verse  of  the  fol- 
lowing chapter;  and  also  because  the  object  of  Pharaoh - 
nechoh's  march  was  Charchemish  (see  2  Chron.  xxxv.  20),  which 
was  not  in  the  direction  of  Babylon,  but  of  Nineveh;  and 
because  it  is  i  ery  probable  that  the  King  of  Egypt  would  desire 
to  retaliate  on  Assyria  for  its  recent  invasion  of  Egypt  (xix.  9). 

Besides,  inasmuch  as  Josiah  had  heard  that  Babylon  was  to 
be  the  great  enemy  of  Judah  (see  above,  xx.  17),  it  is  not  probable 
that  he  would  have  opposed  a  hostile  attack  against  it. 

The  difficulty  of  the  question  as  to  the  king  against  whom 
Pharaoh-nechoh  was  going,  arises  from  the  uncertainty  of  the 
precise  date  of  the  fall  of  Nineveh  {Keil,  367 ;  Brandis,  55 ; 
Niebuhr,  110.  192).  Clinton  (Fasti  Hellen.  i.  282)  places  that 
fall  at  B.C.  606  :  but  see  Niebuhr,  109.  203. 

—  the  river  Euphrates']  To  Charchemish,  upon  that  river 
(2  Chron.  xxxv.  20),  where  Pharaoh-nechoh  was  afterwards  over- 
thrown by  Nebuchadnezzar,  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim, 
B.C.  606,  and  the  power  of  Egypt  was  greatly  impaired :  see 
Jer.  xlvi.  2.    Cp.  Pusey,  on  Daniel,  p.  401. 

—  king  Josiah  went  against  him]  Some  have  supposed  that 
he  did  this  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  as  an  ally,  or  even  as 
a  vassal  of  the  King  of  Assyria  (Prideaux,  B.  D.  610 ;  Kitto, 
p.   405;    and  others).      But  no  such  reason  is   suggested   in 

159 


Scripture ;  cp.  2  Chron.  xxxv.  20,  where  it  is  said  that  Josiah 
hearkened  not  unto  the  words  of  Nechoh  from  the  mouth  of 
God  ;  in  1  Esdras  i.  25 — 29,  it  is  said  that  he  was  dissuaded 
from  this  enterprise  by  Jeremiah  the  prophet.  See  also  Jose- 
phus, Antt.  X.  5.  1,  the  author  in  Justin  Martyr,  Quajst.  ad 
Orthodox,  Qu.  79.  Eivald  (iii.  707)  supposes  that  he  acted 
as  the  representative  of  the  house  of  David,  and  as  deeming 
it  his  duty  to  maintain  the  independence  of  his  kingdom,  which 
would  be  endangered  by  the  success  of  the  Egyptians,  as  indeed 
proved  to  be  the  case :  see  vv.  33 — 35. 

The  reason  of  Josiah's  movements  seems  to  have  been  this. 
Assyria  had  been  formerly  the  most  formidable  enemy  of  the 
People  of  God.  Its  armies  had  gone  forth  from  Nineveh,  and 
had  carried  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel  into  captivity,  and  it 
had  threatened  Jerusalem  under  Sennacherib,  and  had  carried 
Manasseh  prisoner  to  Babylon  itself.  But  times  were  now 
changed.  Assyria  was  declining,  and  Babylon  was  in  the 
ascendant,  and  was  soon  about  to  eclipse  the  glories  of  Nineveh ; 
and  when  Babylon  became  dominant,  then  Jerusalem  would  fall. 
Josiah  knew  this  from  the  sure  words  of  prophecy,  and  he 
desired  to  prop  up  Assyria,  at  least  for  a  time,  in  order  that 
he  might  prevent  as  long  as  he  was  able  the  fatal  domination 
of  Babylon.  He  desired  to  put  off  the  evil  day  by  ingratiating 
himself  with  the  Assyrians,  the  enemies  of  Babylon,  and  by 
arraying  himself  with  Assyria  against  Egypt. 

The  measure  was  one  of  temporal  expediency,  and  it  was 
not  blessed  by  God ;  and  it  seems  to  convey  a  warning  against 
mere  political  alliances,  such  as  that  of  Judah  with  Assyria. 

At  the  same  time,  this  unhappy  end  of  good  King  Josiah 
is  an  argument  for  a  judgment  to  come.  He  passed  away  in 
sorrow  from  this  world,  but  has  an  everlasting  reward  laid  up 
for  him  in  another  life.  He  was  taken  away  from  the  evil  to 
come,  according  to  God's  promise  (xxii.  20),  and,  in  reward 
for  his  patient  endeavours  to  reform  a  froward  people,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  blessed  company  of  saints  in  Paradise. 

—  at  Megiddo]  On  the  southern  margin  of  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon :  celebrated  for  the  defeat  of  the  army  of  Sisera  by 
Barak  (see  Judg.  v.  19 :  cp.  Josh.  xii.  21 ;  xvii.  11.  1  Kings 
ix.  15.  Above,  ix.  17).  It  is  now  called  Ledjun  (see  Bobinson, 
ii.  328-330;    Vandevelde,  p.  330,  331;  Soioson,  B.  D.  ii.  311). 

This  encounter  at  Megiddo  is  mentioned  by  Herodotus 
(ii.  159),  who  describes  it  as  an  engagement  of  Nechoh  "  with 
the  Syrians  at  Magdolum,"  where  he  defeated  them  (see  Bdhr 
there ;  and  Sir  Q.  Wilkinson's  note  in  Rawlinson's  edition ; 
and  Prideaux,  B.  C.  610 ;  and  Poole,  in  B.  D.  ii.  818), 

—  when  he  had  seen  him]  When  he  had  "  looked  him  in  the 
face :"  see  xiv.  8.  This  is  explained  by  the  fuller  account  in 
2  Chron.  xxxv.  21,  22,  which  desci  ibes  the  message  of  Pharaoh  to 
Josiah,  and  adds  that  the  "latter  would  not  turn  his  face  from  him." 

30.  a  chariot]  The  second  chariot  that  he  had  (2  Chron. 
xxxv.  24).  He  fought  from  one  chariot,  and  had  another  in 
reserve,  in  case  the  former  should  be  disabled :  cp.  Esdras  i.  31. 

—  and  buried  him]  With  gi'eat  lamentation  of  the  people, 
and  especially  of  the  prophet  Jeremiah  (see  on  2  Chron.  xxxv. 
24,  25 ;  and  the  remarkable  words  in  Esdras  i.  32) ;  and  this 
lamentation  for  the  good  king's  death  became  a  popular  ex- 
pression for  any  bitter  mourning  in  Jerusalem,  as  the  mourning 
of  Hadad-rimmon  in  the  valley  of  Megiddon  (Zech.  xii.  11). 
Hadad-rimmon  is  now  called  RammaneJi,  and  is  about  two 
miles  to  the  south  oi  Ledjun  (Megiddo). 

The  prophet  Zecharioh  compares  the  mourning  for  the  defeat 
and  death  of  Josiah  with  the  mourning  of  their  nation  for  the 
rejection  and  death  of  the  divine  Josiah,  the  true  Son  of  David, 
the  Messiah,  Jesus  Cheist.     Compare  A  Lapide  here,  who 


Josiah's  death. 


2  KINGS  XXIII.  31. 


Jehoahaz  his  son. 


the  son  of  Josiah,   and  anointed  him,  and  made  him  king  in  his  father's 
stead. 
I  chron.^*""!""'      ^^  II  Jehoahaz  ivas  twenty  and  three  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign ;  and 


says,  "  Josiah,  slain  in  the  flower  of  his  age,  when  fighting  for 
his  people,  was  a  type  of  Jesus  Christ,  slain  by  the  Jews  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world  in  the  thirty-fourth  year  of  His  age." 
"  I  will  pour  upon  the  house  of  David  "  (says  God  by  Zechariah), 
"  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  the  spirit  of  grace  and 
of  supplications;  and  they  shall  look  upon  Him  whom  they  have 
pierced,  and  shall  mourn  for  Him,  as  one  monrneth  for  his  only 
son,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness  for  Him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitter- 
ness for  his  firstborn.  In  that  day  shall  there  be  a  great  mourn- 
ing in  Jerusalem,  as  the  mourning  of  Sadad-rimmon  in  the 
valley  of  Megiddon "  (Zech.  xii.  10,  11).  He  adds  also  the 
comfortable  assurance,  that  "in  that  day  there  shall  be  a 
fountain  opened  to  the  house  of  David  and  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem  for  sin  and  for  uncleanness"  (Zech.xiii.  1).  And  thus  (as 
will  be  shown  below)  we  are  enabled  to  look  at  the  mourning  for 
the  death  of  Josiah  as  a  type  of  that  godly  sorrow  of  the  Jewish 
nation,  which  will  bear  the  blessed  fruits  of  deliverance  from 
their  spiritual  enemies,  and  of  glorious  victory,  and  joy  eternal. 
On  the  Apocalyptic  name  Ae-mageddon  (derived  from 
Megiddo),  and  its  prophetic  imagery,  describing  the  great 
spiritual  conflict  of  the  Powers  of  this  World  and  of  Darkness, 
against  Christ,  in  the  latter  Days,  see  note  below,  on  Rev.  svi.  16, 
compared  with  note  on  Judg.  v.  19. 

Review  of  the  Reign  of  Josiah, — its  Spieitual 
Significance. 

(1)  King  Josiah  is  signalized  above  all  the  Kings  of  Judah 
by  special  eulogies  in  Holy  Scripture ;  "  he  walked  in  all  the 
way  of  David  his  father,  and  turned  not  aside  to  the  right  hand 
or  the  left "  (xxii.  2 ;  and  see  especially  xxiii.  25  :  cp.  2  Chron. 
xx:dv.  2  J  XXXV.  26;  and  Ecclus  xlix.  1—4). 

In  his  name,  in  his  ofiice,  in  his  faith  and  obedience,  he  was 
a  remarkable  type  of  the  Divine  King  of  Judah,  Jesxjs  Christ. 

(2)  Josiah  repaired  and  purified  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem 
(xxii.  3-7.     2  Chron.  xxxiv.  8—19). 

Christ  purged  the  literal  Temple  of  Jerusalem  twice ;  and 
He  came  into  the  World  to  repair  and  purify  the  ancient 
Church  of  God. 

(3)  Josiah  put  down  idolatry,  and  restored  the  true  worship 
of  God  (xxiii.  4—24.     2  Chron.  xxxiv.  4). 

Christ  came  into  the  World  to  destroy  the  works  of  the 
Devil,  and  to  bear  witness  to  the  truth. 

(4)  In  Josiah's  reign  the  original  copy  of  the  Book  of  the 
Law  of  Moses  was  brought  to  light,  and  was  publicly  read  at 
the  King's  command  (xxii.  8—11 ;  xxiii.  1,  2.  2  Chron.  xxxiv. 
14.  29),  and  he  renewed  the  covenant  of  the  people  with  God. 

Christ  came  into  the  world  to  bring  forth  the  Law  of  God 
from  darkness  to  light,  and  to  vindicate  it  from  the  corruptions 
with  which  it  was  obscured,  and  to  proclaim  its  true  meaning 
to  the  world. 

(5)  Josiah  sent  the  Priest  and  Scribe  to  Huldah  the  pro- 
phetess. In  Christ's  days  the  true  knowledge  and  meaning  of 
the  Law  was  found  rather  among  those  who  were  despised  by 
the  world  as  weak  and  simple,  than  among  "the  wise  and 
prudent "  (Matt.  xi.  25.  1  Cor.  i.  19—27).  The  true  meaning  of 
the  Old  Testament  was  declared  by  the  Christian  Huldah,  the 
Church,  illuminated  by  the  Holy  Ghost :  cp.  above,  on  xxii.  14. 

(6)  Josiah  celebrated  the  greatest  Passover  ever  known  in 
Israel,  and  invited  all  the  people  to  it  (xxiii.  22.  2  Chron. 
XXXV.  18,  19). 

Christ  is  the  true  Passover,  and  calls  all  to  Himself. 

(7)  Josiah's  death  and  Judah's  captivity  were  due  to  the 
sins  of  the  People.  See  xxii.  15—20;  xxiii.  26,  27.  So  was 
the  death  of  Christ,  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

The  death  of  King  Josiah  at  Megiddo  was  virtually  the 
end  of  the  Kingdom  of  Judah ;  the  four  Kings  who  followed 
him  were  mere  vassals  of  Egypt  or  Babylon,  as  was  shown  by 
their  change  of  names. 

So  the  Crucifixion  of  Christ  was  in  fact  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem. 

The  death  of  Josiah  is  connected  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
Scripture  with  the  death  of  Christ.  The  Prophet  Zechariah 
(as  we  have  seen  on  v.  30)  joins  them  together.  And  our  Blessed 
Lord  takes  up  that  prophecy  of  Zechariah  and  apphes  it  to 
Himself,  "  I  will  smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be 
scattered"  (John  xvi.  31 ;  xiv.  10,  11,  from  Zech.  xiii.  6). 

As  has  been  observed,  the  Resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the 
160 


consequent  deliverance  of  the  Church,  seem  to  be  specially  fore- 
shadowed in  the  history  of  King  Hezekiah  (see  on  xx.  10,  11) ; 
and  the  Death  of  Christ  appears  to  be  signally  typified  in  the 
history  of  King  Josiah. 

Josiah  was  one  of  the  best  of  the  Kings  of  Judah,  and  yet 
he  was  defeated,  and  died  in  battle  by  the  hand  of  the  Egyptians 
at  Megiddo.  But  the  prophecy  was  that  he  should  "  be  gathered 
to  his  fathers  in  peace "  (xxii.  20 :  cp.  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  28). 
Josiah  is  an  example  of  a  King  distinguished  by  faith,  piety, 
zeal,  courage  and  holiness,  in  evil  days,  and  yet  (as  far  as  this 
world  sees)  coming  to  an  unhappy  end.  He  is  a  signal  type  of 
a  sitffering  Messiah  (cp.  above,  on  xxii.  16).  His  life  and  death 
preached,  in  the  ear  of  faith,  that  particular  doctrine  which  the 
Jewish  Nation  was  very  slow  to  learn ;  and  which  they  have 
not  learnt  even  to  this  day  ;  namely,  that  "  Christ  must  suffer, 
and  so  enter  into  His  glory." 

This  is  the  key  to  Zechariah's  prophecy.  We  read  in  the 
remarkable  words  of  the  Sacred  Historian  in  the  Chronicles, 
that  the  Jews  lamented  Josiah's  death  with  a  very  bitter 
mourning,  "all  Judah  and  Jerusalem  mourned  for  Josiah. 
And  Jeremiah  lamented  for  Josiah,  and  aU  the  singing  men  and 
singing  women  spake  of  Josiah  in  their  lamentations  to  this 
day,  and  made  them  an  ordinance  in  Israel"  (2  Chron.  xxxv. 
25).  They  lamented  for  Josiah's  death,  which  they  themselves 
had  caused  by  their  own  sins,  which  hastened  their  destruction, 
a  destruction  which,  by  the  mercy  of  God,  Josiah  their  King 
was  rescued  from  beholding;  he  was  "taken  away  from  the 
evil  to  come  "  (see  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  28). 

But  the  prophet  Zechariah  teaches  the  Jews  that  there  is 
another  death,  which  they  must  lament  with  a  still  more  bitter 
mournmg ;  a  death  of  another  King  of  Judah,  a  King  perfect 
in  piety  and  holiness ;  a  death,  which  would  not  be  caused  by 
any  sins  of  His  own,  a  death  which  would  not  be  due  in  any 
degree  (as  Josiah's  death  was)  to  any  rashness  on  His  own 
part ;  a  death,  which,  if  they  mourned  for  it  with  bitterness  of 
soul,  would  not  be  followed  as  Josiah's  was,  with  defeat  and 
shame,  but  by  deliverance  and  glory ;  a  death  which  was  pro- 
duced "  by  the  wounds  which  He  received  in  the  house  of  Hi^ 
friends"  (Zech.  xiii.  6),  a  death  caused  by  themselves.  They 
must  "  look  upon  Him  whom  they  themselves  have  pierced " 
(Zech.  xii.  10.  John  xix.  34.  37.  Rev.  i.  7).  They  must 
mourn  with  bitterness  for  Him  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for 
his  firstborn :  and  there  must  be  "  in  that  day  a  great  mourning 
in  Jerusalem,  as  the  mourning  of  Sadad-rimmon  in  the  valley 
of  Megiddon.  The  whole  land  must  mourn  for  Him,  every 
family  apart."  They  must  mourn  for  their  dying  King,  the 
suffering  Messiah,  whom  they  themselves  have  slain. 

But  then  comes  the  prophetic  word  of  consolation.  In 
that  day  in  which  they  mourned,  in  that  selfsame  day,  they 
would  be  comforted.  Mourning  shall  be  turned  into  joy,  and 
defeat  into  victory.  If  they  look  with  faith  on  Him  Whom 
they  have  pierced ;  if  they  own  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah ;  if  they 
acknowledge  Christ  crucified,  and  weep  for  their  sins  in  rejecting 
Him ;  then,  the  prophet  Zechariah  informs  them,  they  will  ffnii 
that  His  Death  is  the  very  fountain  of  Life.  "  In  that  day  " 
there  shall  be  a  fountain  opened  to  the  house  of  David,  and  to 
the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  for  sin  and  uncleanness  (Zech. 
xiii.  1) ;  and  "  living  waters  shall  go  out  from  Jerusalem,  and 
the  Lord  shall  be  King  over  all  the  earth,  in  that  day  there 
shall  be  one  Lord  (both  for  Jew  and  Gentile)  and  His  Name  one ; 
and  Jerusalem  shall  be  safely  inhabited  "  (Zech.  xiv.  8 — 12). 

30.  took  Jehoahaz]  The  younger  son,  in  preference  to  Eliakim, 
the  elder  (see  v.  36  compared  with  v.  31).  But  this  was  a  blind 
partiality  (cp.  Jer.  xxii.  10—12.  Ezek.  xix.  3—9.  Abarbinel, 
and  Bp.  Patrick).  This  King's  name  was  Jehoahaz,  "  whom 
the  Lord  holds  fast  "  but  that  name  is  changed  by  Jeremiah 
the  prophet  (xxii.  11 :  cp.  1  Chron.  iii.  15)  into  Shallum,  "  retri- 
hution,"  because  he  was  "requited  of  the  Lord"  with  punish- 
ment for  his  sins  {Prideaux,  B.  C.  610;  Hengst.,  iii.  540; 
Oesen.  830).  Being  an  usurper,  he  is  degraded  to  the  last 
place  in  the  list  of  Josiah's  sons  by  the  Sacred  Historian 
(1  Chron.  iii.  15),  who  calls  him  Shallum.  Jehoahaz  and  Zedekiah 
were  sons  of  Josiah  by  a  different  mother  from  Jehoakim  j  their 
mother's  name  was  Hamutal ;  his  was  Zebudah. 

31.  ttoenty  and  three  years  old"]  The  youthfulness  oi  i\xe  last 
Kings  of  Judah  at  their  accession  deserves  notice.  Manasseh 
was  twelve,  Josiah  was   eight,   Jehoahaz  was    twenty-three, 


Pliaraoh-nechoh. 


2  KINGS  XXIII.  32—37.     XXIV.  1. 


Nebuchadnezzar 


he  reigned  three  months  in  Jerusalem.    And  his  mother's  name  was  '  Hamutal, 


Before 
CHRIST 

the  daughter  of  Jeremiah  of  Libnah.     ^- And  he  did  that  ivhich  tvas  evil  in  the  ten  24.'?8. 
sight  of  the  Lord,  according  to  all  that  his  fathers  had  done.     ^^  And  Pharaoh-  Jef52"27; 

Or,  because  he 
reigtied. 
Heh.  set  a 

•in  the 


nechoh  put  him  in  bands  "  at  Eiblah  in  the  land  of  Hamath,  ||  that  he  might  '■' 
not  reign  in  Jerusalem ;  and  f  put  the  land  to  a  tribute  of  an  hundred  talents  !""'}'  "^"' 

o  '    ■*-  I  find, 

of  silver,  and  a  talent  of  gold.  ^-^  And  ""  Pharaoh-nechoh  made  Ehakim  the  x Tch^on.'^s.f.^ 
son  of  Josiah  king  in  the  room  of  Josiah  his  father,  and  ^turned  his  name  to  mn'^.Y^*"''" 
"' Jehoiakim,   and  took  Jehoahaz   away:   ^and  he  came  to  EgyiDt,  and  died  caiie'djaii,,,: 

^'^  ^  a  Jer.  22.  11    12 

there.     ^5  ^^j  jej^oialdm  gave  Hhe  silver  and  the  gold  to  Pharaoh;  but  he  ^^/^'^•^g^-^-^'- 
taxed  the  land  to  give  the  money  according  to  the  commandment  of  Pharaoh : 
he  exacted  the  silver  and  the  gold  of  the  people  of  the  land,  of  every  one 
according  to  his  taxation,  to  give  it  unto  Pharaoh-nechoh. 

^^ "  Jehoiakim  was  twenty  and  five  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign ;  and 
he  reigned  eleven  years  in  Jerusalem.  And  his  mother's  name  ivas  Zebudah, 
the  daughter  of  Pedaiah  of  Rumah.  ^"^  And  he  did  that  ivhich  was  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  according  to  all  that  his  fathers  had  done. 

XXIV.  ^  In   °  liis   days   Nebuchadnezzar   king  of  Babylon  came  up,  and 

coo.  a  2  Chron.  36.  6.     Jer.  25.  1 


610. 
c  2  Chron.  36.  S. 


606. 
603. 
Dan.  1.  1. 


JeboiachlQ  was  *nly  eighteen,  Mattaniah  or  Zedekiah  was 
twenty-one  (cp.  below,  xxiv.  17,  18).  Not  one  was  thirty.  Tlie 
very  existence  of  the  kingdom  depended  on  the  conduct  of 
young  men.  Here  is  a  striking  evidence  of  the  responsibility  of 
early  years. 

33.  Pharaoh-nechoh']  King  of  Egypt,  exasperated  probably 
by  the  resistance  of  the  father  of  Jehoahaz,  Josiah  (v.  29). 

—  at  Eiblah  in  the  land  of  Hamath']  On  the  Orontes,  in 
Syria,  about  twenty-five  miles  s.s.w.  of  Emesa;  now  called 
Hibleh.  See  Robinson,  iii.  461,  Appendix,  176.  On  Hamath, 
Bee  Num.  xiii.  21.     1  Kings  viii.  65. 

In  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  3  it  is  said  that  the  King  of  Egypt 
"  put  down  "  (or  "  removed  him  ")  "  at  Jerusalem"  a  fact  which 
appears  to  be  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  Herodotus  (ii.  159), 
asserting  that  after  the  battle  at  Magdolum  (Megiddo,  see  v.  29), 
"  Necho  took  Cadytis,  a  great  city  of  Syria."  That  this 
Cadytis  is  Jerusalem  (called  still  Al-kuds,  the  holy,  and  whose 
ancient  shekel  bore  the  inscription  of  Kedushah)  has  been 
asserted  by  earlier  writers  (see  Prideaux  on  B.  C.  610),  and, 
though  questioned  by  Hitzig,  Thenius,  and  Pertheau,  is  main- 
tained by  Hengstenherg,  Christol.,  on  Dan.  ix.  24;  Keil,  p.  370; 
and  in  apol.  Versuch.,  pp.  433 — 439 ;    Winer,  R.  W.  B.  1.  546. 

The  circumstances  of  the  case  seem  to  have  been  these : — 
When  Nechoh  beard  that  the  people  of  Jerusalem  had  set  up 
Jehoahaz  a«  King  instead  of  his  father,  he  sent  a  detachment  of 
his  army  from  Megiddo  against  Jerusalem,  and  by  means  of 
these  forces  he  took  it  and  dethroned  him ;  and  then  Jehoahaz 
was  brought  to  him  at  his  head-quarters  at  Riblah,  and  was 
there  put  into  chains.  We  may  compare  the  similar  circum- 
stances with  regard  to  Zedekiah  (Jer.  xxxix.  4,  5).  Notwith- 
standing these  signal  successes  of  Pharaoh-nechoh  against  the 
Assyrians  and  against  Judah,  Jeremiah  the  prophet  foresaw  and 
foretold  the  overthroio  of  the  Egyptians,  who  were  subdued  by 
Nebuchadnezzar.     See  Jer.  xlvi.  1 — 26.  Cp.  below,  xxiv.  7. 

34.  Eliakim— Jehoiakim]  Eliakim  means  "  God  will  set 
up,"  this  was  changed  into  Jehoiakim,  "Jehovah  will  set  up" 
(Gesen.  338). 

The  change  of  name  by  the  conqueror  was  a  sign  of  his 
dominion  over  him ;  perhaps  he  meant  thereby  to  intimate  that 
he  was  willing  to  recognize  Jehovah  (the  God  of  Israel)  as  a 
national  and  local  deity,  but  not  as  the  God  of  the  Universe. 
Cp.  below,  Dan.  iii.  28,  29,  where  Nebuchadnezzar  calls  the  god 
of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego,  their  oum  God,  and 
forbids  all  evil  speaking  against  Him.  When  Daniel,  Hananiah, 
and  Azariah  were  brought  to  Pabylon  as  captives,  he  changed 
their  names  into  names  derived  from  gods  of  Pabylon  (Dan. 
i.  7). 

—  and  died  there]  As  Jeremiah  had  foretold,  Jer.  xxii.  11, 12. 
The  prophet  says  (v.  10),  "  Weep  not  for  the  dead,"  that  is,  weep 
not  so  much  for  the  dead  fother,  Josiah,  as  for  the  living  son, 
Shallum,  or  Jehoahaz,  dead  in  sin,  and  a  captive  of  Egypt. 
"  Did  not  thy  father  (Josiah)  do  .judgment  and  justice,  and  then 
it  was  well  with  him  ?"  («.  15.) 

Vol.  III.  161 


37.  he  did  that  which  was  evil]  See  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  5 — 8, 
and  Jer.  xxii.  17 ;  xxiv.  8  ;  xxvi.  22.     Joseph.,  Antt.  x.  5.  2. 

The  prophecies  of  Jeremiah,  beginning  at  chap.  xiii.  to  xx. 
inclusive,  and  perhaps  xxii.  xxvi.  xxxv.  (the  history  of  the 
Rechabites)  and  xxxvi.,  belong  to  this  period. 

Nebuchadnezzab,  King  op  Babylon, 

Ch.  XXIV.  1.  Nebuchadnezzar]  Or  Nebuchadrezzar  (Jer. 
xxi.  2.  7;  xxii.  25,  &c.),  Nabuchodonosor  in  Perosus,  and 
Josephus  (Antt.  x.  11.  1),  and  so  Sept.  and  Vulg.  On  the 
etymologies  assigned  to  the  name,  which  are  very  various,  see 
Gesen.  527;  Keil,  372;  Rawlinson,  Anc.  Mon.  iii.  527; 
the  first  portion  of  the  name  is  Nebo,  the  Chaldean  deity.  He 
was  the  son  and  successor  of  Nabopolassar,  the  founder  of 
the  Babylonian  Empire,  and  reigned  from  B.C.  605-4  to  B  c 
562-1. 

This  is  the  first  mention  of  his  name  in  Scripture;  and 
here  we  see  the  ascendancy  of  Babylon,  and  its  subjugation 
of  Jerusalem.  Humanly  speaking,  it  might  have  been  anti- 
cipated that  either  Assyria  or  Egypt  wouldhave  been  employed 
by  God  as  His  instrument  for  punishing  the  sins  of  Judah. 
Assyria  had  conquered  Israel  and  Babylon  (2  Chron.  x.xxiii.  11). 
But  "  the  sure  word  of  prophecy,"  even  in  the  days  of  Ahaz 
had  foretold  the  ruin  of  Assyria  (Isa.  x.  12)  and  of  Egypt 
(Isa.  xix.),  and  had  pointed  out  Babylon  as  the  scourge  of  God's 
anger  against  Jerusalem  (Isa.  xxxix.  6.  Cp.  above,  on  xx.  17), 
and  had  even  foreseen  and  foretold  the  subsequent  overthrow  of 
Babylon  itself  (Isa.  xiii.  1—22;  xxi.  1;  xlvii.  1),  and  had 
predicted  the  return  of  the  remnant  of  Judah  to  Jerusalem 
(Isa.  xliii.  14 — 18;  xlv.  1;  xlviii.  20.    Cp.  above,  on  xx.  17). 

And  so  it  came  to  pass. 

The  campaign  against  Jerusalem  took  place  in  the  fourth 
year  of  Jehoiakim's  reign.     See  Jer.  xxv.  1 ;  xlvi.  2. 

In  Daniel  (i.  1)  it  is  said  that  Nebuchadnezzar  came  up  to 
Jerusalem  in  the  third  year  of  Jehoiakim.  Daniel,  wi-iting  in 
the  East,  is  speaking  from  tlie  Assyrian  point  of  view,  that  is, 
from  the  time  in  which  Nebuchadnezzar  set  out ;  and  Jeremiah 
speaks  from  the  Jewish  point  of  view,  viz.,  from  the  time 
in  which  he  came  before  Jerusalem  and  took  it,  which  was 
after  his  victory  over  the  Egyptians  at  Carchemish,  on  the 
upper  Euphrates.  Cp.  Jer.  xlvi.  2 ;  and  Josephus,  Antt.  x.  11. 1. 
Keil,  p.  373;  Versuch.,  p.  30.   Hengst.,  Beitrag.  i.  48—52.327. 

Nebuchadnezzar  is  here  called  "  King  of  Babylon." 

The  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  was  B.C.  606;  this  was 
before  Nebuchadnezzar's  accession  to  the  throne.  But  it  ap- 
pears from  Perosus  (in  Joseph.,  Antt.  x.  11.  1,  and  c.  Apion,  i. 
19),  that  Nebuchadnezzar  had  been  associated  by  his  father, 
Nabopolassar,  in  the  empire,  before  his  father's  death,  and  was 
"King  of  Babylon"  de  facto.  Cp.  Ussher,  Anna!,  p.  67; 
Pusey,  on  Daniel,  p.  393 ;   Pertheau,  Chronik.  p.  427. 

Among  the  remarkable  analogies  between  the  capture  of 
the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  its  Temple  by  the  armies  of  Babylon, 

M 


Jelioicikim  s  death. 


2  KINGS  XXIV.  2—8. 


Jehoiachin  succeeds. 


Before 
CHRIST 
60'). 
b  Jer.  25.  9.  & 
32.  28. 
Ezek.  19.  8. 

e  ch.  20.  17.  & 

21.  12,  13,  14.  & 

23.  27. 

t  Heb.  by  ike 

hand  of. 

d  ch.  21.2,  II.  & 

23.  26 

ech.  21.  16. 


599. 
f  See  2  Chron.  36. 
6,  8. 

Jer.  22.  18,  19.  & 
36.  30. 

g  See  Jer.  37. 
5.  7. 
h  Jer.  46.  2. 


Jehoiakim  became  his  servant  three  years  :  then  he  turned  and  rebelled  against 
him.  2  ^  And  the  Lord  sent  against  him  bands  of  the  Chaldees,  and  bands  of 
the  Syrians,  and  bands  of  the  Moabites,  and  bands  of  the  children  of  Ammon, 
and  sent  them  against  Judah  to  destroy  it,  "  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
which  he  spake  f  by  his  servants  the  prophets.  ^  Surely  at  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord  came  this  upon  Judah,  to  remove  them  out  of  his  sight,  ^  for  the 
sins  of  Manasseh,  according  to  all  that  he  did ;  ^  ^  And  also  for  the  innocent 
blood  that  he  shed :  for  he  filled  Jerusalem  with  innocent  blood ;  which  the 
Lord  would  not  pardon. 

^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jehoiakim,  and  all  that  he  did,  are  they  not 
wiitten  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Judah  ? 

^  ^  So  Jehoiakim  slept  with  his  fathers :  and  Jehoiachin  his  son  reigned  in 
his  stead.  ^And  ^the  king  of  Egypt  came  not  again  any  more  out  of  his 
land :  for  ^  the  king  of  Babylon  had  taken  from  the  river  of  Egypt  unto 
the  river  Euphrates  all  that  pertained  to  the  king  of  Egypt. 

^  II '  Jehoiachin  was  eighteen  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and   he 


II  Called 

Jeco?tiah, 

1  Chron.  3.  16. 

Jer.  24.  1.  and  Coniah,  Jer.  22.  24,  28. 


1  2  Chron.  3fi.  9. 


and  their  subsequent  capture  and  destruction  by  tlie  legions  of 
Rome,  "  the  western  Babylon "  (on  which  parallelism  see  on 
2  Chron.  xxiv.  19 — 22),  there  is  this  resemblance  to  be  noted, 
that  the  agent  employed  in  both  cases  was  a  royal  son,  acting 
as  the  vicegerent  of  his  father ;  in  the  one  case,  Nebuchadnezzar, 
the  son  and  generalissimo  of  his  fatlier,  Nabopolassar,  King  of 
Babylon ;  in  the  other  case,  Titus,  the  son  and  Commander-in- 
chief  of  Vespasian,  the  Emperor  of  Rome ;  and  there,  Supreme 
above  all,  was  a  higher  power,  that  of  God  Himself,  acting  by 
Cheist,  to  Whom  He  has  given  "  all  power  in  heaven  and  earth" 
(Matt,  x.xviii.  18),  and  has  committed  all  judgment  (John  v.  22)  ; 
His  dearly  beloved  Son,  the  Lord  and  Captain  of  His  legions  of 
Angels,  Who  was  sent  by  His  Father,  and  was  rejected  by 
Jerusalem. 

The  reading  of  Jeremiah's  roll  by  Baruch  in  the  King's 
presence,  and  the  casting  of  it  into  the  fire  by  the  King,  belong 
to  this  year.  See  Jer.  xxxvi.  1 — 32.  Ussher  and  Frideaux 
suppose  that  the  roll  was  read  twice,  once  in  the  fourth  year, 
and  again  in  the  fifth  year  of  Jehoiakim.  Josephus  mentions 
the  roll  as  read  once  in  the  ninth  month  of  the  fifth  year.  The 
fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  is  one  era  from  which  the  seventy 
years  of  captivity  predicted  by  Jeremiah,  and  recognized  by 
Daniel  and  Zechariah,  date  their  origin  (see  Jer.  xxvi.  11,  12 ; 
xxix.  10.  Dan.  ix.  2.  Zech.  i.  12 ;  vii.  5 ) ;  and  they  have  their 
end  in  the  first  year  of  Cyrus.  See  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22.  Ezra  i. 
1,  2.  Sengst.,  Beitr.,  52.  180.  Keil,  apol.  Versuch.,  p.  17—22. 

2.  Chaldees']  See  the  prophecy  of  Jer.  xxv.  9;  xxxii.  28. 
The  forces  here  mentioned  were  subject  to  the  King  of  Babylon, 
and  were  sent  by  him  against  Judah. 

—  prophets']  Isaiah,  Micah,  Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  Jere- 
miah. 

3.  at  the  commandment  of  the  Loed]  They  seemed  to  men 
to  be  sent  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  in  order  to  enlarge  his  empire, 
and  to  chastise  Jehoiakim  for  rebelling  against  him  ;  but  they 
tvere  sent  by  the  Lord,  to  punish  Judah  and  its  King  for  their 
rebellion  against  him. 

5  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jehoiakim]  Wlio  was  put  in  chains 
by  Nebuchadnezzar,  with  the  intention  of  taking  him  to  Baby- 
lon, as  we  learn  from  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  6.     See  note  there. 

6.  Jehoiakim  slept  toith  his  fathers  :  and  Jehoiachin  his  son 
reigned  in  his  stead]  It  is  alleged  {Essays  and  Revieios, 
p.  343)  that  these  statements  are  not  consistent  with  the  pro- 
phecy of  Jeremiah,  "Therefore,  thus  saith  the  Lord  concerning 
Jelioiakim  the  son  of  Josiah,  King  of  Judah ;  they  shall  not 
lament  for  him,  saying.  Ah  my  brother  !  or  Ah,  sister !  they  shall 
not  lament  for  him,  saying.  Ah  lord !  or.  Ah  his  glory!  He 
shall  be  buried  tvith  the  burial  of  an  ass,  drawn  and  cast  forth 
beyond  the  gates  of  Jerusalem."  Jer.  xxii.  18,  19.  "  And  thou 
shalt  say  to  Jehoiakim  king  of  Judah,  Thus  saith  the  Lord  ; 
Thou  hast  burned  this  roll,  saying,  Why  hast  thou  written 
therein,  saying.  The  king  of  Babylon  shall  certainly  come  and 
destroy  this  land,  and  shall  cause  to  cease  from  thence  man  and 
beast  ?  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Jehoiakim  king  of 
Judah ;  He  shall  have  none  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  David : 
162 


and  his  dead  body  shall  be  cast  out  in  the  day  to  the  heat,  and 
in  the  night  to  the  frost."     Jer.  xxxvi.  29,  30. 

But  to  this  allegation  it  may  be  replied,  that  Jehoia- 
kim died  a  violent  death,  and  his  body  was  left  unburied :  cp. 
Ussher,  Annal.  ad  A.  M.  3398.  Lightfoot,  i.  118.  Frideaux, 
B.  C.  599.  'Winer,  i.  395.  Toivnsend's  Harmony,  ii.  439. 
Keil,  Chronik.  pp.  439—442.  Stanley,  p.  539.  It  is  very  re- 
markable, in  confirmation  of  the  prophecy,  that  every  King  of 
Judah,  whose  death  is  recorded  in  the  Bible,  is  said  also  to  have 
been  buried,  except  Jehoiakim  (Fendall,  on  Auth.  of  Scripture, 
p.  39,  and  cp.  Replies  to  "Essays  and  Reviews,"  p.  434).  With 
regard  to  the  phrase,  "  he  slept  with  bis  fathers,"  this  is  applied 
even  to  Ahab,  who  fell  in  battle.  1  Kings  xxii.  40;  above,  xxii. 20. 

As  to  the  succession  of  his  son  Jehoiachin  in  his  father's 
stead,  let  it  be  remembered  that  Jehoiachin's  sovereignty  was 
subject  to  his  mother's  tutelage  (cp.  Jer.  xiii.  18),  that  it  only 
lasted  three  months,  and  that  he  was  then  taken  captive  to 
Babylon,  and  that  his  uncle  was  then  made  King  in  his  stead : 
and  that  the  Hebrew  term  to  sit  implies  permanence.  {Sp- 
Fearson  on  the  Creed,  Ai't.  vi.  p.  279,  note ;  and  the  remark  of 
Cappellus,  "  Sedere  dicuntur  non  transitoria,  sed  quae  pedem 
aliquandiu  figunt.")  It  may  therefore  be  aflSrmed,  that  the  history 
confirms  the  prophecy ;  and  it  is  well  worthy  of  remark,  that 
Jeremiah  prophesied  also,  that  some  of  Jehoiakim's  seed  would 
survive  him  (Jer.  xxxvi.  31).  The  prophecy  therefore  that  none 
of  his  seed  should  permanently  possess  the  throne  was  more  re- 
markable (see  Replies  to  "  Essays  and  Reviews,"  pp.  434,  435. 
Graf  on  Jer.  xxii.  19;  and  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  441). 

7.  the  king  of  Egypt  came  not^for  the  king  of  Babylon  had 
taken]  At  the  battle  of  Carchemish,  B.C.  606.  See  Jer.  xxxvii. 
5 — 7 ;  xlvi.  2.  Above,  on  xxiii.  33 ;  and  cp.  Stanley,  Lect.  532. 

8.  Jehoiachin]  Which  means,  "the  Lord  will  establish" 
(Gesen.  338).  How  vain  is  self-praise.  How  empty  is  self- 
assurance.  We  see  a  Jehoiakim,  a  Jehoiachin,  and  a  Zedekiah, 
at  the  close  of  the  series  of  Kings  of  Judah.  The  first  presumes 
that  the  "  Lord  will  set  him  up ;"  the  second  that  the  "  Lord 
will  establish  him  j"  the  third  speaks  of  "  the  judgment  of  the 
Lord,"  but  all  of  them  disobey  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  executes 
His  judgments  upon  them  and  their  kingdom  for  their  sins. 

As  Jehoahaz  is  called  Shallum  by  Jeremiah  (see  above,  on 
xxiii.  30),  so  Jehoiachin  is  called  by  him  Jeconiah,  and  Coniah 
(Jer.  xxii.  24.  28;  xxxvii.  1;  cp.  1  Chron.  iii.  17).  The  Pro- 
phet appears  to  protest  against  the  empty  hypocrisy  of  these 
royal  names;  he  takes  away  from  the  name  of  Jeconiah  the 
element  which  connected  him  with  Jehovah,  from  Whom  he 
had  severed  himself  by  his  sins,  and  declares  that  he  was  un- 
worthy of  his  name,  and  had  dis-established  himself.  Jeconiah's 
separation  from  Jehovah  was  marked  by  the  lopping  oS"  of  the 
first  syllable,  and  by  changing  the  name  into  Coniah;  the  union 
of  Hoshea,  the  son  of  Nun,  with  Jehovah,  was  marked  by  pre- 
fixing the  same  syllable  to  his  name,  and  by  calling  him  Je- 
hoshua.     See  Num.  xiii.  16. 

—  was  eighteen  years]  In  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  9,  he  is  said  to 
have  been  eight  years  old.     See  note  there. 


Nebuchadnezzar 


2  KINGS  XXIV.  9—20.    XXV.  1.     takes  Jerusalem— ZedeJciah, 


Before 

CHRIST 

599. 


599. 
1  Jer.  24.  I.  & 
29.  1,2. 
Ezek.  17.  12. 

and  the  kinf?  "  oj";  i""""'''- 

o    in  Nebuchad- 


reigned  in  Jerusalem  three  months.  And  his  mother's  name  was  Nehushta, 
the  daughter  of  Elnathan  of  Jerusalem.  ^  And  he  did  that  which  was  evil  in 
the  sio-ht  of  the  Loed,  according  to  all  that  his  father  had  done. 

i^""  At  that  time  the  servants  of  Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Babylon  came  up  kDan.  i.i. 
against  Jerusalem,  and  the  city  f  was  besieged.     ^^  And  Nebuchadnezzar  king  ,+4f ' '"""  """ 
of  Babylon  came  against  the  city,  and  his  servants  did  besiege  it.     ^^  i  ^-^^ 
Jehoiachin  the  king  of  Judah  went  out  to  the  king  of  Babylon,  he,  and  his 
mother,  and  his  servants,  and  his  princes,  and  his  ||  officers : 
of  Babylon  "took  him  °  in  the  eighth  year  of  his  reign.     ^^  p  ^^(^l  j^e  carried  '^n^^''^  ^^^^''^ 
out  thence  all  the  treasures  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  treasures  of  the  n"efch.'25. 27. 

o  Sgg  Jer  5''   28 

king's  house,  and  ''  cut  in  pieces  all  the  vessels  of  gold  which  Solomon  king  of  P^c^h.^2o.^i7r 
Israel  had  made  in  the  temple  of  the  Loed,  'as  the  Loed  nad  said.     ^^  And  q^eeDan.s. 
'he  carried  away  all  Jerusalem,  and  all  the  princes,  and  all  the  mighty  men  W^er.Wi 
of  valour,  ^ even  ten  thousand  captives,  and  "all  the  craftsmen  and  smiths:  uiWLm.'xl' 

19   22 

none  remained,  save  ""  the  poorest  sort  of  the  people  of  the  land.     ^^  And  ^  he  jj^^f  7^^' 
carried  away  Jehoiachin  to  Babylon,  and  the  king's  mother,  and  the  king's  y^^f^^j^^'e^-^''- 1"- 
wives,  and  liis  ||  officers,  and  the  mighty  of  the  land,  those  carried  he  into  for?'«««ct".' 
captivity  from  Jerusalem  to  Babylon.     i*^And  'all  the  men  of  might,  6?;m  ==seejer.52.28. 
seven  thousand,  and  craftsmen  and  smiths  a  thousand,  all  that  tocre  strong  and 
apt  for  war,  even  them  the  king  of  Babylon  brought  captive  to  Babylon. 
1^  And  ^  the  king  of  Babylon  made  Mattaniah  ^  his  father's  brother  king  in  his 
stead,  and  '  changed  his  name  to  Zedekiah. 

^^  •*  Zedekiah  was  twenty  and  one  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  I  ch'on.'se.?.' 

T  n  iTi-  .1.  pTT  XT      dSChron.  36. 11, 

reigned  eleven  years  m  Jerusalem.     And  his  mothers  name  was  ^Hamutal,  J^^?. i.& 

the  daughter  of  Jeremiah  of  Libnah.     ^^  ^And  he  did  that  which  was  evil  in  the  ^"^-"^^^l- 

sight  of  the  Loed,  according  to  all  that  Jehoiakim  had  done,     ^o  For  through  f2chron.36.12. 

the  anger  of  the  Loed  it  came  to  pass  in  Jerusalem  and  Judah,  until  he  had 

cast  them  out  from  his  presence,  Hhat  Zedekiah  rebelled  against  the  king  of  i^^^^on-je-is 

Babylon. 

XXV.  ^  And  it  came  to  pass  '  in  the  ninth  year  of  his  reign,  in  the  tenth  ^ 


599. 

a  Jer.  37.  1. 
b  1  Chron.  3.  15. 
2  Chron.  36.  10. 
c  So  ch.  23.  34. 


590. 
2  Chron.  36. 17. 
Jer.  34.  2.  &  39.  1.  &  52.  4,  5.     Ezek.  24.  1. 


10.  At  that  time]  In  the  spring :  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  10. 

12.  in  the  eighth  year]  Computed  from  the  time  that  his 
fatlier  had  intrusted  him  with  royal  authority.     See  v.  1. 

The  beginning  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  reign  is  calculated  (in 
XXV.  8,  and  Jer.  xxxii.  1)  from  that  point.     Cp.  Sitzig  on  Jer. 

XXV.  1. 

13.  cut  in  pieces]  Cut  the  gold  off  from  them.  In  his  first 
invasion  he  had  already  taken  awav  many  of  the  vessels  of  the 
Temple  (see  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  7.  Dan.  i.  2.  Ezra  i.  7).  He  now 
cut  off  the  gold  from  the  larger  ornaments  of  the  Temple,  such 
as  the  altar  of  incense,  &c. 

' —  as  the  Loed  had  said]  All  this  spoliation  was  the  Lord's 
doing  by  the  hand  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  punishing  the  impiety  of 
Judah,  as  the  Lord  had  foretold  by  His  prophets  (Isa.  xxxix. 
6,  7.     See  also  xx.  17.     Jer.  xv.  13  j  xvii.  3). 

15.  Tie  carried  away  Jehoiachin  to  Babylon]  Where  he  was 
a  captive  for  thirty -seven  years. 

—  the  mighty  of  the  land]  The  princes  and  potentates  ;  also 
priests  and  prophets  (Jer.  xix.  1),  and  among  them,  Ezekiel  the 
prophet  (Ezek.  i.  1). 

16.  smiths]  Especially,  forgers  of  arms  :  cp.  Gesen.  488. 

17.  Mattaniah]  The  youngest  son  of  Josiah  (Jer.  i.  3 ; 
xxxvii.  1),  and  uncle  of  Jehoiachin  (cp.  1  Chron.  iii.  15.  He  is 
called  his  brother,  by  a  familiar  idiom,  in  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  10),  the 
captive  king,  who  was  only  eighteen  years  of  age  (cp.  Burring- 
ton,  Geneal.  i.  239).  Mattaniah  himself  was  only  twenty-one 
years  of  age. 

—  changed  his  name  to  Zedekiah]  The  name  Mattaniah 
means  "gift  of  Jehovah."  Zedekiah  means  "righteousness 
of  Jehovah." 

A  change  was  made  by  the  King  of  Babylon,  in  order  to 
163 


mark  his  own  power  over  the  sovereigns  of  Judah,  and  in  order 
perhaps  to  remind  the  King,  of  the  oath  of  God  which  he  had 
sworn,  and  by  which  he  pledged  himself  to  be  faithful  and  obe- 
dient to  Nebuchadnezzar  (see  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  13.  Ezek.  xvii. 
15).  But  he  was  false  to  his  oath  of  fealty,  and  despised  the 
counsel  of  Jeremiah  {ibid.).  The  name  was  changed,  but  not 
the  heart :  cp.  above,  v.  8.  Nebuchadnezzar,  like  Pontius 
Pilate  writing  our  Lord's  title  on  the  Cross,  may  have  chosen 
the  name  by  a  divine  instinct ;  and  it  may  remind  us  of  the 
illustrious  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  concerning  Christ,  the  Divine 
King  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  as  Jehovah  Zidkentt,  "  The 
Loed  oue  Eighteousness."  There  was  none  of  the  spirit  of 
that  prophecy  in  Zedekiah's  life :  cp.  Sengst.  Christol.  iii.  560. 

18.  Sainutal]  Therefore  Zedekiah  and  Jehoahaz  were  bro- 
thers by  the  same  mother,  as  well  as  by  the  same  father.  See 
xxiii.  31. 

19.  he  did  that  which  was  evil]  For  a  delineation  of  his  cha- 
racter, see  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  12—16.  Jer.  xxiv.  8;  xxxvii.  2; 
xxxviii.  2.  5. 

20.  rebelled]  Notwithstanding  his  oath  to  the  contrary,  see 
2  Chron.  xxxvi.  13,  he  is  therefore  condemned  as  a  ti'aitor  by 
Ezekiel,  xvii.  13.  Zedekiah  seems  to  have  relied  on  the  aid 
of  dangerous  allies,  such  as  the  Moabites  and  Amraonitep 
(Jer.  xxvii.  3;  xxviii.  10),  and  the  Egyptians  (Ezek.  xvii.  15 
Jer.  xxxvii.  5). 

Ch.  XXV.  1.  And  it  came  to  pass]  Compare  2  Chron.  xxxvi. 
11—13.  Jer.  Iii.  for  the  history  of  this  chapter.  On  the  rela- 
tion of  the  two  narratives,  that  of  Jeremiah  and  of  this  chapter, 
which  are  evidently  from  independent  witnesses,  see  Keil,  pp. 
378,  379.     And  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  (chaps.  XKxix.— xliv.) 


Nehuzar-adan 


2  KINGS  XXV.  2—14. 


hums  the  Temple. 


Before 
CHRIST 

590. 


588. 
b  Jer.  39.  2.  Sf 
62.6. 


f  Jer.  39.  2.  & 
52.  7,  &c. 


d  Jer.  39.  4-7.  & 
52.  7. 
Ezek.  12.  12. 


e  ch.  23.  33. 
Jer.  52.  9. 
t  Heb.  spake 
judymeni  with 
him. 

+  Heb.  made 
blind, 
f  Jer.  39.  7. 
Ezek.  12.  13. 
g  See  Jer.  52. 
12—14. 

h  Seech.  24.  12. 
&  ver.  27. 
i  Jer.  39.  9. 
II  Or,  chief 
marshal. 

k  2  Chron.  36.  19. 
Ps.  79.  1. 
1  Jer.  39.  8. 
Amos  2.  5. 
m  Neb.  1.  3. 
Jer.  52.  14. 
n  Jer.  39.  9.  & 
52.  15. 

t  Heb.  fallen 
ateay. 


0  ch.  24.  14. 
Jer.  39.  10.  & 
40.  7.  &  52.  16. 

p  ch.  20.  17. 
Jer.  27.  19,  22.  & 
52.  17,  &c. 
q  1  Kings  7.  15. 
r  1  Kings  7.  27. 
s  1  Kings  7.  23. 
t  Exod.  27.  3. 

1  Kings  7.  45,  50. 


montli,  in  the  tenth  dmj  of  the  month,  that  Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Babylon 
came,  he,  and  all  his  host,  against  Jerusalem,  and  pitched  against  it ;  and 
they  built  forts  against  it  round  about.  ^  And  the  city  was  besieged  unto  the 
eleventh  year  of  king  Zedekiah.  ^  And  on  the  ninth  day  of  the  ^fourth  month 
the  famine  prevailed  in  the  city,  and  there  was  no  bread  for  the  people  of  the 
land.  ^  And  *=  the  city  was  broken  up,  and  all  the  men  of  ivar  fled  by  night  by 
the  way  of  the  gate  between  two  walls,  which  is  by  the  king's  garden :  (now 
the  Chaldees  were  against  the  city  round  about :)  and  ^  the  king  went  the  way 
toward  the  plain.  ^  And  the  army  of  the  Chaldees  pursued  after  the  king,  and 
overtook  him  in  the  plains  of  Jericho  :  and  all  his  army  were  scattered  from 
him.  ^  So  they  took  the  king,  and  brought  him  up  to  the  king  of  Babylon  ^  to 
Riblah ;  and  they  f  gave  judgment  upon  him.  ^  And  they  slew  the  sons  of 
Zedekiah  before  his  eyes,  and  f  ^put  out  the  eyes  of  Zedekiah,  and  bound  him 
with  fetters  of  brass,  and  carried  him  to  Babylon. 

^  And  in  the  fifth  month,  ^  on  the  seventh  day  of  the  month,  which  is  ^  the 
nineteenth  year  of  king  Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Babylon,  '  came  Nebuzar-adan, 
II  captain  of  the  guard,  a  servant  of  the  king  of  Babylon,  unto  Jerusalem : 
^  ^  And  he  burnt  the  house  of  the  Lord,  '  and  the  king's  house,  and  all  the 
houses  of  Jerusalem,  and  every  great  mans  house  burnt  he  with  fire.  ^^  And 
all  the  army  of  the  Chaldees,  that  were  with  the  captain  of  the  guard,  ""  brake 
down  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  round  about.  ^^  "Now  the  rest  of  the  people  that 
ivere  left  in  the  city,  and  the  f  fugitives  that  fell  away  to  the  king  of  Babylon, 
with  the  remnant  of  the  multitude,  did  Nebuzar-adan  the  captain  of  the  guard 
carry  away.  ^^  But  the  captain  of  the  guard  °  left  of  the  poor  of  the  land  to  he 
vinedressers  and  husbandmen. 

^^  And  ^the  "^  pillars  of  brass  that  ivere  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  'the 
bases,  and  ^  the  brasen  sea  that  ivas  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  did  the  Chaldees 
break  in  pieces,  and  carried  the  brass  of  them  to  Babylon.  ^^  And  '  the  pots, 
and  the  shovels,  and  the  snuffers,  and  the  spoons,  and  all  the  vessels  of  brass 


may  be  read  as  a  divinely  inspired  commentary  on  the  events 
here  recorded. 

—  iti  the  ninth  year — month7\  The  day  was  revealed  to  the 
prophet  Ezekiel  in  exile  (Ezek.  xxiv.  1.     Cp.  Jer.  xxxix.  1). 

2.  eleventh  year]  B.C.  588,  or  rather,  B.C.  586.  The  received 
Chronology,  it  is  generally  agreed,  ought  to  be  lowered  by  two 
years.     See  B.  D.  i.  324. 

3.  fourth  month']  The  numeral  is  supplied  from  Jer.  Hi.  6. 

—  famine]  Verifying  by  its  severity  and  its  consequences, 
denunciations  in  the  Law  of  Moses  (Levit.  xxvi.  29.  Deut. 
xxviii.  53—57.  Cp.  Jer.  xv.  2;  xxvii.  13.  Lam.  ii.  20—22; 
iv.  9,  10.    Ezek.  iv.  16). 

4.  hetween  two  walls]  Rather,  between  the  two  walls.  For 
a  more  detailed  account,  see  Jer.  xxxix.  2 — 5;  lii.  4—8.  The 
Chaldeans  broke  through  the  northern  wall  and  the  lower  city  ; 
and  when  the  King  saw  this,  he  escaped  from  Zion.  The  King's 
garden  was  near  the  pool  of  Siloam  (see  on  Neb.  iii.  15),  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Tyropoeon. 

6.  Riblah]  See  xxiii.  33.  It  seems  that  Nebuchadnezzar, 
having  begun  the  siege  in  person,  had  retired  to  Riblah,  and 
left  some  of  his  generals  to  take  the  city ;  and  that,  having  done 
so,  they  brought  Zedekiah  to  Nebuchadnezzar  at  Riblah,  in  the 
land  of  Hamath.  Jeremiah  always  therefore  speaks  of  the 
"Chaldeans"  in  the  plural,  in  his  history  of  the  taking  of 
Jerusalem. 

—  gave  judgment  upon  him]  For  his  perjury  (see  xxiv.  20). 
The  King  would  have  been  saved  from  these  calamities  here 
mentioned,  if  he  had  believed  God  speaking  by  Jeremiah  (xxxii. 
5 ;  xxxiv.  3  ;  xxxviii.  17). 

7.  put  out  the  eyes  of  Zedekiah — and  carried  him  to  'Baby- 
lon] Thus  fulfilling  the  prophecy  of  Ezekiel,  that  he  would  be 
brought  to  Babylon,  and  not  see  it,  though  he  should  die  there 
(Ezek.  xii.  13). 

164 


8.  seventh  day]  In  Jer.  lii.  12,  it  is  the  tenth  day.  The  fast 
was  kept  on  the  ninth  day :  cp.  Zech.  vii.  3 ;  viii.  19.  See  Tri- 
deaux  on  B.  C.  588.  The  burning  lasted  several  days.  Jose- 
phus  (B.  J.  vii.  10)  observes  that  the  burning  of  the  Temple  by 
the  Chaldeans,  happened  on  the  same  day  as  the  burning  of  the 
Temple  by  the  Romans.  Certain  Psalms,  especially  Ps.  Ixxiv. 
lxx.xiii.  and  Ixxxix.,  express  the  feelings  of  the  pious  Jews  at  this 
time :  which  have  also  found  an  utterance  in  the  Lamentations 
of  Jeremiah. 

—  Nehuzar-adan]  A  name  derived  from  Neho  (the  Chaldean 
deity,  Isa.  xlvi.  1),  and  Zaradan,  which  Oeseniiis  identifies 
with  Saradan  in  Sardanapalus ;  and  so  Fuerst,  p.  895 :  but  see 
MawUnson's  Herodotus,  i.  460 ;  Anc.  Mon.  iii.  529. 

9.  burnt  the  house  of  the  Lord]  Burning  was  the  punish- 
ment prescribed  for  the  harlotry  of  a  Priest's  daughter ;  and  God 
would  rather  have  no  visible  bouse  on  earth  than  endure  it  de- 
filed with  idolatry — which  is  spiritual  harlotry.  He  destroyed 
it  with  fire,  by  the  hand  of  the  Babylonians;  and  it  is  observable 
that  the  punishment  reserved  for  the  mystical  Babylon  of  the 
Apocalypse — the  corrupt  Church,  the  spiritual  harlot — is  to  be 
burnt  with  fire.     See  below,  on  Rev.  xvii.  16 ;  xviii.  8. 

13.  pillars  of  brass]  See  1  Kings  vii.  15. 

—  the  hases]  1  Kings  vii.  23.     2  Kings  xvi.  17. 

—  the  brasen  sea]  1  Kings  vii.  23.     2  Kings  xvi.  17. 

14,  15.  the  pots — howls]  See  1  Kings  vii.  40. 

—  all  the  vesseU]  In  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  of  Sargon, 
King  of  Assyria  (see  above,  on  xvii.  24),  he  says,  "  I  seized 
the  city  of  Musasir^  and  carried  captive  the  wife  of  the  King, 
his  sons,  and  daughters,  and  all  the  wealth  of  his  palace,  and 
2100  men,  and  his  gods,  and  their  sacred  vessels  in  great 
number  "  (Fastes  de  Sargon,  published  by  Oppert,  p.  5). 


The  sacred  vessels  taken  awaij.     2  KINGS  XXV.  15 — 27. 


Gedaliah  slain. 


Before 
CHRIST 

588. 


ivas  eighteen  ?  '  ^i"f?  ^-  's. 

o  Jer.  52.  21. 


wherewith  they  ministered,  took  they  away.      ^^  And  the  firepans,  and  the 

bowls,  and  such  things  as  ivere  of  gold,  in  gold,  and  of  silver,  in  silver,  the 

captain  of  the  guard  took  away.     ^^  The  two  pillars,  f  one  sea,  and  the  bases  t^Heb.  w.on* 

which  Solomon  had  made  for  the  house  of  the  Lord  ;  "  the  brass  of  all  these  u  i  Kings  7. 47. 

vessels  was  without  weight.     '^^The  height  of  the  one  pillar 

cubits,  and  the  chapiter  upon  it  was  brass :  and  the  height  of  the  chapiter 

three  cubits;  and  the  wreathen  work,  and  pomegranates  upon  the  chapiter 

round  about,   all  of  brass :  and  Hke  unto  these  had  the  second  pillar  with 

WTeathen  work. 

^^  ^  And  the  captain  of  the  guard  took  "■  Seraiah  the  chief  priest,  and  ^  Zepha-  z?chron!^6'.  il' 
niah  the  second  priest,  and  the  three  keepers  of  the  f  door  :  ^^  And  out  of  the  ajM.21.1.  & 
city  he  took  an  11  officer  that  was  set  over  the  men  of  war,  and  ^  five  men  of  i  Heb.  threshold. 

"11  II  Or,  eunuch. 

them  that  f  were  in  the  king's  presence,  which  were  found  in  the  city,  and  the  +  HtTbl'^aaf  wf ' 

II  principal  scribe  of  the  host,  which  mustered  the  people  of  the  land,  and  eTuk^"  h. 

threescore  men  of  the  people  of  the  land  that  were  found  in  the  city :  ^^  And  lapt'Jnonhe "" 

Nebuzar-adan  captain  of  the  guard  took  these,  and  brought  them  to  the  king 

of  Babylon  to  Riblah  :  ^^  And  the  king  of  Babylon  smote  them,  and  slew  them 

at  Riblah  in  the  land  of  Hamath.     *"  So  Judah  was  carried  away  out  of  their  dL^'^'28'!'36%4. 

1  1  cb.  23.  27. 

land. 

''^-  ^  And  as  for  the  people  that  remained  in  the  land  of  Judah,  whom  Nebu-  ^  ''"■  ^^-  ^' 
chadnezzar  king  of  Babylon  had  left,  even  over  them  he  made  Gedaliah  the 
son  of  Aliikam,  the  son  of  Shaphan,  ruler,     ^s^^^j^g^  all  the  ^captains  of « -f"- ■*•'■  ^' ^' ^• 
the  armies,  they  and  their  men,  heard  that  the  king  of  Babylon  had  made 
Gedaliah  governor,  there  came  to  Gedaliah  to  Mizpah,  even  Ishmael  the  son 
of  Nethaniah,   and   Johanan   the    son    of  Careah,   and   Seraiah   the    son   of 
Tanhumeth  the  Netophathite,  and  Jaazaniah  the  son  of  a  Maachathite,  they 
and  their  men,     '^^  And  Gedaliah  sware  to  them,  and  to  their  men,  and  said 
unto  them.  Fear  not  to  be  the  servants  of  the  Chaldees :  dwell  in  the  land, 
and  serve  the  king  of  Babylon;  and  it  shall  be  well  with  you.     '^^'Bxii  ^'i^ ^^^.^^,2. 
came  to  pass  in  the  seventh  month,  that  Ishmael  the  son  of  Nethaniah,  the 
son  of  Ehshama,  of  the  seed  f  royal,  came,  and  ten  men  with  him,  and  smote  1  "/J'om^'*^ 
Gedahah,  that  he  died,  and  the  Jews  and  the  Chaldees  that  were  with  him  at 
Mizpah.     26  ^^^  all  the  people,  both  small  and  great,  and  the  captains  of  the 
armies,  arose,  ^and  came  to  Egypt :  for  they  were  afraid  of  the  Chaldees.  gjer.43.4,7. 

27  "^  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  seven  and  thirtieth  year  of  the  captivity  of  hjer.5^2*!^3i,&c. 
Jehoiachin  king  of  Judah,  in  the  twelfth  month,  on  the  seven  and  twentieth 
day  of  the  month,  that  Evil-merodach  king  of  Babylon  in  the  year  that  he 


17.  three  cuhits']  See  Jer.  lii.  22,  where  we  have  five  cuhits ; 
and  so  1  Kings  vii.  16.  But  in  the  one  place  the  historian  seems 
to  include  the  ornaments,  which  are  not  comprised  in  the  other. 

For  a  description  of  these  events,  see  Stanley,  Lect.  555. 

18.  Seraiah']  The  grandfather  or  great-grandfather  of  Ezra. 
1  Chron.  vi.  14.     Ezra  vii.  1. 

—  the  second  priest]  Supposed  hy  some  to  he  the  sagan,  or 
deputy,  of  the  High  Priest  (so  the  Sept.,  Syriac,  Arabic,  Tar- 
fjum).  Others  (e.  g.  KeiT)  think  it  means  only  a  priest  of  the 
second  order;  i.e.  an  ordinary  priest:  cp.  xxiii.  4.  But  the 
former  interpretation  seems  preferable.  It  is  hardly  probable 
that  only  one  ordinary  priest  should  have  been  taken. 

19.  men  of  the  people']  Probably  instigators  of  the  people  to 
rebellion  against  the  Chaldeans. 

22.  Gedaliah']  WTio  had  saved  Jeremiah's  life  (Jer.  xxvi.  24 ; 
and  sec  above,  xxii.  12). 

23.  Mizpah]  About  five  miles  N.w.  of  Jerusalem,  now  Neii- 
Samwil  (see  Josh,  xviii.  26). 

165 


—  Ishmael]  Of  the  Seed  royal  (v.  25),  who  laid  claim  to  the 
throne  :  cp.  Jer.  xl.  8 ;  xli.  1 — 18  ;  Joseph.,  Antt.  x.  9.  2. 

—  Johanan]  Who  warned  Gedahah  of  Ishmael's  treachery. 
Jer.  xl.  13 ;  xli.  15. 

24.  if  shall  be  well  with  you]  And  so  God  designed  it  to  be. 
See  Jer.  xxvii.  5,  6. 11. 

25.  smote  Gedaliah]  Perfidiously.     See  Jer.  xli.  2,  3. 

26.  to  JEgypt]  See  Jer.  xUi.,  xliii.  8 — 13,  who  foretold  that 
Egypt  also,  to  which  they  looked  for  protection,  would  be  given 
by  God  into  the  hands  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  Cp.  Jer.  xliv. 
29,  30. 

27.  in  the  seven  and  thirtieth  year]  B.C.  562. 

—  seven  and  twentieth]  la  Jer.  lii.  31,  it  is  five  and  twentieth  ; 
this  sHght  variety,  like  maiay  others  in  the  two  narratives  (see 
for  example,  vv.%  and  17),  shows  that  in  reading  them,  we  are 
reading  the  evidence  of  two  independent  witnesses  of  the  same 
events. 

—  Evil-merodach]     So   called  from  the   Babylonish  deity 


Jehoiacliin  is  advanced 


2  KINGS  XXV.  28—30. 


by  Evil-merodach, 


Before 
CHRIST 

562. 
i  See  Gen.  40. 
1.3,  20. 
+  Heb.  good 
things  with  him. 
k  2  Sam.  9.  7. 


began  to  reign  '  did  lift  up  the  head  of  Jehoiachin  king  of  Jiidah  out  of  prison  ; 
28  And  he  spake  f  Idndly  to  him,  and  set  his  throne  above  the  throne  of  the 
kings  that  zvere  with  him  in  Babylon;  ^9  And  changed  his  prison  garments: 
and  he  did  ^  eat  bread  continually  before  him  all  the  days  of  his  hfe.  ^^  And 
his  allowance  ivas  a  continual  allowance  given  him  of  the  king,  a  daily  rate  for 
every  day,  all  the  days  of  his  life. 


Merodach  (cp.  xx.  12) ;  he  was  the  son  and  successor  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, and  was  succeeded  in,  B.C.  559,  after  a  two  years, 
reign,  by  Neriglissar,  bis  brother-in-law  (Jose2)h.,  c  Apion  i.  20. 
Winer,  R.  W.  B.  i.  356.     RaioUnson,  B.  D.  i.  155.  594). 

From  tliis  mention  of  Evil-merodach  it  is  evident  that  the 
Books  of  Kings  were  composed,  or  at  least  were  completed,  after 
B.C.  561,  the  date  of  his  accession  to  the  throne  of  Babylon. 

From  the  almost  verbal  identity  of  this  chapter  with  the 
last  chapter  of  Jeremiah,  and  from  similarity  of  style,  as  well  as 
from  the  testimony  of  the  Hebrew  Rabbis,  it  has  been  inferred 
that  the  Books  of  Kings  were  composed  by  Jebemiah  (see 
above.  Introduction). 

—  out  of  prison^  The  BooES  of  Kings  bring  the  history  of 
Israel  and  Judah  down  to  the  time  of  the  Captivity,  and  end 
there. 

The  Books  of  Chronicles  recapitulate  the  history  of 
God's  Church  even  from  the  days  of  Adam  to  the  return  of 
Judah  from  the  Babylonish  Captivity,  and  the  rebuilding  of  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem  by  the  command  of  Cyrus,  the  conqueror 
of  Babylon,  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign  over  Assyria,  Media, 
and  Persia.     See  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  20 — 23. 

They  lead  us  on  to  the  Books  of  EzEA  and  Nehemiah, 
v.'hich  describe  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple  and  Walls  of  Jeru- 


salem, and  to  the  time  of  Malachi,  the  last  of  the  Prophets, 
who  seals  up  the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament  with  a  prophecy 
of  the  Coming  of  Christ  to  that  City  and  Temple,  and  of  the 
building  up  of  the  Church  Universal  by  Him.  See  Mai.  i.  11 ; 
iii.  1;  iv.  1 — 6j  and  Introductions  to  the  Books  of  Kings, 
Chronicles,  Ezra,  and  Nehemiah. 

29.  changed  his  prison  garments^  And  gave  him  others  iu 
their  stead. 

—  he  did  eat  bread  continually/  before  him']  God  touched  the 
heart  of  his  enemies,  made  those  "  who  led  him  away  captive 
to  pity  him"  (Ps.  cvi.  46).  By  such  acts  of  kindness  as  these, 
God  gave  a  consolatory  assurance  to  His  People,  that  if  they 
would  turn  to  Him,  they  should  not  be  utterly  cast  off,  but 
should  be  restored  to  their  own  land  ;  see  Deut.  xxx.  1 — 5.  Jer. 
XXX.  and  xxxi.,  who  thence  takes  occasion  to  extend  the  message 
of  consolation  to  all  Nations ;  and  gives  a  pledge  thereby  to  the 
tribes  of  Israel  scattered  throughout  the  world,  that  if  they  will 
repent  of  their  sins,  and  seek  for  pardon  through  Him,  to  Whom 
"  all  the  prophets  bear  witness,"  He  will  give  them  peace  in  the 
spiritual  Jerusalem  here,  and  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  for  ever 
hereafter  (see  Jer.  xxxi.  7 — 40;  xxxiii.  1 — 26.  Rom.  xi.  25 
— 32).  To  Him,  therefore,  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  bo  all  glory  and  honour,  now  and  for  ever.     Amen. 


im 


THE   FIRST  BOOK  OF  THE   CHROMCLES. 


I.  iAdam,  ^Shetli,  Enosli,  2  Kenan,  Mahalaleel,  Jered,  ^  Henoch,  Methu- ^^tsit."''"" 
selah,  Lamecli,  ^  Noah,  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth. 

^  ^  The  sons  of  Japheth  ;  Gomer,  and  Magog,  and  Madai,  and  Javan,  and  ^  ^'"-  ^*'-  ^'  **= 
Tubal,  and  Meshech,  and  Tu-as.     ^  And  the  sons  of  Gomer ;  Ashchenaz,  and 
II  Riphath,  and  Togarmah.    ^  And  the  sons  of  Javan ;  EHshah,  and  Tarshish, 
Kittim,  and  ||  Dodanim. 

^•"The  sons  of  Ham;  Cnsh,  and  Mizraim,  Put,  and  Canaan.     ^And  the 
sons  of  Cush;    Seha,  and  Havilah,  and  Sabta,  and  Raamah,  and  Sabtecha. 


II  Or,  Diphath, 
it  is  in  some 
copies. 


II  Or,  Rndanim, 
according  to 
some  copies, 
c  Gen.  10.6,  &:c. 


For  an  Inteodtjction  to  this  and  the  following  Book  of 
Chronicles,  see  above,  the  Introduction  prefixed  to  the  Books 
of  Kings. 

Pbeliminaey  Note  on  Chaps.  I. — III. 

(1)  The  Writer  of  this  Book  composed  it  after  the  return 
of  the  Jews  from  the  Captivity  at  Babylon  (2  Chron.  xxxvi. 
22,  23),  when  the  hopes  of  the  Nation  had  .sprung  up  into  new 
life,  and  when  they  were  quickened  by  the  voice  of  Prophecy, 
in  the  mouth  of  Daniel,  Haggai,  and  Zechariah,  into  an  eager 
desire  and  expectation  of  that  happiness  and  glory  which  awaited 
the  Nation  at  the  Coming  of  the  Messiah,  and  which  would 
extend  itself  from  Jerusalem  into  all  parts  of  the  world,  and 
overflow  upon  all  Nations.  Hence  at  the  beginning  of  this 
work  the  Writer  looks  backward  to  the  first  Adam,  and  he 
looks  forward  to  the  Second  Adam,  Jesus  Christ  ;  he  looks 
backward  to  man's  first  creation  in  the  one,  and  he  looks  forward 
to  his  new  creation  in  the  other. 

(2)  By  means  of  the  genealogy,  derived  from  the  Book  of 
Genesis,  and  here  presented  to  the  view,  he  reminds  us  that 
God  made  all  Nations  of  the  earth,  and  that  they  are  all  of  one 
blood  (Acts  xvii.  26),  and  that  God  cares  for  all  (cp.  on  Acts 
XV.  17,  18). 

(3)  He  also  declares,  that  God  chose  one  family  (which  the 
Writer  traces  fi-om  Adam  through  Noah  and  Shem), — the 
family  of  Abraham, — whose  genealogy  he  continues,  through 
Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Judah,  to  David  the  King,  and  he  brings 
down  this  genealogy  to  his  own  times. 

The  reason  of  this  continuation  was,  because,  in  accordance 
with  God's  promise  to  Abraham,  and  with  the  voice  of  prophecy 
'ittered  by  Jacob  (Gen.  xlix.  10),  and  by  Balaam  (Num.  xxiv.  17), 
and,  above  all,  the  clear  assurance  given  to  David  himself  (see 
above,  2  Sam.  vii.  12 — 17),  the  Messiah,  VVliose  dominion  would 
be  universal  and  everlasting,  was  to  come  of  Abraham  and  David. 

(4)  The  Author  has  thus  shown  that,  however  other 
Nations  might  boast  of  their  Antiquity,  it  was  the  Hebrew 
Nation  alone  which  could  trace  its  origin  in  an  uninterrupted 
'series  of  links  from  the  Creation  of  Man ;  and  that  this  Nation 
had  been  preserved  amid  the  ruins  of  Empires,  and  amid  many 
revolutions  and  afflictions  due  to  its  defection  from  God. 

He  would  thus  suggest  a  cheering  assurance  to  the  Hebrew 
People,  that  God,  Who  had  often  marvellously  preserved  them, 
would  never  forsake  them,  and  that  eventually  all  His  gi-acious 
promises  and  prophecies  would  be  fulfilled  to  them  in  Christ. 

(5)  The  Writer,  as  has  been  already  observed,  dwells  with 
special  emphasis  on  the  genealogy  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  which 
he  continues  to  his  own  age,  because  the  hopes  of  all  faithfiil 
Isriielites  were  fixed  on  that  tribe,  as  the  tribe  from  which, 
according  to  Jacob's  prophecy,  the  Messiah  was  to  spring. 
And  he  is  careful  also  to  note  that  members  of  this  Tribe  had 

167 


been  connected  by  intermarriages  with  some  non-Israelitish 
nations,  such  as  the  Egyptians  (see  on  ii.  34,  35)  ;  and  thus  he 
reminds  the  Jews  that  they  are  connected  with  other  races; 
and  he  thus  also  brings  before  his  Gentile  readers  the  blessed 
truth,  declared  by  God  to  Abraham, — a  truth  shadowed  forth  in 
beautiful  clearness  by  the  Book  of  Ruth,  where  Boaz  of  Beth- 
lehem-Judah  is  mai-ried  to  Tluth  the  Moabitess, — that  in 
Christ,  who  was  to  spring  from  Judah,  "aU  families  of  the 
earth  were  to  be  blessed." 

(6)  The  Genealogy  in  these  three  Chapters  has  its  com- 
pletion in  the  New  Testament,  in  the  two  Genealogies  of  the 
two  Gospels,  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke  (Matt.  i.  1 — 17. 
Luke  iii.  23—38). 

Of  these  two  Evangelical  Genealogies,  the  former,  that  of 
St.  Matthew,  was  composed  specially  for  the  use  of  the  Hebrew 
Nation ;  and  it  shows  that  the  promises  made  by  God  to  Abra- 
ham and  David  are  fulfilled  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  true  King  of 
the  Jews. 

The  latter  Genealogy,  that  of  St.  Luke,  displays  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  Second  Adam,  and  as  the  Author  of  the  regenerate 
race  of  the  whole  human  family;  Who,  by  His  Incarnation 
and  by  His  Death,  and  as  the  Divine  Renovator  and  Reconciler, 
by  the  ministry  of  His  Holy  Word  and  Sacraments,  restores  all 
Nations  to  the  favour  of  God  (see  below,  on  Matt.  i.  1 — 17,  and 
on  Luke  iii.  23—38). 

Thus  these  two  Evangelical  Genealogies  continue  and  con- 
summate the  work,  which  is  commenced  by  the  Sacred  Historian 
in  these  three  Chapters  of  Chronicles. 

Well,  therefore,  might  S.  Jerome  say  (Epist.  50  ad  Paulin.), 
when  speaking  of  this  Book  of  Chronicles,  that  it  is  the 
"Epitome  of  the  Old  Testament,"  and  no  one  can  understand 
the  Holy  Scriptures  without  it ;  and  that  it  supplies  much  that 
we  vainly  seek  elsewhere,  and  explains  many  questions  which 
arise  in  the  Gospels.  On  these  Chapters,  compare  Keil,  Vei-such. 
p.  160 — 170 ;  Hdvernick,  Einleitung,  ii.  177—189  ;  Movers, 
Uebev  die  Chronik.  p.  65 ;  Archdeacon  Lee  on  Inspiration, 
p.  443  ;  and  aljove,  Introduction  to  Kings  and  Chronicles. 

Much  valuable  material  for  the  elucidation  of  the  Ge- 
nealogies in  the  first  nine  Chapters  of  Chronicles  may  be  found 
in  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Burrinfffon'sArnmgement  of  the  Genealogies 
in  the  Old  Testament,  London,  2  vols.  4to.,  1736 :  see  also  the 
authors  quoted  below,  in  the  notes  on  the  Genealogies  in  the 
Gospels  of  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke. 

Ch.  I.  1 — 28]  Concerning  the  names  of  the  persons  in  thpse 
genealogies,  see  the  notes  above,  on  the  passages  in  Genesis  which 
are  specified  here  in  the  margin. 

2.  Kenan]  Cainan :  Gen.  v.  9. 

4.  Shem]  Placed  first,  as  the  progenitor  of  the  Messiah.  Cp. 
above,  on  Gen.  v.  32 ;  x.  21. 


Genealogy  of  Shem 


1  CHRONICLES  I.  10—42. 


and  of  Abraham, 


d  Gen.  10.  8,  13, 
&c. 


e  Deut.  2.  23. 
f  Gen.  10.  15,  &c. 


g  Gen.  10.  22.  & 
II.  10. 
II  Or,  Mash, 
Gen.  10.  23. 


B  That  is. 
Division, 
Gen.  10.  25. 
h  Gen.  10.  26. 


I  Gen.  11.  10,  &c. 
Luke  3.  34,  Src. 
k  Gen.  II.  15. 
1  Gen.  17.  5. 

m  Gen.  21.  2,  3. 
n  Gen.  16.  11,  15. 
o  Gen.  25.  13—16. 

H  Or,  Hadar, 
Gen.  25.  15. 


about 
1853. 
p  Gen.  25.  1,  2. 


q  Gen.  21.  2,  3. 
r  Gen.  25.  25,  26. 
s  Gen.  36.  9,  10. 

II  Or,  Zepho, 
Gen.  36.  11. 


t  Gen.  36.  20. 


II  Or,  Hemnm, 
Gen.  36.  22. 
II  Or,  J  Ivan, 
Gen.  36.  23. 
II  Or,  Shephn, 
Gen.  36.  23. 
u  Gen.  36.  25. 
II  Or,  Hemdan, 
Gen.  36.  26. 


And  the  sons  of  Raamali ;  Sheba,  and  Dedan.  ^^  And  Cusli  ^  begat  Nimrod  : 
he  began  to  be  mighty  upon  the  earth.  ^^  And  Mizraim  begat  Ludim,  and 
Anamim,  and  Lehabim,  and  Naphtuhim,  ^^  And  Pathrusim,  and  Casluhim,  (of 
whom  came  the  Phihstines,)  and  *"  Caphthorim.  ^^  And  *"  Canaan  begat  Zidon 
his  firstborn,  and  Heth,  ^"^  The  Jebusite  also,  and  the  Amorite,  and  the 
Girgasliite,  ^^  And  the  Hivite,  and  the  Arkite,  and  the  Sinite,  ^^  And  the 
Arvadite,  and  the  Zemarite,  and  the  Hamathite. 

^7  The  sons  of  ^  Shem ;  Elam,  and  Asshur,  and  Arphaxad,  and  Lud,  and 
Aram,  and  Uz,  and  Hul,  and  Gether,  and  ||  Meshech.  ^^  And  Arphaxad  begat 
Shelah,  and  Shelah  begat  Eber.  ^^  And  unto  Eber  were  bom  two  sons :  the 
name  of  the  one  ivas  |]  Peleg ;  because  in  his  days  the  earth  was  divided :  and 
his  brother's  name  ivas  Joktan.  ^^  And  ^  Joktan  begat  Almodad,  and  Sheleph, 
and  Hazarmaveth,  and  Jerah,  ^i  Hadoram  also,  and  Uzal,  and  Diklah,  ^^  And 
Ebal,  and  Abimael,  and  Sheba,  ^^  And  Ophir,  and  Havilah,  and  Jobab.  All 
these  ivere  the  sons  of  Joktan. 

21 '  Shem,  Arphaxad,  Shelah,  ^5  ^  gber,  Peleg,  Reu,  ^e  Serug,  Nahor,  Terah, 
2'' '  Abram  ;  the  same  is  Abraham. 

2s  The  sons  of  x4.braham ;  ^  Isaac,  and  "  Ishmael. 

2^  These  are  their  generations :  The  °  firstborn  of  Ishmael,  Nebaioth ;  then 
Kedar,  and  Adbeel,  and  Mibsam,  '^^  Mishma,  and  Dumah,  Massa,  ||  Hadad, 
and  Tema,  ^^  Jetur,  Naphish,  and  Kedemah.     These  are  the  sons  of  Ishmael. 

^■^  Now  P  the  sons  of  Keturah,  Abraham's  concubine :  she  bare  Zimran,  and 
Jokshan,  and  Medan,  and  Midian,  and  Ishbak,  and  Sliuah.  And  the  sons  of 
Jokshan  ;  Sheba,  and  Dedan.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Midian ;  Ephah,  and  Epher, 
and  Henoch,  and  Abida,  and  Eldaah.     All  these  are  the  sons  of  Keturah. 

^1  And  ''Abraham  begat  Isaac.     '  The  sons  of  Isaac  ;  Esau  and  Israel. 

^^  The  sons  of  ^  Esau ;  Eliphaz,  Reuel,  and  Jeush,  and  Jaalam,  and  Korah. 
^^  The  sons  of  Eliphaz ;  Teman,  and  Omar,  ||  Zephi,  and  Gatam,  Kenaz,  and 
Timna,  and  Amalek.  ^^  The  sons  of  Reuel ;  Nahath,  Zerah,  Shammah,  and 
Mizzah.  ^  And  '  the  sons  of  Seir ;  Lotan,  and  Shobal,  and  Zibeon,  and 
Anah,  and  Dishon,  and  Ezar,  and  Dishan.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Lotan ;  Hori, 
and  II  Homam  :  and  Timna  ivas  Lotan's  sister.  ^"^  The  sons  of  Shobal ;  ||  Alian, 
and  Manahath,  and  Ebal,  ||  Shephi,  and  Onam.  And  the  sons  of  Zibeon ; 
Aiah,  and  Anah.  ^^  The  sons  of  Anah ;  "  Dishon.  And  the  sons  of  Dishon ; 
II  Amram,  and  Eshban,  and  Ithran,  and  Cheran.     ^^  The  sons  of  Ezer ;  Bilhan, 


17.  Uz — MeshecK]  who  seem  here  to  be  set  down  among  the 
sons  of  Shem,  were  sons  of  Aram,  his  youngest  son,  whose  name 
here  immediately  precedes  theirs  (see  Gen.  x.  22,  23).  This  is 
called  an  error  by  some  (EicJihorn,  Einleit.  p.  586) ;  but  grand- 
sons are  often  reckoned  as  sons  in  Scripture.  Thus  Laban  is 
called  Nahor's  son  (Gen.  xxix.  5),  and  Mephibosheth  is  called 
Saul's  son  (2  Sam.  six.  24) ;  and  among  the  four  "  sons  of 
Judah"  the  first  only  was  his  son,  the  second  was  his  grandson, 
the  third  great-grandson,  and  so  on.  Cp.  -8.  Kimchi  and 
R.  Solomon,  as  quoted  by  Buxtorf,  Anticrit.  ii.  2;  and  Bp. 
Patriclc  on  v.  36,  who  observes,  that  the  author  of  the  Chronicles 
supposes  the  reader  to  be  acquainted  with  the  Book  of  Genesis, 
and  that  he  will  supply  from  that  Book  what  is  wanting  here, 
and  he  therefore  exhibits  these  genealogies  with  studied  brevity. 

19.  Peleg — dividedl  See  above,  note  on  Gen.  x.  25. 

29.  Ishmael]  The  Sacred  Historian  mentions  Ishmael's  twelve 
sons,  and  thus  shows  that  God's  promise  concerning  him  to  his 
father  Abraham,  that  he  should  beget  twelve  princes,  had  been 
-fulfilled  (Gen.  xvii.  20). 

36.  Zephi]  Called  Zepho  in  Gen.  xxxvi.  15.     This  variation 

proceeds  from  the  interchange  of  vau  and  i/od,  and  is  found  in 

other  names  in  this  genealogy,  e.  g.  in  v.  39,  and  twice  in  v.  40, 

and  in  vv.  50  and  51.     Such  variations  as  these  serve  to  bring 

168 


out  the  force  of  our  Lord's  saying  concerning  the  Law,  that 
"  not  one  t/od  of  it  would  fail "  (Matt.  v.  18.     Luke  xvi.  17). 

—  Timna]  The  name  of  the  concubine  of  Eliphaz  by  whom 
he  begat  Amalek  (Gen.  xxxvi.  12).  This  is  noted  by  some  as  an 
error  (Davidson,  Int.  ii.  76). 

The  Arabic  Version,  and  the  Alexandrian  edition  of  the 
Septuagint  have  here,  "  Timna,  who  was  his  concubine,  bare  to 
him  Amalek."  And  the  Authors  of  those  Versions  may  have 
had  Hebrew  Manuscripts  which  authorized  this  rendering.  But 
(as  Keil  observes  p.  162 :  cp.  Bertheau,  p.  8)  it  appears  from 
Gen  xxxvi.  40,  and  from  below,  v.  51,  that  Timnah  was  also  the 
name  of  a  man.  The  word  Timnah  means  a  portion,  or  allot- 
ment {Oesen.,  867);  and  it  is  not  impossible  that  a  place 
bearing  that  name  (a  local  name,  occiuring  Gen.  xxxviii.  12. 
Josh.  XV.  10;  xix.  43.  Judg.  xiv.  1.  Q.-^.  Timnath-heres,Zosh. 
xix.  50)  may  have  passed  from  a  concubine  of  Eliphaz  to  his 
son,  and  may  have  given  a  name  to  both.  Nothing  is  more 
common  in  these  genealogies  than  the  occurrence  of  the  names 
of  persons  which  are  also  names  of  places  (see  ii.  42 — 45). 
Miriam,  the  name  of  a  woman,  occurs  as  the  name  of  a  man 
also :  see  iv.  17. 

41.  Amram,]  Samran,  called  Hemdan,  Gen.  xxxvi.  26.  The 
variation  between  the  letters  resh  and  daleth  is  found  also  in 


Kings  of  Edom  and  dukes.   1  CHRONICLES  I.  43—54.     II.  1—9.      Jacob  and  Judah. 


and  Zavan,  and  ||  Jakan.  The  sons  of  Dishan  ;  Uz,  and  Aran.  ^^Now  these 
are  the  "^  kings  that  reigned  in  the  land  of  Edom  before  amj  king  reigned  over 
the  children  of  Israel ;  Bela  the  son  of  Beor :  and  the  name  of  his  city  was 
Dinhabah.  ^"^  And  when  Bela  was  dead,  Jobab  the  son  of  Zerah  of  Bozrah 
reigned  in  his  stead.  ^^  And  when  Jobab  was  dead,  Husham  of  the  land  of  the 
Temanites  reigned  in  his  stead.  ^^  And  when  Husham  was  dead,  Hadad  the 
son  of  Bedad,  which  smote  Midian  in  the  field  of  Moab,  reigned  in  his  stead : 
and  the  name  of  his  city  tvas  Avith.  ^^  And  when  Hadad  was  dead,  Samlah 
of  Masrekah  reigned  in  his  stead.  ^^  ^  And  when  Samlah  was  dead,  Shaul  of 
Rehoboth  by  the  river  reigned  in  his  stead.  ^^  And  when  Shaul  was  dead,  Baal- 
hanan  the  son  of  Aclibor  reigned  in  his  stead.  ^^  And  when  Baal-hanan  was 
dead,  ||  Hadad  reigned  in  his  stead  :  and  the  name  of  his  city  loas  \\  Pai ;  and 
his  wife's  name  was  Mehetabel,  the  daughter  of  Hatred,  the  daughter  of  Me- 
zahab.  ^^  Hadad  died  also.  And  the  ^  dukes  of  Edom  were  ;  duke  Timnah, 
duke  I)  Aliah,  duke  Jetheth,  ^'^  Duke  Ahohbamah,  duke  Elah,  duke  Pinon, 
^3  Duke  Kenaz,  duke  Teman,  duke  Mibzar,  ^^Duke  Magdiel,  duke  Iram. 
These  are  the  dukes  of  Edom. 

II.  ^  These  are  the  sons  of  |1  Israel ;  ^  Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  and  Judah, 
Issachar,  and  Zebulun,  ^Dan,  Joseph,  and  Benjamin,  Naphtali,  Gad,  and 
Asher. 

2  The  sons  of  ^  Judah ;  Er,  and  Onan,  and  Shelah  :  2vhich  three  were  born 
unto  him  of  the  daughter  of  '^  Shua  the  Canaanitess.  And  ^  Er,  the  firstborn 
of  Judah,  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  ;  and  he  slew  him.  ^  And  ^  Tamar 
his  daughter  in  law  bare  him  Pharez  and  Zerah. 


II  Or,  Akan, 
Gen.  36.  27. 

about 

167G. 
X  Gen.  36.  31,  &c, 


All  the  sons  of  Judah  were 


five. 

^The  sons  of  ^Pharez;  Hezron,  and  Hamul.  ^And  the  sons  of  Zerah; 
II  Zimri,  ^  and  Ethan,  and  Heman,  and  Calcol,  and  1|  Dara :  five  of  them 
in  all. 

^  And  the  sons  of  ^  Carmi ;  ||  Achar,  the  troubler  of  Israel,  who  transgressed 
in  the  thing  '  accursed.  ^  And  the  sons  of  Ethan  ;  Azariah.  ^  The  sons  also 
of  Hezron,  that  were  born  unto  him;  Jerahmeel,  and  j|  Ram,  and  ||  Chelubai. 


y  Gen.  36.  37. 


II  Or,  Hadar, 
Gen.  36   39. 
II  Or,  Pau, 
Gen.  36.  39. 

about 
1496. 
z  Gen.  36.  40. 
II  Or,  Alvnh. 


II  Or,  Jacob. 
a  Gen.  29.  32.  & 
30.  5,  &c.  & 
35.  18,  22.  & 
46.  8,  &c. 


b  Gen.  38.  3.  & 
46.  12. 

Num.  26.  19. 
c  Gen.  38.  2. 
d  Gen.  38.  7. 
e  Gen.  38.  29,  30. 
Matt.  1.3. 


f  Gen.  46.  12. 
Ruth.  4.  18. 

II  Or,  Zabdi, 
Josh.  7.  1. 
g  1  Kings  4.  31. 
II  Or,  Darda. 
h  See  ch.  4.  1. 
II  Or,  Achan. 

I  Josh.  6.  18.  & 
7.  1. 

II  Or,  Aram, 
Matt.  1.  3,  4. 
II  Or,  Caleb, 
ver.  18,  42. 


other  names  in  this  genealogy :  e.  g.  v.  51,  Hadad,  and  Hadar, 
Gen.  xxxvi.  35.  39. 

42.  and  Jakati]  Rather,  and  Akan  (Sept). 

43.  before  any  king — Israel^  See  above.  Gen.  xxxvi.  31.  It 
is  clear  from  this  remark,  as  weU  as  from  other  evidence  in  this 
Chapter,  that  the  Author  of  Chronicles  had  the  Book  of  Genesis 
before  him ;  at  the  same  time  he  adds  genealogical  details  from 
other  independent  sources. 

51.  Hadad  died  also.  And  the  dukes  of  JEdom  toere']  That 
is,  after  the  death  of  Hadad  the  form  of  government  was 
altered  from  that  of  kings  to  that  of  dukes :  cp.  Gen.  xxxvi.  40. 

Ch.  II.  1,  2.  These  are  the  sons  of  Israel^  The  first  four  sons 
are  placed  in  the  order  in  which  they  were  born  (Gen.  xxix. 
32 — 35) ;  and  next  follow  Issachar  and  Zebulun,  two  sons  of 
the  same  mother  as  the  first  four,  Leah.  Then  follows  Dan, 
the  firstborn  of  Rachel's  handmaid;  then  Rachel's  own  two 
sons ;  then  the  second-born  of  Rachel's  handmaid,  then  the  last- 
born  of  Leah's  handmaid. 

The  Posterity  of  Judah. 

3.  The  sons  of  Judah']  Are  placed  first,  because  the  Messiah 
was  to  come  of  Judah  (Gen.  xlix.  10).  This  line  is  traced 
onward  to  David  (c.  15),  who  received  from  God  the  promise 
of  a  universal  and  eternal  Kingdom  in  Christ ;  (see  above. 
Prelim.  Note  to  2  Sam.  vii. ;  and  Hengstenberg,  Christol. 
vol.  i.,  on  2  Sam.  vii.) ;  and  the  line  is  also  continued  to  the 
Writer's  own  time  (iii.  1 — 24),  because  the  hopes  of  Israel  were 
indissolubly  connected  with  it,  and  would  find  their  fulfihnent 
in  Christ's  birth  at  Bethlehem,  the  city  of  David  (Micih  v.  2). 


6.  Hezron,  and  Hamul]  See  above,  on  Gen.  xlvi.  12. 

6.  the  sons  of  Zerah — J)ara]  But  in  1  Kings  iv.  31,  we  find 
"  Ethan  the  Ezrahite  and  Heman,  and  Chalcol  and  Darda,  the 
sons  of  3fahol." 

How  are  we  to  explain  that  they  are  called  here  sons  of 
Zerah  1  This  difiiculty,  it  is  said  by  some,  cannot  be  removed 
(Davidson,  Int.  ii.  75). 

But  on  this  it  may  be  observed,  first,  that  it  does  not 
appear  that  ISthan  and  Heman  are  there  called  "sons  of 
Mahol :"  Chalcol  and  Darda  are  so  called.  Some  suppose  that 
Zerah  is  another  name  for  JEzrah ;  and  we  may  say  that 
Ethan  and  Heman  were  sons  of  Ezrah  or  Zerah. 

Next,  it  is  probable  that  the  Ethan  and  Heman  in  I  Kings, 
were  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  (see  1  Chron.  vi.  27 — 29 ;  xv.  17—19), 
and  not  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  as  the  Heman  and  Ethan  here 
mentioned  were. 

The  Ethan  there  named  is  also  distinguished  from  the 
Ethan  mentioned  here  by  the  title  "  the  Ezrahite ;"  and  Darda 
is  not  to  be  confounded  with  Dara;  and  these  sons  of  Zerah 
seem  to  have  been  more  ancient  than  those  sons  of  Mahol. 

It  is,  therefore,  a  gratuitous  supposition  that  the  persons 
here  mentioned  are  identical  with  those  enumerated  in  1  Kings 
iv.  31.  Cp.  Bp.  Patrick,  on  1  Kings  iv.  31;  and  see  Keil, 
Versuch.,  p.  IS-i;  and  Hdvernick,  Einleitung,  ii.  179,  on  the 
occurrence  of  groups  of  similar  names  in  genealogies ;  from 
which  similarity  many  persons  have  taken  occasion  to  imagine 
discrepancies,  without  any  adequate  reason.  Cp.  note  above, 
on  Gen.  iv.  17,  on  the  occurrence  of  similar  names  in  the 
families  of  Cain  and  Seth. 

7.  Achar,  the  troubler  of  Israel}  See  on  Josh.  vii.  25. 


Judah's  line  to  David. 


1  CHEONICLES  II.  10—23.  Caleb  the  son  o/Hezron. 


k  Ruth  4.  19,  20. 
Matt.  1.  4, 

I  Num.  1.  7.  & 
2.  3. 

about 
1471. 

II  Or,  Snlmnn, 
Ruth  4.  21. 
Matt.  1.4. 

about 

1090. 
m  1  Sam.  16.  6. 
n  Or,  Shammah, 

1  Sam.  16.  9. 

n  2  Sam.  2.  18. 

02  Sam.  17.  25. 
H  2  Sam.  17.  25, 
/<Ara  an 
Israelite. 

about 
1471. 

p  ver.  50. 

q  Exod.  31.  2. 

rNum.  27.  1. 
t  Heb.  took. 


8  Num.  32.  41. 
Deut.  3.  14. 
Josh.  13.30. 


1^  And  Ram  ^  begat  Amminadab ;  and  Amminadab  begat  Nahshon,  '  prince 
of  the  children  of  Judah ;  ^^  And  Nahshon  begat  ||  Salma,  and  Salma  begat 
Boaz.  ^'^ kadi  Boaz  begat  Obed,  and  Obed  begat  Jesse,  ^^And  ""Jesse  begat 
his  firstborn  EHab,  and  Abinadab  the  second,  and  ||  Shimma  the  third,  ^^  Ne- 
thaneel  the  fourth,  Raddai  the  fifth,  ^^  Ozem  the  sixth,  David  the  seventh : 
16  Whose  sisters  ivere  Zeruiah,  and  Abigail.  "  And  the  sons  of  Zeruiah  ;  Abi- 
shai,  and  Joab,  and  Asahel,  three.  ^^And  "Abigail  bare  Amasa:  and  the^ 
father  of  Amasa  loas  ||  Jether  the  Ishmeelite. 

i^And  Caleb  the  son  of  Hezron  begat  children  of  Azubah  his  wife,  and  of 
Jerioth  :  her  sons  are  these  ;  Jesher,  and  Shobab,  and  Ardon.  ^^  And  when 
Azubah  was  dead,  Caleb  took  unto  him  PEphrath,  which  bare  him  Hur.  -^And 
Hur  begat  Uri,  and  Uri  begat  "^  Bezaleel.  ^i  ^^l  afterward  Hezron  went  in  to 
the  daughter  of '  Machir  the  father  of  Gilead,  whom  he  f  married  when  he  was 
threescore  years  old ;  and  she  bare  him  Segub.  22  ^^  Segub  begat  Jair,  who 
had  three  and  twenty  cities  in  the  land  of  Gilead.  ^^ '  And  he  took  Geshur,  and 
Aram,  with  the  towns  of  Jair,  from  them,  with  Kenath,  and  the  towns  thereof, 
even  threescore  cities.     All  these  belonged  to  the  sons  of  Machir  the  father  of 


J 


9.  JerahmeeV]  The  firstborn  of  Hezron ;  his  name  is  passed 
over  in  our  Lord's  genealogy,  which  is  traced  tlirough  Ram. 

—  Rain]  Called  Aram  in  our  Lord's  genealogy.  Matt.  i.  3,  4, 
where  these  names  from  Ram  to  David  the  King  are  inserted. 

—  Chelnbai]  Another  name  for  Caleb,  the  son  of  Hezron, 
and  brother  of  Jerahmeel.  See  vv.  18.  42  (Jeromiaster.  Cp. 
Burrington,  Genealogies,  i.  209).  The  reason  why  the  name 
appears  under  two  forms  may  be  that  the  author  is  tran- 
scribing two  different  documents,  from  different  sources. 

10.  Nahshon,  prince  of  the  children  of  Judah]  Who  led  the 
van  of  Israel  at  the  E.Kodus,  and  in  the  march  from  Sinai 
(Num.  ii.  3.  7). 

11.  Salma~]  Or  Salmon,  who  was  in  that  place  of  honour,  at 
the  entrance  into  Canaan.  See  Servey,  in  B.  D.  ii.  1094. 
Cp.  vv.  50,  51. 

Thus  Nahshon  and  Salma  were  types  of  the  true  Prince  of 
Judah,  the  Leader  of  all  true  Israelites  in  their  Exodus  from 
the  Egypt  of  death,  and  in  their  entrance  into  the  Canaan  of 
Heaven. 

13.  Jesse  legat]  Eight  sons  (1  Sam.  xvi.  10) ;  but  here  only 
seven  are  mentioned,  one  having  died  before  David  came  to  the 
throne. 

The  variation  of  orthography  here  (as  Shimma  for  Sham- 
mah), and  other  similar  details,  show  that  in  those  genealogies 
we  nave  an  independent  witness,  who  had  materials  before 
him,  which  are  not  now  extant  (cp.  Keil,  Versuch.,  pp.  163, 
164). 

15.  David]  The  name  is  written  here  with  a  yod  after  the 
raw,  according  to  what  is  called  the  "  scriptio  plena,"  a  cha- 
racteristic of  this  book.  The  yod  is  not  in  David's  name  in 
the  Book  of  Ruth  (iv.  17.  22).  Cp.  1  Sam.  xvi.  13 ;  and  Keil, 
Einleitung,  p.  424;  and  above,  Introduction. 

16.  the  sons  of  Zeruiah]  The  sister  of  David ;  her  husband 
is  not  mentioned.  In  her  case,  a  Woman  of  the  family  of  David 
is  brought  prominently  forward.  This  dignity  of  woman  was 
made  conspicuous  in  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  of  that  house, 
— the  Mother  of  Him  Wlio  had  been  pre-announced  as  the 
"  Seed  of  the  Woman  "  (Gen.  iii.  15).  Zeruiah  and  Abigail 
were  daughters  of  Nahash  (see  2  Sam.  xvii.  25) ;  if  Nahash  and 
Jesse  were  different  persons,  they  were  half-sisters  of  David. 

17.  Jether  the  Ishtneelite]  See  on  2  Sam.  xvii.  25.  Here  is 
a  specimen  of  the  connexion  between  the  royal  tribe  of  Judah, 
and  other  families  beyond  the  pale  of  Israel ;  and  it  seems  to 
be  mentioned  as  having  the  same  significance  as  the  marriage 
of  Boaz  of  Bethlehem  with  Ruth  the  Moabitess,  viz.  an  in- 
timation, that  the  blessings  derived  from  Judah,  would  be 
communicated  to  other  tribes  of  the  world  :  cp.  below,  on 
iv.  17. 

It  seems  probable,  that  another  interesting  instance  of  the 
Bame  kind  of  connexion  is  presented  by  the  celebrated  "  Caleb, 
the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenezite  (Josh.  xiv.  14).  Cp.  Gen. 
xxxvi.  11.  15,  where  Kenaz  appears  as  an  F.domitish  name  (see 
Lord  A.  Kervey,  B.  D.  i.  242). 
170 


18.  Caleh  the  son  of  Hezron]  This  Caleb,  the  son  of  Hezron, 
was  an  ancestor  of  "  Caleb,  the  son  of  Jephunneh,"  illustrious 
among  the  spies  for  his  faith  and  courage  (Num.  xiii.  6.  30 ; 
xiv.  6.  24;  xxxii.  12;  xxxiv.  19.  Josh.  xiv.  6.  14),  who  is 
mentioned  below  as  distinguished  from  this  C.ileb  (see  iv.  15). 
The  genealogy  of  the  Caleb  the  son  of  Hezron,  which  is  here 
inserted,  is  derived  from  independent  sources,  and  is  another 
proof  of  the  value  of  the  materials  to  which  the  wi-iter  had 
access.  Cp.  Keil,  Vers.,  pp.  167 — 169;  Davidson,  Introd. 
ii.  76. 

—  of  Azubah — and  of  Jerioth]  This  appears  to  be  the  right 
rendering,  and  is  confirmed  by  Sept.,  Vulg.  Jerioth  is  ren- 
dered as  an  accusative  by  Syriac  and  Arabic.  The  three  sous 
here  mentioned  seem  to  be  sons  of  Azubah  :  see  v.  19. 

19.  Ephrath]  Called  Kphratah  {v.  50.  Cp.  iv.  4) ;  probably 
connected  with  Bethlehem  (Micah  v.  2). 

20.  Bezaleel]  Who  was  employed  by  God  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Tabernacle  (Exod.  xxxi.  2 ;  xxxv.  30 ;  xxxvi.  1,  2 ; 
xxxvii.  1).  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  Caleb,  his  great- 
grandfather, cannot  (as  some  imagine)  be  the  same  person  as 
Caleb,  the  son  of  Jephunneh. 

21,22.  Hezron — Gilead]  See  Num.  xxxii.  40.  Deut.  iii.  15, 
on  the  assignment  of  the  land  of  Gilead  to  Machir  by  Moses. 
This  union  of  Judah  with  the  transjordanic  region  of  Gilead 
is  another  specimen  of  that  diffusion  which  has  been  before 
noticed  {v.  17). 

The  tribe  of  Judah  is  distinguished  by  this  characteristic 
of  extension, — an  intimation  of  the  spiritual  blessings  which 
were  to  be  diffused  from  that  tribe,  in  Christ,  to  all  nations  of 
the  World  :  cp.  on  vv.  26 — 35. 

22.  three  and  ttuenty]  Increased  afterwards  to  thirty  (see 
on  Judg.  X.  4), — an  emblem  of  the  spiritual  increase  of  the 
Church  planted  by  Christ,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  by  His 
Apostles,  going  forth  from  Judea  into  all  the  world. 

23.  Oeshur]  In  the  n.e.  region  of  Bashan  (Deut.  iii.  14. 
Josh.  xii.  5.     2  Sam.  xv.  8.     Cp.  Porter,  B.  D.  i.  683). 

The  correct  rendering  of  this  passage  appears  to  be  that 
Geshur  and  Aram  (i.  e.  the  inhabitants  of  those  countries) 
tooTc  the  toivns  of  Jair  from  them  (i.  e.  from  the  Manassites). 
Cp.  Sengst.,  Auth.  ii.  227  ;  Bertheau,  p.  16. 

—  Aram]  The  capital  of  which  was  Damascus. 

—  with  Kenath — threescore  cities]  Kenath,  now  Kenatodt, 
in  Argob  of  Bashan  {BurcJch.,  Syria,  83 — 86 ;  Porter,  Damas- 
cus, ii.  87—115 ;   Grove,  B.  D.  ii.  10). 

These  sixty  cities  seem  to  have  consisted  of  the  cities 
conquered  by  Jair,  and  also  by  Nobah,  associated  with  him 
(Num.  xxxii.  42).  So  Sengstenberg.  Others  (as  Bertheau) 
suppose  them  to  have  formed  two  distinct  groups  of  cities. 

23.  All  these  belonged]  Or  all  these  were  sons  of  Machir, 
because  they  were  children  of  his  daughter  (cp.  Vulg.  and 
Bertheau).  The  Septuagint  authorizes  the  i-endcring  in  our 
Version. 


Hezron  died 


1  CHKONICLES  II.  24—42. 


in  Caleb -ephratah. 


Gilead.  24^jjcl  after  tliat  Hezron  was  dead  in  Caleb-epLratali,  then  Abiali 
Hezron's  wife  bare  him  '  Ashur  the  father  of  Tekoa. 

'^^  And  the  sons  of  Jerahmeel  the  firstborn  of  Hezron  were,  Earn  the  first- 
born, and  Bunah,  and  Oren,  and  Ozem,  and  Ahijah.  ^6  Jerahmeel  had  also 
another  wife,  whose  name  ivas  Atarah  ;  she  ivas  the  mother  of  Onam.  ^7  ^^^j 
the  sons  of  Ram  the  firstborn  of  Jerahmeel  were,  Maaz,  and  Jamin,  and  Eker. 
-^  And  the  sons  of  Onam  were,  Shammai,  and  Jada.  And  the  sons  of  Sham- 
mai ;  Nadab,  and  Abislmr.  -^  And  the  name  of  the  wife  of  Abishur  ivas  Abi- 
hail,  and  she  bare  him  Ahban,  and  Molid.  ^"  And  the  sons  of  Nadab  ;  Seled, 
and  Appaim :  but  Seled  died  without  children.  ^^And  the  sons  of  Appaim ; 
Ishi.  And  the  sons  of  Ishi ;  Sheshan.  And  "  the  children  of  Sheshan ;  Alilai. 
^■^  And  the  sons  of  Jada  the  brother  of  Shammai ;  Jether,  and  Jonathan :  and 
Jethcr  died  without  children.  ^^And  the  sons  of  Jonathan;  Peleth,  and  Zaza. 
These  were  the  sons  of  Jerahmeel. 

^  Now  Sheshan  had  no  sons,  but  daughters.  And  Sheshan  had  a  servant, 
an  Egyptian,  whose  name  ivas  Jarlia.  ^^And  Sheshan  gave  his  daughter 
to  Jarha  his  servant  to  wife;  and  she  bare  him  Attai.  ^^And  Attai  begat 
Nathan,  and  Nathan  begat  ""Zabad,  ^^And  Zabad  begat  Ephlal,  and  Ephlal 
begat  Obed,  ^^  And  Obed  begat  Jehu,  and  Jehu  begat  Azariah,  ^^  And  Azariah 
begat  Helez,  and  Helez  begat  Eleasah,  ^^And  Eleasah  begat  Sisamai,  and 
Sisamai  begat  Shallum,  ^^  And  Shallum  begat  Jekamiah,  and  Jekamiah  begat 
Elishama. 

^■-  Now  the  sons  of  Caleb  the  brother  of  Jerahmeel  were,  Mesha  his  firstborn, 
which  teas  the  father  of  Ziph ;  and  the  sons  of  Mareshah  the  father  of  Hebron. 


about 
H71. 
t  ch.  4.  5. 


u  See  ver.  34,  35, 


X  ch.  11.41. 


Hezeon  Dtino-  in  Caleb-epheatah. 

24.  Sezron  toas  dead  in  Caleh-ephratali]  This  statement 
has  been  rejected  by  some  as  incredible.  How  (it  is  asked) 
could  Hezron,  the  grandson  of  Judah,  have  died  any  where 
but  in  Egypt  ?  (See  B.  D.  i.  242.)  Even  Dr.  Mill,  on  the 
Genealogies,  p.  127,  says,  that  "Hezron  must  have  died  in 
Egypt."  It  is  evident  from  the  readings  in  Sept.,  and  Vidg. 
(where  we  read  that  Caleb  came  to  Ephratah),  that  this  state- 
ment occasioned  perplexity  to  some  in  early  times. 

But  does  it  not  contain  a  very  interesting  and  important 
truth  ?  Hezron,  we  know,  lived  in  Egypt.  But  was  not  his 
heart  in  Canaan,  the  land  of  promise  ?  Did  not  Hezron  re- 
member God's  assurance  to  Abraham,  that  Canaan  would  be  the 
inheritance  of  his  seed  ?  Did  he  not  recollect  Jacob's  prophecy 
to  Judah,  his  own  tribe  ?  (Gen.  xlix.  10.)  Did  he  not  re- 
member that  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  had  been  buried  in  peace 
in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  near  Hebron  ?  May  not  Hezron 
have  been  one  of  that  very  funeral  retinue,  which  had  borne  the 
mortal  remains  of  Jacob  out  of  Egypt  to  that  cave  ?  (See 
Gen.  xlix.  29—32;  1.  8—13).  May  not  Hezron,  therefore,  have 
gone  forth  out  of  Egypt  to  visit  Canaan  ?  May  he  not  have 
gone  forth  on  a  pilgrimage  of  reverence  and  love  to  visit  the 
tombs  of  his  ancestors,  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  at  Hebron, 
which  was  not  more  than  a  hundred  miles  from  Goshen  ?  There 
could  have  been  no  difficulty  in  his  doing  so  during  the  peaceful 
times  of  Joseph.  May  it  not  have  pleased  God  to  take  Hezron 
to  Himself  on  such  an  occasion  as  that  ?  May  not  the  place 
of  his  death  have  been  called  Caleb. ephratah  from  the  names 
of  his  son,  and  his  son's  wife  (y.  19)  ?  And  may  not  this  place 
have  been  no  other  than  Bethlchem-ephratah,  where  Boaz  after- 
wards dwelt,  and  where  David  kept  his  father's  sheep,  and  was 
anointed  by  Samuel,  and  where  Jestts  Cheist, — Who  came  of 
Hezron's  seed, — was  born  ? 

May  not  also  such  considerations  as  these  serve  to  clear  up 
another  supposed  difficulty — How  could  JMoses  have  known 
so  much  as  he  did  of  Canaan  ?  Doubtless  many  IsraeUtes,  like 
Hezron,  had  visited  it,  and  brought  reports  of  it  into  Egypt, 
where  Moses  was. 

—  after  that  Hezron  was  dead]  The  mention  of  the  three 
wives  in  succession  of  Hezron  has  been  supposed  by  the  Rabbis 
to  int'mate  the  desire  felt  by  the  family  of  Judah  for  posterity, 


— a  desire  shown  by  the  marriage  of  Boaz,  when  he  was  old, 
as  Hezron  was  at  the  time  of  his  third  marriage.  Both  were 
blessed  with  children,  whose  names  are  in  the  genealogy  of 
Christ. 

—  Tekoa']  Who  was  probably  connected  with  the  place  so 
called  between  Bethlehem  and  Hebron. 

26 — 34,  3S.  Jerahmeel — Sheshan  had  no  sons,  but  daughters. 
And  Sheshan  gave  his  daughter  to  Jarha]  This  long  series  of 
names,  derived  from  original  documents,  and  ending  in  the 
marriage  of  a  daughter  of  Sheshan,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
with  an  Egyptian  servant,  serves  to  bring  out  in  a  striking 
light  what  has  been  before  noticed  {vv.  17,  and  21,  22),  the 
diffusive  tendency  of  the  tribe  of  Judah;  and  to  reveal  to  the 
eye  a  cheering  glimpse  of  that  bright  luminous  radiance 
which  beamed  from  the  house  of  Judah  in  Christ,  the  Sun 
of  righteousness,  on  the  Heathen  World,  lying  in  Egyptian 
darkness  and  bondage. 

42—49.  Caleb  the  brother  of  JerahmeeV\  And  son  of  Hezron 
{v.  18). 

—  Mesha  his  firstborn]  Some  have  supposed  that  this  son 
was  born  of  a  third  wife,  whom  Caleb  married  after  Azubah 
and  Ephrath,  mentioned  above  {v.  19.  Bp.  Patrick).  But 
this  seems  hardly  probable ;  for  the  son  of  a  third  wife  would 
not  be  called  absolutely  his  firstborn  (cp.  on  Num.  iii.  43). 
Hur,  his  son,  by  Ephrath,  is  called  (v.  50)  the  firstborn  of 
Ephrath. 

The  name  of  this  firstborn  son  is  put  in  the  last  place  for 
some  special  reason.  The  name  of  Mesha  occurs  among  the 
Kings  of  Moab  (2  Kings  iii.  4),  and  it  may  remind  us  of  the 
connexion  between  the  tribe  of  Judah  and  Moab,  as  seen  in 
the  history  of  Ruth,  and  of  David  :  see  1  Sam.  xxii.  3. 

Ziph]  The  name  also  of  two  cities  in  Judah  (Josh.  xv. 
24.  55). 

It  is  not  improbable,  that  the  term  "  father  of  Ziph  "  may 
mean  "ruler  of  Ziph,"  and  the  "sons  of  Mareshah"  may  mean 
colonists  or  offshoots  of  that  place  (cp.  BertJieau,  p.  23).  In- 
deed, it  seems  that  wherever  the  word  "father  "  occurs  in  this 
section  {vv.  42 — 52),  it  is  not  to  be  understood  literally,  but  is 
a  title  signifying  the  prince  of  the  place,  which  is  connected 
with  it.  This  section  seems  to  have  a  character  peculiar  to 
itself,  and  to  be  geographical  rather  than  genealogical  in  the 
literiU  sense  of  the  word. 


Caleb  the  son  of  Har. 


1  CHRONICLES  11.  43—55. 


The  Kenites. 


y  Josh.  15.  17. 

II  Or,  Ephralh, 
ver.  19. 


II  Or,  Realah, 

ch.  4.  2. 

II  Or,  half  of  the 

Menucltilet,  or, 

Halsi-ham- 

mcnuchdth. 

II  Or,  Atnrili's, 
or,  crowns  of  the 
house  ofJoab. 


z  Judges  1.  16. 


a  Jer.  35.  2. 


^^And  the  sons  of  Hebron;  Korah,  and  Tappuah,  and  Rekem,  and  Shema. 
^^  And  Shema  begat  Raham,  the  father  of  Jorkoam  :  and  Rekem  begat  Sham- 
mai.  ^-^  And  the  son  of  Shammai  was  Maon :  and  Maon  ivas  the  father  of  Beth- 
zur.  '^^And  Ephah,  Caleb's  concubine,  bare  Haran,  and  Moza,  and  Gazez : 
and  Haran  begat  Gazez.  ^'^  And  the  sons  of  Jahdai ;  Regem,  and  Jotham,  and 
Gesham,  and  Relet,  and  Ephah,  and  Shaaph.  ^^  Maachah,  Caleb's  concubine, 
bare  Sheber,  and  Tirhanah.  ^^  She  bare  also  Shaaph  the  father  of  Mad- 
mannah,  Sheva  the  father  of  Machbenah,  and  the  father  of  Gibea :  and  the 
daughter  of  Caleb  ivas  ^  Achsa. 

^^  These  were  the  sons  of  Caleb  the  son  of  Hur,  the  firstborn  of  ||  Ephratah ; 
Shobal  the  father  of  Kirjath-jearim,  ^^  Salma  the  father  of  Beth-lehem, 
Hareph  the  father  of  Beth-gader.  ^- And  Shobal  the  father  of  Kirjath-jearim 
had  sons;  ||  Haroeh,  and  ||  half  of  the  Manahethites.  '^'^And  the  famihes  of 
Kirjath-jearim ;  the  Ithrites,  and  the  Puhites,  and  the  Shumatliites,  and  the 
Mishraites  ;  of  them  came  the  Zareathites,  and  the  Eshtaulites.  ^^  The  sons 
of  Salma ;  Beth-lehem,  and  the  Netophathites,  ||  Ataroth,  the  house  of  Joab, 
and  half  of  the  Manahethites,  the  Zorites.  ^^  And  the  families  of  the  scribes 
which  dwelt  at  Jabez  ;  the  Tirathites,  the  Shiineathites,  and  Suchathites. 
These  are  the  "■  Kenites  that  came  of  Hemath,  the  father  of  the  house  of 
^  Rechab. 


—  Mareshah']  The  name  also  of  a  city  in  Judah,  near  Ziph 
(see  Josli.  XV.  44.  2  Chron.  xi.  8),  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from 
Beit-Jibrin,  and  now  called  Merash  ( Vandevelde,  p.  333 ; 
Maumer,  Pal.  p.  192). 

—  Sebron]  Also  the  name  of  a  city,  greatly  renowned  in 
Judah  (Gcu.  xiii.  18 ;  xxiii.  2.  19),  near  to  Machpelah  (Gen. 
XXXV.  27),  given  to  Caleb  by  Joshua  (Josh.  xiv.  13);  and  at 
Hebron,  David  was  anointed  King  of  Judah,  and  of  all  Israel 
(2  Sam.  ii.  11 ;  v.  3  ;  below,  xii.  23—38). 

43.  Ta/ppuah]  Also  the  name  of  a  city  of  Judah  (Josh. 
XV.  34). 

—  Rekeni]  Also  the  name  of  a  city  in  Benjamin  (Josh, 
xviii.  27). 

45.  Maon]  Also  the  name  yf  a  city  in  Judah  (Josh.  xv.  55), 
and  mentioned  in  the  history  of  David  (1  Sam.  xxiii.  24). 

49.  the  daughter  of  Caleb  was  Achsa]  Hence  some  have 
imagined  that  the  author  makes  a  confusion  between  this  Caleb, 
the  son  of  Hezron  (the  grandson  of  Judah),  and  "  Caleb,  the 
son  of  Jephunneh,"  who  had  a  daughter  called  Achsa,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Othniel  (see  Josh.  xv.  16,  17.  Judg.  i. 
12,  13) ;  and  some  have  supposed  that  Caleb,  the  son  of 
Hezron,  was  the  same  person  as  Caleb,  the  son  of  Jephunneh 
(so  Bertheau,  p.  22). 

But  Caleb,  the  son  of  Hezron,  belonged  to  an  earlier 
period  than  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  who  is  mentioned 
below,  iv.  15  (cp.  above,  v.  18).  It  was  natural,  that  Caleb, 
the  son  of  Jephunneh,  whose  name  was  a  repetition  of  a  name 
honoured  in  his  own  tribe,  should  have  desired  to  continue  the 
name  Achsa,  which  had  been  borne  by  a  daughter  of  his 
ancestors  who  had  the  same  name  as  himself.  Caleb  and 
Achsa  were  probably  "household  words"  in  Judah  (cp.  iv.  15. 
Cp.  Br.  W.  S.  Mill,  on  the  Genealogies,  p.  129).  This  is 
confirmed  by  what  follows. 

50.  Caleb  the  son  of  Hur]  Hur  wa3  the  son  of  the  Caleb 
just  mentioned,  by  his  wife  Ephrath  {v.  19) ;  and  Hur  gave  to 
his  son  the  name  Caleb,  the  name  of  his  own  father.  There  is 
reason  to  believe  that  this  Caleb  may  have  been  the  same  as  the 
celebrated  Caleb,  the  son  of  Jephunneh.  Historical  considerations 
impel  us  to  regard  the  Jephunneh  of  Num.  xiii.  6,  as  a  surname 
of  the  Hur  in  Exod.  xvii.  10 ;  xxiv.  14 ;  xxxi.  2  ;  xxxv.  30.  The 
account  in  Josh.  xv.  13 — 62,  of  the  conquests  of  Caleb,  the  son  of 
J  ephunneh,  in  the  mountain-tract  of  southern  Judea,  answers 
exactly  to  what  we  read  of  Caleb,  the  son  of  Hur,  first  occupying 
the  tract,  and  then  making  his  sons  patriarchal  rulers  in  its 
several  cities.  It  is  no  sufiicient  objection  to  this,  that  Caleb,  the 
son  of  Jephunneh,  has  a  separate  mention  below,  in  iv.  15.  The 
same  is  the  case  with  Caleb,  the  son  of  Hezron  (ii.  18 ;  ii.  50). 
On  the  other  hand,  it  must  be  allowed  that  the  conquests  of 
Judah,  described  in  Josh.  xv.  13 — 62,  were  not  all  achieved  by 
Caleb,  the  son  of  Jephunneh.     Some  of  them  were  due  to  other 

172 


persons ;  and  among  these  persons  may  have  been  a  Caleb,  tho 
son  of  Hur. 

—  Kirjath-jearim]  The  name  of  a  city  in  Judah  (Josh.  ix. 
17  J  XV.  60).  The  old  Gibeonitish  city  (Josh.  ix.  17)  where 
the  Ark  tarried  long,  and  from  whence  it  was  brought  to  Zion 
by  David.  See  above,  1  Sam.  vi.  21 ;  vii.  2.  2  Sam.  vi.  2. 
Below,  1  Chron.  xiv.  5,  6.  The  word  father  is  here  rendered 
prince  by  the  Targum.  Cp.  v.  51;  and  so  Burrington,  i. 
212. 

61.  Salma]  Another  family-name  repeated.  See  Ruth  iv.  20 ; 
above,  v.  11.  Dr.  Mill  (on  the  Genealogies,  pp.  127 — 130) 
supposes  them  to  be  the  same  person ;  and  so  Lord  A.  Hervey 
(on  the  Genealogies,  ch.  iv.  and  ix. ;  and  in  B.  D.  ii.  1094).  In 
which  case  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  Salma  was  literally  the 
son  of  Caleb.  What  would  be  meant  by  his  being  called  his 
son,  would  be  that  his  local  inheritance  was  derived  from  him, 
and  was  part  of  Caleb's  territory. 

—  the  father  of  Beth-lehem]  The  Syriac  rendei-s  this,  born 
at  Beth-lehem ;  and  so  Arabic :  and  the  sense  may  be  that  he 
was  the  lord  of  that  city  (cp.  v.  54  ;  and  below,  iv.  4).  The 
same  may  be  said  of  what  follows,  "  Hareph,  the  father  of 
Beth-gader,"  which  was  perhaps  the  same  place  as  Geder,  in 
Josh.  xii.  13.  Cp.  below,  xii.  4;  xxvii.  28.  With  this  sense 
of  the  word  father,  we  may  compare  Horace's  "  Bater  Urbium," 
3  Od.  xxiv.  28. 

52.  Haroeh,  and  half  of  the  Manahethites]  The  other  por- 
tion is  specified  in  v.  54.  Both  portions  were  from  Salma,  but 
by  different  lines  :  cp.  Burrington,  i.  213. 

53.  Zareathites,  and  the  Eshtaulites]  Of  Zareah,  or  Zorah, 
and  Eshtaol,  two  cities  of  Judah  (Kimchi).  See  Josh.  xv.  33 ; 
Judg.  xiii.  25 ;  xvi.  31.    Grove,  B.  D.  i.  190;  ii.  1861. 

54.  Ataroth]  So  Sept.,  and  Houbigant,  and  others.  It  is 
rendered  crowns  by  Tulg.,  and  "glory "  by  some  of  our  old 
English  Versions. 

55.  Jahez]  Supposed  by  Kimchi,  and  other  Hebrew  doctors, 
to  have  been  founded  by  the  Jabez,  whose  interesting  history  is 
given  below,  in  iv.  9  :  see  note  there. 

—  the  Tirathites,  the  Shimeathites,  and  Suchathites]  The 
Yulg.  renders  this  by  "  Tonantes  atque  resonantes,  et  in  taber- 
naculis  commorantes," — a  version  grounded  on  the  supposition 
that  these  words  are  derived  from  the  Hebrew  words  teruah, 
a  joyful  noise  ;  shama,  to  hear  ;  and  succah,  a  tent  (cp.  Chrove, 
B.  D.  ii.  1614).  The  first  word  may  mean  doorkeeper  {Gesen. 
874;  Bertheau,  27).  Perhaps  the  word  suchathites  may  bo 
derived  from  the  habits  of  the  Kenites  here  mentioned,  who 
lived  a  nomad  life  in  tents :  see  Jer.  xxxv.  7.  10. 

The  Kenites. 

—  These  are  the  Kenites— Rechab]  The  Kenites,  the  seed 
of  Jethro  and  Hobab,  who  were  Midianites,  were  invited  by  the 


David's  line 


1  CHRONICLES  III.  1—16.        to  Zedekiah  and  Jeconiah. 


III.  ^  Now  these  were  the  sons  of  David,  which  were  born  unto  him  in 
Hebron  ;  the  firstborn  ^  Amnon,  of  Aliinoam  the  ''  Jezreehtess ;  the  second 
II  Daniel,  of  Abigail  the  Carmelitess  :  ^  The  third,  Absalom  the  son  of  Maachah 
the  daughter  of  Talmai  king  of  Geshur  :  the  fourth,  Adonijah  the  son  of  Hag- 
gith  :  ^  The  fifth,  Shephatiah  of  Abital :  the  sixth,  Ithream  by  "  Eglah  his  wife. 
*  These  six  were  born  unto  him  in  Hebron  ;  and  ^  there  he  reigned  seven  years 
and  six  months  :  and  ^  in  Jerusalem  he  reigned  thirty  and  three  years.  ^  *"  And 
these  were  born  unto  him  in  Jerusalem  ;  ||  Shimea,  and  Shobab,  and  Nathan, 
and  ^  Solomon,  four,  of  ||  Bath-shua  the  daughter  of  ||  Ammiel :  ^  Ibhar  also, 
and  II  Elishama,  and  Eliphelet,  ^And  Nogah,  and  Nepheg,  and  Japhia,  ^And 
EHshama,  and  ||  Ehada,  and  EHphelet,  *!  nine.  ^  These  tcere  all  the  sons  of 
David,  beside  the  sons  of  the  concubines,  and  'Tamar  their  sister. 

'°And  Solomon's  son  2vas  "  Rehoboam,  ||  Abia  his  son,  Asa  his  son,  Jeho- 
shaphat  his  son,  ^^  Joram  his  son,  ||  Ahaziah  his  son,  Joash  his  son,  ^^Ama- 
ziah  his  son,  ||  Azariah  his  son,  Jotham  his  son,  ^^  Ahaz  his  son,  Hezekiah 
his  son,  Manasseh  his  son,  ^"^  Amon  his  son,  Josiah  his  son. 

^^And  the  sons  of  Josiah  ivere,  the  firstborn  ||  Johanan,  the  second  ||  Jehoia- 
kim,  the  third  ||  Zedekiah,  the  fourth  Shallum. 

^^And  the  sons  of '  Jehoiakim:  ||  Jeconiah  his  son,  Zedekiah  ""  his  son. 


about 
J053, 
&e. 

a  2  Sam.  3.  2. 

b  Josh.  15.  56. 

11  Or,  Chileab, 

2  Sara.  3.  3. 


c  2  Sam.  3.  5. 
d  2  Sam.  2.  11. 

e  2  Sam.  5.  5. 

f  2  Sam.  5.  14. 

ch.  14.  4. 

II  Or,  Shammua, 

2  Sam.  5.  14. 

g  2  Sam.  12.  24. 

11  Or,  Bath-sheba, 

2  Sam.  11.3. 

II  Or,  Elutm, 

2  Sam.  11.3. 

II  Or,  El's/iua, 

2  Sam.  5.  15. 

II  Or,  Beeliada, 

ch.  14.  7. 

h  See  2  Sam.  5. 

14,  15,  l(i. 

i  2  Sam.  13.  I. 

k  1  Kings  11.  43. 

&  15.  6. 

11  Or,  Abijam, 

1  Kings  15,  1. 
II  Or,  Azariah, 

2  Chron.  22.  6. 
or.  Jehonhaz, 

2  Chron.  21.  17. 
II  Or,  Uzziah, 
2  Kings  15.  30. 
II  Or,  jehoa/taz, 
2  Kings  23.  30. 


H  Or,  Elialiim,  2  Kings  23.  34.  ||  Or,  Mallaniuh,  2  Kings  24.  17.  1  Matt.  1.11.  0  Or,  Jehoiachin,  2  Kings  24.  6. 

or,  Coniah,  Jer.  22.  24.  m  2  Kings  24. 17,  being  his  uncle. 


Israelites,  on  their  entrance  into  Canaan,  to  dwell  among  tliem ; 
and  they  planted  themselves  in  the  wilderness  of  Judah  (see 
above,  note  on  Judg.  i.  16.  Cp.  1  Sam.  xv.  6;  x.^vii.  10;  and 
Jer.  XXXV.),  and  are  therefore  mentioned  in  connexion  with 
Judah  here. 

From  the  notice  given  of  them  here,  they  seem  even  to 
have  been  admitted  among  the  Scribes  or  Teachers  of  the 
Law. 

—  HematK]  Heb.  Chammath;  an  ancestor  of  Jonadab,  the 
son  of  Rechab  (2  Kings  x.  15.  23). 

The  patriarchal  simplicity  and  ascetic  life  of  the  Kenites, 
exercising  great  influence  with  the  people  by  their  sanctity, 
and  the  fact  of  their  being  Scribes,  learned  in  the  Law, 
may  have  suggested  to  Jehu  the  desire  to  associate  "  Jonadab, 
the  son  of  Kechab,"  with  himself  in  his  acts  of  religious  re- 
formation.   See  above,  2  Kings  x.  15,  16. 

In  the  interesting  historical  record  here  presented  to  us 
of  the  Kenites,  we  have  another  example  of  the  connexion  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah  with  other  non-Israelitish  races,  and  of  the 
ungrudging  communication  of  the  blessings,  with  which  Judah 
was  endowed,  to  those  exotic  races.  The  Kenite  "  families  of 
Scribes"  dwelling  at  Jabez,  among  the  households  of  Judah, 
may  remind  us  of  the  liberal  generosity  and  gratitude  with 
which  the  Christian  Judah, — the  Catholic  Church, — availed 
herself  of  the  learning  and  sanctity  of  heathen  Teachers, — such 
as  Justin  Martyr,  Athenagoras,  Pantasnus,  Clemens  Alexan- 
drinus,  Tcrtullian,  Cyprian,  Augustine,  —  and  enlisted  them 
with  the  children  of  Judah  in  advancing  the  cause  of  the 
Gospel.  In  this  respect,  as  in  others,  Jabez,  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  appears  to  be  a  type  of  Christ.  See  further  below,  on 
IV.  9—10. 

Ch.  III.  The  Postebitt  of  David. 

In  this  chapter  the  Sacred  Writer  traces  the  line  of  David 
to  his  own  age. 

1.  born  unto  Mm  in  Sehron']  See  2  Sam.  iii.  2 — 5. 

—  DanieV]  Probably  the  same  as  Chileab  (2  Sam.  iii.  3). 

2.  Absalom']  In  some  Hebrew  MSS.  this  name  has  the 
Hebrew  letter  lamed  prefixed  to  it ;  for  the  supposed  reasons  of 
which,  see  Bertheau,  Chronik.  p.  28. 

3.  Eglah  his  wife']  It  is  remarkable  that  Eglah  is  the  only 
woman  in  this  list  who  is  called  David's  wife.  Hence  the 
Rabbis  suppose  that  Eglah  was  another  name  for  Michal, 
Saul's  daughter  (1  Sam.  xviii.  20—27),  the  first  person  who 
was  married  to  David.  The  assertion  of  the  childlessness  ot 
Michal,  in  2  Sam.  vi.  23,  may  only  be  applicable  to  the 
period  after  the  sin  there  described.  See  above,  on  2  Sam. 
vi.  23. 

If  this  be  true,  may  not  these  words,  "  the  wife  of  David," 
be  like  a  Divine  protest  against  David's  polygamv,  which  was 
173 


the  fruitful  cause  of  all  his  sorrows  ?   See  above,  on  2  Sam.  xi.  3 ; 
xiii.  13. 

5.  born  unto  him  in  Jerusalem]  See  2  Sam.  v.  13  — 16. 

—  Nathan]  Through  whom  the  line  of  David  to  Christ  was 
continued,  when  it  failed  in  Jeconiah  from  Solomon :  see  on 
V.  17. 

Theodoret  (Quajst.  i.  in  Paralip.)  notices  it  as  one  of  the 
uses  of  this  Book  of  Chronicles  that  hence  we  learn  that 
Nathan,  through  whom  the  genealogy  of  our  Lord  is  deduced 
by  St.  Luke,  was  the  son  of  David.     See  Luke  iii.  31. 

—  Bath-shua]  Or  Bathsheba.    See  2  Sam.  xi.  3. 

—  Ammiel]  Or  Eliam  (2  Sam.  xi.  3). 
6-8.]  See  xiv.  5—7. 

—  nine]  Only  seven  are  mentioned  in  2  Sam.  v.  16 :  see  the 
note  there. 

9.  and  Tamar  their  sister]  That  is,  and  Tamar  was  their 
sister.  These  words  are  not  to  be  joined  with  the  previous 
word  "  beside,"  but  form  a  separate  clause.  Tamar  is  specially 
mentioned  with  reference  to  the  history  in  2  Sam.  xiii. 

10 — 15.]  This  section  contains  a  list  of  the  Kings  of  Judah 
from  David  to  Josiah.  The  Queen  Athaliah,  being  a  usurper 
(2  Kings  xi.),  is  not  mentioned. 

15.  the  sons  of  Josiah]  The  firstborn,  Johanan,  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  Books  of  Kings.  Probably  he  died  before 
his  father's  death  (cp.  Hdvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  185). 

—  Jehoiakim]  Called  Eliakim  by  his  father,  but  Jehoiakim 
by  Pharaoh-nechoh,  King  of  Egypt  (2  Kings  xxiii.  34). 

—  Zedekiah]  The  same  as  Mattaniah,  the  youngest  of 
Josiah's  sons,  as  appears  by  his  age,  when  he  was  made  king, 
after  that  Jehoiakim  was  carried  away  captive  (2  Kings  xxiv. 
17,  18) ;  he  was  the  last  King  of  Judah. 

—  Shallum]  The  same  as  Jehoahaz,  the  successor  of  Josiah 
(see  Jer.  xxii.  11.  2  Kings  xxiii.  30 — 34).  He  seems  to  be 
put  last,  as  having  been  illegally  made  King  by  a  popular  fac- 
tion before  his  elder  brother  Jehoiakim,  and  in  three  months' 
time  thrust  out  of  his  throne  by  Pharaoh-nechoh,  King  of 
Egypt  (2  Kings  xxiii.  30—36). 

16.  Zedekiah  his  son]  That  is,  his  successor  in  the  kingdom  : 
he  was  his  uncle  (see  2  Kings  xxiv.  17). 

Zedekiah  (as  already  stated,  v.  15)  was  son  of  Josiah. 
The  sacred  writer  is  careful  not  to  omit  the  names  of  any  of 
the  lauful  kings  in  their  regular  order.  Hence  Zedekiah's 
name  occurs  twice.  There  can  be  no  confusion,  if  the  writer's 
plan  is  considered.  Cp.  Burrington,  Genealogy,  i.  240;  Keil, 
p.  172 ;  Kervey,  B.  D.  i.  943. 

The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  genealogy  of  Kings  of 
Judah  in  St.  Matthew,  ch.  i.  11,  where  Josiah  is  said  to  have 
begotten  Jeconiah  :  "  Multi  dicuntur  filii,  qui  legaliter  taatum 
erant  fihi.  id  est,  hceredes  "  (^Cajjpellus). 


Jeconiah — Sa  lathiel. 


1  CHBONICLES  III.  17—21. 


Zerubhdbel. 


f  Heb.  Shealilel. 
n  Matt.  1.13. 


^7 And  the  sons  of  Jeconiah;  Assir,  f  Salathiel  "his  son,  ^^Malchiram  also, 
and  Pedaiah,  and  Shenazar,  Jecamiah,  Hoshama,  and  Nedabiah. 

^^  And  the  sons  of  Pedaiah  tvere,  Zerubhahel,  and  Shimei :  and  the  sons  of 
Zeruhbabel ;  Meshullam,  and  Hananiah,  and  Shelomith  their  sister  :  ^o  ^^d 
Hashubah,  and  Ohel,  and  Berechiah,  and  Hasadiah,  Jushabhesed,  five. 

^^  And  the  sons  of  Hananiah  ;  Pelatiah,  and  Jesaiah :  the  sons  of  Rephaiah, 
the  sons  of  Arnan,  the  sons  of  Obadiah,  the  sons  of  Shechaniah. 


17.  Jeconiah']  The  son  of  Jehoiakim ;  lie  is  called  JehoiacMn 
in  2  Kings  xxiv.  8,  wliere  see  note. 

AssiE. — Salathiel. 

—  Assir]  This  word  has  been  interpreted  in  two  ways. 

(1)  It  has  been  supposed  by  some  (e.  g.  Jeromiast.)  to  mean 
captive  (from  asar,  to  bind.  Gesen.  68),  and  to  be  an  epithet 
of  the  foregoing  word,  Jeconiah,  and  to  describe  him  as  carried 
captive  to  Babylon.  So  Kinichi,  Abarhanel,  Tremellius,  Junius, 
lAghtfoot,  Surenhusius ;  and  Dr.  W.  Mill,  on  the  Genealogies, 
p.  140,  seems  to  incline  to  this  rendering ;  and  so  Bertheau. 

In  favour  of  this  opinion,  it  may  be  urged  that  Jeremiah's 
prophecy  seems  to  foretell  that  Jeconiah  should  have  no  son 
(Jer.  xxii.  30).  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Write  this  raan childless, 
a  man  that  shall  not  prosper  in  his  days :  for  no  man  of  his  seed 
shall  prosper,  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  David,  and  ruling  any 
more  in  Judah." 

It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  Salathiel,  who  is  next  men- 
tioned, was  not  his  son,  or  descendant  by  direct  natural  pro- 
ci-eation,  as  is  shown  from  the  Genealogy  in  St.  Luke's  Gospel, 
which  represents  the  natural  succession,  and  where  Salathiel  is 
described  as  the  son  of  Neri  (Luke  iii.  27). 

The  succession  of  David's  line,  as  traced  through  Solomon, 
failed  in  Jeconiah;  but  it  did  not  therefore  fail  altogether. 
God  had  promised  that  it  should  never  fail  (see  on  2  Sam.  vii.. 
Prelim.  Note,  and  vv.  16.  25).  It  failed  in  the  line  of  Solomon, 
but  it  flowed  on  in  the  line  of  Nathan,  the  son  of  David,  whose 
genealogy  is  therefore  traced  by  St.  Luke  from  David  to  Christ 
(Luke  iii.  31). 

At  that  point,  where  David's  line  through  Solomon  had 
failed,  namely,  in  Jeconiah  (who  was  written  childless),  there  it 
was  supplied  from  the  line  of  Nathan,  whose  lineal  descendant 
Salathiel  was,  as  is  shown  by  St.  Luke  iii.  27 — 31  (cp.  Dr. 
W.  H.  Mill  on  the  Genealogies,  p.  159—175). 

(2)  Still,  Assir  may  be  regarded  as  a  proper  name.  This 
rendering  is  less  abrupt  and  more  natural.  Assir  may  have 
been  a  son  of  Jeconiah,  and  have  been  called  by  this  name 
because  born  in  the  captivity.  And  he  may  have  died  young, 
before  his  father,  and  so  Jeconiah,  having  no  other  son,  may 
have  been  childless  even  in  a  more  emphatic  sense  of  the  term 
than  if  he  had  never  had  any  offspring  at  all ;  and  this  rendering 
seems  more  suitable  to  the  context  here. 

The  word  Assir  has  no  definite  article ;  which  surely  it 
would  have  had  if  it  were  descriptive  of  Jeconiah  himself.  The 
translation  would  be  very  inelegant  if  it  stood  thus,  "  The  sons 
of  Jeconiah,  captive,  Salathiel  his  son."  But  the  words  are 
much  more  clear  as  represented  in  our  Version,  and  in  the 
Ancient  Versions,  and  as  they  were  understood  by  Josephus 
(Antt.  X.  11.  2).  And  the  meaning  of  the  sentence  seems  to  be 
tliat  Jeconiah  had  one  son,  Assir  j  but  as  he  died  young,  and 
Jeconiah  was  thus  made  childless,  therefore  Salathiel  was 
adopted  as  Assir's  son  from  the  line  of  Nathan.  Cp.  Biirrington, 
i.  244 — 246.  Kervey  on  the  Genealogies  of  Jesus  Christ,  pp.  71 
— 73 ;  and  B.  D.  i.  943 ;  and  note  below,  on  v.  19. 

Zeettbbabel. 

18, 19.  Malchiram  also,  and  Pedaiah]  These  were  "brethren 
of  Salathiel.  In  St.  Matt.  i.  12,  Zerubbabel  is  said  to  be  a  son  of 
Salathiel,  i.  e.  probably  a  son  by  a  levirate  marriage  from 
Pedaiah  his  brother  {Havernick,  p.  185 ;  Movers,  229).  Zerub- 
babel is  also  called  a  son  of  Salathiel  by  Ezra  (iii.  2 ;  v.  2),  and 
Haggai  (i.  1.  12) ;  cp.  Dr.  W.  H.  Mill  on  the  Genealogies,  pp. 
138, 139,  and  165.  If  this  Zerubbabel  is  the  same  as  the  leader  of 
the  captive  Jews  on  their  return  from  Babylon  (Ezra  iii.  2), 
then  the  Rhesa  mentioned  by  St.  Luke  (iii.  27)  as  his  son, 
is  another  name  for  one  of  his  sons  here  enumerated.  Dr. 
W.  -fir.  Mill,  p.  154,  and  Lord  A.  Hervey  suppose  Rhesa  to  be 
only  a  title,  signifying  head  (Heb.  rash)  or  prince  ;  the  former 
174 


identifies  Rhesa  with  HananiaJi.,  the  l9,tter  regards  Rhesa  as 
merely  an  expletive,  and  supposes  that  Hananiah  the  son  of 
Zerubbabel  here  is  the  same  as  Joanna  in  St.  Luke  iii.  27 
{Servey  on  the  Genealogies,  p.  iii.,  B.  D.  i.  668.  748 ;  ii.  1041). 

—  the  sons  of  Pedaiah  vf eve — Zerubhahel]  See  the  foregoing 
note.  Zeruhbabel  was  probably  so  called  as  being  David's  seed 
(Heb.  zeru,  sown,  from  zara,  to  sow),  born  at  Babylon,  and 
preserved  in  the  CajDtivity,  and  sprouting  up  afresh,  as  it  were, 
in  evil  days,  in  the  line  of  Nathan,  though  it  had  failed  in  the 
more  glorious  line  of  Solomon  in  Jeconiah :  see  on  v.  17,  and 
below,  notes  on  Matt.  i.  12,  and  15.  Thus  the  name  Zeruhbabel 
stands  in  striking  contrast  to  the  name  Assir :  see  on  v. 
17  here. 

—  Hananiah]  See  on  v.  18. 

20.  five]  i.  e.  being  by  the  same  father,  but  a  difierent 
mother;  whereas  the  other  two  sons,  with  Shelomith  their 
sister,  were  from  the  same  mother  as  well  as  father. 

21.  Rephaiah — Arnan — Obadiah — Shechaniah]  It  has  been 
alleged  by  some  (Berthold,  De  Wette,  Gr amber g)  that  the 
number  of  generations  in  this  genealogy  (continued  in  vv.  22 — 
— 24)  is  so  great,  that  it  must  have  extended  to  the  time  of 
Alexander  the  Great;  and  that  consequently  the  Books  of 
Chronicles  cannot  be  earlier  than  that  time. 

But  this  allegation  rests  on  very  weak  grounds.  It  is  not 
said  that  Shechaniah,  the  only  person  here  whose  genealogy  is 
traced  to  the  end  of  the  chapter,  was  a  son  of  Hananiah. 
Various  modes  of  exhibiting  the  oft'spring  of  Hananiah  may 
be  seen  in  the  Sept.  and  Vulg. ;  and  in  Syriac  and  Arabic ; 
and  Mill  on  the  Genealogies,  pp.  142  and  152,  153,  notes. 

Dr.  Mill  arranges  the  order  thus,  according  to  the  Arabic 
and  Syriac  Versions,  "  The  sons  of  Hananiah  were  Pelatiah  and 
Jesaiah,  whose  son  was  Rephaiah,  the  father  of  Arnau ;  and  also 
Obadiah  the  father  of  Shechaniah ;  and  the  sons  of  Shechaniah, 
Shemaiah,"  &c.  But  this  order  would  involve  the  supposition 
of  a  longer  interval  than  elapsed  between  Jeconiah  and  the 
composition  of  the  Chronicles. 

The  order  is  arranged  by  Bertheau,  p.  35,  thus, — 

(1)  Hananiah. 

(2)  Shechaniah. 

(3)  Shemaiah. 

(4)  Neariah. 

(5)  Elioenai. 

(6)  His  seven  sons. 

It  is  maintained  with  much  probability  by  Bertheau  that 
there  are  not  more  than  seven  generations  from  Zerubbabel  to 
the  sons  of  Elioenai;  miA  Ewald  calculates  only  six  (Oesen., 
i.  229).  Keil  (Versuch,  p.  45)  supposes  an  interpolation  in 
vv.  22 — 24.  But  there  seems  no  adequate  reason  for  deserting 
the  Authorized  Version,  which  has  the  sanction  of  the  Hebrew 
MSS. 

The  follo\ving  remarks  on  this  subject  are  by  Dr.  Pusey, 
Lectures  on  Daniel,  p.  330  : — "  The  only  plea  alleged  for  assigning 
a  later  date  to  the  Books  of  Chronicles  has  been  obtained  by 
making  the  genealogy,  at  the  close  of  the  third  chapter  of  the 
first  Book,  consecutive,  which  any  one  may  see,  even  from  a  trans- 
lation, that  it  is  not.  In  this  way  six  generations  were  obtained 
from  Zerubbabel,  and  the  date  was  carried  down  to  the  end  of 
the  Persian  Empire  in  the  time  of  Alexander.  Yet  there  is  a 
manifest  break  at  the  second  generation  after  Zerubbabel; 
'  And  the  sons  of  Hananiah,  Pelatiah,  and  Jesaiah.'  There 
his  genealogy  closes.  What  follows,  '  the  sons  of  Rephaiah,  the 
sons  of  Arnan,  the  sons  of  Obadiah,  the  sons  of  Shechaniah ' 
obviously  stands  in  no  relation  to  what  went  before,  since  no 
parent  of  any  of  those  named,  Rephaiah,  Arnan,  Obadiah,  or 
Shechaniah,  had  been  mentioned.  The  phrase,  "the  sons  of 
Shechaniah,"  and  the  like,  throughout  this  genealogy,  introduces 
the  next  link  of  the  genealogy  downwards.  These  families 
stand  in  no  connexion  with  that  of  Zerubbabel.  The  want  of 
relation  to  the  preceding,  and  of  any  grammatical  connexion 


Caleb  son  of  Hur.        1  CHEONICLES  III.  22-24.     IV.  1—10. 


Jahe^ 


^  And  the  sons  of  Shechaniali ;  Shemaiah  :  and  the  sons  of  Shemaiah  ; 
"  Hattush,  and  Igeal,  and  Bariah,  and  Neariah,  and  Shaphat,  six. 

23  And  the  sons  of  Neariah ;  Ehoenai,  and  f  Hezeldah,  and  Azrikam,  three. 
2-*  And  the  sons  of  Ehoenai  were,  Hodaiah,  and  Ehashib,  and  Pelaiah,  and 
Akkub,  and  Johanan,  and  Dalaiah,  and  Anani,  seven. 

IV.  ^  The  sons  of  Judah ;  ^  Pharez,  Hezron,  and  ||  Carmi,  and  Hur,  and 
Shobal.  "  And  ||  Reaiah  the  son  of  Shobal  begat  Jahath  ;  and  Jahath  begat 
Ahumai,  and  Lahad.  These  are  the  famihes  of  the  Zorathites.  ^  And  these 
were  of  the  father  of  Etam ;  Jezreel,  and  Ishma,  and  Idbash  :  and  the  name  of 
their  sister  was  Hazelelponi :  '^  And  Penuel  the  father  of  G-edor,  and  Ezer  the 
father  of  Hnshah.  These  are  the  sons  of  ^  Hur,  the  firstborn  of  Ephratah,  the 
father  of  Beth-lehem. 

^  And  '^  Ashur  the  father  of  Tekoa  had  two  wives,  Helah  and  Naarah.  ^  And 
Naarah  bare  him  Ahuzam,  and  Hepher,  and  Temeni,  and  Haahashtari.  These 
were  the  sons  of  Naarah.  ^  And  the  sons  of  Helah  tvere,  Zereth,  and  Jezoar, 
and  Ethnan.  ^And  Coz  begat  Anub,  and  Zobebah,  and  the  famihes  of  Aharhel 
the  son  of  Harum. 

^  And  Jabez  was  "^  more  honourable  than  his  brethren :  and  his  mother  called 
his  name  ||  Jabez,  saying.  Because  I  bare  him  with  sorrow.  ^°And  Jabez  called 
on  the  God  of  Israel,  saying, 


o  Ezra  8.  2. 

t  Heb.HiskiJo/'U 


1300, 
&c. 
a  Gen.  38.  29.  & 
•IG.  12. 

U  Or,  Chelubai, 
ch.  2.  9.  or,  Cale\ 
ch.  2.  18. 
II  Or,  Haroeh, 
ch.  2.  52. 


b  ch.  2.  50. 


d  Gen.  34.  19. 


II  That  is, 
Sorrowful. 


with  it,  gives  to  the  section  the  appearance  of  an  ancient  gloss. 
This  was  the  opinion,  not  only  of  the  older  critical  school, 
Vitringa,  Heidegger,  Carpzov,  but  even  of  Le  Clerc,  J.  D. 
Michaelis  (Bibl.  Or.  T.  xx.  p.  28),  and  Eichhorn  (Einl.  iii.  596, 
ed.  4,  quoted  by  Keil,  apol.  Vers.,  p.  45).  Herzfeld  too  says, 
A  further  descent  (than  Pelatiah  and  Jeshaia)  is  evidently 
not  given  there;  the  'sons'  of  Rephaia,  of  Arnau,  Obadiah, 
and  Shechaniah  are  doubtless  families  descended  from  David, 
whose  descent  the  Writer  of  the  Chronicles  either  could  or 
would  not  specify,  and  which  he  therefore  only  recounts  parallel 
with  one  another.  Yet  even  if  it  be  part  of  the  book,  the  six 
generations,  required  to  bring  down  tlie  date  of  the  Books  of 
the  Chronicles,  are  only  obtained  by  introducing  into  the  text 
what  is  not  there,  viz.,  that  Shechaniah,  whose  sons  are  men- 
tioned, was  himself  the  son  of  Hananiah.  If  21 — 24  is  part  of 
the  text,  it  must  be  pointed;  'And  the  sons  of  Hananiah, 
Pelatiah,  and  Jesaiah.  The  sons  of  Rephaiah,  the  sons  of 
Arnan,  the  sons  of  Obadiah,  the  sons  of  Shechaniah.  And  the  sons 
of  Shechaniah,  Shemaiah,'  &c.  In  this  way,  although  the  state- 
ment is  rather  abrupt,  they  would  stand  as  Davidic  families,  of 
which  the  writei',  in  any  case,  gives  the  succession  of  the  last 
only." 

22.  Hattush']  AMio  seems  to  be  mentioned  as  among  the 
posterity  of  Da\ad  by  Ezra  (viii.  2),  and  as  Ezra's  contemporary. 
Cp.  Mill,  p.  153. 

—  sixl  Or  perhaps  Shishah,  a  proper  name ;  the  number 
being  only  five.  Others  suppose  that  one  name  has  dropped 
out  (so  Bertheau). 

23.  Elioenai']  Wliich  signifies  Ood  the  Lord  of  my  eyes 
(see  Ps.  XXV.  15)  :  a  name  occurring  in  Ezra  viii.  4;  x.  22.  27. 
Neh.  xii.  41. 

24.  Anani']  The  strange  notion  of  some  of  the  Rabbis  that 
this  Anani  is  the  King  Messiah,  who,  according  to  Daniel 
(vii.  13),  is  to  come  with  anani,  i.e.  with  clouds  {Tanchuma, 
Jarehi :  see  Bp.  Pearson  on  the  Creed,  Art.  vii.  p.  292,  note ; 
Bp.  Patrick  here;  and  Mill,  p.  141,  note;  Movers,  p.  29)  has 
at  the  least  this  value,  as  testifying  the  Jewish  belief,  that  of 
this  line, — at  no  great  distance  from  Zorobabel, — should  come 
the  Cheist. 

Ox  THE  Connexion  of  the  Theee  Genealogies  in 
1  Chronicles,  Chap.  iii.  j  St.  Matthew,  and  St.  Luke. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  line  of  David  through  Solomon  failed 
in  Jeconiah  (v.  17),  and  was  continued  in  Salathiel,  who  de- 
scended from  David  through  Nathan. 

From  the  time  of  Salathiel  we  have  these  three  following 
lists  of  successive  names  in  the  family  of  David  : — 
175 


(1  Chronicles  iii.) 

(St.  Matthew  i. 

(St.  Luke  iii.) 

Salathiel 

Salathiel 

Salathiel 

Pedaiah  (the 

brother  of  Salathiel) 

Zernbhabel 

Zorobalel 

Zorobabel 

Hananiah 

Rhesa 

Shechaniah 

Joanna 

Shemaiah 

Neariah 

Elioenai 

Hodaiah 

Abiud 

Juda 

The  period  of  time  to  be  occupied  by  this  genealogy,  as 
it  stands  in  1  Chronicles  iii.  18 — 24,  can  hardly  have  been 
longer  than  150  years  at  most,  i.  e.  from  about  B.C.  599  to  about 
B.C.  445. 

About  six  generations  may  be  fiiirly  allowed  to  this  period. 

The  three  genealogies  touch  one  another  in  Zorobabel; 
probably  those  of  Chronicles  and  St.  Luke  touch  one  another 
again  in  Hananiah,  who  may  be  the  same  as  Joanna,  and  the 
tlu-ee  may  meet  again  in  Hodaiah,  Abiud,  and  Judah,  which  are 
probably  forms  of  the  same  name  (cp.  Hervey,  B.  D.  i.  667, 668). 

The  Postebity  of  Judah  by  Caleb  the  Son  of  Hue, 
and  by  Shobal. 

Ch.  IV.  1.  Hur   and   Shobal]    Sons   of  Caleb   the   son   of 
Hezron  (ii.  18,  20 :  cp.  v.  3  here). 
2.  Zorathites]  See  ii.  53. 

4.  Hur,  the  firstborn  of  Ephratah]  See  ii.  19. 

—  the  father  of  Beth-leheni]  The  lord  or  prince  of  ifc :  cp.  ii.  52. 

5.  Ashur  the  father  of  Tekoa]  A  son  of  Hezron  (ii.  24). 

On  the  Histoey  op  Jabez,  9,  10. 

9.  Jabez]  Which  means  he  will  suffer  pain  ;  future  hiphil, 
from  atsab,  to  grieve  {Oesen.,  p.  646),  so  called  with  reference 
to  his  mother's  words  here  cited,  where  sorroio  in  the  Hebrew 
is  otseb  :  cp.  Gen.  iii.  16,  where  the  same  word  occurs. 

Jabez  refers  to  his  own  name  in  v.  10,  "  that  it  may  not 
grieve  me." 

It  is  probable  that  this  Jabez  is  referred  to  above,  ii.  55, 
on  account  of  the  occurrence  of  the  same  names  (Hur,  Ephratah, 
Beth-lehem,  Zareathites)  here  and  also  there ;  Jabez  is  identified 
with  Othniel  by  the  Rabbis  {Targum  on  ii.  55) ;  but  this  is  a 
groundless  tradition  (see  Bp.  Patrick,  and  B.  D.  i.  910). 

10.  Jabez  called  on  the  Ood  of  Israel]  He  is  an  example  of 
the  faithful  followers  of  Joshua  among  the  tribe  of  Judah,  like 
Caleb,  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  and  Othniel  his  son,  who  went  up, 


Jahez  ;  Ms  prayer. 


1  CHRONICLES  IV.  11—22. 


The  sons  of  Shelah. 


f  Heb.  7//A0M 
Witt,  SfC. 


t  Heb.  do  me. 


n  Or,  the  city  of 
Nahasli. 
e  Josh.  15.  17. 
II  Or,  Hathath, 
and  Meonot/iiii, 
who  begat,  8(c. 
f  Neh.  U.  35. 
II  Or,  inhabitants 
of  the  valley. 
II  That  is, 
Craftsmen. 
II  Or,  Uknaz. 


II  Or,  ttie  Jewess. 


II  Or,  Jehudijah, 

mentioned 

before. 


gGen.  38.  1,  5. 
&  46.  12. 


(•  Oh  that  thou  wouldst  bless  me  indeed, 

And  enlarge  my  coast, 

And  that  thine  hand  might  be  with  me, 

And  that  thou  wouldest  f  keep  me  from  evil, 

That  it  may  not  grieve  me  ! 
And  Ood  granted  him  that  which  he  requested. 

^^  And  Chelub  the  brother  of  Shuah  begat  Mehir,  which  ivas  the  father  of 
Eshton.  ^2  And  Eshton  begat  Beth-rapha,  and  Paseah,  and  Tehinnah  the 
father  of  ||  Ir-nahash.  These  are  the  men  of  Rechah.  '^And  the  sons  of 
Kenaz  ;  *Othniel,  and  Seraiah  :  and  the  sons  of  Othniel ;  ||  Hathath.  ^"^  And 
Meonothai  begat  Ophrah  :  and  Seraiah  begat  Joab,  the  father  of  *^the  ||  valley 
of  II  Charashim ;  for  they  were  craftsmen.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh;  Iru,  Elah,  and  Naam:  and  the  sons  of  Elah,  ||even  Kenaz.  ^^And 
the  sons  of  Jehaleleel ;  Ziph,  and  Ziphah,  Tiria,  and  Asareel.  ^^And  the  sons 
of  Ezra  ivere,  Jether,  and  Mered,  and  Epher,  and  Jalon  :  and  she  bare  Miriam, 
and  Shammai,  and  Ishbah  the  father  of  Eshtemoa.  ^^And  his  wife  ||  Jehu- 
dijah bare  Jered  the  father  of  Gedor,  and  Heber  the  father  of  Socho,  and 
Jekuthiel  the  father  of  Zanoah.  And  these  are  the  sons  of  Bithiah  the  daugh- 
ter of  Pharaoh,  which  Mered  took.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Ms  wife  ||  Hodiah  the 
sister  of  Naham,  the  father  of  Keilah  the  Garmite,  and  Eshtemoa  the  Maacha- 
thite.  2^  And  the  sons  of  Shimon  were,  Amnon,  and  Rinnah,  Ben-hanan,  and 
Tilon.     And  the  sons  of  Ishi  ivere,  Zoheth,  and  Ben-zoheth. 

2^  The  sons  of  Shelah  ^  the  son  of  Judah  were,  Er  the  father  of  Lecah,  and 
Laadah  the  father  of  Mareshah,  and  the  families  of  the  house  of  them  that 
wrought  fine  linen,  of  the  house  of  Ashbea,  22  And  Jokim,  and  the  men  of 


"  in  the  word  of  the  Lord,"  against  the  Canaanites.     See  Judg. 
i.  2.  4.  9—15.     Josh.  xv.  13—19. 

—  God  granted  him  that  lohich  he  requested']  By  giving  him 
victory  over  his  enemies,  and  by  granting  him  leisure  to  study 
God's  Law,  and  to  train  others  in  the  knowledge  of  it.  Jabez 
was  the  founder  of  the  schools  and  colleges  of  the  scribes,  men- 
tioned above,  ii.  55. 

The  foregoing  notices  of  Jabez  suggest  an  interesting 
subject  for  inquiry,  with  what  design  were  they  inserted  in 
Scripture  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  ? 

Jabez  was  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  his  name  was  so  called 
from  sorroto,  and  yet  he  "  was  more  honourable  than  his  breth- 
ren;" and  he  prayed  to  God  for  blessing,  enlargement,  and 
victory,  and  to  be  deUvered  from  evil ;  and  he  appears  to  have 
established  colleges  of  scribes  learned  in  the  Law  of  God. 

It  is  submitted  for  the  learned  reader's  consideration, 
whether  Jabez  was  not  a  type  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  the  "  Man  of  Sorrows,"  of  Whose  Mother  it  was  said 
that  "  a  sword  should  pierce  through  her  soul "  (Luke  ii.  35) ; 
and  Who  yet  was  more  honourable  than  His  brethren,  being 
"the  firstborn  of  many  brethren"  (Rom.  viii.  29),  the  Head  of 
the  new  and  regenerate  race  of  Israelites,  and  Wlio  by  suffering 
was  perfected  and  glorified,  and  Who  prayed  to  God  for  blessing, 
enlargement,  and  victory,  and  obtained  them  by  suffering,  and 
to  Whom,  after  His  Passion,  God  said,  "  Desire  of  Me  and  I 
will  give  Thee  the  heathen  for  Thine  inheritance,  and  the  utmost 
parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy  possession"  (Ps.  ii.  8),  and  Who 
subdued  all  His  enemies  and  ours,  and  saw  "of  the  travail  of 
His  soul,  and  was  satisfied  "  (Isa.  liii.  11),  and  Who  planted  a 
school  of  scribes  in  the  world,  by  establisliing  His  Church  for 
the  preaching  of  God's  Law ;  and  when  He  had  ascended  into 
Heaven,  "  gave  some  Apostles,  and  some  Prophets,  and  some 
Evangelists,  for  the  work  of  the  Ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the 
Body  of  Christ"  (Eph.  iv.  12). 

13.  OthnieV]  The  son-in-law, — and  probably  the  nephew, — of 
Caleb,  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  and  judge  of  Israel.  See  above, 
on  Josh.  XV.  17.     Judg.  i.  13 ;  iii.  9. 

14.  Charashirri]  i.e.  artificers,  from  charash,  to  cut  {Gesen. 
309)  :  cp.  Neh.  xi.  35,  whence  it  appears  that  this  valley  was 
near  Jerusalem ;  probably  to  the  north  of  it. 

—  craftsmen]  Heb.  charashim. 
176 


15.  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh]  The  transition  from  Othniel 
the  son  of  Kenaz  to  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  is  easy  and 
natural;  for  Caleb  is  called  the  Kenezite  in  Num.  xxxii.  12. 
Josh.  xiv.  6.  14,  iind  Othniel  was  his  son-in-law.  See  on  v.  13. 
This  Caleb  is  not  the  same  as  Caleb  the  son  of  Hezron, 
mentioned  above,  ii.  18 ;  but  it  is  not  impossible  that  he  may 
be  the  same  as  Caleb  the  son  of  Hur  in  ii.  50,  see  note  there. 

—  even  Kenaz]  Or  rather,  and  Kenaz  ;  a  household  name  in 
the  fiimily  of  Caleb  :  cp.  above,  on  ii.  49. 

17.  she  bare]  Mered's  wife  bare;  there  is  a  similar  ellipsis  in 
Num.  xxvi.  59.  Her  name  is  Bithiah,  mentioned  in  the  next 
verse.  It  appears  fi'om  this  and  the  following  verse  that  Mered 
had  two  wives,  and  that  from  these  two  wives  were  derived  two 
lines,  one  a  semi-Egyptian  line,  and  the  other  a  pure  Hebrew 
line.  Here  is  another  example  of  the  connexion  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah  with  exotic  races.     See  above,  on  ii.  17.  55. 

—  Miriam]  The  name  of  a  man,  here  {Kimchi). 

—  the  father]  Or  lord  {Kimchi). 

—  Eshtemoa]  In  the  highlands  of  Judah,  south  of  Hebron 
(Josh.  XV.  15). 

18.  Gedor]  In  the  highland  of  Judah  (Josh.  xix.  58),  about 
three  miles  west  of  the  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Hebron. 

—  Socho]  In  the  plain  of  Judah,  south-west  of  Jerusalem 
(Josh.  XV.  35),  famous  in  the  history  of  David  (1  Sam. 
xvii.  1). 

—  Zanoah]  In  the  plain  of  Judah  (Josh.  xv.  34). 

19.  Keila¥]  In  the  plain  of  Judah  (Josh.  xv.  44.  1  Sam. 
xxiii.  1). 

21.  The  sons  of  Shelah]  Having  traced  the  descendants  of 
Judah  by  Pharez  and  Zerah,  whom  he  had  by  Tamar  (ii.  4,  5), 
the  sacred  writer  now  traces  the  posterity  of  Judah  by  Shelah, 
whom  he  had  by  Shuah  (Gen.  xxxviii.  5). 

—  Mareshah]  In  the  plain  of  Judah :  see  ii.  42. 
— fine  linen]  For  kings  and  priests  (Targicm). 

—  the  house  of  Ashbea]  This  is  translated  "  domus  jura- 
menti "  by  Vulg. ;  but  it  seems  to  be  a  proper  name,  perhaps 
derived  from  some  adjuration. 

22.  Jokim — Jashubi-lehem]  The  Vulgate  here  following  the 
tradition  of  the  Rabbis,  has  introduced  a  strange  rendering  of 
these  words,  viz.,  "  Qui  stare  fecit  solem,  Virique  mendacii,  et 
Securus  et  Incendens,  qui  priucipes  fuerunt  in  Moab,  et  qui 


Ancient  tilings. 


1  CHRONICLES  IV.  23—42. 


The  sons  of  Simeon. 


Cliozeba,  and  Joasli,  and  Saraph,  who  had  the  dominion  in  Moab,  and  Jashubi- 
lehem.  And  these  are  ancient  things.  ^^  These  were  the  potters,  and  those 
that  dwelt  among  plants  and  hedges  :  there  they  dwelt  with  the  king  for  his 
work. 

-^  The  sons  of  Simeon  ivere,  ||  Nemuel,  and  Jamin,  ||  Jarib,  Zerah,  and  Shaul : 
^^Shallum  his  son,  Mibsam  his  son,  Mishma  his  son.  ^g^jj^;^  ^j^q  g^^-^g  ^£ 
Mishma;  Hamuel  his  son,  Zacchnr  his  son,  Shimei  his  son.  27  ^^d  Sliimei 
had  sixteen  sons  and  six  daughters ;  but  his  brethren  had  not  many  children, 
neither  did  all  their  family  multiply,  f  like  to  the  children  of  Judah.  ^^  And 
they  dwelt  at  ''Beer-sheba,  and  Moladah,  and  Hazar-shual,  ^^And  at  ||Bilhah, 
and  at  Ezem,  and  at  ||  Tolad.  ^^  And  at  Bethuel,  and  at  Hormali,  and  at 
Ziklag,  ^^  And  at  Beth-marcaboth,  and  ||  Hazar-susim,  and  at  Beth-birei,  and 
at  Shaaraim.  These  tc ere  their  cities  unto  the  reign  of  David.  2- And  their 
villages  were,  \\  Etam,  and  Ain,  Rimmon,  and  Tochen,  and  Ashan,  five  cities  : 
^^  And  all  their  villages  that  were  round  about  the  same  cities,  unto  ||  Baal. 
These  were  their  habitations,  and  \\  their  genealogy.  ^^  And  Meshobab,  and 
Jamlech,  and  Joshah  the  son  of  Amaziah,  ^^  And  Joel,  and  Jehu  the  son  of 
Josibiah,  the  son  of  Seraiah,  the  son  of  Asiel,  ^^  And  Ehoenai,  and  Jaakobah, 
and  Jeshohaiah,  and  Asaiah,  and  Adiel,  and  Jesimiel,  and  Benaiah,  ^'^And 
Ziza  the  son  of  Shiphi,  the  son  of  Allon,  the  son  of  Jedaiah,  the  son  of  Shimri, 
the  son  of  Shemaiah ;  ^^  These  f  mentioned  by  their  names  ivere  princes  in  their 
families  :  and  the  house  of  their  fathers  increased  greatly. 

^^  And  they  went  to  the  entrance  of  Gedor,  even  unto  the  east  side  of  the  valley, 
to  seek  pasture  for  their  flocks.  '^•^And  they  found  fat  pasture  and  good,  and  the 
land  ivas  wide,  and  quiet,  and  peaceable ;  for  they  of  Ham  had  dwelt  there  of 
old.  ^^  And  these  written  by  name  came  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah  king  of 
Judah,  and  '  smote  their  tents,  and  the  habitations  that  were  found  there,  and 
destroyed  them  utterly  unto  this  day,  and  dwelt  in  their  rooms  :  because  there 
was  pasture  there  for  their  flocks.  ^-  And  some  of  them,  even  of  the  sons  of 
Simeon,  flve  hundred  men,  went  to  mount  Seir,  having  for  their  captains  Pela- 


11  Or,  Jemtiel, 
Gen.  46.  10. 
Exod.C.  IS. 
Num.  2C.  12. 
II  Or,  Jachin, 
Zoar. 


t  Heb.  unlo. 

h  Josh.  19.  2. 
II  Or,  Balah, 
Josh.  19.  3. 
II  Or,  Eltolad, 
Josh.  19.  4. 
II  Or,  Hazar- 
susah, 
Josji.  19.  5. 

II  Or,  Ether, 
Josh.  19.  7. 
II  Or,  Baalath- 
beer, 

Josh.  19.  8. 
II  Or,  as  they 
divided  them- 
selves by  nations 
among  them. 


t  Heb.  coming. 


about 
715. 


i  2  Kings  18.  8. 


reversi  suut  in  Bethlehem."  The  Rabbis  suppose  that  there 
is  a  reference  here  to  the  history  contained  iii  the  Book  of 
Ruth ;  and  that  he  who  made  the  sun  to  stand  still  is  Elime- 
lech,  and  the  men  of  falsehood  are  Mahlon  and  Chilion  his 
sons.  But  these  notions  are  exploded  even  hy  some  who  hold 
the  Vulgate  in  the  greatest  reverence,  e.  g.  A  Lapide  here, 
who  says,  "  Omnia  \\xc  sunt  nomina  propria "  (as  they  are  in 
Sept.,  Syriac,  and  our  Version) ;  .  .  .  .  hanc  esse  Rabbinorum 
fabulam  liquet"  (cp.  Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  211). 

—  these  ai"e  ancient  things^  That  is,  the  condition  of 
things  here  described  belongs  to  a  period  before  the  Babylonish 
captivity.  Here  is  a  note  of  the  time  in  which  this  book  was 
written.     Cp.  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  2  ;  and  Introduction. 

23.  These  were  the  potters — hedges^  That  is,  the  potters 
who  dwelt  (in  the  earlier  times,  when  the  Hebrew  monarchy 
flourished)  in  the  plantations  (see  Gesen.  547)  and  enclosures 
(see  Gesen.  161)  of  the  royal  demesnes.  The  existence  of  such 
a  body  of  men,  who  worked  for  the  Kings  of  Judah,  is  inti- 
mated by  passages  in  the  prophetical  Scriptures,  which  are 
illustrated  by  this  statement  (see  Jer.  xviii.  1,  2;  xix.  1,  2. 
Cp.  xxxix.  4).  The  place  of  their  habitation  seems  to  have 
been  near  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  on  the  south  of  Jerusalem, 
and  is  described  by  S.  Jerome  (on  Jer.  vii.  31)  as  an  agreeable 
spot,  watered  by  the  fountain  of  Siloam,  and  diversified  with 
groves  and  gardens  (cp.  IldvernicJc,  Eiuleit.  p.  186). 

The  Posterity  of  Simeon. 

24.  The  sons  of  Simeon']  Cp.  Gen.  xlvi.  10.  Exod.  vi.  15. 
Num.  xxvi.  12 — 14.  The  orthographical  varieties  are  specified 
in  the  margin  here,  and  in  those  passages. 

27.  neithet  did  all  their  family  multiply']  For  the  probable 
♦•eason,  see  on  Num.  xxv.  14  ;  xxvi.  12 — 14. 
Vol.  III.  177 


—  like  to — Judah]  See  on  Num.  xxvi.  22. 

28 — 30.  Beer-sheba,  &c.]  Cp.  Josh.  xix.  2 — 5. 

—  ZiJclag]  Given  by  the  Philistines  to  David,  and  thence- 
forth belonging  to  the  Kings  of  Judah  (1  Sam.  xxvii.  6).  That 
assertion  is  not  at  variance  with  what  is  here  stated,  but  is  to 
be  connected  with  it.  Ziklag  belonged  to  the  territory  of 
Simeon,  but  had  been  invaded  by  Philistines,  who  gave  it  to 
David,  and  it  became  the  property  of  the  Kings  of  Judah,  but 
it  was  still  inhabited  by  Simeonites. 

31.  unto  the  reign  of  David]  When,  as  the  Jews  say,  some 
of  them  were  reckoned  among  the  cities  of  Judah  (cp.  Grove, 
B.  D.  ii.  1318). 

32.  Ain,  Rimmom — Ashan]  See  Josh.  xix.  7. 

33.  Baal]  Called  Baalath-beer  in  Josh.  xix.  8. 

—  genealogy']  The  root  of  the  word  here  used,  which  is  the 
hithpael,  infin.,  from  yaclias,  a  race  (see  Gesen.  346),  is  yachas, 
a  sprout,  as  of  corn.  Cp.  v.  1.  7.  17;  vii.  5,  &c.  Fuerst, 
p.  564. 

34 — 37.  And  3Ies7tobab]  This  and  the  following  are  names 
of  princes,  or  chief  persons  of  Simeon. 

36.  Jaakobah]  i.  e.  pertaining  to  Jacob  (c^.  xxv.  2.  14), 
Jesharelah,  i.e.  pertaining  to  Israel  (Bertheau). 

39.  Gedor'i  Probably  to  the  south  of  Simeon,  toward  Mount 
Seir  (Grove).  The  Sept.  reads  Gerara  (on  which,  see  Gen.  x.  ID  ; 
XX.  1) ;  and  so  Fwald  and  Bertheau. 

41.  these  written  by  name]  i.  e.  in  the  foregoing  list. 

—  habitations]  Heb.  meiinim,  \.  a.  iha  Ileonites,  who  dwelt 
in  tents,  or  they  may  have  been  so  called,  as  dwelling  in  Maan, 
near  Petra,  on  the  east  of  JFady  Mitsa  (Robinson).  See 
Judg.  X.  12.  Cp.  below,  on  2  Chron.  xx.  1 ;  and  xxvi.  7 ;  and 
Grove,  B.  D.  ii.  312. 

42    sons  of  Simeon -went  to  mount  Seir]  This  expedition 

N 


The  sons  of  Reuben. 


1  CHRONICLES  IV.  43.     V.  1—17. 


Gad. 


k  See  1  Sam. 

15.  8.  &  30.  17.  & 
2  Sam.  8.  12, 

1300, 

&c. 

a  Gen.  29.  32.  & 

b  Gen.  35.  22.  & 

49.4. 

c  Gen.  48.  15,  22. 

(I  Gen.  49.8,  10. 

Ps.  CO.  7.  & 

108.8. 

e  Mic.  5.  2. 

Matt.  2.  6. 

II  Or,  prince, 

f  Gen.  46.  9. 

Exod.  6.  14. 

Num.  26.  5. 

II  Or,  Tiglath- 

pileser, 

2  Kings  15.  29.  & 

16.  7. 


g  See  ver.  17. 


II  Or,  Shemaiah, 

ver.  4. 

h  Josh.  13.  15,  le. 

i  Josh.  22.  9. 
k  Gen.  25.  12. 

t  Heb.  upon  all 
the  face  of  the 
east. 

1  Josh.  13.  11,  24. 


m  ch.  27.  29. 

+  Heb.  their 

goings  forth. 

n  2  Kings  15.  5, 

32. 

o2  Kings  14.  16, 

28. 


tiali,  and  Neariah,  and  Repliaiah,  and  Uzziel,  the  sons  of  Islii.  ^^  And  they 
smote  ''the  rest  of  the  Amalekites  that  were  escaped,  and  dwelt  there  unto 
this  day. 

V.  ^  Now  the  sons  of  Reuben  the  firstborn  of  Israel,  (for  "^  he  ivas  the  first- 
born ;  but,  forasmuch  as  he  ^  defiled  his  father's  bed,  "  his  birthright  was  given 
unto  the  sons  of  Joseph  the  son  of  Israel :  and  the  genealogy  is  not  to  be 
reckoned  after  the  birthright ;  ^  For  ^  Judah  prevailed  above  his  brethren,  and 
of  him  came  the  ^  chief  |j  ruler ;  but  the  birthright  ivas  Joseph's  :)  ^  The  sons,  I 
say,  of  '  Reuben  the  firstborn  of  Israel  were,  Hanoch,  and  Pallu,  Hezron,  and 
Carmi.  *  The  sons  of  Joel ;  Shemaiah  his  son,  Gog  his  son,  Shimei  his  son, 
^  Micah  his  son,  Reaia  his  son,  Baal  his  son,  ^  Beerah  his  son,  whom  ||  Til- 
gath-pilneser  king  of  Assyria  carried  away  captive :  he  ivas  prince  of  the 
Reubenites. 

7  And  his  brethren  by  their  families,  ^  when  the  genealogy  of  their  genera- 
tions was  reckoned,  were  the  chief,  Jeiel,  and  Zechariah,  ^  And  Bela  the  son  of 
Azaz,  the  son  of  ||  Shema,  the  son  of  Joel,  who  dwelt  in  ''Aroer,  even  unto 
Nebo  and  Baal-meon  :  ^  And  eastward  he  inliabited  unto  the  entering  in  of  the 
wilderness  from  the  river  Euphrates :  because  their  cattle  were  multiplied  '  in 
the  land  of  Gilead.  ^*^And  in  the  days  of  Saul  they  made  war  "with  the 
Hagarites,  who  fell  by  their  hand  :  and  they  dwelt  in  their  tents  f  throughout 
all  the  east  land  of  Gilead. 

^1  And  the  children  of  Gad  dwelt  over  against  them,  in  the  land  of  'Bashan 
unto  Salcah  :  ^^Joel  the  chief,  and  Shaphamthe  next,  and  Jaanai,  and  Shaphat 
in  Bashan.  ^^  And  their  brethren  of  the  house  of  their  fathers  ivere,  Michael, 
and  Meshullam,  and  Sheba,  and  Jorai,  and  Jachan,  and  Zia,  and  Heber,  seven. 
'■*  These  are  the  children  of  Abihail  the  son  of  Huri,  the  son  of  Jaroah,  the  son 
of  Gilead,  the  son  of  Michael,  the  son  of  Jeshishai,  the  son  of  Jahdo,  the  son 
of  Buz  ;  ^^  Ahi  the  son  of  Abdiel,  the  son  of  Guni,  chief  of  the  house  of  their 
fathers.  ^^  And  they  dwelt  in  Gilead  in  Bashan,  and  in  her  towns,  and  in  all 
the  suburbs  of  "  Sharon,  upon  f  their  borders.  ^^  All  these  were  reckoned  by 
genealogies  in  the  days  of "  Jotliam  king  of  Judah,  and  in  the  days  of  "Jeroboam 
king  of  Israel. 


of  these  Simeonites,  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  against  Mount 
Seir,  is  perhaps  to  be  connected  with  the  response  from  Isaiah 
(xxi.  11,  12)  to  its  inhabitants,  wlio  had  sent  to  inquire  of  him, 
and  when  he  takes  occasion  to  call  on  them  to  return  to  Jehovah, 
Who  gives  the  victory  to  those  who  trust  in  Him.  See  Movers, 
p.  136 ;  Sdvernick,  ii.  186. 

43.  AmaleJcites]  These  victories,  achieved  by  a  few  men  of 
a  single  tribe,  showed  what  the  twelve  tribes  might  have  done, 
if  they  had  been  obedient  to  God.  Cp.  v.  10,  and  especially 
V.  20,  where  it  is  said  of  the  transjordanic  Israelites  that  "  they 
cried  to  God  in  the  battle,  and  He  was  entreated  of  them, 
because  they  put  their  trust  in  Him." 

—  unto  this  day']  They  were  not  disturbed  by  the  King  of 
Babylon,  when  he  carried  captive  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem. Some  have  supposed  that  this  formula  is  a  literal  tran- 
script from  some  early  document  here  inserted.  Cp.  2  Chron. 
XX.  26;  Movers,  Chronik.  p,  99. 

The  Posteeity  of  Reuben  and  of  the  Teansjokdanic 
Tribes. 

Ch.  V,  \.  forasmuch  as  he  dejUed]  See  above,  on  Gen. 
XXXV.  22;  xlix.  4. 

—  his  hirthrighf]  The  double  portion  (Dent.  xxi.  16,  17) 
was  given  to  Joseph,  whose  two  sons  Ephraim  and  Manasseh 
had  each  a  lot  in  the  inheritance  of  Canaan. 

2.  For  Judah  prevailed]  See  Gen.  xlix.  8. 

—  of  him  came  the  chief  ruler']  Rather,  of  him  is  the  chief 

178 


ruler — the  Messiah,  according  to  Jacob's  pi-ophecy  (Gen.  xlix. 
10.     Cp.  Micah  v.  2). 

Therefore,  in  his  case,  the  natural  law  of  primogeniture, 
and  the  prescriptions  of  the  Levitical  Law,  were  superseded. 
Here  is  a  specimen  of  that  supremacy,  which  belongs  to  Christ, 
the  Author  and  Giver  of  all  Law. 

6.  Tilgath-pilneser]  2  Kings  xv.  29,  who  took  away  the 
two  tribes  and  a  half:  the  rest  were  carried  away  by  Sargon 
(see  on  2  Kings  xvii.  3,  4),  and  Esarhaddon  (see  on  2  Kings 
xvii.  6—23;  xviii.  9—12). 

8.  Aroer — Nelo — Baal-meon]  See  Num.  xxxii.  34.  38. 
Dent.  ii.  36. 

10.  Hagarites]  Ishmaelites. 

11.  Oad]  The  neighbours  of  the  Reubenites. 

16.  theg  dioelt  in  Gilead  in  Bashan]  In  part  of  it :  other 
portions  being  allotted  to  the  Reubenites  and  Manassites 
(Num.  xxxii.  33— 4€,  Deut.  iii.  13.  Josh.  xiii.  25).  These 
nomad  tribes,  whose  wealth  consisted  in  cattle,  were  not  con- 
fined within  strict  geographical  limits  {Bitter,  Erdkuude,  265 ; 
Movers,  Chronik.  230). 

—  Sharon]  Deut.  iii.  12,  13. 

17.  Jotham — Jeroboam^  Not  contemporaries.  This  Jero- 
boam began  to  reign  over  Israel  about  B.C.  825  (2  Kings  xiv.  16), 
and  Jotham  became  King  of  Judah  about  B.C.  758  (2  Kings 
XV.  32.  2  Chron.  xxvii.).  It  seems  from  this  narrative  that 
in  the  last  days  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  when  it  was  on  the 
eve  of  dissolution,  the  Kings  of  Judah  exercised  authority  over 


Half-Manasseh . 


1  CHRONICLES  V.  18—26.     VI.  1,  2. 


The  sons  of  Levi. 


^^  The  sons  of  Reuben,  and  the  Gadites,  and  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh, 
f  of  vahant  men,  men  able  to  bear  buckler  and  sword,  and  to  shoot  with  bow, 
and  skilful  in  war,  tvere  four  and  forty  thousand  seven  hundred  and  threescore, 
that  went  out  to  the  war.  '^And  they  made  war  with  the  Hagarites,  with 
pJetur,  and  Nephish,  and  Nodab.  -*^And  *!  they  were  helped  against  them,  and 
the  Hagarites  were  delivered  into  their  hand,  and  all  that  were  with  them  :  for 
they  cried  to  God  in  the  battle,  and  he  was  intreated  of  them  ;  because  they 
■■  put  their  trust  in  him.  ^^  And  they  f  took  away  their  cattle ;  of  their  camels 
fifty  thousand,  and  of  sheep  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  and  of  asses  two 
thousand,  and  of  f  men  an  hundred  thousand.  2^2  -pov  there  fell  down  many 
slain,  because  the  war  ioas  of  God.  And  they  dwelt  in  their  steads  until '  the 
captivity. 

^^  And  the  children  of  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh  dwelt  in  the  land :  they 
increased  from  Bashan  unto  Baal-hermon  and  Senir,  and  unto  mount  Hermon. 
^^  And  these  luere  the  heads  of  the  house  of  their  fathers,  even  Epher,  and  Ishi, 
and  Eliel,  and  Azriel,  and  Jeremiah,  and  Hodaviah,  and  Jahdiel,  mighty  men 
of  valour,  f  famous  men,  and  heads  of  the  house  of  their  Withers. 

2^  And  they  transgressed  against  the  God  of  their  fathers,  and  went  a 
'whoring  after  the  gods  of  the  people  of  the  land,  whom  God  destroyed  before 
them.  '^^  And  the  God  of  Israel  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  "  Pul  king  of  Assyria, 
and  the  spirit  of  ""  Tilgath-pilneser  king  of  Assyria,  and  he  carried  them  away, 
even  the  Reubenites,  and  the  Gadites,  and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  and 
brought  them  unto  ^  Halah,  and  Habor,  and  Hara,  and  to  the  river  Gozan, 
unto  this  day. 

VI.  ^  The  sons  of  Levi ;  ''  \\  Gershon,  Kohath,  and  Merari.     -And  the  sons 


t  Heb.  sons  of 
valour. 


p  Gen.  23.  l,"). 
cli.  1.  31. 
q  See  ver.  22. 


rPs.  22.4,  5. 
t  Hel).  led 
captive. 

t  Heb.  souls  of 
men :  as 
Num.  31.  35. 
s  2  Kings  15.  29. 
&  17.  6. 


a  Gen.  46.  1 1.     Exod.  G.  le.     Num.  2C.  57.     ch.  23.  G. 


t  Heb.  men  of 
names. 


t  2  Kings  17.  7. 

about 

771. 

u2  Kings  15.  19. 

about 

740. 

X  2  Kings  15.  29. 

y  2  Kings  17.  G. 
&18.  11. 


about 

1300,  &c. 

Gershom,  ver.  IG. 


the  transjordanic  tribes ;  and  this  seems  to  be  in  harmony  with 
the  language  of  the  prophet  Micah,  vii.  14.  Cp.  Bertheau, 
p.  56). 

20.  tTiey  were  Jielped]  By  God  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  15.  Ps. 
xxviii.  7).  This  illustrious  victory,  gained  by  God's  help,  so 
short  a  time  before  the  captivity,  seems  to  be  recorded  here, 
in  order  to  show  that  the  captivity  never  would  have  taken 
place  if  they  had  obeyed  God  (see  above,  on  iv.  43),  and  to 
cheer  the  remnant  who  had  returned  to  Jerusalem,  when  the 
Chronicles  were  written  (see  above,  Introdnction). 

22.  %tniil  the  captivity^  2  Kings  xv.  29.;  xvii.  5  ;  xviii.  9. 

23.  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh']  The  transjordanic  half. 

—  Baal-hermon']  Perhaps  at  Suiheah,  on  the  south  of 
Mount  Hermon.     Cp.  Judg.  iii.  3  {Dr.  Thomson,  p.  245). 

25.  they  transgressed]  And  their  sin  was  more  heinous  after 
what  has  just  been  recorded  {v.  20). 

26.  And  the  Ood  of  Israel  stirred  uj)]  Let  it  not,  therefore, 
be  supposed  that  the  God  of  Israel  was  vanquished  by  the  gods 
of  the  heathen.  He  used  the  heathen  as  His  instruments  in 
chastising  His  own  people  for  their  sins  against  Himself.  The 
sins  of  the  Jews  were  the  cause  of  their  captivity  in  Assyria, 
Media,  and  Babylon,  and  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans,  and  of  their  dispersion  unto  this  day. 

—  Pul  king  of  Assyria]  See  on  2  Kings  xv.  19;  and 
Rawlinson  (Ancient  Monarchies,  ii.  386 — 388),  who  supposes 
that  Pul  invaded  Palestine  about  B.C.  750.  The  name  of  Pul 
has  perplexed  Assyrian  chronologers :  see  ibid. 

—  Tilgath-pilneser]  See  on  2  Kings  xv.  19 ;  and  Rawlinson 
(Anc.  Mon.  ii.  393-7),  who  places  his  accession  in  B.C.  744. 

—  Salah — Gozan']  See  2  Kings  xvii.  6;  xviii.  11. 

Ch.  VI.  Pheliminaey  Note  to  the  Genealogy  of  Levi. 

In  the  genealogies  which  arc  contained  in  the  earlier 
chapters  of  Chronicles,  two  families  occupy  the  largest  space. 
The  notices  of  the  other  tribes  are  comparatively  brief  and 
cursory ;  but  the  registers  of  the  lineage  of  two  tribes,  those 
of  Judah  and  Levi,  are  very  large  and  full.  The  former  has 
been  presented  to  us  in  chaps,  ii.,  iii.,  iv.  The  latter,  that  of 
I^evi,  is  exhibited  in  this  chapter,  and  again  in  chap.  ix. 
179 


What  was  the  design  of  the  author  in  this  treatment  of  his 
subject  ? 

He  desired  to  show  to  the  Hebrew  Nation,  and  to  all  the 
world,  that  the  promise  made  to  Abraham,  and  repeated  to 
David,  that  of  their  seed  He  would  raise  up  Christ,  the  King 
Eternal  and  Universal,  had  never  failed;  although  the  two 
earthly  kingdoms  of  Israel  and  Judah  had  been  destroyed,  and 
although  the  Ten  Tribes  had  been  carried  away  into  captivity 
into  Assyria,  and  were  scattered  abroad  in  those  regions ;  and 
though  the  house  of  Judah  had  been  in  exile  and  imprison- 
ment at  Babylon ;  and  he  intended  to  suggest  a  consolatory 
assurance,  from  the  continued  preservation  of  that  seed,  amid 
many  dangers,  that  it  never  would  fail. 

This  is  what  has  been  done  in  the  foregoing  chapters. 

He  will  now  exhibit  another  proof  of  God's  gracious  deal- 
ings with  the  Hebrew  Nation,  notwithstanding  all  its  un- 
thaukfulness  and  defections,  for  which  He  had  chastened  it  in 
love.  He  will  prove  that  the  Aaronical  Pbiesthood  has  been 
preserved  also ;  and  that  there  had  been  continued,  among  all 
the  confusions  of  political  revolutions,  a  regular  succession  of 
High  Peiests,  Peiests,  and  Leyites,  for  the  sacred  muiis- 
trations  of  the  Temple,  which  had  now  been  rebuUt;  in 
order  that  the  God  of  Israel  might  there  be  worshipped  accord- 
ing to  His  own  appointments  in  the  Levitical  Law ;  and  that 
the  sense  of  religion  might  be  kept  up  in  the  mind  of  the  people, 
now  weaned  from  idolatry  by  their  captivity  in  Babylon,  and 
that  the  Sacred  Volmncs  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  might  be 
carefully  guarded  in  the  custody  of  the  Priests  and  Levitcs, 
and  that  the  People  might  be  instructed  from  them ;  and  in 
order  that  in  that  sacred  fabric,  in  which  they  ministered.  He 
Who  is  the  true  Priest  and  King  of  Israel,  might  appear,  in 
the  fulness  of  time,  and  purify  the  sons  of  Levi  (Mai.  iii.  3). 

On  the  return  from  the  Babylonish  captivity,  no  one  was 
allowed  to  execute  any  sacred  office  who  could  not  prove  his 
Levitical  descent  (see  Ezra  ii.  61,  62.  Neh.  vii.  64),  and  this 
rule  was  never  relaxed  {Josephus,  Cont.  Apion.  i.  7;  and  de 
Vita   Sua,   c.   1.     Cp.   Havernick,   Einleit.  ii.   188;    Movers, 

P-  29).  ,       ^       ,., 

These  earlier  chapters  of  Chronicles  are  therefore  like  an 
historical  exposition  of  God's  words  by  Jeremiah,  declaring  the 


The  line  of  Aaron 


1  CHRONICLES  VI.  3—15. 


to  Jehozadah, 


b  See  vcr.  22. 


c  Lev.  10.  1. 


d  2  Sam.  8.  17. 
e2  Sam.  15.  27. 


of  Kohatli ;  Amram,  ^  Izliar,  and  Hebron,  and  Uzziel.  ^  And  the  children  of 
Amram  ;  Aaron,  and  Moses,  and  Mhiam.  The  sons  also  of  Aaron;  ''Nadab, 
and  Abihu,  Eleazar,  and  Ithamar.  ^  Eleazar  begat  Phinehas,  Phinehas  begat 
Abishua,  ^And  Abishua  begat  Bukki,  and  Bukki  begat  Uzzi,  ^And  Uzzi  begat 
Zerahiah,  and  Zerahiah  begat  Meraioth,  ^Meraioth  begat  Amariah,  and 
Amariah  begat  Ahitub,  ^  And  *^  Ahitub  begat  Zadok,  and  ^  Zadok  begat  Ahi- 
maaz,  ^  And  Ahnnaaz  begat  Azariah,  and  Azariah  begat  Johanan,  ^^And  Jo- 
hanan  begat  Azariah,  (he  it  is  ""that  executed  the  priest's  office  fin  the  Hemple 
that  Solomon  built  in  Jerusalem  :)  ^^  And  ''  Azariah  begat  Amariah,  and  Ama- 
riah begat  Aliitub,  ^^And  Ahitub  begat  Zadok,  and  Zadok  begat  \\  Shallum, 


f  See  2  Chron.  2G. 
17,  IS. 

1  Heb.  in  the 
house. 

g  1  Kings  6. 

2  Chron.  3. 

\\  ol MJsluiiam,  13  And  Shallum  besfat  Hilkiah,  and  Hilkiah  beo^at  Azariah,  ^■^  And  Azariah  begat 

ch.  9.  11.  O  '  o  '  o 

i  Nell.  11.  11. 


'  Seraiah,  and  Seraiah  begat  Jehozadak,  ^^  And  Jehozadak  went  into  captivity, 


perpetuity  of  the  Kingdom  and  Priesthood  in  Israel,— a  cer- 
tainty consummated  in  the  Eternal  King  and  Priest  of  all 
the  true  Israel  of  His  Chm-ch  Universal— Jesus  Cheist. 

"  In  those  days,"  says  the  prophet,  speaking  of  the  days 
of  the  Messiah  (Jer.  xxxiii.  15),  "  wiU  I  cause  the  Branch  of 
righteousness  to  grow  up  unto  David ;  and  he  shall  execute 
judgment  and  justice  in  the  land.  In  those  days  shall  Judah 
be  saved,  and  Jerusalem  shall  dwell  safely :  and  this  is  the 
name  wherewith  she  shall  be  called.  The  Loed  our  righteous- 
ness "  (cp.  Jer.  xxiii.  5,  6).  "  For  thus  saith  the  Lord,  David 
shall  never  want  a  man  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  the  house  of 
Israel.  Neither  shall  tlte  Priests  the  Levites  want  a  mau 
before  me  to  oft'er  burnt-ofterings,  and  to  kindle  meat-offerings, 
and  to  do  sacrifice  continually;"  and  He  compares  His  covenant 
with  David  and  with  Levi,  to  His  covenant  with  the  Day  and 
the  Night :  both  are  indissoluble  {m.  20.  26). 

Since  Almighty  God  was  so  careful  to  guard  the  succession 
of  those  who  were  to  minister  in  the  Temple,  and  would  not 
admit  any  whose  succession  could  not  be  authenticated,  surely 
^ve  may  not  regard  it  as  a  light  matter,  whether  men  are  duly 
e.illed  and  sent  into  the  ministry  of  the  Christian  Church. 

In  this  genealogy  of  the  Levites,  no  mention  whatever  is 
made  of  one  of  the  greatest  of  Levi's  descendants — Moses. 
The  firstborn  of  the  line  of  Aaron,  his  brother,  were  High 
Priests  by  hereditary  succession,  and  Aaron's  other  descendants 
were  Priests.  The  other  Kohathites,  and  the  Gershomites,  and 
Mcrarites  were  set  apart  as  Levites  to  the  service  of  the 
Sanctuary.  But  Moses,  though  a  Koliathite,  and  brother  of 
Aaron,  had  been  called  to  the  office  of  civil  ruler  before  the 
Le\ites  had  been  set  apart  to  the  service  of  the  Sanctuary. 
Therefore  he  is  not  mentioned  here. 

Here  is  a  striking  evidence  of  the  severance  of  secular 
functions  from  spiritual  ministrations. 

For  the  genealogy  of  the  Priests  from  Levi  an'd  Aaron, 
compare  with  this  chapter  Ezra  vii.  1 — 5.  Joseplius,  Autt.  x.  8 ; 
and  Selden,  de  Pontif.  Heb.  Successioue ;  and  Table  x.  of 
Purrington's  Genealogies;  and  ibid.  i.  67;  and  ILervey,  in 
B.  D.,  Article,  High  Priest,  i.  804—813. 

2.  Koh.atTi\  The  second  son ;  but  placed  first,  because  Aaron 
and  the  Priests  came  from  him  :  cp.  Exod.  vi.  16.  18. 

3.  Nadah,  and  Abihu]  Who  perished  at  Sinai  for  their  sin 
in  offering  strange  fire  (Lev.  x.  1.  Num.  iii.  4.  1  Chron. 
xxiv.  2). 

4.  JEleazar'\  WTiose  line  is  here  traced  in  an  unbroken  line 
to  the  captivity  {v.  15). 

The  order  of  Priests,  as  set  down  here,  is  Eleazar,  Phinehas, 
Abishua,  Bukki,  Uzzi,  Zerahiah,  Meraioth,  Amariah,  Ahitub, 
Zadok,  Ahimaaz,  Azariah,  Johanan,  Azariah,  Amariah,  Ahitub, 
Zadok,  ShaUum,  Hilkiah,  Azariah,  Seraiah,  and  Jehozadak. 

In  Ezra  vii.  1 — 5,  we  have  an  abbreviated  genealogy, 
which  omits  the  names  after  Meraioth,  Amariah,  Ahitub,  Zadok, 
Ahimaaz,  Azariah,  and  Johanan. 

The  line  of  Ithamar  was  admitted  for  a  time  to  serve  in 
the  High  Priesthood  in  lieu  of  that  of  Eleazar  (see  above,  on 
Num.  XXV.  13.  1  Sam.  i.  3) ;  but  the  line  of  Eleazar  was 
restored  in  Zadok.  Cp.  above,  2  Sam.  viii.  17.  1  Kings  ii. 
26.  35 ;  and  Burrington,  Genealogies,  i.  102 — 105. 

The  sacred  writer  does  not  notice  here  that  parenthetical 
sub-introduction  of  the  line  of  Ithamar,  because  his  purpose 
was  to  show  that  the  High  Priest  at  the  time  of  the  exile  was 
a  lineal  descendant  of  Zadok,  Eleazar,  and  Aaron,  and  because 
(as  Kimchi  observes)  the  perpetual  Priesthood  was  promised  to 
Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar  (Num.  xxv.  13). 
180 


This  promise,  indeed,  for  a  time  seemed  to  have  failed, 
like  the  promise  of  the  Messiah  from  Judah;  for  in  Holy 
Scripture  no  one  is  described  as  Priest  after  Phinehas  for 
several  generations ;  but  in  God's  time  it  was  accompUshed. 

6.  Abishua'\  Called  also  Abisum  in  the  Apocryphal  Esdras 
(1  Esdras  viii.  2),  and  Abisei  (2  Esdras  i.  2). 

—  PiiJcki]  Called  also  Boccas  in  Esdras  (1  Esdras  viii.  2),  and 
Borith  (2  Esdras  i.  2). 

—  Uzzi'\  Called  also  Savias  and  Ozias  in  Esdras.  See  the 
passages  of  Esdras,  quoted  above. 

6.  Zerahiah']  Called  also  Zaraias  and  Arna  in  Esdras. 

—  Meraioth]  Called  also  Mememoth  and  Maremoth  in 
Esdras. 

7.  Amariah]  See  v.  52. 

8.  Ahitub]  See  v.  52 ;  and  2  Sara.  viii.  17. 

—  ZadoJc~\  2  Sam.  viii.  17 ;  xv.  27.  1  Chron.  xxiv. 
3.  6.  31. 

—  Ahimaaz]  2  Sam.  xv.  27.  36 ;  xviii.  19.  22.  27 ;  below, 
V.  53. 

9.  Johanan]  Thought  by  some  {Piscator,  Calmet,  and 
Bedford)  to  be  the  same  as  the  celebrated  High  Priest 
Jehoiada,  who  lived  to  the  age  of  130.  His  longevity  must  be 
borne  in  mind  in  considering  the  succession  of  High  Priests 
(2  Kings  xi.  4.     2  Chron.  xxiii.  11 ;  xxiv.  15). 

10.  Azariah— executed  the  priest's  office]  Probably  this 
was  the  same  Azariah  who  repelled  the  King  Uzziah  from  it 
(2  Chron.  xxvi.  17),  and  who  seems  to  be  selected  here  for 
special  commendation,  on  account  of  that  act  of  courage ;  so 
the  Kabbis,  and  Vatahlus,  and  Grotins,  and  31.  Henri/,  who 
says,  that  "  he  who  repelled  an  intruder  from  the  High  Priest's 
oflice,  might  well  be  said  to  execute  it."  He  continued  to  be 
High  Priest  in  the  days  of  Hczekiah  (2  Chron.  xxxi.  10). 

11.  Amariah]  Not  the  same  as  the  Amariah,  who  had  been 
High  Priest  in  the  days  of  Jehoshaphat.  See  above,  2  Chron. 
xix.  11. 

In  the  times  between  the  High  Priesthood  of  Azariah 
(in  V.  9),  and  the  Babylonish  Captivity,  there  is  much  obscurity 
in  the  history  of  the  succession  of  High  Priests,  as  is  justly 
observed  by  Burrington,  i.  107.  The  reader  may  refer  to  the 
attempts  of  that  diligent  genealogist  (Table  x.  and  Notes), 
and  of  the  learned  Selden  (de  Successioue  Pontif.  Heb.),  and 
of  Lord  A.  C.  Hervey,  to  solve  the  numerous  difficulties  of  that 
period. 

It  seems  not  improbable  (as  LigJitfoot  supposes,  i.  908), 
that,  as  usual  in  Scriptui'e  genealogies,  some  names  are  omitted, 
and  that  the  sacred  writer  is  content  witli  specifying  those 
who  were  most  known,  or  who,  on  other  accoimts,  claimed 
notice. 

12.  Shallum]  Called  MeshuUam  in  Neh.  xi.  11. 

13.  Hilkiah]  High  Priest  in  the  days  of  Josiah  (2  Kings 
xxii.  4.     2  Chron.  xxxiv.  9). 

14.  Seraiah]  Carried  captive  by  Nebuzaradan  to  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, at  Riblah,  and  there  put  to  death  (2  Kings  xxv. 
18). 

15.  Jehozadak]  Or  Jozadak,  the  father  of  Joshua,  the  High 
Priest  who  returned  from  the  captivity,  and  is  celebrated  in 
the  history  of  tliat  age  (Ezra  iii.  2;  v.  2.  Neh.  xii.  26. 
Hag.  i.  1.  12.  Zech.  vi.  11).  In  the  present  passage  he  is 
called  in  our  Version  by  his  full  Hebrew  name,  Jehozadak  : 
in  all  other  places  his  name  is  altered  into  Josedech. 

His  name  has  the  same  meaning  as  Zedekiah,  the  King 
who  was  carried  into  captivity  to  Babylon  :  "  The  Lord  is 
righteous."     The  righteousness  of  Jehovah  was  manifested  in 


The  sons  ofGcrsliom. 


1  CHRONICLES  VI.  16—44. 


Merari  and  KoJiath. 


^  when  the  Lord  carriecl  away  Jiidah  and  Jerusalem  by  the  hand  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar. 

^^  The  sons  of'Levi ;  '  ||  Gershom,  Kohath,  and  Merari.  ^^  And  these  be  the 
names  of  the  sons  of  Gershom ;  Libni,  and  Shimei.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Kohath 
iverc,  Amram,  and  Izhar,  and  Hebron,  and  Uzziel.  ^^  The  sons  of  Merari ; 
Mahli,  and  Mushi.  And  these  are  the  famihes  of  the  Levites  according  to  their 
fathers.  -*^  Of  Gershom ;  Libni  his  son,  Jahath  his  son,  ""  Zimmah  his  son, 
"^[jJoah  his  son,  ||  Iddo  his  son,  Zerah  his  son,  |j  Jeaterai  his  son.  -2rj^}jQ 
sons  of  Kohath;  ||  Amminadab  his  son,  Korah  his  son,  Assir  his  son,  ^^Elka- 
nah  his  son,  and  Ebiasaph  his  son,  and  Assir  liis  son,  -^  Tahath  his  son,  ||  Uriel 
his  son,  Uzziah  his  son,  and  Shaul  his  son.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Elkanah; 
°  Amasai,  and  Ahimoth.  ^6  j^g  y^,.  Elkanah  :  the  sons  of  Elkanah ;  ||  Zophai 
his  son,  and  "  Nahath  his  son,  ^7  p  Eliab  his  son,  Jeroham  his  son,  Elkanah  his 
son.  28 ^(-]  ii^Q  gQjig  Qf  Samuel;  the  firstborn  ||Yashni,  and  Abiah.  -^  The 
sons  of  Merari ;  Mahli,  Libni  his  son,  Shimei  his  son,  Uzza  his  son,  ^^  Shimea 
his  son,  Haggiah  his  son,  Asaiah  his  son. 

^^  And  these  are  they  whom  David  set  over  the  service  of  song  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord,  after  that  the  ''ark  had  rest.  ^'^  And  they  ministered  before  the 
dwelling  place  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  with  singing,  until  Solo- 
mon had  built  the  house  of  the  Lord  in  Jerusalem  :  and  then  they  waited  on 
their  office  according  to  their  order. 

^^  And  these  are  they  that  f  waited  with  their  children.  Of  the  sons  of  the 
Kohathites  :  Heman  a  singer,  the  son  of  Joel,  the  son  of  Shemuel,  ^^  The  son 
of  Elkanah,  the  son  of  Jeroham,  the  son  of  Eliel,  the  son  of  ||  Toah,  ^^  The 
son  of  II  Zuph,  the  son  of  Elkanah,  the  son  of  Mahath,  the  son  of  Amasai, 
•^^  The  son  of  Elkanah,  the  son  of  ||  Joel,  the  son  of  Azariah,  the  son  of  Zepha- 
niah,  ^^  The  son  of  Tahath,  the  son  of  Assir,  the  son  of '  Ebiasaph,  the  son  of 
Korah,  ^^The  son  of  Izhar,  the  son  of  Kohath,  the  son  of  Le^d,  the  son  of 
Israel.  ^^And  his  brother  Asaph,  who  stood  on  his  right  hand,  even  Asaph 
the  son  of  Berachiah,  the  son  of  Shimea,  ^*^  The  son  of  Michael,  the  son  of 
Baaseiah,  the  son  of  Malchiah,  ^^  The  son  of  '  Ethni,  the  son  of  Zerah,  the 
son  of  Adaiah,  ^"  The  son  of  Ethan,  the  son  of  Zimmah,  the  son  of  Shimei, 
^^The  son  of  Jahath,  the  son  of  Gershom,   the  son  of  Levi.     "^^And  their 


k  2  Kings  25.  18. 


I  Exod.  6.  10. 

II  Or,  Gershun, 
ver.  1. 


m  ver.  42. 

II  Or,  Etlian, 

ver.  41. 

II  Or,  Adaiah, 

ver.  41. 

II  Or,  Ethni, 

ver.  41. 

II  Or,  Izhar, 

ver.  2,  18. 

II  Or,  Zephaniah, 

Azariah,  Joel, 

ver.  3(i. 

n  See  ver.  35,  CG. 

II  Or,  Zuph, 

ver.  35. 

I  Sam.  I.  I. 

0  ver.  34,  Toah. 
p  ver.  34,  EUel. 

II  Called  also 
Joel,  ver.  33.  & 

1  Sam.  8.  2. 


ahout 
1280, 
&c. 
q  eh.  10.  1. 


t  Heb.  stood. 


II  ver.  26, 

Nahath. 

II  Or  Zophai. 

II  ver.  24,  Shaul, 
Uzziah    Uriel. 

r  E.xod.  6.  24. 


s  See  ver.  21. 


the  punishment  of  the  King,  and  of  tlie  Priest,  for  their  own 
sins,  and  for  the  sins  of  the  People,  committed  to  their  charge. 
But  His  mercy  also  was  displayed  in  the  return  of  His  People 
under  Joshua  (the  son  of  Josadak),  the  type  and  forerunner  of 
Jestjs,  Who  is  both  King,  and  Priest,  and  the  Saviour  of  His 
People :  see  below,  Introd.  to  Ezra. 

16.  The  sons  of  Levi]  Having  now  given  a  Ifet  of  the 
Levites,  who  were  High  Priests,  lie  proceeds  to  speak  of  the 
Levites  who  were  not  Priests,  and  thus  reminds  his  readers 
that  the  High  Priests,  Priests,  and  Levites,  were  all  of  one 
original  stock,  and  were  bound  together  by  the  closest  ties  of 
natural  relation.    See  above,  Introd.  to  Deuteronomy,  p.  197. 

20.  Gershom']  The  eldest  son  of  Levi  (Exod.  vi.  16). 

—  Zimmah  his  son]  Grandson  :  see  v.  42. 

22.  Amminadab]  Called  also  Izhar  (vv.  2.  38). 

23.  Elkanah]  A  common  Levitical  name  (see  vv.  25.  27) ; 
and  for  the  reason,  see  1  Sam.  i.  1.  On  the  iteration  of  names 
in  the  priestly  and  Levitical  families,  cp.  Bertheau,  p.  63, 
refuting  the  allegation  derived  by  Gramherg,  from  a  com- 
parison of  Ezra  vii.  1—5,  with  the  hst  in  this  chapter. 

—  Assir'\  We  have  Hhiasaph,  v.  37 ;  Assir  and  Elkanah 
being  omitted.  In  Exod.  vi.  24,  Assir,  Elkanah,  and  Abiasaph 
are  called  sons  of  Korah,  i.  e.  in  three  successive  generations. 

24.  Uriel]  Called  also  Zephaniah  (v.  36). 

—  Uzziah]  Called  also  Azariah  hx  v.  36. 

—  iShaul]  Called  also  Joel  (v.  36). 

181 


26.  ElJcanali :  the  sons  of  UlkanaJi]  Or  rather,  Elkanah, 
his  son,  according  to  the  Cheiib.  and  Sejjt, 

—  Zophai]  Called  Zuph  {v.  35). 

—  Nahath]  Called  Toah  {v.  34). 

28.  Samuel]  The  prophet,  the  sou  of  Elkanah  and  Hannah 
(1  Sam.  i.  1.  20.  Cp.  v.  33).  The  sons  of  Kohath,  by  Ammi- 
nadab or  Izhar,  are  here  traced  downivard  to  Samuel  and  hi:" 
sons.  In  vv.  33 — 38,  they  are  traced  ninvard  through  Samuel. 
A  special  honour  is  thus  paid  to  Samuel. 

31.  ark  had  rest]  In  Jerusalem  :  see  2  Sam.  vi.  17. 

33.  Heman]  See  xv.  17 — 19 ;  xxv.  1 —  6.  He  is  not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  Heman  mentioned  in  ii.  6,  but  is  probal^ly 
the  same  as  in  1  Kings  iv.  31. 

—  a  singer]  The  precentor.  The  first  of  the  three  chief 
Levites,  who  had  the  charge  of  the  musical  service  of  the 
Tabernacle  in  the  days  of  David. 

39.  his  brother  Asajjh]  Brother  in  song,  and  of  the  same  tribe. 

42.  Ethan]  Who  seems  to  be  the  same  as  Jeduthun,  ix.  IG ; 
xvi.  41 ;  xxv.  1.  2  Chron.  xxxv.  15.  Neh.  xi.  17.  Hervey, 
B.  D.  i.  939;  Fusey,  Lect.  on  Daniel,  317,  who  says,  that 
the  name  Jeduthun,  signifying  "  great  praise,"  may  have  been 
formed  by  David.     See  also  Carpzov,  Introd,  ii.  104. 

—  Zimmah]  See  above,  on  v.  20,  where  we  have  Gershom, 
Libui,  Jahath,  Zimmah. 

44.  their  brethren]  Heman  (who  came  from  Levi's  second 
son,  Kohath,  the  father  of  Amram,  and  grandfather  of  Aaron) 


The  duties  of  the  Priests.         1  CHEONICLES  VI.  45—70. 


Levitical  cities. 


II  Called 
Jcdutliun, 
e\\.  9.  16.  & 
25.  1,  3,  G. 
II  Or,  Kiishaiah, 
ch.  15.  17. 


1444, 
&c. 
t  Lev.  1.  9. 
u  Exod.  30.  7. 


y  Josh.  21.  11,  12, 

z  Josh.  14,  13.  & 

15.  13. 

a  Josh.  21.  13. 


II  Or,  Holon, 
Josh.  21.  15. 
II  Or,  Ain, 
Josh.  21.  16. 
II  Or,  Alnio/i, 
Josh.  21.  18. 


b  ver.  06. 
c  Josh.  21.  5. 


d  Josh.  21.  7,  34. 


e  ver.  61. 

f  Josh.  21.  21. 


S  See  Josh.  21. 
22—35,  where 
many  of  these 
cities  have  other 
names. 


bretliren  the  sons  of  Merari  stood  on  the  left  hand  :  |1  Ethan  the  son  of  ||  Kishi, 
the  son  of  Abdi,  the  son  of  Malluch,  ^^  The  son  of  Hashabiah,  the  son  of 
Amaziah,  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  ^^  The  son  of  Amzi,  the  son  of  Bani,  the  son  of 
Shamer,  ^^  The  son  of  Mahh,  the  son  of  Mushi,  the  son  of  Merari,  the  son  of 
Levi.  ^^  Theu^  brethren  also  the  Levites  were  appointed  unto  all  manner  of 
service  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  house  of  God. 

^^  But  Aaron  and  his  sons  offered  *  upon  the  altar  of  the  burnt  offering,  and 
"  on  the  altar  of  incense,  and  were  appointed  for  all  the  work  of  the  place  most 
holy,  and  to  make  an  atonement  for  Israel,  according  to  all  that  Moses  the 
servant  of  God  had  commanded.  ^^  And  these  are  the  sons  of  Aaron ;  Eleazar 
his  son,  Phinehas  his  son,  Abishua  his  son,  ^^  Bukld  his  son,  Uzzi  his  son, 
Zerahiah  his  son,  ^^Meraioth  his  son,  Amariah  his  son,  Ahitub  his  son, 
^^  Zadok  his  son,  Aliimaaz  his  son. 

^^  ^  Now  these  are  their  dwelling  places  throughout  their  castles  in  their 
coasts,  of  the  sons  of  Aaron,  of  the  famihes  of  the  Kohathites  :  for  theirs  was 
the  lot.  ^^  ^  And  they  gave  them  Hebron  in  the  land  of  Judah,  and  the  suburbs 
thereof  round  about  it.  ^^  ^  But  the  fields  of  the  city,  and  the  villages  thereof, 
they  gave  to  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh.  ^^  And  ^  to  the  sons  of  Aaron  they 
gave  the  cities  of  Judah,  namely,  Hebron,  the  city  of  refuge,  and  Libnah  with 
her  suburbs,  and  Jattir,  and  Eshtemoa,  with  their  suburbs,  ^^And  1|  Hilen  with 
her  suburbs,  Debir  with  her  suburbs,  ^^  And  1|  Asham  with  her  suburbs,  and 
Beth-shemesh  with  her  suburbs:  ^^And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin ;  Geba 
with  her  suburbs,  and  ||  Alemeth  with  her  suburbs,  and  Anathoth  with  her 
suburbs.  All  their  cities  throughout  their  families  were  thirteen  cities.  ^^  And 
unto  the  sons  of  Kohath,  ^ivhich  were  left  of  the  family  of  that  tribe,  ivere  cities 
given  out  of  the  half  tribe,  namely,  out  of  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  "^  by  lot, 
ten  cities.  ^-^  And  to  the  sons  of  Gershom  throughout  their  families  out  of  the 
tribe  of  Issachar,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali, 
and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  in  Bashan,  thirteen  cities.  ^^  Unto  the  sons 
of  Merari  ivere  given  by  lot,  throughout  their  families,  out  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben, 
and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Gad,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  ^  twelve  cities. 
•^^And  the  children  of  Israel  gave  to  the  Levites  these  cities  with  their  suburbs. 
^^  And  they  gave  by  lot  out  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Judah,  and  out  of  the 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Simeon,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Benja- 
min, these  cities,  which  are  called  by  their  names. 

^''Aiid  ""the  residue  of  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Kohath  had  cities  of  their 
coasts  out  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim.  ^"^  'And  they  gave  unto  them,  o/the  cities 
of  refuge,  Shechem  in  mount  Ephraim  with  her  suburbs ;  they  gave  also  Gezer 
with  her  suburbs,  '^'^  And  °  Jokmeam  with  her  suburbs,  and  Beth-horon  with 
her  suburbs,  *^^And  Aijalon  with  her  suburbs,  and  Gath-rimmon  with  her 
suburbs:  ^*^And  out  of  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh;  Aner  with  her  suburbs. 


held  the  principal  place  iu  the  choir.  His  brother  Asaph  (who 
came  from  (rershom,  the  eldest  son  of  Levi)  was  on  his  right 
hand,  and  Ethan,  from  Merari,  the  youngest  sou  of  Levi,  was 
on  the  left.  These  three  were  the  chiefs  of  the  singers  and 
musicians  in  the  service  of  the  Sanctuary. 

—  the  sons  of  3Ierari]  The  youugcst  son  of  Levi  (Exod. 
vi.  16). 

48.  all  mamier  of  service]  See  below,  chap,  xxiii. 

49.  Aaron  and  his  sons']  Cp.  Num.  xviii.  1 — 7.  Lev.  viii.  2. 
Here  is  a  refutation  of  the  allegation  of  some  in  modern  days, 
that  the  Kings  of  Judah  were  authorized  to  ofler  sacrifice,  and 
even  to  burn  incense :  see  above,  on  1  Kings  viii,  14. 

182 


50.  these  are  the  sons  of  Aaron]  From  Aaron's  time  to  David 
(cp.  above,  vv.  3 — 8).  He  states  again  the  substance  of  these 
verses  iu  a  briefer  form,  and  thus  shows  the  dignity  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood. 

54 — 60.  their  dwelling  places]  Cp.  Josh.  xxi.  4 — 12.  The 
claim  of  the  Priests  and  Levites  to  be  reinstated  after  the 
captivity  in  these  cities  had  been  grounded  and  secured  to 
them  by  divine  appoiutment,  and  is  asserted  for  them  in  this 
catalogue. 

70.  Aner — and  Bileam]  Cp.  Josh.  xxi.  25,  where  Tanncli 
and  Gath-rimmou  are  mentioned. 


Citm  of  the  Lcvites.    1  CHRONICLES  VI.  71—81.     VII.  1—7.    IssacJiar— Benjamin. 


and  Bileam  with  lier  suburbs,  for  the  family  of  the  remnant  of  the  sons  of 
Kohath. 

^^  Unto  the  sons  of  Gershom  were  given  out  of  the  family  of  the  half  tribe  of 
Manasseh,  Golan  in  Bashan  with  her  suburbs,  and  Ashtaroth  with  her  suburbs: 
'■-And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar;  Kedesh  with  her  suburbs,  Daberath  with 
her  suburbs,  '^^  And  Ramoth  with  her  suburbs,  and  Anem  with  her  suburbs  : 
^■^  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Asher ;  Mashal  with  her  suburbs,  and  Abdon  with 
her  suburbs,  ^^  And  Hukok  with  her  suburbs,  and  Rehob  with  her  suburbs  : 
'^'^  And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali ;  Kedesh  in  Galilee  with  her  suburbs,  and 
Ilammon  with  her  suburbs,  and  Erjathaim  with  her  suburbs. 

'^  Unto  the  rest  of  the  children  of  Merari  ivere  given  out  of  the  tribe  of  Ze- 
bulun,  Rimmon  with  her  suburbs.  Tabor  with  her  suburbs  :  ^''And  on  the  other 
side  Jordan  by  Jericho,  on  the  east  side  of  Jordan,  tvere  given  them  out  of  the 
tribe  of  Reuben,  Bezer  in  the  wilderness  with  her  suburbs,  and  Jahzah  with  her 
suburbs,  ^^  Kedemoth  also  with  her  suburbs,  and  Mephaath  with  her  suburbs  : 
^^And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Gad;  Ramoth  in  Gilead  with  her  suburbs,  and 
Mahanaim  with  her  suburbs,  ^^  And  Heshbon  with  her  suburbs,  and  Jazer  with 
her  suburbs. 

VII.  ^  Now  the  sons  of  Issachar  ivere,  *Tola,  and  ||  Puah,  Jashub,  and  Sliim- 
rom,  four.  ^  ^j^;]  the  sons  of  Tola ;  Uzzi,  and  Rephaiah,  and  Jeriel,  and  nv 
Jahmai,  and  Jibsam,  and  Shemuel,  heads  of  their  father's  house,  to  tvit,  of 
Tola  :  theytvere  valiant  men  of  might  in  their  generations  ;  "^  whose  number  loas  ^  f^™;^*-  '-^ 
in  the  days  of  David  two  and  twenty  thousand  and  six  hundred.  ^  And  the 
sons  of  Uzzi ;  Izrahiah  :  and  the  sons  of  Izrahiah ;  Michael,  and  Obadiah,  and 
Joel,  Ishiah,  five  :  all  of  them  chief  men. 

^  And  mth  them,  by  their  generations,  after  the  house  of  their  fathers,  were 
bands  of  soldiers  for  war,  six  and  thirty  thousand  inen :  for  they  had  many  wives 
and  sons.  ^  And  their  brethren  among  all  the  families  of  Issachar  ivere  valiant 
men  of  might,  reckoned  in  all  by  their  genealogies  fourscore  and  seven 
thousand. 

^ The  sons  of  *^ Benjamin  ;  Bela,  and  Becher,  and  Jediael,  three.     ^  And  the  Numl^o^'s^s'/ 
sons  of  Bela  ;  Ezbon,  and  Uzzi,  and  Uzziel,  and  Jerimoth,  and  Iri,  five ;  heads  '^  •  •  •  '=• 
of  the  house  of  their  fathers,  mighty  men  of  valour  ;  and  were  reckoned  by  their 


1400, 
&c. 

a  Gen.  46.  13. 
fum.  26.  23. 
Phuvah,  Job. 


Ibleam  is  specified  as  a  city  of  Manasseh  in  Josh.  xvii. 
11. 

Probably  in  the  interval  between  Joshua's  days,  and  the  end 
of  the  captivity,  many  cities  had  changed  their  names,  or  some 
commutations  liad  been  made  of  older  Levitical  cities  for  others 
in  the  same  tribes. 

77.  Rimmon — Talor]  In  Josh.  xxi.  34,  we  \\Vi\e  four  cities 
allotted  to  the  Merarites  from  Zebulun,  viz.  Jokmeam,  Kartah, 
Dimnah,  Xahalal.  Some  attempts  have  been  made  to  har- 
monize these  names  with  those  which  are  specified  hei-e.  See 
Bertheau,  p.  73.  Cp.  Keil,  on  Josh.  p.  158.  The  name 
Rimmon  still  survives  in  the  modern  Rummaneh,  in  the  plain 
of  Zebulun,  described  by  Dr.  Thomson,  p.  426. 

This  is  another  instance  of  what  was  observed  in  the  fore- 
going note.  Tabor,  being  a  large  and  celebrated  district,  may 
have  absorbed  and  superseded  other  names. 

The  varieties  of  names  in  this  list,  as  compared  with  that 
in  Joshua  (chap,  xxi.),  are  of  great  use.  For  the  most  part  the 
two  lists  coincide  minutely ;  and  these  coincidences  show  God's 
care  for  the  reinstatement  of  His  ministers  in  their  ancient 
luibitaticns.  And  the  few  variations  in  the  lists,  such  as  would 
naturally  have  arisen,  give  a  value  to  both  lists,  as  showing 
that  neither  of  them  is  a  literal  transcript  of  the  other,  but 
that  they  are  derived  from  independent  sources. 

On  the  independent  authority  of  the  sources  from  which 
the  writer  of  the  Book  of  Chronicles  drew  his  information  in 
183 


this  chapter,  see  Archdeacon  Lee,  on  Inspiration,  pp.  466 — 
468;  and  cp.  Davidson,  Intr.  ii.  72. 

78,  79.]  See  Num.  xxii.  1 ;  xxvi.  3 ;  xxxiv.  15. 

80.  Ramoth']  A  city  of  refuge  :  see  Josh.  xxi.  38. 

Cn.  VII.  1.  Not!)  the  sons']  In  the  original  it  is  "  and  for 
(Heb.  lamed)  sons,"  &c. 

2.  And  the  sons  of  Tola]  The  following  names  occur  no- 
where else  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  show  the  originality  of 
the  Author's  matei-ials. 

—  in  their  generations]  These  words  seem  to  be  connected 
with  "  heads  of  their  father's  house,"  as  they  are  in  Vulg.  : 
cp.  V.  4. 

—  in  the  days  of  David]  When  he  numbered  the  people 
(2  Sam.  xxiv.). 

6.  three]  In  the  next  chapter  he  mentions  five  (viii.  1,  2) ; 
in  Gen.  xlvi.  21  there  are  ten.  In  the  age  of  the  Chronicles  the 
families  of  five  had  probably  become  extinct ;  and  here  is  another 
incidental  proof  of  the  discrimination  and  independence  of  the 
^\Titer.     Even  in  Num.  xxvi.  38  only  five  are  mentioned. 

7.  the  sons  of  Bela]  In  viii.  3  others  are  mentioned ;  the 
five  here  mentioned  are  probably  the  chief  men  of  his  race,_  and 
may  have  been  grandsons,  or  even  further  removed  in  lineal 
descent.  He  is  here  mentioning  "the  heads  of  tlw  house, 
mighty  men  of  valour  "  (cp.  v.  11.     Bertheau,  p.  76). 


Dan  omitted. 


1  CHRONICLES  VII.  8—18. 


NapJitali,  Manasseh. 


d  Num.  20.  3', 
S/iuphiim,  and 
Htipliam. 
II  Or,  Iri,  vcr.  7. 
II  Or,  Ahirom, 
Num.  26.  3S. 
e  Gen.  40.  21, 
Shillem. 


f  1  Sam.  12.  n. 


genealogies  twenty  and  two  thousand  and  thirty  and  four.  ^  And  the  sons  of 
Becher ;  Zemira,  and  Joash,  and  Ehezer,  and  Ehoenai,  and  Omri,  and  Jeri- 
moth,  and  Abiah,  and  Anathoth,  and  Alameth.  All  these  are  the  sons  of 
Becher.  ^  And  the  number  of  them,  after  their  genealogy  by  their  generations, 
heads  of  the  house  of  their  fathers,  mighty  men  of  valour,  was  twenty  thousand 
and  two  hundred.  ^^  The  sons  also  of  Jediael ;  Bilhan  :  and  the  sons  of  Bil- 
han ;  Jeush,  and  Benjamin,  and  Ehud,  and  Chenaanah,  and  Zethan,  and 
Tharshish,  and  Ahishahar.  ^^  All  these  the  sons  of  Jediael,  by  the  heads  of 
their  fathers,  mighty  men  of  valour,  were  seventeen  thousand  and  two  hundred 
soldiers,  fit  to  go  out  for  war  and  battle.  ^-'^  Shuppim  also,  and  Huppim,  the 
children  of  ||  Ir,  and  Hushim,  the  sons  of  ||  Aher. 

^^  The  sons  of  Naphtali ;  Jahziel,  and  Guni,  and  Jezer,  and  "  Shallum,  the 
sons  of  Bilhah. 

^^  The  sons  of  Manasseh ;  Ashriel,  whom  she  bare  :  {hut  his  concubine  the 
Aramitess  bare  Machir  the  father  of  Gilead  :  ^^  And  Macliir  took  to  wife  the  sister 
of  Huppim  and  Shuppim,  whose  sister's  name  was  Maachah ;)  and  the  name 
of  the  second  ivas  Zelophehad :  and  Zelophehad  had  daughters.  ^^  And 
Maachah  the  wife  of  Machir  bare  a  son,  and  she  called  his  name  Peresli ;  and 
the  name  of  his  brother  was  Sheresh ;  and  his  sons  ivere  Ulam  and  Rakem. 
^'^  And  the  sons  of  Ulam;  "^Bedan.  These  ivere  the  sons  of  Gilead,  the  son  of 
Machir,  the  son  of  Manasseh.     ^^  And  his  sister  Hammoleketh  bare  Ishod,  and 


8.  Anathoth,  and  Alameth']  Wliich  seem  to  be  names  of  cities 
of.  Eenjamin  (Josh.  xxi.  18.  Above,  vi.  60),  and  to  repre- 
sent the  chiefs  of  these  cities  as  deseendauts  of  Benjamin  by 
Becher. 

12.  Shuppim  also,  and  Hupphn]  Sons  of  Benjamin ;  in  Gen. 
xlvi.  21  called  Muppim  and  Huppim ;  in  Num.  xxvi.  39  Shupham 
and  Hupham.  On  the  Orthography,  see  Bertheau,  p.  77. 
Perhaps,  however,  these  are  not  the  same  persons  as  are  men- 
tioned in  Genesis,  though  they  belong  to  the  same  tribe.  Ir 
may  be  the  same  as  Iri  in  v.  7. 

The  large  number  of  men  of  war  of  the  Benjamites  reckoned 
in  this  list  {vv.  6—12)  seems  to  show  that  it  belongs  to  the 
most  floiu-ishiug  time  of  that  tribe.     Cp.  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  186. 

Omission  of  the  Na^ie  of  Dan. 

—  Hushim,  the  sons  of  Aher]  Or  rather,  tJie  sons  of  another. 
Aher  or  Acher  is  the  Hebrew  for  another  (Gesen.  32). 

This  is  a  remarkable  statement.  Who  is  this  "  other  1" 
We  read  in  Gen.  xlvi.  23,  "  And  the  sons  of  Dan, — Hushim." 
In  the  Genealogies  in  the  Pentateuch  (Gen.  xlvi.  23.  Num. 
xxvi.  42)  Dan  follows  Benjamin,  because  Dan  was  the  son  of 
Bilhah,  the  handmaid  of  Eachel,  the  mother  of  Benjamin 
(Gen.  XXX.  1 — G). 

But  in  the  present  Genealogy  of  the  tribes,  the  name  of 
Dan  nowhere  appears  expressly. 

It  is  therefore  probable,  that  it  lies  hid  there  between 
Benjamin  and  Naphtali,  the  place  which  it  occupies  in  Gen. 
xlvi.  23.  And  this  conclusion  is  confirmed  by  the  words,  "  the 
sons  of  Bilhah "  at  the  end  of  v.  13,  which  represent  Dan  as 
well  as  Naphtali.  See  Gen.  xlvi.  25,  "these  are  the  sons  of 
Bilhah,"  i.  e.  Dan  and  Naphtali. 

But  why  is  the  name  of  Dan  concealed  here  ?  why  is  it 
disguised  imder  the  general  name  "  Another  1 " 

The  answer  appears  to  be  suggested  by  the  considerations 
already  stated  above  in  the  note  on  Judg.  xviii.  30.  The  sin  of 
Dan  in  being  the  first  of  the  Tribes  of  Israel  to  establish 
idolatry,  cast  a  cloud  of  ignominy  over  his  name. 

Hence  the  name  of  Dan  became  a  by-word  in  Holy  Scrip- 
ture ;  a  mysterious  darkness  hangs  over  it,  and  obscures  it  (see 
on  Gen.  xlix.  17).  We  have  seen  a  remarkable  evidence  of  this 
in  the  desire  of  many  copyists  in  Judg.  xviii.  30  to  rescue  the 
honoured  name  of  Moses  from  any  connexion  with  Dan  and  its 
idolatry. 

In  the  present  passage,  the  Sacred  Writer  does  not  deign  to 
mention  the  name  of  Dan  among  those  of  the  other  Tribes  of 
Israel,  but  envelopes  it  in  disguise.  He  calls  Dan's  son,  the  son 
184 


of  Another,  a  word  which  may  perhaps  mean  another  son  of 
Bilhah,  whose  son  Naphtali  is  mentioned  in  the  next  verse 
(so  Bertheau) ;  or  it  may  have  a  more  general  meaning. 

For  another  example  of  the  degradation  of  Dan,  see  below, 
on  xxvii.  16—22. 

In  the  Book  of  Revelation,  the  Holy  Ghost  when  setting 
down  the  names  of  the  tribes  of  the  spiritual  Israel  of  the 
Saints  that  are  scaled,  omits  altogether  the  name  of  Dan.  lie 
blots  it  out  of  the  Book  of  Life.  See  below,  on  Pev.  vii.  4 ; 
and  above,  Introd.  to  Judges,  p.  81. 

Surely  here  is  a  solemn  warning  for  us,  in  our  own  days. 

The  closing  words  of  the  beloved  discijDle,  the  last  of  the 
Apostles  called  by  Christ  on  earth,  St.  John,  in  his  first  Epistle, 
are,  "  Little  children,  keep  yourselves  from  idols  "  (1  John  v.  21)  ; 
and  his  Apocalypse  abounds  with  prophecies  that  Idolatry  will 
be  a  snare  to  the  Church  of  the  last  days ;  and  our  own  times 
verify  the  prediction.  We  need  his  admonitions  against  creature- 
worship.  In  some  poi'tions  of  the  Church  it  seems  to  be  supplant- 
ing the  worship  of  the  Creator.  And  some  among  us  seem  to  take 
a  pleasure  in  sporting  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  and  of  play- 
ing with  idolatrous  practices,  as  if  they  were  innocent  toys; 
but  St.  John  says,  "Outside  the  holy  city,  are  idolaters"  (Rev. 
xxii.  15),  they  have  no  admittance  into  it;  and  the  name  of 
Dan,  the  idolatrous  tribe,  is  blotted  from  the  Book  of  Life. 

14.  The  sons  of  Manasseh  ;  Ashriel]  His  great-grandson,  hy 
Gilead,  the  son  of  Machir,  the  son  of  Manasseh  (Gen.  1.  23. 
Num.  xxvi.  29;  xxvii.  1). 

—  whom  she  bare]  i.  e.  his  wife.  See  iv.  17.  Num.  xxvi.  59. 
This  is  the  rendering  according  to  the  accentual  marks  in  the 
Hebrew,  and  according  to  the  Rabbis.  But  the  Sep>t.,  Syriac, 
and  Arabic  connect  the  word  bare  with  his  conctibine  :  so 
Movers,  p.  80 ;  and  Bertheau,  p.  79. 

15.  And  Machir  took  to  toife  the  sister  of  Htqypim  and 
Shuppim,  whose  sister's  name  was  Maachah]  He  seems  to  have 
married  into  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  (see  v.  12  :  cp.  Movers, 
p.  89,  as  to  the  construction),  and  the  name  of  Shuppim's  sister 
(he  was  the  elder,  v.  12)  was  Maachah  (cp.  Michaelis  here). 
The  Vulgate  renders  it,  "  Machir  took  a  wife  for  his  sons, 
Huppim  and  Shuppim ;"  tlie  Arabic  and  Syriac  render  it, 
"  Machir  took  a  wife  from  chief  men." 

—  davyhters]  Not  sons  (Num.  xxvii.  1). 

17.  Bedan]  The  name  of  a  Judge.     See  1  Sam.  xii.  11. 

18.  his  sister]  Gilcad's  sister. 

—  Hammolelceth]  Vulg.  and  Kimclii  render  this  the  queen, 
confounding  the  word,  which  is  a  proper  name,  with  the  femsilo 
substantive,  queen. 


Sons  of  Ephraim. 


1  CHKONICLES  VII.  19—39. 


Beriah. 


^Abiezer,  and  Mahalah.  ^^And  the  sons  of  Sliemidah  were,  Ahian,  and 
Shechem,  and  Liklii,  and  Aniam. 

-^And  ''the  sons  of  Ephraim;  Shuthelah,  and  Bered  his  son,  and  Tahath 
his  son,  and  ELadah  his  son,  and  Tahath  his  son,  ^i  And  Zabad  his  son,  and 
Shuthelah  his  son,  and  Ezer,  and  Elead,  whom  the  men  of  Gath  that  were  bom 
in  that  hand  slew,  because  they  came  down  to  take  away  their  cattle.  22  ^^^ 
Ephraim  their  father  mourned  many  days,  and  his  brethren  came  to  comfort 
him.  -^  x\nd  when  he  went  in  to  his  wife,  she  conceived,  and  bare  a  son,  and 
he  called  his  name  Beriah,  because  it  went  evil  with  his  house.  ^^  (And  his 
daughter  ims  Sherah,  who  built  Beth-horon  the  nether,  and  the  upper,  and 
Uzzen-sherah.)  -^  And  Bephah  ivas  his  son,  also  Besheph,  and  Telah  his  son, 
and  Tahan  his  son,  -^Laadan  his  son,  Ammihud  his  son,  EHshama  his  son, 
2^  ||Non  his  son,  Jehoshuah  his  son. 

-^  And  their  possessions  and  habitations  ivere,  Beth-el  and  the  towns  thereof, 
and  eastward  'Naaran,  and  westward  Gezer,  with  the  f  towns  thereof ;  Shechem 
also  and  the  towns  thereof,  unto  Gaza  and  the  towns  thereof ;  -^  And  by  the 
borders  of  the  children  of  ^  Manasseh,  Beth-shean  and  her  towns,  Taanach  and 
her  towns,  '  Megiddo  and  her  towns.  Dor  and  her  towns.  In  these  dwelt  the 
cliildren  of  Joseph  the  son  of  Israel. 

20'^  The  sons  of  Asher ;  Imnah,  andlsuah,  and  Ishuai,  and  Beriah,  and  Serah 
their  sister.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Beriah ;  Heber,  and  Malchiel,  who  is  the  father 
of  Birzavith.  ^'^And  Heber  begat  Japhlet,  and  "  Shomer,  and  Hotham,  and 
Shua  their  sister.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Japhlet ;  Pasach,  and  Bimhal,  and  Ash- 
vath.  These  are  the  children  of  Japhlet.  ^4  And  the  sons  of  °  Shamer ;  Ahi, 
and  Rohgah,  Jehubbah,  and  Aram.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  his  brother  Helem  ; 
Zophah,  and  Imna,  and  Shelesh,  and  Amal.  '^'^  The  sons  of  Zophah ;  Suah, 
and  Hamepher,  and  Shual,  and  Beri,  and  Imrah,  ^-'Bezer,  and  Hod,  and 
Shamma,  and  Shilshah,  and  Ithran,  and  Beera.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Jether ; 
Jephunneh,  and  Pispah,  and  Ara.  ^^And  the  sons  of  Ulla ;  Arab,  and  Haniel, 
and  Bezia. 


gNum.  2o.  30, 
Jeczer. 


h  Num.  2e.  35. 


II  Or,  Nun, 
Num.  13.  8,  16. 


i  Josh.  IG.  7, 

Nnarath. 

\  Heb.  daugliters. 

k  Josh.  17.  7. 
1  Josh.  17.  n. 


m  Gen.  4G.  17. 
Num.  20.  44. 


n  ver.  34, 
Shamer. 


o  ver.  32,  Shomer, 


—  Mahalah']  The  name  also  of  one  of  the  daughters  of 
Zclophehad  (Num.  xxvi.  33). 

19.  Shemidah — Shecheni]  The  names  also  of  sons  of  Gilead 
(Num.  xxvi.  31,  32),  and  of  Manasseh  (Josh.  xvii.  2). 

20.  Shuthelah']  Whose  line  the  Writer  traces  parenthetically 
till  he  comes,  in  v.  21,  to  a  second  Shuthelah  :  he  then  returns 
to  the  other  sons  of  Ephraim,  Ezer  and  Elead. 

21.  And  Zabad  his  son]  Some  have  supposed  that  these 
events  occurred  before  the  sojourn  in  Egypt  (Ewald,  i.  490), 
others  that  they  happened  after  the  Exodus,  and  after  the 
entrance  into  Canaan  {Rdvernick,  ii.  181.     Bertheau,  p.  83). 

But  it  seems  more  probable,  that  they  are  to  be  assigned 
to  the  period  before  the  Exodus,  and  during  the  sojourn  in 
Egypt.  Ephraim  the  son  of  Joseph  was  still  alive  at  the  time. 
It  seems  that  the  sons  of  Ephraim,  perhaps  presuming  on  their 
descent  from  Joseph  (see  Gen.  xlvi.  20),  the  Governor  of  Egypt, 
made  an  inroad  into  Philistia  from  Goshen,  and  were  repulsed 
by  the  men  of  Gath  who  toere  born  in  the  land,  i.  e.  in  the  land 
of  iJromise  (Canaan  :  cp.  on  1  Kings  ix.  18) ;  and  therefore  had 
a  prior  claim  to  it.  God  had  not  yet  given  a  commission  to 
Israel  to  go  and  take  possession  of  Canaan.  Here  is  a  specimen 
of  the  ancient  character  of  the  documents  from  which  the  writer 
of  Chronicles  drew  his  information. 

22.  mourned  many  days — came  to  comfort  him]  A  page  of 
early  patriarchal  history,  which  may  be  compared  with  Gen. 
xxxvii.  34,  35. 

Beeiah,  the  Ancestor  of  Joshua. 

23.  Beria'h]  Literally,  in  evil,  from  Heb.  "beth  essentia?,"  and 
raa,  evil  (Gesen.  141).  Afterwards  another  Beriah  (of  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin)  made  reprisals  on  Gath.     See  below,  on  viii.  13. 

It  is  remarkable  that  Beriah,  bom  in  a  time  of  war,  and 
BO  named  by  his  father  Ephraim,  on  account  of  the  sorroiv  in 
185 


which  his  house  was  by  reason  of  the  death  of  its  children  (see 
vv.  21,  22),  should  have  been  the  ancestor  of  Joshua  («.  27), 
the  saviour,  who  raised  the  whole  house  of  Israel  from  its 
affliction  in  the  wilderness,  and  planted  them  in  the  laud  of 
promise,  from  which  the  sons  of  Ephraim  had  been  repulsed  by 
the  Philistines. 

May  we  not  here  recognize  a  resemblance  to  the  ancestry  of 
Christ,  the  Divine  Joshua  ? 

Christ  sprang  from  the  Beriah  of  our  sorrowing  humanity, 
and  He  raised  us  from  the  calamities  which  we  suft'ered  at  the 
hands  of  our  enemies,— the  spiritual  Philistines, — who  had 
repelled  us  from  our  laud  of  promise,  and  had  afflicted  our 
fathers  and  brethren  with  defeat  and  death.     See  v.  21. 

24.  Beth-horon]  The  scene  of  the  great  victory  of  Joshua, 
the  great  hero  of  this  tribe.     See  on  Josh.  x.  10—13. 

—  Uzzen-sherali]  Perhaps  at  Beit-sira,  about  three  miles 
s.w.  of  the  nether  Beth-horon  {Grove,  B.  D.  ii.  1609). 

27.  Non]  1.  e.  Nun  (Num.  xiii.  8). 

—  Jehoshuah]  See  above,  on  v.  23.  Having  brought  us  down 
from  Ephraim  to  Joshua,  the  writer  pauses  there,  as  if  at  his 
journey's  end,  and  finds  rest  there.  So  all  true  Israelites  find 
their  repose,  after  their  pilgrimage  through  this  earthly  vale  of 
tears,  in  the  Divine  Joshua,  Jesus  Christ :  cp.  vv.  21 — 23. 

28.  their  possessions]  See  Josh.  xvi.  1 — 3. 

—  Gaza]  This  is  a  doubtful  reading;  the  possessions  of 
Ephraim  did  not  reach  so  far  to  the  S.W,  The  best  MSS.  have 
Ai/yah  here,  not  Azzah  (i.  e.  Gaza).     See  Bertheau,  p.  84. 

'29.  Beth-shean]  These  belonged  to  Manasseh.  See  Josh, 
xvi.  11.     Judg.  i.  27. 

31.  the  father  of  Birzavith]  Probably  the  lord  of  the  place 
so  called;  the  well  of  the  olive-trees  {Gesen.). 

36,  37.  Ilarnepher,  Bezer,  Beera]  Probably  names  of  places 
{Bertheau). 


Benjamin 


1  CHRONICLES  VII.  40.    VIII.  1—8. 


and  Judah. 


1400, 
&c. 
a  Gen.  46.  21. 
Num.  2G.  38. 
ch.  7.  6. 
II  Or,  Ard, 
Gen.  46.  21. 
II  Or,  Shupham, 
Num.  26.  39. 
See  ch.  7.  12. 

b  ch.  2.52. 


^^  All  these  loere  the  children  of  Asher,  heads  of  their  father's  house,  choice 
and  mighty  men  of  valour,  chief  of  the  princes.  And  the  number  throughout 
the  genealogy  of  them  that  were  apt  to  the  war  and  to  battle  ivas  twenty  and 
six  thousand  men. 

VIII.  ^  Now  Benjamin  begat "  Bela  his  firstborn,  Ashbel  the  second,  and 
Aharah  the  third,  ^  Nohah  the  fourth,  and  Kapha  the  fifth.  ^  And  the  sons  of 
Bela  Avere,  ||  Addar,  and  Gera,  and  Abihud,  ^  And  Abishua,  and  Naaman,  and 
Ahoah,  ^  And  Gera,  and  ||  Shephuphan,  and  Huram.  ^  And  these  are  the  sons 
of  Ehud :  these  are  the  heads  of  the  fathers  of  the  inhabitants  of  Geba,  and 
they  removed  them  to  ''Manahath:  ''And  Naaman,  and  Aliiah,  and  Gera,  he 
removed  them,  and  begat  Uzza,  and  Ahihud.     ^  And  Shaharaim  begat  children 


40.  iioeniy  and  six  thousand  men]  i.  e.  chosen  warriors. 
This  explains  the  hirger  numbers  (in  Num.  i.  41;  xxvi.  47) 
from  twenty  years  and  upward. 

PEEIilMINAEY  NOTE   ON  ChAPTEES  VIII.  AND   IX. 

Benjamin  and  Jtjdaii. 

The  design  of  the  writer  in  these  two  chapters  requires 
considei'ation. 

He  recapitulates  the  genealogy  of  Benjamin,  which  had 
already  engaged  his  attention  in  the  foregoing  chapter 
(vii.  6—12). 

He  here  gives  a  fuller  account  of  it,  and  brings  the 
genealogy  down  to  the  family  of  Saul  and  Jonathan  (viii.  33  ; 
ix.  39,  40). 

He  also  speaks  of  the  settlement  of  the  Benjamites  at 
Jerusalem  and  its  neighbourhood  {v.  28),  in  communion  with 
Jiidah. 

The  date,  to  which  the  writer  brings  down  his  genealogies, 
and  at  which  he  pauses  as  his  goal  and  resting-place,  and  on 
which  he  here  specially  dilates,  is  the  time  after  the  return 
from  the  captivity  at  Babylon.  See  vili.  28 ;  ix.  3.  27 ;  and  com- 
pare the  account  of  those  two  chapters,  with  parallel  statements, 
on  Ezra  ii.  and  Neh.  x.  Cp.  Vatablus,  Lavater,  Miehaelis, 
Dahler,  Bertheau,  and  note  below,  on  v.  6. 

His  purpose  is  to  show,  that  although  the  tribe  of  Ben- 
j'amin  had  been  carried  into  captivity,  together  with  that  of 
Judah,  to  which  it  had  been  firmly  attached,  yet  God's  mercies 
had  not  failed  it,  and  that  it  had  been  brought  back  by  Him  to 
its  ancient  settlements  at  Jerusalem,  and  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  city  and  Temj^le ;  and,  that  though  it  had  been  almost 
extinguished  in  the  days  of  the  Judges  (Judg.  xx.),  yet  it  had 
been  restored  by  God's  goodness  to  a  flourishing  condition. 

He  shows  by  the  incidents  in  this,  and  the  following 
chapter,  that  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  had  been  rewarded  for  its 
loyalty  to  the  house  of  David,  and  throne  of  Judah,  and  for 
its  devotion  to  God's  service  in  the  Temple,  at  a  time  when 
the  Ten  Tribes,  under  Jeroboam,  revolted  from  the  house  of 
David,  and  fell  away  from  God :  see  below,  on  v.  13. 

He  appears  to  be  specially  careful  to  do  for  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  what  he  does  not  do  for  any  other  of  the  tribes, 
except  those  of  Judah  and  Levi  (a  fact  which  enhances  the 
importance  of  this  observation),  namely,  to  show  that,  after  the 
captivity,  Benjamin  was  settled  in  Palestine,  and  was  extended 
beyond  its  former  boundaries. 

The  Ten  Tribes  wei-e  dispersed,  as  a  punishment  for  their 
schism  and  rebellion  under  Jeroboam,  and  for  their  subsequent 
idolatries ;  but  Benjamin  returned  to  Jerusalem  and  its  neigh- 
boiirhood,  and  had  access  again  to  the  service  of  God  in  the 
ministry  of  the  Temple.  These  statements  are  confirmed  by 
the  narrative  in  the  following  books,  viz.  those  of  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah,  which  show  the  connexion  of  Benjamin  with  Judah 
in  the  blessings  of  the  Return  after  the  Captivity  (Ezra  i.  5 ; 
chap.  ii. ;  iv.  1.     Neh.  vii. ;  xi.  4.  7.  31 ;  xii.  34). 

He  also  thus  prepares  the  reader  for  the  history  of  Saul, 
which  is  to  be  related  in  chap.  x. ;  and  he  shows,  that  though 
the  house  of  David  was  the  special  object  of  his  hiterest, 
being  the  family  in  which  the  Messiah  was  to  arise,  yet  he  was 
not  actuated  by  any  prejudice  against  Saul,  and  that  God  had 
not  cast  off  that  family ;  but  that,  according  to  David's  covenant 
with  Jonathan,  Jonathan's  house  was  continued  long  after 
Jonathan's  death  :  see  on  1  Sam.  xx.  14 — 17. 

Saul,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  is  rightly  regarded  as  a 
type  of  the  Jeivish  Nation,  as  preparing  the  way  for  the  Chris- 
tian dispensation,  which  is  symbolized  by  the  kingdom  of  David, 
186 


of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  as  for  a  time  distinguished  from  it 
(see  above,  Introd.  to  Samuel,  p.  xi.);  and  Jonathan  is  the 
figure  of  all  believing  Jews,  who  acknowledge  Christ  as  their 
Lord,  and  make  a  covenant  with  Him.  Judah  and  Benjamin, 
the  tribes  of  David  and  Saul,  were  joined  in  Jerusalem,  and 
returned  to  it  from  Babylon ;  and  this  record  of  the  mercies  of 
God  to  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  and  especially  to  the  house  of 
Saul  and  Jonathan,  in  conjunction  with  Judah,  the  tribe  of 
David  and  of  Christ,  suggests  an  assurance  of  God's  mercy  to 
the  Jeioish  People,  and  of  their  restoration  to  His  favour  iu 
the  spiritual  Sion  of  His  Church. 

We  have  here  also  an  encouragement  to  loyalty  and  piety 
in  days  of  sedition  and  anarchy,  and  of  defection  and  apostasy. 
They  who,  like  Benjamin,  in  the  trials  of  such  times,  when 
many  are  falling  away  like  the  Ten  Tribes,  continue  to  bear 
dutiful  allegiance  to  the  throne  of  their  earthly  sovereign,  and 
of  God,  will  surely  have  their  reward,  if  not  in  this  world,  yet 
in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem, 

Qn  this  subject,  see  further  below,  note  at  viii.  13  and 
28. 

Cn.  VIII.  1.  Benjamin  legaf]  This  section  serves  for  a  com- 
pletion of  a  former  one  (vii.  6 — 12),  in  which  the  Writer  did 
not  intend  to  give  a  full  catalogue  of  Benjamin's  sons,  but  only 
to  specify  those  whose  families  he  designed  to  describe.  Cp. 
Keil,  Chronik.  p.  189. 

—  Ashiel^  See  Num.  xxvi.  38,  where  Aharah,  mentioned 
here,  is  called  Ahiratn. 

2.  Nohah — Bajpha']  Nowhere  else  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament  as  sons  of  Benjamin  :  cp.  Gen.  xlvi.  21.  These  may, 
perhaps,  have  been  grandsons.  Whatever  they  were,  they  show 
the  originality  of  the  writer's  sources  of  information. 

3.  Addar']  Called  Ard  in  Gen.  xlvi.  21.     Num.  xxvi.  40. 

—  Oera]  A  name  derived  from  a  son  of  Benjamin  (Gen. 
xlvi.  21),  and  repeated  in  his  family  (see  v.  5),  as  the  name 
of  Saul  was. 

6.  JShtid]  Probably  a  well-known  person.  His  name  was 
borne  by  the  celebrated  deliverer,  raised  up  by  God  from 
that  tribe  (Judg.  iii.  15). 

—  Geba]  Near  Gibeah  of  Saul.  See  Josh,  xviii.  24. 
1  Sam.  X.  26 ;  xiii.  3.  Cp.  Judg.  xix.  12.  This  incident,  and 
others  in  this  chapter,  and  the  next,  show  that  the  writer  is 
referring  to  times  after  the  return  from  the  Captivity  at 
Babylon.  We  find  a  similar  mention  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Geba  in  Ezra  ii.  26.  The  sons  of  Lod  and  Quo  (liere  men- 
tioned, V.  12)  are  specified  in  Ezra  ii.  33 ;  the  sons  of  Gibeou 
(here  mentioned,  v.  29)  are  specified  in  Neh.  vii.  25  (cp.  Ezra 
ii.  20).  Among  those  who  made  the  covenant  with  God 
(Neh.  X.  14.  20.  22.  24.  26,  27),  we  find  names  which  occur 
here,  e.  g.  Meshullam  («.  17),  Hanan  {v.  23),  Elam  and  Hananiah 
(v.  24),  Antothijah  (or  Anathoth,  v.  24).  We  also  find  that 
the  number  (a  hundred  and  fifty)  of  the  sons  of  Ulam  {v.  40) 
corresponds  with  the  total  of  other  males  of  families  in  Ezra 
(viii.  3)  and  Nehemiah,  who  are  speaking  of  the  time  after  the 
return ;  and  therefore  we  may  safely  conclude  that  the  writer 
of  Chronicles  is  referring  in  these  chapters  to  that  period 
(cp.  Bertheau,  pp.  87—89). 

—  thei/  removed  them]  Naaman,  Ahiah,  and  Gera  removed 
them  («.  7). 

—  Manahath]  In  ii.  52.  54,  we  have  a  place  somewhat 
similar  in  name  to  this;  but  that  is  in  the  tribe  of  Judah. 
This  Manahath  may  be  perhaps  mentioned  in  Judg.  xx.  43. 
See  the  margin  there;  and  Keil's  note,  p.  349.  Cp.  Grove, 
B.  D.  ii.  218. 

8.  Shaharaim]  This  may  perhaps  be  an  accusative  case  after 


Line  of  Benjamin 


1  CHRONICLES  VIII.  9—34. 


to  Smd  and  his  sons. 


in  the  country  of  Moab,  after  lie  had  sent  them  away ;  Hushhn  and  Baara  were 

his  wives.     ^  And  he  begat  of  Hodesh  his  wife,  Jobab,  and  Zibia,  and  Mesha, 

and  Malcham,  ^^  And  Jeuz,  and  Shachia,  and  Mirma.     These  were  his  sons, 

heads  of  the  fathers.     ^^  And  of  Hushim  he  begat  Abitnb,  and  Elpaal.     ^-  The 

sons  of  Elpaal ;  Eber,  and  Misham,  and  Shamed,  who  built  Ono,  and  Lod,  with 

the  towns  thereof:  ^^Beriah  also,  and  "  Shema,  who  tvere  heads  of  the  fathers  ever.  21. 

of  the  inhabitants  of  Aijalon,  who  drove  away  the  inhabitants  of  Gatli :  ^"^  And 

Aliio,  Shashak,  pnd  Jeremoth,  ^^  And  Zebadiah,  and  Arad,  and  Ader,  ^^  And 

Michael,   and  Ispah,  and  Joha,  the  sons   of  Beriah  ;   ^''  And  Zebadiah,  and 

MeshuUam,  and  Hezeki,  and  Heber,  ^^  Ishmerai  also,  and  Jezliah,  and  Jobab, 

the  sons  of  Elpaal ;  ^^  And  Jakim,  and  Zichri,  and  Zabdi,  ^o  And  Elienai,  and 

Zilthai,   and  EHel,  ^^  And  Adaiah,  and  Beraiah,  and  Shimrath,  the  sons  of 

II  Shimlii ;  -  And  Ishpan,  and  Heber,  and  Ehel,  ^3  And  Abdon,  and  Zichri,  and  ile^'lf"""' 

Hanan,  ^^  And  Hananiah,  and  Elam,  and  Antothijah,  ^5  And  Iphedeiah,  and 

Penuel,  the  sons  of  Shashak ;  ^^  And  Shamsherai,  and  Shehariah,  and  Atha- 

Hah,  2^  And  Jaresiah,  and  EHah,  and  Zichri,  the  sons  of  Jeroham.     -^  These 

were  heads  of  the  fathers,  by  their  generations,  chief  men.     These  dwelt  in 

Jerusalem.     -^  And  at  Gibeon  dwelt  the  ||  father  of  Gibeon;  whose  '^wife's  name  Hi.'rg'sl'^''"'''' 

was  Maachah :  ^'^And  his  firstborn  son  Abdon,  and  Zur,  and  Kish,  and  Baal,  '^'^^•^•^^• 

and  Nadab,  ^lAnd  Gedor,  and  Aliio,   and  ||  Zacher.     32  And  Mikloth  begat  Hh^'^g.!;:'''''''"' 

II  Shimeah.     And  these   also  dwelt  with  their  brethren   in  Jerusalem,   over  l^'^i^fs""""'' 

against  them.     ^^And  ^Ner  begat  Kish,  and  Kish  begat  Saul,  and  Saul  begat  eisam.  h.si. 

Jonathan,  and  Malchi-shua,  and  ^  Abinadab,  and  ||  Esh-baal.     ^^  And  the  son  ^jj/,f,i^- ^^- '^^' 

II  Or,  Ish-bosheth,  2  Sam.  2.  8. 


the  verb  hegaf,  in  v.    7 ;  but   iu    the    aucient   Versions    it  is 
regarded  as  a  nominative,  and  hy  most  expositors. 

—  of  Moab^  He  took  a  Moabitess  to  wife,  as  Boaz  of 
liethlehem  did. 

—  he  had  sent  them  aivay'\  i.  e.  after  he  had  sent  away  his 
wives  Hushim  and  Baara.  So  Sejit.,  Yidg.,  Bertheau.  Some 
expositors  (e.  g.  Ilichaelis)  connect  the  pronoun  the)7i  with 
those  who  were  removed  to  Manahath  (vv.  6,  7). 

9.  Hodeshl  The  Moabitish  wife,  whom  he  married  instead 
of  Hushim  and  Baara. 

12.  Ono']  A  city  near  Lydda,  in  the  tribe  of  Dan  (Ezra  ii.  33. 
Neh.  vii.  37). 

—  Lod]  Lydda,  or  Diospolis  (Acts  ix.  32). 

Aijalon  occppied  by  Benjamites  :  Beeiah  of 
Benjamin. 

13.  Beriah — Aijalon]  Aijalon  was  in  Dan  in  Joshua's  time 
(Josh.  xix.  42).  It  was  a  Levitical  city  in  that  tribe  (Josh. 
xxi.  24),  and  was  occupied  by  PhiHstines,  under  Ahaz  (2  Chron. 
xxviii.  18).  But  here  Aijalon,  and  other  cities  (e.  g.  Ono  and 
Lod,  V.  12),  situated  in  the  territory,  which  had  originally 
belonged  to  Dan,  are  occupied  by  Benjamites, 

How  is  this  to  be  accounted  for  ? 

May  it  not  be  explained  by  the  fact,  already  mentioned, 
that  a  dark  cloud  hangs  over  the  tribe  of  Dan :  see  above,  on 
vii.  12.  That  tribe  and  its  territory  are  nowhere  described  by 
name  in  these  genealogical  chapters.  They  are  expunged  from 
the  registers  of  Israel. 

Benjamin  was  the  sori  of  Rachel,  the  beloved  wife :  Dan 
was  the  son  of  Rachel's  handmaid,  Bilhah.  Here,  after  the 
captivity,  Dan  is  not  reinstated  in  its  territory,  but  that 
territory  is  occupied  by  Benjamites.  These  Benjamites,  with 
a  Beriah  at  their  head,  drive  out  the  Philistine  inhabitants  of 
Gath,  who  before  had  destroyed  the  band  of  Ephraimites,  whose 
disastrous  expedition  from  Goshen  into  Palestine  had  given 
occasion  to  the  sorrowful  name  of  Beriah :  see  above,  vii. 
22,  23.  But  now  sorrow  is  turned  into  joy.  A  Beriah, 
of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  does  more  than  repair  the  disaster 
which  was  commemorated  by  the  name  Beriah,  given  by 
Ephraim  to  his  son,  on  account  of  the  defeat  and  death  of  his 
children. 

Is  there  not  a  moral  here  ? 

Benjamin  had  remained  loyal  to  the  throne  of  David,  and 
faithfiil  to  the  service  of  God  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem, 
187 


when  Jeroboam,  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  rebelled  against 
their  lawful  king,  and  apostatized  frona  the  worship  of  Jehovah, 
and  drew  the  Ten  Tribes  along  with  him,  in  his  revolt  and  schism 
(1  Kings  xii.  21.     2  Chron.  xi.  1  j  xv.  9  ;  xvii.  17). 

This  chapter  shows  that  Benjamin  was  rewarded  for 
its  loyalty  and  faith.  After  the  captivity,  the  Benjamites 
returned  to  Palestine,  and  were  planted  near  Jerusalem,  and 
had  access  to  the  spiritual  blessings  of  God's  worship  in  the 
Temple,  and  spread  into  countries  and  cities,  which  had  formerly 
belonged  to  other  tribes.  A  Beriah  of  Benjamin,  who  is  blessed 
with  a  numerous  offspi-ing  {vv.  15,  16),  drove  away  the  in- 
habitants of  Gath,  whose  forefathers  had  slain  the  Ephraimites, 
and  had  given  occasion  to  the  name  Beriah,  imposed  by  their 
father  Ephraim  on  his  son. 

The  Benjamites  are  described  here  as  having  a  numerous 
issue  after  the  captivity, — an  evidence  of  God's  favour  (Ps. 
cxxvii.  4).  Here  is  divine  encouragement  to  faith  and  loyalty 
in  times  of  secession  and  insurrection.  Cp.  above,  Prelim.  Note 
to  this  chapter. 

28.  These  dioelt  in  Jerusalem]  Cp.  v.  32 ;  ix.  34.  Neh.  xi. 
1 — 4.  Here  is  another  sign  of  God's  favour  to  Benjamin. 
That  tribe  had  remained  ftiithful  to  God  and  the  King,  at  a 
time  when  the  Ten  Tribes  revolted  from  both,  under  Jeroboam. 
Those  Ten  Tribes  were  now  scattered  abroad ;  but  the  Benjamites 
returned  trom  Babylon  to  Judaea,  and  were  settled  at  Jeru- 
salem, the  city  of  David,  and  were  sheltered  under  the  shadow 
of  the  Wings  of  Jehovah, — a  close  proximity  to  which  was 
regarded,  from  ancient  days,  as  the  special  privilege  of  Ben- 
jamin. See  above,  on  Dent,  xxxiii.  12  j  and  Blunt,  Coincid. 
pt.  ii.  ch.  XV.  pp.  175.  183. 

29 — 38.  And  at  Gibeon— sons  of  Azel]  This  section  is 
repeated  almost  verbatim  in  chap.  ix.  35 — 44,  in  order  to 
inti'oduce  the  history  of  Saul. 

—  the  father  of  Gibeon]  That  is,  the  lord  or  prince  of  that 
city  :  see  on  ix.  35. 

30.  Baal,  and  Nadal]  Between  whom  we  have  Ner  in 
ix.  36. 

33.  Ner  hegatKish,  and  Kish  begat  Said]  Cp.  ix.  39.  As  to 
this  genealogy,  see  above,  on  1  Sam.  ix.  1.  The  Rabbis  say 
that  Ner  and  Abiel  are  two  names  of  the  same  person. 

—  Saul  begat]  Cp.  1  Sam.  xiv.  49,  where  Ishui  is  mentioned. 
Perhaps  Ishui  is  another  name  for  Abinadab. 

—  Esh-baal]  Or  Ish-bosheth.  See  above,  2  Sam,  u.  8 ;  and 
Movers,  156;  and  Reiver  nick,  ii.  188. 


They  who  first  returned  1  CHRONICLES  VIII.  35—40.     IX.  1—3. 


to  Jerusalem. 


H  Or,  Mephi- 

bosheth, 

2  Sam.  4.  4.  Sf 

9.  C,  10. 

g  2  Sam.  9.  12. 

II  Or,  Ta/irea, 

ch.  9.  41. 

h  Jarah, 

cli.  9.  42. 

ich.  9.43. 

Rephaiah. 


1200, 
&c. 
a  Ezra  2.  59. 


about 
536. 
b  Ezra  2.  70. 
Neh.  7.  73. 
c  Josh.  9.  27. 
Ezra  2,  43.  & 
8.  20. 
d  Neh.  11.  1. 


of  Jonathan  was  ||  Merib-baal ;  and  Merib-baal  begat  ^  Micab.  ^^  And  the  sons 
of  Micah  ivere,  Pithon,  and  Melech,  and  ||  Tarea,  and  Ahaz.  ^^  And  Ahaz  begat 
''  Jehoadah ;  and  Jehoadah  begat  Alemeth,  and  Azmaveth,  and  Zimri ;  and 
Zmiri  begat  Moza,  ^''And  Moza  begat  Binea :  '  Kapha  ii'as  his  son,  Eleasah 
his  son,  Azel  his  son :  ^^  And  Azel  had  six  sons,  whose  names  are  these,  Azri- 
kam,  Bocheru,  and  Ishmael,  and  Sheariah,  and  Obadiah,  and  Hanan.  All 
these  loere  the  sons  of  Azel.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Eshek  his  brother  u^cre,  Ulam 
his  firstborn,  Jehusli  the  second,  and  Eliphelet  the  third.  ^^  And  the  sons  of 
Ulam  were  mighty  men  of  valom',  archers,  and  had  many  sons,  and  sons'  sons, 
an  Imndred  and  fifty.     All  these  are  of  the  sons  of  Benjamin. 

IX.  ^  So  "  all  Israel  were  reckoned  by  genealogies ;  and,  behold,  they  loere 
written  in  the  book  of  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah,  loho  were  carried  away  to 
Babylon  for  their  transgression. 

2  ^  Now  the  first  inhabitants  that  dwelt  in  their  possessions  in  their  cities  ivere, 
the  Israelites,  the  priests,  Levites,  and  Hhe  Nethinims.  ^And  in  ''Jerusalem 
dwelt  of  the  children  of  Judah,  and  of  th«  children  of  Benjamin,  and  of  the 
children  of  Ephraim,  and  Manasseh  ; 


34.  Merib-haal']  Or  Mei^Tii-hosJieth.  See  on  2  Sam.  ii.  8; 
iv.  1.     Judg.  vi.  32. 

40.  archers\  For  which  the  Benjamites  were  famous; 
literally,  treading  the  hoio :  bending  it,  by  putting  the  foot  on 
it,  which  is  done  when  the  bow  is  large  and  strong  (Gesen.  207). 

Ch.  IX.  1.  in  the  hooTc  of  the  Icings  of  Israel  and  J'udah']  Not 
tlie  existing  Books  of  Samuel  and  Kings,  but  a  collection  formed 
from  the  annals  of  the  two  kingdoms  (cp.  Lee,  on  Inspiration, 
]i.  4(59;  Davidson,  ii.  32),  or  rather,  probalily  from  the  registers 
of  the  Kings  of  Judah,  who  are  also  called  Kings  of  Israel,  as 
they  were  de  jure  {Eichhorn,  Hervey,  B.  D.  ii.  30).  This  book  is 
often  quoted  in  Chronicles  (2  Chron.  xvi.  1]  ;  xxv.  26  ;  xxvii.  7; 
xxviii.  26;  xx.xii.  32;  xxxv.  27;  xxxvi.  8). 

—  who  were  carried^  They  were  carried,  i.  e.  the  tribe  of 
.Tudah  were  carried ;  of  whom,  and  of  whose  associates,  the 
I'riests  and  Levites,  who  ministered  at  Jerusalem,  and  of  the 
Benjamites,  in  whose  territorj-  the  Temple  was  partly  situated, 
he  is  about  specially  to  speak. 

List  of  those  who  first  eetubned  feoji  Babylon  to 
Jerusalem. 

A  new  section  begins  here,  at  v.  2. 

The  saci-ed  writer  gives  a  summary  of  those  who  first  set  a 
noble  example  of  piety  and  patriotism,  and  returned  after  the 
Captivity,  to  settle  in  Judah  and  Jerusalem. 

The  catalogue  here  given  is  to  be  compared  with  the  list 
in  Neh  xi.,  which  bears  much  resemblance  to  this  register. 
Both  catalogues  have  the  same  plan  of  arrangement ;  and  there 
is  a  remarkable  coincidence  of  names  between  them.  These 
points  of  resemblance  may  be  seen  specified  in  detail  by  £er- 
theau,  p.  97.  Cp.  Movers,  pp.  233,  234;  and  Davidson's 
Introd.,  ii.  79.  The  opinion  of  Keil,  Einleit.  p.  419,  that  the 
list  in  this  chapter  refers  to  a  period  before  the  captivity, 
cannot  be  sustained. 

It  has  been  inferred  liy  some,  from  the  larger  amount  of 
persons  enumerated  in  the  list  before  us,  as  compared  with  that 
in  Nehemiah  (see  v.  13),  that  the  list  in  Chronicles  was  later 
than  that  in  Nehemiah  {Herzfeld,  Gesch.  p.  298;  and  so 
Davidson,  p.  79). 

This  opinion  is  ably  controverted  by  Bertheau,  p.  100; 
and  cp.  his  note  on  Ezra,  p.  248. 

The  present  list  represents  those  who, —  to  adopt  the  words 
which  stand  as  its  title  and  superscription, — "were  i\\c  first 
to  settle  in  their  possessions,"  especially  at  Jerusalem  (see 
V.  3.     Cp.  on  V.  9),  under  Zerubbabel  (b.c.  535). 

The  list  in  Nehemiah  refers  to  a  time  posterior  to  the 
rebuilding,  not  only  of  the  Temple,  but  also,  of  the  Walls,  of 
Jerusalem,  i.  e.  it  is  subsequent  to  B.C.  443. 

The  heads,  or  principal  persons  only,  seem  to  be  enume- 
rated, and  therefore  the  number  in  the  later  list  would  pro- 
bably be  less;  and  some  who  came  first  to  Jerusalem,  and 
settled  there,  may  have  afterwards  migrated  to  other  places; 
see  Neh.  xi.  20,  where  it  is  said  that  the  residue  of  the  Priests 
were  in  all  the  cities  of  Judah,  every  one  in  his  inheritance. 
188 


Sometimes  one  of  the  lists  is  more  full  than  the  other. 
The  compiler  of  the  latter  had  probably  seen  the  former ;  but 
he  bad  other  independent  materials  of  his  own,  from  which  he 
supplies  details  not  found  in  the  other  register. 

The  design  of  both  lists  appears  to  be,  to  furnish  evidence, 
that  notwithstanding  the  sins  and  miseries  of  the  Jewish 
People,  God  had  not  forgotten  His  promise  to  Abraham  and 
David,  and  that  He  had  mercy  on  them,  and  brought  many  of 
the  Priests  and  Levites  back  to  Jerusalem,  in  order  to  minister 
in  His  sanctuary,  and  to  keep  up  the  true  religion  among  His 
people ;  and  that  while  the  Ten  Tribes,  who  had  been  guilty  of 
rebellion  and  apostasy,  were  still  scattered  abroad  (as  they  are 
even  to  this  day).  He  gathered  up  the  remnant  of  Judah,  and 
brought  them  home  from  Babylon  to  Sion. 

The  fuller  outpouring  of  God's  favour  upon  His  people, 
even  upon  the  Tribes  of  the  Dispersion,  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
Gospel  of  Christ,  as  preached  to  them  by  the  Apostles  on  the 
Day  of  Pentecost  (see  below,  on  Acts  ii.  9 — 11),  and  sub- 
sequently by  such  teaching  as  that  of  St.  Peter  preaching  in 
the  East  (see  on  1  Pet.  v.  13),  and  writing  to  the  tribes  scattered 
abroad  in  Asia  (see  below,  Introd.  to  1  Peter,  pp.  38,  39),  and 
showing  to  them  all,  that  the  spiritual  Sion  is  their  home, 
and,  though  scattered  abroad  as  to  their  bodies,  they  may 
"  all  dwell  at  Jerusalem,"  in  heart  and  soul,  by  being  faithful 
and  loving  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

The  names  of  those  vi^ho  returned  from  the  captivity  in 
Babylon  were  enrolled  in  the  registers  "  of  the  kings  of  Israel 
and  Judah  "  {v.  1).  The  names  of  all  true  Israelites,  of  every 
age  and  nation,  who  have  been  redeemed  from  the  banishment 
and  bondage  of  sin  and  Satan,  are  numbered  in  the  royal 
census  of  the  Everlasting  King  of  Judah  ;  they  are  written  "  in 
the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life"  (Rev.  xiii.  8). 

2.  the  first  hihahitants  that  dwelt  in  their  possessions']  The 
first  who  returned  after  the  captivity,  and  settled  in  the  land 
of  their  fiithers,  under  Zerubbabel  and  Joshua  (B.C.  535), 
before  the  coming  of  Ezra  (B.C.  457),  and  of  Nehemiah  (b.c. 
444) :  cp.  Neh.  v.  15. 

—  the  Israelites'^  Or  rather,  Israel  (cp.  Neh.  xi.  3)  ;  not 
the  Israelites  generally,  but  those  who  specially  deserved  the 
name  of  Israel, — "  the  Israel  of  God," — on  account  of  their 
fervent  zeal  for  the  city  and  service  of  God,  and  by  reason  of 
their  eager  longing  to  return  to  the  land  of  promise.  The 
great  majority  of  Israelites  were  scattered  abroad,  and  had  no 
desire  to  undertake  the  toil,  and  to  imdergo  the  sacrifice,  of 
the  Return.  Compare  the  use  of  the  word  "the  people,"  in 
Judg.  vii.  8;  and  of  "Israel,"  by  St.  Paul  (Rom.  ix.  6.  Gal. 
vi.  16). 

—  Nethinims']  Those  who  were  given  and  appointed  (from 
Heb.  nathan,  to  give.  Oesen.  573)  to  assist  the  Levites ;  as 
the  Gibeonites  were  (Josh.  ix.  27);  as  the  Levites  had  been 
given  (Num.  iii.  9 ;  viii.  19)  to  assist  the  Priests :  see  Ezra  ii. 
43 ;  viii.  20. 

3.  children  of  Judah,  and — Benjamin]  Who  are  described 
below,  vv.  4 — 9. 

—  Ephraim,  and  Manasseh]  "Who  are  not  further  mentioned ; 


The  names  of  those 


1  CHKONICLES  IX.  4—18. 


loho  first  returned. 


^  Uthai  the  son  of  Ammiliucl,  the  son  of  Omri,  the  son  of  Imri,  the  son  of 
Bani,  of  the  children  of  Pharez  the  son  of  Judah.  ^  And  of  the  Shilonites  ; 
Asaiah  the  firsthorn,  and  his  sons.  ^  And  of  the  sons  of  Zerah ;  Jeuel,  and 
their  brethren,  six  hundred  and  ninety. 

^And  of  the  sons  of  Benjamin;  Salhi  the  son  of  Meshullam,  the  son  of 
Hodaviah,  the  son  of  Haseunah,  ^And  Ibneiah  the  son  of  Jeroham,  and  ELah 
the  son  of  Uzzi,  the  son  of  Michri,  and  Meshullam  the  son  of  Shephathiah,  the 
son  of  Keuel,  the  son  of  Ibnijah  ;  ^And  their  brethren,  according  to  their 
generations,  nine  hundred  and  fifty  and  six.  All  these  men  7ccre  chief  of  the 
fathers  in  the  house  of  their  fathers. 

^" "  And  of  the  priests ;  Jedaiah,  and  Jehoiarib,  and  Jachin,  ^'  And  |[  Azariah 
the  son  of  Hilkiah,  the  sou  of  Meshullam,  the  son  of  Zadok,  the  son  of  Me- 
raioth,  the  son  of  Ahitub,  tlie  ruler  of  the  house  of  God;  ^^  And  Adaiah  the  son 
of  Jeroham,  the  son  of  Pashur,  the  son  of  Malchijah,  and  Maasiai  the  son  of 
Adiel,  the  son  of  Jahzerah,  the  son  of  Meshullam,  the  son  of  Meshillemith,  the 
son  of  Immer ;  '^  And  their  brethren,  heads  of  the  house  of  their  fathers,  a 
thousand  and  seven  hundred  and  threescore ;  f  very  able  men  for  the  work  of 
the  service  of  the  house  of  God. 

^•^  And  of  the  Levites ;  Shemaiah  the  son  of  Hasshub,  the  son  of  Azrikam, 
the  son  of  Hashabiah,  of  the  sons  of  Merari ;  '•^  And  Bakbakkar,  Heresh,  and 
Galal,  and  Mattaniah  the  son  of  Micah,  the  son  of  Zichri,  the  son  of  Asaph ; 
^^And  Obadiah  the  son  of  Shemaiah,  the  son  of  Galal,  the  son  of  Jeduthun, 
and  Berechiah  the  son  of  Asa,  the  son  of  Elkanah,  that  dwelt  in  the  villages  of 
the  Nctophathites.  ^^  And  the  porters  were,  Shallum,  and  Akkub,  and  Talmon, 
and  Ahiman,  and  their  brethren:  Shallum  ivas  the  chief;  ^^Who  hitherto 
waited  in  the  king's  gate  eastward  :  they  u'<?r<3  porters  in  the  companies  of  the 


e  Neh.  II.  10,  Xrc 
II  Neh.  11.  11. 
Seraiah. 


+  He!),  mighly 
men  of  valour. 


probably  only  a  few  iudividuals  of  those  tribes  came  back  (cp. 
Ezra  vi.  21.  Neh.  x.  29),  and  they  were  not  organized  in  families 
under  heads.  There  is  no  mention  of  Ephraim  and  Manasseh 
in  the  parallel  section  of  Neh.  xi.  4  (Bertheau). 

4.  Uthai]  Cp.  Neh.  xi.  4,  where  the  arrangement  is  similar, 
but  the  names  are  different,  and  seem  to  refer  to  a  different 
period  after  the  captivity ;  and  none  of  the  house  of  Zerah  are 
mentioned. 

—  Pharez]  Called  Perez  in  Neh.  xi.  4.  6. 

6.  Shilonites']  Probably  not  from  the  celebrated  place  Shiloh, 
but  from  Shelahthe  son  of  Judah  (ii.  3  :  cp.  Num.  xxvi.  20,  and 
Neh.  xi.  5).  Hence  we  see  that  some  of  each  of  the  three 
lines  of  Judah  (1.  Pharez,  2.  Shelah,  3.  Zerah)  returned  from 
the  captivity. 

6.  six  hundred  and  ninety]  The  number  of  the  sons  of  Zerah. 
In  Neh.  xi.  6  the  sons  of  Perez  (or  Pharez)  alone  are  enumerated, 
who  amount  to  468.  It  would  seem  as  if  one  of  these  two  lists 
were  designed  to  be  supplementary  to  the  other. 

7.  Sallu  the  son  of  Meshullam]  A  name  which  occurs  at  the 
head  of  the  Benjamites  in  Neh.  xi.  7,  but  with  difierent 
ancestors ;  they  are  supposed  to  be  the  same  person  by  some 
(as  Bertheau :  cp.  Prelim.  Note),  but  this  does  not  seem  to 
be  certain. 

—  son  of  Hasenuah]  Or,  son  of  Seniiah  :  cp.  Neh.  xi.  9. 

9.  nine  hundred  and  fifty  and  six]  In  Neh.  xi.  8  we  have 
nine  hundred  and  twenty-eight,  which  discrepancy  seems  to 
show  that  the  dates  of  the  enumeration  were  difierent,  though 
probably  at  no  great  interval  of  time. 

10.  Jedaiah,  and  Jehoiarib,  and  Jachin]  In  Neh.  xi.  10  we 
have  "  Jedaiah,  the  son  of  Jehoiarib,  Jachin."  Cp.  Neh.  xii.  6. 
19,  where  we  have,  Joiarib,  Jedaiah,  and  their  sons. 

11.  Azariah  the  son  of  Hilkiah — Ahitub]  In  Neh.  xi.  11  we 
have  precisely  the  same  enumeration,  with  the  exception  of 
Seraiah  instead  of  Azariah ;  but  this  is  explained  by  what  we 
have  above,  vi.  12 — 14,  where  we  read  that  Hilkiah  begat 
Azarir.h,  and  Azariah  begat  Seraiah  :  the  grandson  of  Hilkiah  is 
called  by  a  common  usage  his  son.  In  like  manner  Zadok,  the 
grandson  of  Ahitub,  is  called  his  son  in  Ezra  vii.  2,  where  also 

189 


we  are  informed  that  Seraiah  was  the  son  of  Azariah.     Seraiah 
was  the  father  of  Ezi-a  (Ezra  vii.  1). 

—  the  ruler  of  the  house  of  God]  These  words  refer  to  Ahitub 
the  High  Priest,  the  son  of  Amariah,  mentioned  above,  vi.  11. 

The  High  Priest  at  the  time  of  the  return  under  Zerub- 
babel  was  Joshua  (Ezra.  iii.  2.  Hag.  i.  1.  Zech.  iii.  1 — 8 ;  vi. 
11—13). 

12.  Adaiah]  Also  mentioned  by  Nehemiah  (xi.  12),  who 
enumerates  three  names  between  Jeroham  and  Pashur. 

—  Maasiai]  See  below,  xxiv.  14.  Also  mentioned  with  a 
slight  modification  in  Neh.  xi.  13. 

is.  a  thousand  and  seven  hundred  and  threescore]  In  Neli. 
xi.  12—14  we  have  822  +  242  +  128  =  1192.  Hence  it  has 
been  inferred  that  the  list  before  us  relates  to  a  time  posterior 
to  the  list  in  Nehemiah  (Herzfeld). 

But  this  is  not  conclusive.  See  above.  Preliminary  Note. 
May  not  some  of  the  1760  priests  here  mentioned  have  migrated 
to  priestly  cities,  and  have  settled  in  them,  before  the  time 
described  in  the  list  of  Nehemiah  ?   See  Neh.  xi.  3.  20. 

—  very  able  men]  Or  mighty  men  of  valour.  For,  as  is 
evident  from  their  conflicts  with  Sanballat  and  other  enemies  of 
God's  Church,  the  work  of  the  priesthood  required  great  moral 
courage  and  energy  of  soul  and  body. 

14.  of  the  Levites ;  Shemaiah]  So  Neh.  xi.  15.  These  were 
singers.     See  v.  33. 

16.  that  dwelt  in  the  villages]  Till  their  own  priestly  cities 
were  rebuilt. 

—  Netoj)hathites]  In  Judah  (ii.  54),  so  that  they  could 
easily  resort  from  them  to  their  courses  of  service  in  the  Temple. 
In  Neh.  xii.  28  we  read  that  "  the  sons  of  the  singers  gathered 
themselves  from  the  villages  of  Netophathi."  Two  of  David's 
guai-ds  were  Netophathites  (xxvii.  13.  15). 

17.  the  porters]  Who  kept  guard  at  the  principal  entrances 
of  the  Temple.  Cp.  Neh.  xii.  25,  where  three  of  the  persons  here 
mentioned,  Meshullam  (or  Shallum),  Akkub,  and  Talmon,  are 
mentioned  as  keeping  ward  of  the  gates  in  the  days  of  Joiakim 
the  grandson  of  Jozadak,  and  in  the  days  of  Nehemiah  and  Ezra. 

18.  Who  hitherto  waited  iit  the  Icinfs  yate  eastward]  That 


The  sons  of  Ivor  ah. 


1  CHRONICLES  IX.  19—32. 


Samuel  the  Seer. 


t  Heb.  thresholds. 


gch.  26.  1,  2. 
li  1  Sam.  9.  9. 
t  Heb.  founded. 
11  Or,  trust. 


i  2  Kings  11.5. 


Or,  /f!ii/. 

Or,  storehouses. 


f  Heb.  Jrjn^ 
them  in  by  tale, 
and  carry  them 
out  by  tale. 
II  Or,  vessels. 

k  Exod.  30.  23. 


II  Or,  trust. 

I  Lev.  2.  5.  & 
6.  21. 

II  Or,  on  flat 
plates,  or,  slices. 


children  of  Levi.  ^^  And  Shallum  the  son  of  Kore,  the  son  of  Ebiasaph,  the 
son  of  Korah,  and  his  brethren,  of  the  house  of  his  father,  the  Korahites,  ivere 
over  the  work  of  the  service,  keepers  of  the  f  gates  of  the  tabernacle :  and  their 
fathers,  being  over  the  host  of  the  Lord,  ivere  keepers  of  the  entry.  '''^And 
^  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar  was  the  ruler  over  them  in  time  past,  ajicl  the 
Lord  ivas  with  him.  ^i  jir^^i  Zechariah  the  son  of  Meshelemiah  was  porter  of 
the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  ^^  All  these  ivhich  ivere  chosen 
to  be  porters  in  the  gates  were  two  hundred  and  twelve.  These  were  reckoned 
by  their  genealogy  in  their  villages,  whom  ^  David  and  Samuel  *"  the  seer  f  did 
ordain  in  their  ||  set  office.  ^^  So  they  and  their  children  had  the  oversight  of 
the  gates  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  namely,  the  house  of  the  tabernacle,  by 
wards.  ^'^In  four  quarters  were  the  porters,  toward  the  east,  west,  north,  and 
south.  2^  And  their  brethren,  ivhich  ivere  in  their  villages,  were  to  come  '  after 
seven  days  from  time  to  time  with  them.  ^6  -por  these  Levites,  the  four  chief 
porters,  were  in  their  ||  set  office,  and  were  over  the  ||  chambers  and  treasuries 
of  the  house  of  God.  -^  And  they  lodged  round  about  the  house  of  Cod, 
because  the  charge  was  upon  them,  and  the  opening  thereof  every  morning 
liertained  to  them.  '^^  And  certain  of  them  had  the  charge  of  the  ministering 
vessels,  that  they  should  f  bring  them  in  and  out  by  tale.  ^9  Some  of  them  also 
were  appointed  to  oversee  the  vessels,  and  all  the  ||  instruments  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, and  the  fine  flour,  and  the  wine,  and  the  oil,  and  the  frankincense,  and 
the  spices.  ^^And  some  of  the  sons  of  the  priests  made  ''the  ointment  of  the 
spices.  ^^  And  Mattithiah,  one  of  the  Levites,  who  loas  the  firstborn  of  Shallum 
the  Korahite,  had  the  ||  set  office  'over  the  things  that  were  made  ||  in  the  pans. 
^-  And  other  of  their  brethren,  of  the  sons  of  the  Kohathites,  ""  were  over  the 


m  Lev.  24.  8. 


is,  the  principal  of  the  guards,  Shallum,  was  stationed  at  the 
eastern  gate  of  the  Temple  hitherto,  i.  e.  according  to  ancient 
practice,  at  which  gate  the  king  entered.  See  Thenius  on 
2  Kings  xvi.  18 ;  xxv.  18. 

—  companies']  Literally,  camps;  according  to  the  ancient 
mode  of  speech,  in  which  the  Levites  were  regarded  as  soldiers 
keeping  watch  and  ward  about  the  Palace  of  Jehovah :  cp. 
Num.  i.  50—53 ;  iv.  3—15. 

19.  the  Korahites']  The  descendants  of  the  Korah  (the  son 
of  Izhar  the  son  of  Kohath  the  son  of  Levi),  who  had  made 
himself  and  his  company  so  unhappily  notorious  for  his  rebellion 
against  Aaron  in  the  wilderness,  and  for  his  miserable  end  and 
theirs  (Num.  xvi. ;    xxvi.  9 — 11). 

We  find  here  that  the  Korahites  are  content  to  be  "  door- 
keepers in  the  house  of  the  Lord,"  and  we  know  that  they  held 
a  place  among  the  singers  (2  Chron.  xx.  19),  and  even  a  place 
among  the  composers  of  sacred  music  for  tlie  service  of  God 
(see  Ps.  xlii.  xliv. — xlix.  Ixxxiv.  Ixxxv.  Ixxxvii.  Ixxxviii.). 

Here  is  a  beautifiil  instance  of  recovery  from  sin  and  misery. 
Would  to  God  that  all  schisms  in  His  Church, — all  gaiusayiugs 
of  Core  (Jude  11), — might  be  healed,  and  have  so  blessed  an  end ! 

—  keepers  of  the  gates  of  the  tabernacle]  Literally,  keepers 
of  the  thresholds  of  the  tabernacle  :  cp.  2  Chron.  xxiii.  4. 

—  of  the  tabernacle]  In  which  the  Ark  was  enshrined  pro- 
visionally, after  the  return  from  the  captivity,  before  the  Temple 
was  rebuilt :  cp.  v.  23. 

20.  Phinehas  the  son  of  Kleazar]  See  Num.  iii.  32.  Eleazar 
the  son  of  Aaron  was  chief  over  the  Levites.  The  writer  implies 
that  this  was  to  be  a  precedent  for  his  own  time. 

—  hi  time  past]  Heb.  le-panim.  This  is  rendered  "  in  the 
presence  of  the  Lord"  by  Sept.,  Viilg.,  but  Syriac  and  Arabic 
interpret  it  as  in  our  Version  (cp.  Deut  ii.  10.  Josh.  xi.  10. 
Ruth  iv.  7.  Ps.  cii.  25)  j  and,  as  the  word  is  not  in  the  construct 
form,  this  is  doubtless  correct. 

—  the  LOED  was  with  him]  Or,  "  the  Lord  be  with  him  "  in 
his  successors  (Num.  xxv.  11 — 13).  The  Targum  renders  this, 
"  The  word  of  the  Lord  was  his  helper." 

22.  tivo  hmidred  and  twelve]  In  Neh.  xi.  19  the  porters  are 
a  hundred  and  seventy-two;  but  the  number  here  excludes  those 
in  the  villages. 
190 


—  in  their  villages]  See  above,  v.  16,  and  below,  v.  25. 

—  David  and  Samuel  the  seer]  All  things,  after  the  return 
from  the  Captivity,  were  set  in  order  according  to  the  phm  which 
had  been  framed  by  David  (see  eh.  xxiii.  1 — 6),  acting  in  con- 
junction with  Samuel,  who  provided  for  the  reformation  of  the 
ritual  and  ministrations  in  the  Tabernacle  after  the  confusions 
in  the  days  of  the  Judges. 

This  statement  concerning  Samuel,  which  is  not  found  in 
any  other  place  in  the  Old  Testament,  shows  the  originality  of 
the  writer's  resources ;  it  has  also  a  value  in  refuting  the  notion 
of  some,  concerning  what  they  call  Samuel's  "anti-sacerdotal 
character."  See  above,  Introd.  to  Samuel,  p.  ix.  Here  we  see 
Samuel  the  Seer  presented  to  us  as  zealous  for  the  external 
ordinances  of  God's  house,  and  as  the  precursor  of  David  in  that 
respect.  Probably  Samuel  the  Seer  had  special  revelations  from 
God,  as  Moses  had  in  the  Mount  (Exod.  xxv.  9.  40.  Num. 
viii.  4),  with  regard  to  the  service  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  he 
communicated  them  to  David  the  King,  and  David  transmitted 
them  to  Solomon,  his  son  and  successor.  It  required  a  special 
revelation,  to  authorize  additions  to  the  Ritual  which  was 
prescribed  at  Sinai  (see  Deut.  xii.  32),  in  which  nothing  had 
been  ordered  with  regard  to  singing  or  singers;  and  these 
special  revelations  were  given  to  Samuel  and  David.  Cp. 
Bp.  Patrick  on  v.  33. 

Samuel  the  Seer  stands  at  the  head  of  the  sacred  order  of 
Prophets  (cp.  Acts  iii.  24),  and  he  gave  directions  for  the  order 
of  the  worship  of  God,  which  was  settled  by  David  aud  Solomon. 
So  the  Spirit  of  Christ  in  Hebrew  Prophecy  prepared  the  way 
for  the  service  of  God  as  settled  by  Christ,  and  as  executed  by 
the  Christian  Priesthood  in  the  Christian  Church. 

26.  in  their  set  office]  Literally,  in  truth,  or  trust. 

—  chambers  and  treasuries]  See  below,  xxvi.  20 ;  and  Hitztg 
on  Jer.  xxxv.  2. 

27.  and  the  opening  thereof,  &c.]  Literally,  they  "  were  over 
the  key."  See  Judg.  iii.  25.  Isa.  xxii.  22,  where  the  same 
word  occurs. 

29.  spices]  See  Exod.  xxx.  23—38. 

31.  things— in  the  pans]  The  minchah,  or  meat-offering, 
offered  daily  in  the  morning  and  evening  (Lev.  ii.  5,  6;  vi.  14). 


The  line  of  Saul 


1  CHRONICLES  IX.  33—44.      X.  1—9. 


and  of  Jonathan. 


f  sliewbread,  to  prepare  it  every  sabbath.     ^^  And  these  are  "  the  singers,  chief  oV"  h„^''*'"^  "^ 
of  the  fathers  of  the  Levites,  ivho  remaining  in  the  chambers  were  free:  for  "a?'!;^'^''*' 
I'they  were  employed  in  that  work  day  and  night.     ^^  These  chief  fathers  of  t"*^^"^""""-"' 
the  Levites  ivere  chief  throughout   their  generations;  these  dwelt  at  Jeru- 
salem. 

^^  And  in  Gibeon  dwelt  the  father  of  Gibeon,  Jehiel,  whose  wife's  name  was 
"Maachah  :  ^^Aud  his  firstborn  son  Abdon,  then  Zur,  and  Kish,  and  Baal,  and  °'^'■^■^^■ 
Ner,  and  Nadab,  ^'^  And  Gedor,  and  Ahio,  and  Zechariah,  and  Mikloth.     ^^And 
Mikloth  begat  Shimeam.     And  they  also  dwelt  with  their  brethren  at  Jeru- 
salem, over  against  their  brethren.     ^PAnd  Ner  begat  Kish;  and  I^sh  begat  ^cii-s.  33. 
Saul ;  and  Saul  begat  Jonathan,  and  Malchi-shua,  and  Abinadab,  and  Esh- 
baal.     ^^  Ajid  the   son  of  Jonathan  ivas  Merib-baal :    and  Merib-baal  begat 
Micah.     ^^  And  the  sons  of  Micah  ivere,  Pithon,  and  Melech,  and  Tahrea,  '^  and  1  '='>•  ^-  ^^■ 
Ahaz.     ^-And  Ahaz  begat  Jarah;  and  Jarah  begat  Alemeth,  and  Azmaveth, 
and  Zimri;  and  Zimri  begat  Moza;  "^^And  Moza  begat  Binea;  and  Rephaiah 
his  son,  Eleasah  his  son,  Azel  his  son.     ^^  And  Azel  had  six  sons,  whose  names 
are  these,  Azrikam,  Bocheru,  and  Ishmael,  and  Sheariah,  and  Obadiah,  and 
Hanan :  these  ivere  the  sons  of  Azel. 

X.  1  Now  "  the  Philistines  fought  against  Israel ;  and  the  men  of  Israel  fled  ^ ,  sanfsi.  1. 2. 
from  before  the  Philistines,  and  fell  down  ||  slain  in  mount  Gilboa.     ^  And  the  n  O""-  «'o«"f'^<'- 
Philistines  followed  hard  after  Saul,  and  after  his  sons ;  and  the  Philistines 
slew  Jonathan,  and  11  Abinadab,  and  Malchi-shua,  the  sons  of  Saul.     ^And  the  "  p""- •^^*«'' 

'  II  '  '  1  Sam.  14.  49. 

battle  went  sore  against  Saul,  and  the  f  archers  f  hit  him,  and  he  was  wounded  lutbowr^'" 

of  the  archers.     ^  Then  said  Saul  to  his  armourbearer.  Draw  thy  sword,  and 

thrust  me  through  therewith ;  lest  these  uncircumcised  come  and  ||  abuse  me. 

But  his  armourbearer  would  not ;  for  he  was  sore  afraid.     So  Saul  took  a 

sword,  and  fell  upon  it.     ^And  when  his  armourbearer  saw  that  Saul  was 

dead,  he  fell  likewise  on  the  sword,  and  died.     ^  So  Saul  died,  and  his  three 

sons,  and  all  his  house  died  together.     ^  ^n^l  when  all  the  men  of  Israel  that 

iL-ere  in  the  valley  saw  that  they  fled,  and  that  Saul  and  his  sons  were  dead, 

then  they  forsook  their  cities,  and  fled  :  and  the  PhiHstines  came  and  dwelt  in 

them. 

^  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  morrow,  when  the  Philistines  came  to  strip  the 
slain,  that  they  found  Saul  and  his  sons  fallen  in  mount  Gilboa.  ^  And  when 
tliey  had  stripped  him,  they  took  his  head,  and  his  armour,  and  sent  into  the 
land  of  the  Phihstines  round  about,  to  carry  tidings  unto  their  idols,  and  to  the 


t  lieh.found!iim 
II  Or,  mock  mc 


32.  every  sabbath']   When  tlie  shewbrcad  was  set  new,  on  the 
table  in  the  holy  place.    See  on  Exod.  xxv.  30.    Lev.  xxiv.  5,  6. 

33.  these  are  the  singers']  This  refers  to  what  is  said  above, 
tv.  14— IG.     Cp.  Neh.  xi.  17,  and  2  Chrou.  xxxiv.  12. 

— free]  Exempt  from  all  other  occupations. 

34.  These  chief  fathers]  This  refers  to  vv.  18—32. 

35 — 44.  And  in  Gibeon — Azel]  A  repetition  somewhat 
abridged  from  viii.  29 — 38.  This  genealogy  could  not  properly 
have  been  introduced  there,  and  it  is  appropriately  inserted 
here,  as  a  preamlile  to  the  history  of  Saul,  which  prepares  the 
way  for  that  of  David.  It  also  shows  that  the  sacred  writer, 
whose  sympathies  were  rightly  enlisted  on  the  side  of  David  for 
his  own  sake,  and  as  "  the  man  after  God's  own  heart,"  and  as 
the  ancestor  of  the  Messiah,  was  not  actuated  by  any  prejudice 
against  Saul ;  but  gives  a  full  account  of  his  family, — and  espe- 
cially of  Jonathan's  seed, — and  shows  that  God  brought  many 
of  them  back  to  Jerusalem.  May  we  not  be  allowed  to  suppose 
that  one  who  was  "a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews"  (Phil.  iii.  5), 
«mkI  bare  the  same  name  and  was  of  the  same  Tribe,  Benjamin 
191 


(Rom.  xi.  1.  Phil.  iii.  5),  as  Saul  the  first  King  of  Israel, 
namely,  Saul  of  Tarsus,  and  became  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles 
(Rom.  xi.  13),  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  some  of  those  Benjamites 
of  Saul's  family  which  is  here  traced,  and  a  remnant  of  whose 
posterity  came  back  to  Jerusalem  after  the  captivity  ?  See 
above.  Preliminary  Note  to  Chapter  viii.;  and  viii.  33.  40. 

—  Jonathan]  Special  honour  is  paid  here  to  the  faithful 
and  loving  Jonathan,  the  type  of  all  true  Israelites.  Cp.  above, 
on  1  Sam.  xiv.  4 — 14;  xx.  41.     2  Sam.  ix.  6 — 8. 

Ch  X.  1 — 6.  Noio  the  Fhilistines  fought — together]  Sc^j 
above,  on  1  Sam.  xxxi.  1—6 ;  and  cp.  2  Sam.  i.  9,  10. 

3.  ivas  ^vounded]  Or,  he  trembled  greatly  :  so  Keil,  in  1  Sam. 
p.  204;  and  Bertheau  here;  and  Oesen.  265,  who  derive  the 
word  from  chul,  to  tremble  :  the  earlier  expositors  derived  it 
from  chalal,  to  pierce  {Oesen.  281). 

6.  all  his  house]  That  were  present  in  the  battle  {Keil, 
Einleit.  p.  443 ;  Chronik.  p.  279). 

9.  they  took  his  head]  Which  they  cut  off  (1  Sam.  xxxi.  0) ; 
David  had  cut  oft'  the  head  of  their  champion  Goliath. 


The  Philistines  and  Saul     1  CHRONICLES  X.  10—14.   XI.  1—10.      David  made  ling. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1056. 

b  1  Sam.  31.  10. 


t  Heb.  trans- 
gressed. 

c  1  Sam.  13.  13. 
&  15.  23. 
(1  1  Sam.  28.  7. 

e  1  Sam.  15.  28. 
2  Sam.  3.  9,  10.  & 
5  3. 

t  Heb.  Isai. 
1048. 
a  2  Sam.  5,  1. 
+  Heb.  both 
yesterday  and  the 
third  day. 
II  Or,  rule. 
b  Ps.  78.  71. 


c  2  Sam.  5.  3. 

t  Heb.  by  the 

hand  of. 

d  1  Sam.  IC.  1, 

12,  13. 

e  2  Sam.  5.  G. 

f  Judg.  1.  21.  & 

19.  10. 


t  Heb.  head. 


II  That  is,  Zion, 
2  Sara.  5.  7. 
+  Heb.  revired. 
t  Heb.  weyit  i/t 
giiing  and 
increasing. 

g  2  Sam.  23.  8. 


people.     ^°  ^  And  they  put  his  armour  m  the  house  of  their  gods,  and  fastened 
his  head  in  the  temple  of  Dagon. 

^^  And  when  all  Jabesh-gilead  heard  all  that  the  Philistines  had  done  to  Saul, 
^2  They  arose,  all  the  valiant  men,  and  took  away  the  body  of  Saul,  and  the 
bodies  of  his  sons,  and  brought  them  to  Jabesh,  and  buried  their  bones  under 
the  oak  in  Jabesh,  and  fasted  seven  days.  ^^  So  Saul  died  for  his  transgres- 
sion which  he  f  committed  against  the  Lord,  "  even  against  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  which  he  kept  not,  and  also  for  asking  counsel  of  one  that  had  a  familiar 
spirit,  ^  to  inquire  of  it ;  *^  And  inquired  not  of  the  Lord  :  therefore  he  slew 
him,  and  ^  turned  the  kingdom  unto  David  the  son  of  f  Jesse. 

XI.  ^  Then  "  all  Israel  gathered  themselves  to  David  unto  Hebron,  saying, 
Behold,  we  arethj  bone  and  thy  flesh.  ^  And  moreover  f  in  time  past,  even 
when  Saul  was  king,  thou  ivast  he  that  leddest  out  and  broughtest  in  Israel : 
and  the  Lord  thy  God  said  unto  thee.  Thou  shalt  |1  ^  feed  my  people  Israel, 
and  thou  shalt  be  ruler  over  my  people  Israel.  ^  Therefore  came  all  the  elders 
of  Israel  to  the  king  to  Hebron ;  and  David  made  a  covenant  with  them  in 
Hebron  before  the  Lord  ;  and  "  they  anointed  David  king  over  Israel,  according 
to  the  word  of  the  Lord  f  by  '^  Samuel. 

^And  David  and  all  Israel  "went  to  Jerusalem,  which  is  Jebus ;  ''where  the 
Jebusites  iverc,  the  inhabitants  of  the  land.  •  ^  And  the  inhabitants  of  Jebus  said 
to  David,  Thou  shalt  not  come  hither.  Nevertheless  David  took  the  castle  of 
Zion,  which  is  the  city  of  David.  ^And  David  said,  Whosoever  smiteth  the 
Jebusites  first  shall  be  f  chief  and  captain.  So  Joab  the  son  of  Zeruiah  went 
first  up,  and  was  chief.  "  And  David  dwelt  in  the  castle  ;  therefore  they  called 
II  it  the  city  of  David.  ^  And  he  built  the  city  round  about,  even  from  Millo 
round  about :  and  Joab  f  repaired  the  rest  of  the  city.  ^  So  David  f  waxed 
greater  and  greater :  for  the  Lord  of  hosts  was  with  him. 

10  g  These  also  are  the  chief  of  the  mighty  men  whom  David  had,  who 


10.  put  his  armour  in  the  house  of  their  gods']  Ashtaroth 
(1  Sam.  xxxi.  10) ;  as  David  had  put  the  sword  of  Goliath  in  the 
tabernacle  of  Jehovah  (1  Sam.  xxi.  10). 

The  Philistines  appear  to  have  remembered  David's  acts, 
and  to  have  wished  to  retaliate,  and  to  show  by  these  their  own 
acts  that  their  gods  were  more  powerful  gods  than  the  God  of 
Israel,  the  God  of  David  and  Said. 

—  and  fastened  his  head]  Tliis  is  not  mentioned  in  1  Sara. 
xxxi.  10 ;  but  there  we  have  an  incident  not  noticed  here,  that 
they  fastened  his  body  to  the  wall  of  Beth-shan,  which  however 
is  supposed  to  be  known  to  the  reader  of  the  present  passage 
(see  V.  13),  whore  the  writer  speaks  of  the  body.  Thus  one 
narrative  fits  into  the  other.  Each  writer  has  independent 
sources  of  his  own :  cp.  Keil,  Ehileit.  p.  431. 

12.  and  buried  their  hones]  Having  first  burnt  the  bodies  to 
preserve  thera  from  further  insult.    See  on  1  Sam.  xxxi.  12. 

—  the  oak]  Heb.  elah,  perhaps  terebinth.  In  1  Sam.  xxxi. 
13  the  Hebrew  word  is  eshel,  tamarisk.  See  Qesen.  86 ;  Keil, 
Vers.  41,  who  supposes  tliat  the  terebinth  was  the  name  better 
known  in  the  age  of  tlie  Chronicles. 

13.  14.  So  Saul  died,  &c.]  For  his  disobedience  (1  Sam. 
X.  8 ;  xiii.  8 — 14 ;  xv.  11),  and  for  not  inquiring  of  the  Lord, 
but  asking  counsel  of  a  familiar  spirit.  See  above,  on  1  Sam. 
xxviii.  6,  7. 

It  is  observable  that  the  Sept.  here  has  inserted  a  clause  to 
this  effect,  "and  Samuel  the  Prophet  answered  him,"  a  clause 
which  expressed  the  opinion  of  the  ancient  Hellenistic  Jews, 
and  confirms  the  opinion  stated  above,  on  1  Sam.  xxviii.  7,  that 
Samuel  after  his  death  did  really  appear  to  Saul,  and  answered 
him  at  Endor. 

14.  and  turned  the  Jcingdoyn]  Cp.  Ecclus.  x.  8,  "  Because  of 
unrighteous  dealings,  the  kingdom  is  turned  from  one  people  to 
another." 

Ch.  XI.  i— 3.  Then  all  Israel — before  the  Loed]  See  2  Sam. 
192 


v.  2.  The  Sacred  Writer  passes  over  the  events  between  Saul's 
death,  and  David's  accession  to  the  throne  of  all  Israel  (such  as 
David's  lament  over  Saul  and  Jonathan,  and  his  accession  to  the 
throne  of  Judah  at  Hebron;  the  death  of  Abner  and  of  Ishbosheth) 
as  being  well  known  to  his  readers  from  2  Sam.  i. — iv. ;  and  be- 
cause he  hastens  to  speak  of  David's  sovereignty,  and  of  that  of 
Solomon;  and  because, — when  he  wrote  the  Clironicles, — viz. 
after  the  captivity  and  the  return  from  Babylon,  the  severance 
of  Israel  into  two  kingdoms  had  happily  ceased  :  cp.  Introd. 

3.  according  to  the  tvord  of  the  Lord  hg  Sainuel]  A  re- 
markable addition  to  the  narrative  in  2  Sam.  v.  The  Author 
of  the  Chronicles  repi-esents  Samuel's  influence  as  surviving 
him  in  this  respect,  and  in  another  imj)ortant  matter ;  see  above, 
ix.  22. 

5.  the  inhabitants  of  Jebus  said]  The  Sacred  Writer  omits  the 
incident  concerning  "  the  blind  and  the  lame  "  (2  Sam.  v.  G — 8), 
but  he  adds  the  story  of  Joab's  prowess  in  entering  the  city,  and 
of  his  zeal  in  restoring  it.  Here  is  a  mark  of  compassion  for  the 
memory  of  one  whose  last  days  were  clouded  over  with  sin  and 
sorrow  (see  2  Sam.  xx.  9.     1  Kings  ii.  5.  29.    Cp.  Introd.). 

8.  from  Millo]  See  on  2  Sam.  v.  9. 

—  repaired]  Literally,  revived,  or  healed.  See  1  Kings 
xviii.  30.     Neh.  iv.  2. 

David's  Worthies. 

10.  These  also  are  the  chief]  It  is  observable  that  the  Sacred 
Writer  introduces  in  this  place  the  catalogue  of  David's  wor- 
thies, which  is  reserved  by  the  Author  of  the  Book  of  Samuel 
for  the  close  of  his  work.  See  2  Sam.  xxiii.  8 — 39.  The  reason 
is,  that  these  mighty  men  not  only  strengthened  themselves 
with  him  in  his  kingdom,  but  also  strengthened  him  to  make 
him  King,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  Samuel. 

There  is  therefore  a  propriety  in  both  the  positions  of  the 
catalogue  of  these  mighty  men.  They  fitly  stand  at  the  begin- 
ning, and  at  the  end,  of  the  history  of  David's  reign. 


The  might II  men 


1  CHRONICLES  XL  11—23. 


of  David. 


II  strengtliened  themselves  with  him  in  his  kingdom,  and  with  all  Israel,  to 
make  him  king,  according  to  ''  the  word  of  the  Lord  concerning  Israel.  ^^  And 
ihisis  the  nmnber  of  the  mighty  men  whom  David  had;  Jashobeam,  ||  an  Hach- 
monite,  the  chief  of  the  captains  :  he  lifted  up  his  spear  against  three  hundred 
slain  hij  him  at  one  time.  ^"  And  after  him  was  Eleazar  the  son  of  Dodo,  the 
Ahohite,  who  ivas  one  of  the  three  mighties.  ^^  He  was  with  David  at  ||  Pas- 
dammim,  and  there  the  Philistines  were  gathered  together  to  battle,  where 
was  a  parcel  of  ground  full  of  barley ;  and  the  people  fled  from  before  the 
Philistines.  ^'^And  they  ||  set  themselves  in  the  midst  of  that  parcel,  and 
delivered  it,  and  slew  the  Philistines ;  and  the  Lord  saved  them  by  a  great 
II  deliverance. 

^^  Now  II  three  of  the  thirty  captains  'went  do\vn  to  the  rock  to  David,  into  the 
cave  of  Adullam ;  and  the  host  of  the  Philistines  encamped  ^  in  the  valley  of 
Rephaim.  '^And  David  2(?rts  then  in  the  hold,  and  the  Philistines'  garrison 
was  then  at  Beth-lehcm.  ^'^  And  David  longed,  and  said.  Oh  that  one  would 
give  me  drink  of  the  water  of  the  well  of  Beth-lehem,  that  is  at  the  gate  ! 
^^And  the  three  brake  through  the  host  of  the  Philistines,  and  drew  water  out 
of  the  well  of  Beth-lehem,  that  ivas  by  the  gate,  and  took  it,  and  brought  it  to 
David  :  but  David  would  not  drink  of  it,  but  poured  it  out  to  the  Lord,  ^^  And 
said.  My  God  forbid  it  me,  that  I  should  do  this  thing  :  shall  I  drink  the 
blood  of  these  men  f  that  have  put  their  lives  in  jeopardy  ?  for  with  the  jeopardy 
0/ their  lives  they  brought  it.  Therefore  he  would  not  drink  it.  These  things 
did  these  three  mightiest. 

2^ '  And  Abishai  the  brother  of  Joab,  he  was  chief  of  the  three  :  for  lifting  up 
his  spear  against  three  hundred,  he  slew  the?n,  and  had  a  name  among  the 
three.  -^ ""  Of  the  three,  he  was  more  honourable  than  the  two  ;  for  he  was 
their  captain  :  howbeit  he  attained  not  to  the  first  three. 

^^  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  the  son  of  a  valiant  man  of  Kabzeel,  f  who 
had  done  many  acts  ;  "  he  slew  two  lionlike  men  of  Moab  :  also  he  went  down 
and  slew  a  lion  in  a  pit  in  a  snowy  day.     "-^^  And  he  slew  an  Egyptian,  f  a  man 


Before 
CHRIST 

1048. 
II  Or,  held 
atronglij  with 
him, 

Ii  1  Sam.lG.  1,  12. 
II  Or,  son  of 
Ilachmoni. 


1047. 
II  Or,  Ephes- 
dammim, 
1  Sam.  17.  1. 


Or,  itood. 


ll  Or,  salvation. 

II  Or,  three 

captains  over  the 

thirty. 

i  2  Sam.  23.  13. 

k  ch.  14.9. 


t  Ileb.  with  their 
lives? 


1  2  Sam.  23.  18, 
&c. 


m  2  Sam.  23.  19, 


t  Hel).  great  of 

deeds. 

n  2  Sam.  23.  20. 

t  Heb.  a  mun  of 
measure. 


In  a  spiritual  sense,  we  may  compare  these  mighty  men  to 
the  Prophets  who  prepared  the  way  for  the  Advent  and  King- 
dom of  Christ  the  True  David,  and  also  to  the  Apostles,  who 
advanced  that  kingdom  throughout  the  world.  See  above,  on 
2  Sam.  xxiii.  8.  It  was  there  observed,  that  attempts  have  been 
made  by  conjectural  alterations  of  the  Sacred  Text,  to  bring 
these  catalogues  into  almost  verbal  identity.  The  positions  at 
which  these  catalogues  stand  in  the  history  might  have  de- 
terred the  authors  of  these  attempts  from  so  futile  an  under- 
taking. 

11.  Jaslioheam,  an  Saclimonite]  Wlio  is  also  called  a  son  of 
Zabdiel,  xxvii.  2.     On  this  verse,  see  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiii.  8. 

—  captains']  Ileb.  shalosMm,  rightly  rendered  "thirty"  by 
Sept.,  Vulg.,  Syr.,  Arabic.  The  ambiguity  has  arisen  from  the 
similarity  of  the  two  Hebrew  words,  shalosMm,  thirty,  and  sha- 
lishim,  captains.  See  Gesen.  828.  831.  Exod.  xiv.  7;  xv.  4. 
2  Kings  ix.  25.  In  2  Sam.  xxiii.  8,  we  have  shalishim,  captains: 
see  Keil  there,  p.  356. 

—  against  three  hundred]  Cp.  v.  20.  In  these  wonderful 
achievements  God's  power  was  manifested,  and  His  promise  to 
Israel  was  fulfilled,  that,  if  they  were  faithful,  "  One  should 
chase  a  thousand."  Cp.  Lev.  xxvi.  8.  Deut.  xxxii.  30.  Josh, 
xxiii.  10. 

13.  lie  was  loith  David"]  It  has  been  supposed  by  some  (e.  g. 
Keil,  Bertheau)  that  this  act,  here  ascribed  to  Eleazar,  was  really 
performed  by  Sliammah,  on  account  of  the  statement  in  2  Sam. 
xxiii.  11,  12,  and  that  there  is  a  contradiction  between  the  two 
writers  ;  the  one  asserting  that  the  battle  was  in  a  field  of  len- 
tiles,  and  the  other  in  a  field  of  barley.  But  these  are  ground- 
less allegations.  The  Sacred  Historian  says,  that  "  they  set 
themselves  in  the  midst  of  that  parcel,  and  delivered  it,  and 
sleto  the  Pliilistiucs."  Here  arc  three  verbs  in  the  plural, 
Vol.  Ill  193 


which  to  suit  his  hypothesis,  Bertheau  changes  to  the  singular, 
p.  127. 

This  act,  as  appears  from  the  two  records  taken  together, 
was  done  by  Eleazar,  together  with  Shammah ;  and  the  Author 
of  the  Chronicles  takes  for  granted  that  his  reader  will  have 
before  him  the  previous  naiTative  in  Samuel.  All  difficulty  is 
thus  removed.  As  to  the  discrepancy  of  the  lentiles  and  the 
barley,  see  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiii.  11.  It  may  be  added  as  a 
probable  conjecture,  that  one  of  the  two  heroes  (Shammah)  dis- 
tinguished himself  specially  in  that  part  of  the  field  where  there 
was  barley,  and  that  Eleazar  withstood  the  enemy  where  there 
were  lentiles,  and  that  thus  they  routed  the  PhUistiues. 

—  Pas-dammim]  Probably,  Uphes-dainmim,  between  Shocoh. 
and  Azekah,  in  the  Western  region  of  the  territory  of  Judah. 
1  Sam.  xvii.  1. 

15.  captains]  Heb.  rosh,  in  the  singular  numljer,  marking 
that  the  thirty  made  one  body.     So  2  Sam.  xxiii.  13. 

15—19.]  On  this  incident,  see  note  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiii. 
13—17. 

19.  shall  I  drink  the  J ZoocZ— jeopardy  ?]  Literally,  sltall^  I 
drink  of  the  blood  of  these  men  ivith  their  souls,  because  ivith 
their  souls  they  brought  it  ?  Cp.  2  Sam.  xxiii.  17,  where  it  is 
literally,  blood  of  men  going  ivith  their  souls,  or  lives;  i.e.  put- 
ting their  lives  in  then-  hands  (Judg.  xli.  3.  1  Sam.  xix.  5; 
xxviii.  21.     Job  xiii.  14)  to  fetch  it. 

20.  of  the  three]  Wlio  did  the  feat  recorded  in  the  foregoing 
verses:  cp.  2  Sam.  xxiii.  18. 

22.  Benaiah  ....  Kabzeel]  See  2  Sam.  xxiii.  20;  and 
Dr.  Thomson,  p.  28G,  on  lions  in  Palestine,  forced  by  hunger 
in  snowy  days,  to  come  near  to  human  habitations,  and  perhaps 
tracked  by  then-  footprints  iu  the  snow. 


David's  ivorthies. 


1  CHRONICLES  XI.  24—47.     XII.  1—4. 


Ziklag, 


Before 

CHRIST 

1017. 


o  2  Sam.  23.  24. 

11  Or,  Shammah. 
II  Or,  Harodite, 
2  Sam.  23.  25. 
II  Or,PalUle, 
2  Sam.  23.  22. 
II  Or,  Mebunnai. 
II  Or,  Zalmon. 
II  Or,  Heleb. 

II  Or,  Hiddai. 

II  Or,  Abi-albon. 

II  Or,  J  ashen. 

See  2  Sam.  23. 

32,  33. 

II  Or,  Sharur. 

II  Or,  Eli/Jhelel. 

II  Or,  Ahasbui. 

II  Or,  Hazrai. 

II  Or,  Paaiai  the 

Arbite. 

II  Or.  <Ae 

Huygcrile. 


i  Or,  Shimiile. 


about 
1058. 
a  1  Sam.  27.  2. 
b  I  Sam.  27.  C. 
t  Heb.  being 
yet  shut  up. 

c  Judg.  20.  IG. 


1]  Or,  Hasmaah. 


of  great  stature,  five  cubits  high ;  and  in  the  Egyptian's  hand  was  a  spear  hke 
a  weaver's  beam  ;  and  he  went  down  to  him  with  a  staff,  and  phicked  the  spear 
out  of  the  Egyptian's  hand,  and  slew  him  with  his  o^vn  spear.  ^-^  These  things 
did  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  and  had  the  name  among  the  three  mighties. 
-^  Behold,  he  was  honourable  among  the  thirty,  but  attained  not  to  the  first 
three:  and  David  set  him  over  his  guard. 

2^  Also  the  valiant  men  of  the  armies  ivere,  "Asahel  the  brother  of  Joab, 
Elhanan  the  son  of  Dodo  of  Beth-lehem,  ^7 1|  Shammoth  the  ||  Harorite,  Helez 
the  II  Pelonite,  ^^  Ira  the  son  of  Ikkesh  the  Tekoite,  Abi-ezer  the  Antothite, 
2^  II  Sibbecai  the  Hushathite,  ||  Ilai  the  Ahohite,  ^^  Maharai  the  Netophathite, 
II  Heled  the  son  of  Baanahthe  Netophathite,  ^^  Ithaithe  son  of  Ribai  of  Gibeah, 
that  pertained  to  the  children  of  Benjamin,  Benaiah  the  Pirathonite,  ^'^  ||  Hurai 
of  the  brooks  of  Gaash,  ||  Abiel  the  Arbathite,  ^"^Azmaveth  the  Baharumite, 
Eliahba  the  Shaalbonite,  '■^^  The  sons  of  j]  Hashem  the  Gizonite,  Jonathan  the 
son  of  Shage  the  Hararite,  ^^  Ahiam  the  son  of  ||  Sacar  the  Hararite,  ||  Eliphal 
the  son  of  ||  Ur,  2*^IIe23her  the  Mecherathite,  Ahijah  the  Pelonite,  ^^  ||  Hezro 
the  Carmelite,  |j  Naarai  the  son  of  Ezbai,  ^"  Joel  the  brother  of  Nathan,  Mibhar 
II  the  son  of  Haggeri,  ^^  Zelek  the  Ammonite,  Naharai  the  Berothite,  the  armour- 
bearer  of  Joab  the  son  of  Zeruiah,  ^^  Ira  the  Ithrite,  Gareb  the  Ithrite,  "^^  Uriah 
the  Hittite,  Zabad  the  son  of  Ahlai,  ^'^Adina  the  sou  of  Shiza  the  Reubenite, 
a  captain  of  the  Reubenites,  and  thirty  with  him,  ^^  Hanan  the  son  of  Maachah, 
and  Joshaphat  the  Mithnite,  ^^Uzzia  the  Ashterathite,  Shama  and  Jehiel 
the  sons  of  Hothan  the  Aroerite,  ^^Jediael  the  ||  son  of  Shimri,  and  Joha 
his  brother,  the  Tizite,  ^^  Eliel  the  Mahavite,  and  Jeribai,  aDid  Joshaviah,  the 
sons  of  Elnaam,  and  Ithmah  the  Moabite,  '^^  Eliel,  and  Obed,  and  Jasiel  the 
Mesobaite. 

XII.  ^  Now  ^  these  are  they  that  came  to  David  to  ^  Ziklag,  f  while  he  yet 
kept  himself  close  because  of  Saul  the  son  of  Kish  :  and  they  ivere  among  the 
mighty  men,  helpers  of  the  war.  ^  j']i(,y  ^t,^,.^  armed  with  bows,  and  could  use 
both  the  right  hand  and  "  the  left  in  hurling  stones  and  shooting  arrows  out  of 
a  bow,  even  of  Saul's  brethren  of  Benjamin.  ^  The  chief  was  Ahiezer,  then 
Joash,  the  sons  of  ||  Shemaah  the  Gibeathite ;  and  Jeziel,  and  Relet,  the  sons 
of  Azmaveth ;  and  Berachah,  and  Jehu  the  Antothite,  ^  And  Ismaiah  the 
Gibeonite,  a  mighty  man  among  the  tliirty,  and  over  the  thirty ;  and  Jere- 


26 — 47.  Asaliel—Mesolaite]  Most  of  tlie  names  iu  the  above 
list,  not  all,  as  far  as  to  v.  41,  Uriah  the  Hittite,  correspond  to 
those  in  2  Sam.  xxiii.  24—39.  See  the  notes  there,  where 
they  are  said  to  be  thirty-seven. 

The  names  which  coincide  are  Asahel,  Elhanan,  Shammath 
(or  Shammah),  Helez,  Ira,  Abiezer,  Maharai,  Heled  (or  Heleb), 
Ittai,  Benaiah,  Hurai  (or  Hiddai),  Ablel  (or  Abialbon),  Azma- 
veth, Eliahba,  Ahiam,  Hezro  (or  Hezrai),  Zelek,  Naharai,  Ira, 
Gareb,  Uriah.  But  after  Uriah,  the  Sacred  Writer  adds  here 
more  names  which  do  not  occur  in  the  catalogue  of  worthies  in 
2  Sam.  xxiii. 

38.  Joel  the  hrotTier  of  Nathan]  In  2  Sam.  xxiii.  36,  we  have 
Igal  the  son  of  Nathan.  It  has  been  supposed  by  some  that 
these  arc  the  same  persons ;  but  there  is  no  reason  for  this  as- 
sumption :  cp.  Pfeiffer,  p.  243. 

Bishop  Andrewes  (iv.  209)  remai'ks  ou  the  care  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  has  taken  to  set  down  the  number  and  rank  of 
David's  worthies,  and  infers  thence  the  diligent  heed  that  David 
took  to  assign  to  each  man  his  place  according  to  his  deserts. 
May  we  not  extend  this  reflection,  and  apply  it  to  Jesus  Christ 
the  Divine  David,  the  Judge  of  Quick  and  Dead  ;  and  may  we 
not  see  here  a  faint  image  of  that  knowledge  and  care  by  which 
every  man  will  hereafter  be  examined,  and  be  rewarded  accord- 
ing to  his  work  ?     Rev.  xx.  12,  13  ;  xxii.  12. 

39.  Ammonite]  Cp.  46,  where  a  Moabite  is  mentioned.     Here 
194 


we  have  a  Moabite  and  an  Ammonite  on  the  side  of  Israel,  and 
even  among  David's  worthies ;  and  here  (as  M.  Henry  suggests) 
we  may  see  an  indication  that  Christ,  the  Divine  David,  would 
have  heroes  iu  His  sjjiritual  army,  tlie  Chm-ch,  from  the  Gentiles. 

Cii.  XII.  This  chapter  contains  four  distinct  catalogues. 

(1)  vv.  1 — 7.  Of  those  who  came  to  David  to  Ziklag  a  short 
time  before  the  death  of  Saul  (1  Sam.  xxvii;  6). 

(2)  vv.  8 — 15.  Of  the  Gadites,  wLo  resorted  to  David  iu 
the  wilderness  (1  Sam.  xxii.  4  ;  xxiii.  14 ;  xxiv.  22). 

(3)  vv.  19 — 22.  Of  the  Manassites,  who  joined  David  when 
he  was  dismissed  by  the  Philistines  (1  Sam.  xxix.  1 — 11). 

(4)  vv.  23—40.  Of  all  Israel,  who  came  to  David  at 
Hebron,  to  make  him  King. 

These  lists,  which  are  found  only  in  this  book,  prove  the 
originality  and  independence  of  the  writer.  They  were  designed 
by  him  to  stimulate  all  the  Tribes  of  Israel,  after  the  Captivity, 
when  he  wrote,  to  imitate  their  ancestors,  and  rally  round  the 
house  of  David  at  Jerusalem  :  cp.  above.  Introduction. 

1.  ivhile  he  yet  kept  himself  close]  Or  rather,  when  he  was 
restrained  from  the  presence  of  Saul,  and  was  obliged  to  shun  it. 

2.  shooting  ai-roivs]  For  which  they  were  famous  (viii.  40). 
—  even  of  Saul's  brethren]  A  proof  of  David's  innocence. 
4.  Olleonite]  Benjamitcs  at  Gibeou,  viii.  29;  ix.  35. 


They  who  came  to  David  1  CHRONICLES  XII.  5— 28. 


from  all  Israel. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
1058. 


miali,  and  Jahaziel,  and  Jolianan,  and  Josabad  the  Gedcrathite,  ^Eluzai, 
and  Jerimotli,  and  Bealiah,  and  Shemariali,  and  Sliepliatiah  the  Haruphite, 
^  Elkanah,  and  Jesiah,  and  Azareel,  and  Joezer,  and  Jashobeam,  the  Korhites, 
7  And  Joelah,  and  Zebadiah,  the  sons  of  Jeroham  of  Gedor. 

^  And  of  the  Gadites  there  separated  themselves  unto  David  into  the  hold  to 
the  wilderness  men  of  might,  and  men  f  of  war  fit  for  the  battle,  that  could  +  Heb.  oj  luc 
handle  shield  and  buckler,  whose  faces  loere  like  the  faces  of  lions,  and  idcvc 
**  t  as  swift  as  the  roes  upon  the  mountains  :    °  Ezer  the  first,  Obadiah  the  ^  2  sam.  2.  is. 

■*■  t  Heb.  as  the 

second,  Eliab  the  third,  '^Mishmannah  the  fourth,  Jeremiah  the  fifth,  ^^  Attai  '•«''^«f°«"« 

'  *  '  ^  mountains  to 

the  sixth,  Eliel  the  seventh,  ^- Johanan  the  eighth,  Elzabad  the  ninth,  ^^jgre-  '«°^'^ '"'^'^• 
miah  the  tenth,  Machbanai  the  eleventh.     ^"^  These  tvere  of  the  sons  of  Gad, 
captains  of  the  host :  11  one  of  the  least  ivas  over  an  hundred,  and  the  greatest  11  or. "«« "««< 

-I  iR  mi  n  ni  tt  •  i         r,  was  least  could 

over  a  thousand.     ^^  ihese  are  they  that  went  over  Jordan  m  the  first  month,  resist aHA«„rfr.«, 

'^  '    arid  the  greatest  a 

when  it  had  f  overflown  all  his  ^  banks  ;  and  they  put  to  flight  all  them  of  the 
valleys,  both  toward  the  east,  and  toward  the  west. 

^^  And  there  came  of  the  children  of  Benjamin  and  Judah  to  the  hold  unto 
David.  I''  And  David  went  out  f  to  meet  them,  and  answered  and  said  unto 
them.  If  ye  be  come  peaceably  unto  me  to  help  me,  mine  heart  shall  f  be  knit 
unto  you  :  but  if  ye  he  come  to  betray  me  to  mine  enemies,  seeing  there  is  no 
II  wrong  in  mine  hands,  the  God  of  our  fathers  look  thereon,  and  rebuke  it. 
^^  Then  f  the  spirit  came  upon  *"  Amasai,  ivho  ivas  chief  of  the  captains,  and  he  t  Heb.  the  spirit 
said,  Thine  are  2ce,  David,  and  on  thy  side,  thou  son  of  Jesse :  peace,  peace  he  ffsfm'Tfi 
unto  thee,  and  peace  he  to  thine  helpers ;  for  thy  God  helpeth  thee.  Then 
Da\id  received  them,  and  made  them  captains  of  the  band. 

'^  And  there  fell  some  of  Manasseh  to  David,  ^when  he  came  with  the  PhiHs-        about 

'  1056. 

tmes  agamst  Saul  to  battle  :  but  they  helped  them  not :  for  the  lords  of  the  ^  ^  ^^"'-  ^^-  ^ 
Phihstines  upon  advisement  sent  him  away,  saying,  ''  He  will  fall  to  his  master  i»  1  sam.  29. 4. 
Saul  f  to  the  jeopardy  of  our  heads,     ^o  ^g  j-^g  ^^j^^  ^q  2iklag,  there  fell  to  him  '"'"^'•''' 
of  Manasseh,  Adnah,  and  Jozabad,  and  Jediael,  and  Michael,  and  Jozabad, 
and  Ehhu,  and  Zilthai,  captains  of  the  thousands  that  loere  of  Manasseh. 
2^  And  they  helped  David  ||  against  'the  band  of  the  rovers  :  for  they  toere  all  \\oi,uma 
mighty  men  of  valour,  and  were  captains  in  the  host.     2-2j^or  at  that  time  day  il'sam.  so.  1,9, 
by  day  there  came  to  David  to  help  him,  until  it  ivas  a  great  host,  hke  the  host 
of  God. 
2^  And  these  are  the  numbers  of  the  ||f  bands  thcd  ivere  ready  armed  to  the 

t  Heb.  heads. 


!  great 
thousa7id. 
t  Hah.  filled 
over. 
e  Josli.  3.  15. 


+  Heb.  before 

them. 

t  Heb.  be  one. 


Or,  violence. 


1043. 
Or,  captains, 
or,  men. 


6,  7.  Korhites — Oedor']  These  seem  to  have  been  of  Judah, 
ii.  43;  iv.  4.     Cp.  v.  16. 

8.  the  Oadites  there  separated  themselves'}  From  their 
families  ;  they  detached  themselves  from  the  rest  of  the  Gadites 
on  the  side  of  Saul. 

14.  one  of  the  least — over  a  thousand'}  So  the  Vulrj.,  Syriac, 
and  Arabic.  But  probably  the  true  meaning  is,  a  Httle  one  of 
them  was  equal  to  a  hundred,  and  a  great  one  to  a  thousand. 
Lev.  xxvi.  8.  Deut.  xxxii.  30.  So  some  of  the  Rabbis,  and  it 
seems  Sept.  and  Bertheau. 

15.  These  are  they  that  went  over  Jordan}  Probably,  to  help 
David,  when  they  separated  themselves  {v.  8)  from  their  brethren 
on  the  east  of  Jordan,  who  favoured  Saul.  Probably  some  of 
these  Gadites  had  been  under  David's  command,  when  he  was 
set  over  Saul's  men  of  war,  and  was  accepted  in  the  sight  of  all 
the  people.     See  1  Sam.  xviii.  5 — 17. 

—  in  the  first  month,  when  it  had  overflown  all  his  hanlcs} 
See  or.  Josh.  iii.  15. 

—  all  them  of  the  valleys}  Literally,  all  the  valleys.  C\^. 
"  Thou  art  of  more  honour  aud  might  than  the  hills  of  the  rob- 
bers."    Ps.  Ixxvi.  4. 

193 


17.  mine  heart  shall  be  knit  unto  you}  Literally,  my  heart 
shall  be  at  one  with  you.     See  Oesen.  340. 

18.  Amasai}  Probably  the  same  as  Amasa,  David's  nephew 
(ii.  17),  whom  David  made  captain  of  his  host,  in  the  place  of 
Joab,  after  the  rebellion  aud  death  of  Absalom  (2  Sam.  xix.  13). 

19.  they  helped  them  not}  They  did  not  help  the  Philistines 
against  Israel ;  this  was  providentially  prevented.  See  1  Sam. 
xxix.  7. 

20.  As  he  went  to  Ziklag}  This  also  was  providential ;  for 
they  came  to  him  at  a  time  when  he  needed  help  to  enable  him 
to  recover  his  wives,  aud  the  sons  and  daughters  of  his  friends, 
and  their  substance,  from  the  Amalekites,  who  had  burnt  Ziklag. 
See  1  Sam.  xxx.  1 — 11. 

The  Sacred  Writer  supposes  that  the  reader  is  familiar  with 
the  narrative  in  Samuel  j  without  which  his  o^vn  account  would 
not  be  intelligible. 

22.  host  of  God}  Large  and  mighty.  Cp.  Ps.  xxxvi.  6; 
Ixxx.  11. 

23.  of  the  bands}  Heb.  heads.  It  is  alleged  by  some,  that 
there  is  a  contradiction  between  this  superscription  of  the  list 
and  the  list   itself;   inasmuch  as  the  superscription  specified 


Tlic7j  who  came  to  David       1  CHRONICLES  XII.  24—40. 


at  Hebron, 


Before 

CHRIST 

104S. 

U  2  Sam.  2.  3,  4. 

&  5.  1. 

ch.  11.  1. 

I  ch.  10.  14. 

m  1  Sam.  IG.  1,3. 

II  Or,  prepared. 


n2  Sam.  8.  17. 

t  Hel).  brethren. 
Gen.  31.  23. 
t  Ileb.  a  multi- 
luiii:  of  them. 
o  2  Sam.  2.  8,  9. 

t  Heb.  men  of 
names. 


war,  and  ^  came  to  David  to  Hebron,  to  '  turn  the  kingdom  of  Saul  to  him, 
■"  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord.  ^4  The  children  of  Judah  that  bare  shield 
and  spear  toere  six  thousand  and  eight  hundred,  ready  ||  armed  to  the  war. 
-^  Of  the  children  of  Simeon,  mighty  men  of  valour  for  the  war,  seven  thousand 
and  one  hundred,  ^e  Qf  the  children  of  Levi  four  thousand  and  six  hundred. 
27  Aiid  Jehoiada  ivas  the  leader  of  the  Aaronites,  and  with  him  were  three  thou- 
sand and  seven  hundred ;  ^s  And  "  Zadok,  a  young  man  mighty  of  valour,  and 
of  his  father's  house  twenty  and  two  captains,  ^o  And  of  the  children  of  Ben- 
jamin, the  f  kindred  of  Saul,  three  thousand  :  for  hitherto  f  °the  greatest  part 
of  them  had  kept  the  ward  of  the  house  of  Saul.  ^^  And  of  the  children  of 
Ephraim  twenty  thousand  and  eight  hundred,  mighty  men  of  valour,  f  famous 
throughout  the  house  of  their  fathers.  ^^  And  of  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh 
eighteen  thousand,  which  were  expressed  by  name,  to  come  and  make  David 

p  E.th.  1. 13.  'king,  32  And  of  the  children  of  Issachar,  ^tvhich  were  men  that  had  understand- 
ing of  the  times,  to  know  what  Israel  ought  to  do ;  the  heads  of  them  luere  two 
hundred ;  and  all  their  brethren  ivere  at  their  commandment.  ^^  Of  Zebulun, 
such  as  went  forth  to  battle,  ||  expert  in  war,  with  all  instruments  of  war,  fifty 
thousand,  which  could  ||  keep  rank  :  they  ivere  f  not  of  double  heart.  ^^  And  of 
Naphtali  a  thousand  captains,  and  with  them  with  shield  and  spear  thirty  and 
seven  thousand.  ^^  And  of  the  Danites  expert  in  war  twenty  and  eight  thou- 
sand and  six  hundred.  ^^  And  of  Asher,  such  as  went  forth  to  battle,  ||  expert 
in  war,  forty  thousand.  ^^  And  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan,  of  the  Reubenites, 
and  the  Gadites,  and  of  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  with  all  manner  of  instru- 
ments of  war  for  the  battle,  an  hundred  and  twenty  thousand.  "^All  these 
men  of  war,  that  could  keep  rank,  came  with  a  perfect  heart  to  Hebron,  to 
make  David  king  over  all  Israel :  and  all  the  rest  also  of  Israel  ivere  of  one 
heart  to  make  David  king.  ^^  And  there  they  were  with  David  three  days,  eat- 
ing and  drinking  :  for  their  brethren  had  prepared  for  them.  '^^  Moreover  they 
that  were  nigh  them,  even  unto  Issachar  and  Zebulun  and  Naphtali,  brought 

II  Or,  victual  of   j^read  on  asses,  and  on  camels,  and  on  mules,  and  on  oxen,  and  \\  meat,  meal, 


II  Or,  rangers  of 

battle,  or,  raiii/cd 

in  battle. 

II  Or,  set  the  battle 

ill  array. 

+  Heb.  loilhout  a 

heart  and  a  heart, 

Ps.  12.  2. 

II  Or,  keeping 
their  r.ink. 


heads,  or  captains  (and  so  Sept.  and  Vulg.),  wlillo  tlie  list  itself 
describes  a  muster  of  soldiers.  But  our  Authorized  Version  has 
replied  to  the  objection  by  rendering  the  Hebrew  rosh  here  by 
hand ;  as  it  was  quite  justified  in  doing.  See  Judg.  vii.  16.  20; 
ix.  34.  43,  44,  46.     1  Sam.  xi.  11 ;  xiii.  18.     Gesen.  752. 

The  Sacred  Writer  recapitulates  here  more  in  detail,  what 
he  had  stated  generally  above,  xi.  1 — 3. 

The  total  muster  at  Hebron,  which  is  here  described, 
amounted  to  about  300,000  men.  Having  so  powerful  an  army 
at  his  command,  David  pi-oceeded  to  lay  siege  to  Jebus,  and 
captured  it.     2  Sam.  v.  6  ;  above,  xi.  4 — 9. 

24.  children  of  Judah — six  thousand  and  eight  hundred^ 
This  number,  which  is  here  mentioned  as  coming  from  Judah, 
is  not  so  large  as  that  from  Ephraim,  v.  30.  Probably,  as  the 
scene  of  the  action  was  at  Hebron,  the  seat  of  the  kingdom  of 
Judah,  which  had  been  already  established  for  six  years  and  a 
half,  a  large  number  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  were  already  at 
llehron,  and  these  six  thousand  were  those  who  came  from  other 
parts  of  the  territory,  in  addition  to  the  men  of  Judah  who 
were  already  quartered  there. 

27.  Jehoiada  was  the  leader  of  tlie  Aaronites']  Not  the  High 
Priest,  for  Abiathar  held  that  ofHce  (1  Sam.  xxiii.  9),  but  the 
head  of  the  warriors  of  the  house  of  Aaron ;  perhaps  the  father 
of  Benaiah,  xi.  22. 

28.  ZadoJc']  He  may  perhaps  have  been  the  same  as  was 
appointed  High  Priest  by  Solomon.  Cp.  2  Sam.  viii.  17  ;  xv.  29. 
35;  XX.  25.     1  Kings  i.  8.  26;  ii.  35. 

—  captains']  Heb.  sarim. 
196 


ZQ.  famous]  Literally,  men  of  names. 

31.  expressed  by  name]  Probably  in  lists,  containing  the 
name  of  every  one  of  the  18,000.  The  large  number  made  this 
more  remarkable. 

32.  children  of  Issachar — tJiat  had  understanding]  literally, 
that  knew  understanding — of  the  times,  to  perqeive  what  Israel 
should  do]  That  is,  they  excelled  in  moral  and  political  pru- 
dence and  wisdom,  so  as  to  know  what,  in  any  season  of  emer- 
gency, the  particular  posture  of  affairs  required  to  be  done. 

The  word  rendered  understanding  is  binah,  which  has  con- 
stantly this  sense.  See  below,  xxii.  12.  2  Chron.  ii.  12,  13. 
Prov.  i.  2 ;  iv.  1.  5.  7,  and  is  well  rendei-ed  crvficns  by  Sept. 
This  is  mentioned  as  an  argument  for  the  right  of  David  to  the 
throne  of  all  Israel. 

33.  ffty  thousand]  The  greatest  number  of  any  tribe.  We 
find  that  in  Deborah's  muster  for  the  deliverance  of  Israel, 
Zebulon  and  Issachar  were  forward  in  the  cause.  Judg.  v. 
14,  15. 

It  is  not  unworthy  of  notice,  that  the  largest  numbers  who 
resorted  to  Hebron,  to  make  David  King  over  all  Israel,  came 
from  that  territory,  which  was  afterwards  the  earliest  and  prin- 
cipal scene  of  our  Blessed  Lord's  ministry  (Matt.  iv.  13. 15),  and 
from  which  most  of  the  Apostles,  "the  worthies"  of  the  Divine 
David,  who  maintained  and  advanced  His  Spiritual  Kingdom, 
were  chosen. 

—  tiot  of  double  heart]  Literally,  not  in  Jieart  and  heart. 
Not  with  a  double  heart  {Vulg.),  but  with  "a  perfect  heart," 
or,  "  with  one  heart,"  v.  38. 

40.  asses — camels — mtiles]  No  horses  are  mentioned. 


David  brings  the  Arh 


1  CHRONICLES  XIII.  1—9. 


from  Kirjath-jeanm . 


cakes  of  figs,  and  bunches  of  raisins,  and  mne,  and  oil,  and  oxen,  and  sheep 
abundantly  :  for  there  ivas  joy  in  Israel. 

XIII.  *  And  David  consulted  with  the  captains  of  thousands  and  hundreds, 
and  with  every  leader.  -  And  David  said  unto  all  the  congregation  of  Israel, 
If  it  seem  good  unto  you,  and  that  it  he  of  the  Lord  our  God,  f  let  us  send 
abroad  unto  our  brethren  every  where,  that  are  '^  left  in  all  the  land  of  Israel, 
and  ^\dth  them  also  to  the  priests  and  Levites  ivhich  are  f  in  their  cities  and 
suburbs,  that  they  may  gather  themselves  unto  us :  ^  And  let  us  f  bring  again 
the  ark  of  our  God  to  us :  ''  for  we  inquired  not  at  it  in  the  days  of  Saul. 
^  And  all  the  congregation  said  that  they  would  do  so  :  for  the  thing  was  right 
in  the  eyes  of  all  the  people. 

^  So  "  David  gathered  all  Israel  together,  from  "^  Shihor  of  Egypt  even  unto 
the  entering  of  Hemath,  to  bring  the  ark  of  God  ^from  Kirjath-jearim.  ^  And 
Da^id  went  up,  and  all  Israel,  to  *^Baalah,  that  is,  to  Kirjath-jearim,  which 
belonged  to  Judah,  to  bring  up  thence  the  ark  of  God  the  Lord,  ^  that  dwelleth 
between  the  cherubims,  whose  name  is  called  on  it.  ^  And  they  f  carried  the 
ark  of  God  ''  in  a  new  cart '  out  of  the  house  of  Abinadab  :  and  Uzza  and  Ahio 
drave  the  cart.  ^  ^  And  David  and  all  Israel  played  before  God  with  all  their 
might,  and  with  f  singing,  and  with  harps,  and  with  psalteries,  and  with  tim- 
brels, and  with  cymbals,  and  with  trumpets.  ^  And  when  they  came  unto  the 
threshingfloor  of  ||  Chidon,  Uzza  put  forth  his  hand  to  hold  the  ark ;  for  the 


Before 
CHRIST 

104S. 


t  Heb.  Id  us 

break  f'/rlh  and 

send. 

a  1  Sam.  31.1. 

Isa.  37.  4. 

t  Hel).  ill  llie 

cities  of  their 

suburbs. 

i  Heb.  bring 

about. 

b  1  Sam.  7.  I,  2. 


c  1  Sam.  7.  5. 
2  Sam.  (;.  1. 
d  Josh.  13.  3. 
e  1  Sam.  (j.  21.  & 
7.  1. 

f  Josh.  15.  9,  CO. 
g  1  Sam.  4.  4. 
2  Sam.  6.  2. 
t  Heb.  made  the 
ark  to  ride. 

h  See  Num.  4. 15. 
ch.  15.  2,  13. 
i  1  Sam.  7.  1. 
k  2  Sam.  G.  5. 

t  Heb.  songs. 


II  Called  Nachon, 
2  Sam.  6.  6. 


Ch.  XIII.  1.  captains']  Heb.  5«rj)M  ;  tlieir  number  amounted 
to  tbirty  tbousand.    2  Sam.  vi.  1. 

2.  and  tbat  it  be]  Rather,  and  if  it  be. 

—  let  us  send  abroad  unto  our  brethren']  Observe  that  David 
the  Kin^,  the  type  of  Christ,  calls  his  subjects  bis  brethren  :  cp. 
Heb.  ii.ll. 

—  the  priests  and  Levites]  Who  are  not  mentioned  in  the 
narrative  of  2  Sam.  vi.  1 — 19. 

3.  let  i(s  brinff  again  the  arlc]  On  the  circumstances  of  the 
bringing  up  the  Ark  from  Kirjath-jearim  to  Zion,  and  on  their 
prophetic  and  typical  relation  to  the  progress  of  the  Chi-istian 
Church  from  a  low  estate  to  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  see  above, 
on  2  Sam.  vi..  Prelim.  Note. 

—  ive  inquired  not  at  it]  Rather,  we  inquired  not  after  it; 
we  bethought  ourselves  little  about  it  (cp.  Hengst.,  Auth.  ii. 

David,  in  his  charitable  spirit  towai-d  the  memory  of  the 
departed  King,  does  not  say  that  Saul,  being  possessed  by 
an  evil  spirit,  became  indifterent  and  careless  to  religion,  and 
was  given  over  to  a  reprobate  mind;  but  he  speaks  in  general 
terms,  and  takes  a  share  of  the  blame  to  himself:  "  TT'e  troubled 
ourselves  little  about  the  ark  in  the  days  of  Saul." 

It  better  becomes  us  to  judge  ourselves  than  others,  espe- 
cially the  dead,  and  particularly  deceased  Kings.  And  now  that 
he  himself  is  King  of  Israel,  in  Zion,  David  will  repair  the  neglect 
of  the  former  generation.  Here  is  a  happy  example  of  mildness 
and  charity,  joined  with  piety  and  zeal. 

5.  Shihor  of  JEgtfpt]  Called  iVac/joi  J/«raJ?»  (river  of  Egj'pt) 
in  Num.  xx.xiv.  5.     .losh.  xv.  4.     Now  Wady-el-Arish. 

—  Hemath]  Or  Hamath,  in  the  valley  of  the  Orontes,  in  U^iper 
Syria  (see  Num.  xxxiv.  8). 

The  people  were  summoned  from  great  distances,  and 
gladly  flocked  together,  to  attend  the  Ark  in  its  way  to  Zion  ; 
a  specimen  of  that  zeal  which  befits  Christians,  in  pro- 
moting the  progress  of  the  Church  in  her  way  to  the  Heavenly 
Jerusalem. 

—  Kirjath-jearim]  See  2  Sam.  vi.  2,  where  it  is  called 
Saale. 

6.  whose  name  is  called  on  it]  Sertheau  proposes  here  to 
read  sham  (there),  for  shem  (name),  and  to  render  the  words 
thus,  "tcho  is  invoiced  there."  But  the  connnon  reading  is 
correct,  and  is  confirmed  by  Sept.,  J'ulg.,  Arabic,  Syriac,  and  it 
maybe  rendered,  "where  His  Name  is  called."  On  tlie  Hebrew 
asher,  signifying  where,  see  Oesen.  p.  89,  as  to  the  sense.  Cp. 
2  Sam.  vi.  2.     1  Kings  viii.  16,  17,  18,  19.  29. 

On  the  discrepancies  alleged  by  some  (as  De  Wette,  Gram- 
lerg),  between  this  narrative  and  that  in  2  Sam.  vi.  2—8,  see 
Keil,  Versuch,  pp.  354.  356. 
197 


7.  they  carried  the  arJc — in  a  new  cart]  In  contravention  of 
the  Law;  see  above,  on  2  Sam.  vi.  3.  It  has  been  objected 
against  this  statement,  that  if  the  Levites  had  been  with  them, 
as  is  related  in  v.  3,  they  woiild  not  have  infringed  the  Law, 
and  that  the  Levites  would  have  carried  the  Ark  on  their 
shoulders,  according  to  the  divine  command  (Num.  iv.  15  • 
vii.  9  J  X.  21). 

But  it  is  to  be  remembered,  that  during  the  reign  of  Saul, 
as  is  above  stated  (v.  3),  the  Hebrew  King  and  People  had 
thought  little  of  the  Ark ;  it  had  been  suflercd  to  lie  in  neglect 
and  obscurity ;  a  spirit  of  indiflerence  and  profaneness  had 
prevailed;  and  by  reason  of  the  separation  of  the  Tabernacle 
from  the  Ark,  the  Levites  themselves  had  become  careless  of 
their  duties.  They  had  been  occui^ied  with  their  ministrations 
at  the  Tabernacle  at  Gibeon,  and  had  probably  never  had  any 
thing  to  do  with  the  Arh.  At  length  God  interfered  to  remind 
them  of  His  Law,  and  it  was  in  consequence  of  the  judgment 
inflicted  upon  Uzzah,  that  David  was  awakened  to  a  recollection 
of  his  own  duty,  and  of  that  of  the  Levites.  See  xv.  2.  13 ;  and 
cp.  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  355. 

The  Author  of  the  Chronicles  has  been  charged  with  writing 
under  the  influence  of  a  Levitical  bias.  This  express  notice  of 
the  presence  of  the  Levites  (who  are  not  mentioned  in  the 
parallel  passage  of  Samuel)  at  an  occurrence  which  reflects  so 
little  honour  on  them,  is  an  evidence  of  his  impartiality. 

8.  with  all  their  might]  In  2  Sam.  vi.  5  we  read,  "and 
David  .  .  .  played  before  the  Lord  on  all  manner  of  instruments 
of  fir-wood  (cypress)."  Some  modern  critics  imagine  an  in- 
consistency here,  and  would  alter  the  text  of  Samuel  to  suit 
that  of  the  Chronicles;  but  this  is  arbitrary  criticism:  cp. 
Keil,  Versuch,  p.  42. 

—  harps — psalteries —timbrels]  The  Hebrew  words  hero 
rendered  harp,  psaltery,  timbrel,  are  cinnor,  nebel,  and  toph. 
See  on  Gen.  iv.  21 ;  xxxi.  27,  and  on  1  Sam.  x.  5. 

9.  Chidon]  See  note  above,  on  2  Sam.  vi.  6. 

—  Uzza]  On  bis  sin  and  punishment,  see  note  above,  on 
2  Sam.  vi.  6,  7.  His  death,  like  that  of  Nadab  and  Abihu 
(Lev.  x.  1),  proclaimed  that  God  will  be  sanctified  in  those  that 
come  nigh  Him  (Lev.  x.  3).  Let  us  serve  God  with  fear,  even 
when  we  serve  Him  with  gladness.  But  let  us  not  be  drawu 
from  our  duty  by  His  a\vful  visitations,— like  the  death  of 
Uzzah,— which  are  designed  to  drive  us  from  our  sins.  Let  the 
blessing,  which  the  Ark  brought  to  the  house  of  Obed-edom, 
encourage  us  to  welcome  God's  ordinances ;  let  not  the  Ark  be 
less  precious  to  us  for  its  being  to  some  a  stone  of  stumbling. 
Although  the  Gospel  be  to  some  a  "  savour  of  death  unto  death  " 
(2  Cor.  ii.  16),  yet  let  us  receive  it  with  love,  and  it  will  be  to 
us  "  a  savour  of  life  unto  life  "  (cp.  M.  Henry  here). 


Davldhunis  the  images    1  CHRONICLES  XIII.  10— 14.    XIV.  1—13.     of  the  Philistines . 


liefoie 
C  H  11 1  S  T 
1015. 
+  Ileb.  shook  it. 
1  Num.  4.  15. 
ch.  15.  13,  15. 
m  Lev.  10.  2. 
n  That  is,  The 
Breach  of  Uzza. 


t  Ilcb.  removed. 


n  2  Sam.  G.  II. 


o  As  Gen.  80.  27. 
ch.  26.  5. 


ahout 
104.3. 
a  2  Sam.  5.  11, 
&c. 


f  Heb.  ycl. 
bch.  3.  5. 


II  Or,  Eliada, 
2  Sam.  5.  10. 

c  2  Sam.  5.  1 7. 


1047. 
d  ch.  11.  15. 


II  That  is,  A 
place  of  breachc 


e  2  Sam.  5.  22. 


oxen  f  stumbled.  '^  And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  Uzza, 
and  he  smote  him,  '  because  he  put  his  hand  to  the  ark  :  and  there  he  "*  died 
before  God.  ^  ^  And  David  was  displeased,  because  the  Lord  had  made  a 
breach  upon  Uzza  :  wherefore  that  place  is  called  ||  Perez-uzza  to  this  day. 
^2  And  David  was  afraid  of  God  that  day,  saying.  How  shall  I  bring  the  ark 
of  God  home  to  me  ?  ^^  So  David  f  brought  not  the  ark  home  to  himself  to 
the  city  of  David,  but  carried  it  aside  into  the  house  of  Obed-edom  the 
Gittite. 

^^ "  And  the  ark  of  God  remained  with  the  family  of  Obed-edom  in  his  house 
three  months.  And  the  Lord  blessed  °  the  house  of  Obed-edom,  and  all  that 
he  had. 

XIV.  ^  Now  ^  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  sent  messengers  to  David,  and  timber  of 
cedars,  with  masons  and  carpenters,  to  build  him  an  house.  -  And  David  per- 
ceived that  the  Lord  had  confirmed  him  king  over  Israel,  for  his  kingdom  was 
lifted  up  on  high,  because  of  his  people  Israel. 

3  And  David  took  f  more  wives  at  Jerusalem:  and  David  begat  more  sons 
and  daughters.  ^  Now  ^  these  are  the  names  of  his  children  which  he  had  in 
Jerusalem ;  Shammua,  and  Shobab,  Nathan,  and  Solomon,  ^  And  Ibhar,  and 
Elishua,  and  Elpalet,  ^  And  Nogah,  and  Nepheg,  and  Japhia,  7  And  Ehshama, 
and  II  Be  eliada,  and  Eliphalet. 

^  And  when  the  Phihstines  heard  that  "^  David  was  anointed  king  over  all 
Israel,  all  the  Philistines  went  up  to  seek  David.  And  David  heard  of  it,  and 
went  out  against  them.  ^  And  the  Phihstines  came  and  spread  themselves  ^  in 
the  valley  of  Rephaim.  ^'^And  David  inquired  of  God,  saying.  Shall  I  go  up 
against  the  Philistines  ?  and  wilt  thou  deliver  them  into  mine  hand  ?  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  him.  Go  up ;  for  I  will  deliver  them  into  thine  hand.  ^  ^  So 
they  came  up  to  Baal-perazim ;  and  David  smote  them  there.  Then  David 
said,  God  hath  broken  in  upon  mine  enemies  by  mine  hand  like  the  breaking 
forth  of  waters  :  therefore  they  called  the  name  of  that  place  ||  Baal-perazim. 
12  And  when  they  had  left  their  gods  there,  David  gave  a  commandment,  and 
they  were  burned  with  fire. 

^^'^And  the  Phihstines  yet  again  spread  themselves  abroad  in  the  valley. 


13.  So  David  brouc/ht  not  the  arh  home  to  himself -hut 
carried  it  aside  into  the  house  of  Obed-edom  the  Gittite']  Sco 
uotcs  above,  on  2  Sam.  vi.  10,  11. 

Cn.  XIV.  1,  2.  Noiv  Riram— Israel']  Sec  on  2  Sam.  v.  11, 12. 

3.  more  tvives]  In  2  Sam.  v.  13  we  read,  "and  David  took 
him  more  concubines  and  wives."  But  there  is  no  reason  to 
suppose  with  some,  that  the  Sacred  Writer  intended  to  palliate 
David's  conduct  in  this  respect,  for  he  mentions  his  concubines 
also  in  iii.  9. 

4.  in  Jerusalem]  In  2  Sam.  v.  13  we  read,  "  out  of  Jeru- 
salem," that  is,  from  Jerusalem,  which  some  would  alter  (e.  g. 
Bertheau)  to  suit  the  text  here ;  but  both  statements  arc  con- 
sistent, and  one  is  supplementary  to  the  other. 

4— 7J  On  David's  sons,  see  above  iii.  5 — 8 ;  and  on  2  Sam. 
V.  14— IG. 

8 — 16]  On  David's  victory  over  the  Philistines,  and  the 
bui-ning  of  their  images,  see  notes  above,  at  the  parallel  passages 
in  2  Sam.  v.  17—25.  In  2  Sam.  v.  17  it  is  said  that  "David 
went  down  unto  the  hold"  here  it  is  said  that  he  " toent  out 
against  them ,-"  but  this  is  no  discrepancy,  as  some  allege,  for  it 
is  confirmed  by  the  writer  of  Samuel,  in  v.  19.  In  2  Sam.  v.  24 
we  have,  "  then  thou  shalt  bestir  thyself,"  here  it  is  "  thou 
shalt  go  out  to  the  battle."  The  writer  of  Chronicles  often 
paraphrases  the  words  of  the  earlier  Books.  See  Introduction  ; 
and  below,  xviii.  1. 

10.  David  inquired  of  God]  In  2  Sam.  v.  19  we  have,  "  D.-ivid 
inquired  of  the  Lord;"  so  iii  v.  14  wo  have,  "David  iup'"red 

ins 


again  of  God  •"  but  in  2  Sam.  v.  23  it  is,  "  of  the  Lord  •"  and  so 
in  many  other  places  the  names  Elohim  and  Jehovah  are 
interchanged  by  the  two  sacred  wi-iters.  In  this  narrative  of 
the  Chronicles  the  Name  Elohim  occurs^ue  times,  and  Jehovah 
once  {v.  10) ;  and  in  the  parallel  place  of  Samuel  the  Name 
Jehovah  occurs  six  times,  and  Elohim  not  once. 

Such  variations  as  these,  in  a  narrative  where  the  working 
of  God  in  the  wind  and  on  the  trees  is  described,  as  a  sign  of 
His  presence  with  David  and  Israel,  and  of  His  help  to  them 
against  the  Philistines  and  their  false  gods,  serve  to  bring  out 
the  important  truth,  that  Jehovah  (the  God  of  the  covenant 
with  Israel)  is  also  Elohim,  the  God  of  all  created  nature.  Sec 
above,  on  Gen.  ii.     Exod.  vi.  2,  3. 

12.  they  had  left  their  gods  there — and  they  were  burned 
with  fire]  The  Philistines  had  brought  their  gods  to  help  them 
in  the  battle,  but  they  were  so  speedily  routed  and  confounded, 
that  they  left  their  gods  behind  them  in  their  flight ;  and  those 
gods,  whom  they  had  brought  as  their  protectors,  were  not 
able  to  save  themselves,  but  were  burnt  by  David  in  the  fire. 
Those  gods  are  called  images  or  idols  in  Samuel  (2  Sam.  v.  21), 
and  there  it  is  only  said,  according  to  the  literal  rendering  in  our 
margin,  that  David  "  took  them  aivay."  The  naiTative  in  the 
Chronicles  here  supplies  the  fact,  that  he  took  them  away  to 
burn  them,  according  to  the  Law  of  God  (Deut.  vii.  5.  25). 

Thus  David  took  away  the  shame,  and  eO'aced  the  Ichabod, 
which  the  Hebrew  Church  and  Nation  had  incurred  in  the 
capture  of  the  Ark  by  the  Philistines  in  the  days  of  Eli  (1  Sam. 
iv.  11). 


David  makes  a  tent      1  CHEONICLES  XIV.  14— 17.     XV.  1—9.    for  the  Ark  in  Zioiu 


^^  Therefore  David  inquired  again  of  God ;  and  God  said  unto  him,  Go  not  up 
after  them ;  turn  away  from  them,  ^and  come  upon  them  over  against  the  mul- 
berry trees.  ^^  And  it  shall  be,  when  thou  shalt  hear  a  sound  of  going  in  the 
tops  of  the  mulberry  trees,  that  then  thou  shalt  go  out  to  battle  :  for  God  is 
gone  forth  before  thee  to  smite  the  host  of  the  Philistines.  ^^  David  therefore 
did  as  God  commanded  him  :  and  they  smote  the  host  of  the  Philistines  from 
^Gibeon  even  to  Gazer.  ^''And  ''the  fame  of  David  went  out  into  all  lands; 
and  the  Lord  '  brought  the  fear  of  him  upon  all  nations. 

XV.  ^  And  David  made  him  houses  in  the  city  of  David,  and  prepared  a 
place  for  the  ark  of  God,  ^and  pitched  for  it  a  tent.  -  Then  David  said,  f  None 
ought  to  carry  the  ''  ark  of  God  but  the  Levites :  for  them  hath  the  Lord 
chosen  to  carry  the  ark  of  God,  and  to  minister  unto  him  for  ever. 

''^And  David  ''gathered  all  Israel  together  to  Jerusalem,  to  bring  up  the  ark 
of  the  Lord  unto  his  place,  which  he  had  prepared  for  it.  ^  And  David 
assembled  the  children  of  Aaron,  and  the  Levites  :  ^  Of  the  sons  of  Kohath ; 
Uriel  the  chief,  and  his  ||  brethren  an  hundred  and  twenty  :  ^  Of  the  sons  of 
Merari ;  Asaiah  the  chief,  and  his  brethren  two  hundred  and  twenty :  '^  Of  the 
sons  of  Gershom ;  Joel  the  chief,  and  his  brethren  an  hundred  and  thirty  : 
^  Of  the  sons  of  "^  Elizaphan  ;  Shemaiah  the  chief,  and  his  brethren  two  hun- 
dred :  ^  Of  the  sons  of  ^  Hebron  ;  Eliel  the  chief,  and  his  brethren  fourscore  : 


Before 
CH  RIST 
101?. 
f  2  Sam.  5.  23. 


K  2  Sam.  5.  25, 

Geba. 

li  Josh.  C.  27. 

2  Chron.  26.  8. 

i  Deiit.  2.  25.  & 

11.  25. 

1042. 
ach.  16.  I. 
t  Heb.  It  is  nnl 
to  carry  the  (irk 
of  God,  but  for 
the  Levites. 
h  Num.  4.  2,  15 
Deut.  10.  8.  & 
31.  9. 

about 

1042. 
c  1  Kings  8.  1. 
cli.  13.  5. 

II  Or,  liinsmcn. 


d  Exod.  G.  22. 
e  Exod.  6.  18. 


16.  from  Giheon  even  to  Oazer']  In  2  Sam.  v.  25  we  have, 
"  from  Geha  until  thou  come  to  Gazer." 

The  Philistines  had  encamped  in  the  valley  of  Rephaim 
(sec  xi.  15),  to  the  S.'W.  of  Jerusalem;  they  were  repulsed  in  a 
norfhcrlif  direction,  and  fled  toward  the  N.w.  over  Beth-horon, 
in  tlic  direction  of  Joppa. 

There  is  no  need  for  the  alteration  of  Oeha,  in  2  Sam.  v.  25, 
into  Gibeon,  as  proposed  by  Keil.  Gibeon  and  Geba  were 
north  of  Jerusalem,  and  Gibeon  was  only  about  four  miles  to 
the  S."^'.  of  Geba.  Berthean  would  alter  both  words  into 
Gibea,  to  the  S."W.  of  Jerusalem.  Gazer  was  probably  at  Yasiir, 
four  miles  east  of  Joppa  (cp.  Grove,  B.  D.  i.  685). 

The  Tabernacle  was  at  Gibeon  at  this  time ;  and  perhaps 
this  may  have  been  a  reason  for  the  mention  of  that  place  in 
connexion  with  the  defeat  of  the  Philistines,  who  in  the  days  of 
Eli  had  taken  the  Ai-k,  and  had  destroyed  Shiloh,  where  the 
Tabernacle  was.  For  now,  under  David,  when  the  Ark  is  to  be 
placed  in  Zion  by  his  religious  zeal,  aflairs  were  changed  for  the 
better.  The  defeat  of  the  Philistines  began  from  Gibeon,  where 
the  Tabernacle  was. 


Cn.  XV.  1.  David  made  lim  liouses']  Not  as  if  they  were 
finished  in  the  three  months  during  which  the  Ark  remained  in 
the  house  of  Obed-edom  (xiii.  14),  but  they  were  begun  then. 

The  Levitical  Tabeb^^'acle  ieft  at  Gibeon. 

—  'pitched  for  it  a  tenf]  "Why  did  David  make  a  new  tent 
for  the  Ark  in  Zion  ?  Why  did  he  not  remove  tlie  old  Sinaitic 
Tabernacle  from  Gibeon,  and  restore  the  Ark  to  it  ? 

31.  Henry  says,  "  I  cannot  conceive  why  David,  who  knew 
tlio  Law,  and  was  zealous  for  it,  did  not  either  bring  the  Ark  to 
Gibeon,  or  bring  the  Tabernacle  to  Zion;"  and  it  is  said  by 
Jiertheau  that  the  historical  Books  of  Holy  Scripture  leave  this 
difBculty  unsolved. 

But  is  it  not  solved  by  2  Sam.  vii.  1  ?  There  it  is  re- 
lated, that,  "  when  the  king  sat  in  his  house,"  he  designed  to 
Iniild  a  Temjilo  for  the  Lord.  And  though  God  did  not  permit 
David  to  build  a  House  for  His  Name,  yet  He  assured  him  that 
He  approved  tlie  design,  and  that  his  son  should  build  one 
(2  Sam.  vii.  13).  But,  ?/ David  had  removed  the  Tabernacle, 
and  had  fixed  it  at  .Jerusalem,  where  God  had  chosen  to  put  His 
Name,  and  if  he  had  placed  the  Ark  in  the  Tabernacle  there, 
it  is  probable,  that  the  people  would  have  become  so  much 
attached  to  this  arrangement  that  it  would  have  been  per- 
petuated. At  least,  the  erection  of  the  Temple  would  have 
199 


been  embarrassed  by  many  difficulties  and  hindrances,  which  it 
would  have  been  very  liard  for  Solomon  to  surmount. 

David  therefore  left  the  Tabernacle,  where  it  was,  at 
Gibeon,  in  faith  and  foresight  of  the  future  Temple  at  Jeru- 
salem. 

The  condition  of  things  in  the  interval  between  the  bringing 
up  of  the  Ark  by  David  to  Zion,  and  the  building  of  the  Temple 
at  Jerusalem  by  his  son  and  successor  Solomon,  was  transitory 
and  provisional.  During  that  time,  the  services  of  God's  worship 
were  maintained  at  Gibeon  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  also  before 
the  Ark  on  Mount  Zion.     See  below,  xvi.  39,  40. 

But  the  essence  and  kernel  of  the  worship  of  God  was 
where  the  Ark  was;  God's  presence  rested  on  it;  and  the 
Tabernacle  was  only  the  outward  husk  or  shell,  which  was  to 
vanish  and  fall  away,  as  soon  as  the  Temple  was  built. 

That  interval  of  time  was  like  a  foreshadowing  of  the 
interval  between  Christ's  Ascension  and  the  destruction  of  tbo 
Temple  of  Jerusalem,  when,  to  the  eye  of  the  faithful,  the 
Levitical  services  ceased,  and  were  merged  in  the  Christian 
Church,  which  is  universal  in  extent  and  perpetual  in  duration. 

In  that  interval  of  near  forty  years,  the  Apostles,  and  other 
faithful  Christians,  counnunicated  in  the  services  of  the  Temple, 
as  well  as  in  those  of  the  Church.  See  below,  on  Acts  ii.  4G. 
But  when  that  interval  had  elapsed,  and  the  material  Temple 
was  destroyed,  the  worship  of  God  was  absorbed  into  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  the  afTections  of  all  true  Israelites  were  con- 
centrated in  it;  and  the  work  of  Christ, — "VA^ho  is  the  Antitype 
of  David,  who  prepared  for  the  Temple,  and  of  Solomon,  who 
built  it,  and  Who  unites  their  operations  in  His  own, — was 
consummated  for  ever. 

2.  None  ought  to  carry  the  arJc  of  God  but  the  Levites']  The 
mischance  that  happened  to  Uzza,  by  reason  of  the  neglect  of 
God's  Law,  in  placing  the  Ai-k  in  a  cart  (xiii.  7),  had  tlio 
effect  of  bringing  the  Law  to  David's  remembrance,  as  we  find 
in  the  sequel.  The  children  of  the  Levites  bare  tlie  Ark  of 
God  upon  their  shoulders,  as  Moses  commanded,  according  to 
the  word  of  the  Lord  («.  15)  The  statements  in  this  verse  altbrd 
an  incidental  evidence  of  the  existence  and  divine  authority  of 
the  Pentateuch  (see  Num.  i.  50;  iv.  15;  vii.  9;  x.  17);  at  tlie 
same  time  there  is  an  honest  confession,  that  the  Law  liad  been 
neglected  by  the  King  and  by  the  Levites :  cp.  v.  13,  where  this 
confession  is  made  by  themselves. 

5.  Of  the  sons  of  KohatJi]  Who  are  first  mentioned  among 
the  Levites,  as  being  appointed  to  carry  the  Ark.  Of  the  six 
fathers'  houses  liere  mentioned  {vv.  5—10),  four  came  from 
Kohath,  one  from  Merari,  and  one  from  Gershom.  Sec  Exod. 
vi.  18—22. 


David's  pious  zeal 


1  CHRONICLES  XV.  10—22. 


m  bringing  up  the  Arh. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1042. 


f  2  Sam.  6.  3. 
ch.  13.  7. 
gch.  13.  10,  II. 


h  Exod.  25.  H. 
Num.  4.  15.  & 
7.  9. 


i  ch.  6.  33. 
k  ch.  6.  39. 
1  ch.  6.  44. 


II  ver.  18, 
Jaaziel. 

m  Ps.  46,  title. 


II  Or,  on  Hie 
eight  It  to  oversee, 
Vs.  6,  title. 
II  Or,  was  f'lr  the 
carriage:  he 
instructed  about  ih 


^^  Of  the  sons  of  Uzziel ;  Amminadab  the  chief,  and  his  brethren  an  hundred 
and  twelve. 

^^  And  David  called  for  Zadok  and  Abiathar  the  priests,  and  for  the  Levites, 
for  Uriel,  Asaiah,  and  Joel,  Shemaiah,  and  Eliel,  and  Amminadab,  ^-  And  said 
unto  them.  Ye  are  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  the  Levites  :  sanctify  yourselves, 
hoth  ye  and  your  brethren,  that  ye  may  bring  up  the  ark  of  the  Lokd  God  of 
Israel  unto  the  place  that  I  have  prepared  for  it.  ^^  For  "^  because  ye  did  it  not 
at  the  first,  ^  the  Loed  our  God  made  a  breach  upon  us,  for  that  we  sought  him 
not  after  the  due  order. 

^^  So  the  priests  and  the  Levites  sanctified  themselves  to  bring  up  the  ark  of 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  '^  And  the  children  of  the  Levites  bare  the  ark  of 
God  upon  their  shoulders  with  the  staves  thereon,  as  ''  Moses  commanded 
according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord. 

^^  And  David  spake  to  the  chief  of  the  Levites  to  appoint  their  brethren  to 
he  the  singers  with  instruments  of  musick,  psalteries  and  harps  and  cymbals, 
sounding,  by  lifting  up  the  voice  with  joy.  ^'^  So  the  Levites  appointed  'Heman 
the  son  of  Joel ;  and  of  his  brethren,  "  Asaph  the  son  of  Berechiah  ;  and  of  the 
sons  of  Merari  their  brethren,  '  Ethan  the  son  of  Kushaiah ;  ^^  And  with  them 
their  brethren  of  the  second  degree,  Zechariah,  Ben,  and  Jaaziel,  and  Shemira- 
moth,  and  Jehiel,  and  Unni,  Eliab,  and  Benaiah,  and  Maaseiah,  and  Matti- 
thiah,  and  Elipheleh,  and  Mikneiah,  and  Obed-edom,  and  Jeiel,  the  porters. 
^^  So  the  singers,  Heman,  Asaph,  and  Ethan,  loere  appointed  to  sound  with 
cymbals  of  brass  ;  -^  And  Zechariah,  and  ||  Aziel,  and  Shemiramoth,  and  Jehiel, 
and  Unni,  and  Eliab,  and  Maaseiah,  and  Benaiah,  with  psalteries  '"on  Ala- 
moth  ;  -^  And  Mattithiah,  and  Elipheleh,  and  Mikneiah,  and  Obed-edom,  and 
Jeiel,  and  Azaziah,  with  harps  ||  on  the  Sheminith  to  excel. 

2'^  And  Chenaniah,  chief  of  the  Levites,  ||  ivas  for  f  song :  he  instructed  about 

e  carriage.  t  Heb.  lifting  vp. 


11.  Zadoh  and  Aliaihar  the  priests']  Zadok  is  put  first  as 
being  of  the  line  of  Phinelias,  and  as  having,  to  the  writer's 
mind,  a  superior  claim  over  Abiatbar,  who  was  afterwards 
untrue  to  David,  and  was  superseded  by  Zadok  (see  1  Kings 
ii.  26.  35.  Cp.  note  above,  on  2  Sam.  viii.  17),  especially  as  to 
the  mention  of  two  persons  (Zadok  and  Abiathar),  as  priests  at 
the  same  time.  It  is  probable  (as  there  suggested,  and  as  is 
supposed  by  M.  Henry  here)  that  Zadok  was  specially  con- 
nected with  the  service  of  the  Tabernacle  at  Gibcon,  and 
Abiathar  with  the  ministry  before  the  Ark  at  Jerusalem. 

13.  For  because  ye  did  it  not  at  thejirsf]  Literally,  Becanse 
that  from  it  at  the  beginning,  not  ye,  but  others,  carried  the 
Ark,  therefore  God  made  a  breach  vipon  us.  Bertheau  would 
read  the  sentence  interrogatively ;  but  the  rendering  in  the 
Auth.  Version  is  preferable,  and  is  confirmed  by  Sept.  See 
Gesen.  453 ;  and  Fiierst,  777  (sub  voce,  mah),  for  an  analysis 
of  the  composite  Hebrew  word  here  used. 

—  toe  sought  him  not  after  the  due  order"]  David  does  not 
excuse  himself  j  but  confesses  his  own  sin  as  well  as  theirs. 
The  Priests  and  Levites  had  sinned,  in  not  "  keeping  know- 
ledge," and  in  not  reminding  him,  and  the  people,  of  what 
God's  Law  required.  But  the  King  also  had  sinned  in  not 
remembering  and  observing  the  requirements  of  the  Law.  Two 
sins  had  been  committed.  The  Ark  had  been  put  into  a  cart, 
whereas  it  ought  to  have  been  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
Levites  :  see  v.  15.  Uzzah  had  touched  the  Ark,  which  he 
he  was  not  permitted  to  do:  see  2  Sam.  vi.  3—6.  These  sins 
and  their  consequences  would  have  been  avoided,  if  the  King, 
the  Priests,  and  the  Levites  had  "  sought  God  after  the  duo 
order."  David,  when  chastened  for  his  sin,  did  not  harden  his 
heart,  but  repented,  and  amended  his  fault :  he  did  not  com- 
plain of  the  Ark,  but  gave  it  an  honourable  reception,  and 
prepared  a  place  of  greater  glory  for  it. 

16.  psalteries — harps — cymbals]  See  xiii.  8.  Cp.  2  Chron. 
V.  13.  Neh.  xii.  36.  The  writer  of  this  book  enlarges  on  David's 
pious  zeal,  as  exemplary  to  his  owi  age  and  countrymen :  see  Introd. 
200 


17.  Heman — Asaph — Ethan]  See  above,  on  1  Kings  iv.  31. 
1  Chron.  ii.  6 ;  vi.  33.  39.  44. 

18.  Ben]  The  Vulg.  has  Ben  here;  the  Sejjf.  omits  the 
word :  the  Syriac  and  Arabic  render  it  son.  Bertheau  would 
expunge  the  word.  It  is  true  that  the  Hebrew  copula  van 
{and)  is  prefixed  to  most  of  the  other  names,  but  not  to  all  : 
Eliab  is  without  it.  Ben  is  not  mentioned  in  v.  20,  but  Aziel 
is  there  added  to  the  lists.  The  Rabbis  regard  Ben  as  a 
proper  name ;  and  this  seems  to  be  most  probable :  for  the  list 
of  singers  in  v.  20,  consists  of  names  which  make  seven  (a  sacred 
number) ;  and  the  list  in  v.  18,  evidently  is  intended  to  cor- 
respond to  this,  and  to  make  u^)  the  same  number  seven,  which 
it  would  not  do  without  Ben. 

20,  21.  Alamoth^ Sheminith]  It  seems  vain  to  repeat  the 
various  conjectures  on  these  words.  The  reader  may  see  some 
of  the  diflercnt  speculations  on  their  meaning  in  E.  D.  i.  42 ;  ii. 
1250;  and  Bertheau,  pp.  157,  158.  They  appear  to  denote 
either  diSerent  kinds  of  musical  instruments,  or  rather  diflerent 
voices.  The  former  word  seems  to  be  connected  with  almah, 
a  maiden,  and  to  signify  the  treble  voice  {Gesen.  631).  The 
latter  appears  to  be  derived  from  shemonah,  eight,  and  to 
signify  the  lowest,  or  bass  voice  {Gesen.  835,  836). 

22.  chief]  Or  prince.  He  was  not,  it  seems,  a  prince  by 
birth  (for  he  is  not  mentioned  above,  vv.  5  —  10) ;  but  he  was  a 
chief,  or  prince,  for  his  skill :  that  was  his  nobility. 

—  for  song]  The  word  rendered  song,  is  massa,  which 
signifies  what  is  borne,  or  lifted,  and  sometimes  what  is  uttered 
as  an  oracle,  e.  g.  "  the  burden  of  Babylon."  Sec  Isa.  xiii.  1 ; 
XV.  1;  xvii.  1;  and  passim;  and  Nah.  i.  1,  Hab.  i.  1. 
Zech.  ix.  1.  Mai.  i.  1.  Here  it  is  rendered  song,  by  Sept. 
and  Vulg.,  which  has  both  "prophetia"  and  "melodia"  here  : 
cp.  Gesen.  512. 

But   though   his   word   massa   is    of   very    frequent    oc- 
currence, yet  there  seems  to  be  no  place  in  the  Eible  where 
this  meaning  (viz.  song,  or  singing)  is  to  be  clearly  assigned  to  it. 
Besides,  HemaHj  Asaph,  and  Ethan  (and  not  Chenaniah) 


David  brings  up  1  CHEONICLES  XY.  23—29.     XVI.  1—4.         the  Arh  to  Zion. 


tlie  song,  because  lie  icas  skilful.  ^^Aud  Berecliiah  and  Elkanali  ivere  door- 
keepers for  the  ark. 

-■^And  Shebaniali,  and  Jehosliapliat,  and  Nethaneel,  and  Amasai,  and 
Zecliariah,  and  Benaiah,  and  Eliezer,  the  priests,  "  did  blow  with  the  trum- 
pets before  the  ark  of  God :  and  Obcd-edom  and  Jehiah  tvere  doorkeepers  for 
the  ark. 

2^  So  °  David,  and  the  elders  of  Israel,  and  the  captains  over  thousands,  went 
to  bring  up  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  out  of  the  house  of  Obed-edom 
with  joy.  26^TQf]  j^  came  to  pass,  when  God  helped  the  Levites  that  bare  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  that  they  offered  seven  bullocks  and  seven 
rams.  -''And  David  was  clothed  with  a  robe  of  fine  linen,  and  all  the  Levites 
that  bare  the  ark,  and  the  singers,  and  Chenaniah  the  master  of  the  ||  song  with 
the  singers  :  David  also  ]iad  upon  him  an  ephod  of  linen.  ^''PThus  all  Israel 
brought  up  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  with  shouting,  and  with  sound 
of  the  cornet,  and  with  trumpets,  and  with  cymbals,  making  a  noise  with 
psalteries  and  harps.  -^  And  it  came  to  pass,  '^  as  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of 
the  Lord  came  to  the  city  of  David,  that  Michal  the  daughter  of  Saul  looking 
out  at  a  window  saw  king  David  dancing  and  playing :  and  she  despised  him 
in  her  heart. 

XVI.  ^  So  "they  brought  the  ark  of  God,  and  set  it  in  the  midst  of  the  tent 
that  David  had  pitched  for  it :  and  they  offered  burnt  sacrifices  and  peace 
ofi'erings  before  God.  ^^j^;!  when  David  had  made  an  end  of  offering  the 
burnt  offerings  and  the  peace  offerings,  he  blessed  the  people  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord.  ^  And  he  dealt  to  every  one  of  Israel,  both  man  and  woman,  to 
every  one  a  loaf  of  bread,  and  a  good  piece  of  flesh,  and  a  flagon  of  luine. 

^  And  he  appointed  certain  of  the  Levites  to  minister  before  the  ark  of  the 
Lord,  and  to  ''record,  and  to  thank  and  praise  the  Lord  God  of  Israel: 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
1042. 


n  Num.  10.  8. 
Ps.  81.  3. 


0  2  Sam.  G.  12, 
13,  &c. 

1  Kings  8.  1. 


11  Or,  carriage, 
pch.  13.  8. 


q  2  Sam.  C.  10. 


about 
1042. 
a  2  Sam.  6.  17- 
19. 


b  Ps.  38,  &  70, 

title. 


were  the  choir-masters  {v.  17) ;  aud  in  xxvi.  29,  Clicnauiali  is  dis- 
tinguished from  the  singers. 

On  the  whole,  it  seems  hest  to  retain  tiie  most  ordinary 
meaning  of  the  word  massah  here,  viz.  lurden,  or  hearing, —  a 
meaning  which  was  connected  with  the  Ark  in  the  Levitical 
Law,  where  we  read  of  tlic  hurden  of  the  sons  of  Kohatli 
(Num.  iv.  15),  who  were  appointed  to  hear  the  Ark;  see  al. o 
Num.  iv.  19.  27.  31,  32.  47.  49,  in  which  places  the  word 
massah  is  used  to  describe  the  charge  of  bearing  the  sacred 
furniture  of  the  Tabernacle  ;  and  tlie  word  is  used  in  this  sense 
below,  2  Chron.  xx.w.  3.  This  is  the  sense  given  in  the  Sgriac 
Version,  and  in  our  Margin,  and  is  adopted  by  Junius,  Tre- 
mellius,  and  Bertheau. 

The  meaning,  therefore,  appears  to  be,  tliat  now  that 
David  had  seen  in  the  fate  of  Uzzah  {v.  13;  and  xiii.  9,  10) 
the  evil  consequences  of  neglecting  God's  requirements  with 
regard  to  tlie  carrying  of  the  Ark,  he  appointed  a  person 
specially  for  the  oversight  of  that  duty  in  the  procession  of 
the  Ark  to  Zion,  namely,  Chenaniah,  who  knew  God's  will, 
and  reminded  his  brethren,  the  Levites,  of  all  that  the  Law 
required  in  that  respect. 

The  verse  would  then  stand  thus.  And  Chenaniah,  chief 
of  the  Levites,  ivas  oiJer  the  hurden  (of  the  Ark)  he  administered 
(Heb.  yasor,  Ps.  xciv.  10.  Prov.  ix.  7.  Hos.  x.  10.  Gesen. 
354)  about  the  hurden,  for  he  tvas  skilful. 

25.  So  David,  and  the  elders  of  Israel']  Or,  as  it  is  in 
2  Sam.  vi.  15,  David,  and  all  the  house  of  Israel, — a  passage 
which  shows  that  the  representatives  of  the  people  are  called 
all  Israel.  Cp.  above,  on  Exod.  xix.  7.  Lev.  viii.  3 ;  xxiv.  14. 
Num.  XV.  35. 

26.  xchen  God  helped  the  Levites  that  hare  the  ark']  That 
\n,  when  God  graciously  accepted  their  services,  and  enabled 
them  to  perform  a  solemn  duty,  to  which  they  had  not  been 
accustomed ;  and  the  careless  execution  of  which  had  entailed 
fearful  consequences  in  the  former  procession  from  Kirjath- 
jearim. 

201 


—  they  offered]  The  Levites  offered  a  sacrifice  of  thanks- 
giving, in  addition  to  that  which  the  King  offered,  and  which 
is  mentioned  in  Samuel  (2  Sam.  vi.  13).  The  two  accounts  are 
supplementary  to  each  other,  not  (as  some  imagine)  contradictory. 

27.  David  was  clothed  tvith  a  robe]  Or  mantle,  Heb.  mail 
(see  Exod.  xxviii.  4;  xxix.  5.  1  Sam.  ii.  19;  xv.  27);  and 
over  his  shoulders  he  wore  an  ephod  (1  Sam.  ii.  18.  28.  Cp. 
2  Sam.  vi.  14). 

—  Chenaniah,  the  master  of  the  song]  Rather,  the  master  of 
the  hurden  in  the  procession :  see  v.  22. 

—  with  the  singers]  It  seems  that  singers  followed  after  the 
Ark,  as  well  as  went  before  it. 

—  David  also  had  zipon  him  an  ephod  of  linen]  David 
also,  that  is,  as  well  as  the  Levites  here  mentioned :  see  above, 
on  2  Sam.  vi.  14. 

29.  Michal  the  daughter  of  Saul  —  despised  hi7n]  See 
2  Sam.  vi.  20,  where  some  other  particulars  are  given,  which 
the  sacred  writer  passes  over  here,  as  being  of  a  sorrowful 
character,  and  sufficiently  well  known  to  the  reader  from  the 
narrative  in  Samuel. 

Cn.  XVI.  1.  the  ark  of  God — in — the  tent  thai  David  had 
pitched  for  it]  On  the  question  why  David  did  not  also  bring 
Tip  the  Tabernacle  from  Gibeon,  but  left  it  there,  and  appointed 
Zadok  the  Priest  to  olier  sacrifices  there  {vv.  39,  40) :  see  above, 
on  XV.  1. 

2.  he  blessed  the  people]  David  did  not  offer  sacrifice  by 
his  own  hand,  but  liy  the  ministry  of  the  Priests ;  indeed,  the 
multitude  of  the  sacrifices  ofiered  would  have  rendered  this 
impossible.  And  ho  did  not  bless  them  with  the  priestly 
benediction,  but  he  prayed  God  to  bless  them :  see  above,  on 
2  Sam.  vi.  18 ;  and  on  1  Kings  viii.  14. 

3.  a  flagon]  Or  rather,  a  cake  of  pressed  fruits  {Gesen.  85. 
Cp.  Fuerst,  159). 

4.  to  record]  To  remind  the  Hebrew  people  of  God's  won- 
derful and  merciful  works  to  their  fothers.      Here  is  dlvino 


David's  Psalm 


1  CHRONICLES  XVI.  5—22. 


of  thanlcsgiving. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1042. 

t  Heb.  with 
instruments  of 
psalteries  and 
harps. 


c  See  2  Sam.  23. 1. 


d  Ps.  105.  1  —  15. 


e  Gen.  17.  5 
2(5.  3.  &  28. 
35.  11. 


t  Heb.  tlic  curd. 


t  Heb.  men  of 

number. 

f  Gen.  34.  30. 


R  Gen.  12.  17.  & 
20.  3. 

Kxod.  7.  15—18. 
hPs.  105.  15. 


^Asapli  the  chief,  and  next  to  him  Zechariah,  Jeiel,  and  Shemiramoth,  and 
Jehiel,  and  Mattithiah,  and  Ehab,  and  Benaiah,  and  Obed-edom :  and  Jeiel 
f  with  psalteries  and  with  harps ;  but  Asaph  made  a  somid  with  cymbals ; 
^Benaiah  also  and  Jahaziel  the  priests  with  trumpets  continually  before  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  of  God. 

^  Then  on  that  day  David  delivered  *"  first  this  psalm  to  thank  the  Lord  into 
the  hand  of  Asaph  and  his  brethren. 

^  ^  Give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  call  upon  his  name, 

Make  known  his  deeds  among  the  people. 
^  Sing  unto  him,  sing  psalms  unto  him, 

Talk  ye  of  all  his  wondrous  works. 
^^  Glory  ye  in  his  holy  name  : 

Let  the  heart  of  them  rejoice  that  seek  the  Lord. 
^^  Seek  the  Lord  and  his  strength. 

Seek  his  face  continually. 
'-  Remember  his  marvellous  works  that  he  hath  done, 

His  wonders,  and  the  judgments  of  his  mouth ; 
'^  0  ye  seed  of  Israel  his  servant. 

Ye  children  of  Jacob,  his  chosen  ones. 
^^  He  is  the  Lord  our  God ; 

His  judgments  arc  in  all  the  earth. 
^^  Be  ye  mindful  always  of  his  covenant ; 

The  word  ivhicli  he  commanded  to  a  thousand  generations ; 
^''  Even  of  the  "covenant  which  he  made  with  Abraham, 

And  of  his  oath  unto  Isaac  ; 
^'^  And  hath  confirmed  the  same  to  Jacob  for  a  law. 

And  to  Israel  for  an  everlasting  covenant, 
^"  Saying,  Unto  thee  will  I  give  the  land  of  Canaan, 

t  The  lot  of  your  inheritance  ; 
^^  When  ye  were  but  f  few, 

^Even  a  few,  and  strangers  in  it. 
"^  And  tvhen  they  went  from  nation  to  nation, 
And  from  one  kingdom  to  another  people  ; 
"^  He  suffered  no  man  to  do  them  wrong : 
Yea,  he  ^  reproved  kings  for  their  sakes, 
^  Saying,  "'  Touch  not  mine  anointed. 
And  do  my  prophets  no  harm. 


fjuitlancc  ou  the  true  priuciples  of  Hymnology.  St.  Paul  specifies 
SiSdcTKeiv  and  vovdiTi7i',  i.  e.  teaching,  and  puttinq  in  mind,  as 
the  main  uses  of  sacred  song  (Col.  iii.  16).  The  verb  "to 
record  "  stands  in  the  titles  of  Ps.  xxxvili.  and  Ixx.,  which  are 
examples  of  putting  God  in  remembrance  of  His  mercy,  and 
of  pleading  that  mercy  on  behalf  of  His  people.  We  must  put 
ourselves  in  mind  of  His  attributes  and  acts  if  we  are  to  plead 
for  mercy  from  Him.  For  further  remarks  on  this  subject,  the 
editor  may  perhaps  be  allowed  to  refer  to  the  preface  to  his 
volume  of  hymns,  entitled,  "  Holy  Year." 

6.  continually/^  Morning  and  evening  :  see  v.  40. 

7.  David  delivered  first  this  psalm]  Literally,  Z)«y/(:Z  com- 
mitted at  the  beginning,  into  the  hand  of  Asaph,  and  of  his 
Irethren  to  bless  the  Lord.  That  is,  David  lost  no  time,  but 
on  that  very  day  in  which  the  Ark  was  brought  up  to  Zlon, 
David  (who  had  expressed  in  Ps.  l.xviii.  his  faith,  hope,  and 
joy  in  bringing  up  the  Ark)  now  instituted  the  service  of 
praise,  which  was  thenceforth  to  be  continued  by  Asaph  and 
his  brethren.  The  words  contained  in  vv.  8 — 36,  are  found  in 
Ps,  cv.    1 — 15 ;  xcvi.  cvii.  1 ;    cvi.  47,  48,    with  some    slight 

202 


variations;  v.  34  is  in  Ps.  cxxxvi.  1.  It  is  a  groundless  notion 
of  some,  that  this  Psalm  was  not  delivered  at  tins  time  to  Asaph, 
because  portions  of  it  arc  in  other  Psalms.  Cp.  above,  JPrelim. 
Note  to  2  Sam.  xxii. 

This  Psalm,  sung  at  the  inauguration  of  the  Ark  in  its 
Tabernacle  on  Mount  Zion,  is  a  noble  specimen  of  that  spirit 
which  characterizes  Hebrew  poetry,  in  which  the  Sacred  Author 
identifies  Himself  and  his  contemporaries  with  their  forefathers 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  with  the  Hebrew  People  coming 
forth  out  of  Egypt  under  the  guidance  of  Moses,  and  entering 
the  land  of  Canaan  under  Joshua :  see  v.  19. 

The  Christian  Fathers  saw  in  this  Psalm   a  prophecy  of 
the  universal  dominion  of  "  Christ,  the  Lord  of  all."  See  Jiistin 
3larfi/r,  Apol.  §  41,  and  §  42 ;  and  c.  Tryphon.  §  55. 
13.  Israel^  In  Ps.  cv.  6,  it  is,  "Abraham." 
15.  Tie  ye  mindfull  In  Ps.  cv.  8,  "  He  hath  remembered." 
19.   When  ye  were]  In  Ps.  cv.  12,  it  is,  "  When  they  were." 
Here  he  identifies  them  with  their  forefathers. 

22.   mine   anointed']    Israel,  regarded   as    "  a   kingdom    of 
Priests  :"  see  on  Exod.  xix.  6. 


David's  thanksgioiug. 


1  CHRONICLES  XVI.  23—40.     The  Tabernacle  at  Giheon. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1042. 

i  Ps.  9G.  1.  &c. 


k  Lev.  II).  i. 


^^      '  Sing  unto  tlic  Lord,  all  the  earth ; 

Shew  forth  from  day  to  day  his  salvation. 
-^  Declare  his  glory  among  the  heathen ; 

His  marvellous  works  among  all  nations. 
25  Yov  great  is  the  Lord,  and  greatly  to  he  praised  : 

He  also  is  to  be  feared  above  all  gods. 
"•^  For  all  the  gods  "^  of  the  people  are  idols  : 

But  the  Lord  made  the  heavens. 
"-^  Glory  and  honour  are  in  his  presence ; 
Strength  and  gladness  are  in  his  place. 
"^^  Give  unto  the  Lord,  ye  kindreds  of  the  people, 

Give  unto  the  Lord  glory  and  strength. 
-^  Give  unto  the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto  his  name  : 
Bring  an  offering,  and  come  before  him  : 
Worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness. 
^  Fear  before  him,  all  the  earth  : 

The  world  also  shall  be  stable,  that  it  be  not  moved. 
^^  Let  the  heavens  be  glad,  and  let  the  earth  rejoice : 

And  let  men  say  among  the  nations.  The  Lord  reigneth. 
2"  Let  the  sea  roar,  and  the  fulness  thereof : 

Let  the  fields  rejoice,  and  all  that  is  therein. 
^^  Then   shall   the   trees   of  the   wood   sing  out   at   the   presence    of    the 
Lord, 
Because  he  cometh  to  judge  the  earth. 
31 '  0  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord  ;  for  Jie  is  good ; 

For  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever. 
3,5  in  ^jj^i  gg^y  jQ^  ^a\e  us,  0  God  of  our  salvation, 
And  gather  us  together. 
And  deliver  us  from  the  heathen. 

That  we  may  give  thanks  to  thy  holy  name,  and  glory  in  thy  praise. 
^^ "  Blessed  he  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  for  ever  and  ever. 

And  all  "the  people  said.  Amen,  and  praised  the  Lord. 
^^  So  he  left  there  before  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  Asaph  and  his 
brethren,  to  minister  before  the  ark  continually,  as  every  day's  work  required : 
^  And  Obed-edom  with  their  brethren,  threescore  and  eight ;  Obed-edom  also 
the  son  of  Jeduthun  and  Hosah  to  he  porters  :  ^°  And  Zadok  the  priest,  and  his 
brethren  the  priests,  ^  before  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord  '^  in  the  high  place  that  T^chrmf's 
was  at  Gibeon,  "^^  To  offer  burnt  offerings  unto  the  Lord  upon  the  altar  of  the  "^ '  ^"'^^  ^-  ^' 


I  Ps.  10(3.  I.  & 
107.  1.  &  118.  1. 
&  l;i6.  1. 

m  Ps.  106.   17,  -18. 


0  Deut.  27.  15. 


27.  in  his  place]  In  Ps.  xcvi.  6,  it  is,  "  In  His  sanctuary." 

29.  come  before  him']  In  Ps.  xcvi.  8,  "  Come  into  His 
courts." 

— ^  in  the  beauty  of  holiness]  "In  His  sanctuary"  {Sept.), 
or  with  reverence  and  tbauksfiivinp'  (Suriac,  Ar.).  See  below, 
2  Chron.  xx.  21.  o       »  V  J        .        ; 

30.  that  it  be  not  moved]  i.e.  from  its  oi-bit  (McCauI). 

33.  the  trees  of  the  wood]  Which  had  rejoiced  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Lord  in  the  Ark  at  Kirjath-jearim,  "  the  city  of 
woods,"  and  which  had  welcomed  the  procession  that  came  to 
conduct  it  to  Zion  :  cp.  Ps.  cxxxii.  6. 

35.  gather  ns  together— from  the  heathen]  It  has  been 
objected  that  such  words  as  these  could  not  have  been  used 
by  David,  and  that  they  arc  interpolated  from  Ps.  cvi.  47. 
IJut  David  knew  from  Deut.  iv.  27;  xxviii.  64,  tliat  Israel 
would  be  scattered;  and  so  did  Solomon  (1  Kings  viii. 
46—50). 
203 


39.  ZadoJc  the  priest — before  the  tabernacle — at  Oibeon] 
Abiathar,  the  High  Priest,  being  appointed  to  minister  before 
the  Ark  in  the  Tabernacle,  which  David  had  pitched  on  Mount 
Sion  (cp.  on  2  Sam.  vi.  17).  It  is  remarkable  that  the  name 
of  Abiathar  is  not  mentioned  in  the  history  of  this  ceremonial. 
Is  that  omission  to  be  accounted  for  from  the  obloquy  which 
was  attached  to  his  memory,  on  account  of  his  subsequent 
ingratitude  to  David  P 

On  the  reverence  still  cleaving  to  Gibeon,  on  account  of 
the  presence  of  the  Levitical  Tabernacle  there,  see  1  Kings 
iii.  4.  2  Chron.  i.  3;  and  above,  on  xv.  1.  The  unselfish- 
ness of  David  is  here  manifest.  He  had  brought  up  tlie  Ark 
to  Zion,  the  city  of  David,  and  Jerusalem  was  liis  capital,  and 
it  was  to  1)0  the  site  of  the  Temple,  for  which  he  made  prepara- 
tions, and  which  his  son  would  build.  He  had  a  strong  in- 
ducement to  make  it  his  only  care.  But  he  took  care  also  to 
provide  for  the  religious  services  of  the  Tabernacle  at  Gibeon. 


A  Ungdomfor  ever  1  CHRONICLES  XVI.  41—43.     XVII.  1—15.  promised  to  David. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

1042. 
r  Exod.29.  38. 
Num.  28.  3. 
■t  Hel).  in  the 
morning  and  in 
the  evening. 
s  ver.  34. 
2  Chron.  5.  13.  & 
7.3. 

Ezras.  11. 
Jer.  33,11. 
t  Heb./or  llie 


burnt  offering  continually  ""  f  morning  and  evening,  and  to  do  according  to  all 
that  is  written  in  the  law  of  the  Lokd,  which  he  commanded  Israel  ;  ^'  And 
with  them  Heman  and  Jeduthun,  and  the  rest  that  were  chosen,  who  were 
expressed  by  name,  to  give  thanks  to  the  Lord,  '  because  his  mercy  cndureth 
for  ever  ;  ^"  And  with  them  Heman  and  Jeduthun  with  trumpets  and  cymbals 
for  those  that  should  make  a  sound,  and  with  musical  instruments  of  God. 
And  the  sons  of  Jeduthun  were  f  porters.     ^^ '  And  all  the  people  departed  every 

1 2  Sam.  6. 19, 20.  j^iau  to  Ms  liousc  I  aud  David  returned  to  bless  his  house. 

a 2 Sam. 7.1, &c.  XVII.  ^ Now  ''it  camo  to  pass,  as  David  sat  in  his  house,  that  David  said 
to  Nathan  the  prophet,  Lo,  I  dwell  in  an  house  of  cedars,  but  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  of  the  Lord  remaineth  under  curtains. 

2  Then  Nathan  said  unto  David,  Do  all  that  is  in  thine  heart ;  for  God  is 
with  thee.  ^And  it  came  to  pass  the  same  night,  that  the  word  of  God  came 
to  Nathan,  saying,  ^  Go  and  tell  David  my  servant,  Thus  saitli  the  Lord, 
Thou  shalt  not  build  me  an  house  to  dwell  in :  ^  For  I  have  not  dwelt  in  an 

ii^^^-'"'''^'"^"-  house  since  the  day  that  I  brought  up  Israel  unto  this  day;  but  f  have  gone 
from  tent  to  tent,  and  from  one  tabernacle  to  another.  *^  Wheresoever  I  have 
walked  with  all  Israel,  spake  I  a  word  to  any  of  the  judges  of  Israel,  whom  I 
commanded  to  feed  my  people,  saying,  Why  have  ye  not  built  me  an  house  of 
cedars  ?     ^  Now  therefore  thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  my  servant  David,  Thus 

\ut\,.  from  after,  gaitli  tho  LoRD  of  liosts,  I  took  thee  from  the  sheepcote,  even  f  from  following 
the  sheep,  that  thou  shouldest  be  ruler  over  my  people  Israel :  ^  And  I  have 
been  mth  thee  whithersoever  thou  hast  walked,  and  have  cut  off  all  thine 
enemies  from  before  thee,  and  have  made  thee  a  name  like  the  name  of  the 
great  men  that  are  in  the  earth.  ^  Also  I  will  ordain  a  place  for  my  people 
Israel,  and  will  plant  them,  and  they  shall  dwell  in  their  place,  and  shall  be 
moved  no  more;  neither  shall  the  children  of  wickedness  waste  them  any  more, 
as  at  the  beginning,  ^^  And  since  the  time  that  I  commanded  judges  to  he  over 
my  people  Israel.  Moreover  I  will  subdue  all  thine  enemies.  Furthermore 
I  tell  thee  that  the  Lord  will  build  thee  an  house.  ^'  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  wlien  thy  days  be  expired  that  thou  must  go  to  he  with  thy  fathers,  that 
I  will  raise  up  thy  seed  after  thee,  which  shall  be  of  thy  sons ;  and  I  will 
establish  his  kingdom.  ^^He  shall  build  me  an  house,  and  I  will  stablish 
his  throne  for  ever.  ^^  "^  I  will  be  his  father,  and  he  shall  be  my  son :  and  I 
will  not  take  my  mercy  av/ay  from  him,  as  I  took  it  from  him  that  was  before 
thee  :  ^'^  But  '^  I  will  settle  him  in  mine  house  and  in  my  kingdom  for  ever:  and 
his  throne  shall  be  established  for  evermore. 

^•^  According  to  all  these  words,  and  according  to  all  this  vision,  so  did  Nathan 
speak  unto  David. 


b  2  Sam.  7.  H, 
15. 


c  Luke  1.  33. 


41.  And  xoUh  theni]  With  Zudok  and  liis  sons. 

—  Jeduthun]  Probably  another  name  for  Etbau  :  see  on  vi.  42. 

42.  And  loith  them']  With  the  singers  that  were  "chosen 
and  expressed  by  name,"  were  Heman  and  Jeduthun,  with 
trumpets  and  cymbals  to  make  a  sound,  and  musical  instruments 
of  God.     So,  nearly,  the  Sejit. 

43.  to  bless  his  house]  And  then  Michal,  the  daughter  of 
Saul,  who  before  had  looked  out  at  a  window,  and  despised  him 
in  her  heart  (xv.  29),  vented  her  disdain  openly  and  deliberately 
in  words  :  see  2  Sam.  vi.  20. 

Cu.  XVII.  1.  2.  as  David  sat  in  his  house — God  is  toitJi  thee] 
See  on  2  Sam.  vii.  1 — 3,  in  which  the  title,  "  the  King,"  occurs 
three  times,  where  we  have  here  the  personal  name  David. 

3—6.]  See  2  Sam.  vii.  4—8. 
204 


5.  from  tent  to  tent]  Or,  as  it  is  in  Samuel,  "  I  have  walked 
in  a  tent  and  a  tabernacle."  The  Tabernacle  itself  had  not 
been  changed,  till  David  made  a  new  one  for  the  Ark  j  but  its 
condition  was  migratory,  for  reasons  noted  above,  on  2  Sam. 
vii.  6. 

Q,  judges]  In  2  Sam.  vii.  7,  it  is  "Tribes."  The  one  ex- 
plains the  other ;  and  there  is  no  reason  to  alter  the  text  of 
Samuel,  as  if  a  tribe  could  not  be  said  to  feed  by  means  of  rulers 
i-aised  up  from  it :  cp.  Ps.  Ix.  7 ;  cviii.  8. 

7—12.]  See  above,  2  Sam.  vii.  8—13. 

14.  I  ivill  settle  him  in  mine  house  and  in  my  Tcingdom]  In 
2  Sam.  vii.  16,  it  is,  "  thine  house,  and  thy  kingdom,  thy  throne 
shall  be  established."  David's  house,  kingdom,  and  throne 
were  God's,  because  they  were  Christ's,  who  is  God. 


Thanksgiving 


1  CHRONICLES  XVII.  16—27.     XVIII.  1.     and  jyrayer  of  David. 


^^  "^  And  David  the  king  came  and  sat  before  the  Lord,  and  said,  Who  am  I, 
0  Lord  God,  and  what  is  mine  house,  that  thou  hast  brought  me  hitherto  ? 
^''And  yet  this  was  a  small  thing  in  thine  eyes,  0  God;  for  thou  hast  also 
spoken  of  thy  servant's  house  for  a  great  while  to  come,  and  hast  regarded  me 
according  to  the  estate  of  a  man  of  high  degree,  0  Lord  God.  ^^  What  can 
David  spcah  more  to  thee  for  the  honour  of  thy  servant  ?  for  thou  knowest  thy 
servant.  ^^  0  Lord,  for  thy  servant's  sake,  and  according  to  thine  own  heart, 
liast  thou  done  all  this  greatness,  in  making  known  all  these  f  great  things. 
^'^  0  Lord,  tliere  is  none  like  thee,  neither  is  there  any  God  beside  thee,  accord- 
ino-  to  all  that  we  have  heard  with  our  ears.  ^'  And  what  one  nation  in  the 
earth  is  like  thy  people  Israel,  whom  God  went  to  redeem  to  he  his  own  people, 
to  make  thee  a  name  of  greatness  and  terribleness,  by  driving  out  nations  from 
before  thy  people,  whom  thou  hast  redeemed  out  of  Egypt  ?  -  For  thy  people 
Israel  didst  thou  make  thine  own  people  for  ever ;  and  thou.  Lord,  becamest 
their  God.~  ^^  Therefore  now.  Lord,  let  the  thing  that  thou  hast  spoken  con- 
cerning thy  servant  and  concerning  his  house  be  established  for  ever,  and  do 
as  thou  hast  said.  -*  Let  it  even  be  established,  that  thy  name  may  be  magni- 
fied for  ever,  saying.  The  Lord  of  hosts  is  the  God  of  Israel,  even  a  God  to 
Israel :  and  let  the  house  of  David  thy  servant  he  established  before  thee. 
-^  For  thou,  0  my  God,  f  hast  told  thy  servant  that  thou  wilt  build  him  an 
house :  therefore  thy  servant  hath  found  in  his  heart  to  pray  before  thee. 
-''  And  now,  Lord,  thou  art  God,  and  hast  promised  this  goodness  unto  thy 
seiwant :  ^^  Now  therefore  ||  let  it  please  thee  to  bless  the  house  of  thy  servant, 
that  it  may  be  before  thee  for  ever :  for  thou  blessest,  0  Lord,  and  it  shall  he 
blessed  for  ever. 

XVIII.  '  Now  after  this  ^  it  came  to  pass,  that  David  smote  the  Phihstines, 
and  subdued  them,  and  took  Gath  and  her  towns  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Philis- 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
1012. 
d  2  Sam.  7.  18. 


t  Heb.  great- 
nesses. 


t  Heb.  hast 
revealed  I  lie  ear 
of  thy  servant. 


II  Or,  it  hath 
pleased  thee. 


about 

1040. 

a  2  Sam.  8.  1,  ic 


The  Exaltation  of  David. 

17.  and  hast  regarded  me  according  to  the  estate  of  a  man 
of  high  degree']  Thou  hast  looked  upon  me  according  to  the 
estate.  Heb.  tor,  a  difficult  word.  It  seems  to  be  an  abbre- 
viation for  torah,  law,  which  is  found  in  the  parallel  place  in 
2  Sam.  vii.  19  :  see  the  note  there. 

It  is  said  that  there  is  no  other  example  of  the  word  tor 
so  used.  But  the  word  tor  occurs  in  Esther  ii.  12.  15,  where 
it  is  rendered  turn,  and  in  Cant.  i.  10,  11,  where  it  is  rendered 
roio  and  border ;  and  those  seem  to  be  occurrences  of  the  same 
word,  in  a  slightly  modified  sense.  Cp.  Jlengst.  Christol.  on 
2  Sam.  vii.  19. 

The  meaning  of  the  sentence  is  clear,  especially  when  placed 
in  juxtaposition  with  the  parallel  passage  in  Samuel.  There 
David  asks,  "Is  this  the  law  of  Adam,  O  Lord  God?"  Hast 
Thou  been  so  graciously  .pleased  to  modify  the  law,  by  which 
Adam  and  his  posterity  are  condemned  to  decay,  and  hast  Thou 
condescended  to  give  to  me,  who  am  a  feeble  mortal,  a  promise 
of  perpetuity  and  dominion?  Tliis  is  what  is  said  in  Samuel; 
and  here  it  is  added,  "  Thou  hast  regarded  me  according  to  the 
Law "  (not  of  Adam  in  his  weakness,  but)  "  of  the  Man " 
{ha- Adam)  "  of  high  degree."  Cp.  Vulg.  "  Fecisti  me  spec- 
tahilem  super  omnes  homines;"  and  Schmidt,  "Thou  hast 
regarded  me  according  to  the  state  of  that  exalted  one." 

When  we  take  the  two  sayings  of  David  together,  as 
related  in  Samuel,  and  in  this  place,  and  when  we  remember 
that  David  was  a  prophet,  and  foresa^v  that  Christ  would  come 
of  his  seed,  as  the  Holy  Spirit  testifies  by  St.  Peter  on  the 
]"):iy  of  Pentecost  (Acts  ii.  30),  we  are  authorized  to  believe, 
that  David  contrasted  his  state  of  weakness  and  abasement  in 
the  first  Adam,  with  his  condition  of  power  and  glory  in  the 
second  Adam ;  and  that  In  a  divine  transport  of  love  and 
thankfulness  for  God's  assurance  of  perpetuity  of  duration  and 
dominion  to  his  seed,  he  exclaimed,  "  Is  this  the  law  of  Adam, 
0  Lord  God,  that  Thou  hast  exalted  me  to  the  condition  of  the 
205 


Man  of  high  degree?"  I  am  by  nature  of  the  earth,  earthy; 
but  Thou  hast  made  me  of  the  heaven,  heavenly.  In  me  the 
two  Adams  meet  together.  By  nature  I  am  in  the  first  Adam, 
but  of  me  is  "  the  Lord  from  heaven "  (1  Cor.  xv.  47),  and 
by  Him  I  am  exalted  to  heavenly  glory. 

This  interpretation  is  illustrated  by  David's  own  language, 
concerning  Man,  made  a  little  lower  than  the  Angels  in  Adam, 
but  crowned  with  glory  and  honour  far  greater  than  theirs  in 
Christ.  "  What  is  Man,  that  Thou  so  regardest  him  ?  or  the 
son  of  Man,  that  Thou  visitest  him  ? "  See  Ps.  viii.  5,  6  ;  and 
on  Heb.  ii.  6,  7.  And  it  is  also  explained  by  our  Lord's 
teaching  concerning  Himself  as  David's  Son  and  David's  Lord 
(Matt.  xxii.  45),  and  declaring  Himself  to  be  both  the  Boot 
and  Offspring  of  David  (Rev.  v.  5;  xxii.  16.  Cp.  note  above, 
on  2  Sam.  vii.  19).  The  present  revelation  of  God  to  David 
was  a  prelude  to  the  Evangelic  declaration, — "  The  Word  was 
made  flesh  "  (.John  i.  14),  and  to  the  Apostolic  assertion,  "  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,  was  made  of  the  seed  of  David  according  to 
the  flesh  "  (Rom.  i.  3.    Cp.  2  Tim.  ii.  8). 

19. /or  thg  servant's  sake']  In  2  Sam.  vii.  21,  it  is,  "for 
thy  word's  sake,"  i.  e.  thy  gracious  word  to  me  thy  servant. 

21.  ivhom  God  ivent  to  redeem]  Here  the  verb  went  is  in 
the  singular;  in  Samuel  it  is  in  the  plural.  Here  the  man 
is  ha-elohim,—"  the  Elohim  ;"  there  it  is  Elohim.  May  we  not 
say  that  this  is  in  accordance  with  the  doctrine  of  a  plurality 
of  persons  in  the  One  God  ?     See  the  note  there. 

—  to  make  thee  a  name  of  greatness  and  terribleness]  In 
Samuel  it  is,  "  to  do  for  you  great  things  and  terrible."  With 
oratorical  fervour  he  regards  his  own  people  as  present,  and 
addresses  them  (Keil). 

—  out  of  Eggpt  ?]  The  Exodus  and  its  Mosaic  record  are 
ever  present  to  his  mind :  see  above,  xvi.  20 — 22. 

Ch.  XVIII.  1.  Gath  and  her  towns]  Literally,  Gath  and 
her  daughters.  This  is  an  explanation  of  the  more  recondite 
and  figurative  phrase  in  2  Sam.  viii.  1.     See  note  there.     Cp. 


David  subdues  Fhilistines,     1  CHRONICLES  XVIII.  2—15.       Moahtes,  and  Edomites. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
10-10. 

Il  Or,  Hddadezcr, 
2  Sam.  B.  3. 


b  2  Sam.  8.  4, 
teven  hundred. 


t  Ileb.  Darinesek, 


II  Called  in  the 
book  of  Samuel 
Hetah,  and 
Hcinlhai. 
c  1  Kings  7.  15, 
23. 

2  Chron.  4.  12, 
15,  16. 
II  Or,  Toi, 
2  Sam.  8.  9. 
II  Or,  Juram, 
•I  Sam.  8.  10. 
II  Or,  lo  salute. 
■f  Heb.  to  hlejs. 
t  Heb.  was  the 
wan  of  wars. 


t  Ileb.  Abshai. 

d  2  Sara.  8.  13. 
e  2  Sam.  8.  14, 
&c. 


tines.  "  And  he  smote  Moab ;  and  the  Moabites  became  David's  servants,  and 
brought  gifts. 

^  And  David  smote  |j  Hadarezer  king  of  Zobah  unto  Hamath,  as  he  went  to 
stabhsh  his  dominion  by  the  river  Euphrates.  ^  And  David  took  from  him  a 
thousand  chariots,  and  ^  seven  thousand  horsemen,  and  twenty  thousand  foot- 
men :  David  also  houghed  all  the  chariot  horses,  but  reserved  of  them  an  hun- 
dred chariots. 

^  And  when  the  Syrians  of  f  Damascus  came  to  help  Hadarezer  king  of 
Zobah,  David  slew  of  the  Syrians  two  and  twenty  thousand  men.  ^  Then 
David  put  garrisons  in  Syria- damascus ;  and  the  Syrians  became  David's  ser- 
vants, and  brought  gifts.  Thus  the  Lord  preserved  David  whithersoever  he 
went.  7  And  David  took  the  shields  of  gold  that  were  on  the  servants  of  Hada- 
rezer, and  brought  them  to  Jerusalem.  ^  Likewise  from  |!  Tibhath,  and  from 
Chun,  cities  of  Hadarezer,  brought  David  very  much  brass,  wherewith  *"  Solo- 
mon made  the  brasen  sea,  and  the  pillars,  and  the  vessels  of  brass. 

^  Now  when  ||  Tou  Idng  of  Hamath  heard  how  David  had  smitten  all  the  host 
of  Hadarezer  king  of  Zobali ;  ^^  He  sent  ||  Hadoram  liis  son  to  king  David,  ||  to 
inquire  of  his  welfare,  and  f  to  congratulate  him,  because  he  had  fought  against 
Hadarezer,  and  smitten  him  ;  (for  Hadarezer  f  had  war  with  Tou ;)  and  with 
him  all  manner  of  vessels  of  gold  and  silver  and  brass.  ^^Tliem  also  king 
David  dedicated  unto  the  Lord,  with  the  silver  and  the  gold  that  he  brought 
from  all  these  nations  ;  from  Edom,  and  from  Moab,  and  from  the  children  of 
Amnion,  and  from  the  Philistines,  and  from  Amalek. 

^-  Moreover  f  Abishai  the  son  of  Zeruiah  slew  of  the  Edomites  in  the  valley 
of  salt  "^  eighteen  thousand.  ^^'^  And  he  put  garrisons  in  Edom  ;  and  all  the 
Edomites  became  David's  servants.  Thus  the  Lord  preserved  David  whither- 
soever he  went. 

^^  So  David  reigned  over  all  Israel,  and  executed  judgment  and  justice  among 
all  his  people.     ^^  And  Joab  the  son  of  Zeruiah  was  over  the  host ;  and  Je- 


Keil,  Versuch,  p.  41;  and  on  Sam.  p.  258;  and  above,   xiv. 
8—16.     2  Chron.  ix.  12. 

This  statement  is  not  at  variance  with  the  fact,  that  in 
Solomon's  time  there  was  a  King  of  Gath  (1  Kings  ii.  39)  ;  for 
he  was  a  tributary  to  Solomon  (cp.  1  Kings  iv.  24). 

2.  he  smote  Moab']  See  2  Sam.  viii.  2.  Perhaps  Benaiah 
then  performed  the  feat  recorded  in  xi.  22. 

3.  to  stabUsh  his  dominion]  Which  had  been  impaired. 
Therefore,  in  Samuel  we  read,  "to  recover  his  border"  (2  Sam. 
viii.  3). 

5.  Hadarezer  king  of  Zobah]  Hadarezer  is  the  more  modern 
form  of  the  name  Hadadezer  (2  Sam.  viii.  3).  Zobah  was 
north  of  Damascus,  and  eastward  of  Ccele-Syria,  and  seems  to 
have  extended  eastward  and  north-eastward  to  the  Euphrates 
(EawUnson,  B.  D.  ii.  1859).  From  2  Sam.  x.  16,  we  learn 
that  the  influence  of  the  King  of  Zobah  extended  even  to  the 
east  of  the  Euphrates. 

6.  garrisons]  Not  in  the  original  here,  but  in  Samuel.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  word  chariots,  in  v,  4  here,  does  not  occur 
in  Samuel.     Thus  one  narrative  helps  to  supply  the  other. 

8.  Tibhath,  and — Chu7i]  In  Samuel  we  have  Betah,  and 
Berothai.  Hence  appears  the  independence  of  the  two  accounts. 
Those  may  be  either  other  cities  of  Hadadezer,  or  other  names 
of  the  same  cities. 

10.  Hadoram]  In  2  Sam.  viii.  10,  the  name  is  Joram, 
which  is  called  a  mistake  by  some  as  Bertheau,  p.  178. 

11.  from  Edom,  and  from  Moab]  In  2  Sam.  viii.  13,  we 
have,  "of  Syria"  (i.  e.  Aram),  "and  of  Moab,"  where,  instead 
of  Aram,  some  would  read  Udom,  from  this  passage  j  and  so 
Sept.,  Syriac,  and  Arabic.  The  Targum  and  Vulg.  have 
Aram  there.  On  the  interchange  of  Udom  and  Aram  in  the 
MSS.,  see  above,  2  Sam.  viii.  13. 

12.  Abishai— sleio  of  the    IJdomites]    Heb.  Udom.      This 

206 


confirms  the  proposed  correction  of  the  MSS.  in  2  Sam.  viii.  13, 
where  we  have  Aram  :  see  the  foregoing  note. 

In  1  Kings  xi.  15,  16,  we  read  that  Joab  completed  the 
conquest  of  Edom;  and  in  the  title  of  Ps.  Ix.,  we  read  that 
David  strove  with  Syria,  when  Joab  returned  and  smote  of 
Edom  in  the  Valley  of  Salt  12,000.  In  2  Sam  viii.  13,  it  is 
said  that  David  gat  a  name  when  he  returned  from  smiting 
Aram  (so  the  MSS. ;  probably  we  should  read  Edom),  in  the 
Valley  of  Salt,  being  18,000  men.  We  are  here  told  that 
"  David  reigned  over  all  Israel "  (v.  14).  "  Joab  was  over  the 
host"  (v.  13).  "The  Lord  preserved  David  whithersoever 
he  went "  (v.  13).  Abishai  was  his  nephew,  and  brother  of 
Joab.  Abishai  is  described  in  xix.  11,  as  entrusted  by  Joab 
with  the  command  of  a  portion  of  the  forces  against  Ammon. 

If  we  put  all  these  various  details  together,  we  arrive  at 
the  conclusion,  that  Abishai  was  the  principal  instrument  in 
the  conquest  of  Edom ;  and  that  it  was  ascribed  to  Joab  as 
generalissimo  of  the  forces,  and  to  David  as  the  King,  under 
whose  auspices  the  war  was  carried  on.  David  himself  may, 
or  may  not,  have  been  present  for  a  short  time  in  the  cam- 
paign. Compare  the  narrative,  2  Sam.  xii.  26 — 29 ;  and  the 
history  of  the  Centurion,  in  the  Gospels,  who  is  said  to  come 
to  Christ,  whereas  he  did  not  come  in  person,  but  by  his  friends. 
Cp.  Matt.  viii.  5.  Luke  vii.  3.  6 ;  and  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  239  ; 
and  on  Samuel,  p.  264.  As  to  the  variety  in  the  numbers,  it 
is  probable  that  as  Joab  is  stated  to  have  waged  a  war  of 
extermination  in  Edom  (1  Kings  xi.  16),  his  12,000  may  have 
been  in  addition  to  the  18,000  of  Abishai.  Cp.  Pfeiffer,  Dubia. 
p.  244  ;  Buxtorf,  and  Michaelis. 

These  victories  of  David  over  Philistia,  Moab,  and  Edom, 
and  other  enemies  of  Israel,  suggested  to  him  two  Psalms  of 
thanksgiving  (Ps.  Ix.  cviii.) ;  and  he  takes  occasion  from  them 
to  foretell  the  conquests  of  Cheist.     Cp.  on  2  Sam.  viii.  1. 


DaviiVs  savants      1  CHRONICLES  XVIII.  IC,  17.    XIX.  1—12.   maltreated  h ij  Ammon, 


liosliaphat  the  son  of  Aliilud,  ||  recorder.     ^''And  Zadok  the  son  of  Aliitub,  and 


XIX. 

of  Amnion  died,  and  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 


Before 
CHRIST 

II  Abimelech  the  son  of  Abiathar,  icerc  the  priests  ;  and  ||  Shavsha  was  scribe  ;        mo! 
'^  ""And  Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada  was  over  the  Cherethites  and  the  Pelethites;  l^al'd"' 
and  the  sons  of  David  ivcre  chief  f  about  the  king.  fi'""^'"''' 

'  "  2  Sam.  8.  17. 

^  Now  ""  it  came  to  pass  after  this,  that  Nahash  the  king  of  the  children  L^^jjf/ 

2  And  David  said,  I  will  L|^;i^J- 
shew  kindness  unto  Hanun  the  son  of  Nahash,  because  his  father  shewed  kind-  f2Sam.  8.  is. 

__._  ....  .,.„..  +  Heb.  al  the 

ness  to  me. 


1037. 
a  2  Sam.  10.  1, 
&c. 


And  David  sent  messengers  to  comfort  him  concerning  his  father.  ''«'"^ «/ ""^  '''">o- 

<->  "  about 

So  the  servants  of  David  came  into  the  land  of  the  children  of  Amnion  to 
Hanun,  to  comfort  him.  ^  But  the  princes  of  the  children  of  Amnion  said  to 
Hanun,  f  Thinkest  thou  that  David  doth  honour  thy  father,  that  he  hath  sent  lJ^,^aMDavu. 
comforters  unto  thee  ?  are  not  his  servants  come  unto  thee  for  to  search,  and  ^"' 
to  overthrow,  and  to  spy  out  the  land  ?  ^  Wherefore  Hanun  took  David's  ser- 
vants, and  shaved  them,  and  cut  off  their  garments  in  the  midst  hard  by  their 
buttocks,  and  sent  them  away.  ^  Then  there  went  certain,  and  told  David  how 
the  men  were  served.  And  he  sent  to  meet  them  :  for  the  men  were  greatly 
ashamed.  And  the  king  said,  Tarry  at  Jericho  until  your  beards  be  grown, 
and  thot  return. 

^Aiid  when  the  children  of  Ammoii  saw  that  they  had  made  themselves 
f  odious  to  David,  Hanun  and  the  children  of  Amnion  sent  a  thousand  talents  ^  "'^''  '"  *''"*• 
of  silver  to  hire  them  chariots  and  horsemen  out  of  Mesopotamia,  and  out  of 
Syria-maachah,  ^and  out  of  Zobali.  ^  So  they  hired  thirty  and  two  thousand  '^'^•'•is.  s,  9. 
chariots,  and  the  king  of  Maachah  and  his  people ;  who  came  and  pitched 
before  Medeba.  And  the  children  of  Amnion  gathered  themselves  together 
from  their  cities,  and  came  to  battle. 

^  And  when  David  heard  of  it,  he  sent  Joab,  and  all  the  host  of  the  mighty        ^,„3;' 
men.     ^And  the  children  of  Amnion  came  out,  and  put  the  battle  in  array 
before  the  gate  of  the  city :  and  the  kings  that  were  come  ivere  by  themselves 
in  the  field.     ^^Now  when  Joab  saw  that  f  the  battle  was  set  against  him  V^'^'^'f/"'^ 

I  c)  0/ liie  battle  was. 

before  and  behind,  he  chose  out  of  all  the  ||  choice  of  Israel,  and  put  them  in  w  oi,  young  men. 
array  against  the  Syrians.     ^^  And  the  rest  of  the  people  he  delivered  unto  the 
hand  of  f  Abishai  his  brother,  and  they  set  themselves  in  array  against  the  t  iieb.  Absjwi. 
children  of  Ammon.     '-  And  he  said.  If  the  Syrians  be  too  strong  for  me,  then 


16.  were  the  priests']  Rather,  were  priests.  Abiathar  was 
the  High  Priest.  See  note  above,  on  2  Sam.  viii.  17,  where 
Abimelech  is  called  Ahimelech ;  and  so  Sept.,  Vulg.,  Sj/riac, 
and  Arabic  here :  cp.  below,  xxiv.  3.  6. 

—  Shavsha']  lu  2  Sam.  viii.  17,  we  have  Seraiah. 

17.  chief  about  the  Jcing]  Chief ;  literally,  heads  about  the 
King ;  literally,  at  the  hand  of  the  King.  This  phrase  ex- 
plains the  use  of  the  Hebrew  cohanim,  as  applied  to  David's 
sons,  iu  2  Sam.  viii.  18.  See  note  there ;  and  Keil,  Chronik. 
p.  347.  Cp.  Hdvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  249,  who  thinks  that  the 
writer  of  Chronicles  has  avoided  the  use  of  the  word  cohanim, 
because  in  his  time  it  was  limited  to  the  priests. 

Cn.  XIX.  1-15.]  See  2  Sam.  x.  1—19. 

1.  his  son]  Hanun.    See  2  Sum.  x.  1. 

4.  and  shaved  them]  He  shaved  off  half  of  the  beard 
(2  Sam.  X.  4). 

6.  made  themselves  odious]  Literally,  made  themselves  to 
stink.  In  Samuel  the  niphal  of  the  verb  baas  is  used;  here 
the  hithpael :  cp.  Oesen.  101. 

—  to  hire}  The  sacred  writer  here  mentions  the  sum  paid 
(1000  talents),  which  is  not  specified  in  Samuel. 

—  Mesopotamia]  Heb.  Aram-naharaim  (i.  e.  Syria  of  the 
two  rivers).  In  Samuel  it  is  Aram-beth-rehoh,  which  seems  to 
be  the  district  on  the  southern  slopes  of  Anti-liljauus,  and  north 
of  the  waters  of  Merom  :  cp.  13.  D,  ii.  1023.     But  in  addition 

207 


to  those  Syrians,  some,  as  we  learn  here,  were  hired  from  the 
other  side  of  the  Euphrates  :  cp.  v.  16. 

—  Sgria-maacah]  Probably  the  southern  slopes  of  Hermon, 
not  far  from  Dan  or  Laish.  Cp.  Deut.  iii.  14.  Josh.  xii.  5 ; 
xiii.  11.     Ii.  D.  ii.  lOL 

—  Zobah]  See  xviii.  3. 

7.  thirty  and  two  thousand  chariots]  The  word  rendered 
chariots,  is  receb  (from  racab,  to  ride,  Gesen.  TIS),  which  souie- 
times  signifies  horses  (see  2  Sam.  viii.  4.  Above,  xviii.  4)  ;  and 
proljably  it  is  here  used  as  a  general  term  for  cavalry  (cp.  Keil, 
Chronik.  324),  some  of  the  horses  being  used  for  riding,  and 
others  for  chariots.  Cp.  above,  1  Sam.  xiii.  5,  where  we  rea<' 
of  30,000  chariots  in  our  Version,  and  where  the  word  receb  is 
used  in  the  original.  Cp.  below,  v.  18,  where  David  is  said  to 
have  slain  7000  receb. 

In  Samuel  it  is  said,  that  they  hired  20,000  infantry  from 
Zobah,  and  12,000  men  of  Job,  and  1000  men  of  Maacah  :  these 
make  up  33,000,  and  are  supposed  by  some  to  be  tlie  32,000 
here  mentioned.  This  is  probable,  and  the  result  of  the  com- 
parison of  the  two  passages  would  be,  that  these  Syrians  were 
accustomed  to  fight  sometimes  iu  chariots,  and  on  horseback, 
and  sometimes  to  dismount,  and  to  fight  on  foot ;  and  this  is 
confirmed  by  what  is  said  below  {v.  18). 

—  Medeba]  In  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  on  the  east  of  Jordan, 
now  Madeba,  in  the  district  of  lielka,  south-east  of  Heshbun. 
See  Num.  xxi.  30.     Josh.  xiii.  IG.     Grove,  B.  D.  ii.  287. 

11.  Abishai]  Cp.  above,  xviii.  12. 


The  Ammonites  and  Syrians  1  CHRONICLES  XIX.  13—19.  XX.  1—3.  defeated  bij  David. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

J037. 


about 
1036. 

(I  That  is, 

Euphrates. 

II  Or,  Shobach, 

2  Sam.  10.  IC. 


tliou  slialt  help  me  :  but  if  the  children  of  Ammon  be  too  strong  for  thee,  then 

1  will  help  thee.  ^^  Be  of  good  courage,  and  let  us  behave  ourselves  valiantly 
for  our  people,  and  for  the  cities  of  our  God  :  and  let  the  Lord  do  that  which  is 
good  in  his  sight. 

^'^  So  Joab  and  the  people  that  ivere  with  him  drew  nigh  before  the  Syrians 
unto  the  battle;  and  they  fled  before  him.  '^And  when  the  chikVen  of  Ammon 
saw  that  the  Syrians  were  fled,  they  likewise  fled  before  Abishai  his  Irother, 
and  entered  into  the  city.     Then  Joab  came  to  Jerusalem. 

^^And  when  the  Syrians  saw  that  they  were  put  to  the  worse  before  Israel, 
they  sent  messengers,  and  drew  forth  the  Syrians  that  loere  beyond  the  ||  river  : 
and  II  Shophach  the  captain  of  the  host  of  Hadarezer  ivent  before  them.  ^''And 
it  was  told  David ;  and  he  gathered  all  Israel,  and  passed  over  Jordan,  and 
came  upon  them,  and  set  the  battle  in  array  against  them.  So  when  David 
had  put  the  battle  in  array  against  the  Syrians,  they  fought  with  him.  ^^  But 
the  Syrians  fled  before  Israel ;  and  David  slew  of  the  Syrians  seven  thousand 
men  ivhich  fomjht  in  chariots,  and  forty  thousand  footmen,  and  killed  Shophach 
the  captain  of  the  host.  ^^And  when  the  servants  of  Hadarezer  saw  that 
they  were  put  to  the  worse  before  Israel,  they  made  peace  with  David,  and 
became  his  servants :  neither  would  the  Syrians  help  the  children  of  Ammon 
any  more. 

XX.  ^  And  "^  it  came  to  pass,  that  f  after  the  year  was  expired,  at  the  time 
that  kings  go  out  to  battle,  Joab  led  forth  the  power  of  the  army,  and  wasted 
the  country  of  the  children  of  Ammon,  and  came  and  besieged  Eabbah.  But 
David  tarried  at  Jerusalem.      And  ^  Joab  smote  Kabbah,  and  destroyed  it. 

2  And  David  *"  took  the  crown  of  their  king  from  off  his  head,  and  found  it  f  to 
weigh  a  talent  of  gold,  and  there  ivere  precious  stones  in  it ;  and  it  was  set  upon 

o/"^^"""'*'^'"  David's  head:  and  he  brought  also  exceeding  much  spoil  out  of  the  city. 
^  And  he  brought  out  the  people  that  inere  in  it,  and  cut  them  with  saws,  and 
with  harrows  of  iron,  and  with  axes.     Even  so  dealt  David  with  all  the  cities 


a1>out 

1035. 
a  2  Sam.  II.  1. 
t  Heb.  at  the 
return  of  the  year 

b  2  Sara.  12.  26. 

about 

1033. 
c  2  Sam.  12.  30, 
31. 


17.  came  upon  them']  In  Samuel  it  is,  "  he  came  to  Helam," 
— a  place  which  probably  had  become  unknown  in  the  age  of 
the  Chronicles ;  cp.  Keil,  Chronik.  275 ;  3Iovcrs,  p.  218,  who 
observes  that  it  is  a  characteristic  of  the  sacred  writer  to 
omit  particulars,  which  had  become  obscure  by  lapse  of 
time. 

18.  sleio — chariots]  See  above,  on  v.  7. 

— forty  thousand  footmen]  In  2  Sam.  x.  18,  where  they 
are  called  parashim,  hoi'semen,  on  which  word,  see  Gesen.  693. 
It  is  certain  that  the  author  of  Chronicles  could  not  have  in- 
tended to  exclude  horsemen  ;  for  he  speaks  of  the  Syrians  as 
having  many  horsemen  from  beyond  the  river,  in  v.  Q  :  see 
note  above,  on  2  Sam.  x.  18. 

Silence  of  the  Chronicles. 

Cn.  XX.]  In  the  interval  between  the  battles  described  in 
the  former  chapter,  and  those  related  in  the  present,  took  place 
that  sad  event  in  the  private  history  of  David's  life,  which  cast  a 
gloom  over  the  remainder  of  his  days,  and  which  is  narrated  in 
2  Sam.  xi.,  xii.  1 — 25. 

The  sacred  writer  of  this  book  casts  a  veil  over  the  sin  of 
David,  as  being  well  known  in  itself  and  in  its  bitter  con- 
sequences, and  as  having  been  mercifully  pardoned  by  God,  on 
David's  sincere  repentance. 

The  courageous  eloquence  of  the  Books  of  Samuel,  and 
the  sympathetic  silence  of  the  Chronicles,  have  each  of  them 
their  appropriate  lesson.  See  above,  on  2  Sam.  xi.,  Prelim. 
Note  ;  and  Introduction  to  this  Book. 

The  impartiality  and  fidelity  of  Holy  Scripture  are  seen  in 

the  record  of  the  sin  of  David,  in  Samuel ;  and  the  absence  of 

any  reference  to  it  in  the  Chronicles,  may  serve  the  purpose  of 

teaching,  that  though  there  may  be  just  occasions  for  relating 

208 


the  faults  of  others,  yet  that  when  no  such  reason  exists, 
charity  will  love  rather  to  hide  them. 

And  when  we  consider  by  Whose  inspiration  these  books 
were  written  for  our  learning,  they  display  to  us,  in  a  beautiful 
picture,  the  Divine  attributes  of  God  Himself,  who  tempers 
justice  with  mercy,  and  blots  out  of  His  Book  of  remembrances 
the  sins  of  those  who  are  penitent. 

The  sad  story  of  the  sins  of  Solomon's  old  ago,  recorded  in 
the  Kings  (1  Kings  xi.  1),  is  not  mentioned  in  the  Chronicles  : 
see  below,  on  2  Chron.  ix.  28  ;  and  above.  Introduction. 

2.  David  tool~]  In  the  present  narrative  we  are  not  informed 
how  it  happened,  that  David,  who  had  "  tarried  at  Jerusalem  " 
(v.  1),  is  now  seen  at  Kabbah.  But  the  connecting  link  is 
supplied  by  Samuel  (2  Sam.  xii.  27).  His  presence  was  due  to 
the  message  from  Joab.  Joab  had  besieged  Rabbah,  and  had 
taken  a  part  of  the  city,  that  which  was  defended  by  the  water 
(the  river  of  Amman,  or  Moiet) ;  and  he  sent  to  David  a 
message  that  he  might  come  and  complete  the  conquest  by 
taking  the  citadel.  Cp.  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  289  j  and  on  Samuel, 
p.  285 ;  and  Bertheau  here,  p.  188. 

Rabbah  (now  Amman)  was  situated  on  two  sides  of  the 
river,  in  a  narrow  valley  flanked  by  two  ranges  of  hills  on  north 
and  south.  On  the  northern  range,  at  the  N.  W.  side  of  the  city, 
was  the  acropolis  {BurcJch.,  Ritter,  Seetzen). 

—  the  crown]  See  on  2  Sam.  xii.  30. 

3.  cut  them  with  saws]  See  2  Sam.  xii.  31,  which  mentions 
also  that  he  made  them  pass  through  the  brick-kiln. 

—  axes]  Heb.  megeroth ;  but  as  megerah  (a  saw,  Gesen. 
419)  has  been  mentioned  before,  it  has  been  proposed  to  alter 
megeroth  here  into  megererofh,  the  word  in  Samuel  signifying 
axes  {Gesen.  448).  So  Keil  and  Bertheau.  Perhaps,  however. 
the  plural  megeroth  may  denote  a  diflerent  instrument  from  tho 
singular  megerah. 


David  tempted  by  Satan     1  CHRONICLES  XX.  4—8.     XXI.  1—7.       to  number  Israel. 


And   David  and   all  the  people   returned   to 


of  the  children  of  Ammon 
Jerusalem. 

*  And  it  came  to  pass  after  this,  ^  that  there  ||  f  arose  war  at  ||  Gezer  with  the 
Philistines;  at  which  time  ^  Sibbechai  the  Hushathite  slew  ||  Sippai,  that  ivas  tlf, 
of  the  children  of  |1  the  giant :  and  they  were  subdued. 

^  And  there  was  war  apfain  with  the  Philistines ;  and  Elhanan  the  son  of  jj  ~f.  s«pX 

c  Z  o3,Tn.  21.  ] 

II  Jair  slew  Lahmi  the  brother  of  GoHath  the  Grittite,  whose  spear  staff  was  like  ]{ caiifcTafs^o 

)       1  Jaare-oreqitr 

a  weaver  s  beam.  2  sam.  21"  v. 

^And  yet  again  *"  there  was  war  at  Gath,  where  was  fa  man  of  great  stature,  f2sam.21.20 


Berore 

CHRIST 

about 

1033. 

about 
1018. 
d  2  Sam.  21.  18. 
continued. 
t  Heb.  stood. 

Or,  Gub. 
e  ch.  11.  29. 


Heb.  a  man  of 
measure. 


whose  fingers  and  toes  icere  four  and  twenty,  six  on  each  hand,  and  six  on  each 
foot:  and  he  also  was  fthe  son  of  the  giant.     ^But  when  he  jj  defied  Israel,  jAfpLtoV 
Jonathan  the  son  of  ||  Shimea  David's  brother  slew  him.     ^  These  were  born  f''iStreproached. 
unto  the  efiant  in  Gath :  and  they  fell  by  the  hand  of  David,  and  by  the  hand  Ihummah, 
of  his  servants. 

XXI.  ^  And  ^  Satan  stood  up  against  Israel,  and  provoked  David  to  number  ^  ^  gam '2^^  1 
Israel.     ^  ^^jj  David  said  to  Joab  and  to  the  rulers  of  the  people.  Go,  number  ^'=- 
Israel  from  Beer-sheba  even  to  Dan;  ""and  bring  the  number  of  them  to  me,  bch.27.23. 
that  I  may  know  it.     ^  And  Joab  answered,  The  Lord  make  his  people  an 
hundred  times  so  many  more  as  they  be:  but,  my  lord  the  king,  are  they  not 
all  my  lord's  servants  ?  why  then  doth  my  lord  require  this  thing  ?  why  will 
he  be  a  cause  of  trespass  to  Israel  ?     ^  Nevertheless  the  king's  word  prevailed 
against  Joab.     Wherefore  Joab  departed,  and  went  throughout  all  Israel,  and 
came  to  Jerusalem.     ^And  Joab  gave  the  sum  of  the  number  of  the  people 
unto  David.     And  all  tJieij  of  Israel  were  a  thousand  thousand  and  an  hundred 
thousand  men  that  drew  sword  :  and  Judah  was  four  hundred  threescore  and 
ten  thousand  men  that  drew  sword.     ^""But  Levi  and  Benjamin  counted  he  not  cch.27.24. 
among  them  :  for  the  king's  word  was  abominable  to  Joab. 

7  f  And  God  was  displeased  with  this  thing ;   therefore  he  smote  Israel,  l^f^^if^l'^ti^, 

eyes  of  the  LORD  conctrning  this  thing. 


4 — 8.]  The  acts  of  three  of  David's  worthies,  which  are  here 
inserted,  are  related  in  Samuel  after  the  rebellion  of  Absalom ; 
but  they  find  a  proper  place  here,  immediately  after  the  relation 
of  David's  wars  and  conquests,  and  are  summed  up  by  the  words, 
"  These  fell  by  the  hand  of  David,  and  by  the  hand  of  his  ser- 
vants."    See  above,  on  the  parallel  place,  2  Sam.  xxi.  22. 

4.  Gezer']  See  vii.  28.  It  is  called  Gob  in  2  Sam.  xxi. 
18.  The  Sacred  Writer  does  not  mention  the  feat  of  Abishai, 
recorded  in  the  parallel  place  of  Samuel  (2  Sam.  xxi.  15 — 17). 

—  Sibbechai]  One  of  David's  worthies.  See  xi.  29;  xxvii. 
11.    2  Sam.  xxi.  18. 

—  Sippai]  Or  Saph.     See  2  Sam.  xxi.  18. 

5.  wai — with  the  Philistines]  At  Gob.     2  Sam.  xxi.  19. 

—  Elhanan — beam]  See  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxi.  19.  In 
1  Chron.  xi.  26,  he  is  called  the  son  of  Dodo.  Dodo  was  pro- 
bably his  grandfather,  or  Dodo  is  another  name  for  Jair. 

6  —  8.  war  at  Oath]  See  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxi.  20. 

—  he  also  was  the  son  of  the  giant]  Wehearofgiantsof  Gath 
among  the  Philistines,  but  we  never  hear  of  giants  of  Jerusalem ; 
and  these  giants  of  the  Philistines  who  defy  Israel  («.  7),  are  con- 
quered by  David's  men  of  Jerusalem.  The  power  of  Christ's  Spirit 
in  the  Church  is  stronger  than  that  of  the  Flesh  in  the  World. 

Satan  standino  ijp  against  Iseael. 
On.  XXI.  1.  Satan  stood  up  against  Israel]  Satan,  whose 
name  bespeaks  him  as  the  adversary  (Oesen.  788),  stood  up  as 
the  accuser  of  Israel  before  God.  Cp.  1  Kings  xxii.  20 — 22. 
Job  i.  7 ;  ii.  1—5.  Zech.  iii.  1.  Matt.  iv.  10.  Mark  iv.  15. 
Luke  X.  18 ;  xiii.  16 ;  xxii.  3.  Acts  v.  3 ;  xxvi.  18.  Rom.  xvi.  20. 
Rev.  xii.  10;  xx.  2.  7. 

Satan  is  here  without  the  article  in  the  original,  because  he 
is  a  person  well  known. 

On  the  narrative  in  Samuel  as  compared  with  the  present 
history,  see  on  2  Sam.  xxiv.  1,  and  throughout  the  chapter. 
Vol.  III.  209 


Observe,  that  Satan  stood  up  against  Israel,  and  tempted 
David  to  vainglory.  This  is  the  greatest  evil  he  can  do  the 
Church  of  God,  to  beguile  her  rulers  to  pride,  by  which  he  him- 
self fell  (see  on  1  Tim.  iii.  7) ;  but  observe  also,  that  "  out  of  the 
eater  came  forth  meat"  (see  Judg.  xiv.  14)  ;  these  machinations 
of  Satan  recoiled  against  himself.  By  the  mercy  of  God  they 
resulted  in  the  building  of  the  Temple,  where  sacrifices  were 
offered  to  the  true  God,  which  prepared  the  minds  of  the  faithful 
for  the  Coming  of  Christ,  the  Conqueror  of  Satan,  and  the  Builder 
of  the  Church. 

It  has  been  alleged  by  some  critics  (Eichhorn,  Ber- 
thold,  De  Wette,  Oramberg),  that  this  introduction  of  Satan 
is  an  evidence  of  a  later  date  than  is  commonly  assigned  to 
the  Chronicles,  and  that  it  was  due  to  the  influence  of  the 
Oriental  theosophy  on  the  writer's  mind.  But  the  view  here 
presented  to  us  is  totally  distinct  from  that  of  the  Eastern 
dualistic  theory  of  the  Zendavesta.  See  Hengst.,  Christol.  i. 
1.  35.  Knapp,  Vorlesung,  i.  3 19.  Keil,  Versuch,  pp.  69—72. 
Archdeacon  Kardwick,  "  Christ  and  other  Masters,"  ii.  411 — 
417. 

2.  the  rulers  of  the  people]  Who  are  called  "  Captains  of  the 
host "  in  2  Sam.  xxiv.  4. 

5.  the  sum  of  the  number]  Cp.  on  2  Sam.  xxiv.  9.  As  to 
evidence  of  an  immense  population  in  Palestine  in  David's  time, 
relatively  to  the  extent  of  the  territory,  see  Bertheau  here. 

6.  Levi  and  Benjamin  counted  he  not]  Levi  was  omitted,  as 
the  sacerdotal  Tribe,  not  liable  to  military  service:  and  cp. 
Movers,  p.  306.  From  the  account  in  2  Sam.  xxiv.  4 — 8,  it 
may  be  inferred,  that  after  the  census  of  Judah  was  taken,  Joab 
went  to  Jerusalem,  and  then  David's  heart  smote  him,  and  the 
census  proceeded  no  further,  and  Benjamin  escaped.  Cp.  Joseph., 
Antt.  vii.  13. 1,  and  below,  xxvii.  24,  where  it  is  recorded  that  the 
census  was  interrupted  by  the  plague;  and  David's  "muster-roll 
was  succeeded  by  a  black  bill  of  mortality"  {M,  Henry). 


The  pestilence. 


1  CHRONICLES  XXI.  8—20. 


David's  repentance. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1017. 
d2  Sam.  24.  10. 
e2  Sam.  12.  13. 
f  See  I  Sam  9.  9. 
t  Heb.  stretch  out. 


t  Heb.  Take  to 

thee. 

g2  Sam.  24.  1.3. 


II  Or,  many. 


h  2  Sam.  24.  16. 


i  See  Gen.  6.  6. 


I  Or,  Araunah, 
3  Sam.  24.  18. 
k  2  Chron.  3.  1. 


12  Chron.  3.  1. 


^  And  David  said  unto  God,  '^  I  have  sinned  greatly,  because  I  have  done  this 
thing :  "  but  now,  I  beseech  thee,  do  away  the  iniquity  of  thy  servant ;  for  I 
have  done  very  foohshly.  ^And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Gad,  David's  ^seer, 
saying,  ^°  Go  and  tell  David,  saying.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  f  offer  thee  three 
tilings:  choose  thee  one  of  them,  that  I  may  do  it  unto  thee.  ^^  So  Gad  came 
to  David,  and  said  unto  him.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  f  Choose  thee  ^-  ^  Either 
three  years'  famine ;  or  three  months  to  be  destroyed  before  thy  foes,  while  that 
the  sword  of  thine  enemies  overtaketh  thee ;  or  else  three  days  the  sword  of  the 
Lord,  even  the  pestilence,  in  the  land,  and  the  angel  of  the  Lord  destroying 
throughout  all  the  coasts  of  Israel.  Now  therefore  advise  thyself  what  word  I 
shall  bring  again  to  him  that  sent  me.  ^^And  David  said  unto  Gad,  I  am  in  a 
great  strait :  let  me  fall  now  into  the  hand  of  the  Lord  ;  for  very  ||  great  are 
his  mercies  :  but  let  me  not  fall  into  the  hand  of  man. 

^^  So  the  Lord  sent  pestilence  upon  Israel :  and  there  fell  of  Israel  seventy 
thousand  men.  ^^  And  God  sent  an  ^  angel  unto  Jerusalem  to  destroy  it :  and 
as  he  was  destroying,  the  Lord  beheld,  and  '  he  repented  him  of  the  evil,  and 
said  to  the  angel  that  destroyed,  It  is  enough,  stay  now  thine  hand.  And  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  the  threshingfloor  of  ||  Oman  the  Jebusite.  ^®  And 
David  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  "  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord  stand  between  the 
earth  and  the  heaven,  having  a  drawn  sword  in  his  hand  stretched  out  over 
Jerusalem.  Then  David  and  the  elders  of  Israel,  tvho  ivere  clothed  in  sack- 
cloth, fell  upon  their  faces.  ^^  And  David  said  unto  God,  Is  it  not  I  that  com- 
manded the  people  to  be  numbered  ?  even  I  it  is  that  have  sinned  and  done 
evil  indeed ;  but  as  for  these  sheep,  what  have  they  done  ?  let  thine  hand,  I 
pray  thee,  0  Lord  my  God,  be  on  me,  and  on  my  father's  house  ;  but  not  on 
thy  people,  that  they  should  be  plagued. 

'^  Then  the  '  angel  of  the  Lord  commanded  Gad  to  say  to  David,  that  David 
should  go  up,  and  set  up  an  altar  unto  the  Lord  in  the  threshingfloor  of  Oman 
the  Jebusite.     ^^  And  David  went  up  at  the  saying  of  Gad,  which  he  spake  in 

And  Oman  turned  back,  and  saw  the  angel ;  and 


II  Or,  WhenOnian  J^\jq  namO   of    tho   LORD. 

turned  back  and 

saw  the  anyel,  then  he  and  his  four  sons  with  him  hid  themselves. 


20 


8.  David  said  unto  God^  David's  repentance  and  confession 
preceded  Gad's  visit  to  liim.  See  on  2  Sam.  xxiv.  10, 11,  where, 
for,  in  the  English  Version,  ought  to  be  corrected  into  a7id,  as 

it  stands  here ;  in  both  cases  the  Hebrew  conjunction  is  the 
same. 

9.  Gad]  Who  is  supposed  by  the  writer  to  be  already  known 
to  the  reader,  from  1  Sam.  xsii.  5.     2  Sam.  xxiv.  11,  12. 

—  David's  seer]  Heb.  David's  chozeh.  See  below,  on 
ixix.  29. 

10.  I  offer  thee]  Literally,  I  spread  out  lefore  thee  three 
things. 

12.  three  years']  See  2  Sam.  xxiv.  13,  where  it  is  "seven 
years,"  The  harmony  which  the  expositors  remark  between 
the  clause,  three  things  (famine,  war,  and  pestilence),  and  three 
years,  three  months,  and  three  days,  seems  to  render  it  very 
unlikely  that  the  copyists  should  have  introduced  the  number 
seven  here  of  their  own  fancy,  or  by  mistake. 

There  is,  doubtless,  a  good  ground  for  both  readings ;  and 
it  is  very  probable  that  four  years  of  famine  had  already  pre- 
ceded, or  were  in  progress  ;  and  then  there  would  be  in  a  certain 
sense  seven  years,  and  in  another  sense  three.  See  above,  on 
2  Sam.  xxiv.  13 ;  and  Lightfoot's  Chronicle  of  the  Times,  in  his 
Works,  vol.  i.  pp.  68—71.  In  Num.  xiv.  33,  34,  God  says  that 
He  would  make  the  Israelites  wander  forty  years,  which  could 
only  be  made  up  by  reckoning  the  time  that  had  already  elapsed 
before  that  sentence  was  pronounced :  see  on  Num.  xiii.  34. 

—  to  be  destroyed]  Or,  being  destroyed,  the  niphal  par- 
ticiple. See  Prov.  xiii.  23.  Gesen,  953.  In  Samuel  it  is,  to 
flee, 

15.  stay  now  thine  hand]  In  Samuel,  we  are  informed  that 
the  Angel  had    stretched   out  his   hand  upon   Jerusalem   to 
destroy  it. 
210 


17.  And  David  said]  He  owned  his  sin,  and  accepted  the 
punishment  as  the  just  reward  of  it ;  and  yet  he  did  not  despair 
of  God's  mercy;  and  he  interceded  for  his  people,  "  These  sheep, 
what  have  they  done  ?" 

Christ,  the  Divine  David,  though  perfectly  sinless,  yet  ac- 
cepted the  punishment  due  to  our  sins,  and  He,  the  good  Shep- 
herd, laid  down  His  life  for  the  sheep  (John  x.  15),  and  is  ever 
interceding  for  them. 

18.  the  angel  of  the  Loed  commanded  Gad  to  say  to 
David]  This  incident  is  added  by  the  Sacred  Writer  here,  and 
it  is  one  of  the  many  proofs  that  he  was  not  swayed  (as  some 
allege)  by  priestly  prejudice  against  the  prophets.  The  Angel 
did  not  speak  to  David,  but  commanded  Gad  the  prophet  to 
do  so ;  a  remarkable  tribute  of  honour  to  the  prophetic  office. 
See  below,  on  Acts  ix.  6 ;  x.  5. 

—  Oman]  in  Samuel,  Araunah,  the  Jebusite,  a  name  which 
has  been  Hebraized  into  Oman  {Bertheau). 

—  the  Jebusite]  Gad  made  choice  of  ground  at  Jerusalem, 
and  of  ground  that  belonged  to  a  Jebusite,  as  the  site  for  the 
altar  and  the  Temple ;  a  happy  presage  of  the  union  of  Jew  and 
Gentile  in  the  Church  of  Christ  (Acts  xv.  16, 17),  and  this  ground 
was  a  threshingfloor ;  the  Church  is  the  floor  of  His  thresh- 
ing (Isa.  xxi.  10),  and  Christ's  fan  is  in  His  hand  with  which 
He  wiU  purge  His  floor  (see  Matt.  iii.  12).  The  altar  was  built 
first,  and  the  Temple  afterwards ;  and  so  it  was  in  the  patriarchal 
history  :  we  hear  of  the  Patriarchs  building  altars,  not  temples  ; 
the  sacrifice  of  Christ  was,  as  it  were,  the  final  cause  of  the 
Temple.  He  is  "  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world  "  (Rev.  xiii.  8).  See  M.  Henry  here,  and  notes  above,  on 
2  Sam.  xxiv.  24. 

20.  Oman— saw  the  angel]  This  incident  is  not  mentioned 
in  Samuel,  and  adds  an  important  feature  to  the  narrative. 


David's  purchase  ;        1  CHRONICLES  XXI.  21— 30.    XXII.  1.       his  sacrifice  accepted. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1017. 


t  Heb.  Give. 


his  four  sons  with  him  hid  themselves.  Now  Oman  was  threshing  wheat. 
21  And  as  David  came  to  Oman,  Oman  looked  and  saw  David,  and  went  out  of 
the  threshingfloor,  and  bowed  himself  to  David  with  his  face  to  the  ground. 
^  Then  David  said  to  Oman,  f  Grant  me  the  place  of  this  threshingfloor,  that 
I  may  build  an  altar  therein  unto  the  Lord  :  thou  shalt  grant  it  me  for  the  full 
price  :  that  the  plague  may  be  stayed  from  the  people.  ^^  And  Oman  said 
unto  David,  Take  it  to  thee,  and  let  my  lord  the  king  do  that  which  is  good  in 
his  eyes  :  lo,  I  give  thee  the  oxen  also  for  burnt  offerings,  and  the  threshing 
instruments  for  wood,  and  the  wheat  for  the  meat  offering;  I  give  it  all.  '^^kn.d. 
king  David  said  to  Oman,  Nay ;  but  I  will  verily  buy  it  for  the  full  price  :  for  I 
will  not  take  that  which  is  thine  for  the  Lord,  nor  offer  burnt  offerings  without 
cost.  25  gQ  m  j)g^yi^  g^yg  ^q  Omau  for  the  place  six  hundred  shekels  of  gold 
by  weight.  -^  And  David  built  there  an  altar  unto  the  Lord,  and  offered  burnt 
offerings  and  peace  offerings,  and  called  upon  the  Lord;  and  "he  answered  5  ^^j^-^^-g^*- 
him  from  heaven  by  fire  upon  the  altar  of  burnt  ofi'ering.  27  ^^^  the  Lord  '•  '• 
commanded  the  angel ;  and  he  put  up  his  sword  again  into  the  sheath 
thereof. 

■^^At  that  time  when  David  saw  that  the  Lord  had  answered  him  in  the 
threshingfloor  of  Oman  the  Jebusite,  then  he  sacrificed  there.     ^^  °  For  the  °  "^^  "^  '^• 
tabernacle  of  the  Lord,  wliich  Moses  made  in  the  wilderness,  and  the  altar  of 
the  burnt  offering,  were  at  that  season  in  the  high  place  at  ^  Gibeon.     ^^  But  l^  f^^^ll  ^-  * 
David  could  not  go  before  it  to  inquire  of  God :  for  he  was  afraid  because  of  ^  '^'''""-  '•  ^• 
the  sword  of  the  angel  of  the  Lord.     XXII.  *  Then  David  said, 


m  2  Sam.  24.  24. 


—  Oman  was  threshing  toheaf]  This  incident  also  is  added 
by  the  Sacred  Writer  here ;  and  it  explains  the  fact  mentioned 
in  Samuel  (2  Sam.  xxiv.  22),  that  there  were  oxen  there  at  the 
time,  doubtless  employed  in  treading  out  the  corn  on  the  thresh- 
ingfloor. Hence  Arannah  says  here,  ii.  23,  "  Lo,  I  give  thee 
the  oxen,"  which  have  not  been  mentioned  in  this  narrative ; 
and  he  says  also,  "  I  give  thee  the  wheat"  (i.  e.  that  which  they 
have  trodden  out)  "  for  a  meat  oftering." 

24.  /  will  verily  buy  it  for  the  full  price']  The  threshingfloor 
of  Araunah,  as  has  been  already  noticed  (see  above,  on  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  24),  was  a  figure  of  the  Universal  Church.  David  would 
not  receive  it  for  nothing,  but  said  that  he  would  surely  buy  it 
at  a  price.  So  the  divine  Son  of  David  has  purchased  the 
Universal  Church  at  a  price,  even  of  His  own  Blood :  and  the 
Apostle  says,  ye  are  bought  with  a  price.  See  1  Cor.  vi.  20; 
vii.  23,  and  Acts  xx.  28.  David's  sacrifice  was  accepted  («.  26), 
and  the  pestilence  ceased.  Christ's  sacrifice  was  accepted,  and 
the  world  was  saved  from  the  pestilence  of  Sin  and  Death. 

25.  for  the  place']  Not  only  the  threshingfloor,  for  the  site  of 
the  altar,  but  the  whole  homestead  and  its  precincts,  for  the  site 
of  the  future  Temple.     See  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiv,  24. 

26.  the  JjOBD— ^answered  him — by  fire]  And  thus  gave  a 
manifest  token  of  the  acceptance  of  his  sacrifice.  See  on 
Gen.  iv.  4.  Lev.  ix.  24.  1  Kings  xviii.  24.  38.  2  Kings  i.  12. 
2  Chron.  vii.  1.  And  thus  the  place  was  hallowed  for  the 
service  of  God.     See  v.  28. 

28.  he  sacrificed  there]  David  would  not  have  built  an  altar 
and  have  sacrificed  there,  if  he  had  not  received  a  special  command 
from  God  to  do  so  {v.  18).  But  having  been  directed  to  do  so, 
David  built  the  altar  and  offered  sacrifice,  having  first  pur- 
chased the  site  for  the  altar  from  Araunah.  And  having  done  so, 
he  continued  to  sacrifice  there,  because  that  place  was  consecrated 
by  God's  appearance  to  him,  and  by  the  visible  acceptance  of  the 
sacrifice.  David  therefore  proclaimed  the  sanctity  of  the  place, 
and  said,  "  This  is  the  house  of  the  Lord  God,  and  this  is  the 
altar  of  the  burnt  offering  for  Israel"  (xxii.  1) ;  and  thence- 
forth he  prepared  for  the  building  of  the  Temple  there  (xxii. 
2-5). 

29.  For  the  Tabernacle— at  Gibeon]  Rather,  Now  the  Taber- 
nacle of  the  Lord,  &c.,  was  at  Oibeon.  The  Sacred  Writer,  by 
this  parenthesis,  calls  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  the  import- 
ant fact,  that  the  Tabernacle,  which  Moses  had  made  by  God's 
express  command,  and  under  His  direction,  at  Mount  Sinai,  and 
the   altar  of  burnt-sacrifice,  were  now  at   the  high  place  at 

211 


Gibeon  (only  about  eight  miles  to  the  N."w.  of  Jerusalem),  and 
that  David  would  have  gone  thither  to  offer  sacrifices  on  the 
brazen  altar  there,  if  he  had  not  received  a  special  command 
from  God  to  build  an  altar  and  offer  sacrifice  on  the  threshing- 
floor  of  Araunah. 

30.  David  could  not  go  before  it— for  he  was  afraid  because 
of  the  sword]  David  feared  that  the  Angel  would  not  spare 
Jerusalem,  if  he  delayed  to  offer  sacrifice.  Perhaps  he  remem- 
bered the  act  of  Aaron  in  the  pestilence,  who  "  ran  and  stood 
between  the  dead  and  the  living "  (Num.  xvi.  47,  48).  He 
tliought  that  the  sacrifice  must  be  offered  immediately,  and  it 
would  have  required  some  time  to  go  to  Gibeon  and  sacrifice 
there.  Besides,  the  place  where  he  was,  had  been  prescribed  as 
a  site  for  the  altar  and  the  sacrifice.  And  probably  the  Angel 
was  visible  with  the  sword  in  his  hand  until  the  sacrifice  was 
offered  there.  God,  in  His  mercy,  bade  him  build  an  altar  there, 
dispensing  with  His  own  Law  concerning  one  altar,  because  of 
the  urgency  of  the  case,  and  accepting  the  sacrifice  offered  on 
this  new  altar,  which  was  not  set  up  against  the  old,  but  in 
harmony  with  it,  by  command  of  Him  Who  instituted  the  old. 
The  outward  symbols  of  unity  are  not  to  be  set  in  opposition  to 
unity  itself,  which  consists  in  obedience  to  God.  The  site  of 
this  new  altar  became  itself  the  centre  of  unity.  Unity  is  where 
God  is,  and  where  He  requires  us  to  be.  See  above,  on  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  is — 25,  for  further  reflections  on  this  history,  which 
describes  the  appearance  of  "  the  Angel  of  the  Lord "  at  the 
same  place,  Moriah,  where  he  had  appeared  to  Abraham,  when 
intending  to  offer  up  Isaac,  the  figure  of  Christ ;  a  place  which 
is  here  described  as  "  the  threshingfloor  of  Araunah  the  Jebusite," 
and  which  is  purchased  as  a  site  for  an  altar  by  David  the  king; 
and  where  the  Temple  was  afterwards  built  by  Solomon,  in 
wliich  those  sacrifices  were  offered,  which  foreshadowed  the  One 
Sacrifice  of  Christ ;  and  where  the  Pestilence  ceased  "  at  the 
time  appointed,"  viz.,  at  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the  Evening 
Sacrifice.  See  also  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiv.  15,  for  some  remarks 
on  the  spiritual  relation  of  these  historical  fiicts  to  the  great 
mysteries  of  the  Gospel. 

David's  Declaration  on  Moriah. 
Ch.  xxii.  1.  Then  David  said]  As  by  a  prophetic  utter- 
ance, prompted  by  inspiration  of  God  ;  he  had  seen  the  Angel 
of  the  Lord  there,  and  had  received  a  command  from  God 
to  build  an  altar  there,  and  had  offered  sacrifices,  and  those 
sacrifices  had  been  graciouslv  accepted  by  God  with  a  visi'jle 


David  declares  the  site 


1  CHRONICLES  XXII.  2—10. 


vf  the  future  Temple, 


Before 
CHRIST 
1017. 
aBeut.  12.  5. 
2  Sam.  24.  18. 
ch.  21.  18,  19,  26, 
28. 

2  Chron.  3.  1. 
b  1  Kings  9.21. 


c  ver.  14. 

1  Kings  7.47. 

d  1  Kings  5.  6. 

e  ch.  29.  1. 


f  2  Sam.  7.  2. 
1  Kings  8.  17. 
ch.  17.  1.  &  28.2. 
g  Deut.  12.  5,  II. 
h  1  Kings  5.  3. 
ch.  28.  3. 


i  ch.  28.  5. 

k  1  Kings  4.  25. 
&5.  4. 
II  That  is, 
Peaceable. 
1  2  Sam.  7.  13. 
1  Kings  b.  5.     ch. 


^  This  is  the  house  of  the  Lord  God, 

And  this  is  the  altar  of  the  burnt  offering  for  Israel. 

^  And  David  commanded  to  gather  together  ^  the  strangers  that  were  in  the 
land  of  Israel ;  and  he  set  masons  to  hew  wrought  stones  to  build  the  house 
of  God.  ^And  David  prepared  iron  in  abundance  for  the  nails  for  the  doors  of 
the  gates,  and  for  the  joinings ;  and  brass  in  abundance  ''without  weight ;  ^  Also 
cedar  trees  in  abundance  :  for  the  ''  Zidonians  and  they  of  Tyre  brought  much 
cedar  wood  to  David.  ^And  David  said,  ^Solomon  my  son  is  young  and 
tender,  and  the  house  that  is  to  be  builded  for  the  Lord  must  he  exceeding 
magnifical,  of  fame  and  of  glory  throughout  all  countries :  I  will  therefore  now 
make  preparation  for  it.     So  David  prepared  abundantly  before  his  death. 

^  Then  he  called  for  Solomon  liis  son,  and  charged  him  to  build  an  house 
for  the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  ^  And  David  said  to  Solomon,  My  son,  as  for 
me,  ""it  was  in  my  mind  to  build  an  house  ^unto  the  name  of  the  Lord  my 
God  :  ^  But  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  me,  saying,  ^  Thou  hast  shed  blood 
abundantly,  and  hast  made  great  wars :  thou  shalt  not  build  an  house  unto 
my  name,  because  thou  hast  shed  much  blood  upon  the  earth  in  my  sight. 
^ '  Behold,  a  son  shall  be  born  to  thee,  who  shall  be  a  man  of  rest ;  and  I  will 
give  him  "  rest  from  all  his  enemies  round  about :  for  his  name  shall  be  ||  Solo- 
mon, and  I  will  give  peace  and  quietness  unto  Israel  in  his  days.     ^^'  He  shall 


17.  12,  13.  &28.  6. 


token  of  His  favour,  in  the  fire  from  heaven  (xxi.  26) ;  and 
the  plague,  which  had  made  such  fearful  ravages,  had  been 
stayed  from  Israel,  when  those  sacrifices  were  offered,  and 
had  ceased  at  the  very  place  where  they  were  offered.  David, 
the  King,  Prophet,  and  Patriarch  (Acts  ii.  29),  who  had  stood, 
as  it  were,  between  the  dead  and  the  living,  and  who  had  long 
wished  to  find  a  house  for  the  Lord  his  God,  and  had  been 
assured  by  Nathan  the  prophet  that  this  wish  would  be  gratified 
in  the  days  of  his  son  (see  2  Sam.  vii.  13),  now  pours  forth 
from  the  fulness  of  a  grateful  heart  this  fervid  ejaculation,  which 
may  be  regarded  as  the  declaration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  speaking 
by  him,  and  proclaiming  the  will  of  God  choosing  the  hill  of 
Moriah,  and  the  threshingfloor  of  Araunah  the  Jebusite,  as  the  site 
of  the  future  Temple—"  This  is  the  House  of  the  Loed  God." 

May  we  not  be  allowed  to  suppose  that  when  David  uttered 
these  words,  he  had  visions  of  the  past  ?  Did  he  not  then  think 
of  Abraham  and  Isaac,  standing  together  on  this  hill  ?  Did  he 
not  liear,  with  his  mind's  ear,  the  voice  from  heaven  to  the 
Patriarch,  whose  faith  and  obedience  were  rewarded  in  this  spot 
by  a  promise  of  an  universal  blessing  in  his  Seed  ?  May  he 
not  also  have  seen,  in  the  distant  future,  the  Divine  Antitype  of 
that  sacrifice,  and  of  all  the  sacrifices  that  would  be  offered  in 
the  Temple  ?  May  he  not  have  had  a  vision  of  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ,  which  would  be  the  signal  for  the  cessation  of  the 
pestilence  of  sin  and  misery  throughout  the  world,  and  for  the 
sheathing  of  the  sword  of  God's  wrath,  hanging  over  the  human 
race,  and  which  would  be  graciously  accepted  by  God  as  a  full 
and  perfect  propitiation,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  sacrifice 
offered  by  David  on  the  altar  of  the  threshingfloor  was  accepted 
by  fire  from  heaven  ? 

Henceforth,  full  of  faith,  David  began  to  make  preparations 
for  the  building  of  the  Temple. 

2.  And  David  commanded']  It  has  been  alleged  by  some 
critics  (Z>e  Wette,  Oramberg)  that  all  this  history  of  David's 
preparations  for  the  building  of  the  Temple,  which  are  not 
noticed  in  Samuel  and  Kings,  was  invented  by  the  author  of 
the  Chronicles,  in  order  to  gain  reverence  for  the  Priesthood  and 
its  ministrations ;  but  see  Bahler,  de  Paralip.  Auctoritate  p.  67 ; 
Keil,  Chronik.  p.  404;  Movers,  p.  320;  and  the  notes  below^ 
on  xxviii.  1. 

We  know  from  Samuel  (2  Sam.  vii.  2)  that  David,  haviuf 
built  a  palace  of  cedar  for  himself  at  Jeru.salem,  was  touched 
with  a  strong  feeling  of  regret  that  the  "  ark  of  God  "  was  left 
to  dwell  "  within  curtains ;"  and  that  he  had  an  ardent  desire 
to  build  a  house  for  God;  and  that  he  was  assured  that  his  son 
should  build  it.  But  as  yet  he  had  no  intimation  of  the  place 
where  it  would  be  built.  Wliat  could,  therefore,  be  more 
natural,  than  that,  as  soon  as  David  had  an  intimation  from  God 
212 


in  this  respect,  and  had  received  the  joyful  intelligence  that  the 
site  of  the  Temple  was  not  to  be  at  Qibeon,  where  the  Tabernacle 
was,  but  near  his  own  palace  in  his  own  capital  city  at  Jeru- 
salem, to  which  he  had  brought  up  the  Ark,  he  should  imme- 
diately proceed  to  bring  together  materials  for  the  Temple  to 
that  chosen  spot,  and  so  be  a  sharer  with  his  son  and  successor 
in  the  blessed  privilege  of  building  a  house  for  the  Most  High  ? 
It  has  been  observed  before,  that  David  and  Solomon, 
joined  together,  make  a  type  of  Christ,  especially  in  the  building 
of  the  Temple.  David  prepares,  Solomon  executes.  Christ  was 
the  Preparer  of  the  materials  for  the  erection  of  His  Church 
Universal,  as  well  as  the  Builder  of  it.  He  prepared  for  it  in 
the  Patriarchs  and  Prophets,  and  built  it  up  by  the  Apostles  and 
Evangelists.     See  above.  Introduction. 

—  strangers']  Not  Israelites.  See  above,  on  1  Kings  v.  15; 
ix.  22 ;  below,  2  Chron.  ii.  1  ;  viii.  7.  David  sets  proselytes  or 
converted  Gentiles  to  work  to  get  stones  for  the  Temple.  This 
was  a  type  of  the  spiritual  Temple,  the  Chm'ch,  to  be  built  up 
by  Gentiles  under  the  Gospel  {Lightfoot). 

3.  iron]  Iron  is  mentioned  here  and  in  xxix.  2  as  prepared 
for  the  works  of  the  Temple :  there  is  no  mention  of  it  in  the 
building  of  the  Tabernacle. 

—  joinings]  Iron  bands  and  cramps. 

4.  the  Zidonians  and  they  of  Tyre]  See  on  2  Sam.  v.  11, 
where  it  appears  that  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  was  a  friend  of 
David :  cp.  1  Kings  v.  1.  15 — 25. 

6.  young  and  tender]  Cp.  xxix.  1,  where  the  same  words  are 
used.  As  to  Solomon's  age,  see  above,  on  2  Sam.  xi.  1,  and 
1  Kings  iii.  7.  Solomon  reigned  forty  years,  and  he  was  pro- 
bably about  twenty  years  old  when  he  came  to  the  throne. 

—  exceeding  magniJicaV]  Literally,  to  make  great  exceedingly, 
to  magnify  God  greatly  (see  Gesen.  359) ;  the  verb  used  here  is 
the  MpMl  infin.  of  gadal,  to  be  great.  David  is  not  speak- 
ing only  of  the  magnificence  of  the  building  itself,  but  of  its 
quality  also  to  magnify  God  by  its  magnificence. 

—  of  fame  and  of  glory]  Literally,  for  a  name  and  glory  in 
all  lands.  The  Temple  was  to  have,  as  it  were,  a  missionary 
character  and  ofiice,  in  proclaiming  the  Name  of  the  Lord  to  all 
nations. 

6.  Then  he  called  for  Solomon]  Probably  not  long  before 
his  death  :  cp.  1  Kings  ii.  1,  2. 

8.  Thou  hast  shed  blood  abundantly]  David  himself,  with 
frank  and  honest  candour,  declares  this  reason;  which  is  not 
mentioned  by  the  historian  (2  Sam.  vii.  5 — 13),  nor  by  Solomon. 
See  above,  on  1  Kings  viii.  19 ;  and  Prelim.  Note  to  1  Kings  vi. 

9.  his  name  shall  be  Solonon]  See  2  Sam.  xii.  24.  The 
Writer  of  Samuel  informs  us  that  David  gave  him  this  name, 
and  the  Author  of  Chronicles  tells  us  that  God  had  prescribed 


David  charges  Solomon         1  CHRONICLES  XXII.  11—19. 


to  build  the  Temple, 


build  an  house  for  my  name  ;  and  *"  he  shall  be  my  son,  and  I  will  he  his  father ; 
and  I  will  establish  the  throne  of  his  kingdom  over  Israel  for  ever.  ^'  Now, 
my  son,  "  the  Lord  be  with  thee ;  and  prosper  thou,  and  build  the  house  of  the 
Lord  thy  God,  as  he  hath  said  of  thee.  ^^  Only  the  Lord  °  give  thee  wisdom 
and  understanding,  and  give  thee  charge  concerning  Israel,  that  thou  mayest 
keep  the  law  of  the  Lord  thy  God.  ^^  ^  Then  shalt  thou  prosper,  if  thou  takest 
heed  to  fulfil  the  statutes  and  judgments  which  the  Lord  charged  Moses  with 
concerning  Israel :  '^  be  strong,  and  of  good  courage  ;  dread  not,  nor  be  dis- 
mayed. 

^^  Now,  behold,  ||  in  my  trouble  I  have  prepared  for  the  house  of  the  Lord 
an  hundred  thousand  talents  of  gold,  and  a  thousand  thousand  talents  of 
silver;  and  of  brass  and  iron  "■  without  weight ;  for  it  is  in  abundance:  timber 
also  and  stone  have  I  prepared  ;  and  thou  mayest  add  thereto.  ^^  Moreover 
there  are  workmen  with  thee  in  abundance,  hewers  and  ||  workers  of  stone  and 
timber,  and  all  manner  of  cunning  men  for  every  manner  of  work.  ^^  Of  the 
gold,  the  silver,  and  the  brass,  and  the  iron,  there  is  no  number.  Aiise  there- 
fore, and  be  doing,  and  '  the  Lord  be  with  thee. 

^7  David  also  commanded  all  the  princes  of  Israel  to  help  Solomon  his  son, 
saying,  ^^  Is  not  the  Lord  your  God  with  you  ?  '  and  hath  he  not  given  you 
rest  on  every  side  ?  for  he  hath  given  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  into  mine 
hand;  and  the  land  is  subdued  before  the  Lord,  and  before  his  people.     ^^Now 


Before 
CHRIST 
1017. 
m  Heb.  1.  5. 

n  ver.  16. 

o  1  Kings  3. 9,  12. 
Ps.  72.  1. 


p  Josh.  1.  7,  8. 
ch.  28.  7. 


q  Deut.  31.  7,  8. 
Josh.  1.  6,  7,  9. 
ch.  28.  20. 


II  Or,  in  my 
poverty. 


II  That  is, 
masuns  and 
caijjentert. 


t  Dent.  12.  10. 
Josh.  22.  4. 
2  Sam.  7.  1. 
ch.  23.  25 


that  name.  The  author  of  Samuel  relates  that  God  gave  him 
also  another  name,  "  Jedidiah,"  beloved  of  the  Lord.  He, 
as  Prince  of  Peace,  would  build  the  Temple,  the  figure  of  the 
Church  of  Christ  {Theodoret,  Qu.  1). 

10.  establish  the  throne  of  his  Jcingdom^for  ever']  lu  Christ 
(See  on  2  Sam.  vii.,  Prelim.  Note)  ;  and  therefore  this  is  applied 
to  Christ  by  the  Angel  (Luke  i.  32) :  cp.  Acts  ii.  29,  30,  where 
St.  Peter  asserts  that  David,  being  a  prophet,  foresaw  and  fore- 
told that  Christ  would  sit  on  his  throne. 

12.  the  LoED  ffive  thee  tvisdom]  Hence  Solomon's  prayer 
(1  Kings  iii.  5 — 15). 

12.  13.  the  law — statutes  and  judgments']  The  whole  Levitical 
Code.     See  above,  Exod.  xxi.  1.     Deut.  iv.  1. 

13.  be  strong,  and  of  good  courage;  dread  not]  A  phrase 
borrowed  from  the  Mosaic  Law  (Deut.  xxxi.  6.  8 :  cp.  Josh. 
i.  6,  7). 

14.  in  my  trouble]  Or  afiliction,  consequent  on  the  rebellions 
of  Absalom,  and  other  calamities  which  happened  to  him  after 
the  sin  recorded  in  2  Sam.  xi.,  and  which  clouded  over  the  latter 
part  of  his  reign. 

So  Christ,  in  and  by  His  trouble,  affliction,  and  poverty, 
prepared  for  the  building  of  His  Church.     See  2  Cor.  viii.  9. 

The  Sum  Amassed  by  David  foe  the  Temple. 

—  ayi  hundred  thousand  talents  of  gold,  and  a  thousand 
thousand  talents  of  silver]  (1)  This  sum,  if  taken  literally,  is 
enormously  large,  and  would,  accoi'ding  to  some,  amount  to 
more  than  eighty  millions  sterling.  Michaelis ;  Keil,  Chronik. 
336;  who  however  observes  rightly  that  all  calculations  based 
upon  our  weights  or  money,  in  their  relation  to  that  in  the  text 
are  very  uncertain. 

(2)  There  seems  also  to  be  a  distinction  to  be  made  between 
the  gold  here  mentioned,  and  pure  gold  of  Ophir  (see  below, 
xxix.  4),  where  David  says  that  he  has  given  of  his  own  treasure, 
above  what  he  had  prepared,  3000  talents  of  gold  of  Ophir, 
and  7000  talents  of  refined  silver.  The  smallness  of  that  sum 
compared  with  the  enormous  amount  in  the  present  passage 
seems  to  show,  that  David  is  here  speaking  of  gold  and  silver  in 
an  unrefined  state,  and  lying  in  a  rude  unsmelted  mass ;  and 
this  opinion  is  confirmed  by  what  he  adds  afterwards,  v.  16,  "  of 
the  gold,  the  silver,  the  brass,  and  the  iron,  there  is  no  number." 

Probably  the  gold  and  silver  were  in  much  the  same  state 
respectively  as  the  wood  and  stone,  which  had  been  provided, 
but  were  as  yet  unhewn  and  unwrought. 

(3)  For  a  further  discussion  of  the   quet>tion,  see  Keil, 
213 


Chi-onik.  pp.  834—336 ;  and  1  Kings  vii.  51,  p.  88  :  cp.  Movers, 
Phoeniz.  pp.  40—42;  Bdhr,  Symbolik.  i.  257—259;  Kitto's 
Illustrations  on  the  Kings,  p.  63,  who  suggests,  that  the  talent 
here  mentioned  was  not  of  the  same  value  as  the  talent  in  the 
earlier  Books  of  the  Bible,  e.g.  the  Book  of  Kings,  where 
Solomon's  annual  revenue  is  said  to  have  been  666  talents 
(1  Kings  X.  14). 

This  is  probable.  The  Books  of  Chronicles  were  written 
after  the  Babylonish  Captivity.  And  the  author  had  lived  in 
Chaldaja,  and  he  wrote  according  to  the  weights  and  measures 
of  Babylon  and  the  East,  where  the  talent  was  considerably  less 
in  value  than  in  Palestine.  Hence  Josephus  speaks  of  the 
talents  of  gold  gathered  together  by  David  as  10,000,  and 
100,000  talents  of  silver  {Joseph.,  Antt.  vii.  14.  2). 

(4)  We  have  a  parallel  to  this  in  the  modes  of  reckoning 
time  in  the  Gospels.  St.  John,  writing  in  Asia,  adopts  the 
Asiatic  mode  (see  below,  on  John  i.  39 ;  xix.  14).  The  other 
Evangelists  follow  the  Roman. 

(5)  As  the  Tabernacle  was  made  of  spoils  from  heathen 
Egypt,  so  the  Temple  was  erected  from  the  treasures  collected 
by  David  in  his  wars  wth  Syrians,  iVIoabites,  Ammonites, 
Philistines,  and  Amalekites  (2  Sam.  viii.  7—12.  1  Clu-on.  xviii. 
7—11).  And  so  the  Church  of  Christ  is  formed  by  the  means 
of  the  intellectual,  scientific,  and  literary  treasures  derived 
from  all  Nations:  cp.  above,  note  on  Exod.  iii.  22.  Christ, 
Who  is  the  Divine  David,  the  Man  of  war,  brings  every  thing 
into  subjection  to  Himself,  and  lays  it  under  tribute  for  the 
building  of  the  Church,  which  is  completed  by  Him,  Who  is  also 
the  Divine  Solomon,  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

(6)  Yet,  further,  in  this  inappi-eciable  sum,  that  has 
baffled  the  skill  of  expositors  and  calculators,  which  David 
prepared  for  the  building  and  furniture  of  the  Temple,  may  we 
not  recognize  a  sj)iritual  meaning  ? 

May  it  not  symbolize  the  immense  value  of  the  spoils  which 
our  Divine  David  tore  from  the  grasp  of  our  spiritual  enemies, 
in  order  that  therewith  He  might  build  up  His  Uving  Temple, 
the  Church  ?  He  spoiled  principalities  and  powers,  and  triumphed 
over  them  openly  by  His  Ci-oss  (see  below,  on  Col.  ii.  15). 
That  was  His  poverty.  His  affliction.  But  therewith  He 
saved  the  World  (see  2  Cor.  viii.  9).  He  entered  the  strong 
man's  house,  rescued  men  and  nations  fi-om  the  hands  of  Satan 
(see  Luke  xi.  22),  and  made  them  to  be  lively  stones  in  the 
spiritual  fabric  of  His  Church  (1  Pet.  ii.  5),  and  gave  them  the 
glory  of  heaven.  He  pm-chased  them  for  Himself,  and  procured 
a  place  for  them  in  His  heavenly  Temple,  by  the  inestimable 
cost  of  His  own  most  precious  blood  (1  Pet.  i.  19). 


David  makes  Solomon  King.     1  CHRONICLES  XXIII.  1—13. 


The  Levites. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1017. 
u  2  Chron.  20.  3. 
X  1  Kings  8.  6, 
21. 

2  Chron.  5.  7.  & 
6.  11. 
y  ver.  7. 
1  Kings  5.  3. 

1015. 
a  1  Kings  1.  33— 
39. 
ch'.  28.  5. 


about 

1045. 

b  Num.  4.  3,  47. 

n  Or,  ta  oversee. 

c  Deut.  16.  18. 

ch.  26.  29. 

2  Chron.  19.  8. 

A  See  2  Chron.  29 
25,  26. 
Amos  6.  5. 
e  Exod.  6.  16. 
Num.  26.  57. 
ch.  6.  1,  &c. 
2  Chron.  8.  14.  & 
29.  25. 

t  Heb.  divisions. 
f  ch.  26.  21. 
II  Or,  Libni, 
ch.  6.  17. 


II  Or,  Zizah, 
ver.  11. 


+  Heb.  did  not 
multiply  sons. 


g  Exod.  6.  18. 

h  Exod.  6.  20. 
i  Exod.  28.  1. 
Heb.  5.  4. 
k  Exod.  30.  7. 
Num.  16.  40.     1 


"  set  your  heart  and  your  soul  to  seek  the  Loed  your  God  ;  arise  therefore,  and 
build  ye  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord  God,  to  ''  bring  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of 
the  Lord,  and  the  holy  vessels  of  God,  into  the  house  that  is  to  be  built  ^  to 
the  name  of  the  Lord. 

XXIII.  ^  So  when  David  was  old  and  full  of  days,  he  made  ^  Solomon  his 
son  king  over  Israel. 

2  And  he  gathered  together  all  the  princes  of  Israel,  with  the  priests  and  the 
Levites.  ^Now  the  Levites  were  numbered  from  the  age  of  ''thirty  years  and 
upward :  and  their  number  by  their  polls,  man  by  man,  was  thirty  and  eight 
thousand.  "*  Of  which,  twenty  and  four  thousand  ivere  \\  to  set  forward  the 
work  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  ;  and  six  thousand  ivere  "  officers  and  judges  : 
^  Moreover  four  thousand  ivere  porters ;  and  four  thousand  praised  the  Lord 
•  with  the  instruments  ^  which  I  made,  said  David,  to  praise  thereivith. 

^  And  ^  David  divided  them  into  f  courses  among  the  sons  of  Levi,  namely, 
Gershon,  Kohath,  and  Merari. 

7  Of  the  *"  Gershonites  ivere,  ||  Laadan,  and  Shimei.  ^  The  sons  of  Laadan  ; 
the  chief  ivas  Jehiel,  and  Zetham,  and  Joel,  three.  ^  The  sons  of  Shimei ; 
Shelomith,  and  Haziel,  and  Haran,  three.  These  ivere  the  chief  of  the  fathers 
of  Laadan.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  Shimei  luere,  Jahath,  1|  Zina,  and  Jeush,  and 
Beriah.  These  four  loere  the  sons  of  Shimei.  ^*  And  Jahath  was  the  cliief,  and 
Zizah  the  second  :  but  Jeush  and  Beriah  f  had  not  many  sons ;  therefore  they 
were  in  one  reckoning,  according  to  their  father's  house. 

^2  s  The  sons  of  Kohath  ;  Amram,  Izhar,  Hebron,  and  Uzziel,  four.  '^  The 
sons  of  "^ Amram ;  Aaron  and  Moses:  and  'Aaron  was  separated,  that  he  should 
sanctify  the  most  holy  things,  he  and  his  sons  for  ever,  *"  to  bum  incense  before 


19.  to  bring  the  ark — into  the  house  that  is  to  be  built  to  the 
name  of  the  Loed]  And  which  was  to  take  the  place  of  the 
Tabernacle,  that  was  thenceforth  to  vanish  away. 

Ch.  XXIII.  1.  full  of  days']  Like  Abraham.  See  on  Gen. 
XXV.  8 ;  and  Isaac  (Gen.  xxxv.  29).  On  the  chronology  of  this 
period,  see  below,  Prelim.  Note  to  Chap,  xxvili. 

—  he  made  Solomon  his  son  king']  During  his  lifetime.  On 
this  blending  of  Solomon's  reign  in  a  continuous  and  unin- 
terrupted flow  with  that  of  David,  see  above,  Introd.  to 
Samuel,  p.  xiv,  and  to  Kings. 

S.  Augustine  observes  (de  Civ.  Dei,  xvii.  8),  that,  of  all 
the  Brings  of  Israel  and  Judah,  David  is  the  oiily  one  where 
the  father  is  expressly  mentioned  in  Scripture  as  admitting  his 
son  to  reign  with  him  in  his  lifetime.  This  conjunction  brings 
out  more  clearly  the  important  truth,  that  the  reigns  of  David 
and  Solomon,  in  conjunction,  are  typical  of  the  reign  of  Christ 
in  different  phases.  The  sacred  historian  does  not  give  a  de- 
tailed sccount  of  the  circumstances  of  the  transfer  of  power 
from  David  to  Solomon,  because  they  had  been  already  narrated 
in  the  earlier  chapters  of  the  first  Book  of  Kings ;  but  accord- 
ing to  his  design  of  displaying  the  polity  of  the  Hebrew 
monarchy  under  David  and  Solomon,  in  its  relation  to  the 
Hebrew  Church,  the  Author  of  the  Chronicles  concentrates  his 
narrative  upon  the  house  of  God,  its  fabric,  and  its  ministrations. 

2.  he  gathered  together  all  the  princes — with  the  priests  and 
the  Levites]  On  the  prerogative  of  Hebrew  kings,  and  after 
them  of  Christian  princes,  to  summon  Councils  for  conference, 
to  deliberate  on  matters  of  religion,  see  the  learned  Sermon  of 
Bishop  Andrewes,  v.  155 — 168,  and  the  notes  above.  Num.  x.  2. 

3.  Levites— from  the  age  of  thirty  gears]  To  fifty  yeafs  j  as 
Moses  had  appointed  (Num.  iv.  3.  23.  30.  39.  Cp.  note  above, 
on  Num.  viii.  24  and  25 ;  and  below,  on  vv.  24. — 27). 

On  the  appointments  made  by  David  for  the  service  of  the 
Levites  in  the  Temple,   and  their  distribution,  see  Lightfoot, 
Temple  Service,   ch.  vi. ;    Reland,   Antt.    Sacr.  ii.  6 ;    Winer, 
R.  W.  B.  ii.  22;  Plumptre,  B.  D.  ii.  105-107. 
—  man  by  man]  Not  women,  nor  children. 

4.  the  work  of  the  house  of  the  Loed]  See  vv.  28 — 32  ;  and 
ix.  13. 

214 


—  officers  and  judges]  As  the  Law  required  (Deut.  xvi. 
18). 

5.  four  thousand — porters]  Who  took  care  that  nothing 
unclean  was  brought  into  the  Temple,  and  that  nothing  sacred 
was  carried  out,  and  that  nothing  might  disturb  the  service  of 
the  Temple. 

—  instruments  which  I  made]  See  2  Chron.  xxix.  26. 
Neh.  xii.  36 ;  and  Amos  vi.  5,  where  David  is  mentioned  as  an 
inventor  of  musical  instruments. 

6.  divided  them]  On  the  form  and  pointing  of  the  Hebrew 
verbs  here  used  (from  chalak,  to  separate),  see  Oesen.  284; 
Fuerst,  453 ;  Bertheau,  207,  208. 

—  into  courses]    For  attendance  at  the  Temple. 

In  the  following  list,  from  v.  7,  to  v.  24,  we  have  the 
heads  of  the  fathers'  houses  of  the  24,000  Levites,  mentioned 
in  V.  4,  as  engaged  in  the  service  of  the  House  of  Jehovah. 
Cp.  below,  xxiv.  2—31 ;  and  xxvi.  20—28. 

As  tlie  fathers'  houses  of  the  Priests  coincided  with  the 
twenty-four  classes  into  which  they  were  divided,  so  probably 
the  fathers'  houses  of  the  Levites  coincided  with  the  classes 
into  which  they  were  divided ;  and  as  they  cast  lots  for  their 
course  of  service,  as  the  Priests  did,  perhaps  the  classes  into 
which  they  were  divided  were  twenty- four,  as  Josephus  states 
(Antt.  vii.  14.  7.    Cp.  Bertheau,  p.  209). 

12.  Kohath]  Who,  it  will  be  seen,  was  not  only  the  father 
of  the  Priests,  through  Aaron,  but  also  of  some  fathers'  houses 
of  Levites  :  cp.  xxiv.  20 — 25- 

13.  Aaron  was  separated— holy  things]  Literally,  Aaron 
was  separated,  to  consecrate  him  holy  of  holies.  This  ren- 
dering, which  appears  to  be  sanctioned  by  Sept.,  seems  to  be 
the  true  one.  So  Strigelius  and  Bertheau.  And  the  words 
appear  to  mean  that  Aaron  was  separated,  to  be  like  a  sanctuary 
of  God,  even  like  the  Holiest  itself.  St.  Paul  does  not  scruple 
to  say  that  the  body  of  Christians  is  the  shrine  of  God  (vahs, 
more  sacred  than  i(pi)v), — the  very  oracle  of  Deity  (1  Cor. 
iii.  16  ;  vi.  19.     2  Cor.  vi.  16). 

The  priestly  duties  are  here  defined,  as  burning  incense 
(see  Num.  xvi.),  and  blessing,  according  to  the  formula  pre- 
scribed (Num.  vi.  24 — 26.     Cp.  Bp.  Pearson,  Art.  ii.  p.  96). 


The  divisions  and  duties       1  CHRONICLES  XXIII.  14—30. 


of  the  Levites, 


the  Lord,  '  to  minister  unto  him,  and  "  to  hless  in  his  name  for  ever.  ^^  Now 
concerning  Moses  the  man  of  God,  "  his  sons  were  named  of  the  tribe  of  Levi. 
^^°  The  sons  of  Moses  ivere,  Gershom,  and  Ehezer.  ^^Of  the  sons  of  Gershom, 
P II  Shebuel  tvas  the  chief.  ^"^  And  the  sons  of  Ehezer  ivere,  '^  Rehabiah  ||  the 
chief.  And  Ehezer  had  none  other  sons;  but  the  sons  of  Rehabiah  fwere 
very  many.  ^^  Of  the  sons  of  Izhar  ;  ||  Shelomith  the  chief.  ^^  "■  Of  the  sons  of 
Hebron ;  Jeriah  the  first,  Amariah  the  second,  Jahaziel  the  third,  and  Jeka- 
meam  the  fourth.  ^^  Of  the  sons  of  Uzziel ;  Micah  the  first,  and  Jesiah  the 
second. 

-^ '  The  sons  of  Merari ;  Mahh,  and  Mushi.  The  sons  of  MahH  ;  Eleazar, 
and  *Kish.  ^"-^  And  Eleazar  died,  and  "had  no  sons,  but  daughters  :  and  their 
II  brethren  the  sons  of  Kish  'took  them,  ^sypj^g  g^^g  ^f  Mushi;  Mahh,  and 
Eder,  and  Jeremoth,  tlii'ee. 

2-^  These  were  the  sons  of '  Levi  after  the  house  of  their  fathers ;  even  the  chief 
of  the  fathers,  as  they  were  counted  by  number  of  names  by  their  polls,  that 
did  the  work  for  the  service  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  from  the  age  of  ^  twenty 
years  and  upward.  ^5  j^^j.  David  said,  The  Lord  God  of  Israel  ''  hath  given 
rest  unto  his  people,  ||  that  they  may  dwell  in  Jerusalem  for  ever :  -^  And  also 
unto  the  Levites  ;  they  shall  no  more  "^  carry  the  tabernacle,  nor  any  vessels  of 
it  for  the  service  thereof.  ^'^  For  by  the  last  words  of  David  the  Levites  ivere 
f  numbered  from  twenty  years  old  and  above  :  ^^  Because  f  their  office  ivas  to 
wait  on  the  sons  of  Aaron  for  the  service  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  in  the  courts, 
and  in  the  chambers,  and  in  the  purifying  of  all  holy  things,  and  the  work  of 
the  service  of  the  house  of  God  ;  ^^  Both  for  ^  the  shewbread,  and  for  '  the  fine 
flour  for  meat  offering,  and  for  ^  the  unleavened  cakes,  and  for  ^  that  ivhich  is 
hdked  in  the  ||  pan,  and  for  that  which  is  fried,  and  for  all  manner  of  ''measure 
and  size;  ^^And  to  stand  every  morning  to  thank  and  praise  the  Lord,  and 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1C45. 

I  Deut.  21.  5. 
m  Num.  fi.  23. 
n  See  ch.  26.  23, 
24,  25. 

o  Exod.  2.  22.  & 
18.  3,4. 
p  ch.  26.  24. 

II  Shuhael, 
ch.  24.  20. 

q  ch.  26.  25. 
II  Or,  the  first. 
t  Heb.  were 
highly  multiplied. 
II  Shclomoth, 
ch.  24.  22. 
r  ch.  24.  23. 

s  ch.  24.  26. 

t  ch.  24.  29. 
u  ch.  24.  28. 
II  Or,  k'nsmen. 
X  See  Num.  36. 
6,  8. 
y  ch.  24.  30. 

z  Num.  10.  17, 
21. 


a  ver.  27. 
See  Num.  1.  3 
4.  3.  &  8.  24. 
Ezra  3.  8. 
b  ch.  22.  18. 
II  Or,  and  he 
dwelleth  in 
Jerusalem,  %c. 
c  Num.  4.  5,  &c 
about 
1015. 
t  Heb.  number. 
+  Heb.  their 
station  was  at 
the  hand  of  the 
sons  of  Aaron, 
Neh.  11.  24. 

d  Exod.  25.  30. 
e  Lev.  6.  20. 
ch.  9.  29,  &rc. 
f  Lev.  2.  4. 
g  Lev.  2.  5,  7. 
II  Or,  flat  pinte. 
h  Lev.  19.  35. 


& 


The  High  Priest's  functions  on  the  Great  Day  of  Atonement 
(Lev.  xvi.)  are  presumed  to  be  known  to  the  reader. 

15.  The  sons  of  Moses']  "  His  sons  were  named  of  the  tribe 
of  Levi,"  that  is,  though  Moses  was  specially  called  by  God 
to  be  the  Ruler  of  His  people,  and  was  invested  by  Him  with 
miraculous  power,  and  was  endued  with  spiritual  gifts  of 
prophecy,  and  was  admitted  to  see  God,  and  to  converse  with 
Him,  as  with  a  friend  (Exod.  xxxiii.  11),  yet  neither  he,  nor 
any  of  his  descendants  were  allowed  to  perform  any  function 
of  the  Priesthood ;  they  were  only  Levites.  Here  is  a  caution 
and  admonition,  that  no  one,  who  is  not  duly  called,  and  set 
apart  by  ordination,  should  venture  to  intrude  into  the  priestly 
office. 

24.  sons  of  Levi — that  did  the  work—from  the  age  of 
twenty  years  and  upicard']  In  v.  3,  it  is  said  that  the  Levites 
were  numbered  from  the  age  of  thirty  years. 

We  are  now  informed  that  they  were  numbered  from  the 
age  of  twenty  years. 

The  first  numbering  was  in  compliance  with  the  Law  of 
Moses  (Num.  iv.  3).  But  "Cessante  rationc,  cessat  lex." 
The  law  with  regard  to  age  was,  in  the  nature  of  things,  liable 
to  modification  according  to  the  service  required  of  those  who 
were  numbered.  And  David,  "the  man  of  God"  (2  Chron. 
viii.  14),  by  his  "last  words"  (see  v.  27),  acting  with  the 
advice  of  the  prophets  Gad  and  Nathan  (2  Chron.  xxix.  25), 
modified  the  age,  for  the  reasons  stated  by  himself,  viz.  because 
God  had  given  His  people  rest,  and  the  Ark  was  to  be  no  longer 
itinerant,  but  to  remain  stationary  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  ; 
and,  therefore,  the  service  of  God  with  regard  to  it,  did  not 
require  the  same  physical  strength  as  was  necessary  for  the 
carriage  of  the  Tabernacle,  its  altars,  and  other  furniture,  when 
the  Ark  and  the  Tabernacle  were  migratory.  Cp.  Kimchi, 
Michaelis,  and  others,  particularly  lAghtfoot,  Temple  Service, 
chap.  vi. ;  Plumpfre,  B.  D.  ii.  106. 

It  appears  from  the  Law  itself  (Num.  viii.  24,  as  compared 
with  Num.  iv.  3),  that  though  the  Levitical  age  for  enrolment, 
with  a  view  to  full  sen-ice  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  in  its  re- 
215 


niovals,  was  thirty,  yet  that  some  were  admitted  to  serve  in  it, 
probably  in  the  lighter  duties  of  the  Sanctuary,  as  soon  as  they 
were  twenty-five.  Perhaps  it  was  found  that  the  Levites  had 
contracted  habits  of  idleness  and  dissipation,  and  they  were 
therefore  wisely  brought  under  discipline  at  the  age  of  twenty. 

These  modifications  show  that  such  positive  laws  in  God's 
Church,  as  do  not  refer  to  necessary  ends,  are  mutable  by 
public  authority  (see  Hooker,  III.  x.  1 — 8;  and  IV.  xi.  5) ; 
and  they  have  a  moral  and  spiritual  meaning,  as  teaching  the 
important  truth,  that  while  God  does  not  lay  upon  men  any 
heavier  burdens  than  they  can  reasonably  be  expected  to  bear, 
yet  that  as  soon  as  they  can  do  Him  service,  they  are  to  be 
brought  near  to  Him  in  His  Sanctuary,  and  that  they  are  to 
find  their  joy  and  delight  in  tlie  discharge  of  holy  duties. 

25.  that  they  may  dwell— ^for  ever]  Or  rather,  and  He  (God) 
dwells  in  Jerusalem  for  ever.  So  Sept.,  Arabic,  Syriac, 
Vatahlns,  Bertheau. 

29.  measure  and  size]  The  standards  of  weights  and  mea- 
sures were  committed  to  the  charge  of  the  Levites,  in  order 
that  the  weights  and  measures,  used  in  common  traffic,  might 
be  tested  thereby.  The  same  rule  was  followed  in  ancient 
Christian  Churches  :  see  Bp.  Patrick  here.  The  piety  of 
ancient  English  Kings  made  the  Chapel  of  the  Pyx,  West- 
minster Abbey,  to  be  the  depository  of  weights,  &c.  (Cp. 
Mr.  G.  O.  Scott's  Gleanings,  p.  55.)  Honesty  in  dealing 
is  an  essential  part  of  true  religion;  and  weights  and  mea- 
sures are  to  be  regarded  in  sacred  things.  Cp.  Lev.  xix. 
36.  Deut.  XXV.  13.  Prov.  xi.  1 ;  xvi.  11 ;  xx.  23.  Micah  vi. 
11,  where  it  is  said  that  a  "just  balance  is  the  Lord's," 
but  a  false  balance  is  His  abomination.  If  this  is  so  with 
regard  to  secular  things,  how  much  more  is  it  true  of  spi- 
ritual! All  doctrine  and  practice  are  to  be  weighed  in  the 
balance  of  the  Sanctuary.  It  also  tests  the  relative  weight  and 
value  of  things;  and  here  is  a  censure  of  those,  who,  while 
they  neglect  the  weightier  matters  of  the  Law,  lay  nmch 
stress  on  the  mint,  anise,  and  cummin  of  religious  externals 
(Matt,  xxiii.  23). 


The  divisions  1  CHRONICLES  XXIII.  31,  32.     XXIV.  1—19.         of  the  Priests, 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
1015. 
i  Num.  10.  10. 
Ps.  81.  3. 
k  Lev.  23.  4. 
1  Num.  1.  53. 

m  Num.  3.  6—9. 


1015. 
a  Lev.  10.  1,  6. 
Num.  26.  60. 
\)  Num.  3.4.  & 
2fi.  61. 


t  Heb.  house  of 
the  father. 


c  Neh.  12.  4,  17. 
Luke  1.  5. 


d  ch.  9.  25. 


likewise  at  even ;  ^^  And  to  offer  all  burnt  sacrii&ces  unto  the  Loed  '  in  the 
sabbaths,  in  the  new  moons,  and  on  the  "^  set  feasts,  by  number,  according  to 
the  order  commanded  unto  them,  continually  before  the  Lord  :  ^'■^  And  that 
they  should  '  keep  the  charge  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  the 
charge  of  the  holy  place,  and  ""  the  charge  of  the  sons  of  Aaron  their  brethren, 
in  the  service  of  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

XXIV.  ^  Now  these  arc  the  divisions  of  the  sons  of  Aaron.  ^  The  sons  of 
Aaron ;  Nadab,  and  Abihu,  Eleazar,  and  Ithamar.  ^  'q^^^  b  ]^^adab  and  Abihu 
died  before  their  father,  and  had  no  children :  therefore  Eleazar  and  Ithamar 
executed  the  priest's  office.  ^And  David  distributed  them,  both  Zadok  of  the 
sons  of  Eleazar,  and  Ahimelech  of  the  sons  of  Ithamar,  according  to  their 
offices  in  their  service. 

^  And  there  were  more  chief  men  found  of  the  sons  of  Eleazar  than  of  the  sons 
of  Ithamar ;  and  thus  were  they  divided.  Among  the  sons  of  Eleazar  there  were 
sixteen  chief  men  of  the  house  of  their  fathers,  and  eight  among  the  sons  of 
Ithamar  according  to  the  house  of  their  fathers.  ^  Thus  were  they  divided  by 
lot,  one  sort  Avith  another ;  for  the  governors  of  the  sanctuary,  and  governors 
of  the  house  of  God,  were  of  the  sons  of  Eleazar,  and  of  the  sons  of  Ithamar. 

^  And  Shemaiah  the  son  of  Nethaneel  the  scribe,  one  of  the  Levites,  wrote 
them  before  the  king,  and  the  princes,  and  Zadok  the  priest,  and  Ahimelech 
the  son  of  Abiathar,  and  before  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  the  priests  and  Le- 
vites :  one  f  principal  household  being  taken  for  Eleazar,  and  one  taken  for 
Ithamar. 

7  Now  the  first  lot  came  forth  to  Jehoiarib,  the  second  to  Jedaiah,  ^  The 
third  to  Harim,  the  fourth  to  Seorim,  ^  The  fifth  to  Malchijah,  the  sixth  to 
Mijamin,  ^^The  seventh  to  Hakkoz,  the  eighth  to  ''Abijah,  ^^  The  ninth  to 
Jeshuah,  the  tenth  to  Shecaniah,  ^'^  The  eleventh  to  Eliashib,  the  twelfth  to 
Jakim,  ^^  The  thirteenth  to  Huppah,  the  fourteenth  to  Jeshebeab,  ^^  The 
fifteenth  to  Bilgah,  the  sixteenth  to  Immer,  ^^  The  seventeenth  to  Hezir,  the 
eighteenth  to  Aphses,  ^^  The  nineteenth  to  Pethahiah,  the  twentieth  to  Jelie- 
zekel,  ^^  The  one  and  twentieth  to  Jachin,  the  two  and  twentieth  to  Gamul, 
^^  The  three  and  twentieth  to  Delaiah,  the  four  and  twentieth  to  Maaziah. 

^^  These  tuere  the  orderings  of  them  in  their  service  ^  to  come  into  the  house 


32.  keep  the  charge  of  the  iabernacle  of  the  congregation] 
The  writer  adopts  the  hinguage  of  the  Pentateuch  in  this 
matter  (Num.  xviii.  3 — 5.     See  below,  on  xxv.  1). 

The  highest  perfection  that  God  eoidd  bestow  on  David 
was  that  God  gave  him  to  bring  back  the  Ark,  to  pitch  a 
Tabernacle  for  it,  to  lay  up  and  leave  a  great  mass  of  treasure 
for  the  building  of  a  Temple ;  himself  devoutly  to  woi-ship,  and 
to  make  laws,  and  set  orders  for  a  more  solemn  and  stately 
worship  of  God  (Bp.  Andrewes,  v.  p.  116). 

Ch.  XXIV.  3.  David  distributed  them']  He  divided  the 
Priests,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  into  classes,  as  he  had  distributed 
the  Levites ;  and  these  classes  were  twenty-four  in  number 
{v.  18).  They  served  for  a  week  each,  coming  in  on  the 
Sabbath  (2  Kings  xi.  7).  Sixteen  courses  were  from  Eleazar, 
the  son  of  Aaron,  and  eight  from  Ithamar,  his  brother  {v.  4). 
On  their  arrangement  and  duties,  see  Lightfoot,  Temple 
Service,  chap.  vii. ;  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  271 ;  Flumptre, 
B.  D.  ii.  921. 

On  the  testimonies  of  succeeding  writers  to  the  veracity  of 
this  account  of  the  courses,  or  icprifxfplaL  of  the  Priests  (which 
has  been  arbitrarily  impugned  by  some),  see  Keil,  Chronik. 
pp.  402,  403 ;  Movers,  p.  109.  Cp.  Ecclus.  xlvii.  9,  10 ;  and 
below,  Luke  i.  5. 

5.   Thus  were  they  divided,  &c.]  Literally,  and  he  divided 
216 


them  hy  lot,  these  tvith  these  (Sept.),  that  is,  those  of  the  same 
family  were  together  in  the  same  class. 

—  for  the  governors]  Literally,  there  were  princes  of  holi- 
ness, and  princes  of  God,  from  sons  of  Eleazar,  and  sons  of 
Ithamar :  cp.  Ps.  xlv.  17,  where  David,  referring,  as  it  seems, 
to  this  constitution  of  the  Hebrew  Priesthood  at  Jerusalem, 
foretells  the  extension  of  the  Apostolic  ministry  to  all  lands : 
"  Instead  of  thy  fathers  shall  be  thu  sons,  for  pirinces  in  all  the 
earth"  (Ps.  xlv.  16). 

6.  one  pirincipal  household  being  taken  for  Eleazar,  and 
one  taken  for  Ithamar]  Literally,  one  father's  house  being 
taken  out  for  Eleazar,  and  one  being  taken  out  for  Ithamar. 
This  is  on  the  supposition  that  the  reading  in  the  second 
member  of  the  sentence  is  ve  echad  achuz,  as  is  supposed  by 
Cappellus,  Qrotius,  and  Oesenius,  p.  30:  cp.  Fuersf,  p.  59. 
But  most  of  the  MSS.  have,  in  the  second  member,  ve  achuz 
achuz  ;  and  then  the  sense  would  be  that  one  lot  was  drawn 
for  Eleazar,  and  a  lot  and  lot  (or  two  lots)  were  di-awn  for 
Ithamar,  or  that  every  house  of  Ithamar  should  be  reckoned 
as  having  two  lots,  because  the  number  of  fathers'  houses  of 
Ithamar  was  only  eight,  whereas  that  of  Eleazar  was  twice 
eight  (Bertheau). 

10.  Abijah]  Or  Abia,  as  it  is  in  Sept.;  and  Luke  i.  5.  Cp. 
Neh.  xii.  4.  17. 


The  numbers  and  duties    1  CHRONICLES  XXIV.  20—31.    XXV.  1—7.         of  the  singers. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1015. 


:  ^  Shu-  e  ch.  23. 16, 

'  Shebuel. 

of  the  fch.23. 17. 


of  the  Lord,  according  to  their  manner,  under  Aaron  their  father,  as  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel  had  commanded  him. 

2^  And  the  rest  of  the  sons  of  Levi  were  these  :  Of  the  sons  of  Amram 
bael :  of  the  sons  of  Shuhael ;  Jehdeiah.     ^^  ConceYiimg  *"Rehabiah: 
sons  of  Rehabiah,  the  first  was  Isshiah.     ^^  Of  the  Izharites  ;  ^  Shelomoth  :   of  l^^i-J,ftk^' 
the  sons  of  Shelomoth;  Jahath.     23^(j  i}^q  go^g  qJ-  ^'JJehroii;  Jeriah  the  first,  2g? 3i."' '^' ^ 
Amariah  the  second,  Jahaziel  the  third,  Jekameam  the  fourth.     ^4  qj  ^j^q  ^q^^ 
of  Uzziel ;  Michah  :  of  the  sons  of  Michah ;  Shamir.     ^^  The  brother  of  Micliah 
icas  Isshiah  :  of  the  sons  of  Isshiah  ;  Zechariah.     -^ '  The  sons  of  Merari  ivcre  l^^^z.n.  '^' 
Mahli  and  Mushi :  the  sons  of  Jaaziah ;  Beno.     ^'^  The  sons  of  Merari  by 
Jaaziah;  Beno,  and  Sholiam,  and  Zaccur,  and  Ibri.     ^^  Of  Mahli  ca?w<3  Eleazar, 
''who  had  no    sons.     -^Concerning  Kisli :   the  son  of  lush  ivas  Jerahmeel.  kch.23.22. 
^^'The  sons  also  of  Mushi ;  Mahh,  and  Eder,  and  Jerimoth.     These  toere  the  ich.23.23. 
sons  of  the  Levites  after  the  house  of  their  fathers.     ^^  These  likewise  cast 
lots  over  against  their  brethren  the  sons  of  Aaron  in  the  presence  of  David 
the  king,   and  Zadok,   and  Ahimelech,   and  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  the 
priests  and  Levites,    even  the   principal  fathers   over  against  their  younger 
brethren. 

XXV.  ^  Moreover  David  and  the  captains  of  the  host  separated  to  the  ser 
vice  of  the  sons  of  ^  Asaph,  and  of  Heman,  and  of  Jeduthun,  who  should  pro 
phesy  with  harps,  with  psalteries,  and  with  cymbals  :   and  the  number  of  the 
workmen  according  to  their  service  was  :  ^  Of  the  sons  of  Asaph ;  Zaccur,  and 
Joseph,  and  Nethaniah,  and  ||  Asarelah,  the  sons  of  Asaph  under  the  hands  of  l^l^^y^H^^t^j, 
Asaph,  which  prophesied  f  according  to  the  order  of  the  king.     ^  Of  Jeduthun:  ]^^^l^:bythe 
the  sons  of  Jeduthun ;  Oedaliah,  and  ||  Zeri,  and  Jeshaiah,  Hashabiah,  and  iT^er^*!"' '""''' 
Mattithiah,  ||  six,  under  the  hands  of  their  father  Jeduthun,  who  prophesied  ver.'ii.'^'^'' 
With  a  harp,  to  give  thanks  and  to  praise  the  Lord.     ^  Of  Heman  :  the  sons  ™7'|°"^''' 
of  Heman  ;  Bukkiah,  Mattaniah,  ||  Uzziel,  ||  Shebuel,  and  Jerimoth,  Hananiah,  l^r!\i'""'''' 
Hanani,    Eliathah,    Griddalti,    and   Eomamti-ezer,    Joshbekashah,    Mallothi,  ve?.'2o.*"*'"'' 
Hothir,  and  Mahazioth  :   ^  All  these  were  the  sons  of  Heman  the  king's  seer 
in  the  ||  words  of  God,  to  lift  up  the  horn.     And  God  gave  to  Heman  fourteen  h  or,  matters. 
sons  and  three  daughters.     *"  All  these  ivere  under  the  hands  of  their  father  for 
song  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  with  cymbals,  psalteries,  and  harps,  for  the 
service  of  the  house  of  God,  ''f  according  to  the  king's  order  to  Asaph,  Jedu-  ^ueiXthe 
thun,  and  Heman.     ^  So  the  number  of  them,  with  their  brethren  that  were  ''"'"^'"^ "" '""s- 


about 

1015. 

ach.  6.  33,  39,44. 


31.  the  principal  fathers  over  againsf]  On  equal  terms  with 
the  younger  brethren.  They  were  not  arranged  according  to 
seniority,  but  by  lot  (  Vulg.)  :  cp.  xxv.  8. 

—  over  against  their — brethren]  The  courses  of  Levites 
were  adjusted  to  those  of  the  Priests;  so  that  it  was  known 
and  settled  beforehand  what  course  of  Levites  should  be  in 
waiting  with  the  courses  of  the  Priests  respectively, 

Ch.  xxv.  1.  captains  of  the  host]  The  princes  of  the  service, 
i.  e.  of  the  Temple.  The  Hebrew  word  tsdba,  here  rendered  host, 
IS  applied  to  the  Levites,  and  is  used  in  this  sense  in  Num.  iv.  3, 
where  it  is  rendered  host :  cp.  there  vv.  23.  30.  35.  39.  43,  where 
it  is  rendered  service,  in  the  margin  tvarfare ;  and  see  also 
Num.  viii.  24.  This  word,  like  the  phrases  above,  in  xxiii.  32, 
was  doubtless  designed  to  connect  these  arrangements  for  the 
service  of  the  Temple,  with  the  divine  provision  in  the  Law 
for  the  ministry  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  to  show  that  the  later 
organization  was  in  harmony  with  the  former,  and  was  a 
development  of  it.  Cp.  Thorndike,  Rites  of  the  Church, 
p.  230. 

■ —  Asaph  —  Heman  —  Jeduthun]  Jeduthun  was  probably 
another  name  for  Ethan  :  see  vi.  42 ;  B.  D.  ii.  443.  We  have 
the  name  of  Jeduthun  in  the  titles  of  these  Psalms, — xxxix. 
-   217 


Ixii.  Lxxvii.,  of  Ethan  in  the  title  of  Ps.  Isxxix.     Cp.  B.  D.  i.  587. 
These  three  were  the  chiefs  of  the  choir  :  see  above,  xvi.  5.  41. 

On  the  duties,  &c.,  of  the  singers,  and  on  their  instru- 
ments and  music,  see  Lightfoot,  Temple  Service,  chap.  vii. 
sect.  2;   Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  121;    Wright,  B.  D.  ii.  442. 

—  who  should  prophesy  with  harps]  A  proof  that  the  sacred 
music  which  David  introduced,  and  delighted  in,  was  not  so 
much  designed  to  charm  tlie  sense,  as  to  elevate  the  soul ;  that 
it  was  spiritual  and  intellectual,  and  in  accordance  with  that 
music  which  is  commended  by  St.  Paul  (1  Cor.  xiv.  15.  Eph. 
V.  19.  Col.  iii.  16).  Heman,  one  of  the  choir-masters,  is 
called  the  King's  seer  (v.  5)  ;  and  the  same  tftle  is  given  to 
Jeduthun,  another  of  the  choir-masters  (2  Chron.  xsxv.  15), 
and  to  Asaph  (2  Chron.  xxix.  30). 

3.  six]  Only  five  are  specified ;  but  we  find  another  in  v.  17, 
called  Shimei. 

5.  Heman  the  king's  seer  in  the  words  of  Ood]  In  divine 
things,  and  in  the  composition  of  his  Psalms,  in  which  he  blessed 
David,  by  means  of  his  music,  and  that  of  his  sons. 

—  to  lift  up  the  honi]   Blowing  it  loudly. 

—  three  daughters]  Were  these  loornen  employed  in  the 
musical  service  of  the  Sanctuary  ?  See  v.  6.  Cp.  Exod.  xv.  20, 
concerning  Miriam  and  the  women,  and  Ps.  cxlviii.  12. 


The  allotment  of 


1  CHRONICLES  XXV.  8—29. 


the  twenty -four  courses. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1015. 

c  2Chron.  23.  13. 


instructed  in  the  songs  of  the  Lord,  eveii  all  that  were  cunning,  was  two  hun- 
dred fourscore  and  eight. 

2  And  they  cast  lots,  ward  against  ward,  as  well  the  small  as  the  great,  "  the 
teacher  as  the  scholar.  ^  Now  the  first  lot  came  forth  for  Asaph  to  Joseph :  the 
second  to  Gedaliah,  who  with  his  brethren  and  sons  ivere  twelve  :  ^^  The  third 
to  Zaccur,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  ivere  twelve  :  ^^  The  fourth  to  Izri,  he, 
his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  ivere  twelve  :  ^^  The  fifth  to  Nethaniah,  he,  his  sons, 
and  his  brethren,  ivere  twelve  :  ^^  The  sixth  to  Bukkiah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his 
brethren,  were  twelve  :  ^^  The  seventh  to  Jesharelah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his 
brethren,  were  twelve  :  ^^  The  eighth  to  Jeshaiah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren, 
7vere  twelve  :  ^^  The  ninth  to  Mattaniah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were 
twelve :  ^^  The  tenth  to  Shimei,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve  : 
18  The  eleventh  to  Azareel,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve :  ^^  The 
twelfth  to  Hashabiah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  ivere  twelve  :  ^o  The  thir- 
teenth to  Shubael,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve :  ^i  The  four- 
teenth to  Mattithiah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve  :  ^  The  fif- 
teenth to  Jeremoth,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve :  ^^  The  sixteenth 
to  Hauaniah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve :  "^"^  The  seventeenth 
to  Joshbekashah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve  :  ^5  The  eighteenth 
to  Hanani,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve :  ^^  The  nineteenth  to 
Mallothi,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve  :  ^^  The  twentieth  to  Elia- 
thah,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve  :  ^^  The  one  and  twentieth  to 
Hothir,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  were  twelve :  ^^  The  two  and  twentieth 


7.  ftvo  hundred  fourscore  and  eighf]  =  24  x  12.  Each  lot 
consisted  of  twelve  persons;  and  there  were  24  courses,  and 
each  course  was  in  waiting  for  a  week ;  and  they  probably 
were  adjusted  to  the  24  courses  of  the  Priests.  The  sons  of 
Asaph  were  4;  of  Jeduthun,  6;  of  Heman,  14;  thus  they 
made  24  in  all. 

8.  ward  against  ward]  So  that  there  was  no  partiality. 
Cp.  above,  xxiv.  31.  On  the  Hebrew  word  mishmereth,  here 
used,  which  signifies  ward,  or  duty  of  waiting,  and  is  another 
word  derived  from  the  Levitical  Law  (Lev.  viii.  35.  Num.  i.  53 ; 
and  passim),  see  Gesen.  518.  It  is  rendered  €07j/uepia  by  Sept. 
On  the  construction,  see  Bertheau,  p.  218 ;  and  cp.  xxvi.  16. 

9.  to  Joseph"]  Who  was  not  the  eldest  son  of  Asaph:  see 
V.2. 

—  brethren]  The  word  is  used  in  this  and  the  following 
verses  in  a  large  sense  for  relative. 

10.  Zaccur]  The  son  of  Asaph  {v.  2). 

11.  Izri]  Probably  the  same  as  Zeri  {v.  3). 

Numbers  : — The  Number  Twelve. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  four  sons  of  Asaph  had  the  first 
four  odd  numbers  for  their  lots,  viz.  the  1st,  3rd,  5th,  and  7th. 
The  six  sons  of  Jeduthun  had  the  first  two  even  places,  and 
the  next  four  even  places,  omitting  the  6th,  for  their  lots,  viz. 
the  2nd,  4th,  8th,  10th,  12th,  and  14th.  The  four  sons  of 
Heman  had  the  6th,  9th,  11th,  and  13th.  The  other  ten  sons 
of  Haman  had  the  15th  to  the  24th  places  inclusively. 

The  lot  was  cast  into  the  lap,  but  the  disposing  of  it  was 
of  the  Lord  (Prov.  xvi.  33).  We  have  seen  a  similar  pro- 
vidential superintendence  in  the  casting  of  lots  for  the  tribes 
of  Israel  in  their  settlement  in  Canaan,  and  for  the  assignment 
of  the  Priestly  cities.  See  on  Josh.  xxi.  4;  and  also  Prelim. 
Note  on  Josh,  xviii. 

It  is  also  observable  that  the  company  of  the  singers  in 
the  Temple,  as  here  presented  to  our  view,  was  12  X  (12  +  12)  : 
see  V.  7. 

A  similar  appointment  is  seen  in  the  number  of  the  cap- 
tains of  David  and  their  host,  in  chap,  xxvii.  1.  They  formed 
also  a  body  of  12  X  (12,000  +  12,000). 

It  has  indeed  been  alleged  by  some  recent  critics  that 
this  frequent  appearance  of  the  number  12  in  these  arrange- 
ments is  a  sign  of  arbitrary  invention  and  legendary  fiction, 
and  betrays  a  later  age  than  that  of  David  But  may  we  not 
'•ather  believe  that  there  is  an  inner  spiritual  meaning  in  this 
218 


arrangement  ?  We  cannot  as  yet  fathom  the  mysteries  of  the 
divine  arithmetic.  But  from  the  fact  that  the  number  twelve 
runs  through  the  whole  history  of  the  Church  of  God,  from  the 
time  of  the  birth  of  the  Uteral  Israel,  to  the  consummation  of 
all  things  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  we  may  infer  an  inner 
harmony,  and  silent  continuity,  and  sympathetic  symmetry  in 
its  framework.  The  identity  of  numbers  marks  the  connexion 
of  every  age  of  the  Church,  and  leads  us  to  recognize  the  same 
Divine  Hand  ever  at  work  in  it.  We  see  the  recurrence  of 
tioelve  in  the  sacred  services  of  the  Temple,  as  appointed  by 
David,  the  man  after  God's  own  heart,  the  patriarch  and 
prophet  of  Israel,  who  had  inspirations  from  above,  and  was 
assisted  in  the  work  by  Samuel  the  Seer,  and  Nathan,  and  Gad, 
and  by  Asaph,  Heman,  and  Jeduthun,  who  had  the  gift  of 
prophecy  :  see  above,  on  vv.  1.  5.  The  number  twelve  appears  also 
in  the  appointments  of  David's  host  (chap,  xxvii).  Lastly.'the 
square  of  twelve,  and  the  cube  of  twelve,  appear  in  the  fabric  of 
the  heavenly  city,  as  revealed  in  the  Apocalypse.  See  below,  note 
on  Rev.  xxi.  16,  17. 

The  number  Four  represents  all  space  (as  is  suggested  by 
the  Scriptural  expressions,  "  the  four  winds,  the  four  corners  of 
the  Earth  "),  and  the  number  Three  has  been  supposed  to  sym- 
bolize the  Triune  God,  and  the  number  Twelve,  composed  of 
Four  multiplied  into  Three,  to  signify  the  extension  of  the 
knowledge  and  glory  of  the  Triune  God  into  all  space,  so  that 
evei"y  thing  may  be  filled  by  His  fulness.  It  was  the  mission  of 
Israel,  of  its  Twelve  Tribes,  of  its  Tabernacle  with  its  Twelve 
Standards,  of  its  Priesthood,  wearing  the  Twelve  precious 
stones  of  the  Urim  and  Thummim  on  its  breastplate,  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  preaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  sent  forth  by 
Christ  to  baptize  all  Nations  into  the  Name  of  the  Ever  Blessed 
Trinity  (see  Matt,  xxviii.  19).  The  presence  of  the  Triune  God 
will  be  the  Glory  of  the  heavenly  city  with  its  Twelve  foun- 
dations, and  its  cube  of  12,000  furlongs  (Rev.  xxi.  16,  17).  The 
Worship  of  the  Ever  Blessed  Trinity,  Whose  Name  is  preached 
by  the  Church,  will  be  the  employment  of  the  Church  glorified 
(see  Rev.  iv.  8).  Was  not  this  divine  Truth  symbolized  in  the 
arrangement  which  David  was  guided  to  make  in  the  service  of 
God  in  the  Temple  and  in  the  appointments  of  his  own  army  ? 

For  other  remarks  on  the  significance  of  the  number 
Twelve  in  Scripture,  see  above,  on  Exod.  xv.  27 ;  xxviii.  17 — 21. 
Num.  ii.  34.  Josh.  iv.  1 — 4.  9 :  below,  on  Matt.  x.  2 ;  and  on 
Rev.  xi.,  end  of  the  chapter,  pp.  220,  221 ;  and  on  Rev.  xxi. 
13—16. 


The  distribution       1  CHRONICLES  XXV.  30,  31.     XXVI.  1—20.  of  the  porters. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1015 


^  Also  unto   Sliemaiah  his  son  were   sons  Lorn,  tliat  ruled  J)^ed-edom,  as 

for  they  were  mighty  men  of  valour.  ''^'  '^"  ^*" 


to  Giddalti,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  ivere  twelve  :  ^^  The  three  and  twen- 
tieth to  Mahazioth,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  ivere  twelve  :  ^^  The  four  and 
twentieth  to  Romamti-ezer,  he,  his  sons,  and  his  brethren,  ivere  twelve. 

XXVI.  ^  Concerning  the  divisions  of  the  porters :  Of  the  Korhites  was 
II  Meshelemiah  the  son  of  Kore,  of  the  sons  of  il  Asaph.  ^  And  the  sons  of  ii^or.^sAeiemiaA, 
Meshelemiah  were,  Zechariah  the  firstborn,  Jediael  the  second,  Zebadiah  the  Ih.l^si'.Ttio. 
third,  Jathniel  the  fourth,  ^  Elam  the  fifth,  Jehohanan  the  sixth,  Elioenai  the 
seventh.  ^Moreover  the  sons  of  Obed-edom  were,  Shemaiah  the  firstborn, 
Jehozabad  the  second,  Joah  the  third,  and  Sacar  the  fourth,  and  Nethaneel  the 
fifth,  ^  Ammiel  the  sixth,  Issachar  the  seventh,  Peulthai  the  eighth  :  for  God 
blessed  1|  him. 

throughout  the  house  of  their  father 
7  The  sons  of  Shemaiah ;  Othni,  and  Rephael,  and  Obed,  Elzabad,  whose 
brethren  were  strong  men,  Elihu,  and  Semachiah.  ^All  these  of  the  sons  of 
Obed-edom  ;  they  and  their  sons  and  their  brethren,  able  men  for  strength  for 
the  service,  were  threescore  and  two  of  Obed-edom.  ^  And  Meshelemiah  had 
sons  and  brethren,  strong  men,  eighteen.  ^^Also  ^Hosah,  of  the  children  of » ch.  le.  as. 
Merari,  had  sons ;  Simri  the  chief  (for  though  he  was  not  the  firstborn,  yet  his 
father  made  him  the  chief;)  ^^  Hilkiah  the  second,  Tebaliah  the  third,  Zecha- 
riah the  fourth  :  all  the  sons  and  brethren  of  Hosah  were  thirteen. 

^- Among  these  ivere  the  divisions  of  the  porters,  even  among  the  chief  men, 
having  wards  one  against  another,  to  minister  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.     '^And 
they  cast  lots,  ||  as  well  the  small  as  the  great,  according  to  the  house  of  their  l,^l'J'Jil"ai%''/ 
fathers,  for  every  gate.     ^^And  the  lot  eastward  fell  to  ||  Shelemiah.     Then  \fcM7dMe- 
for  Zechariah  his  son,  a  wise  counseller,  they  cast  lots ;  and  his  lot  came  out  '*""""'*•  ""■  '• 
northward.     ^^To  Obed-edom  southward:  and  to  his  sons  the  house  off  Asup-  tHeb.  Ga/Aer- 

'  I  i        tngs. 

pim.     ^^  To  Shuppim  and  Hosah  the  lot  came  forth  westward,  with  the  gate 
Shallecheth,  by  the  causeway  of  the  going  ||  up,  ward  against  ward.     ^^  East-  J^^^  •  ^'"g« 
ward  were  six  Levites,  northward  four  a  day,  southward  four  a  day,  and  toward  ^  ^^"'°"  ^'  *■ 
Asuppim  two  and  two.     ^^At  Parbar  westward,  four  at  the  causeway,  and  two 
at  Parbar.     ^^  These  are  the  divisions  of  the  porters  among  the  sons  of  Kore, 
and  among  the  sons  of  Merari. 

2<>  And  of  the  Levites,  Ahijah  was  ^  over  the  treasures  of  the  house  of  God,  Mah  s.^o.^' 


Ch.  XXVI.  1.  porters']  Sec  above,  ix.  17,  18—26;  xv.  18  j 
xvi.  38.  42  J  and  on  their  duties,  &c.,  see  Light/oof,  Temple 
Service,  chap.  vii. 

—  Korhites']  See  above,  ix.  19.  31. 

—  Asaph]  Not  the  choir-master,  who  was  a  Gershonite 
(vi.  39 — 43),  but  the  same  as  Ebiasaph  (vi.  37 ;  ix.  19),  of  the 
line  of  Kohath. 

4.  Obed-edom]  Of  whom  it  is  here  said  that  "  God  blessed 
him  "  (v.  5),  perhaps  for  his  reverent  affection  and  care  for  the 
Ark.     See  xiii.  14;  and  2  Sam.  vi.  11,  12. 

The  author  of  the  Chronicles  has  been  charged  by  some 
recent  critics  with  want  of  accuracy  and  veracity  for  this 
statement.  It  is  alleged  by  them  that  it  is  improbable,  that 
Obed-edom,  David's  contemporary,  could  have  had  adult  grand- 
sons fit  to  be  porters  of  the  Temple.  On  which  it  may  be 
observed,  that  if  the  Obed-edom  here  mentioned  is  the  same  Obed- 
edom  who  received  the  Ark  into  his  house  (which  is  not  certain), 
an  event  which  occurred  early  in  David's  reign  at  Jerusalem, 
he  may  have  had  sons  born  after  that  reception,  and  even 
grandsons  fit  to  be  made  porters  at  the  latter  part  of  David's 
reign,  which  lasted  forty  years.  Besides,  it  is  not  said  that 
these  grandsons  were  porters  in  David's  time  ;  but  the  number 
of  Obed-edom's  offspring  is  specified  as  a  proof  of  God's  bene- 
diction, vouchsafed  perhaps  for  his  care  of  the  Ark. 

8.  able  men]  The  original  is  in  the  singular  number,  showing 
that  each  of  them  was  thus  qualified. 
219 


10.  for  though  he  was  not  the  firstbornl  Or,  for  there  was 
no  firstborn,  and  this  sense  is  given  by  Vulg.,  Syriac,  Arabic ; 
the  firstborn  had  died  or  was  disqualified. 

12.  having  wards  one  against  another]  See  xxv.  8. 

15.  to — the  house  of  Asuppim]  Or,  rather,  the  house  of  the 
gatherings,  from  the  Heb.  verb  a^aph,  to  gather ;  and  the  word 
means  storehouses,  treasuries  {Oesen.  67  :  cp.  Lightfoot,  Pros- 
pect of  the  Temple,  chap.  v.  sect.  3) :  cp.  below,  2  Chron.  xxv. 
24,  where  it  is  said  that  Joash  took  the  gold  and  silver  and 
vessels  that  were  found  in  the  house  of  God  with  Obed-edom, 
It  seems  to  have  been  toward  the  southern  end  of  the  west  wall 
of  the  Temple  Court. 

16.  Shallecheth]  Or,  casting  up  [Oesen.  839).  On  the 
western  side,  called  the  gate  of  Coponius  in  Herod's  Temple 
{Maim.  Lightfoot,  ch.  v). 

—  ward  against  ward]  Watch  against  watch,  reUeving  one 
another  by  turns. 

17.  six  Levites]  From  this  and  the  following  verse  it  may  be 
inferred  that  the  porters,  as  well  as  the  priests  and  singers, 
were  arranged  in  twenty-four  courses  (cp.  2  Chron.  viii.  14,  and 
Dr.  Lightfoot,  Temple  Service,  ch.  vii :  cp.  Bertheau,  here). 

18.  Parbar]  Toward  the  southern  end  of  the  western  wall 
{Lightfoot).  Cp.  2  Kings  xxiii.  11.  It  has  been  alleged  that 
there  is  an  error  here,  because  the  Temple  had  no  western  door ; 
but  it  is  not  here  said  that  it  had. 

20.  Ahijah]  Instead  of  Ahijah  the  Sept.  seems  to  have  read 


David's 


1  CHRONICLES  XXVI.  21—32.     XXVII.  1,  2. 


tivelve  officers. 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
1015. 
+  Heb.  hoi}/ 
things, 
II  Or.  Libni, 
ch.  6.  17. 
II  Or,  J ehiet, 
ch.  23.  8.  &  29. 

c  ch.  23.  16. 


d  ch.  23.  18. 


+  Heb.  otitof  the 
battles  and  spoils. 


e  1  Sam.  9.  9. 


f  ch.  23.  4. 


t  Heb.  over  the 
charge. 


g  ch.  23.  19. 


h  SeeJosh.21.39. 


t  Heb.  thing. 
i2  Chron.  19.  11. 


a  2  Sam.  23.  8, 
ch.  lU  11. 


and  over  the  treasures  of  the  f  dedicated  things.  ^^  As  concerning  the  sons  of 
II  Laadan ;  the  sons  of  the  Gershonite  Laadan,  chief  fathers,  even  of  Laadan 
the  Gershonite,  ivere  \\  Jeliieh.  -  The  sons  of  JehieH  ;  Zetham,  and  Joel  his 
brother,  which  were  over  the  treasures  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.  '^^  Of  the 
Amramites,  and  the  Izharites,  the  Hebronites,  and  the  Uzzielites  :  -*  And 
*"  Shebuel  the  son  of  Gershom,  the  son  of  Moses,  tvas  ruler  of  the  treasures. 
^^  And  his  brethren  by  Eliezer ;  Rehabiah  his  son,  and  Jeshaiah  his  son,  and 
Joram  his  son,  and  Zichri  his 'son,  and  ^  Shelomith  his  son.  ^6 -^j^j^^ij  Shelo- 
mith  and  his  brethren  were  over  all  the  treasures  of  the  dedicated  things,  which 
David  the  king,  and  the  chief  fathers,  the  captains  over  thousands  and  hun- 
dreds, and  the  Captains  of  the  host,  had  dedicated.  -''  f  Out  of  the  spoils  won 
in  battles  did  they  dedicate  to  maintain  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^And  all 
that  Samuel  ^  the  seer,  and  Saul  the  son  of  Kish,  and  Abner  the  son  of  Ner, 
and  Joab  the  son  of  Zeruiah,  had  dedicated ;  and  whosoever  had  dedicated  any 
thing,  it  loas  under  the  hand  of  Shelomith,  and  of  his  brethren. 

2^  Of  the  Izharites,  Chenaniah  and  his  sons  were  for  the  outward  business 
over  Israel,  for  ^oflicers  and  judges.  ^^  And  of  the  Hebronites,  Hashabiah 
and  his  brethren,  men  of  valour,  a  thousand  and  seven  hundred,  iccre  f  officers 
among  them  of  Israel  on  this  side  Jordan  westward  in  all  the  business  of  the 
Lord,  and  in  the  service  of  the  king.  ^^  Among  the  Hebronites  tvas  ^  Jerijah 
the  chief,  even  among  the  Hebronites,  according  to  the  generations  of  his 
fathers.  In  the  fortieth  year  of  the  reign  of  David  they  were  sought  for,  and 
there  were  found  among  them  mighty  men  of  valour  ^  at  Jazer  of  Gilead. 
^■^And  his  brethren,  men  of  valour,  loere  two  thousand  and  seven  hundred  chief 
fathers,  Avhom  king  David  made  rulers  over  the  Reubenites,  the  Gadites,  and 
the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  for  every  matter  pertaining  to  God,  and  f '  affairs 
of  the  king. 

XXVII.  ^  Now  the  children  of  Israel  after  their  number,  to  ivit,  the  chief 
fathers  and  captains  of  thousands  and  hundreds,  and  their  officers  that  served 
the  king  in  any  matter  of  the  courses,  which  came  in  and  went  out  month  by 
month  throughout  all  the  months  of  the  year,  of  every  course  icere  twenty  and 
four  thousand. 

^  Over  the  first  course  for  the  first  month  ivas  ^  Jashobeam  the  son  of  Zab- 


here  Ahlhem  {their  brethren),  and  this  reading  is  approved  by 
Michaelis  and  Bertheau. 

—  treasures  of  the  house  of  Ood,  &c.]  The  treasures  of  the 
house  of  God  were  such  as  tithes,  the  half-shekel  (Exod.  xxx.  12), 
the  redemption  fees  (Num.  xvili.  16),  the  discharge  of  vows 
(Lev.  xxvii.),  and  free-will  offerings  (xix.  6—8). 

28.  all  that  Samuel  the  seer — Saul — Abner — Joab  —had 
dedicated']  A  practice  derived  from  Abraham  (Gen.  xiv.  20),  and 
Moses  (Num.  xxxi.  28—48),  and  Joshua  (Josh.  vi.  24-). 

29.  outward  business  over  Israel]  In  courts  of  Judicature, 
according  to  God's  direction  to  Moses.  See  above,  on  Deut. 
xvii.  8—13;  and  Bp.  Sanderson,  ii.  249,  who  observes  that  Eli, 
a  High  Priest,  and  Samuel,  a  Levite,  were  Judges  of  Israel. 
Cp.  1  Sam.  iv.  18 ;  vii.  16 ;  xv.  33  j  and  below,  Neh.  xi.  16, 
where  the  same  phrase  occurs. 

30.  were  officers  among  them  of  Israel]  Literally,  were  for 
the  oversight  of  Israel  {Sept. :  cp.  Gesen.  586). 

—  in  all  the  business  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  service  of  the 
Jcing]  As  Scribes,  in  expounding  the  Law,  and  in  teaching  the 
people,  and  in  the  exercise  of  magisterial  functions  and  adminis- 
tration of  justice,  according  to  the  ^vritten  Law  of  God,  and 
according  to  the  decrees  of  the  king  (cp.  above,  xxiii.  4 ;  and 
below,  V.  32;  and  2  Chron.  xix.  6:  cp.  Vorst.  de  Syned.  Hebr. 
§  36;  and  Bp.  Patrick  here). 

31.  Jazer]  Called  also  Jaazer,  about  ten  miles  west  of 
Amman,  and  fifteen  from  Heshbon. 

220 


Datid's  Twelve  Ofpicees. 

Ch.  xxvii.  1.  captains  of  thousands]  After  the  description 
of  the  arrangements  made  by  David  for  the  service  of  God's 
Sanctuary,  the  Sacred  Writer  proceeds  to  recount  the  appoint- 
ments which  the  king  had  organized  for  the  defence  of  his 
person  and  of  the  country. 

The  military  force  was  distributed  into  twelve  legions  of 
24,000  men  each  =  288j000  men  fit  for  service;  each  of  these 
legions  was  on  duty  for  a  month  at  a  time,  and  during  the  rest 
of  the  year  they  might  attend  to  their  own  private  occupations. 
Each  had  a  captain,  one  of  David's  worthies.  See  above,  2  Sam. 
xxiii.  8.     1  Chron.  xi.  11. 

We  recognize  the  same  numerical  basis  in  the  military 
service  of  David's  kingdom,  as  in  the  ecclesiastical.  The  number 
Twelve  is  the  basis  of  both  (see  above,  on  xxv.  11).  The 
analogy  between  the  two  is  suggested  by  the  Hebrew  word, 
tsaba,  host,  which  is  applied  to  both.  See  above,  xxiv.  1,  where 
the  word  designates  the  sacred  militia  and  service  of  God's 
sanctuary ;  and  in  this  chapter,  vv.  3.  5.  34,  where  it  is  applied 
to  David's  army.  The  Temple  of  God  was  Uke  a  Camp,  in 
which  the  soldiers  of  the  Lord  watched,  and  defended  the  king 
and  the  people  by  the  arms  of  prayer.  And  the  camp  of  David 
was  like  a  sanctuary,  in  which  the  king's  armies  did  service  to 
God,  and  from  which  they  went  forth  to  fight  the  Lord's  battles. 

2.  Jashobeam]  See  xi.  11. 


David's  twelve  captains ;      1  CHRONICLES  XXVII.  3—21.    the  princes  of  the  twelve  tribes. 


diel :  and  in  his  course  ^oere  twenty  and  four  thousand.  ^  Of  the  children  of 
Perez  loas  the  chief  of  all  the  captains  of  the  host  for  the  first  month.  ^  And 
over  the  course  of  the  second  month  loas  \\  Dodai  an  Ahohite,  and  of  his  course 
ivas  Mikloth  also  the  ruler :  in  his  course  likewise  were  twenty  and  four  thou- 
sand. ^  The  third  captain  of  the  host  for  the  third  month  loas  Benaiah  the  son 
of  Jehoiada,  a  ||  chief  priest :  and  in  his  course  were  twenty  and  four  thousand. 
^  This  is  that  Benaiah,  who  ivas  "^ mighty  among  the  thirty,  and  ahove  the  thirty: 
and  in  his  course  w>as  Ammizabad  his  son.  '^  The  fourth  captain  for  the  fourth 
month  loas  "  Asahel  the  brother  of  Joab,  and  Zebadiah  his  son  after  him  :  and 
in  his  course  icere  twenty  and  four  thousand.  ^  The  fifth  captain  for  the  fifth 
month  teas  Shamhuth  the  Izrahite  :  and  in  his  course  weix  twenty  and  four 
thousand.  ^  The  sixth  captain  for  the  sixth  month  tvas  ^  Ira  the  son  of  Ikkesh 
the  Tekoite  :  and  in  his  course  were  twenty  and  four  thousand.  ^^  The  seventh 
captain  for  the  seventh  month  ivas  ^  Helez  the  Pelonite,  of  the  children  of 
Ephraim  :  and  in  his  course  were  twenty  and  fom-  thousand.  ^^  The  eighth 
captain  for  the  eighth  month  was  ^  Sibbecai  the  Hushathite,  of  the  Zarhites  :  and 
in  his  course  tvere  twenty  and  four  thousand.  ^'^  The  ninth  captain  for  the  ninth 
month  ivas  ^Abiezer  the  Anetothite,  of  the  Benjamites  :  and  in  his  course  were 
twenty  and  four  thousand.  ^^  The  tenth  captain  for  the  tenth  month  was 
^  Maharai  the  Netophathite,  of  the  Zarhites  :  and  in  his  course  were  twenty 
and  four  thousand.  ^'^  The  eleventh  captain  for  the  eleventh  month  was 
'  Benaiah  the  Pirathonite,  of  the  children  of  Ephraim :  and  in  his  course  were 
twenty  and  four  thousand.  ^^  The  twelfth  captain  for  the  twelfth  month  was 
II  Heldai  the  Netophathite,  of  Othniel :  and  in  his  course  ivere  twenty  and  four 
thousand. 

^^Furthermore  over  the  tribes  of  Israel:  the  ruler  of  the  Reubenites  «;as 
Eliezer  the  son  of  Zichri :  of  the  Simeonites,  Shephatiah  the  son  of  Maachah  : 
^^  Of  the  Levites,  "^  Hashabiah  the  son  of  Kemuel :  of  the  Aaronites,  Zadok  : 
^^  Of  Judah,  'Elihu,  one  of  the  brethren  of  David :  of  Issachar,  Omri  the  son 
of  Michael :  *^  Of  Zebulun,  Ishmaiah  the  son  of  Obadiah  :  of  Naphtali,  Jeri- 
moth  the  son  of  Azriel :  ^°  Of  the  children  of  Ephraim,  Hoshea  the  son  of 
Azaziah  :  of  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  Joel  the  son  of  Pedaiah  :  ^i  Of  the  half 
tribe  of  Manasseh  in  Oilead,  Iddo  the  son  of  Zechariah :  of  Benjamin,  Jaasiel 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1015. 

II  Or,  Dodo, 
2  Sara.  23.  9. 


II  Or,  principal 

officer, 

1  Kings  4.  5. 

b  2  Sam.  23.  20, 

22,  23. 

ch   11.  22,  &c. 

c  2  Sam.  23.  24. 
ch.  11.26. 


e  ch.  11.  27. 


f  2  Sam.  21.  18. 
ch.  11.  29. 


gch.  11.28. 


h  2  Sam.  23.  28. 
ch.  11.30. 


ich.  11.31. 


II  Or,  HHed, 
ch.  11.  30. 


k  ch.  26.  30. 


1  1  Sam.  16.  6, 
Ettab. 


3.  Of  the  children  of  Perez']  That  is  Jasbobeam,  "  tbe  cbief 
of  all  tbe  captains  of  tbe  hosts  "  (tsehaotK),  was  of  tbe  cbildreu 
of  Pbarez  tbe  son  of  Judah,  from  which  David  sprung,  and 
from  which  Christ  Himself  came,  "  the  Captain  of  our  salvation," 
"  the  Lord  of  Hosts." 

4.  Dodat]  Or  Dodo  (2  Sam.  x.xiii.  9),  who  had  Mlklath  as 
his  lieutenant. 

5.  Benaiah']  See  2  Sam.  xxiii.  20— 23j  above,  xi.  22—25. 
Benaiah  was  also  captain  of  the  Cheretbites  and  Pelethites 
(2  Sam.  viii.  18) ;  but  after  tbe  time  of  David  we  do  not  bear 
of  that  royal  body-guard,  and  probably  it  was  eventually  super- 
seded by  the  regular  military  organization  described  in  this 
chapter. 

—  a  chief  priest]  Or,  the  head  priest. 

He  was  not  the  chief  priest,  properly  so  called, — for  that 
office  was  held  by  Ablathar, — but  be  is  called  tbe  head  priest  as 
being  the  principal  leader  of  tbe  Aaronites,  see  xii.  27,  where  he 
is  described  as  bringing  3700  men  to  David  at  Hebron. 

6.  Ammizabad  his  son]  And  lieutenant. 

7.  Asahel  the  brother  of  Joab]  And  one  of  David's  worthies 
(2  Sam.  xxiii.  24),  who  was  killed  by  Abner,  before  David 
reigned  in  Jerusalem  (see  2  Sam.  ii.  18—23)  ;  and  therefore  this 
military  organization  seems  to  have  dated  from  the  beginning 
of  David's  monarchy. 

8.  Shamhuth]  Probably  the  same  as  tbe  celebrated  warrior 

221 


called  Shammah,  2  Sam.  xxiii.  11,  and  Shammoth  above,  xi.  27. 

9.  Ira]  One  of  the  thirty  (2  Sam.  xxiii.  26;  above,  xi.  28). 

10.  Eelez]  See  2  Sam.  xxiii.  26. 

11.  Sibbecai]  See  2  Sam.  xxi.  18. 

12 — 15.  Abiezer — Maharai — Benaiah  —Heldai]  Four  of  tbe 
thirty  (2  Sam.  xxiii.  27—30). 

16 — 22.  over  the  tribes  of  Israel]  Each  Tribe  had  a  ruler; 
and  these  rulers  are  called  tbe  "  princes  of  tbe  tribes  of  Israel " 
{v.  22).  In  this  list  the  four  sons  of  Leah  are  placed  in  the 
order  of  birth  (Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  Judah).  Then  Issachar 
and  Zebulun,  tbe  fifth  and  sixth  sons  of  Leah  (Gen.  xxx.  18.  20) ; 
thus  the  six  sons  of  Leah  occupy  the  first  six  places.  But  the 
sons  of  Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid,  Gad  and  Asher,  are  not 
mentioned. 

Then  comes  Naphtali,  the  second  son  of  Bilhab,  Rachel's 
handmaid.  Then  Ephraim  and  Manasseh  are  placed  as  coining 
from  Rachel,  by  Josepli.  Then  Benjamin,  tbe  other  son  of 
Rachel.     See  Gen.  xxix.  32 — 35. 

Dan,  who  was  tbe  firstborn  of  Bilhab,  Rachel's  liandmaid, 
is  degraded  to  the  last  place.  Here  is  another  evidence  of  tbe 
evil  name  which  attached  to  that  tribe  (see  above,  on  vii.  12). 
The  tribes  of  Gad  and  Asher  (the  two  sons  of  Zilpah,  Leah's 
handmaid)  were  probably  incorporated  in  some  other  tribes  ia 
this  reckoning. 

18.  Elihu]  Probably  the  same  as  Eliab  in  ii.  13.  Eliab  was 
Jesse's  eldest  son. 


The  numhering  interrupted.     1  CHRONICLES  XXVII.  22—34. 


David's  officers. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1015. 


about 
1017. 

n  2  Sam.  24.  15. 

ch.  21.  7. 

f  Heb.  ascended. 

about 
1015. 


t  Heb.  over  that 
which  was  of  the 
vineyards. 


H  Or,  secretary. 

n  Or,  Hach- 

monite. 

o  2  Sam.  15.  12. 

p  2  Sam.  15.  37. 

&  16.  16. 

q  1  Kings  1.  7. 

rch.  11.  6. 


the  son  of  Abner :  ^^  Of  Dan,  Azareel  the  son  of  Jeroham.  These  were  the 
princes  of  the  tribes  of  Israel. 

23  But  David  took  not  the  number  of  them  from  twenty  years  old  and  under  : 
because  ""  the  Lord  had  said  he  would  increase  Israel  like  to  the  stars  of  the 
heavens.  "^^  Joab  the  son  of  Zeruiah  began  to  number,  but  he  finished  not, 
because  "  there  fell  wrath  for  it  against  Israel ;  neither  f  was  the  number  put 
in  the  account  of  the  chronicles  of  king  David. 

2^  And  over  the  king's  treasures  was  Azmaveth  the  son  of  Adiel :  and  over 
the  storehouses  in  the  fields,  in  the  cities,  and  in  the  villages,  and  in  the 
castles,  tvas  Jehonathan  the  son  of  Uzziah  :  ^6  And  over  them  that  did  the  work 
of  the  field  for  tillage  of  the  ground  was  Ezri  the  son  of  Chelub  :  ^^  And  over  the 
vineyards  was  Shimei  the  Ramathite  :  f  over  the  increase  of  the  vineyards  for 
the  wine  cellars  was  Zabdi  the  Shiphmite  :  ^^  And  over  the  olive  trees  and  the 
sycomore  trees  that  tvere  in  the  low  plains  was  Baal-hanan  the  Gederite :  and 
over  the  cellars  of  oil  was  Joash :  ^^  And  over  the  herds  that  fed  in  Sharon  was 
Shitrai  the  Sharonite  :  and  over  the  herds  that  were  in  the  valleys  was  Shaphat 
the  son  of  Adlai :  ^  Over  the  camels  also  was  Obil  the  Ishmaelite  :  and  over 
the  asses  was  Jehdeiah  the  Meronothite :  ^^  And  over  the  flocks  was  Jaziz 
the  Hagerite.  All  these  were  the  rulers  of  the  substance  which  tvas  king 
David's. 

32  Also  Jonathan  David's  uncle  was  a  counsellor,  a  wise  man,  and  a  ||  scribe  : 
and  Jehiel  the  ||  son  of  Hachmoni  was  with  the  king's  sons  :  ^3  And  °  Ahithophel 
was  the  king's  counsellor :  and  ^  Hushai  the  Archite  was  the  king's  companion : 
3^  And  after  Ahithophel  ivas  Jehoiada  the  son  of  Benaiah,  and  "^  Abiathar  :  and 
the  general  of  the  king's  army  was  ""  Joab. 


23.  David  took  not  the  number']  He  sinned  indeed  in  num- 
bering the  men  of  war  (2  Sam.  xxiv.  10;  above,  xxi.  5) ;  but  his 
sin  was  not  so  great  as  if  he  had  taken  the  census  of  the  whole 
population,  for  this  would  have  seemed  to  imply  a  doubt  in  the 
truth  of  the  divine  promise  to  Abraham  (Gen.  xxii.  17). 

24.  there  fell  wrath']  The  numbering  was  interrupted  by  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Pestilence  :  cp.  above,  xxi.  6. 

25.  And  over]  It  is  observable  that  the  number  of  the  over- 
seers here  mentioned  of  David's  property  of  different  kinds 
(»».  25 — 31)  was  twelve :  cp.  on  xxv.  11,  and  xxvii.  1. 

—  the  king's  treasures]  In  Jerusalem. 

—  the  castles]  The  fortresses. 

26.  of  the  ground]  The  royal  demesnes,  consisting  of  arable 
land,  vineyards,  oliveyards,  and  other  plantations. 

28.  sycomore]  Heb.  shilcmah,  sycaminus,  the  fig-mulberry, 
which  grows  to  the  size  of  a  walnut-tree,  with  rich  foliage,  and 
bears  abundance  of  fruit,  sprouting  in  sprigs  from  the  trunk  of 
the  tree,  in  clusters  like  the  grape,  and  is  generally  punctured 
before  it  is  gathered :  cp.  on  Amos  vii.  14.  The  tree  is  always 
green,  and  bears  fruit  several  times  in  the  year,  which  is  of 
great  value  to  the  labouring  population.  The  timber  is  soft 
and  easy  to  work,  and  very  durable.  Cp.  Isa.  ix.  10 ;  Hassel- 
quist,  Forskal,  in  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  62;  Stowe,  in  B.  D.  ii. 
1394;  and  above,  1  Kings  x.  27. 

—  loio  plains]  In  the  shephelah  or  fertile  campagna between 
the  hill  country  of  Judah  and  the  Mediterranean.  See  above. 
Josh.  XV.  33. 

29.  Sharon]  The  district  north  of  the  shephelah,  or  low- 
land of  Judah  :  it  is  the  broad  and  fruitful  tract  of  land  which 
stretches  from  the  central  hills  of  Palestine  to  the  Mediterranean, 
and  reaches  along  the  coast  from  Joppa  northward  to  Carmel, 
and  was  celebrated  for  its  forests,  groves,  orchards,  meadows, 
and  gardens.  Cp.  Isa.  xxxiii.  9 ;  xxxv.  2 ;  Iv.  10.  Cant.  ii.  1. 
S.  Jerome,  in  Esai  xxxv.  2.  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  383.  drove, 
B.  D.  ii.  1228. 

30.  camels]  Committed  to  the  care  of  an  Ishmaelite,  as  was 
natural  (cp.  Judg.  viii.  21.  24,  with  Judg.  vii.  12).  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  flocks  entrusted  to  an  Hagerite  {v.  31). 
Perhaps  these  camels  and  flocks  were  kept  in  districts  that  had 

222 


formerly  been  pastured  by  the  nomad  Ishmaelites  and  Hagarens 
(^Bertheau). 

31.  substance]  Heb.  recush  (Gen.  xiv.  11 ;  xvi.  21),  from 
raeash,  to  acquire :  Greek  uriifiLara  {Oesen.  769). 

32.  Jonathan  David's  uncle]  In  xx.  7,  and  in  2  Sam.  xxi.  21, 
a  Jonathan  is  mentioned  who  was  son  of  Shimea,  David's 
brother.  The  word  here  used  {dud),  generally  an  uncle,  has 
sometimes  a  wider  meaning  {Qesen.  191;  Fuerst,  318;  and 
Bertheau). 

—  with  the  king's  sons]  As  their  tutor ;  perhaps  he  is  the 
Jehiel  mentioned  in  xxiii.  8.  The  famous  Jashobeam,  in  xi.  11, 
was  also  a  son  of  Hacmoni. 

33.  Ahithophel — Hushai]  Of  whom  we  have  heard  so  much 
in  2  Sam.  xv.  xvi.  xvii. 

—  companion]  Or  friend ;  Heb.  rea :  cp.  Reuel,  "  friend  of 
God"  {Gesen.  772). 

34.  after  Ahithophel]  After  his  death  (2  Sam.  xvii.  23). 

—  Jehoiada]  It  is  supposed  by  some  (e.  g.  Movers,  269 ; 
and  Bertheau  here)  that  we  ought  to  read,  "  Benaiah  the  son 
of  Jehoiada  "  (cp.xi.  22;  and  above,  v.  5).  But  it  is  probable  that 
the  grandson  may  have  had  the  same  name  as  the  grandfather. 

—  Abiathar]  The  High  Priest  (1  Sam.  xxii.  20;  xxiii.  6.  9. 
2  Sam.  XX.  25.     1  Kings  ii.  27). 

Thb  Last  Days  of  David. 

Peeliminarx  Note  to  Chaptees  XXVIII  and  XXIX. 

These  two  chapters  represent  the  closing  scene  of  David's 
life.  The  reader  is  invited  to  compare  Ps.  70 — 72,  and  the 
Frelim.  Notes  there. 

At  this  time  he  was  enfeebled  by  old  age,  as  we  learn  from 
1  Kings  i.  1 — 4.  15.  If  we  look  at  that  narrative  separately 
and  singly,  we  might  suppose  that  all  his  powers  were  exhausted. 
But  God  granted  his  prayer,  "  forsake  me  not  when  I  am  gray- 
headed,  until  1  have  showed  Thy  strength  unto  this  generation, 
and  Thy  power  unto  every  one  that  is  to  come  "  (Ps.  Ixxi.  18). 
God  gave  him  grace ;  his  energies  were  aroused  by  the  appeal  of 
Bathsheba,  in  behalf  of  Solomon,  whose  claim  to  the  throne  was 
disputed  by  Adonijah,  rising  in  rebellion  against  David  and 
Solomon  (1  Kings  i.  5 — 18).     Nathan  the  Prophet,  who  had 


David  convokes 


1  CHRONICLES  XXVIII.  1. 


a  solemn  assemhhj. 


XXVIII.  ^  And  David  assembled  all  the  princes  of  Israel,  ^  the  princes  of 
the  tribes,  and  ^  the  captains  of  the  companies  that  ministered  to  the  Idng  by 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
1015. 

com'se,  and  the  captains  over  the  thousands,  and  captains  over  the  hundreds,  bch"27;if2. 
and  *=  the  stewards  over  all  the  substance  and  |1  possession  of  the  king,  ||  and  of  jj  ^^;  ll)ll- 

II  Ur,  and  his  sons 


been  sent  by  God  to  deliver  the  divine  promise  of  perpetuity 
to  David's  kingdom  (2  Sam.  vii.  4 — 17),  had  also  stirred  his 
heart  by  a  vigorous  expostulation ;  and  David  had  given  a 
commission  to  Zadok  the  Priest,  and  Nathan  the  Prophet,  and 
Benaiah  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  to  proclaim  Solomon  king;  and 
Solomon  had  been  anointed  by  Zadok  the  Priest  (1  Kings,  i. 
34—39). 

Then  David  summoned  Solomon  into  his  presence,  and  gave 
him  privately  a  solemn  charge  on  the  duty  of  strict  obe- 
dience to  God's  Law,  and  on  the  penalties  that  would  follow 
from  neglect  and  violation  of  it ;  and  he  delivered  to  him  some 
other  directions  (1  Kings  ii.  1 — 9),  especially  with  regard  to  the 
building  of  the  Temple  :  compare  above,  xxii.  6 — 16. 

But  something  more  remained  to  be  done. 

David,  in  his  old  age  and  bodily  weakness,  was  not  deserted 
by  God.  On  the  contrary,  the  gracious  love  and  mighty  power 
of  the  Blessed  Spirit,  Who  had  cheered  and  inspired  him  in 
earlier  days,  were  more  manifested  in  his  personal  feebleness  and 
decrepitude.  He  was  like  the  Patriarch  Jacob,  who,  after  the 
narrative  of  his  old  age  and  sickness,  is  displayed  to  us  by  the 
Sacred  Historian  as  calling  his  sons  together,  and  delivering  to 
them  a  divine  prophecy,  extending  to  the  days  of  Christ  (see 
Prelim.  Note  to  Gen.  xlix.  compared  with  Gen.  xlvii.  29; 
xlviii.  1).  David's  "last  words," — his  farewell  prophecy  to  the 
world, — are  presented  to  us  in  2  Sam.  xxiii.  1 — 7.  They  also 
are  a  prophecy  concerning  Christ  (see  note  there).  This  was 
his  final  utterance  as  an  inspired  Prophet.  But  be  had  also  a 
work  to  perform  as  a  divinely  appointed  King,  the  type  of 
Messiah,  the  Prince.  God  had  given  to  David  by  the  Spirit  a 
pattern  of  the  future  Temple  (see  v.  12) ;  as  God  had  given  to 
Moses  a  pattern  of  the  future  Tabernacle.  David,  in  his  weak- 
ness and  old  age,  became  for  a  while  hke  a  second  Moses,  with 
his  eye  undimmed  and  his  natural  force  unabated  (Deut.  xxxiv. 
7).  David  also  stood  on  a  Pisgah  of  his  own.  He  had  visions 
of  the  glory  of  the  future  Temple,  for  the  building  of  which  he 
yearned  so  earnestly,  and  for  which  he  had  made  such  magni- 
ficent preparations.  The  outward  man  was  perishing,  but  the 
inward  man  was  renewed.  He  rose  from  his  bed  of  sickness, 
and  was  endued  with  supernatural  power.  As  Jacob  summoned 
all  Israel  in  the  Patriarchs ;  as  Moses,  in  the  eleventh  month 
of  the  last  year  of  his  mortal  pilgrimage,  addressed  all  Israel 
(Deut.  i.  1—3.  See  Introd.  to  it,  pp.  197.  203) ;  as  Joshua, 
on  the  eve  of  his  death,  gathered  together  all  Israel  (Josh. 
xxiii.  2 ;  xxiv.  1) ;  so  David,  just  before  his  death,  convenes  all 
Israel  to  a  solemn  convocation  (xxviii.  1). 

This  assembly  was  held  after  the  rebellion  of  Adonijah, 
and  the  other  events  related  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  First 
Book  of  Kings,  as  is  evident  from  what  is  related  below, 
xxix.  22 — 24 :  see  the  note  there. 

In  this  great  assembly  of  princes  and  captains,  David 
declared  his  own  desire  to  build  a  house  for  the  Name  of  their 
God.  He  reminded  them  of  God's  promise,  delivered  by  Jacob 
on  his  death-bed,  that  the  Tribe  of  Judah  should  be  the  ruler  of 
Israel  {v.  4) ;  and  that  he  himself  had  been  raised  up  by  God 
from  that  Tribe  to  be  king ;  and  he  announced  to  them  God's 
will,  that  of  all  his  sons,  Solomon  should  be  the  one  who  should 
succeed  him  on  the  throne  {v.  5) ;  and  that  Solomon  also  should 
build  the  house  of  God.  He  proclaimed  this  "  in  the  sight  of 
all  Israel  the  congregation  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  audience  of 
their  God  "  {v.  8).  Thus  David  the  King  recited  his  own  will 
and  testament  to  the  people,  and  made  the  most  eflectual 
provision  that  Solomon's  succession  should  not  be  disputed,  and 
that  the  Temple  should  be  built. 

The  result  was,  that  Solomon  was  anointed  the  second 
time  (see  on  xxix.  22),  with  the  concurrence  of  all  the  princes 
and  people :  "  Solomon  sat  on  the  throne  of  the  Lord  as  king 
instead  of  David  his  father,  and  all  Israel  obeyed  him "  (xxix. 

But  this  was  not  the  only  purpose  of  the  convocation  of 
this  great  National  Assembly. 

The  Tabernacle  had  been  erected  by  Moses  at  Sinai,  accord- 
ing to  divine  appointment,  and  by  divine  direction.  Its  dimen- 
sions, its  furniture,  were  all  made  according  to  the  pattern 
shown  to  Moses  in  the  mount  (Exod.  xxv.  9.  4(3.  Num.  viii.  4. 
Heb.  viii.  5). 
223 


If  Solomon  was  to  succeed  David,  and  if  the  Temple  was  to 
succeed  the  Tabernacle,  and  to  be  a  substitute  for  it,  a  divine 
commission  must  be  shown  to  authorize  these  successions. 
The  Temple  was  formed  on  the  same  plan  as  the  Tabernacle 
(see  above.  Prelim.  Note  to  1  Kmgs  vi.),  but  it  was  to  be  an 
expansion  and  development  of  it.  It  would  contain  indeed  the 
same  Ark,  the  essence  and  kernel  of  the  whole  system  of  worship, 
and  thus  the  inner  unity  and  continuity  of  that  worship  would 
be  shown;  but  in  many  accessories,  such  as  the  Candlesticks, 
the  Table  of  Shewbread,  and  the  Cherubim,  and  in  its  dimensions 
and  structure,  the  Temple  would  greatly  difier  from  the  Taber- 
nacle, and  be  far  more  magnificent  than  it.  Would  the  Hebrew 
princes  and  people  be  willing  to  recognize  the  new  Temple  as  a 
substitute  for  the  time-honoured  Tabernacle  ?  Would  the  Priests 
consent  to  minister  in  it  ?  Would  the  princes  and  people  be 
ready  to  worship  in  it,  and  to  contribute  liberally  to  it  ? 

Surely  not,  unless  they  were  first  convinced  that  the 
Temple  at  Sion,  its  furniture,  and  its  arrangements,  were  sanc- 
tioned by  the  same  divine  authority  as  the  Tabernacle  had  been 
at  Sinai.  This  then  was  the  great  principle  to  be  established. 
This  it  was  which  David  had  to  prove,  and  to  proclaim.  This 
is  what  he  now  announces  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  in  the 
presence  of  the  Hebrew  People,  convoked  and  collected  together 
in  the  persons  of  their  representatives,  "  the  princes  of  Israel, 
the  princes  of  the  tribes,  the  captains  of  the  companies,  the 
stewards  of  his  substance,  the  officers,  and  the  mighty  men,  and 
the  valiant  men,  at  Jerusalem  "  (xxviii.  1). 

In  this  great  National  Assembly,  one  of  the  noblest  ever 
held  by  any  earthly  king,  David  not  only  presented  his  son  and 
successor  Solomon  for  their  acceptance,  homage,  and  allegiance, 
but  he  exhibited  also  the  pattern  of  the  Temple,  which  he  had 
received  by  divine  inspiration  (v.  12),  and  of  all  its  appurtenances ; 
and  he  closed  the  solemn  exhibition  with  these  emphatic  words, — 
"  All  this  the  Lord  made  me  to  understand  in  writing  by  His 
hand  upon  me,  even  all  the  works  of  this  pattern  "  («.  19). 

The  result  of  this  public  appeal  was,  that  the  Representatives 
of  the  whole  Nation  acknowledged  the  Temple  to  be  the  divinely 
appointed  successor  and  substitute  for  the  Tabernacle,  and  con- 
tributed liberally  to  it.  "  Then  the  people  rejoiced  for  that  they 
oSered  willingly  to  the  Lord,  and  David  the  king  rejoiced  with 
great  joy,  and  blessed  the  Lord  before  all  the  congregation" 
(xxix.  9,  10)  in  that  noble  hymn  of  praise  and  thanksgiving 
which  is  a  model  for  all  who  enjoy  the  blessed  privilege  of 
ofibring  of  their  substance  to  the  glory  and  worship  of  God. 

Thus  David,  in  this  grand  and  august  assembly,  com- 
bined a  resemblance  of  three  great  acts  of  the  life  of  the 
great  Hebrew  Lawgiver,  Moses.  He  was  like  Moses  coming 
down  from  Horeb,  bringing  in  his  hand  the  pattern  of  the 
Tabernacle,  which  he  had  received  from  God  in  the  Mount. 
He  was  like  Moses  at  Pisgah,  surveying  the  far-off  future  (cp. 
2  Sam.  xxiii.  1).  He  was  like  Moses  presenting  Joshua  to  the 
People  as  his  successor.  He  was  like  Christ  rising  from  the  dead. 
It  has  indeed  been  alleged  by  some,  that  David's  old  age 
and  death  were  overhung  with  clouds.  But  if  the  facts  are 
carefully  collected  and  duly  considered,  which  have  been  now 
specified,  and  which  are  presented  to  us  in  the  several  Books 
of  Samuel,  Kings,  and  Chronicles;  and  as  they  are  brought 
together  by  some  of  the  most  learned  expositors  (e.  g.  Ussher, 
Annal.  p.  32 ;  Dr.  Lightfoot,  Worship,  i.  pp.  69 — 71 :  cp.  Keil, 
on  1  Kings  ii.  1),  it  will  be  seen  and  acknowledged,  that,  though 
some  mists  and  shadows  of  human  weakness  obscured  the 
evening  of  David's  life,  yet,  by  an  extraordinary  eflbrt,  the 
inner  spiritual  light  struggled  through  the  veil  of  mortal  sadness 
and  infirmity,  and  by  the  help  of  divine  grace  it  beamed  out  in 
gleams  of  glory;  and  the  sun  broke  forth  with  supernatural 
brilliance  and  extraordinary  lustre,  just  before  it  went  down  ; 
and  if  there  ever  was  a  glorious  sunset  in  this  world,  it  was  that 
of  David,  "the  man  after  God's  own  heart,"  the  type  of  the 
"  Sun  of  Righteousness,"  Who  is  "  the  Light  of  the  World." 

Ch.  XXVIII.  1.  the  princes  of  Israel]  Called  here  also  tJie 
princes  of  the  Tribes,  and  mentioned  above,  xxvii.  16,  17. 

—  captains  of  the  companies']  Described  above,  xxvii.  1 — 15. 

—  the  stewards']   Enumerated  above,   xxvii.  25—31.     Each 
of  the  above  bodies  of  chieftains  consisted  of  twelve  persons. 


David's  speech  to  Israel      1  CHRONICLES  XXVIII.  2—11. 


before  his  death. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1015. 

II  Or,  Eunuchs. 

d  ch.  ]  1 .  1 0. 

e  2  Sam.  7.  2. 
Ps.  132.  3,  4,  5. 
f  Ps.  99.  5.  & 
132.  7. 

g  2  Sam.  7.  5,  \'c 
1  Kings  5.  3. 
ch.  17.  4.  &  22.  ! 

t  Heb.  bloods. 
b  1  Sam.  16.  7— 
13. 

i  Gen.  49.  8. 
ch.  5.  2. 
Ps.  60   7.  & 
78.  68. 
k  1  Sam.  16.  1. 

1  1  Sam.  16.  12, 
13. 

m  ch.  3.  1,  &c. 

&  23.  1. 

n  ch.  22.  9. 

o  2  Sam.  7.  13, 

14. 

ch.  22.  9,  10. 

2  Chron.  1.  9. 
p  ch.  22.  13. 

t  Heb.  strong. 


q  Jar.  9.  24. 
IIo».4.  1. 
Jonn  17.  3. 
r  2  Kings  20.  3. 
P»    101.  2. 
s  1  Sam.  16.  7. 
1  Kings  8.  39. 
ch.  29.  17. 
Ps.  7.  9.  & 
139.  2. 
Prov.  17.  3. 
Jer.  11.  20.  & 
17.  10.  &  20.  12 
Rev.  2.  23. 
t  2  Chron.  15.  2 
u  ver.  6. 
X  See  Exod.  25 


his  sons,  with  the  ||  officers,  and  with  ^  the  mighty  men,  and  with  all  the  valiant 
men,  unto  Jerusalem. 

2  Then  David  the  king  stood  up  upon  his  feet,  and  said.  Hear  me,  my 
brethren,  and  my  people  :  As  for  me,  ^  I  had  in  mine  heart  to  build  an  house 
of  rest  for  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  and  for  Hhe  footstool  of  our 
God,  and  had  made  ready  for  the  building :  ^  But  God  said  unto  me,  ^  Thou 
shalt  not  build  an  house  for  my  name,  because  thou  hast  been  a  man  of  war, 
and  hast  shed  f  blood.  ^  Howbeit  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  ^  chose  me  before 
all  the  house  of  my  father  to  be  king  over  Israel  for  ever  :  for  he  hath  chosen 
'  Judah  to  be  the  ruler  ;  and  of  the  house  of  Judah,  ^  the  house  of  my  father ; 
and  '  among  the.  sons  of  my  father  he  liked  me  to  make  me  king  all  over  Israel : 
^"^  And  of  all  my  sons,  (for  the  Lord  hath  given  me  many  sons,)  "  he  hath 
chosen  Solomon  my  son  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord 
over  Israel.  ^  And  he  said  unto  me,  °  Solomon  thy  son,  he  shall  build  my 
house  and  my  courts  :  for  I  have  chosen  him  to  be  my  son,  and  I  will  be  his 
father.  '^  Moreover  I  will  establish  his  kingdom  for  ever,  ^  if  he  be  f  constant 
to  do  my  commandments  and  my  judgments,  as  at  this  day.  ^  Now  therefore 
in  the  sight  of  all  Israel  the  congregation  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  audience  of 
our  God,  keep  and  seek  for  all  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  your  God :  that 
ye  may  possess  this  good  land,  and  leave  it  for  an  inheritance  for  your  children 
after  you  for  ever. 

^  And  thou,  Solomon  my  son,  '^  know  thou  the  God  of  thy  father,  and  serve 
him  *■  with  a  perfect  heart  and  with  a  willing  mind :  for  '  the  Lord  searcheth  all 
hearts,  and  understandeth  all  the  imaginations  of  the  thoughts  :  '  if  thou  seek 
him,  he  will  be  found  of  thee ;  but  if  thou  forsake  him,  he  will  cast  thee  off  for 
ever.  '*^Take  heed  now;  "for  the  Lord  hath  chosen  thee  to  build  an  house 
for  the  sanctuary :  be  strong,  and  do  it. 

^^  Then  David  gave  to  Solomon  his  son  ""  the  pattern  of  the  porch,  and  of  the 


.  40.     ver.  19. 


—  the  officers']  Heb.  sarini.  See  above,  on  Gen.  xxxvii. 
36 :  and  cp.  1  Sam.  viii.  15.  1  Kings  xxii.  9,  where  the  same 
word  is  used. 

2.  David  the  king  stood  wp  upon  his  feef]  The  King  rose  from 
his  throne  on  which  he  had  been  sitting.  The  mention  of  this  is 
significant.  This  act  was  designed  to  show  the  importance 
of  tlie  proceeding,  and,  Immanly  speaking,  would  have  cost 
him  considerable  effort,  as  may  be  conjectured  from  the  de- 
scription of  David's  bodily  condition  at  this  time  in  1  Kings  i.  1. 
From  the  mention  of  this  act,  the  Jewish  Expositors  rightly 
infer  that  he  had  been  enabled  by  God  to  leave  his  chamber  and 
his  couch,  in  order  to  make  this  address  to  the  princes  and  the 
captains  of  Israel  (cp.  Lightfoot,  p.  61).  He  was  strengthened 
by  his  earnest  zeal  for  God's  glory,  and  by  God's  Spirit  within 
him.  With  reverence  be  it  said,  we  may  compare  the  extra- 
ordinary exertion  made  by  the  last  of  our  Saxon  Kings  just 
before  his  death  for  the  completion  and  consecration  of  West- 
minster Abbey,  which  he  survived  only  a  few  days,  with  the 
eifort  made  by  King  David  at  this  time,  and  for  the  high  and 
holy  purpose  described  in  this  chapter. 

—  and  for  the  footstool  of  our  God]  Or  rather,  even  for  the 
footstool   of  our    God,   which   the   Ark   was    (1    Sam.    iv.  4. 

Ps.  Ixxx.  1.  Lara.  ii.  1).  On  this  use  of  the  Hebrew  copula 
vau  (and),  see  on  Matt.  xxi.  5 :  and  cp.  Jos.  Mede,  Works, 
p.  393,  "  On  the  Mercy-seat  of  the  Ark,  God's  footstool." 

3.  thou  hast  been  a  man  of  war']  See  xxii.  8;  and  Prelim. 
Note  to  1  Kings,  vi. 

4.  he  hath  chosen  Judah  to  be  the  ruler]  As  Jacob  prophesied 
(Gen.  xUx.  10). 

—  he  liked  me  to  make  me  king]  God  sent  Samuel  to 
anoint  David  to  be  King ;  and  David's  kingdom  was  mira- 
culously established  after  many  perils,  and  hair-breadth  es- 
capes from  Saul  and  other  enemies.  It  was  a  foreshadow- 
ing of  Christ's  kingdom,  foretold  by  the  prophets  from  the 
beginning,  and  established  beyond  all  expectation,  and  against 

221. 


the  combined  forces  of  Satan  and  the  World,  both  Jewish 
and  Heathen. 

6.  he  hath  chosen  Solomon]  See  2  Sam.  xii.  25 ;  above,  xxii. 
9;  and  1  Kings  i.  17-  35.  David  makes  this  declaration 
publicly,  in  order  that  the  claims  of  Solomon  might  be  generally 
acknowledged  by  the  Hebrew  Nation. 

6.  And  he  said  unto  me]  See  2  Sam.  vii.  13;  and  above, 
xxii.  9. 

8.  Now — in  the  sight  of  all  Israel]  David  gives  Solomon 
public  warning  of  God's  wrath  and  retribution  in  the  event  of 
his  swerving  from  the  right  way  {vv.  7 — 9).  The  language 
used  by  the  aged  king  David  in  the  presence  of  all  Israel,  just 
before  his  death,  resembles  that  of  the  aged  Hebrew  Lawgiver, 
Moses,  in  the  ears  of  all  Israel,  on  the  eve  of  his  own  dissolution 
(cp.  Deut.  iv.  23—26;  viii.  19;  xi.  26.  28;  xxx.  19.  See 
Prelim.  Note  to  this  chapter). 

David  gives  to  Solomon  the  Pattern  of  the  Temple. 

11.  David  gave  to  Solomon — the  pattern]  As  God  did  to 
Moses,  Exod.  xxv.  9.  40,  where  the  same  Hebrew  word  {tahenith, 
from  hanah,  to  build,  Gesen.  856)  is  used  for  pattern  as  here ; 
and  below,  vv.  12.  18,  19.  This  pattern  which  David  gave  to 
Solomon  was  suggested  to  him  by  divine  inspiration  {v.  12,  and 
V.  19).  Matthew  Senry  here  observes,  that  "the  Temple 
was  a  kind  of  Sacrament "  (as  being  typical  of  Christ  and  His 
Church),  and  "was  not  left  to  man's  art  or  invention  to  contrive 
it,  but  was  framed  by  divine  institution." 

It  is  alleged  by  some  critics  and  historians,  that  the  account 
here  given  in  the  Chronicles  is  at  variance  with  that  in  the 
Book  of  Kings,  and  is  an  invention  of  the  writer  of  the 
Chronicles,  who  designed  to  give  additional  dignity  and  honour 
to  the  Temple  and  its  services.  So  De  Wette,  p.  125 ;  and 
Gramherg,  p.  107  ;  it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  this  notion 
has  been  accepted  by  Dean  Stanley,  v/ho  says  (Lectures  on  the 
Jewish   Church,   2nd   series,   p.   204),    "The   Chronicler  even 


David  gives  a  pattern 


1  CHRONICLES  XXVIII.  12-17. 


to  Solomon, 


houses  thereof,  and  of  the  treasuries  thereof,  and  of  the  upper  chambers  thereof, 
and  of  the  inner  parlours  thereof,  and  of  the  phice  of  the  mercy  seat,  ^^And 
the  pattern  f  of  all  that  he  had  by  the  spirit,  of  the  courts  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  and  of  all  the  chambers  round  about,  ^  of  the  treasuries  of  the  house  of 
God,  and  of  the  treasuries  of  the  dedicated  things :  '^  Also  for  the  courses  of 
the  priests  and  the  Levites,  and  for  all  the  work  of  the  service  of  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  and  for  all  the  vessels  of  service  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^  He 
gave  of  gold  by  weight  for  things  of  gold,  for  all  instruments  of  all  manner  of 
service ;  silver  also  for  all  instruments  of  silver  by  weight,  for  all  instruments 
of  every  kind  of  service  :  ^^  Even  the  weight  for  the  candlesticks  of  gold,  and 
for  their  lamps  of  gold,  by  weight  for  every  candlestick,  and  for  the  lamps 
thereof :  and  for  the  candlesticks  of  silver  by  weight,  hoth  for  the  candlestick, 
and  also  for  the  lamps  thereof,  according  to  the  use  of  every  candlestick. 
^^  And  by  weight  he  gave  gold  for  the  tables  of  shewbread,  for  every  table  ;  and 
lihnvise  silver  for  the  tables  of  silver  :  •'^  Also  pure  gold  for  the  fleshhooks,  and 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

1015. 

t  Heb.  of  all  thai 
was  Willi  him. 
y  cli.  2G.  20. 


ascribes  to  David  the  whole  plan  of  the  building  down  to  the 
minutest  details.  Of  this  there  is  no  indication  in  the  Books  of 
Kings.  On  the  contrary,  the  design  and  preparation  are  ascribed 
exclusively  to  Solomon,  on  the  very  occasions  where  they  are  by 
the  Chronicles  ascribed  to  David.  Cp.  1  Kings  v.  6.  2 
Chron.  ii.  3.  7.  1  Kings  vi.  2.  2  Chron.  iii.  3."  This  assertion 
seems  to  imply  a  doubt  as  to  the  inspiration  and  veracity  of  a 
Canonical  Book  of  Holy  Scripture;  and  a  disparagement  and 
degradation  cf  the  character  of  King  David ;  and  a  distortion  of 
his  history ;  and  v.-ould  deprive  the  reader  of  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  beautiful  portions  of  the  record  of  his  latter 
days.  It  would  send  Uavid  down  to  the  grave  in  shame  and 
sorrow,  instead  of  representing  him,  as  he  was,  endued  with 
spiritual  strength  and  arrayed  with  spiritual  glory,  and  so 
passing  away  from  earth  into  the  blissful  mansions  of  faithful 
souls  in  Paradise. 

The  allegation  above  recited  has  been  already  considered  in 
part,  in  the  Preliminary  Note  to  this  chapter;  see  also  note 
above,  on  sxii.  2;  and  below,  2  Chron.  ii.  1,  where  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles,  as  well  as  of  the  Kings, 
attributes  the  building  of  the  Temple  to  a  resolve  of  Solomon ; 
and  this  was  quite  consistent  with  the  fact  which  he  also  states, 
of  his  having  received  a  pattern  of  it  from  David. 

That  a  pattern,  bearing  with  it  the  stamp  of  divine 
authority,  should  be  given  for  the  Temple, — the  substitute  and 
successor  of  the  Tabernacle, — which  had  been  constructed  by 
Moses  in  all  respects  on  the  pattern  shown  to  him  in  the  holy 
Mount  by  Jehovah  Himself,  and  was  commended  to  the  reve- 
rence of  the  Hebrew  Nation  by  its  antiquity  and  sanctity,  was 
(as  has  been  already  observed)  both  reasonable  and  necessary. 
That  this  pattern  of  the  Temple  should  be  shown  to  David, 
who  had  earnestly  desired  to  build  it,  and  who  was  virtually  its 
Founder,  and  had  made  such  vast  preparations  for  it,  was  also 
most  appropriate,  and  is  in  itself  most  probable. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Author  of  all  Scripture.  When  He 
inspired  the  wi'iter  of  the  Books  of  Kings,  He  foreknew  that 
He  would  also  inspire  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles.  He  left 
some  things  unsaid  in  the  Kings,  in  order  that  they  might  be 
supplied  in  their  proper  place  in  the  Chronicles.  When  He 
inspired  the  writer  of  Chronicles  He  remembered  and  supplied 
what  had  been  left  unsaid  in  the  Kings.  If  the  Books  of 
Chronicles  had  merely  been  a  repetition  of  the  Books  of  Kings, 
they  would  have  been  censured  by  some  modern  critics  as 
tautologous.  Is  it  fair  and  equitable,  that  the  Chronicles  should 
be  condemned  as  inconsistent,  because  they  add  some  things 
which  we  should  not  know  if  they  had  not  been  written  ? 

Those  readers  who  will  carefully  consider  the  plan  and 
design  of  the  Chronicles,  as  compared  with  the  Books  of  Kings, 
will  perceive  that  the  record  of  the  delivery  of  the  pattern  by 
God  to  David,  and  by  David  to  Solomon,  in  the  presence  of  the 
princes,  finds  its  most  appropriate  place  in  the  Chronicles  (see 
above.  Introduction).  „ 

Besides,  David  and  Solomon  are  not  to  be  regarded  as 
ordinary  men.  They  are  something  more ;  they  have  a  higher 
character,  a  spiritual  significance.  As  the  father  of  Solomon, 
David  stands  to  him  in  a  relation  similar  to  that  which  (as  has 
biicn  notLced  already)  existed  between  Abraham  aud  Isaac,  the 
Vol.  III.  225 


former  originating  what  is  afterwards  reproduced  in  his  son 
(see  above,  on  Gen.  xxvi.  33).  The  acts  of  David  are  continued 
in  Solomon,  as  those  of  Abraham  are  repeated  and  enlarged  in 
Isaac. 

May  we  not  here  also  apply  an  observation  already  made  on 
the  history  of  Abraham  in  reference  to  that  of  Isaac  ? 

In  this  paternal  origination  in  David,  and  in  the  filial 
conformity  of  Solomon,  may  we  not  recognize  some  faint  gleams 
of  that  mysterious  relation  which  is  descrilied  by  the  Divine 
Son  as  existing  between  Himself  and  the  Father  : — "  My  Father 
worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work  "  (John  v.  17).  "  The  Son  can  do 
nothing  of  Himself,butwhat  He  seeth  the  Father  do;  what  things 
soever  He  doeth,  these  also  doeth  the  Son  likewise"  (John 
V.  19). 

Yet  further.  David  had  another  spiritual  relation  to  Solo- 
mon. David  and  Solomon,  being  joined  together,  make  a  signal 
type  of  Christ  (see  above,  Introd.  to  Samuel,  p.  xiv.).  David 
represents  Christ  as  the  mighty  Conqueror  of  this  world,  the 
Lord  of  Battles ;  Solomon  symbolizes  Him  as  the  Prince  of 
Peace.  It  was  by  Christ's  mighty  victories  over  our  ghostly 
enemies,  Satan,  Sin,  and  the  Grave ;  it  was  by  the  capture  of 
the  stronghold  of  the  Jebus  of  this  world  that  He  prepared  the 
way  for  the  building  of  His  spiritual  Temple,  the  Church 
Universal.  It  was  by  spoils,  of  immense  value,  and  by  the 
outlay  of  an  inestimable  price,  represented  by  the  almost  in- 
calculable sums  mentioned  by  David,  in  his  record  of  his  own 
preparations  for  the  Temple  (see  above,  on  xxii.  14),  that  Christ; 
inaugurated  the  building  of  that  spiritual  Temple.  It  was  as 
David  the  conqueror,  that  He  received  from  the  Father,  and 
gave  to  His  people,  the  pattern  of  it.  It  was  as  Solomon,  the 
Prince  of  Peace, — of  Peace  won  by  War,— and  of  Glory  gained 
by  Sufiering, — that  He  executed  the  budding  of  it,  and  con- 
secrated it  for  evermore. 

—  the  houses  thereof]  That  is,  the  parts  of  the  Temple ;  the 
holy  place,  and  the  holy  of  holies ;  the  former  of  which  is  called 
"  the  greater  house  "  in  2  Chron.  iii.  5,  and  the  latter,  the  holy 
of  holies,  in  this  present  verse  is  called,  in  the  original,  "  the  house 
of  the  mercy-seat." 

—  treasuries — and — upper  chambers']  See  1  Kings  vi.  5, 
where  the  chambers  attached  to  the  outer  wall  of  the  Temple 
are  described.  The  upper  chambers  were  probably  ten  cubits  in 
height  over  the  holy  of  holies:  cp.  below,  2  Chron.  iii.  9 
{Bertheau). 

—  the  inner  parlours]  Or  chambers.     See  1  Kings  vi.  8. 
12.  of  all  that  he  had  by  the  spirit]  Literally,  of  all  that 

was  in  the  spirit  with  him;  that  is,  the  Spirit  breathed  into 
him  by  God.  Compare  the  language  of  God  Himself  in  Exod. 
xxviii.  3;  xxxi.  3,  where  He  speaks  of  the  Spirit  which  He  has 
given  to  those  who  were  to  make  the  fabric  and  furniture  of  the 
Tabernacle- 

15.  candlesticks  of  gold]  WTiich  in  the  Temple  were  ten 
(1  Kings  vii.  49). 

16.  tables  of  shewbread]  There  were  ten  tables  in  the  Temple, 
connected  with  the  one  table  of  shewbread  (2  Chron.  iv.  8). 
Cp.  1  Kings  vii.  48.  2  Chron.  xxix.  18.  Josephus,  Antt. 
viii.  3.  7. 

17.  fleshhooJcs]  See  Exod.  xxvii.  3 ;  and  1  Sam.  ii.  13. 

Q 


David  gives  gold    1  CHRONICLES  XXVIII.  18—21.     XXIX.  1—3. 


and  silver. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
1015. 


z  Exod.  25.  18— 

22. 

1  Sam.  4.  4. 

1  Kings  G.  23,  &c 

a  See  Exod.  25. 

40. 

ver.  U,  12. 


bDeut.  31.  7,  8. 
Josh.  1.  6,  7,  y. 
ch.  22.  13. 

c  Josh.  1.  5. 

d  ch.  24,  &  25,  S 

26. 


e  Exod.  35.  25, 
26.  &  36.  1,  2. 


a  I  Kings  3.  7. 
ch.  22.  5. 
Prov.  4.  3. 


b  See  Isa.  51.  11 

12. 

Rev.  21.  18,  &c. 


the  bowls,  and  the  cups  :  and  for  the  golden  basons  he  gave  gold  by  weight  for 
every  bason  ;  and  likewise  silver  by  weight  for  every  bason  of  silver :  ^^^  And  for 
the  altar  of  incense  refined  gold  by  weight ;  and  gold  for  the  pattern  of  the 
chariot  of  the  ^  cherubims,  that  spread  out  their  loings,  and  covered  the  ark 
of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord.  ^^All  this,  said  David,  Hhe  Lord  made  me 
understand  in  writing  by  Ids  hand  upon  me,  even  all  the  works  of  this 
pattern. 

20  And  David  said  to  Solomon  his  son,  ^  Be  strong  and  of  good  courage,  and 
do  it :  fear  not,  nor  be  dismayed  :  for  the  Lord  God,  even  my  God,  tvill  he  with 
thee ;  '  he  will  not  fail  thee,  nor  forsake  thee,  until  thou  hast  finished  all  the 
work  for  the  service  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^  And,  behold,  ^  the  courses  of 
the  priests  and  the  Levites,  even  they  shall  be  ivith  thee  for  all  the  service  of  the 
.  house  of  God  :  and  there  shall  6e  with  thee  for  all  manner  of  workmanship  '  every 
willing  skilful  man,  for  any  manner  of  service :  also  the  princes  and  all  the 
people  ivill  he  wholly  at  thy  commandment. 

XXIX.  ^  Furthermore  David  the  king  said  unto  all  the  congregation,  Solo- 
mon my  son,  whom  alone  God  hath  chosen,  is  yet  '^  young  and  tender,  and  the 
work  is  great :  for  the  palace  is  not  for  man,  but  for  the  Lord  God.  ^  Now  I 
have  prepared  with  all  my  might  for  the  house  of  my  God  the  gold  for  things  to 
he  made  of  gold,  and  the  silver  for  things  of  silver,  and  the  brass  for  things  of 
brass,  the  iron  for  things  of  iron,  and  wood  for  things  of  wood  ;  ^  onyx  stones, 
and  stones  to  be  set,  glistering  stones,  and  of  divers  colours,  and  all  manner  of 
precious  stones,  and  marble  stones  in  abundance.  ^Moreover,  because  I  have 
set  my  affection  to  the  house  of  my  God,  I  have  of  mine  own  proper  good,  of 


—  lowls]^  For  sprinkling  Wood  (Exod.  xxvii.  3). 

—  cups']  For  libations.  See  E.wd.  sxv.  29;  xxxvii.  3G. 
Num.  iv.  7. 

All  these  minute  details  concerning  the  weight  and  fashion 
of  the  several  instruments  and  ornaments  used  in  the  service 
of  God  in  the  Temple,  were  specified,  in  order  that  the  whole 
nation  of  Israel  might  know  that  in  all  the  work  of  the  Temple, 
especially  in  all  deviations  from  the  fashion,  and  instruments, 
and  service  of  the  Tabernacle,  David  had  been  directed  by  God, 
and  had  done  nothing  of  his  own  mind. 

—  basons']  See  Ezra  i.  10;  viii.  27.  They  were  probably 
ewers  with  covers  (Bertheau). 

18.  the  pattern  of  the  chariot  of  the  cheriibims]  Two 
cherubim,  in  addition  to  the  two  golden  cherubim  made  by 
Moses  (see  above,  1  Kings  vi.  23.  28) ;  hence  the  Vtilg.  has 
"  quadrigaj  Cherubim."  Cp.  Ezek.  i.  26,  who  speaks  of  four 
living  creatures ;  and  hence  the  four  cherubim  of  the  Holy  of 
Holies  became  the  symbol  of  the  fourfold  Gospel,  on  which  God 
sits  enthroned,  and  on  which  He  rides,  as  on  a  chariot,  into  all 
lands.     See  below,  on  Rev.  iv.  4,  p.  183. 

The  Ark. 

—  covered  the  arlc]  In  the  pattern  delivered  by  David  to 
Solomon  of  the  Temple,  there  was  a  constant  reference  made 
to  the  pattern  of  the  Tabernacle  delivered  by  God  to  Moses. 
The  Tabernacle  was  the  groundwork  of  the  Temple  (see  above, 
on  1  Kings  vi.,  Prelim.  Note) ;  but  the  dimensions  of  God's 
Sanctuary  were  enlarged,  and  the  number  of  its  sacred  vessels 
and  furniture,  of  the  golden  candlesticks,  and  even  of  the 
cherubim  above  the  Ark,  was  increased.  But  the  Ark  itself 
remained  unchanged  in  both.  The  same  Ark  as  had  been 
made  according  to  the  pattern  given  by  God  to  Moses  at  Sinai, 
nearly  five  hundred  years  before,  was  brought  up  by  David  to 
Mount  Zion,  and  placed  by  Solomon  in  the  Temple  he  had  built. 
He  placed  new  cherubim  over  it  for  greater  glory  and  majesty. 
Rut  he  did  not  venture  to  o])eu  it,  or  take  out  the  Tables  of 
Stone,  and  put  them  into  another  Ark  of  his  own  making;  and 
there  it  remained  till  the  captivity. 

May  we  not  here  see  an  iniage  of  the  perpetuity  of  the 
Church  of  God,  overshadowed  by  the  wings  of  Hiiu,  Who  says, 
226 


"  Lo,  I  am  -with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world  " 
(Matt,  xxviii.  20)  ? 

19.  AU  this,  said  David,  the  Lord  made  me  to  understand — 
pattern]  Or,  All  these  things,  hy  a  writing,  from  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  upon  me.  He  (the  Lord),  made  me  to  understand,  all 
the  ivories  of  the  pattern.  As  the  Lord  had  formerly  shown 
to  Moses  the  pattern  of  the  work  of  the  Tabernacle  (Exod. 
XXV.  40;  xxvi.  30),  so  the  Lord  revealed  to  David  the  pattern 
of  the  work  of  the  Temple  and  its  furniture.  And  as  at  the 
first  formation  of  the  people  of  Israel  into  a  commonwealth, 
they  were  numbered,  and  the  Levites  were  appointed  for 
Divine  Service,  and  the  Sanctuary  was  formed,  according  to  God's 
direction,  so  now  that  the  Ark  is  brought  to  its  resting-place 
in  Zion,  similar  provisions  are  made  under  God's  special  direc- 
tion for  the  Temple  and  its  service  (cp.  v.  21).  See  Lightfoot, 
p.  70 ;  Keil,  p.  38 ;  Movers,  p.  265,  who  supposes  that  David 
received  it  through  the  ministry  of  Gad  and  Nathan,  the 
prophets.     Cp.  2  Chron.  xxix.  5. 

21.  willing  skilful]  Literally,  for  every  willing  offerer  in 
wisdom  (cp.  Oesen.  535).  It  would  seem  that  the  Priests  and 
Levites  were  to  act /or  the  willing  oflcrer,  by  applying  his  free- 
will gifts  in  a  wise  and  conscientious  manner. 

Ch.  xxix.  1.  young  and  tender]  xxii.  5. 

—  the  palace]  The  word  here  used  (birah)  is  applied  to  the 
royal  residence  of  Eastern  monai'chs  (Esther  i.  2.  5  ;  ii.  3.  8. 
Nell.  i.  1 ;  ii.  8 ;  vii.  2.  Dan.  viii.  2).  It  is  only  used  here, 
and  in  v.  19,  to  signify  the  Temple,  and  is  not  found  in  any 
other  books  of  the  Old  Testament  but  Chronicles,  Esther, 
Nchemiah,  and  Daniel.  It  is  one  of  the  words  of  later  Hebrew, 
which  serve  to  remind  the  reader  of  the  date  of  these  books 
{Oesen.  115.  C^.  JIavernic7c,\\.  265;  Keil,  Apol.  Vers.  404; 
Einleit.  438  ;  and  below,  v.  7). 

2.  onyx  stones]  See  Gen.  ii.  12.     Exod.  xxv.  7  ;  xxviii.  9. 

—  glistering  stones]  Literally,  stones  of  puJc,  an  alkaline 
seaweed.  Cp.  on  2  Kings  ix.  30.  Here  they  seem  to  signify 
stones  of  a  dark,  brilliant  colour,  like  the  stibium  prepared  from 
it,  and  perhaps  used  for  making  cement  {Oesen.  668). 

—  marble]  So  Sept,  and  Vulg.  See  Cant.  v.  15.  Ebthcr 
i.  6. 

3.  all  that  I  have  prepared]  Cp.  xxii.  14. 


The  princes  offer. 


1  CHRONICLES  XXIX.  4—13. 


David's  thanksgiving. 


gold  and  silver,  ichich  I  have  given  to  the  house  of  my  God,  over  and  above  all 
that  I  have  j^repared  for  the  holy  house,  "^Even  three  thousand  talents  of  gold, 
of  the  gold  of ''  Ophir,  and  seven  thousand  talents  of  refined  silver,  to  overlay 
the  walls  of  the  houses  luithal:  ^  The  gold  for  things  of  gold,  and  the  silver  for 
things  of  silver,  and  for  all  manner  of  work  to  he  made  by  the  hands  of  arti- 
ficers.    And  who  then  is  willing  f  to  consecrate  his  service  this  day  unto  the 

LOED  ? 

^  Then  ^  the  chief  of  the  fathers  and  princes  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and  the 
captains  of  thousands  and  of  hundreds,  with  ^  the  rulers  of  the  king's  work, 
ofiered  willingly,  ^  And  gave  for  the  service  of  the  house  of  God  of  gold  five 
thousand  talents  and  ten  thousand  drams,  and  of  silver  ten  thousand  talents, 
and  of  brass  eighteen  thousand  talents,  and  one  hundred  thousand  talents  of 
iron.  ^  And  they  with  whom  precious  stones  were  found  gave  theni  to  the  trea- 
sure of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  by  the  hand  of  '^Jehiel  the  Gershonite. 
^  Then  the  people  rejoiced,  for  that  they  offered  willingly,  because  with 
perfect  heart  they  ^  offered  willingly  to  the  Lord  :  and  David  the  Idng  also 
rejoiced  mth  great  joy. 

^^      Wherefore  David  blessed  the  Lord  before  all  the  congregation : 
And  David  said. 

Blessed  he  thou.  Lord  God  of  Israel,  our  father,  for  ever  and  ever. 
^^ ''  Thine,  0  Lord,  is  the  greatness,  and  the  power. 
And  the  glory,  and  the  victory,  and  the  majesty  : 
For  all  that  is  in  the  heaven  and  in  the  earth  is  thine, 
Thine  is  the  kingdom,  0  Lord, 
And  thou  art  exalted  as  head  above  all. 
'■^ '  Both  riches  and  honour  come  of  thee,  and  thou  reignest  over  all ; 
And  in  thine  hand  is  power  and  might ; 
And  in  thine  hand  it  is  to  make  great, 
And  to  give  strength  unto  all. 
^"^Now  therefore,  our  God,  we  thank  thee, 
And  praise  thy  glorious  name. 


Before 
C  H  R  1  S  T 

1015. 

c  1  Kings  9.  2S. 


t  Hel).  to  fill  his 
hand. 


d  ch.  27.  I. 

e  ch.  27.  25,  &c. 


f  ch.  26.  21. 


g  2  Cor.  9.  7. 


h  Matt.  6.  13. 
1  Tim.  I.  17. 
Rev.  5.  13. 


i  Rom.  11.  36. 


4.  Ophir]  Cp.  1  Kings  ix.  28.     Job  xxii.  24. 
—  the  houses]  See  xxviii.  11. 

6.  The7i  the  chief  of  the  fathers — offered  willingly]  See 
xxiv.  31 ;  xxvii.  1.  They  were  persuaded  that  God  had  revealed 
His  will  to  David  for  the  building  of  the  Temple,  and  that  the 
plan  of  the  structure,  furniture,  and  order  of  the  serdee,  which 
were  to  succeed  in  the  place  of  those  of  the  Tabernacle,  were 
of  divine  institution  and  appointment.  See  above,  Frelim. 
Kote  to  chap,  xxviii.  12. 

Daeics. 

7.  drams']  Heb.  adarconim.  A  word  which  is  only  found 
here,  and  in  Ezra  viii.  27.  We  have  darcemonim  in  Ezra  ii. 
69,  and  Neh.  vii.  71.  Some  suppose  the  word  here  used  to  be 
derived  from  Darius,  not  the  father  of  Xerxes,  but  from  an 
elder  Darius  {Harpocrat.,  Suidas,  Vitringa,  Prideaux.  See 
Keil,  Versuch,  12 — 15).  But  the  word  is  probably  not  derived 
from  Darius,  but  from  the  Persian  dara,  or  darah,  a  king, 
and  signifies  the  "  king's  coin  "  (Ftterst,  p.  70  :  cp.  the  English 
coin,  "sovereign").  Hence  SapetKhs,  daric,  a  Persian  coin  of 
gold,  bearing  the  king's  effigy  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  of 
an  ai'cher  on  foot,  kneeling,  and  equal  in  value  to  about  13«.  6d. 
of  our  money  {Eckhel,  Oesen.).  It  was  usual  (says  Fuerst) 
for  the  Jews,  under  the  Persian  dominion,  to  reckon  by  Darics 
(the  coin  mentioned  by  Xenophon,  Cyrop.  v.  3.  3) ;  and  (as 
Bercheau  observes)  the  sacred  historian  here  employs  the  word 
by  which  the  gold  coin,  which  was  current  in  his  own  age  and 
couutrv,  was  commonly  designated.  But  he  did  not  suppose  that 

'227 


the  Daric  was  circulated  at  Jerusalem  in  the  age  of  David. 
This  word  is  another  evidence  as  to  the  date  of  the  composition 
of  this  book  (see  Movers,  p.  26),  but  is  no  proof  of  such  late- 
ness of  composition  as  is  supposed  by  some  {De  Weite,  Einl. 
p.  45;  Eiuleit.  p.  275;  Oramberg,  §  6;  Davidson,  Int.  ii.  116. 
See  Keil,  Apol.  Vers.  p.  11 — 17 ;  Eiuleit.  p.  438 ;  Saver  nick, 
ii.  265;  and  above,  on  v.  1). 

8.  precious  stones — gave  them]  Here  was  another  feature 
of  resemblance  between  the  circumstances  of  the  erection  of 
the  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  the  Tabernacle  at  Mount  Sinai. 
In  both  cases,  the  princes  of  Israel  gave  fi-ee-will  offerings  of 
precious  stones.     Cp.  Exod.  xxxv.  27.     Num.  vii.  2.  10. 

—  Jehiel  the  Gershonite]  The  Levite  treasurer  (xxvi.  21). 

10.  Blessed  be  thou,  Lokd  God  of  Israel]  On  some  remark- 
able coincidences  in  these  words,  see  on  Ps.  xU.  13. 

11.  Thine,  O  Lord,  is  the  greatness— victory]  Greatness  and 
Power  in  the  creation  of  the  world ;  Glory  and  Victory  in  the 
Redemption  of  Thy  People,  and  in  the  overthrow  of  Thine 
enemies  and  theirs  in  the  Red  Sea,  and  in  Cauaan  ;  and  the 
lilajesty  in  the  awful  manifestation  at  Sinai.  So  the  Targum 
well  paraphrases  the  passage.  Cp.  Bp.  Pearson,  on  the  Creed, 
Art.  i.  p.  43.  And  how  much  more  is  this  appUcable  to  the 
attributes  of  our  God  and  Lohd,  Jesus  Cheist  ! 

This  thought  is  expressed  in  the  ancient  Christian  Liturgies, 
at  the  Oblation  and  Prayers  of  Consecration,  which  appear  to 
have  been  fi-amed  in  part  on  this  eucharistic  supplication  of 
David.  See  the  Apostolic  Constitutions,  viii.  c.  11;  and 
Bingham,  book  xv.  chap,  iii.,  where  the  form  is  inserted. 


The  sacrifices. 


1  CHRONICLES  XXIX.  14—22.        Solomon  is  made  King, 


Before 

CHRIST 

1015. 

t  Heb.  retain,  or, 

obtain  strenglli. 


+  Heb.  oft/line 
hand. 

k  Ps.  39.12. 
Heb.  11.  13. 
1  Pet.  2.  II. 
1  Job  14.  2. 
Ps.  90.  9.  & 
102.  11.  &  141.  4. 
t  Heb.  expecta- 
tion. 


m  1  Sam.  IG.  7. 

ch.  28.  9. 

n  Prov.  II.  20. 


^'^  But  who  am  I,  and  what  is  my  people, 
That  we  should  f  be  able  to  offer  so  willingly  after  this  sort  ? 
For  all  things  come  of  thee, 
And  f  of  thine  own  have  we  given  thee. 
15  jiqj.  kyfQ  ^yg  strangers  before  thee,  and  sojourners,  as  ivere  all  our  fathers  : 

Our  days  on  the  earth  are  as  a  shadow,  and  there  is  none  f  abiding. 
^^  0  Lord  our  God,  all  this  store  that  we  have  prepared  to  build  thee  an  house 
For  thine  holy  name, 

Cometh  of  thine  hand,  and  is  all  thine  own. 
'^  I  know  also,  my  God,  that  thou  ""  triest  the  heart. 
And  "  hast  pleasure  in  uprightness. 
As  for  me,  in  the  uprightness  of  mine  heart 
I  have  willingly  offered  all  these  things  : 
And  now  have  I  seen  with  joy  thy  people. 
Which  are  ||  present  here,  to  offer  willingly  unto  thee. 
'^  0  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  of  Israel,  our  fathers. 
Keep  this  for  ever  in  the  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  the  heart  of  thy 

people. 
And  II  prepare  their  heart  unto  thee  : 
^^  And  °  give  unto  Solomon  my  son  a  perfect  heart, 
To  keep  thy  commandments,  thy  testimonies,  and  thy  statutes. 
And  to  do  all  these  things, 

And  to  build  the  palace,  for  the  which  p  I  have  made  provision. 
20  And  David  said  to  all  the  congregation,  Now  bless  the  Lord  your  God. 
And  all  the  congregation  blessed  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  and  bowed 
down  their  heads,  and  worshipped  the  Lord,  and  the  king,  ^i  Xnd  they  sacri- 
ficed sacrifices  unto  the  Lord,  and  offered  burnt  offerings  unto  the  Lord,  on 
the  morrow  after  that  day,  even  a  thousand  bullocks,  a  thousand  rams,  and  a 
thousand  lambs,  with  their  drink  offerings,  and  sacrifices  in  abundance  for 
all  .Israel :  -^  And  did  eat  and  drink  before  the  Lord  on  that  day  with  great 
gladness.  And  they  made  Solomon  the  son  of  David  king  the  second  time, 
q^i  Kings  1. 35,  g^jj^j  q  auoluted  him  unto  the  Lord  to  he  the  chief  governor,  and  Zadok  to  he 
priest. 


II  Or,  found. 


II  Or,  ilablnfi, 
Ps.  10.  \7. 
0  Ps.  72.  I. 


p  ver.  2. 
ch.  22.  14. 


14.  tvho  am  I,  and  what  is  my  people,  that  we  should  he 
able  to  offer  so  ivillingly']  David  thanks  God  for  giving  to  him 
and  his  people  the  ability  and  willingness  to  give.  To  give, 
was,  in  his  eyes,  a  privilege ;  to  be  able  to  give  with  alacrity 
and  thankfulness,  was  a  gracious  boon  from  God,  Compare  the 
generous  spirit  of  the  Macedonian  Christians,  earnestly  asking 
to  be  permitted  to  give ;  as  described  by  St.  Paul,  see  below, 
on  2  Cor.  viii.  4.  A  similar  spirit  was  shown  by  the  Israelites 
at  the  building  of  the  Tabernacle.  Moses  was  obliged  to  abate 
their  alacrity,  and  to  limit  their  liberality  (Exod.  xxxvi.  6). 

—  all  things  come  of  thee,  and  of  thine  own  have  we  given 
thee']  Hence  it  is  said  in  the  Oflertory,  in  the  ancient  Christian 
Litui'gies,  2ol  to  2a  airh  tSiv  Swi'. 

15.  toe  are  strangers]  As  David  says  also  in  the  Psalms 
(xxxix.  14;  cxix.  19). 

20.  worshipped— the  Icing']  Literally,  lowed  dotvn  to  him. 
Cp.  1  Kings  i.  16.  23.  31,  where  the  word  is  used  to  describe 
Bathsheba's  act  to  David.  And  see  there,  ii.  19 ;  and  above, 
xxi.  21 ;  and  below,  2  Chron.  xxiv.  17.  Esther  iii.  2.  The 
same  Hebrew  word  shachah,  in  the  hithpael  form,  is  used  to 
describe  the  act  of  Abraham  bowing  before  the  people  and 
princes  of  Heth  (Gen.  xxiii.  7.  12)-  Cp.  Gen.  xxxvii.  7.  9), 
where  it  is  rendered  to  "  do  obeisance."  See  also  Gen.  xlvii.  31 ; 
xlvlii.  12.  Ruth  ii.  10.  1  Sam.  xxv.  23.  41.  2  Sam.  xiv.  4; 
xviii.  21.  It  signifies  properly  to  bow  down :  see  Oesen. 
813. 

21.  they  sacrificed  sacrifices]  The  Ark  being  there. 

223 


—  a  thousand  hullocJcs]  For  peace-offerings,  on  which  the 
princes  and  people  feasted. 

Solomon  is  made  King. 

22.  they  made  Solomon  the  son  of  David  king  the  second 
time,  and  anointed  him  unto  the  Lord]  See  also  the  following 
verse.  This  was  a  public  acknowledgment  of  his  sovereignty 
by  all  the  princes  and  people,  convened  to  Jerusalem  from  all 
parts  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  and  Judah.  Here  is  a  clear 
proof,  that  the  circumstances  deswibed  in  these  last  chapters 
were  posterior  to  those  related  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  First 
Book  of  Kings,  in  which  we  read  that  Solomon  was  anointed 
by  Zadok  (1  Kings  i.  39).  That  was  the  first  unction;  but 
that  was  done  in  haste,  without  any  public  convocation  of  the 
princes  and  people,  and  would  have  been  needless,  if  the  unction 
here  mentioned  had  preceded  it.  And  the  unction,  which  is 
here  described,  is  expressly  represented  as  the  second  unction ; 
that  in  the  Book  of  Kings  having  been  the  first ;  and  (as 
Bertheau  rightly  observes)  that  first  unction  had  been  already 
noticed  above  in  xxiii.  1,  where  it  is  said,  "  David  made  Solomon 
king."     See  also  what  follows  here,  in  vv.  23,  24. 

Zadok  anointed  to  be  Pbiest. 

—  Zadok  to  be  priest]  Zadok  was  anointed  to  be  priest  by 
a  special  unction,  because  he  was  of  the  line  of  Eleazar,  which 
was  to  be  restored  to  the  succession,  in  the  place  of  the  line  of 
Ithamar,  which,  iu  the  person  of  Abiathar,  exercised  the  high 


Solomon's  accession. 


1  CHRONICLES  XXIX.  23—30.     David's  death,  and  glory. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1015. 


2  Chron.  30.  8. 
Ezek.  17.  IS. 
s  1  Kings  3.  13. 

2' '  Aiid  the  time  that  l^^rW^^- 

Lccles.  2.  9. 


23  Then  Solomon  sat  on  the  throne  of  the  Lord  as  king  instead  of  David  his 
father,  and  prospered  ;  and  all  Israel  obeyed  him.  ^-^  And  all  the  princes,  and 
the  mio:htY  men,  and  all  the  sons  hkewise  of  king  David,  "■  f  submitted  them-  I  ^^''l^'-  ^-  2- 

o       J  '  o  '        I  f  Heb.  gave  the 

selves  unto  Solomon  the  king.     ^5 ^j^^  ^he  Lord  magnified  Solomon  exceed-  ''solomTn-'' 
ingly  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel,  and  'bestowed  upon  him  such  royal  majesty  as  47^^29':''''^*''^  * 
had  not  been  on  any  king  before  him  in  Israel. 

2^  Thus  David  the  son  of  Jesse  reigned  over  all  Israel, 
he  reigned  over  Israel  was  forty  years  ;  " seven  years  reigned  he  in  Hebron,  and  \ kX"'2^.h. 
thirt}^  and  three  years  reigned  he  in  Jerusalem.     ^^  And  he  "died  in  a  good  old  x cen^'s^'s!" 
age,  ^fuU  of  days,  riches,  and  honour:  and  Solomon  his   son  reigned  in  his  ych.23. 1. 
stead.     2^  Now  the  acts  of  David  the  king,   first  and  last,  behold,  they  are 
written  in  the  ||  f  book  of  Samuel  the  seer,  and  in  the  book  of  Nathan  the  pro-  ^  ^/g-J"^';;^; 
phet,  and  in  the  book  of  Gad  the  seer,  ^^  With  all  his  reign  and  his  might, 
'  and  the  times  that  went  over  him,  and  over  Israel,  and  over  all  the  kingdoms  ^  Dan.  2. 21. 
of  the  countries. 


priesthood  in  the  reign  of  David.  Solomon  completed  this  act 
of  David  by  removing  Abiathar  for  his  unfaithfulness  from  the 
priesthood,  and  putting  Zadok  in  his  room  (see  above,  on 
1  Kings  ii.  27.  35),  and  thus  fulfilled  in  part  the  prophecy  of 
God  to  Eli,  that  He  would  raise  up  to  Him  a  faithful  priest 
(see  on  1  Sam.  ii.  35)  ;  and  this  was  fully  and  finally  accom- 
plished in  Christ,  Who  was  anointed  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  be 
our  faithful  and  everlasting  Hig-h  Priest. 


Solomon  is  obeyed  by  all  Iseael. 

23,  24.  all  Israel  obeyed  lii^ii—and  all  the  sons — of  King 
David  submitted  themselves  unto  Solomon  the  king^  Here 
is  another  proof  that  the  events  in  this  and  the  foregoing 
chapter  belong  to  the  last  days  of  David's  life.  What  is  here 
said  could  not  be  asserted  of  the  time  described  in  the  first 
chapter  of  the  First  Book  of  Kings,  but  must  refer  to  a  period 
subsequent  to  it.  That  chapter  narrates  the  rebellion  and 
usurpation  of  Adonijah,  and  of  "  the  sons  of  King  David,"  and 
the  conspiracy  of  some  of  the  princes  and  people  with  him 
against  David  and  Solomon.  But  now  all  opposition  has 
disappeared  :  "  All  the  princes,  and  all  the  mighty  men,  and 
all  the  sons  likewise  of  King  David,  submit  themselves  to 
Solomon  the  King ;"  and  he  sits  on  the  throne  of  the  Lord  as 
King,  instead  of  David,  his  father,  and  all  Israel  obeys  him ; 
and  the  Lord  magnified  Solomon  exceedingly  in  the  sight  of 
all  Israel  j  and  David  died  in  a  good  old  age,  full  of  days, 
riches,  and  honour ;  and  Solomon  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead 
(y.  28). 

29.  in  the  booJc  of  Samuel  the  seer — Nathan  the  prophet — 
Gad  the  seer']  Some  suppose  that  the  author  of  the  Chronicles  is 
here  referring  to  our  present  Books  of  Samuel.  So  Movers,  179  ; 
and  so  the  writers  quoted  above  in  the  Introduction  to  Samuel, 
p.  xv.  Keil  (Chronik.  2 19,  Einleit.  438)  and  Hdvernick  (Einleit. 
ii.  193)  are  of  opinion  that  he  is  citing  three  distinct  docu- 
ments, not  now  extant;  and  so  Archdeacon  Lee,  on  Inspiration, 
p.  4G6. 

The  Words  Roeh,  Nabi,  Chozeh. 

Samuel  is  here  called  the  seer  (Heb.  roeh) ;  Nathan  is 
called  the  prophet  (Heb.  nabi) ;  Gad,  the  seer  (Heb.  chozeh). 
The  English  Version  follows  the  Sept.  and  Vulg.  in  giving  the 
same  sense  (seer)  to  the  first  and  third  words ;  on  the  meaning 
of  which,  see  Archdeacon  Lee,  ibid.  pp.  541 — 545  j  and  note 
above,  on  1  Sam.  ix.  9. 

The  word  nabi  represents  an  official  person,  who  was  ap- 


pointed, commissioned,  and  inspired  by  God  to  declare  His  will. 
Therefore,  we  never  find  the  title,  "  the  King's  prophet " 
(nabi),  but  the  Lord's  prophet.  The  word  nabi  took  the  place 
of  roeh  (see  1  Sam.  ix.  9) ;  and  in  like  manner  we  never  hear 
of  the  King's  roeh,  but  simply  and  absolutely  the  roeh  (from 
raah,  to  look,  pxtirw  :  1  Sam.  ix.  9.  11.  18.  2  Sam.  xv.  27) ; 
and  the  word  roeh  is  commonly  applied  to  Samuel  in  Chronicles 
(1  Chron.  ix.  22 ;  xxvi.  28.  Cp.  2  Chron.  xvi.  7,  where  it  is 
applied  to  Hanani.  Cp.  Isa.  xxx.  10).  But  the  word  chozeh 
(from  chazah,  to  see,  bpaw),  is  applied  often  to  describe  the 
relation  of  the  person  to  a  King,  who  usually  consults  him. 
Thus  Gad  is  called  David's  chozeh  (2  Sam.  xxiv.  11.  1  Chron. 
xxi.  9.  Cp.  xxix.  29.  2  Chron.  xxix.  25) ;  and  Heman  is 
called  the  King's  chozeh  (xxv.  5).  So  Jeduthun  (2  Chron. 
xxxv.  15).     Asaph  is  called  a  chozeh  (2  Chron.  xxix.  30). 

It  is  observable  that  the  author  of  Chronicles,  here  and 
elsewhere,  e.g.  in  the  summary  of  the  history  of  David, 
Solomon,  Rehoboam,  Jehoshaphat,  and  Hezekiah  (see  below, 
2  Chron.  ix.  29;  xii.  15;  xx.  34;  xxxii.  32),  refers  to  the 
writings,  and  versions,  and  prophecies  of  prophets  and  seers, — 
Nathan,  Shemaiah,  Abijah,  Iddo,  Jehu,  and  Isaiah.  This  is 
an  evidence,  that  the  sacred  author  was  not,  as  some  allege, 
swayed  by  priestly  influence,  and  actuated  by  prejudice  against 
the  prophets  :  cp.  above,  Introduction. 

In  the  divinely  inspired  record  of  the  glorious  termination 
of  the  life  and  reign  of  David  the  King,  as  described  in  this 
and  the  foregoing  chapter,  and  in  the  undisputed  succession  of 
Solomon  his  son  on  the  throne  of  the  Lord,  we  have  not  onl} 
a  true  history,  but  a  typical  foreshadowing  and  prophecy  of  the 
everlasting  dominion,  and  heavenly  majesty  of  Christ,  Who 
is,  like  David,  a  Man  of  war,  a  Mighty  Conqueror,  the  God  of 
battles,  and  the  Lord  of  Hosts ;  and  Who  is  also,  like  Solomon, 
the  Prince  of  Peace ;  and  Who  made,  like  David,  preparations 
for  the  building  of  the  spiritual  Temple  of  His  Church,  by  the 
spoils  which  He  won  from  His  enemies  (see  above,  xxii.  14) ; 
and  Who,  like  Solomon,  completed  the  fabric  in  peace  and 
-glory  after  His  ascension  into  heaven ;  Who  alone  is  "  the 
Author  and  Finisher  of  our  faith "  (Heb.  xii.  2),  "  the  Alpha 
and  Omega,  the  Beginning  and  Ending,  the  First  and  the  Last " 
(Rev.  i.  8;  xxi.  6;  xxii.  13),  f^nd  of  Whom  it  is  written,  even 
after  the  destruction  of  Solomon's  Temple,  "  He  shall  be  a 
Priest  upon  His  throne :  and  the  counsel  of  jjeace  shall  be 
between  them  both ;  and  He  shall  build  tlie  Temple  of  the 
Lord"  (Zech.  vi.  12,  13)  ;  and  Who  reigns  for  ever  in  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem  over  all  true  Israelites,  and  to  Whom, 
with  the  Father,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  praise  and 
dominion,  now  and  for  ever.     Amen. 


229 


THE   SECOND  BOOK  OF  THE   CHROOTCLES. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1015. 
a  1  Kin^s  2.  46. 
b  Gen.  39.  2. 
c  1  Cliron.  29.  25. 
d  1  Chion.  27.  1. 


e  1  Kings  3.  4. 
1  Chron.  16.  39. 
&21.  29. 
f  2  Sam  6.  2,  17. 
1  Chron.  15.  1. 
1045. 


g  Exod.  27.  1,  2. 
&  38.  1,  2. 
h  Exod.  31.  2. 
II  Or,  was  there. 


I.  ^  AND  ""  Solomon  the  son  of  David  was  strengthened  in  liis  Idngdom,  and 
^  the  LoED  his  God  was  with  him,  and  "  magnified  him  exceedingly.  ^  Then 
Solomon  spake  unto  all  Israel,  to  ''  the  captains  of  thousands  and  of  hundreds, 
and  to  the  judges,  and  to  every  governor  in  all  Israel,  the  chief  of  the  fathers. 
^  So  Solomon,  and  all  the  congregation  with  him,  went  to  the  high  j)lace  that 
liias  at  ^  Gibeon  ;  for  there  was  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  of  God,  which 
Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord  had  made  in  the  wilderness.  ^  '^But  the  ark  of 
God  had  David  brought  up  from  Kirjath-jearim  to  the  place  which  David  had 
prepared  for  it :  for  he  had  pitched  a  tent  for  it  at  Jerusalem.  ^  Moreover 
^  the  brasen  altar,  that  ^  Bezaleel  the  son  of  Uri,  the  son  of  Hur,  had  made, 
II  he  put  before  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord  :  and  Solomon  and  the  congrega- 
tion sought  unto  it.     ^  And  Solomon  went  up  thither  to  the  brasen  altar  before 


Ch.  I.]  For  an  Introduction  to  this  Book,  see  above,  before 
1  Kings. 

1.  Solomon — ivas  strengthened']  After  the  events  recorded 
in  chaps,  xxviii.  and  xxix.  of  the  foregoing  book,  and  1  Kings, 
chaps,  i.  and  ii. 

2.  Solomon  spalce  unto  all  Israel]  Solomon  began  his  reign, 
as  David  ended  his,  with  a  public  assembly  of  all  Israel,  con- 
vened in  their  representatives  :  see  above,  1  Chron.  xxviii.  1. 

—  to  the  captains]  This  is  in  apposition  with  "  all  Israel," 
who  were  represented  by  their  heads. 

3.  loent  to  the  high  place  that  was  at  Q-iheon]  For  the 
reason  of  this  visit  of  Solomon  to  Gibeon,  see  the  note  above, 
on  1  Kings  iii,  4. 

The  Tabeenacle  at  Gibeon. 

—  there  was  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  of  Ood] 
Or  rather,  of  meeting  with  Ood.  See  on  Exod.  xxv.  22 ; 
xxix.  42. 

—  which  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord  had  made  in  the 
wilderness]  The  sacred  historian  is  now  about  to  describe  the 
building  of  the  Temple,  and  its  glory,  and  is  careful  to  guard 
the  reader  against  any  disparagement  of  the  Tabernacle,  which 
was  to  be  succeeded  by  it,  and  absorbed  into  it.  In  this 
respect  he  imitates  the  wise  King  Solomon,  who  began  his 
reign  with  a  visit  to  Gibeon,  where  the  Tabernacle  was,  and 
offered  sacrifices  there,  before  he  began  to  build  the  Temple. 
He  calls  it  the  Tabernacle  of  meeting  with  God,  which  Moses 
the  servant  of  the  LOBD  had  made  in  the  wilderness. 

In  like  manner  the  true  Solomon,  Jestjs  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God,  showed  His  affectionate  reverence  for  Moses,  who  was 
faithful  as  a  servant  in  all  His  house  (Heb.  iii.  5) ;  and  He 
bore  honourable  witness  to  Moses,  and  referred  to  His  writings 
as  preparatory  to  the  Gospel,  and  as  fulfilled  in  it.  See 
Luke  xvi.  29.  31 ;  xxiv.  27.  44.  John  v.  46.  "  When  the  fulness 
of  time  was  come,  God  sent  forth  His  Son,  made  under  the  Law, 
to  redeem  them  that  were  under  the  Law  "  (Gal.  iv.  45).  He 
came  "  to  fulfil  all  righteousness"  (Matt.iii.  15.  Cp.  Matt.  v.  17). 
Christ  began  His  ministry  at  the  Gibeon  of  the  Law,  before 
He  began  to  build  the  Church  on  Sion.  Thus  He  displayed 
the  continuity  of  all  God's  dispensations.  He  showed  that 
there  is  no  discord  between  them,  but  perfect  harmony  ',  that 
the  Levitical  Tabernacle  of  Moses,  the  servant  of  &od,  was 
preparatory  to  the  Evangelic  Temple  of  Christ,  the  Son  of  God. 
230 


The  Apostles  imitated  Christ  in  this  respect ;  and  thus  it  might 
be  said  of  Christ,  the  true  Solomon,  that  He  and  all  the  con- 
gregation of  the  spiritual  Israel,  represented  by  their  heads  the 
Apostles,  went  in  the  first  instance  to  Gibeon,  and  sacrificed 
there,  before  they  built  up  the  Temple  of  the  Church  at  the 
Christian  Jerusalem. 

The  Ark  at  Jeettsalem. 

4.  Sut  the  arJc]  Or,  Hut  indeed,  or,  hut  truly  (see  Oesen.  8) 
the  Ark  of  God  had  David  brought  tip  from  Kirjath-jearim 
to  Jerusalem.  The  Tabernacle,  which  Moses  had  made,  was 
at  Gibeon ;  but  the  ArJc,  which  was  the  centre,  and  nucleus, 
and  essence  of  the  Visible  Church,  as  having  the  Mercy-seat, 
on  which  the  Presence  of  God  rested,  had  been  bi'ought  up  by 
David  to  Jerusalem,  the  place  which  God  had  chosen  to  put 
His  Name  there.  See  above,  on  2  Sam,  vi.  2 — 18 ;  and 
1  Chron.  xiii.  6 ;  xxii.  1,  where  David  says,  at  Jerusalem,  "  This 
is  the  house  of  the  Lord  God." 

Therefore,  the  Ark  was  not  taken  by  Solomon  to  the 
Tabernacle  at  Gibeon,  but  he  brought  up  the  "  Tabernacle  of 
meeting  "  to  Jerusalem ;  and  the  Tabernacle  was  absorbed  into 
the  Temple. 

In  like  manner  the  Gospel  (which  was  the  essence  of  the 
Levitical  Law  itself),  was  not  infused  into  the  Laio  (as  tlie 
Judaizers  desired  that  it  should  be,  see  note  at  end  of  Gal.  ii.), 
nor  was  the  Gospel  set  up  as  co-ordinate  with  the  Law  of  Moses, 
but  the  Levitical  Law  was  absorbed  by  Jesus  Christ,  the  Divine 
Solomon,  and  by  His  Apostles,  into  the  Temple  of  the  Christian 
Church.  See  above,  on  1  Kings  viii.  4 ;  and  below,  on  v.  5  ; 
and  notes  on  Gal.  ii. 

The  Ark  remained  the  same  in  the  Tabernacle  and  in  the 
Temple.  It  received  fresh  glory  in  the  Temple  by  the  addition 
of  two  new  cherubim,  making  the  number  into  four  (1  Kings 
vi.  23).  So  the  Presence  of  the  same  God,  which  was  vouchsafed 
to  the  Levitical  dispensation,  and  had  been  manifested  to  the 
Patriarchs,  is  continued  to  the  Christian  Church  ;  and  it  is 
invested  with  new  revelations  of  glory  in  the  Evangelic  cherubim 
of  the  fourfold  Gospel  of  Christ.  See  below,  on  Rev.  iv.  1, 
p.  183. 

5.  the  brasen  alfar]  See  Exod.  xxvii.  1 ;  xxxi.  9 ;  xxxviii.  1. 
—  he  put]  Or  rather,  was  there ;  that  is,  at  the  Tabernacle  : 

cp.  V.  6.     The  true  reading  of  the   original  is  not  sdm,  but 
So  Sept.,  Vulg.,  and  Bertheau. 


Solomon's  vision 


2  CHKONICLES  I.  7—17.     II.  1— G. 


he  sends  to  Huram. 


the  LoED,  which  urns  at  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  'offered  a     chrTIt 
thousand  burnt  offerings  upon  it.  i  i  Kings  3. 4. 

''  "^  In  that  night  did  God  appear  unto  Solomon,  and  said  unto  him.  Ask  what  ^ '  ^'"^'  ^'  ^" "' 
I  shall  give  thee.     '^And  Solomon  said  unto  God,  Thou  hast  shewed  great 
mercy  unto  David  my  father,  and  hast  made  me  '  to  reign  in  his  stead.     ^  Now,  ^ '  ^''™"-  ^^-  ^• 
0  Lord  God,  let  thy  promise  unto  David  my  father  be  established  :  ""  for  thou  ?  Heb^'SIi^" 
hast  made  me  king  over  a  people  f  like  the  dust  of  the  earth  in  multitude,  "ara"'^  "^ ^^^ 
^^"Give  me  now  wisdom  and  knowledge,  that  I  may  "go  out  and  come  in  "nSV^?; 
before  this  people  :  for  who  can  judge  this  thy  people,  that  is  so  great  ?  ^^''''  ^''  ^' 

^^^A^id  God  said  to  Solomon,  Because  this  was  in  thine  heart,  and  thou  Pgj  u!"^' "^^ "' 
hast  not  asked  riches,  wealth,  or  honour,  nor  the  life  of  thine  enemies,  neither 
yet  hast  asked  long  life ;  but  hast  asked  wisdom  and  knowledge  for  thyself,  that 
thou  mayest  judge  my  people,  over  whom  I  have  made  thee  king:  ''-^Wisdom 
and  knowledge  is  granted  unto  thee ;  and  I  will  give  thee  riches,  and  wealth, 
and  honour,  such  as  ''none  of  the  kings  have  had  that  have  been  before  thee,  ^h' g^T' ^''^^' 
neither  shall  there  any  after  thee  have  the  like.     ^^  Then  Solomon  came  from  ^'"'^^^■^■^• 
his  joiirncij  to  the  high  place  that  ivas  at  Gibeon  to  Jerusalem,  from  before  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  reigned  over  Israel. 

^'^  ■■  And  Solomon  gathered  chariots  and  horsemen  :   and  he  had  a  thousand  ^o"  S"&c.^'  ^^'  * 
and  four  hundred  chariots,  and  twelve  thousand  horsemen,  which  he  placed  in  ''''•^•"• 
the  chariot  cities,  and  with  the  king  at  Jerusalem. 

^^' And  the  king  f  made  silver  and  gold  at  Jerusalem  as  plenteous  as  stones,  ch.g.'"^ '""■ 
and  cedar  trees  made  he  as  the  sycomore  trees  that  are  in  the  vale  for  abun-  t Heb.i. 
dance.     ^^'And  f  Solomon  had  horses  brought  out  of  Egypt,  and  linen  yarn  :  tj  Kings  lo.  28, 
the  king's  merchants  received  the  linen  yarn  at  a  price.     ^'^And  they  fetched 
up,  and  brought  forth  out  of  Egypt  a  chariot  for  six  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  i'o 
and  an  horse  for  an  hundred  and  fifty :  and  so  brought  they  out  horses  for  all 
the  kings  of  the  Hittites,  and  for  the  kings  of  Syria,  f  by  their  means. 

II.   ^  And  Solomon  ^determined  to  build  an  house  for  the  name  of  the  Lord,  ^^  ^'"s^^-^- 
and  an  house  for  his  kingdom.     ^And  ''Solomon  told  out  threescore  and  ten  ve'r.^s"^'^" ''■ 
thousand  men  to  bear  burdens,  and  fourscore  thousand  to  hew  in  the  mountain, 
and  three  thousand  and  six  hundred  to  oversee  them. 

^  And  Solomon  sent  to  ||  Huram  the  king  of  Tyre,   saying,  "  As  thou  didst  f  Kind's!"'' 
deal  with  David  my  father,  and  didst  send  him  cedars  to  build  him  an  house  to  '^ ' 
dwell  therein,  even  so  deal  with  me.     ^  Behold,  ^  I  build  an  house  to  the  name  "^  ^"- ' 
of  the  Lord  my  God,  to  dedicate  it  to  him,  and  Ho  burn  before  him  f  sweet  iull^'inLL'e  o/ 
incense,  and  for  '^the  continual  shewbread,  and  for  ^the  burnt  offerings  morninsr  TeZa.  25.30. 

Lev.  24.  8. 

and  evening,  on  the  sabbaths,  and  on  the  new  moons,  and  on  the  solemn  feasts  g  Num."  28. 3, 

of  the  Lord  our  God.     This  is  an  ordinance  for  ever  to  Israel.     ^  And  the  house 

which  I  build  is  great :  for  ^ great  is  our  God  above  all  gods.     ^ '  But  who  f  is  ^^KinS's^.^?. 


ch.9.  28. 

t  Heb.  the  going 

f'jrth  of  the 

orses  which  was 
Solomon's. 


t  Heb.  by  their 
hand. 


ch.  6.  18.     Isa.  66.  1. 


t  Heb.  hath  retained,  or,  obtained  strength. 


1 — 12.  In  that  night — the  like]  See  above,  on  1  Kings  iii.  5 — 15. 

11.  This  was  in  thine  heart~\  This  plirase  does  not  occui-  in 
the  parallel  passage  of  Kings ;  and  is  an  important  addition, 
as  showing  that  God  searches  the  heart,  and  that  Solomon's 
prayer  came  from  the  heart. 

13.  Then  Solomon  came  from  his  journey  to  the  high  place'] 
The  words,  "from  his  journey,"  are  not  in  the  original,  which 
can  hardly  bear  any  other  sense  than  that  Solomon  came  to 
the  high  place,  which  is  in  Gibeon  of  Jerusalem  from  the 
Tabernacle  of  meeting  (cp.  v.  3) ;  and  so  the  Sgriac  and  Arabic 
Versions  render  it,  which  suppose  the  Gibeon  here  mentioned 
to  be  at  Jerusalem.  May  not  the  word  Gibeon  be  here  used,  as 
Geba  and  Gebah,  for  a  hill  (see  Oesen.  155 ;  Fuerst,  259),  and  may 
not  the  "  Gibeon  of  Jerusalem  "  be  Moriah  ?  May  it  not  intijnati 
231 


that  Jerusalem  had  its  Gibeon  there,  whicli  had  been  consecrated 
by  God  Himself?  See  on  1  Chron.  xxii.  1.  The  Sept.  and  Vulg. 
cut  the  knot,  by  translating  the  Hebrew  preposition,  signifying 
to,  hy  from  ;  so  Pagnini  and  Munster  ;  Thenius  and  Bertheau 
alter  the  text. 

14 — 17.  And  Solomon  gathered — by  their  means]  This 
passage,  which  is  found  at  a  later  place  in  the  history,  iu 
1  Kings  X.  26—29  (where  see  the  notes),  finds  also  a  proper 
position  here,  as  showing  that  God  made  good  His  promise  to 
Solomon  by  giving  him  riches,  as  well  as  wisdom. 

Cn.  II.  2.   three  thousand  and  six  hundred]    1  Kings  v.  16. 
4.  continual  shewbread]    Renewed    every    Sabbath   (Exod. 
XXV.  30.     Num.  iv.  7). 


Huram  the  King  of  Tyre      2  CHRONICLES  11.  7 — 18.    sends  Huram  the  master-iuorkman. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1015. 


t  Heb.  to  grave 

yravhigs. 

k  1  Chron.  22.  15 

I  1  Kings  5.  6. 

II  Or,  almugi/im, 
1  Kings  10.  11. 


t  Heb.  great  and 

woiidi'rful. 

m  1  Kinys  5.  II. 


n  1  Kings  10.  9. 

ch.  9.  8. 

o  1  Kings  5.  7. 

p  Gen.  1.  &  2. 

Ps.  33.  6.  & 

102.  25.  &  124.  S. 

&  136.  5,  0. 

Acts  4.  24.  & 

14.  15. 

Rev.  10.  6. 

t  Heb.  knowing 

prudence  and 

understanding. 

q  1  Kings  7.  13, 

14. 


r  ver.  10. 

s  1  Kint!s  5.  8,  9. 
t  Heb.  according 
to  nil  tliy  nerd. 
t  Heb.  Jap/i(j, 
Josh.  19.  40. 
Acts  9.  36. 

t  As  ver.  2. 

1  Kings  5.  13, 

15,  16.  &  9.  20, 

21. 

ch.  8.  7,  8. 

t  Heb.  the  men 

the  strangers. 

u  1  Chron.  22.  2. 

X  As  it  is  ver.  2. 


able  to  build  him  an  house,  seeing  the  heaven  and  heaven  of  heavens  cannot 
contain  him  ?  who  am  I  then,  that  I  should  build  him  an  house,  save  only  to 
burn  sacrifice  before  him  ?  ^  Send  me  now  therefore  a  man  cunning  to  work 
in  gold,  and  in  silver,  and  in  brass,  and  in  iron,  and  in  purple,  and  crimson, 
and  blue,  and  that  can  skill  f  to  grave  with  the  cunning  men  that  are  'mth  me 
in  Judali  and  in  Jerusalem,  ""whom  David  my  fatlier  did  provide.  ^'  Send  me 
also  cedar  trees,  fir  trees,  and  ||  algum  trees,  out  of  Lebanon :  for  I  know  that 
thy  servants  can  skill  to  cut  timber  in  Lebanon  ;  and,  behold,  my  servants 
shall  be  with  thy  servants,  ^  Even  to  prepare  me  timber  in  abundance  :  for  the 
house  which  I  am  about  to  build  sJiall  he  f  wonderful  great.  '°  ""  And,  behold, 
I  will  give  to  thy  servants,  the  hewers  that  cut  timber,  twenty  thousand  mea- 
sures of  beaten  wheat,  and  twenty  thousand  measures  of  barley,  and  twenty 
thousand  baths  of  wine,  and  twenty  thousand  baths  of  oil. 

^^  Then  Huram  the  king  of  Tyre  answered  in  writing,  which  he  sent  to  Solo- 
mon, "  Because  the  Lord  hath  loved  his  people,  he  hath  made  thee  king  over 
them.  ^2 Huram  said  moreover,  "Blessed  he  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  ^that 
made  heaven  and  earth,  who  hath  given  to  David  the  king  a  mse  son,  f  endued 
with  prudence  and  understanding,  that  might  build  an  house  for  the  Lord,  and 
an  house  for  his  kingdom.  ^^And  now  I  have  sent  a  cunning  man,  endued 
with  understanding,  of  Huram  my  father's,  ^'^  "^  The  son  of  a  -woman  of  the 
daughters  of  Dan,  and  his  father  iras  a  man  of  Tyre,  sldlful  to  work  in  gold, 
and  in  silver,  in  brass,  in  iron,  in  stone,  and  in  timber,  in  purple,  in  blue,  and 
in  fine  linen,  and  in  crimson  ;  also  to  grave  any  manner  of  graving,  and  to  find 
out  every  device  which  shall  be  put  to  him,  with  thy  cunning  men,  and  with 
the  cunning  men  of  my  lord  David  thy  fatlier.  ^^  Now  therefore  the  wheat,  and 
the  barley,  the  oil,  and  the  wine,  which  "■  my  lord  hath  spoken  of,  let  him  send 
unto  his  servants  :  ^'^ '  And  we  will  cut  wood  out  of  Lebanon,  f  as  much  as  thou 
slialt  need :  and  we  will  bring  it  to  thee  in  floats  by  sea  to  f  Joppa ;  and  thou 
shalt  carry  it  up  to  Jerusalem. 

^^  ^  And  Solomon  numbered  all  f  the  strangers  that  ivere  in  the  land  of  Israel, 
after  the  numbering  wherewith  "  David  his  father  had  numbered  them ;  and 
they  were  found  an  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  and  three  thousand  and  six 
hundred,  i"  And  he  set  ''threescore  and  ten  thousand  of  them  to  he  bearers  of 
burdens,  and  fourscore  thousand  to  he  hewers  in  the  mountain,  and  three  thou- 
sand and  six  hundred  overseers  to  set  the  people  a  work. 


8.  dlgtim  trees\  Or  sandal  luood :  see  1  Kings  x.  11.  This 
is  not  specified  in  the  parallel  passage  in  Kings  ;  but  tlie  other 
place  in  Kings  just  quoted,  shows  that  it  did  not  grow  in 
Solomon's  country,  and  therefore"  it  was  likely  that  he  would 
request  Hiram  to  send  it. 

It  has  been  alleged  as  au  objection,  by  some  recent 
critics,  that  Hiram  could  uot  send  algum-trees  to  Solomon 
from  Lebanon,  because  they  did  not  grow  there.  But  even 
if  they  did  uot  grow  there,  they  might  have  formed  a  part 
of  the  shipment  from  the  commercial  city  of  Hiram,  and 
might  (as  Kitfo  observes,  p.  40)  well  be  grouped  together  with 
the  other  kinds  of  timber,  which  were  indigenous  in  Phoenicia. 
Cp.  note  above,  on  the  peacocks,  mentioned  in  1  Kings  x.  22. 

10.  beaten  ivheat'\  Literally,  icheat  of  strokes,  Gesen.  471 ; 
who  however  supposes  that  the  MSS.  here  are  to  be  emended 
from  1  Kings  v.  11;  and  so  (it  seems)  Fiierst,  p.  806;  and 
Bertheau. 

Some  have  alleged  that  there  is  a  discrepancy  between  this 
account  {vd.  10.  15),  and  that  in  1  Kings  v.  11. 

But  the  one  account  is  supplementary  to  the  other. 

In  the  Chronicles,  Solomon    promises   to  give  provisions 
to  Hiram's  Tyrian  workmen,  who  are  called  his  servants,  and 
bis  hewers  of  wood,  and  are  thus  distinguished  fi"om  the  family 
232 


of  Hiram,  which  resided  at  the  Tyrian  Court,  and  which  also 
received  supplies  from  Solomon,  according  to  the  writer  of  the 
Book  of  Kings  (£p.  Patrick,  3Iichaelis,Schulz,  Keil,  Chronik. 
218;  and  cp.  above,  on  1  Kings  v.  11). 

13.  of  Huram  my  father' sj  'R-Aihcv,  Huram,  my  father;  that 
is,  Huram,  my  master -tvorhman.  The  word  father  is  used  in  the 
honourable  sense  of  master :  below,  iv.  16.  Cp.  Gen.  xlv.  8. 
So  Sept.,  T-uIy.,  Targiim,  Keil,  and  Bertheau. 

14.  of  Da)i]  Of  Dan  hy  birth;  and  of  Naphtali  by  »nama_5re. 
And  when  she  had  become  a  widow,  she  married  a  Tyrian 
husband ;  and  thus  Huram,  the  master-workman  of  the  Tyrian 
king,  was  connected  with  t^vo  of  the  tribes  of  Israel  {Ber- 
theau). 

Similarly,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  laboured  in  the  building 
of  the  spiritual  Temple,  the  Church  of  Chi'ist. 

17.  the  strangers']  See  1  Chron.  xxii.  2;  and  below,  viii.  7. 
The  remnants  of  the  Canaauitish  nations  were  admitted  to 

labour  in  the  building  of  the  Temple ;  so  the  heathen  races  of 
the  world  are  now  made  instrumental  in  erecting  the  Church  of 
Christ. 

18.  bearers  of  burdens]  On  the  numbers  here  specified,  see 
above,  on  1  Kings  v.  13.  16. 


Moriah. 


2  CHRONICLES  III.  1-11. 


The  second  month. 


HI.  ^  Then  ^  Solomon  began  to  build  the  house  of  the  Lord  at  ''Jerusalem 
in  mount  Moriah,  |1  where  tJie  LORD  aiDpeared  unto  David  his  father,  in  the 
place  that  David  had  prepared  in  the  thrcshingfloor  of "  \\  Oman  the  Jebusite. 
2  And  he  began  to  build  in  the  second  day  of  the  second  month,  in  the  fourth 
year  of  his  reign. 

^  Now  these  are  the  things  ^  lulierein  Solomon  was  f  instructed  for  the  building 
of  the  house  of  God.  The  length  by  cubits  after  the  first  measure  was  throe- 
score  cubits,  and  the  breadth  twenty  cubits.  ^  And  the  "  porch  that  was  in  the 
front  of  the  house,  the  length  of  it  tvas  according  to  the  breadth  of  the  house, 
twenty  cubits,  and  the  height  ivas  an  hundred  and  twenty  :  and  he  overlaid  it 
within  with  pure  gold. 

^And  ^the  greater  house  he  cieled  with  fir  tree,  which  he  overlaid  with  fine 
gold,  and  set  thereon  palm  trees  and  chains.  ^  And  he  f  garnished  the  house 
with  precious  stones  for  beauty:  and  the  gold  iDas  gold  of  Parvaim.  ''He 
overlaid  also  the  house,  the  beams,  the  posts,  and  the  walls  thereof,  and  the 
doors  thereof,  with  gold  ;  and  graved  cherubims  on  the  walls. 

^  And  he  made  the  most  holy  house,  the  length  whereof  ivas  according  to  the 
breadth  of  the  house,  twenty  cubits,  and  the  breadth  thereof  twenty  cubits: 
and  he  overlaid  it  with  fine  gold,  amounting  to  six  hundred  talents.  ^  And  the 
weight  of  the  nails  was  fifty  shekels  of  gold.  And  he  overlaid  the  upper 
chambers  with  gold. 

^^^  And  in  the  most  holy  house  he  made  two  cherubims  ||  of  image  work,  and 
overlaid  them  with  gold.  ^^  And  the  mugs  of  the  cherubims  iDere  twenty  cubits 
long :  one  wing  of  the  one  cherub  ivas  five  cubits,  reaching  to  the  wall  of  the 
house  :  and  the  other  wing  ivas  Ukctvise  five  cubits,  reaching  to  the  wing  of  the 


Before 
CHRIST 
1012. 
a  1  Kings  6.  1, 

b  Gen.  22.  2,  H. 

II  Or,  which  was 

seen  of  David  his 

fullier. 

c  1  Chron.  21.  18. 

&  22.  1. 

II  Or,  Araunah. 

2  Sam.  24.  18. 

d  1  Kings  6.  2. 

t  lleh.  founded. 

e  1  Kings  6.  3. 


f  1  Kings  6.  17. 
+  Heb.  covered. 


g  1  Kings  6.  23, 

&:c. 

II  Or,  (as  some 

think)  of 

moveable  work. 


Ch.  III.  1.  mould  Moriah']  See  above,  notes  on  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  18.  1  Chron.  xxi.  16 — 28  ;  and  on  Gen.  xxii.  2 ;  and  the 
Targuni,  here  quoted  by  Up.  Patrick,  and  Jeromiaster,  who 
says,  "This  is  the  place  of  which  God  spake  to  Abraham." 
Cp.  Lightfoot,  p.  73  ;  and  A  Lapide  here.  There  is  a  reference 
to  the  etymology  of  3Ioriah  in  the  words  which  follow,  where 
"the  Lord  appeared  :"  see  above,  on  Gen.  xxii.  2.  14. 

—  tchere  the  Lobd  appeared]  So  Sept.,  or,  ivhich  had  been 
ahoion  (so  Vulg.),  or,  toho  appeared,  the  reference  being  to  the 
Lord,  in  the  beginning  of  the  sentence. 

—  in  the  ^?/ace]  Or  rather,  which  (Temple)  David  prepared 
in  the  jilace,  or  the  thresliing-Jloor  of  Oman.  The  whole 
sentence  may  be  rendered  thus  :  And  Solomon  began  to  build 
the  house  of  the  Lord  iti  Jerusalem  in  Mount  Moriah  (the 
Mount  of  Jehovah's  appearing),  tcho  apjieared  unto  David  his 
father ;  which  (house)  David  had  prepared  in  the  (appointed) 
place  in  the  threshing-jloor. 

2.  in  the  second  day  of  the  second  month]  So  some  of  the 
earlier  expositors,  and  De  Wette ;  but  the  sense  seems  rather 
to  be  in  the  second,  yea,  in  the  second  month,  not  in  the  first  j 
aiid  so  Sept.,  Vulg.,  Arabic,  and  Sgriac,  none  of  which  say 
any  thing  of  the  second  dag  :  nor  is  this  specified  in  1  Kings 
vi.  1,  where  the  building  of  the  Temple  is  connected,  by  a 
chronological  reckoning  (of  480  years),  with  the  Exodus. 

In  this  act  of  Solomon,  beginning  to  build  the  Temple  at 
the  beginning  of  the  second  month,  was  there  not  a  reference 
to  the  time  of  the  setting  up  of  the  Tabernacle,  which  was  set 
up  at  Sinai  on  the  first  day  of  the  first  month  ?  The  building 
of  the  Temple,  which  was  to  succeed  it,  and  supply  its  place, 
was  begun  in  the  second  month. 

—  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign]  So  Christ,  the  Divine 
Solomon,  began  to  build  the  spiritual  Temple  of  His  Universal 
Church,  by  sending  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  the  fourth  year  after 
His  baptism  :  see  on  1  Kings  vi.  1. 

3.  Now  these— was  instructed]  Or,  Now  this  is  the  ground 
plan  (or  dimensions)  of  Solomon.  On  the  use  of  the  Hebrew 
hophal  infinitive  (hused)  for  a  substantive,  see  Ezra  iii.  11 
{Bertheau ;  and  so  the  Sgriac,  and  Arabic,  and  Targum). 

4.  the  height— an  hundred  and  twenty]  This  notice  of  the 
heigh/t  is  an  addition  made  by  the  sacred  Writer  here  to  the 

233 


description  in  the  Book  of  Kings.  This  statement  has  been 
disputed  by  some  (and  there  are  some  variations  as  to  the 
lieight  in  the  Alexandrine  edition  of  the  Sept.,  and  in  Sgriac, 
and  Arabic.  Cp.  Bertheau,  p.  259) ;  but  the  preponderance  of 
authority  is  greatly  in  favour  of  the  reading  in  the  text.  See 
above,  on  1  Kings  vi.  3.  The  second  Temple,  which  was 
inferior  in  glory  to  the  first,  was  to  be  sixtg  cubits  high 
(Ezra  vi.  3)  ;  and  it  is  not  probable  that  the  first  Temple  was 
not  so  high  in  any  part  of  it ;  and  Josephus  distinctly  asserts 
(Antt.  XV.  11.  1),  that  the  second  Temple  was  sixty  cubits  lower 
than  Solomon's,  i.  e.  half  \is  height. 

5.  the  greater  house]  The  holg  'place.  See  above,  on 
1  Chron.  xxviii.  11. 

—  he  cieled  with  fir]  He  covered  it  with  cgpress.  This  is  to 
be  explained  from  1  Kings  vi.  15,  with  which  the  reader  is 
supposed  to  be  familiar. 

—  palm  trees]  See  1  Kings  vi.  29. 

—  chains]  Not  mentioned  in  1  Kings  vi.  18,  but  probably 
designed  to  connect  the  knops  and  flowers  there  described. 

6.  precious  stones]  Another  ornament  not  mentioned  in  the 
description  in  1  Kings  vi.,  but  for  which  we  have  been  prepared 
by  the  statement  in  1  Chron.  xxix.  2. 

—  Parvaim]  A  word  only  found  here  ;  it  is  supposed  by  some 
to  be  the  same  country  as  Ophir.  It  has  been  connected  with 
the  Sanscrit  ^JtriJa,  former,  oriental  (©e*e?J.  689).  Some  suggest 
Sepharvaim,  which  stands  in  the  Sgriac  Version  for  Sephar  in 
Gen.  X.  30.  Cp.  Jflner,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  195 ;  Bevan,  in  B.  D. 
ii  711.  Hitzig,  on  Dan.  x.  5,  supposes  that  it  was  in  Arabia; 
and  so  Bertheau,  p.  261. 

7.  He  overlaid]  See  1  Kings  vi.  21,  22.  28. 

8.  the  most  holy  house]  Sec  1  Kings  vi.  20.  The  sacred 
Writer  here  adds  a  statement  of  the  amount  of  gold  employed 
upon  it, — six  hundred  talents, — as  many  talents  almost  of  gold 
as  accrued  to  Solomon  in  a  year's  revenue  (1  Kings  x.  14). 

9.  of  the  nails]  Of  each  nail,  by  which  the  plates  of  gold 
were  fastened. 

—  the  tipper  chambers]  Trobably  over  the  most  Holy  Place. 
See  1  Chron.  xxviii.  1]. 

10.  tioo  cherubims]  See  above,  on  1  Kings  vi.  23—28. 

—  of  image  worJc]  Heb.  tsaatsuim,  a  word  occurring  only  here. 


The  oxen 


2   CHRONICLES  III.  12—17.     IV.  1—6. 


and  the  molten  sea. 


Before 

CHRIST 

1012. 


II  Or,  toward  the 

house. 

h  Exod.  26.  31. 

Matt.  27.  51. 

Heb.  9.  3. 

t  Heb.  caused  tii 

ascend. 

i  1  Kings  7.  15 — 

21. 

Jer.  52.  21. 

t  Heb.  long. 


k  1  Kings  7.  20. 

1  1  Kings  7.  21. 

II  That  is,  He 
shall  estdblish. 
jl  That  is,  In  it 
is  slrenglh. 
a  Exod.  27.  1,  2. 

2  Kings  16.  14. 
Ezek.  43.  13,  10. 


b  1  Kings  7.  23. 
+  Heb.  from  his 
brim  to  his  brim, 

c  1  Kings  7.  24, 
25,  26. 


II  Or,  like  a 

lityflower. 

d  See  1  Kings  7. 

26. 

e  1  Kings  7.  38. 

t  Heb.  the  work 
of  burnt  offering. 


other  cherub.  ^^  And  one  wing  of  the  other  cherub  ivas  five  cubits,  reaching  to 
the  wall  of  the  house  :  and  the  other  wing  ivas  five  cubits  also,  joining  to  the 
wing  of  the  other  cherub.  ^^  The  wings  of  these  cherubims  spread  themselves 
forth  twenty  cubits  :  and  they  stood  on  their  feet,  and  their  faces  ivere  ||  inward. 
^^  And  he  made  the  ''  vail  of  blue,  and  purple,  and  crimson,  and  fine  linen, 
and  f  wrought  cherubims  thereon. 

'^  Also  he  made  before  the  house  '  two  pillars  of  thirty  and  five  cubits  f  liigh, 
and  the  chapiter  that  ivas  on  the  top  of  each  of  them  was  five  cubits.  ^^And 
he  made  chains,  as  in  the  oracle,  and  put  them  on  the  heads  of  the  pillars ; 
and  made  "^  an  hundred  pomegranates,  and  put  them  on  the  chains.  ^^  And  ho 
'  reared  up  the  pillars  before  the  temple,  one  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  other 
on  the  left ;  and  called  the  name  of  that  on  the  right  hand  ||  Jachin,  and  the 
name  of  that  on  the  left  ||  Boaz. 

IV.  ^  Moreover  he  made  ^  an  altar  of  brass,  twenty  cubits  the  length  thereof, 
and  twenty  cubits  the  breadth  thereof,  and  ten  cubits  the  height  thereof. 

2 ''  Also  he  made  a  molten  sea  of  ten  cubits  f  from  brim  to  brim,  round  in 
compass,  and  five  cubits  the  height  thereof;  and  a  line  of  thirty  cubits  did 
compass  it  round  about.  ^'^And  under  it  was  the  similitude  of  oxen,  which 
did  compass  it  round  about :  ten  in  a  cubit,  compassing  the  sea  round  about. 
Two  rows  of  oxen  ivere  cast,  when  it  was  cast.  ^  It  stood  upon  twelve  oxen, 
three  looking  toward  the  north,  and  three  looking  toward  the  west,  and  three 
looldng  toward  the  south,  and  three  looking  toward  the  east :  and  the  sea  ivas 
set  above  upon  them,  and  all  their  hinder  parts  ivere  inward.  ^  And  the  thick- 
ness of  it  was  an  handbreadth,  and  the  brim  of  it  like  the  work  of  the  brim 
of  a  cup,  |]  with  flowers  of  lilies ;  and  it  received  and  held  ^  three  thousand 
baths. 

^  He  made  also  ^  ten  lavers,  and  put  five  on  the  right  hand,  and  five  on  the 
left,  to  wash  in  them  :  f  such  things  as  they  ofiered  for  the  burnt  offering  they 
washed  in  them ;  but  the  sea  icas  for  the  priests  to  wash  in. 


It  seems  to  be  derived  from  tsua,  to  fashion,  and  to  signify 
statuary  work,  as  it  is  rendered  by  Vulg.  (Gesen.  705.  715). 

13.  their  faces  were  imoard]  Literally,  toward  the  house, 
or  holy  place. 

14.  the  vail]  Heb.  paroceth,  the  vail  before  the  Holy  of 
Holies.  See  on  Exod.  xxvi.  36.  This  is  not  mentioned  ex- 
pressly in  1  Kings  vi.,  but  we  have  there  a  description  of  the 
chains  of  gold  connected  with  it.    See  on  1  Kings  vi.  21. 

—  blue,  and  purple']  So  as  to  resemble  the  vail  of  the 
Tahernacle,  made  by  God's  direction  at  Sinai.  See  Exod.  xxvii. 
31,  32. 

15—17.  two  pillars]  See  on  1  Kings  vii.  13 — 22. 

16.  an  hundred  pomegranates]  See  on  1  Kings  vii.  15 — 20. 

17.  Jachin — Boaz]  See  1  Kings  vii.  21. 

Ch.  IV.  1.  he  made  an  altar  of  hrass]  This  also  is  an 
additional  statement  made  by  the  sacred  Writer  here,  and  not 
found  in  the  Kings  ;  but  that  book  confirms  the  truth  of  it  inci- 
dentally by  speaking  of  Solomon  ofl'ering  burnt-offerings  on  the 
altar  which  he  built  (1  Kings  ix.  25).  Cp.  1  Khigs  viii.  22.  64, 
where  its  existence  is  implied. 

—  ten  cubits  the  height]  The  Altar  was  so  arranged  by 
gradual  ascents,  that  the  law  in  Exod.  xx.  26  might  be  complied 
with.  Here  were  other  particulars  (viz.  the  size  and  height 
of  the  Altar  of  burnt-offerings),  in  which  the  sacred  furniture 
of  the  Temple  was  on  a  far  grander  scale  than  that  of  the 
Tabernacle. 

2 — 5.  a  molten  sea — baths]  See  on  1  Kings  vii.  23 — 26. 

The  Oxen  of  the  Molten  Sea. 
3.  Two  roivs  of  oxen]  This  is   also  an  additional   feature 
mentioned  here.     In  1  Kings  vii.  24,  the  brasen  sea  is  said  to 
234 


be  adorned  with  rows  of  peTcdim  {gourds),  which  word  is  sup- 
posed by  some  to  have  been  misread  by  the  author  of  the 
Chronicles,  as  if  it  had  been  bekarim  (oxen).  So  Keil,  on 
Kings,  p.  78;  and  JBertheau,  p.  267,  who  would  substitute 
pekdim  here.  But  this  is  arbitrary  criticism.  These  rows 
of  oxen  may  have  been  ornaments,  like  metopes;  and  oxen 
are  mentioned  as  architectural  ornaments,  on  borders  of  brasen 
vessels,  in  the  Books  of  Kings  also  (1  Kings  vii.  29),  as  well 
as  here. 

Besides,  by  this  alteration  of  the  text,  we  should  lose  a 
feature  of  spiritual  interest,  in  this  description.  The  Twelve 
Oxen,  which  supported  the  brasen  Laver,  and  looked  to  all 
points  of  the  compass,  were  a  figure  of  the  communication  of 
the  Sacrament  of  Baptism  by  the  Apostles,  and  their  successors 
in  the  Apostolic  ministry,  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  See  above, 
on  1  Kings  vii.  23—26.  That  Laver  was  adorned  with  knops 
of  fruit  and  with  lilies,  the  emblems  of  fruitfulness  and  purity, 
the  spiritual  characteristics  of  the  Christian  baptismal  life. 
And  we  are  here  told  that  it  was  also  adorned  with  oxen. 
Oxen  are  Scriptural  symbols  of  labour,  especially  of  Apostolic 
labour  (1  Cor.  ix.  9)  ;  and  they  may  fitly  be  said  to  symbolize 
here  the  duty  of  communion  with  the  Apostles,  and  their 
successors,  in  doctrine  and  practice  (Acts  ii.  42). 

Oxen  are  coupled  with  lions,  in  the  ornaments  of  the 
Lavers,  in  1  Kings  vii.  29.  They  are  two  emblems  of  the 
labour  and  courage  of  the  spiritual  life. 

5.  three  thousand  baths]  See  on  1  Kings  vii.  26. 

6.  ten  lavers]  See  1  Kings  vii.  27 — 39,  which  passage  the 
author  supposes  to  be  known  to  his  reader,  and  therefore  he 
does  not  repeat  it. 

But  he  adds  here  a  statement  as  to  the  use  of  the  Lavers, 
and  also  of  the  sea. 


The  sacred  furniture.       2  CHRONICLES  IV.  7—22.     V.  1—4.     The  assembly  of  Israel. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1012. 
f  I  Kings  7.  i9. 
g  Exod.  25.  31, 


"^  ^  And  lie  made  ten  candlesticks  of  gold  ^  according  to  their  form,  and  set 
them  in  the  temple,  five  on  the  right  hand,  and  five  on  the  left. 

^ ''  He  made  also  ten  tables,  and  placed  them  in  the  temple,  five  on  the  ri^-ht  ^a 

1        1         t  PIT  "1  Chron.  28.  12, 

side,  and  five  on  the  left.     And  he  made  an  hundred  ||  basons  of  gold.  }9-  Kings?. 48. 

^Fm-thcrmore  'he  made  the  court  of  the  priests,  and  the  great  court,  and  |' i^^ing"^ se. 
doors  for  the  court,  and  overlaid  the  doors  of  them  with  brass.  ^^  And  ''  he  set  ^  i  Kings  i.  39. 
the  sea  on  the  right  side  of  the  east  end,  over  against  the  south. 

i^And  'Huram  made  the  pots,  and  the  shovels,   and  the  ||  basons.     And  ^^^^^  ^  ^'"^^  ^• 
Huram  f  finished  the  work  that  he  was  to  make  for  king  Solomon  for  the  house  \  ueSisucd 
of  God;  ^~To  wit,  the  two  pillars,  and  "  the  pommels,  and  the  chapiters  ivhich  mrKings7.4i. 
7cere  on  the  top  of  the  two  pillars,  and  the  two  wreaths  to  cover  the  two  pom- 
mels of  the  chapiters  which  tvere  on  the  top  of  the  pillars  ;   ^^And  "four  hun-  n^see  1  Kings 7. 
dred  pomegranates  on  the  two  wreaths  ;  two  rows  of  pomegranates  on  each 
wreath,  to  cover  the  two  pommels  of  the  chapiters  which  ivere  f  upon  the  pillars.  j:^Heb.  «;,o«  we 
'^  He  made  also  °  bases,  and  ||  lavers  made  he  upon  the  bases ;  ^^  One  sea,  and  43*.  ^'"*^'  ^-  ^^' 
twelve  oxen  under  it.     ^^  The  pots  also,  and  the  shovels,  and  the  fleshhooks, 
and  all  their  instrments,  did  ^  Huram  his  father  make  to  king  Solomon 'for  the  p^^  ^'"s^  ''■  '*• 
house  of  the  Lord  of  f  bright  brass.     ^^^^In  the  plain  of  Jordan  did  the  king  ^^^•„";"'*^ 
cast  them,  in  the  f  clay  ground  between  Succoth  and  Zeredathah.  q  rJchigs  7.  lo. 

'^'Thus  Solomon  made  all  these  vessels  in  great  abundance  :  for  the  weight  nesL'of'the 
of  the  brass  could  not  be  found  out.     ^°  And  '  Solomon  made  all  the  vessels  r  1  Kings  7  47. 

si  Kings  7.  48, 

that  were  for  the  house  of  God,  the  golden  altar  also,  and  the  tables  whereon  ^^'  ^^■ 
^  the  shewbread  icas  set ;  "°  Moreover  the  candlesticks  with  their  lamps,  that  *  ^''°^-  ^^-  '"• 
they  should  burn  "  after  the  manner  before  the  oracle,  of  pure  gold  ;   ^^  And  "i^'""^'  ^^"  ^^' 
"the  flowers,  and  the  lamps,  and  the  tongs,  made  he  of  gold,  and  that  f  perfect  L.""  ■"■^'' 
gold;  ^^And  the  snuffers,  and  the  |j  basons,  and  the  spoons,  and  the  censers,  tionsojgotd. 
of  pure  gold  :  and  the  entry  of  the  house,  the  inner  doors  thereof  for  the  most 
holy  place,  and  the  doors  of  the  house  of  the  temple,  loere  of  gold. 

V.  ^  Thus  ^  all  the  work  that  Solomon  made  for  the  house  of  the  Lord  was  ^  j  Kingf  7. 51. 
finished :  and  Solomon  brought  in  cdl  the  things  that  David  his  father  had 
dedicated  ;  and  the  silver,  and  the  gold,  and  all  the  instruments,  put  he  among 
the  treasures  of  the  house  of  God. 

2  ^  Then  Solomon  assembled  the  elders  of  Israel,  and  all  the  heads  of  the  d  1  Kingf s.  1, 
tribes,  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  the  children  of  Israel,  unto  Jerusalem, .  to 
bring  up  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  '^  out  of  the  city  of  David,  which  ^  2sam.6. 12. 
is  Zion.     ^  ^  Wherefore  all  the  men  of  Israel  assembled  themselves  unto  the  ^  ^  ^'"^^  ^-  2- 
king  ^  in  the  feast  which  was  in  the  seventh  month.     ^  And  all  the  elders  of  \l^^  "^^ '''  ^'  ^' 


7.  ten  candlesticks  offfol(f\  See  1  Kings  vii.  49. 

—  their  forni]  Their  prescribed  pattern  {Vulg.),  below, 
».  20. 

8.  ten  tables'}  See  1  Chron.  xxviii.  16 ;  and  cp.  1  Kings 
Nni.  48,  where  only  one  table  is  mentioned.  There  was  pro- 
bably only  one  Table  of  shewbread,  as  the  author  of  Chronicles 
himself  informs  us  (xiii.  11 ;  xxix.  18) ;  the  other  Tables 
contained  its  accessories  and  adjuncts,  such  as  the  incense, 
&c. 

10.  right  side']  The  south  side. 

13.  four  hundred  pomegranates']  See  above,  on  1  Kings 
vii.  20. 

16.  his  father]  Or,  master  of  the  works  :  see  on  ii.  13. 

17,  18.  In  the  plain  of  Jordan— found  out]  See  1  Kings  vii. 
46,47.  -^  ^ 

20.  after  the  manner]  Or,  after  the  prescribed  order  (see 
V.  7),  where  the  same  word  is  used. 

—  the  oracle]  Heb.  dehir,  the  Holy  of  Holies,  where  God 
declared  His  will.     See  above,  on  1  Kincrs  vi.  5. 

235 


—  pure  gold]  Properly,  gold  shut  up,  as  precious  (1  Kings 
vi.  20,  21 ;  vii.  49 ;  x.  21.     Gesen.  579). 

21.  perfect  gold]  JjiteraMy,  gold  of  perfection.  The  original 
word,  micloth,  is  from  Heb.  calal,  to  complete  (Oesen.  400. 
471). 

The  sacred  writer  is  careful  to  relate  that  even  the  lamps 
and  tongs  of  the  Temple  were  of  gold,  yea,  of  gold  of  per- 
fection,—  a  striking  admonition  that  things  used  in  God's 
service  should  be  of  the  best,  and  especially  that  the  hearts  of 
His  worshippers  should  be  pure,  and  their  lives  holy :  cp. 
1  Pet.  i.  7. 

22.  the  entry — inner  doors']  Were  of  wood,  covered  with 
gold.     See  1  Kings  vi.  31.  34. 

Ch.  V.  1.  that  David  his  father  had  dedicated]  See  1  Chron. 
xviii.  11. 

2.  Then  Solomon  assembled  the  elders  of  Israel]  See  above, 
on  1  Kings  viii.  1. 


TlwTahcrnadcislrougUup.     2  CHRONICLES  V.  5—13.    The  Arh  in  the  Holy  of  Holies. 


Before 
CHRIST 

1004. 


II  Or,  they  are 

there,  as 

1  Kings  8.  8. 

f  Deut.  10.  2,  5. 

ch.  6.  11. 

n  Or,  where. 


t  Heb.  found. 
g  1  Chron.  25.  1. 


h  1  Chron.  15.24, 


i  Ps.  136. 

See  1  Chron.  IG. 

34,  41. 


Israel  came ;  and  the  Levites  took  up  the  ark.  "^  And  they  brought  up  the  ark, 
and  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  all  the  holy  vessels  that  ivere  in  the 
tabernacle,  these  did  the  priests  and  the  Levites  bring  up.  ^Also  king  Solo- 
mon, and  all  the  congregation  of  Israel  that  were  assembled  unto  him  before  the 
ark,  sacrificed  sheep  and  oxen,  which  could  not  be  told  nor  numbered  for  mul- 
titude. "^  And  the  priests  brought  in  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  unto 
his  place,  to  the  oracle  of  the  house,  into  the  most  holy  jilace,  even  under  the 
wings  of  the  cherubims  :  ^  For  the  cherubims  spread  forth  their  wings  over  the 
place  of  the  ark,  and  the  cherubims  covered  the  ark  and  the  staves  thereof 
above.  ^And  they  drew  out  the  staves  of  the  arh,  that  the  ends  of  the  staves 
were  seen  from  the  ark  before  the  oracle ;  but  they  were  not  seen  without. 
And  II  there  it  is  unto  this  day.  '^  There  ivas  nothing  in  the  ark  save  the  two 
tables  which  Moses  *^put  therein  at  Horeb,  ||  when  the  Lord  made  a  covenant 
with  the  children  of  Israel,  when  they  came  out  of  Eg^^pt. 

^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  priests  were  come  out  of  the  holy  place: 
(for  all  the  priests  that  ivere  f  present  were  sanctified,  and  did  not  then  wait  by 
course  :  ^^  ^  Also  the  Levites  zvhich  ivere  the  singers,  all  of  them  of  Asaph,  of 
Heman,  of  Jeduthun,  with  their  sons  and  their  brethren,  being  arrayed  in  white 
linen,  having  cymbals  and  psalteries  and  harps,  stood  at  the  east  end  of  the 
altar,  ''and  with  them  an  hundred  and  twenty  priests  sounding  with  trumpets:) 
^^  It  came  even  to  pass,  as  the  trumpeters  and  singers  were  as  one,  to  make  one 
sound  to  be  heard  in  praising  and  thanking  the  Lord  ;  and  when  they  lifted 
up  their  voice  with  the  trumpets  and  cymbals  and  instruments  of  musick,  and 
praised  the  Lord,  saying,  '  For  he  is  good ;  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever :  that 


4.  the  Levites  took  up  the  ark']  Cp.  1  Kings  viii.  3,  whei-e  it 
is  said  "  the  priests  took  up  the  ark  ;"  and  so  below,  v.  7  ;  here, 
the  priests  brought  in  the  ark.  The  sense,  therefore,  is  this  : — 
It  was  the  privilege  of  the  Levites  to  bear  the  Ark ;  and  on 
this  solemn  occasion  (as  on  some  others  :  see  Josh.  iii.  3.  6  ;  iv.  3) 
those  Levites,  who  were  also  Priests,  bare  it.  The  Pi-iests  are 
therefore  here  called  "  the  Priests,  the  Levites "  (v.  5),  as  in 
Deuteronomy.  See  above,  on  Deut.  xvii.  9 :  and  Introd.  to 
that  Book,  p.  197. 

The  Tabernacle  is  BEOuanT  Up  to  Jerusalem. 

5.  and  the  tahernacle']  The  ancient  Tabernacle,  made  by 
Moses  at  Sinai,  and  which  was  now  at  Gibeon  (see  above,  i.  3). 
They  brought  up  this  veneral)le,  time-honoured,  and  divinely 
appointed  Tabernacle  to  Mount  Moriah,  where  the  Temple  was. 
But  what  became  of  the  ancient  materials  of  the  Tabernacle  we 
are  not  informed.  They  pass  away  from  our  eyes  silently  and 
imperceptibly,  being  absorbed  into  the  Temple.  Was  there  not 
a  spn-itual  meaning  in  this  ? 

The  Levitical  Law,  like  the  Tabernacle  of  Sinai,  was  of 
God.  It  was  framed  under  His  inspiration  and  by  His  command. 
As  such  it  was  to  be  treated  with  reverential  awe.  In  its  moral 
and  spiritual  essence,  wliich  was  an  expression  of  the  Divine 
Attributes,  it  is  perpetual ;  but  in  its  ceremonial  ordinances  it 
was  only  for  a  time.  It  was  preparatory  and  manuductory  to 
Christ  and  the  Gospel ;  and,  in  those  respects,  at  His  Coming  it 
had  waxed  old,  and  was  ready  to  vanish  away  (Heb.  viii.  13). 
The  Tabernacle  of  the  Levitical  Law  was  to  pass  away,  and  to 
be  merged  in  the  glory  of  the  spiritual  Temple  of  the  Universal 
Church  of  Christ :  cp.  above,  on  i.  3. 

—  and  the  Levites']  The  conjunction,  and,  not  in  the  original, 
would  be  better  omitted.     See  on  v.  4. 

7 — 9.  the  arJc  of  the  covenant]  On  this  bringing-in  of  the 
Ark,  that  had  been  made  by  Moses,  by  God's  command  at  Sinai, 
into  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  see  note  above,  on  1  Kings  viii. 
6-8. 

9.  thei/  dreio  out  the  staves]  Rather,  they  extended  tJi3 
staves;  they  elongated  them,  so  that  the  ends  of  them  were 
visible,  projecting  from  the  Ark.     See  on  1  Kings  viii.  8. 

— from  the  ark  before  the  oracle]  In  1  Kings  viii.  8  it  is, 
•'  in  the  holy  place  before  the  oracle "  (see  note  there).  Those 
236 


persons,  who  were  in  the  holy  place,  could  see  the  ends  of  the 
staves,  by  means  of  the  aperture  in  the  oracle ;  but  they  who 
were  not  in  the  holy  place,  but  were  further  removed  ft'om  it, 
could  not  see  the  ends  of  the  staves,  because  they  extended 
beyond  the  width  of  the  aperture  in  the  oracle,  the  Ark  being 
placed  length-ways,  and  the  staves  being  parallel  to  the  longer 
sides,  or  width,  of  the  Ark  {Thenius ;  Bertlteau).  It  has  been 
supposed  by  some  (e.  g.  Prideaux,  Part  i.  Book  iii.)  that  the 
staves  were  parallel  to  the  ends  of  the  Ark.  But  this  is  hardly 
probable. 

—  unto  this  day]  When  this  description  was  written,  which 
is  inserted  in  1  Kings  viii.  6 — 8,  and  was  religiously  copied 
by  the  Writer  of  this  Book,  though  it  was  not  applicable  to  the 
times  after  the  captivity,  when  the  author  of  the  Chronicles 
wrote.     See  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23. 

10.  There  was  nothing  in  the  ark  save  the  two  tables]  See 
on  1  Kings  viii.  9. 

11.  did  not  then  zvait  by  course"]  As  had  been  appointed  by 
David  for  the  ordinary  service  of  the  Temple  (see  1  Chron.  xxiv.). 
But  this  was  an  extraordinary  occasion,  and  they  were  all 
present,  in  order  that  they  might  testify  by  their  ministry  in 
the  Temple  that  they  all  concurred  in  the  transfer  of  the  Ark  to 
the  Temple,  and  that  tliey  all  acknowledged  the  Temple,  built 
by  Solomon  at  Jerusalem,  to  be  the  legitimate  successor  to  the 
Tabernacle,  made  by  Moses  the  servant  of  God  at  Sinai.  The 
Levites  wei*e  present  and  officiated  for  a  similar  reason. 

12.  Jeduthun]  Probably  the  same  as  Ethan.  See  1  Chron. 
xvi.  38 ;  XXV.  1.  6  (B.  D.  i.  939 ;  Pusey  on  Daniel,  p.  317). 

13.  as  the  trumpeters  and  singers  were  as  one]  This  is  added 
by  the  sacred  writer  :  it  is  not  mentioned  in  Kings.  It  appears 
from  the  two  accounts  compared,  that  when  the  Priests  had 
deposited  the  Ark  in  its  resting-place  in  the  Holy  of  Holies, 
that  the  trumpetei's  and  singers  gave  notice  of  its  inauguration 
there,  and  they  thanked  God  with  a  loud  and  united  song  of 
praise,  "the  Lord  is  good,  for  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever;" 
and  thus  they  gave  notice  to  the  People,  who  were  outside  the 
Court  of  the  Priests,  that  the  Ark  had  at  last  found  its  rest 
and  God  Himself  gave  a  response  to  their  song  of  praise  by 
fiUiug  the  House  with  His  glory. 

—  For  he  is  good— for  ever]  On  this  inaugural  song  of  praise, 
see  below,  at  Ezra  iii.  11. 


The  cloud  of  glory. 


2  CHRONICLES  V.  14.     VI.  1—16. 


Solomon  s  prayer. 


then  the  house  was  filled  with  a  cloud,  even  the  house  of  the  Lord  ;  ^*  So  that  chrTst 
the  priests  could  not  stand  to  minister  by  reason  of  the  cloud :  ^  for  the  glory  k  Exod°4a  35. 
of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  house  of  God. 

VI.  '  Then  ^  said  Solomon,  The  Lord  hath  said  that  he  would  dwell  in  the  ^  1  ^ings  s.  12. 
'' thick  darkness.     ^But  I  have  built  an  house  of  habitation  for  thee,  and  a^Lev.  16. 2. 
place  for  thy  dwelling  for  ever.     ^  And  the  king  turned  his  face,  and  blessed 
the  whole  congregation  of  Israel :  and  all  the  congregation  of  Israel  stood. 

*  And  he  said,  Blessed  he  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  who  hath  with  his  hands 
fulfilled   that  which  he  spake  with  his  mouth  to  my  father  David,   saying, 
^  Since  the  day  that  I  brought  forth  my  people  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  I  chose 
no  city  among  all  the  tribes  of  Israel  to  build  an  house  in,  that  my  name  might 
be  there ;  neither  chose  I  any  man  to  be  a  ruler  over  my  people  Israel :  ''"But  ':ch.i2. 13. 
I  have  chosen  Jerusalem,  that  my  name  might  be  there ;  and  ^  have  chosen  ^ '  chron.  28. 4. 
Da,vid  to  be  over  my  people  Israel.     '^  Now  ^  it  was  in  the  heart  of  David  my  ^l^fjjj-f^^j  ^ 
father  to  build  an  house  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel.     ^  But  the  ^^-  ^• 
Lord  said  to  David  my  father,  Forasmuch  as  it  was  in  thine  heart  to  build  an 
house  for  my  name,  thou  didst  well  in  that  it  was  in  thine  heart :  ^  Notwith- 
standing thou  shalt  not  build  the  house  ;  but  thy  son  which  shall  come  forth 
out  of  thy  loins,  he  shall  build  the  house  for  my  name.     ^^  The  Lord  there- 
fore hath  performed  his  word  that  he  hath  spoken :  for  I  am  risen  up  in  the 
room  of  David  my  father,  and  am  set  on  the  throne  of  Israel,  as  the  Lord 
promised,  and  have  built  the  house  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 
'^  And  in  it  have  I  put  the  ark,  '^  wherein  is  the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  that  he  fch.  5. 10. 
made  with  the  children  of  Israel. 

^2^  And  he  stood  before  the  altar  of  the  Lord  in  the  presence  of  all  the  con-  ei  Kings  s. '2. 
gregation  of  Israel,  and  spread  forth  his  hands  :  ^^For  Solomon  had  made  a 
brasen  scaifold,  of  five  cubits  f  long,  and  five  cubits  broad,  and  three  cubits  /,;J^^J/;^,„y 
high,  and  had  set  it  in  the  midst  of  the  court :  and  upon  it  he  stood,  and  *"• 
kneeled  down  upon  his  knees  before  all  the  congregation  of  Israel,  and  spread 
forth  his  hands  toward  heaven,   ^^  And  said, 

0  Lord  God  of  Israel,  ^' there  is  no  God  like  thee  in  the  heaven,  nor  in  the  hExod.  15.  n. 

'  Deut.  4.  39.  & 

earth  ;  which  keepest  covenant,  and  shewest  mercy  unto  thy  servants,  that  walk  ^-  ^• 
before  thee  with  all  their  hearts  :  ^^ '  Thou  which  hast  kept  with  thy  servant  i  1  chron.  22. 9. 
David  my  father  that  which  thou  hast  promised  him ;   and  spakest  with  thy 
mouth,  and  hast  fulfilled  it  with  thine  hand,  as  it  is  this  day.     ^^  Now  there- 
fore, 0  Lord  God  of  Israel,  keep  with  thy  servant  David  my  father  that  which 
thou  hast  promised  him,  saying,  ^  f  There  shall  not  fail  thee  a  man  in  my  sight  ^^^  ^^™-  ^-  '2> 

t  Heb.  There  shall  not  a  man  be  cut  off. 


1  Kings  2.4.  &  6.  12.     ch.  7.  18. 


—  the  house  was  filled  with  a  cloud]  Of  God's  glory,  wbicli 
was  the  full  and  final  testimony  to  tlie  sanctity  of  tlie  Temple, 
as  henceforth  occupying  the  place  in  God's  gracious  regard, 
which  had  before  been  occupied  by  the  Tabernacle  :  cp.  1  Kings 
viii.  10,  11. 

And  yet,  glorious  as  this  manifestation  was,  and  magnificent 
as  was  the  structure  of  the  Temple,  it  was  prophesied,  that 
the  "  glory  of  tbe  latter  house  "  should  be  greater  than  that  of 
the  former.  See  below,  on  Ezra  iii.  12.  Hag.  ii.  3,  where  the 
reason  of  that  excess  of  glory  is  declared  to  be  the  Presence  of 
Christ. 

Cu.  VI.  1.  Then  said  Solomon]  See  on  1  Kings  viii.  12— 15. 
For  notes  on  this  and  the  following  passages  in  the  history  of 
Solomon,  the  reader  is  requested  to  refer  to  tbe  notes  on  the 
parallel  passages  of  the  Book  of  Kings,  which  are  specified  in 
the  margin  of  the  present  chapter.  This  suggestion  may  be 
applied  throughout  the  present   Book,   which   will   save  the 


repetition  of  the  same  references  in  the  notes  as  are  already  set 
down  in  the  Margin. 

5.  Since  the  day']  See  1  Kings  viii.  16. 

—  neither  chose  I  any  man  to  he  a  ruler']  This  is  not  ex- 
pressly stated  in  the  parallel  place  of  Kings,  but  is  implied  there. 
Saul  could  not  be  said  to  be  a  ruler  originally  chosen  of 
God,  as  David  was;  although  the  popular  choice  of  a  king 
was  derivatively  so  controlled  by  Him  that  the  choice  fell 
upon  Saul.  See  above,  on  1  Sam.  viii.  5;  and  Inlrod.  to 
Samuel,  pp.  x.  xi. 

11.  in  it  have  I  put  the  arlc]  Not  that  Solomon  himself  put 
the  Ark  in  the  Holy  of  Holies.  That  was  done  by  the  Priests 
(see  V.  7) ;  but  Solomon  is  said  to  do  what  was  done  by  the 
Priests  at  his  instance.     Cp.  note  above,  on  1  Kings  viii.  14. 

12.  he  stood]  And  then  knelt  down  (v.  13).  On  the  agree- 
ment between  this  description  and  that  in  the  parallel  place  in 
Kings  (which  .some  have  alleged  to  be  at  variance  with  it),  see 
Keil,  Chronik.  p.  379. 


iSolomon  s  prmjer 


2  CHRONICLES  VI.  17—33. 


at  the  dedication. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1004. 
1  Ps.  132.  12. 


m  ch.  2.  6. 
Isa.  66.  1. 

Acts  7.  49. 


II  Or,  in  this 
place. 

t  Heb.  pray. 


t  Heb.  a?id  he 
require  an  oath 
of  him. 


3  Or,  be  smitten. 


II  Or,  toward. 


n  1  Kings  17.  1. 


t  Heb.  in  the 
land  of  their 
gates 


II  Or,  toward  //li.s 
Itouse. 


p  I  Chron.  28.  9. 

t  Heb.  all  the 
days  which. 
i  Heb.  upon  the 
face  of  the  land. 
q  John  12.  20. 
Acts  8.  27. 


t  Heb.  thy  name 
is  called  upon 
this  house. 


to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  Israel ;  '  yet  so  that  thy  chiklren  take  heed  to  then- 
way  to  walk  in  my  law,  as  thou  hast  walked  before  me.  ^^  Now  then,  0  Loed 
God  of  Israel,  let  thy  word  be  verified,  which  thou  hast  spoken  unto  thy  ser- 
vant David. 

^^  But  will  God  in  very  deed  dwell  with  men  on  the  earth  ?  ""  behold,  heaven 
and  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  thee;  how  much  less  this  house 
which  I  have  built !  ^^  Have  respect  therefore  to  the  prayer  of  thy  servant,  and 
to  his  supplication,  0  Lord  my  God,  to  hearken  unto  the  cry  and  the  prayer 
which  thy  servant  prayeth  before  thee :  ^^  That  thine  eyes  may  be  open  upon 
this  house  day  and  night,  upon  the  place  whereof  thou  hast  said  that  thou 
wouldest  put  thy  name  there ;  to  hearken  unto  the  prayer  which  thy  servant 
prayeth  ||  toward  this  place.  "^  Hearken  therefore  unto  the  supplications  of 
thy  servant,  and  of  thy  people  Israel,  which  they  shall  f  make  toward  this 
place  :  hear  thou  from  thy  dwelling  place,  even  from  heaven ;  and  when  thou 
hearest,  forgive. 

^■^  If  a  man  sin  against  his  neighbour,  f  and  an  oath  be  laid  upon  him  to 
make  him  swear,  and  the  oath  come  before  thine  altar  in  this  house  ;  ^^  Then 
hear  thou  from  heaven,  and  do,  and  judge  thy  servants,  by  requiting  the 
wicked,  by  recompensing  his  way  upon  his  own  head ;  and  by  justifying  the 
righteous,  by  giving  him  according  to  his  righteousness. 

"^  And  if  thy  people  Israel  |[  be  put  to  the  worse  before  the  enemy,  because 
they  have  sinned  against  thee ;  and  shall  return  and  confess  thy  name,  and 
pray  and  make  supplication  before  thee  ||  in  this  house ;  ^^  Then  hear  thou  from 
the  heavens,  and  forgive  the  sin  of  thy  people  Israel,  and  bring  them  again 
unto  the  land  which  thou  gavest  to  them  and  to  their  fathers. 

2*^  When  the  "  heaven  is  shut  up,  and  there  is  no  rain,  because  they  have 
sinned  against  thee ;  yet  if  they  pray  toward  this  place,  and  confess  thy  name, 
and  turn  from  their  sin,  when  thou  dost  afflict  them  ;  ^^  Then  hear  thou  from 
heaven,  and  forgive  the  sin  of  thy  servants,  and  of  thy  people  Israel,  when 
thou  hast  taught  them  the  good  way,  wherein  they  should  walk ;  and  send  rain 
upon  thy  land,  which  thou  hast  given  unto  thy  people  for  an  inheritance. 

22  If  there  °  be  dearth  in  the  land,  if  there  be  pestilence,  if  there  be  blasting, 
or  mildew,  locusts,  or  caterpillers  ;  if  their  enemies  besiege  them  f  in  the  cities 
of  their  land ;  whatsoever  sore  or  whatsoever  sickness  there  he :  ^^  Then  what 
prayer  or  what  supphcation  soever  shall  be  made  of  any  man,  or  of  all  thy 
people  Israel,  when  every  one  shall  know  his  own  sore  and  his  own  grief,  and 
shall  spread  forth  his  hands  ||  in  this  house :  ^^  Then  hear  thou  from  heaven 
thy  dwelhng  place,  and  forgive,  and  render  unto  every  man  according  unto  all 
his  ways,  whose  heart  thou  knowest ;  (for  thou  only  ^knowest  the  hearts  of  the 
children  of  men :)  ^^  That  they  may  fear  thee,  to  walk  in  thy  ways,  f  so  long 
as  they  live  f  in  the  land  which  thou  gavest  unto  our  fathers. 

2-  Moreover  concerning  the  stranger,  **  which  is  not  of  thy  people  Israel,  but 
is  come  from  a  far  country  for  thy  great  name's  sake,  and  thy  mighty  hand, 
and  thy  stretched  out  arm ;  if  they  come  and  pray  in  this  house;  ^^  Then  hear 
thou  from  the  heavens,  even  from  thy  dwelling  place,  and  do  according  to  all 
that  the  stranger  calleth  to  thee  for ;  that  all  people  of  the  earth  may  know 
thy  name,  and  fear  thee,  as  doth  thy  people  Israel,  and  may  know  that  f  this 
house  which  I  have  built  is  called  by  thy  name. 


22.  and  an  oath  be  laid  upon  him']    Rather,  and  he  (his 
neighbour)  have  laid  an  oath  on  him,     Cp.  Exod.  xxii.  7 — 11. 
238 


Lev.  V.  i.     Prov.  xxix.  24.     Heb.  vi.  16). 


Solomon's  ]}rayer. 


2  CHRONICLES  VI.  34—42.     VII.  1.       The  fire  from  heaven. 


2*  If  thy  people  go  out  to  war  against  their  enemies  by  the  way  that  thou 
shalt  send  them,  and  they  pray  unto  thee  toward  this  city  which  thou  hast 
chosen,  and  the  house  which  I  have  built  for  thy  name ;  ^^  Then  hear  thou 
from  the  heavens  their  prayer  and  their  supphcation,  and  maintain  their 
II  cause. 

^^  If  they  sin  against  thee,  (for  there  is  'no  man  which  sinneth  not,)  and  thou 
be  angry  with  them,  and  deliver  them  over  before  their  enemies,  and  f  they 
carry  them  away  captives  unto  a  land  far  off  or  near ;  ^'^  Yet  if  they  f  bethink 
themselves  in  the  land  whither  they  are  carried  captive,  and  turn  and  pray 
unto  thee  in  the  land  of  their  captivity,  saying.  We  have  sinned,  we  have  done 
amiss,  and  have  dealt  wickedly ;  ^^  If  they  return  to  thee  with  all  their  heart 
and  with  all  their  soul  in  the  land  of  their  captivity,  whither  they  have  carried 
them  captives,  and  pray  toward  their  land,  which  thou  gavest  unto  their  fathers, 
and  toward  the  city  which  thou  hast  chosen,  and  toward  the  house  which  I  have 
built  for  thy  name  :  ^^  Then  hear  thou  from  the  heavens,  even  from  thy  dwelling 
place,  their  prayer  and  their  supplications,  and  maintain  their  ||  cause,  and 
forgive  thy  people  which  have  sinned  against  thee. 

^°  Now,  my  God,  let,  I  beseech  thee,  thine  eyes  be  open,  and  let  thine  ears 
he  attent  f  unto  the  prayer  that  is  made  in  this  place.  ^^  Now  '  therefore  arise, 
0  Lord  God,  into  thy  ^  resting  place,  thou,  and  the  ark  of  thy  strength  :  let 
thy  priests,  0  Lord  God,  be  clothed  with  salvation,  and  let  thy  saints  "rejoice 
in  goodness.  ^"  0  Lord  God,  turn  not  away  the  face  of  thine  anointed  :  ""  re- 
member the  mercies  of  David  thy  servant. 

VII.  ^Now  *when  Solomon  had  made  an  end  of  praying,  the  ""fire  came 
down  from  heaven,  and  consumed  the  burnt  offering  and  the  sacrifices ;  and 


Before 

CHRIST 

1004. 


II  Or,  righl. 

r  Prov.  20.  9. 
Eccles.  7.  20. 
James  3.  2. 
1  John  1.  8. 
t  Heb.  i/iey  that 
take  iliem  ciiptioct 
carry  them  awaij. 
t  Heb.  briny  bach 
to  their  heart. 


II  Or,  rii/kl. 


t  Heb.  to  the 

prayer  of  this 

place. 

s  Ps.l32.  8,9,  10, 

16. 

t  1  Chron.  28.  2. 

u  Neh.  9.  25. 

X  Ps.  132.  1. 

Isa.  55.  3. 


a  1  Kings  8.  54. 
b  Lev.  9.  24. 
Judg.  6.  21. 
1  Kings  18.  38. 
1  Chron.  21.  26. 


41.  arise,  O  Loed  Oocr\  By  these  aiid  the  following  words, 
which  are  found  in  Ps.  Ixviii.  1 ;  cxxxii.  8,  9,  and  were  suggested 
by  the  bringing  up  of  the  Ark  by  David,  from  Kirjath-jearim 
(see  there,  v.  6),  Solomon  connected  his  own  work  in  the 
dedication  of  the  Temple  with  that  act  of  his  father,  and 
represents  his  own  work  as  the  continuation  and  consummation 
of  all  that  David  did  and  suffered  for  it  upon  earth. 

Those  Psalms  are  like  a  divinely  inspired  commentary  on  this 
Prayer,  and  find  their  best  response  in  Solomon's  supplication 
and  act  in  the  dedication  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem ;  and  they 
open  a  glorious  prospect  to  the  eye  of  the  believer,  who  looks 
upward  to  Christ,  the  Author  of  the  Church  Militant  here  on 
earth,  and  the  Finisher  of  it,  in  the  everlasting  glories  of  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem. 

The  Fiee  from  Heaven,  aptee  Solomon's  Peatee  at 
THE  Dedication  of  the  Temple. 

Ch.  VII.  1.  the  fire  came  doton  from  heaven]  And  thus 
showed  God's  acceptance  of  Solomon's  prayer;  as  God  had 
shown  His  approval  of  the  building  of  the  Temple,  and  the 
transfer  of  the  Ark  into  its  Holy  of  Holies,  by  taking  possession 
of  the  Temple  with  the  cloud  of  His  glory  (v.  13,  14.  1  Kings 
viii.  10). 

This  fact  of  the  fire  coming  down  from  heaven  and 
consuming  the  sacrifice  is  not  mentioned  in  the  parallel  place  in 
the  Book  of  Kings ;  and  is  added  by  the  sacred  author  here. 
It  has  been  called  in  question  by  some  recent  critics,  as  if  it 
were  inconsistent  with  the  description  in  Kings. 

But  let  it  be  remembered  that  every  thing  in  the  Temple 
was  an  enlargement  and  a  development  of  what  was  done  in  the 
Tabernacle  (see  on  1  Kings  vi.  1) ;  and  since  God  showed  His 
gracious  favour  to  the  Tabernacle  by  taking  possession  of  it 
with  the  cloud  of  His  glory  (Exod.  xl.  34,  35) ;  and  since  He 
showed  a  similar  approval  of  the  Temple  (see  v.  13, 14.  1  Kings 
viii.  11) ;  and  since  also,  when  the  Tabernacle  had  been  erected, 
and  Aaron  was  consecrated,  God  signified  His  gracious  approval 
of  what  was  done,  by  an  illapse  of  fire  from  heaven  which  con- 
sumed the  burnt-offering,  which  "  when  the  people  saw,  they 
shouted  and  fell  on  their  faces,"  as  they  are  related  to  have 
done  here  (u.  3) ;  we  might  well  feel  surprise  if  no  such  testunony 
239 


had  been  given  by  God  in  favour  of  the  Temple  of  Solomon  at 
Jerusalem,  which  was  the  glorious  successor  of  the  Sinaitic 
Tabernacle. 

All  probabilities  therefore  arc  in  favour  of  the  historical 
truth  of  the  narrative  of  this  gracious  demonstration;  and  it 
will  be  the  wisdom  of  the  judicious  reader  and  devout  expositor 
not  to  carp  and  cavil  at  the  Historian,  for  supplying  additional 
incidents  in  the  narratives  of  this  or  of  any  other  great  event 
in  the  sacred  story,  but  thankfully  to  accept  them  at  his  hands. 
For  the  reason  of  this  divine  manifestation,  see  further  above, 
on  1  Kings  ix.  2.    Cp.  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  319. 

Besides,  a  beautiful  light  is  shed  upon  it  from  the  New 
Testament.  Solomon  was  a  figure  of  Christ.  The  Temple, 
which  succeeded  and  superseded  the  Tabernacle,  was  a  figure  of 
Christ's  Church  Universal,  to  be  glorified  for  ever  in  heaven. 

When  the  spiritual  Temple  of  Chi'ist's  Church  had  been 
dedicated  by  the  offering  of  His  Body  on  the  Cross,  and  when 
He,  Who  is  both  our  Priest  and  King,  as  well  as  our  aU-sufiicient 
Sacrifice,  and  Who  is,  in  a  word,  our  All  in  all,  being  perfect 
Man  and  perfect  God,  had  entered  into  the  heavenly  Holy  of 
Holies,  and  had  presented  the  Blood  of  His  Sacrifice,  which  is 
our  Sin-offering  and  Peace-oflering,  as  well  as  our  Burnt-offering 
(see  Introd.  to  Levit.,  p.  iii) ;  then  God  showed  His  gracious 
approval  of  the  offering,  and  His  divine  indwelling  in  the 
Temple,  which  Christ  had  consecrated,  by  sending  down  a  golden 
shower  oifire,  in  the  tongues  from  heaven,  on  the  Day  of  Pente- 
cost, and  by  the  heavenly  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  sent  to  dwell 
for  ever  in  His  Church. 

On  the  parallel  between  Solomon's  dedication  of  the 
Temple,  and  our  Lord's  consecration  of  Himself  as  our  ever- 
lasting Priest,  and  on  the  sanctification  of  His  spiritual  Temple, 
His  mystical  Body  the  Church,  see  Dean  Jackson  on  the  Creed, 
Book  ix.  chap.  35,  and  chap.  38;  and  Bp.  Patrick  here. 

It  is  probable  that  this  descent  of  fire  after  the  dedication 
was  at  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the  evening  sacrifice.  So,  we 
read,  the^re  came  down  and  consumed  the  sacrifice  of  Elijah, 
which  was  offered  at  the  time  of  the  evening  sacrifice  (1  Kings 
xvui.  36.  38,  39). 

The  former  part  of  the  day  on  which  the  Temple  was 
dedicated  had  been  spent  in  the  manner  previously  desCiibed ; 


The  glory  of  the  Lord 


2  CHKONICLES  VII.  2—16. 


filled  the  house. 


Before 
CHRIST 
1004. 
c  1  Kings  8.  10, 
11. 

ch.  5.  13,  14. 
Ezek.lO.  3,  4. 
dch.  5.  14. 


e  ch.  5.  13. 

Ps.  136.  1. 

f  I  Cliron.  le.  41. 

ch.  20.  21. 

g  1  Kings  8.  C2, 

63. 


h  1  Chron.  15.  16. 


t  Heh.  by  tlieir 

hand. 

i  ch.  5.  12. 

k  1  Kings  8.  64. 


1  1  Kings  8.  C5. 

m  Josh.  13.  3. 

f  Heh.  a 
Ttslraint. 

n  1  Kings  8.  G6. 


o  1  Kings  9.  1, 
&c. 


p  Deut   12.  .5. 
q  ch.  6.  2G,  23. 


t  Heb.  upon 

whom  my  name  is 

called. 

r  James  4.  10. 

sch  6.  27,  30. 

t  ch.  6.  40. 

+  Heb.  to  the 

prayer  of  this 

place. 

u  1  Kings  9.  3. 

ch.  6.  6. 


"  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  house.  ^  ^  And  the  priests  could  not  enter 
into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  because  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  Lord's 
house.  ^And  when  all  the  children  of  Israel  saw  how  the  fire  came  down,  and 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  upon  the  house,  they  bowed  themselves  with  their  faces 
to  the  ground  upon  the  pavement,  and  worshipped,  and  praised  the  Lord, 
''sailing,  For  he  is  good ;  ^for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever. 

^2  Then  the  king  and  all  the  people  offered  sacrifices  before  the  Lord.  ^And 
king  Solomon  offered  a  sacrifice  of  twenty  and  two  thousand  oxen,  and  an 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand  sheep  :  so  the  king  and  all  the  people  dedicated 
the  house  of  God.  ^  ^  And  the  priests  waited  on  their  offices  :  the  Levites  also 
with  instruments  of  musick  of  the  Lord,  which  David  the  king  had  made  to 
praise  the  Lord,  because  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever,  when  David  praised  f  by 
their  ministry  ;  and  '  the  priests  sounded  trumpets  before  them,  and  all  Israel 
stood.  ^  Moreover  ^  Solomon  hallowed  the  middle  of  the  court  that  was  before 
the  house  of  the  Lord  :  for  there  he  offered  burnt  offerings,  and  the  fat  of  the 
peace  offerings,  because  the  brasen  altar  which  Solomon  had  made  was  not  able 
to  receive  the  burnt  offerings,  and  the  meat  offerings,  and  the  fat. 

^ '  Also  at  the  same  time  Solomon  kept  the  feast  seven  days,  and  all  Israel 
with  him,  a  very  great  congregation,  from  the  entering  in  of  Hamath  unto  ""the 
river  of  Egypt.  ^  And  in  the  eighth  day  they  made  f  a  solemn  assembly  :  for 
they  kept  the  dedication  of  the  altar  seven  days,  and  the  feast  seven  days. 
^^  And  "  on  the  three  and  twentieth  day  of  the  seventh  month  he  sent  the  people 
away  into  their  tents,  glad  and  merry  in  heart  for  the  goodness  that  the  Lord 
had  shewed  unto  David,  and  to  Solomon,  and  to  Israel  his  people. 

^^  Thus  °  Solomon  finished  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  king's  house:  and 
all  that  came  into  Solomon's  heart  to  make  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  in 
his  own  house,  he  prosperously  effected. 

'2  And  the  Lord  appeared  to  Solomon  by  night,  and  said  unto  him,  I  have 
heard  thy  prayer,  ^  and  have  chosen  this  place  to  myself  for  an  house  of  sacri- 
fice. ^^"^  If  I  shut  up  heaven  that  there  be  no  rain,  or  if  I  command  the  locusts 
to  devour  the  land,  or  if  I  send  pestilence  among  my  people ;  ^^  If  my  people, 
f  which  are  called  by  my  name,  shall  •■  humble  themselves,  and  pray,  and  seek 
my  face,  and  turn  from  their  wicked  ways ;  '  then  will  I  hear  from  heaven,  and 
will  forgive  their  sin,  and  will  heal  their  land.  ^^  Now  'mine  eyes  shall  be  open, 
and  mine  ears  attent  f  unto  the  prayer  that  is  made  in  this  place.  ^^For  now 
have  "  I  chosen  and  sanctified  this  house,  that  my  name  may  be  there  for  ever : 
and  mine  eyes  and  mine  heart  shall  be  there  perpetually. 


and,  if  the  fire  came  down  at  the  time  of  the  evening  sacrifice, 
then  there  was  a  coincidence  as  to  time,  in  the  first  setting 
apart  of  tlie  site  of  the  future  Temple  by  King  David  on  Mount 
Moriah  (see  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiv.  25 :  cp.  Bp.  Patrick  on 
Lev.  ix.  24),  and  the  completion  of  the  dedication  of  it  by  his 
son,  King  Solomon  j  and,  further,  this  time  coincided  with  the 
hour  in  which  Jesus  Christ,  the  Divine  King  of  Israel,  Who 
summed  up  in  Himself  all  the  types  of  the  Kingdom  and  Priest- 
hood and  of  the  Temple  and  its  sacrifices,  exclaimed  on  the 
cross,  "  It  is  finished  "  (John  xix.  30). 

2.  the  priests  could  not  enter — because  the  glory  of  the  LoED 
had  filled  the  Lord's  house']  Before,  it  was  said,  that  "  the 
Priests  could  not  stand  to  minister  by  reason  of  the  cloud,  for 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  house  of  God  "  (v.  14. 
1  Kings  viii.  10) ;  but  now  it  is  said,  that  they  could  not  enter 
the  house.  The  house  was  filled  with  glory  ;  and  men, — even 
God's  Priests, — coidd  not  enter  it.  How  glorious,  therefore, 
was  the  Presence  of  Christ  in  the  second  Temple  !  For  of  that 
Temple,  though  greatly  inferior  in  outward  magnificence  to  that 
of  Solomon  (Hag.  ii.  3.  Ezra  iii.  12.  Zech.  iv.  10),  it  is  said, 
210 


by  reason  of  Christ's  coming  to  it,  "  The  Desire  of  all  nations 
shall  come,  and  I  \s\\\  fill  this  house  toith  glory,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts ;  the  glory  of  this  latter  house  shall  be  greater  than  of 
the  former,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts  "  (Hag.  ii.  7.  9). 

6.  when  David  praised  by  their  ministry]  The  Sept.  and 
Vulg.  render  it,  loith  the  hymns  of  David  by  their  hands ;  or, 
singing  the  hymns  of  David  hy  their  hands  or  ministry;  and  so 
Bertheau,  p.  287. 

7.  halloived  the  middle  of  the  court]  lie  used  the  fore-court 
as  the  place  for  oSering  sacrifices ;  probably  by  erecting  smaller 
sacrificial  and  temporary  altars  upon  it,  on  account  of  the 
number  of  ofi'erings  and  the  non-suiBciency  of  the  brasen  altar 
for  oflering  them  all  {Jeromiast. ;  Bertheau). 

12.  the  Lord  appeared  to  Solomon  by  night]  Thirteen  years 
after  the  dedication.  See  the  foregoing  verse ;  and  notes  above, 
on  1  Kings  ix.  2 ;  and  Lightfoot,  p.  71. 

13 — 16.]  These  words  of  God  are  supplied  by  the  Sacred 
Writer  here,  in  addition  to  those  recited  in  the  parallel  place  iu 
1  Kings  ix.  3,  and  impart  additional  force  to  the  observation 
made  in  the  note  on  1  Kings  ix.  1,  2. 


GocVs  warning 


2  CHRONICLES  VII.  17—22.     VIII.  1—9. 


to  Solomon, 


There 
shall  not  be  cut 
off  to  thee. 

z  Lev.  26.  14,  33. 
Deut.  28.  15,  36, 
37. 


^7 ""  And  as  for  thee,  if  thou  wilt  walk  before  me,  as  David  thy  father  walked,     chrTIt 
and  do  according  to  all  that  I  have  commanded  thee,  and  shalt  observe  my  x  i  kS's-  *. 
statutes  and  my  judgments  ;   ^'"  Then  will  I  stablish  the  throne  of  thy  kingdom,  ^*'' 
according  as  I  have  covenanted  with  David  thy  father,  saying,  ^  f  There  shall  y  ''^-  ^-  's- 
not  fail  thee  a  man  to  he  ruler  in  Israel. 

^^''But  if  ye  turn  away,  and  forsake  my  statutes  and  my  commandments, 
which  I  have  set  before  you,  and  shall  go  and  serve  other  gods,  and  worship 
them  ;  ^^  Then  will  I  pluck  them  up  by  the  roots  out  of  my  land  which  I  have 
given  them  ;  and  this  house,  which  I  have  sanctified  for  my  name,  will  I  cast 
out  of  my  sight,  and  will  make  it  to  he  a  proverb  and  a  byword  among  all  na- 
tions. ^^  And  this  house,  which  is  high,  shall  be  an  astonishment  to  every  one 
that  passeth  by  it ;  so  that  he  shall  say,  ^  Why  hath  the  Lord  done  thus  unto 
this  land,  and  unto  this  house  ?  ^^  And  it  shall  be  answered,  Because  they 
forsook  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  which  brought  them  forth  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  and  laid  hold  on  other  gods,  and  worshipped  them,  and  served 
them  :  therefore  hath  he  brought  all  this  evil  upon  them. 

VIII.  ^  And  *  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  twenty  years,  wherein  Solomon 
had  built  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  his  own  house,  ^  That  the  cities  which  *" 
Huram  had  restored  to  Solomon,  Solomon  built  them,  and  caused  the  children 
of  Israel  to  dwell  there. 

^  And  Solomon  went  to  Hamath-zobah,  and  prevailed  against  it.  "*  ^  And  ]^l  K>"g«  ^-  ^^^ 
he  built  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness,  and  all  the  store  cities,  which  he  built  in 
Hamath.  ^  Also  he  built  Beth-horon  the  upper,  and  Beth-horon  the  nether, 
fenced  cities,  with  walls,  gates,  and  bars;  ^And  Baalath,  and  all  the  store 
cities  that  Solomon  had,  and  all  the  chariot  cities,  and  the  cities  of  the  horse- 
men, and  f  all  that  Solomon  desired  to  build  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  Lebanon, 
and  throughout  all  the  land  of  his  dominion. 

"^"As  for  all  the  people  that  loere  left  of  the  Hittites,  and  the  Amorites,  and  ^i  Kings  9. 20, 
the  Perizzites,  and  the  Hivites,  and  the  Jebusites,  which  ivere  not  of  Israel, 
^  But  of  their  children,  who  were  left  after  them  in  the  land,  whom  the  children 
of  Israel  consumed  not,  them  did  Solomon  make  to  pay  tribute  until  this  day. 
^  But  of  the  children  of  Israel  did  Solomon  make  no  servants  for  his  work ;  but 
they  ivere  men  of  war,  and  cliief  of  his  captains,  and  captains  of  his  chariots 
and  horsemen. 


992. 
a  1  Kings  9. 10, 


f  Heb.  all  tlie 
desire  of  Solomon 
which  he  desired 
to  build. 


21.  And  this  house,  which  is  high,  shall  be  an  astonishmenf] 
Rather,  and  this  house  which  was  (once)  lofty  to  every  one  that 
passed  by  it,  he  shall  be  astonished  at  it,  and  shall  say — 

The  verb  here  used,  and  which  is  rendered  shall  be  an 
astonishment,  is  the  same  as  in  1  Kings  ix.  8,  where  it  is  rightly 
rendered,  he  (that  is,  every  passer  by)  shall  be  astonished,  is 
the  future  kal  of  shatnem,  to  be  astonished,  and  occurs  in 
Job  xvii.  8.  Jer.  xviii.  16 ;  xix.  8 ;  xlix.  17 ;  1.  13.  The  sense 
is,  as  to  this  house,  which  was  once  lofty  and  admired,  even  the 
casual  passers  by,  who  once  gazed  at  it  in  wonder,  shall  be 
astonished  at  its  desolation.  See  Oesen.  422.  835 :  and 
compare  our  Lord's  words  on  Capernaum,  Matt.  xi.  23.  Luke 
X.  15. 

Ch.  VIII.  2.  the  cities  which  Ruram  had  restored  to  Solomon] 
The  sacred  writer  supposes  the  reader  to  be  acquainted  with  the 
fact  stated  in  1  Kings  k.  10—14,  that  the  cities  in  Galilee, 
which  Solomon  had  oifered  to  Hiram,  were  not  acceptable  to 
him.  Therefore  Hiram  restored  them;  or,  as  it  is  literally, 
he  gave  them  to  Solomon.  See  above,  on  1  Kings  ix.  10.  Cp. 
Keil,  Chronik.  p.  221 ;  and  Michaelis,  and  Dahler. 

3.  Samath-zobah']  See  1  Chron.  xviii.  3.  9 ;  and  on  2  Kino-i 
Vol.  til  241 


xiv.  28 :  whence  it  appears  that  Hamath-zobah  was  in  pos- 
session of  Israel.  The  passage  in  Chronicles  informs  us  that  its 
acquisition  was  due  to  Solomon. 

This  notice  inserted  here  with  regard  to  Hamath-zobah 
supplies  the  clue  for  the  interpretation  of  1  Kings  ix.  18. 
See  note  there. 

4.  Tadmor']  See  1  Kings  ix.  18. 

—  store  cities'^  See  1  Kings  ix.  19. 

5.  Beth-horon  the  upper]  An  addition  to  the  information 
given  in  1  Kuigs  ix.  17,  where  only  Beth-horon  the  nether  is 
mentioned. 

6.  Baalath]  In  the  tribe  of  Dan  (Josh.  xix.  44),  appro- 
priately mentioned  in  connexion  with  the  Beth-horon,  on  the 
west  of  Jerusalem  :  the  other  cities  here  specified  were  on 
the  north-east.  The  sacred  writer  does  not  mention  the  forti- 
fication of  Jerusalem  itself  by  Solomon,  described  in  the  parallel 
pasage  of  the  Kings  (1  Kings  ix.  15) ;  nor  of  Hazor,  Megiddo, 
and  Gezer.     The  author  wrote  when  Jerusalem  was  in  ruins. 

—  chariot  cities]  See  i.  14 ;  ix.  25 ;  and  1  Kings  ix.  19 ; 
X.  26. 

—  desired  to  build]  As  pleasure  cities,  with  gardens  and 
parks.     See  on  1  Kings  ix.  ]  9. 

R 


Sacrifices. 


2  CHKONICLES  VIII.  10—18.     IX.  1—4. 


Commerce. 


Before 

CHRIST 

992. 

d  See  1  Kings  9. 

23. 

e  1  Kings  3.  1.& 
7.  8.  &  9.  24. 


t  Heb.  holiness. 


f  Exod.  29.  38. 
Num.  28.  3,  9, 
11,  26.  &29.  I, 
&c. 

g  Exod.  23.  14. 
^eut.  16.  16. 


h  1  Chron.  24.  1. 
i  1  Chron.  25.  1. 


k  1  Chron.  9.  17. 
&  26.  1. 
t  Heb.  so  was 
the  commandment 
of  David  the 
man  of  God. 


1  1  Kings  9.  26. 
II  Or,  Elath, 
Deut.  2.  8. 

2  Kings  14.  22. 
m  1  Kings  9.  27. 
ch.  9.  10,  13. 


about 
992. 
a  1  Kings  10.  1, 
&c. 

Matt  12.  42. 
Luke  11.  31. 


II  Or,  bullets. 


^^  And  these  loere  the  chief  of  king  Solomon's  officers,  even  ^two  hundred  and 
fifty,  that  bare  rule  over  the  people. 

^^And  Solomon  ^brought  up  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh  out  of  the  city  of 
David  unto  the  house  that  he  had  built  for  her :  for  he  said.  My  wife  shall  not 
dwell  in  the  house  of  David  king  of  Israel,  because  the  places  are  fholy,  where- 
unto  the  ark  of  the  Loed  hath  come. 

^2  Then  Solomon  offered  burnt  offerings  unto  the  Lord  on  the  altar  of  the 
Lord,  which  he  had  built  before  the  porch,  ^^  Even  after  a  certain  rate  ^  every 
day,  offering  according  to  the  commandment  of  Moses,  on  the  sabbaths,  and 
on  the  new  moons,  and  on  the  solemn  feasts,  ^  three  times  in  the  year,  even  in 
the  feast  of  unleavened  bread,  and  in  the  feast  of  weeks,  and  in  the  feast  of 
tabernacles.  ^^  And  he  appointed,  according  to  the  order  of  David  his  father, 
the  ''  courses  of  the  priests  to  their  service,  and  '  the  Levites  to  their  charges, 
to  praise  and  minister  before  the  priests,  as  the  duty  of  every  day  required  :  the 
^  porters  also  by  their  courses  at  every  gate :  for  f  so  had  David  the  man  of 
God  commanded.  ^^  And  they  departed  not  from  the  commandment  of  the 
king  unto  the  priests  and  Levites  concerning  any  matter,  or  concerning  the 
treasures.  ^^  Now  all  the  work  of  Solomon  was  prepared  unto  the  day  of  the 
foundation  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  until  it  was  finished.  So  the  house 
of  the  Lord  was  perfected. 

1^  Then  went  Solomon  to  '  Ezion-geber,  and  to  ||  Eloth,  at  the  sea  side  in  the 
land  of  Edom.  ^^ ""  And  Huram  sent  him  by  the  hands  of  his  servants  ships, 
and  servants  that  had  knowledge  of  the  sea ;  and  they  went  with  the  servants 
of  Solomon  to  Ophir,  and  took  thence  four  hundred  and  fifty  talents  of  gold, 
and  brought  them  to  king  Solomon. 

IX.  ^  And  ^  when  the  queen  of  Sheba  heard  of  the  fame  of  Solomon,  she 
came  to  prove  Solomon  with  hard  questions  at  Jerusalem,  with  a  very  great 
company,  and  camels  that  bare  spices,  and  gold  in  abundance,  and  precious 
stones  :  and  when  she  was  come  to  Solomon,  she  communed  with  him  of  all 
that  was  in  her  heart.  '^ kndi  Solomon  told  her  all  her  questions:  and  there 
was  nothing  hid  from  Solomon  which  he  told  her  not. 

^And  when  the  queen  of  Sheba  had  seen  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,  and  the 
house  that  he  had  built,  ^  And  the  meat  of  his  table,  and  the  sitting  of  his 
servants,  and  the  attendance  of  his  ministers,  and  their  apparel ;  his  ||  cup- 


10.  two  hundred  and  fifty]  These  were  Israelites,  as  appears 
from  the  context.  Compare  above,  on  1  Kings  v.  16;  and 
ix.  23. 

11.  the  daughter  of  Fharaoh]  Who  is  supposed  by  the  sacred 
writer  to  be  known  to  the  reader  as  Solomon's  wife,  from  the 
previous  narrative  in  1  Kings  (ill.  1 ;  vii.  8) ;  and  the  author 
completes  the  statement  in  Kings  by  relating  the  reason  why 
Solomon  brought  his  wife  up  out  of  the  city  of  David.  See 
above,  on  1  Kings  ix.  24. 

13.  according  to  the  commandment  of  Moses']  The  appoint- 
ments above  mentioned  for  the  daily  sacrifices,  and  for  the 
Sabbaths,  new  moons,  and  the  three  great  festivals, — Passover, 
Pentecost,  and  Tabernacles, — ■"  according  to  the  commandment 
of  Moses,"  proceed  on  the  supposition  that  the  Pentateuch  is 
familiar  to  the  reader,  and  are  proofs  of  its  authenticity  and 
genuineness.     Cp.  HavernicTc,  Einleit.  ii.  259. 

14.  David  the  man  of  Q-od]  A  second  Moses.  See  Deut. 
xxxiii.  1.  Josh.  xiv.  6.  1  Chron.  xxiii.  14.  2  Chron.  xxx.  16. 
Ezra  iii.  2.  David  is  also  called  "the  man  of  God"  by 
Nehemiah  (xii.  24.  36). 

18.  Huram  sent — ships']  To  Ezion-geber  {v.  17).  How  did 
these  ships  come  from  Tyre  to  that  port  of  the  Red  Sea  ? 

CI)  Either  by  the  circumnavigation  of  Africa, — a  voyage 
242 


which  was  made  by  Phoenician  sailors  in  the  days  of  Pharaoh- 
necho  {Herod,  iv.  42) ;  whence  it  has  been  inferred  by  some 
{Huet,  Michaelis,  and  Heeren),  that  the  circumnavigation  of 
Africa  was  effected  in  the  days  of  Solomon.  See  Keil,  Chronik. 
pp.  301,  302. 

Or  (2),  as  is  more  likely,  by  a  land  transport  of  ships 
across  the  Isthmus  of  Suez.  That  such  transports  of  ships 
were  not  uncommon  in  ancient  times,  appears  from  Herod. 
vii.  24;  Thucyd.  iv.  8;  Polyoen.  Strateg.  v.  2.  6;  Arrian. 
Exped.  Alex.  v.  p.  329;  vii.  p.  485;  Diod.  Sic.  iv.  56;  Plut. 
Vit.  Anton,  p.  948.  See  Keil,  on  1  Kings  ix.  26—28,  p.  111. 
Cp.  above,  on  1  Kings  xxii.  48. 

—  Ophir]  See  1  Kings  ix.  26—28. 

—  four  hundred  and  fifty  talents']  In  the  parallel  place  of 
the  Kings  it  is  four  hundred  and  twenty  talents.  Perhaps  the 
writer  of  Chronicles  reckons  here  by  talents  of  less  value  than 
the  writer  of  Kings.  See  above,  on  1  Kings  ix.  28.  Or,  the 
former  may  be  speaking  of  the  share  which  remained  to  Solomon 
after  an  assignment  by  him  of  a  portion  to  Hiram  for  his 
services. 

Ch.  IX.]  For  notes  on  this  chapter,  see  the  notes  on  the 
parallel  passages  of  the  Kings,  as  specified  in  the  margin  here. 


The  Queen  of  Sheha. 


2  CHRONICLES  IX.  5—20.         The  ascent  to  the  Temple, 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

992. 

t  Heb.  word. 
II  Or,  sayiiigs 


bearers  also,  and  their  apparel ;  and  his  ascent  by  wliich  he  went  up  into  the 
house  of  the  Loed  ;  there  was  no  more  spirit  in  her.  ^  And  she  said  to  the 
king,  It  urns  a  true  f  report  which  I  heard  in  mine  own  land  of  thine  ||  acts, 
and  of  thy  wisdom :  ^  Howbeit  I  believed  not  their  words,  until  I  came,  and 
mine  eyes  had  seen  it:  and,  behold,  the  one  half  of  the  greatness  of  thy  wis- 
dom was  not  told  me  :  for  thou  exceedest  the  fame  that  I  heard.  ^  Happy  are 
thy  men,  and  happy  are  these  thy  servants,  which  stand  continually  before 
thee,  and  hear  thy  wisdom.  ^  Blessed  be  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  delighted 
in  thee  to  set  thee  on  his  throne,  to  he  king  for  the  Lord  thy  God :  because 
thy  God  loved  Israel,  to  establish  them  for  ever,  therefore  made  he  thee  king 
over  them,  to  do  judgment  and  justice.  ^And  she  gave  the  king  an  hun- 
dred and  twenty  talents  of  gold,  and  of  spices  great  abundance,  and  precious 
stones:  neither  was  there  any  such  spice  as  the  queen  of  Sheba  gave  king 
Solomon. 

^°And  the  servants  also  of  Huram,  and  the  servants  of  Solomon,  ''which  ""^h. s. is. 
brought  gold  from  Ophir,  brought  "^  algum  trees  and  precious  stones.     ^^  And  ^^^^ingsjo.  u, 
the  kin  Of  made  of  the  algum  trees  ||  f  terraces  to  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  to  n  or-  *'«*"■ 

<~>  ^  <->  M    I  ^  ^  ^  Heh.  highways 

the  king's  palace,  and  harps  and  psalteries  for  singers :  and  there  were  none 
such  seen  before  in  the  land  of  Judah.  ^^  And  king  Solomon  gave  to  the  queen 
of  Sheba  all  her  desire,  whatsoever  she  asked,  beside  that  which  she  had  brought 
unto  the  king.  So  she  turned,  and  went  away  to  her  own  land,  she  and  her 
seiwants. 

^^Now  the  weight  of  gold  that  came  to  Solomon  in  one  year  was  six  hundred 
and  threescore  and  six  talents  of  gold ;  '*  Beside  that  ivhich  chapmen  and  mer- 
chants brought.     And  all  the  kings  of  Arabia  and  ||  governors  of  the  country  ii  o>-  capiat,,,. 
brought  gold  and  silver  to  Solomon. 

^^  And  king  Solomon  made  two  hundred  targets  of  beaten  gold :  six  hundred 
shekels  of  beaten  gold  went  to  one  target.  ^^And  three  hundred  sliields  made 
he  of  beaten  gold  :  three  hundred  shekels  of  gold  went  to  one  shield.  And  the 
king  put  them  in  the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon. 

*''  Moreover  the  king  made  a  great  throne  of  ivory,  and  overlaid  it  with  pure 
gold.     ^^  And  there  ivere  six  steps  to  the  throne,  with  a  footstool  of  gold,  luhicli 
were  fastened  to  the  throne,  and  f  stays  on  each  side  of  the  sitting  place,  and  tHeb.Aa»«/s. 
two  lions  standing  by  the  stays :  ^^  And  twelve  lions  stood  there  on  the  one 
side  and  on  the  other  upon  the  six  steps.     There  was  not  the  like  made  in  any 


kingdom. 


2*^  And  all  the  drinking  vessels  of  king  Solomon  were  of  gold,  and  all 


4.  his  ascent  hy  toMcTi  Tie  went  up  into  the  house  of  the 
Loed]  The  ancient  Versions  (Sept.,  Vulg.,  Syriac),  and 
Josephus  (Antt.  viii.  6.  5),  render  this,  the  sacrifices  which  he 
ojfered  at  the  house  of  the  Lord;  and  so  Bertheau.  This 
variety  of  rendering  has  arisen  from  the  variety  of  meaning  of 
the  Hebrew  word  olah,  used  in  the  parallel  place  of  Kings 
(1  Kings  X.  5),  which  properly  means  a  going  up,  and  deriva- 
tively an  offering ;  from  the  verb  alah,  to  ascend  (see  Qesen. 
631).  The  original  word  here  used  is  aliyyah  (it  is  inad- 
vertently asserted  in  my  first  edition,  on  1  Kings  x.  5,  that 
olah  is  used  here).  The  word  aliyyah  is  found  in  Judg.  iii. 
20.  _  2  Sam.  xviii.  33.  1  Kings  xvii.  19.  2  Kings  i.  2, 
and  is  rendered  ascent,  in  Neh.  iii.  31 ;  and  the  rendering 
of  our  Authorized  Version,  in  the  present  passage,  is  doubt- 
less correct.  See  Qesen.  632;  and  Keil,  on  1  Kings  x.  5, 
p.  119. 

That  there  is  also  a  spiritual  significance  in  the  meaning 
of  the  word  olah,  used  for  ascent  in  the  parallel  place  of  the 
Kings,  has  been  already  suggested  to  the  reader  (in  the  note 
on  1  Kings  x.  5) ;  and  the  tenacity  with  which  the  ancient 
Versions,  even  here,  cling  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  olah  as 
243 


a  sacrifice,  and  ascribe  it  to  the  word  aliyyah,  which  is  used 
here,  is  very  remarkable. 

7.  Sappy  are  thy  men']  The  words  of  the  "woman  of  the 
company,"  in  Luke  xi.  28,  and  our  Blessed  Lord's  reply  to  her, 
and  His  declaration  of  the  blessedness  of  those  who  do  God's 
will  (Matt.  xii.  50),  on  the  occasion  of  His  Mother's  visit  to 
Him,  are  connected  in  the  Gospels  with  His  reference  to  this 
visit  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba  to  Solomon  (Matt.  xii.  42.  Luke 
xi.  31.) 

11.  terraces'\  Or  steps  {Gesen.  490). 

12.  beside  that  which  she  had  irought  unto  the  Jcing}  Beside 
an  equivalent  to  her  own  presents  to  him,  which  return  was  in 
accordance  with  his  own  royal  wealth  and  dignity  (see  on 
1  Kings  X.  13),  he  gave  her  what  she  asked. 

So  the  true  Solomon,  Jesus  Christ,  not  only  gives  back  to 
His  Church,  and  to  every  soul  in  it,  the  fruits  of  their  own 
actions  and  offerings,  but  graciously  hears  their  prayers. 

13.  six  hundred  and  threescore  and  six'\  A  remarkable 
number.     See  above,  on  1  Kings  x.  14. 

16.  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon']  The  palace  at  Jerusalem, 
made  of  cedar.     See  on  1  Kings  vii.  2. 


Solomon's  ships  to  Tarshish;        2  CHRONICLES  IX.  21 — 31.        his  horses  from  Egijpt. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
992. 
+  Heb.  shut  tip. 
II  Or,  there  was 
no  silver  in  them. 
II  Or,  elephants' 
teeth. 


d  1  Kings  4.  2G. 
&  10.  26. 
ch.  1.  14. 


e  1  Kings  4.  21. 

f  Gen.  15.  18. 

Ps.  72.  8. 

;|  That  is, 

Euphrates. 

g  1  Kings  10.  27. 

ch.  1.  15. 

+  Heb.  gave. 

h  I  Kings  10.  28. 

ch.  1.  16. 

i  I  Kings  11.  41. 

t  Heb.  worils. 
k  1  Kings  11.  29. 
1  ch.  12.  15.  & 
13.  22. 

m  I  Kings  II. 
42,  43. 

975. 


the  vessels  of  the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon  loere  of  f  pure  gold  :  ||  none 
loere  of  silver ;  it  was  not  any  thing  accounted  of  in  the  days  of  Solomon. 
2^  For  the  king's  ships  went  to  Tarshish  with  the  servants  of  Huram :  every 
three  years  once  came  the  ships  of  Tarshish  bringing  gold,  and  silver,  [|  ivory, 
and  apes,  and  peacocks. 

22  And  king  Solomon  passed  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  in  riches  and  wisdom. 
23  And  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  sought  the  presence  of  Solomon,  to  hear  his 
wisdom,  that  God  had  put  in  his  heart.  24  ^^  \^qj  brought  every  man  his 
present,  vessels  of  silver,  and  vessels  of  gold,  and  raiment,  harness,  and  spices, 
horses,  and  mules,  a  rate  year  by  year. 

2^  And  Solomon  ^  had  four  thousand  stalls  for  horses  and  chariots,  and  twelve 
thousand  horsemen ;  whom  he  bestowed  in  the  chariot  cities,  and  with  the  king 
at  Jerusalem. 

2^  ^  And  he  reigned  over  all  the  kings  *"from  the  ||  river  even  unto  the  land  of 
the  Philistines,  and  to  the  border  of  Egypt.  27  g^^  ^j^e  king  f  made  silver  in 
Jerusalem  as  stones,  and  cedar  trees  made  he  as  the  sycomore  trees  that  are  in 
the  low  plains  in  abundance.  28  u  ^^  ^^^^  brought  unto  Solomon  horses  out 
of  Egypt,  and  out  of  all  lands. 

29 '  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Solomon,  first  and  last,  are  they  not  written 
in  the  f  book  of  Nathan  the  prophet,  and  in  the  prophecy  of  ^  Ahijah  the  Shi- 
lonite,  and  in  the  visions  of '  Iddo  the  seer  against  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat  ? 
3^ '"  And  Solomon  reigned  in  Jerusalem  over  all  Israel  forty  years.  ^^  And 
Solomon  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  he  was  buried  in  the  city  of  David  his 
father  :  and  Rehoboam  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 


21.  went  to  Tarshish — peacocks'^  The  expositors,  who  assert 
that  Solomon  had  no  ships  which  went  to  Tarshish,  are  con- 
strained to  alter  the  text  here.  See  notes  above,  on  1  Kings 
X.  22.  The  ancient  Versions  {Sept.,  Vulg.,  Syriac,  and 
Arabic)  all  agree  here  in  representing  these  ships  as  going  to 
Tarshish,  and  as  bringing  these  articles yVow  Tarshish. 

It  may  indeed  be  said,  that  in  the  latter  part  of  this 
sentence,  the  words  rendered  "  the  ships  of  Tarshish,"  ought 
to  be, — without  the  article  the, — merely  "ships  of  Tarshish," 
and  that  they  mean  simply  large  ships,  such  as  were  used  in 
long  voyages,  as  our  phrase,  "an  East  Indiaman,"  might  be 
applied  to  describe  a  vessel  of  considerable  burden,  not  neces- 
sirily  trading  with  the  East  Indies.  But,  as  already  stated, 
it  seems  most  probable  that  ships  trading  to  Tarshish,  brought 
to  Solomon  the  objects  here  mentioned  from  Tarshish.  And 
since  Tarshish  was  a  great  emporium,  the  merchants  of  Tarshish 
might  have  derived  them  from  other  distant  lands. 

25.  four  thousand  stalls]  In  1  Kings  iv.  26,  we  hear  of 
40,000 :  see  the  note  there.  These  chariots  and  horses  of 
Solomon  may  remind  us  of  what  is  said  of  Cheist.  "The 
chariots  of  God  are  twenty  thousand,  even  thousands  of  Angels  " 
(Ps.  Ixviii.  17) ;  "  magnify  Him  that  rideth  on  the  heavens 
as  upon  an  horse  j  praise  Him  in  His  Name  Jah  (Ps.  Ixviii. 
4). 

28.  They  hrought  unto  Solomon  horses  out  of  Egypt,  and 
out  of  all  lands]  These  few  words,  which  close  the  history  of 
the  reigu  of  Solomon,  are  suggestive  of  the  sad  story,  which 
the  sacred  writer  passes  over  in  silence,  as  too  well  known  to 
the  reader  from  the  Book  of  Kings,  of  Solomon's  lamentable 
fall.  The  multiplying  "  of  horses  from  IJgypt,  and  all  lands," 
was  one  of  the  first  steps  in  his  downward  course,  and  was 
followed  by  the  multiplying  of  women  to  himself;  in  both 
which  things  he  disobeyed  God,  and  entailed  upon  himself  the 
forfeiture  of  divine  grace;  and,  thus  being  deprived  of  God's 
guidance,  and  being  left  to  himself,  the  wisest  of  men  fell  a 
victim  to  the  wiles  of  Satan ;  and  the  builder  of  the  Temple  of 
Jehovah  gave  encourngement  to  the  vilest  forms  of  idolatry. 
See  Prelim.  Note  to  1  Kings  xi.,  and  that  chapter  throughout. 
Whether  Solomon  repented  of  his  sins,  is  left  uncertain  ])y 
Holy  Scripture.  The  Book  of  Chronicles,  which  was  written  after 
the  captivity  at  Babylon,  says  nothing  of  his  repentance,  or  of 
Ills  sin;  and  it  marks  in  a  striking  manner  the  difference 
244 


between  Solomon  and  David.  It  says,  that  "  David  died  in  a 
good  old  age,  fiiU  of  days,  riches,  and  honour"  (1  Chron. 
xxix.  28) ;  and  it  calls  him  "a  man  of  God"  (2  Chron.  viii.  14)  : 
but  it  applies  no  such  language  to  Solomon.  The  Book  of 
Kings  describes  Solomon's  sin,  but  says  nothing  of  his  repen- 
tance.    Cp.  on  1  Kings  xi.  43 ;  and  Introd.  to  Ecclesiastes. 

Solomon's  sin  is  mentioned  in  the  Kings,  aud  not  in  the 
Chronicles.  Asa's  sin  is  mentioned  in  the  Chronicles  (2  Chron. 
xvi.  12),  but  not  in  the  Kings  (see  1  Kings  xv.  23).  Thus 
each  writer  shows  his  impartiality  on  the  one  side,  and  his 
charity  on  the  other ;  and  he  teaches  the  duty  of  speaking  the 
truth  in  love.  He  does  not  reveal  sins,  because  he  has  any 
pleasure  in  doing  so  :  he  had  rather  cast  a  veil  over  them ;  but 
he  has  a  duty  to  perform,  namely,  to  make  vice  itself  to  be 
ministerial  to  virtue,  and  to  the  promotion  of  God's  glory. 

The  Book  of  Samuel  narrates  the  sin  of  David,  but  does 
not  describe  his  repentance.  We  are  left  to  gather  that  from 
the  Penitential  Psalms.  See  Prelim.  Note  to  2  Sam.  xi.  Here, 
therefore,  we  may  recognize  the  honesty  and  courage  of  the 
sacred  writers.  They  do  not  flatter  kings, — even  the  greatest, 
of  the  favoured  people  of  God.     This  is  an  evidence  of  truth. 

The  fact,  that  we  do  not  find  every  thing  concerning  the 
same  person  in  one  and  the  same  book  of  Holy  Scripture,  but 
are  left  to  gather  the  necessary  particulars  from  several  books 
of  Holy  Scripture,  is  doubtless  designed  to  try  and  exercise 
our  industry  in  "  searching  the  Scriptures,"  and  in  "  compa.ring 
spiritual  things  with  spiritual." 

The  moral  and  spiritual  warning  which  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  Author  of  Scripture,  sets  before  us  in  these  histories  is 
twofold.  A  Solomon  fell:  let  us  not  therefore  presume.  A 
David  fell,  and,  he  rose  again ;  therefore  let  us  not  despair. 

29.  acts']  Heb.  dibrei.  See  above,  Introd.  to  1  Samuel, 
p.  XV ;  and  above,  on  1  Chron.  xxix.  29. 

—  Nathan  the  prophet — prophecy  of  Ahijah  the  Shilonite 
— visions  of  Iddo  the  see}  ]  See  above,  on  1  Chron.  xxix.  29 ; 
and  Introduction  to  Kings  and  Chronicles. 

—  against  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat  ?]  Here  is  evidence 
that  God  mercifully  gave  to  Jeroboam  other  prophetical  warn- 
ings, besides  that  from  the  man  of  God,  which  we  read  in  Kings 
(1  Kings  xiii.),  and  from  j^  hi  jah  of  Shiloh,  of  Jeroboam's  own 
tribe  (1  Kings  xi.  29—39). 


Eehohoam. 


2  CHKONICLES  X.  1—19. 


Revolt  of  Israel. 


X.  ^  And  "  Kehoboam  went  to  Shechem  :  for  to  Shechem  were  all  Israel  come     chrTst 
to  make  him  king.  ^s""' 

2  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who  was  in  Egypt,  &-c.^"'°'  '^' '' 
''  whither  he  had  fled  from  the  presence  of  Solomon  the  king,  heard  it,  that  Jero-  b  i  Kings  n.  w 
boam  returned  out  of  Egypt.  ^  And  they  sent  and  called  him.  So  Jeroboam 
and  all  Israel  came  and  spake  to  Rehoboam,  saying,  ^  Thy  father  made  our 
yoke  grievous  :  now  therefore  ease  thou  somewhat  the  grievous  servitude  of 
thy  father,  and  his  heavy  yoke  that  he  put  upon  us,  and  we  will  seiwe  thee. 
^And  he  said  unto  them,  Come  again  unto  me  after  three  days.  And  the 
people  departed. 

^  And  king  Rehoboam  took  counsel  with  the  old  men  that  had  stood  before 
Solomon  his  father  while  he  yet  lived,  saying,  What  counsel  give  ye  me  to 
return  answer  to  this  people  ?  ^  And  they  spake  unto  him,  saying.  If  thou  be 
kind  to  this  people,  and  please  them,  and  speak  good  words  to  them,  they  will 
be  thy  servants  for  ever.  ^  But  he  forsook  the  counsel  which  the  old  men  gave 
him,  and  took  counsel  with  the  young  men  that  were  brought  up  with  him,  that 
stood  before  him.  ^  And  he  said  unto  them,  What  advice  give  ye  that  we  may 
return  answer  to  this  people,  which  have  spoken  to  me,  saying.  Ease  somewhat 
the  yoke  that  thy  father  did  put  upon  us  ?  ^^And  the  young  men  that  were 
brought  up  with  him  spake  unto  him,  saying.  Thus  shalt  thou  answer  the 
people  that  spake  unto  thee,  saying.  Thy  father  made  our  yoke  heavy,  but 
make  thou  it  somewhat  lighter  for  us ;  thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  them,  My 
little  finger  shall  be  thicker  than  my  father's  loins.  '^For  whereas  my  father 
f  put  a  heavy  yoke  upon  you,  I  will  put  more  to  your  yoke  :  my  father  chas-  iHeb.iadeu 
tised  you  with  whips,  but  I  will  cJiastise  you  with  scorpions. 

^^  So  Jeroboam  and  all  the  people  came  to  Eehohoam  on  the  third  day,  as 
the  king  bade,  saying.  Come  again  to  me  on  the  third  day.  ^^  And  the  king 
answered  them  roughly ;  and  king  Rehoboam  forsook  the  counsel  of  the  old 
men,  ^^And  answered  them  after  the  advice  of  the  young  men,  saying,  My 
father  made  your  yoke  heavy,  but  I  will  add  thereto  :  my  father  chastised  you 
with  whips,  but  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpions. 

-  */  x  ^  J  Sam   2   25 

^^  So  the  king  hearkened  not  unto  the  people:  ''for  the  cause  was  of  God,  i  Kings  12.  is, 
that  the  Lord  might  perform  his  word,  which  he  spake  by  the  ''hand  of  Ahijah  ^  i  ^'"s^  I'-^a- 
the  Shilonite  to  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat.  ^^And  when  all  Israel  saiv  that 
the  king  would  not  hearken  unto  them,  the  people  answered  the  king,  saying, 
What  portion  have  we  in  David  ?  and  we  have  none  inheritance  in  the  son  of 
Jesse  :  every  man  to  your  tents,  0  Israel :  and  now,  David,  see  to  thine  own 
house.  So  all  Israel  went  to  their  tents.  ^^But  as  for  the  children  of  Israel 
that  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  Judah,  Rehoboam  reigned  over  them. 

^^  Then  king  Rehoboam  sent  Hadoram  that  ivas  over  the  tribute ;  and  the 
children  of  Israel  stoned  him  with  stones,  that  he  died.     But  king  Rehoboam 
f  made  speed  to  get  him  up  to  his  chariot,  to  flee  to  Jerusalem.     '^ "  And  Israel  l,!^d%mJi/!"" 
rebelled  against  the  house  of  David  unto  this  day.  ^ '  ^'"^'  '^'  '^ 


Ch.  X.  1.  Rehoboam  went  to  bhechem]  See  1  Kings  xii. 
throughout. 

2.  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat]  Whose  history  is  supposed 
hy  the  sacred  writer  to  be  known  to  the  reader  from  1  Kings  xi. 
26 — 40.  This  is  one  of  the  numerous  instances  in  which  the 
Books  of  Chronicles  fit  into  the  Books  of  Kings,  and  cor- 
roborate their  authority;  as  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  fits  into 
245 


the  other  Gospels,  and  confirms  their  truth.  See  beloiv,  Introd 
to  St.  John,  p.  268. 

15.  his  word,  which  he  spaJce  by  —  Ahijah  the  Shilonite'] 
Which  the  reader  is  presumed  to  be  acquainted  with,  from  the 
narrative  in  1  Kings  xi.  29  —  39. 

19.  unto  this  day]  The  phrase  is  taken  from  1  Kings  xii.  19. 
Cp.  above,  v.  9). 


Eeliohoams  acts. 


2  CHRONICLES  XI.  1—17. 


Jeroboam. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

975. 

a  1  Kiugs  12.  21, 

&c. 

bch.  12.  15. 


974. 

+  Heb.  presented 

themselves  to 

him. 

c  Num.  35.  2. 

d  ch.  13.  9. 


e  1  Kings  12.  31. 
&  13.33.  &  14.  9. 
Ho.s.  13.  2. 
f  Lev.  17.  7. 
1  Cor.  10.  20. 
g  1  Kings  12.  28. 
h  See  ch.  15.  9. 
&30.  11,  18. 

ich.  12.  1. 


XI.  '  And  ^  when  Relioboam  was  come  to  Jerusalem,  lie  gathered  of  the 
house  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  an  hundred  and  fourscore  thousand  chosen  men, 
which  were  warriors,  to  fight  against  Israel,  that  he  might  bring  the  kingdom 
again  to  Rehoboam.  ^  j^^t  tlie  word  of  the  Lord  came  ^  to  Shemaiah  the  man 
of  God,  saying,  ^  Speak  unto  Rehoboam  the  son  of  Solomon,  king  of  Judah, 
and  to  all  Israel  in  Judah  and  Benjamin,  saying,  ^  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Ye 
shall  not  go  up,  nor  fight  against  your  brethren :  return  every  man  to  his  house : 
for  this  thing  is  done  of  me.  And  they  obeyed  the  words  of  the  Lord,  and 
returned  from  going  against  Jeroboam. 

^  And  Rehoboam  dwelt  in  Jerusalem,  and  built  cities  for  defence  in  Judah. 
^  He  built  even  Beth-lehem,  and  Etam,  and  Tekoa,  ^  And  Beth-zur,  and  Shoco, 
and  Adullam,  ^  And  Gath,  and  Mareshah,  and  Ziph,  ^  And  Adoraim,  and 
Lachish,  and  Azekah,  ^^  And  Zorah,  and  Aijalon,  and  Hebron,  which  are  in 
Judah  and  in  Benjamin  fenced  cities.  ^^  And  he  fortified  the  strong  holds,  and 
put  captains  in  them,  and  store  of  victual,  and  of  oil  and  wine.  ^-  And  in  every 
several  city  he  put  shields  and  spears,  and  made  them  exceeding  strong,  having 
Judah  and  Benjamin  on  his  side.  ^-^And  the  priests  and  the  Levites  that  ivere 
in  all  Israel  f  resorted  to  him  out  of  all  their  coasts.  ^^  For  the  Levites  left 
•^  their  suburbs  and  their  possession,  and  came  to  Judah  and  Jerusalem  :  for 
''  Jeroboam  and  his  sons  had  cast  them  off  from  executing  the  priest's  office 
unto  the  Lord  :  ^^  ^  And  he  ordained  him  priests  for  the  high  places,  and  for 
^  the  devils,  and  for  ^  the  calves  which  he  had  made.  ^^ ''  And  after  them  out  of 
all  the  tribes  of  Israel  such  as  set  their  hearts  to  seek  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
came  to  Jerusalem,  to  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers.  ^'^  So  they 
'  strengthened  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  and  made  Rehoboam  the  son  of  Solo- 


2.  Shemaiah]  See  xii.  5.     1  Kings  xii.  22. 

5 — 12.]  The  particulars  specified  here  are  not  in  the  parallel 
place  in  the  Kings,  but  are  added  by  the  author  of  Chronicles. 

The  fifteen  cities,  here  mentioned,  were  on  the  south  and 
west  of  Jerusalem,— a  circumstance  which  shows  (as  Eivald 
and  Sertheau  observe)  that  Rehoboam  feared  an  attack  from 
JEgypt,  with  which  Jeroboam  was  connected ;  and  this  is  in 
accordance  \vith  what  is  related  in  1  Kings  xiv.  25,  and  below, 
xii.  2 — 4,  concerning  Shishak's  invasion  of  Judah.  See  on 
1  Kings  xiv.  25. 

6.  Beth-lehem]  About  five  miles  south  of  Jerusalem. 

—  JEtarn]  Now  Urtas,  about  two  miles  south  of  Bethlehem. 
See  1  Chron.  iv.  3. 

—  Tekoa']  Now  Tehua,  about  five  miles  south  of  Etam. 

7.  Beth-zur]  Now  Beetsur,  about  six  miles  s.w.  of  Tekoa. 

—  Shoco]  Now  ShuweiJceh,  about  seventeen  miles  s.w.  of 
Jerusalem. 

—  Adtillam]  Probably  at  Deir  Dtihhan,  about  four  miles 
west  of  Shoco. 

8.  Gath]  Wliich  David  had  won  from  Philistia.  See  1  Chron. 
xviii.  1.     Cp.  1  Kings  ii.  39. 

—  Mareshah]  A  little  south  of  Gath,  now  Maresa,  about 
twenty -three  miles  s.w.  of  Jerusalem. 

—  Ziph]  Now  Tell  Zif,  about  three  miles  south  of  Hebron. 

9.  Adoraim]  Now  Dura,  s.w.  of  Hebron. 

—  Lachish]  To  the  extreme  s.w.  of  this  group  of  cities, 
about  thirty  miles  s.w.  of  Jerusalem,  now  TIm-lakis. 

10.  Zorah]  Now  Surah.     See  Josh.  xv.  33 ;  xix.  41. 

—  Aijalon]  Now  Yalo.     See  Josh.  x.  12. 

—  which  ^XQ— fenced  cities]  Rather,  to  he  fenced  cities; 
that  is,  he  built  them,  that  they  might  be  fortresses.  These 
were  afterwards  taken  by  Shishak,  on  account  of  the  sins  of 
the  king  and  the  people  (xii.  2 — 5). 

12.  Judah  and  Benjamin]  And  the  Levites  {vv.  13,  14) ; 
and  probably  many  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  which  was  inter- 
mingled with  Judah. 

13,  14.  the  priests  and  the  Levites]  Left  their  cities  in 
Israel,  and  resorted  to  Judah  aud  Jerusalem  :  which  accounts 

246 


for  the  institution  of  the  schismatical  and  idolatrous  priesthood 
of  Jeroboam.     See  1  Kings  xii.  31. 

Here  was  a  noble  example  of  self-sacrifice  for  the  truth's 
sake  on  the  part  of  these  Priests  and  Lcvites :  "  They  loved 
their  work  better  than  their  maintenance."  "  Poverty,  in  the 
way  of  duty,  is  to  be  preferred  to  pleasure  in  the  way  of  sin ; 
and  that  is  best  for  us,  which  is  best  for  our  souls  "  {M.  Henry). 
They  loved  to  be  where  God's  altar  was ;  and  their  example 
was  followed  by  many  good  men,  and  was  blessed  by  God  in 
the  long  continuance  of  the  Church  and  Monarchy  in  Judah, 
and  in  the  raising  up  of  godly  kings  in  Judah,  such  as  Asa, 
Jehoshaphat,  Hezekiah,  aud  Josiah  j  and  in  the  restoration  of 
the  Temple  after  the  Babylonish  Captivity.  We  hear  of  uo 
such  mercies  to  the  schismatical  and  idolatrous  kingdom  of 
Jeroboam  and  Israel. 

May  we  not  say  that  their  good  example  continued  to 
exercise  a  powerful  influence  in  after  ages,  and  quickened  the 
piety  and  loyalty  of  such  holy  Confessors  as  were  produced  in 
our  own  land  in  the  seventeenth  century,  vhose  sufterings  led 
to  the  Restoration  of  the  English  Church  and  Monarchy. 

14.  his  sons]  Supposed  by  some  to  mean  his  successors  in  the 
kingdom  {Bertheau) ;  but  this  is  hardly  probable.  Two  sons 
of  Jeroboam,  Abijah  and  Nadab,  are  mentioned  in  1  Kings 
xiv.  1.  20. 

—  had  cast  them  off]  Had  restrained  and  rejected  them  from 
executing  their  sacred  ministry  at  Jerusalem.  See  Gesen.  249. 
The  tide  of  emigration  of  the  better  classes  from  Israel  into 
Judah,  in  consequence  of  Jeroboam's  policy,  to  the  great  de- 
triment of  Israel,  and  to  the  strengthening  of  Judah  {vv.  16, 
17),  and  the  attempts  made  by  the  Kings  of  Israel  to  check 
it,  have  been  noticed  above,  on  1  Kings  xv.  17. 

15.  for  the  devils]  Heb.  seirim ;  properly,  goats,  shaggy 
animals.  See  Lev.  xvii.  7.  The  Sept.  renders  it  vain  idols ; 
the  Vulg.  renders  it  demons.  In  this  stern  langtiage  of 
Holy  Scripture,  we  see  a  warning  against  schism  and  idolatry, 
and  a  refutation  of  those  who  have  endeavoured  to  offer  an 
apology  for  the  worship  set  up  by  Jeroboam.  See  above,  on 
1  Kings  xii.  32. 


I 


Eehohoam's  sins.  2  CHRONICLES  XI.  18—23.   XII.  1—7.  Shishah,  King  of  Egypt. 


Before 

CHRIST 

974. 


mon  strong,  three  years :  for  three  years  they  walked  in  the  way  of  David  and 
Solomon. 

^^  And  Rehoboam  took  him  Mahalath  the  daughter  of  Jerimoth  the  son  of 
David  to  wife,  and  Abihal  the  daughter  of  Eliab  the  son  of  Jesse  ;  ^^  Which 
bare  him  children  ;  Jeush,  and  Shamariah,  and  Zaham.     ^^  And  after  her  he 
took  "  Maachah  the  daughter  of  Absalom;  which  bare  him  Abijah,  and  Attai,  shet'caiied' ^" 
and  Ziza,  and  Shelomith.     ^i  And  Rehoboam  loved  Maachah  the  daughter  of  Shier  of  ^ 
Absalom  above  all  his  wives  and  his  concubines  :   (for  he  took  eighteen  wives, 
and  threescore  concubines  ;   and  begat  twenty  and  eight  sons,  and  threescore 
daughters.)     ^-And  Rehoboam  'made  Abijah  the  son  of  Maachah  the  chief,  to  Is^^gj^^"'- ^'• 
he  ruler  among  his  brethren  :  for  he  thought  to  make  him  king.     -^  And  he  dealt 
Avisely,  and  dispersed  of  all  his  children  throughout  all  the  countries  of  Judah 
and  Benjamin,  unto  every  fenced  city:  and  he  gave  them  victual  in  abundance. 
And  he  desired  fmany  wives.  uieb  a  muiti- 

I  ^  iuae  of  wives. 

XII.  ^  And  ^it  came  to  pass,  when  Rehoboam  had  established  the  kingdom,  ^^^  ^^^2.^ 
and  had  strengthened  himself,  ''he  forsook  the  law  of  the  Lord,  and  all  Israel  23' 2^'"^' '*■  ^^' 
with  him. 

2 ''  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  in  the  fifth  year  of  king  Rehoboam  Shishak  king  ^j'  Kings  u.  24, 
of  Egypt  came  up  against  Jerusalem,  because  they  had  transgressed  against         ^''• 
the  Lord,  ^With  twelve  hundred  chariots,  and  threescore  thousand  horsemen  : 
and  the  people  loere  without  number  that  came  with  him  out  of  Egypt ;  ^  the  ^  ch.  le.  s. 
Lubims,  the  Sukkiims,  and  the  Ethiopians.     *And  he  took  the  fenced  cities 
which  pertained  to  Judah,  and  came  to  Jerusalem.     ^Then  came  ^  Shemaiah  ^ch.  11.2. 
the  prophet  to  Rehoboam,  and  to  the  princes  of  Judah,  that  were  gathered 
together  to  Jerusalem  because  of  Shishak,  and  said  unto  them,  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  ^Ye  have  forsaken  me,  and  therefore  have  I  also  left  you  in  the  hand  fch.  15. 2. 
of  Shishak.     ^  Whereupon  the  princes  of  Israel  and  the  king  ^  humbled  them-  g  James  4. 10. 
selves;  and  they  said,  ''the  Lord  is  righteous.     ''And  when  the  Lord  saw  that  hExod.9. 2r. 
they  humbled  themselves,  '  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Shemaiah,  saying,  i  •  Kings  21. 28, 
They  have  humbled  themselves ;  therefore  I  will  not  destroy  them,  but  I  will 


17.  three  t/ears]  After  the  end  of  which  began  the  390  years 
specified  by  Ezekiel  (iv.  5). 

18.  Jerimoth]  Not  mentioned  among  the  sons  of  David 
(1  Chron.  iii.  1 — 8).  Perhaps  he  was  a  son  of  one  of  his 
concubines  mentioned  there  (v.  9). 

—  Eliab]  The  eldest  son  of  Jesse  (1  Chron.  ii.  13).  Pro- 
bably Abihail  was  his  granddaughter. 

20.  Maacah]  See  1  Kings  xv.  2.  She  is  called  Michaiah 
in  xiii.  2,  where  see  the  note.  She  was  the  daughter,  or  rather 
the  granddaughter  (see  2  Sam.  xiv.  27),  of  Absalom,  by  Tamar, 
his  only  daughter,  who  alone  of  Absalom's  children  survived  her 
father  {Josephus,  Antt.  viii.  10.  1.  Cp.  2  Sam.  xviii.  18;  and 
below,  on  xiii.  2). 

—  Abijah']  Or  Abijam,  as  he  is  called  in  1  Kings  xiv.  31. 
23.  he  dealt  wisely]  In  dispersing  his  children  so  that  they 

might  not  combine  against  himself  and  his  son  Abijah,  whom  he 
desired  to  set  over  them  as  king ;  and  he  conciliated  them  by 
giving  them  chiefdoms  and  wealth ;  and  by  planting  his  sons  in 
the  fenced  cities  he  kept  those  cities  loyal  to  himself.  Compare 
what  is  said  below  concerning  Jehoshaphat  and  his  children. 
This  policy  may  have  been  borrowed  from  Eastern  sovereigns, 
who  appointed  their  children  to  be  satraps,  and  sometimes  to  be 
co-regents  with  themselves  :  see  on  2  Kings  xvii.  13. 

—  he  desired  many  wives]  This  is  mentioned  as  an  intro- 
duction to  what  follows  (xii.  1).  Rehoboam's  polygamy,  like 
Solomon's,  brought  misery  on  himself  and  to  his  kingdom. 

Ch.  xii.  1.  when — he  had  strengthened  himself]  See  xi.  5  — 
12.   When  he  thought  himself  safe,  he  presumed  on  his  strength, 
and  forgat  God.     Perhaps  he  was  also  tempted  to  do  so  by  the 
247 


queen  mother,  "  Naamah  the  Ammonitess,"  whose  name  is  men- 
tioned emphatically  in  1  Kings  xiv.  21.  31,  at  the  beginning 
and  close  of  the  summary  of  his  reign  :  cp.  vv.  13,  14. 

■ —  he  forsook  the  laio  of  the  Lord,  and  all  Israel  with  him] 
The  Sacred  Writer  supposes  his  readers  to  be  acquainted  with 
the  sad  and  shameful  details  which  are  given  of  this  apostasy  in 
1  Kings  xiv.  22 — 24;  and,  though  he  casts  a  veil  over  them, 
yet  he  relates  the  divine  chastisement  inflicted  on  account  of 
them  (yv.  2 — 5).  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  some  recent  critics 
(such  as  De  Wette,  and  Gramherg)  should  allege  that  the 
Writer  of  the  Chronicles  studiously  conceals  the  failings  of  the 
Kings  of  Judah,  in  order  to  repi'eseut  the  state  of  religion  in 
the  Kingdom  of  Judah  in  the  most  favourable  colours,  and  that 
they  should  cite  this  passage  as  an  example  of  snch  partiality. 

2.  Shishak  king  of  Egyj>t]  An  ally  of  Jeroboam.  See  ou 
1  Kings  xiv.  25. 

3.  Ltibims]  Libyans  (see  Gen.  x.  13 ;  below,  xvi.  8.  Dan. 
xi.  43),  the  inhabitants  of  Mareotis  and  Libya,  on  the  west  of 
the  Cauopian  mouth  of  the  Nile  (Knobel ;  Bertheau). 

—  Sukkiims]  Called  Troglodytce,  or  dwellers  in  caves,  by 
Sept.  and  Vulg.  Gesenius  (p.  586)  supposes  the  name  to  mean, 
"dwellers  in  tents,"  scenitiE.  They  are  supposed  by  some  to 
have  dwelt  on  the  western  coast  of  the  Arabian  Gulf  (  Winer ; 
Bertheau). 

—  Ethiopians]  Heb.  Cushim,  south  of  Egypt. 

5.  Shemaiah  the  prophet]  See  xi.  2. 

6.  princes  of  Israel]  Called  princes  of  Judah,  v.  5.  The 
sacred  historian  speaks  of  Judah  as  Israel,  because  it  had  the 
Temple,  and  the  legitimate  sovereignty  of  the  house  of  David ; 
especially  are  they  so  called,  when  confessing  their  sins,  and 
performing  acts  of  national  repentance  :  cp.  Ezra  iii.  1. 


Jerusalem  plundered.    2  CHRONICLES  XII.  8—16.     XIII.  1,  2. 


Michaiah. 


Before 
CHRIST 
971. 
II  Or,  a  Utile 
while, 

k  See  Isa.  26.  13. 
1  Deut.  28.  47,  48. 
in  1  Kings  14. 
25,  26. 


n  1  Kings  10.  16, 

17. 

ch.  9.  15,  16. 

0  2  Sam.  8.  18. 


II  Or,  and  yet  in 
Judah  there  were 
good  tilings : 
See  Gen.  18.  24. 
&1  Kings  14.  13. 
ch.  19.  3. 

p  1  Kings  14.  21. 
q  ch.  3.  6. 


Or,  fij:ed. 


t  Heh.  words. 
rch.  9.  29.  & 
13.  22. 
s  1  Kings  14  30. 


t  1  Kings  14.  31, 
ibijam. 

958. 
a  1  Kings  15.  1, 
&c. 

b  Seech.  11.  20. 
957. 


grant  them  H  some  deliverance  ;  and  my  wrath  shall  not  be  poured  out  upon 
Jerusalem  by  the  hand  of  Shishak.  ^  Nevertheless  ''they  shall  be  his  servants; 
that  they  may  know  '  my  service,  and  the  service  of  the  kingdoms  of  the  coun- 
tries. ^ '"  So  Shishak  king  of  Egypt  came  up  against  Jerusalem,  and  took  away 
the  treasures  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  treasures  of  the  Idng's  house  ; 
he  took  all :  he  carried  away  also  the  shields  of  gold  which  Solomon  had 
"  made.  ^^  Instead  of  which  king  Rehoboam  made  shields  of  brass,  and  com- 
mitted them  "to  the  hands  of  the  chief  of  the  guard,  that  kept  the  entrance  of 
the  king's  house.  ^^  And  when  the  king  entered  into  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
the  guard  came  and  fetched  them,  and  brought  them  again  into  the  guard 
chamber.  ^"^And  when  he  humbled  himself,  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  turned 
from  him,  that  he  would  not  destroy  hwi  altogether :  ||  and  also  in  Judah  things 
went  well. 

1^  So  king  Rehoboam  strengthened  himself  in  Jerusalem,  and  reigned :  for 
p  Rehoboam  was  one  and  forty  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned 
seventeen  years  in  Jerusalem,  "^  the  city  which  the  Lord  had  chosen  out  of  all 
the  tribes  of  Israel,  to  put  his  name  there.  And  his  mother's  name  was 
Naamah  an  Ammonitess.  I'^And  he  did  evil,  because  he  ||  prepared  not  his 
heart  to  seek  the  Lord. 

^^  Now  the  acts  of  Rehoboam,  first  and  last,  are  they  not  written  in  the 
f  book  of  Shemaiah  the  prophet,  '  and  of  Iddo  the  seer  concerning  genealogies  ? 
'And  there  ivere  wars  between  Rehoboam  and  Jeroboam  continually.  ^^And 
Rehoboam  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  in  the  city  of  David :  and 
'  Abijah  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XIII.  ^Now  ""in  the  eighteenth  year  of  king  Jeroboam  began  Abijah  to  reign 
over  Judah.  ^  He  reigned  three  years  in  Jerusalem.  His  mother's  name  also 
ivas  ^  Michaiah  the  daughter  of  Uriel  of  Gibeah.  And  there  was  war  between 
Abijah  and  Jeroboam. 


7,  8.  my  lorath  shall  not  le  poured  out — Nevertheless']  By 
this  prophetic  declaration  God  vindicates  His  own  power  and 
justice,  and  shows  that  Judah's  sufferings  were  due  to  her  sins. 

—  that  they  may  know  my  service']  That  they  may  know 
that  the  service  of  God  is  perfect  freedom,  and  that  they,  who 
will  not  serve  Him  freely,  will  be  made  to  feel  the  thraldom  of 
foreign  tyranny;  and  that  they  may  know  how  bitter  is  the 
difference  between  the  one  and  the  other.  If  they  will  not  be 
God's  servants,  they  will  be  men's  slaves. 

10.  the  guard]  Literally,  the  runners. 

12.  things  went  lueJl]  Literally,  there  were  good  words  (Heb. 
deharim).  Not  only  did  the  king  humble  himself,  but  in  Judah 
also  were  found  good  things ;  signs  of  national  repentance  and 
amendment :  cp.  xix.  3. 

13.  the  city  ivhich  the  Loed  had  chosen]  Here,  therefore,  is 
a  protest  from  the  Sacred  Writer  against  the  policy  of  Jeroboam, 
as  described  in  Kings  (1  Kings  xii.  25 — 33.     Above,  xi.  15). 

—  an  Ammonitess]  Rather,  the  Ammonitess ;  she  who,  it  is 
probable,  showed  herself  an  Ammonitess  by  her  evil  influence  on 
her  son:  cp.  1  Kings  xiv.  21.  31. 

14.  he  did  evil]  By  encouraging  idolatry  and  other  sins  in 
Judah,  as  described  in  1  Kings  xiv.  22 — 24;  and,  though  he 
humbled  himself  for  a  time,  yet  he  did  not  set  his  heart  firmly 
to  seek  the  Lord. 

On  the  allegation  of  some  recent  critics,  that  the  Sacred 
Writer  of  Chronicles  extenuates  the  sin  of  Rehoboam,  see  Keil, 
Versuch  ii.  d.  Chronik.  p.  381. 

15.  book  of  Shemaiah  the  prophet]  On  these  and  other 
similar  documents,  see  on  1  Chron.  xxix.  29;  Movers,  Chronik. 
pp.  176 — 179;  Archdn.  Lee,  Inspiration,  p.  467—470. 

—  concerning  genealogies  1]  Literally,  in  genealogizing.  A 
proof  of  the  care  which  the  prophets  took  in  keeping  up  the 
records  of  the  house  of  David  (see  Targum  here) ;  probably  with 
a  view  to  the  supply  of  materials  for  proving  the  descent  of  the 

248 


Messiah  from  him.  Though  these  records  are  not  extant  in  their 
original  form,  yet  we  have  the  benefit  of  them  in  our  Lord's 
genealogy,  as  set  down  in  the  first  Chapter  of  the  Gospel 
of  St.  Matthew. 

—  there  were  wars  between  Rehoboam]  See  1  Kings  xiv.  30. 

Ch.  XIII.  2.  Michaiah]  Called  Maachah  xi.  20  :  cp.  note  on 
1  Kings  XV.  2,  where,  hovvcver,  one  MS.  of  Kennicott  reads 
Micaiah.  Some  suppose  her  to  have  assumed  the  name  Michaiah 
as  a  more  dignified  one  (signifying  Who  is  as  Jehovah  ?)  when 
she  became  Queen  Mother,  in  which  character  she  is  mentioned 
here  (so  the  Targum  and  Caspari).  The  Rabbis  also  (Kimchi 
and  Jarchi)  say  that  she  had  two  names.  On  the  frequent 
variations  of  Hebrew  names,  see  Seng stenb erg,  Auth.  ii.  272; 
Mosenmiiller,  Morgenl.  i.  63.  The  Sept.,  Syriac,  and  Arabic 
have  Maacah  here,  not  Michaiah  (which  is  found  in  Vulg.) ; 
and  that  reading  is  preferred  by  Keil  (in  Kings,  p.  162) ;  and 
Burrington,  p.  222 ;  and  Bertheau,  in  B.  D.  i.  162. 

It  may  be  thought  strange,  that  a  name,  with  such  a 
religious  meaning  as  Michaiah,  should  have  been  borne  by  a 
person  who  was  addicted  to  idolatry  (see  below,  xv.  16) ;  but 
may  it  not  be  conjectured  that  her  real  name  was  Michaiah, 
and  that  it  was  changed  into  Maachah  (which  signifies  op- 
pression. Gesen.  494)  when,  having  attempted  to  introduce 
idolatry  into  Judah,  she  was  deposed  from  her  station  as  Queen 
Mother  by  her  grandson  Asa. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  she,  who  is  here  called  Michaiah  by 
the  Sacred  Writer,  when  he  speaks  of  her  as  Queen  Mother,  is 
called  by  him  Maachah  (xv.  16)  when  he  speaks  of  her  idolatry; 
—  Uriel  of  Gibeah]  The  husband  of  Tamar,  daughter  of 
Absalom,  and  mother  of  Maachah  or  Michaiah.  Cp.  Josephus, 
Antt.  viii.  10.  1,  who  says  that  Abijah's  mother  was  daughter  of 
Tamar,  daughter  of  Absalom.  See  above,  xi.  20;  and  1  Kings 
XV.  2;  and  Burrington,  i.  224. 


Ahijah,  King  of  Judah ;  2  CHRONICLES  XIII.  3—9. 


Ms  ivar  with  Jeroboam. 


Before 

CHRIST 

957. 


^And  Abijah  +  set  the  battle  in  array  with  an  army  of  valiant  men  of  war 
even  four  hundred  thousand  chosen  men  :  Jeroboam  also  set  the  battle  in  array  meh.llund 
against  him  with  eight  hundred  thousand  chosen  men,  being  mighty  men  of  '''^'""■' 
valour. 

^And  Abijah  stood  up  upon  mount  '^Zemaraim,  which  is  in  mount  Ephraim,  <=  Josh.  is.  22. 
and  said,  Hear  me,  thou  Jeroboam,  and  all  Israel ;  ^  Ought  ye  not  to  know 
that  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  ''gave  the  kingdom  over  Israel  to  David  for  ever,  f^/fg^""-^'-- 
even  to  him  and  to  his  sons  ^by  a  covenant  of  salt  ?     ^Yet  Jeroboam  the  son  eNum.  is.  19. 
of  Nebat,  the  servant  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David,  is  risen  up,  and  hath  ^re-  ^,\^*^f- re- 
belled against  his  lord.     ^And  there  are  gathered  unto  him  ^  vain  men,  the  gjudg.9.4. 
children  of  Belial,  and  have  strengthened  themselves  against  Rehoboam  the 
son  of  Solomon,  when  Rehoboam  was  young  and  tenderhearted,  and  could  not 
withstand  them.     ^And  now  ye  think  to  withstand  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord 
in  the  hand  of  the  sons  of  David ;   and  ye  b&  a  great  multitude,  and  there  are 
with  you  golden  calves,  which  Jeroboam  ''made  you  for  gods.     ^ '  Have  ye  not  ^\f|,"s''--r^ 
cast  out  the  priests  of  the  Lord,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  and  the  Levites,  and  have  ^ch':  fi. %,  15. 
made  you  priests  after  the  manner  of  the  nations  of  other  lands  ?  "^  so  that  who-  ^  ^''od.  29. 35. 
soever  cometh  fto  consecrate  himself  with  a  younf]^  bullock  and  seven  rams,  +Heb. /o.«z/,« 

I  ty  o  '    hand:  See 


Exod.  29.  1.     Lev.  8.  2. 


Geeat  Victories  of  Judah  ;  Comparison  of  Iseael 
AND  Judah. 

3.  Abijah  set  the  battle  in  array  with  an  army  of— four 
hundred  thousand— men']  Against  double  that  number  on  the 
side  of  Israel,  and  yet  Judah  prevailed;  and  Israel  never 
recovered  its  strength  in  the  days  of  Abijah  (r.  20). 

Doubts  have  been  thrown  on  the  correctness  of  the  numbers 
which  are  specified  in  the  extant  MSS  of  the  Hebrew  Text  here, 
and  in  the  Ancient  Versions,  and  of  the  vast  number  of  Israelites 
slain  {v.  17).     See  Keil,  Versuch,  p.  336. 

But  it  is  not  to  be  forgotten,  that  the  present  history  is  a 
sacred  history,  and  that  it  represents  God's  workings  in  His 
Kingdom  for  the  assertion  of  great  principles  of  paramount  and 
permanent  importance.  The  narratives  of  the  wonderful  events 
in  the  history  of  Judah,  and  of  its  deliverances  and  victories  in 
the  reigns  of  Asa  (xiv.  9—15),  of  Jehoshaphat  (xx.23 — 25),  and 
of  Hezekiah  (xxxii.  21),  all  show  this.  And  it  would  be  a 
misapprehension  of  the  essential  character  of  this  history  to 
compare  it  with  ordinary  narratives. 

The  true  cause  of  all  these  extraordinary  and  supernatural 
events  is  to  be  found  in  the  words  of  the  Sacred  Writer  here 
{v.  18),  "  They  relied  upon  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers." 
These  victories  were  the  Lord's;  they  were  the  victories  of  faith. 

These  miraculous  phenomena  therefore  inculcate  great  moral 
truths. 

The  disparity  of  the  army  of  Judah  to  that  of  Israel, —  one 
to  two,— and  the  smallness  of  the  territory  of  Judah  compared 
■with  that  of  Israel,  and  the  exposure  of  Judah  to  inroads  from 
Egypt  (see  on  xi.  5 — 10;  and  xii.  2),  and  the  utter  discomfiture 
of  Israel  {v.  17),  suggest  the  consideration  of  the  remarkable 
difference  between  the  two  kingdoms  of  Israel  and  Judah. 

The  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel  had  a  succession  of  evil  kings, 
scarcely  in  any  case  did  the  son  succeed  his  father  in  the  throne ; 
and  after  a  series  of  miseries  were  carried  captive  to  Assyria, 
and  have  never  returned  to  their  own  land. 

But  the  condition  of  Judah  was  very  different.  It  often 
failed  of  its  duty  to  God,  and  was  therefore  chastened,  as  by  Shi- 
Bhak,  King  of  Egypt,  for  its  sins,  under  Rehoboam  (see  xii.  5—9). 
But  it  had  a  continuous  succession  of  hereditary  monarchs,  and 
some  of  them,  as  Asa,  Jehoshaphat,  Hezekiah,  and  Josiah,  were 
distinguished  by  piety  and  virtue.  And  though  Judah  was 
carried  to  Babylon  for  its  idolatry,  yet  it  was  there  preserved, 
and  a  remnant  returned,  and  the  Temple  was  rebuilt,  and  it 
was  protected  among  many  dangers,  till  at  length  it  flourished 
again  in  Christ,  Who  was  born  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  came 
to  that  Temple,  and  Who  was  the  Lord  of  the  Temple,  the 
Divine  Son  of  David,  the  Everlasting  King  of  the  Heavenly 
Jerusalem  (cp.  Sooker,  iii.  1.  10). 

All  human  probabilities  seemed  to  be  opposed  to  such  a 
course  of  events  as  this ;  but  it  was  what  the  Holy  Spirit  had 
prophesied  by  Jacob  (see  on  Gen.  xlix.  8 — 12),  and  what  God 
249 


promised  to  David  (see  2  Sam.  vii..  Prelim.  Note).  These 
"sure  mercies  of  David"  (Isa.  Iv.  3.  Acts  xiii.  34)  were 
guaranteed  by  God's  Word.  And  this  marvellous  course  of 
events  affords  a  strong  proof  of  the  divine  origin  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  in  which  that  Word  was  revealed,  more  than  a 
thousand  years  before  it  was  fulfilled  in  Christ. 

These  fiicts  also  suggest  a  solemn  warning  against  sepa- 
ration from  God's  Church,  and  against  disobedience  to  con- 
stituted authorities.  In  physical,  material,  and  numerical 
respects,  Israel  was  far  superior  to  Judah ;  but  it  had  revolted 
from  God's  worship  at  Jerusalem,  and  fi-om  the  throne  of  David, 
and  it  reaped  the  bitter  fruits  of  its  schism  and  rebellion  in  the 
confusion  and  ruin  which  it  brought  upon  itself  by  its  sins.  See 
Theodoret,  QujEst.  in  2  Chron.,  p.  573.    Cp.  Introd.,  above. 

4.  Abijah  stood — ujoon  mount  Zemaraim']  Near  Bethel 
(Josh,  xviii.  22),  the  idolatrous  shrine  of  Jeroboam.  Some 
place  it  at  es-Siimrah,  about  four  miles  north  of  Jericho  (Grove). 
It  was  probably  between  Bethel  and  Jericho.  It  was  in  Mount 
Ephraim,  the  great  mountain  range  of  central  Palestine  which 
reaches  south  as  far  as  Bethel.  Abijah  the  King  of  Judah 
became  like  a  prophet  to  Israel,  and  stood  on  Mount  Zemaraim, 
and  prophesied  to  Jeroboam  and  his  people,  as  Jotham  son  of 
Gideon  had  stood  on  Mount  Gerizim,  and  prophesied  to  the  men 
of  Shechem.     See  Judg.  ix.  7. 

5.  a  covenant  of  salt  ?J  An  inviolable  covenant,  consecrated 
by  sacrifice,  of  which  salt  was  an  ingredient  (see  Lev.  ii.  13. 
Ezek.  xliii.  24),  and  also  because  salt  was  regarded  as  an  emblem 
of  incorruptibility ;  and  to  eat  salt  together,  was  an  act  of  sure 
friendship  and  mutual  attachment.  The  phrase  is  derived  from 
the  Peiitateuch  (Num.  xviii.  19). 

6.  the  servant  of  Solomon']  1  Kings  xi.  11. 

—  and  hath  rebelled]  Heb.  yimord :  like  a  second  Nimrod. 
See  Gen.  x.  8. 

7.  vain  men,  the  children  of  Belial]  Deut.  xiii.  13.  Judg 
xix.  22.  1  Sam.  ii.  12.  David  had  prophesied  of  such  men  in 
his  "last  words."     See  2  Sam.  xxiii.  6. 

—  ivas  young]  He  was  forty-one  years  old  (xii.  13) ;  but  he 
was  rash  and  inexpei-ienced  as  a  youth,  and  preferred  the  counsel 
of  the  young  to  that  of  the  old.     See  x.  8.    Wisd.  iv.  8,  9. 

8.  ye  be  a  great  multitude]  See  on  v.  3. 

9.  a  young  bullock  and  seven  rams]  In  imitation  of  tlic 
Levitical  Ritual,  to  the  divine  authority  of  which  even  Jeroboam 
bore  testimony,  by  his  own  language  and  practice.  The  word 
for  consecrate,  signifies  properly  to  Jill  the  hand,  and  is  derived 
from  the  custom  of  the  Levitical  Law  (Exod  xxviii.  41 ;  xxix. 
35.  Lev.  viii.  33 ;  xvi.  32) ;  and  according  to  that  Law  (Exod. 
xxix.  10 — 37.  Lev.  viii.  14—33),  when  a  Priest  was  consecrated 
a  young  bullock  was  offered  as  a  sin-offering,  and  one  ram  as  a 
burnt-offering,  and  another  as  a  ram  of  Consecration  :  and  this 
was  done  seven  days. 

On  the  great  importance  of  the  testimony  of  Jeroboam,  and 
of  the  rival  kingdom  of  Israel,  to  the  divine  authority  of  the 


King  Abijalis  appeal 


2  CHKONICLES  XIII.  10—18.         to  Jeroboam  and  Israel 


Before 
CHRIST 

as? 


m  Lev.  24   G. 

n  Exod.  27.  20, 

21. 

Lev.  24.  2,  3. 

o  Num.  10.  8. 
p  Acts  5.  39. 


the  same  may  be  a  priest  of  them  that  are  no  gods.  ^^  But  as  for  us,  the  Lord 
is  our  God,  and  we  have  not  forsaken  him ;  and  the  priests,  which  minister 
unto  the  Lord,  are  the  sons  of  Aaron,  and  the  Levites  ivait  upon  their  business : 
^  > '  And  they  burn  unto  the  Lord  every  morning  and  every  evening  burnt 
sacrifices  and  sweet  incense  :  the  '"  shewbread  also  set  they  in  order  upon  the 
pure  table  ;  and  the  candlestick  of  gold  with  the  lamps  thereof,  "  to  burn  every 
evening  :  for  we  keep  the  charge  of  the  Lord  our  God  ;  but  ye  have  forsaken 
him.  ^'"  And,  behold,  God  himself  is  with  us  for  our  captain,  °  and  his  priests 
with  sounding  trumpets  to  cry  alarm  against  you.  0  children  of  Israel,  ^  fight 
ye  not  against  the  Lord  God  of  your  fathers  ;  for  ye  shall  not  prosper. 

^^  But  Jeroboam  caused  an  ambushment  to  come  about  behind  them  :  so  they 


Pentateuch,   see  above,  Introd.  to  the  Old  Testament,  p.  xxii ; 
and  Introd.  to  Deuteronomy,  p.  199;  and  on  1  Kings  xii.  33. 

—  of  them  that  are  no  gods~\  Literally,  of  non-JSlohim. 
Jehovah  the  God  of  Judah  is  the  jElohim  ;  but  the  deity  which 
Israel  serves  is  a  non-Elohim. 

10.  and  the  priests^  Literally,  and  Priests  ministering  to  the 
Lord,  sons  of  Aaron,  and  the  Levites.  You  have  no  sons  of 
Aaron  for  your  Priests.  Ours  are  true  Priests,  and  they  wait  on 
their  service,  the  only  true  service ;  you  may  copy  that  service, 
but  we  have  the  divine  original,  and  that  only  is  approved  by 
God  :  cp.  V.  12. 

11.  the  pure  table]  Cp.  on  1  Chron.  xxviii.  16.  2Chron.iv.  19. 

12.  God  himself^  Hcb.  ha-Elohim,  i.  e.  the  God,  the  only 
true  Elohini.     See  v.  9. 

—  his  priests  with  sounding  trumpets  to  erg  alarm']  Rather, 
his  priests  ivith  the  trumpets  of  alarm,  to  sounds  against  you  : 
cp.  below,  V.  14,  the  priests  sounded  ivith  the  trumpets.  The 
words  here  used  for  trumpets  and  alarm  are  the  same  as  in 
Num.  X.  2.  5,  and  it  is  clear  that  Abijah  is  speaking  of  the 
silver  trumpets  which  Moses  was  there  commanded  to  make ; 
and  he  relied  on  the  pi-omise  of  help,  which  God  then  gave  to 
His  people,  who  invoked  His  aid  by  sounding  those  trumpets 
when  they  went  to  war  (see  Num.  x.  9).  Here  is  another 
testimony  to  the  Pentateuch. 

The  Appeal  of  Abijah,  Kino  of  Judah,  to  Jeeoboam 
AND  THE  People  of  Israel. 

This  speech  of  Abijah  has  been  applied  by  one  of  our  holiest, 
wisest,  and  gentlest  divines,  Richard  Hooker,  to  the  case  of 
the  Church  of  England,  assailed  by  the  Church  of  Rome.  And 
inasmuch  as  that  application  is  unhappily  too  appropriate  and 
needful  at  the  present  time,  his  words  may  fitly  find  a  place 
here.     He  thus  speaks  : — 

"  To  others,  by  whom  we  are  accused  for  schism  and 
heresy,  we  have  often  made  our  reasonable,  and  in  the  sight 
of  God,  I  trust,  allowable  answers  :  '  For  in  the  way  which  they 
caU  heresy,  we  worship  the  God  of  our  fathers,  believing  all 
things  which  are  written  in  the  Law  and  the  Prophets '  (Acts 
xxiv.  14).  That  which  they  call  schism,  we  know  to  be  our 
reasonable  service  unto  God,  and  obedience  to  His  voice,  which 
crieth  shrill  in  our  cars,  '  Go  out  of  Babylon,  My  people,  that  ye 
be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her 
plagues'  (Rev.  xviii.  4).  And,  therefore,  when  they  rise  up 
against  us,  having  no  quarrel  but  this,  we  need  not  seek  any 
farther  for  our  Apology  than  the  words  of  Abiah  to  Jeroboam 
and  his  army,  '  O  Jeroboam  and  Israel,  hear  you  me  :  ought  you 
not  to  know  that  the  Loi-d  God  of  Israel  hath  given  the  kingdom 
over  Israel  to  David  for  ever,  even  to  him,  and  to  his  sons,  by  a 
covenant  of  salt '  (2  Chron.  xiii.  5),  that  is  to  say,  an  everlasting 
covenant."  He  then  adds ;  "  Hear  ye  me :  ought  you  not  to 
know,  that  the  Father  hath  given  all  power  unto  the  Son 
(Matt,  xxviii.  18.  John  iii.  35;  v.  22),  and  hath  made  Him 
the  only  Head  over  His  Church,  wherein  He  dwelleth  as  an 
husbandman  in  the  midst  of  His  vineyard  ?  For,  as  it  is  in  the 
Canticles,  '  Solomon  had  a  vineyard  in  Baal-hamon,  he  gave  the 
vineyard  unto  keepers,  every  one  bringing  for  the  fruit  thereof 
a  thousand  pieces  of  silver '  (Cant.  viii.  11)  ;  '  but  My  vineyard, 
which  is  Mine,  is  before  Me,'  saith  Christ.  .  .  .  Neither  will  ever 
any  pope  or  papist  under  the  cope  of  heaven  be  able  to  prove 
the  Romish  bishop's  usurped  Supremacy  over  all  churches  by 
any  one  word  of  the  covenant  of  salt,  which  is  the  Scripture. 

"  Howbeit,  as  Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat,  the  servant  of 
Solomon,  rose  up  and  rebelled  against  his  lord,  and  there  were 
gathered  unto  him  vain  men  and  wicked,  which  made  them- 
250 


selves  strong  against  Roboam,  the  son  of  Solomon,  because 
Iloboam  was  but  'a  child,  and  tender-hearted,'  and  could  not 
resist  them ;  so  '  the  son  of  perdition,  and  man  of  sin '  (2  Thess. 
ii.  3),  being  not  able  to  brook  the  words  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  which  forbade  His  disciples  to  be  like 
princes  of  nations  ('they  bear  rule,  and  are  called  gracious, 
it  shall  not  be  so  with  you,'  Luke  xxii.  25,  26),  hath  risen  up 
and  rebelled  against  his  Lord ;  and,  to  strengthen  his  arm,  he 
hath  crept  into  the  houses  of  almost  all  the  noblest  families 
round  about  him,  and  taken  their  children  from  the  cradle  to 
be  his  cardinals ;  be  hath  fawned  upon  the  kings  and  princes  of 
the  earth,  and  by  spiritual  cozenage  hath  made  them  sell  their 
lawful  authority  and  jurisdiction  for  titles  of  '  Catholicus, 
Christianissimus,  Defensor  Fidei,'  and  such  like. 

"  This  is  the  Rock  whereupon  his  church  is  built.  Hereby 
the  Man  is  grown  huge  and  strong,  like  the  cedars  which  are 
not  shaken  with  the  wind,  because  princes  have  been  as  children, 
over  tender-hearted,  and  could  not  resist.  Hereby  it  is  come  to 
pass,  as  you  see  this  day,  that  '  the  man  of  sin '  doth  war  against 
us,  not  by  men  of  a  language  which  we  cannot  understand,  but  he 
Cometh,  as  Jeroboam  against  Judah,  and  bringeth  the  fruit  of 
our  own  bodies  to  eat  us  up.  But  now,  saith  Abiah  to  Jero- 
boam, '  Ye  think  ye  be  able  to  resist  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord, 
which  is  in  the  hands  of  the  sons  of  David.  Ye  be  a  great 
multitude,  the  golden  calves  are  with  you,  which  Jeroboam 
made  yon  for  gods.'  If  I  should  foUow  the  comparison,  and 
here  uncover  the  cup  of  those  deadly  and  ugly  abominations, 
wherewith  this  Jeroboam,  of  whom  we  speak,  hath  made  the 
earth  so  drunk  that  it  hath  reeled  under  us,  I  know  your  godly 
hearts  would  loath  to  see  them.  For  my  own  part,  I  delight 
not  to  rake  in  such  filth ;  I  had  rather  take  a  garment  upon  my 
shoulders,  and  go  with  my  face  from  them  to  cover  them.  The 
Lord  open  their  eyes,  and  cause  them,  if  it  be  possible,  at  the 
length  to  see  how  they  are  '  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor, 
and  blind,  and  naked'  (Rev.  iii.  17).  Put  it,  0  Lord,  in  their 
hearts,  to  seek  white  raiment,  and  to  cover  themselves,  that 
their  nakedness  may  no  longer  appear.  For,  beloved  in  Christ, 
we  bow  our  knees,  and  lift  up  our  hands  to  heaven  in  our 
chambers  secretly,  and  openly  in  our  churches  we  pray  heartily 
and  hourly,  even  for  them  also. 

"  O  merciful  God !  If  heaven  and  earth  do  not  \vitnes3 
with  us,  and  against  them,  let  us  be  razed  out  from  the  land  of 
the  living !  Let  the  earth  on  which  we  stand  swallow  us  quick, 
as  it  hath  done  Corah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram  !  But  if  we  belong 
unto  the  Lord  our  God,  and  have  not  forsaken  Him  ;  if  our 
priests,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  minister  unto  the  Lord,  and  the 
Levites  in  their  ofiice ;  if  we  offer  unto  the  Lord  every  morning 
and  every  evening  the  burnt-offerings  and  sweet  incense  of 
prayers  and  thanksgiving,  if  the  bread  be  set  in  order  upon  the 
pure  table,  and  the  candlestick  of  gold,  with  the  lamps  thereof, 
to  burn  every  morning;  that  is  to  say,  if,  amongst  us,  God's 
blessed  Sacraments  be  duly  administered.  His  Holy  Word 
sincerely  and  daily  preached ;  if  we  keep  the  watch  of  the  Lord 
our  God,  and  if  ye  have  forsaken  Him,  then  doubt  ye  not,  thi.s 
God  is  with  us  as  a  captain ;  and  His  priests  with  sounding 
trumpets  must  cry  alarm  against  you,  '  0  ye  children  of  Israel, 
fight  not  against  the  Lord  God  of  your  fathers,  for  ye  shall  not 
prosper ;'  2  Chron.  xiii.  12."     {Richard  Hooker,  Serm.  v.  15.) 

13.  Jeroboam  caused  an  ambushment  to  come"]  Jeroboam 
resorted  to  stratagems  in  war,  as  well  as  in  policy ;  but  he  was 
conquered  by  the  prayers  of  Judah,  and  by  the  sound  of  the 
trumpets  of  God's  priests,  although  Judah  was  much  inferior  in 
number.  Such  will  eventually  be  the  issue  of  the  warfare  of 
the  Church  against  the  World. 


Jeroboam's  defeat.       2  CHRONICLES  XIII.  14— 22.    XIV.  1—7.      Asa,KingofJudah. 


were  before  Judah,  and  the  ambusliment  was  behind  them.  ^^  And  when  Judah 
looked  back,  behold,  the  battle  ^vas  before  and  behind  :  and  they  cried  unto  the 
LoBD,  and  the  priests  sounded  with  the  trumpets.  ^^  Then  the  men  of  Judah 
gave  a  shout :  and  as  the  men  of  Judah  shouted,  it  came  to  pass,  that  God 
•^  smote  Jeroboam  and  all  Israel  before  Abijah  and  Judah.  ^^  And  the  children 
of  Israel  fled  before  Judah  :  and  God  delivered  them  into  their  hand.  ^''  And 
Abijah  and  his  people  slew  them  with  a  great  slaughter  :  so  there  fell  down 
slain  of  Israel  five  hundred  thousand  chosen  men.  ^^  Thus  the  children  of 
Israel  were  brought  under  at  that  time,  and  the  children  of  Judah  prevailed, 
'because  they  relied  upon  the  Lokd  God  of  their  fathers.  '^And  Abijah  pur- 
sued after  Jeroboam,  and  took  cities  from  him,  Beth-el  with  the  towns  thereof, 
and  Jeshanah  with  the  towns  thereof,  and  '  Ephrain  with  the  towns  thereof. 
-^Neither  did  Jeroboam  recover  strength  again  in  the  days  of  Abijah  :  and  the 
LoKD  *  struck  him,  and  "he  died. 

21  But  Abijah  waxed  mighty,  and  married  fourteen  wives,  and  begat  twenty 
and  two  sons,  and  sixteen  daughters. 

^^And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Abijah,  and  his  ways,  and  his  sayings,  are 
written  in  the  ||  story  of  the  prophet ""  Iddo.  XIV.  ^  So  Abijah  slept  with  his 
fathers,  and  they  buried  him  in  the  city  of  David  :  and  ^Asa  his  son  reigned  in 
his  stead.     In  his  days  the  land  was  quiet  ten  years. 

2  And  Asa  did  that  u-Jiich  ivas  good  and  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  his 
God  :  ^  For  he  took  away  the  altars  of  the  strange  gods,  and  ^  the  high  places, 
and  "  brake  down  the  f  images,  ^  and  cut  down  the  groves  :  *  And  commanded 
Judah  to  seek  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  and  to  do  the  law  and  the  com- 
mandment. '^  Also  he  took  away  out  of  all  the  cities  of  Judah  the  high  places 
and  the  f  images  :  and  the  kingdom  was  quiet  before  him. 

^  And  he  built  fenced  cities  in  Judah  :  for  the  land  had  rest,  and  he  had  no 
war  in  those  years ;  because  the  Lord  had  given  him  rest.     ^  Therefore  he  said 


Before 

CH  RI ST 

957. 


q  ch.  H.  12. 


r  1  Chron.  5.  20. 
Ps.  22.  5. 


s  Josh.  15.  9. 


t  1  Sam.  25.  38. 
u  1  Kings  14.  20. 


II  Or,  com- 
mentary. 
X  ch.  12.  15. 

955. 
a  1  Kings  15.  8, 
&c. 


about 
951. 
b  See  I  Kings 
15.  14. 
ch.  15.  17. 
c  Exod.  34.  13. 
t  Heb.  statues. 
d  1  Kings  11.  7. 

t  Heb.  sun 
images. 


17.  Jive  hundred  thousand — men\  The  narrative  of  this  great 
victory  has  been  questioned  as  improbable,  if  not  incredible,  by 
some  (as  De  Wette,  and  Gramherg) ;  but  there  was  a  just 
occasion  for  the  divine  interference  at  this  crisis  in  behalf  of 
Judah,  and  as  a  punishment  of  Israel  and  Jeroboam  (who  was 
afterwards  smitten  by  God,  v.  20),  and  as  a  warning  to  them. 
And  the  truth  of  the  history  is  corroborated  by  the  other  fact 
mentioned  below,  xiv.  1,  "the  land  of  Judah  was  quiet  ten 
years."  Tha  quietness  for  ten  years  was  doubtless  a  result  of 
the  victory.     Cp.  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  319 ;  and  above,  on  v.  3. 

19.  Beth-el]  Where  the  golden  calf  was :  a  divine  warning 
to  Jeroboam  and  Israel.  But  they  did  not  profit  by  this  proof 
that  the  God  of  Judah  was  indignant  against  them,  and  that 
their  false  deities  were  not  able  to  help  them. 

It  has  been  supposed  by  some  that  they  removed  the  golden 
calf  from  Bethel :  certainly  they  did  not  repent  of  their  idolatry. 
Bethel  was  afterwards  recovered  by  Israel,  and  the  calf  was 
there  in  the  days  of  Jehu  (2  Kings  x.  29) ;  and  the  altar  was 
there  in  the  days  of  Josiah  (2  Kings  xxiii.  15) ;  and  Baasha, 
King  of  Israel,  endeavoured  to  fortify  Ramah,  which  lay  about 
midway  between  Betliel  on  the  north,  and  Jerusalem  on  the 
south.     See  1  Kings  xv.  17. 

—  Jeshanah']  Mentioned  by  Josephus  (xiv.  15.  12) ;  but  its 
precise  site  is  unknown. 

—  Ephrain]  Probably  near  Bethel. 

20.  The  LoED  struck  him]  Jeroboam  did  not  recover  from 
the  eflects  of  his  defeat;  and  the  Lord  struck  him  with  sick- 
ness, and  he  died  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  Abijah.  Cp. 
1  Kings  xiv.  19—21 ;  xv.  1,  2,  where  it  appears  that  Jeroboam 
reigned  twenty-two  years ;  and  Abijah,  who  began  to  reign  in 
the  eighteenth  year  of  Jeroboam,  reigned  three  years.  Cp. 
above,  vv.  1  and  2. 

21.  Abijah  waxed  mighty]  The  writer  goes  back  to  a  time 
prior  to  this  victory. 

251 


22.  the  story]  Heb.  »i/<fra«A,  a  commentary ;  frova  darash,  {■» 
tread,  to  rub,  to  thresh,  to  search,  to  study  (Gesen.  209.  451j. 
Cp.  xxiv.  27 ;  and  xii.  15,  margin. 

—  the  prophet  Iddo]  See  on  1  Chron.  xxix.  29. 

Ch.  xiv.  1.  the  land  teas  quiet  ten  years]  The  consequence 
of  the  great  victory  given  by  God  to  Abijah.  See  xiii.  17  j  and 
below,  V.  6. 

3.  the  high  places]  Some  explain  this  by  saying  that  the 
King  ordered  them  to  be  removed,  and  did  his  part  for  their 
removal ;  but  that  the  people  still  resorted  to  them  {Dahler, 
Chronik.  p.  99;  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  290;  and  Einleitung, 
p.  447). 

—  the  groves']  Heb.  asherim,  the  pillars,  or  statues,  espe- 
cially of  Astarte.  See  on  1  Kings  xiv.  23;  and  rv.  12.  So 
Syriac,  and  Arabic. 

5.  t/ie  images]  Heb.  chammanim, ;  literally,  images  of  the 
sun.  See  Lev.  xxvi.  30.  Below,  xxxiv.  4.  7.  Isa.  xvii.  8 ; 
xxvii.  9.  Ezek.  vi.  6.  Gesen.  p.  287,  who  shows  that  Baal 
was  worshipped  as  a  sun-god,  and  that  probably  the  Hammou 
of  the  Egyptians  and  Libyans  may  be  connected  with  the 
original  word  here  used ;  and  so  Abarbinel.  Cp.  Fuerst,  p.  458, 
who  observes,  that  in  the  Phoenician  mythology,  Chamman 
was  an  epithet  of  Baal. 

6.  fenced  cities]  See  1  Kings  xv.  23.  Tliough  Asa  trusted 
in  God,  he  did  not  neglect  the  means  of  defence,  which  could 
be  supplied  by  human  labour  and  forethought.  Here  is  an 
example,  in  spiritual  respects,  as  the  Apostle  exhorts :  "  Work 
out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling ;  for  it  is  God 
that  worketh  in  you  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure " 
(Phil.  ii.  12,  13).*  The  same  remark  applies  to  the  good  King 
Hezekiah.     See  xxxii.  3.  4 — 8. 


Great  ddiveiance  2  CHRONICLES  XIV.  8—15.     XV.  1,  2.       of  Asa  and  Judah. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

951. 


941. 
£  ch.  16.  8. 

f  Josh.  15.  44. 


R  Exod.  14.  10. 
ch.  13.  14. 
Ts.  22.  5. 
h  1  Sam.  14.  6. 
i  1  Sam.  17.  45. 
Trov.  18.  10. 


II  Or,  murlal 

man. 

k  ch.  13.  15. 

1  Gen.  10.  19.  S 

20   1. 

t  Heb.  broken. 


m  Gen.  35. 
ch.  17.  10. 


a  Num.  24.  2. 

Judg.  3.  10. 

ch.  20.  14.  &  24.  20 


unto  Judah,  Let  us  build  these  cities,  and  make  about  them  walls,  and  towers, 
gates,  and  bars,  while  the  land  is  yet  before  us ;  because  we  have  sought  the 
Lord  our  God,  we  have  sought  him,  and  he  hath  given  us  rest  on  every  side. 
So  they  built  and  prospered.  ^  And  Asa  had  an  army  of  men  that  bare  targets 
and  spears,  out  of  Judah  three  hundred  thousand ;  and  out  of  Benjamin,  that 
bare  shields  and  drew  bows,  two  hundred  and  fourscore  thousand  :  all  these 
were  mighty  men  of  valour. 

^  ^  And  there  came  out  against  them  Zerah  the  Ethiopian  with  an  host  of  a 
thousand  thousand,  and  three  hundred  chariots;  and  came  unto  'Mareshah. 
^^Then  Asa  went  out  against  him,  and  they  set  the  battle  in  array  in  the  valley 
of  Zephathah  at  Mareshah.  ^^  And  Asa  ^  cried  unto  the  Lord  his  God,  and 
said,  Lord,  it  is  ''  nothing  with  thee  to  help,  whether  with  many,  or  with  them 
that  have  no  power :  help  us,  0  Lord  our  God  ;  for  we  rest  on  thee,  and  '  in 
thy  name  we  go  against  this  multitude.  0  Lord,  thou  art  our  God ;  let  not 
Ij  man  prevail  against  thee.  ^-  So  the  Lord  "^  smote  the  Ethiopians  before  Asa, 
and  before  Judah;  and  the  Ethiopians  fled.  ^^And  Asa  and  the  people  that 
ivere  with  him  pursued  them  unto  •  Gerar  :  and  the  Ethiopians  were  overthrown, 
that  they  could  not  recover  themselves ;  for  they  were  f  destroyed  before  the 
Lord,  and  before  his  host ;  and  they  carried  away  very  much  spoil.  ^*  And 
they  smote  all  the  cities  round  about  Gerar ;  for  ""  the  fear  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  them  :  and  they  spoiled  all  the  cities ;  for  there  was  exceeding  much  spoil 
in  them.  ^^  They  smote  also  the  tents  of  cattle,  and  carried  away  sheep  and 
camels  in  abundance,  and  returned  to  Jerusalem. 

XV.  ^  And  ""  the  Spirit  of  God  came  upon  Azariah  the  son  of  Oded  :  ^  And 


7.  the  land  is  yet  before  ws]  Clear  and  open,  and  not  infested 
by  enemies. 

8.  an  army — men  of  valour']  Here  is  an  increase  of  180,000 
men  beyond  what  bis  father  had  led  into  the  field  against 
Jeroboam  (xiii.  3).  Such  was  God's  blessing  upon  Judah  j 
whereas  Israel  had  lost  500,000  (xiii.  17). 

GeEAT  DeLITEEANCE    op   JtJDAH. 

9.  Zerah  the  Ethiopian  with  an  host  of  a  thousand  thou- 
Hand']  This  was  a  very  remarkable  event  in  the  history  of  the 
ancient  Church  and  people  of  God. 

Zerah,  the  Ethiopian,  or  Cushite,  King,  came  up  with  an 
innumerable  host  of  men,  horses,  and  chariots  against  Asa, 
King  of  Judah,  and  against  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  God. 
Probably  Zerah  thought  that  the  issue  of  his  campaign  would 
be  like  that  of  Sliishak,  King  of  Egypt,  against  Rehoboam 
(see  xii.  2—9),  and  even  more  successful  and  glorious. 

Who  was  this  Zerah  ? 

He  came  up  with  an  army  composed  of  nearly  the  same 
forces,  from  the  same  nations,  —  Cushim  and  Lubim, — as 
Shishak,  King  of  Egypt  (see  xii.  3) ;  and  he  came  by  Mareshah, 
near  Gath,  about  twenty -six  miles  s.W.  of  Jerusalem,  in  the  line 
of  march  from  Egypt  to  Jerusalem  (see  vv.  9,  10) ;  and  when  he 
was  repulsed,  he  fled  by  Gerar,  which  was  on  the  S.W.  border 
of  Palestine,  to  the  S.S.E.  of  Gaza,  about  sixty  miles  S.W.  of 
Jerusalem,  and  in  the  same  line  of  march,  but  thirty  miles 
nearer  to  Egyyt.     See  Gen.  x.  19;  xx.  1 ;  xxvi.  1. 

There  seems,  therefore,  good  reason  for  believing,  that 
Zerah  was  a  King  of  Egypt,  probably  the  same  person  as  the 
Osorkhan  of  Manetho,  who  succeeded  Shishak,  and  was  the 
second  King  of  the  twenty-second  dynasty.  See  Sdvernick, 
ii.  215 ;  Thenius,  on  1  Kings  xv.  23 ;  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  334 ; 
and  Bertheau  here ;  and  Mr.  R.  S.  Toole,  in  B.  D.  ii.  1841 ; 
Davidson,  Intr.  ii.  105. 

The  history  of  this  invasion  is  very  instructive.  In  the 
reign  of  Rehoboam,  God  had  raised  up  Shishak,  King  of  Egypt, 
against  him  and  his  people  for  their  sins ;  and  though,  on  their 
repentance,  God  mitigated  the  chastisement,  yet,  for  reasons 
which  He  Himself  declared.  He  allowed  Shishak  to  spoil  Jeru- 
salem (xii.  8,  9). 
252 


But  now,  in  the  reign  of  the  pious  Asa,  another  King  of 
Egypt  comes  with  a  larger  host,  and  he  seems  to  have  had  the 
people  of  Gerar  and  the  surrounding  cities  as  his  allies ;  but 
Asa  cried  imto  the  Lord  {v.  11),  and  the  Lord  smote  the  in- 
vaders, who  were  destroyed  before  the  Lord,  and  before  His 
host ;  and  Asa  and  his  army  carried  away  very  much  spoil,  and 
spoiled  also  the  cities  round  about  Gerar ;  for  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  came  upon  them  j  and  they  returned  to  Jerusalem 
(vv.  13—15). 

The  defeat  of  the  I!gyptian  army  was  the  act  of  God.  It 
was  due  to  His  arm,  which  worked  with  the  faith  and  prayer  of 
the  King  of  Judah.  It  was  a  signal  proof,  that  the  God  of 
Judah  was  the  same  God,  Wlio  had  delivered  His  people  of  old 
out  of  the  bondage  of  Egypt,  and  had  overwhelmed  the  hosts 
of  Egypt  in  the  Red  Sea;  that  His  arm  was  not  shortened, 
and  that  He  would  continue  to  deliver  His  people,  if  they 
trusted  in  Him,  and  obeyed  Him. 

10.  Zephathah  at  Mareshah]  In  the  plain  of  Judah.  See 
Josh.  XV.  44.     Above,  on  v.  9. 

11.  nothing  with  thee — power]  Or,  there  is  not  [any  one] 
loith  thee  to  help  between  the  powerful  against  the  weak. 
Thou,  O  God,  art  our  only  hope.  We  have  no  strength. 
We  are  nothing.  Do  Thou,  O  Lord,  come  between  us,  who  are 
weak,  and  our  enemies,  who  are  strong ;  and  deliver  us.  Com- 
pare below,  XX.  12  :  "  We  have  no  might  against  this  company 
that  Cometh  against  us  .  .  .  but  our  eyes  are  upon  Thee." 

A  huge  host  from  out  of  Egypt  was  coming  against  Asa. 
And  may  we  not  suppose,  that  Asa,  when  he  uttered  these 
words,  thought  of  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire,  which  came 
between  the  Egyptians  and  Israel  at  the  Red  Sea,  and  from 
which  God  looked  and  troubled  the  host  of  the  Egyptians  ? 
(Exod.  xiv.  20.  24.)  Did  not  the  history  of  Moses  and  the 
Exodus  quicken  his  faith  in  this  crisis  ?  Has  not  that  history 
been  a  well-spring  of  strength  and  courage  to  the  Church  of 
God  in  every  age  ? 

13.  Gerar]  See  on  v.  9. 

—  his  host]  The  army  of  Asa  is  called  the  Lord's  host, 
because  God  was  in  it,  and  led  them  to  victory. 

Ch.  XV.  1.  Azariah  the  son  of  Oded]  Who  seems  to  have 


Israel,  without  God, 


2  CHKONICLES  XV.  3—16. 


and  a  teaching  priest. 


he  went  out  f  to  meet  Asa,  and  said  unto  him,  Hear  ye  me,  Asa,  and  all  Judah 
and  Benjamin ;  "  The  Lord  is  with  you,  while  ye  be  with  him  ;  and  "^if  ye  seek 
him,  he  will  be  found  of  you  ;  but  "^if  ye  forsake  him,  he  will  forsake  you.  ^Now 
^  for  a  long  season  Israel  hath  been  without  the  true  God,  and  without  *"  a  teach- 
ing priest,  and  without  law.  ^  But  ^  when  they  in  their  trouble  did  turn  unto 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  and  sought  him,  he  was  found  of  them.  ^  And  ''  in 
those  times  there  was  no  peace  to  him  that  went  out,  nor  to  him  that  came  in, 
but  great  vexations  were  upon  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  countries.  ^'And 
nation  was  f  destroyed  of  nation,  and  city  of  city  :  for  God  did  vex  them  with 
all  adversity.  ^  Be  ye  strong  therefore,  and  let  not  your  hands  be  weak :  for 
your  work  shall  be  rewarded. 

^And  when  Asa  heard  these  words,  and  the  prophecy  of  Oded  the  prophet, 
he  took  courage,  and  put .  away  the  f  abominable  idols  out  of  all  the  land  of 
Judah  and  Benjamin,  and  out  of  the  cities  "^  which  he  had  taken  from  mount 
Ephraim,  and  renewed  the  altar  of  the  Lord,  that  ^vas  before  the  porch  of  the 
Lord,  ^And  he  gathered  all  Judah  and  Benjamin,  and 'the  strangers  with 
them  out  of  Ephraim  and  Manasseh,  and  out  of  Simeon  :  for  they  fell  to  him 
out  of  Israel  in  abundance,  when  they  saw  that  the  Lord  his  God  was  with 
him.  ^^  So  they  gathered  themselves  together  at  Jerusalem  in  the  third  month, 
in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Asa.  ^^  '"And  they  offered  unto  the  Lord 
f  the  same  time,  of  "  the  spoil  ichich  they  had  brought,  seven  hundred  oxen 
and  seven  thousand  sheep.  ^^And  they  "entered  into  a  covenant  to  seek  the 
Lord  God  of  their  fathers  with  all  their  heart  and  with  all  their  soul ;  ^^  p  That 
whosoever  would  not  seek  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  '^  should  be  put  to  death, 
whether  small  or  great,  whether  man  or  woman.  ^•^  And  they  sware  unto  the 
Lord  with  a  loud  voice,  and  with  shouting,  and  with  trumpets,  and  with  cor- 
nets. '^  And  all  Judah  rejoiced  at  the  oath  :  for  they  had  sworn  with  all  their 
heart,  and  "■  sought  him  with  their  whole  desire  ;  and  he  was  found  of  them  : 
and  the  Lord  gave  them  rest  round  about. 

'^And  also  concerning  'Maachah  the  ||  mother  of  Asa  the  king,  he  removed 
her  from  being  queen,  because  she  had  made  an  f  idol  in  a  grove :  and  Asa  cut 


Before 
CHRIST 
941. 
+  Heb.  before 
Asa. 

b  James  4.  8. 
c  ver.  4.  15. 
I  Chroii.  28.  9. 
ch.  33.  12,  13. 
Jer.  29.  18. 
Matt.  7.  7. 
d  ch.  24.  20. 
e  Hos.  3.  4. 
f  Lev.  10.  II. 
g  Deut.  4.  29. 
li  Jiidg.  5.  6. 
i  Matt.  24.  7. 
t  Heb.  beaten  in 
piecet. 


t  Heb.  nbomhia 
lions. 

k  ch.  13.  19. 


1  ch.  11.  16. 


m  ch.  14.  15. 

f  Heb.  171  thai 
day. 

n  ch.  14.  13. 
o  2  Kings  23.  3. 
ch.  34.  31. 
Neh.  10.  29. 
p  Exod.  22.  20. 
q  Deut.  13.  5,  .«, 
15. 


s  1  Kings  1.";.  13. 
II  That  is, 
grandmother, 
1  Kings  15.  2,  10 
t  Heb.  horror. 


received  this  prophecy  from  his  father.  See  v.  8  (Knobel), 
where  the  Sept.  (Cod.  Alex.)  and  Vulff.  have  the  words  Azarias, 
the  son  of  Oded. 

The  name  of  Oded,  a  prophet,  occurs  below,  xxviii.  9. 
In  reply  to  the  allegations  of  those,  who  assert  that  the 
writer  of  the  Chronicles  was  actuated  by  a  partial  bias  in  favour 
of  the  Priests  and  Levites,  in  contradistinction  to  the  Pro- 
phets, it  may  be  well  to  remark,  in  addition  to  what  has  been 
already  said  concerning  his  reference  to  the  Prophets  as  his- 
torians (see  1  Chron.  xxix.  29),  that  he  introduces  frequent 
notices  of  the  courageous  zeal  of  the  Prophets,  exhorting,  and 
sometimes  censuring,  the  Kings  of  Judah.  See  here,  vv.  1—8 ; 
and  the  prophetical  rebuke  of  Hanani  to  Asa  (xvi.  7) ;  and  of 
Jehu,  the  son  of  Hanani,  to  Hezekiah  (xix.  2) ;  and  of  Eliezer  to 
Jehoshaphat  (xx.  37.  Cp.  xxi.  12 ;  xxiv.  19 ;  xxviii.  9;  xxxiv.  22). 

3.  hath  been  without  the  true  Ood~\  Rather,  was  without 
the  true  God;  or,  literally,  there  were  many  days  to  Israel 
(when  it  belonged)  to  no  Ood  of  truth.  As,  for  example,  in 
the  days  of  the  Judges,  when  "  every  man  did  what  was  right 
in  his  own  eyes."  See  Judg.  xxi.  25 ;  and  Introd.  to  Judges, 
pp.  80—83. 

Gesenius,  p.  426,  says,  that  the  Hebrew  word  (le'-lo),  here 
rendered  without,  is  rightly  so  rendered,  and  that  this  is  the 
only  place  where  it  bears  that  sense  :  cp.  Fuerst,  p.  721.  But, 
as  Bertheau  observes,  it  is  not  necessary  to  assign  that  sense 
to  it  here.  The  Sept.  renders  the  words  well,  ijnepai  iroWa] 
TCfi  'lcrpa7]\  4y  oil  6ey  aKriOtv^,  Ka\  ovx  Upfoos  vTroSetKi/vfTos, 
Ka\  iv  ov  ySfiefi. 

—  a  teaching  priest]  Literally,  a  priest,  a  teacher,  as  every 
Priest  of  God  ought  to  be  (Mai.  ii.  7).    This  lack  of  teaching 
253 


in  the  Priests  was  also  an  unhappy  characteristic  of  the  days 
of  the  Judges  (see  Introd.  to  Judges,  pp,  79,  80;  and  oh 
Judges  viii.  27 ;  and  xi.  40),  and  in  the  days  of  Samuel  (see 
Introd.  to  Samuel,  p.  viii.) ;  and  it  is  one  of  the  worst  evils 
which  the  Church  of  God  has  to  suffer  in  these  latter  days. 
6.  no  peace]  As  in  the  days  of  Deborah  (Judg.  v.  6;  vi.  6). 

—  vexations]  Cp.  Deut.  vii.  23;  xxviii.  20.  1  Sam.  v.  9. 
Amos  iii.  9.  Zech.  xiv.  13, — in  all  which  places  the  same  word 
{mehumah,  commotion,  see  Qesen.  453)  is  used  in  the  original : 
it  specially  signifies  a  trouble  from  God. 

—  the  countries]  Of  Israel. 
6.  adversity]  By  civil  wars. 

8.  abominable  idols]  Literally,  abominations,  Heb.  sAi/t- 
kutsim,  fiSe\vyfj.aTa  (Sept.).  Idols  are  specially  abominations  ; 
and  this  use  of  the  word  is  a  strong  protest  against  creature- 
worship.    Cp.  Rev.  xvii.  4,  5. 

—  he  had  taken  from  mount  Uphraim]  Taken  originally 
by  Asa's  father  (xiii.  19),  and  retained  by  Asa  himself. 

9.  out  of  Ephraim]  Even  from  the  tribe  of  Jeroboam  himself. 
11.  the  spoi^  As  a  thank-offering  for  the  victory  (xiv.  14). 
13.  put  to  death']    Here  is  another  testimony  to  the  Pen- 
tateuch (Deut.  xvii.  2 — 6). 

16.  And  also  concerning  Maachah  the  mother  of  Asa]  His 
grandmother,  whom  he  removed  from  being  Queen -mother.  One 
of  the  effects  of  polygamy  was,  that  not  the  King's  Consort, 
but  the  King's  Mother  was  virtually  Queen,  and  is  commonly 
so  called  (1  Kings  xv.  2,     Above,  xi.  20;  xiii.  2). 

The  blessing  pronounced  upon  Levi  had  taught  Asa  that 
he  must  honour  God  more  than  the  Queen  his  grandmother 
(Deut.  xxxiii.  9).     Compare  Christ's  words  (Matt.  x.  37). 


Eamahbuilthij  Baasha.  2  CHRONICLES  XV.  17—19.    XVI.  1—8.  HananirehukesAsa, 


Before 
CHRIST 
941. 
t  ch.  14.  3,  5. 
1  Kings  15.  14, 
&c. 


940.  viz. 
From  the  rending 
of  the  ten  tribes 
from  Judah,  over 
which  Asa  was 
now  king. 
al  Kings  15.  17, 
&c. 
bch.  15.  9. 


f  Ileb.Z)   imesck. 


f  Hell,  which 
were  his. 


941. 
c  1  Kings  16.  1. 
ch.  19.  2. 
d  Isa.  31.  1. 
Jer.  17.  5. 

e  ch.  14.  9. 
f  ch.  12.  3. 
t  Ileb.  in  abundan 


down  her  idol,  and  stamped  it,  and  burnt  it  at  the  brook  Kidron.  '^  But '  the 
high  places  were  not  taken  away  out  of  Israel :  nevertheless  the  heart  of  Asa 
was  perfect  all  his  days.  ^^  And  he  brought  into  the  house  of  God  the  things 
that  his  father  had  dedicated,  and  that  he  himself  had  dedicated,  silver,  and 
gold,  and  vessels.  ^^  And  there  was  no  more  war  unto  the  five  and  thirtieth 
year  of  the  reign  of  Asa. 

XVI.  ^  In  the  six  and  thirtieth  year  of  the  reign  of  Asa  ^  Baasha  king  of 
Israel  came  up  against  Judah,  and  built  Ramah,  ''  to  the  intent  that  he  might 
let  none  go  out  or  come  in  to  Asa  king  of  Judah. 

2  Then  Asa  brought  out  silver  and  gold  out  of  the  treasures  of  the  house  of 
the  Lord  and  of  the  king's  house,  and  sent  to  Ben-hadad  king  of  Syria,  that 
dwelt  at  f  Damascus,  saying,  ^  There  is  a  league  between  me  and  thee,  as  there 
ivas  between  my  father  and  thy  father :  behold,  I  .have  sent  thee  silver  and 
gold ;  go,  break  thy  league  with  Baasha  king  of  Israel,  that  he  may  depart 
from  me.  ^  And  Ben-hadad  hearkened  unto  king  Asa,  and  sent  the  captains 
of  f  his  armies  against  the  cities  of  Israel ;  and  they  smote  Ijon,  and  Dan,  and 
Abel-maim,  and  all  the  store  cities  of  Naphtali. 

^  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Baasha  heard  it,  that  he  left  off  building  of 
Ramah,  and  let  his  work  cease.  ^  Then  Asa  the  king  took  all  Judah ;  and  they 
carried  away  the  stones  of  Ramah,  and  the  timber  thereof,  wherewith  Baasha 
was  building  ;  and  he  built  therewith  Geba  and  Mizpah. 

7  And  at  that  time  '^  Hanani  the  seer  came  to  Asa  king  of  Judah,  and  said 
unto  him,  ^  Because  thou  hast  relied  on  the  king  of  Syria,  and  not  relied  on  the 
Lord  thy  God,  therefore  is  the  host  of  the  king  of  Syria  escaped  out  of  thine 
hand.     ^  Were  not  *  the  Ethiopians  and  ^  the  Lubims  f  a  huge  host,  with  very 


—  an  idol  in  a  grove]    Or   rather,    an   idol    of  Asherah. 
See  the  parallel  place  in  1  Kings  xv.  13. 

17.  the  high  places']  See  above,  xiv,  3. 

18.  had  dedicated]    After  his  victory  over  Jeroboam  (xiii. 
16—19). 

The  Books  of  Kings  and  Chronicles  fit  harmoniously  into 
each  other,  in  their  histories  of  the  reigns  of  Abijah  and  Asa  ; 
and  the  one  serves  to  illustrate  and  complete  the  other.  See 
Thenius,  on  1  Kings  xv.  15 ;  and  Bertheau  here. 

19.  five  and  thirtieth  year  of  the  reign]  Or  rather,    of  the 
Icingdom  of  Asa,  i.  e.  of  Judah  :  cp.  xvi.  1. 

It  has  been  asked.  How  could  this  be,  since  Baasha  began 
to  reign  in  the  third  year  of  Asa,  and  reigned  only  twenty-four 
years,  and  had  been  dead  nine  years  in  the  six  and  thirtieth 
year  of  the  reign  of  Asa  ?    See  1  Kings  xv.  33. 

Some  critics  have  cut  the  knot,  by  asserting  that  there  is 
an  error  in  all  the  MSS.  and  Versions  here,  as  well  as  in  the 
last  verse  of  the  foregoing  chapter. 

The  solution  seems  to  be,  that  the  words  ought  to  be 
rendered,  in  the  six  and  thirtieth  year  of  the  kingdom  of  Asa, 
viz.  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  which  was  his  kingdom,  as 
distinguished  from  the  kingdom  of  Baasha,  viz.  the  kingdom 
of  Israel, 

The  Hebrew  word  malcuth,  here  translated  reign,  often 
signifies  kingdom,  and  is  so  rendered  in  our  Version,  in  Num. 
xxiv.  7.  1  Sam.  xx.  31.  1  Kings  ii.  12.  1  Chron.  xi.  10 ; 
xiv.  2 ;  xvii.  14 ;  xxii.  10 ;  xxviii.  5.  See  above,  xi.  17,  where 
it  is  applied  to  the  Icingdom  of  Judah ;  and  xxxvi.  20,  to  the 
kingdom  of  Persia. 

There  seems  to  be  a  moral  in  this  mode  of  speaking.  The 
kingdom  of  Judah  is  called  the  kingdom  of  Asa,  as  the  re- 
presentative of  the  house  of  David,  and  being  his  by  hereditary 
right :  the  kingdom  of  Israel  is  not  called  the  kingdom  of 
Baasha,  because  it  was  not  his,  but  an  usurped  dominion. 

The  six  and  thirtieth  year  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  as 
separated  from  Israel,  corresponded  to  the  sixteenth  of  Asa's 
reign.  Cp.  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  261 ;  and  on  1  Kings  xv.  15 — 18. 
254 


Ch.  xvi.  1.  six  and  thirtieth  year]  i.  e.  of  the  kingdom  of 
Judah  (see  xv.  19),  which  would  place  the  league  with  Benhadad 
in  the  sixteenth  year  of  Asa,  {Fynes  Clinton,  Fasti,  i.  322). 
See  above,  1  Kings  xv.  16.  32,  where  it  is  stated  that  there 
was  war  between  Asa  and  Baasha  all  their  days,  which  would 
not  be  true,  if  war  had  been  delayed  till  the  last  year  of 
Baasha. 

—  huilt  Ramah]  He  fortified  it,  in  order  to  intercept  the 
migration  of  his  own  subjects  into  the  kingdom  of  Judah. 
Ramah, —  now  JEl-Ram, — was  midway  between  Jerusalem  and 
Bethel,  about  five  miles  north  of  the  former,  and  south  of  the 
latter.     See  above,  on  I  Kings  xv.  17,  18. 

2—5.]  See  on  1  Kings  xv.  17—22. 

7.  Hanani  the  seer]  Probably  the  father  of  Jehu  the  pro- 
phet, who  rebuked  Baasha,  the  King  of  Israel,  for  his  idolatry, 
and  foretold  the  miseries  of  his  house  (1  Kings  xvi.  1 — 4), 
and  who  also  reproved  Jehoshaphat,  King  of  Judah,  for  allying 
himself  with  Ahab.     See  below,  xix.  2. 

—  Because  thou  hast  relied  on  the  king  of  Syria,  and  not 
relied  on  the  Lord]  Who  delivered  thee  by  a  marvellous  victory 
(see  xiv.  11),  and  promised  to  give  thee  other  victories,  if  thou 
wonkiest  trust  in  Him.    See  xv.  7. 

These  narratives  of  the  courageous  acts  of  the  prophets, 
described  in  the  Chronicles  (and  which  are  not  recorded  in 
the  Kings),  may  serve  to  show  the  groundlessness  of  that 
Criticism,  which  represents  the  Author  of  the  Chronicles  as 
swayed  by  priestly  partialities,  and  as  biassed  by  prejudice 
against  the  prophetical  order.    See  above,  xv.  1. 

—  therefore  is  the  host  of  the  king  of  Syria  escaped  out  of 
thine  hand]  Which  would  otherwise  have  been  delivered  into 
thine  hand,  and  which  will  hereafter  attack  thy  kingdom  (see 
below,  xxviii.  5),  although  it  is  now  bribed  by  thee  with 
treasures  which  belong  to  the  Lord  (see  «.  2),  Whom  thou  hast 
robbed,  in  order  to  enrich  thine  enemies. 

Here  is  a  solemn  warning  to  Christian  States.  Tlie  reader 
may  make  the  application,  suggested  by  patriotism  and  piety. 
Asa,  King  of  Judah,  had  been  delivered  by  God  from  his 
enemies,  the  Ethiopians  and  Lubims,  by  signal  interventions 
of  His  power  and  mercy.     England  has  been  often  rescued. 


Asa  s  disease  and  sin.     2  CHRONICLES  XVI.  9 — 14.    XVII.  1 — 5.   Jehoshaphat  succeeds. 


many  chariots  and  horsemen  ?  yet,  because  thou  didst  rely  on  the  Loed,  he 
dehvered  them  into  thine  hand.  ^  ^  For  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  run  to  and  fro 
throughout  the  whole  earth,  ||  to  shew  himself  strong  in  the  behalf  of  them  whose 
heart  is  perfect  toward  him.  Herein  ''thou  hast  done  foolishly  :  therefore  from 
henceforth  '  thou  shalt  have  wars.  ^^  Then  Asa  was  wroth  with  the  seer,  and 
"  put  him  in  a  prison  house  ;  for  he  was  in  a  rage  with  him  because  of  this  thing. 
And  Asa  f  oppressed  some  of  the  people  the  same  time. 

^^  'And,  behold,  the  acts  of  Asa,  first  and  last,  lo,  they  are  written  in  the 
book  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel. 

'^  And  Asa  in  the  thirty  and  ninth  year  of  his  reign  was  diseased  in  his  feet, 
until  his  disease  tvas  exceeding  great:  yet  in  his  disease  he  ""sought  not  to  the 
Lord,  but  to  the  physicians.  ^^ "  And  Asa  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  died  in 
the  one  and  fortieth  year  of  his  reign.  ^'^  And  they  buried  him  in  his  own 
sepulchres,  which  he  had  f  made  for  himself  in  the  city  of  David,  and  laid 
him  in  the  bed  which  was  filled  °  with  sweet  odours  and  divers  kinds  of  spices 
prepared  by  the  apothecaries'  art :  and  they  made  ^  a  very  great  burning  for 
him. 

XVII.  ^  And  ""  Jehoshaphat  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead,  and  strengthened 
himself  against  Israel.  ^  And  he  placed  forces  in  all  the  fenced  cities  of  Judah, 
and  set  garrisons  in  the  land  of  Judah,  and  in  the  cities  of  Ephraim,  *"  which 
Asa  his  father  had  taken.  ^And  the  Lord  was  with  Jehoshaphat,  because  he 
walked  in  the  first  ways  |j  of  his  father  David,  and  sought  not  unto  Baahm ; 
^  But  sought  to  the  LORD  God  of  his  father,  and  walked  in  his  command- 


Before 
CHRIST 

!)41. 
g  Job  34.  21. 
Prov.  5.  21.  & 
15.  3. 

Jer.  16.  17.  & 
32.  ly. 
Zech.  4.  10. 
II  Or,  stionyly  lo 
hold  with  them, 
&c. 

h  1  Sam.  13.  13. 
i  I  Kings  15.  32. 
kch.  18.  26. 
Jer.  20.  2. 
Matt.  14.  3. 
f  Heb.  crushed. 
1  1  Kings  15.  23. 


914. 
n  1  Kings  15.  24. 


t  Heb.  digged. 

o  Gen.  50.  2. 

Mark  16.  1. 

John  19.  39, 

40. 

pch.  21.  19. 

Jer.  34.  5. 

a  1  Kings  15.  24. 


II  Or,  of  his 
father,  and  of 
David. 


ments,  and  not  after  "  the  doings  of  Israel. 


^  Therefore  the  Lord  stablished  c  i  Kings  12. 28. 


almost  miraculously,  by  God ;  as,  for  example,  from  the  arms 
of  Spain  leagued  with  Rome  against  us,  in  the  sixteenth 
century ;  from  civil  rebellion  in  the  seventeenth  j  from  the 
arms  of  France  in  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth.  Asa  took 
the  treasures  of  the  Lord's  house,  in  order  to  purchase  the 
hollow  friendship  of  an  enemy.  Will  England  be  tempted  to 
spoil  God  of  His  revenues  (consecrated  by  the  piety  of  former 
generations,  for  the  sustentation  of  God's  houses  throughout 
the  land),  in  order  to  conciliate  some  who  wage  war  against  all 
national  establishments  of  religion,  and  who  will  never  be  satisfied 
till  our  Sion  is  destroyed  ?  If  so,  may  not  another  Hanani 
rise  up,  and  say,  "  Thou  hast  done  foolishly ;  henceforth  thou 
shalt  have  wars  of  confiictiEig  parties  at  home,  and  with  hostile 
nations  abroad  ?  " 

8.  the  Ethiopians  and  the  Lubims]  WTiom  God  routed  by  a 
?ignal  overthrow,  and  from  whom  He  delivered  thee  and  thy 
kingdom,  in  answer  to  thy  prayer  (xiv.  11 — 15). 

9.  the  eyes  of  the  LoED  run  to  and  fro  throughout  the  whole 
earth']  As  one  of  Asa's  forefathers  had  said  :  "  The  eyes  of  the 
Lord  are  in  every  place,  beholding  the  evil  and  the  good 
(Prov.  XV.  3.  Cp.  Job  xxxiv.  21.  Ps.  cxxxix.  2.  Jer.  xvi.  17). 
The  Prophet  Zechariah  seems  to  have  derived  his  unagery  from 
these  words,  when  he  says,  "The  seven  eyes  of  the  LoED  run 
to  and  fro  through  the  earth-"  and  that  prophet  adds,  that 
they  took  such  a  watchful  care  of  the  one  stone  which  Zerub- 
babel  in  his  piety  and  zeal  had  laid  for  a  sure  foundation  of  the 
Temple,  that  the  work  could  not  fail  of  success  (Zech.  iv.  7 — 11), 
— a  striking  contrast  to  the  case  of  some  Kings  of  Judah, 
whose  distrust  and  disobedience  brought  ruin  and  desolation 
on  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem. 

10.  a  prison  house]  Heh.  the  house  of  distortion — so  called, 
because  the  limbs  of  the  prisoner  were  so  set  and  fixed,  as  to 
be  twisted  and  distorted  in  it, — the  stocks  {Oesen.  454). 
Compare  the  case  of  Jeremiah  (xx.  2.  Cp.  xxix.  26) ;  and  of 
St.  Paul  and  Silas  at  Philippi  (Acts  xvi.  24). 

11.  book  of  the  kings]  Not  now  extant:  cp.  xii.  15. 

12.  in  his  feet]  The  King  had  put  the  prophet's  feet  in  the 
stocks,  and  God  afflicted  the  King  in  his  own  feet.  Hanani 
the  prophet,  when  his  feet  were  in  the  stocks,  doubtless  prayed 
as  Jeremiah  did  (Jer.  xx.  11—13),  and  as  Paul  and  Silas  did  in 
like  circumstances  (Acts  xvi.  24,  25).  But  the  King,  whose  feet 
were  (so  to  speak)  put  into  the  stocks  of  a  sore  disease,  in  order 
that  he  might  turn  to  God,  was  not  bettered  by  affliction ;  yet 

255 


in  his  disease,  or  rather,  even  in  his  disease  (when  he  ought 
specially  to  have  turned  to  God  for  help),  he  sought  not  to  the 
Lord,  but  to  the  physicians.  He  was  not  improved  by  the 
reproof  of  God's  prophet,  nor  by  the  chastisement  with  which 
God  visited  him,  but  put  his  trust  in  worldly  means,  and  not 
in  God. 

This  sin  of  Asa,  which  is  mentioned  here,  is  not  noticed 
in  the  Book  of  Kings.     See  above,  on  1  Kings  xv.  23. 

14.  odours — spices — they  made  a  very  great  burning  for 
him]  This  care  for  a  sumptuous  funeral,  which  is  not  men- 
tioned in  the  Kings,  seems  to  be  noted  here  without  approval. 
The  custom  is  not  mentioned  as  having  prevailed  in  the  reign 
of  David,  or  of  Solomon,  Rehoboam,  or  Abijah  ;  but  henceforth 
was  frequently  observed ;  it  was  omitted  in  the  funeral  of  Jehoram 
(xxi.  19),  but  observed  in  that  of  Zcdekiah  (Jer.  xxxiv.  5). 

It  seems  to  have  been  adopted  from  the  heathen,  especially 
the  Egyptians.  Cp.  Flin.,  N.  H.  xii.  12.  18 ;  Juvenal,  iv. 
109. 

It  is  observable,  that  the  first  King  of  Judah,  who  is  said 
to  have  been  honoured  in  this  way,  Asa,  had  been  afflicted  with 
a  sore  disease.  Was  the  noisomeness  of  the  effluvia  from  the 
disorder  a  cause  of  this  burning  of  odours  and  spices  at  his 
funeral  ? 

—  divers  kinds]  Heb.  zenim.  See  Ps.  cxllv.  13.  Dan.  iii. 
5.  7.  10.  15.    Gesen.  249,  250. 

Ch.  XVII.  1.  against  Israel]  Against  the  northern  king- 
dom, which  had  been  exasperated  by  Asa's  instigation  of 
Benhadad,  King  of  Syria,  against  it,  and  by  his  depredations  in 
it  (xvi.  4). 

3.  in  the  first  ways  of  his  father  David]  This  is  rendered  by 
some,  in  the  ways  of  David,  the  earliest  toays  of  his  father 
(Asa),  before  Asa  declined  from  his  faith  in  God  (xvi.  2 — 12). 
So  Malvenda  and  Junius.  But  the  sense  seems  rather  to  be, 
in  tha  first  ways  of  David  his  father  (see  xxxiv.  2,  3),  before 
David  had  swerved  from  God  in  the  matter  of  Uriah,  which  the 
sacred  writer  has  not  mentioned,  but  which  he  assumes  to  be 
known  to  the  reader.  Though  David  repented,  and  his  sin 
was  forgiven,  yet  it  was  still  a  sin, — a  heinous  sin ;  and  here 
is  a  divine  protest  against  it.  Mun'.s  repentance  obtains  pardon 
of  God  for  sin,  but  it  docs  not  alter  the  nature  of  sin. 

4.  the  doings  of  Israel]  The  worship  of  the  calves. 


His  care  for 


2  CHRONICLES  XVII.  G— 19.     XVIII.  1.    the  teaching  of  J udah. 


Before 
CHRIST 
914. 
d  1  Sam.  10.  27. 

I  Kings  10.  25. 
t  Heb.  gave. 

e  1  Kings  10.  27. 
ch.  18    I. 

913. 

II  That  is,  W7I 
encouraged 

f  1  Kings  22.  43. 
ch.  15.  17.  & 
19.  3.  &  20.  33. 

912. 
g  ch.  15.  3. 


h  ch.  35.  3. 
Nell.  8.  7. 


i  Gen.  35.  5. 
t  Heb.  was. 


k  2  Sam.  8.  2. 


Or,  palaces. 


f  Heb.  at  his 
hand. 


1  Judg.  5.  2,  9. 


897. 
17.  5. 


the  kingdom  in  his  hand  ;  and  all  Judah  ''  f  brought  to  Jehoshaphat  presents  ,    . 
^  and  he  had  riches  and  honour  in  abundance.     ^  And  his  heart  ||  was  lifted  up  \ 
in  the  ways  of  the  Lord  :  moreover  4ie  took  away  the  high  places  and  groves 
out  of  Judah. 

7  Also  in  the  third  year  of  his  reign  he  sent  to  his  princes,  even  to  Ben-hail,  f, 
and  to  Obadiah,  and  to  Zechariah,  and  to  Nethaneel,  and  to  Michaiah,  ^  to 
teach  in  the  cities  of  Judah.  ^  And  with  them  he  sent  Levites,  even  Shemaiah, 
and  Nethaniah,  and  Zebadiah,  and  Asahel,  and  Shemiramoth,  and  Jehonathan, 
and  Adonijah,  and  Tobijah,  and  Tob-adonijah,  Levites ;  and  with  them  Eli- 
shama  and  Jehoram,  priests.  ^  ''  And  they  taught  in  Judah,  and  had  the  book 
of  the  law  of  the  Lord  with  them,  and  went  about  throughout  all  the  cities  of 
Judah,  and  taught  the  people. 

^^  And  '  the  fear  of  the  Lord  f  fell  upon  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  lands  that 
ivere  round  about  Judah,  so  that  they  made  no  war  against  Jehoshaphat.  '^Also 
some  of  the  Philistines  ^  brought  Jehoshaphat  presents,  and  tribute  silver ;  and 
the  Arabians  brought  him  flocks,  seven  thousand  and  seven  hundred  rams,  and 
seven  thousand  and  seven  hundred  he  goats.  ^"^And  Jehoshaphat  waxed  great 
exceedingly ;  and  he  built  in  Judah  ||  castles,  and  cities  of  store.  ^^And  he 
had  much  business  in  the  cities  of  Judah :  and  the  men  of  war,  mighty  men  of 
valour,  ivere  in  Jerusalem. 

^*  And  these  are  the  numbers  of  them  according  to  the  house  of  their  fathers : 
Of  Judah,  the  captains  of  thousands  ;  Adnah  the  chief,  and  with  him  mighty 
men  of  valour  three  hundred  thousand.  ^^  And  f  next  to  him  was  Jehohanan 
the  captain,  and  with  him  two  hundred  and  fourscore  thousand.  ^^  And  next 
him  was  Amasiah  the  son  of  Zichri,  '  who  willingly  ojQEered  himself  unto  the 
Lord  ;  and  w4th  him  two  hundred  thousand  mighty  men  of  valour.  ^^  And  of 
Benjamin  ;  Eliada  a  mighty  man  of  valour,  and  with  him  armed  men  with  bow 
and  shield  two  hundred  thousand.  ^^  And  next  him  was  Jehozabad,  and  with 
him  an  hundred  and  fourscore  thousand  ready  prepared  for  the  war.  '^  These 
waited  on  the  king,  beside  "*  those  whom  the  king  put  in  the  fenced  cities 
throughout  all  Judah. 

XVIII.    ^Now  Jehoshaphat  ^had  riches   and   honour   in  abundance,   and 


5.  brought— presents']  As  usual  at  the  beginning  of  a  reign 
(1  Sam.  X.  27.     1  Kings  x.  25). 

6.  he  took  away  the— groves']  The  idolatrous  pillars.  Cp. 
Judg.  vi.  25.  28.  1  Kings  xv.  13.  He  did  his  part,  but  the 
people  failed  in  theirs.  On  the  agreement  of  this  passage  with 
1  Kings  xxii.  43,  and  below,  xx.  33,  see  note  above,  on  1  Kings 
XV.  14;  and  2  Chron.  xlv.  3  ;  and  Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  249. 

7.  Also — he  sent]  He  not  only  did  all  in  his  power  to  take 
away  what  was  false,  but  he  did  what  he  could  to  promote  what 
was  true, — a  noble  example  of  a  religious  king. 

—  to  his  princes]  He  gave  charge  to  his  princes  that  they 
should  encourage  the  Priests  and  Levites  to  teach  the  people, 
and  to  see  that  they  did  their  duty  in  teaching  them  according 
to  the  Law.  See  Lev.  x.  11.  Deut.  xvii.  9,  10.  On  the  Priest's 
duty  to  teach,  see  above,  xv.  3 ;  and  below,  Mai.  ii.  7. 

9.  they — had  the  hook  of  the  Law  of  the  LoED  with,  them] 
They  carried  with  them  a  copy  of  the  Pentateuch  transcribed 
from  the  sacred  original,  which  was  laid  up  near  the  Ark  in  the 
Holy  of  Holies.  See  above,  on  Deut.  xxxi.  9—11.  24—26; 
and  2  Kings  xxii.  8 — 10 ;  and  below,  xxxiv,  14;  and  Neh.  viii. 
1—3.  For  a  reply  to  the  allegations  against  the  statement  in 
the  text,  see  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  403. 

11.  tribute  silver]  Or  rather,  silver,  a  burden,  a  great  weight, 
in  abundance.  The  Heb.  word  here  used,  massa  (burden), 
is  of  very  frequent  occurrence,  but  is  never  rendered  tribute, 
except  in  this  place.  Cp.  Bertheau  here;  and  below,  xx. 
25. 

256 


13.  much  business]  Much  work,  especially  in  building.  See 
1  Chron.  iv.  23 ;  xxii.  15.  2  Chron.  v.  1,  where  the  same 
word  is  used. 

16 — 18.]  These  verses  show  the  great  blessings  given  by 
God  to  obedience.  Jehoshaphat's  kingdom  was  not  a  third  of 
David's.  David's  muster  amounted  to  1,300,000  men  of  valour 
(2  Sam.  xxiv.  9).    Jehoshaphat  had  1,160,000. 

For  a  justification  of  the  sacred  writer  against  the  charge 
of  exaggeration  of  numbers  here,  and  elsewhere,  see  Keil, 
Chronik.  pp.  336—346 ;  HdvernicJc,  ii.  243. 

The  attempt  of  Baasha,  King  of  Israel,  to  fortify  Ramah 
(sec  xvi.  1—6),  shows  that  a  tide  of  population  streamed  from 
his  kingdom  into  that  of  Judah ;  and  doubtless  multitudes 
were  induced  to  emigrate  from  Israel  into  Judah  by  its  pros- 
perity under  Asa  and  Jehoshaphat,  and  by  the  encouragement 
then  given  to  true  religion,  and  also  to  works  of  industry  :  see 
vv.  12,  13.  God  punished  the  ungodly  Kings  of  Israel  for 
their  idolatry  by  a  depopulation  of  their  kingdom;  and  He 
rewarded  the  good  Monarchs  of  Judah  by  multiplying  their 
people,  and  also  by  giving  to  them  loyal  subjects,  and  good 
citizens,  who  flocked  to  them  from  the  idolatrous  kingdom  of 
Israel.     Cp.  above,  1  Kings  xv.  17. 

Ch.    XVIII.    1.  Jehoshaphat — -joined   affinity   tvith   Ahab 
Jehoshaphat's   son,    Jehoram,    was    married   to    Athaliah,    th 
daughter  of  Ahab   and   Jezebel.      Co.  xxi.  6;   and  2  Kings 
viii.  18. 


JehosJmphat  King  of  Judah ;  2  CHRONICLES  XYIII.  2—17.       his  alliance  with  Ahah. 


''joined  affinity  with  Ahab. 
to  Samaria. 


Before 
CHRIST 

897. 


And  f  after  certain  years  he  went  down  to  Aliab 
And  Aliab  killed  sheep  and  oxen  for  him  in  abundance,  and  for  b  2  Kings's,  is 
the  people  that  he  had  with  him,   and  persuaded  him  to  go  up  luith  him  to  &c. 
Bamoth-gilead.     ^And  Ahab  king  of  Israel  said  unto  Jehoshaphat  king  ofo/year^. 
Judah,  Wilt  thou  go  with  me  to  Ramoth-gilead  ?     And  he  answered  him,  I 
am  as  thou  art,  and  my  people  as  thy  people ;  and  ive  will  he  with  thee  in 
the  war. 

^  And  Jehoshaphat  said  unto  the  king  of  Israel,  **  Inquire,  I  pray  thee,  at  ^\^'"^-  "■  ^' 
the  word  of  the  Lord  to  day.     ^  Therefore  the  king  of  Israel  gathered  together  2Sam.2. 1. 
of  prophets  four  hundred  men,  and  said  unto  them.  Shall  we  go  to  Ramoth- 
gilead  to  battle,  or  shall  I  forbear  ?     And  they  said,  Go  up  ;  for  God  will 
deliver  it  into  the  king's  hand. 

^But  Jehoshaphat  said,  Is  there  not  here  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  f  besides,  ^"f-^"'°^' 
that  we  might  inquire  of  him  ?  ^  And  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  Jeho- 
shaphat, There  is  yet  one  man,  by  whom  we  may  inquire  of  the  Lord  :  but 
I  hate  him ;  for  he  never  prophesied  good  unto  me,  but  always  evil :  the 
same  is  Micaiah  the  son  of  Imla.  And  Jehoshaphat  said.  Let  not  the  king 
say  so. 

^And  the  king  of  Israel  called  for  one  0/  his  \\  officers,  and  said,  f  Fetch  jig^ 
quickly  Micaiah  the  son  of  Imla.  ®  And  the  king  of  Israel  and  Jehoshaphat 
king  of  Judah  sat  either  of  them  on  his  throne,  clothed  in  their  robes,  and  they 
sat  in  a  ||  void  place  at  the  entering  in  of  the  gate  of  Samaria  ;  and  all  the  pro- 
phets prophesied  before  them.  ^^And  Zedekiah  the  son  of  Chenaanah  had 
made  him  horns -of  iron,  and  said,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  With  these  thou  shalt 
push  Syria  until  fthey  be  consumed.  ^^  And  all  the  prophets  prophesied  so,  J^^/J',;,*^^"^^ 
saying,  Go  up  to  Ramoth-gilead,  and  prosper  :  for  the  Lord  shall  deliver  it 
into  the  hand  of  the  king. 

^2  And  the  messenger  that  went  to  call  Micaiah  spake  to  him,  saying.  Be- 
hold, the  words  of  the  prophets  declare  good  to  the  king  f  with  one  assent ;  let  l^^^^- «-'"' "'" 
thy  word  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  be  like  one  of  theirs,  and  speak  thou  good. 
^^  And  Micaiah  said.  As  the  Lord  liveth,  ^  even  what  my  God  saith,  that  will 
I  speak. 

^*  And  when  he  was  come  to  the  king,  the  king  said  unto  him,  Micaiah,  shall 
we  go  to  Ramoth-gilead  to  battle,  or  shall  I  forbear  ?  And  he  said.  Go  ye  up, 
and  prosper,  and  they  shall  be  delivered  into  your  hand.  ^^  And  the  king  said 
to  liim,  How  many  times  shall  I  adjure  thee  that  thou  say  nothing  but  the 
truth  to  me  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  ?  ^^  Then  he  said,  I  did  see  all  Israel 
scattered  upon  the  mountains,  as  sheep  that  have  no  shepherd  :  and  the  Lord 
said.  These  have  no  master ;  let  them  return  therefore  every  man  to  his  house 
in  peace.     '^  And  the  king  of  Israel  said  to  Jehoshaphat,  Did  I  not  tell  thee 


eunuchs. 
Heb.  Hasten. 


Ol,  floor. 


e  Num.  22.  18, 
20,  35.  &  23.  12, 
26.  &  24.  13. 
1  Kings  22.  14. 


This  statement  is  coupled  with  the  narration,  that  he 
"  had  riches  and  honour  in  abundance,"  and  "  waxed  great 
exceedingly :"  see  xvii.  12.  Probably  the  wealth  and  power 
of  Jehoshaphat  induced  Ahab  to  promote  the  marriage ;  and 
Jezebel  hoped,  by  means  of  her  daughter  Athaliah,  to  gain 
influence  for  herself,  and  her  idolatrous  religion,  at  Jerusalem  ; 
and  this  project  was  successful  for  a  time.  See  2  Kings  xi. 
1.  3.  15. 

Perhaps  Jehoshaphat  himself  was  reconciled  to  the  union 
with  that  idolatrous  race,  and  was  farther  induced  to  associate 
himself  with  Ahab  in  a  campaign  to  Ramoth-gilead  (v.  3), 
and  with  his  son,  Ahaziah,  in  commercial  navigation  (below, 
XX.  35,  36),  in  the  hope  that  he  might  be  enabled  by  this  alliance 
to  bring  the  kingdoips  of  Israel  and  Judah  back  again  into 
Vol.  III.  257 


one.  But  it  turned  out  far  otherwise.  Athaliah,  his  daughter- 
in-law,  became  a  scourge  to  his  house  and  people  (see  on  xix.  2 ; 
xxii.  10.  2  Kings  xi.) ;  and  Jehoshaphat  was  censured  for  this 
alliance  by  God,  speaking  by  the  prophet  Jehu,  the  son  of 
Hanani  (xix.  2). 

2.  after  certain  years'^  In  the  third  year  of  the  peaco 
between  Ahab  and  Syria.     See  1  Kings  xxii.  1,  2. 

—  he  went  down  to  Ahah']  The  sacred  writer  here  intro- 
duces additional  circumstances  not  mentioned  in  the  Kings, 
but  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  narrative  there.  See  1  Kings 
xxii.  1 — 5. 

4 — 34.]  For  notes  on  the  narrative  here,  see  above,  on  the 
parallel  passage,  in  1  Kings  xxii.  4—  40. 


Jehoshaphat's  deliverance.  2  CHRONICLES  XVIII.  18—34.     XIX.  1,  2.  Ahab's  death. 


Before 
CHRIST 
897. 
II  Or,  but  for 
evil? 


g  Job.  12.  16. 
Isa.  19.  14. 
Ezek.  14.  9. 


h  Jer.  20.  2. 
Mark  14.  65. 
Acts  23.  2. 


II  Or,  from 

chamber  to 

chamber. 

i  Heb.  a  chamber 

in  a  chamber. 


+  Heb.  from  after 

him. 

f  Heb.  in  his 

simplicity. 

i  Heb.  between 

the  joints  and 

between  the 

breastplate. 

t  Heb.  made 


896. 
a  1  Sam.  9   9. 
bPs.  139.  21. 
c  ch.  32.  25. 


that  he  would  not  prophesy  good  unto  me,  Ijbut  evil  ?  ^^  Again  he  said,  There- 
fore hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  ;  I  saw  the  Lord  sitting  upon  his  throne,  and 
all  the  host  of  heaven  standing  on  his  right  hand  and  on  his  left.  ^^  And  the 
Lord  said,  Who  shall  entice  Ahab  king  of  Israel,  that  he  may  go  up  and  fall 
at  Eamoth-gilead  ?  And  one  spake  saying  after  this  manner,  and  another 
saying  after  that  manner.  -^  Then  there  came  out  a  ''  spirit,  and  stood  before 
the  Lord,  and  said,  I  will  entice  him.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Where- 
with ?  ^^  And  he  said,  I  will  go  out,  and  be  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  all 
his  prophets.  And  the  LORD  said.  Thou  shalt  entice  him,  and  thou  shalt  also 
prevail :  go  out,  and  do  even  so.  '^^'^ow  therefore,  behold,  Hhe  Lord  hath  put 
a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  these  thy  prophets,  and  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
evil  against  thee. 

2^  Then  Zedekiah  the  son  of  Chenaanah  came  near,  and  ''  smote  Micaiah  upon 
the  cheek,  and  said.  Which  way  went  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  from  me  to  speak 
unto  thee  ?  ^^  And  Micaiah  said.  Behold,  thou  shalt  see  on  that  day  when  thou 
shalt  go  II  into  f  an  inner  chamber  to  hide  thyself. 

2^  Then  the  king  of  Israel  said.  Take  ye  Micaiah,  and  carry  him  back  to 
Amon  the  governor  of  the  city,  and  to  Joash  the  king's  son  ;  -^  And  say.  Thus 
saith  the  king,  '  Put  this  fclloiv  in  the  prison,  and  feed  him  with  bread  of  afflic- 
tion and  with  water  of  affliction,  until  I  return  in  peace.  -''  And  Micaiah  said, 
If  thou  certainly  return  in  peace,  then  hath  not  the  Lord  spoken  by  me.  And 
he  said.  Hearken,  all  ye  people. 

2^  So  the  king  of  Israel  and  Jehoshaphat  the  king  of  Judah  went  up  to 
Ramoth-gilead.  ^^  And  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  Jehoshaphat,  I  will  dis- 
guise myself,  and  will  go  to  the  battle  ;  but  put  thou  on  thy  robes.  So  the 
king  of  Israel  disguised  himself;  and  they  went  to  the  battle.  ^^  Now  the  king 
of  Syria  had  commanded  the  captains  of  the  chariots  that  ivere  with  him,  say- 
ing. Fight  ye  not  with  small  or  great,  save  only  with  the  king  of  Israel.  ^^  And 
it  came  to  pass,  when  the  captains  of  the  chariots  saw  Jehoshaphat,  that  they 
said,  It  is  the  king  of  Israel.  Therefore  they  compassed  about  him  to  fight : 
but  Jehoshaphat  cried  out,  and  the  Lord  helped  him ;  and  God  moved  them 
to  depart  from  him.  ^^For  it  came  to  pass,  that,  when  the  captains  of  the 
chariots  perceived  that  it  was  not  the  king  of  Israel,  they  turned  back  again 
f  from  pursuing  him.  ^^  And  a  certain  man  drew  a  bow  fat  a  venture,  and  smote 
the  king  of  Israel  f  between  the  joints  of  the  harness  :  therefore  he  said  to  his 
chariot  man,  Turn  thine  hand,  that  thou  mayest  ca,rry  me  out  of  the  host ;  for 
I  am  f  wounded.  ^^  And  the  battle  increased  that  day :  howbeit  the  king  of 
Israel  stayed  himself  up  in  his  chariot  against  the  Syrians  until  the  even  :  and 
about  the  time  of  the  sun  going  down  he  died. 

XIX.  ^  And  Jehoshaphat  the  king  of  Judah  returned  to  his  house  in  peace 
to  Jerusalem.  ^  And  Jehu  the  son  of  Hanani  ^  the  seer  went  out  to  meet  him, 
and  said  to  king  Jehoshaphat,  Shouldest  thou  help  the  ungodly,  and  ^love  them 
that  hate  the  Lord  ?  therefore  is  "  wrath  upon  thee  from  before  the  Lord. 


31.  The  LoED  helped  Jiim']  This  is  added  by  the  sacred 
writer  here  to  the  narrative  in  the  Kings  (1  Kings  xxii. 
32). 

34.  he  died']  The  sacred  writer, — whose  concern  is  specially 
with  the  affairs  of  Judah, — abstains  from  noticing  the  igno- 
minious circumstances  of  Ahab's  death,  which  are  fully  related 
m  the  Book  of  Kings  (1  Kings  xxii.  35—38). 


Ch.  XIX. 
258 


2.  JeJiu  the  son  of  Hanani']  Who  had  reproved 


B^asha,  King  of  Israel,  at  Tirzah  (1  Kings  xvi.  1),  now  rebukes 
Jehoshaphat,  King  of  Judah,  at  Jerusalem :  he  afterwards 
recorded  his  acts  (xx.  34).  It  was  reasonable  that  a  prophet, 
who  was  connected  with  both  the  kingdoms  of  Israel  and  Judah, 
should  be  employed  on  this  occasion,  when  Jehoshaphat  was  to 
be  censured  for  his  alliance  with  Ahab. 

—  wrath  upon  thee  from  lefore  the  Lord]  Who  wiU  punish 
thy  house  by  wars  with  Moab  and  Ammon  (xx.  1),  and  by 
means  of  thy  own  son,— the  son-in-law  of  Ahab, — who  will 


Judicial  Tribunals 


2  CHKONTCLES  XIX.  3—11.     XX.  1,  2. 


in  Judah. 


2  Nevertheless  there  are  ''  good  things  found  in  thee,  in  that  thou  hast  taken 
away  the  groves  out  of  the  land,  and  hast  ^prepared  thine  heart  to  seek 
God. 

*  And  Jehoshaphat  dwelt  at  Jerusalem :  and  f  he  went  out  again  through 
the  people  from  Beer-sheba  to  mount  Ephraim,  and  brought  them  back  unto 
the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers.  ^  And  he  set  judges  in  the  land  throughout  all 
the  fenced  cities  of  Judah,  city  by  city,  ^And  said  to  the  judges,  Take  heed 
what  ye  do :  for  ^  ye  judge  not  for  man,  but  for  the  Lord,  ^  who  is  with  you 
f  in  the  judgment.  ^  Wherefore  now  let  the  fear  of  the  Lord  be  upon  you  ; 
take  heed  and  do  it:  for  ^' there  is  no  iniquity  with  the  Lord  our  God,  nor  '  re- 
spect of  persons,  nor  taking  of  gifts.  ^  Moreover  in  Jerusalem  did  Jehoshaphat 
■^  set  of  the  Levites,  and  of  the  priests,  and  of  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  Israel, 
for  the  judgment  of  the  Lord,  and  for  controversies,  when  they  returned  to 
Jerusalem.  ^  And  he  charged  them,  saying,  Thus  shall  ye  do  '  in  the  fear  of 
the  Lord,  faithfully,  and  with  a  perfect  heart.  ^^"'And  what  cause  soever 
shall  come  to  you  of  your  brethren  that  dwell  in  their  cities,  between  blood  and 
blood,  betv/een  law  and  commandment,  statutes  and  judgments,  ye  shall  even 
warn  them  that  they  trespass  not  against  the  Lord,  and  so  "  wi-ath  come  upon 
°you,  and  upon  your  brethren:  this  do,  and  ye  shall  not  trespass.  ^^  And, 
behold,  Amariah  the  chief  priest  is  over  you  ^  in  all  matters  of  the  Lord  ;  and 
Zebadiah  the  son  of  Ishmael,  the  ruler  of  the  house  of  Judah,  for  all  the  king's 
matters  :  also  the  Levites  shall  he  officers  before  you.  f  Deal  courageously, 
and  the  Lord  shall  be  "^  with  the  good. 

XX.  '  It  came  to  pass  after  this  also,  that  the  children  of  Moab,  and  the 
children  of  Ammon,  and  with  them  other  beside  the  Ammonites,  came  against 
Jehoshaphat  to  battle.  ^  Then  there  came  some  that  told  Jehoshaphat,  say- 
ing, There  cometh  a  great  multitude  against  thee  from  beyond  the  sea  on  this 


Before 
CHRIST 

890. 
d  ch.  17.  4,  6. 
See  ch.  12.  12. 
e  ch.  30.  19. 
Ezra  7.  10. 
t  Heb.  he 
returned  and 
went  out. 


f  Deut.  1.  17. 
g  Ps.  82.  1. 
Eccles.  5.  8. 
t  Heh.  in  the 
matter  of 
judgment. 
h  Deut.  32.  4. 
Rom.  9.  14. 
i  Deut.  10.  17. 
Job  34.  19. 
Acts  10.  34. 
Rom.  2.  11. 
Gal.  2.6. 
Eph.  6.  9. 
Col.  3.  25. 
1  Pet.  1.  17. 
k  Deut.  16.  18. 
ch.  17.  8. 
1  2  Sam.  23.  3. 
m  Deut.  17.  8, 
&c. 


n  Num.  16.  46. 
0  Ezek.  3.  18. 
p  1  Chron.  26.  30. 


t  Heb.  Talce 
courage  and  do. 
q  ch.  15.  2. 


destroy  many  of  tliy  cliiklren  (xxi.  4),  and  by  means  of  thy 
daughter-in-law,  Athaliah,  daughter  of  Ahab  (xxii.  10). 

4.  JehosTiaphat—hrougM  them  hacJc  unto  the'LiO'B.T)'\  Observe 
the  resemblance  and  the  contrast  between  Jehoshaphat,  and 
Asa  his  father.  Both  laboured  in  the  work  of  religious  Re- 
formation ;  both  were  reproved  by  prophets  for  their  sins,  in 
uniting  themselves  with  godless  men.  Asa  was  wroth,  and 
put  Hanani  the  prophet  into  prison  for  his  zeal  (xvi.  7 — 10). 
But  Jehoshaphat  hearkened  to  Jehu,  the  son  of  Hanani,  and 
retrieved  his  fault  by  repentance  and  reformation.  Asa  came 
to  an  luihappy  end  (xvi.  12),  but  Jehoshaphat  died  happily. 

—  mount  Ephraim']  The  southern  frontier  of  the  northern 
kingdom. 

6.  cifi/  hi)  city']  Literally,  for  city  and  city.  The  Judges 
were  appointed  to  reside  in  central  cities,  with  a  view  to 
administration  of  justice  for  each  city  in  their  respective 
districts. 

7.  Wherefore — gifts']  Compare  Deut.  xvi.  18—20,  which 
passage  was  evidently  the  rule  of  Jehoshaphat's  conduct  in 
these  judicial  arrangements  and  injunctions. 

8 — 10.  Moreover  in  Jerusalem]  Compare  Deut.  xvii.  8 — 13, 
another  passage  which  Jehoshaphat  had  before  him,  and  to 
which  he  conformed  his  administration. 

For  an  explanation  of  the  terms  here  used,  see  above,  the 
notes  on  the  passage  of  Deuteronomy. 

Spieitttal  Couets. 
11.  And,  lehold,  Amariah  the  chief  priest  is  over  you  in  all 
matters  of  the  Lord]  A  remarkable  declaration,  and  of  no 
small  weight  for  the  determination  of  intricate  questions,  which 
are  fraught  with  momentous  consequences  to  Christian  Churches, 
especially  to  the  Church  of  England. 

Whether  there  were  two  distinct  Courts  at  Jerusalem,  the 
one  Civil,  the  other  Ecclesiastical  (as  is  affirmed  by  some,  as 
Bertram,  de  Repub.  Judaica,  pp.  137.  139),  or  whether  there 
259 


was  only  one  Final  Court  of  Appeal  (as  is  maintained  by  others, 
as  Groiivs,  de  Imperio  Sum.  Pot.  Circa  Sacra,  c.  xi.  §  15 ;  and 
de  Jure  Belli,  et  Pacis,  i.  3.  20),  is  not  quite  clear. 

But  it  is  certain,  and  agreed  on  by  almost  all  expositors, 
that  in  Tempoi-al  matters  the  chief  authority  was  in  the  Secular 
judge,  and  in  Spiritual  matters  the  High  Priest  presided,  and 
had  the  principal  influence  in  their  decision.  See  Bp.  Patrick 
here.  Cp.  Keil,  Archaol.  ii.  §  149,  who  says,  that "  Jehoshaphat, 
who  took  good  care  for  the  diffusion  of  the  knowledge  of  God's 
law  among  his  people  (xvii.  7—9),  not  only  established  local 
Courts  in  the  fortified  to-wms  (xix.  5—7),  but  constituted  a 
supreme  Court  in  Jerusalem,  consisting  of  Priests,  Levites 
(w.  8),  and  heads  of  fat:hers'  houses,  in  which  Tribunal  the  High 
Priest  presided  in  spiritual  causes,  and  the  chief  of  the  house 
of  Judah  in  temporal  matters,  and  the  Levites  were  assessors ; 
and  this  Court  was  authorized  to  pronounce  definitive  sentence 
on  all  causes  which  were  brought  before  it  by  Appeal  from  the 
lower  Tribunals."  And  so  Matthew  Kenry :  "Amariah,  the 
High  Priest,  was  to  preside  in  ecclesiastical  causes ;  Zebadiah, 
the  prime  minister  of  state,  was  to  preside  in  all  civil  causes." 
Cp.  note  above,  on  Deut.  xvii.  9 ;  and  Theophihis  Anglicanus, 
part.  iii.  ch.  vii. 

—  Amariah]  The  fifth  High  Priest  from  Zadok  (1  Chron. 
vi.  11) ;  and  Jehoshaphat  was  the  fifth  King  from  David.  In 
these  matters  Jehoshaphat's  acts  corresponded  well  with  his 
name,  which  signifies  Judgment  of  Jehovah. 

Ch.  XX.  1.  beside  the  Ammonites]  Heb.  Mehaammonim, 
which  the  Sept.  renders  by  Minceans.  Probably  (as  Hiller, 
Bochart,  Patrick,  Bertheau,  and  others  suggest)  the  true 
interpretation  of  the  words  is,  "  Mehunim,"  who  appear  to 
have  lived  near  Mount  Seir,  on  the  south  of  the  Moabites. 
See  below,  vv.  10.  22,  23;  and  compare  the  notices  of  them 
above,  Judg.  x.  12 ;  and  on  1  Chron.  iv.  41 ;  and  below,  xxvi.  7, 
Ezra  ii.  50 ;  and  Grove,  B.  D.  ii.  312. 

2.  from  beyond  the  sea]  The  Dead  Sea. 


Jehoshaphat's  Prayer 


2  CHRONICLES  XX.  3—17. 


in  his  distress. 


Before 
CHRIST 

896. 
a  Gen.  14.  7. 
b  Josh.  15.  62. 
t  Keb.  his  face. 
c  ch.  19.  3. 
d  Ezras.  21. 
Jer.  36.  9. 
Jonah  3.  5. 


e  Deut.  4.  39. 
Josh.  2.  II. 
1  Kings  8.  23. 
Matt.  6.  9. 
f  Ps.  47.  2,  8. 
Dan.  4.  17,  25, 
32. 

g  i  Chron.  29.  12. 
Ps.  62.  11. 
Matt.  6.  13. 
h  Gen.  17.  7. 
Exod,  6.  7. 
t  Heb.  tliou. 
i  Ps.  44.  2. 
k  Isa  41.  8. 
James  2.  23. 
1  1  Kings  8.  33, 
37. 

ch.  6.  28,  29,  30. 
m  ch.  6.  20. 

n  Deut.  2.  4,  9, 
19. 

o  Num.  20.  21. 

p  Ps.  83.  12. 


q  1  Sam.  3.  13. 

rPs.  25.  15.  & 
121.  1,  2.  & 
123.  1,  2.  & 
141.  8. 


s  Num.  11.  25, 
26.  &  24.  2. 
ch.  15.  1.  & 
24.  20. 

t  Exod.  14.  13, 

14. 

Deut.  1.  29,  30.  & 

31.  6,  8. 

ch.  32.  7. 

t  Heb.  ascent. 

II  Or,  valley. 

u  Exod.  14.  13, 
14. 


side  Syria ;  and,  behold,  they  he  ^iii  Hazazon-tamar,  which  is  ''En-gedi.  ^And 
Jehoshaphat  feared,  and  set  f  himself  to  ""  seek  the  Lord,  and  ^  proclaimed  a 
fast  throughout  all  Judah.  ^  And  Judah  gathered  themselves  together,  to  ask 
help  of  the  Lord  :  even  out  of  all  the  cities  of  Judah  they  came  to  seek  the 
Lord. 

^  And  Jehoshaphat  stood  in  the  congregation  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  before  the  new  court,  ^  And  said,  0  Lord  God  of  our  fathers, 
art  not  thou  *God  in  heaven?  and  ^rulest  not  thou  over  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  heathen  ?  and  ^  in  thine  hand  is  there  not  power  and  might,  so  that  none  is 
able  to  withstand  thee  ?  '^  Art  not  thou  ''  our  God,  \ivho  '  didst  drive  out  the 
inhabitants  of  this  land  before  thy  people  Israel,  and  gavest  it  to  the  seed  of 
Abraham  ^  thy  friend  for  ever  ?  ^  And  they  dwelt  therein,  and  have  built  thee 
a  sanctuary  therein  for  thy  name,  saying,  ^ '  If,  lohen  evil  cometh  upon  us,  as 
the  sword,  judgment,  or  pestilence,  or  famine,  we  stand  before  this  house,  and 
in  thy  presence,  (for  thy  "'name  is  in  this  house,)  and  cry  unto  thee  in  our 
affliction,  then  thou  wilt  hear  and  help.  ^^  And  now,  behold,  the  children  of 
Ammon  and  Moab  and  mount  Seir,  whom  thou  "wouldest  not  let  Israel  invade, 
when  they  came  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  but  °  they  turned  from  them,  and 
destroyed  them  not;  ^^  Behold,  I  saij,  hoiv  they  reward  us,  ^to  come  to  cast 
us  out  of  thy  possession,  which  thou  hast  given  us  to  inherit.  ^^  0  our  God, 
wilt  thou  not  ''judge  them  ?  for  we  have  no  might  against  this  great  company 
that  cometh  against  us  ;  neither  know  we  what  to  do  :  but  "■  our  eyes  are  upon 
thee. 

^^And  all  Judah  stood  before  the  Lord,  with  their  little  ones,  their  wives, 
and  their  children.  ^^  Then  upon  Jahaziel  the  son  of  Zechariah,  the  son  of 
Benaiah,  the  son  of  Jeiel,  the  son  of  Mattaniah,  a  Levite  of  the  sons  of  Asaph, 
'  came  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  the  congregation  ;  ^^  And  he  said, 
Hearken  ye,  all  Judah,  and  ye  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  thou  king  Jeho- 
shaphat, Thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you,  '  Be  not  afraid  nor  dismayed  by  reason 
of  this  great  multitude  ;  for  the  battle  is  not  yours,  but  God's.  ^^  To  morrow 
go  ye  down  against  them  :  behold,  they  come  up  by  the  f  cliff  of  Ziz  ;  and  ye 
shall  find  them  at  the  end  of  the  j|  brook,  before  the  wilderness  of  Jeruel. 
^^  "Ye  shall  not  need  to  fight  in  this  battle:  set  yourselves,  stand  ye  still,  and 


—  on  this  side  Si/ria]  Or,  from  Aram.  Some  (as  Calmet 
and  Bertheau)  suppose,  that  for  Aram  we  should  read  Edam 
here,  as  in  2  Sam.  viii.  13  (see  note  there) ;  and  this  reading 
is  confirmed  by  Syriac  and  Arabic,  who  represent  them  as 
coming  from  the  direction  of  the  Red  Sea. 

—  Hazazon-tamar  —  Un-gedi]  On  the  west  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  See  on  Gen.  xiv.  7  ;  and  1  Sam.  xxiii.  29.  Forter,  B.  D. 
i.  552. 

5.  the  new  courf]  The  outer  court,  built  by  Solomon  (iv.  9), 
and  probably  enlarged  or  renewed  by  some  later  kings. 

6.  and  said'\  On  this  prayer  of  Jehoshaphat,  one  of  the  most 
admirable  that  were  ever  offered  by  any  king  of  Judah,  or  of 
any  nation,  see  Bp.  Patrick's  Reflections,  in  his  note  on 
r.  12. 

—  and  in  thine  hand  is  there  not  poioer  and  mighi^  Jeho- 
shaphat in  his  prayer  adopts  the  language  of  the  recorded 
prayers  of  David  (1  Chron.  xxix.  11,  12)  and  of  Solomon.  See 
V.  9  here,  compared  with  vi.  22—39;  and  1  Kings  viii. 
37—39. 

Thus  these  prayers  confirm  one  another's  genuineness; 
and  they  show  the  presence  and  power  of  the  same  Spirit, 
working  in  tne  hearts,  and  speaking  by  the  lips,  of  successive 
Kings  of  God's  people. 

7.  J.hraham  thy  friend]  So  it  is  said  of  Moses,  that  God 
talked  v/ith  him  face  to  face,  "  as  a  man  speaketh  to  his  friend  " 
(Exod.  axxiii.  11). 

Hezekiah   calLj  Abraham  the  friend  of  God;    and   God 
260 


Himself  says,  by  Isaiah  (xli.  8),  "  Thou,  Israel,  art  my  servant, 
Jacob  whom  I  have  chosen,  the  seed  of  Abraham  my  friend;" 
and  St.  James  refers  to  this  title,  "  The  Scripture  was  fulfilled 
which  saith,  Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was  imputed  to 
him  for  righteousness  :  and  he  was  called  the  Friend  of  God " 
(James  ii.  23).  And  to  this  day,  Hebron,  where  Abraham 
dwelt,  is  called  from  Abraham  El  Chalil,  "  the  friend."  See 
on  Gen.  xiii.  18. 

10.  mount  Seir']  The  Edomite  Mehunim,  mentioned  in  v.  1  (see 
note  there),  who  had  refused  the  Israelites  a  passage  through  their 
country  in  their  journey  to  Canaan  (Num.  xx.  14 — 21),  and  whom 
the  Israelites  were  forbidden  to  attack  (Deut.  ii.  5.  Judg.  xi.  17). 

13.  all  Judah — little  ones — wives  and  their  children]  The 
enemy  were  marching  toward  Jerusalem  from  Engedi  (y.  2), — 
along  a  mountain-road,  called  the  ascent  of  Ziz  (v.  16),  by  which 
they  defiled  into  the  desert  of  Israel,  which  was  not  far  from 
Tekoa  (v.  20),  about  fifteen  miles  s.W.  of  Jerusalem.  This  moun- 
tain-road passed  through  one  of  the  Wadys,  which  run  from  the 
level  country,  on  the  west  of  the  Dead  Sea,  through  the  moun- 
tain-range forming  its  western  border.  The  desert  of  Israel 
may  be  the  large,  wild  table-land,  called  ElSiisdsah, — a  name 
probably  derived  from  Ziz  {Robinson,  ii.  212.  243). 

14.  Jahaziel — Asaph]  Probably  Ps.  Ixxxiii.  was  then  com- 
posed by  him.     See  below  on  it. 

17.  Ye  shall  not  need  to  fight  in  this]  Rather,  Ye  must  not 
fight  in  this  (the  word  battle  would  be  better  omitted :  cp. 
xix.  2) ;  but,  "  stand  still,  and  see  the  salvation  of  God."    Jeho- 


The  song  of  praise , 


2  CHRONICLES  XX.  18—26. 


and  the  victory. 


see  the  salvation  of  the  Loed  with  you,  0  Judah  and  Jerusalem  :  fear  not,  nor 
be  dismayed ;  to  morrow  go  out  against  them  :  "  for  the  Lord  ivill  he  with  you. 
^^  And  Jehoshaphat  ^  bowed  his  head  with  his  face  to  the  ground:  and  all  Judah 
and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  fell  before  the  Lord,  worshipping  the  Lord. 
^^  And  the  Levites,  of  the  children  of  the  Kohathites,  and  of  the  children  of 
the  Korhites,  stood  up  to  praise  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  with  a  loud  voice  on 
high. 

2*^  And  they  rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  forth  into  the  wilderness  of 
Tekoa  :  and  as  they  went  forth,  Jehoshaphat  stood  and  said.  Hear  me,  0  Judah, 
and  ye  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem ;  '■  Believe  in  the  Lord  your  God,  so  shall  ye 
be  established  ;  believe  his  prophets,  so  shall  ye  prosper.  ^^  And  when  he  had 
consulted  with  the  people,  he  appointed  singers  unto  the  Lord,  ^  and  f  that 
should  praise  the  beauty  of  holiness,  as  they  went  out  before  the  army,  and  to 
say,  ''  Praise  the  Lord  ;  "  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever. 

22 1  And  when  they  began  f  to  sing  and  to  praise,  '^  the  Lord  set  ambush- 
ments  against  the  children  of  Ammon,  Moab,  and  mount  Seir,  which  were 
come  against  Judah ;  and  ||  they  were  smitten.  ^3  Yqy  the  children  of  Ammon 
and  Moab  stood  up  against  the  inhabitants  of  mount  Seir,  utterly  to  slay  and 
destroy  them :  and  when  they  had  made  an  end  of  the  inhabitants  of  Seir,  every 
one  helped  f  to  destroy  another. 

2^  And  when  Judah  came  toward  the  watch  tower  in  the  wilderness,  they 
looked  unto  the  multitude,  and,  behold,  they  were  dead  bodies  fallen  to  the 
earth,  and  f  none  escaped,  ^s  ^^  when  Jehoshaphat  and  his  people  came  to 
take  away  the  spoil  of  them,  they  found  among  them  in  abundance  both  riches 
with  the  dead  bodies,  and  precious  jewels,  which  they  stripped  off  for  themselves, 
more  than  they  could  carry  away  :  and  they  were  three  days  in  gathering  of 
the  spoil,  it  was  so  much.  ^6  j,^^^  q^  ^j^q  fourth  day  they  assembled  them- 
selves in  the  valley  of  ||  Berachah ;  for  there  they  blessed  the  Lord  :  therefore 


Before 

CHRIST 

896. 

X  Num.  14.  9. 

ch.  15.  2.  &  32.  8. 

y  Exod.  4.  31. 


a  1  Chron.  16.  29. 
t  Heh.  praisert. 


b  1  Chron.  16.  34. 

Ps.  136.  I. 

c  1  Chron.  16.  41. 

ch.  5.  13.  & 

7.  3,  6. 

t  Heb.  And  in 

the  time  that  they, 

t  Heb.  in  sinking 
and  praise. 
d  Judg.  7.  22. 

I  Sam.  14.  20. 

II  Or,  they  smote 
one  another. 

f  Heb.  for  the 
destruction. 


t  Heb.  there  was 
not  an  escapinij. 


II  That  is, 
Blessing. 


shaphat  adopts  the  words  of  Moses   at  the  Red  Sea   (Exod. 
xiv.  13). 

God  was  about  to  renew  the  wonders  of  the  Exodus,  in 
answer  to  the  faith  and  prayer  of  Jehoshaphat,  as  He  had  done 
for  Jehoshaphat's  father,  Asa  (see  xiv.  9 — 15),  in  order  to 
show  that  He  was  the  same  God  as  the  God  of  their  fathers, 
the  Lord  Jehovah,  V^Tio  had  deUvered  them  from  Egypt,  and 
made  a  way  for  them  through  the  sea,  and  led  them  by  the 
pillar  of  fire ;  and  that,  if  they  believed  and  obeyed  Him,  He 
would  never  fail  to  protect  them. 

19.  Kohathites — Korhites']  AU  the  Korhites  were  Kohathites 
(cp.  1  Chron.  vi.  22)  j  but  the  Korhites  were  specially  dis- 
tinguished among  them. 

20.  And  they  rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  forth  into 
the  toilderness  of  Tekoa]  In  the  direction  by  which  the  army 
was  coming  (see  on  v.  13), — a  noble  act  of  faith.  They  went 
forth,  not  to  fight,  nor  in  battle  array,  but  as  a  chorus  of 
worshippers,  praising  the  Lord,  as  for  a  victory  already 
gained. 

The  Beauty  of  Holiness. 

21.  praise  the  leanty  of  holines.s']  This  is  diversely  rendered 
in  the  ancient  Versions.  Praise  the  holy  things  (Sept.) ;  praise 
God  in  their  companies  (Viily.) ;  praise  the  majesty  of  His 
holiness  (Syriac  and  Arabic)  :  and  so  Junius,  Tremellius,  and 
Munster.  It  is  translated  by  Bertheau,  "in  holy  attire;" 
and  so  Malvenda,  "  Praise  the  Lord  with  the  same  costume, 
and  dignity,  and  magnificence  as  in  the  Temple,-"  and  so 
Osiander  and  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  248. 

The  Hebrew  phrase  is  derived  from  Ps.  xxix.  2;  and 
Ps.  xcvi.  9:  "Bow  do^Ti  to  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holi- 
ness "  (see  above,  1  Chron.  xvi.  29) ;  and  the  correct  rendering 
here,  as  there,  seems  to  be  "in  the  beauty  of  holiness  "  that  is, 
with  inward  devotion,  and  also  with  outward  reverence. 

There  was  a  special  fitness  in  this  precept  on  this  occasion. 
261 


A  powerfiil  hostile  force  was  coming  against  them,  eager  to 
destroy  them,  and  they  themselves  were  dismayed  by  the 
numbers  and  violence  of  the  foe.  But  let  them  not  be  afraid. 
Let  them  trust  in  the  Lord,  their  King,  as  the  prophet 
exhorted  them  to  do.  Let  them  march  forth,  not  with  spear 
and  shield,  as  a  military  force,  but  let  them  go  out  as  a  festal 
religious  procession,  in  sacred  and  solemn  order,  as  if  they  were 
treading  the  courts  of  the  Lord's  Sanctuary,  and  chanting 
hymns  to  God,  such  as  they  sang  in  His  house. 

—  Praise  the  Lord— for  ever]  See  above,  1  Chron. 
xvi.  34. 

22.  the  Loed  set  ambushments]  Literally,  the  Lord  gave 
Hers  in  wait.  Heb.  m'tarebim.  See  Gesen.  445 ;  Fuerst,  762. 
The  Targum  supposes  them  to  have  been  angelic  powers ;  and 
so  Piscator,  Rambach,  Kwald,  Bertheau :  and  on  this  Dr. 
Davidson  says  (Introd.  ii.  104),  "  The  word  translated  ambush- 
ments,  means  powers,  or  angels  commissioned  by  God  to  bring 
about  the  destruction  of  the  army;"  and  the  same  writer, 
having  assigned  this  meaning  to  the  word,  adds,  "  Of  course 
this  cannot  be  true  history." 

The  sense  seems  to  be  (as  Vatablus  and  Patrick  suggest), 
that  God  turned  against  the  invaders  the  ambush  which  they 
had  set  against  Israel ;  as  the  Vulg.  well  expresses  it,  "  Vertit 
Deus  insidias  eorum  in  semet  ipsos."  Cp.  Keil  (Chronik. 
p.  248),  who  has  examined  the  allegations  against  the  veracity 
of  the  narrative.  He  supposes  (p.  243),  that  this  victory  is 
referred  to  in  Ps.  xliii.  and  Ps.  Ixxxiii. 

23.  For  the  children  of  Amman']  Rather,  and  the  children 
of  Amnion. 

25.  riches— jewels]  Substance  (cattle,  tents,  &c.),  and  dead 
bodies  (clothed  and  armed),  and  objects  of  desire  (gold,  silver, 
jewels,  &c.). 

—  more  than  they  could  carry  aivay]  Literally,  so  that 
there  was  no  loading. 

26.  the  valley  of  Berachah]  Or,  of  Blessing,  about  ten  miles 


The  valley  of  Berachah.         2  CHKONICLES  XX.  27—37.  Jehosliaphat's  character. 


Before 

CHRIST 

896. 


+  Heb.  head. 
e  Neh.  12.  43. 
fch.  ir.  10. 


gch.  15.  15. 

Job  34.  29. 

h  1  Kuigs22.  41, 

&c. 


1  See  ch.  17.  6. 


kch.  12.  14.  & 
19.  3. 


+  Heb.  words, 

I  1  Kings  16.  1, 
7. 

t  was  made  to 

ascend. 

m  1  Kings  22. 

48,  49. 

896. 

II  At  first 
Jehoshaphat  was 
unwilling, 

1  Kings  22.  49. 


n  1  Kings  22.  ■ 
0  ch.  9.  21. 


the  name  of  the  same  place  was  called,  The  valley  of  Berachah,  unto  this 
day. 

27  Then  they  returned,  every  man  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  and  Jehoshaphat 
in  the  f  forefront  of  them,  to  go  again  to  Jerusalem  with  joy;  for  the  Lokd  had 
^made  them  to  rejoice  over  their  enemies.  25^jj(j  j^j^ey  came  to  Jerusalem  with 
psalteries  and  harps  and  trumpets  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^And  Hhe 
fear  of  God  was  on  all  the  kingdoms  of  those  countries,  when  they  had  heard 
that  the  Lord  fought  against  the  enemies  of  Israel.  ^°  So  the  realm  of  Jeho- 
shaphat was  quiet :  for  his  ^  God  gave  him  rest  round  about. 

2^  ^  And  Jehoshaphat  reigned  over  Judah :  he  was  thirty  and  five  years  old 
when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  twenty  and  five  years  in  Jerusalem. 
And  his  mother's  name  ivas  Azubah  the  daughter  of  Shilhi.  ^^And  he  walked 
in  the  way  of  Asa  his  father,  and  departed  not  from  it,  doing  that  ivhich  teas 
right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  ^^Howbeit  'the  high  places  were  not  taken 
away :  for  as  yet  the  people  had  not  ^  prepared  their  hearts  unto  the  God  of 
their  fathers. 

^^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jehoshaphat,  first  and  last,  behold,  they  are 
written  in  the  f  book  of  Jehu  the  son  of  Hanani,  '  who  f  is  mentioned  in  the  book 
of  the  kings  of  Israel. 

2^  And  after  this  "did  Jehoshaphat  king  of  Judah  join  himself  with  Ahaziah 
king  of  Israel,  who  did  very  wickedly:  ^^  ||  And  he  joined  himself  with  him 
to  make  ships  to  go  to  Tarsliish  :  and  «they  made  the  ships  in  Ezion-gaber. 
^7  Then  Eliezer  the  son  of  Dodavah  of  Mareshah  prophesied  against  Jehosha- 
phat, saying.  Because  thou  hast  joined  thyself  with  Ahaziah,  the  Lord  hath 
broken  thy  works.  "  And  the  ships  were  broken,  that  they  were  not  able  to  go 
""to  Tarshish. 


s.S.w.  of  Jerusalem,  and  about  two  miles  west  of  Tekoa  (now 
Tekua).     It  is  now  caWeA  Bereikut  {Robinson,  ii.  189). 

The  spot  called  Capbar  Barucbab,  wliicb  is  described  by 
S.  Je7-ome  (Epit.  Paulas,  Ep.  86),  as  tbe  place  wbence  Abrabam 
looked  upon  Sodom,  has  been  connected  by  some  (e.g.  by 
Bertheau)  witb  Beracbah;  by  others  it  is  placed  about  ten 
miles  further  to  the  south  :  cp.  Grave,  B.  D.  i.  191. 

33.  the  high  f  laces  were  not  taken  away\  The  King  did  his 
part,  and  God  accepted  bis  endeavours  accordingly,  but  the 
people  bad  not  prepared  their  hearts  to  follow  the  God  of  their 
fathers  wholly  :  cp.  on  xvii.  6. 

34.  Jehu  the  son  of  Sanani]  See  xix.  2. 

36.  And  after  this^  In  the  seventeenth  or  eighteenth  year  of 
his  reign  :  see  1  Kings  xxii.  51. 

—  join  himself  tvith  Ahaziah'\  The  son  of  Abab;  although 
he  bad  been  reproved  by  Jehu,  the  son  of  Hanani,  for  joining 
himself  with  Ahab  his  father. 

—  who  did  very  wickedh/'}  Literally,  he  did  wickedlij  in  his 
doings.  This  has  been  applied  by  some  (e.  g.  Bertheau)  to 
Jehoshaphat  j  but  our  Authorized  Version  appears  to  be 
correct ;  and  so  Vulg.,  Syriac,  and  Arabic. 

36.  they  made  the  .ihips  in  Ezion-gaber]  R.atber,  tliey  made 
ships ;  and  so  Sept.  Jehoshaphat  seems  to  have  done  two 
things : — 

(1)  He  joined  himself  with  Ahaziah,  King  of  Israel,  to 
make  ships,  to  go  westward  to  Tarshish,  or  Tartessus,  in  Spain. 
He  made  these  ships  in  the  Red  Sea,  at  Ezion-gaber,  tbe 
emporium'  of  Jehoshaphat  and  of  Judah. 

Eliezer  reproved  him  for  this  association,  and  the  ships 
were  broken  in  the  bai-bour,  and  went  not. 

(2)  He  also  made  ships  to  go  in  a  south-easterly  direction 
to  Ophir  (cp.  above,  on  1  Kings  ix.  26 — 28;  x.  11  j  xxii. 
48 — 50) ;  but  these  were  broken  also  (1  Kings  xxii.  48). 

Then  Ahaziah,  son  of  Abab,  requested  leave  of  Jehoshaphat 
to  let  bis  sei-vants  go  with  his  own  in  the  ships.     But  Jeho- 
shaphat,  warned  by  the  prophet    Eliezer,  and   by  his  former 
misfortunes,  declined  tbe  offer.     The  statement  in  the  marginal 
262 


note,  in  our  Authorized  Version  here,   "  at  first  Jehoshaphat 
was  unwilling  "  (1  Kings  xxii.  49)  is  questionable. 

Here  is  another  instance  in  which  the  Author  of  the 
Chronicles  supplies  information  concerning  the  failings  of  good 
Kings  of  Judah,  and  concerning  the  courageous  remonstrances 
of  the  prophets,  which  are  not  found  iu  the  Book  of  Kings  :  see 
above,  on  xv.  1. 

37.    Mareshah'^     About    twenty-five    miles     south-west    of 
Jerusalem. 

Reteospect  op  the  foregoing  Chaptee. 
Jehoshaphat  and  Cheist. 

Jehoshaphat,  the  King  of  Judah,  whose  name  signifies 
Judgment  of  Jehovah,  appears  to  be  a  signal  type  of  Jesus 
Cheist.  He  foreshadowed  Christ  in  faith  and  obedience ;  in 
the  abolition  of  false  worship,  and  in  the  restoration  of  the 
true ;  in  the  efficacy  of  His  prayers  and  intercessions,  and  iu 
the  miraculous  victory,  achieved  over  bis  enemies  and  tbe 
enemies  of  God's  people,  by  means  of  tbe  spiritual  weapons 
of  prayer  and  praise  which  are  wielded  by  the  Church  of  God. 

Further,  Jeboshaphat's  name  is  connected  with  two  valleys  : 
one,  the  Valley  of  Berachah,  or  Blessing  ;  the  other,  the  Valley 
of  Jehoshaphat,  or  of  Judgment,  as  described  by  Joel  in  his 
prophecy  of  the  last  Judgment,  and  of  tbe  fuU  and  final  victory 
of  Christ  over  all  His  enemies  (see  Joel  iii.  2 — 21),  who  is 
supposed  by  some  (Sdvernick,  ii.  216)  to  have  derived  his 
imagery  from  the  incidents  of  tbe  miraculous  victory  of  Jeho- 
shaphat in  the  Valley  of  Berachah ;  and  so  Archdeacon  Lee,  on 
Inspiration,  p.  443. 

Jehoshaphat,  as  a  type,  bad  some  f^iilings,  which  remind 
us  that  he  was  a  type  ;  and  which  are  not  found  in  the  Divine 
Antitype.  Jehoshaphat  joined  himself  with  Ahaziah,  the 
godless  son  of  Ahab,  in  building  ships  to  trade  for  worldly 
wealth ;  and  those  ships  were  vn'ecked.  He  therefore  after- 
wards repented  of  what  he  had  done.  Christ  also  is  a  Builder 
of  ships.  The  Christian  Churches,  which  bring  spiritual  mer- 
chandise to  Him,  are  His  fleet.     The  navv,  which  He  builds,  is 


The  writing  from 


2  CHRONICLES  XXI.  1—12. 


Elijah  to  Jehoram. 


XXI.  1  Now  ^  Jeliosbapliat  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was  buried  with  his     chrTst 
fathers  in  the  city  of  David.  a  i  Kin|s"22.  so 

And  Jehoram  his  son  ||  reigned  in  his  stead.     ^  And  he  had  brethren  the  sons  n  ^lone. 
of  Jehoshaphat,  Azariah,  and  Jehiel,  and  Zechariah,  and  Azariah,  and  Michael, 
and  Shephatiah  :  all  these  tvere  the  sons  of  Jehoshaphat  king  of  Israel.     ^  And 
their  father  gave  them  great  gifts  of  silver,  and  of  gold,  and  of  precious  things, 
with  fenced  cities  in  Judali :  but  the  kingdom  gave  he  to  ||  Jehoram ;  because  Jartne^o? the"^* 
he  ivas  the  firstborn.     ^  Now  when  Jehoram  was  risen  up  to  the  kingdom  of  his  hjrfft"''^ 
father,  he  strengthened  himself,  and  slew  all  his  brethren  with  the  sword,  and  ^  ^*"^'  ^'  ^^' 
divers  also  of  the  princes  of  Israel.. 

^  ^  Jehoram  was  thirty  and  two  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  ^  ^^^  J^l;^^^ 
reigned  eight  years  in  Jerusalem.     ^And  he  walked  in  the  way  of  the  kings  of  &^'"^'^-'^' 
Israel,  like  as  did  the  house  of  Ahab  :  for  he  had  the  daughter  of  *"  Ahab  to  ''''^•^^•^• 
wife  :  and  he  wrought  that  ivhich  was  evil  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lokd.     ^  Howbeit 
the  Lord  would  not  destroy  the  house  of  David,  because  of  the  covenant  that 
he  had  made  with  David,  and  as  he  promised  to  give  a  f  light  to  him  and  to 
his  ^  sons  for  ever. 

^  ^  In  his  days  the  Edomites  revolted  from  under  the  f  dominion  of  Judah, 
and  made  themselves  a  kino^.     9  Then  Jehoram  went  forth  with  his  princes, 

^  .  •'-6  2  Kings  8.  20, 

and  all  his  chariots  with  him :  and  he  rose  up  by  night,  and  smote  the  Edomites  f^^^^  ^^^^ 
which  compassed  him  in,  and  the  captains  of  the  chariots.     ^^  So  the  Edomites 
revolted  from  under  the  hand  of  Judah  unto  this  day.     The  same  time  also  did 
Libnah  revolt  from  under  his  hand  ;  because  he  had  forsaken  the  Lord  God  of 
his  fathers. 

^^  Moreover  he  made  high  places  in  the  mountains  of  Judah,  and  caused  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  to  *"  commit  fornication,  and  compelled  Judah  thereto.  2o^7'^'^"* 
^2.  And  there  came  a  ||  writing  to  him  from  Elijah  the  prophet,  saying,  Thus  J  wilfcuwas 

writ  before  liis 
deatli,  2  Kings  2.  1, 


t  Heb.  lamp,  or, 

candle. 

d  2  Sam.  7.  12, 

13. 

1  Kings  11.  36. 

2  Kings  8.  19. 
Ps.  132.  11,  &c. 

889. 


tossed  by  winds  and  waves  of  this  world.  But  it  can  never  be 
wrecked.  It  trades  to  East  and  West.  It  trades  to  the  Ophir 
and  the  Tarshish  of  spiritual  riches ;  and  it  will  at  length  be 
safely  moored  in  an  Ezion-gaber  of  everlasting  peace.  See 
above,  on  1  Kings  ix.  28. 

Ch.  XXI.  1.  Jelwram']  Who  was  designated  to  be  King  in 
the  seventeenth  year  of  his  father,  and  was  crowned  in  the 
twenty-third  year,  and  reigned  eight  years,  two  with  his 
father,  and  six  after  his  father's  death.  See  above,  on  2  Kings 
i.  17 ;  viii.  16. 

4.  Jehoram — sleio  all  Ms  brethren]  Such  were  the  unna- 
tural fruits  of  the  marriage  of  Jehoram,  the  son  of  the  pious 
Jehoshaphat,  with  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  Ahab  and 
Jezebel. 

6,  6.]  See  2  Kings  viii.  17. 

—  the  daughter  of  Ahab]  Athaliah  (xxii.  2.  10). 

7—10.]  See  2  Kings  viii.  19—22. 

10.  unto  this  day]  See  2  Kings  viii.  22. 

The  Weiting  peom  Elijah  the  Prophet. 
12.  there  came  a  tvriting  to  him  from  Elijah  the  prophet] 
This  is  the  only  mention  of  Elijah  in  the  Books  of  Chronicles. 
The  sacred  writer  supposes  that  the  great  prophet's  history 
will  be  already  well  known  to  his  readers  from  the  Books  of 
Kings. 

It  is  a  notion  of  some  of  the  Rabbis  (Seder  01am.  c.  17 ; 
and  Aben  Ezra),  and  of  some  Roman-Catholic  expositors 
[Lyran.,  Sanchez,  Sellarmin.,  Saltan.,  and  A  La2:)ide),  that 
xhis  writing  came  from  Elijah  in  Paradise,  or  from  some  other 
j)lace  of  the  invisible  world.  Some  modern  critics  (even  J.  D. 
Michadis)  have  hence  derived  an  allegation,  that  Elijah  was 
not  really  carried  up  from  earth,  but  only  rapt  in  a  temporary 
vision,  and  lived  for  some  time  after  that  rapture. 

Others  (as  Davidson,  Introd.  ii.  119)  do  not  hesitate  to 
263 


deny  the  truth  of  the  narrative  here.  There  is  no  mention, 
they  observe,  of  the  letter  of  Elijah  in  the  Book  of  Kings; 
and  they  allege  that  he  could  not  have  been  alive  at  the  time 
of  its  deUvery  to  Jehoram  ;  and  "  the  epistle,"  it  is  added,  "  is 
brief  and  general,  different  from  what  we  should  expect  from 
the  prophet  under  the  circumstances.'^  And  some  critics  (as 
Gramberg,  p.  222)  venture  to  pronounce  this  narrative  to  be 
a  legend  invented  by  the  sacred  writer,  in  his  antipathy  to 
the  kingdom  of  Israel,  with  which  Jehoram  had  connected 
himself. 

With  regard  to  these  opinions,  it  must  first  be  observed 
that  the  document  in  question  is  not  called  a  letter  {iggereth, 
or  sepher),  but  simply  a  tvriting  (niicetab) ;  and  it  is  not  said 
that  Elijah  sent  it  in  person,  but  that  it  came  from  him. 

Next,  the  precise  time  of  Elijah's  assumption  into  heaven 
is  nowhere  distinctly  recorded.  See  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  311 ;  on 
2  Kings  ii.  12 — 14,  p.  221.  It  is  asserted  by  JJuther  (Chrouol. 
MUlen.  p.  721),  and  by  Bertheau  here  (p.  352),  that  Elijah 
might  have  been  alive  in  the  reign  of  Jehoram.  Lightfoot 
(p.  85)  supposes  that  Jehoram  had  slain  his  brethren  during 
Elijah's  life.  It  has  been  observed  (on  v.  1)  that  Jehoram  was 
associated  by  his  fiither  in  the  throne  two  years  before  his 
father's  death.  It  seems,  however,  to  be  most  probable  (as 
Menochius,  Mariana,  Junius,  Pfeiffer,  p.  150,  and  others 
suppose),  that,  at  the  time  when  this  writing  came,— that  is, 
was  delivered, — to  Jehoram,  Elijah  the  prophet  was  no  longer 
upon  earth,  and  that  he  had  been  taken  up  into  heaven  in  the 
time  of  Jehoshaphat. 

It  is  quite  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  Elijah,  while  upon 
earth,  was  enabled  to  foresee  the  woes  that  were  coming  on 
Judah  and  its  royal  house,  in  consequence  of  their  connexion 
with  the  idolatrous  and  sanguinary  family  of  Jezebel,  and  that 
he  left  a  prophecy  in  the  custody  of  Elisha,  or  of  some  of  the 
prophets,  with  a  commission  that  it  should  be  delivered  to 
Jehoram,  King  of  Judah,  when  he  had  been  guilty  of  the  sins. 


Jehoram's  miserable  end.    2  CHRONICLES  XXI.  13— 20.    XXII.  1,  2.    Ahaziah  succeeds. 


Before 
CHRIST 


g  ver.  1 1 . 

h  Exod.  34.  15. 

Deut.  31.  16. 

i  I  Kings  16 

31—33. 

2  Kings  9.  22. 

k  ver.  4. 

t  Heb.  a  great 

stroke. 

I  ver.  18,  19. 


about 
887. 
m  1  Kings  11. 
14,  23. 

t  Heb.  carried 
captive: 
See  ch.  22.  1. 
n  ch.  24.  7. 

887. 
II  Or,  Ahaziah, 
ch.  22.  1. 
or,  Azariah, 
ch.  22.  6. 

885. 
II  His  son, 
Ahaziah  Prnrex, 
2  Kings  9.  29, 
soon  after. 
o  ver.  15. 
p  ch.  16.  14. 


t  Heb.  without 

desire, 

Jer.  22.  18. 

885. 
a  2  Kings  8.  24, 
ftc.     See 
ch.  21.  17. 
ver.  6. 
bch.  21.  17. 
c  See  2  Kings 
8.  26. 


saith  the  Lord  God  of  David  thy  father,  Because  thou  hast  not  walked  in  the 
ways  of  Jehoshaphat  thy  father,  nor  in  the  ways  of  Asa  king  of  Judah,  ^^But 
hast  walked  in  the  way  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  and  hast  ^  made  Judah  and  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  to  ''go  a  whoring,  like  to  the  'whoredoms  of  the  house 
of  Ahab,  and  also  hast  "  slain  thy  brethren  of  thy  father's  house,  ivhich  ivere 
better  than  thyself:  ^'^  Behold,  with  fa  great  plague  will  the  Lord  smite  thy 
people,  and  thy  children,  and  thy  wives,  and  all  thy  goods  :  '^  And  thou  shalt 
have  great  sickness  by  '  disease  of  thy  bowels,  until  thy  bowels  fall  out  by  reason 
of  the  sickness  day  by  day. 

^^  Moreover  the  Lord  "  stirred  up  against  Jehoram  the  spirit  of  the  Philis- 
tines, and  of  the  Arabians,  that  ivere  near  the  Ethiopians  :  ^^  And  they  came  up 
into  Judah,  and  brake  into  it,  and  f  carried  away  all  the  substance  that  was 
found  in  the  king's  house,  and  "  his  sons  also,  and  his  wives  ;  so  that  there  was 
never  a  son  left  him,  save  ||  Jehoahaz,  the  youngest  of  his  sons.  ^^  ||  And  after 
all  this  the  Lord  smote  him  "in  his  bowels  with  an  incurable  disease.  ^^And 
it  came  to  pass,  that  in  process  of  time,  after  the  end  of  two  years,  his  bowels 
fell  out  by  reason  of  his  sickness  :  so  he  died  of  sore  diseases.  And  his  people 
made  no  burning  for  him,  like  ^the  burning  of  his  fathers.  ^^  Thirty  and  two 
years  old  was  he  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  in  Jerusalem  eight 
years,  and  departed  f  without  being  desired.  Howbeit  they  buried  him  in  the 
city  of  David,  but  not  in  the  sepulchres  of  the  kings. 

XXII.  ^  And  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  made  ^  Ahaziah  his  youngest  son 
king  in  his  stead  :  for  the  band  of  men  that  came  with  the  Arabians  to  the 
camp  had  slain  all  the  ^  eldest.  So  Ahaziah  the  son  of  Jehoram  king  of  Judah 
reigned.     ^  "^  Forty  and  two  years  old  was  Ahaziah  when  he  began  to  reign,  and 


which  Elijah  there  foretold ;  and  that  it  might  serve  as  a  warn- 
ing of  the  punishment  which  he  had  incurred  by  those  sins 
(see  vv.  14,  15),  and  might,  by  its  solemn  tones,  and  marvellous 
and  mysterious  character,  persuade  him  to  repent.  Such  a 
writing  as  this  from  Elijah,  delivered  after  his  death,  would 
also  serve  as  a  proof  of  the  prophet's  prescience,  and  would 
confirm  the  faith  of  all  true  Israelites  in  the  Lord  God  of 
Elijah. 

Samuel  prophesied  after  his  death  to  Saul  (see  on  1  Sam. 
jixviii.  11,  12) ;  Elisha  prophesied  on  his  death-bed  (2  Kings 
4iii.  19)  ;  and  after  his  death,  God  made  his  bones  an  instrument 
for  raising  a  dead  man  to  life  (2  Kings  xiii.  21). 

This  case  of  Elijah  was  still  more  remarkable.  And  there 
w<is  something  very  appropriate  in  these  circumstances  to  his 
character. 

As  has  been  before  observed,  Elijah,  the  prophet,  was  a 
signal  type  of  the  Great  Prophet  of  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  ; 
especially  in  the  transmission  of  his  spirit  to  others  after  him 
(see  above,  on  2  Kings  ii.  15).  Here  we  see  a  writing,  dictated 
by  the  Spirit  in  Elijah  ; — that  writing  was  a  prophecy  of  things 
to  come ;  it  was  a  warning  voice  to  the  guilty,  and  a  message 
of  comfort  to  the  godly ;  it  was  probably  delivered  by  some  of 
Elijah's  disciples  to  Jehoram,  and  all  its  predictions  were  fulfilled. 
Our  Blessed  Lord  left  behind  Him  divine  words,  which  were 
to  be  delivered  by  His  disciples  to  the  World  after  His  departure 
from  it.  "  What  I  tell  you  in  darkness,"  He  said,  "  that  speak 
ye  in  light;  and  what  ye  hear  in  the  ear,  that  preach  ye  upon 
the  house-tops  "  (Matt.  x.  27).  He  left  many  prophecies  with 
His  disciples ;  as  He  said,  "  These  things  have  I  told  you,  that 
when  the  time  shall  come,  ye  may  remember  that  I  told  you  of 
them"  (John  xvi.  4.  Cp.  John  xiii.  19;  xiv.  29).  He  spake 
to  them,  before  His  Ascension,  of  the  things  pertaining  to  the 
kingdom  of  God  (Acts  i.  3) ;  and  He  gave  them  the  Holy  Spu-it 
to  bring  to  their  remembrance  all  things  whatsoever  He  had 
spoken  unto  them  (John  xiv.  26). 

Therefore,  in  this  writing  of  Elijah,  the  Prophet,  to  King 
Jehoram,  may  we  not  recognize  here  a  foreshadowing  of  the 
work  of  Christ  Himself,  Who  gave  His  Spirit  to  His  Apostles,  to 
teach  them  all  things,  and  to  lead  them  into  all  truth,  and  to 
show  them  things  to  come  (John  xvi.  13),  and  Who  enabled 
264 


them  to  deliver  prophetic  writings,  such  as  the  Apocalypse, 
which  came  from  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  as  St.  John  declares, 
and  is  called  the  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  (Rev.  i.  1.  5. 
Cp.  xix.  10),  though  it  was  not  delivered  to  the  World,  whose 
destinies  it  reveals,  until  many  years  after  the  Ascension  of  our 
Great  Elijah  into  heaven  ? 

In  a  word,  may  not  all  the  prophetic  denunciations  of 
future  woes,  which  we  read  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  especially 
in  the  Gospels  and  Epistles  of  the  New  Testament,  be  justly 
regarded  as  writings  of  our  Great  Elijah,  Jesus  Cheist,  Who 
has  ascended  into  heaven,  and  Who  dictated  these  writings  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  Who  is  ever  speaking  in  them  to  the 
World. 

14.  The  LoED  toill  smite  thy  people — wives'^  This  prophecy 
of  Elijah  was  literally  fulfilled  :  see  v.  17. 

15.  disease  of  thy  bowels']  For  thou  hadst  no  bowels  of 
compassion  for  thine  own  flesh  and  blood,  but  hast  killed  the 
children  of  thy  father  {v.  4).  This  prophecy  also  was  literally 
fulfilled  {v.  18). 

—  day  by  day]  Literally,  days  upon  days;  probably,  mean- 
ing two  years.  Cp.  Isa.  xxls.  1 ;  and  below,  v.  19,  where  the 
Hebrew  has,  at  the  end  of  two  days,  i.  e.  of  two  sets  of  days,  or 
years  {Vtdg.,  Syriac,  and  Arabic). 

17.  his  zuiiJes]  Except  Athaliah. 

—  save  Jehoahaz]  Or,  Ahaziah  (xxii.  1),  or  Azariah 
(xxii.  6). 

19.  made  no  burning  for  him]  Though  his  end  was  loath- 
some :  cp.  xvi.  14. 

20.  without  being  desired]  Without  regret  of  any  one 
(Syriac,  Arabic),  without  praise  (Sept.). 

Ch.  xxii.  1.  Ahaziah]  Called  Jehoahaz  (xxi.  17). 

—  ?iis  youngest  son]  Cp.  2  Kings  x.  13,  which  is  not  in- 
consistent with  this  statement :  the  word  brethren  there  has 
a  large  meaning. 

2.  Forty  and  two]  The  manuscripts,  from  which  the  Syriac 
and  Arabic  Versions  were  made,  had  twenty  and  two ;  and 
this  is  adopted  by  Perizonins,  Praf.  ad  .lEliani  Var.  Hist.; 
Caietanus,  Bellarmine,  and  A  Lapide ;  Bp.  Patrick,  on 
2   Kings  viii.  26.    Keil,  on  Kings,  p.  252 ;  and  Bertheau  here. 


Ahaziah. 


2  CHRONICLES  XXII.  3—12.     XXIII.  1—3.     Atlialiah ;  Joash. 


Before 
CH  RIST 

885. 
21.  6. 


lie  reigned  one  year  in  Jerusalem.     His  mother's  name  also  was  ''  Atlialiah  the 

daughter  of  Omri.     ^  He  also  walked  in  the  ways  of  the  house  of  Ahab :  for  his  d  ch 

mother  was  his  counsellor  to  do  wickedly.     ^  Wherefore  he  did  evil  in  the  sight 

of  the  Lord  like  the  house  of  Ahab :  for  they  were  his  counsellers  after  the  death 

of  his  father  to  his  destruction.     ^  He  walked  also  after  their  counsel,  and  ^went         884. 

e  2  Kings  8.  28, 

with  Jehoram  the  son  of  Ahab  king  of  Israel  to  war  against  Hazael  king  of  *-''• 
Syi-ia  at  Ramoth-gilead  :   and  the  Syrians  smote  Joram.     ^''And  he  returned '■^^'"ss  9.  is. 
to  be  healed  in  Jezreel  because  of  the  wounds  f  which  were  ffivenhim  at  Ramah,  +  neb.  H,Aere«,i/A 

I  <~J  '    they  wounded 

when  he  fought  with  Hazael  king  of  Syria. 


And  11  Azariah  the  son  of  Jehoram  kina:  of  Judah  went  down  to  see  Jehoram  ver.^ 


kim. 

Otherwise 
called  Ahriziah, 


and 


the  son  of  Ahab  at  Jezreel,  because  he  was  sick.     ^  And  the  f  destruction  of  ch.  21." 

_      _     .  .  _  -  .  +  Heb.  i 


Jehoahax, 
1/. 
. treading 

Ahaziah  ^  was  of  God  by  coming  to  Joram  :  for  when  he  was  come,  he  *"  went  '^T";    ,.  . 

*/  '~>  '  K  JuQg.  14.  4. 

out  with  Jehoram  against  Jehu  the  son  of  Nimshi,  '  whom  the   Lord  had  l^Ta.M'^' '^ 
anointed  to  cut  off  the  house  of  Ahab.     ^  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  when  Jehu  \2KSi^l'6!i. 
was  *"  executing  judgment  upon  the  house  of  Ahab,  and  '  found  the  princes  of  10.  y-"^* 
Judah,  and  the  sons  of  the  brethren  of  Ahaziah,  that  ministered  to  Ahaziah,  ^^'  ^^• 
he  slew  them.     ^ ""  And  he  sousrht  Ahaziah  :  and  they  caught  him,  (for  he  was  ^  2  Kings  9. 27. 

^  t/  O  '    V  at  Megiddo  in 

hid  in  Samaria,)  and  brought  him  to  Jehu  :  and  when  they  had  slain  him,  they  fama^^^°^°^ 
buried  him  :  Because,  said  they,  he  is  the  son  of  Jehoshaphat,  who  "sought  nch.  17.4. 
the  Lord  with  all  his  heart. 

So  the  house  of  Ahaziah  had  no  power  to  keep  still  the  kingdom.     ^^°But         884. 

.  •'^  ■••  '^  o2  Kings  11.  1, 

when  Atlialiah  the  mother  of  Ahaziah  saw  that  her  son  was  dead,  she  arose  *=■=• 

and  destroyed  all  the  seed  royal  of  the  house  of  Judah.     ^^  But  ^  Jehoshabeath,  p  2  Kings  n.  2, 

•  1  p     k  ^  •    ^  1  •  Jehosheba. 

the  daughter  of  the  king,  took  Joash  the  son  of  Aliaziah,  and  stole  him  from 
among  the  Idng's  sons  that  were  slain,  and  put  him  and  his  nurse  in  a  bed- 
chamber. So  Jehoshabeath,  the  daughter  of  king  Jehoram,  the  wife  of  Je- 
hoiada  the  priest,  (for  she  was  the  sister  of  Ahaziah,)  hid  him  from  Athaliah, 
so  that  she  slew  him  not.  ^^  And  he  was  with  them  hid  in  the  house  of  God 
six  years  :  and  Athahah  reigned  over  the  land. 

XXIII.  ^  And  ""in  the  seventh  year  Jehoiada  strengthened  himself,  and  took  a2Kings%i.4, 
the  captains  of  hundreds,  Azariah  the  son  of  Jeroham,  and  Ishmael  the  son  of  *''■ 
Jehohanan,  and  Azariah  the  son  of  Obed,  and  Maaseiah  the  son  of  Adaiah,  and 
Elishaphat  the  son  of  Zichri,  into  covenant  with  him.     ^And  they  went  about 
in  Judah,  and  gathered  the  Levites  out  of  all  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  the  chief 
of  the  fathers  of  Israel,  and  they  came  to  Jerusalem.     ^  And  all  the  congrega- 


p.  354 ;  and  Fynes  Clinton,  Fasti,  i.  p.  315.    On  this  question, 
see  MarcJc.,  Syllog.  Diss.  p.  620,  ed.  1717. 

The  Seder  Olam  supposes  that  the  forty-two  years  in  the 
text  here  are  to  be  computed  fiom  the  reign  of  Omri,  the 
grandfather  of  Ahaziah's  mother;  and  Lighifoot,  following 
this  suggestion,  observes,  that  the  words  of  the  original  are, 
"Aliaziah  was  the  son  of  forty-two  years,"  and  that  his  years 
are  traced  from  the  dynasty  of  Omri,  on  account  of  his  connexion 
with  it  on  his  mother's  side.  It  is  supposed  by  others  {Kimchi 
and  Abarbinel),  that  Jehoram,  being  assailed  by  the  Arabians, 
and  being  in  a  diseased  state,  associated  his  son  with  him  in 
the  throne  when  his  son  was  twenty-two  years  old,  when  he 
himself  had  reigned  eight  years  (2  Kings  viii.  17),  and  that 
this  partnership  lasted  ttvenfi/  years,  and  that  then  Ahaziah, 
forty-two  years  old,  began  to  reign  alone.  But  perhaps  it  is 
best  to  read  twenty-two,  from  2  Kings  viii.  26. 

_When  we  can  verify  the  MSS.,  hitherto  collated  in  any 
particular  passages  of  Holy  Scripture  like  the  present,  by  re- 
ference to  another  passage  in  it,  it  seems  the  wisest  course 
to  adopt  those  means  ;  and  we  may  thankfully  recognize  those 
means  as  additional  proofs  of  God's  care  for  the  Sacred  Text. 

—  the   daughter']    Granddaughter.     See   xxi.   6.      2   Kings 
viii.  26. 

265 


5.  with  Jehoram]  His  uncle.  He  did  this,  notwithstanding 
the  rebuke  given  to  his  grandfather  Jehoshaphat,  for  his  alli- 
ance with  Ahab  and  Ahaziah  (xix.  2 ;  xx.  37) ;  he  followed 
Jehoshaphat  only  in  what  he  did  amiss,  and  in  what  he  repented 
of  having  done  (1  Kings  xxii.  49). 

6.]  See  above,  on  2  Kings  viii.  28. 

7.]  See  above,  on  2  Kings  ix.  21 — 27. 

8.  the  sons  of  the  brethren]  Near  relatives,  in  a  large  sense. 
See  2  Kings  x.  13,  14;  and  Movers,  Chronik.  p.  258;  Ewald, 
Gesch.  iii.  236. 

9.]  See  2  Kmgs  ix.  27,  28. 

10.]  See  2  Kings  xi.  1. 

11.  the  daughter  of  the  king]  Of  the  former  King,  Jehoram  : 
see  2  Kings  xi.  2. 

Ch.  XXIII.  1.  Jehoiada  strengthened  himself]  It  has  been 
alleged  by  some,  that  the  sacred  writer  here  is  at  variance  with 
the  author  of  the  Kings  (2  Kings  xi.  4 — 12),  in  that  the  latter 
represents  Jehoiada  as  effecting  his  purpose  by  means  of  the 
royal  guard,  and  the  former  ascribes  his  success  to  the  Levites 
(Bertheau,  p.  358 ;  Davidson,  Introd.  ii.  94.  96).  But  the 
one  narrative  is  supplementary  to  the  other.  The  author  of 
Chronicles  recognizes  the  agency  of  the  captains  of  hundreds 


Jehoiada  makes  Joash  King.      2  CHKONICLES  XXIII.  4 — 20.  Athaliah  is  slain, 

CHRIST     tion  made  a  covenant  with  the  kmg  in  the  house  of  G-od.     And  he  said  unto 

b 2 Sam"?.  12.     them,  Behold,  the  king's  son  shall  reign,  as  the  Lord  hath  ''said  of  the  sons 

9. 5?°°ch.6.i6.    of  David.     ^  This  is  the  thing  that  ye  shall  do  ;  A  thh*d  part  of  you  *"  entering 

'^  Heb'ttrJAows  ^^  ^^®  sabhath,  of  the  priests  and  of  the  Levites,  shall  he  porters  of  the  f  doors; 

^  And  a  third  part  shall  be  at  the  king's  house ;  and  a  third  part  at  the  gate  of 

the  foundation  :  and  all  the  people  shall  he  in  the  courts  of  the  house  of  the 

Lord.     ^But  let  none  come  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  save  the  priests,  and 

d^i  chron.  23. 28,  d  ^j^g^  ^-^nt  mluistcr  of  tlie  Le\dtes  ;  they  shall  go  in,  for  they  are  holy :  but  all 

the  people  shall  keep  the  watch  of  the  Lord.     ^  And  the  Le\dtes  shall  compass 

the  king  round  about,  every  man  with  his  weapons  in  his  hand ;  and  whosoever 

else  Cometh  into,  the  house,  he  shall  be  put  to  death :  but  be  ye  with  the  king 

when  he  cometh  in,  and  when  he  goeth  out. 

^  So  the  Levites  and  all  Judah  did  according  to  all  things  that  Jehoiada  the 

priest  had  commanded,  and  took  every  man  his  men  that  were  to  come  in  on 

the  sabbath,  with  them  that  were  to  go  out  on  the  sabbath :  for  Jehoiada  the 

^^se^^^chron.     ppiest  dlsmissed  not  Hhe  com-ses.     ^Moreover  Jehoiada  the  priest  delivered  to 

the  captains  of  hundreds  spears,  and  bucklers,  and  shields,  that  had  heen  king 

David's,  which  tvere  in  the  house  of  God.     ^^And  he  set  all  the  people,  every 

jHeb.^wrfer.   ^lau  haviug  his  weapon  in  his  hand,  from  the  right  f  side  of  the  f  temple  to  the 

left  side  of  the  temple,  along  by  the  altar  and  the  temple,  by  the  king  round 

about.     ^^  Then  they  brought  out  the  king's  son,  and  put  upon  him  the  crown, 

f  Deut.  17.  IS.     and  ^gave  him  the  testimony,  and  made  him  king.     And  Jehoiada  and  his  sons 

t  Heb.  Lei  the     auoiuted  him  and  said,  f  God  save  the  kinsr. 

King  (we.  '  '-' 

^2  Now  when  Athaliah  heard  the  noise  of  the  people  running  and  praising  the 

king,  she  came  to  the  people  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  :  ^^  And  she  looked,  and, 

behold,  the  king  stood  at  his  pillar  at  the  entering  in,  and  the  princes  and  the 

trumpets  by  the  king  :  and  all  the  people  of  the  land  rejoiced,  and  sounded  with 

g  1  chron.  25. 8.  trumpcts,  also  the  singers  's\dth  instruments  of  musick,  and  ^  such  as  taught  to 

t  Heb.  Con-        gijjof  praisc.     Then  Athaliah  rent  her  clothes,  and  said,  f  Treason,  Treason. 

sjiiracy.  O     i  . 

^^  Then  Jehoiada  the  priest  brought  out  the  captains  of  hundreds  that  were  set 
over  the  host,  and  said  unto  them.  Have  her  forth  of  the  ranges  :  and  whoso 
folio weth  her,  let  him  be  slain  with  the  sword.  For  the  priest  said,  Slay  her 
not  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.     ^^  So  they  laid  hands  on  her ;  and  when  she 

hNeh.s.28.      ^yjjg  come  to  the  entering  ^  of  the  horse  gate  by  the  king's  house,  they  slew  her 
there. 

^^  And  Jehoiada  made  a  covenant  between  him,  and  between  all  the  people, 
and  between  the  king,  that  they  should  be  the  Lord's  people,  i''  Then  all  the 
people  went  to  the  house  of  Baal,  and  brake  it  down,  and  brake  his  altars  and 

i  Deut.  13. 9.      his  images  in  pieces,  and  '  slew  Mattan  the  priest  of  Baal  before  the  altars. 
^^  Also  Jehoiada  appointed  the  offices  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of 

k  1  Chron.  23. 6,  tho  pricsts  thc  Levites,  whom  Da^id  had  "^ distributed  in  the  house  of  the  Lord, 

30,  31.  &24.  1.  i  '  •  •  1  1  1  -n 

1  Num.  28. 2.      to  ofifcr  tlie  burnt  offerings  of  the  Lord,  as  it  is  written  m  the   law  of  Moses, 
iueb.bythe      vrlth  reioicing  and  with  singing:,  as  it  was  ordained  f  by  David.     ^^And  he  set 

hands  of  David,  JO  &       O'  '        "f 

m?ch?o"26'^  ^^®  "'  poi'ters  at  the  gates  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  that  none  which  was  unclean 

nl' Kings  11.19.  lu  auy  tiling  should  enter  in.     20  "^(j  ^q  took  the  captains  of  hundreds,  and 

the  nobles,  and  the  governors  of  the  people,  and  all  the  people  of  the  land,  and 


(o.  1) ;  and  the  author  of  Kings  supposes  the  co-operation  of 
the  Levites.   See  Keil,  Versuch,  pp.  362—371.  2  Kings  xi.  4,  5. 
I'or  notes   on    this    chapter,    see   the  parallel  places    in 
2  Kings  xi.  1—20. 
266 


11.  his  sons']  Perhaps  that  very  Zacharias,  who  was  afterwards 
murdered  by  his  orders  (xxiv.  21),  was  among  the  number. 

18.  Jehoiada  appointed  the  offices']  Here  is  a  further 
explanation  of  the  brief  notice  in  2  Kings  xi.  18. 


King  Joash 


2  CHRONICLES  XXIII.  21.     XXIV.   1—13.    repairs  the  Temple. 


Before 
CHRIST 

878. 


about 
878. 


brought  down  the  king  from  the  house  of  the  Lord  :  and  they  came  through 
the  high  gate  into  the  king's  house,  and  set  the  king  upon  the  throne  of  the 
kingdom.  ^^  And  all  the  people  of  the  land  rejoiced  :  and  the  city  was  quiet, 
after  that  they  had  slain  Athaliah  with  the  sword. 

XXIV.  ^  Joash  ^ivas  seven  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned 
forty  years  in  Jerusalem.     His  mother's  name  also  was  Zibiah  of  Beer-sheba.  &^iK^&c.''^'' 
"  And  Joash  ^  did  that  ivhich  was  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  all  the  days  of  ^  ^"^  "^^  ^''-  ^• 
Jehoiada  the  priest.     '^And  Jehoiada  took  for  him  two  wives;  and  he  begat 
sons  and  daughters. 

^  And  it  came  to  pass  after  this,  that  Joash  was  minded  f  to  repair  the  house  meh.  to  renew 
of  the  Lord.     ^  And  he  gathered  together  the  priests  and  the  Levites,  and  said         *^^- 
to  them,  Go  out  unto  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  "^  gather  of  all  Israel  money  to  <=  2  Kings  12. -i. 
repair  the  house  of  your  God  from  year  to  year,  and  see  that  ye  hasten  the 
matter.     Howbeit  the  Levites  hastened  it  not. 

^  ^  And  the  king  called  for  Jehoiada  the  chief,  and  said  unto  him.  Why  hast  ^  2  Kings  12. 7, 
thou  not  required  of  the  Levites  to  bring  in  out  of  Judah  and  out  of  Jerusalem 
the  collection,  accordinq  to  the  commandment  of  ^Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord,  eExod.  30. 12, 

^  iy  _  '    13,  H,  16. 

and  of  the  conofreefation  of  Israel,  for  the  "^ tabernacle  of  witness  ?     ^For  ^the  f  Num.  1.50. 

O       o  '  Acts  7.  44. 

sons  of  Athaliah,  that  wicked  woman,  had  broken  up  the  house  of  God  ;  and  ^  '=''•  ^i-  ^''■ 
also  all  the  ''  dedicated  things  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  did  they  bestow  upon  h  2  Kings  12. 4 
Baalim. 

^And  at  the  king's  commandment  'they  made  a  chest,  and  set  it  without  at  12 Kings  12. 9. 
the  gate  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.     ^  And  they  made  f  a  proclamation  through  +  Heb.  o  t-o/c*. 
Judah  and  Jerusalem,  to  bring  in  to  the  Lord  "^  the  collection  that  Moses  the  k  ver.  e. 
servant  of  God  laid  upon  Israel  in  the  wilderness.     ^^  And  all  the  princes  and 
all  the  people  rejoiced,  and  brought  in,  and  cast  into  the  chest,  until  they  had 
made  an  end.     ^^  Now  it  came  to  pass,  that  at  what  time  the  chest  was  brought 
unto  the  king's  office  by  the  hand  of  the  Levites,  and  'when  they  saw  that  1 2  Kings  12. 10. 
there  was  much  money,  the  king's  scribe  and  the  high  priest's  officer  came  and 
emptied  the  chest,  and  took  it,  and  carried  it  to  his  place  again.     Thus  they 
did  day  by  day,  and  gathered  money  in  abundance.     ^^  And  the  king  and  Je- 
hoiada gave  it  to  such  as  did  the  work  of  the  service  of  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
and  hired  masons  and  carpenters  to  repair  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  also  such 
as  wrought  iron  and- brass  to  mend  the  house  of  the  Lord.     ^^  So  the  workmen 
wrought,  and  f  the  work  was  perfected  by  them,  and  they  set  the  house  of  God  J„"^V/»  'l'"^' 

upon  the  work. 


20.  the  high  gate]  The  gate  of  the  guard.  See  2  Kings 
xi.  19. 

Ch.  XXIV.  1,  2.]  See  2  Kings  xii.  1,  2. 

3.  tooJcfor  him]  For  Joash  (Vulg.,  Lightfoot,  Syriac,  and 
Bertheau),  not  for  himself  (as  Sept.  and  Arabic),  which  was 
unlawful  (Lev.  xxi.  13,  14).  See  Selden,  Uxor.  Heb.  iii.  19  j 
and  Bp.  Patrick  here. 

Probably  Jehoiada,  who  knew  what  had  been  done  by  two 
such  women  as  Jezebel  and  Athaliah,  was  desirous  of  guarding 
the  young  King  of  Judah  from  contracting  such  an  alliance  as 
that  of  Jehoram  with  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  Ahab  and 
Jezebel,  and  therefore  he  took  wives  for  him;  his  error,  in 
taking  more  than  one,  is  not  disguised. 

The'  sacred  writer  does  not  represent  the  Priest  Jehoiada 
as  perfect,  nor  does  he  impute  to  the  King  what  was  amiss  in 
this  act,  but  rather  to  the  Priest,  under  whose  tutelage  he  was. 
Here  is  an  evidence  that  the  writer  was  not  swayed,  as  some 
allege,  by  sacerdotal  partialities. 

4.  And  it  came  to  pass]  See  above,  on  2  Kings  xii.  4,  5. 

5.  gather — monet/'\  The  sacred  writer  supposes  the  reader  to 

267 


know  whence  this  money  was  derived,  from  the  narrative  in 
2  Kings  xii.  4,  5. 

6.  And  the  king  called]  In  the  twenty-third  year  (2  Kuig!i 
xii.  6). 

—  Moses  the  servant  of  the  LoED]  Cp.  below,  v.  9,  where 
the  same  phrase  occurs.  See  Exod.  xxx.  12 — 16 ;  xxxviii.  25. 
Here  is  a  testimony  to  the  Mosaic  authorship  of  Exodus.  The 
proclamation  of  the  King,  desirmg  free-will  offerings  for  the 
Temple,  according  to  the  precedent  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  the 
requirement  of  "  Moses,  the  servant  of  God,"  is  grounded  on  a 
recognition  of  the  genuineness  and  general  reception  of  the 
Pentateuch. 

7.  the  sons  of  Athaliah,  that  wicked  woman]  Literally, 
that  wickedness.  Who  could  these  sons  be  ?  Probably  Ahaziah 
and  his  brethren,  who,  as  Bertheau  supposes,  may  have  done 
this,  before  their  destruction  (xxi.  17 ;  and  so  Kitto,  p.  356), 
which  may  have  been  a  punishment  for  their  sin.  Some  of 
the  Hebrew  expositors  (as  Abarbinel :  cp.  Ewald,  iii.  290)  sup- 
pose them  to  have  been  children  of  Athaliah,  by  an  adulterous 
connexion;  but  this  seems  to  be  refuted  by  the  chronology. 
Jeromiaster  thinks  that  the  word  sons  is  to  be  taken  in  the 
same  sense  as  in  the  phrase  "sons  of  BeUal." 


The  prophecy  and  death        2  CHRONICLES  XXIV.  14—21. 


of  Zechariah. 


Before 
CHRIST 
856. 
jn  See  2  Kings 
12.  13. 
II  Or,  pestili. 


about 
850. 


about 
840. 


n  1  Kings  14.  23. 

o  Judg.  5.  8. 
ch.  19.  2.  & 
28.  13.  &  29.  8. 
&  32.  25. 
p  ch.  36.  IS. 
Jer.  7.  25,  26   & 
25.  4. 

q  ch.  15.  1.  & 
20,  14. 

t  Heb.  clothed,  a.s 
Judg.  6.  34. 
r  Num.  14.  41. 
s  ch.  15.  2. 

t  Matt.  23.  35. 
Acts  7.  58,  59. 


in  his  state,  and  strengthened  it.  -^  And  when  they  had  finished  it,  they  brought 
the  rest  of  the  money  before  the  king  andJehoiada,  *"  whereof  were  made  vessels 
for  the  house  of  the  Lord,  even  vessels  to  minister,  and  ||  to  offer  withal,  and 
spoons,  and  vessels  of  gold  and  silver.  And  they  offered  burnt  offerings  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord  continually  all  the  days  of  Jehoiada. 

1^  But  Jehoiada  waxed  old,  and  was  full  of  days  when  he  died ;  an  hundred 
and  thirty  years  old  was  he  when  he  died.  ^^  And  they  buried  him  in  the  city 
of  David  among  the  kings,  because  he  had  done  good  in  Israel,  both  toward 
God,  and  toward  his  house. 

^7  Now  after  the  death  of  Jehoiada  came  the  princes  of  Judah,  and  made 
obeisance  to  the  king.  Then  the  king  hearkened  unto  them.  ^^  And  they  left 
the  house  of  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  and  served  "  groves  and  idols  :  and 
°  wrath  came  upon  Judah  and  Jerusalem  for  this  their  trespass.  ^^Yet  he  ^sent 
prophets  to  them,  to  bring  them  again  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  they  testified  against 
them  :  but  they  would  not  give  ear.  ^^  And  ''  the  Spirit  of  God  f  came  upon 
Zechariah  the  son  of  Jehoiada  the  priest,  which  stood  above  the  people,  and 
said  unto  them.  Thus  saith  God,  '  Why  transgress  ye  the  commandments  of 
the  Lord,  that  ye  cannot  prosper?  ^because  ye  have  forsaken  the  Lord,  he 
hath  also  forsaken  you.  ^^  And  they  conspired  against  him,  and  ^  stoned  him 
with  stones  at  the  commandment  of  the  king  in  the  court  of  the  house  of  the 


14.  lohereof  ^oere  made  vessels']  When  the  building  was 
finished.  Cp.  on  2  Kings  xii.  13.  The  former  vessels  had  pro- 
bably been  diverted  to  idolatrous  uses  by  Athaliah. 

15.  an  hundred  and  thirty  years']  He  was  therefore 
born  in  Solomon's  reign,  and  had  lived  through  six  entire 
reigns,  and  the  usurpation  of  Athaliah,  before  the  accession  of 
Joash. 

18.  came  upon  Judah"]  For  its  defection  to  idolatry.  God 
punished  them  by  Hazael,  King  of  Syria ;  2  Kings  xii.  17 ; 
and  cp.  V.  23,  where  it  is  related  that  God  raised  up  the  host 
of  Syria  against  him.  This  seems  to  have  been  another  in- 
vasion after  that  mentioned  in  the  Kings  :  see  note  there. 

The  Muedee  of  Zechaeiah. 
20 — 22.  Zechariah  the  son  of  Jehoiada — The  LOED  loolc 
upon  it,  and  require  it]  Our  Blessed  Lord,  when  summing  up 
the  sins  of  Jerusalem,  and  foretelling  the  woes  which  were 
coming  upon  that  city,  calls  him,  "  Zacharias,  the  son  of 
Barachias,"  and  says,  that  the  "blood  of  all  the  prophets, 
which  was  shed  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  from  the 
blood  of  Abel,  to  the  blood  of  Zacharias,  son  of  Barachias, 
whom  ye  slew  between  the  altar  and  the  temple,"  should  he  re- 
quired of  that  generation  (see  Matt,  xxiii.  35,  compared  with 
Luke  xi.  51) ;  and  He  twice  adopts  the  dying  speech  of  Zacharias, 
— "  It  shall  be  required."  See  below,  on  Matt,  xxiii.  35. 
Luke  xi.  50,  51. 

Our  Lord  couples  Zechariah  with  Abel,  because  these  two 
holy  men  stand  like  limitary  persons,  at  the  beginning  and  end 
respectively  of  the  sacred  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament  Scripture - 
history  of  Martyrdoms;  and  because  the  kingdom  of  Judah 
began  to  decline,  after  the  murder  of  the  zealous  and  faithful 
^acharias,  the  Priest  and  Prophet,  in  the  Temple, — the  sou 
of  the  venerable  Priest,  Jehoiada,  who  had  done  such  signal 
service  to  the  Church  and  Monarchy  of  Judah.  "When 
they  slew  that  Prophet  and  Priest  of  the  Lord,  in  the  Court  of 
the  Temple,  and  beside  the  Altar,  they  plainly  showed  how  they 
despised  and  rejected  the  Lord  of  the  Temple,  Priesthood,  and 
Prophecy,  and  were  rejected  by  Him.  And  this  wicked  act 
our  Saviour  makes  the  very  period  and  catastrophe  of  their 
state  and  kingdom."  See  Lightfoot,  i.  91,  who  traces  the 
consequences  of  this  act  in  the  train  of  disasters,  spiritual, 
political,  and  physical,  which  thenceforth  came  upon  them. 

The  question,  Wliy  Zacharias,  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  is 
called  the  son  of  Barachias  by  our  Blessed  Lord,  is  considered 
below,  in  the  note  on  Matt,  xxiii.  35. 

Doubtless,  Jehoiada  had   two  names,  and  Barachiah  was 

one  of  them  ;  and  our  Lord  preferred  to  designate  him  by  that 

name  on  that  occasion,  for  a  particular  reason.     He  was  then 

speaking  of  the  wrath  of  God.  which  was  coming  on  Jerusalem, 

268 


for  killing  the  prophets,  and  stoning  those  which  were  sent 
unto  her  (Matt,  xxiii.  37),  and  especially  for  the  crowning  sin 
of  all,  which  made  the  cup  of  her  iniquity  to  overflow,  and  to 
become  the  cup  of  God's  indignation  upon  her,  namely,  the 
rejection  and  murder  of  Him,  to  whom  Moses  and  all  the 
Prophets  bare  witness, — the  Son  of  God  Himself. 

The  word  Barachias  signifies  Blessed  of  Jehovah ;  and 
our  Lord,  by  using  this  name  on  this  occasion,  and  by  coupling 
Zechariah  with  Abel,  the  good  shepherd,  whose  ofiering  pleased 
God,  and  who  was  murdered  by  his  own  brother,  and  was  thus 
a  signal  type  of  Christ  (see  above,  on  Gen.  iv.  8);  and,  by 
adopting  the  dying  words  of  Zechariah,  which  he  uttered  in 
the  Temple,  points  to  Zechariah.,  the  Priest,  Prophet,  and 
Martyr,  who  was  also  connected  by  birth  with  the  royal  race 
of  Jud.ah  (see  2  Chron.  xxii.  11),  as  a  signal  figure  of  Himself, 
the  Son  of  the  Blessed  (Mark  xiv.  61),  and  declares  to  the 
Jews  that  the  prophecy  of  Zechariah,  "  Tlie  Lord  look  upon 
it,  and  require  it "  {v.  22),  will  be  accompUshed,  in  its  largest 
sense,  in  that  generation. 

At  the  same  time,  in  His  great  mercy.  He  calls  them  to 
repentance ;  and,  referring  to  the  same  name.  He  adds,  that 
they  should  not  see  Him  thenceforth  (that  is,  they  should 
not  really  behold  Him  as  He  is, — their  King,  Priest,  and 
Prophet),  till  they  welcomed  Him  with  words  of  prayer  and 
praise,  "Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  Name  of  the 
LoED."     See  Matt,  xxiii.  39. 

Yet  further,  this  prophecy,  thus  explained  by  our  Lord, 
reaches  forward  even  to  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ. 

The  cry  of  the  Blood  of  Abel,  and  the  cry  of  the  Blood  of 
Zechariah,  and  the  cry  of  the  Blood  of  Christ,  join  their  utter- 
ances with  the  cry  of  the  Blood  of  all  the  Saints,  shed  for  His 
sake.  The  beloved  disciple,  St.  John,  heard  that  cry  of  blood,  in 
the  Apocalypse,  where  he  says  (Rev.  vi.  9 — 11),  "  I  saw  under  the 
altars  the  Souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and 
for  the  testimony  which  they  held ;  and  they  cried  witli  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  Thou  not 
judge  and  avenge  our  Blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  ? 
And  white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them ;  and  it  was 
said  that  they  should  rest  a  little  season ;"  and  then  they  will 
be  reunited  to  their  bodies,  and  join  in  an  universal  hosanna : 
"  Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  Name  of  the  Loed." 

21.  they  stoned  him  with  stones  at  the  commandment  of  the 
king  in  the  court]  The  forecourt  of  the  Temple,  between  the 
porch  and  the  brasen  altar,  the  sacred  place  where  the  Priests 
were  accustomed  to  deprecate  the  wrath  of  God  (Joel  ii.  17). 

For  some  excellent  remarks  on  this  subject,  the  reader 
may  refer  to  Dean  Jackson,  on  the  Creed  (book  xi.  chaps, 
xlii.  xliii.),  who  observes,  that  the  special  occasion  which  King 
Joash  and  the  princes  of  Jerusalem  took  for  killing  Zacharias, 


God's  judgments 


2  CHRONICLES  XXIV.  22-27.     XXV.  1. 


v2:)on  Joash. 


Lord.  "^  Thus  Joash  the  king  remembered  not  the  kindness  which  Jehoiada 
his  father  had  done  to  him,  but  slew  his  son.  And  when  he  died,  he  said.  The 
Lord  look  upon  it,  and  require  it. 

23  And  it  came  to  pass  f  at  the  end  of  the  year,  that  "  the  host  of  Syria  came 
up  against  him  :  and  they  came  to  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  and  destroyed  all  the 
princes  of  the  people  from  among  the  people,  and  sent  all  the  spoil  of  them  unto 
the  king  of  f  Damascus.  ^^  For  the  army  of  the  Syrians  ''  came  with  a  small 
company  of  men,  and  the  Lord  ^  delivered  a  very  great  host  into  their  hand, 
because  they  had  forsaken  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers.  So  they  "executed 
judgment  against  Joash. 

-^  And  when  they  were  departed  from  him,  (for  they  left  him  in  great  diseases,) 
=*  his  own  servants  conspired  against  him  for  the  blood  of  the  ^  sons  of  Jehoiada 
the  priest,  and  slew  him  on  his  bed,  and  he  died  :  and  they  buried  him  in  the 
city  of  David,  but  they  buried  him  not  in  the  sepulchres  of  the  kings.  ^^  And 
these  are  they  that  conspired  against  him ;  I|  Zabad  the  son  of  Shimeath  an 
Ammonitess,  and  Jehozabad  the  son  of  ||  Shimrith  a  Moabitess.  -^  Now  con- 
cerning his  sons,  and  the  greatness  of  "  the  burdens  laid  upon  him,  and  the 
I  repairing  of  the  house  of  God,  behold,  they  are  written  in  the  |j  story  of  the 
book  of  the  kings.     "^And  Amaziah  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XXV.  ^  Amaziah  ^ivas  twenty  and  j&ve  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and 


Before 
CHRIST 

840. 


840. 
t  Heb.  in  the 
revolution  of  the 
year. 
u  2  Kings  12.  17. 

831). 

t  Heb. 
Darmesek. 
X  Lev.  26.  8. 
Deut.  32.  30. 
Isa  30.  17. 
y  Lev.  26.  25. 
Deut  28.  25. 
z  ch.  22.  8. 
Isa.  10.  5. 


a  2  Kings  12.  20. 
b  ver.  21. 


II  Or,  Jozachar, 
2  Kings  12.  21. 
II  Or,  Shomer. 

839. 
c2  Kings  12.  IS. 

t  Heb.  founding. 

II  Or,  com- 

mentary. 

6.2  Kings  12.  21. 

a  2  Kings  14.  1, 


the  son  of  Jehoiada,  or  Barachias  (for  he  bare  both  names),  was 
that  be  taxed  them  with  idolatry,  and  laboured  to  bring  them 
back  to  the  worship  of  the  true  God.  Similarly  the  only  ground 
of  hatred  which  the  chief  Priests,  and  Pharisees,  and  Rulers  of 
the  Jews  had  against  Christ,  was  that  He  rebuked  their  sins, 
and  taught  them  to  worship  God  aright.  Zacharias  was  Christ's 
true  picture  for  quality,  office,  and  for  the  relation  of  names 
and  kindred ;  he  was  both  a  Prophet  and  a  Priest,  the  son  of 
Jehoiada,  which  signifies  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  the  son 
of  Barachias,  that  is,  the  Blessed  of  God.  And  as  the  blood 
of  Zeehariah  cried  out  (as  did  Abel's  blood,  with  whom  he  is 
coupled  by  Christ :  see  Gen.  iv.  9 — 11)  from  the  ground  upon 
them,  and  said,  "  The  Lord  look  upon  it,  and  require  it,'^  so 
the  blood  of  Christ  cries  out  upon  the  Jews,  according  to  their 
own  imprecation,  "  His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children  ! " 
(Matt,  xxvii.  25.  Dean  Jackson.  Cp.  Dr.  Lightfoot,  Chron. 
i.  91). 

22.  Thus  Joash  the  king  remembered  not  the  kindness^  This 
history  may  also  be  apphed  in  a  practical  sense,  as  a  wai-ning 
to  all  who  are  untharikful  to  God  for  His  goodness  in  Christ. 
It  was  not  long  before  the  words  of  Zeehariah  came  true : 
"  God  looked  upon  his  blood,  and  did  require  it."  But  what 
was  even  the  sin  of  Joash  in  comparison  with  that  of  those 
who  "crucify  the  Son  of  God  afresh"  by  ingratitude  and 
disobedience  ?  Will  not  God  look  on  His  blood,  and  require  it 
at  their  hands  ?     See  £p.  Sanderson,  iii.  194. 

The  doubts,  which  some  recent  critics  have  attempted  to 
throw  upon  the  history  of  the  apostasy  of  Joash,  because  it  is 
not  related  by  the  writer  of  the  Kings,  are  hardly  entitled  to 
notice,  after  Keil's  refutation  of  them  (Versuch,  pp.  415 — 417). 
The  writer  of  the  Kings  himself  suggests  that  Joash  declined 
from  the  right  way  after  Jehoiada's  death,  by  saying  that  he 
reigned  well  "  all  the  days  ivherein  Jehoiada  the  Priest  in- 
structed him "  (2  Kings  xii.  2) ;  and  he  records  the  punish- 
ment he  endured  (which  would  otherwise  be  unaccountable) 
for  his  apostasy  (xii.  17,  18  :  see  note  there). 

23.  the  host  of  Syria']  This  invasion  was  subsequent  to  that 
of  Hazael,  mentioned  in  2  Kings  xii.  17,  18.  Hazael  was 
bought  off  by  presents;  but  in  this  expedition  the  Syrians 
came  to  Jerusalem,  and  destroyed  the  princes,  and  sent  the 
spoil  of  them  to  Damascus.  This  was  the  punishment  of 
King  Joash  for  his  apostasy  and  cruelty,  especially  for  the 
amrder  of  Zacharias.  Zacharias  was  a  type  of  Christ  (see 
on  V.  20) ;  and  Joash  was  very  like  the  Jewish  nation,  in  the 
days  of  Christ.  That  nation  had  been  miraculously  preserved 
by  God,  as  Joash  was.  For  a  time  it  served  Him,  as  Joash 
did  in  the  days  of  Jehoiada.  But  it  fell  away  from  its  obe- 
dience. God  sent  against  Jerusalem  the  Romans,  fii-st  under 
269 


Pompey,  and  afterwards  under  Titus;  as  He  sent  the  Syrians 
twice  against  Joash :  and  the  Jewish  Capital,  distracted  and 
distressed  by  intestine  factions,  was  destroyed,  as  Joash 
perished  by  his  own  servants. 

24.  a  small  company  of  men]  And  yet  they  prevailed  against 
the  "  very  great  host "  of  Joash,  and  of  Judah.  What  a  con- 
trast between  his  case  and  that  of  King  Asa  against  the  vast 
multitude  of  Ethiopians !  (xiv.  9 — 15,)  and  of  King  Hezekiah 
against  Moab  and  Ammon!  (See  xx.  1 — 25.)  While  Judah  was 
obedient,  the  promise  of  God  was,  "  One  of  you  shall  chase  a 
thousand"  (Josh,  xxiii.  10).  But  now  the  word  of  Zeehariah 
was  verified  :  "  Because  ye  have  forsaken  the  Lord,  He  hath 
also  forsaken  you  "  {v.  20) ;  and  He  delivered  thdr  "  vast  host " 
into  the  hands  of  a  "  small  company  "  of  Syrians. 

25.  sons  of  Jehoiada]  The  Sept.  and  Vulg.  have  son  here; 
and  so  Bertheau.  But  perhaps  Joash  slew  more  sons  of  Jehoiada 
than  one,  though  only  one  is  mentioned  by  name. 

—  on  his  bed]  In  his  fortress  of  Millo,  whither  perhaps  he 
had  retired  for  greater  safety.     See  2  Kings  xii.  20. 

—  they  buried]  As  Ahaz  after  him  (xxviii.  27). 

26.  Zabad]  See  2  Kings  xii.  21. 

27.  the  greatness  of  the  burdens  laid  upon  him]  "  The 
burdens  "  are  supposed  by  some  to  mean  the  tribute  laid  upon 
him  by  the  Syrians,  or  the  money  paid  to  him  {vv.  6.  9),  or  the 
prophetic  burdens  of  woes  (see  2  Kings  ix.  25.  Isa.  xiii.  1 ; 
xiv.  28,  2iH(!i  passim)  denounced  against  him  {Bertheau).  This 
last  is  the  most  common  sense  of  the  Hebrew  massa,  the  word 
used  here ;  and  it  seems  to  intimate  that  God  gave  him  frequent 
warnings  of  the  consequence  of  his  sin  (see  v.  19). 

—  the  story]  Heb.  midrash.    See  xiii.  22. 

—  Amaziah  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead]  It  is  remarkable 
that  though  Joash  and  other  evil  Kings  of  Judah,  such  as  his 
son  Amaziah  (see  xxv.  27),  were  cut  ofl'  by  their  own  subjects, 
yet  their  subjects  never  thought  of  deserting  the  7-oyal  line  (as 
was  often  done  in  the  case  of  the  monarchy  of  Israel :  see 
1  Kings  XV.  27 ;  xvi.  15.  22) ;  but  they  set  up  a  son  of  the 
murdered  monarch  "  to  reign  in  his  stead." 

Here  is  a  proof  of  national  faith  (even  in  evil  times,  and 
even  among  regicides)  in  God's  promise  to  David,  and  to  hia 
seed  after  him.    See  2  Sam.  vii.  16. 

Here  also  is  evidence  of  the  faithfulness  of  God's  promise 
to  David  :  "  I  have  sworn  by  My  holiness  that  I  tvill  not  fail 
David.  His  seed  shall  endure  for  ever  "  (Ps.  Ixxxix.  34,  35),— 
a  promise  mamtained  under  great  dangers  and  difficulties  which 
threatened  from  time  to  time  the  total  extinction  of  David's  seed, 
and  which  received  its  full  and  final  accomplishment  in  Christ. 

Ch.XXV.  1-3.  Amaziah]  See  2  Kings  xiv.  1—3. 


Amazi:ih  victorious  ; 


2  CHRONICLES  XXV.  2—15.        serves  the  gods  of  E don. 


Before 

CHRIS  T 

839. 


b  See  2  Kings 
14.4. 
ver.  14. 

c  2  Kings  14.  5, 
&c. 

t  Heb.  con- 
firmed  upon  him. 
d  Deut.  24.  16. 
2  Kings  14.  6. 
Jer.  31.  30. 
Ezek.  18.  20. 


e  Num.  1.  3. 


ch.  20.  6. 


t  Heb.  band. 
g  Prov.  10.  22. 


+  Heb.  to  their 

place. 

+  Heb.  in  heat  of 

anger. 

about 

h  2  KingsH.  7. 


t  Heb.  the  sons  of 
the  band. 


I  See  ch.  28.  23. 
k  Exod.  20.  3,  .5. 


I  Ps.  96.  5. 
m  ver.  1 1 . 


he  reigned  twenty  and  nine  years  in  Jerusalem.  And  his  mother's  name  ivdi 
Jehoaddan  of  Jerusalem.  ^  And  he  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  sight  of  thi 
Lord,  ''hut  not  with  a  perfect  heart.  ^'^Now  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king- 
dom was  f  established  to  him,  that  he  slew  his  servants  that  had  killed  the  king 
his  father.  ^  But  he  slew  not  their  children,  but  did  as  it  is  written  in  the  law 
in  the  hook  of  Moses,  where  the  Lord  commanded,  saying,  ^  The  fathers  shall 
not  die  for  the  children,  neither  shall  the  children  die  for  the  fathers,  but  every 
man  shall  die  for  his  own  sin. 

^  Moreover  Amaziah  gathered  Judah  together,  and  made  them  captains  over 
thousands,  and  captains  over  hundreds,  according  to  the  houses  of  their  fathers, 
throughout  all  Judah  and  Benjamin :  and  he  numbered  them  ^  from  twenty 
years  old  and  above,  and  found  them  three  hundred  thousand  choice  me?2,  able 
to  go  forth  to  war,  that  could  handle  spear  and  shield.  ^  He  hired  also  an 
hundred  thousand  mighty  men  of  valour  out  of  Israel  for  an  hundred  talents  of 
silver. 

'^  But  there  came  a  man  of  God  to  him,  saying,  0  king,  let  not  the  army  of 
Israel  go  with  thee ;  for  the  Lord  is  not  with  Israel,  to  wit,  with  all  the  children 
of  Ephraim.  ^  But  if  thou  wilt  go,  do  it,  be  strong  for  the  battle  :  God  shall 
make  thee  fall  before  the  enemy :  for  God  hath  ^ power  to  help,  and  to  cast 
down.  ^  And  Amaziah  said  to  the  man  of  God,  But  what  shall  we  do  for  the 
hundred  talents  which  I  have  given  to  the  f  army  of  Israel  ?  And  the  man  of 
God  answered,  ^  The  Lord  is  able  to  give  thee  much  more  than  this. 

^^  Then  Amaziah  separated  them,  to  wit,  the  army  that  was  come  to  him  out 
of  Ephraim,  to  go  f  home  again :  wherefore  their  anger  was  greatly  kindled 
against  Judah,  and  they  returned  home  fin  great  anger.  ^^  And  Amaziah 
strengthened  himself,  and  led  forth  his  people,  and  went  to  ^  the  valley  of  salt, 
and  smote  of  the  children  of  Seir  ten  thousand.  ^"^  And  other  ten  thousand  left 
alive  did  the  children  of  Judah  carry  away  captive,  and  brought  them  unto  the 
top  of  the  rock,  and  cast  them  down  from  the  top  of  the  rock,  that  they  all 
were  broken  in  pieces.  ^^But  f  the  soldiers  of  the  army  which  Amaziah  sent 
back,  that  they  should  not  go  with  him  to  battle,  fell  upon  the  cities  of  Judah, 
from  Samaria  even  unto  Beth-horon,  and  smote  three  thousand  of  them,  and 
took  much  spoil. 

^^  Now  it  came  to  pass,  after  that  Amaziah  was  come  from  the  slaughter  of 
the  Edomites,  that  '  he  brought  the  gods  of  the  children  of  Seir,  and  set  them 
up  to  he  ^  his  gods,  and  bowed  down  himself  before  them,  and  burned  incense 
unto  them.  ^^  Wherefore  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  Amaziah, 
and  he  sent  unto  him  a  prophet,  which  said  unto  him.  Why  hast  thou  sought 
after  '  the  gods  of  the  people,  which  "*  could  not  deliver  their  own  people  out  of 


2.  not  with  a  perfect  hearf]  For  he  made  a  league  with 
Israel,  instead  of  relying  on  God  (see  vv.  6 — 9) ;  and  he  wor- 
shipped the  gods  of  the  Edomites  (v.  14),  and  attacked  Israel 
without  any  commission  from  God  («.  17). 

4.  in  the  book  of  Moses']  Deut.  xxiv.  lo.  Another  testimony 
to  the  genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch  :  cp.  xxiv.  6. 

8.  But  if  thou  tuilt  go — enemy]  This  seems  to  he  the  correct 
translation.  It  is  excepted  by  some  (as  Mwald,  and  Bertheati) 
that  the  sense  must  be.  But  do  thou  go  alone  (without  thy 
chosen  allies  of  Israel),  and  le  strong  for  the  battle ;  and  that 
we  must  insert  the  negative  in  the  following  clause  ;  "  and  God 
will  not  make  thee  fall  into  a  snare  before  the  enemy."  But 
that  translation  is  not  authorized  by  any  Manuscript  or  ancient 
Version.  All  the  Versions  represent  the  speech  as  ironical : 
"  Go,  and  strengthen  thyself  with  thy  self-chosen  aid  from 
Israel,  and  God  will  make  thee  fall  before  the  foe.  But  if 
270 


thou  makest  a  sacrifice  of  thy  hundred  talents,  with  which  thou 
hast  lured  Israel  to  help  thee.  But  if  thou  trustest  in  God,  He, 
Wlio  has  power  to  help  and  cast  down,  will  give  thee  more 
than  the  worth  of  thy  money,  and  will  deliver  thee  from  the 
enemy."     And  so  He  did  :  see  v.  11. 

11.  the  valley  of  salt]  On  the  south  of  the  Dead  Sea 
(2  Sam.  viii.  13.     2  Kings  xiv.  7.     1  Chron.  xviii.  12). 

12.  cast  them  dotvn]  A  cruel  act,  followed  by  a  punishment 
from  God  :  see  v.  13, 

13.  unto  Beth-horon]  Only  about  six  miles  north  of  Jeru- 
salem, the  place  where  God  had  shown  His  power  and  favour 
to  His  people  in  the  days  of  Joshua  (Josh.  x.  10,  11). 

14.  brought  the  gods  of  the  children  of  Seir]  Perhaps  he 
was  smitten  with  remorse  for  his  cruelty  to  the  children  of 
Seir,  and  thought  to  propitiate  the  wrath  of  their  gods  by 
associating  them  with  his  own  God. 


routed  by  Israel;   2  CHEONICLES  XXV.  16— 28.    XXVI.  1—5.    slain  by  conspirators. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
827. 


bLine  hand  ?     ^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  talked  with  him,  that  the  king  said 
nto  him.  Art  thou  made  of  the  king's  counsel  ?  forhear ;  why  shouldest  thou 
be  smitten?     Then  the  prophet  forbare,  and  said,  I  Imow  that  God  hath  f  "de-  ^H^b. 

•*•  '  counselled. 

termined  to  destroy  thee,  because  thou  hast  done  this,  and  hast  not  hearkened  " '  ^^"'-  ^-  ^^• 
unto  my  counsel. 

^7  Then  "Amaziah  kins:  of  Judah  took  advice,  and  sent  to  Joash,  the  son  of        826. 

'-'  '  o  2  Kings  14.  8, 

Jehoahaz,  the  son  of  Jehu,  king  of  Israel,  saying,  Come,  let  us  see  one  another  ^'  *"=• 
in  the  face.     ^^And  Joash  king  of  Israel  sent  to  Amaziah  king  of  Judah,  say- 


infif,  The  H  thistle  that  ivas  in  Lebanon  sent  to  the  cedar  that  ivas  in  Lebanon,  ii  or, /un^e ««.,«, 

*=>'  II  'or,  thorn. 

t  Heb.  a  beast  I'f 
the  field. 


saying.  Give  thy  daughter  to  my  son  to  wife  :  and  there  passed  by  fa  wild  beast 

that  was  in  Lebanon,  and  trode  down  the  thistle.     ^^Thou  sayest,  Lo,  thou 

hast  smitten  the  Edomites ;  and  thine  heart  lifteth  thee  up  to  boast :  abide 

now  at  home ;  why  shouldest  thou  meddle  to  thine  hurt,  that  thou  shouldest 

fall,  even  thou,  and  Judah  with  thee  ?     -^But  Amaziah  would  not  hear ;  for  ^it  pJ  fa'T'^  *^- 

came  of  God,  that  he  might  deliver  them  into  the  hand  of  their  enemies,  because 

they  '^  sought  after  the  gods  of  Edom.     ^^  So  Joash  the  king  of  Israel  went  up ;  q  ver.  h. 

and  they  saw  one  another  in  the  face,  hath  he  and  Amaziah  king  of  Judah,  at 

Beth-shemesh,  which  helongeth  to  Judah.     22  ^^j  Judah  was  f  put  to  the  worse  ^  Heb.  smu/e,,. 

before  Israel,  and  they  fled  every  man  to  his  tent.     ^^  And  Joash  the  king  of 

Israel  took  Amaziah  kinef  of  Judah,  the  son  of  Joash,  the  son  of  'Jehoahaz,  at  r  see  ch.  21.1?. 

'^  '  '  &22.  1,6. 

Beth-shemesh,   and  brought  him  to  Jerusalem,  and  brake  down  the  wall  of 
Jerusalem  from  the  gate  of  Ephraim  to  f  the  corner  gate,  four  hundred  cubits.  \t^^^i l^^l^,^^'"^ 
^^  And  he  took  all  the  gold  and  the  silver,  and  all  the  vessels  that  were  found  in 
the  house  of  God  with  Obed-edom,  and  the  treasures  of  the  king's  house,  the 
hostages  also,  and  returned  to  Samaria. 

■2^ "  And  Amaziah  the  son  of  Joash  king  of  Judah  lived  after  the  death  of » 2  Kings  14.17. 
Joash  son  of 'Jehoahaz  king  of  Israel  fifteen  years.     ^^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts 
of  Amaziah,  first  and  last,  behold,  are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  kings 
of  Judah  and  Israel  ?     ^'^  Now  after  the  time  that  Amaziah  did  turn  away  f  from  ,  „  ^  ^'o. 

"J     I  t  Heb.  from 

following  the  Loed  they  f  made  a  conspiracy  against  him  in  Jerusalem ;  and  fneb.  cor,spired 
he  fied  to  Lachish  :  but  they  sent  to  Lachish  after  him,  and  slew  him  there.  "  '°"'^''■'"■^• 
^^  And  they  brought  him  upon  horses,  and  buried  him  with  his  fathers  in  the 
city  of  II  Judah. 

XXVI.  ^  Then  all  the  people  of  Judah  took  *  ||  Uzziah,  who  was  sixteen  years 
old,  and  made  him  king  in  the  room  of  his  father  Amaziah.  ^  jjg  j^^jj^  Eloth, 
and  restored  it  to  Judah,  after  that  the  king  slept  with  his  fathers.  ^  Sixteen 
years  old  was  Uzziah  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  fifty  and  two 
years  in  Jerusalem.  His  mother's  name  also  ims  Jecoliah  of  Jerusalem. 
^  xA.nd  he  did  that  tvhich  was  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  according  to  all  that 
his  father  Amaziah  did.     ^  And  ^  he  sought  God  in  the  days  of  Zechariah,  who  b  see  ch.  24. 2. 


11  Tnat  is,  The 
city  of  David,  as 
it  is  2  Kings  14. 
20. 

810. 

a  2  Kings  14.  21, 

22.  &  15.  1,  &c. 

Or,  Azariah. 


17.  took  advice']  Took  counsel.  There  is  a  reference  to  the 
word  counsel  in  the  foregoing  verse.  He  rejected  God's  counsel, 
and  sought  that  of  men. 

18,  19.]  See  2  Kings  xiv.  9,  10. 

23.  Beth-shemesh']  About  fifteen  miles  S."W.  of  Jerusalem. 
Cp.  2  Kings  xiv.  13. 

24.  with  Ohed-edom]  That  is,  with  his  family,  which  had 
been  entrusted  with  the  sacred  treasury  since  the  days  of  David 
(1  Chron.  rxvi.  15). 

27,  28.]  See  2  Kings  xiv.  18. 


Cn.  XXVI.  1.   Uzziah]  Called   also  Azariah. 
xiv.  21 ;  XV.  1. 
271 


See  2  Kings 


—  made  him  Mnr;— father]  See  above,  on  xxiv.  27. 

2.  7ie  built  Moth]  He  fortified  Eloth,  the  port  on  the  Red 
Sea  (1  Kings  ix.  26.  2  Chron.  viii.  17),  and  restored  it  to 
Judah.     Cp.  2  Kings  xiv.  22. 

4.  according  to  all]  That  is,  all  the  ffood  that  his  father  did. 
Cp.  below,  xxvii.  2. 

5.  Zechariah]  One  prophet  Zechariah  had  been  .slain  by 
his  grandfather,  Joash ;  but  God  raised  up  another  Zechariah 
in  his  place  :  and  he  stood  at  the  head  of  that  glorious  com- 
pany of  prophets,  such  as  Hosea,  Joel,  Amos,  Obadiah,  Jonah, 
and  Isaiah,  who  followed,  and  left  prophecies  in  writing  (see 
Ziffhffoot,  Chronicle  of  the  Times,  i.  91— 95)j  and  after  300 
years  he  was  succeeded  by  another  Zechariah,  at  the  time  of 
the  restoration  of  the  Temple  (Ezra.  v.  1). 


Uzzialis  might ; 


2  CHRONICLES  XXVI.  6—17.    his  pride,  sin,  and  leprosy. 


Before 
CHRIST 

810. 
c  Gen.  41.  15. 
Dan.  1.  17.  & 
2.  19.  &  10.  1. 
+  Heb.  in  the 
seeing  of  God. 
d  Isa.  14.  29. 
II  Or,  in  the 
country  of 
Ashdod. 
ech.  21.  16.- 

f  2  Sam.  8.  2. 
ch.  17.  11. 

t  Heb.  went. 


g2  Kings  14.  13. 
Neh.  3.  13,  19,  32. 
Zech.  14.  10. 
II  Or,  repaired. 

II  Or,  cut  out 
many  cisterns. 


II  Or,  Fruitful 
fields. 
t  Heb.  ground. 


t  Heb.  t/ie  power 
of  an  army. 


f  Heb.  itones  of 
flings. 


t  Heb.  went 
forth. 


about 

765. 
h  Deut.  32.  15. 
i  Deut.  8.  14. 
ch.  25.  19. 
k  So  2  Kings  16. 
12,  13. 
1  1  Chron.  6.  10. 


*"  had  understanding  f  in  the  visions  of  God  :  and  as  long  as  he  sought  the 
Lord,  God  made  him  to  prosper. 

^  And  he  went  forth  and  ^  warred  against  the  Phihstines,  and  brake  down  the 
wall  of  Gath,  and  the  wall  of  Jahneh,  and  the  wall  of  Ashdod,  and  built  cities 
II  about  Ashdod,  and  among  the  Philistines.  ^  And  God  helped  him  against 
nhe  Philistines,  and  against  the  Arabians  that  dwelt  in  Gur-baal,  and  the 
Mehunims.  ^And  the  Ammonites  ''gave  gifts  to  Uzziah :  and  his  name 
f  spread  abroad  even  to  the  entering  in  of  Egypt ;  for  he  strengthened  himself 
exceedingly. 

^  Moreover  Uzziah  built  towers  in  Jerusalem  at  the  ^  corner  gate,  and  at  the 
valley  gate,  and  at  the  turning  of  the  wall,  and  ||  fortified  them.  ^^  Also  he 
built  towers  in  the  desert,  and  ||  digged  many  wells :  for  he  had  much  cattle, 
both  in  the  low  country,  and  in  the  plains  :  husbandmen  also,  and  vine  dressers 
in  the  mountains,  and  in  ||  Carmel :  for  he  loved  f  husbandry. 

^^  Moreover  Uzziah  had  an  host  of  fighting  men,  that  went  out  to  war  by 
bands,  according  to  the  number  of  their  account  by  the  hand  of  Jeiel  the  scribe 
and  Maaseiah  the  ruler,  under  the  hand  of  Hananiah,  one  of  the  king's  cap- 
tains. ^^  The  whole  number  of  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  the  mighty  men  of 
valour  ivere  two  thousand  and  six  hundred.  ^^  And  under  their  hand  ivas  f  an 
army,  three  hundred  thousand  and  seven  thousand  and  five  hundred,  that  made 
war  with  mighty  power,  to  help  the  king  against  the  enemy.  ^^  And  Uzziah 
prepared  for  them  throughout  all  the  host  shields,  and  spears,  and  helmets, 
and  habergeons,  and  bows,  and  f  slings  to  cast  stones.  ^^  And  he  made  in 
Jerusalem  engines,  invented  by  cunning  men,  to  be  on  the  towers  and  upon  the 
bulwarks,  to  shoot  arrows  and  great  stones  withal.  And  his  name  f  spread  far 
abroad  ;  for  he  was  marvellously  helped,  till  he  was  strong. 

^^But  ^  when  he  was  strong,  his  heart  was  'lifted  up  to  his  destruction  :  for  he 
transgressed  against  the  Lord  his  God,  and  "^  went  into  the  temple  of  the  Lord 
to  burn  incense  upon  the  altar  of  incense.     ^^  And  '  Azariah  the  priest  went  in 


—  understanding  in  the  visions  of  God'\  Not  only  a  seer, 
but  an  interpreter  of  visions  and  prophecies  :  see  Dan.  i.  17. 

6.  JabneK]  Perhaps  the  same  as  Jabneel  (Josh.  xv.  11),  and 
called  Jiimnia  in  the  days  of  the  Maccabees  (1  Mac.  iv.  15), 
perhaps  now  called  Ihna,  about  eleven  miles  south  of  Jaffa. 

7.  Q-ur-haal]  Literally,  the  going  up  of  Baal.  The  precise 
site  is  unknown ;  but  it  seems  to  have  been  between  Palestine 
and  the  Arabian  peninsula. 

—  the  Mehunims']  Near  Mount  Seir.  See  1  Chron.  iv.  41. 
2  Chron.  xx.  1. 

9.  corner  gate]  Probably  at  the  north-west  of  the  City.  Cp. 
XXV.  23  J  and  Neh.  iii.  13. 

—  valley  gate]  On  the  west  side  of  the  City ;  probably  south 
of  the  corner  gate,  and  near  the  site  of  the  present  Jaffa  gate. 
See  below,  on  Neh.  ii.  13;  iii.  3  {Thenius,  Bertheau). 

—  the  turning]  Or  salient  corner ;  perhaps  at  the  east  of 
Zion.     Neh.  iii.  19.  24,  25  {Thenius). 

10.  towers  in  the  desert]  To  defend  his  cattle  and  herdsmen  : 
in  the  pastoral  region,  s.e.  of  Jerusalem,  and  probably  also 
to  protect  his  wells  (Dr.  Thomson,  Land  and  Book,  p.  559). 

—  the  low  ccuntry]  The  lowlands  of  Judah,  between  its 
mountainous  range  on  the  east,  and  the  Mediterranean  on  the 
west  (Josh.  XV.  33). 

—  the  plains]  Probably  on  the  east  of  Jordan,  in  the  pastoral 
country  of  Reuben  (Josh.  xiii.  16 ;  xx.  8).  It  appears  (from 
Isa.  xvi.  1.  Cp.  1  Chron.  v.  17)  that  the  Kings  of  Judah  at 
this  time  ruled  over  that  region. 

—  in  Carmel]  Or  in  the  fruitful  land,  not  the  mountain  so 
called.  Cp.  1  Chron.  xxvii.  25 — 31.  Isa.  xvi.  10;  xxvii.  17. 
Jer.  ii.  7  ;  xlviii.  33. 

—  husbandry]  Literally,  the  ground,  the  earth. 

16.  to  shoot  arroivs]  The  engines  were  so  constructed  as  to 
hurl  projectiles  from  them  {Bochart,  Bertheau). 
272 


King  Uzziah,  burning  Incense,  is  smitten 
WITH  Lepeost. 

16.  went  into  the  temple — to  burn  incense]  Being  elated 
with  pride,  in  consequence  of  his  success,  and  prosperity,  and 
power;  and  perhaps  because  he  was  connected  by  marriage 
with  the  priestly  line.  See  2  Kings  xv.  33.  Below,  xxvii.  1. 
His  father  had  burned  incense  to  the  gods  of  Edom  (xxv.  14)  ; 
and  Jeroboam  had  burned  incense  to  the  calf  at  Bethel  (1  Kings 
xiii.  1);  they  had  aspired  to  the  dignity  of  priests.  Uzziah 
would  cleave  to  God's  altar,  but  he  was  inflamed  with  a  similar 
ambition.  May  he  not  perhaps  have  had  a  presentiment  of  the 
truth,  that  the  pi-omised  King  Messiah,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
was  to  be  also  a  Priest,  as  well  as  a  King  ?  And  did  he  desire 
to  presignify  that  union  of  offices  by  joining  them  in  him- 
self? 

This  narrative  is  rejected  by  some  modern  critics  (such  as 
De  Wette,  Einleit.  p.  279;  and  Oramberg,  p.  Ill)  as  a 
legendary  device  on  the  part  of  the  historian  to  explain  the 
fact  recorded  in  the  Kings,  that  "the  Lord  smote  him,  so 
that  he  was  a  leper  to  the  day  of  his  death  "  (2  Kings  xv.  5). 

It  has  been  alleged  by  others  (as  JEwald,  Thenius),  that 
the  functions  of  the  High  Priesthood  were  exercised  by  David 
and  Solomon,  and  that  Uzziah  imitated  them  on  this  occasion ; 
and  Dean  Stanley  affirms  (p.  439),  that  Uzziah  "  acted  cer- 
tainly in  conformity  with  the  precedents  of  David  and  Solo- 
mon," and  desired  to  recover  the  Priestly  functions  to  the 
Monarchy. 

But  if  this  had  been  the  case,  the  sacred  Writer  would  not 
have  said,  as  he  does  here,  that  "he  transgressed  against  the 
Lord  his  God  ;"  and  (as  is  observed  here  by  Bertheau,  p.  377 ; 
and  by  Hitzig,  on  the  Psalms,  ii.  175 ;  and,  as  has  been  stated 
above,  on  2  Sam.  vi.  18 ;  and  1  Kings  viii.  14.  55.  63)  though 


Vzziah's  leprosy.     2  CHKONICLES  XXVI.  18—23.     XXVII.  1—5.        Jotliam  King. 


after  liim,  and  with  him  fourscore  priests  of  the  Lord,  that  ivere  vaHant  men  : 
^'^And  they  withstood  Uzziah  the  king,  and  said  unto  him,  It  "" appertaineth 
not  unto  thee,  Uzziah,  to  hurn  incense  unto  the  Lord,  hut  to  the  "  priests  the 
sons  of  Aaron,  that  are  consecrated  to  burn  incense  :  go  out  of  the  sanctuary ; 
for  thou  hast  trespassed ;  neither  shall  it  be  for  thine  honour  from  the  Lord 
God. 

^^  Then  Uzziah  was  wroth,  and  had  a  censer  in  his  hand  to  burn  incense :  and 
while  he  was  wi'oth  with  the  priests,  °  the  leprosy  even  rose  up  in  his  forehead 
before  the  priests  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  from  beside  the  incense  altar. 
-*^And  Azariah  the  chief  priest,  and  all  the  priests,  looked  upon  him,  and,  be- 
hold, he  was  leprous  in  his  forehead,  and  they  thrust  him  out  from  thence  ; 
yea,  himself  ''hasted  also  to  go  out,  because  the  Lord  had  smitten  him.  ^i  i  And 
Uzziah  the  king  was  a  leper  unto  the  day  of  his  death,  and  dwelt  in  a  ■■  f  several 
house,  being  a  leper  ;  for  he  was  cut  off  from  the  house  of  the  Lord  :  and  Jotham 
liis  son  2vas  over  the  king's  house,  judging  the  people  of  the  land. 

2-  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Uzziah,  first  and  last,  did  '  Isaiah  the  prophet, 
the  son  of  Amoz,  write.  ^3 1  g^  Uzziah  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  they  buried 
him  with  his  fathers  in  the  field  of  the  burial  which  belonged  to  the  kings ;  for 
they  said.  He  is  a  leper :  and  Jotham  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XXVII.  ^  Jotham  ^  was  twenty  and  five  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign, 
and  he  reigned  sixteen  years  in  Jerusalem.  His  mother's  name  also  ivas  Jeru- 
sliah,  the  daughter  of  Zadok.  ^  j^j^^  \^q  ^[^  fji^f;  which  was  right  in  the  sight  of 
the  Lord,  according  to  all  that  his  father  Uzziah  did  :  howbeit  he  entered  not 
into  the  temple  of  the  Lord.  And  ''the  people  did  yet  corruptly.  ^He  built 
the  high  gate  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  on  the  wall  of  ||  Ophel  he  built 
much. 

•*  Moreover  he  built  cities  in  the  mountains  of  Judah,  and  in  the  forests  he 
built  castles  and  towers.  ^  He  fought  also  with  the  king  of  the  Ammonites,  and 
prevailed  against  them.     And  the  children  of  Ammon  gave  him  the  same  year 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

7G5. 

m  Num.  16.  4(). 

&  18.  7. 

n  Exod.  30.  ?,  8 


o  Num.  12.  10. 
2  Kings  5.  27. 


p  As  Esth.  6.  12. 
q  2  Kings  15.  5. 
r  Lev.  13  46. 
Num.  5.  2. 
t  Heb.  free. 


s  Isa.  1.  1. 


t  2  Kings  15.  1. 
Isa.  6.  1. 


753 
a  2  Kings  15.  32, 
&c. 


b  2  Kings  15.  35. 

II  Or,  The  tourer. 
ch.  33.  14. 

Neh.  3.  26. 


David  and  Solomon,  and  other  religious  Kings  of  Judah  took 
a  load  in  the  sacred  festivals  of  the  nation,  yet  they  never 
assumed  those  functions  which,  by  the  Levitical  Law,  ap- 
pertained to  the  oflBce  of  the  Priests.  Cp.  S.  Chrysost.,  Horn, 
in  Esai,  vi. ;  Theodoret,  in  2  Chron.  p.  592;  and  A  Lapide 
here. 

This  is  made  clear  by  the  act  of  Azariah  the  Priest  here, 
and  by  his  speech  to  the  King :  "  It  appertaineth  not  imto  thee 
to  burn  incense  unto  the  Lord,  but  unto  the  priests,  the  sons 
of  Aaron "  (cp.  Exod.  xxx.  7.  Dent,  xxxiii.  10) ;  and  it  is 
evident  also,  a  priori,  from  the  punishment  inflicted  on  Korah 
aud  his  company,  for  venturing  to  burn  incense,  M-ho  were 
nearer  to  God,  being  Levites,  than  any  of  the  Kings  who  were 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah  (see  Num.  xvi.  1 — 40).  This  is  also  con- 
firmed by  the  statement  of  Josephus,  commenting  on  the 
history  of  Uzziah  (Antt.  ix.  10.  4),  and  by  the  assertion  of  the 
inspired  Author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  that  "  Of  the 
tribe  of  Judah "  (the  tribe  of  the  Kings),  "  no  man  gave 
attendance  at  the  altar"  (Heb.  vii.  13). 

17.  Azariah  the  priest]  See  1  Chron.  vi.  10 — 14,  where  two 
Azariahs  are  mentioned.  It  is  not  certain  that  this  Azariah  is 
the  same  as  either  of  those.  On  this  intricate  question,  see 
Selden,  de  Successione  Pontificum;  Burrington,  Genealogies; 
Servey,  B.  D.  i.  142;  and  Bertheau  here. 

19.  in  his  forehead']  The  seat  of  shame  (see  on  1  Sam.  xvii. 
49),  and  on  which  the  High  Priest  bore  his  sacred  mitre 
inscribed  "Holiness  to  the  Lord"  (Exod.  xxviii.  36.  Lev. 
viii.  9).  He  aspired  to  undue  honour,  and  God  put  him  to 
shame.  Cp.  Num.  xii.  14,  where  it  is  said  of  Miriam's  leprosy 
that  it  was  as  if  "  her  father  had  spit  in  her  face." 

The  leprosy  of  the  King  was  like  a  divine  testimony  to  the 
sacredness  of  the  Priest's  office;  for  the  leper  could  not  be 
restored  to  his  house  without  the  intervention  of  the  Priest  (Lev. 
xiii.  xiv.     Deut.  xxiv.  8). 

Vol.  III.  273 


The  historian  Josephus  (Antt.  ix.  10.  4)  connects  also  the 
earthquake  in  the  reign  of  Uzziah  (Amos  i.  1.  Zech.  xiv.  5) 
with  this  sin  of  the  King. 

20.  hasted — to  go  out]  For  shame  and  fear  of  a  worse 
visitation. 

21.  a  several  house]  In  the  infirmary ;  literally,  the  house 
of  liberation.  See  ou  2  Kings  xv.  5.  There  was  a  mercy  in  this 
dispensation.  He  might  have  been  swallowed  up  like  Da  than 
and  Abiram,  or  consumed  with  fire  like  Korah,  but  God  gave 
him  time  for  repentance ;  and  he  who  was  a  leper  till  the  day  of 
his  death,  might  have  come  forth,  with  his  flesh  clean  "like 
the  flesh  of  a  little  child,"  if  he  had  repented  of  his  sin. 

23.  in  the  field]  Not  in  the  sepulchres  themselves :  therefore 
by  invading  the  sacred  functions  of  the  priesthood,  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord,  he  was  cut  ofi"  from  a  place  in  the  royal  palace,  and 
in  the  royal  tombs  of  Judah,  and  was  consigned  while  alive  to  a 
separate  house,  and  when  dead  to  a  separate  grave. 

Ch.  XXVII.  2.  according  to  all]  All  the  good.  See  above, 
xxvi.  4. 

—  howheit  he  entered  ?iot]  As  his  father  did  to  burn  incense 
(xxvi.  16). 

—  the  people  did  yet  corruptly]  As  is  explained  iu  2  Kings 
XV.  35,  by  burning  incense  in  high  places. 

3.  he  built  the  high  gate]  He  built,  or  restored,  the  Upper 
gate,  to  the  North  of  the  Temple  (Ezek.  ix.  2  :  cp.  Jer.  xx.  2). 

—  of  Ophel]  Literally,  of  the  ophel,  or  lofty  place  (Gesen. 
645),  which  was  outside  the  South  Wall  of  the  Temple,  on  the 
southern  slope  of  the  Temple-hill,  and  defended  the  Temple  from 
attacks  on  the  south  and  east :  cp.  Neh.  iii.  26.  The  declivity 
from  it,  slopes  down  to  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  and  the  Pool  of 
Siloam  (Bertheau,  Grove). 

T 


Israel  and  Juclali.     2  CHRONICLES  XXVII.  G— 9.    XXVIII.  1—12. 


King  Ahaz. 


Before 
CHRIST 

758. 
t  lleb.  This. 


Qr,  established. 


about 

742. 

c  2  Kings  15.  38. 

741. 
a  2  Kings  16.2. 


bExod.  34.  17. 
Lev.  19.  4. 
c  Judg.  2.  11. 
H  Or,  offered 
lacrifice. 
d  2  Kings  23.  10. 
e  Lev.  18.  21. 
2  Kings  16.  3. 
ch.  33.  6. 


f Isa.  7.  1. 

about 

741. 

g  2  Kings  in.  5,6. 

t  Heb.  Darmesek. 
h  2  Kings  15.  27. 


\  Heb.  sons  of 
valour. 


+  Heb.  Me  second 
to  the  kiiuj. 
ich.  U.  4. 


k  Ps.  69.  26. 
Isa.  10.  5.  & 
4  7.  6. 

Ezek.  25.  12,  15. 
&26.  2. 
Obad.  10,  &c. 
Zech.  1.  15. 
1  Ezra  9.  6. 
Rev.  18.  5. 
m  Lev.  25.  39, 
42,  43,  46. 


n  James  2.  13. 


an  huncTred  talents  of  silver,  and  ten  thousand  measures  of  wheat,  and  ten 
thousand  of  barley,  f  So  much  did  the  children  of  Ammon  pay  unto  him,  both 
the  second  year,  and  the  third.  ^  So  Jotham  became  mighty,  because  he 
II  prepared  his  ways  before  the  Lord  his  God. 

^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jotham,  and  all  his  wars,  and  his  ways,  lo,  they 
are  written  in  the  book  of  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah.  ^  He  was  five  and 
twenty  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  reigned  sixteen  years  in  Jeru- 
salem. ^  *"  And  Jotham  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  they  buried  him  in  the  city 
of  David  :  and  Ahaz  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XXVIII.  ^Aliaz  ^ivas  twenty  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he 
reigned  sixteen  years  in  Jerusalem  :  but  he  did  not  that  ivliich  teas  right  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  like  David  his  father  :  ^  For  he  walked  in  the  ways  of  the 
kings  of  Israel,  and  made  also  ^  molten  images  for  "  Baalim.  ^  Moreover  he 
II  burnt  incense  in  ''  the  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom,  and  burnt  ^  his  children 
in  the  fire,  after  the  abominations  of  the  heathen  whom  the  Lord  had  cast  out 
before  the  children  of  Israel.  ^  He  sacrificed  also  and  burnt  incense  in  the  high 
places,  and  on  the  hills,  and  under  every  green  tree. 

^Wherefore  '^the  Lord  his  God  delivered  him  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of 
Syria;  and  they  ^ smote  him,  and  carried  away  a  great  multitude  of  them  cap- 
tives, and  brought  them  to  f  Damascus.  And  he  was  also  delivered  into  the 
hand  of  the  king  of  Israel,  who  smote  him  with  a  great  slaughter.  ^  For  ''Pekah 
the  son  of  Remaliah  slew  in  Judah  an  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  in  one 
day,  ivhich  ivcre  all  f  valiant  men ;  because  they  had  forsaken  the  Lord  God  of 
their  fathers.  ^  And  Zichri,  a  mighty  man  of  Ephraim,  slew  Maaseiah  the 
king's  son,  and  Azrikam  the  governor  of  the  house,  and  Elkanah  thativas  f  next 
to  the  king.  ^  And  the  children  of  Israel  carried  away  captive  of  their  'brethren 
two  hundred  thousand,  women,  sons,  and  daughters,  and  took  also  away  much 
spoil  from  them,  and  brought  the  spoil  to  Samaria. 

^  But  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  was  there,  whose  name  2vas  Oded  :  and  he  went 
out  before  the  host  that  came  to  Samaria,  and  said  unto  them.  Behold,  "^  be- 
cause the  Lord  God  of  your  fathers  was  wi'oth  with  Judah,  he  hath  delivered 
them  into  your  hand,  and  ye  have  slain  them  in  a  rage  that  '  reacheth  up  unto 
heaven.  ^^  And  now  ye  purpose  to  keep  under  the  children  of  Judah  and  Jeru- 
salem for  "'  bondmen  and  bondwomen  unto  you :  hut  are  there  not  with  you,  even 
with  you,  sins  against  the  Lord  your  God?  ^^Now  hear  me  therefore,  and 
deliver  the  captives  again,  which  ye  have  taken  captive  of  your  brethren:  "for 
the  fierce  wrath  of  the  Lord  is  upon  you.  ^'^  Then  certain  of  the  heads  of  the 
children  of  Ephraim,  Azariah  the  son  of  Johanan,  Berechiah  the  son  of  Me- 
shillemoth,  and  Jehizkiah  the  son  of  Shallum,  and  Amasa  the  son  of  Hadlai, 


8.  he  rvas  Jive  and  twenty/  years  old — and  reigned  sixteen 
years'^  This  chronological  notice,  which  has  already  been  given 
in  V.  1,  seems  to  be  repeated  for  the  sake  of  empliasis,  and  to 
show  that,  though  he  lived  in  evil  days  {v.  2),  and  though  his 
reign  was  continued  for  sixteen  years,  in  addition  to  the  time  of 
his  regency  during  his  father's  incapacity,  yet  in  no  respect  did 
he  swerve  from  his  obedience  to  God ;  and  in  this  respect  (as 
Jarchi  observes)  Jotham  stands  alone  among  the  kings  of  Judah. 
Of  him  it  is  said  that  "  he  prepared  his  ways  before  the  Lord 
his  God"  {v.  6  :  cp.  Prov.  x.\i.  29).  David,  Solomon,  Rehoboam, 
Asa,  Jehoshaphat,  Joash,  Uzziah  had  their  errors  and  sins, 
but  no  fault  is  found  with  Jotham,  whose  reign  corresponded  to 
his  name,  "  the  Lord  is  perfect."  Yet  his  history  is  comprised 
in  a  few  verses,  in  the  Kings  (2  Kings  xv.  32 — 38),  and  in  the 
Chronicles. 

May  not  this  suggest  the  important  recollection,  that  there 
274 


is  another  hisioT J , — that  of  God's  Book  of  remembrance, — which 
will  be  opened  at  the  Great  Day,  when  all  the  good  deeds,  of 
those  who  are  unknown  to  the  world,  will  bo  openly  rewarded  ? 
(Matt.  vi.  6.) 

Ch.  XXVIII.  1—6.  Ahaz-]  See  2  Kings  xvi.  2—4 

8.  of  their  brethren']  An  emphatic  word,  and  suggestive  of 
what  follows. 

9.  Oded]  A  prophetic  name  (see  xv.  1.  8),  signifying  esta- 
blished (Gesen.  607). 

—  reacheth  up  unto  heaven]  Not  only  because  it  is  very 
great,  but  because  it  cries  to  God  for  vengeance,  and  will  bring 
down  His  wrath  from  heaven.  Compare  Gen.  iv.  10, 11.  Ezra 
ix.  6.     Rev.  xviii.  5. 

12.  heads  of  the  children  of  Ephraim]  Not  the  King. 


\ 


The  idolatry 


2  CHRONICLES  XXVIII.  13—25. 


of  Ahaz. 


stood  up  against  tliem  that  came  from  the  war,  ^^  And  said  unto  them,  Ye  shall 
not  bring  in  the  captives  hither  :  for  whereas  we  have  offended  against  the 
Lord  alrcadij,  ye  intend  to  add  more  to  our  sins  and  to  our  trespass  :  for  our 
trespass  is  great,  and  there  is  fierce  wrath  against  Israel.  ^^  So  the  armed  men 
left  the  captives  and  the  spoil  before  the  princes  and  all  the  congregation. 
^^  And  the  men  °  which  were  exjiressed  by  name  rose  up,  and  took  the  captives, 
and  with  the  spoil  clothed  all  that  were  naked  among  them,  and  arrayed  them, 
and  shod  them,  and  p  gave  them  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  anointed  them,  and 
carried  all  the  feeble  of  them  upon  asses,  and  brought  them  to  Jericho,  "^  the 
city  of  palm  trees,  to  their  brethren  :  then  they  returned  to  Samaria. 

^^'At  that  time  did  king  Ahaz  send  unto  the  kings  of  Assyria  to  help  him. 
^^For  again  the  Edomites  had  come  and  smitten  Judah,  and  carried  away 
f  captives.  ^^ '  The  Philistines  also  had  invaded  the  cities  of  the  low  country, 
and  of  the  south  of  Judah,  and  had  taken  Beth-shemesh,  and  Ajalon,  and  Ge- 
deroth,  and  Shocho  with  the  villages  thereof,  and  Timnah  with  the  villages 
thereof,  Gimzo  also  and  the  villages  thereof:  and  they  dwelt  there.  ^^For  the 
Lord  brought  Judah  low  because  of  Ahaz  king  of  ^  Israel ;  for  he  "  made  Judah 
naked,  and  transgressed  sore  against  the  Lord,  ^o^^j  '' Tilgath-pilneser  king 
of  Assyria  came  unto  him,  and  distressed  him,  but  strengthened  him  not. 
21  For  Ahaz  took  away  a  portion  out  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  out  of  the 
house  of  the  king,  and  of  the  princes,  and  gave  it  unto  the  king  of  Assyria  :  but 
he  helped  him  not.  ^^  And  in  the  time  of  his  distress  did  he  trespass  yet  more 
against  the  Lord  :  this  is  that  king  Ahaz. 

2^  For  ^  he  sacrificed  unto  the  gods  of  f  Damascus,  which  smote  him  :  and  he 
said.  Because  the  gods  of  the  kings  of  Syria  help  them,  therefore  will  I  sacrifice 
to  them,  that  ^they  may  help  me.  But  they  were  the  ruin  of  him,  and  of  all 
Israel.  ^  And  Ahaz  gathered  together  the  vessels  of  the  house  of  God,  and  cut 
in  pieces  the  vessels  of  the  house  of  God,  ^  and  shut  up  the  doors  of  the  house 
of  the  Lord,  and  he  made  him  altars  in  every  corner  of  Jerusalem,     ^s^^^l  j^ 


Before 

C  H  Fl  1  S  T 

about 

741. 


p  2  Kings  6.  22. 
Prov.  25.  21,  22. 
Luke  6.  27. 
Rom.  12.  20. 
q  Deut.  34.  3. 
Judg.  1.  l(j. 

about 
741. 
r2  Kings  16.  7. 

+  Heb.  a  cap- 

liiH/i/. 

s  Ezek.  IG.  27, 

57. 


t  ch.  21.  2. 
u  Exod  32.  25. 

740. 
X  2  Kings  15.  29. 
&  16.  7,  8,  9. 


y  See  ch.  25.  14. 
t  Heb.  Darmesck 


z  Jer.  44.  17,  18. 


a  See  ch.  29.  3,  7. 


15.  expressed  hy  name']  In  lists;  and  appointed  to  take  care 
of  the  captives.     Cp.  1  Cbron.  xvi.  41 ;  below,  x.xxi.  19. 

—  took  the  captives,  and — clothed  all  that  were  naked']  The 
record  of  this  act  of  compassion  of  these  Israelites  toward  the 
captives  of  Judah  is  to  be  noted  as  affording  a  refutation  of 
the  allegation  of  some  modern  critics,  that  the  writer  of  the 
Chronicles  was  swayed  by  partiality  for  Judah,  and  by  prejudice 
against  Israel.     Cp.  Keil,  Vorsuch,  pp.  443 — 452. 

16.  kings  of  Assyria]  Especially  Tilgath-pilueser  (t).  20). 
See  2  Kings  xv.  29.  The  Ancient  Versions  have  the  singular 
number  here;  the  plural,  which  is  in  the  MSS  of  the  Text, 
indicates  the  expedient  introduced  by  Ahab,  forsaking  the  Lord, 
and  recurring  to  his  enemies  for  help. 

The  circumstances  of  this  transaction  are  described  by 
MawUnson  (Ancient  Mon.  ii.  397 — 399),  who  says,  that  Ahaz, 
hard  pressed  by  his  enemies,  Pekah  and  Rezin,  appealed  to 
Assyria,  oflering  to  become  Tilgath-pilneser's  servant,  i.  e.  hia 
vassal  and  tributary,  if  he  would  send  troops  to  his  assistance. 
Tilgath-pilneser  was  not  slow  to  obey  the  call.  Entering  Syria 
at  the  head  of  an  army,  be  fell  first  on  Damascus,  where  Rezin 
met  him  in  battle,  and  was  defeated  and  slain  (2  Kings  xvi.  9). 
There  is  an  imperfect  notice  of  his  defeat  and  death,  in  a 
mutilated  inscription  now  in  the  British  Museum  (Rawlinson, 
ii.  398). 

Next  he  attacked  Pekah ;  and  the  two  and  a  half  trans- 
jordanic  Tribes  were  carried  away  captive  by  the  conqueror; 
and  some  cities  (e.  g.  Megiddo  and  Dur)  on  the  other  side  of 
Jordan  were  taken.  Tilgath-pilneser,  before  quitting  Syria, 
received  tribute  from  Ahaz,  who  went  to  pay  him  homage  at 
Damascus;  this  seems  to  be  recorded  in  one  of  Tilgath-pilneser's 
inscriptions,  where  it  is  said  that  he  received  tribute  from  a 
King  of  Judah,  whom  he  calls  Tahu-Khazi,  and  who  is  supposed 
to  be  Ahaz  by  Rawlinson  (p.  399). 
275 


18.  Gimzo]  Probably  now  Jlmsti,  in  the  road  from  Lydda 
to  Beth-horon  (Hobinson,  iii.  56).  The  other  places  here  men- 
tioned have  been  noticed  already.  See  Josh.  xv.  10.  1  Sam. 
vi.  12,  concerning  Beth-shemesh ;  and  on  Ajalon,  see  Josh. 
X.  12;  on  Gederoth  Josh.  xv.  41;  on  Shocho  Josh.  xv.  48. 
1  Sam.  xvii.  1. 

19.  kiiiff  of  Israel"]  Ahaz  is  called  "  King  of  Israel "  because 
all  Israel  belonged  to  the  house  of  David  by  right.  Cp.  xii.  6 ; 
sxi.  2 ;  and  below,  v.  27.  Cp.  Pfeiffer,  Dubia  p.  251,  who 
quotes  the  saying  of  the  Masorites,  that  the  kings  of  Judah  are 
six  times  called  kings  of  Israel  in  the  Bible. 

20.  Tilgath-pilneser  king  of  Assyria  came  unto  him]  As 
Ahaz  had  asked  him  to  do,  in  order  to  help  him  against  the 
Syrians  (2  Kings  xvi.  7);  and  though  the  King  of  Assyria, 
being  hired  by  large  presents  of  treasures  from  the  Temple  of 
the  Lord,  and  from  the  royal  palace,  gave  him  temporary  relief 
by  waging  war  against  the  Syrians,  and  taking  Damascus,  yet, 
in  the  end,  he  distressed  him,  hut  strengthened  him  not.  After 
that  he  had  harassed  the  enemies  of  Aliaz,  he  turned  against 
Ahaz  himself.  The  two  accounts  in  Kings  and  Chroiucles 
(which  are  alleged  to  be  inconsistent  by  some,  as  Davidson, 
ii.  95)  are  supplementary  the  one  to  the  other,  as  Bertheau 
observes  (p  384). 

21.  took  away  a  portion  out  of  the  house]  Literally,  divided 
the  house ;  i.e.  despoiled  it  {Gesen.  283). 

22.  this  is  that  king  Ahaz]  A  solemn  denunciation  like  that 
in  Num.  xxvi.  9 :  "  This  is  that  Dathan  and  Abiram,  who 
strove  against  Moses  and  Aaron  in  the  company  of  Korah,  when 
they  strove  against  the  Lord." 

23.  he  sacrificed  unto  the  gods  of  Damascus]  Whence  ha 
sent  the  pattern  of  the  Altar,  described  in  the  Kings.  Tha 
two  records  explain  one  another. 


See  on  2  Kings  xvi.  10 — 16. 


Hczekiah  succeeds;    2  CHRONICLES  XXVIII.  26,  27.    XXIX.  1—17.    his Eeformation. 


Before 
CHRIST 
740. 
II  Or,  to  offer. 

b  2  Kings  16. 
19,  20, 

726. 


726. 
a  2  Kings  18.  1. 


h  ch.  26.  5. 


726. 
c  See  ch.  28. 
24.    ver.  7. 


d  1  Cliron.  15.  12 
ell.  35.  6. 


e  Jer.  2.  27. 

Ezek.  8.  16. 

t  Heb.  given  Hie 

neck. 

f  ch.  28.24. 


g  ch.  24.  18. 

■f  Heb.  com- 
motion, 
Deut.  28.  25. 
b  1  Kings  9.  8. 
Jer.  IS.  16.  & 
•9.  8.  &  25.  9,  18. 
&  29.  18. 
i  ch.  28.  5,  6,  8, 
17. 

kch.  15.  12. 
U  Or,  be  not  now 
deceived. 

I  Num.  3.  6.  & 
8.  14.  &  18.  2,  6. 

II  Or,  offer 
tacrifice. 


m  ver.  5, 

H  Or,  in  the 

business  of  the 

LORD, 

ch.  30.  12. 

n  1  Chron.  23.  28 


726. 


every  several  city  of  Judali  he  made  high  places  ||  to  burn  incense  unto  other 
gods,  and  provoked  to  anger  the  Lord  Grod  of  his  fathers. 

2^  ^  Now  the  rest  of  his  acts  and  of  all  his  ways,  first  and  last,  behold,  they 
are  written  in  the  book  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel.  ^''  And  Ahaz  slept 
with  his  fathers,  and  they  buried  him  in  the  city,  even  in  Jerusalem  :  but  they 
brought  him  not  into  the  sepulchres  of  the  kings  of  Israel :  and  Hezekiah  his 
son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XXIX.  ^  Hezekiah  ^  began  to  reign  ivhen  he  ivas  five  and  twenty  years  old, 
and  he  reigned  nine  and  twenty  years  in  Jerusalem.  And  his  mother's  name 
ivas  Abijah,  the  daughter  ''  of  Zechariah.  ^  ^^^  j^g  ^lid  that  ivhich  ivas  right  in 
the  sight  of  the  Lord,  according  to  all  that  David  his  father  had  done. 

^  He  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  in  the  first  month,  "  opened  the  doors  of 
the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  repaired  them.  ^  And  he  brought  in  the  priests 
and  the  Levites,  and  gathered  them  together  into  the  east  street,  ^  And  said 
unto  them.  Hear  me,  ye  Levites,  "*  sanctify  now  yourselves,  and  sanctify  the 
house  of  the  Lord  God  of  your  fathers,  and  carry  forth  the  filthiness  out  of 
the  holy  place.  ^  For  our  fathers  have  trespassed,  and  done  that  which  was 
evil  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  our  God,  and  have  forsaken  him,  and  have  ^  turned 
away  their  faces  from  the  habitation  of  the  Lord,  and  f  turned  their  backs. 
'^  *"  Also  they  have  shut  up  the  doors  of  the  porch,  and  put  out  the  lamps,  and 
have  not  burned  incense  nor  ofiered  burnt  offerings  in  the  holy  ijlace  unto  the 
God  of  Israel.  ^Wherefore  the  ^ wrath  of  the  Lord  was  upon  Judah  and 
Jerusalem,  and  he  hath  delivered  them  to  f  trouble,  to  astonishment,  and  to 
''  hissing,  as  ye  see  with  your  eyes.  ^  For,  lo,  *  our  fathers  have  fallen  by  the 
sword,  and  our  sons  and  our  daughters  and  our  wives  are  in  captivity  for  this. 
^^  Now  it  is  in  mine  heart  to  make  ^  a  covenant  with  the  Lord  God  of  Israel, 
that  his  fierce  wrath  may  turn  away  from  us.  ^^  My  sons,  ||  be  not  now 
negligent :  for  the  Lord  hath  '  chosen  you  to  stand  before  him,  to  serve  him, 
and  that  ye  should  minister  unto  him,  and  ||  burn  incense. 

^2  Then  the  Levites  arose,  Maliath  the  son  of  Amasai,  and  Joel  the  son  of 
Azariah,  of  the  sons  of  the  Kohathites :  and  of  the  sons  of  Merari,  Kish  the 
son  of  Abdi,  and  Azariah  the  son  of  Jehalelel :  and  of  the  Gershonites ;  Joali 
the  son  of  Zimmah,  and  Eden  the  son  of  Joah :  ^^  And  of  the  sons  of  Ehza- 
phan ;  Shimri,  and  Jeiel :  and  of  the  sons  of  Asaph ;  Zechariah,  and 
Mattaniah  :  ^^  And  of  the  sons  of  Heman ;  Jehiel,  and  Shimei :  and  of  the 
sons  of  Jeduthun ;  Shemaiah,  and  Uzziel.  ^^  And  they  gathered  their  brethren, 
and  ""  sanctified  themselves,  and  came,  according  to  the  commandment  of  the 
king,  II  by  the  words  of  the  Lord,  "to  cleanse  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^^And 
the  priests  went  into  the  inner  part  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  to  cleanse  it,  and 
brought  out  all  the  uncleanness  that  they  found  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord  into 
the  court  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.  And  the  Levites  took  it,  to  carry  it  out 
abroad  into  the  brook  Kidron.     ^^  Now  they  began  on  the  first  day  of  the  first 


Ch.  XXIX  3 — 36]  Compare  the  brief  account  in  2  Kings 
xviii.  5. 

3.  Jlrst  motith]  Abib  or  Nisan,  the  month  of  the  Passover. 

—  02>ened  the  doors']  Which  his  father  had  shut  up  (xxviii. 
24). 

6.  Hear  me,  ye  Levites]  He  addresses  the  Priests  as  well  as 
the  Levites  under  this  general  designation  (see  v.  4,  and  v.  11), 
because  they  were  all  descended  from  Levi. 

—  the  filthiness]  Especially  the  Altar  of  Damascus  (2  Kings 
cvi.  15). 

276 


8.  Wherefore  the  wrath  of  the  Loed  was  upon  JndaJi]  As  is 
confirmed  by  Isaiah  (xiv.  28.     Keil,  Chronik.  241). 

He  refers  to  the  wars  with  the  Syrians,  Israelites,  Philis- 
tines, and  Edomites,  and  to  the  distress  caused  by  the  Assyrians 
{Bertheau). 

12,  13.  t7ie  Levites  arose]  Two  from  each  of  the  three  leading 
families,  Gershom,  Kohath,  and  Merari ;  two  from  the  family  of 
Elizaphan,  the  grandson  of  Kohath  (Exod.  vi.  18.  22.  Num.  iii. 
30) ;  two  from  the  posterity  of  Asaph,  of  the  family  of  Gershom ; 
two  of  Heman,  the  family  of  Kohath;  two  of  Jeduthun,  the 
family  of  Merai-i ;  twice  seven  in  all. 


King  Hezehiah 


2  CHRONICLES  XXIX.  18—31. 


restores  religion. 


Before 
CHRIST 

726. 


0  ch.  28.  24. 


month  to  sanctify,  and  on  the  eighth  clay  of  the  month  came  they  to  the  porch 
of  the  Lord  :  so  they  sanctified  the  house  of  the  Lord  in  eight  days ;  and  in 
the  sixteenth  day  of  the  first  month  they  made  an  end. 

^8  Then  they  went  in  to  Hezekiah  the  king,  and  said,  We  have  cleansed  all 
the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  altar  of  burnt  offering,  with  all  the  vessels 
thereof,  and  the  shewbread  table,  with  all  the  vessels  thereof.  ^^  Moreover  all 
the  vessels,  which  king  Ahaz  in  his  reign  did  ''  cast  away  in  his  transgression, 
have  we  prepared  and  sanctified,  and,  behold,  they  are  before  the  altar  of  the 
Lord. 

20  Then  Hezekiah  the  king  rose  early,  and  gathered  the  rulers  of  the  city, 
and  went  up  to  the  house  of  the  Lord,     ^i  ^^(j  h^qj  brought  seven  bullocks, 
and  seven  rams,  and  seven  lambs,  and  seven  he  goats,  for  a  ^sin  offering  for  pi'ev.4.3,  h. 
the  kingdom,  and  for  the  sanctuary,  and  for  Judah.     And  he  commanded  the 
priests  the  sons  of  Aaron  to  offer  them  on  the  altar  of  the  Lord.     22  Qq  ^j^g^ 
killed  the  bullocks,  and  the  priests  received  the  blood,  and  ^  sprinkled  it  on  the  ?9^^J- ^- '^' ^^' 
altar  :  hkewise,  when  they  had  lulled  the  rams,  they  sprinkled  the  blood  upon  ""''■  ^'  ^'" 
the  altar :  they  killed  also  the  lambs,  and  they  sprinkled  the  blood  upon  the 
altar.     ^3  j^^^^  ^jj^y  brought  f  forth  the  he  goats  for  the  sin  offering  before  the  +  ^^^-  "««'•• 
king  and  the  congregation ;  and  they  laid  their  '  hands  upon  them  :  ^-t  And  the  '  i-^^-  *■  's,  21. 
priests  killed  them,  and  they  made  reconcihation  with  their  blood  upon  the 
altar,  'to  make  an  atonement  for  all  Israel:  for  the  king  commanded  that  the  s Lev.  14.20. 
burnt  offering  and  the  sin  offering  should  he  made  for  all  Israel,     ^st^^  Yiq  set  W^^l"""-  ''*•'*• 
the  Levites  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  with  cymbals,  with  psalteries,  and  with 
harps,  "according  to  the  commandment  of  David,  and  of ''Gad  the  king's  seer,  ^'25^^°"'^^'^ 
and  Nathan  the  prophet :  ^for  so  ivas  the  commandment  f  of  the  Lord  f  by  his 
prophets.     "^^  And  the  Levites  stood  with  the  instruments  ^  of  David,  and  the 
priests  with  ''the  trumpets,     ^z^j^d  Hezekiah  commanded  to  offer  the  hurnt  "lord 
offering  upon  the  altar.     And  f  when  the  burnt  offering:  beofan,  ''the  sone:  of  ^«'"*''/- 

"       ••-  '  o  o        '  o  z  1  Chron.  23.  5. 

the  Lord  began  also  with  the  trumpets,  and  with  the  f  instruments  ordained  by  ^nuL^io. s,  lo. 
David  king  of  Israel.    -^  And  all  the  congregation  worshipped,  and  the  f  singers  i^uT  ^^'  ^* 
sang,  and  the  trumpeters  sounded  :  and  all  this  continued  until  the  burnt  offer-  nme. 

b  ch   23.  18 

ing  was  finished.     "^^  knd  when  they  had  made  an  end  of  offerina:,  ""the  kiner  ^'n^^- hands  of 
and   all  that  were  f  present  with   him   bowed   themselves,  and  worshipped.  J  ^^"jo'Tf; 
30  Moreover  Hezekiah  the  king  and  the  princes  commanded  the  Levites  to  ^  "^^■•^''""''" 
sing  praise  unto  the  Lord  with  the  words  of  David,  and  of  Asaph  the  seer. 
And  they  sang  praises  with  gladness,  and  they  bowed  their  heads  and  wor- 
shipped. 

3^  Then  Hezekiah  answered  and  said,  Now  ye  have  ||  consecrated  yourselves  l^^y""'^"'"' 
unto  the  Lord,  come  near  and  bring  sacrifices  and  "^ thank  offerings  into  the  tiev.^i.u. 
house  of  the  Lord.     And  the  congregation  brought  in  sacrifices  and  thank 


ch.  8.  14. 
X  2  Sam.  24.  II. 
y  ch.  30.  12. 
t  Heb.  by  the 
hand  of  the 


19.  Ahaz  — did  cast  away']  See  2  Kings  xvi.  14,  where  it  is 
related  that  he  removed  the  brasen  altar  from  its  place. 

21.  seven  hullocks — rams  and — lambs']  For  burnt-offerings ; 
the  septenary  number  may  perhaps  denote  the  complete  self- 
dedication  of  the  King  and  Nation  to  the  Lord. 

—  seven  he  goats]  For  a  sin-offering  (see  v.  23).  The  word 
in  the  original  Hebrew  here  is  tsephirim,  a  word  onlj'  found 
here,  and  in  Ezra  (vi.  17 ;  viii.  35),  and  in  Daniel  (viii.  5.  8.  21), 
and  a  confirmation  of  the  argument  for  placing  the  date  of  this 
Book  after  the  Captivity.     See  xxxvi.  23. 

After  the  Captivity  they  offered  twelve  bullocks  for  burnt- 
offenngs,  and  twelve  he-goats  for  a  sin-offering. 

22.  sprinkled  the  blood]  According  to  the  Levitical  Law 
(Lev.  iv.  30—34;  viii.  15). 

277 


23.  ihey  laid  their  hands  upon  them]  According  to  the 
Levitical  Law.     See  Lev.  iv.  15;  viii.  22;  xvi.  21. 

24.  for  all  Israel']  They  regarded  Israel  as  their  brethren, 
and  as  bound  by  a  sacred  tie  of  common  national  unity  to  the 
Temple :  wherefore  Hezekiah  afterwards  invited  them  to  the 
Passover  (xxx.  1). 

25.  the  commandment  of  David — Oad — and  Nathati]  See 
1  Chron.  xv.  16;  xxiii.  5;  xxv.  1. 

—  seer]  See  1  Chron.  xxix.  29. 

26.  the  instruments  of  David]  Sec  1  Chron.  xxv.  1. 

27.  the  trumpets]  Ordained  by  God,  speaking  to  Moses  (Num. 
X.  10). 


Hezeldah's  invitation  2  CHRONICLES  XXIX.  32—36.     XXX.  1- 


to  all  Israel, 


Before 

CHRIST 

721). 


efh.  35   11. 

■f  Heh.  strevgth- 

ened  them. 


f  ch.  30.  3. 
g  Ps.  7.  10. 


n  Lev.  3.  16. 
1  Num.  15.  5, 
7,  10. 


a  Num.  9.  10,  11. 
b  Exod.  12.  6,  IS. 
c  uh.  29.  34. 


+  Heb.  was  right 
ill  the  eyes  of  the 


oflferings;  and  as  many  as  were  of  a  free  heart  burnt  offerings.  ^"^  And  the 
number  of  the  burnt  offerings,  which  the  congregation  brought,  was  threescore 
and  ten  bullocks,  an  hundred  rams,  and  two  hundred  lambs  :  all  these  were  for 
a  burnt  offering  to  the  Lord.  ^^And  the  consecrated  things  icere  six  hundred 
oxen  and  three  thousand  sheep.  ^^  But  the  priests  were  too  few,  so  that  they 
could  not  flay  all  the  burnt  offerings  :  wherefore  '  their  brethren  the  Levites 
f  did  help  them,  till  the  work  was  ended,  and  until  the  other  priests  had  sancti- 
fied themselves :  ^for  the  Levites  were  more  ^  upright  in  heart  to  sanctify  them- 
selves than  the  priests.  ^^  And  also  the  burnt  offerings  «'cre  in  abundance,  with 
"  the  fat  of  the  peace  offerings,  and  '  the  drink  offerings  for  every  burnt  offering. 
So  the  service  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  was  set  in  order.  ^^  And  Hezekiah 
rejoiced,  and  all  the  people,  that  God  had  prepared  the  people  :  for  the  thing 
was  done  suddenly. 

XXX.  ^  And  Hezekiah  sent  to  all  Israel  and  Judah,  and  wrote  letters  also 
to  Ephraim  and  Manasseh,  that  they  should  come  to  the  house  of  the  Lord  at 
Jerusalem,  to  keep  the  passover  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  ^  For  the  king 
had  taken  counsel,  and  his  princes,  and  all  the  congregation  in  Jerusalem,  to 
keep  the  passover  in  the  second  ^  month.  ^  For  they  could  not  keep  it  ''  at  that 
time,  ^^  because  the  priests  had  not  sanctified  themselves  sufficiently,  neither 
had  the  people  gathered  themselves  together  to  Jerusalem.  ^And  the  tiling 
f  pleased  the  king  and  all  the  congregation.  ^  So  they  estabhshed  a  decree 
to  make  proclamation  throughout  all  Israel,  from  Beer-sheba  even  to  Dan, 
that  they  should  come  to  keep  the  passover  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  at 
Jerusalem  :  for  they  had  not  done  it  of  a  long  time  in  such  sort  as  it  was 
written. 


34.  the  priests  were  too  few']  They  who  had  offered  to  idols 
were  uot  permitted  to  minister. 

—  cotild  not  flay]  Hence  it  would  appear  that  it  was  the 
work  of  the  Priest  to  flay  the  victim.  The  law  in  Lev.  i.  6, 
"  he  shall  flay,"  has  hecn  diversely  understood ;  and  some  (as 
Bertheau  here)  have  supposed  that  it  was  performed  by  the 
oflerer,  but  the  other  opinion  seems  more  probable. 

—  the  Levites  were  more  ujiright — than  the  priests]  Urijah 
the  High  Priest  had  probably  infected  many  Priests  by  the  con- 
tagion of  his  example  (see  2  Kings  xvi.  16).  Here  is  a  proof  of 
the  impartiality  of  the  WTiter;  and  the  reception  of  this  Book 
by  the  Hebrew  Hierarchy,  as  a  true  and  inspired  writing,  not- 
withstanding this  testimony  against  the  Priests,  affords  strong 
evidence  in  its  favour. 

Hezekiah's  Invitation  to  Iseael. 

Cn.  XXX.  1.  Hezelciah  sent  to  all  Israel]  This  was  before 
the  Captivity  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  which  did  not  take  place  till 
the  ninth  year  of  Hoshea,  King  of  Israel,  which  was  the  sixth 
year  of  Hezekiah.  See  2  Kings  xviii.  9,  10.  Xlssher,  Annales, 
p.  54;  and  Lightfoot,  p.  106.  Cp.  Bp.  PatricJc,  on  v.  10. 
Cp.  xxxi.  1.  Bertheau  (on  vv.  6.  27)  assigns  this  passover  to 
the  first  year  of  Hezekiah's  reign.  It  has  been  erroneously 
imagined  by  some,  that  this  invitation  was  sent  after  the 
Captivity  of  the  Ten  Tribes. 

This  is  important  to  observe,  for  the  reasons  stated  above, 
on  2  Kings  xvii.  6.  This  message  of  Hezekiah  to  Israel  was 
the  final  overture  of  God's  mercy  to  them  j  but  they  scorned 
the  message  (v.  10),  and  were  cast  off  by  God. 

The  Ten  Tribes  rejected  the  invitation  from  Hezekiah  to 
keep  the  Passover  at  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem,  and  they  are 
now  scattered  abroad  to  this  day.  The  Jews  rejected  the 
Divine  King  of  Judah,  Jesus  Christ,  Who  is  the  true  Passover ; 
and  Jerusalem  has  been  trodden  under  foot  of  the  Gentiles  for 
1800  years.  But  in  God's  due  time,  the  Tribes  of  Israel  and 
Judah  will  listen  to  the  voice  of  the  Divine  Hezekiah,  and  will 
then  unite  in  celebrating  the  true  Passover  in  the  spiritual 
Jerusalem,  the  Church  of  Clu'ist ,  and  then  they  will  be  raised 
278 


to  far  greater  glory  and  happiness  than  Israel  and  Judah  ever 
enjoyed  under  the  sway  of  David  or  Solomon. 

—  also  to  Ephraim  and  Manasseh]  Or,  even  to  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh,  the  two  leading  tribes  of  Israel,  who  might  be 
supposed,  on  account  of  their  pre-eminence,  to  be  most  pre- 
judiced against  Judah,  and  who  had  taken  the  lead  in  rivalry 
and  hostility  to  it,  ever  since  the  days  of  Jeroboam,  who  was 
of  Ephraim.  Hezekiah,  in  his  kindness,  showed  special  con- 
descension to  them,  and  earnestly  desired  to  bring  them  back 
to  national  religious  unity  with  Judah,  in  the  national  religious 
festival  of  the  Passover,  at  the  national  centre  of  unity,  ap- 
pointed by  God  Himself,  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem ;  but  they 
laughed  him  to  scorn  :  see  v.  10. 

2.  in  the  second  month]  Not  being  able  to  keep  it  in  the 
first  month,  according  to  law,  for  the  reason  stated  in  v.  3. 
He  thus  showed  his  zeal ;  he  would  not  postpone  the  Passover 
till  the  following  year,  but  conformed  himself  to  the  spirit  of 
the  Law  (Num.  ix.  6—13),  which  provided,  that  persons,  who 
were  disabled  by  ceremonial  uncleanness  from  keeping  the 
Passover  in  the  first  month,  might  keep  it  on  the  fourteenth 
day  of  the  second  month. 

5.  throughout  all  Israel]  Hoshea,  King  of  Israel,  is  said, 
in  2  Kings  xvii.  2,  to  have  been  less  guilty  than  the  Kings  of 
Israel  that  were  before  him;  this  explains  the  fact,  that 
the  messengers  of  Hezekiah,  inviting  Israel  to  Jerusalem  to 
celebrate  the  Passover,  were  allowed  to  traverse  his  kingdom  ; 
and  that  those  of  his  subjects  who  were  willing  to  accept  the 
invitation,  were  not  deterred  by  Hoshea  from  doing  so;  but 
he  himself  did  not  encourage  it,  much  less  did  he  avail  himself 
of  it. 

—  tliey  had  not  done  it  of  a  long  time — as  it  was  tvritten] 
Not  since  the  defection  of  the  Ten  Tribes  under  Jeroboam. 
This  national  "call  to  union"  by  Hezekiah  and  his  princes, 
was  therefore  a  noble  act  of  religious  faith,  courage,  and  zeal. 
He  well  knew  that  it  would  be  received  by  many  with  scorn 
(v.  10) ;  but  he  was  not  deterred  by  this  consideration  :  for  he 
knew  also,  that  if  Israel  was  to  be  rescued  from  the  ruin  and 
desolation  which  now  threatened  them,  it  could  only  be  by 
returning  to  the  God  of  their  fathers  :  see  vv.  6  and  8. 


to  Imp  the  Passover  2  CHRONICLES  XXX.  6—18.  at  Jerusalem, 


hand. 

Jer.  4.  1. 
Joel  2.  13. 


^  So  the  posts  went  with  the  letters  f  from  the  king  and  his  princes  through-     chriI- 
out  all  Israel  and  Judah,  and  according  to  the  commandment  of  the  king,  say-  tHebZ/rL^* 
iug,  Ye  children  of  Israel,  ^  turn  again  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  dT 
and  Israel,  and  he  will  return  to  the  remnant  of  you,  that  are  escaped  out  of 
the  hand  of  Uhe  kings  of  Assyria.     ^  And  bo  not  jq  ''like  your  fathers,  and  like  e  2  Kings  15.  !■», 
your  brethren,  which  trespassed  against  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  vjIw  ''^.fl^.j^g-^*- 
therefore  ^gave  them  up  to  desolation,  as  ye  see.     ^Nowfbe  ye  not  "'stiff-  lolfour7LZ. 
necked,  as  your  fathers  icere,  hut  f  yield  yourselves  unto  the  Loed,  and  enter  +  Heb.'st-J*e  »^ 
into  his  sanctuary,  which  he  hath  sanctified  for  ever :  and  serve  the  Lord  your  see  Tchron. 

.  -^  29.  24. 

God,  '  that  the  fierceness  of  his  wi-ath  may  turn  away  from  you.     ^  For  if  ye  turn  ?T2y'io^' 
again  unto  the  Lord,  your  brethren  and  your  children  shall  find  "^  compassion  T^Ps.ioe.^c 
before  them  that  lead  them  captive,   so  that  they  shall  come  again  into  this 
land  :  for  the  Lord  your  God  is  '  gracious  and  merciful,  and  will  not  turn  away  1  Exod.  34.  e. 
his  face  from  you,  if  ye  '"return  unto  him.  misa. 55. 7. 

^^  So  the  posts  passed  from  city  to  city  through  the  country  of  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh  even  unto  Zebulun  :  but "  they  laughed  them  to  scorn,  and  mocked  "  '^'i-  ^e-  le. 
them.     ^^ Nevertheless  "divers  of  Asher  and  Manasseh  and  of  Zebulun  humbled  °  so ci..  n.  le 

ver.  IS.  21. 

themselves,  and  came  to  Jerusalem.     ^-Also  in  Judah  ^  the  hand  of  God  was  pPi»ii-2-i3- 

to  give  them  one  heart  to  do  the  commandment  of  the  king  and  of  the  princes, 

''  by  the  word  of  the  Lord.  q  ^h.  29. 25. 

^^  And  there  assembled  at  Jerusalem  much  people  to  keep  the  feast  of  unlea- 
vened bread  in  the  second  month,  a  very  great  congregation.  ^^  And  they 
arose  and  took  away  the  ■"  altars  that  ivere  in  Jerusalem,  and  all  the  altars  for  rcu  2s.  24. 
incense  took  they  away,  and  cast  them  into  the  brook  Kidron.  ^^  Then  they 
killed  the  passover  on  the  fourteenth  daij  of  the  second  month :  and  the  priests 
and  the  Levites  were  '  ashamed,  and  sanctified  themselves,  and  brought  in  the  s  ch.  20. 34. 
burnt  offerings  into  the  house  of  the  Lord.     ^^  And  they  stood  in  f  their  place  t  Heb.  their 

.  n  n  r  1  n   /~i      -I  ^  •  standing. 

after  their  manner,  accordmg  to  the  law  of  Moses  the  man  of  God  :  the  priests 
sprinkled  the  blood,  ivhich  they  received  of  the  hand  of  the  Levites. 

^'^  For  there  ivere  many  in  the  congregation  that  were  not  sanctified  :  '  there-  '  <='>•  29-  34. 
fore  the  Levites  had  the  charge  of  the  killing  of  the  passovers  for  every  one 
that  was  not  clean,  to  sanctify  them  unto  the  Lord.     ^^For  a  multitude  of  the 
people,  even  "many  of  Ephraim,  and  Manasseh,  Issachar,  and  Zebulun,  had  ^ ver. n. 
not  cleansed  themselves,  ""  yet  did  they  eat  the  passover  otherwise  than  it  was  L^"""^'  '^'  *^' 


6.  the  posts]  Literally,  the  runners,  couriers  (Esther  iii. 
13.  15;  viii.  10.  14.  Jer.  li.  31).  It  is  the  same  word  as  is 
rendered  footmen,  in  1  Sam.  xxii.  17,  and  is  often  translated 
in  our  Version  by  quard  (1  Kings  xiv.  27,  28.  2  Kings  x.  25. 
2  Chron.  xii.  10,  li). 

—  kings  of  Assyria]  Pul  and  Tilgath-pilneser  (2  Kings 
XV.  29.  1  Cliron.  v.  26),  whose  invasions  and  depredations 
were  like  warnings  and  alarums  of  the  greater  desolation,  which 
was  now  hanging  over  them  from  the  same  quarter,  by  the 
arms  of  Shalmaneser  (2  Kings  xvii.  3.  4.  6 ;  xviii.  9,  10). 

8.  yield  yourselves]  Literally,  give  your  hand  (1  Chron. 
x.\ix."24). 

10.  they  laughed  them  to  scorn,  and  moclced  them]  There- 
fore God  rejected  them  even  to  this  day.  He  allowed  them  to 
fall  into  the  hands  of  Assyria.  This  was  foretold  by  Hosea, 
who  prophesied  that  they  would  "  not  frame  their  doings  to 
turn  unto  their  God"  (v.  1 — 4,  and  passim).  It  was  also 
predicted  by  Isaiah.  See  his  remarkable  prophecy  concerning 
Israel  (x\^i.  3 — 5.  9 — 11),  where  he  also  foretold  that  some  few 
would  accept  this  offer,  and  turn  from  their  idols  to  God 
(xvii.  6—8). 

11.  divers  of  Asher  and  Manasseh  and  of  Zehulun]  And 
some  of  Ephraim  and  Issachar :  see  v.  18.  When  Jesus  Christ 
came  into  the  world,  the  scene  of  His  earthly  ministry  was 
principally  in  the  region  of  Zebulun;  and  many  of  His  Apostles 

279 


were  from  it.     Nazareth,  Cana,  Tiberias,  Dalmanutha  were  in 
that  tribe,  and  it  bordered  on  the  Lake  of  Gennesareth. 

15.  the  priests  and  the  Levites  were  ashamed]  Were  put  to 
the  blush  by  the  forwardness  of  the  Laitj'.  Here  is  another 
answer  to  the  allegation  of  some  modern  critics,  who  charge 
the  author  of  the  Book  of  Chronicles  with  priestly  partiality. 
He  honestly  avows  that  the  Levites  were  more  forward  than 
the  Priests ;  and  that  the  People  were  more  zealous  than  the 
Priests  and  Levites,  in  the  work  of  religious  reformation,  and 
that  they  put  the  hierarchy  to  shame. 

16.  the  priests  sjJrinMed  the  blood]  According  to  the  law : 
cp.  xxix.  22. 

17.  therefore  the  Levites]  Cp.  2  Chron,  xxxv.  6.  Ezra  vi.  20. 
In  ordinary  cases  the  offerer,  being  the  head  of  the  family, 
killed  the  paschal  lamb  for  his  household;  but  many  of  the 
offerers  on  this  occasion  were  not  clean,  and  therefore  the 
Levites  acted  for  them. 

—  to  sanctify  them]  The  pronoun  them,  which  is  not  in  the 
original,  would  be  better  omitted.  The  offerers  were  not 
sanctified  by  this  act ;  but  it  was  done  by  this  means  in  a 
holy  manner,  which,  if  they  had  killed  the  Passover  in  tliuir 
uncleanness,  would  not  have  been  the  case. 

18.  yet  did  they  eat]  Or,  bvt  they  ate  the  Passover  in  a 
manner  contrary  to  the  Lcvitical  Law,  which  forbad  them 
to  enter  the  Temple,  and  partake  of  the  Passover. 


The  solemn  Passover.    2  CHRONICLES  XXX.  19— 27.  XXXI.  1—4.    Idolatry  destroyed. 


Before 
CHRIST 
726. 
V  ch.  19.  3. 


I  Heb.  found. 
z  Exod.  12.  15.  & 
13.  6. 

+  Heb.  in- 
alruments  of 

strength. 

+  Heb.  to  the. 

heart  of  all,  S(c. 

Isa.  40.  2. 

a  Deut.  33.  in. 

ch.  17.  9.  &  35.  3. 

b  Ezra  10.  U. 


c  See  1  Kings 

8.  65. 

t  Heb.  lifted  tip, 

or,  nffered. 

d  ch.  35.  7,  8. 


e  ch.  29.  34. 


g  Num.  6.  23. 

t  Heb.  Ihe  hubila- 

tion  of  his 

hulinesa, 

Ps.  68.  5. 

t  Heb.  found. 

a  2  Kings  18.  4. 
■y  Heb.  sttitues, 
ch.  30.  14. 

t  Heb.  until  to 
make  an  end. 


b  1  Chron,  23.  6. 
&  24.  1. 
0  1  Chron.  23. 
SO,  81. 


d  Num.  28.  &  29. 


e  Num.  18.  8,  &c, 
Neh.  13.  10. 
f  Mai.  2.  7. 


written.  But  Hezekiah  prayed  for  them,  saying,  The  good  Lord  pardon  every 
one  ^^  That  ^  prepareth  his  heart  to  seek  God,  the  Lord  God  of  his  fathers, 
though  he  he  not  cleansed  according  to  the  purification  of  the  sanctuary.  ^'^And 
the  Lord  hearkened  to  Hezekiah,  and  healed  the  people. 

■2^  And  the  children  of  Israel  that  were  f  present  at  Jerusalem  kept  '^  the  feast 
of  unleavened  bread  seven  days  with  great  gladness  :  and  the  Levites  and  the 
priests  praised  the  Lord  day  by  day,  singing  with  f  loud  instruments  unto  the 
Lord,  ^-^j^d  Hezekiah  spake  f  comfortably  unto  all  the  Levites  ''that  taught 
the  good  knowledge  of  the  Lord  :  and  they  did  eat  throughout  the  feast  seven 
days,  offering  peace  offerings,  and  ''making  confession  to  the  Lord  God  of  their 
fathers. 

23  And  the  whole  assembly  took  counsel  to  keep  ""  other  seven  days  :  and  they 
kept  other  seven  days  with  gladness.  ^^  For  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah  f  ^  did 
give  to  the  congregation  a  thousand  bullocks  and  seven  thousand  sheep ;  and 
the  princes  gave  to  the  congregation  a  thousand  bullocks  and  ten  thousand 
sheep  :  and  a  great  number  of  priests  ^  sanctified  themselves.  ^^  And  all  the 
congregation  of  Judah,  with  the  priests  and  the  Levites,  and  all  the  congrega- 
tion *"that  came  out  of  Israel,  and  the  strangers  that  came  out  of  the  land  of 
Israel,  and  that  dwelt  in  Judah,  rejoiced.  ^^  So  there  was  great  joy  in  Jeru- 
salem :  for  since  the  time  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David  king  of  Israel  there  was 
not  the  like  in  Jerusalem.  -"^  Then  the  priests  the  Levites  arose  and  ^  blessed 
the  people  :  and  their  voice  was  heard,  and  their  prayer  came  wp  to  f  his  holy 
dwelling  place,  even  unto  heaven. 

XXXI.  ^  Now  when  all  this  was  finished,  all  Israel  that  were  f  present  went 
out  to  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  *  brake  the  f  images  in  pieces,  and  cut  down  the 
groves,  and  threw  down  the  high  places  and  the  altars  out  of  all  Judah  and 
Benjamin,  in  Ephraim  also  and  Manasseh,  f  until  they  had  utterly  destroyed 
them  all.  Then  all  the  children  of  Israel  returned,  every  man  to  his  posses- 
sion, into  their  own  cities. 

2  And  Hezekiah  appointed  **  the  courses  of  the  priests  and  the  Levites  after 
their  courses,  every  man  according  to  his  service,  the  priests  and  Levites  •"  for 
burnt  offerings  and  for  peace  offerings,  to  minister,  and  to  give  thanks,  and  to 
praise  in  the  gates  of  the  tents  of  the  Lord.  ^He  appointed  also  the  king's 
portion  of  his  substance  for  the  burnt  offerings,  to  wit,  for  the  morning  and 
evening  burnt  offerings,  and  the  burnt  offerings  for  the  sabbaths,  and  for  the 
new  moons,  and  for  the  set  feasts,  as  it  is  wiitten  in  the  ^  law  of  the  Lord. 

^  Moreover  he  commanded  the  people  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  to  give  the 
^  portion  of  the  priests  and  the  Levites,  that  they  might  be  encouraged  in  *"  the 


19.  though  he  be  not  cleansed]  The  words  in  the  text  in 
italics  would  be  better  omitted. 

20.  healed  the  people']  Pardoned  them  (Isa.  vi.  10.  Jer.  iii.  22). 
Sin  is  a  disease. 

22.  offering  peace  offerings]  Which  betokened  their  re- 
conciliation to  God.  They  offered  their  peace-offerings,  and 
partook  of  them,  and  were  restored  to  communion  with  God. 
See  above,  on  Lev.  iii.  1. 

—  making  confession]  Bv  praise  and  thanksgiving  (1  Chron. 
xvi.  23,  24.     2  Chron.  xxix.  31). 

23.  other  seven  days]  As  at  the  dedication  of  the  Temple 
(2  Chron.  vii.  9). 

25.  the  strangers]  Proselytes  (Exod.  xii.  48,  49). 

26.  since  the  time  of  Solomon]  This  is  quite  in  harmony 
with  2  Kings  xxiii.  23.     See  the  note  there. 

Ch.  XXXI.  1.  all  Israel — destroyed  them  all]  Cp.  2  Kings 
xviii.  4.    The  idolatrous  altars  in  Jerusalem  had  been  destroyed 
280 


before  the  Passover  (xxx.  14).  But  now  that  many  of  Israel, 
as  well  as  of  Judah,  had  been  taught  by  the  Levites  (xxx.  22), 
and  had  partaken  of  the  Passover,  they  were  inflamed  with  new 
courage  and  zeal,  and  the  work  of  reformation  was  extended 
by  them  to  both  kingdoms.  We  do  not  hear  that  the  King  of 
Israel  had  any  share  in  it,  and  many  doubtless  derided  it: 
cp.  xxx.  10. 

—  the  children  of  Israel  returned — possession]  A  proof 
that  this  was  before  the  captivity  of  Israel.     See  on  v.  1. 

2.  the  courses  of  the  priests]  1  Chron.  xxiv. — xxvi. 

—  of  the  tents]  Or,  encampments.  See  1  Chron.  ix.  18,  19, 
where  the  same  word,  machaneh,  is  rendered  company,  and 
host.  The  Temple  was  regarded  as  a  fortified  camp  ;  and  the 
Priests  and  Levites  are  compared  to  sentinels,  keeping  watch 
and  ward  at  its  gates. 

3.  the  Icing's  portion]  The  royal  contribution  from  the 
King's  demesnes  and  revenues.     See  xxxii.  27 — 29. 

4.  the  portion  of  the  priests]  The  contribution  toward  their 


The  iKoplc  s  forwardness       2  CHRONICLES  XXXI.  5 — 19.  in  offerings  and  tithes 


law  of  the  Lord.     •^And  as  soon  as  the  commandment  f  came  abroad,  the     chrTst 
children  of  Israel  brought  in  abundance  ^  the  firstfruits  of  corn,  wine,  and  oil,  +  n^^^bmke 
and  II  honey,  and  of  all  the  increase  of  the  field ;   and  the  tithe  of  all  things  g'Exod.  22  29. 
brought  they  in  abundantly.     ^  And  concerning  the  children  of  Israel  and  Judah,  n  or,  date,.' 
that  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  Judah,  they  also  brought  in  the  tithe  of  oxen  and 
sheep,  and  the  ''  tithe  of  holy  things  which  were  consecrated  unto  the  Lord  ^  Lev.  27. 30. 
their  God,  and  laid  them  f  by  heaps.     ^In  the  third  month  they  began  to  lay  ^^^^^.heap,, 
the  foundation  of  the  heaps,  and  finished  them  in  the  seventh  month.     ^  And 
when  Hezeldah  and  the  princes  came  and  saw  the  heaps,  they  blessed  the 
Lord,  and  his  people  Israel.     ^  Then  Hezekiah  questioned  with  the  priests 
and  the  Levites  concerning  the  heaps.     ^^  And  Azariah  the  chief  priest  of  the 
house  of  Zadok  answered  him,  and  said,  '  Since  the  iicople  began  to  bring  the  iMai.3. 10. 
offerings  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  we  have  had  enough  to  eat,  and  have 
left  plenty :  for  the  Lord  hath  blessed  his  people ;  and  that  which  is  left  is 


this  great  store. 


Or,  storehouset. 


^^  Then  Hezekiah  commanded  to  prepare  ||  chambers  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord;  and  they  prepared  them,  ^'-And  brought  in  the  offerings  and  the  tithes 
and  the  dedicated  things  faithfully :  "  over  which  Cononiah  the  Levite  ivas  ruler,  ^  Neh.  13. 13 
and  Shimei  his  brother  ivas  the  next.  ^^  And  Jehiel,  and  Azaziali,  and  Nahath, 
and  Asahel,  and  Jerimoth,  and  Jozabad,  and  Eliel,  and  Ismachiah,  and  Mahath, 
and  Benaiah,  ivere  overseers  f  under  the  hand  of  Cononiah  and  Shimei  his  tneb.aUAe 

'  '  hand. 

brother,  at  the  commandment  of  Hezekiah  the  king,  and  Azariah  the  ruler  of 

the  house  of  God.     ^^  And  Kore  the  son  of  Imnah  the  Levite,  the  porter  toward 

the  east,  luas  over  the  freewill  offerings  of  God,  to  distribute  the  oblations  of 

the  Lord,  and  the  most  holy  things.     ^^  And  f  next  him  ivere  Eden  and  Minia-  l^^^-""'" 

min,  and  Jeshua,  and  Shemaiah,  Amariah,  and  Shecaniah,  in  '  the  cities  of  the  \  Josh.  21. 9. 

priests,  in  their  \\  set  office,  to  give  to  their  brethren  by  courses,  as  well  to  the 

great  as  to  the  small ;  ^^  Beside  their  genealogy  of  males,  from  three  years  old 

and  upward,  even  unto  every  one  that  entereth  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  his 

daily  portion  for  their  service  in  their  charges  according  to  their  courses ; 

^7  Both  to  the  genealogy  of  the  priests  by  the  house  of  their  fathers,  and  the 

Levites  ""  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  in  their  charges  by  their  courses  ; 

^^And  to  the  genealogy  of  all  their  little  ones,  their  mves,  and  their  sons, 

and  their  daughters,  through  all  the  congregation :   for  in  their  ||  set  office  n  o^.  ''•«^'- 

they  sanctified  themselves   in  holiness :    ^^  Also   of  the  sons   of  Aaron   the 

priests,  ivhich  ivere  in  "  the  fields  of  the  suburbs  of  their  cities,  in  every  several  ^iZ'ss.'l 


II  Or,  trust, 
I  Chron.  9.  22. 


m  1  Chron.  23. 
24,  2?. 


rnaintenance,  namely,   the  firstfruits    and  tithes  (w.  5).      Cp. 
Num.  xviii.  12,  13.  20—24.     Neh.  xiii.  10. 

6.  bj/  heaps']  Literally,  heaps,  heaps,  of  corn  (Ruth  iii.  7. 
Neh.  xiii.  15.     Hag.  ii.  16).  and  other  fruits. 

7.  to  lay  the  foundation]  To  begin  the  tithing  and  offering 
of  firstfruits.  They  began  before  Pentecost,  and  ended  at 
Taberbacles  (Lev.  xxiii.  15—34). 

9.  Hezekiah  questioned]  Wliether  the  heaps  would  suffice 
for  their  maintenance,  and  why  they  were  not  laid  up  in  store- 
houses. 

10.  Azariah']  He  may  have  been  the  same  as  the  Azariah 
who  resisted  Uzziah :  see  xxvi.  17.  In  1  Chron.  vi.  13,  we 
have  another  Azariah,  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  who  was  High  Priest 
in  the  time  of  Josiah  (xxxiv.  9.  2  Kings  xxii.  4).  The  Azariah 
here  mentioned,  and  in  v.  13,  seems  to  have  been  High  Priest ; 
for  he  is  called  chief  over  the  house  of  Zadok. 

13.  jehiel — and  Nahath]  Mentioned  also  xxix.  14. 

14.  toward  the  east]  1  Chron.  ix.  18. 

—  the  most  holy  things]  Literally,  holinesses  of  holinesses. 
See  ou  Lev,  ii.  3;  vi.  17.  25.  29. 
281 


.5.  Eden]  xxix.  12. 

—  as  tvell  to  the  great  as  to  the  small]  As  well  to  the 
aged  as  to  the  young,  who,  on  account  of  their  age,  might  not 
be  able  to  attend  personally. 

16.  Beside  their  genealogy  of  males]  Except  their  register 
of  males  from  three  years  old,  who  were  allowed  to  come  into 
the  courts  of  the  Temple  with  their  parents,  the  Priests  and 
Levites,  and  to  eat  the  daily  portion  allotted  to  them,  in  the 
place  of  the  Sanctuary. 

17.  Both  to  the  genealogy  of  the  priests]  Rather,  as  for  the 
register  of  the  priests,  they  were  arranged  according  to  their 
fathers'  houses. 

—  the  Levites  from  twenty  years]  As  for  the  Levites,  they 
who  were  twenty  years  old,  were  admitted  to  officiate,  according 
to  the  institution  of  David  (1  Chron.  xxiii.  24 — 26). 

18.  And  to  the  genealogy]  Or,  and  to  genealogize,^  or,  to 
register.  The  officers  mentioned  in  v.  15,  were  commissioned 
to  register  aU  these  according  to  their  families,  or  to  provide 
for  them. 


Sennacherib 


2  CHRONICLES  XXXI.  20,  21.     XXXII.  1—7.       invades  Juclah, 


Before 
CHRI ST 
726. 
o  ver.  12,  13, 
14,  15. 


p  2  Kings  20.  3, 


713. 

a  2  Kings  18.  13, 

&c. 

Isa.  36.  1,  &c. 

t  Heb.  to  break 
them  up. 
+  Heb.  his  face 
was  to  war. 


t  K.e\).  overflowed. 


b  Isa.  22.  9,  10. 
c  ch.  25.  23. 
d  2  Sam.  5.  9. 

I  Kings  9.  24. 

II  Or,  swords, 
or,  weapons. 


t  Heb.  spake  to 
their  heart, 
ch.  30.  22. 
Isa.  40.  2. 
e  Deut.  31.  6. 


city,  the  men  that  were  °  expressed  by  name,  to  give  portions  to  all  the  males 
among  the  priests,  and  to  all  that  were  reckoned  by  genealogies  among  the 
Levites. 

2^  And  thus  did  Hezckiah  throughout  all  Judah,  and  Pwi'ought  that  ivhich 
teas  good  and  right  and  truth  before  the  Loed  his  God.  ^^  And  in  every 
work  that  he  began  in  the  service  of  the  house  of  God,  and  in  the  law,  and 
in  the  commandments,  to  seek  his  God,  he  did  it  with  all  his  heart,  and 
prospered. 

XXXII.  ^  After  ^  these  things,  and  the  establishment  thereof,  Sennacherib 
king  of  Assyria  came,  and  entered  into  Judah,  and  encamped  against  the  fenced 
cities,  and  thought  f  to  win  them  for  himself. 

2  And  when  Hezekiah  saw  that  Sennacherib  was  come,  and  that  f  he  was 
purposed  to  fight  against  Jerusalem,  ^  He  took  counsel  with  his  princes  and 
his  mighty  men  to  stop  the  waters  of  the  fountains  which  W6'rg  without  the  city: 
and  they  did  help  him.  ^  So  there  was  gathered  much  people  together,  who 
stopped  all  the  fountains,  and  the  brook  that  f  ran  through  the  midst  of  the 
land,  saying.  Why  should  the  kings  of  Assyria  come,  and  find  much  water  ? 
^  Also  ^  he  strengthened  himself,  "  and  built  up  all  the  wall  that  was  broken, 
and  raised  it  up  to  the  towers,  and  another  wall  without,  and  repaired  "^  Millo 
ill  the  city  of  David,  and  made  ||  darts  and  shields  in  abundance.  ^  And  he  set 
captains  of  war  over  the  people,  and  gathered  them  together  to  him  in  the 
street  of  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  f  spake  comfortably  to  them,  saying,  7**  Be 
strong  and  courageous,  ^  be  not  afraid  nor  dismayed  for  the  king  of  Assyria, 


f  ch.  20.  15. 


Ch.  XXXII.  1.  After — tTie  esiablishment  tJiereof^  Literally, 
after  the  truth,  or  faithfulness,  of  these  things  (so  Sept.,  Vtilg., 
and  Syriac) ;  that  is,  after  Hezekiah  had  shown  such  fidelity 
and  truth  in  God's  service  (see  the  words  in  xxxi.  20),  God 
allowed  him  to  be  tempted  by  adversity,  in  order  that  his 
faith  might  be  more  glorious.  This  trial  was  in  the  fourteenth 
year  of  his  reign  (2  Kings  xviii.  13). 

—  Sennacherib  Tcing  of  Assyria  came,  and  entered  into 
Judah,  and  encamped  against  the  fenced  cities~\  See  above,  on 
2  Kings  xviii.  13.  In  an  extant  Assyrian  record  of  the  events 
of  his  reign  Sennacherib  thus  speaks  : — 

"  Because  Hezekiah,  King  of  Judah,  would  not  submit  to 
my  yoke,  I  came  up  against  him,  and  by  force  of  arms,  and  by 
the  might  of  my  power,  I  took  forty-six  of  his  strong  fenced 
cities ;  and  of  the  smaller  towns  which  were  scattered  about, 
I  took  and  plundered  a  countless  number.  And  from  these 
places  I  captured  and  carried  off  as  spoil  200,150  people,  old 
and  young,  male  and  female,  together  with  horses  and  mares, 
asses  and  camels,  oxen  and  sheep,  a  countless  multitude.  And 
Hezekiah  himself  I  shut  up  in  Jerusalem,  like  a  bird  in  a  cage, 
building   towers  round  the  city   to  hem  him  in,   and  raising 

banks  of  earth  against  the  gates,  so  as  to  prevent  escape 

Then  upon  this  Hezekiah  there  fell  the  fear  of  the  power  of 
my  arms,  and  he  sent  out  to  me  the  chiefs,  and  the  elders  of 
Jerusalem,  with  thirty  talents  of  gold,  and  eight  hundred 
talents  of  silver,  and  divers  treasures,  a  rich  and  immense 
booty.  .  .  .  All  these  things  were  brought  to  me  at  Nineveh, 
the  seat  of  my  government,  Hezekiah  having  sent  them,  by 
•way  of  tribute,  and  as  a  token  of  his  submission  to  my  power." 
This  is  a  translation  from  the  Assyrian  monument,  commonly 
called  "  The  Taylor  cylinder,"  now  in  the  British  Museum.  It 
is,  properly,  a  prism  of  clay ;  of  six  sides,  with  cightj-  Hues  on 
each.  A  fac  simile  of  it  has  been  published  by  Sir  H.  RawUnson, 
for  the  Trustees  of  the  Museum,  in  a  folio  volume,  entitled 
"  Cuneiform  Inscriptions  of  Western  Asia,"  London,  1861 ;  and 
a  French  translation  of  it  is  given  by  M.  Oppert,  "  Inscriptions 
des  Sargonides,"  Versailles,  1862,  pp.  41 — 53.  M.  Oppert' s 
version,  p.  45,  of  the  above  differs  in  some  respects  from 
RawUnson' s.  Cp.  RawUnson,  Bampton  Lectures,  p.  141; 
Ancient  Monarchies,  ii.  428.  435,  whence  the  foregoing  version 
is  taken. 

This   prism  was  engraved  in  or  soon  after  Sennacherib's 
sixteenth  year  {RawUnson,  444).     But  it  does  not  appear  from 
282 


it  in  what  year  of  his  reign  his  expedition  into  Palestine  took 
place.  He  makes  no  mention  of  his  subsequent  discomfiture. 
Sennacherib's  accession  is  placed  by  some  eminent  recent 
chronologers  at  B.C.  704;  e.g.  Raiolinson,  Anct.  Mon.  ii.  427, 
who  therefore  would  alter  the  present  Hebrew  text  (which  speaks 
of  Sennacherib's  invasion  of  Palestine  against  Hezekiah),  in 
2  Kings  xviii.  13,  from  "  fourteenth  "  to  "  twenty-seventh  " 
(RawUnson,  ibid.  p.  434).     See  on  2  Kings  xviii.  13. 

2.  And  tvhen  HezeMah  saw  that  Sennacherib  loas  come] 
And  had  taken  the  fenced  cities  of  Judah  (2  Kings  xviii.  13), 
and  now  was  about  to  assault  the  capital.  At  first  Hezekiah 
offered  him  terms  of  submission,  and  gave  him  presents  (see 
2  Kings  xviii.  14 — 16) ;  but  Hezekiah  recovered  his  courage 
and  fortitude,  and  set  himself  to  make  preparations  against  the 
invaders  by  vigorous  measures  of  defence,  and,  above  all,  by  the 
arms  of  faith  and  prayer  (2  Kings  xix.  1.  14—19). 

3—8.  He  took  counsel']  This  narrative  of  Hezekiah's  energy 
in  fortifying  the  city,  is  not  found  in  the  Book  of  Kings,  and 
is  added  by  the  sacred  historian  here. 

It  is  a  striking  feature  in  the  noble  character  of  King 
Hezekiah,  that  relying  as  he  did  on  the  arm  of  God  {vv.  7,  8), 
he  omitted  no  means  which  human  counsel  could  devise,  and 
which  human  energy  could  execute  in  the  defence  of  Jeru- 
salem. There  was  no  fanaticism  in  his  faith.  In  this  respect 
be  is  a  pattern  to  Christian  Churches,  and  to  every  believer. 
The  Apostle  joins  human  duty  with  divine  grace :  "  ^^^ork  out 
your  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling  ;  for  it  is  God  that 
worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  "  (Phil.  ii.  12,  13. 
1  Thess.  ii.  13).  We  must  fortify  our  Jerusalem,  if  we  desire 
God  to  deliver  us  from  our  spiritual  Sennacheribs. 

3.  to  stop  the  zoaters']  To  hide  them  from  the  enemy,  by 
covering  them  over,  and  to  lead  them  by  subterranean  aqueducts 
into  the  city  for  a  supply  of  water  to  the  inhabitants. 

4.  the  brook]  The  brook  Gihon.  See  v.  30.  Cp.  Ecclus. 
xlviii.  17 ;  and  above,  1  Kings  i.  33. 

5.  and  another  tvaU]  Rather,  the  other  loaU,  round  the 
lower  city  (Thenius). 

—  Mi'llo]  2  Sam.  v.  9.     1  Kings  xi.  27.     1  Chron.  xi.  8. 

7,  8.  Be  strong  and  courageous]  Hezekiah  adopts  the  well- 
known  words  of  the  Pentateuch  and  Book  of  Joshua,  which 
had  inspired  faith  and  courage  in  the  hearts  of  their  fathers 
(Deut.  xxxi.  6,  7.     Josh.  i.  7 ;  x.  25.     1  Chron.  xxii.  13). 


SennacJierih's  messages. 


2  CHRONICLES  XXXII.  8—21. 


Hezehialis  prayer. 


nor  for  all  the  multitude  that  is  with  him  :  for  ^  there  he  more  with  us  than  with 


Before 
CHRIST 

him  :  ^  With  him  is  an  ''  arm  of  flesh ;   but  '  with  us  is  the  Lord  our  God  to  g  2  Kingfe.  le. 


h  Jer.  17.  5. 
4. 

12. 
Rom.  8.  31. 
t  Heb.  leaned. 


help  us,  and  to  fight  our  battles.     And  the  people  frosted  themselves  upon  the  i  John  4!  _ 
words  of  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah. 

^  ''After  this  did  Sennacherib  king  of  Assyria  send  his  servants  to  Jerusalem,  k  2  Kings' is.  17. 
(but  he  himself  laid  siege  against  Lachish,  and  all  his  f  power  with  him,)  unto  i  neh.  domhnon. 
Hezekiah  king  of  Judah,  and  unto  all  Judah  that  were  at  Jerusalem,  saying, 
^° '  Thus  saith  Sennacherib  king  of  Assyria,  Whereon  do  ye  trust,  that  ye  abide  1 2  Kings  is.  19. 
li  in  the  sieoje  in  Jerusalem  ?     ^^  Doth  not  Hezekiah  persuade  you  to  ffive  over  11  or,  m  the 

no  X  1/  <^  Strang  hold. 

yourselves  to  die  by  famine,  and  by  thirst,  saying,  ""  The  Lord  our  God  shall  "'2  kings  is.  30. 

deliver  us  out  of  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria?     ^^"Hath  not  the  same  n  2  Kings  is.  22. 

Hezekiah  taken  away  his  high  places  and  his  altars,  and  commanded  Judah 

and  Jerusalem,  saying,  Ye  shall  worship  before  one  altar,  and  burn  incense 

upon  it  ?     ^^  Know  ye  not   what   I  and  my  fathers  have  done  unto   all  the 

people  of  other  lands  ?  °  were  the  gods  of  the  nations  of  those  lands  any  ways  i^  ^j'"s«  i^.  33, 

able  to  deliver  their  lands  out  of  mine  hand  ?     '^  Who  was  there  among  all  the 

gods  of  those  nations  that  my  fathers  utterly  destroyed,  that  could  deliver  his 

people  out  of  mine  hand,  that  your  God  should  be  able  to  deliver  you  out  of 

mine  hand  ?     ^^Now  therefore  ^let  not  Hezekiah  deceive  you,  nor  persuade  you  p  2  Kings  is.  29. 

on  this  manner,  neither  yet  believe  him  :  for  no  god  of  any  nation  or  kingdom 

was  able  to  deliver  his  people  out  of  mine  hand,  and  out  of  the  hand  of  my 

fathers  :  how  much  less  shall  your  God  deliver  you  out  of  mine  hand  ?     ^^  And 

his  seiwants  spake  yet  more  against  the  Lord  God,  and  against  his  servant 

Hezekiah. 

^7  '^  He  wi'ote  also  letters  to  rail  on  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  and  to  speak  1 2  Kings  19. 9. 
against  him,  saying,  ^As  the  gods  of  the  nations  of  other  lands  have  not  deli-  r  2  Kings  19. 12. 
vered  their  people  out  of  mine  hand,  so  shall  not  the  God  of  Hezekiah  deliver 
his  people  out  of  mine  hand.     ^^'Then  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice  in  the  s  2  Kings  is.  28 
Jews'  speech  unto  the  people  of  Jerusalem  *  that  ivere  on  the  wall,  to  affright  \^  Kings  is.  26, 
them,  and  to  trouble  them  ;  that  they  might  take  the  city.     ^^  And  they  spake 
against  the  God  of  Jerusalem,  as  against  the  gods  of  the  people  of  the  earth, 
ichicli  were  "  the  work  of  the  hands  of  man.  « 2  Kings  19.  is. 

20 ''And  for  this  cause  Hezekiah  the  king,  and  ^the  prophet  Isaiah  the  son  oi  "^l^^i^^-^^^^ 
Amoz,  prayed  and  cried  to  heaven.     ^^^And  the  Lord  sent  an  angel,  which        ^"^^'^^ 
cut  off  all  the  mighty  men  of  valour,  and  the  leaders  and  captains  in  the  camp  &c.^'"^'  '^-  ^^• 
of  the  king  of  Assyria.     So  he  returned  with  shame  of  face  to  his  own  land. 
And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house  of  his  god,  they  that  came  forth  of  his 


—  there  be  more  %oith  us]  The  words  of  Elisha  (2  Kings 
vi.  Ifi). 

9 — 20.  After  this  did  Sennacherib — send  his  servants'^  Tartan, 
Rabsaris,  and  Rabshakeh,  with  a  great  host.  The  sacred  Writer 
supposes  that  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  larger  account,  in 
2  Kings  xviii.  17—37 ;  xix.  1 — 35  (cp.  Isa.  x.  8—11 ;  xxxvi. 
and  xxxvii.),  which  he  assumes  to  be  familiar  to  him  ;  and, 
therefore,  although  he  displays  in  a  clear  light  the  courage  and 
faith  of  Hezekiah,  the  King  of  Judah,  with  whose  history  he 
was  specially  concerned,  he  does  not  repeat  the  narrative,  but 
gives  only  a  brief  epitome  of  it. 

—  Lachish]  About  thirty-five  miles  s.w.  of  Jerusalem.  See 
on  2  Kings  xviii.  14. 

—  all  his  power]  Not  only  his  princes,  but  all  the  force  of 
his  kingdom  {Berthean). 

10.  abide  in  the  siege]  Rather,  sitting  in  a  stronghold  in 
which  ye  trust  {Oesen.  51). 

11.  to  die  hy  famine  and  hy  thirst]  The  sacred  historian 
siifteus  the  coarse  contemptuous  words  of  the  Assyrian  captains, 
which  are  recorded  in  2  Kings  xviii.  27. 

283 


13.  I  and  my  fathers]  The  messengers  speak  in  the  name  of 
Sennacherib,  who  sent  them. 

16.  Ms  servants  spake  yet  more]  Which  may  be  read  in  the 
history  of  the  Kings  (2  Kings  xviii.  23 — 36). 

17.  He  wrote  also  letters]  By  his  messengers,  who  had 
returned  to  him.  See  2  Kings  xix.  8 — 14.  Isa.  xxxvii. 
10—14.  This  verse  is  only  a  parenthesis  :  the  thread  of  the 
narrative  is  taken  up  again  in  v.  18. 

18.  Then  they  cried — in  the  Jetvs'  speecJi]  That  is,  after 
what  they  are  related  (in  v.  16)  to  have  spoken.  This  is  ne- 
cessary to  be  observed,  lest  a  discrepancy  should  be  imagined, 
where  there  is  none,  between  this  account  and  that  in  2  Kings 
xviii.  25 — 35.     Compare  Isa.  xxxvi.  10 — 22. 

20.  the  prophet  Isaiah]  To  whom  Hezekiah  sent  Eliakim, 
Shebna,  and  the  Elders  of  the  Priests  in  sackcloth,  for  counsel 
and  comfort  in  his  trouble,  and  for  the  benefit  of  his  prayers 
(2  Kings  xix.  1 — 5). 

21.  And  the  Loed  sent  an  angel]  In  answer  to  their  prayers. 
Cp.  2  Kings  xix.  35. 


Hezekialis  sickness, 


2  CHKONICLES  XXXII.  22—33.      wmlth,  loovls,  and  death. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

710. 

t  Heb.  made  him 

fall. 

710. 
t  Heb.  precious 
things. 
ach.  17.  5. 
bch.  1.  1. 


713. 
c  2  Kings  20.  1. 
Isa.  38.  1. 
II  Or,  wrought  a 
miracle  for  him. 
d  Ps.  116.  12. 
e  ch.  26.  16. 
Hab.  2.  4. 
fch.  24.  18. 
g  Jer.  26.  18,  19. 
t  Heb.  the  lifting 
up. 

h  2  Kings  20.  19. 


t  Heb.  instrn- 
menti  of  desire. 


ilChron.  29.  12. 


kisa.  22.  9,  11. 


712. 
t  Heb.  inter- 
preters. 

12  Kings  20.  12. 
Isa.  39.  1. 
m  Deut.  8.  2. 


t  Heb.  kind- 
nesses. 

n  Isa.  36,  &  37, 
&  38,  &  39. 
o  2  Kings  18, 
&  19,  &  20. 
p  2  Kings  20.  21. 
II  Or,  highest. 


own  bowels  f  slew  liim  there  with  the  sword.  22  Thus  the  Lord  saved  Heze- 
kiah  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  from  the  hand  of  Sennacherib  the  king 
of  Assyria,  and  from  the  hand  of  all  other,  and  guided  them  on  every  side. 
2^ And  many  brought  gifts  unto  the  Lord  to  Jerusalem,  and  f ''presents  to 
Hezekiah  king  of  Judali :  so  that  he  was  ''  magnified  in  the  sight  of  all  nations 
from  thenceforth. 

^■* "  In  those  days  Hezekiah  was  sick  to  the  death,  and  prayed  unto  the  JjORD  : 
and  he  spake  unto  him,  and  he  ||  gave  him  a  sign.  ^^  But  Hezekiah  ^  rendered 
not  again  according  to  the  benefit  done  unto  him ;  for  his  ^  heart  was  lifted  up  : 
^  therefore  there  was  wrath  upon  him,  and  upon  Judah  and  Jerusalem.  ^6  g  "^q^. 
withstanding  Hezekiah  humbled  himself  for  f  the  pride  of  his  heart,  both  he  and 
the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  so  that  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  came  not  upon 
them  ^  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah.  -^  And  Hezekiah  had  exceeding  much  riches 
and  honour :  and  he  made  himself  treasuries  for  silver,  and  for  gold,  and  for 
precious  stones,  and  for  spices,  and  for  shields,  and  for  all  manner  of  f  pleasant 
jewels  ;  ^^  Storehouses  also  for  the  increase  of  corn,  and  wine,  and  oil ;  and 
stalls  for  all  manner  of  beasts,  and  cotes  for  flocks.  ^^  Moreover  he  provided 
him  cities,  and  possessions  of  flocks  and  herds  in  abundance  :  for  '  God  had 
given  him  substance  very  much. 

30  k  rji|^-g  gg^jj^g  Hezekiah  also  stopped  the  upper  watercourse  of  Gihon,  and 
brought  it  straight  down  to  the  west  side  of  the  city  of  David.  And  Hezekiah 
prospered  in  all  his  works.  ^^  Howbeit  in  the  business  of  the  f  ambassadors  of 
the  princes  of  Babylon,  who  '  sent  unto  him  to  inquire  of  the  wonder  that  was 
done  in  the  land,  God  left  him,  to  "  try  him,  that  he  might  know  all  that  icas 
in  his  heart. 

^-  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Hezekiah,  and  liis  f  goodness,  behold,  they  ore 
written  in  "  the  vision  of  Isaiah  the  prophet,  the  son  of  Amoz,  and  in  the  °  book 
of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel.  ^^  ^  And  Hezekiah  slept  with  his  fathers,  and 
they  buried  him  in  the  \\  chiefest  of  the  sepulchres  of  the  sons  of  David :   and  all 


23.  And  many  IroiigH  gifts']  This  statement  is  illustrated 
by  Ps.  Ixxvi.  11,  "  Bring  presents,"  &c.,  and  explains  a  fact, 
which  otherwise  would  have  been  unaccountable,  namely,  that 
after  Hezekiah  had  given  away  all  the  silver  that  was  found  in 
his  palace  to  Sennacherib  (2  Kings  xviii.  15),  yet  he  had  great 
treasures  to  show  to  the  ambassadors  from  Babylon  {v.  31. 
Cp.  2  Kings  XX.  13.     Isa.  xxxix.  1).     Cp.  below,  v.  27. 

24.  In  those  days']  When  Jerusalem  was  still  threatened  by 
Sennacherib.     See  above,  on  2  Kings  xx.  1. 

The  Sacred  Writer  very  naturally  had  continued  the  history 
of  Sennacherib's  invasion  to  its  conclusion,  and  had  not  in- 
terrupted his  narrative  in  order  to  give  an  account  of  Ilczekiah's 
sickness,  which  was  contemporaneous  with  that  invasion :  but 
now  that  he  has  finished  his  account  of  the  Assyrian  expedition, 
he  returns  to  speak  of  Hezekiah's  sickness. 

—  a  sign']  Whieh  is  supposed  to  be  known  to  the  reader  from 
the  full  narrative  in  Kings  (2  Kings  xx.  1 — 11). 

25.  according  to  the  benefit  done  unto  him]  Both  in  the 
marvellous  deliverance  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  destruction  of  the 
Assyrian  army,  and  in  his  own  restoration  to  health,  accom- 
panied with  the  miracle  referred  to  in  v.  24,  and  with  the  gifts 
brought  to  him,  in  consequence  of  the  signal  manifestations  of 
God's  favour  to  him. 

—  his  heart  toas  lifted  np]  By  the  abundance  of  the  blessings 
bestowed  upon  him.  Hezekiah  had  been  proof  against  adversity, 
but  he  was  overcome  for  a  time  by  prosperity ;  his  pride  showed 
itself  in  the  display  of  his  riches  to  the  ambassadors  fi-om 
Babylon,  as  the  reader  is  supposed  to  know  from  2  Kings 
XX.  13. 

—  •  there  was  wrath  upon  him]  Which  was  denounced  by 
Isaiah  the  prophet  (2  Kings  xx.  17,  18),  and  by  Micah  (iii.  12). 

284. 


26.  tJie  ivrath  of  the  Lord  came  not  upon  them  in  the  days 
of  Hezekiah]  See  2  Kings  xx.  19. 

28.  and  stalls— flocks]  Or,  and  stalls  for  all  Jcinds  of  cattle, 
and  flocks  at  stalls.  The  last  word,  in  Hebrew  averoth,  occurs 
only  here,  and  is  supposed  to  be  another  form  of  uravoth  (stalls), 
which  is  found  in  1  Kings  iv.  26.  2  Chron.  ix.  25,  and  in  the 
former  part  of  the  present  verse.  See  Qesen.  24;  Fuerst, 
146. 

30.  Gihon]  See  v.  4;  and  2  Kings  xx.  20. 

31.  Howbeit]  Rather,  And  so  (Heb.  ve-ceti),  or,  accordingly 
(and  so  Sept.,  and  Hertheau).  The  sacred  writer  resumes  hei-e 
the  narrative  in  v.  25,  his  heart  was  lifted  up.  This  trial  was 
a  consequence  of  Hezekiah's  prosperity.  Whenever  men  are 
blessed  by  God  with  special  favours,  they  must  look  for  trials 
from  Him,  so  that  it  may  be  seen  whether  they  love  God  for 
His  own  sake,  or  for  the  sak^  of  the  earthly  good  things  which 
He  gives  them. 

—  in  the  business  of  the  ambassadors]  Literally,  the  inter- 
preters, from  Heb.  hits,  to  speak  a  foreign  tongue  (see  Oesen. 
435 ;  and  Isa.  xliv.  26).  The  story  of  these  Ambassadors  from 
a  strange  land  (Babylon)  is  supposed  to  be  known  to  the  reader 
from  2  Kings  xx.  10,  11,  and  Isa.  xxxviii.  7,  8. 

—  the  wondei — in  the  land]  See  above,  on  2  Kings  xx.  11. 

—  Ood  left  him]  On  the  various  dealings  of  God  with  the 
soul  of  man,  in  leaving  it  to  itself,  or  checking  its  presumption, 
or  humbling  it,  see  Up.  Sanderson,  i.  416. 

—  that  he  might  knoxv  all  that  was  in  his  heart]  This  clause 
is  to  be  joined  on  to  the  beginning  of  v.  25,  "  Hezekiah  rendered 
not  according  to  the  benefit  done  unto  him."  God  tried  him 
that  He  might  know  what  was  in  his  heart,  and  his  heart  w;i3 
lifted  up ;  but  Isaiah  reproved  him,  and  "  Hezekiah  humbled 
himself  for  the  pride  of  his  heart." 


Manassclis  idolatry;         2  CHRONICLES  XXXIII.  1—13.        he  is  carried  to  Bahijhn. 


Jnclali  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  did  him  "^  honour  at  his  death.     And 
Manasseh  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

XXXIII.  ^  Manasseh  ^ivas  twelve  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he 
reigned  fifty  and  five  years  in  Jerusalem  :  ^  But  did  that  ivhich  ivas  evil  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord,  like  unto  the  ''  abominations  of  the  heathen,  whom  the  Lord  had 
cast  out  before  the  children  of  Israel.  ^  For  f  he  built  again  the  high  places 
which  Hezekiah  his  father  had  ''broken  down,  and  he  reared  up  altars  for 
Baalim,  and  "^  made  groves,  and  worshipped  ^  all  the  host  of  heaven,  and  served 
them.  ^  Also  he  built  altars  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  whereof  the  Lord  had 
said,  ^  In  Jerusalem  shall  my  name  be  for  ever.  ^  And  he  built  altars  for  all 
the  host  of  heaven  ^in  the  two  courts  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^''And  he 
caused  his  children  to  pass  through  the  fire  in  the  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom : 
'  also  he  observed  times,  and  used  enchantments,  and  used  witchcraft,  and 
^  dealt  with  a  familiar  spirit,  and  with  wizards  :  he  wrought  much  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  to  provoke  him  to  anger.  ^  And  'he  set  a  carved  image,  the 
idol  which  he  had  made,  in  the  house  of  God,  of  which  God  had  said  to  Dsmd 
and  to  Solomon  his  son.  In  ""this  house,  and  in  Jerusalem,  which  I  have  chosen 
before  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  will  I  put  my  name  for  ever :  ° "  Neither  will  I 
any  more  remove  the  foot  of  Israel  from  out  of  the  land  which  I  have  appointed 
for  your  fathers  ;  so  that  they  will  take  heed  to  do  all  that  I  have  com- 
manded them,  according  to  the  whole  law  and  the  statutes  and  the  ordinances 
by  the  hand  of  Moses.  ^  So  Manasseh  made  Judah  and  the  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem  to  err,  and  to  do  worse  than  the  heathen,  whom  the  Lord  had 
destroyed  before  the  children  of  Israel.  ^^  And  the  Lord  spake  to  Manasseh, 
and  to  his  people:  but  they  would  not  hearken.  ^i° Wherefore  the  Lord 
brought  upon  them  the  captains  of  the  host  f  of  the  king  of  Assyria,  which  took 
Manasseh  among  the  thorns,  and  ^  bound  him  with  ||  fetters,  and  carried  him 
to  Babylon.  ^^  And  when  he  was  in  affliction,  he  besought  the  Lord  his  God, 
and  "i  humbled  himself  greatly  before  the  God  of  his  fathers,  ^^  And  prayed  unto 


Before 
CHRIST 
G98. 
q  Piov.  10.  7. 

698. 
a  2  Kings  21.  1, 
&c. 


b  Deut.  18.  9. 
2  Chron.  28.  3. 
t  Heb.  he 
returned  and 
built. 

c  2  Kings  18.  4. 
ch.  30.  14.  & 
31.  1.  &  32.  12. 
d  Deut.  16.  21. 
e  Deut.  17.  3. 

f  Deut.  12.  11. 

1  Kings  8.  29.  & 
9.  3. 

cii.  6.  6.  Hi  7.  10. 
gch.  4.  9. 
h  Lev.  18.  21. 
Deut.  18.  10. 

2  Kings  23.  10, 
ch.  28.  3. 
Ezek.  23.  37,  39. 
iDeut.  18.  10,  11. 
k  2  Kings  21.  6. 

1  2  Kings  21.  7. 


m  Ps.  132.  14. 
n  2  Sam.  7.  10. 


677. 
0  Deut.  28.  36. 
t  Heb.  which 
were  the  king's. 
p  Job  36.  8. 
Ps.  107.  10,  II. 
U  OXyChains. 

q  1  Pet.  5.  6. 


Ch.  XXXIII.  1.  Manasseh']  See  2  Kings  xxi.  1. 
2—6.]  2  Kings  xxi.  2—6. 

6.  Ms  children]  In  the  Kings  it  is,  "his  son."    Cp.  xxviii.  3. 
8.  laio— Closes]  Here  is  a  testimony  totlie  Mosaic  authorship 
of  the  Pentateuch.     Cp.  2  Kings  xxi.  8. 

10.  the  LoED  spalce  to  Manasseh^  By  the  prophets  (2  Kings 
xxi.  10—16). 

11.  the  king  of  Assyria]  Esarhaddon,  who  had  taken 
Bahylon  ( TJssher,  Ann.  p.  61 ;  Ewald,  iii.  675 ;  Sdvefnick, 
Einleit.  ii.  223;  Rawlinson,  Banipt.  Lect.  114),  and  had  pro- 
bably heard  there  of  the  treasures  which  had  been  seen  by  the 
Babylonish  ambassadors  at  Jerusalem  (xxxii.  31)  in  the  reign  of 
the  former  king,  Hezekiah,  and  desired  to  make  himself  master 
of  them  ;  and  thus  Hezekiah's  pride  provoked  that  punishment. 

It  is  said  by  the  Hebrew  Expositors  that  this  was  in  the 
twenty-second  year  of  Manasseh's  reign  {Seder  Olam,  cap.  24). 
—  among  the  thorns]  Rather,  in  chains,  fetters  {Sept.; 
Tulg. ;  Targum ;  Bertheau ;  Oesen.  264.  271 ;  Fuerst,  425). 
The  Hebrew  word  chach,  here  used,  means  the  sharp  thorn-like 
hook  {uncus)  by  which  prisoners  were  caught  and  held  like  fish. 
Manasseh's  imprisonment  and  deportation  to  Babylon,  and 
subsequent  repentance  (the  narrative  of  which  is  rejected  as 
legendary,  in  whole  or  in  part,  by  some  recent  critics,  such  as 
Oramherg,  Winer,  Sitzig^  and  others)  are  not  expressly  men- 
tioned by  the  Author  of  the  Kings,  who  gives  only  a  short 
summary  (in  eighteen  verses)  of  a  reign  which  he  himself 
informs  us  extended  to  fifty-five  yeai-s  (2  Kings  xxi.  1) ;  and 
lie  refers  to  the  "  Book  of  the  Chronicles  "  of  the  kings  of  Judah 
for  the  rest  of  his  acts.  Cp.  Huvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  221 ;  Keil, 
on  2  Kings  xxi.  10,  Engl.  ed.  p.  129;  Bertheau,  p.  407; 
Flumptre,  B.  D.  ii.  223 ;  Stanley,  Lect.  p.  494). 

It  has  been  well  observed,  that  the  Sacred  Historian  of  the 
Chronicles  shows  his  knowledge  and  accuracy,  by  representing 
289 


the  King  of  Assyria  as  caiTying  Manasseh  (not  to  Nineveh  but) 
to  Babylon,  which  was  occupied  by  the  Assyrian  Monarch  Esar- 
haddon at  that  time.  Esarhaddon  was  the  only  Assyrian 
King  who  reigned  in  person  at  Babylon,  where  he  built  a  palace, 
bricks  of  which  may  still  be  seen  bearing  his  name.  He  reigned 
at  Babylon  for  about  thirteen  years  (B.C.  680 — 667).  This 
accounts  for  the  fact  that  Manasseh  was  not  taken  captive  to 
Nineveh,  but  to  Babylon. 

The  date  of  this  deportation,  placed  by  Jewish  tradition 
in  the  twenty-second  year  of  Manasseh  (see  v.  11),  agrees  with 
the  account  of  the  planting  of  the  country  of  Samaria  by 
Esarhaddon  with  settlers  from  Babylonia  and  other  eastern 
regions.     See  2  Kings  xvii.  24. 

Esarhaddon,  who  took  Manasseh  to  Babylon,  thus  describes 
himself:  "  Assarhaddon,  the  great  king,  the  powerful  king,  the 
king  of  legions,  the  King  of  Assyria,  ruler  of  Babylon,  King 
of  the  Sumirs  and  Accads,  King  of  Egypt,  King  of  Meroo,  and 
of  Cush,  son  of  Sennacherib,  the  great  king,  the  powerful  king, 
the  King  of  Assyria  (cp.  2  Kings  xviii.  28),  the  grandson  of 
Sargon  (see  ou  2  Kings  xviii.  13),  the  great  king,  the  powerfiil 
king,  the  King  of  Assyria;  the  just,  the  terrible,  who  marched 
in  the  adoration  of  the  gods  Assour,  Sin,  Samas,  Nebo,  Mero- 
dach,  Istar  of  Nineveh,  Itur  of  Arbela,  the  great  gods,  his 
masters,  and  reigned  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  setting  of 
the  sun,  and  was  without  his  equal  in  the  imposition  of  tri- 
butes" (Cuneiform  Inscription  on  a  prism  of  Esarhaddon,  iu  the 
British  Museum,and  translated  by  Oppert,  Inscr.  des  Sargonidcs; 
Versailles,  1862,  p.  53.    Cp.  Baivlinson,  Anc.  Monarch,  ii.  466. 

In  the  same  Inscription,  he  says  (p.  54),  "  I  transported 
(from  S^-ria)  into  Assyria  men  and  women  innumerable." 
"I  counted  among  the  vassals  of  my  realm  twelve  Kings  of 
Syria,  beyond  the  mountains,  Balou,  King  of  Tyi-e,  Manasseh 
(Minasi),  King  of  Judah  "  (Ibid.  p.  58). 


Manasseh's  repentance.  2  CHRONICLES  XXXIII.  14—25.  XXXIV.  1—4.  Anion;  Josiah. 


Before 
CHRIST 

677. 
r  1  Chron   5.  20. 
Ezra  8.  23. 
s  Ps.  9. 16. 
Dan.  4.  25. 


t  1  Kings  1.  33, 

u  ch.  27.  3, 

II  Or,  the  tower, 

X  ver.  3,  5.  7. 


y  Lev.  7.  12. 
z  ch.  32.  12. 

<;  1  Sam.  9.  9. 


H  Or,  Hosai. 

b  2  Kings  21.  18. 


c2  Kings  21.  19, 
&c. 


d  ver.  12. 

t  Heb.  multiplied 

trespass, 

e2  Kings  21.  23, 

24. 

641. 


a  2  Kings  22.  1, 
Sic. 


634. 

bch.  IS.  2. 
G30. 
c  1  Kings  13.  2. 

rt  ch.  33.  17,  22. 

e  Lev.  26.  30. 
2  Kings  23.  4. 
!1  Or,  sun  images. 


f  2  Kings  23.  6. 
■t  Heb.  face  of  the 
graves. 


him  :  and  he  was  ""intreated  of  him,  and  heard  his  supphcation,  and  brought 
him  again  to  Jerusalem  into  his  kingdom.  Then  Mauasseh  '  knew  that  the 
Lord  he  ivas  God. 

^^  Now  after  this  he  built  a  wall  without  the  city  of  David,  on  the  west  side 
of  'Gilion,  in  the  valley,  even  to  the  entering  in  at  the  fish  gate,  and  compassed 
"  about  II  Opliel,  and  raised  it  up  a  very  great  height,  and  put  captains  of  war 
in  all  the  fenced  cities  of  Judah.  ^^  And  he  took  away  ""the  strange  gods,  and 
the  idol  out  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  all  the  altars  that  he  had  built  in 
the  mount  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  in  Jerusalem,  and  cast  them  out  of 
the  city,  i*""  And  he  repaired  the  altar  of  the  Lord,  and  sacrificed  thereon  peace 
offerings  and  ^  thank  offerings,  and  commanded  Judah  to  serve  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel.  ^'^  ^  Nevertheless  the  people  did  sacrifice  still  in  the  high  places,  yet 
unto  the  Lord  their  God  only. 

^^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Manasseh,  and  his  prayer  unto  his  God,  and  the 
words  of  ^  the  seers  that  spake  to  him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel, 
behold,  they  are  imitten  in  the  book  of  the  kings  of  Israel.  ^^His  pra^^er  also, 
and  how  God  was  intreated  of  him,  and  all  his  sins,  and  his  trespass,  and  the 
places  wherein  he  built  high  places,  and  set  up  groves  and  graven  images,  before 
he  was  humbled :  behold,  they  are  written  among  the  sayings  of  jj  the  seers. 
"^  ^  So  Manasseh  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  they  buried  him  in  his  own  house  : 
and  Amon  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

21 "  Amon  was  two  and  twenty  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  reigned 
two  years  in  Jerusalem.  -^But  he  did  that  ichich  urns  evil  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord,  as  did  Manasseh  his  father :  for  Amon  sacrificed  unto  all  the  carved 
images  which  Manasseh  his  father  had  made,  and  served  them ;  ^^  And  humbled 
not  himself  before  the  Lord,  ^  as  Manasseh  his  father  had  humbled  himself; 
but  Amon  f  trespassed  more  and  more.  '^^  ^  And  his  servants  conspired  against 
him,  and  slew  him  in  his  own  house.  ^5  ]g^^  ^\^q  people  of  the  land  slew  all 
them  that  had  conspired  against  king  Amon ;  and  the  people  of  the  land  made 
Josiah  his  son  king  in  his  stead. 

XXXIV.  1  Josiah  ''icas  eight  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he 
reigned  in  Jerusalem  one  and  thirty  years.  "  And  he  did  that  ivhich  was  right 
in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  walked  in  the  ways  of  David  his  father,  and 
declined  neither  to  the  right  hand,  nor  to  the  left.  ^  For  in  the  eighth  year  of 
his  reign,  while  he  was  yet  young,  he  began  to  ^  seek  after  the  God  of  David 
his  father :  and  in  the  twelfth  year  he  began  "  to  purge  Judah  and  Jerusalem 
"^  from  the  high  places,  and  the  groves,  and  the  carved  images,  and  the  molten 
images.  ^  ^  And  they  brake  down  the  altars  of  Baalim  in  his  presence  ;  and 
the  II  images,  that  ivere  on  high  above  them,  he  cut  down  ;  and  the  groves,  and 
the  carved  images,  and  the  molten  images,  he  brake  in  pieces,  and  made  dust 
of  them,  ^  and  strowed  it  upon  the  f  graves  of  them  that  had  sacrificed  unto 


14.   Gihonl  Sec  xxxii.  4.  - 

— Jish  gate]  Near  the  N.E.  cornci'  of  the  lower  city.  See 
Neh.  iii.  3.     Zeph.  i.  10. 

—  0/>AeZ]  The  slopinj^  hill  south  of  the  Temple.  Cp.  xxvi. 
9  J  xxvii.  3.     Neh.  iii.  26. 

—  put  captains  of  war]  These  defensive  measures  of  Manasseh 
do  not  seem  to  have  been  interrupted  by  the  King  of  Assyria. 
Perhaps  this  may  be  explained  by  the  unwarlike  character  of 
Esarbaddou's  successor,  Sardanapalus  II.,  and  perhaps  also  by 
the  alliance  of  Judah  with  Egypt. 

18.  Ms  prayer]  Perhaps  the  prayer  of  Manasseh,  contained 
in  the  Septuagint,  may  have  been  derived  from  some  of  the 
sources  here  mentioned. 
2Rfi 


19.  groves]  The  asherim. 

—  the  seers]  So  Sept.,  or,  oj"  Uozai,  a  prophet's  name 
{Vzdg.). 

20—25.  Amon]  See  2  Kings  xxi.  19—21. 

Ch.  XXXIV.  1,  2.  Josiah— left]  Cp.  2  Kings  xxii.  1,  2. 

3.  in  the  tioelfth  year]  Tliis  chronological  notice  is  supple- 
mentary to  the  history  in  the  Kings,  which  is  more  full  in  the 
narrative  of  the  Reformation  effected  by  Josiah. 

—  the  groves]  The  idolatrous  pillars  of  Astarte;  Heb. 
asherim. 


Josiah's 


2  CHRONICLES  XXXIV.  5—19. 


Reformation . 


them.     ^  And  he  ^  burnt  the  bones  of  the  priests  upon  then*  altars,  and  cleansed     chkTst 
Judah  and  Jerusalem.     ^  And  so  did  he  in  the  cities  of  Manasseh,  and Ephraim,  g  i  KinSu. 2. 
and  Simeon,  even  unto  Naphtali,  with  their  ||  mattocks  round  about.     ''  And  11  or,  wauis. 
when  he  had  broken  down  the  altars  and  the  groves,   and  had  ''beaten  the  hDeut.9.21. 
graven  images  fiuto  powder,  and  cut  down  all  the  idols  throughout  all  ihe  powdJr." "'" " 
land  of  Israel,  he  returned  to  Jerusalem. 

''•Now  4n  the  eighteenth  year  of  his  reign,  when  he  had  purged  the  land,  j2Ki.f''s*22  3 
and  the  house,  he  sent  Shaphan  the  son  of  Azahah,  and  Maaseiah  the  governor 
of  the  city,  and  Joah  the  son  of  Joahaz  the  recorder,  to  repair  the  house  of 
the  LoKD  his  God.     ^  And  when  they  came  to  Hilkiah  the  high  priest,  they 
delivered  ''the  money  that  was  brought  into  the  house  of  God,  which  the  ^|f^^ 2 Kings 22. 
Le\dtes  that  kept  the  doors   had   gathered  of  the  hand  of  Manasseh  and 
Ephraim,  and  of  all  the  remnant  of  Israel,  and  of  all  Judah  and  Benjamin ; 
and  they  returned  to  Jerusalem.     ^^And  they  put  it  in  the  hand  of  the  work- 
men that  had  the  oversight  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  they  gave  it  to  the 
workmen  that  wrought  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  to  repair  and  amend  the 
house  :  ^^  Even  to  the  artificers  and  builders  gave  they  it,  to  buy  hewn  stone, 
and  timber  for  couplings,  and  !|  to  floor  the  houses  which  the  kings  of  Judah  w  or,  to  r<,/ier. 
had  destroyed.     ^^And  the  men  did  the  work  faithfully:  and  the  overseers  of 
them  were  Jahath  and  Obadiah,  the  Levites,  of  the  sons  of  Merari;  and  Zecha- 
riah  and  Meshullam,  of  the  sons  of  the  Kohathites,  to  set  it  forward ;  and  otJicr 
of  the  Levites,  all  that  could  skill  of  instruments  of  musick.     ^^Also  they  ivere 
over  the  bearers  of  burdens,  and  were  overseers  of  all  that  wrought  the  work  in 
any  manner  of  service  :  '  and  of  the  Levites  there  ivere  scribes,  and  officers,  and  5'  *^'"'°"- ^^- *' 
porters. 

^^  And  when  they  brought  out  the  money  that  was  brought  into  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  Hilkiah  the  priest  "  found  a  book  of  the  law  of  the  Lord  given  f  by  ^^2  Kings  22.  s, 
Moses.     ^^  And  Hilkiah  answered  and  said  to  Shaphan  the  scribe,  I  have  found  A„"f„yf^"'* 
the  book  of  the  law^n  the  house  of  the  Lord.     And  Hilkiah  delivered  the  book 
to  Shaphan.     ^^And  Shaphan  carried  the  book  to  the  king,  and  brought  the 
king  word  back  again,  saying.  All  that  was  committed  f  to  thy  servants,  they  l]^f-f  "^ 
do  it.     ^^  And  they  have  f  gathered  together  the  money  that  was  found  in  the  L"  w, S^^l 
house  of  the  Lord,  and  have  delivered  it  into  the  hand  of  the  overseers,  and  to 
the  hand  of  the  workmen.     ^^  Then  Shaphan  the  scribe  told  the  king,  saying, 
Hilkiah  the  priest  hath  given  me  a  book.     And  Shaphan  read  f  it  before  the 
king.     ^^And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king  had  heard  the  words  of  the  law, 


t  Heb.  in  it. 


6.  tvifh  their  mattocks^  Or  rather,  in  their  desolate  places  : 
see  Lev.  xxvi.  31.  33,  "  I  will  lay  your  cities  waste,"  a  prophecy 
•which  is  here  seen  to  have  been  fulfilled,  in  the  laying  waste  of 
the  cities  of  Israel,  by  the  armies  of  Assyria.  The  cities  of 
Israel  had  been  lying  in  ruins  since  the  time  of  Shalmaneser 
(2  Kings,  xvii.  6).  The  Hebrew  word  here  used  is  not  from 
chereb,  a  sword,  or  axe,  but  from  choreb  and  chorebah,  dryness 
(connected  ■with  Horeb,  so  called  from  its  aridity).  Cp.  Isa. 
li.  3;  lii.  9,  "waste  places  of  Jerusalem."  Jcr.  vii.  34;  xxii.  5; 
XXV.  9.  11.  18.  Dan.  ix.  2.  Mai.  i.  4.  See  Gesen.  302; 
Fuerst,  485 ;  and  Bertheau  here. 

8.  Shaphan]  This  also  is  supplementary  to  the  account  in 
2  Kings  xxii.  3,  where  Shaphan  only  is  mentioned  as  sent  to 
Hilkiah.  The  minute  details  here  given  show  the  originality 
of  the  Sacred  Writer's  resources,  and  JFiis  precision  in  using  them 
{Hdvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  231). 

—  Maaseiah  the  governor  of  the  city']  Cp.  xviii.  25 ;  and 
xxiii.  8;  xxix.  20. 

9.  SilJciah]  See  1  Chron.  vi.  13. 

287 


—  the  remnant  of  Israel]  Who  had  been  left  by  the 
Assyrians. 

11.  ^or  couplings]  Beams  of  timber  used  in  joining  (^Gesen, 
463). 

—  the  houses]  The  apartments  belonging  to  the  Temple. 

12.  all  that  could  skill — musick]  Who  in  David's  time  were 
288  in  number  (1  Chron.  xxv.  G,  7).  Were  these  appointed  for 
this  service,  not  only  because  they  were  chief  men  among  the 
Levites,  but  in  order  to  encourage  and  cheer  the  builders  with 
sacred  song  ? 

14.  And  tvhen  theg  brought  out  the  money]  It  would  seem 
that  the  Book  of  the  Law  was  found  by  Hilkiah  in  the  treasury, 
where  they  stowed  the  money  for  security  {Bertheau).  They 
laid  up  treasure  there  for  building  the  Lord's  house,  and  the 
reward  for  th-eir  zeal  was  that  tliey  found  the  treasure  of  God's 
Word  (Ps.  xix.  10 ;  cxix.  72.  127). 

—  a  book  of  the  law]  Probably  the  original  copy  of  the 
Pentateuch.     See  above,  on  2  Kings  xxii.  8. 

15—30.]  Compare  the  larger  account  of  these  transactions  in 
2  Kings  xxii.  8 — 20 ;  and  xxiii.,  and  the  notes  there. 


TheBooloftlieLaw.    2  CHRONICLES  XXXIY.  20— 33.   XXXV.  1. 


Huldali, 


Before 
CHRIST 
C24. 
II  Or,  Achbor, 
2  Kings  22.  12. 


II  Or,  Harhas. 
+  Heb.  garments. 
II  Or,  in  the 
school,  or,  in  the 
second  part. 


that  he  rent  his  clothes.  -^  And  the  king  commanded  Hilkiah,  and  Ahikam 
the  son  of  Shaphan,  and  ||  Abdon  the  son  of  Micah,  and  Shaphan  the  scribe, 
and  Asaiah  a  servant  of  the  king's,  saying,  ^^  Go,  inquire  of  the  Lord  for  me, 
and  for  them  that  are  left  in  Israel  and  in  Judah,  concerning  the  words  of  the 
book  that  is  found  :  for  great  is  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  that  is  poured  out  upon 
us,  because  our  fathers  have  not  kept  the  word  of  the  Lord,  to  do  after  all  that 
is  written  in  this  book. 

22  And  Hilkiah,  and  they  that  the  king  had  appointed,  went  to   Huldah  the 

1, 2  Kings  22.  H.  pi'oplietess,  tlio  wife  of  Shallum  the  son  of  °  Tikvath,  the  son  of  HHasrah, 
keeper  of  the  f wardrobe;  (now  she  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  ||in  the  college:)  and 
they  spake  to  her  to  that  effect.  ^^  And  she  answered  them,  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel,  Tell  ye  the  man  that  sent  you  to  me,  ^^^  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  Behold,  I  will  bring  evil  upon  this  place,  and  upon  the  inhabitants 
thereof,  even  all  the  curses  that  are  written  in  the  book  which  they  have  read 
before  the  king  of  Judah  :  ^^  Because  they  have  forsaken  me,  and  have  burned 
incense  unto  other  gods,  that  they  might  provoke  me  to  anger  with  all  the 
works  of  their  hands ;  therefore  my  wrath  shall  be  poured  out  upon  this  place, 
and  shall  not  be  quenched.  ^^  And  as  for  the  king  of  Judah,  who  sent  you  to 
inquire  of  the  Lord,  so  shall  ye  say  unto  him.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel  concerning  the  words  which  thou  hast  heard ;  ^^  Because  thine  heart  was 
tender,  and  thou  didst  humble  thyself  before  God,  when  thou  heardest  his 
words  against  this  place,  and  against  the  inhabitants  thereof,  and  humbledst 
thyself  before  me,  and  didst  rend  thy  clothes,  and  weep  before  me ;  I  have 
even  heard  thee  also,  saith  the  Lord,  ^s  Behold,  I  will  gather  thee  to  thy 
fathers,  and  thou  shalt  be  gathered  to  thy  grave  in  peace,  neither  shall  thine 
eyes  see  all  the  evil  that  I  -will  bring  upon  this  place,  and  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  the  same.     So  they  brought  the  king  word  again. 

29  °  Then  the  king  sent  and  gathered  together  all  the  elders  of  Judah  and 
Jerusalem.  ^^  And  the  king  went  up  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  all  the 
men  of  Judah,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  priests,  and  the 

Iv^nVsZaiir"^  Levites,  and  all  the  people,  f  great  and  small:  and  he  read  in  their  ears  all 
the  words  of  the  book  of  the  covenant  that  was  found  in  the  house  of  the 

p2^Kingsii.  14.  Lord.  ^^  And  the  king  stood  in  ^his  place,  and  made  a  covenant  before  the 
Lord,  to  walk  after  the  Lord,  and  to  keep  his  commandments,  and  his 
testimonies,  and  his  statutes,  with  all  his  heart,  and  with  all  his  soul,  to  per- 
form the  words  of  the  covenant  which  are  written  in  this  book.  ^^  ^(j  i^q 
caused  all  that  were  |  present  in  Jerusalem  and  Benjamin  to  stand  to  it.  And 
the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  did  according  to  the  covenant  of  God,  the  God  of 
their  fathers.  ^^  And  Josiah  took  away  all  the  '^  abominations  out  of  all  the 
countries  that  pertained  to  the  children  of  Israel,  and  made  all  that  were  present 
in  Israel  to  serve,  even  to  serve  the  Lord  their  God.     '  And  all  his  days  they 

t  Heb.  from  after,  departed  uot  f  f^om  following  the  Lord,  the  God  of  their  fathers. 

XXXV.  ^  Moreover  *  Josiah  kept  a  passover  unto  the  Lord  in  Jerusalem : 


o2  Kings  23.  1, 
Sir. 


&  23.  3 
ch.  6.  13 


t  Heh.  fnund. 


q  1  Kings  11.  5. 


r  Jer.  3.  10. 


about 
623. 
a  2  Kings  23.  21,  22. 


26,  27.  concerning  the  words  which  thou  hast  heard — I  have 
even  heard  thee  aho'\  Because  thou  hast  hearkened  unto  Me,  I 
also  will  hearken  to  thee.     See  above,  on  2  Kings  xxii.  19. 

30.  Levites']  And  prophets  (2  Kings  xxiii.  2). 

33.  Josiah  took  awaif]  See  2  Kings  xxiii.  4 — 6 :  cp.  Keil, 
Chronik.  p.  386. 

—  all  his  days  they  departed  not  from  following  the  Lord] 
So  far  as  to  abstain  from  open  idolatry,  but  in  their  hearts  they 
288 


still  inclined  to  the  worship  of  other  gods,  as  the  Prophet 
Jeremiah  testifies  (Jer.  xiii.  10 ;  xxv.  3 ;  and  chaps,  xi.  xiii). 
Josiah  did  what  he  could ;  but  he  was  not  able  to  do  that  which 
can  only  be  done  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  working  with  man's 
will. 

Ch.  XXXV.  1.  Josiah  kept  a  pas-fover]  In  the  eighteenth 
year  of  his  reign  (2  Kings  xxiii.  Zl).    A  paraphrase  of  this 


King  Josiah  keeps 


2   CHKONICLES  XXXV.  2—12. 


a  solemn  Passover, 


and  they  killed  the  passover  on  the  ^  fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month.  ^  And 
he  set  the  priests  in  their  "^  charges,  and  ^  encouraged  them  to  the  service  of  the 
house  of  the  Loed,  ^  And  said  unto  the  Levites  ^  that  taught  all  Israel,  which 
were  holy  unto  the  Lord,  *"Put  the  holy  ark  ^in  the  house  which  Solomon  the 
son  of  David  king  of  Israel  did  build;  ^Ht  shall  not  he  a  burden  upon  your 
shoulders  :  serve  now  the  Lord  your  God,  and  his  people  Israel,  ^  And  prepare 
yowselves  by  the  '  houses  of  your  fathers,  after  your  courses,  according  to  the 
^  writing  of  David  king  of  Israel,  and  according  to  the  '  writing  of  Solomon  his 
son.  ^  And  ™  stand  in  the  liolj  place  according  to  the  divisions  of  f  the  famihes 
of  the  fathers  of  your  brethren  f  the  people,  and  after  the  division  of  the  fami- 
lies of  the  Levites.  -  ^  So  kill  the  passover,  and  "  sanctify  yourselves,  and  pre- 
pare your  brethren,  that  they  may  do  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  by  the 
hand  of  Moses.  ^  ^jid  Josiah  f "  gave  to  the  people,  of  the  flock,  lambs  and 
kids,  all  for  the  passover  offerings,  for  all  that  were  present,  to  the  number  of 
thirty  thousand,  and  three  thousand  bullocks :  these  ivere  of  the  king's  sub- 
stance. ^  And  his  princes  f  gave  willingly  unto  the  people,  to  the  priests,  and 
to  the  Levites  :  Hilkiah  and  Zechariah  and  Jehiel,  rulers  of  the  house  of  God, 
gave  unto  the  priests  for  the  passover  offerings  two  thousand  and  six  hundred 
small  cattle,  and  three  hundred  oxen.  ^  Conaniah  also,  and  Shemaiah  and 
Nethaneel,  his  brethren,  and  Hashabiah  and  Jeiel  and  Jozabad,  chief  of  the 
Levites,  f  gave  unto  the  Levites  for  passover  offerings  five  thousand  small  cattle, 
and  five  hundred  oxen. 

^^  So  the  service  was  prepared,  and  the  priests  ^ stood  in  their  place,  and 
the  Levites  in  their  courses,  according  to  the  king's  commandment.  ^'And 
they  killed  the  passover,  and  the  priests  ''  sprinkled  the  hlood  from  their  hands, 
and  the  Levites  'flayed  them.  '^And  they  removed  the  burnt  offerings,  that 
they  might  give  according  to  the  di\isions  of  the  families  of  the  people,  to  offer 
unto  the  Lord,  as  it  is  written  '  in  the  book  of  Moses.     And  so  did  they  with 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
623. 
b  Exod.  12.  6. 
Ezras.  19. 
c  ch.  23.  18. 
Ezra  6.  18. 
dch.  29.  5,  11. 
e  Deut.  33.  10. 
ch.  30.  22. 
Mai.  2.  7. 
f  See  ch.  34.  14. 
gch.  5.  7. 
h  1  Chron.  23.  26. 
i  1  Chron.  9.  10. 
k  1  Chron.  23,  & 
24,  &  25,  &  26. 
1  ch.  8.  14. 
in  Ps.  134.  1. 
t  Heb.  the  house 
of  the  fathers, 
i  Heb.  the  sons  of 
the  people. 
n  ch.  29.  5,  15.  Si 
30.  3,  15. 
Ezra  6.  20. 
t  Heb.  offered. 
o  ch.  30.  24. 


t  Heb.  offered. 


\  Heb.  offered. 
p  Ezra  6.  18. 

q  ch.  29.  22. 
r  See  ch.  29.  S4. 


section  (1 — 19)  may  be  seen  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Apocry- 
phal Book  of  Esdi-as  (i.  1 — 22),  which  will  be  found  a  useful 
commentary  on  the  present  history. 

—  on  the  fourteenth  day  q/"  the  first  month']  The  legal  time ; 
and  in  this  respect  it  surpassed  the  passover  of  Hezekiah.  See 
on  2  Kings  xxiii.  22,  23. 

The  history  of  this  Passover  under  Josiah  is  interesting 
End  important,  as  displaying  an  accurate  picture  of  the  Paschal 
Festival,  as  prescribed  by  the  Levitical  Law,  and  as  observed  by 
the  most  religious  of  the  Hebrews.  It  is  remarkable,  that  this 
picture  is  presented  to  us  in  connexion  with  a  time  when  God 
was  about  to  dej)i'ive  His  people  of  their  religious  privileges,  on 
account  of  their  sins.  So  the  true  Passover, — which  is  Christ, — 
was  killed,  when  Jerusalem  was  approaching  its  end.  But  out 
of  these  evils  God  brought  forth  inestimable  good. 

2.  their  charges]  Their  ivatches,  courses,  or  classes.  The 
Priests,  it  is  said  in  the  Book  of  Esdras,  were  arrayed  in  long 
garments  (1  Esdras  i.  2). 

3.  that  tavght]  Ou  the  reading  here,  see  Gesen.  446. 

—  Put  the  holy  ark  in  the  house]  Perhaps  the  Ark  had  been 
removed  from  the  Holy  of  Hohes  in  the  previous  times  of  idolatry 
(Theodoret,  Qu.  600;  Hdvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  226),  or  during 
the  repairs  of  the  Temple  {Bp.  Patrick) ;  or  (as  Bertheau 
observes)  the  Levites  may  have  supposed  that  they  were  bound 
to  bear  it  upon  their  shoulders  at  the  Passover :  and  Josiah 
reminded  them  that  the  Ark  was  no  more  to  be  carried  by  them 
out  of  the  most  Holy  Place,  where  it  had  been  put  by  the 
Priests  in  the  days  of  Solomon  {p.  7),  but  that  their  duty  was 
now  confined  to  other  ministrations  in  the  Temple.  Cp.  1  Chron. 
xxiii.  24—27,  and  1  Esdras  i.  3,  4. 

Here  is  a  testimony  to  the  existence  of  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant  in  the   days  of  Josiah.     Cp.  Jer.  iii.  16,  where  the 
prophet  refers  to  the  Ark  as  the  central  object  of  devotion   in 
the  visible  Church  of  the  ancient  People  of  God. 
Vol.  IlL  289 


4.  the  writing  of  David]  1  Chron.  xxviii.  19,  and  xxix.  25. 
1  Esdras  i.  5.  Josiah  regards  David  as  having  been  divinely 
commissioned  by  God,  like  Moses,  to  prescribe  laws  for  the 
service  of  the  Sanctuary.     See  above,  1  Chron.  xxviii.  11 — 21. 

—  the  writing  of  Solomon]  2  Chron.  viii.  14. 

5.  of  your  hrethren  the  people]  Literally,  of  your  brethren 
the  children  of  the  people  :  because  each  family  was  to  bring  a, 
lamb  (Exod.  xii.  3  :  cp.  1  Esdras  i.  6). 

6.  by  the  hand  of  3£oses]  Here  is  a  testimony  to  the  Mosaic 
authorship  of  Exodus,  where  the  law,  here  referred  to  by  Josiah, 
is  set  down  (E.xod.  xii.). 

8.  mikiah]  The  High  Priest  (xxxiv.  9). 

—  Zechariah]  Of  the  line  of  Eleazar;  he  was  probably  the 
second  priest  (Jer.  Iii.  24.  2  Kings  xxv.  18.  Bertheau.  Cp. 
1  Chron.  xxv.  1), 

—  Jehiel]  Probably  the  head  of  the  Hue  of  Ithamar  (Ezra 
viii.  2.     Bp.  Patrick).     He  is  called  Syelus  in  1  Esdi-as  i.  8. 

9.  Conaniah]  Called  Jeconiah,  1  Esdras  i.  9. 

—  Shemaiah — Jozabad]  See  xxxi.  12 — 15. 

—  small  cattle]  Lambs,  or  kids  of  the  goats  (1  Esdras  i.  9). 

11.  And  they  killed]  The  Levites  killed  the  Passover-lambs. 

12.  they  removed  the  burnt  offerings]  Literally,  they  sepa- 
rated the  burnt-offering ;  that  is,  they  separated  such  portions 
of  the  paschal  lambs  as  were  offered  for  a  burnt-offering,  viz., 
theyb!^,  &c.    See  Lev.  iii. 6— 17  (Piscator,  Osiander,  Bertheau). 

Or  the  sense  may  be,  that  from  the  lambs  contributed  by 
the  king  and  by  the  priests,  they  separated  the  burnt-offering 
to  be  wholly  consumed  by  fire,  as  the  burnt-offering  was  (Lev. 
i.  6 — 9) ;  and  when  this  was  done  (for  it  is  not  to  be  supposed 
that  the  sacrifice  of  the  burnt-offering  was  omitted  on  this 
occasion :  cp.  v.  14,  where  the  fat  is  distinguished  from  the 
burnt-offering ;  see  also  v.  16),  then  they  assigned  the  other 
lambs  to  be  paschal  lambs,  for  the  families  of  the  people. 

U 


Josiali  is  slain 


•2  CHRONICLES  XXXY.  13—24. 


at  Megiddo. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
623. 
t  Exod.  12.  8,  9. 
Deut.  16.  7. 
u  1  Sam.  2.  13, 
H,  15. 

+  Heb.  made 
them  run. 


f  Heb.  station. 

X  1  Chron.  25.  1, 

&c. 

y  1  Chron.  9.  IT, 

18.  &  26.  14,  8:c. 


+  Heb.  found. 

zExod.  12.  15.& 

18.  6. 

ch.  30.  21. 

a  2  Kings  23.  22, 

23. 


610. 
b  2  Kings  23.  29. 
Jer.  46.  2. 
■f  Heb.  house. 


t  Heb.  the  house 
of  my  war. 


c  So  1  Kings  22. 
30. 


t  Heb.  made  sick, 
1  Kings  22.  34. 
d  2  Kings  23.  30. 


the  oxen.  ^^And  they  ^roasted  the  passover  with  fire  according  to  the  ordi- 
nance :  but  the  other  holy  offerings  "  sod  they  in  pots,  and  in  caldrons,  and  in 
pans,  and  f  divided  them  speedily  among  all  the  people. 

^*  And  afterward  they  made  ready  for  themselves,  and  for  the  priests :  because 
the  priests  the  sons  of  Aaron  ivere  busied  in  offering  of  burnt  offerings  and  the 
fat  until  night;  therefore  the  Levites  prepared  for  themselves,  and  for  the 
priests  the  sons  of  Aaron.  ^^  And  the  singers  the  sons  of  Asaph  were  in  their 
-j-  place,  according  to  the  ""  commandment  of  David,  and  Asaph,  and  Heman, 
and  Jeduthun  the  king's  seer ;  and  the  porters  ^  waited  at  every  gate ;  they 
might  not  depart  from  their  service ;  for  their  brethren  the  Levites  prepared  for 
them.  ^^  So  all  the  service  of  the  Lord  was  prepared  the  same  day,  to  keep 
the  passover,  and  to  offer  burnt  offerings  upon  the  altar  of  the  Loed,  according 
to  the  commandment  of  king  Josiah.  ^^  And  the  children  of  Israel  that  were 
f  present  kept  the  passover  at  that  time,  and  the  feast  of  ^  unleavened  bread 
seven  days. 

^^  And  ^  there  was  no  passover  like  to  that  kept  in  Israel  from  the  days  of 
Samuel  the  prophet ;  neither  did  all  the  kings  of  Israel  keep  such  a  passover 
as  Josiah  kept,  and  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  and  all  Judah  and  Israel  that 
were  present,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem.  ^^  In  the  eighteenth  year  of 
the  reign  of  Josiah  was  this  passover  kept. 

2*^  ^  After  all  this,  when  Josiah  had  prepared  the  f  temple,  Necho  king  ol 
Egypt  came  up  to  fight  against  Charchemish  by  Euphrates  :  and  Josiah  went 
out  against  him.  ^i  g^t  \iq  gent  ambassadors  to  him,  saying,  What  have  I  to 
do  with  thee,  thou  king  of  Judah  ?  I  come  not  against  thee  this  day,  but  against 
f  the  house  wherewith  I  have  war :  for  God  commanded  me  to  make  haste  : 
forbear  thee  from  meddling  with  God,  who  is  with  me,  that  he  destroy  thee  not. 
^^  Nevertheless  Josiah  would  not  turn  his  face  from  liim,  but  *"  disguised  himself, 
that  he  might  fight  with  him,  and  hearkened  not  unto  the  words  of  Necho  from 
the  mouth  of  God,  and  came  to  fight  in  the  valley  of  Megiddo.  ^^  And  the 
archers  shot  at  king  Josiah;  and  the  king  said  to  his  servants.  Have  me  away; 
for  I  am  sore  f  wounded.     24(ijjig  servants  therefore  took  him   out  of  that 


—  the  oxen}  Some  of  which  were  oflfered  as  whole  burnt- 
offerings  ;  others  were  offered  as  feace-offerings,  in  which  the 
people  had  a  share.     See  Lev.  iii.  1. 

13.  they  roasted  the  passover'\  The  paschal  lambs,  one  for 
each  family  (Exod.  xii.  8,  9). 

—  the  other  holy  offerings]  The  peace-offerings  (y.  12). 

14.  they  made  ready']  They  prepared  pesachim,  or  paschal 
lambs. 

16.  David,  and  Asaph]  See  1  Chron.  xxv.  1 ;  vi.  33.  39.  44. 

18.  no  passover  like  to  that]  In  its  exact  conformity  to  the 
requirements  of  the  Mosaic  Law.  The  Passover  under  Hezekiah 
(which  preceded  the  captivity  of  Israel)  surpassed  it  in  the 
numbers  of  those  who  attended  it.  The  one  was  unrivalled  in 
quality,  the  other  in  quantity  of  the  offerings  and  worshippers. 
See  above,  on  2  Kings  xxiii.  22 :  and  cp.  1  Esdras  i.  20,  21. 

• — from  the  days  of  Samuel  the  prophet]  An  eventful  and 
critical  era  in  Hebrew  History.     See  Introd.  to  Samuel,  ix — xiv. 

20.  Necho]  Called  also  Pharaoh-necho,  and  supposed  by 
Herodotus  to  have  been  a  son  of  Psammeticus  the  First,  who 
after  the  XX Vth  (Ethiopian)  dynasty  and  the  anarchy  of  "  the 
Twelve  Kings,"  had  founded  a  native  dynasty  (Saitish,  the 
XXVIth)  in  B.C.  664,  the  thirty-fifth  year  of  Manasseb.  He 
took  Ashdod  after  a  siege  of  twenty-nine  years  {Serod.,  ii.  157), 
and  renewed  the  contest  with  Assyria.  Pharaoh-necho  {Serod., 
ii.  158)  continued  that  contest,  and  was  now  advancing  toward 
the  Euphrates  {Bertheau,  cp.  B.  D.  ii.  187). 

—  Charchemish]  Wliich  means  the  fortress  of  Chemosh,  the 
god  of  Moab  {G-esen.  415;  Fuerst,  698),  supposed  by  some  to 
be  the  same  as  Circesium,  at  the  junction  of  the  river  Chaboras 
290 


with  the  Euphrates ;  others  place  it  higher  up  the  Euphrates, 
near  Hierapolis  (B.  D.  i.  278).  Whichever  of  these  two  sites  is 
preferred,  Charchemish  would  be  in  a  line  toward  Nineveh  rather 
than  toward  Babylon.     Cp.  note  above,  on  2  Kings  xxiii.  29. 

21.  the  house]  Of  the  King  of  Assyria,  whose  declining 
power,  it  seems,  Josiah  desired  to  prop  up  against  the  rising 
domination  of  Babylon,  which  he  knew  from  the  word  of  pro- 
phecy would  be  very  hostile  and  oppressive  to  Jerusalem  and  its 
monarchy,  and  he  therefore  imagined  that  he  had  God's  warrant 
for  supporting  its  enemy  the  Assyrian. 

It  has  been  supposed  by  many  learned  chronologers,  his- 
torians, and  expositors  (as  TJssher,  Lightfoot,  Rawlinson,  The- 
nius,  &c.),  that  the  King  of  Assyria  here  mentioned  is  Nabopo- 
lassar.  King  of  Babylon,  and  that  these  events  took  place  after 
the  fall  of  Nineveh  ;  but  this  is  doubtful.  See  Oumpach  (die 
Zeitrechnung  der  Babyl.,  p.  146);  and  above,  on  2  Kings 
xxiii.  29  :  cp.  Bertheau  here. 

—  Ood  commanded  me  to  malce  haste]  Or,  Ood  said  that  Se 
ivould  speed  me.  Leave  off  from  God  zoho  is  with  me.  See 
1  Esdras  i.  27 ;  and  Bertheau  here.  The  verb  is  in  the  piel 
infinitive:  cp.  xxxii.  18  {Oesen.lO^).  Perhaps  Pharaoh-necho 
might  have  heard  of  the  prophecies  of  Nahum  and  Zephaniah 
(ii.  13)  against  Nineveh.  The  sacred  writer  does  not  hesitate 
to  describe  the  words  of  Pharaoh-necho  as  from  the  mouth  of 
God.  In  1  Esdras  i.  28  they  seem  to  be  ascribed  to  the  prophet 
Jeremiah  (xv.  7 — 9). 

22.  of  Megiddo]  See  on  2  Kings  xxiii.  29;  and  compare 
Sengstenherg,  Christol.  iii.  217  (Engl,  transl.),  on  the  identity 
of  Kadytis  {Herod.,  ii.  159)  and  Jerusalem. 

23 — 25.]  See  above,  on  2  Kings  xxiii.  30. 


Lamentation  for  htm.    2  CHRONICLES  XXXV.  25—27.     XXXVI.  1—10.    Jehoahaz. 


chariot,  and  put  him  in  the  second  chariot  that  he  had ;  and  they  brought  him 
to  Jerusalem,  and  he  died,  and  was  buried  ||  in  one  of  the   sepulchres  of  his 


t  Heb.  removed 

him. 

t  Heb.  mulcted. 


Before 
CHRIST 

610. 
Or,  among  the 

fathers.     And  ^allJudah  and  Jerusalem  mourned  for  Josiah.     ^^And  Jeremiah  Tzech.  12. ii. 
'^  lamented  for  Josiah  :  and  ^  all  the  sindno:  men  and  the  sin^inff  women  spake  fLa™.  4. 20. 

'^       '^  00  -"^      .        g  See  Matt.  9.  21. 

of  Josiah  in  their  lamentations  to  this  day,  "  and  made  them  an  ordmance  in  h  jer.  22. 20. 
Israel :  and,  behold,  they  are  written  in  the  lamentations. 

26  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Josiah,  and  his  f-  goodness,  according  to  that  +  h^^-  ^i""*- 
luhich  ivas  written  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  ^7  And  his  deeds,  first  and  last, 
behold,  they  are  wiitten  in  the  book  of  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah. 

XXXVI.  ^  Then  =*  the  people  of  the  land  took  Jehoahaz  the  son  of  Josiah,  ^  2  King!  23. 30, 
and  made  him  king  in  his  father's  stead  in  Jerusalem.  2  jehoahaz  ivas  twenty 
and  three  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  three  months  in 
Jerusalem.  ^  And  the  Idng  of  Egypt  f  put  him  down  at  Jerusalem,  and  f  con- 
demned the  land  in  an  hundred  talents  of  silver  and  a  talent  of  gold.  "^  And 
the  king  of  Egypt  made  E hakim  his  brother  king  over  Judah  and  Jerusalem, 
and  turned  his  name  to  Jehoiakim.  And  Necho  took  Jehoahaz  his  brother, 
and  carried  him  to  Egypt. 

^  ''Jehoiakim  was  twenty  and  five  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  ^g^  Kings  23. 
reigned  eleven  years  in  Jerusalem  :  and  he  did  that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord  his  God.     ^  •=  Against  him  came  up  Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Baby-  c  2  Kin^gT24. 1. 
Ion,  and  bound  him  in  |1  fetters,  to  "*  carry  him  to  Babylon.     ^ '  Nebuchadnezzar  Hab.  i.e. 
also  carried  of  the  vessels  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  to  Babylon,  and  put  them  \2ee filings 
in  his  temple  at  Babylon.  jer.^22.  is,  19.  & 

^  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Jehoiakim,  and  his  abominations  which  he  did,  1%  Kings  24.  u. 
and  that  which  was  found  in  him,  behold,  they  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  s.T  '  ' 
kings  of  Israel  and  Judah  :  and  ||  Jehoiachin  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead.  ^^  or,  jell'niah. 

^ '  Jehoiachin  was  eight  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  l%°„'l-/n:  "^' 
three  months  and  ten  days  in  Jerusalem :  and  he  did  that  ivhich  ivas  evil  in  r "kings  24.  s. 
the  sight  of  the  Lord.     ^^  And  f  when  the  year  was  expired,  ^king  Nebuchad-  l^f„^"f\ffy^^,^ 
nezzar  sent,  and  brought  him  to  Babylon,  "^with  the  f  goodly  vessels  of  the  f^^^^"^'"''- 

h  Dan.  1.  1,  2.  &  5.  2.  599.  i  Heh.  vessels  of  desire. 


25.  the  lamentations']  Not  the  extant  Lamentations  of 
Jeremiah,  which  were  written  after  the  taking  of  Jerusalem, 
but  the  national  collection  of  dirges,  in  which  was  an  elegy 
of  Jeremiah  on  the  death  of  Josiah  {Thenius,  Ewald,  Keil,  and 
Bertheau). 

At  the  same  time  it  may  be  supposed,  with  Ussher,  Ann. 
p.  66,  that,  in  the  Lamentations,  Jeremiah  sometimes  refers  to 
the  death  of  Josiah,  especially  in  Lam.  iv.  20 :  "  The  breath 
of  our  nostrils,  the  Anointed  of  the  Lord,  was  taken  in  their 
pits,  of  whom  we  said.  Under  His  shadow  we  shall  live  among 
the  heathen." 

Portions  of  the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah  (Jer.  xxii.  10 — 18) 
and  of  Zechariah  (Zech.  xii.  11)  may  be  connected  with  this 
mournful  occasion.  In  the  former  it  is  said,  that,  though  the 
lament  of  the  dead  father  Josiah  was  bitter,  it  was  not  nearly 
so  bitter  as  the  sorrow  for  the  living  son.  In  the  other,  the 
weeping  for  Josiah  is  made  an  occasion  for  a  prophecy  of  the 
future  weeping  of  penitential  sorrow  of  the  Jews  for  the 
crucifixion  of  Christ.     See  above,  on  2  Kings  xxiii.  30. 

Ch.  XXXVI.  1.  lovk  Jcnoakaz — and  made  him  king']  They 
took  Jehoahaz,  or  Shallum,  and  made  him  King,  which  they 
ought  not  to  have  done ;  for  he  was  not  the  eldest  son ;  and 
they  were  punished  for  this  act.     See  on  2  Kings  xxiii.  30. 

3.  the  king  of  Egypt]  Pharaoh-necho.  See  on  2  Kings 
xxiii.  33. 

4.  JEliakim  his  brother]  His  elder  brother. 

6.  to  carry  him  to  Babylon]  But   he  did  not  execute  his 

intention  {Patrick,  Movers,   Keil,   and  Hdvernick) ;  or,  if  he 

did  (as  is   asserted  in  1   Esdras  i.    40;    and  Septuagint,  and 

Vulgate,   and  by   Bertheau),   he    allowed  him   to    return  to 

291 


Jerusalem,  where  he  died,  and  was  buried.    See  2  Kings  xxiv.  6 ; 
and  cp.  Dan.  i.  2. 

There  is  no  ground  for  the  assertion  of  some  modern 
critics,  that  the  narratives  of  Kings  and  Chronicles  are  at 
variance,  and  that  the  sacred  Writer  has  confounded  Jehoiakim 
with  Jehoiachin.  On  the  date  of  these  events,  see  above,  on 
2  Kings  xxiv.  1;  and  cp.  Dr.  Pusey,  Lectures  on  Daniel, 
pp.  399—401. 

7.  vessels]  This  is  confirmed  by  Dan.  i.  2;  and  1  Esdras 
i.  41  :  and  there  is  no  ground  for  the  allegation  of  some,  that 
the  sacred  historian  has  confounded  Jehoiakim  with  Jehoiachin, 
in  whose  reign  more  vessels,  and  more  costly  ones,  were  taken 
away  (2  Kings  xxiv.  13 ;  and  v.  10  here). 

8.  that  lohich  ivas  found  in  him]  It  is  affirmed  by  some, 
that  he  had  printed  on  his  body  some  idolatrous  marks,  in 
reverence  of  false  deities  (such  as  are  forbidden  in  Ley.  xix.  28; 
and  are  referred  to  in  the  Apocalypse.  See  on  Rev.  xiii.  16,  17. 
Cp.  xiv.  9.  11;  xvi.  2;  xix.  20;  xx.  4.  So  the  Talmud, 
S.  Jerome,  and  Dr.  Spencer,  de  Leg.  Heb.  xiv.  2.  See 
Bp.  Patrick  here ;  and  Thenius,  on  2  Kings  xxiv.  6).  The 
sacred  Writer  passes  over  his  miserable  end,  well  known  to  the 
reader.     See  on  2  Kings  xxiv.  6. 

9.  Jehoiachin]  Called  also  Jeconiah  and  Coniah  (Jer.  xxn. 
24.  28.     See  above,  on  2  Kings  xxiv.  8). 

—  eight  years]  So  some  MSS.  of  Sept.  and  Vulg.  In 
2  Kings  xxiv.  8,  it  is  eighteen ;  and  so  the  Syriac  and  Arabic 
here.  The  MSS.  of  1  Esdras  i.  43  vary.  Here  some  MSS.  of 
the  original  have  eighteen,  and  some  MSS.  of  the  Septuagint ; 
and  this  seems  to  be  the  true  reading:  and  so  Thenius  and 
Keil.  Some  methods  of  reconciling  both  statements  may  be 
seen  in  Bp.  Patrick's  note  here;  and  in  Pfeiffer,  Dubia, 
p.  251 ;  and  in  Dr.  Toivnsend's  Harmony,  ii.  439. 


Zedekiah. 


2  CHRONICLES  XXXVI.  11—21. 


Jerusalem  destroyed. 


Before 
CHRIST 
6!J9. 
II  Or,  Matlaniah, 
his  falher's 
brother, 
2  Kings  24.  17. 
i  Jer.  37.  1. 
k  2  Kings  24.  IS. 
Jer.  52.  1,  &c. 

593. 
1  Jer.  52.  3. 
Ezek.  17.  15,  18. 
m  2  Kings  17.  14. 


n  Jer.  25.  3,  4.  & 
35.  15.  &  44.  4. 
t  Heb.  ty  the 
hand  of  his 
messengers. 
II  That  is, 
continual/y  and 
carefully. 
o  Jer.  5.  12,13. 
p  Prov.  1.25,  30. 
q  Jer.  32.  3.  & 
38.  6. 

Matt.  23.  34. 
rPs.  74.  1.  & 
79.  5. 
t  Heb.  healing. 

590. 
s  Deut.28.  49. 
2  Kings  25.  l,&c. 
Kzra  9.  7. 

588. 
t  Ps.  74.  20.  & 
79.  2,  3. 

u  2  Kings  25.  13, 
&c. 

588. 
X  2  Kings  25   9. 
Ps.  74.  C,  7.  & 
79.  1,  7. 


t  Heb.  the 

remihider  from 

the  sword. 

y  2  Kings  2.').  11. 

z  Jer.  27.  7. 

a  Jer.  25.  9,  II, 

12.  &  26.  6,  7  & 

29.  10. 

b  Lev.  26.  34,  35, 

43. 

Dan   9.  2. 

c  Lev.  25.  4,  5. 


house  of  the  Lord,  and  made  || '  Zedekiah  his  brother  king  over  Judah  and 
Jerusalem. 

^^■^  Zedekiah  ivas  one  and  twenty  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and 
reigned  eleven  years  in  Jerusalem.  ^^  And  he  did  that  ivhich  ivas  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  his  God,  and  humbled  not  himself  before  Jeremiah  the  pro- 
phet speaJcing  from  the  mouth  of  the  Lord.  ^^And  'he  also  rebelled  against 
king  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  had  made  him  swear  by  God :  but  he  ""  stiffened 
his  neck,  and  hardened  his  heart  from  turning  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 
^**  Moreover  all  the  chief  of  the  priests,  and  the  people,  transgressed  very  much 
after  all  the  abominations  of  the  heathen  ;  and  polluted  the  house  of  the  Lord 
which  he  had  hallowed  in  Jerusalem.  ^^ "  And  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers 
sent  to  them  f  by  his  messengers,  rising  up  || betimes,  and  sending;  because 
he  had  compassion  on  his  people,  and  on  his  dwelling  place:  '^But  °they 
mocked  the  messengers  of  God,  and  ^  despised  his  words,  and  '^  misused  his 
prophets,  until  the  "■  wrath  of  the  Lord  arose  against  his  people,  till  there  was 
no  f  remedy. 

^'''Therefore  he  brought  upon  them  the  king  of  the  Chaldees,  who  *  slew 
their  young  men  with  the  sword  in  the  house  of  their  sanctuary,  and  had  no 
compassion  upon  young  man  or  maiden,  old  man,  or  him  that  stooped  for  age: 
he  gave  them  all  into  liis  hand.  ^^"And  all  the  vessels  of  the  house  of  God, 
great  and  small,  and  the  treasures  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  treasures 
of  the  king,  and  of  his  princes  ;  all  these  he  brought  to  Babylon.  ^^ "  And  they 
burnt  the  house  of  God,  and  brake  down  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  and  burnt  all 
the  palaces  thereof  with  fire,  and  destroyed  all  the  goodly  vessels  tliereof. 
^^  And  f  ^  them  that  had  escaped  from  the  sword  carried  he  away  to  Babylon  ; 
^  where  they  were  servants  to  him  and  his  sons  until  the  reign  of  the  kingdom 
of  Persia  :  ^i  To  fulfil  the  word  of  the  Lord  by  the  mouth  of  "  Jeremiah,  until 
the  land  ^  had  enjoyed  her  sabbaths  :  for  as  long  as  she  lay  desolate  '^  she  kept 
sabbath,  to  fulfil  threescore  and  ten  years. 


10.  Zedekiah  Ms  hrotlier]  His  father's  brother.  Cp. 
1  Chron.  iii.  15  ;  and  see  on  2  Kings  xxiv.  17. 

16.  they  mocked  the  messengers  of  God — and  misused  his 
prophets^  Our  blessed  Lord  appears  to  refer  to  these,  and  other 
like  words  of  the  Old  Testament,  when  He  says,  "  0  Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets,"  &c.  (Matt,  xxiii. 
37.)     See  below,  on  v.  17. 

17.  Thereforehe  hrought  vpon  them  the  king  of  the  Chaldees'] 
The  sacred  historian  is  careful  to  remind  the  reader  that  what 
was  done  by  the  King  of  Babylon  and  his  armies  against 
Jerusalem,  its  King,  and  its  Temple,  was  not  done  by  their 
own  power,  but  by  the  will  of  God.  The  Chaldees  were  the 
instnnnents  of  Jehovah,  Who  used  them  to  punish  His  people 
for  their  sins  against  Him. 

The  sacred  Writer  draws  a  veil  over  the  miseries  of  the 
royal  house  of  David :  he  does  not  mention  the  wretched  fate 
of  the  King,  Zedekiah,  and  of  his  sons,  which  was  well  known  to 
his  readers,  from  the  narrative  of  the  Kings  (2  Kings  xxv. 
1-7). 

—  their  sanctuary']  It  is  called  theirs,  because  God  had 
forsaken  it.  In  the  same  way  our  Lord,  having  uttered  the 
words,  quoted  above  on  the  foregoing  verse,  to  which  he  seems 
to  refer,  proceeds  to  say  to  the  Jews,  "  Your  house  is  left  unto 
you  desolate."  See  on  Matt,  xxiii.  38.  There  is  a  remarkable 
analogy  between  the  captivity  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Chaldees 
for  despising  God's  words,  spoken  by  His  prophets  {v.  16),  and 
its  subsequent  captivity  by  the  Romans  for  the  rejection  and 
crucifixion  of  Christ. 

The  two  events  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  each  other. 

The  instrument,    in   God's  hand,    in   the  first   destruction    of 

Jerusalem,  was  Babylon,  called  by  many  "  The  Eastern  Rome ;" 

His   instrument,   in  the   second,  was   Rome,    called  by   many 

292 


ancient  writers  "  The  Western  Babylon."  See  below,  on 
Rev.  xvii.  1,  p.  250.  In  both  cases,  the  Temple  was  polluted 
with  blood  (see  below,  on  Matt.  xxiv.  15),  and  burnt  by  fire. 
In  the  former  case,  the  sacred  vessels  were  taken  to  Babylon ; 
in  the  latter,  to  Rome :  see  on  Rev.  p.  250.  In  both  cases 
many  were  carried  away  captive.  In  the  former  case,  they 
who  survived  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  had  the  comfort  of  a  divine 
prophecy,  assuring  them  of  a  return  by  the  instrumentality  of 
Cyrus;  in  the  latter  case,  all  the  tribes  of  Israel  have  a 
gracious  invitation  from  Cheist  to  return  to  the  favour  of 
God,  in  the  spiritual  Jerusalem,  which  is  His  Church. 

21.  hy  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah — sabbaths]  Because  the  Jews 
broke  the  law  of  the  Sabbath,  and  of  the  Sabbatical  year  (Lev. 
xxv.  1 — 7),  therefore  God,  by  a  righteous  retribution,  gave  a 
long  and  enforced  Sabbath  to  their  land,  as  Jeremiah  had 
foretold  (xxv.  9.  12 ;  xxix.  10),  proportioned  to  their  sin. 

—  to  fulfil  threescore  and  ten  years]  From  the  fourth  year 
of  Jehoiakim,  that  is,  from  the  invasion  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
in  V.  6,  B.C.  606,  and  extending  to  B.C.  536  {Conring,  Vorstius, 
Ussher,  and  Bertheau  here).     See  Dan.  i.  1. 

With  regard  to  the  groundless  allegations  of  some,  that 
this  specification  of  "  threescore  and  ten  years,"  as  the  dura- 
tion of  the  Captivity,  is  an  evidence  of  a  later  date  of  com- 
position than  the  age  of  Ezra,  see  Keil,  Versuch,  p.  17 ;  and 
above,  on  2  Kings  xxiv.  1. 

The  seventy  years'  captivity  was  like  a  compensation  for 
the  non-observance  of  the  seventh,  or  Sabbatical  year;  just  as 
the  forty  years'  wandering  in  the  Wilderness  was  a  retribution 
for  the  murmuring  of  the  Israelites  at  the  report  of  the  spies, 
who  had  searched  the  \&ud  forty  days  :  see  Num.  xiv.  34. 

May  we  not  here  recognize  a  warning  against  the  public 
and  private  evils,  that  may  be  apprehended  to  flow  from  dese- 
crations of  the  Lord's  day  ? 


I 


The  spirit  of  Gyrus 


2  CHRONICLES  XXXVI.  22. 


stirred  up  by  the  Lord. 


22  "*  Now  in  the  first  year  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord 
spoTceii  by  the  mouth  of  ^  Jeremiah  might  be  accomphshed,  the  Lord  stirred  up  d  e 

e  Je 


Before 
CHRIST 

536. 
zra  I.  1. 
e  Jer.  25.  12,  13. 
&  29.  10.  &33.  10,  11,  14. 


Cteus  and  Christ. 

22.  in  the  first  year  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia]  Cyrus,  Heb. 
Coresh,  —  a.  name  which  signifies  Sun  {Ctesias,  Etym.,  Mag., 
Gesen.  416;  Fuerst,  702;  Hengstenherg,  Cbristol.  ii.  193,  on 
Isa.  xl. — Ixvi.).  In  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  the  name  is 
Khurush. 

He  had  been  pre-announced  as  the  Shepherd  appointed 
by  God,  and  as  His  Anointed  (Messiah),  and  Restorer  of  His 
people,  in  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  (xliv.  28 ;  xlv.  1),  a  hundred 
and  fifty  years  before  the  destruction  of  the  Temple,  and  one 
hundred  and  forty  before  his  birth. 

The  first  year  of  Cyrus  is  evidently  the  first  year  of  his 
royalty  at  Babylon,  which  he  had  taken  B.C.  538.  This  appears 
from  his  language  here :  "  iUl  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth " 
(including  the  Assyrian  and  Babylonian,  together  with  the 
Median  and  Persian)  "  hath  the  Lord  God  of  heaven  given  me ; 
and  He  hath  charged  me  to  build  Him  an  house  in  Jerusalem, 
which  is  in  Judah," — an  assertion  which  is  grounded  on  God's 
declaration  in  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  (xliv.  28;  xlv.  13), 
which  were  shown  to  Cyrus,  as  is  affirmed  by  Josephus,  Antt. 
xi.  1.  1 — 3,— a  passage  which  deserves  careful  consideration ; 
and  see  S.  Jerome,  on  Isa.  xliv.  28.  A  Lapide,  in  Ezram. 
cap.  1 ;  and  Kohler,  Haggai  (1860),  who  suppose  that  these 
prophecies,  and  those  of  Jeremiah  (see  next  note),  were  shown 
to  Cyrus  by  Daniel,  who  had  interpreted  the  writing  on  the 
wall  to  Belshazzar  (Dan.  v.  25—29),  and  who  stood  high  in 
favour  with  the  Persian  ruler  of  Babylon  (Dan.  v.  31;  "vi. 
1 — 3),  and  who  refers  to  this  prophecy  of  Jeremiah,  saying, 
"  I  Daniel  understood  by  books  the  number  of  the  years 
whereof  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Jeremiah  the  prophet, 
that  he  would  accomplish  seventy  years  in  the  desolations  of 
.Jerusalem  "  (Dan.  ix.  2). 

These  two  concluding  verses  of  Chronicles  connect  this  book 
with  the  next  following  book,  that  of  Ezra.  By  means  of  them, 
the  one  is  dove-tailed  into  the  other :  see  Ezra  i.  1,  2. 

We  here  read,  that  the  Lord  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  Cyrus, 
and  he  said,  after  he  had  taken  Babylon,  "  AH  the  kingdoms 
of  the  earth  hath  the  Lord  God  of  heaven  given  me ;"  and  he 
commanded,  that  "  a  proclamation "  to  this  efiect  should  be 
made  "  throughout  his  kingdom,"  and  that  all  should  know 
that  "  God  had  charged  him  to  build  Him  an  house  in  Jeru- 
salem. Who  is  there  among  you  of  all  His  people  ?  The  Lord 
his  God  be  with  him,  and  let  him  go  up." 

These  two  verses  are  the  end  of  a  sorrowful  history  in  the 
Chronicles,  and  they  are  the  beginning  of  a  joyful  one  in  Ezra. 
So  it  was  in  the  life  of  Christ.  So  it  is  ever  in  the  history  of 
His  Church.     Death  is  followed  by  Resurrection  to  glory. 

Let  us  observe,  that  the  title  "the  Lord  God  of  heaven," 
Jehovah  Eloi  hashshamayini,  is  the  title  gi\'en  to  God  after 
the  Captivity.  See  here;  and  Ezra  i.  2;  vi.  10;  vii.  21.  As 
the  title,  "  The  Lord  of  hosts,"  dates  from  the  age  of  Samuel, 
and  had  a  particular  significance  in  connexion  with  that  age 
(see  above,  on  1  Sam.  i.  3),  so  "the  Lord  God  of  heaven" 
had  a  special  meaning  at  this  time.  It  declared,  that  though 
His  earthly  Temple  in  Jerusalem  was  now  lying  in  ruins.  His 
glorious  Majesty  was  not  afiected  thereby;  rather,  it  shone 
forth  with  greater  splendour ;  because  the  minds  of  the  faithful 
were  drawn  off  from  looking  on  the  material  Temple,  to  con- 
template Him,  Whose  Throne  is  in  the  heavens,  and  WTiose 
footstool  is  the  earth.  And  thus  it  prepared  the  way  for  the 
Christian  Dispensation,  in  which  His  Omnipresence  is  felt  and 
adored  in  every  land. 

It  has  been  objected  by  some  (e.  g.  Voltaire),  that  Cyrus, 
a  Persian  monarch,  could  never  have  used  such  words  as  these 
when  speaking  of  the  God  of  Israel.  But  when  we  remember 
what  the  language  of  Nebuchadnezzar  was  on  this  subject 
(see  Dan.  iii.  28,  29),  and  of  Darius  (Dan.  vi.  26),  we  need 
not  be  surprised  at  such  words  as  these  in  a  proclamation  of 
Cyrus,  especially  if  it  be  recollected,  what  the  influence  of 
Daniel  was  at  this  time.  Cp.  Bp.  Hall,  Cahnet,  and  Diiclot. 
The  proclamation,  and  the  execution  of  it  were  by  divine 
inspiration.  The  Lord  "  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  Cyrus;"  and 
it  was  executed  "  not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  My 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts"  (Zecli.  iv.  6). 

When  it  is  remembered,  that  Cyrus  signifies  Sun,  and  that 
he  was  mcTitioncd  in  Holy  Scripture  by  name  before  His  birth 
293 


(see  above,  on  1  Kings  xiii.  2),  and  that  he  is  described  by  God 
as  His  Shepherd,  and  as  His  Anoiiited  (Isa.  xliv.  28 ;  xlv.  1), 
and  as  the  Deliverer  of  His  people  from  the  bondage  and 
captivity  of  Babylon,  and  as  the  Builder  again  of  His  Temple 
at  Jerusalem,  and  that  he  is  said  to  have  been  stirred  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  to  do  what  he  did,  we  need  not  be  surprised 
that  Cyrus  was  regarded  by  the  ancient  Christian  Church  as  a 
signal  type  of  Jesxts  Cheist,  the  "  Sun  of  Righteousness,"  the 
'•  Good  Shepherd,"  the  "  Anointed  One  of  God,"  the  Universal 
Prophet,  Priest,  and  King,  the  Redeemer  of  God's  people  from 
the  worse  than  Babylonian  bondage  and  captivity  of  Sin, 
Satan,  and  of  Death,  the  Builder  of  the  True  Temple,  in  the 
spiritual  Jerusalem,  the  Universal  Church  of  God,  militant 
here  on  earth,  and  to  be  glorified  hereafter  in  heaven.  See 
^S".  Jerome  (in  Esaiam,  xliv.  and  xlv.),  who  asserts  that  the 
prophecies  of  Isaiah,  concerning  Cyrus,  are  to  be  applied  in  a 
large  and  spiritual  sense  to  Christ,  and  who  thus  paraphrases 
Isaiah's  prophecy  concernmg  Cyrus  :  — 

"  Vocavi  te  nomine  meo,  sicut  vocavi  Abraham,  Isaac  et 
Jacob,  et  mult5  ante  prajdixi,  ut  Isaac  et  Josiam,  ne  putareris 
esse  Christus,  cui  assimilatus  es,  et  in  Cujus  typum  et  imaginem 
praecessisti."  And  on  chap.  xlv. :  "  Quid  magnum  est,  si  unum 
regem  creaverim  qui  mea  mandata  conservet  ?  Ipse  jussurus 
est,  ut  aedificetur  civitas  mea,  Jerusalem,  et  captivi  redeant  in 
Judaeam,  non  ob  pretium  et  munera,  sed  ob  meam  voluntatem, 
dicit  Dominus  exercituum.  Qui  ad  Christum  refert  intelli- 
gentiam,  sic  explanationis  suae  verba  moderatur.  .  .  .  Haec 
dicit  Dominus  Sanctus  Israel,  qui  plasmavit  in  virginali  utero 

Salvatorem Quid    mirum,   si   Filium    meum,  justum 

Regem,  miserim  mundo,  sive  ab  iuferis  suscitaverim,  qui  sedificet 
civitatem  meam  super  petram,  adversum  quam  portre  inferi 
non  praevalebunt  ? "  (Matt.  xvi.  18.)  Cp.  Dean  Jackson  on 
the  Creed  (book  vi.  pt.  ii.  chap,  xxvi.),  who  calls  Cyrus  "  a 
type  of  the  true  Emmanuel." 

It  may  be  added,  that  Cyrus,  as  being  a  mighty  Conqueror 
and  King,  who  comprised  under  his  sway  the  greatest  king- 
doms of  the  earth,  was,  in  a  certain  sense,  that  is,  in  the  extent 
of  his  dominions,  and  the  variety  of  tongues  of  the  people  who 
were  subject  to  him,  a  more  significant  type  of  Christ's  uni- 
versal dominion  over  all  mankind,  than  even  David  or  Solomon, 
who  were  sovereigns  of  a  particular  people.  Cyrus  was  to  David 
in  civil  matters,  what  Melchizedek  was  to  Aaron  in  spiritual. 
Cyrus  was  a  type  of  Christ's  Universal  Kingdom,  as  Mel- 
chizedek was  of  His  universal  Priesthood.  As  £ede  says  (on 
Ezra,  cap.  i.),  "Cjtus  rex  Dominum  Salvatorem  et  nomine 
significat  et  factis." 

Further,  the  words  of  Cyrus,  in  the  passage  now  before  us, 
bear  a  remarkable  resemblance  to  those  of  Christ. 

Cyrus  had  overthrown  the  power  of  Babylon,  the  enemy 
of  God's  people ;  and  the  next  thing  that  we  hear  of  him  is, 
that  "  the  LoED  stirred  up  "  (raised  up,  e'liiyeipe,  Sept.)  "  his 
spirit  (cp.  Ezek.  xxxvii.  12),  to  proclaim  "throughout  all 
his  kingdom,  and  to  put  it  also  in  writing,  saying,  Thus 
saith  Cyrus,  AH  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  hath  the  Lord  God 
of  heaven  given  me ;  and  He  hath  charged  me  to  build  Him 
an  house  in  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah"  (Cyrus  probably 
refers  to  Isaiah's  prophecies,  above  cited) :  "  Who  is  there 
among  you  of  all  His  people  ?  "  (not  merely  in  Babylon,  but  in 
Assyria  and  Media,  which  were  subject  to  Cyrus,  and  where  the 
tribes  of  Israel  were  scattered).  "  The  Lord  his  God  be  with 
him,  and  let  him  go  up." 

And  what  did  Jesus  Christ,  the  Divine  Cyrus,  say,  when 
He  had  overthrown  the  spiritual  Babylon,  the  enemy  of  God's 
people  ?  What  did  He  say,  when  God  had  raised  His  spirit 
from  the  darkness  of  the  grave,  and  when  He  had  conquered 
the  powers  of  darkness,  and  had  delivered  all  true  Israelites 
from  the  bondage  and  captivity  of  Sin  and  Death  ?  He  then 
uttered  this  proclamation :  "  AH  power  is  given  unto  Me  in 
heaven  and  in  earth.  Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  Nations, 
baptizing  them  in  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Gho.st "  (Matt,  xxviii.  18,  19).  This  was  His 
commission  to  His  Apostles,  whom  He  sent  forth  into  aU  the 
world  by  His  royal  decree,  to  build  up  the  spiritual  Temple  of 
His  Church  Universal,  the  everlasting  Jerusalem. 

Here  is  comfort  to  all  true  Israelites  in  reading  this 
history. 

The  Temple  of  Solomon  was  destroyed  by  Nebuchadnezzar, 
and  the  King  and  people  of  Jerusalem  were  carried  captive  to 


Proclamation  of  Cyrus 


2  CHEONICLES  XXXVI.  23.      for  rebuilding  the  Temple. 


Before 
CHRIST 
536. 
f  Isa.  44.  28. 
g  Ezra  1.  2,  3. 


the  spirit  of  ^  Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  that  he  made  a  proclamation  throughout  all 
his  kingdom,  and  put  it  also  in  writing,  saying,  ^3  s  Thus  saith  Cyrus  king  of 
Persia,  All  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  hath  the  Lord  God  of  heaven  given  me ; 
and  he  hath  charged  me  to  build  him  an  house  in  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah. 
Who  is  there  among  you  of  all  his  people  ?  The  Lord  his  God  he  with  him, 
and  let  him  go  up. 


Babylon.  But  according  to  the  sure  word  of  prophecy,  Babylon 
itself  was  destined  to  feel  the  wrath  of  God  for  its  sins ;  and 
the  Conqueror  of  Babylon,  it  was  foretold,  would  be  an  in- 
strument in  God's  bands  for  the  restoration  of  Judah,  and  for 
the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple. 

That  second  Temple  itself  would  also  be  destroyed  for 
the  sins  of  the  people  of  Jerusalem,  and  Judah  would  be 
scattered  abroad  for  its  sins.  But  though  men  might,  and 
would  fail,  God's  truth  and  love  would  never  fail. 

The  faithful  Israelite  has  been  taught  to  look  beyond 
Cyrus  to  Christ,  and  to  see  in  the  overthrow  of  Babylon,  and 
in  the  restoration  of  Judah,  and  in  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple, 
the  foreshadowing  of  a  mighty  Conqueror  triumphing  over 
all  hostile  powers,  and  of  an  universal  Redemption,  and  of 
the  building  up  of  a  spiritual  Temple,  which  will  receive  within 
its  courts  all  nations  and  languages,  and  will  be  transfigured 
into  a  heavenly  building,  and  will  stand  glorious  for  ever,  when 
all  earthly  Monarchies  will  have  vanished  away. 

—  that  the  loord  of  the  Lord  spoken  hy  the  mouth  of 
Jeremiah  might  be  accomplished']  The  Lord  had  pre-announced, 
by  Jeremiah  the  prophet,  that  "  when  seventy  years  were 
accomplished,  He  would  punish  the  King  of  Babylon  and  that 
nation  for  their  iniquity,  and  the  land  of  the  Chaldffians " 
(Jer.  XXV.  12) ;  and  that,  "  after  seventy  years  had  been 
accomplished  at  Babylon,  He  would  visit  His  people,  and 
perform  His  good  word  tov\ard  them,  in  causing  them  to 
return"  to  Jerusalem  (Jer.  xxix.  10).  These  seventy  years, 
ending  in  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of  Cyrus,  dated  from  the 
fourth  year  of  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim. 

The  edict  for  the  foundation  of  the  second  Temple,  in 
which,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  Christ  was  presented  in  the 
substance  of  our  flesh,  and  in  which  He  "  purified  the  sons  of 
Levi"  (Mai.  iii.  3),  by  His  teaching  and  His  Spirit,  dated 
from  the  seventieth  year  after  the  invasion  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 


which  was  completed  in  the  destruction  of  the  material  Temple 
of  Jerusalem  {vv.  6.  19). 

The  captivity  of  Israel  ended  after  seventy  years ;  Babylon, 
the  hostile  city,  was  taken ;  and  the  vessels  of  the  Temple  were 
restored  by  Cyrus ;  and  an  edict  was  issued  for  the  return  of 
the  Jews,  and  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple. 

This  number,  seventy,  forms,  as  it  were,  a  series  of  links, 
which  connect  that  era  with  the  end  of  all  things. 

Seventy  weeks  (of  years),  =:  490  years,  were  pre-announced 
by  Daniel  (ix.  24 — 27)  as  the  interval  between  the  edict  for  the 
building  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  and  Messiah  the  Prince; 
and  though  that  inverval  would  issue  in  a  crisis  of  sin  and 
sufiiering,  even  in  the  cutting  off  of  Messiah  the  Prince,  and  in 
the  coming  of  another  power,  like  that  of  Babylon,  the  power 
of  Rome,  to  destroy  the  Temple  and  City  of  Jerusalem,  yet  even 
then  God's  goodness  would  triumph  over  evil,  and  His  glory 
be  more  clearly  manifested. 

The  spiritual  Temple  of  Christ's  mystical  body,  the  Church, 
rose  up  on  the  ruins  of  the  material  Temple  at  Jerusalem ;  all 
shadowy  services  passed  away,  when  that  material  Temple  was 
destroyed,  and  all  its  beauty  was  absorbed  into  the  substance 
of  the  Church  Universal,  which  will  subsist  for  ever.  And 
that  destruction  of  the  material  Temple,  and  the  rising  up  of 
the  spiritual  Temple  in  its  place,  was  seventy  years  after  the 
Birth  of  Christ,  Who  makes  all  things  new  (Rev.  xxi.  5),  and 
Who  brings  life  out  of  death  (Heb.  ii.  14) ;  and  so,  where  sin 
and  death  abounded,  there  grace  and  life  did  much  more  abound 
(Rom.  V.  20). 

Thus  the  mind  is  led  on  by  a  succession  of  struggles  and 
victories  to  look  forward  to  the  last  and  fiercest  conflict  of  all, 
when  Satan  will  rage  most  furiously  against  Christ,  and  when 
He  will  come  in  His  glorious  Majesty,  and  put  all  enemies 
under  His  feet;  to  Whom,  with  the  Father,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  be  all  praise  and  dominion,  in  all  Churches  of  the  saints, 
now  and  for  evermore.    Amen 


294 


INTRODUCTION   TO   EZRA  AND   NEHEMIAH. 


"  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,"  says  St.  Jerome  \  "  signify  by  their  names,  respectively,  tlie  Helper,  and  the 
Comforter  sent  by  the  Lord ;  and  their  Books  are  joined  together  in  one  volume.  They  narrate 
the  restoration  of  the  Temple,  and  the  rebuilding  of  the  Walls  of  Jerusalem.  The  history  of  that 
long  train  of  people,  returning  from  Babylon  to  their  own  country ;  and  of  the  company  of  Priests 
and  Levites,  Israelites  and  Proselytes ;  and  the  record  of  the  labour  of  building  the  walls  and 
towers,  which  work  was  distributed  among  several  families  ^,  have  a  twofold  significance,  a  literal 
and  a  figurative  meaning^." 

These  remarks  of  St.  Jerome  suggest  a  reason  for  comprising  the  prefatory  observations,  which 
will  now  be  offered  on  these  Books,  in  one  and  the  same  Introduction  *. 

The  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  embrace  a  period  of  about  108  years,  from  B.C.  536  to 
B.C.  428. 

The  principal  events  recorded  in  them  are  as  follows  :  — 

B.C.  536.  The  Edict  of  Cyrus  for  the  restoration  of  the  sacred  vessels  to  the  Temple  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  for  the  return  of  the  Jews,  under  Zerubbabel  their  leader,  of  the  house  of  Judah ;  and  of 
Jeshua,  the  son  of  Jozadak,  the  High  Priest ;  and  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple  *. 

The  Altar  set  up  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  kept  ^ 

The  foundation  of  the  Temple  laid,  "  with  weeping  and  shouting ' ." 

B.C.  515.  The  completion  of  the  building  of  the  Temple,  urged  on  by  the  prophecies  of  Haggai 
and  Zechariah,  and  authorized  by  the  edict  of  Darius  Hystaspis,  after  many  delays  and  hindrances. 

The  Dedication  of  the  Temple,  in  the  sixth  year  of  Darius  ^  the  twenty-first  year  after  the 
edict  of  Cyrus. 

The  events  of  the  Book  of  Esther  occurred  in  the  interval  between  b.c.  486  and  b.c.  465 ;  in 
the  reign  of  Xerxes,  the  son  of  Darius,  King  of  Persia. 

B.C.  458.  The  journey  of  Ezra  from  Babylon,  with  a  commission  from  Artaxerxes  Longimanus 
(the  son  of  Xerxes),  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign  ^ 

The  religious  Reformation  under  Ezra,  especially  with  regard  to  the  strange  marriages ;  and 
for  the  prevention  of  idolatry '°. 

B.C.  444.  The  journey  of  Nehemiah  from  Susa,  with  a  commission  from  the  same  King, 
Artaxerxes,  in  the  twentieth  year  of  his  reign  ". 

The  Walls  of  Jerusalem  rebuilt  ^\  "  in  troublous  times  " ;"  about  ninety-two  years  after  the 
edict  of  Cyrus  for  the  return  of  the  Jews,  and  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple. 

The  reading  and  expounding  of  the  Law  of  Moses  by  "Ezra,  the  Priest  and  Scribe  '\" 

The  keeping  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  ^*. 

The  Fasting  and  Eepentance  of  the  people ;  their  religious  acknowledgment  of  God's  goodness 
to  them  and  their  forefathers  ;  and  of  their  own  sinfulness  '^ 

The  National  Covenant  with  God,  sealed  by  "Nehemiah  the  Tirshatha,"  or  Governor,  and 
others,  in  the  name  of  the  people  '^ 

The  religious  Reformation  by  Nehemiah,  for  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  the  cleansing  of 

1  S.Jerome  ad   Paulinum,   Ep.   50,   p.  574.     Cp.   also   his  a  "  AUud  in  cortice  sonant,  aliud  in  medulla." 
Prffifat.  ad  Esdram.     In  the  Sixth  Article  of  the  Church  of           *  Cp.  also  below,  note  on  Neh.  i.  1. 
England,  the  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  are  described  as  the           *  Ezra  i.— iii.  *  Ezra  in.  4. 

"  First  Book  of  Esdras,  and  the  Second  Book  of  Esdras."     On  ?  Ezra  iii.  8—13.  »  Ezra  vi.  1.  ii>.  ii. 

the  relation  of  the  Book  of  Ezra  to  the  Apocryphal  books  called  »  Ezra  vii.  1—8.  "  Ezra  yiu.  ix.  x. 

First  of  Esdras  and  Second  of  Esdras  in  our  Version,  see  the  "  Neh.  i.  1 ;  ii.  1—11.  J^  ^eh.  m.  iv.  vi. 

articles  by  Ven.  Lord  A.  C.  Hervey  and  Rev.  B.  F.  Westcott,  '^  Dan.  ix.  25.  \\  Weh.  ym.  i     a, 

Bible  Diet.  i.  575-580.  ''  Neh.  viii.  14-18.  '^  Neh.  ix. 

2  See  Nehemiah,  ch.  iii.  ^'  Neh.  x. 

295 


INTEODUCTION  TO  EZRA  AND  NEHEMIAH. 

the  Temple,  the  provision  for  its  services,  the  maintenance  of  the  Priests  and  Levites,  and  for 

the  dissolution  of  the  mixed  marriages  \ 

The  solemn  Dedication  of  the  Walls  of  the  City  ;  "  the  joy  of  Jerusalem  heard  afar  off  ^" 
Nehemiah  is  encouraged  by  the  Prophet  Malachi,  who  is  called  "  the  Seal  of  the  Prophets." 
The  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament  is  completed  by  Ezra  about  this  time. 

The  Book  of  Ezra  joins  itself  on  to  the  Books  of  Chronicles,  by  adopting  the  words  with  which 
the  Chronicles  end :  and  this  repetition  seems  to  intimate  identity  of  authorship,  which  is  deducible 
from  other  evidence,  both  external  and  internal  ^. 

The  Chronicles  refer  us  back  to  the  first  Adam,  whose  name  stands  at  the  fore-front  of  that 
Book.  The  Book  of  Ezra  is  introductory  to  that  of  Nehemiah ;  and  these  Books  of  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah  are  illustrated  by  a  .prophetical  commentary  in  the  writings  of  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and 
Malachi.  Haggai  and  Zechariah  reveal  to  us  the  feelings  of  faith  and  hope,  with  which  the  devout 
Israelites  at  that  time  looked  upon  the  Temple,  when  rising  from  its  ruins  ;  and  Malachi  unfolds  the 
joyful  aspirations  of  those  who  contemplated  the  Temple  and  "Walls  of  Jerusalem  when  already  built. 

It  has  been  alleged  by  some  in  modern  times,  that  the  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  are  merely 
historical  narratives,  without  any  spiritual  significance.  But  surely  this  is  an  error,  and  would 
deprive  these  Books  of  their  highest  value  and  true  beauty.  We  need  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  Ezra 
and  Nehemiah  would  never  have  been  able  to  do  and  to  suffer  what  they  did  and  suffered,  unless  they 
had  been  animated  by  the  Spirit  which  breathes  in  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  (with  which  they 
were  doubtless  familiar),  and  in  those  of  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi ;  and  unless  they  had 
looked  forward  with  the  eye  of  faith,  enlightened  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  had  seen  visions  of 
Christ.  And  we  need  not  scruple  to  add,  that  no  one  can  be  duly  qualified  to  understand  and 
expound  the  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  unless  he  reads  them  by  the  light  of  that  evangelical 
exposition,  which  is  supplied  by  the  Holy  Spirit  Himself,  in  the  prophetical  writings  of  Daniel, 
Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  From  them  we  learn,  that  the  Coming  of  "  Messiah  the  Prince," 
and  the  "anointing  of  the  Most  Holy,"  and  the  bringing  in  "  of  everlasting  righteousness,"  were 
connected,  by  the  chain  of  God's  providential  arrangements,  with  the  rebuilding  of  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem  * ;  and  that  the  beauty  and  glory  of  the  restored  Temple  and  of  the  City  was  not  in  their 
Walls  and  Towers,  but  in  their  inner  sanctity,  as  being  the  predestined  places  which  would  be 
honoured  with  the  presence  of  "  the  Lord  Himself,"  the  "  Messenger  of  the  Covenant,"  "  the  Desire 
of  all  Nations,"  God  manifest  in  the  Flesh  \ 

By  means  of  the  Chronicles,  retrospectively,  and  by  means  of  Nehemiah  and  the  three  prophets, 
Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  prospectively,  Ezra  unites  the  past  with  the  future :  he  carries  our 
thoughts  backward  to  the  first  Adam,  and  he  carries  them  forward  to  the  second  Adam ;  and  he 
suggests  a  comparison  of  the  unhappy  ruin,  by  which  we  fell  in  the  one,  with  the  glorious  resto- 
ration, by  which  we  rise  in  the  Other. 

It  is  not  a  fanciful  speculation,  which  is  broached  by  St.  Jerome,  when  he  comments  on  the 
meaning  of  the  names  which  these  two  Books  bear,  Ezra  "  the  Helper,"  and  Nehemiah  "  the 
Consoler  sent  by  the  Lord ;"  they  are  to  us,  and  to  all  the  faithful,  in  very  deed,  what  in  word  they 
intimate  ^ ;  they  are  Books  of  Help  and  Consolation,  especially  in  times  of  trouble ;  they  are  Books  of 
recovery  and  reparation,  and  they  point  to  the  great  work  of  Restoration  which  was  wrought  by  the 
Incarnation  of  Him,  Who  is  our  Divine  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  our  True  Helper  and  Consoler,  and 
Who  built  up  the  ruined  Temple  of  our  Human  Nature,  when  it  had  fallen  down,  and  made  it  a 
Temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  Who  raised  up  the  waste  places  of  our  Jerusalem  ;  and  they  invite 
us  to  look  forward  to  the  future  Restoration  and  glorious  Restitution  of  all  things,  which  will  be 
effected  at  the  Great  Day  by  Him,  "  Who  maketh  all  things  new '." 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Book  of  Ezra,  we  read,  that  "  the  Lord  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  Cyrus, 
King  of  Persia,"  the  Conqueror  of  Babylon,  "the  Shepherd,"  and  "  Anointed"  of  the  Lord' ;  and 
Cyrus  acknowledges  that  "  the  Lord  God  of  heaven  hath  given  to  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth,  and  hath  charged  him  to  build  Him  an  house  at  Jerusalem ;"  and  he  brings  forth  the 
dedicated  vessels  of  God  from  the  idol-temple  at  Babylon,  and  restores  them  to  the  temple   of 

'  Neh.  X.  xi.  xii.  xiii.                 2  Nch.  xii.  27 — 43.  omni  illi  populo  redeunti  ad  patriam.    Nam  et  templum  Domini 

*  Cp.  on  Ezra  i.  1.                      *  Dan.  ix.  24—27.  iidem  reffidificavermit  (rather,  reffidificatum  narrant)  et  muro- 
'  See  below,  Ezra  ii.  63 ;  and  on  iii.  4.  13.  rum  et  turrium  opus  restauraveruut." 

*  Isidorus   well    says    (Orig.    vii.    c.    8),    "Esdras  adjutor,           '  See  Rev.  xxi;  1 — 5. 

Neemias   consolator   a   Domino.       Quodam    prsesagio   nomina  ^  Cp.  above,  on  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22. 

kta  sortiti  sunt.     Fueruntenim  in  adjutorium  et  consolationem 
296 


INTRODUCTION  TO  EZRA  AND  NEHEMIAH. 

the  Lord  at  Jerusalem,  and  proclaims  freedom  to  all  Israel,  then  scattered  abroad,  and  encourages 
them  to  return  to  Jerusalem,  and  supplies  them  with  means  for  their  journey  and  their  work ;  and 
issues  an  edict  for  the  restoration  of  the  Temple  there. 

Thus  even  Cyrus  foreshadowed  the  work  of  Christ,  Who  has  delivered  from  their  ghostly 
enemy  those  who  were  like  vessels  sanctified  to  God,  but  had  been  carried  into  captivity,  and 
Who  has  restored  them  to  His  Service  \ 

We  have  another  representation  of  the  restorative  work  of  Christ,  in  the  acts  of  Zerubbabel, 
of  the  house  of  Judah,  the  captain  of  Israel,  co-operating  with  Jeshua  the  son  of  Jozadak  the  High 
Priest,  who  were  the  principal  agents  in  rebuilding  the  Temple,  and  who  typified  Christ,  Who  is 
the  True  Zerubbabel,  the  Leader  of  Israel,  of  the  Tribe  of  Judah,  and  Who  is  also  the  Divine 
Jeshua,  the  Great  High  Priest,  "  the  Lord  our  Righteousness." 

This  interpretation  of  their  character  and  office  is  authorized  and  commended  to  us  by  tho 
Holy  Spirit  Himself,  speaking  by  the  Prophet  Zechariah  ^. 

It  is  not  unworthy  of  remark,  that  the  work  of  Restoration  was  begun  under  Jeshua  and 
Zerubbabel,  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  ^,  and  was  completed  under  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  at  the 
same  festival  about  a  century  after  *.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles  was  the  consummation  and  crown  of 
all  Hebrew  festivals,  and  it  prefigured  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  Emmanuel,  God  with  us, 
tabernacling  in  our  flesh  ^ ;  and  it  also  typified  the  future  everlasting  union  of  God,  dwelling  with 
all  faithful  Israelites,  glorified  and  beatified  in  heaven. 

Thus,  the  joy  of  the  Hebrew  People  returning  to  Jerusalem,  and  rebuilding  the  Temple  and 
the  Walls  of  the  City,  was  a  prelude  to  the  song  of  Angels,  who  chanted  a  hymn  of  thanksgiving 
at  the  Nativity  of  Christ,  when  the  Son  of  God  came  down  from  heaven,  and  raised  our  nature 
from  its  ruins,  and  enshrined  the  Shecinah  of  the  Godhead  in  the  Temple  of  our  Manhood ;  and  it 
was  an  anticipation  of  those  glorious  Anthems  of  praise,  with  which  the  general  Resurrection  will  be 
celebrated,  and  which  will  accompany  the  going  up  of  the  Saints  to  the  gates  and  walls  of  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem. 

In  the  union  of  the  two  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  joined  together,  as  two  parts  of  one 
divinely  inspired  whole,  there  is  a  practical  value  and  moral  significance,  which  commend  them  to 
the  special  use  of  the  Faithful  in  times  of  distress,  in  these  latter  days. 

Ezra  was  "a  Priest  and  a  Scribe,"  learned  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  came  to  Jerusalem 
from  Babylon  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  King  of  Persia  and  Assyria. 

Nehemiah  was  a  layman  and  a  courtier  at  Susa,  and  was  made  the  Tirshatha  or  Governor  of 
Jerusalem  by  the  same  Artaxerxes,  in  the  twentieth  year  of  his  reign.  Both  of  them  chose  to  sufier 
reproach  for  God  and  His  Church,  rather  than  to  enjoy  earthly  ease  and  preferment.  Both  of 
them  made  public  avowal  of  their  religion  in  the  presence  of  enemies  ^  Both  were  Confessors  in 
deed,  and  Martyrs  in  will.  Both  encountered  opposition  from  external  adversaries,  and  from  false 
brethren,  and  prosecuted  the  work  of  religious  Reformation  with  courage,  zeal,  and  perseverance,  in 
spite  of  calumny  and  outrage.     And  their  union  is  very  instructive. 

In  matters  of  religious  teaching  and  worship,  such  as  the  reading  and  exposition  of  the  Law 
of  God  to  the  people,  and  in  blessing  them,  Ezra  the  Priest  and  Scribe  took  the  lead,  and  on  those 
occasions  Nehemiah  the  Tirshatha,  or  civil  Governor,  retired  into  the  background  ^. 

But  Nehemiah's  part  was  a  very  important  one.  Ezra  took  a  religious  care  for  the  worship  of 
God  in  the  Temple  which  had  been  rebuilt  by  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua.  Nehemiah  rebuilt  the  Walls 
of  the  City  of  Jerusalem,  and  set  up  its  Gates,  and  planted  it  with  inhabitants,  and  enabled  them  to 
dwell  safely  within  it.  Nehemiah  convened  the  people  to  religious  assemblies,  and  exercised  an 
external  jurisdiction  over  them,  and  gave  a  civil  support  to  Ezra  in  all  his  religious  ministrations.  Ezra 
taught  the  people  the  Law  of  God,  and  Nehemiah  took  the  lead  in  executing  it.  He  was  foremost  in 
sealing  the  Covenant  with  God  ^.  He  co-operated  with  Ezra  in  reforming  the  strange  marriages  ^ 
He  assisted  Ezra  by  fencing  the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  with  civil  sanctions  and  enactments '". 
He  restored  the  appointed  maintenance  of  the  Priests  and  Levites,  and  the  provision  for  the  service 
of  the  Sanctuary";  and  he  ejected  powerful  intruders,  who,  under  the  connivance  of  the  Chief 
Priest  himself,  had  sacrilegiously  occupied  holy  places,  and  had  embezzled  holy  things. 

Thus,  in  the  combination  of  Ezra  with  Nehemiah  we  may  sec  a  diviiie  representation  of  that 


'  Sec  below,  on  i.  7. 10,  11. 

2  See  Zech.  iii.  1—9;  iv.  6—10;  vi.  11—15. 

3  See  Ezra  iii.  4.  ^  Neh.  viii.  14- 
5  John  i.  1 1. 

297 


18. 


'"'  See  Ezra  viii.  21;  is.  3- 
'  See  Neh.  viii.  1—8. 
'  Cp.  Ezrax.  4.  10-20. 
'0  Neh.  X.  31;  xiii.  15. 


-15.     Neh.  i.  4;  ix.  and  x. 

«  Neh.  X.  1. 
Nell.  xiii.  23. 

' '  Xeh.  X.  32—39  •  xiii.  9- 


INTRODUCTION  TO  EZRA  AND  NEHEMIAH. 

happy  alliance  of  Church  and  State,  and  of  that  hearty  and  loving  co-operation  of  the  Clergy  and 
Laity  in  promoting  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  His  Jerusalem,  which  is  the 
best  policy  of  a  Nation,  and  the  best  safeguard  of  a  Throne. 

There  is  not  a  nobler  scene  in  the  whole  domain  of  history,  than  that  displayed  to  us  in  the 
twelfth  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Nehemiah. 

In  an  earlier  chapter '  he  had  described  his  own  solitary  ride  on  horseback  at  night-time,  round 
the  ruined  walls  of  Jerusalem,  on  his  arrival  from  Susa.  But  by  God's  help  he  was  enabled  to 
rebuild  them.  And  when  the  City  was  rebuilt,  he  took  care  that  the  Walls  should  be  dedicated  with 
a  solemn  religious  service.  Nehemiah  took  his  station  with  Ezra  the  Priest  near  the  middle  point 
of  the  western  side  of  the  city,  and  there  he  formed  two  companies,  in  one  of  which  he  himself  was, 
and  in  the  other  was  Ezra  the  Priest.  These  two  companies  parted  themselves  off  from  each  other, 
like  the  two  portions  of  a  choir,  and  the  former  proceeded  northwards,  the  latter  went  southward ; 
they  continued  their  course  respectively  in  different  directions,  with  "  thanksgiving  and  singing, 
with  cymbals,  psalteries,  and  harps  ;"  and  when  the  City  had  been  encompassed  by  them,  half  of  it 
by  one  company  and  half  of  it  by  the  other,  and  the  two  companies  met  together  at  the  eastern 
gate  of  the  city,  near  the  Temple,  there  they  joined  their  voices  in  an  united  chorus  of  praise,  "  for 
God  made  them  rejoice  with  great  joy,  so  that  the  joy  of  Jerusalem  was  heard  afar  off  ^" 

These  two  companies, — the  one  that  of  Nehemiah  the  other  that  of  Ezra, — going  round  the 
City,  now  rebuilt,  and  joined  together  on  Mount  Moriah,  near  the  Temple  now  restored,  gave 
utterance  to  the  joy  of  Jerusalem  for  the  return  of  its  people  to  their  home,  from  the  far-off  land  of 
their  captivity,  and  for  the  restoration  of  the  Temple  and  the  City ;  and  they  praised  God  for  these 
benefits  and  for  His  other  mercies  which  were  associated  with  that  holy  place,  and  with  that  very  spot 
in  the  days  of  Abraham  ^,  David ",  and  Solomon  '.  Doubtless  also,  being  divinely  inspired,  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah,  and  the  Priests  and  People,  animated  with  a  portion  of  their  spirit,  and  being  enlightened 
by  the  evangelical  prophecies  of  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi  ®,  had  visions  of  the  still  more 
gracious  blessings  and  brighter  glories  that  would  be  shed  upon  that  same  holy  place  by  the 
Coming  of  Christ, — the  promised  Seed  of  Abraham,  David,  and  Solomon, — to  that  City  and  to  that 
Temple,  and  of  the  out-pouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  with  the  ear  of  faith  they  caught  some 
far-off  sounds  of  the  future  Hallelujahs  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  which  would  be  sung  by  the 
united  voices  of  all  the  risen  Saints,  whether  priests  like  Ezra,  or  laymen  like  Nehemiah,  who  had 
been  animated  by  zeal  like  theirs  for  the  glory  of  God. 

The  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  as  has  been  already  observed,  are  records  of  religious 
restoration ;  and  we  may  now  proceed  to  remark  that  they  are  records  of  restoration  hy  means  of 
dissolution.  They  are  histories  of  resurrections  to  glory  by  processes  of  decay  and  destruction.  They 
display  the  trophies  of  God's  grace  triumphing  over  man's  sin.  They  represent  the  victory  of  what 
is  spiritual  over  what  is  material ;  of  the  heavenly  over  the  earthly ;  of  the  unseen  over  the  seen. 
It  is  remarkable,  that  seventy  years  had  been  foretold  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  speaking  by  Jeremiah,  as 
the  interval  between  the  beginning  of  the  captivity  at  Babylon,  and  the  restoration  of  the  Hebrew 
People  ^,  and  that  in  the  announcement  of  the  Angel  Gabriel  to  the  prophet  Daniel,  in  his  solitary 
vespers  and  orisons  at  the  time  of  the  Evening  Oblation,  the  rebuilding  of  Jerusalem  was  made  the 
starting-point  from  which  the  seventy  weeks  of  years  were  dated,  which  were  to  issue  in  the 
destruction  of  that  City  ^  and  Temple. 

The  seventy  years'  captivity  led  to  the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  and  to  the  rebuilding  of  the 
Temple.  Destruction  was  followed  by  resurrection.  The  Second  Temple  was  much  inferior  in 
material  grandeur,  and  in  external  splendour,  to  the  Temple  of  Solomon.  The  ancient  men  who 
saw  the  foundation  of  the  Second  Temple,  wept,  when  they  remembered  the  first  \  But  the  latter 
house  was  to  be  made  far  "  more  glorious  "  than  the  former  house,  by  the  personal  Presence  of  the 
Lord  of  the  Temple  in  it '".  Here  was  a  victory  of  the  spiritual  over  the  material.  And  in  course  of 
time,  after  the  expiration  of  the  seventy  weeks  of  years,  even  that  Second  Temple,  built  by  Zerubbabel 
and  Jeshua,  and  visited  by  Christ,  was  to  be  destroyed;  and  the  walls  of  the  City,  erected  by 
Nehemiah,  were  to  be  levelled  with  the  dust,  according  to  Christ's  prophecy.  But  that  very 
destruction  would  introduce  another  era  of  triumph,  far  more  glorious  than  that  of  the  foundation  of 
the  former  Temple  by  Solomon,  or  than  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple  by  Zerubbabel,  or  than  the 
re-erection  of  the  walls  by  Nehemiah.     The  destruction  of  the  Second  Temple  was  to  be  inauo-urated 

'  Neh.  ii.  12—14.  -  See  below,  on  Neh.  xii.  43.  '  Jer.  xxv.  12;  xxix.  20.  32.         s  ggg  j)^^  j^_  24—27' 

3  Gen.  xxii.  •»  See  2  Sam.  xxiv.  18.  «  Ezra  iii.  10—13.  lo  Hag.  ii  3  9 

5  See  2  Chron.  iii.  1.  «  Cp.  below,  on  Neh.  xiii.  8,  9. 
298 


INTRODUCTION  TO  EZRA  AND  NEHEMIAH. 

by  the  fulfilment  of  the  gracious  promise  of  "making  an  end  of  sins,"  and  "making  reconciliation 
for  iniquity  V'  ^^^  of  "  bringing  in  everlasting  righteousness,"  and  "  anointing  the  Most  Holy ;" 
it  was  to  be  accompanied  with  the  unction  of  that  Eternal  Priest,  with  the  true  Urim  and 
Thummim,  for  which  both  Ezra  the  Scribe  and  Priest,  and  Nehemiah  the  Tirshatha  had  yearned 
with  fervent  desire  ^ 

By  means  of  the  destruction  of  the  material  fabric  of  the  Temple  and  City,  the  hearts  of  the 
faithful  wex'e  weaned  from  doting  on  that  earthly  Temple  and  transitory  City  of  Jerusalem,  and  were 
elevated  and  fixed  on  the  heavenly  and  eternal.  The  destruction  of  Jerusalem  was  followed  by  the 
building  up  of  a  Church  Universal,  in  which  God,  "  Who  is  a  Spirit  ^"  would  be  "  worshipped  in 
spirit  and  in  truth  "  by  all  nations  under  heaven  *,  and  so  the  faithful  would  be  prepared  to  follow 
Christ  through  the  grave  and  gate  of  Death  to  the  golden  portals  of  the  Heavenly  Jerusalem,  "  which 
is  free,  and. is  the  Mother  of  us  all*." 

Many  and  great  were  the  benefits,  which,  under  God's  good  providence,  the  Hebrew  Church 
derived  from  the  Seventy  Years'  Captivity.  They  had  learnt  there,  by  a  severe  and  holy  discipline, 
that  the  God  of  Israel  was  not  a  mere  local  deity,  like  those  of  the  heathen.  They  had  felt  His  presence 
cheering  them,  as  they  hung  their  harps  on  the  willows  of  the  waters  of  Babylon,  and  in  their 
wanderings  through  the  more  than  an  hundred  and  twenty  provinces  of  the  Persian  Empire  * ;  and 
they  had  thus  been  rescued  from  the  sensuous  slavery  of  mere  external  forms  :  they  had  been  purified 
from  idolatry,  and  had  been  elevated  to  a  more  spiritual  communing  with  God.  The  open  windows  of 
Daniel  \  looking  toward  Jerusalem,  were  indeed  an  evidence  of  love  for  the  land  of  his  forefathers, 
and  for  the  appointed  ministries  of  the  Temple  ;  but  they  were  like  "  the  door  opened  in  heaven  "  in 
the  Apocalypse  ^ ;  they  were  an  avenue  to  a  holier  vista,  which  reaches  upward  even  to  the 
inner  sanctuary  of  the  heavenly  Zion,  and  by  which  the  devout  soul  communes  in  prayer  with  the 
Invisible,  Who  is  enshrined  in  glory  there. 

Another  happy  consequence  of  the  Captivity  was,  that  the  golden  calves  of  Dan  and  Bethel  had 
disappeared,  the  shrines  of  Baal  and  Ashtoreth  had  vanished,  never  to  rise  again  ;  the  schismatical 
and  rival  Kingdom  of  Israel,  which  had  been  separated  in  religion  and  policy  for  so  many  years 
from  Judah,  had  been  dissolved,  never  again  to  be  set  up.  The  Ten  Tribes  were  fused  in  the  Two 
Tribes.  The  schism  of  Israel  had  been  healed  by  the  sword  of  Assyria.  Union  had  been  produced 
by  dispersion.  Henceforth  they  were  all  to  be  united  under  one  common  name,  derived  from  the 
tribe  of  David,  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  were  to  be  called  Jews  ^  Henceforth  Jerusalem,  with  its 
Temple,  was  to  be  the  common  centre  to  which  the  eyes  and  hearts  of  all  the  Twelve  Tribes  would 
converge,  and  to  which  (as  was  seen  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost)  they  would  flock  on  solemn  festal 
anniversaries,  out  of  Parthia,  Media,  Elam,  and  Mesopotamia,  and  out  "of  every  nation  under 
heaven '"." 

The  erection  of  Synagogues,  in  which  the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  then  about  to  be  sealed  up 
by  Ezra  "  in  the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament,  were  read  every  Sabbath  Day '",  in  all  parts  of  the 
world  where  the  Jews  were  dispersed,  gave  a  greater  diffusiveness  and  spirituality  to  their  religion^ 
and  made  them  realize  more  fully  the  Divine  Omniscience  and  ^^  Omnipresence,  and  prepared 
the  World  for  the  preaching  of  Christianity  in  those  Synagogues  by  the  Apostles,  appealing  to  the 
Law  and  the  Prophets  which  were  read  in  them  ^\  and  for  the  building  up  of  the  Christian  Church 
in  every  region  of  the  World. 

We  are  accustomed  to  speak  of  History  as  divided  into  Sacred  and  Profane.  This  method  of 
speech  has  its  disadvantage,  in  tempting  us  to  make  a  separation  between  things  that  ought  to  be 
united ;  and  to  introduce  a  principle  of  dualistic  antagonism  into  the  study  of  events  which  are 
workings  of  One  and  the  same  Divine  Hand. 

The  Books  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Esther,  rightly  studied,  are  correctives  of  this  mistake. 

'  Dan.  ix.  24.  Sabbath  to  be  spent  in  buying  and  selling,  there  would  have 

*  See  the  two  remarkable  passages,  Ezra  ii.  63.  Neh.  vii.  65.  been  little  hope  of  gathering  the  people  together  to  hear  the 
3  John  iv.  24.                               *  Mai.  i.  11.  Scriptures  read,  according  to  the  appointed  Calendar  of  Les- 

*  Gal.  iv.  26.  ^  See  Esther  i.  1,  and  iii.  8.  sons,  on  the  Sabbath  days,  in  the  Synagogues.  No  one  can  tell 
^  Dan.  vi.  10.  8  Rev.  iv.  1.  how  much  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  has  been  in- 
3  The  words  "  Jew  "  and   "Jews"  occur  frequently  in  the  debted  to  Nehemiah's  zeal  for  the  Sabbath. 

Books  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Esther,  which  refer  to  events  13  Hence   it   is    that   these   books   are  distinguished  by  the 

after  the  captivity  of  Israel,  but  never  in  biblical  records  before  it.  recurrence  of  the  title,  "  the  Lord  God  of  heaven,"  "  the  God  of 

J"  Acts  ii.    Cp.  St.  Augustine's  remarks,  de  Civ.  Dei,  xvii.  23.  heaven,"  Ezra  i.  2;  vi.  10.     Neh.  i.  4,  5;  ii.  4.  20;  as  well  as 

•'  See  Josephus,  c.  Apion,  i.  8.     S.  Jerome,  ad  Esai.  xlix.  21.  the  words  "our  God"  and  "my  God."    See  on  Neh.  i.  4,  5,  and 

5.  Augustine,  de  Civ.  Dei,  xvii.  24.  see   Ezra,   chapters  viii.  ix.  passim,  and  Neh.  ii.   iv.    x.  xiii. 

'2  The  zeal  of  Nehemiah  for  the  due  observance  of  the  Sab-  passim. 

bath  Day  (see  Neh.  xiii.  15 — 22)  derives  great  significance  and  ^*  On  these  w»**Jo»ary  and  «;a».9'eZicaZ  uses  of  the  Synagogues 

moral    importance   from   this  fact.      If   he   had   allowed  the  and  of  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  see  below,  Introd.  to  Acts,  p.  9. 
299 


INTEODUCTION  TO  EZRA  AND  NEHEMIAH. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  first  of  these  Books,  we  see  Cyrus  the  Great  King  and  Conqueror,  acting 
under  the  influence  of  God's  Spirit,  fulfilling  His  will,  accomplishing  His  prophecies,  promoting 
His  Glory,  restoring  His  People,  rebuilding  His  Temple.  Darius,  the  son  of  Hystaspes,  the  founder 
of  another  Persian  dynasty,  is  displayed  to  us  as  furthering  the  same  divine  purposes.  In  the 
Book  of  Esther,  even  the  arbitrary  and  sensual  Xerxes  is  controlled  by  a  mysterious  power,  and 
works  out  God's  providential  dispensations  for  the  deliverance  of  His  People  \ 

Why  was  his  son  Artaxerxes  Longimanus  so  favourable  to  the  Jews,  as  he  is  represented  in 
the  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  ?  Why  did  he  grant,  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign,  a  com- 
mission to  Ezra  at  Babylon  ?  and  why  did  he  grant  another  commission  to  Nehemiah  at  Susa,  in 
the  twentieth  year  of  his  reign,  in  favour  of  the  Jews  and  Jerusalem  ? 

There  is,  it  may  be  suggested,  good  ground  for  believing,  that  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah, 
Jeremiah,  and  especially  of  Daniel,  the  prime  minister  of  Persia,  had  more  weight  with  the  Kings  of 
Persia,  and  exercised  more  influence  on  their  actions,  than  some  are  prone  to  imagine.  It  cannot  be 
doubted,  that  Cyrus  had  some  knowledge  of  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  ;  the  miraculous 
deliverance  of  the  three  children  at  Babylon  in  the  reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar ;  Daniel's  interpretation 
of  the  handwriting  on  the  wall  at  Belshazzar's  feast;  Daniel's  own  marvellous  preservation,  can 
hardly  have  failed  to  call  public  attention  to  the  religion  professed  by  Daniel ;  and  Daniel's  pro- 
phecies of  the  future  fortunes  of  Persia,  waning  before  the  splendours  of  Grsecia,  must  have  had 
special  interest  for  the  courts  of  Susa  and  Persepolis.  We  shall  not  probably  be  in  error,  if  we 
suppose  that  after  the  reverses,  which  the  Empire  of  Persia  had  sufiered  under  Xerxes  his  "^  father, 
in  Greece  and  Asia,  and  in  his  own  reign  in  Egj^pt,  Artaxerxes  felt  some  salutary  alarms  for  the 
glory  and  safety  of  his  throne,  and  was  desirous  to  propitiate  the  favour  of  "  the  God  of  heaven  " 
by  kindness  to  the  Jews.  The  facts  recorded  in  what  is  called  "secular  history"  explain  the  Sacred 
Narrative,  and  the  Sacred  Narrative  will  be  found  to  throw  much  light  on  secular  history. 

The  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  are  rightly  ascribed  to  those  whose  names  they  bear, 
namely  to  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  respectively  ^.  The  Author  of  the  Book  of  Ezra  identifies  himself 
with  Ezra*,  and  the  Author  of  Nehemiah  identifies  himself  with  Nehemiah'.  The  objections 
which  have  been  raised  by  some  to  this  opinion,  and  which  are  grounded  on  changes  of  person 
in  the  narrative,  or  on  sundry  historical  events  recorded  in  these  Books,  or  on  peculiarities  of 
phraseology,  will  be  examined  as  they  arise,  in  the  course  of  the  following  notes  upon  them. 

The  Canonical  authority  of  both  Books  is  indubitable.  If  the  Book  of  Nehemiah  is  not 
expressly  mentioned  by  name  in  some  ancient  lists  of  the  Canonical  Books  ^  the  reason  is,  because 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah  were  joined  together,  and  were  counted  as  one  Book,  and  were  designated  by 
Ezra's  name '. 

The  best  commentary  on  the  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  is  to  be  found,  as  was  before 
observed,  in  the  divinely  inspired  prophetical  writings  of  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi.  Not 
much  has  been  done  for  these  Books  by  other  Expositors.  The  work  of  our  own  venerable  Bede  has 
its  value  and  interest,  as  embodying  the  interpretations  which  had  been  supplied  by  earlier  Christian 
writers,  especially  S.  Jerome^,  in  addition  to  his  own.  The  commentaries  of  Vatablus,  Sanctius, 
A  Lcqnde,  Le  Clerc,  and  in  more  recent  times  that  of  Bertheau,  Leipsic,  1862,  are  entitled  to  notice. 
Some  valuable  remarks  on  the  Book  of  Ezra  will  be  found  in  KeiVs  Apol.  Versuch  iiber  die  Biicher 
der  Chronik.  Berlin,  1833,  pp.  93 — 144.  And  Hdvernick,  in  his  Einleitung  (ii.  278 — 328) ;  and 
Dr.  Pusey,  in  his  valuable  Lectures  on  Daniel  (pp.  328 — 348),  afford  a  concise  refutation  of  many 
of  the  objections  that  have  been  raised  against  the  integrity  and  genuineness  of  these  Books. 

1  See  below.  Introduction  to  Esthee.  ^  As  in  that  of  Melito,  Euseb.  H.  E.,  iv.  26.     Cp.  the  Art.  iu 

2  Cp.  below,  on  Ezra  vii.  23 — 25,  and  Introd.  to  Esthee.  B.  D.  ii.  491. 

^  See  the  Hebrew  tradition  in  Baba  Bathra,  fol.  15.  1 ;  and  '  See    Origen  in  Euseb.  H.   E.  vi.  25.      Bp.  Cosin  on   the 

see  on  Ezra  vii.  6,  and  Neh.  i.  1 ;   viii.  9.     Cp.  Hdvernick,  Canon,  ch.  ii. 

Einleit.  ii.  280—302.  305.     Keil,  Einleit.  §  146.  §  149.     Dr.  8  gee  £ede's  Works,  vols.  viii.  and  ix.,  ed.  Giles,   Lend., 

Ptisey,  Lectures  on  Daniel,  pp.  303,  304.  1844. 

*  Ezra  vii.  28;  ix.  5.  *  Xeh.  i.  ii.  VLndi  passim. 


30() 


EZRA. 


I.  ^NOW  in  the  first  year  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  that  the  word  of  the  chrTs: 
Lord  ^  by  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah  might  be  fulfilled,  the  Lord  stirred  up  the  a  2  ch?on.  se 
spirit  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  ''  that  he  f  made  a  proclamation  throughout  all  JeV.  25. 12.  & 
his  kingdom,  and^z^^  it  also  in  writing,  saying,  Vneh.'cllsll 

2  Thus  saith  Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  The  Lord  God  of  heaven  hath  given  me  ""'"'"i"^**- 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth ;  and  he  hath  "  charged  me  to  build  him  an  house  ^Z^-  ^^-  ^^■ 
at  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah.     ^  Who  is  there  among  you  of  all  his  people? 
his  God  be  with  him,  and  let  him  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah,  and 
build  the  house  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,   (''he  is  the   God,)  which  is  in  d Dan. 6.26. 


Ch.  I.  1.  N'otv']  Or  literally,  and ;  this  copulative  intimates 
that  the  present  Book  is  a  sequel  to  a  preceding  one  (see  Ewald, 
Gram.  p.  546 ;  and  note  above,  on  Exod.  i.  1.  Josh.  i.  1),  and 
links  it  on  to  the  Books  of  Chronicles,  which  end  with  the  same 
words  as  those  with  which  the  present  Book  begins,  the  author 
of  which  takes  up  the  narrative  where  the  writer  of  the 
Chronicles  left  it ;  and  the  author  of  this  Book  thus  signifies 
that  his  own  work  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  continuation  of  the 
Chronicles.  Cp.  Bertheau  here,  and  Keil,  Versuch  uber  die 
Biicher  der  Chronik.  pp.  91,  92;  Dr.  Davidson,  Int.  ii.  131, 
"  The  identity  of  the  termination  of  Chronicles  with  the  ;om- 
mencement  of  Ezra  shows  one  writer." 

This  first  chapter,  which  relates  to  events  occurring  in  the 
interval  between  those  described  in  the  ninth  and  tenth  chapters 
respectively  of  Daniel,  has  been  ascribed  to  Daniel  by  some 
critics.  It  is  much  more  probable  that  it  (as  well  as  the 
Chronicles)  was  written  by  Ezra  himself.  Sec  Hengst.,  Auth. 
i.  97 ;  Sdvernich,  ii.  30 ;  and  Dr.  Pusey  (Lectures  on  Daniel, 
p.  329),  who  thus  speaks,  "  The  Books  of  Chronicles  are  marked 
to  have  been  written  prior  to  the  Book  of  Ezra,  by  their  close. 
Ezra,  by  repeating  at  the  beginning  of  his  Book,  the  two  verses 
with  which  he  had  closed  the  Books  of  Chronicles,  identifies  the 
two  works.  Hg  breaks  off  the  Chronicles  in  the  middle  of  the 
decree  of  Cyrus,  yet  so  as  to  give  a  perfect  sense,  and  begins  the 
Book  which  bears  his  name,  with  those  two  verses,  finishing  the 
decree  of  Cyrus,  so  far  as  relates  to  his  then  object,  the  per- 
mission to  return.  A  similarity  of  style  and  object  has  been 
observed  between  the  Books ;  so  that  believing  and  unbelieving 
critics  have  been  agreed,  that  they  were  written  by  the  same 
hand.  The  only  question  of  late  has  been,  whether  Ezra  is  the 
author  of  both,  or  whether  both  have  been  compiled  by  a  later 
hand."     Cp.  note  above,  on  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  21 — 23. 

Chaps.  I.  and  II. 

The  Edict  of  Cyetts;  the  Restoration  of  the  Sacred 
Vessels;  and  the  Return  of  the   Jews  from   Baby- 
lon to  Jerusalem  under  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua. 
—  in  the  first  year  of  Cyrus  kinyl  B.C.  536,  the  first  year 
after  his  capture  of  Babylon.     On  this  and  the  following  verse 
see  what  has  been  already  said  in  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22.     The 
Book  of  Chronicles  ends  with  the  history  of  the  destruction  of 
the  Temple  (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  19),  and  with  a  recital  of  the  edict 
of  Cyrus  for  the  building  of  the  second  Temple.     The  Book  of 
Ezra  describes   its  restoration.     The   decree  itself  is   inserted 
below  in  vi.  3 — 5. 

So  the  Gospels  end  with  the  history  of  the  destruction  of 
Clinst's  hwnan  body,  which  was  ty]:)ified  by  the  Temple  (John 
ii  19— 21),  and  of  its  rising  again  and  ascension  into  heaven.  The 
301 


Book  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  takes  up  the  history  where  the 
Gospels  leave  it,  and  relates  the  glorious  consequences  of  the 
Ascension,  the  building  up  of  the  Temple  of  Christ's  mystical 
body,  the  Church  Universal.  S.  Jerome  (Epist.  50  ad  Pau- 
liuum)  suggests  this  interpretation,  which  may  be  commended 
to  the  attention  tff  the  reader  during  the  perusal  of  the  whole  of 
the  following  Book  (see  Introduction)  ;  and  Bede  adds  (praif. 
ad  Ezram),  that  under  the  letter  of  the  history  these  Books 
represent  to  us  in  a  spiritual  sense  "  the  Lord  Himself,  and  His 
Temple  and  City,  which  we  ourselves  are." 

—  by  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah']  See  above,  on  2  Chron.  xxxvi. 
21^23.  The  fulfilment  of  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah 
concerning  Cyrus  and  the  return  of  Israel  is  displayed  to  us  in 
the  Book  of  Ezra ;  and  preparation  was  made  for  the  Book  of 
Ezra  by  those  prophecies.  The  prophetical  and  historical  Scrip- 
tures are  adjusted  to  each  other,  and  form  one  harmonious  whole 
(cp.  Archd.  Lee  on  Inspiration,  p.  15). 

The  seventy  years  of  Jeremiah  are  dated  from  B.C.  605, 
when  Nebuchadnezzar  took  Jerusalem,  and  carried  the  sacred 
vessels  to  Babylon. 

—  the  Lord  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  Cyrus]  The  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  breathed  upon  him  in  a  mild  and  gentle  manner,  and 
he  proclaimed  deliverance  to  Israel  from  captivity,  and  resto- 
ration to  Sion.  Cyrus  is  contrasted  with  Pharaoh  who  resisted 
God's  Spirit.  See  Bp.  Andrewes,  iv.  23-4;  and  below,  Ps. 
exxvi.  1.  3,  "the  Lord  turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zion;" 
"  the  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us ;  whereof  we  are  glad." 

2.  The  Lord  Ood  of  heaven  hath  given  me  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth ;  and  he  hath  charged  me  to  build  him  an  house  at  Jeru- 
salem] These  are  remarkable  words.  Cyrus,  the  King  of  Persia, 
the  Conqueror  of  Babylon,  ascribes  his  power  and  his  dominion 
to  the  "Lord  God  of  heaven,"  who  dwells  at  Jerusalem.  This 
declaration  intimates  a  clearer  insight  into  the  truth  than  could 
have  been  derived  from  any  other  documents  beside  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures,  and  confirms  the  opinion  that  Cyrus  was  acquainted 
with  the  writings  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Daniel  (from  whom 
the  language  of  Cyrus  here  seems  to  be  derived :  see  Dan.  ii. 
37),  and  was  induced  by  them  to  act  as  he  did.  On  the  name 
Ood  of  heaven,  see  on  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22.  Neh.  i.  4,  5.  Dan. 
ii.  37. 

This  avowal  of  Cyrus  is  more  striking,  when  compared  with 
the  declarations  of  other  Persian  Kings,  which  are  still  extant 
in  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  of  Behistdn,  and  who  ascribe 
their  power  to  Auramazdas  (Ormuzd).  The  language  of  Dai-ius 
Hystaspis  is,  "  Thus  saith  Darius  the  King ;  by  the  niight  of 
of  Auramazdas  I  am  King;  Auramazdas  gave  me  this  kingdom." 
See  the  Inscriptions  in  Spiegel's  Collection  ("  Die  alt-pcrsischen 
Keil-Inschriften."  Leipz.  1862),  pp.  3,  4,  where  this  ascription 
is  repeated,  and  p.  9 ;  and  so  Xerxes,  ibid.  p.  57. 


The  proclamation  of  Cyrus. 


EZEA  I.  4—10. 


The  sacred  vessels  restored. 


Before 
CHRIST 

53(1. 
+  Heb.  lift  him 
up. 


II  That  Is, 
helped  them. 


fell.  5.  14.  &6.  5. 


g  2  Kings  24.  i; 
2  Chron.  36.  7. 


h  See  ch.  5.  14. 


Jerusalem.  ^And  whosoever  remaineth  in  any  place  where  he  sojourneth,  let 
the  men  of  his  place  f  help  him  with  silver,  and  with  gold,  and  with  goods,  and 
with  beasts,  beside  the  freewill  offering  for  the  house  of  God  that  is  in  Jerusalem. 

^Then  rose  up  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  and  the 
priests,  and  the  Levites,  with  all  them  whose  spirit  ^  God  had  raised,  to  go  up 
to  build  the  house  of  the  Loed  which  is  in  Jerusalem.  ^  And  all  they  that  were 
about  them  ||  strengthened  their  hands  with  vessels  of  silver,  with  gold,  with 
goods,  and  with  beasts,  and  with  precious  things,  beside  all  that  was  willingly 
offered. 

7^  Also  Cyrus  the  king  brought  forth  the  vessels  of  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
^  which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  brought  forth  out  of  Jerusalem,  and  had  put  them 
in  the  house  of  his  gods  ;  ^  Even  those  did  Cyrus  king  of  Persia  bring  forth  by 
the  hand  of  Mithredath  the  treasurer,  and  numbered  them  unto  ''  Sheshbazzar, 
the  prince  of  Judah.  ^  And  this  is  the  number  of  them  :  thirty  chargers  of 
gold,  a  thousand  chargers  of  silver,  nine  and  twenty  knives,  ^^  Thirty  basons 


4.  tvhosoever  remaineth^  That  is,  all  the  remnant  of  tlie  seed 
of  Israel  and  Judah.  Cp.  Neh.  i.  2.  Isa.  xi.  11,  "  The  Lord 
shall  set  His  hand  to  recover  the  remnant  of  His  people." 

—  beside  the  freewill  offering']  From  their  Hebrew  friends 
and  others,  who  might  be  desirous  of  sending  oblations  to  the 
Temple,  by  the  hands  of  those  who  returned  to  the  land  of  their 
fathers.  Many  of  tlie  wealthier  Jews  preferred  to  remain  at 
Babylon  {Josephus,  Antt.  xi.  1).  A  view  of  them  and  of  their 
condition  is  presented  to  us  in  the  Book  of  Esthek. 

5.  Then  rose  up]  This  seems  to  have  been  in  the  spring  of 
the  year.  It  was  four  months'  journey  from  Babylon  to  Jeru- 
salem (vii.  9) ;  and  when  the  seventh  montli  was  come,  they 
kept  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  at  Jerusalem  (iii.  1).  The  second 
month  of  the  next  year  is  said  to  be  in  the  second  year  after 
their  return  (iii.  8).  Hence  it  has  been  supposed  that  they 
arrived  at  Jerusalem  in  the  spring  of  B.C.  535.  In  the  Apo- 
cryphal Esdras  (v.  6)  it  is  intimated  that  the  decree  for  their 
return  was  issued  in  the  month  Nisan. 

—  Judah  and  Benjamin — to  build  the  house  of  tlie  LoKD 
which  is  in  Jerusalem]  Judah  and  Benjamin,  the  two  Tribes  in 
whose  inheritance  the  Temple  was  situated,  were  the  foremost 
to  return :  some  of  Ephi-aim  and  Manasseh  returned  also,  and 
settled  at  Jerusalem  (see  1  Chron.  ix.  3). 

Tlius  one  of  the  blessings  residting  from  the  captivity  was, 
that  the  schism  between  Judah  and  Israel  was  healed,  and  the 
Temple  of  Jei'usalem  became  the  common  centre  of  unity  to 
those  who  had  been  formerly  separated  as  rivals  and  enemies ; 
and  they  all  were  joined  together  in  the  common  name  of 
'louSoroi,  Judsei,  Jews ;  a  name  afterwards  applied  spiritually  by 
the  Apostles  to  characterize  the  true  "  seed  of  Abraham,"  the 
"Israelites  indeed,"  the  confessors  of  the  true  faith  in  Cheist. 
See  Rom.  ii.  28.     Rev.  ii.  9 ;  iii.  9. 

The  Holt  Vessels  Restored. 

7.  Cyrus  the  king  brought  forth  the  vessels]  The  holy  vessels, 
which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  taken  from  the  Temple  (see  2  Kings 
xxiv.  13 ;  XXV.  14.  Jer.  xxvii.  16  ;  xxviii.  6 ;  Iii.  18),  and  had 
placed  in  the  house  of  Bel  his  god  (Dan.  i.  2).  Under  God's 
good  providence,  the  vessels  were  not  lost,  nor  melted  down,  nor 
conftised  with  other  vessels ;  but  they  were  preserved  in  a  safe 
repository,  even  in  a  heathen  temple,  in  order  to  be  restored  to 
the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  by  Cyrus,  the  Conqueror  of  Babylon, 
who  owned  God  as  the  Author  and  Giver  of  his  glory  and 
power,  and  whose  spirit  the  Lord  stirred  up  (v.  1),  and  whom 
He  charged  to  build  Him  an  house  at  Jerusalem  {v.  2).  The 
holiness  of  these  vessels  had  been  manifested,  and  the  supremacy 
of  the  God  to  whom  they  were  dedicated  had  been  displayed  by 
His  divine  sentence  pronounced  on  Belshazzar  and  Babylon  at 
the  very  time  when,  as  Daniel  relates,  he  had  commanded  those 
vessels  to  be  brought  forth  to  be  sacrilegiously  proftxned  at  his 
royal  banquet,  at  which  a  thousand  of  his  lords  were  present, 
"that  the  king  and  his  princes,  his  wives,  and  his  concubines, 
might  drink  therein,  and  praise  their  gods  of  gold"  (Dan.  v. 
1—4). 

In  like  manner  the  Ark  of  God  had  been  allowed  by  Him 
to  be  carried  by  the  Philistines  to  the  house  of  Dagon,  in  order 
that  the   superiority  of  Jehovah   over  the  gods   of  Philistia 
302 


might  be  thereby  manifested,  and  that  the  Ark  might  return  in 
triumph  to  the  land  of  Israel.  See  above,  on  1  Sam.  iv.  11 ; 
V.  3—10. 

Aft^r  the  fall  of  Babylon,  the  vessels  of  God,  which  were 
in  captivity  there,  in  the  idol  temple,  were  restored  by  Cyrus, 
the  Conqueror  of  Babylon,  to  the  service  of  God  in  the  Temple 
at  Jerusalem. 

Here  was  a  foreshadowing  of  Christ's  work  of  Redemption. 
After  the  overtlirow  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Evil  One,  typified  by 
Babylon,  Christ,  Who  was  typified  by  Cyrus  as  God's  "  Shep- 
herd "  and  "  Anointed,"  and  in  the  universality  of  His  Kingdom 
(see  on  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22),  entered  the  palace  of  the  strong 
man,  Satan,  at  His  Death,  and  spoiled  his  goods  {(TKevr),  vessels  : 
see  Matt.  xii.  29.  Mark.  iii.  27,  the  same  word  as  used  here  : 
cp.  note  below,  on  Matt.  xii.  29 ;  and  on  2  Tim.  ii.  20,  21),  and 
restored  us  by  His  Resurrection  to  the  service  of  God,  which  is 
perfect  freedom. 

And  is  there  not  also  reason  to  believe,  that,  when  the 
Babylon  of  the  Apocalypse  has  fallen,  then  many  chosen  vessels 
of  God  will  be  delivered  from  their  spiritual  captivity,  and  be 
restored,  "  as  vessels  of  honour,"  to  His  true  worship  and 
service  ? 

8.  Mithredath]  A  name  which  means,  "  given  by  Mithras," 
the  genius  of  the  sun,  the  object  of  Persian  worship  (Gesen. 
522).  The  name  of  Cyrus  himself  (as  we  have  seen,  2  Chron. 
xxxvi.  22)  signifies  sun. 

—  treasurer]  Heb.  gizhar.  Compare  the  word  gaza,  trea- 
sure ;  it  is  connected  with  the  verb  ganaz,  to  hide,  to  store  up 
{Oesen.  165.  176),  and  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  connected 
with  the  old  Persian  word  gainthara,  treasurer  {Bertheau). 
It  occurs  below,  vii.  21,  and  in  a  softer  form,  gedaberin, 
treasurers,  in  Dan.  iii.  2,  3. 

—  Sheshbazzar]  The  Chaldsean  name  of  "  the  prince  of 
Judah,"  or  chief  of  the  captive  Jews,  Zerubbabel  (see  iii.  2.  8 ; 
V.  14.  16).  Oesenius  supposes  that  it  means  fire-worshipper . 
It  is  thought  by  others  (as  Simonis)  to  mean  deliverance  of 
light ;  but  this  is  uncertain. 

The  name  Zerubbabel  signifies  born  at  Babel;  literally, 
the  seed  (of  Judah,  David)  sown  at  Babylon,  and  not  in  Israel 
{Oesen.  252).  Zerubbabel  is  called  the  son  of  Shealtiel,  or 
Salathiel,  in  iii.  2.  8;  v.  2.  Matt.  i.  12.  Luke  iii.  27.  In 
1  Chron.  iii.  18,  19,  he  is  represented  as  the  son  of  Pedaiah, 
Shealtiel's  brother.     See  note  tliere,  and  below,  ii.  2. 

9.  chargers]  Basons,  probably  for  the  reception  of  the  blood 
of  the  slaughtered  victims  {Gesen.  11). 

—  knives]  So  the  Rabbis,  and  so  Gesen.  464.  The  Apoc. 
Esdras  (ii.  13)  has  OvicrKas,  censers. 

10.  basons]  Covered  with  lids  {Gesen.  410). 

As  Cyrus  the  great  King  brought  forth  these  sacred  vessels 
from  the  temple  of  the  idol-deity  at  Babylon,  and  gave  them  to 
the  Prince  of  the  house  of  Judah,  to  be  restored  to  God's  liouse 
at  Jerusalem,  so  Jesus  Christ,  the  Universal  King,  when  He  had 
overthrown  the  power  Of  Satan,  brought  forth  us,  who  are 
vessels  which  had  once  been  dedicated  to  God,  but  had  been 
taken  captive,  and  were  placed,  as  it  were,  in  an  idol-temple  by 
Satan  ;  and  He  gave  us  into  tlie  hands  of  the  Ministers  of  God's 
kingdom,  to  be  restored  to  God's  use ;  and  this  He  is  still  doing 


Zeruhbabel. 


EZKA  I.  11.     II.  1,  2. 


Jeshui. 


of  gold,  silver  basons  of  a  second  sort  four  hundred  and  ten,  and  other  vessels 


a  thousand, 
hundred. 


^^  All  the  vessels  of  ffold  and  of  silver  ivere  five  thousand  and  four 


Before 

CHRIST 

536. 


All  these  did  Sheshbazzar  bring  up  with  them  of  f  the  captivity  that  t  Heb.  the 

TT  "^  ±t/  iransportalion. 

were  brought  up  from  Babylon  unto  Jerusalem. 

II.  ^  Now  *  these  are  the  children  of  the  province  that  went  up  out  of  the        about 
captivity,  of  those  which  had  been  carried  away,  ""whom  Nebuchadnezzar  the  b ?K\ngs^24*H, 
king  of  Babylon  had  carried  away  unto  Babylon,  and  came  again  unto  Jeru-  2^ch?on*!  II'.  20! 
salem  and  Judah,  every  one  unto  his  city ;  ^  Which  came  with  Zeruhbabel : 

Mizpar,  Biofvai,  11  o--,  Azanah, 

^  *-"  Neh.  7.  7. 

II  Or,  Raamiah.  \\  Or,  Mispereth. 


Jeshua,  Nehemiah,  ||  Seraiah,  ||  Reelaiah,  Mordecai,  Bilshan, 


whenever  He  delivers  penitent  sinners,  and  restores  them  by 
tJie  ministry  of  reconciliation  {Bede). 

11.  five  thousand  and  four  hundred']  The  vessels  above 
eimmerated  make  only  a  sum  total  of  2499.  It  has  been  sup- 
posed that  some  of  the  items  may  have  fallen  out  of  our  MSS.  as 
they  now  stand ;  and  in  support  of  this  supposition  an  appeal 
has  been  made  to  the  statement  in  the  Apocryphal  Book  of 
Esdras  (ii.  13),  where  we  have  the  following  list: — 1000  cups 
of  gold  ;  1000  of  silver ;  29  censers  of  silver ;  30  vials  of  gold ; 
and  2410  of  silver;  and  1000  other  vessels  {Schirmer,  Bertheau). 

But  it  is  not  certain  that  the  Sacred  Writer  intended  here 
to  specify  severally  each  of  the  items  which  when  taken  together 
would  form  the  total  which  he  sets  down :  this  opinion  is  con- 
firmed by  the  parallel  case  in  ii.  1.     See  note  there. 

Some  of  these  vessels  were  of  gold,  some  of  silver ;  so  in  a 
spiritual  sense,  as  St.  Paul  says,  there  are  in  the  large  house  of 
God's  Church  "  vessels  of  gold  and  of  silver,"  "  of  wood  and  of 
earth  "  (2  Tim.  ii.  20) ;  and  as  the  number  of  the  vessels  is  here 
set  down,  so  God  knows  the  number  of  His  elect,  and  He  knows 
each  severally  (2  Tim.  ii.  19  :  cp.  John  x.  3).  Egypt  gave  up 
its  gold,  and  silver,  and  jewels  to  Israel  at  their  Exodus ;  Baby- 
lon gave  back  the  vessels  of  gold  and  silver  to  God's  house. 
The  enemies  of  Christ  will  all  one  day  be  made  subject  and 
tributary  to  Him  (Acts  ii.  35.     1  Cor.  xv.  25). 

Ch.  II.  1.  Noiv  these  are  the  children']  In  the  Apocryphal 
Book  of  JEsdras  (v.  1—7)  is  a  section  which  appears  to  be 
designed  to  be  introductory  to  the  history  contained  in  this 
chapter.  A  difficulty,  it  is  said,  arises  from  the  occm'rence  of 
the  name  of  Darius  (not  Cyrus)  in  that  section,  and  some  (as 
Bertheau)  have  proposed  to  substitute  the  name  of  Cyrus  there ; 
but  probably  the  Author  intended  by  Darius  to  signify  the  Darius 
who  is  mentioned  in  the  Book  of  Daniel  as  associated  with 
Cyrus  in  the  Medo-Persian  Monarchy  at  Babylon  (Dan.  v.  31 ; 
vi.  28). 

The  list  of  names  in  this  chapter  is  to  be  compared  with 
the  list  in  Nehemiah  (vii.  6 — 73),  and  in  the  Apoc.  Esdras 
(v.  7 — 43).  Each  of  these  lists  gives  a  sum  total  of  42,360  men 
and  7337  men-servants  and  maid-servants. 

The  items  of  the  members  of  families  which  are  specified 
in  the  Hebrew  text  of  Ezra  here  amount  to  29,818 
in  Nehemiah  to  31,089 
Cp.  note  above,  on  the  vessels,  i.  11 ;  and  see  below,  on  v.  64. 

The  list  given  by  Ezra  was  originally  made  in  B.C.  536,  but 
was  not  inserted  by  him  in  his  record  till  he  received  his  com- 
mission from  Artaxerxes,  B.C.  458. 

The  list  given  by  Nehemiah  dates  also  from  B.C.  536,  and 
was  found  by  him  at  Jerusalem  about  B.C.  433. 

In  both  cases,  it  must  be  remembered,  the  Sacred  Writer 
is  quoting  a  public  document;  he  gives  it  as  he  found  it. 
There  is  no  question  of  inspiration  here.  At  the  same  time  it 
may  be  remarked  that  when  the  confused  condition  of  Jewish 
affairs  at  this  time  is  remembered,  the  accuracy  and  harmony  of 
the  two  documents  are  very  remarkable,  and  may  be  regarded 
as  providential.  Doubtless  Nehemiah  was  acquainted  with 
Ezra's  work  (see  below,  on  Neh.  viii.  1)  ;  his  variations  from  it 
are  not  contradictions,  but  are  such  as  to  show  that  he  had 
independent  documents,  and  are  confirmations  of  Ezra's  veracity, 
with  whom,  in  substance,  he  agrees. 

Some  recent  critics  have  alleged  that  this  chapter  belongs 
to  the  Book  of  Nehemiah,  and  is  an  inaccurate  version  of  what 
is  found  in  the  seventh  chapter.  But  this  is  an  arbitrary  and 
ungrounded  assertion. 

—  of  the  province]  Of  Judah,  the  centre  of  which  was  Jeru- 
salem (Neh.  xi.  3 :  cp.  Apoc.  Esdras,  which  will  be  henceforth 
quoted  simply  as  Esdras,  vi.  8. 

Zeeubbabel  and  Jeshita. 
2.  Zeruhbahel]  The  chief  of  the  children  of  the  Captivity, 
303 


and  their  temporal  head  at  their  return ;  the  putative  grandson 
of  Jeconiah.  See  above,  on  i.  8.  The  name  of  Zeruhbabel, 
(signifying  born  at  Babylon,  and  given  to  the  Representative  of 
the  seed  of  David,  the  King  of  Judah),  who,  under  God's  provi- 
dence, became  the  temporal  Leader  and  Prince  of  the  new 
generation  of  Israelites,  delivered  from  captivity  and  returning 
to  their  own  land,  and  restoring  the  Temple,  brings  before  us 
the  memorable  fact,  that  God  did  not  forget  His  people  even  in 
Babylon,  and  preserved  a  Prince  of  the  royal  house  of  Judah 
even  there,  who  was  raised  up  of  David's  seed  fi-om  the  line  of 
Nathan,  when  the  line  of  Solomon  had  failed  in  Jeconiah  :  and 
that  God  fulfilled  His  promise  of  their  Restoration,  which  He 
had  foretold  by  the  voice  of  His  holy  Prophets,  Isaiah  and 
Jeremiah. 

This  name  Zeruhbabel,  borne  by  the  Representative  of 
David,  and  the  Ancestor  of  Christ,  and  the  Leader  of  the 
returning  Israelites,  suggests  his  relation  to  Christ,  Who  was 
born  in  our  nature  when  we  were  captives  in  the  Babylon  of 
Sin  and  Satan,  and  Whom  Zeruhbabel  foreshadowed  by  his  title 
and  his  acts. 

—  Jeshua]  The  same  name  in  substance  as  Joshua,  the 
older  form.  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  is  called  Jeshua  (Neh. 
viii.  17).  This  Jeshua  was  the  son  of  Jozadak,  who  died  at 
Babylon  (see  1  Chron.  vi.  15.  Hag.  i.  1),  who  was  son  of 
Seraiah,  the  High  Priest,  who  was  put  to  death  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar at  Riblah.  See  1  Chron.  vi.  15.  2  Kings  xxv.  18.  He 
is  called  Jeshua  by  Nehemiah  (xii.  1).  Hag.  i.  1.  14.  Zech.  iii.  1. 
The  High  Priest,  who  was  the  spiritual  head  of  the  people  at 
their  return,  bore  this  remarkable  name  of  Saviour,  already 
consecrated  by  the  history  of  Joshua  (see  above,  on  Num.  xiii. 
8.  16;  and  Introduction  to  Joshua,  p.  xiii.;  and  Josh,  i.  — x.), 
and  which  would  be  displayed  in  all  the  fulness  of  its  spiritual 
meaning  by  Jesus,  the  Divine  Saviour  of  all  true  Israelites. 

As  the  time  drew  nearer  for  the  coming  of  Christ,  so  the 
Name  approximated  more  to  the  form  in  which  it  would  after- 
wards be  known  to  the  world  for  evermore — Jesus. 

Zerubbabel,  the  Prince  of  the  house  of  Judah,  and  Joshua, 
the  High  Priest,  associated  with  him  in  the  restoration  of 
Israel,  form  together  a  type  of  Him  Who  is  both  our  Zerub- 
babel and  our  Joshua,  the  Prince  and  the  Priest  of  His  people. 

There  is  a  similar  conjunction  of  types,  representing  the 
temporal  and  spiritual  power  united  in  Christ,  in  Moses  and 
Aaron;  and  also  in  the  history  of  Joshua  himself,  the  son  of 
Nun,  associated  with  Eleazar,  the  High  Priest  (see  above,  on 
Josh.  xiv.  1 ;  xxiv.  33),  and  in  Nehemiah,  the  Civil  Governor, 
associated  with  Ezra,  "  the  Priest  and  Scribe." 

Though  Zerubbabel  was  civil  ruler  of  the  returning 
Israelites,  and  was  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  house  of  David, 
yet  the  Jewish  Monarchy  was  not  restored  after  the  captivity, 
any  more  than  was  the  Priesthood  in  its  fulness :  see  below, 
V.  63.  The  Monarchy  and  Priesthood  were  defective  and 
transitional,  and  waited  for  the  Advent  of  Christ ;  and  even  by 
their  defects  and  imperfections  excited  a  greater  yearning  for 
that  Coming.  Prophecy  also  was  about  to  vanish  away,  and 
its  disappearance  would  serve  to  stimulate  their  longing  for  the 
coming  of  the  Geeat  Peophet,  to  Whom  Moses  and  all  the 
Prophets  bore  witness.  See  Introduction  to  Kings  and  Chronicles. 

That  this  relation  of  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua  to  Cheist  is 
not  a  fanciful  sjieculation,  but  is  authorized  and  commended  to 
our  devout  acceptance  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  evident  from  His 
own  language  by  the  prophet  Zechariah,  who  was  the  con- 
temporary of  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua,  and  who  displays  them 
to  us  in  that  hght.  See  Zech.  iii.  1—9;  iv.  6—10;  vi.  11—13. 
Mather,  on  the  Types,  p.  115 ;  and  Kengstenberg,  Christol.  on 
Zech.  iii. — vi.,  who  obsei-ves  that  "  the  Messianic  interpretation 
of  those  prophecies  "  (which  had  their  historical  groundwork 
in  the  office  and  acts  of  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua)  was  "  the  one 
generally  adopted  by  the  earlier  Jewish  interpreters." 

—  Nehemiah']   Not  the  same  as  the  celebrated  Nehemiah, 


The  numbers  of  the  peoj^le 


EZRA  II.  3— 3G. 


and  priests  who  returned. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
536. 
II  Or,  Nehum. 
c  See  Neh.  7.  10. 

d  Neh.  7.  11. 


H  Or,  Binnui, 
Neh.  7.  16. 


II  Or,  Hariph, 
Neh.  7.  24. 

II  Or,  Gibeon, 
Neh.  7.  25. 


n  Or,  Beth- 
azmavet/i, 
Neh.  7.  28. 


e  See  ver.  7. 


II  Or,  Harid,  as  it 
is  in  some  copies. 


f  1  Chron.  24.  7. 


II  Rehum,  Baanah.  The  number  of  the  men  of  the  people  of  Israel :  ^  The 
children  of  Parosh,  two  thousand  an  hundred  seventy  and  two.  *  The  children 
of  Shephatiah,  three  hundred  seventy  and  two.  ^  The  children  of  Arah,  "^  seven 
hundred  seventy  and  five.  ^  The  children  of  ^  Pahath-moab,  of  the  children  of 
Jeshua  a7id  Joab,  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twelve.  ^  The  children  of 
Elam,  a  thousand  two  hundred  fifty  and  four.  ^  The  children  of  Zattu,  nine 
hundred  forty  and  five.  ^  The  children  of  Zaccai,  seven  hundred  and  three- 
score. ^^The  children  of  ||  Bani,  six  hundred  forty  and  two.  ^^  The  children 
of  Bebai,  six  hundred  twenty  and  three.  ^"  The  children  of  Azgad,  a  thousand 
two  hundred  twenty  and  two.  ^^  The  children  of  Adonikam,  six  hundred  sixty 
and  six.  ^^The  children  of  Bigvai,  two  thousand  fifty  and  six.  ^^  The  children 
of  Adin,  four  hundred  fifty  and  four.  ^^  The  children  of  Ater  of  Hezekiah, 
ninety  and  eight.  ^^  The  children  of  Bezai,  three  hundred  twenty  and  three. 
^^  The  children  of  ||  Jorah,  an  hundred  and  twelve.  ^^  The  children  of  Hashum, 
two  hundred  twenty  and  three.  ^^  The  children  of  ||  Gibbar,  ninety  and  five. 
21  The  children  of  Beth-lehem,  an  hundred  twenty  and  three.  -  The  men  of 
Netophah,  fifty  and  six.  -^The  men  of  Anathoth,  an  hundred  twenty  and 
eight.  24  The  children  of  ||  Azmaveth,  forty  and  two.  ^5  ji^g  children  of  Kir- 
jath-arim,  Chephirah,  and  Beeroth,  seven  hundred  and  forty  and  three,  ^eijjie 
children  of  Eamah  and  Gaba,  six  hundred  twenty  and  one.  ^7  -pj^g  jjien  of 
Michmas,  an  hundred  twenty  and  two.  ^8  The  men  of  Beth-el  and  Ai,  two 
hundred  twenty  and  three.  ^9  Xhe  children  of  Nebo,  fifty  and  two.  ^^  The 
children  of  Magbish,  an  hundred  fifty  and  six.  ^^  The  children  of  the  other 
"  Elam,  a  thousand  two  hundred  fifty  and  four.  '^^  The  children  of  Harim, 
three  hundred  and  twenty.  ^^  The  children  of  Lod,  ||  Hadid,  and  Ono,  seven 
hundred  twenty  and  five.  ^^  The  children  of  Jericho,  three  hundred  forty 
and  five.  ^^The  children  of  Senaah,  three  thousand  and  six  hundred  and 
thirty. 

2*^ The  priests:  the  children  of  ""Jedaiah,  of  the  house  of  Jeshua,  nine  hundred 


whose  acts  are  recorded  in  the  Book  that  bears  his  name :  see 
Neh.  i.  1. 

—  Seraiah,  Reelaiali]  In  Neh.  vii.  7,  we  have  Azariah, 
Eaamiah,  and  after  hiiu  Nahamani,  who  is  called  Enenius  in 
1  Esdras  v.  8. 

—  Mordecai]  Not  Esther's  kinsman. 

—  Baanah']  The  names,  including  Zerubhabel,  amount  to 
twelve.  These  twelve  were  the  heads  of  the  new  community  of 
Israel. 

—  The  number  of  the  men  of  the  people  of  Israel']  This  is 
the  title  or  superscription  of  the  catalogue  which  follows.  Cp. 
vv.  36.  40 — 43.  55.  The  name  Israel  is  applied  to  all  collec- 
tively, although  their  central  city  was  Jerusalem,  in  Judah. 
The  schism  between  Israel  and  Judah  had  been  healed  by  their 
captivity.    So  God  brings  good  out  of  evil.    See  Introd.  p.  299. 

3,  4.  Parosh — Shephatiah]  The  same  numbers  of  their 
children  are  given  in  Neh.  vii.  8,  9 ;  and  this  identity  is  found 
in  the  two  lists  (viz.  the  list  here,  and  that  in  Neh.  vii.)  of  the 
children  of  Elam,  Zacchai,  Ater,  Jorah,  Gibbar  (Gibeon), 
Anathoth,  Azmaveth,  Kirjath-arim,  &c.  (v.  25),  Rama,  and 
Gaba,  Michmas,  Nebo  (Acher),  Elam  (the  second,  v.  31), 
Harim,  and  Jericho. 

With  regard  to  the  names  of  families  in  this  list,  such  as 
Parosh  and  others,  we  find  them  recurring  in  the  subsequent 
history  of  the  settlers  at  Jerusalem  (see  viii.  5 ;  x.  18 — 44), 
which  confirms  the  accuracy  of  this  list. 

They  also  show  with  what  care  the  records  of  the  famihes 
of  Israel  were  preserved  during  the  captivity. 

5.  Arah]  The  number  here  is  775 ;  in  Neh.  vii.  10  it  is  less, 
652 ;  and  a  similar  remark  may  be  made  with  regard  to  the 
sons  of  Bethel  and  Ai  (v.  28),  and  Zattu  {v.  8),  and  Lod,  &c. 
(».  33.)  Magbish  (in  v.  30),  is  not  mentioned  in  Nehemiah. 
As  to  the  discrenancies  on  the  other  side,  see  the  following  note. 
801 


Cp.  Ven.  Lord  A.  Hervey,  B.  D.  ii.  492,  who  supposes  an  error 
in  the  MSS.  here. 

6.  Pahath-moah]  The  sum  total  of  these  in  this  list  is  2812; 
in  the  parallel  place,  in  Neh.  vii.,  it  is  rather  larger,  viz. 
2818. 

There  is  also  an  increase  in  the  list  in  Nehemiah  in  the 
following  families,  viz.  Bani,  Bibai,  Azgad,  Adonikam,  Bigvai, 
Adin,  Bezai,  Hashum,  and  Senaah. 

13.  six  hundred  sixty  and  six]  This  number  (666),  in 
Rev.  xiii.  18,  is  the  number  of  the  power  of  evil.  Here  they 
ai*e  the  children  of  Adonikam,  which  means  the  Lord  rose  up 
(i.  e.  to  help  and  conquer),  and  they  return  to  Jerusalem. 

This  restoration  of  the  number  666,  may  be  compared  to 
the  tribute  paid  to  Solomon  of  666  talents  (see  above,  on 
1  Kings  X.  14.  2  Chron.  ix.  13),  and  may  perhaps  represent 
a  recovery,  restoration,  and  subjection  of  what  is  evil  and 
worldly  to  what  is  spiritual  and  divine. 

On  the  sous  of  Adonikam,  see  further  below,  on  viii. 
13. 

18  —  33.  Jorah]  The  names  which  follow  to  v.  33,  are  names 
of  places,  most  of  which,  such  as  Gibbar  (Gibeon),  Bethlehem, 
Anathoth,  Kirjath-jearim,  Ramah,  Gaba  (Geba),  Michmas, 
Bethel  and  Ai,  were  not  far  from  Jerusalem ;  and  the  specifica- 
tion of  them  is  a  remarkable  proof  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
same  town  were  grouped  together  in  the  lists  made  even  at 
Babylon,  and  that  the  natives  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  were 
attracted  by  a  strong  centripetal  force  toward  the  land  of 
their  forefathers,  especially  toward  Jerusalem. 

21.  Beth-lehem]  From  among  this  small  company  the  Messiah 
came :  cp.  Micah  v.  2. 

36 — 39.  The  priests]  The  items  here  specified,  and  their 
totals,  correspond  exactly  to  those  in  Neh,  vii.  39  -  42.     These 


J 


The  niimher  of  the  Priests 


EZRA  II.  37— Gl. 


and  Levites, 


seventy  and  three.  ^^  The  children  of  ^  Immer,  a  thousand  fifty  and  two. 
^  The  children  of  ^  Pashm*,  a  thousand  two  hundred  forty  and  seven.  ^^  The 
children  of '  Harim,  a  thousand  and  seventeen. 

^^  The  Levites :  the  children  of  Jeshua  and  Kadmiel,  of  the  children  of 
II  Hodaviah,  seventy  and  four. 

•^^  The  singers  :  the  children  of  Asaph,  an  hundred  twenty  and  eight. 

^2  The  children  of  the  porters  :  the  children  of  Shallum,  the  children  of  Ater, 
the  children  of  Talmon,  the  children  of  Akkub,  the  children  of  Hatita,  the 
children  of  Shobai,  in  all  an  hundred  thirty  and  nine. 

^^  ^  The  Nethinims  :  the  children  of  Ziha,  the  children  of  Hasupha,  the 
children  of  Tabbaoth,  ^^  The  children  of  Keros,  the  children  of  ||  Siaha,  the 
children  of  Padon,  ^•^  The  children  of  Lebanah,  the  children  of  Hagabah,  the 
children  of  Akkub,  "^^  The  children  of  Hagab,  the  children  of  ||  Shalmai,  the 
children  of  Hanan,  ^''  The  children  of  Giddel,  the  children  of  Gahar,  the 
children  of  Reaiah,  '^^The  children  of  Rezin,  the  children  of  Nekoda,  the 
children  of  Gazzam,  ^^The  children  of  Uzza,  the  children  of  Paseah,  the 
children  of  Besai,  ^^The  children  of  Asnah,  the  children  of  Mehunim,  the 
children  of  ||  Nephusim,  ^^^  The  children  of  Bakbuk,  the  children  of  Hakupha, 
the  children  of  Harhur,  ^^  The  children  of  ||  Bazluth,  the  children  of  Mehida, 
the  children  of  Harsha,  ^^  The  children  of  Barkos,  the  children  of  Sisera, 
the  children  of  Thamah,  ^^  The  children  of  Neziah,  the  children  of  Hatipha. 
^^  The  cliildren  of  '  Solomon's  servants  :  the  children  of  Sotai,  the  children  of 
Sophereth,  the  children  of  ||  Peruda,  ^^  The  children  of  Jaalah,  the  childi-en 
of  Darken,  the  children  of  Giddel,  ^^  The  children  of  Shephatiah,  the  children 
of  Hattil,  the  children  of  Pochereth  of  Zebaim,  the  children  of  ||  Ami.  ^^  All 
the  ""  Nethinims,  and  the  children  of  "  Solomon's  servants,  were  three  hundred 
ninety  and  two. 

^^  And  these  icere  they  which  went  up  from  Tel-melah,  Tel-harsa,  Cherub, 
II  Addan,  and  Immer :  but  they  could  not  shew  their  father's  house,  and  their 
II  seed,  whether  they  ivcre  of  Israel :  ^°  The  children  of  Delaiah,  the  children  of 
Tobiah,  the  children  of  Nekoda,  six  hundred  fifty  and  two.  ^^  And  of  the 
children  of  the  priests :  the  children  of  Habaiah,  the  children  of  Koz,  the 
children  of  Barzillai ;   which  took  a  wife  of  the  daughters  of  °  Barzillai  the 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

536. 

g  1  Chron.  24.  14. 

h  1  Chron.  9.  12. 

i  1  Chron.  24.  S. 


II  Or,  Judah, 
ch.  3.  9. 
called  also 
Hodeva/i . 
Neh.  7.  43. 


k  1  Chron.  9.  2. 
II  Or,  Sia. 


Or,  Shamlai. 


II  Or,  Nephi- 

shesim. 

II  Or,  Bazlilh, 

Neh.  7.  54. 


1  1  Kings  9.  21. 


II  Or,  Perida, 
Neh.  7.' 57. 


II  Or,  Amon, 
Neh.  7.  59. 

m  Josh.  9.  21,  27. 
1  Chron.  9.  2. 
n  1  Kings  9.21. 


11  Or,  Addon, 
Neh.  7.  61. 
II  Or,  pedigree. 


o2  Sam.  17.  27. 


coiuc'ulences  show  with  what  minute  accuracy  the  names  and 
number  of  the  Priests  were  reckoned. 

36.  Jeshua]  The  head  of  the  ninth  class  or  course  of  Priests, 
in  1  Chron.  xxiv.  11. 

37.  Immer']  The  sixteenth  course  (1  Chron.  xxiv.  14). 

38.  Pashur]  See  Jer.  xx.  1 ;  xxi.  1.     Cp.  1  Chron.  ix.  12. 

39.  Harim]  The  third  course.  Even  to  the  time  of  Ezra  it 
seems  that  only  four  of  the  twenty-four  clas.ses  of  Priests  had 
returned.  See  Ezra  x.  18 — 22  (Bertheau).  But  each  of  these 
four  courses  was  subdivided  into  six,  so  that  the  original  number 
of  courses  instituted  by  David  (viz.  twenty -four),  with  their 
original  names,  was  restored.    See  below,  on  Luke  i.  5. 

The  Priests,  though  from  only  four  courses,  were  more 
than  4200,  i.  e,  more  than  a  tenth  of  the  whole  congregation : 
see  V.  64. 

The  Levites,  including  the  singers,  &c.,  were  very  few  in 
proportion,  not  more  than  350 :  see  v.  40.  Formerly  the 
Levites  had  been  more  zealous  than  the  Priests  (2  Chron. 
xxix.  34) ;  but  their  office  being  more  mechanical  and  material 
than  that  of  the  Priests,  who  were  the  appointed  teachers  of 
God's  law,  the  theologians  of  the  Hebrew  nation  (Mai.  ii.  7), 
they  seem  to  have  declined  in  religious  zeal  and  earnestness. 
Here  is  a  warning  to  the  Church  in  the  latter  days. 

40.  the  Levites]  The  number  here  coincides  with  that  in 
Neh.  vii.  43. 

Vol.  III.  305 


41.  the  singers]  In  Neh.  vii.  44,  we  have  148. 

—  Asaph]  There  is  no  mention  of  any  children  of  Heman 
or  Jeduthun  :  cp.  1  Chron.  xxv. 

42.  the  porters]  In  Neh.  vii.  45,  are  138. 

43.  Nethinims]  Those  who  were  given  by  David  to  help  the 
Levites  :  see  1  Chron.  ix.  2. 

65.  The  children  of  Solomon's  servants]  Probably  some  of 
the  Canaanitish  labourers,  whom  Solomon  had  employed  in  the 
earlier  part  of  his  reign  in  the  work  of  the  Temple  (see  1  Kings 
ix.  20,  21,  2  Chron.  viii.  7,  8),  and  who  had  become  proselytes. 
They  are  mentioned  here,  and  in  Neh.  vii.  60,  together  with  the 
Nethinims :  see  also  Neh.  xi.  3.  In  other  places  (Neh.  iii.  26. 
31 ;  X.  29)  they  seem  to  be  included  in  the  Nethinims  :  cp. 
here,  v.  35. 

59.  Tel-melah,  Tel-harsa]  Names  of  Chaldsean  cities.  These 
persons  were  not  forbidden  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem ;  but  their 
claim  to  be  reckoned  as  members  of  the  fathers'  houses  of 
Israel  was  kept  in  abeyance,  like  that  of  the  Priests,  mentioned 
in  the  following  verses,  till  it  could  be  determined  by  defini'ive 
authority  :  see  v.  63. 

61.  the  children  of  Habaiah]  Wliose  priestly  ancestor 
appears  to  have  married  an  heiress  of  the  celebrated  Barzillai, 
the  Gileadite  (see  2  Sam.  xvii.  27 ;  xix.  32—39.  1  Kings  ii.  7), 
and  to  have  called  her  cliildren  by  her  famous  ancestor's  name  : 
see  on  Num.  xxxvi.  8. 


The  Priest  tvho  should  stand  up         EZRA  II.  62 — 65. 


tvith  Urim  and  Thummim. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

536. 

p  Num.  3.  10. 

t  Heb.  ihey  were 

polluted  from  the 

priestliood. 

II  Or,  governor: 

See  Neh.  8.  9. 

q  Lev.  22.2,  10, 

15,  16. 

r  Exod.  28.  30. 

Num.  27.  21. 

8  Neh.  7.  66,  &rc. 


Gileadite,  and  was  called  after  their  name  :  ^"^  These  sought  their  register 
amo7ig  those  that  were  reckoned  by  genealogy,  but  they  were  not  found: 
p therefore  f  were  they,  as  polluted,  put  from  the  priesthood.  ^^  And  the  |1  Tir- 
shatha  said  unto  them,  that  they  '^  should  not  eat  of  the  most  holy  things,  till 
there  stood  up  a  priest  with  '  Urim  and  with  Thummim. 

^■^ '  The  whole  congregation  together  was  forty  and  two  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  threescore,  ^^  Beside  their  servants  and  their  maids,  of  whom  there 


62.  These  sought  their  register — not  found']  Rather,  These 
searched  their  register  (entitled),  the.  enrolled,  and  ivere  not 
found.  The  register  which  they  searched  hore  the  title,  "  The 
enrolled."  Cp.  Neh.  vii.  64.  See  Bertheau,  p.  39;  Oesen. 
346 ;  and  above  on  1  Chron.  iv.  33. 

—  put  from  the  priesthood]  A  proof  of  the  exactness  with 
which  the  succession  of  the  Priests  was  observed,  and  of  the 
strictness  with  which  strangers  were  deban-ed  from  executing 
the  priestly  functions.  See  Num.  xvi.  40.  Cp.  Selden,  de 
Success.  Pontif.  il.  c.  2,  and  c.  3.  "  If  we  could  not  fetch  the 
line  of  our  pedigree  from  Christ  and  His  Apostles,  we  were 
not  fit  for  evangelical  altars.  Our  calling  is  by  grace  of  inward 
abilities,  and  outward  ordination ;  if  we  cannot  approve  both 
these,  we  are  justly  abandoned"  {Bp.  Sail). 

63.  the  Tirshatha']  The  governor,  viz.  Zerubbabel :  cp. 
Neh.  vii.  65 — 70.  This  Persian  title,  Tirshatha,  is  also  given 
to  Nehemiah  (Neh.  viii.  9 ;  x.  1 ;  xii.  26).  It  is  probably 
derived  from  a  Persian  adjective,  torsh,  or  tursli,  which  signifies 
strict,  severe.  Cp.  the  German  title,  '"  Gestrenger  Herr" 
{Gesen.  875).  The  Hebrew  title  for  these  governors  was  Pechah. 
See  Neh.  v.  14.  18  ;  xii.. 26.     Cp.  the  Turkish  Pacha. 

It  has  been  inferred  by  some  (B.  D.  ii.  493),  that  the 
Tirshatha  here  means  Nehemiah,  and  that  what  is  related 
refers  to  Nehemiah's  time,  and  not  to  Zerubbabel's  (but  see 
Neh.  vii.  5 — 7),  and  that  the  census  here  inserted  is  an  in- 
terpolation from  the  Book  of  Nehemiah  (chap.  vii.).  But 
if  this  had  been  the  case,  surely  the  two  lists  would  have 
tallied. 

—  they  should  not  eat  of  the  most  holy  tilings]  Of  the 
sacrifices  which  were  the  portion  of  the  Priests;  such  as  the 
remnant  of  the  meat-ofiering,  the  sin-offering,  and  the  right 
shoulder  of  the  peace-offerings.  See  Lev.  ii.  3 ;  x.  12 — 14.  16, 
17.     Num.  xviii.  9,  10. 


The  Peiest  that  shottld  arise  with  Ueim  and 
Thummim. 

—  till  there  stood  tip  a  Priest  with  Urim  and  with  Thummim'] 
Or,  as  it  is  in  Neh.  vii.  65,   "  Till  thei-e  stood  up  the  Priest 
with  Urim   and  Thummim,"  who  would  try  and  prove  them, 
and  declare  whether  they  were  of  the  line  of  Aaron  or  not. 
This  sentence  shows, — 

(1)  That  the  Temple,  built  under  Zerubbabel,  did  not 
possess  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  by  which  God  had  declared 
His  will  of  old  to  the  High  Priests,  at  and  from  the  setting  up 
of  the  Tabernacle  at  Sinai.  See  note  above,  on  Exod.  xxviii. 
30. 

And  this  is  acknowledged  by  the  Hebrew  Rabbis,  in  the 
Talmud,  Yoma,  c.  i. ;  Sota,  c.  9.  Cp.  Buxtorf  de  Urim,  c.  5 ; 
Vitringa,  Observ.  vi.  6  ;  Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  253. 

(2)  That  the  Hebrews  expected,  that  a  Priest  would 
afterward  arise,  with  the  Urim  and  Thummim.  And  the 
Rabbis  add  that  this  would  be  fulfilled  in  the  days  of  the 
Messiah  (Talmud,  Sota,  c.  9;  R.  Jachiades,  here). 

These  expectations  have  now  been  fulfilled  in  Cheist. 

(3)  In  the  language  of  our  English  Expositor  of  the  Creed, 
The  Messiah  was  to  be  the  glory  of  the  people  Israel,  yea, 
even  of  the  God  of  Israel.  He  (was  to  be)  the  Urim  and 
Thummim,  by  whom  the  will  of  God,  as  by  a  greater  oracle, 
was  revealed ;  He,  the  true  Ark  of  the  covenant,  the  only  pro- 
pitiatory by  His  blood  (cp.  Jer.  iii.  16,  17) ;  He,  which  was 
to  baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire, — the  true  fire, — 
which  came  down  from  heaven  ;  He,  which  was  to  take  up 
His  habitation  in  our  flesh,  aad  to  dwell  among  us,  that  we 
might  behold  His  glory ;  He,  who  received  the  Spirit  without 
measure,  and  from  whose  fulness  we  do  all  receive.  In  Him 
were  all  those  signs  of  the  divine  glory  united,  which  were 
thus  divided  in  the  first  Temple ;  in  Him  they  were  all  more 
eminently  contained  than  in  those :  therefore.  His  Coming  to 
the  second  Temple,  was  as  the  sufficient,  so  the  only,  means  by 

306 


which  the  glory  of  it  could  be  greater  than  the  glory  of  the 
first  (Hag.  ii.  6—9). 

If,  then,  the  Messias  was  to  come  while  the  second  Temple 
stood,  as  appeareth  by  God's  prediction  and  promise  (Mai. 
iii.  1.  Hag.  ii.  6 — 9) ;  if  that  Temple  many  ages  since  hath 
ceased  to  be,  there  being  not  one  stone  left  upon  a  stone ;  if  it 
certainly  were,  before  the  destruction  of  it,  in  greater  glory  than 
ever  the  former  was;  if  no  such  glory  could  accrue  unto  it, 
but  by  the  coming  of  the  Messias, — then  is  that  Messias 
already  come  {Bp.  Pearson,  on  the  Creed,  Art.  ii.  p.  83 ;  and 
see  A  Lapide  here,  and  M.  Henry). 

In  the  interval  between  the  building  of  the  Second  Temple, 
and  the  Coming  of  Christ,  God  appointed  a  long  fast  or  vigil, 
from  the  spiritual  banquet  of  divine  prophecy  and  illumination, 
in  order  to  humble  the  Jews,  and  to  teach  them  that  He  was 
no  more  their  God  than  of  the  Gentiles,  and  to  whet  their 
appetites  for  that  time  of  spiritual  fulness,  when  He  would 
pour  out  of  His  Spirit  upon  all  flesh  (Joel  ii.  28.  Acts  ii.  17), 
and  that  His  chosen  people,  the  Jews,  might  become  more 
m(?t;k  and  mild,  and  apt  to  congregate  together  with  His  other 
flock  from  the  Gentile  world,  and  become  one  fold  under  one 
Shepherd  (John  x.  16.  Dean  Jackson,  on  the  Creed,  i.  c.  xi. 
p.  74). 

(4)  In  the  present  verse,  the  appearance  of  "the  Priest 
with  Urim  and  Thummim,"  is  mentioned  in  connexion  with 
the  determination  of  the  question.  Who  were  to  be  acknow- 
ledged as  priests  of  Qod,  and  be  admitted  to  eat  of  the  holy 
things  1 

The  use  of  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  was  that  the  Priest 
might  ascertain  God's  will  thereby,  and  reveal  it,  and  pronounce 
judgment  accordingly. 

It  was  prophesied  of  Christ,  the  Great  High  Priest,  that 
He  should  "  purify  the  sons  of  Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold 
and  silver"  (Mai.  iii.  3),  and  that  a  severance  would  be  made 
by  Him  between  "  him  that  served  God,  and  him  that  served 
Him  not "  (Mai.  iii.  18). 

All  Clu'istians  are,  in  a  certain  sense.  Priests  to  God 
(1  Pet.  ii.  5.  9.  Rev.  i.  6 ;  v.  10),  by  virtue  of  their  profession ; 
and  Christ  came  into  the  world,  that  the  thoughts  of  many 
hearts  might  be  revealed  (Luke  ii.  35) ;  and  at  the  Great  Day 
of  His  Second  Coming  He  will  determine  by  the  Urim  and 
Thummim  of  His  Infallible  Judgment,  loho  are  His  faithful 
and  true  Priests,  and  who  shall  be  admitted  to  eat  of  the  most 
holy  things  of  His  heavenly  Temple  for  evermore. 

The  Ntimbee  of  those  who  came  to  Jebttsalem. 

64.  The  whole  congregation  together  was  forty  and  two 
thousand  three  hundred  and  threescore]  This  number  42,360, 
coincides  exactly  with  the  total  in  Neh.  vii.  66.  It  represents 
the  total  of  those  who  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  were  probably 
counted  there : — 

The    particular    items    in    the    component 

lists  of  families  here  amount  to         .  .     29,818 

In  Nehemiah  the  component  lists  of  families 

make  up 31,089 

The  number  of  those  persons  who  are  men- 
tioned in  Ezra,  and  are  not  mentioned  in 

Nehemiah,  is 494 

The  number  of  those  who  are  mentioned  in 
Nehemiah,    and    are    not    mentioned   in 

Ezra,  is 1,765 

Now  if  we  add  Nehemiah's  surplus  to  the 
list  of  families  in  Ezra,  we  have — 

29,818  + 1765  =        .         .         .         .     31,583 
And  if  we  add  Ezra's  surplus  to  the  list  of 
families  in  Nehemiah,  we  have — 

31,089-1-494=  ....     31,583 

Hence  we  arrive  at  the  same  difference  (viz.  10,777) 
between  the  totals  thus  obtained  (31,583),  and  the  aggregate 
total  of  those  who  arrived  in  Jerusalem. 


The  freeivill-oferings. 


EZRA  II.  60—70.     III.  1,  2. 


The  Altar  set  up. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

536. 


were  seven  thousand  three  hundred  thirty  and  seven  :  and  there  were  among 
them  two  hundred  singing  men  and  singing  women.  ^'^  Their  horses  were 
seven  hundred  thirty  and  six;  their  mules,  two  hundred  forty  and  five ;  ^^ Their 
camels,  four  hundred  thirty  and  five  ;  their  asses,  six  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  twenty. 

^^ '  And  some  of  the  chief  of  the  fathers,  when  they  came  to  the  house  of  the  t  Neh.  ?.  70. 
Lord  which  is  at  Jerusalem,  offered  freely  for  the  house  of  Glod  to  set  it  up  in 
his  place  :  "^  They  gave  after  their  ahility  unto  the  "  treasure  of  the  work  three-  "  ^  ci.ron.  20. 20 
score  and  one  thousand  drams  of  gold,  and  five  thousand  pound  of  silver,  and 
one  hundred  priests'  garments. 

''^ "  So  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  and  some  of  the  people,  and  the  singers, 
and  the  porters,  and  the  Nethinims,  dwelt  in  their  cities,  and  all  Israel  in  their 
cities. 

III.  '  And  when  the  seventh  month  was  come,  and  the  children  of  Israel  tvere 
in  the  cities,  the  people  gathered  themselves  together  as  one  man  to  Jerusalem. 
-  Then  stood  up  ||  Jeshua  the  son  of  Jozadak,  and  his  brethren  the  priests,  and  11  oj,  josi, 
II  Zerubbabel  the  son  of  "  Shealtiel,  and  his  brethren,  and  builded  the  altar  of  if  cC^jgd  '• 


xch.  6.  16,  17. 
Neh.  7.  73. 


ua, 
&  2.2. 


Zorobabel,  Matt.  1.  12.    Luke  3.  27. 


a  Matt.  1.  12.  &  Luke  3.  27,  called  Salathiel. 


A  similar  remark  may  be  made  upon  the  numbers  of  tbe 
Singers  and  the  Porters  (Ezra  ii.  41,  42.  Neb.  vii.  44,  45) : — 


In    Ezra    tbe     Singers 

are     .         .         .         .128 
Tbe  Porters  .         .         .139 

Ezra's  total  .  .         .     267 

Added     to    Nebemiab's 
excess         ...       20 


In  Nebemiab  tbe  Singers 

are     ....     148 
Tbe  Porters  .         .         .138 

Nebemiab's  total    .         .     28G 
Added  to  Ezra's  excess  .         1 


Gives  a  total  of 


.     287      Gives  tbe  same  total       .     287 


In  both  lists  the  names  of  families,  and  tbe  numbers 
both  of  tbe  Priests  and  of  the  Levites  correspond  to  each 
other. 

This  coincidence  of  these  totals  is  remarkable,  especially 
when  taken  together  with  tbe  other  coincidence  of  the  aggregate 
numbers  of  all  who  came  to  Jerusalem,  as  stated  in  Ezra  and 
Nebemiab  (i.  e.  42,360).  The  variation  of  tbe  numbers  set 
down  in  tbe  two  lists  of  the  members  of  families,  in  certain 
cases,  show  that  tbe  lists  are  independent.  In  some  cases,  the 
author  of  tbe  list  in  Ezra  seems  to  have  had  fuller  returns  of 
tbe  families  to  which  the  people  belonged;  in  other  cases,  tbe 
returns  in  Nebemiah  are  more  complete.  This  was  natural; 
but  tbe  two  coincidences  above  specified  show  that  tbe  one  list 
confirms  tbe  other.  It  is  not  surprising  that  tbe  members  of 
tbe  constituencies  of  tbe  several  families  do  not  always  tally  in 
tbe  two  lists.  By  means  of  levirate  marriages,  or  adoptions, 
tbe  same  persons  might  indifferently  belong  to  two  difierent 
fathers'  bouses;  and  if  women  are  reckoned,  they  might  be 
ranged  under  tbe  bouse  of  their  father  on  one  list,  and  of  their 
husband  on  another. 

Since  Ezra's  number,  together  with  Nebemiab's  excess, 
produces  tbe  same  result  as  Nebemiab's  number  with  Ezra's 
excess,  it  seems  that  this  result  (viz.  31,583)  represents  tbe 
same  persons ;  and  (as  is  suggested  by  Alting)  the  difl^erence 
of  10,777  between  the  31,583,  who  are  reckoned  in  Ezra  and 
Nebemiab,  according  to  their  genealogies,  and  tbe  aggregate 
total  in  both,  viz.  42,360,  seems  to  represent  those  persons 
who  could  not  be  reckoned  according  to  any  genealogy,  and 
belonged  to  that  class  which  is  indicated  in  v.  59,  who  "  could 
not  show  their  fiitber's  bouse,"  and  the  Priests,  in  v.  62,  who 
could  not  find  their  names  in  tbe  registers. 

—  forty  and  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  threescore^ 
A  very  small  number.  A  great  many  Jews  had  become 
wealthy  in  the  land  of  their  captivity,  and  were  unwilling  to 
return  {Josephus,  Antt.  xi.  1.  3.     Cp.  on  Esther  iii.  9). 

65.  ttvo  hundred]  In  Neh.  vii.  67,  we  have  245. 

—  singing  tcomen']  Who  seem  to  have  been  admitted  into 
the  service  of  the  Sanctuary,  or  at  least  to  increase  tbe  joy  of 
religious  festivals  (1  Chron.  xxv.  5,  6).  Perhaps  on  the  occasion 
of  their  return  such  Psalms  as  Ixxxv.  and  Ixxxvi.  and  cxxvi. 
were  chanted  by  them.  Psalms  Ixxxvii.  cvii.  cxi.  cxii.  cxiii. 
cxiv.  cxvi.  cxvii.  cxxv.  cxxvii.  cxxviii.  and  cxxxiv.  are  also  sup- 

307 


posed  by  some  to  be  connected  with  this  period.  Now  bad  the 
children  of  Israel  taken  down  their  harps  from  tbe  willows 
of  Babylon,  and  could  sing  unbidden  tbe  songs  of  Sion 
{£p.  Sail). 

66,  67.  horses — mules — camels — asses']  Tbe  numbers  of 
these  animals  respectively  coincide  with  those  in  Neh.  vii. 
68,  69. 

68.  some  of  the  chief  of  the  fathers]  Tbe  persons  here 
mentioned  differ  from  those  in  Neh.  vii.  70 — 72,  and  therefore 
the  offerings  also  are  different.  Here  is  another  evidence  of 
tbe  independence  of  the  lists.  Cp.  Lord  A.  Servey,  B.  D.  ii. 
492. 

—  when  they  came  to  the  house]  That  is,  to  the  former  site 
on  which  it  was  to  be  rebuilt. 

69.  drams  of  gold]  Heb.  darcemonim :  a  Persian  coin  of 
gold,  supposed  by  some  to  signify  tbe  King's  boto,  from  tbe 
figure  of  tbe  archer  engraved  upon  it ;  or  it  may  be  derived 
simply  from  the  Persian  dara,  or  King,  or  fi-om  Darius.  See 
Oesen.  15.  208 ;  and  note  above,  on  1  Chron.  xxix.  7. 

70.  all  Israel]  Cp.  Neb.  vii.  73.  All  who  returned  together 
with  those  who  bad  not  been  carried  away  captive. 

—  in  their  cities]  Which  were  allotted  to  them  by  public 
authority  (Bertheau). 

Ch.  III.  1.  seventh  month]  Tisri:  which,  according  to  tbe 
Levitical  Law,  was  the  consummation  of  tbe  religious  year  of 
tbe  Hebrews.  On  tbe  first  day  of  it,  was  a  holy  convocation 
(Num.  xxix.  1) ;  on  tbe  tenth  day  of  it,  was  tbe  yearly  fast  of 
the  great  day  of  Atonement  (Num.  xxix.  7),  described  in 
Lev.xvi. ;  and  on  tbe  fifteenth,  was  the  great  feast  of  Tabernacles. 
See  Exod.  xxiii.  16.     Lev.  xxiii.  34 — 43.     Num.  xxix.  12. 

This  seventh  month,  here  mentioned,  was  probably  in  the 
first  year  of  their  return.     See  below,  v.  8 ;  and  Bertheau. 

—  gathered  themselves  together]  There  was  a  convocation 
under  Jeshua  and  Zerubbabel  in  tbe  seventh  month  for  the 
building  of  tbe  Altar,  and  for  tbe  foundation  of  the  Temple; 
and  there  was  afterwards  a  similar  convocation  under  Ezra  and 
Nebemiab,  for  the  reading  of  tbe  Law.  See  the  description 
in  Neh.  viii.  1,  which  adopts  tbe  language  used  here. 

2.  Jeshua]  Tbe  High  Priest  (ii.  2).  Jeshua  here  stands 
before  Zerubbabel.  In  v.  8,  he  is  put  after  him,  because  here 
the  sacred  writer  is  speaking  of  offering  sacrifices ;  and  there 
be  is  describing  tbe  preparations  for  rebuilding  the  Temple. 
Compare  tbe  similar  modification  in  the  position  of  tbe  names 
of  Ezra  and  Nebemiah,  Neh.  viii.  1 — 9;  and  on  x.  1. 

—  Zerubbabel]  Tbe  governor  (ii.  2).  The  High  Priest, 
Jeshua,  and  the  Civil  Ruler,  Zerubbabel,  were  joined  together 
in  making  a  type  of  Christ,  Who  is  both  Priest  and  King : 
"  Unam  figuram  Salvatoris  complent :  Josuo  propter  Sacer- 
dotium,  Zerubbabel  propter  regnum" (Bede.  Cp.  Introd.  p.  297). 

—  builded  the  altar]  Before  they  had  laid  tbe  foundations 
of  tbe  Temple  :  see  v.  6 


The  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 


EZRA  III.  3—11, 


The  song  of  praise. 


Before 

-CHRIST 

about 

S36. 

b  Deut.  12  5. 


c  Num.  28.  3,  4. 

d  Neh.  8.  14,  17. 

Zech.  14.  16,  17. 

e  Exod.  23.  16. 

f  Num.  29.  12, 

&c. 

t  Heb.  llie  matter 

of  ill e  day  in  his 

(lay. 

g  Exod.  29.  38. 

Num.  28.  3,  11, 

19,  26.  &  29.  2,  8, 

13. 

t  Heb.  the  temple 
of  the  LORD  was 
not  yet 
founded. 

II  Or,  workmen. 
h  1  Kings  5.  6,  9. 
2  Chron.  2.  10. 
Acts  12.  20. 
i  2  Chron.  2.  10. 
Acts  9.  36. 
k  ch.  6.  3. 
535. 


1  1  Cliron.  23.  24, 
27. 


II  Or,  HodavUih, 

ch   2.  40. 

t  Heb.  as  07ie. 


n  1  Chron.  16.  5, 
6,42. 

o  1  Chron.  6.  31. 
&  16.  4.  &  25.  1. 
p  Exod.  15.  21. 
2  Chron.  7.  3. 
Neh.  12.  24. 
q  1  Chron.  16.34. 
Ps.  136.  1. 
r  1  Chron.  16.  41. 
Jar.  33.  11. 


the  God  of  Israel,  to  offer  burnt  offerings  thereon,  as  it  is  ^  written  in  the  law 
of  Moses  the  man  of  God. 

^  And  they  set  the  altar  upon  his  bases  ;  for  fear  ivas  upon  them  because  of 
the  people  of  those  countries  :  and  they  offered  burnt  offerings  thereon  unto  the 
LoKD,  eveji  "^ burnt  offerings  morning  and  evening.  ^"^  They  kept  also  the  feast 
of  tabernacles,  ^as  it  is  written,  and  ^offered  the  daily  burnt  offerings  by  number, 
according  to  the  custom,  fas  the  duty  of  every  day  required;  ^And  afterward 
offered  the  ^  continual  burnt  offering,  both  of  the  new  moons,  and  of  all  the  set 
feasts  of  the  Lord  that  were  consecrated,  and  of  every  one  that  willingly  offered 
a  free  will  offering  unto  the  Lord.  ^From  the  first  day  of  the  seventh  month 
began  they  to  o'ffer  burnt  offerings  unto  the  Lord.  But  fthe  foundation  of  the 
temple  of  the  Lord  was  not  yet  laid.  '^  They  gave  money  also  unto  the  masons, 
and  to  the  \\  carpenters ;  and  ^  meat,  and  drink,  and  oil,  unto  them  of  Zidon,^ 
and  to  them  of  Tyre,  to  bring  cedar  trees  from  Lebanon  to  the  sea  of  '  Joppa, 
"  according  to  the  grant  that  they  had  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia. 

^  Now  in  the  second  year  of  their  coming  unto  the  house  of  God  at  Jeru- 
salem, in  the  second  month,  began  Zerubbabel  the  son  of  Shealtiel,  and  Jeshua 
the  son  of  Jozadak,  and  the  remnant  of  their  brethren  the  priests  and  the 
Levites,  and  all  they  that  were  come  out  of  the  captivity  unto  Jerusalem  ;  '  and 
appointed  the  Levites,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  to  set  forward  the 
work  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.  ^  Then  stood  ""  Jeshua  with  his  sons  and  his 
brethren,  Kadmiel  and  his  sons,  the  sons  of  ||  Judah,  f  together,  to  set  forward 
the  workmen  in  the  house  of  God :  the  sons  of  Henadad,  ivith  their  sons  and 
their  brethren  the  Levites. 

^^And  when  the  builders  laid  the  foundation  of  the  temple  of  the  Lord, 
"they  set  the  priests  in  their  apparel  with  trumpets,  and  the  Levites  the  sons 
of  Asaph  with  cymbals,  to  praise  the  Lord,  after  the  °  ordinance  of  David  king 
of  Israel.  ^^  ^  And  they  sang  together  by  course  in  praising  and  giving  thanks 
unto  the  Lord  ;  '^  because  he  is  good,  ""for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever  toward 
Israel.     And  all  the  people  shouted  with  a  great  shout,  when  they  praised  the 


3.  the^/  set  the  altar  upon  Ms  bases']  Upon  its  ancient 
foundations. 

—  /or  fear  was  upoti  thern]  Therefore  they  set  up  the  Altar 
upon  its  old  foundations^  that  they  might  have  a  refuge  there, 
in  the  might  and  mercy  of  Him,  Who  had  so  often  defended 
and  delivered  their  forefathers,  who  sacrificed  to  Him  in  the 
same  place,  even  since  the  days  of  David,  who  was  commanded 
to  build  the  Altar  on  that  side,  when  he  and  his  city  were 
delivered  from  the  pestilence.  See  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiv. 
18. 

The  Feast  of  Tabeenacles. 

4.  the  feast  of  tabernacles']  In  thankful  commemoration  of 
past  mercies,  and  in  faithful  anticipation  of  future  blessings  in 
the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  tabernacling  in  our  flesh. 
See  above,  the  notes  on  Lev.  xxiii.  34—43.  Deut.  xvi.  13 — 15  ; 
and  on  1  Kings  viii.  65,  which  describes  the  Dedication  of  the 
Temple,  the  type  of  Christ,  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles ;  and 
below,  Neh.  viii.  16,  which  records  the  celebration  of  the  Feast 
of  Tabernacles,  after  the  rebuilding  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem, 
the  prophetic  era  from  which  Daniel's  weeks  of  years  to  the 
Passion  of  Christ  arc  dated.  See  above,  on  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23. 

7.  unto  them  of  Zidon — Tyre]  Thus  he  imitated  the  example 
of  Solomon,  when  preparing  to  build  the  Temple.  See  1  Kings 
v.  9,  10.     2  Chron.  ii.  10—15. 

8.  twenty  years  old  and  upioard]  According  to  David's 
ordinance.     See  1  Chron.  xxiii.  24. 

9.  Jeshua]  Not  the  High  Priest,  but  a  Levite,  mentioned  in 
ii.  40. 

—  Judah]  Called  Hodaviah  (which  has  a  similar  sense),  in 
ii.  40 :  cp.  Gesen.  219. 

308 


—  Henadad]  A  remarkable  name  for  a  Levite,  signifying 
grace,  or  kindness  of  Hadad,  a  Syrian  deity,  whence  Benhadad 
[Gesen.,  Fuerst). 

10.  in  their  apparel]  Clothed  in  their  priestly  vestments : 
see  ii.  69.  The  Hebrew  word  here  used  is  the  plural  ptial 
particip.,  from  labash,  to  clothe  oneself  {Gesen.  430). 

—  after  the  ordinance  of  David]  See  above,  xvi.  7  ;  xxiii.  18 ; 

XXV.  1. 

11.  they  sang  together  by  course]  The  Hebrew  verb  here 
used  is  anah,  which  signifies  to  sing,  especially  by  responses 
(Gesen.  641,  642)-  It  is  the  same  word  as  is  translated  by 
answered,  in  x.  2.  12.  Neh.  viii.  6 ;  and  so  in  numerous  other 
places ;  and  so  it  is  rendered  here  by  Sept. :  and  (as  Mede, 
book  i.  disc,  xvi.,  and  others  suppose)  it  here  describes  an 
antistrophical  chant  (cp.  Isa.  vi.  3) ;  so  that,  when  one  part 
of  the  choir  sang,  "  Praise  the  Lord ;  for  He  is  good,"  the  other 
answered,  "  For  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever."  See  Ps.  cxxxvi., 
and  cvi.  cvii.  cxvii.  cxviii.  cxxxvi.,  which  were  probably  sung 
at  this  time.  Cp.  1  Chron.  xvi.  34.  41.  2  Chron.  v.  13 ;  vii.  3 ; 
XX.  21. 

By  this  song  of  praise,  at  the  foundation  of  the  Second 
Temple,  they  revived,  and,  as  it  were,  re-echoed  the  eucha- 
ristical  chant,  which  had  been  sung  at  the  Dedication  of  tluj 
First  Temple :  see  2  Chron.  v.  13. 

Thus  also  they  fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  (xxxiii. 
10)  :  "  Again  there  shall  be  heard  in  this  place  the  voice  of  them 
that  shall  say.  Praise  the  Lord  of  hosts  j  for  the  Lord  is 
good,  and  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever;  and  of  them  that 
shall  bring  the  sacrifice  of  praise  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  : 
for  I  will  cause  to  return  the  captivity  of  the  land." 


The  iceeping  and  shouting.       EZKA  III.  12,  13.     IV.  1 — G. 


Persian  Kings. 


Before 
CHRIST 
535. 
s  See  Hag.  2.  3. 


Lord,  because  the  foundation  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  was  laid.  ^^  s  ;gy^ 
many  of  the  priests  and  Levites  and  chief  of  the  fathers,  tvho  were  ancient  men, 
that  had  seen  the  first  house,  when  the  foundation  of  this  house  was  laid  before 
their  eyes,  wept  with  a  loud  voice ;  and  many  shouted  aloud  for  joy  :  ^^  So  that 
the  people  could  not  discern  the  noise  of  the  shout  of  joy  from  the  noise  of  the 
weeping  of  the  people  :  for  the  people  shouted  with  a  loud  shout,  and  the  noise 
was  heard  afar  off. 

IV.  'Now  when  ^the  adversaries  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  heard  that  f  the 
children  of  the  captivity  builded  the  temple  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;  "({allsponaiion. 
"  Then  they  came  to  Zerubbabel,  and  to  the  chief  of  the  fathers,  and  said  unto 
them,  Let  us  build  with  you  :  for  we  seek  your  God,  as  ye  do ;  and  we  do 
sacrifice  unto  him  ''  since  the  days  of  Esar-haddon  king  of  Assur,  which  brought        ^g^'^g"' 
us  up  hither.     ^But  Zerubbabel,  and  Jeshua,  and  the  rest  of  the  chief  of  the  'li,^'!'iM^/^^: 
fathers  of  Israel,  said  unto  them,  "  Ye  have  nothing  to  do  with  us  to  build  an  c  Ner2. 20. 
house  unto  our  God ;  but  we  ourselves  together  will  build  unto  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  as  "^king  Cyrus  the  king  of  Persia  hath  commanded  us.     ^  Then  ^the 
people  of  the  land  weakened  the  hands  of  the  people  of  Judah,  and  troubled 
them  in  building,  ^  And  hired  counsellors  against  them,  to  frustrate  their  pur- 
pose, all  the  days  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  even  until  the  reign  of  Darius  king 
of  Persia. 

^  And  in  the  reign  of  f  Ahasuerus,  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  wrote  they 


a  See  ver.  7,  8,  9. 
t  Heb.  Ike  sons 


d  ch.  1.  1,  2,  3. 
e  ch.  3.  3. 
534. 


529. 
t  Heb.  Ah'ash- 


The  Weeping  and  the  Shouting. 

18.  many  of  the  priests — wept  with  a  loud  voice;  and  many 
shouted  aloud  for  joy'\  Tlie  aged  men,  who  remembered  the 
glory  of  the  former  House  (which  had  been  destroyed  about 
fifty-two  years,  or  at  most  fifty -nine  years  before),  wept.  For 
the  reason  of  this,  see  above,  on  ii.  63,  and  below.  Hag.  ii.  3. 
Zech.  iv.  10.  The  younger  shouted  for  joy,  because  the  founda- 
tion of  the  second  House  was  laid;  and  they  were  comforted 
by  Haggai  the  Prophet  with  promises  of  the  future  glory  of  the 
latter  house,  which  was  to  ecUpse  that  of  the  former  house 
(Hag.  ii.  9.  Cp.  Esdras  v.  59 — 65).  On  one  side  were  tears 
of  penitential  sorrow,  because  they  remembered  that  the  former 
house,  so  beautiful  and  magnificent,  had  been  destroyed  on 
account  of  the  sins  of  their  forefathers  ;  on  the  other  side  were 
shouts  of  joy  and  thanksgiving  for  God's  mercy  in  raising  up 
another  Temple  on  the  foundations  of  the  old,  and  of  exultation 
and  hope,  inspired  by  the  gracious  prophecies  of  Christ's  Pre- 
sence, and  of  other  evangelical  blessings,  with  which  the 
Temple  would  be  endowed  and  beautified. 

Here  is  an  apt  emblem  of  every  thing,  however  joyous, 
which  is  done  in  the  Church  Militant  on  earth.  Her  march  of 
victory  is  through  a  vale  of  tears;  her  restorations  are  memorials 
of  sins  which  caused  the  destruction  of  that  which  had  been 
dissolved.  Even  when  she  celebrates  the  glories  of  the  In- 
carnation of  Christ,  ^Vho  made  our  nature  to  be  a  Temple  of 
Uie  Godhead,  she  may  not  forget  to  weep  for  the  ruin  into 
which  the  Temple  of  that  nature  fell  by  sin. 

The  seventh  month,  in  which  the  Altar  was  laid  on  its  old 
foundation,  had  its  Fast  of  Atonement  for  sin  on  the  tenth 
day,  as  weU  as  on  the  fifteenth  its  Feast  of  Tabernacles, 
which  prefigured  the  Incarnation  of  Christ.  So  in  the  Church 
Militant  the  sound  of  weeping  is  ever  mingled  with  shouts  of 
joy ;  but  in  the  Church  glorified,  all  tears  wUl  be  wiped  from 
all  faces  by  the  hand  of  God,  who  will  dwell  therein  (Rev.  vii. 
15.  17;  xxi.  4),  and  the  sound  of  Hallelujahs  and  Hosannahs 
will  never  cease. 

The  Samaeitan  Adveesaeies  Hindee  the  Building  of 
THE  Temple. 

Ch.  IV.  1.  the  adversaries']  The  Samaritans  (v.  10).  See 
on  2  Kings  xvii.  24. 

—  children  of  the  captivity']  Or,  of  the  migration  {Qesen. 
171). 

2.  Esar-haddon]    The   son  of  Sennacherib.     See  2   Kings 
xix.  37;  and  on  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  11. 
309 


3.  Ye  have  nothing  to  do  ivith  us  to  build]  Ye  do  not  profess 
the  true  faith,  nor  worship  tlie  God  of  our  fathers  with  a  pure 
and  holy  worship  ;  and  therefore  we  cannot  admit  you  to  buUd 
with  us. 

The  history  of  the  Samaritans  (see  2  Kings  xvii.  3.  24 — 34) 
displayed  their  evil  temper  at  this  time  (vv.  4,  5),  and  evinced 
the  justice  of  this  answer;  which  conveys  a  salutary  warning 
against  hollow  and  heartless  compromises  in  religion  among 
persons  who  are  not  agreed  in  the  fundamentals  of  doctrine, 
and  in  the  essentials  of  worship.  "  Non  est  hajreticorura 
ffidificare  domum  Domini,  quse  est  Ecclesia,  a  quil  ipsi  probantur 
esse  alieni"  (Bede). 

5.  all  the  days  of  Cyrus]  Who  was  engaged  in  wars  with  the 
Lydians  and  Scythians,  and  died  in  the  beginning  of  B.C.  529, 
in  the  seventh  year  after  the  return  of  the  Jews.  Cp.  Josephus, 
Antt.  xi.  2.  1.      TJssher,  Annals,  p.  83. 

Daeius  and  Ahasueeus. 

—  Darius]  Darius,  the  son  of  Hystaspes ;  he  was  raised  to 
the  throne  after  the  death  of  Pseudo-Smerdis,  B.C.  521  (Scaliger, 
Witsius,  Keil).  The  Hebrew  word  for  Darius,  Dareyavesh,  in 
the  cuneiform  inscriptions  of  Behistan  and  Persepolis,  is  Da- 
ray  aviis  (see  Spiegel,  pp.  3—51),  and  signifies  "conservator" 
(Gesen.  207;  Fuerst,  337);  Herodotus  (vi.  98)  renders  it  by 
epIeiTjs.  In  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  he  calls  himself  "  Darius, 
the  great  King,  the  King  of  Kings,  King  of  Provinces,  son  of 
Vistaspa,  grandson  of  Arsama,  the  Achsemenid."  See  Spiegel, 
Die  Alt-persischen  Inschriften,  Leipzig,  1862,  p.  3. 

The  Sacred  Writer  extends  bis  range  to  Darius  (passing 
over  two  intervening  kings,  Cambyses  and  Pseudo-Smerdis,  to 
whom,  however,  he  returns)  just  as  in  vi.  14  he  passes  over 
Darius  to  Artaxerxes,  omitting  the  intervening  monarch,  Xerxes, 
who  did  nothing  for  the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  aud  who  even 
issued  an  edict  tor  their  destruction  throughout  his  dominions, 
as  is  related  in  the  Book  of  Esther  :  see  Introd.  to  that  Book. 

6.  Ahasuerus]  Heb.  Achashverosh,  most  probably  Cambyses, 
the  son  and  succeseor  of  Cyrus  (Vatablus,  Ussher,  Karpzov, 
Jahn,  Prideaux,  Rosenmilller,  Gesenius,  Ewald,  Il'dvernicle, 
Bp.  Cotton,  Dr.  W.  Smith,  Dr.  Pusey). 

The  word  Achashverosh  is  the  same  word  as  Khsayarsu  in 
the  cuneiforna  inscriptions  (see  Spiegel,  pp.  54.  194) ;  the  first 
portion  of  the  word  is  from  Khshi,  to  be  powerful,  whence  the 
old  Persian  Khsayathiya,  for  King  {Spiegel,  76),  and  probably 
the  Persian  Shah  (king).  The  initial  A  is  merely  the  prosthetic 
aleph  (cp.  Gesen.  34;  Fuerst,  66;  below,  on  Esther  i.  1).  It 
has  been  supposed  by  some  that  the  Ahasuerus  here  mentioned 


The  Samaritan  adversaries 


EZRA  IV.  7 — 14.      hinder  the  building  of  the  Temple. 


Before 
CHRIST 

522. 
II  Or,  in  peace. 

t  Heb.  societies. 


Or,  secretary. 


t  Chald. 

societies. 

f  2  Kings  17.  30, 

31. 

g  yer.  1. 

about 
678. 

h  So  ver.  11,  17. 
&  ch.  7.  12. 
t  ChaUl. 
Cheeneth. 
522. 


unto  him  an  accusation  against  the  inhabitants  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem 


7  And 


I)  Or,  finished. 
t  Chald.  sewed 
together. 

\  Chald.  give. 
i  ch.  7.  24. 
II  Or,  strength, 
i  Chald.  we  are 
salted  with  the 
salt  of  the  palace. 


in  the  days  of  Artaxerxes  wrote  1|  Bishlam,  Mithredath,  Tabeel,  and  the  rest  of 
their  f  companions,  unto  Artaxerxes  king  of  Persia ;  and  the  writing  of  the 
letter  was  written  in  the  Syrian  tongue,  and  interpreted  in  the  Syrian  tongue, 
s  Rehum  the  chancellor  and  Shimshai  the  ||  scribe  wrote  a  letter  against  Jeru- 
salem to  Artaxerxes  the  king  in  this  sort :  ^  Then  ivrote  Rehum  the  chancellor, 
and  Shimshai  the  scribe,  and  the  rest  of  their  f  companions  ;  Hhe  Dinaites,  the 
Apharsathchites,  the  Tarpelites,  the  Apharsites,  the  Archevites,  the  Baby- 
lonians, the  Susanchites,  the  Dehavites,  and  the  Elamites,  ^^  ^  And  the  rest  of 
the  nations  whom  the  great  and  noble  Asnapper  brought  over,  and  set  in  the 
cities  of  Samaria,  and  the  rest  that  are  on  this  side  the  river,  ''  and  f  at  such 
a  time.  ^^  This  is  the  copy  of  the  letter  that  they  sent  unto  him,  even  unto 
Artaxerxes  the  king ;  Thy  servants  the  men  on  this  side  the  river,  and  at  such 
a  time. 

^2  Be  it  known  unto  the  king,  that  the  Jews  which  came  up  from  thee  to  us 
are  come  unto  Jerusalem,  building  the  rebellious  and  the  bad  city,  and  have 
II  set  up  the  walls  thereof,  and  f  joined  the  foundations.  ^^Be  it  known  now 
unto  the  king,  that,  if  this  city  be  builded,  and  the  walls  set  up  again,  then 
will  they  not  fpay  'toll,  tribute,  and  custom,  and  so  thou  shalt  endamage  the 
II  revenue  of  the  kings.  ^^  Now  because  f  we  have  maintenance  from  the  hing's 
palace,  and  it  was  not  meet  for  us  to  see  the  king's  dishonour,  therefore  have 


is  Xerxes,  and  that  Artaxerxes  in  v.  7  (Heb.  Artachshaslda)  is 
Artaxerxes  Longimanus  (so  Kleinert,  Schultz,  Hengst.,  Keil, 
Bunsen) ;  but  this  would  introduce  a  violent  anachronism  into 
the  text.  See  the  following  note,  and  Keil,  iiber  die  Biicher 
der  Chronik.  pp.  98 — 103;  Hertheau,  on  Ezra  iv.  23;  Br. 
Pusey  on  Daniel,  pp.  166.  333. 

It  has  been  imagined  by  some  (as  Hengstenherg)  that  this 
section  {vv.  6 — 23)  is  an  interpolated  one,  and  has  no  reference 
to  the  building  of  the  Temple,  but  of  the  Walls :  see  his 
Christol.  on  Dan.  ix.  24<— 27,  and  on  Hag.  i.  But  this  opinion 
is  at  variance  with  the  framework  of  the  whole  chapter,  and  its 
context. 

7.  Artaxerxes]  In  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  Artakhsatra. 
Heb.  Artachshashta,  a  Persian  name,  the  etymology  of  which  is 
Arta  =  great  (an  adjective  which  occurs  in  Arta-banes,  Arta- 
fliernes,  and  in  other  Persian  words  ;  and  the  name  Artaeus  is 
explained  as  signifying  a  hero  by  EesycMus),  and  Khsathra, 
Jcingdom  {Spiegel,  p.  185).  The  name  is  rendered  great  warrior 
by  Herodotus  (vi.  98).  The  name  Xerxes  (as  Herodotus 
states,  vi.  98)  appears  to  be  merely  an  appellative.  Herodotus 
interprets  it  by  ivarlike,  and  therefore  we  need  not  be  surprised 
that  the  corresponding  name,  Ahasuerus,  should  be  given  to 
different  Persian  Kings.  The  Ahasuerus  of  the  Book  of  Esther 
is  Xerxes  the  son  of  Darius.  See  below,  the  Ititrod.  to  Esther. 
The  King  here  mentioned  appears  to  be  Pseudo- Smerdis, 
who  succeeded  Cambyses  in  B.C.  522,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Darius  Hystaspis  in  B.C.  521.  See  Clinton,  Fasti  Hell.  ii.  312; 
Utoald,  iv.  119 ;  Dr.  Puseg  on  Daniel,  pp.  166.  333.  Josephus 
(Antt.  xi.  2.  1)  supposes  Artaxerxes  to  be  another  name  for 
Cambyses ;  or  he  may  have  thought  that  similar  letters  to  those 
here  recited  were  sent  to  him,  and  he  seems  to  have  known 
nothing  of  Pseudo-Smerdis.     See  his  Antt.  xi.  1.  1. 

This  Pseudo-Smerdis,  Magus,  had  various  appellations  in 
different  historians ;  he  is  called  Mardus  by  ASschylus  (Pers. 
771),  Smerdis  by  iZerofZo^iw,  Sphendadates  by  C^esJa*,  Oropastes 
by  Tragus  {Stanl.  in  jEschyl.  Pers.  771). 

Since  the  name  Artaxerxes  (like  Ahasuerus  =.  Xerxes)  was 
properly  a  royal,  official  title,  like  Cajsar,  and  Augustus,  therefore 
Pseudo-Smerdis  took  the  title  Artaxerxes,  on  the  same  ground 
as  Bessus  did,  when,  on  assuming  the  royal  apparel,  he  com- 
manded that  he  should  be  called  Artaxerxes  (Curtius,  vi.  6. 
Cp.  Hdvernick,  Einleit  ii.,  p.  294;  Pusey  on  Daniel,  p.  334). 

It  has  been  shown  to  be  very  probable  that  Pseudo- 
Smerdis  should  have  been  induced  to  restrain  the  Jews  from 
rebuilding  their  city  {Hdvernick,  p.  295). 

On  the  various  forms  of  the  name  Artaxerxes  in  the  cunei- 
310 


form  inscriptions  see  Spiegel,  p.  110.     It  sometimes  appears  as 
Artasharssha,  sometimes  as  Artakhsatra. 

—  written  in  the  Syrian  tongue']  Written  in  Aramaic  cha- 
racters, as  well  as  in  the  Ai'amaic  language  {ScMrmer).  Cp. 
Esther  i.  22 ;  viii.  9,  where  the  word  "  writing  "  (Heb.  cethaU) 
is  used  in  the  same  sense  as  here. 

8.  Rehum  the  chancellor]  This  portion  of  the  Book  is  in 
Chaldee,  to  vi.  18,  and  was  probably  transcribed  by  Ezra  from 
some  collection  of  Chaldee  records.     Cp.  Bertheau,  p.  9. 

9.  the  chancellor]  Literally,  the  master  of  judgment. 

—  the  scribe]  Or  secretary. 

—  Dinaites]  Probably  from  a  city  in  Media  (-EwaZc?,  ^cr^Aeaw). 

—  Apharsathchites]  A  Medo-Persian  Tribe. 

—  Tarpelites]  Who  seem  to  have  come  from  the  eastern 
region  of  Elymais. 

—  Apharsites]  Of  Persian  origin. 

—  Archevites]  In  Babylonia.     See  Gen.  x.  10, 

—  Susanchites]  From  Susa. 

—  Dehavites]  The  Dai  of  Herod.,  i.  125. 

—  islamites]  Of  Elymais  in  Persia. 

10.  Asnapper]  Either  Esarhaddon,  King  of  Assyria  (2  Kings 
xix.  37),  or,  rather,  one  of  his  officers. 

11.  on  this  side  the  river]  On  the  west  of  Euphrates.  They 
pretend  that  other  tribes  besides  themselves  are  aggrieved  by 
the  building  of  the  Temple. 

12.  building  the  rebellious  and  the  bad  city]  In  their  crafti- 
ness, they  do  not  mention  the  Temple,  which  the  Jews  xvere 
building,  and  which  Cyrus  had  encouraged  them  to  build  (see 
i.  1 — 4)  ;  but  they  mention  the  City,  which  they  were  not 
building  {Buddeus,  Hist.  Eccl.  ii.  900;  Keil,  Chronik.  131; 
Hdvernick,  ii.  p.  296).  These  adversaries  of  Jerusalem  call  it 
"  the  rebellious  and  the  bad  city."  Such  is  the  language  with 
which  the  Church  of  God  is  described  by  its  enemies  :  "  Talera 
hajretici  catholicam  unitatem  judicant "  (Bede). 

13.  thou  shalt  endamage  the  revenue]  They  pretend  zeal  for 
the  royal  revenue  of  Persia,  when  they  would  prevent  the 
building  of  the  Temple ;  so  the  Jews  pretended  zeal  for  the 
imperial  power  of  Rome,  when  they  would  destroy  the  Lord  of 
the  Temple  (Luke  xxiii.  2.  John  xix.  12).  And  in  modem 
days  many  profess  zeal  for  the  Royal  Supremacy,  when  they 
would  ojipress  God's  Church,  which  teaches  loyalty  and  obe- 
dience to  kings,  and  prays  for  them,  and  is  the  best  Guardian 
of  Thrones.     Cp.  TertulUan,  Apol.  33. 

14.  we  have  maintenance  from  the  king's  palace]  Literally, 
toe  are  salted  with  the  salt  of  the  palace :  "  memores  salis  quod 
in  palatio  comedimus  "  {Vulg).     We  are  bound  to  the  king  by 


The  worh  is  checked. 


EZRA  IV.  15—24.     V.  1—3. 


Haggai  and  Zechariah. 


we  sent  and  certified  the  king ;  ^^  That  search  may  be  made  in  the  book  of  the 
records  of  thy  fathers :  so  shalt  thou  find  in  the  book  of  the  records,  and  know 
that  this  city  is  a  rebelhous  city,  and  hurtful  unto  kings  and  provinces,  and 
that  they  have  f  moved  sedition  f  within  the  same  of  old  time  :  for  which  cause 
was  this  city  destroyed.  ^^  We  certify  the  king  that,  if  this  city  be  builded 
again,  and  the  walls  thereof  set  up,  by  this  means  thou  shalt  have  no  portion 
on  this  side  the  river. 

^'^Then  sent  the  king  an  answer  unto  Rehum  the  chancellor,  and  to  Shimshai 
the  scribe,  and  to  the  rest  of  their  f  companions  that  dwell  in  Samaria,  and 
unto  the  rest  beyond  the  river.  Peace,  and  at  such  a  time.  ^^  The  letter  which 
ye  sent  unto  us  hath  been  plainly  read  before  m-e.  ^^And  f  I  commanded,  and 
search  hath  been  made,  and  it  is  found  that  this  city  of  old  time  hath  f  made 
insurrection  against  kings,  and  that  rebellion  and  sedition  have  been  made 
therein.  ^^  There  have  been  mighty  kings  also  over  Jerusalem,  which  have 
^  ruled  over  all  countries  '  beyond  the  river  ;  and  toll,  tribute,  and  custom,  was 
paid  unto  them.  ^^  f  Give  ye  now  commandment  to  cause  these  men  to  cease, 
and  that  this  city  be  not  builded,  until  another  commandment  shall  be  given 
from  me.  ^^  Take  heed  now  that  ye  fail  not  to  do  this  :  why  should  damage 
grow  to  the  hurt  of  the  kings  ? 

-^  Now  when  the  copy  of  king  Artaxerxes'  letter  was  read  before  Rehum,  and 
Shimshai  the  scribe,  and  their  companions,  they  went  up  in  haste  to  Jerusalem 
unto  the  Jews,  and  made  them  to  cease  f  by  force  and  power,  ^i  Then  ceased 
the  work  of  the  house  of  God  which  is  at  Jerusalem.  So  it  ceased  unto  the 
second  year  of  the  reign  of  Darius  king  of  Persia. 

V.  ^  Then  the  prophets,  ^  Haggai  the  prophet,  and  ^  Zechariah  the  son  of 
Iddo,  prophesied  unto  the  Jews  that  ivere  in  Judah  and  Jerusalem  in  the  name 
of  the  God  of  Israel,  even  unto  them.  ^  Then  rose  up  ^  Zerubbabel  the  son 
of  Shealtiel,  and  Jeshua  the  son  of  Jozadak,  and  began  to  build  the  house  of 
God  which  is  at  Jerusalem  :  and  with  them  ivere  the  prophets  of  God  helping 
them. 

^  At  the  same  time  came  to  them  ^  Tatnai,  governor  on  this  side  the  river. 


Before 
CHRIST 

522. 


t  Chald.  made. 
t  Chald.  t'K  the 
midst  ihertof. 


t  Chald.  societies. 


+  Chald.  by  me  a 
decree  is  set. 

t  Chald.  lifted  up 

itself. 


k  1  Kings  4.  21. 

Ps.  72.  8. 

1  Gen.  15.  18. 

Josh.  1.  4. 

t  Chald.  Make  a 

decree. 


t  Chald.  by  arm 
and  power. 
520. 


520. 
a  Hag.  1.  1. 
bZech.  1.  1. 


d  ver.  6. 
ch.  6.  6. 


tics  of  hospitality,  and  also  of  interest ;  as  having  tasted  of  his 
salt,  and  being  bound  to  him  by  a  "  covenant  of  salt "  (2  Chron. 
xiii.  5),  and  as  receiving  a  stipend  {salarium)  from  him  (Junius, 
Bertheau). 

This  speech  also  may  he  applied  spiritually,  "  Sal  in  palatio 
comedunt  Samaritani  j  hffiretici  sapore  mundanaj  philosophiaj, 
cum  suavitate  rhetoric.-e,  cum  versutia  dialecticfe  artis,  insti- 
tuunt "  (Bede),  and  they  are  often  favoured  by  worldly  powers, 
and  are  encouraged  to  injure  the  Church  of  God. 

Some  expositors  interpret  those  words  thus,  "  we  have 
salted"  (the  city  of  Jerusalem)  "with  the  salt  of  the  palace," 
and  as  meaning  that  they  had  helped  in  its  destruction,  and  had 
sown  it  with  salt  (so  Spanheim,  Bochart,  Noldius,  and  Luther, 
and  some  of  the  Rabbis.  See  Pfeiffer,  Dubia  253);  but  the 
other  interpretation  is  preferable. 

17.  an  anstver]  Heb.  pithc/ama,  a  Persian  word.     See  Esther 
i.  20. 

20.  mighty  Kintj.t']  Such  as  David  and  Solomon. 

24.  Then  ceased  the  work  of  the  house  of  God^  Yet  they  had 
u  Tabernacle  and  an  Altar. 

—  Darius']  Who  came  to  the  throne  of  Persia  B.C.  521.     See 
on  V.  5. 

The  Pkophets  Haggai  and  Zechaeiah. 

Ch.  V.  1.  Then  the  prophets,  Haggai  the  prophet,  and 
Zechariah  the  son  of  Iddo,  prophesied]  Haggai  (whose  name 
signifies  festival  of  the  Lord)  reproved  them  for  dwelling  in 
ceiled  houses  while  God's  house  lay  waste  (Hag.  i.  2—5),  and 
encouraged  them  with  the  promise  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord, 
coming  to  His  Temple  (Hag.  ii.  3,  4). 
311 


Zechariah,  the  son  of  Iddo, — or  rather  the  grandson,  for  he 
was  the  son  of  Barachiah  the  son  of  Iddo  (Zech.  i.  1), — exhorted 
them  to  repentance,  and  he  also  cheered  them  with  prophecies 
of  Christ's  Advent  to  the  Temple.  See  Zech.  iii.  8 — lO;  vi. 
12—15;  xii.  7— 11). 

They  prophesied  in  the  second  year  of  Darius  (b.c.  520). 
Haggai  in  the  sixth  month  (Hag.  i.  1) ;  Zechariah  in  the  eighth 
month  (Zech.  i.  1). 

God  had  visited  the  land  with  dearth  for  the  neglect  of 
which  the  Jews  were  guilty,  iu  not  pursuing  the  work  of  build- 
ing the  Temple,  while  they  themselves  were  dwelling  at  ease 
(Hag.  i.  6 — 11 ;  ii.  17.  19).  In  the  ninth  month,  the  twenty- 
fourth  day,  the  people  resumed  the  work  (Hag.  ii.  18),  and  the 
prophet  Haggai  promised  that  the  dearth  would  be  changed 
into  plenty  (Hag.  ii.  10 — 19),  and  delivered  a  special  message 
from  God,  of  encouragement  and  favour  to  Zerubbabel  (Hag. 
ii.  21). 

The  Church  of  God  possesses  an  inestimable  treasure  in  the 
Books  of  the  prophets  Haggai  and  Zechariah,  because  those 
writings  show  with  what  feelings  the  holy  and  faithful  men  of 
that  time  contemplated  the  work  of  rebuilding  the  Temple  of 
Jerusalem.  They  prove  that  they  looked  forward  to  Cheist, 
coming  to  that  Temjjle,  and  making  it  more  glorious  than  the 
Temple  of  Solomon.  The  prophecies  of  Haggai  and  Zechariah 
are  divinely  inspired  commentaries  on  the  Book  of  Ezra,  and 
teach  us  how  to  read  it  aright.  Similarly  the  prophecy  of 
Malachi  expounds  the  Book  of  Nehemiah. 

•  3.  governor  on  this  side  the  river]  Tatnai  was  governor 
(Heb.  pechah)  of  Syria ;  and  Zerubbabel  was  governor  of  the 
Israelites  who  had  returned  from  Babylon  (Hag.  i.  1 — 14;  ii. 


The  letter  of  Tatnai 


EZKA  V.  4—17. 


to  Darius. 


Before 
CHRIST 
520. 
e  ver.  9. 
f  ver.  1 0. 
+  Chald.  that 
build  this 
building? 
R  See  ch.  7.  6, 
28. 
Ps.  33.  18. 

h  ch.  6.  6. 


t  Chald.  in  the 
midst  whereof. 


t  Chald.  stones 
of  rolling. 


k  yet.  3,  4. 


1  1  Kings  6.  1. 
m  2  Chrnn.  36. 
16,  17. 

n  2  Kings  24.  2. 
&  25.  8,  9,  11. 
536. 


p  ch.  1.  7,  8.  & 
6.  5. 


q  Hag.  1.  14.  & 

2.2,  21. 

II  Or,  deputy. 


rch.  3.  8,  10. 


s  ch.  6.  15. 
t  ch.  6.  1,  2. 


and  Shethar-boznai,  and  their  companions,  and  said  thus  unto  them,  '  Who 
hath  commanded  you  to  build  this  house,  and  to  make  up  this  wall  ?  ^  ^  Then 
said  we  unto  them  after  this  manner,  What  are  the  names  of  the  men  f  that 
make  this  building  ?  ^  But  ^  the  eye  of  their  God  was  upon  the  elders  of  the 
Jews,  that  they  could  not  cause  them  to  cease,  till  the  matter  came  to  Darius  : 
and  then  they  returned  "'  answer  by  letter  concerning  this  matter. 

^  The  copy  of  the  letter  that  Tatnai,  governor  on  this  side  the  river,  and 
Shethar-boznai,  'and  his  companions  the  Apharsachites,  which  were  on  this 
side  the  river,  sent  unto  Darius  the  king :  ^  They  sent  a  letter  unto  him, 
f  wherein  was  written  thus  ;  Unto  Darius  the  king,  all  peace. 

^  Be  it  known  unto  the  king,  that  we  went  into  the  province  of  Judea,  to  the 
house  of  the  great  God,  which  is  builded  with  f  great  stones,  and  timber  is  laid 
in  the  walls,  and  this  work  goeth  fast  on,  and  prospereth  in  their  hands.  ^  Then 
asked  we  those  elders,  and  said  unto  them  thus,  ''Who  commanded  you  to  build 
this  house,  and  to  make  up  these  walls  ?  ^^  We  asked  their  names  also,  to 
certify  thee,  that  we  might  write  the  names  of  the  men  that  ivere  the  chief  of 
them.  ^' And  thus  they  returned  us  answer,  saying,  We  are  the  servants  of 
the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  build  the  house  that  was  builded  these  many 
years  ago,  which  a  great  king  of  Israel  builded  '  and  set  up.  ^'^Bnt  ""  after  that 
our  fathers  had  provoked  the  God  of  heaven  unto  wrath,  he  gave  them  into  the 
hand  of  "  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  of  Babylon,  the  Chaldean,  who  destroyed 
this  house,  and  carried  the  people  away  into  Babylon.  ^^  But  in  the  first  year 
of  °  Cyrus  the  king  of  Babylon  the  same  king  Cyrus  made  a  decree  to  build  this 
house  of  God.  ^^  And  ^  the  vessels  also  of  gold  and  silver  of  the  house  of  God, 
which  Nebuchadnezzar  took  out  of  the  temple  that  was  in  Jerusalem,  and 
brought  them  into  the  temple  of  Babylon,  those  did  Cyrus  the  king  take  out 
of  the  temple  of  Babylon,  and  they  were  delivered  unto  one,  "•  whose  name  was 
Sheshbazzar,  whom  he  had  made  ||  governor  ;  ^^  And  said  unto  him.  Take  these 
vessels,  go,  carry  them  into  the  temple  that  is  in  Jerusalem,  and  let  the  house 
of  God  be  builded  in  his  place.  ^^  Then  came  the  same  Sheshbazzar,  and  'laid 
the  foundation  of  the  house  of  God  which  is  in  Jerusalem  :  and  since  that  time 
even  until  now  hath  it  been  in  building,  and  ^ijet  it  is  not  finished.  ^''Now 
therefore,  if  it  seem  good  to  the  king,  '  let  there  be  search  made  in  the  king's 
treasure  house,  which  is  there  at  Babylon,  whether  it  be  so,  that  a  decree  was 
made  of  Cyrus  the  king  to  build  this  house  of  God  at  Jerusalem,  and  let  the 
king  send  his  pleasure  to  us  concerning  this  matter. 


2.  21).  Zerubbabel's  relation  to  Tatnai  resembled  that  of  the 
Tetrarchs  of  portions  of  Palestine  to  the  Roman  Procurators  in 
the  Imperial  times.  Darius  had  divided  his  kingdom  into 
twenty  satrapies  or  prefectures  (Herod.,  iii.  89).  On  the  inter- 
vention of  Tatnai  compare  the  narrative  in  Esdras  vi.  3. 

4.  Then  said  we']  The  writer  of  these  words  seems  to  have 
been  living  at  that  time  (viz.,  in  the  second  year  of  Darius),  and 
to  have  been  then  present  at  .Jerusalem  (so  Michaelis).  Cp. 
Josh.  v.  1,  "  until  toe  were  passed  over."  The  Sept.,  Syr.,  and 
Arabic  have  the  tliird  person  plural;  and  so  Bertheau  and 
Schirmer.     The  Vulgate  has  the  first  person,  "  respondimus." 

Since  the  events  here  described  took  place  (b.c.  520)  sixty- 
three  years  before  Ezra's  own  commission  to  Jerusalem  (B.C. 
457),  and  siuce  Ezra  co-operated  with  Nehemiah  in  the  work  of 
reformation,  who  did  not  come  to  Jerusalem  till  B.C.  444  (Neh. 
ii.  1),  it  is  not  probable  that  Ezra  hunself  was  present  at  the 
time  here  mentioned.  It  seems  probable  that  the  Chaldee 
portion  contains  the  letters  addressed  by  the  Governors  of  Syria 
to  the  Kings  of  Persia,  and  their  rescript  was  composed  by  a 
contemporary  writer,  and  was  adopted  by  Ezra  as  a  trustworthy 
document,  and  inserted  verbatim  in  his  history.  Cp.  Havernick, 
312 


Einleit.  ii.  291 ;  Keil,  Einleit.  p.  456,  §  146 ;  Apol.  Vers.  p.  115 ; 
Pusey  on  Daniel,  p.  334. 

—  after  this  manner,  What  are  the  names']  Rather,  accord- 
ingly, what  the  names  were :  "  We  told  them  what  the  names 
were,  accordingly ;"  that  is,  in  reply  to  their  question.  We  were 
not  ashamed  of  the  work,  but  gloried  in  it,  though  it  might 
expose  us  to  danger.  The  sentence  is  not  a  question,  but  an 
answer  to  it  {Munster,  Tirinus,  Vatablus :  cp.  Pusey  on  Daniel, 
p.  334). 

6.  Apharsachites]  See  iv.  9. 

8.  to  the  house  of  the  great  Qod]  These  governors  are  more 
honest  than  the  Samaritans,  and  do  not  charge  the  Jews  with 
rebuilding  the  city  (as  the  Samaritans  had  done,  v.  12),  but  the 
Temple. 

11.  We  are  the  servants  of  the  Ood  of  heaven  and  earth] 
Our  God  is  not  a  mere  local  deity,  but  is  Lord  of  the  Universe ; 
therefore  you  also  ought  to  honour  and  obey  Him. 

13.  Cyrus  the  king  of  Babylon]  Cyrus  made  Babylon  his 
royal  residence  for  a  large  portion  of  the  year  {Xen.,  Cyrop 
viii.  7).  Cp.  Neh.  xiii.  6,  where  Artaxerxes  is  so  called  ;  and 
below  (vi.  22)  he  is  called  King  of  Assyria. 


A 


The  royal  decree  of  Darius 


EZRA  VI.  1—11. 


for  febuilding  the  Temple, 


VI.  ^  Then  Darius  the  king  made  a  decree,  ^  and  search  was  made  in  the 
house  of  the  f  rolls,  where  the  treasures  were  f  laid  up  in  Babylon.  ^  ^(j 
there  was  found  at  ||  Achmetha,  in  the  palace  that  is  in  the  province  of  the 
Medes,  a  roll,  and  therein  ivas  a  record  thus  written : 

^  In  the  first  year  of  Cyrus  the  king  the  same  Cyrus  the  king  made  a  decree 
concerning  the  house  of  God  at  Jerusalem,  Let  the  house  be  builded,  the  place 
where  they  ofi'ered  sacrifices,  and  let  the  foundations  thereof  be  strongly  laid ; 
the  height  thereof  threescore  cubits,  and  the  breadth  thereof  threescore  cubits  ; 
^  "^  With  three  rows  of  great  stones,  and  a  row  of  new  timber  :  and  let  the 
expences  be  given  out  of  the  king's  house  :  ^  And  also  let  Hhe  golden  and  silver 
vessels  of  the  house  of  God,  which  Nebuchadnezzar  took  forth  out  of  the  temple 
which  is  at  Jerusalem,  and  brought  unto  Babylon,  be  restored,  and  f  brought 
again  unto  the  temple  which  is  at  Jerusalem,  every  one  to  his  place,  and  place 
them  in  the  house  of  God. 

^*Now  therefore,  Tatnai,  governor  beyond  the  river,  Shethar-boznai,  and 
f  your  companions  the  Apharsachites,  which  are  beyond  the  river,  be  ye  far 
from  thence  :  ^  Let  the  work  of  this  house  of  God  alone  ;  let  the  governor  of 
the  Jews  and  the  elders  of  the  Jews  build  this  house  of  God  in  his  place. 
^  Moreover  f  I  make  a  decree  what  ye  shall  do  to  the  elders  of  these  Jews  for 
the  building  of  this  house  of  God :  that  of  the  king's  goods,  even  of  the  tribute 
beyond  the  river,  forthwith  expences  be  given  unto  these  men,  that  they  be  not 
f  hindered.  ^And  that  which  they  have  need  of,  both  young  bullocks,  and 
rams,  and  lambs,  for  the  burnt  offerings  of  the  God  of  heaven,  wheat,  salt, 
^dne,  and  oil,  according  to  the  appointment  of  the  priests  which  are  at  Jeru- 
salem, let  it  be  given  them  day  by  day  without  fail :  ^^  ^  That  they  may  offer 
sacrifices  f  of  sweet  savours  unto  the  God  of  heaven,  and  *^pray  for  the  life  of 
the  king,  and  of  his  sons.  ^^  Also  I  have  made  a  decree,  that  whosoever  shall 
alter  this  word,  let  timber  be  pulled  down  from  his  house,  and  being  set  up, 
f  let  him  be  hanged  thereon ;  ^  and  let  his  house  be  made  a  dunghill  for  this. 


Before 
CHRIST 
519. 
ach.  5.  17. 
+  Chald.  books. 
t  Cliald  made  to 
(ii'scend. 
II  Or,  Ecbalana, 
or,  in  a  coffer 


b  1  Kings  6.  3u. 


c  ch.  1.  7,  8.  & 
5.  14. 


t  Cliald.  go. 


d  ch.  5.  3. 


t  Chald.  their 
societies. 


t  Chald.  by  me  a 
decree  is  made. 


t  Chald.  made  to 
cease. 


e  ch.  7.  23. 
Jer.  29.  7. 
t  Chald.  of  rest. 
f  1  Tim.  2.  1,  2. 


t  Chald.  let  him 
be  destroyed. 
Dan.  2.  5.  &  3.  29. 


Ch.  VI.  1.  in  Babylon']  Where  the  decree  of  Cyrus  was  not 
found, — as  had  been  expected  (v.  17). 

The  Edict  of  Cyetjs  is  Found. 

2.  AcTimetha]  The  metropolis  of  ancient  Media,  and  summer 
residence  of  the  kings  of  Persia,  called  Ecbatana  by  Greek  and 
Latin  writers.  It  is  supposed  by  some  (as  Lassen)  to  signify 
"station  of  horses"  {Oesen.  32;  Fuerst,  61),  which  is  the 
meaning  of  Ispahan.  There  were  two  cities  of  this  name  in 
Media;  the  most  celebrated  was  the  southern,  which  is  now 
called  Hamadan,  and  that  was  the  city  here  mentioned.  Cp. 
EawUnson,  B.  I),  i.  473.     Niebuhr,  Assnr.  p.  176. 

It  has  been  objected  (by  Voltaire)  that  if  any  such  decree 
had  been  framed,  it  would  not  have  been  found  at  Ecbatana  in 
Media,  but  in  Babylon.  But  it  appears  that  in  the  earlier  part 
of  the  reign  ot  Darius  the  Babylonians  were  ill  affected  to 
Darius,  and  broke  into  open  rebellion  in  his  fifth  year  {Herod., 
ii.  150).  And  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  royal  records  .and 
treasures  were  transferred  to  Ecbatana  for  greater  security 
{Duclot) ;  or  (as  others  suppose)  the  decree  may  have  been 
given  by  Cyrus  himself  at  Ecbatana.  The  decree  of  Cyrus  was 
fovmd  at  Ecbatana,  and  the  decree  of  Darius  was  issued  from 
Siisa ;  in  commemoration  of  which  one  of  the  gates  of  the 
Temple,  the  eastern,  was  called  the  gate  of  Shushan,  and  a 
representation  of  that  city  was  sculptured  on  it,  which  remained 
till  its  destruction  by  the  Romans  {LigUfoot,  Temple  Service, 

3.  In  the  first  year  of  Cyrus  the  king']  This  was  the  super- 
scription of  the  roll. 

—  ivhere  they  offered  sacrifices]  Rather,  where  they  may 
offer  {may  he  offering)  sacrifices.  Cyrus  sanctioned  it  by  his 
authority  as  a  place  set  apart  for  public  religious  worship. 

—  let  the  foundations— be  strongly  laid]  Rather,  let  them 
be  set  tip.     See  Oesen.  578 ;  Fuerst,  966. 

31a 


—  height — threescore  cubits]  Only  half  the  height  of  Solo- 
mon's.    See  2  Chron.  iii.  4 :  cp.  Josephiis,  Antt.  xv.  11.  1. 

—  breadth — threescore  cubits]  It  has  been  said  that  the 
second  Temple  (this  of  Zerubbabel)  was  therefore  wider  than 
that  of  Solomon,  which  was  only  twenty  cubits  in  breadth 
(1  Kings  vi.  2.  2  Chi-on.  iii.  3).  But  if  the  side  chambei-s  of 
Solomon's  Temple  arc  included,  the  measures  would  coincide 
(see  Prideaiix,  part  i.  book  iii.  p.  202),  and  it  is  not  at  all 
probable  that  the  second  Temple  exceeded  the  first  in  any 
material  respect.     See  above,  on  iii.  12. 

4.  three  rows]  Rather,  three  storeys,  as  in  Solomon's  Temple 
(1  Kings  vi.  6).  The  Hebrew  word  here  used,  nidbac,  occurs 
only  here  {Gesen.  534);  it  is  rendered  ^6(10^  by  Joseph,  xi. 
5.  4;  and  so  Sept.;  and  Esdras  vi.  4.  Cp.  Fergusson,  B.  D. 
ii.  1459 ;  and  Bertheait  here. 

6.  in  the  house  of  Ood]  Here  ends  the  decree  of  Cyrus, 
recited  by  Darius ;  and  Darius  now  addresses  his  orders  to  Tatnai 
and  Shethar-boznai. 

10.  that  they  may  offer  sacrifices]  These  were  burut-ofier- 
ings;  not  sin-offerings,  which  were  not  offered  for  Gentiles 
{Maimon.).  Josephus  (de  B.  Jud.  ii.  31)  speaks  of  such  sacrificial 
thank-offerings  from  Gentiles.  See  also  his  Antiq.  xii.  2.  5 ; 
c.  Apion  ii.  5 :  and  cp.  Jer.  xxix.  7.  1  Mace.  vii.  33 ;  xii.  11. 
2  Mace.  iii.  35  ;  xiii.  23.  Here  was  a  foreshadowing  of  the  time 
when  all  Nations  would  be  admitted  to  worship  the  One  True 
God  (Isa.  ii.  2.     Mai.  i.  11). 

—  the  Icing,  and  of  his  sons]  Darius  had  married  Atossa,  the 
daughter  of  Cyrus,  and  her  sister  Artisona;  and  Parmys,  the 
daughter  of  Smerdis,  the  brother  of  Cambyses;  and  Phedyma, 
the  daughter  of  Otanes,  by  whom  the  imposture  of  Pseudo- 
Smerdis  the  Magian  was  detected ;  and  by  these  he  had  many 
sons  and  daughters  (cp.  Herod,  iii.  88). 

11.  and  being  set  up,  let  him  be  hanged  thereon]  Or,  let  him, 
being  lifted  up  (i.  e.  crucified  :  see  Gesen.  252;  Bertheau,  84), 


The  dedication  of  the  Temple.  EZRA  VI.  12—21. 


The  Passover  fiept. 


Before 
CHRIST 
519. 
h  1  Kings  9.  3. 


Ich.  5.  1,  2. 


t  Chald.  decree. 
kch.  1.  1.  & 
5.  13.     ver.  3. 
1  ch.  4.  24. 
m  ch.  7.  1. 


515. 

t  Chald.  the  sons 

of  the  iransporta- 

tiun. 

n  1  Kings  8.  63. 

2  Chron.  7.  5. 

o  ch.  8.  35. 


p  1  Chron.  24.  1. 
q  1  Chron.  23.  6. 
t  Chald.  accord- 
ing to  the  writing. 
r  Num.  3.  6.  & 
8.  9. 

s  E.xod.  12.  6. 
t  2  Chron.  30.  15. 
u  2  Chron.  35.11. 


^2 And  the  God  that  hath  caused  his  ''name  to  dwell  there  destroy  all  kings 
and  people,  that  shall  put  to  their  hand  to  alter  and  to  destroy  this  house  of 
God  which  is  at  Jerusalem.  I  Darius  have  made  a  decree ;  let  it  be  done  with 
speed. 

12  Then  Tatnai,  governor  on  this  side  the  river,  Shethar-boznai,  and  their 
companions,  according  to  that  which  Darius  the  king  had  sent,  so  they  did 
speedily.  ^"^ '  And  the  elders  of  the  Jews  builded,  and  they  prospered  through 
the  prophesying  of  Haggai  the  prophet  and  Zechariah  the  son  of  Iddo.  And 
they  builded,  and  finished  it,  according  to  the  commandment  of  the  God  of 
Israel,  and  according  to  the  f  commandment  of  "^  Cyrus,  and  '  Darius,  and 
'"  Artaxerxes  king  of  Persia.  ^^  And  this  house  was  finished  on  the  third  day 
of  the  month  Adar,  which  was  in  the  sixth  year  of  the  reign  of  Darius  the 
king. 

1^  And  the  children  of  Israel,  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  and  the  rest  of 
f  the  children  of  the  captivity,  kept "  the  dedication  of  this  house  of  God  with 
joy,  1^  And  °  offered  at  the  dedication  of  this  house  of  God  an  hundred  bul- 
locks, two  hundred  rams,  four  hundred  lambs ;  and  for  a  sin  offering  for  all 
Israel,  twelve  he  goats,  according  to  the  number  of  the  tribes  of  Israel.  ^^And 
they  set  the  priests  in  their  ^  divisions,  and  the  Levites  in  their  "^  courses,  for 
the  service  of  God,  which  is  at  Jerusalem ;  f  "■  as  it  is  written  in  the  book  of 
Moses. 

1^  And  the  children  of  the  captivity  kept  the  passover  '  upon  the  fourteenth 
day  of  the  first  month.  ^^  For  the  priests  and  the  Levites  were  '  purified  toge- 
ther, all  of  them  ivere  pure,  and  "  killed  the  passover  for  all  the  children  of  the 
captivity,  and  for  their  brethren  the  priests,  and  for  themselves.  ^^  And  the 
children  of  Israel,  which  were  come  again  out  of  captivity,  and  all  such  as  had 
separated  themselves  unto  them  from  the  ""  filthiness  of  the  heathen  of  the 


he  fastened  thereon  (Geseii.  462).  This  puuishment  was  common 
among  the  Persians.  See  below,  on  Esther  ii.  23  :  ep.  Esther 
vii.  9 ;  ix.  13.  Herod,  iii.  125 ;  iv.  43 ;  vii.  194.  Baumgarten, 
de  fide  Esthera?,  p.  107. 

—  a  dunghill^  A  draught-house,  latrina.  See  2  Kings  x.  27. 
Mitzig  on  Dan.  ii.  5. 

12.  And  the  Ood — destroy']  In  a  cuneiform  inscription  set 
up  by  Darius  at  ^Behistdn  are  tlie  following  words :  "  Darius 
the  King  saith.  If  thou  hidest  this  decree,  and  dost  not  publish 
it  to  the  people,  may  Auramazda  destroy  thee,  and  thy  house 
perish ! "  (see  in  Spiegel,  p.  35,  and  ibid.  p.  37).  "  If  thou 
destroyest  this  inscription  and  statue  may  Auramazda  destroy 
thee,  and  thy  house  perisli  \"  The  words  of  Darius  may  be 
contrasted  with  those  of  Cyrus,  above,  i.  1 — 4. 

Darius  does  indeed  call  the  God  of  the  Jews  by  the  title, 
"  the  Ood  of  heaven  "  (vv.  9,  10),  but  he  regards  Him  as  only  a 
local  and  national  deity  {v.  7) ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
Artaxerxes  (vii.  15 — 25).  But  Cyrus  had  spoken  of  Him  as 
"  the  Lord  God  of  heaven,"  Who  had  given  him  "  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth ;"  and  had  said  "  the  Lobd  God  of  Israel, 
Hei3theGod"(i.  2,  3). 

14.  the  elders  of  the  Jews  builded']  The  date  of  the  reception 
of  the  decree  of  Darius,  and  renewal  of  the  work  of  building  the 
Temple,  was  a.d.  518,  the  foui-th  of  Darius  (see  Zech.  vii.  5 : 
cp.  Prideanx,  i.  p.  257),  which  was  just  seventy  years  from  the 
destruction  of  the  city  and  the  Temple  in  the  eleventh  of 
Zedekiah. 

Another  period  of  seventy  years  dates  from  the  fourth  of 
Jehoiakim,  when  Nebuchadnezzar  first  subjugated  Judaea  to 
the  issuing  of  the  edict  of  Cyrus  (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  20—23). 

There  was  yet  another  recurrence  of  a  period  of  seventy 
years  in  the  Interval  between  the  birth  of  Christ  and  the 
destruction  of  the  material  Temple  of  Jerusalem,  when  the 
spiritual  Temple,  His  Universal  Church,  rose  more  gloriously  in 
its  place  and  out  of  its  ruins. 

—  Artaxerxes  king  of  Persia]  The  Sacred  Writer  extends 
the  range  of  his  chronological   observation  here  to  B.C.  465, 
314 


when  Artaxerxes  Longimanus  came  to  the  throne.  He  passes 
over  Xerxes,  just  as  in  iv.  5  he  had  passed  over  Cambyses  and 
Pseudo-Smerdis,  to  whom  he  afterwards  returns  in  iv.  6,  7 :  cp. 
notes  there,  and  Bertheau,  p.  85,  who  observes  that  the  Sacred 
Writer  groups  together  the  names  of  those  Persian  Kings  which 
were  best  known  to  his  countrymen. 

It  is  remarked  by  Michaelis  and  Le  Clerc  that  though  -the 
Temple  was  finished  (as  the  Sacred  Writer  himself  states)  under 
Darius,  yet  Artaxerxes  Longimanus  did  much  to  adorn  and 
beautify  it,  and  therefore  might  justly  be  commemorated  here. 

The  Temple  is  Finished;  the  Feast  of  Dedication. 

15.  this  house  tvas  finished  on  the  third  day  of  the  month 
Adar]  The  twelfth  month  (i.  e.  the  month  before  Abib  or 
Nisan,  in  which  the  Passover  was  celebrated,  see  vi.  19 — 22), 
corresponding  to  half  February  and  March ;  in  the  sixth  year  of 
Darius,  B.C.  515. 

This  was  twenty  years  from  the  issuing  of  the  decree  of 
Cyrus. 

16.  kept  the  dedication  of  this  house — ivith  joy]  Probably 
with  the  singing  of  the  cxlvi.  cxlvii.  and  cxlviii.  Psalms,  which 
in  the  Sept.  are  called  Psalms  of  Haggai  and  Zechariah. 
Perhaps  also  Psalm  cxviii.  was  then  composed  and  sung. 

17.  according  to  the  number  of  the  tribes  of  Israel]  So 
that  the  second  Temple  iiiight  be  the  means  of  healing  the 
schism  between  Israel  and  Judah,  and  be  a  centre  of  religious 
unity.  Compare  Elijah's  act  (1  Kings  xviii.  31).  How  much 
more  is  this  realized  in  Him,  Who  is  the  true  Temple !  See 
John  ii.  19 ;  xi.  52. 

18.  the  book  of  Moses]  Num.  iii.  6;  viii.  9,  10;  and 
Leviticus,  passim. 

19.  And  the  oldldren  of  the  captivity']  On  the  genuineness 
of  this  section  {vv.  19 — 22),  which  has  been  impugned  by  some, 
see  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  128. 

—  the  passover]  In  the  month  immediately  following  the 
completion  of  the  building :  see  v.  15. 


Ezra  comes  up  from  Babylon     EZRA  VI.  22.     VII.  1—6. 


to  Jerusalem. 


"Before 
CHRIST 

515. 


land,  to  seek  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  did  eat,  ^"^  And  kept  the  ^  feast  of  milea 
vened  bread  seven  days  with  joy :  for  the  Lord  had  made  them  joyful,  and  y  Eiod.'fi  is.  & 
Hm-ned  the  heart  ^  of  the  king  of  Assyria  unto  them,  to  strengthen  their  hands  2Ch;on.3o.2i.& 
in  the  work  of  the  house  of  God,  the  God  of  Israel.  a  2^Krn.?s  23: 29. 

VII.  ^Now  after  these  things,  in  the  reign  of  ""Artaxerxes  king  of  Persia,  ch^'r".&^"^'' 
Ezra  ^  the  son  of  Seraiah,  the  son  of  Azariah,  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  ^  The  son  of  ""'  ^u^?: 
Shallum,  the  son  of  Zadok,  the  son  of  Ahitub,  ^The  son  of  Amariah,  the  son  b  1  cu'ron.  k  h. 
of  Azariah,  the  son  of  Meraioth,  ^  The  son  of  Zerahiah,  the  son  of  Uzzi,  the 
son  of  Buldii,  ^  The  son  of  Abishua,  the  son  of  Phiuehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar, 
the  son  of  Aaron  the  chief  priest :  ^  This  Ezra  went  up  from  Babylon ;  and  he 
was  '^a  ready  scribe  in  the  law  of  Moses,  which  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  had  ever. n,  12, 21. 


22.  of  the  king  of  Assyria]  Even  of  the  King  of  that 
country  which  had  sent  forth  its  ai'mies  to  destroy  Israel  and 
Judah. 

TheMedo-Persian  King  is  called  "  King  oi  Assyria,"  because 
Persia  had  now  absorbed  the  power  formerly  possessed  by 
Nineveh  and  Babylon.  Cp.  above,  v.  13,  where  Cyrus  is  called 
King  of  Rabylon ;  and  below,  Neh.  xiii.  6,  where  Artaxerxes 
Longimanus  is  called  "  King  of  Babylon ;"  and  see  TIssher, 
Ann.  p.  91 ;  and  Sdmrnick,  Einleit.  ii.  287,  who  observes, 
that  "  Since  the  time  of  Darius  Hystaspis,  Assyria  formed  the 
principal  Persian  province."  Darius  and  other  Persian  Kings 
used  the  Assyrian  language  in  inscriptions  and  other  pubUc 
documents  (Jlerod.  iv.  87 ;  Thueyd.  iv.  50). 

Pbeliminaey  Note  to  Chap.  VII. 

Between  the  foregoing  chapter  and  the  present  is  an 
interval  of  about  fifty-eight  years. 

In  it  ftdls  the  reign  of  Xerxes,  who  succeeded  Darius, 
and  occupied  the  Persian  throne  twenty-one  years,  viz.  from 
B.C.  486,  to  B.C.  465,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Artaxerxes 
Longimanus. 

The  Book  of  Esthee  is  to  be  placed  in  this  interval. 

That  Book  is  supplementary  to  the  Book  of  Ezra  ,•  perhaps 
it  was  written  by  him :  see  below.  Introduction  to  it.  The 
Book  of  Ezea  relates  what  happened  to  those  Jews  who 
listened  to  the  voice  of  God,  speaking  to  them  in  the  edict  of 
Cyrus,  and  who  returned  from  the  heathen  lands  of  thtir 
captivity  to  Jerusalem,  and  helped  to  rebuild  its  Temple.  The 
Book  of  Esthee  is  a  record  of  His  providential  interference 
in  behalf  of  those  Jews,  who  remained  in  the  kingdom  of 
Persia.     See  below,  the  Introduction  to  Esthee. 

On  the  circumstances  whicli  probably  exercised  influence 
over  the  mind  of  Artaxerxes,  and  induced  him  to  grant  so 
large  and  liberal  a  commission  to  Ezra,  the  Hebrew  Priest  and 
Scribe,  as  is  described  in  this  chapter,  see  below,  on  vii. 
23 — 25 ;  and  above.  Introduction,  p.  300. 

Ch.  vii.  1.  Now'\  Or  rather,  and.  By  this  copulative,  the 
author  (who  is  Ezra)  joins  his  own  personal  narrative,  which 
now  follows,  to  that  which  has  gone  before,  and  which  he 
derived  from  earUer  documents.   See  V.  4.   Cp.  Keil,  p.  456. 

—  in  the  reign  of  Artaxerxes  king  of  Persia]  Artaxerxes 
Longimanus,  who  came  to  the  throne  of  Persia  B.C.  465.  He 
was  the  son  of  Xerxes,  by  Amestris,  the  daughter  of  Otanes 
(Ctesias,  Pers.  c.  20),  This  is  the  Artaxerxes  of  the  Book  of 
Nehemiah  (Neh.  ii.  1 ;  v.  14.  Gesenius,  Bertholdt,  Kleinert, 
Bertheau  ;  and  see  Keil,  Chronik.  p.  103). 

CoiiMissiojj^  to  Ezea  in  the  Seventh  Yeae  of 
Aetaxeexes. 

—  Ezra]  Whose  name  signifies  helper  {Qesen.  619);  he 
came  to  Jerusalem  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  (v.  7), 
namely,  B.C.  458. 

—  the  son  of  Seraiah]  That  is,  the  descendant  of  Seraiah, 
the  celebrated  High  Priest.  There  was  nearly  a  century  and 
a  half  between  Ezra  and  Seraiah,  who  was  slain  at  Riblah,  by 
command  of  Nebuchadnezzar  (2  Kings  xxv.  18 — 21.)  The  name 
of  Seraiah,  the  well-known  High  Priest,  is  mentioned,  in  order 
that  Ezra's  genealogy  may  be  traced  up  to  Aaron.  Cp.  the 
genealogy  in  1  Chron.  vi.  3  —  14,  where  many  links  in  that 
pedigree  are  supplied,  which  are  omitted  here.  Ezra  pro- 
bably was  not  of  the  elder  line  of  Seraiah,  who  had  a  son  Jehozadak 
(1  Chron.  vi.  14). 

315 


6.  This  Ezra  went  ttp  from  Babylon]  With  authority  and 
commission  from  the  King  of  Persia  {vv.  21 — 26). 

Ezra  is  here  spoken  of  in  the  third  person  {vv.  6 — 11). 
In  vv.  27,  28,  the  writer  speaks  of  himself  in  the  first  person, 
as  Ezra  himself.  This  change  of  person  does  not,  as  some 
allege,  indicate  any  diflerence  of  authorship,  or  militate  against 
the  opinion  of  the  ancient  Hebrew  Church,  as  well  as  Christian, 
ascribing  this  book  to  Ezra.  Nothing  is  more  common  in 
Hebrew  writers  than  such  changes  of  person.  In  the  Book 
of  Deuteronomy,  Moses  sometimes  speaks  of  himself  in  tlie  first 
person,  e.g.  (chap.iv.)  vv.  14.  21,  22,  and  sometimes  in  the  third 
{vv.  41 — 46),  in  the  same  cliapter.  Cp.  Ezek.  i.  1 — 3.  Zech.  i.  1; 
ji.  I ;  vii.  1.  4.  Hdvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  281 ;  Keil,  Apol.  Vers. 
121 ;  Einleit.  §  146.  Such  changes  of  person  were  suggested 
by  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  and  will  easily  be  accounted 
for  by  the  attentive  reader  :  for  example,  in  the  present  verse, 
it  would  have  been  less  graceful  in  Ezra  to  have  said,  "  I  was 
a  ready  scribe;"  but  he  looks  on  himself,  ab  extra,  and  uses 
the  third  person.  Or  rather,  may  we  not  say,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  guided  him,  speaks  by  him,  and  of  him  ?  See  the 
next  note.     Cp.  note  below,  on  x.  1. 

—  and  he  was  a  ready  scribe]  Heb.  sopher  mahir  (from 
mahar,  to  hasten,  to  act  quickly :  Qesen.  454),  scriba  velox 
{Sept.).  He  was  quick  in  apprehending,  and  prompt  in 
expressing,  the  meaning  of  God's  word  delivered  in  the  Law  of 
Moses.  On  this  use  of  the  word  scribe,  see  1  Chron.  xxvii.  32. 
Jer.  viii.  8.  Cp.  Ps.  xlv.  2  :  "  My  tongue  is  the  pen  of  a  ready 
writer."  Ezra  connects  himself  with  Moses,  as  being  appointed 
and  enabled  by  God  to  restore  the  religious  fabric,  which  God 
founded  by  Moses.  Moses  in  Egypt,  Ezra  in  Babylon,  were 
prepared  to  do  God's  work. 

The  terms  in  which  Ezra  here  speaks  of  himself,  may  be 
compared  with  the  language  of  Moses,  describing  his  own 
character.  See  note  above,  on  Num.  xii.  3.  Cp.  Keil,  Chronik. 
p.  125.  Ezra  ascribes  all  his  strength  and  success  to  God's 
grace  (see  vv.  27,  28)  given  to  his  prayer  {v.  10),  and  blesses 
God  for  it. 

The  self-praise  of  Ezra  amounts  merely  to  this,  that  he 
gives  himself  his  own  j^roper  title.  That  title,  "  Scribe  of  the 
law  of  the  God  of  heaven,"  is  twice  ascribed  to  him  in  the  decree 
of  Artaxerxes  (vii.  12.  21),  and  was  his  official  designation. 
It  is  added,  that  he  was  a  ready  scribe  in  the  Law,  and  why  ? 
Because  he  made  that  Law  the  study  of  his  life.  He  presents 
himself  to  us  as  a  jjerson  qualified  to  speak,  just  as  St.  Paul 
does,  when  he  introduces  himself  to  us  as  "  Paul  an  Apostle, 
not  of  men,  neither  by  man,  but  by  Jesus  Christ "  (Gal.  i.  i). 
Ezra  meant,  that  he  was  a  "  ready  writer "  of  what  he  was 
taught  by  God,  Who  used  him  as  an  instrument,  as  He  used 
the  tongue  of  the  Psalmist  (Ps.  xlv.  2).  And  since  Ezra  was 
specially  employed  by  God  to  preserve  and  settle  the  Canon  of 
Scripture,  it  is  providential  that  his  fitness  for  the  office  should 
be  authenticated  in  this  book,  which  has  been  ever  received  by 
the  Hebrew  Church  as  part  of  divinely  inspired  Scripture,  and 
is  authenticated  as  such  by  Jesus  Christ  Himself.  Cp. 
Dr.  Pusey,  on  Daniel,  p.  336 ;  Hdvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  281. 

Ezra  was  a  descendant  of  Aaron,  as  well  as  a  representative 
of  Moses.  He  was  not  High  Priest,  but  he  united  the  priestly 
office  with  that  of  a  restorer  and  expounder  of  the  Law.  Cp. 
Neh.  viii.  1 ;  xii.  26—36.  In  this  respect  he  foreshadowed  the 
twofold  office  of  Christ,  our  Divine  Ezra  or  Helper,  Who  joins 
the  functions  of  a  Priest  to  those  of  a  Prophet  and  Teacher  of 
the  Divine  Law,  and  brings  up  the  Israel  of  God  from  their 
Land  of  Captivity  to  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  {Bede). 

With  regard  to  Ezra's  work  (both  what  it  was,  and  what 


Ezra  the  Scribe  and  Priest. 


EZKA  VII.  7—19. 


Decree  oj  Artaxerxes, 


Before 
CHRIST 

457. 
d  ver.  9. 
ch.  8.  22,  31. 
e  ch.  8.  1. 
f  Seech.  8.  15, 
&c. 

g  ch.  2.  43.  & 
8.  20. 

about 
457. 
t  Heb.  was  the 
foundation  of  the 
going  up. 
h  ver.  6. 
Neh.  2.  8,  IS. 
iPs.  119.  45. 
k  ver.  C.  25. 
Deut.  33.  10. 
Neh.  8.  1—8. 
Mai.  2.  7. 


I  Ezek.  26.  7. 
Dan.  2.  37. 

II  Or,  to  Ezra  the 
priest,  a  perfect 
scribe  of  the  law 
of  the  God  of 
heaven,  peace,  &c. 
mch.  4.  10. 

t  Chald. /rom 
befiire  the  king. 
n  Esth.  1.  14. 


o  2  Chron.  6.  2. 
Ps.  135.21. 
p  ch.  8.  25. 


q  1  Chron.  29. 


r  Num.  15.4—13. 
s  Deut.  12.  5,  11. 


given  :  and  the  king  granted  liim  all  his  request,  ^  according  to  the  hand  of  the 
LoED  his  God  upon  him.  ''^  And  there  went  up  some  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  of  the  priests,  and  'the  Levites,  and  the  singers,  and  the  porters,  and  ^the 
Nethinims,  unto  Jerusalem,  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  the  king.  ^And 
he  came  to  Jerusalem  in  the  fifth  month,  which  was  in  the  seventh  year  of  the 
king.  ^  For  upon  the  first  daij  of  the  first  month  f  began  he  to  go  up  from 
Babylon,  and  on  the  first  daij  of  the  fifth  month  came  he  to  Jerusalem, 
''  according  to  the  good  hand  of  his  God  upon  him.  ^^For  Ezra  had  prepared 
his  heart  to  '  seek  the  law  of  the  Lord,  and  to  do  it,  and  to  "^  teach  in  Israel 
statutes  and  judgments. 

^^  Now  this  is  the  copy  of  the  letter  that  the  king  Artaxerxes  gave  unto  Ezra 
the  priest,  the  scribe,  even  a  scribe  of  the  words  of  the  commandments  of  the 
Lord,  and  of  his  statutes  to  Israel. 

12  Artaxerxes,  '  king  of  kings,  ||  unto  Ezra  the  priest,  a  scribe  of  the  law  of 
the  God  of  heaven,  perfect  i^eace,  ""  and  at  such  a  time.  ^^I  make  a  decree, 
that  all  they  of  the  people  of  Israel,  and  of  his  priests  and  Levites,  in  my 
realm,  which  are  minded  of  their  own  freewill  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  go  with 
thee.  1^  Forasmuch  as  thou  art  sent  f  of  the  king,  and  of  his  "  seven  counsel- 
lors, to  inquire  concerning  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  according  to  the  law  of  thy 
God  which  is  in  thine  hand  ;  ^^  And  to  carry  the  silver  and  gold,  which  the  king 
and  his  counsellors  have  freely  ofieredunto  the  God  of  Israel,  "whose  habitation 
is  in  Jerusalem,  ^^  ^  And  all  the  silver  and  gold  that  thou  canst  find  in  all  the 
province  of  Babylon,  with  the  freewill  ofi'ering  of  the  people,  and  of  the  priests, 
"^  offering  willingly  for  the  house  of  their  God  which  is  in  Jerusalem  :  ^^  That 
thou  mayest  buy  speedily  with  this  money  bullocks,  rams,  lambs,  with  their 
■■  meat  offerings  and  their  drink  offerings,  and  '  offer  them  upon  the  altar  of  the 
house  of  your  God  which  is  in  Jerusalem.  I'^And  whatsoever  shall  seem  good 
to  thee,  and  to  thy  brethren,  to  do  with  the  rest  of  the  silver  and  the  gold,  that 
do  after  the  will  of  your  God.     ^^  The  vessels  also  that  are  given  thee  for  the 


it  was  not),  in  tbe  revision  of  the  sacred  Canon  of  the  Old 
Testament,  see  S.  Iren.  iii.  25  (with  the  note  of  Fenardentius) ; 
Huseb.  H.  E.  V.  8 ;  iS*.  Jerome,  c.  Helvid.  c.  1 ;  S.  Silar. ; 
and  Theodoret,  Prsef.  in  Psalmosj  Bp.  Cosin,  on  the  Canon, 
ch.  ii. ;  Buxtorf,  Tiberias,  c.  ii. ;  Prideaux,  part  i.  book  v. 
vol.  ii.  p.  106;  Carpzov,  Introd.  in  Vet.  Test.  c.  xviii.  p.  307; 
Hdvernick,  Einleit.  pp.  28 — 31.  42 — 49.  63.  Some  of  the  early 
Christian  writers  seem  to  have  been  deceived  by  the  legendary 
account  in  the  Apocryphal  2  Esdras  xiv.  21 — 42. 

Ezra,  a  divinely  inspired  person,  assisted  by  the  prophets 
of  his  time,  revised  the  copies  then  extant  of  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures,  and  completed  the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Cp.  S.  Chrysost.,  in  Epist.  ad  Heb.  Hom.  8,  who  adds,  that 
when  the  Son  of  God  came  into  the  world.  He  adopted  and 
authorized  that  Canon  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  and  His 
Apostles  diffused  those  Sci-iptures  every  where. 

Now  that  prophecy  was  about  to  cease,  the  office  of  the 
Scribes,  learned  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  became  more  im- 
portant. 

8.  fifth  montlh]  The  month  Ab,  in  which  the  destruction  of 
the  First  Temple  took  place,  and  also  that  of  the  Second,  which 
is  said  to  have  happened  on  the  same  day.  Cp.  Zech.  viii.  19. 
Allen's  Judaism,  p.  401.    It  was  at  the  end  of  July. 

—  seventh  year]  B.C.  458.  Some  chronologers  date  the 
commencement  of  Daniel's  weeks  from  this  Edict  of  Ahasuerus, 
in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign.  Thus  Prideaux  (part  i. 
book  v.),  "  The  seventy  weeks  being  divided  into  three  periods 
(that  is,  into  seven  weeks,  sixty-two  weeks,  and  one  week),  the 
first  reaches  from  the  time  of  the  going  forth  of  the  com- 
mandment to  Ezra  for  the  restoring  of  the  Church  and  State 
of  the  Jews,  in  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  to 
the  finishing  of  that  work  by  Neheraiah  forty-nine  years  after  : 
tbe  Second,  fi-om  the  end  of  that  period,  to  the  Coming  of  the 
Messiah,  434  years  after;  and  the  last,  from  His  Comins',  to 
316 


His  Cutting  off  by  His  Death  on  the  Cross,  which  was  one 
week  or  seven  years  after ;  and  all  these  put  together,  fully 
made  up  the  seventy  weeks,  or  490  years  of  the  projihecy ;  and 
as  the  going  out  of  the  commandment  to  Ezra,  whence  they 
began,  was  in  the  month  Nisan,  so  the  commission  of  Christ 
was  also  in  the  same  month,  just  490  years  after." 

The  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes  has  also  been  chosen  as 
the  starting-point  by  some  ancient  later  expositors.  See  Browne, 
Ordo  Sajclorum,  p.  380;  and  especially  J)r.  Pusey,  on  Daniel, 
p.  168.     On  this  point,  see  further  below,  on  Dan.  ix.  24. 

9.  hegan  he  to  go  upi']  Literally,  he  laid  the  foundation  of 
his  going  up.  So  Sept.  As  to  the  stages  of  his  journey,  see 
viii.  15.  21—31. 

10.  Ezra  had  prepared  his  heart]  Which  he  strengthened 
by  prayer  and  fasting  (viii.  21.  23). 

11.  Ezra  the  priest]  See  v.  1.  In  the  Alexandrine  Version 
the  Book  of  Esdras  is  entitled,  "  The  Priest." 

12.  Artaxerxes]  This  decree  {vv.  12 — 26)  is  in  Chaldee. 

—  king  of  kings]  The  title  claimed  by  the  Persian  monarchs 
in  extant  public  monuments,  such  as  the  inscription  at  Behistdn 
( Spiegel ;  Keil,  Inscriptions,  pp.  3.  41.  47.  49.  Cp.  below,  on 
Esther  i.  1).  A  cuneiform  inscription,  still  extant,  of  Artaxerxes 
Mnemon,  discovered  at  Susa,  thus  begins :  "  Thus  speaks 
Artaxerxes,  the  great  King,  the  King  of  Kings,  the  King  of 
the  countries,  the  King  of  this  earth,  the  Son  of  King  Darius." 
See  Spiegel,  64.  114.  This  title  had  been  assumed  by  tlie 
Kings  of  Babylon  (Dan.  ii.  37.  Ezek.  xxvi.  7).  It  is  borne 
by  Christ  in  the  Apocalypse  (Rev.  xvii.  14;  xix.  16). 

14.  seven  counsellors]  Who  "saw  the  King's  face;"  see 
Esther  i.  14.  This  number  may  have  been  derived  from  Darius 
Hystaspis,  and  his  associates  (Herod,  iii.  70).  The  number 
seven  was  a  favourite  one  with  the  Persians :  see  Esther 
i.  10. 

19.  the  vessels]  See  below,  viii.  25 — 27.     These  vessels  were 


Decree  of  Artaxerxes. 


EZRA  VII.  20—28.     VIII.  1. 


The  company  of  Ezra. 


seiTice  of  the  house  of  thy  God,  those  deHver  thou  before  the  God  of  Jerusalem. 
^^  And  whatsoever  more  shall  be  needful  for  the  house  of  thy  God,  which  thou 
shalt  have  occasion  to  bestow,  bestow  it  out  of  the  king's  treasure  house. 
^^  And  I,  even  I  Artaxerxes  the  king,  do  make  a  decree  to  all  the  treasurers 
which  are  beyond  the  river,  that  whatsoever  Ezra  the  priest,  the  scribe  of  the 
law  of  the  God  of  heaven,  shall  requu-e  of  you,  it  be  done  speedily,  ^  Unto  an 
hundred  talents  of  silver,  and  to  an  hundred  f  measures  of  wheat,  and  to  an 
hundred  baths  of  wine,  and  to  an  hundred  baths  of  oil,  and  salt  without  pre- 
scribing how  much.  -^  f  Whatsoever  is  commanded  by  the  God  of  heaven,  let 
it  be  diligently  done  for  the  house  of  the  God  of  heaven :  for  why  should  there 
be  wrath  against  the  realm  of  the  king  and  his  sons  ?  -■^  Also  we  certify  you, 
that  touching  any  of  the  priests  and  Levites,  singers,  porters,  Nethiuims,  or 
ministers  of  this  house  of  God,  it  shall  not  be  lawful  to  impose  toll,  tribute,  or 
custom,  upon  them.  ^^  And  thou,  Ezra,  after  the  wisdom  of  thy  God,  that  is 
in  thine  hand,  '  set  magistrates  and  judges,  which  may  judge  all  the  people  that 
are  beyond  the  river,  all  such  as  know  the  laws  of  thy  God ;  and  "  teach  ye  them 
that  know  them  not.  -^"And  whosoever  will  not  do  the  law  of  thy  God,  and 
the  law  of  the  king,  let  judgment  be  executed  speedily  upon  him,  whether  it 
he  unto  death,  or  f  to  banishment,  or  to  confiscation  of  goods,  or  to  impri- 
sonment. 

^^ "  Blessed  he  the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers,  ^  which  hath  put  such  a  thing  as 
this  in  the  king's  heart,  to  beautify  the  house  of  the  Lord  which  is  in  Jeru- 
salem :  -^  And  '  hath  extended  mercy  unto  me  before  the  king,  and  his  coun- 
sellors, and  before  all  the  king's  mighty  princes.  And  I  was  strengthened  as 
^  the  hand  of  the  Lord  my  God  ivas  upon  me,  and  I  gathered  together  out  of 
Israel  chief  men  to  go  up  with  me. 

VIII.  ^  These  are  now  the  chief  of  their  fathers,  and  this  is  the  genealogy  of 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
457. 


■f  Chald.  cars. 


t  Heb.  What- 
soever is  of  the 
decree. 


t  Exod.18.21,22. 
Deut.  16.  18. 

u  ver.  10. 
2  Chron.  17.  7. 
Mai.  2.  7. 
Matt.  23.  2,  3. 


t  Chald.  to 
rooting  out. 


X  1  Chron.  29.  10. 
y  ch.  6.  22. 


z  ch.  9.  9. 


a  See  ch.  5.  5.  & 
ver.  6.  9.  & 
ch.  8.  18. 

about 
457. 


of  a  different  character  from  those  which  were  taken  to  Jeru- 
salem by  Zerubbabel  and  Jesliua,  and  which  are  described  above, 
i.  7—11. 

Those  were  vessels  which  had  belonged  originally  to  the 
Temple,  and  had  been  carried  by  Nebuchadnezzar  to  Babylon, 
and  were  given  back  to  the  Temple  by  Cyrus.  But  these  were 
additional  vessels,  freely  offered  by  the  King  of  Persia  to  the 
Temple.  In  both  cases  the  tribute  to  God  is  from  heathen 
powers ;  but  in  the  one  case  it  is  a  restoration,  in  the  other  an 
addition.  It  represents  a  twofold  act  of  homage  of  earthly 
powers  to  God  and  His  Church.  Cp.  Bede,  who  compares  the 
former  act  to  the  work  of  repentance,  and  the  other  to  the  work 
of  conversion. 

22.  salt  without  prescribing']  Without  measure.  The 
enemies  of  God's  Church  had  before  said  that  they  were 
"  salted  with  the  salt  of  the  palace  "  (iv.  14,  margin) ;  but  now 
the  King's  decree  gives  "  salt  without  measure "  to  Ezra  and 
his  company. 

23.  let  it  be  diligently  done]  The  word  rendered  diligently 
is  adrazedda,  a  Persian  word  {Gesen.  14,  Cp.  Mitzig,  on 
Dan.  ii.  5). 

—  why  should  there  be  wrath]  The  kingdom  of  Persia  had 
been  smarting  under  some  national  visitations,  —  such  as 
Marathon  and  Salamis,  and  the  disasters  in  Egypt, — and  they 
were  probably  attributed  by  the  Persians  to  the  anger  of  the 
gods.  See  Ussher,  Annales,  p.  101.  Even  Ai-taxer.xes,  a 
heathen  King,  is  conscious,  and  proclaims  his  persuasion,  that 
the  neglect  of  God  and  His  service  brings  down  God's  anger  on 
a  nation. 

May  not  Artaxerxes  have  had  some  forebodings  of  the  evils 
which  Daniel  the  Prophet,  and  prime  minister  of  Persia,  had 
foretold  would  come  upon  the  Persian  Empire ;  and  did  he  not 
desire  to  avert  them  by  propitiating  the  favour  of  the  King  of 
heaven  ?     See  the  following  note. 

25.  And  thou,   Hzra,   after  the   wisdom   of  thy   God — set 
magistrates]  This  commission,  from  a  great  heathen  king  to  a 
Hebrew  Priest  and  Scribe,  giving  him  full  civil  control  to  be 
317 


exercised  according  to  the  Law  of  God,  is  very  remarkable,  and 
stands  in  strong  contrast  to  other  acts  of  Eastern  Monarchs, 
and  even  of  Kings  of  Israel.     How  is  it  to  be  accounted  for  ? 

The  prophecies  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah,  shown  by  Daniel  to 
Cyrus,  set  him  in  motion,  and  induced  him  to  issue  his  edict  for 
the  restoration  of  Israel.     See  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22. 

Is  it  not  probable,  also,  that  Ezra  the  Priest,  a  Scribe, 
expert  in  God's  Law,  revealed  to  Artaxerxes  some  visions  of  the 
future  glorious  triumphs  of  Israel  and  Israel's  God,  as  displayed 
in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  of  the  Prophets  ?  May  he  not  have 
shown  him  the  prophecies  concerning  Persia  itself,  especially  in 
Daniel  (viii.  3 — 21)  ?  And  may  not  the  King  of  Persia  have 
desired  to  avert  the  judgments  pre-announced  therein  by  the 
prophet  of  that  God,  Whose  mighty  power  and  watchful  provi- 
dence over  him  had  been  displayed  to  Nebuohadnezzar,  Bel- 
shazzar,  and  Darius  ?  Artaxerxes  had  already  seen  a  fulfil- 
ment, in  his  own  dominions,  of  some  of  the  prophecies  contained 
in  the  Books  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Daniel ;  and  would  he 
not  reasonably  infer  from  that  fulfilment  that  the  rest  of  these 
prophecies  would  be  fulfilled  also  ? 

26.  banishment]  Literally,  uprooting,  outlawry. 
28.  mercy  unto  me]  Therefore  this  part  of  the  Book  (where 
the  writer  speaks  in  the  first  person,  chapters  vii. — ix.)  was 
written  by  Ezra.  Cp.  Rdverniclc,  Einleit.  §  183 ;  ii.  279 ;  Keil, 
Chronik.  p.  121 ;  Einleit.  §  147.  And  since  the  whole  Book  is 
joined  together  as  one  composition,  of  an  uniform  texture  and 
style,  therefore  it  is  most  reasonable  to  accept  the  judgment  of 
the  ancient  Hebrew  and  Christian  Churches,  which  have  de- 
livered this  Book  to  us  as  the  work  of  Ezra.   See  Introd.  p.  300. 

These  last  two  verses  are  in  Hebrew ;  the  decree  {vv.  12 — 
26)  is  in  Chaldee.  On  the  Chaldee  portions  of  this  Book,  which 
afford  arguments  for  its  genuineness,  see  Keil,  ibid.  p.  115. 

The  Companions  of  Ezra. 
Ch.  VIII.  1 — 14.  These  are  noio  the  chief]  Or  heads  of  the 
fathers'    houses.     Compare  the  list  in  1  Esdras  viii.  28—40, 
whore  are  sundry  varieties  in  the  names,  and  one  or  two  in  the 


The  last  sons  of  Adonikam, 


EZRA  VIII.  2—17. 


Ezra  at  Aliava. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

457. 

a  1  Chron.  3.  22. 
I)  ch.  2.  3. 


them  that  went  up  mth  me  from  Babylon,  in  the  reign  of  Artaxerxes  the  king. 
-  Of  the  sons  of  Phinehas ;  Gershom  :  of  the  sons  of  Ithamar  ;  Daniel :  of  the 
sons  of  David  ;  ^  Hattush.  ^  Of  the  sons  of  Shechaniah,  of  the  sons  of  ^  Pha- 
rosh  ;  Zechariah :  and  with  him  were  reckoned  by  genealogy  of  the  males  an 
hundred  and  fifty.  ^  Of  the  sons  of  Pahath-moab  ;  Elihoenai  the  son  of  Zera- 
hiah,  and  with  him  two  hundred  males.  ^  Of  the  sons  of  Shechaniah ;  the  son 
of  Jahaziel,  and  with  him  three  hundred  males.  ^  Of  the  sons  also  of  Adin  ; 
Ebed  the  son  of  Jonathan,  and  with  him  fifty  males.  ^  And  of  the  sons  of 
Elam  ;  Jeshaiah  the  son  of  Athaliah,  and  with  him  seventy  males.  ^  And  of 
the  sons  of  Shephatiah  ;  Zebadiah  the  son  of  Michael,  and  with  him  fourscore 
males.  ^  Of  the  sons  of  Joab ;  Obadiah  the  son  of  Jehiel,  and  with  him  two 
hundred  and  eighteen  males.  ^^And  of  the  sons  of  Shelomith ;  the  son  of 
Josiphiah,  and  with  him  an  hundred  and  threescore  males.  ^^  And  of  the  sons 
of  Bebai ;  Zechariah  the  son  of  Bebai,  and  with  him  twenty  and  eight  males. 
^2  And  of  the  sons  of  Azgad ;  Johanan  |1  the  son  of  Hakkatan,  and  with  him  an 
hundred  and  ten  males.  ^^And  of  the  last  sons  of  Adonikam,  whose  names 
are  these,  Eliphelet,  Jeiel,  and  Shemaiah,  and  with  them  threescore  males. 
^^  Of  the  sons  also  of  Bigvai ;  Uthai,  and  ||  Zabbud,  and  with  them  seventy 
males. 

^^And  I  gathered  them  together  to  the  river  that  runneth  to  Ahava;  and 
there  ||  abode  we  in  tents  three  days  :  and  I  viewed  the  people,  and  the  priests, 
and  found  there  none  of  the  "  sons  of  Levi.  ^^  Then  sent  I  for  Ehezer,  for 
Ariel,  for  Shemaiah,  and  for  Elnathan,  and  for  Jarib,  and  for  Elnathan,  and 
for  Nathan,  and  for  Zechariah,  and  for  Meshullam,  chief  men ;  also  for  Joiarib, 
and  for  Elnathan,  men  of  understanding.  ^^  And  I  sent  them  with  command- 
tHeb.7p«»       ment  unto  Iddo  the  chief  at  the  place  Casipliia,  and  fl  told  them  what  they 

words  in  their  t.  l  '  \  « 

mouth:  See  2  Sam.  14.  3,  19. 


n  Or,  thf. 
youngest  son. 


II  Or,  Zaccur,  as 
some  read. 


II  Or,  pitched. 
c  See  ch.  7.  7. 


number;  e.  g.  Oamael  or  Gamaliel  for  Daniel,  in  v.  2.    Daniel 
occurs  in  Neh.  x.  6  among  the  Priests. 

2.  Hattush']  Cp.  1  Chron.  iii.  22,  where  the  same  name  occurs 
among  the  sons  of  Shemaiah ;  and  see  1  Esdras  viii.  29,  whence 
it  appears  that  there  ought  not  to  be  a  full  stop  after  Hattush, 
but  the  text  ought  to  be  read  of  the  sons  of  David,  Hattush, 
of  the  sons  of  Shechaniah ;  and  then  a  new  paragraph  begins. 
Cp.  Bertheau,  p.  99. 

3.  Pharosh]  See  above,  ii.  3. 

—  hy  genealogy^  Rather,  a  ZJwea^c,  it  is  in  the  nominative  case. 

4.  Pahath-moah]  See  above,  ii.  6.  Other  names  here  enu- 
merated, e.  g.  Adin,  Elana,  Shephatiah,  JBebai,  Bigvai,  are 
found  in  that  list. 

The  Last  Sons  of  Adonikam. 

13.  And  of  the  last  sons  of  Adonikam]  In  ii.  13  we  read, 
"  The  sons  of  Adonikam  six  hundred  sixty  and  six.  Those 
returned  from  Babylon  with  Zembbabel  and  Jeshua." 

The  present  threescore  seem  to  be  contrasted  here  as  last, 
■with  those  who  had  gone  hefore.  Cp.  2  Sam.  xix.  12,  13. 
2  Chron.  ix.  29,  for  a  similar  use  of  the  word  here  rendered  last. 
The  word  last  (as  M.  Henry  suggests)  seems  to  intimate  that 
no  more  were  left  behind,  after  these. 

It  is  observable  that  three  heads  of  these  threescore  are 
mentioned  here.  This  is  the  ouly  case  in  the  whole  list  {ov. 
2  —  14)  where  three  heads  are  enumerated:  in  all  the  other  cases 
(except  V.  14,  where  two  are  specified)  only  one  head  is  men- 
tioned. 

There  seems  to  be  a  spiritual  meaning  in  this  recital. 
Adonikam  means  the  Lord  riseth  up,  to  the  rescue.  The  three 
bnnds  here  mentioned  Eliphelet,  Jeiel,  and  Shemaiah,  signify 
Cnd  the  Saviour,  God  the  remover,  and  Layer-up,  and  the 
I.ord  has  heard. 

The  number  of  the  sons  of  Adonikam  iu  ii.  13  is  666, — an 
ominous  numbei-,— and  they  return  to  Jerusalem.  The  sig- 
nificance of  this  has  been  already  considered  there.  Here  is  a 
further  addition  of  threescore  under  three  heads  with  very 
expressive  names,  and  they  are  restored  under  Ezra  the  Priest 
318 


and  Scribe.  Does  this  represent  a  further  and  completej-ecovery 
and  subjection  of  evU  to  good,  under  the  influence  of  the  ministry 
of  His  Word  ? 

14.  Bigvai]  See  ii.  14.  Observe  that  the  number  of  the 
heads  from  the  sons  of  Pharosh  {v.  3)  to  the  sons  of  Bigvai 
(v.  14),  who  return  with  Ezra  and  the  Priests  (vv.  1—3),  is 
ttvelve.  The  total  number,  including  Ezra  and  the  other  three 
Priests,  was  1490. 

15.  the  river  that  runneth  to  Ahava]  In  v.  21  the  river  itself 
is  also  called  Ahava.  This  is  supposed  by  some  {JSwald,  iii. 
154)  to  be  a  river  south  of  Babylon,  the  Fall-a-capas,  which,  it 
is  conjectured,  is  formed  from  the  Hebrew  peleg-ahava  ;  others 
(as  Sawlinson)  suppose  it  to  be  the  Hit,  which  flows  into  the 
Euphrates  about  120  miles  north  of  Babylon;  and  to  be  con- 
nected with  Ivah  and  Avah.     See  2  Kings  xviii.  34. 

—  none  of  the  sons  of  Levij  But  only  Priests  and  laymen. 
On  the  slackness  of  the  Levites  in  the  former  expedition  also, 
see  ii.  40. 

16.  Then  sent  I  for  JEliezer]  This  is  rendered  by  Vulg.  and 
Syr.  I  sent  EUezer,  and  it  may  bear  this  sense.  Cp.  Bertheau, 
p.  102. 

Casiphia. 

17.  I  sent  them  tvith  commandment  unto  Iddo  the  chief  at  the 
place  Casiphia]  I  gave  them  instructions  to  Iddo  the  chief  in 

Casiphia  the  place.  Probably  Iddo  was  the  head  of  a  theological 
Seminary,  or  College  of  Levites,  which  was  established  in  a  fixed 
dwelling  in  Casiphia. 

Where  was  Casiphia  ? 

The  root  of  the  word  is  casaph,  to  be  white  {Gesen.  409), 
whence  casaph,  Hpyvpos,  argentum  (connected  with  apybs, 
tohite),  silver;  and  it  is  supposed  by  some  to  signify  the 
mountains  which,  either  from  the  snow  upon  them,  or  the 
colour  of  their  cliSs,  were  called  the  tvhife  mountains  (cp.  the 
words  Alpes,  Albania,  &c.,  connected  with  albus),  which  were 
in  the  south  of  Media  (cp.  Stralo,  i.  506;  Herod,  vii.  67. 
See  Bede,  Vatablus,  Morinus,  and  Fuerst,  683).  It  is  re- 
markable that   some  of  the  ancient  Versions  {Sept.,  Arabic) 


Ezra  fasts  and  prays  ; 


EZKA  VIII.  18—34. 


comes  to  Jerusalem. 


Before 
CHRI  ST 

about 
457. 


& 


should  say  unto  Iddo,  a?icl  to  his  brethren  the  Nethinims,  at  the  place  Casiphia, 

that  they  should  bring  unto  us  ministers  for  the  house  of  our  God.     ^^  And  by 

the  good  hand  of  our  God  upon  us  they  '^  brought  us  a  man  of  understanding,  ^  ^eh.  s.  r 

of  the  sons  of  Mahh,  the  son  of  Levi,  the  son  of  Israel ;  and  Sherebiah,  with 

his  sons  and  his  brethren,  eighteen;  ^^And  Hashabiah,  and  with  him  Jeshaiah 

of  the  sons  of  Merari,  his  brethren  and  their  sons,  twenty  ;  -^  ^  Also  of  the  e  see  ch.  2. 43. 

Nethinims,  whom  David  and  the  princes  had  appointed  for  the  service  of  the 

Levites,  two  hundred  and  twenty  Nethinims  :  all  of  them  were  expressed  by 

name. 

2'  Then  I  *"  proclaimed  a  fast  there,  at  the  river  of  Ahava,  that  we  might  fschron.  20.3. 
^  afflict  ourselves  before  our  God,  to  seek  of  him  a  ^  right  way  for  us,  and  for  our  g  Lev.  le.  29.  & 
little  ones,  and  for  all  our  substance.  ^-^  For  '  I  was  ashamed  to  require  of  the  h'p/5  g'/- 
king  a  band  of  soldiers  and  horsemen  to  help  us  against  the  enemy  in  the  way :  ^  ^°  ^  ^°'-  ^-  '^• 
because  we  had  spoken  unto  the  king,  saying,  ''The  hand  of  our  God  is  upon  kch. 7. 6,9,2s. 
all  them  for  'good  that  seek  him  ;  but  his  power  and  his  wrath  2s  '" against  all  3f'i-5^^22^*' '^'^ 
them  that  "forsake  liim.     -^  So  we  fasted  and  besought  our  God  for  this  :  and  mTs.M^le. 

irt'iinn  n2  Chron.  15.  2. 

he  was    mtreated  oi  us.  o  i  chron.  5. 20. 

^  Then  I  separated  twelve  of  the  chief  of  the  priests,  Sherebiah,  Hashabiah,  isa.  i9"22. ' 
and  ten  of  their  brethren  with  them,  ^5  ^nd  weighed  unto  them  ^  the  silver,  and  p  '=''•  '•  i^.  16. 
the  gold,  and  the  vessels,  even  the  offering  of  the  house  of  our  God,  which  the 
king,  and  his  counsellors,  and  his  lords,  and  all  Israel  there  present,  had  offered : 
2^  I  even  weighed  unto  their  hand  six  hundred  and  fifty  talents  of  silver,  and 
silver  vessels  an  hundred  talents,  and  of  gold  an  hundred  talents  ;  27Also  twenty 
basons  of  s"old,  of  a  thousand  drams :  and  two  vessels  of  f  fine  copper,  f  precious  +  ^f.-  s"^"""-- 

^  ^  I  X  i.        ■>     I  i  or,  shining  brass. 

as  gold.     23  And  I  said  unto  them,  Ye  are  '^h.olj  unto  the  Lord  ;  the  vessels  are  l^tyiz^XyX 
'holy  also;  and  the  silver  and  the  gold  are  a  freewill  offering  unto  the  Lord  ?£ev.^2^2.2, 3. 
God  of  your  fathers.     ^^  Watch  ye,  and  keep  them,  until  ye  weigh  them  before  i9?2o'.  '  '    ' 
the  chief  of  the  priests  and  the  Levites,  and  cliief  of  the  fathers  of  Israel,  at 
Jerusalem,  in  the  chambers  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.     ^°  So  took  the  priests 
and  the  Levites  the  weight  of  the  silver,  and  the  gold,  and  the  vessels,  to  bring 
them  to  Jerusalem  unto  the  house  of  our  God. 

^^  Then  we  departed  fi'om  the  river  of  Ahava  on  the  twelfth  day  of  the  first 
month,  to  go  unto  Jenisalem  :  and  '  the  hand  of  our  God  was  upon  us,  and  he  « ch.  7.  g,  9, 28. 
dehvered  us  from  the  hand  of  the  enemy,  and  of  such  as  lay  in  wait  by  the 
way.     ^■-  And  we  *  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  abode  there  three  days.     ^^  Now  on  t  Neh.  2.  n. 
the  fourth  day  was  the  silver  and  the  gold  and  the  vessels  "weighed  in  the  "ver.aj, so. 
house  of  our  God  by  the  hand  of  Meremoth  the  son  of  Uriah  the  priest ;  and 
with  him  ivas  Eleazar  the  son  of  Phinehas ;  and  with  them  ivas  Jozabad  the 
son  of  Jeshua,  and  Noadiah  the  son  of  Binnui,  Levites ;  ^  By  number  and  by 
weight  of  every  one  :  and  all  the  weight  was  written  at  that  time. 


render  the  word  by  silver,  doubtless   on  account  of  its  cty- 

It  is  probable,  from  the  context,  that  schools  of  the  Levites 
were  formed  in  that  region,  in  order  to  supply  ministers  and 
teachers  of  religion  to  the  Israelites  scattered  throughout  that 
country,  and  to  keep  up  a  knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
among  them  by  means  of  Schools  and  Synagogues.  Cp.  Ezek. 
xxxiii.  30,  31 ;  and  Bertheau,  pp.  103,  104. 

—  I  told  them  what  they  should  say'\  Literally,  I  put  words 
in  their  moidh. 

—  to  his  brethreii]  Heb.  to  his  hrother ;  the  Auth.  Version 
follows  the  Vidg.,  and  Sept.,  and  1  Esdras  viii.  46. 

18.  of  MahW]  i.  e.  a  descendant  of  Mahli,"the  son  of  Merari, 
the  son  of  Levi  (Exod.  vi.  16.     1  Chron.  vi.  19). 
319 


20.  Nethinims']    Ministers   of  the    Levites.     See   1    Chron. 
ix.  2 ;  and  above,  ii.  58. 
27.  drams']  Darics.     See  on  ii.  69. 
—  Jine  copper]   Copper  shining  like  gold  (Gesen.  229). 

31.  the  hand  of  our  God  was  upon  us]  To  deliver  us  from 
our  enemies  although  we  had  no  escort ;  as  we  said  would  be  the 
case.     See  v.  22. 

It  appears  from  the  narrative  that  Ezra's  God  was  good  j 
his  treasurers  faithful ;  and  his  companions  devout  (as  may  be 
inferred  from  their  thankfulness,  v.  35)  ;  and  that  the  royal 
governors  furthered  his  work  («.  36).  Such  were  the  salutary 
effects  of  prayer  and  fasting  {vv.  21.  23). 

32.  alode  there  three  days]  In  rest  and  deliberation,  before 
we  proceeded  to  the  transaction  of  business.     Cp.  Neh.  ii.  11. 


Ezras  pious  courage 


EZRA  VIII.  35,  36.     IX.  1—4.      in  the  tvorh  of  Reformation. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
45?. 
X  So  ch.  e.  17. 


y  ch.  7.  21. 


ach.  C.  21. 
Neh.  9.  2. 
b  Deut.  12.  30, 
31. 


r  Exod.  34.  16. 
Deut.  7.  3. 
Neh.  13.  23. 
d  Exod.  19.  6.  & 
22.  31. 

Deut.  7.  G.  & 
14.  2. 

e2  Cor.  C.  14. 
f  Job  1.  20. 
gPs.  143.  4. 
h  ch.  10  3. 
Isa.  60.  2. 


I  Exod.  29.  39. 


25  Also  the  children  of  those  that  had  been  carried  away,  which  were  come  out 
of  the  captivity,  ""  offered  burnt  offerings  unto  the  God  of  Israel,  twelve  bullocks 
for  all  Israel,  ninety  and  six  rams,  seventy  and  seven  lambs,  twelve  he  goats 
for  a  sin  offering:  all  this  ivas  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord.  ^^And  they 
delivered  the  king's  ^  commissions  unto  the  king's  lieutenants,  and  to  the 
governors  on  this  side  the  river  :  and  they  furthered  the  people,  and  the  house 
of  God. 

IX.  ^  Now  when  these  things  were  done,  the  princes  came  to  me,  saying, 
The  people  of  Israel,  and  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  have  not "  separated 
themselves  from  the  people  of  the  lands,  ^doiv^  according  to  their  abomina- 
tions, even  of  the  Canaanites,  the  Hittites,  the  Perizzites,  the  Jebusites,  the 
Ammonites,  the  Moabites,  the  Egyptians,  and  the  Amorites.  ^  For  they  have 
"^ taken  of  their  daughters  for  themselves,  and  for  their  sons  :  so  that  the  ''holy 
seed  have  ^  mingled  themselves  with  the  people  of  those  lands  :  yea,  the  hand  of 
the  princes  and  rulers  hath  been  chief  in  this  trespass.  ^  And  when  I  heard 
this  thing,  ''I  rent  my  garment  and  my  mantle,  and  plucked  off  the  hair  of  my 
head  and  of  my  beard,  and  sat  down  ^  astonied.  ^  Then  were  assembled  unto 
me  every  one  that  ^  trembled  at  the  words  of  the  God  of  Israel,  because  of  the 
transgression  of  those  that  had  been  carried  away  ;  and  I  sat  astonied  until  the 
'  evening  sacrifice. 


36.  Icing's  lieutenants']  Literally,  satraps  ;  as  to  the  original 
word  here  used,  see  note  on  Esther  iii.  12. 

Peeiiminaet  Note. 
Ezea's  Penitential  Motjening  and  Peatee. 
Cn.  IX.]  The  circumstances  stated  in  this  chapter,  and  the 
language  of  it  throughout,  particularly  in  the  prayer  of  Ezra,  are 
very  important  on  several  accounts,  especially  as  bearing  evi- 
dence of  Ezra's  acquaintance  with  the  Pentateuch,  and  the 
books  of  Isaiah  and  Daniel;  and  as  supplying  proof  of  their 
genuineness.  The  reader  will  observe  the  parallelism  (specified 
in  the  margin)  in  the  course  of  its  perusal. 

1.  the  princes]  Not  all  of  them ;  for  some  of  the  princes  were 
themselves  implicated  in  this  offence  (see  v.  2)  ;  but  princes,  as 
distinguished  from  Priests  or  Levites,  who  ought  to  have  been 
foremost  in  the  Reformation,  but  greatly  needed  it  themselves : 
see  X.  2. 

—  according  to  their  abominations']  They  have  not  separated 
themselves  from  them,  as,  by  reason  of  their  abominations,  they 
ought  to  have  done. 

These  words  intimate  also,  that  the  heathen  women,  whom 
these  Israelites  had  married,  had  not  quitted  their  abominations. 
There  might  have  been  an  excuse  for  such  marriages,  if  these 
heathen  women  had  become  proselytes  of  Israel,  as  Rahab  of 
Jericho  did,  and  Ruth  of  Moab;  but  this  was  not  the  case. 
They  persisted  in  their  heathen  abominations,  and  seduced  their 
husbands  to  idolatry. 

—  of  the  Canaanites]  Contrary  to  the  law  of  Moses  (Exod. 
xxxiv.  12—16;  Deut.  vii.  2,  3). 

2.  the  hand  of  the  princes  and  riders  hath  been  chief  in  this 
trespass]  The  consequence  of  intermarriages  of  Israelites  with 
the  heathen,  — as  God  in  the  law  of  Moses  had  forewarned  them 
it  would  be, — was,  that  the  Hebrew  Nation  had  lapsed  into 
idolatry,  and  idolatry  had  provoked  God's  anger ;  and  their  sins 
in  this  respect  had  been  visited  by  Him  with  severe  punishments, 
especially  by  the  destruction  of  the  Temple  and  City  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  by  the  captivity  at  Babylon,  and  by  the  scatter- 
ing of  the  Israelites  throughout  the  provinces  of  the  Persian 
empire. 

The  Princes  and  Priests  of  the  restored  people  had  now  set 
an  evil  example  by  countenancing  these  marriages ;  indeed,  they 
"  had  been  chief  in  this  trespass."  They  were  treading  in  that 
Jisastrous  course  which  had  brought  shame  and  misery  on  the 
glorious  name  and  kingdom  of  Solomon. 

Here,  then,  was  a  critical  emergency  in  the  history  of  the 
Nation. 

If  Ezra,  the  Priest  and  Scribe  of  the  Law  of  God,  had  not 
been  at  Jerusalem,  and  if  he  had  not  acted  with  pious  courage, 
and  vigorous  energy,  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  that 
320 


Law,  it  is  probable,  that  the  Hebrew  Nation  would  again  have 
fallen  into  idolatry,  and  that  the  City  and  Temple  would  have 
been  again  reduced  to  ashes,  and  that  the  Jews  would  have  been 
again  carried  captive  by  heathen  invaders :  see  v.  14. 

By  salutary  measures  of  Reformation,  carried  on  with 
devout  prayer  for  Divine  help,  and  with  strict  obedience  to  the 
Divine  Law,  Ezra  rescued  Israel  from  the  dangers  which  then 
threatened  them ;  and  God  blessed  his  endeavours,  which  were 
imitated  and  furthered  by  Nehemiah  (Neh.  xiii.  23).  The  con- 
sequence of  this  vigorous  energy,  and  courageous  zeal  for  God 
and  His  Law,  has  been  that,  from  that  day  to  thi.s,  idolatry  has 
never  lifted  up  its  head  in  the  Hebrew  Nation,  which  formerly 
was  prone  to  it. 

The  Ancient  Expositors  invite  us  to  see  in  Ezra's  actions  a 
foreshadowing  of  the  work  of  Christ,  Who  is  the  true  Ezra,  or 
Helper,  the  Great  Priest  and  Scribe  of  Israel,  the  Deliverer  of 
His  People  from  the  Babylonish  Captivity  of  Sin  and  Satan,  and 
their  Divine  Intercessor  with  God.  And  in  this  act  of  self-sacri- 
fice, which  Ezra  required  of  the  people  who  had  married  heathen 
wives,  in  contravention  of  the  Law  of  God,  we  see  an  adumbra- 
tion of  the  teaching  of  Him,  Who  came  into  the  world  to  deliver 
it  from  idolatry,  and  to  sanctify  marriage,  and  to  espouse  the 
Church  to  Himself,  in  pure  and  holy  wedlock ;  and  Who  said, 
"  If  any  man  come  to  Me,  and  hate  not  his  father,  and  mother, 
and  wife,  and  children,  yea,  and  his  own  life  also,  he  cannot  be 
My  disciple ;  and  whosoever  doth  not  bear  his  cross,  and  come 
after  Me,  cannot  be  My  disciple "  (Luke  xiv.  26,  27).  "  He 
that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  Me  is  not  worthy  of 
Me  "  (Matt.  x.  37). 

3.  I  rent  my  garment  and  my  mantle,  and  pliicTced  off  the 
hair  of  my  head]  I  rent  my  inner  and  my  outer  robe,  and 
plucked  off  my  hair  in  sign  of  grief  and  indignation  :  see  v.  5, 
and  Josh.  vii.  6.  1  Sam.  iv.  12.  2  Sam.  i.  2;  xiii.  31.  2  Kings 
xviii.  37.  Job  i.  20.  Cp.  Matt.  xxvi.  65 ;  and  Homer,  Odyss. 
X.  567.     Sochart,  Hieroz.  ii.  35. 

4.  that  trembled  at  the  ivords  of  the  God  of  Israel]  He 
imitates  Isaiah,  Ixvi.  2. 

—  until  the  evening  sacrificel  At  that  hour,  the  hour  of  tlie 
Evening  Sacrifice,  the  hour  on  which  Christ  died  on  the  Cross, 
God  often  manifested  Himself  in  gracious  outpourings  of 
mercy,  under  both  Testaments :  see  above,  on  2  Sam.  xxiv.  15. 
1  Kings  xviii.  36.  2  Kings  iii.  20;  and  below,  Dan.  ix.  21. 
Acts  X.  3.  30. 

The  Evening  Sacrifice  was  a  figure  of  the  propitiation 
off'ered  by  the  Lamb  of  God,  Who,  in  the  eventide  of  the  world, 
would  take  away  its  sins;  and  we  may  suppose  that  as  Ezra 
prayed  and  wept,  he  looked  with  faith  to  that  Sacrifice.  He  could 
not  but  be  well  acquainted  with  the  annunciation  of  that  great 
Sacrifice  which  the  Angel  Gabriel  had  made  to  Daniel,  while  he 


Ezra's  confession  and  supplication     EZRA  IX.  5 — 15.      at  the  time  of  the  evening  sacrifice. 


^  And  at  the  evening  sacrifice  I  arose  up  from  my  ||  heaviness  ;  and  having 
rent  mj  garment  and  my  mantle,  I  fell  upon  my  knees,  and  ^  spread  out  my 
hands  unto  the  Loed  my  God,  ^  And  said,  0  my  God,  I  am  '  ashamed  and 
blush  to  lift  up  my  face  to  thee,  my  God  :  for  '"  our  iniquities  are  increased  over 
our  head,  and  our  ||  trespass  is  "  grown  up  unto  the  heavens.  '^  Since  the  days 
of  our  fathers  have  °  we  been  in  a  great  trespass  unto  this  day ;  and  for  our 
iniquities  ^  have  we,  our  kings,  and  our  priests,  been  delivered  into  the  hand 
of  the  kings  of  the  lands,  to  the  sword,  to  captivity,  and  to  a  spoil,  and  to 
•^  confusion  of  face,  as  it  is  this  day.  ^  And  now  for  a  f  little  space  grace  hath 
been  sheioed  from  the  Lord  our  God,  to  leave  us  a  remnant  to  escape,  and  to 
give  us  II  a  nail  in  his  holy  place,  that  our  God  may  "■  lighten  our  eyes,  and  give 
us  a  little  reviving  in  our  bondage.  ^'For  we  tvere  bondmen;  'yet  our  God 
hath  not  forsaken  us  in  our  bondage,  but "  hath  extended  mercy  unto  us  in  the 
sight  of  the  kings  of  Persia,  to  give  us  a  reviving,  to  set  up  the  house  of  our 
God,  and  f  to  repair  the  desolations  thereof,  and  to  give  us  '^  a  wall  in  Judah 
and  in  Jerusalem.  ^^  And  now,  0  our  God,  what  shall  we  say  after  this  ?  for 
we  have  forsaken  thy  commandments,  ^^  Which  thou  hast  commanded  f  by  thy 
servants  the  prophets,  saying,  The  land,  unto  which  ye  go  to  possess  it,  is  an 
unclean  land  with  the  ^  filthiness  of  the  people  of  the  lands,  with  their  abomi- 
nations, which  have  filled  it  f  from  one  end  to  another  with  their  uncleanness. 
^'^  Now  therefore  ^  give  not  your  daughters  unto  their  sons^  neither  take  their 
daughters  unto  your  sons,  ^  nor  seek  their  peace  or  their  wealth  for  ever :  that 
ye  may  be  strong,  and  eat  the  good  of  the  land,  and  ''leave  it  for  an  inheritance 
to  your  children  for  ever.  ^^  And  after  all  that  is  come  upon  us  for  our  evil 
deeds,  and  for  our  great  trespass,  seeing  that  thou  our  God  "  f  hast  punished 
us  less  than  our  iniquities  deserve,  and  hast  given  us  such  deliverance  as  this  ; 
^^  Should  we  "^  again  break  thy  commandments,  and  ''join  in  affinity  with  the 
people  of  these  abominations  ?  wouldest  not  thou  be  '^  angry  with  us  till  thou 
hadst  consumed  us,  so  that  there  should  be  no  remnant  nor  escaping  ?  ^^0 
Lord  God  of  Israel,  ^  thou  art  righteous :  for  we  remain  yet  escaped,  as  it  is 


Before 
CHRIST 

457. 
II  Or,  affliclion. 
k  Exod.  9.  29,  33 

I  Dan.  9.  7,  8. 
m  Ps.  3S.  4. 

II  Or,  guiltiness. 

n  2  Chron.  23.  9. 
Rev.  18.  5. 
o  Ps.  106.  6. 
Dan.  9.  5,  6,  8. 

p  Deut.  28.  36, 

64. 

Neh.  9.  30. 

q  Dan.  9.  7,  8. 
t  Heb.  mument. 


H  Or,  a  pin  : 
that  is,  a  con- 
stant and  lure 
abode:  So  Isa. 
22.  23. 

r  Ps.  13.3.  & 
34.  5. 

s  Neh.  9.  36. 
t  Ps.  136.  23. 
u  oh.  7.  28. 
+  Heb.  to  set  up. 
X  Isa.  5  .2. 

t  Heb.  by  the 
hand  of  tit y 
servants. 

y  ch.  6.  21. 

+  Heb.  from 
mouth  to  mouth: 
as  2  Kings  21. 16. 
z  Exod.  23.  32.  St 
34.  10. 
Deut.  7.  3. 
a  Deut.  23.  6. 
b  Prov.  13.  22.  & 
20.  7. 


c  Ps.  103.  10. 
t  Heb.  hast 
withheld  beneath 
our  iniquities. 

d  John  5.  14. 
2  Pet.  2.  20,  21. 
e  ver.  2. 
Neh.  13.  23,  27. 
f  Deut.  9.  8. 

g  Neh.  9.  33. 
Dan.  9.  14. 


prayed  and  fasted,  at  the  time  of  the  evening  oblation  (Dan.  ix. 
21.  24 ;  see  Sede  and  Matthew  Henry  here).  Indeed,  he  adopts 
Daniel's  words  :  see  v.  7. 

There  is  a  remarkable  statement  in  Justin  Martyr  (c.  Try- 
phon.  §  72),  and  Lactant.  (Inst.  Div.  iv.  18),  concerning  Ezra's 
foreknowledge  of  Christ,  and  faith  in  Him.  At  the  Evening 
Sacrifice,  Ezra  arose  up  from  his  heaviness.  Had  he  not 
received  some  visions  then,  not  unlike  those  which  had  been 
vouchsafed  to  Daniel  the  prophet,  when  he  was  engaged  in  a 
similar  manner,  at  the  same  time  ? 

5.  I  fell  ufon  my  knees']  Ezra  the  Priest  (whose  name  signi- 
fies Helper),  plucking  off  his  hair,  and  rending  his  garment  in 
Borrow  {v.  3),  and  falling  on  his  knees,  and  spreading  out  his 
hands  to  God  in  prayer,  at  the  time  of  the  Evening  Sacrifice, 
in  the  presence  of  the  people  before  the  Temple  (x.  1),  may  re- 
mind us  of  our  Great  Intercessor  and  Mediator,  Who  gave  His 
cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off  the  hair  (Isa.  1.  6),  and  prayed 
in  His  agony  on  the  Cross,  where  He  stretched  out  His  Hands 
to  save  the  world,  at  the  time  of  the  Evening  Sacrifice,  being 
Himself  the  Great  Priest  and  Sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world  (cp.  Bede  here). 

I  fell  upon  my  Jcnees.  Observe,  this  confession  and  prayer 
of  Ezra,  the  Priest  and  Scribe,  the  friend  of  the  King  of  Persia, 
was  in  a  public  place,  at  a  time  of  public  resort  to  the  Temple. 
He  was  not  ashamed  of  repentance,  and  self-humiliation,  and  he 
showed  publicly  that  his  trust  was  in  God's  help,  vouchsafed  to 
fervent  prayer  at  the  door  of  God's  house  :  see  below,  x.  1. 

7.   have  we — been  delivered  into  the   hand— to    cantivitu~\ 
Vol.111  321 


For  those  self-same  sins,  which  are  now  threatening  us,  by 
reason  of  these  marriages  with  the  heathen,  see  on  v.  2. 

—  confusion  of  face]  Ezra  has  evidently  the  confession 
of  Daniel  in  his  mind.  Compare,  for  example,  his  woi'ds  here 
with  Daniel's  confession  (Dan.  ix.  5 — 7),  "We  have  sinned,  and 
have  committed  iniquity,  and  have  done  wickedly.  Neither 
have  we  hearkened  unto  Thy  servants  the  prophets,  which 
spake  in  Thy  name  to  our  kings,  our  princes,  and  our  fathers, 
and  to  all  the  people  of  the  land.  0  Lord,  righteousness 
belongeth  unto  Thee,  but  unto  us  confusion  of  faces,  as  at  this 
day. 

These  and  other  parallelisms  between  Ezra  and  Daniel 
show  that  Daniel's  prophecies  were  known  to  Ezra,  and  afford 
an  argument  for  their  genuineness. 

8.  a  remnant]  Another  reference  to  Isa.  i.  9 ;  x.  20.  22. 

—  a  nail]  A  pin  of  wood,  for  fixing  a  tent.  See  above,  on 
Judg.  iv.  21 ;  and  cp.  Isa.  xxii.  23. 

9.  a  wall]  A  fence ;  as  of  a  vineyard  (Isa.  v.  2.  5).  The 
walls  of  Jerusalem  were  not  yet  built. 

11,  12.  The  land^for  ever]  These  words  are  grounded  on 
the  Pentateuch,  and  are  a  testimony  to  it,  especially  Deut. 
vii.  1 — 3  {Delitzsch,  Sertheau). 

12.  nor  seeh  their  peace]  A  remarkable  expression,  derived 
from  the  Pentateuch  (Deut.  xxiii.  6) :  "  Thou  shalt  not  seek 
their  peace  nor  their  prosperity  all  thy  days  for  ever  j"  that  is, 
thou  shalt  not  ally  thyself  with  them,  and  endeavour  to  enrich 
thyself  by  means  of  their  wealth,  and  by  making  common  cause 
with  them.  This  commandment  was  broken  by  the  Israclitea 
on  several  occasions  :  see  on  Josh.  xvi.  10. 

Y 


Ezra's  prayer ; 


EZRA  X.  1—6. 


his  reform  of  the  strange  marriages. 


Before 
CHRIST 
457. 
h  Rom.  3.  19. 
i  1  Cor.  15.  17. 
k  Ps.  130.  3. 
a  Dan.  9.  20. 
b  2  Chron.  20.  9. 


+  Heb.  wept  a 
great  weeping. 
c  Neh.  13.  27. 


d  2  Chron.  34.  81. 

t  Heb.  to  bring 
forth. 

e  ch.  9.  4. 

f  Deut.  7.  2,  3. 


g  1  Chron.  28.  10. 


h  Neh.  5.  12. 


this  day :  behold,  we  are  ^  before  thee  '  in  our  trespasses  :  for  we  cannot  ''stand 
before  thee  because  of  this. 

X.  ^  Now  *  when  Ezra  had  prayed,  and  when  he  had  confessed,  weeping  and 
casting  himself  down  ^  before  the  house  of  God,  there  assembled  unto  him  out 
of  Israel  a  very  great  congregation  of  men  and  women  and  children  :  for  the 
people  f  wept  very  sore.  ^  And  Shechaniah  the  son  of  Jehiel,  one  of  the  sons 
of  Elam,  answered  and  said  unto  Ezra,  We  have  "  trespassed  against  our  God, 
and  have  taken  strange  wives  of  the  people  of  the  land  :  yet  now  there  is  hope 
in  Israel  concerning  this  thing.  ^  Now  therefore  let  us  make  ^  a  covenant  with 
our  God  f  to  put  away  all  the  wives,  and  such  as  are  bom  of  them,  according 
to  the  counsel  of  my  lord,  and  of  those  that '  tremble  at  ^  the  commandment  of 
our  God ;  and  let  it  be  done  according  to  the  law.  *  Arise ;  for  this  matter 
helongeth  unto  thee  :  we  also  will  be  with  thee  :  ^  be  of  good  courage,  and 
do  it. 

^  Then  arose  Ezra,  and  made  the  chief  priests,  the  Levites,  and  all  Israel, 
''  to  swear  that  they  should  do  according  to  this  word.  And  they  sware. 
^  Then  Ezra  rose  up  from  before  the  house  of  God,  and  went  into  the  chamber 
of  Johanan  the  son  of  Eliashib ;  and  lohen  he  came  thither,  he  '  did  eat  no 


Ch.  X.  1.  when  Ezra  had  prated']  Observe  the  change  from 
the  first  person  to  the  third.  He  does  not  say  here,  "  When 
J  had  prayed,  but  when  Ezra  had  prayed."  It  has  been  alleged 
by  some  {Dereser,  De  Wette),  that  this  change  of  person 
is  an  evidence  that  this  chapter  was  not  written  by  the  author 
of  the  foregoing.  But  (as  Keil  observes,  Chronik.  p.  122)  such 
changes  of  person  are  common  in  the  Bible.  Cp.  Isa.  vi.  5 — 
vii.  3  ;  XX.  2 ;  xxxvii.  6,  with  his  other  narratives  (Jer.  xx.  1 — 6, 
with  Jer.  xx.  7 ;  and  again  with  xxi.  1 ;  and  again  with  xxviii 
1,  and  5.  See  also  Hdvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  281.  284;  Hengst, 
Beitr.  i.  p.  227  j  above,  on  vii.  6;  Pusey,  on  Daniel,  pp.  332 — 339 
Tlie  change  here  is  very  natural.  The  reason  of  it  probably 
is,  that  what  Ezra  had  done,  he  had  done  not  only  as  a  private 
individual,  but  as  a  public  person,  representing  the  whole  nation. 
He  was  a  Priest  of  God,  a  Scribe  or  Teacher  of  His  Law,  and 
a  Leader  of  His  people  from  Babylon.  Ezra  was  like  a  second 
Moses  and  Aaron  in  one.  The  jilace  where  he  prayed  was  a  public 
one,  the  forecourt  of  the  Temple.  The  time  was  one  of  general 
resort  there,  the  hour  of  evening  sacrifice  (ix.  5).  In  that  public 
place,  at  that  public  time,  he  was  seen  by  the  people  kneeling 
on  his  knees,  and  spreading  out  his  hands  to  God.  His  con- 
fession was  a  confession  of  the  sins  of  the  whole  nation,  of 
former,  as  well  as  of  present,  generations ;  and  his  prayer  was 
a  deprecation  of  God's  wrath  not  from  himself,  but  from  the 
people.  He  naturally,  therefore,  looks  on  himself,  ah  extra, 
and  says,  "  Ezra  prayed."  He  will  not  eulogize  himself  in  an 
egotistical  tone,  but  regards  himself  only  as  an  instrument  in 
the  hand  of  God.     Here  also  he  imitates  Moses. 

—  the  people  wept  very  sore']  Such  was  the  effect  of  Ezra's 
earnest  and  impassioned  prayer :  to  which  the  words  of  St. 
James  might  very  fitly  be  appUed.     See  James  v.  16. 

We  do  not  hear  that  Ezra  rebuked  the  people  with  vehement 
words,  but  he  bewailed  their  sins  with  sighs  and  tears  to  God ; 
and  thus  he  moved  their  hearts.  "  Turbam  ad  se  fidelium  non 
vociferando  sed  moerendo  traxit"  (Bede).  Prayer  may  preach ; 
the  sighs  and  sobs  of  the  penitent  are  sometimes  the  best 
sermons ;  but  prayers  and  tears  avail  not  without  practice ;  see 
therefore  what  follows  j 

2.  one  of  the  sons  of  Elam]  See  v.  26. 

—  answered  and  said]  He  was  sent  as  it  were  like  an  angel 
by  God  in  answer  to  Ezra's  prayer  j  as  Gabriel  was  sent  to 
Daniel  in  answer  to  his  prayer  (Dan.  ix.  21).  It  is  observable 
that  Shechaniah  signifies  "  dwelt-in  by  Jehovah ;"  the  Lord  was 
in  him  and  spake  by  him.  Is  it  altogether  unworthy  of  notice 
that  the  name  of  Jehiel  his  father,  means  "  he  lives  of  Ood." 
(that  is,  by  God's  mercy  he  lives)  ;  and  that  the  name  of  JElam 
his  ancestor  signifies  hidden  time,  eternity  1  It  seems  that 
Shecbaniah's  father  was  not  exempt  from  the  sin  which  Ezra 
bewailed  (see  below,  x.  26) ;  but,  notwithstanding  this,  Shecha- 
niah spake  his  own  mind  with  courage.  He  imitated  the  Levites 
of  old,  who  in  the  cause  of  God  had  "  said  of  \kai\s  father,  I  have 
not  seen  him  '  (Deut.  xxxiii.  9). 

322 


Reformation  of  the  Strange  Marriages. 

3.  to  put  atoay  all  the  ivives]  Shechaniah  regards  those 
marriages,  which  were  contrary  to  God's  law,  as  no  marriages 
at  all.  The  putting  away,  therefore,  of  these  wives  was  not 
divorce  a  vinculo  matrimonii,  for  the  marriages  were  null  ah 
initio.  The  first  obligation  of  the  Israelites  was  to  obey  God, 
and  no  contract  was  valid  which  contravened  that  prior  obliga- 
tion. They  must  therefore  obey  God  at  any  cost.  And  in  obeying 
Him  they  must  also  do  what  charity  required  for  the  sustenance 
of  these  women  and  children,  by  providing  as  far  as  they  were 
able  for  them,  and  they  must  commit  them  with  prayer  to  the 
mercy  of  God,  Who  hates  nothing  that  He  has  made. 

Ezra,  a  holy  and  devout  man,  a  Priest  and  Scribe  of  the 
Law  of  God,  doubtless  tempered  justice  with  mercy,  and  com- 
manded others  to  do  so. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  children  were  put  away  (sea 
X.  11.  14).  How  far  this  command  of  separation  applied  in 
cases  where  the  Canaanite  women  ceased,  as  it  were,  to  he 
Canaanites,  by  giving  up  their  Canaanitish  abominations,  and 
by  conforming  to  the  Law  of  Moses,  as  Eahab  and  Ruth  did,  it 
was  not  the  purpose  of  the  Sacred  Writer  to  relate. 

In  this  history  we  have  important  instruction  on  two  points, 
which  are  of  great  importance  to  the  Church  in  her  Missionary 
labours  amoug  the  heathen,  viz. : — 

(1)  How  to  deal  with  converts  who  have  practised  Poly- 
gamy,— a  question  which  has  been  debated  with  much  eager- 
ness in  our  own  colonies,  especially  in  Southern  Africa. 

(2)  How  to  deal  with  converts,  whose  partners  persist  in 
remaining  heathens,  and  who  revile  Christianity, — a  question 
which  has  been  made  the  subject  of  legislation  in  our  East 
Indian  possessions,  in  the  "  Native  Converts'  Marriage  Bill." 
See  below,  on  1  Cor.  vii.  15. 

—  of  my  lord]  The  use  of  this  title  by  Ezra  has  been  made 
by  some  (e.  g.  Berthold), — an  argument  against  the  genuineness 
of  this  book  j  but  Ezra  is  only  quoting  what  was  said  by  a  third 
person. 

4.  Arise]  A  graphic  word.  Ezra  was  still  kneeling  on  his 
knees  {v.  1). 

—  this  matter  belongeth  unto  thee']  To  thee,  "the  Priest 
and  Scribe."  Matrimonial  causes  are  proper  subjects  for  Eccle- 
siastical cognizance.  It  never  can  be  enough  deplored,  that 
this  principle  has  been  forgotten  in  our  own  recent  legisla- 
tion concerning  Divorce.  If  the  counsel  of  the  Spiritualty  had 
been  sought  and  taken  in  that  matter,  then  the  sins  we  have 
committed,  and  the  miseries  which  we  now  suffer  in  England,  in 
this  respect,  would  probably  have  been  avoided. 

6.  Johanan]  The  son  of  Eliashib,  the  High  Priest,  who 
succeeded  Joiakim  the  successor  of  Jeshua  (Neh.  xii.  10.  23). 

It  is  not  certain,  that  this  chamber  had  received  this  name 
at  this  time.  It  may,  perhaps,  be  so  called  here  by  anticipation ; 
nor  is  it  said  that  Johanan  was  High  Priest  at  this  time.    See 


The  names  of  the  Priests  and  Levites     EZRA  X.  7 — 20. 


loho  reformed  themselves. 


Before 
CHRIST 

45?. 


■t  Heb.  devoted. 


bread,  nor  drink  water :  for  lie  mourned  because  of  the  transgression  of  them 
tliat  had  been  carried  away.  '^  And  they  made  proclamation  throughout  Judah 
and  Jerusalem  unto  all  the  children  of  the  captivity,  that  they  should  gather 
themselves  together  unto  Jerusalem ;  ^  And  that  whosoever  would  not  come 
A\dthin  three  days,  according  to  the  counsel  of  the  princes  and  the  elders,  all 
his  substance  should  be  f  forfeited,  and  himself  separated  from  the  congrega- 
tion of  those  that  had  been  carried  away. 

^  Then  all  the  men  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  gathered  themselves  together  unto 
Jerusalem  within  three  days.     It  ivas  the  ninth  month,  on  the  twentieth  day  of 
the  month ;   and  ''  all  the  people  sat  in  the  street  of  the  house  of  God,  trembling  \^\\^^'''^- 
because  of  this  matter,  and  for  f  the  great  rain.     ^^  And  Ezra  the  priest  stood  t  Heb.  the 

'  I  O  J.  showers, 

up,  and  said  unto  them,  Ye  have  transgressed,  and  f  have  taken  strange  wives,  l^^^^t^H^i, 

^  ^  Now  therefore  '  make  confession  unto  the  j^'J;""  '"'"""''^ 

1  Josh.  7.  19. 


separate  yourselves  from  p,ov.  n.  n. 


Or,  we  have 

greatly  offmded 


n  2  Chron.  30.  8, 
II  Or,  till  this 


to  increase  the  trespass  of  Israel. 

Lord  God  of  your  fathers,  and  do  his  pleasure  :  and 

the  people  of  the  land,  and  from  the  strange  wives. 

^2  Then  all  the  congregation  answered  and  said  with  a  loud  voice,  As  thou 
hast  said,  so  must  we  do.     ^^But  the  people  are  many,  and  it  is  a  time  of  much 
rain,  and  we  are  not  able  to  stand  without,  neither  is  this  a  work  of  one  day  or 
two  :  for  II  we  are  many  that  have  transgressed  in  this  thing.     ^*  Let  now  our 
rulers  of  all  the  congregation  stand,  and  let  all  them  wliich  have  taken  strange  "' "'"  "'"'^ 
wives  in  our  cities  come  at  appointed  times,  and  with  them  the  elders  of  every 
city,  and  the  judges  thereof,  until "  the  fierce  wrath  of  our  God  ||for  this  matter 
be  turned  from  us.     ^^  Only  Jonathan  the  son  of  Asahel  and  Jahaziah  the  son  ahptlXld. 
of  Tikvah  f  were  employed  about  this  matter  :  and  Meshullam  and  Shabbethai  ^  "«^^-  '*"'"'■ 
the  Levite  helped  them.     ^^  And  the  children  of  the  captivity  did  so. 

And  Ezra  the  priest,  ivith  certain  chief  of  the  fathers,  after  the  house  of  their 
fathers,  and  all  of  them  by  their  names,  were  separated,  and  sat  down  in  the  first 
day  of  the  tenth  month  to  examine  the  matter.     ^^  And  they  made  an  end  with 
all  the  men  that  had  taken  strange  wives  by  the  first  day  of  the  first  month. 
^^And  among  the  sons  of  the  priests  there  were  found  that  had  taken  strange        456. 
wives :  namely,  of  the  sons  of  Jeshua  the  son  of  Jozadak,  and  his  brethren ; 
Maaseiah,  and  Ehezer,  and  Jarib,  and  Gedaliah.     ^^And  they  "gave  their  hands  °c&29.*'i 
that  they  would  put  away  their  wives;  and  being  ^  guilty,  they  offered  a  ram  ofl'^J°X^4;l 
the  flock  for  their  trespass.     ^^  And  of  the  sons  of  Immer  ;  Hanani,  and  Zeba- 


SdvernicJc,  Einleit.  284;  BertJieau,  p.  119;  and  cp.  Pusey,  on 
Daniel,  p.  338.  Nehemiah  mentions  a  chamber,  connected 
with  the  Temple,  which  Eliashib  had  given  up  to  Tobiah  the 
Ammonite  (Neh.  xiii.  4.  7). 

—  he  came  thither]  It  is  supposed  by  some,  that  the  true 
rendering  is,  he  abode  there.  See  Syriac,  Arabic ;  1  Usdras 
ix.  2 ;  and  Bertheau,  p.  119;  or  the  sense  may  be,  walked  there. 

8.  forfeited']  Devoted. 

—  separated]  Excommunicated  (vii.  64.    Neh.  xiii.  28). 

9.  the  men  of  Judah  and  Benjamin]  The  children  of  the 
captivity  (i.  5  ;  ii.  1 ;  iv.  1). 

—  ninth  month]  Four  months  after  Ezra's  arrival  (vii.  8). 

—  the  street]  The  square  or  open  place  before  the  Temple. 
See  iii.  1.     Neh.  viii.  1. 

—  the  great  rain]  Which  was  not  unusual  at  that  time,  the 
ninth  month,  our  December  (see  on  Lev.  xxvi.  4) ;  but  was 
more  violent  than  ordinary  in  that  year  {v.  13).  It  was  the 
month  Cisleu,  the  same  month  as  that  in  which  the  Maccabees 
afterwards  celebrated  their  Feast  of  Dedication,  and  in  which 
"  Jesus  walked  in  Solomon's  porch."     See  on  John  x.  22. 

15.   Only]    So    Oesen.,  De  Wette,  and   Bertheau;  and  this 

may  be  the  meaning  (see    Oesen.  42 ;  Fuerst,  82).     But  the 

original  word  is  rendered  but;   or  nevertheless,  by  Sept.,   and 

therefore,  by  Vulg.    Michaelis  and  others  prefer  the  affirmative 

323 


and  emphatic  sense  of  the  word,  rather  than  the  restrictive ; 
and  Ezra  seems  to  be  praising  those  who  helped  him  (namely, 
the  two  Priests  and  Levites  here  mentioned),  rather  than  to 
be  censuring  any  one  else.  Indeed,  he  declares  the  willingness 
of  aU  by  saying,  "  The  children  of  the  captivity  did  so." 

16.  were  separated]  From  all  other  business,  and  devoted 
themselves  entu-ely  to  this  matter. 

Vt .  first  day  of  the  first  month]  So  as  to  be  clean  for  the 
Passover. 

18.  the  sons  of  Jeshua  the  son  of  Jozadak]  Namely,  the 
descendants  of  Jeshua,  the  High  Priest,  who  had  come  up  to 
Jerusalem  with  Zerubbabel,  about  eighty  years  before  (ii.  2). 
There  were  973  Priests  of  that  house  (ii.  36). 

19.  they  gave  their  hands]  See  2  Kings  x.  15. 

—  being  guilty]  Heb.  ashemim.     See  aliovo,  on  Lev.  v.  1. 

—  a  ram— for  their  trespass]  Or  guilt  (Heb.  asham)  accord- 
ing to  the  Law,  see  Lev.  v.  14 — 19. 

The  Names  op  the  Pbiests  and  Levites  who  Kefoemed 
themseltes. 

20 — 22.  the  sons  of  Immer — Ulasah]  All  these  were  priests. 
See  above,  ii.  36 — 39;  Neh.  vii.  40;  anduw.  2 — 9.  This  record, 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  gives,  of  the  names  of  those  Priests  and 
Levites  who,  when  they  had  erred  repented,  and  took  part  in 


The  names  of  the  Priests  and  Levites       EZRA  X.  21 — 44. 


ivho  reformed  themselves. 


Before 

CHRIST 

456. 


II  Or,  Mahnade- 
bai,  according  to 
some  copies. 


diah.  -^  And  of  the  sons  of  Harim  ;  Maaseiali,  and  Elijah,  and  Shemaiah,  and 
Jehiel,  and  Uzziah.  '^"^  And  of  the  sons  of  Pashur ;  Ehoenai,  Maaseiah,  Ish- 
mael,  Nethaneel,  Jozabad,  and  Elasah.  ^3  ^gQ  Qf  ^.j^g  Levites ;  Jozabad,  and 
Shimei,  and  Kelaiah,  (the  same  is  Kehta,)  Pethahiah,  Judah,  and  Ehezer. 
2^  Of  the  singers  also  ;  Ehashib :  and  of  the  porters ;  Shallum,  and  Telem,  and 
Uri.  2^  Moreover  of  Israel :  of  the  sons  of  Parosh ;  Ramiah,  and  Jeziah,  and 
Malchiah,  and  Miamin,  and  Eleazar,  and  Malchijah,  and  Benaiah.  ^^  And  of 
the  sons  of  Elam ;  Mattaniah,  Zechariah,  and  Jehiel,  and  Abdi,  and  Jeremoth, 
and  Eliah.  -''  And  of  the  sons  of  Zattii ;  Elioenai,  Eliashib,  Mattaniah,  and 
Jeremoth,  and  Zabad,  and  Aziza.  ^^  Of  the  sons  also  of  Bebai ;  Jehohanan, 
Hananiah,  Zabbai,  and  Athlai.  "^^  And  of  the  sons  of  Bani ;  MeshuUam, 
Malluch,  and  Adaiah,  Jashub,  and  Sheal,  and  Ramoth.  ^"^And  of  the  sons  of 
Pahath-moab ;  Adna,  and  Chelal,  Benaiah,  Maaseiah,  Mattaniah,  Bezaleel,  and 
Binnui,  and  Manasseh.  ^^  And  of  the  sons  of  Harim ;  Eliezer,  Ishijah,  Mal- 
chiah, Shemaiah,  Shimeon,  ^-Benjamin,  Malluch,  «7?^  Shemariah.  ^^ Of  the 
sons  of  Hashum ;  Mattenai,  Mattathah,  Zabad,  Eliphelet,  Jeremai,  Manasseh, 
and  Shimei.  ^^  Of  the  sons  of  Bani ;  Maadai,  Amram,  and  Uel,  ^^  Benaiah, 
Bedeiah,  Chelluh,  ^'^  Vaniah,  Meremoth,  Eliashib,  ^"^  Mattaniah,  Mattenai,  and 
Jaasaii,  ^^  And  Bani,  and  Binnui,  Shimei,  ^^  And  Shelemiah,  and  Nathan,  and 
Adaiah,  ^*^  ||  Machnadebai,  Shashai,  Sharai,  ^^  Azareel,  and  Shelemiah,  She- 
mariah, ^"  Shallum,  Amariah,  and  Joseph.  ^-^  Of  the  sons  of  Nebo ;  Jeiel, 
Mattitliiah,  Zabad,  Zebina,  Jadau,  and  Joel,  Benaiah.  ^'^  All  these  had  taken 
strange  wives  :  and  some  of  them  had  wives  by  whom  they  had  children. 


tlie  Reformation,  at  great  personal  sacrifice  to  themselves,  is 
designed  by  Him  to  encourage  all,  especially  God's  Ministers,  to 
prosecute  the  work  of  religious  Reformation,  iu  obedience  to 
His  Word,  when  a  Chm'ch  has  fallen  away  from  it.  May  not 
this  be  an  encouragement  to  the  Priesthood  of  Italy  and  other 
continental  nations  at  this  time  ?  And  may  not  the  Clergy  of 
England  profit  by  it  ?     Cp.  below,  PreL  Note  to  Neh.  iii. 

23.  Levites ;  Jozabad^  See  ii.  40.     Neh.  viii.  7. 

25—43.  of  Israel—sons  of  Parosh]  See  ii.  3—29.  All  that 
are  named  from  Parosh,  in  v.  25  to  Shimeon  (v.  31),  were  of 
Judah. 

26.  Jehiel]  See  v.  2. 

44.  and  some  of  them  had  zoives  hy  ivhom  they  had  children] 
Literally,  and  there  were  of  them  ("  II  y  en  avail :"  see  Oesen. 
376)  tuives,  and  they  had  (literally,  they  set  or  placed,  they 
begat  of  them)  children.  So  Vulg.,  and  Syriac,  and  Arabic. 
And  this  seems  to  be  the  true  meaning,  notwithstanding  the 
objections  of  some  (e.  g.  Bertheau,  p.  126). 

These  are  the  concluding  words  of  the  Book  of  Ezra.  It 
seems  to  end  abrliptly ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  it  is 
only  the  first  portion  of  a  work,  and  that  the  following  Book, 


the  Book  of  Nehemiah,  is  the  second.  See  above,  the  IntrO' 
duction,  p.  295. 

The  Apocryphal  Book  of  Esdras  does  not  end  here,  but 
proceeds  to  speak  of  the  reading  of  the  Law  by  Ezra,  which 
is  described  in  Neh.  viii.  1 — 10;  and  this  is  a  very  proper 
connexion. 

It  would  be  erroneous  to  limit  our  view  of  Ezra's  character 
and  mission  to  what  we  read  of  him  in  this  Book.  We  see  him 
here  coming  from  Babylon,  and  bringing  a  train  of  followers 
with  him  out  of  the  land  of  captivity.  We  see  him  weeping  for 
the  sins  of  the  people,  and  praying  to  God  for  them,  and  con- 
juring them  to  renounce  those  heathen  alliances  by  which  their 
affections  had  been  ensnared,  and  by  which  they  were  beguiled 
fi'om  God.  But  he  did  much  more  than  this ;  and  that  is  re- 
lated in  the  following  Book,  the  Book  of  Nehemiah,  which  is 
caUed  "the  Second  Book  of  Ezra"  in  the  Vulgate  and  Arabic. 
There  is  something  significant  and  interesting  in  the  fiict,  that 
Ezra's  principal  actions  in  behalf  of  the  Church  of  God,  are  not 
recorded  by  himself,  but  by  Nehemiah,  his  fcUow-labourer  in  the 
cause  of  religious  Restoration  (see  Neh.  viii.  1 — 9 ;  cp.  note  on 
Neh.  X.  1). 


324 


THE  BOOK  OF  NEHEMIAH. 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

a  ch.  10.  1°, 


I.  ^  THE  words  of  ^  Nehemiali  the  son  of  Haclialiah. 

And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  month  Chisleu,  in  the  twentieth  year,  as  I  was 
in  Shushan  the  palace,  ^  That  Hanani,  one  of  my  brethren,  came,  he  and 
certain  men  of  Judah ;  and  I  asked  them  concerning  the  Jews  that  had  escaped, 
which  were  left  of  the  captivity,  and  concerning  Jerusalem.  ^And  they  said 
unto  me,  The  remnant  that  are  left  of  the  captivity  there  in  the  province  are 
in  great  affliction  and  reproach  :  ''the  wall  of  Jerusalem  also  "is  broken  down,  ^^'kiVs^ 
and  the  gates  thereof  are  burned  with  fire. 


gs  25.  1 0. 


Cn.  I.  For  an  Introduction  to  tliis  Book,  see  above,  the  In- 
trodtiction  prefixed  to  Ezra,  p.  295.  Ezra  and  Neheiniah 
form  one  Book  (S.  Jerome,  ad  Paulinum,  Ep.  50).  In  tLe  Vul- 
gate,  the  Book  of  Nehemiah  is  called  also  "  The  Second  Book 
of  Ezraj"  and  so  Origen  (cp.  Euseb.  vi.  25),  speaks  of  these 
two  Books  "as  the  First  and  Second  Book  of  Ezra  in  One." 
In  the  Arabic,  it  is  entitled,  "The  second  Book  of  Ezra  the 
Priest." 

1.  The  words  of  Nehemiah']  Nehemiah  was  not  a  priest, 
as  has  been  supposed  by  some  (e.  g.  the  Arabic  Version). 
This  mistake  has  arisen  from  confounding  Hachaliah  his  father, 
with  Hilkiah  the  Priest.  The  tradition  among  the  Jews  (see 
Euseb.  and  Jerome)  is,  that  he  was  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  :  cp. 
V.  2. 

The  word  Nehemiah  signifies  Comforter  appointed  by 
Jehovah;  or,  the  Lord  is  my  Comforter  {Ge.ten.  544j  Fuerst, 
922)  ;  and  Nehemiah,  in  his  work  of  comforting  the  people  of 
God,  and  building  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  and  in  reforming  its 
inner  life,  has  been  rightly  regarded  by  the  Ancient  Expositors 
as  a  figure  of  Christ,  and  as  a  pattern  to  all  who  are  placed  in 
high  stations  in  the  Church  of  God  (see  Bede  here). 

—  Chisleu']  The  winter  month  :  see  Ezra  x.  9. 

—  twentieth  year]  Of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus;  see  ii.  1, 
B.C.  446,  ninety-one  years  after  the  edict  of  Cyrus  for  the  re- 
buikUng  of  the  Temple  (Ezra  i.  1),  seventy  years  after  its  Dedi- 
cation (Ezra  vi.  15),  and  tliirteen  years  after  the  commission  of 
Ezra  (Ezra  vii.  i.  8).  This  twentieth  year  of  Artaxerxes,  in 
which  he  gave  leave  to  Nehemiah  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  and  in 
which  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  were  rebuilt  (see  ch.  iii.),  has  been 
regarded  by  many  as  the  beginning  of  Daniel's  Weeks  :  see 
Bede  and  Ussher,  p.  110.  Wouvers,  Dilucid.  p.  1115.  Seng- 
stenberg,  Christol.  I.  on  Dan.  is.  24 — 27.  Lord  A,  Hervey,  on 
the  Genealogy,  &c.  (ch.  xi.),  and  below,  the  notes  on  that  pro- 
phecy. 

—  I  was]  The  writer  of  this  Book  identifies  himself  with 
Nehemiah.  On  this  subject,  the  follomng  summary  may  find  a 
suitable  place  here  : — 

"  In  the  Book  of  Nehemiah,  Nehemiah  himself  relates,  in 
the  first  person,  in  one  consecutive  vivid  narrative,  the  history  of 
the  rebuilding  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  from  the  timp  that  God 
first  put  the  desire  into  his  mind  at  the  covu-t  of  Persia,  until  it 
was  completed,  and  he  had  made  over  the  charge  of  the  city 
(Neh.  i. — vii.  4);  and  ends  with  his  gathering  the  people  toge- 
ther (vii.  5). 

"  The  next  portion  describes  what  they  did,  when  so  ga- 
thered (viii. — X.).  The  acts  being  religious,  not  civil,  the  pro- 
minent part  belonged  to  Ezra.  Nehemiah  joins  himself  in  with 
the  rest  of  the  congregation,  saying  no  longer  'I,'  but  'we' 
(ix.  38).  The  eleventh  chapter  gave  no  occasion  for  the  first 
person,  being  an  account  of  measures  taken  by  the  people  them- 
selves for  the  repeopling  of  Jerusalem.  In  the  twelfth  and 
thirteenth,  Nehemiah  had  again  occasion  to  speak  of  himself. 
325 


The  act,  with  which  the  history  closes,  fidls  soon  after  B.C.  414. 
The  whole,  then,  of  the  Book  which  admits  of  it  (ch.  i. — vii. ; 
X.  28 — 39 ;  xii.  27 — 47 ;  xiii.),  is  written  in  the  first  person. 
Where  Nehemiah  acted  alone  (ch.  i. — vii.),  he  necessarily  speaks 
of  himself,  '  J;'  where  the  first  part  belonged  to  another,  he 
classes  himself  with  others^  '  we'  (ch.  i. — vii.).  Wherever,  then, 
the  first  person  could  be  used,  it  is  used ;  and  the  parts  in  which 
it  is  not  used,  stand  closely  connected  with  these ;  as  the  sealing 
of  the  covenant  (ix.  38),  ('we  make  a  sure  covenant'  in  the  pre- 
sent), with  the  confession  of  sin  and  humiliation  before  it  ('  and 
because  of  all  this,'  ib.),  and  this  with  the  previous  festival  in 
which  (viii.  18),  day  by  day,  from  the  first  day  unto  the  last  day, 
Ezra  read  to  them  in  the  Boole  of  the  Law  of  Ood.  So,  then, 
aU  marks  itself  as  contemporary,  except  the  arrangement  of  the 
repeopling  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  enumeration  of  some  towns 
and  villages  in  which  the  rest  dwelt  (xi.  25 — 36),  and  a  list  of 
Priests  and  Levites  (xii.  1—26).  And  yet  these  too  are  really 
connected;  for  the  re-peopling  of  Jerusalem  was  a  measure 
which  Nehemiah  says  he  had  at  heart  (vii.  4,  5).  And  the  enu- 
meration of  the  Priests  and  Levites  seems  to  be  mentioned  in 
connexion  with  the  Dedication  of  the  Wall  (xii.  27,  sqq.)." — Dr. 
Pusey  (Lectures  on  Daniel,  p.  339). 

—  Shushan]  On  the  Choaspes,  about  200  miles  S.E.  of  Baby- 
lon, and  about  the  same  distance  s.  of  Ecbatana.  Susa  was  the 
principal  residence  of  the  Persian  Kings,  even  fi'om  the  time  of 
Cyrus,  especially  in  winter:  Ecbatana  (see  Ezra  vi.  2),  was 
sometimes  their  resort  in  summer.  Cp.  Dan.  viii.  2.  Esther  i.  2. 
Herod,  i.  188.  Xenophon,  Cyrop.  viii.  6.  22.  Straho,  x.  p. 
317.  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  547.  Dr.  Pusey,  Lectures  on  Daniel, 
p.  400. 

—  I  was  in  Shuslian  the  palace]  God  has  His  faithful  rem- 
nant in  all  places ;  a  Joseph  in  the  court  of  Pharaoh ;  a  Moses 
also  there  ;  an  Obadiah  in  the  family  of  Ahab  ;  a  Daniel  at  Baby- 
lon ;  a  Nehemiah  at  Susa ;  and  saints  in  "  Csesar's  household " 
(Phil.  iv.  22). 

2.  Hanani — came]  From  Jerusalem  to  Susa,  where  Nehe- 
miah was. 

3.  in  the  province]  Of  Judca  (Ezra  v.  8). 

—  tvall— broken  down,  and — gates — burned  with  fire]  They 
were  in  the  same  desolate  condition  as  that  to  which  they  had 
been  reduced  by  Nebuchadnezzar  142  years  before  (2  Kings 
XXV.  9,  10). 

It  has  been  objected  to  this  statement  by  some  (e.  g.  Ber- 
theau,  129—132),  that  Nehemiah  would  not  have  been  much 
afiected  by  the  mention  of  the  desolate  state  of  the  walls  and 
gates  of  Jerusalem,  if  Hanani  had  only  been  describing  to  him  a 
condition  of  things  which  had  continued  for  many  years,  and 
with  which  Nehemiah  was  familiar;  and  therefore  it  has 
been  conjectured  that  the  walls  liad  been  repau-ed  before  this 
time,  and  that  Hanani  was  speaking  of  some  recent  demolition 
of  them  by  the  enemies  of  Jerusalem,   who  were  exasperated 


The  desolation  of  Jerusalem.     NEHEMIAH  I.  4—11.   11.  1.  Nehemiah  the  cuphearer. 

^  And  it  came  to  pass,  wlien  I  heard  these  words,  that  I  sat  down  and  wept, 
and  mourned  certain  days,  and  fasted,  and  prayed  before  the  God  of  heaven, 
^  And  said,  I  beseech  thee,  "^  0  Lord  God  of  heaven,  the  great  and  terrible  God, 
'  that  keepeth  covenant  and  mercy  for  them  that  love  him  and  observe  his 
commandments  :  ^  Let  thine  ear  now  be  attentive,  and  *"  thine  eyes  open,  that 
thou  mayest  hear  the  prayer  of  thy  servant,  which  I  pray  before  thee  now,  day 
and  night,  for  the  children  of  Israel  thy  servants,  and  ^  confess  the  sins  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  which  we  have  sinned  against  thee  :  both  I  and  my  father's 
house  have  sinned.  ^  ^  We  have  dealt  very  corruptly  against  thee,  and  have 
'  not  kept  the  commandments,  nor  the  statutes,  nor  the  judgments,  which  thou 
commandedst  thy  servant  Moses.  ^  Remember,  I  beseech  thee,  the  word  that 
thou  commandedst  thy  servant  Moses,  saying,  ^  If  je  transgress,  I  will  scatter 
you  abroad  among  the  nations  :  ^ '  But  if  ye  turn  unto  me,  and  keep  my  com- 
mandments, and  do  them ;  "  though  there  were  of  you  cast  out  unto  the  utter- 
most part  of  the  heaven,  yet  will  I  gather  them  from  thence,  and  will  bring 
them  unto  the  place  that  I  have  chosen  to  set  my  name  there.  ^^ "  Now  these 
are  thy  servants  and  thy  people,  whom  thou  hast  redeemed  by  thy  great  power, 
and  by  thy  strong  hand.  ^^  0  Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  °  let  now  thine  ear  be 
attentive  to  the  prayer  of  thy  servant,  and  to  the  prayer  of  thy  servants, 
who  P  desire  to  fear  thy  name  :  and  prosper,  I  pray  thee,  thy  servant  this 
day,  and  grant  him  mercy  in  the  sight  of  this  man.  For  I  was  the  king's 
•^  cupbearer. 

II.  ^And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  month  Nisan,  in  the  twentieth  year  of 
^  Artaxerxes  the  king,  that  wine  was  before  him  :  and  ""I  took  up  the  wine,  and 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

4-15. 

d  Dan.  9.  4. 
e  Exod.  20.  6. 

f  1  Kings  8.  28, 

29. 

2  Chron   6.  40. 

Dan.  9.  17,  18. 

g  Dan.  9.  20. 


h  Ps.  106.  6. 
Dan.  9.  5. 
iDeut.  28.  15. 


k  Lev.  26.  33. 
Deut.  4.  25,  26, 
27.  &  28.  04. 
1  Lev.  26.  39,  &c, 
Deut.  4.  29,  30, 
31.  &  30.  2. 
m  Deut.  30.  4. 


n  'Peut  9.  29. 
Dan.  9.  15 


p  Isa.  26.  8. 
Heb.  13.  18. 


q  ch.  2.  1. 

about 

445. 

a  Ezra  7.  I. 

bch.  1.  11. 


by  Ezra's  recent  legislation  for  the  putting  away  of  the  strange 
waves,  and  by  feelings  of  inveterate  hatred  of  the  Jews. 

But  this  is  a  precarious  hypothesis.  Nehemiah's  heart 
was  stirred  by  the  news  of  "  the  great  affliction  and  reproach  " 
of  his  countrymen ;  an  affliction  and  reproach  probably  aggra- 
vated by  the  sins  just  mentioned  (Ezra  x.  18 — 44),  and  made 
more  distressing  by  the  desolate  and  defenceless  state  in  which 
Jerusalem  still  remained.  The  Temple  had  been  rebuilt;  but 
its  sacred  services  were  exposed  to  insult  on  account  of  the 
weakness  and  wasteness  of  the  city. 

The  hypothesis  above  mentioned  is  liable  also  to  this 
objection,  that  it  would  introduce  great  uncertainty  into  the 
calculation  with  regard  to  the  beginning  of  Daniel's  weeks 
(Dan.  ix.  25).  And  here  we  may  observe,  that  the  feelings  and 
actions  of  such  devout  Israelites  as  Nehemiah  cannot  be  under- 
stood without  reference  to  the  prophecies  of  Daniel,  Haggai, 
and  Zechariah  concerning  the  Messiah,  and  to  the  hopes  and 
expectations  which  holy  men  entertained  of  His  Coming  to 
Jerusalem.  Their  words  and  works  are  only  to  be  explained 
fi'om  the  inner  principle  of  faith  in  Christ  which  animated 
them.  Those  prophecies,  pre-announcing  the  glorious  Coming  of 
the  Messiah  to  Jerusalem  and  to  its  Temple,  are  the  best  com- 
mentaries on  the  conduct  of  Nehemiah.  And  can  we  be  sur- 
prised, that  he  was  deeply  afflicted  by  hearing  that  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem  were  still  allowed  to  remain  desolate,  when  he  knew 
from  the  prophecy  of  Daniel,  that  the  Advent  "  of  Messiah  the 
the  Prince "  depended  on  the  rehuilding  of  those  walls  (Dan. 
ix.  24 — 26),  and  that  the  longer  that  rebuilding  was  delayed, 
the  further  that  Advent  was  removed  ? 

4,  6.  before  the  Ood  of  heaven — O  LoED  Ood  of  heaven] 
See  ii.  4;  and  Ezra  i.  2;  and  Dan.  ii.  37.  The  destruction  of 
the  material  city,  and  their  banishment  from  it,  served  to  bring 
out  more  strongly  in  the  minds  of  devout  Jews  a  sense  of  the 
Divine  Omnipresence,  and  of  the  majesty  and  glory  of  the 
"  Lord  God  of  heaven."     See  Introduction,  p.  299. 

On  the  Names  op  God  in  the  Book  of  Nehemiah. 

It  has  been  alleged  as  an  argument  against  the  unity  of 

authorship  of  the  Book  of  Nehemiah,  and,  consequently,  against 

the  opinion  that  this  Book  was  written  by  Nehemiah  himself, 

that  Almighty  God  is  spoken  of  by  different  titles  in  different 

326 


parts  of  the  Book ;  that  He  is  sometimes  called  "  the  Lord," 
sometimes  "  the  God  of  heaven ;"  and  sometimes  "  our  God," 
"  their  God,"  "  their  Lord,"  or  simply  as  "  God ;"  and  that  Ho 
is  addressed  sometimes  as  "  my  God,"  and  at  other  times  as  "  O 
Lord  God  of  heaven." 

Such  an  allegation  will  have  little  weight  with  those  who 
will  consider  what  has  already  been  said  with  regard  to  the 
different  significance  of  Elohim  (God),  Jehovah  (Loed),  on 
Gen.  ii.  4,  and  Exod.  vi.  2,  3. 

It  has  been  well  said  (by  Dr.  Pusey  on  Daniel,  p.  340) 
that  "  this  way  of  counting  the  names  of  God  (Adonai,  thvh, 
Jehovah,  Elohim,  El),  without  any  reference  to  the  shades  of 
feeling  expressed  by  them,"  or  to  the  relation  of  the  speaker 
who  utters  them,  "  is  a  mere  disease  of  the  criticism  to  which  it 
belongs ;"  and  it  has  been  shown  (ibid.,  p.  340 — 342)  that  there 
is  a  uniform  method  pervading  the  Book  of  Nehemiah  in 
regard  to  the  appellations  used  in  speaking  of  God,  and  in 
addressing  Him.     See  also  Keil,  Einleitung,  §  149,  p.  462. 

6.  that  keepeth  covenant  and  mercy — commandment s]  Ne- 
hemiah, like  Ezra  (see  on  Ezra  ix.  7.  11),  adopts  the  words  of 
the  Pentateuch.     See  Deut.  vii.  9. 

6.  Let  thine  ear  now  be  attentive']  Nehemiah  remembers 
God's  promise  in  the  Law  (see  Lev.  xxvi.  40 — 45),  and  Solo- 
mon's Prayer  at  the  Dedication  of  the  Temple,  in  reference  to 
persons  like  himself,  who  prayed  to  God  from  the  land  of 
captivity.     See  1  Kings  viii.  46—52. 

8.  Remember — the  word  that  thou  commandedst  thy  servant 
Moses]  Another  reference  to  the  Pentateuch.  See  Lev.  xxvi. 
33.  39—45.     Deut.  iv,  25—31;  xxviii.  64;  xxx.  1—4. 

11.  the  Icing's  cupbearer]  Literally,  one  who  gave  him  to 
drink  (Gesen.  520.  847).  I  was  a  cupbearer  to  the  king. 
Nehemiah  was  one  of  that  number  :  not  the  only  one. 

This  was  providential ;  for  it  is  noted  of  the  Persian  Kings 
that  they  were  always  inclined  to  grant  requests  which  were 
preferred  to  them  at  banquets ;  of  which  we  shall  have  evidence 
in  the  history  of  Esther.     See  on  Esther  v.  4. 


Ch.  II.  1.  Nisan]  Abib,  the  first  month  (Esther  iii.  7). 
—  wine  was  before  him]  Perhaps  on  a  festal  4ay :  cp. 
{Sertheau). 


V.  6 


Nehemiah's  commission ; 


NEHEMIAH  II.  2—13. 


he  comes  to  Jerusalem, 


gave  it  unto  the  king.  Now  I  had  not  been  he  foretime  sad  in  his  presence. 
2  Wherefore  the  king  said  unto  me,  Why  is  thy  countenance  sad,  seeing  thou 
art  not  sick  ?  this  is  nothing  else  but  "  sorrow  of  heart.  Then  I  was  very  sore 
afraid,  ^  And  said  unto  the  king,  ^  Let  the  king  live  for  ever :  why  should  not 
my  countenance  be  sad,  when  ^  the  city,  the  place  of  my  fathers'  sepulchres, 
lictli  waste,  and  the  gates  thereof  are  consumed  with  fire  ?  ^  Then  the  king 
said  unto  me,  For  what  dost  thou  make  request  ?  So  I  prayed  to  the  God  of 
heaven.  ^  And  I  said  unto  the  king,  If  it  please  the  king,  and  if  thy  servant 
have  found  favour  in  thy  sight,  that  thou  wouldest  send  me  unto  Judah,  unto 
the  city  of  my  fathers'  sepulchres,  that  I  may  build  it.  ^  And  the  king  said 
unto  me,  (the  f  queen  also  sitting  by  him,)  For  how  long  shall  thy  journey  be? 
and  when  wilt  thou  return  ?  So  it  pleased  the  king  to  send  me ;  and  I  set  him 
'a  time,  ^jyforeover  I  said  unto  the  king,  If  it  please  the  king,  let  letters  be 
given  me  to  the  governors  beyond  the  river,  that  they  may  convey  me  over  till 
I  come  into  Judah ;  ^  And  a  letter  unto  Asaph  the  keeper  of  the  king's  forest, 
that  he  may  give  me  timber  to  make  beams  for  the  gates  of  the  palace  which 
appertained  ^  to  the  house,  and  for  the  wall  of  the  city,  and  for  the  house  that  I 
shall  enter  into.  And  the  king  granted  me,  ^  according  to  the  good  hand  of 
my  God  upon  me. 

^  Then  I  came  to  the  governors  beyond  the  river,  and  gave  them  the  king's 
letters.  Now  the  king  had  sent  captains  of  the  army  and  horsemen  with  me. 
^^When  Sanballat  the  Horonite,  and  Tobiah  the  servant,  the  Ammonite,  heard 
of  it,  it  grieved  them  exceedingly  that  there  was  come  a  man  to  seek  the  welfare 
of  the  children  of  Israel. 

^^  So  I  'came  to  Jerusalem,  and  was  there  three  days.  ^^And  I  arose  in  the 
night,  I  and  some  few  men  with  me ;  neither  told  I  amj  man  what  my  God  had 
put  in  my  heart  to  do  at  Jerusalem :  neither  ivas  there  any  beast  with  me,  save 
the  beast  that  I  rode  upon.     ^^  And  I  went  out  by  night  "  by  the  gate  of  the 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 

c  Prov.  15.  13. 

d  1  Kings  1.  31. 
Dan.  2.  4.  & 
5.  10.  &  6.  6,  21. 
e  ch.  1.  3. 


t  Heb.  wife. 


f  (h.  5.  14.  & 
13.  6. 


g  ch.  3.  7. 

h  Ezra  5   5   & 
7.  6,  9,  28. 
ver.  18. 

445. 


i  Ezra  8.  32. 


k  2  Chron.  26.  9. 
ch.  3.  13. 


2.  sad'\  Literally,  evil,  ill-favoured  (Gesen.  772). 
8.  Let  the  king  live  for  ever']  The  usual  salutation  to  Eastern 
Kings  (Dan.  ii.  4;  iii.  9). 

—  why  should  not  my  countenance  he  sad\  Nehemiah  seems 
to  remember  the  words  of  the  Psalm  which  expresses  the  feelings 
of  the  devout  Jews  in  the  captivity,  "  O  Jerusalem,  If  I  do  not 
remember  thee,  let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth ; 
yea,  if  I  prefer  not  Jerusalem  in  my  mirth  (Ps.  cxxxvii.  5,  6). 

—  of  my  fathers'  sepulchres']  Literally,  the  house  of  the 
graves  of  my  fathers.  This  reference  to  their  graves  implies  a 
belief  in  their  Resurrection.     Cp.  Gen.  xlix.  29 ;  1.  24,  25. 

6.  If  it  please  the  king]  This  form  of  speech,  so  frequent  in 
the  mouth  of  Nehemiah,  was  no  affected  strain  of  courtship, 
but  a  just  expression  of  duty;  otherwise  that  religious  man 
would  never  have  used  it  {Bp.  Sanderson,  i.  38). 

6.  the  queen]  The  Queen  consort.  Heb.  shegal,  Ps.  xlv.  10. 
Dan.  v.  2.  3.  23.     (Gesen.  805). 

It  occurs  only  in  the  above  cited  places.  Probably  the 
Queen  favoured  his  request.  She  is  supposed  to  be  the  Queen 
Damaspia,  who  is  mentioned  by  Ctesias  (Ussher).  On  the 
power  of  the  Queen  Consort  among  the  Persians,  see  below, 
Esther  i.  9. 

—  sitting]  Not  reclining. 

—  set  him  a  time]  Nehemiah  remained  at  Jerusalem  during 
twelve  years  after  this.  But  probably  he  either  returned  to 
Susa,  in  the  course  of  that  time,  or  he  obtained  an  extension  of 
his  leave  of  absence  from  the  king. 

This  request  of  Nehemiah  for  leave  to  go  to  his  own 
country,  and  the  favourable  notice  which  it  seems  to  have  re- 
ceived from  the  queen,  may  remind  the  reader  of  the  similar 
petition  of  Democedes  of  Croton,  the  physician  of  Darius ;  in 
which  he  was  aided  by  the  Queen  consort  of  Darius,  Atossa, 
See  fferod.  iii.  133,  134. 

8.  the   king's  forest]  Probably  near  Jerusalem,  perhaps  at 
327 


iEtam,  about  seven  miles  south  of  Jerusalem  (Josephus,  Antt. 
viii.  7.  3.     Robinson). 

—  the  house]  The  oflBcial  residence  of  the  Tirshatha  or 
Governor. 

Commission  to  Nehemiah  in  the  Twentieth  Yeab  of 
Aetaxeexes. 

—  the  king  granted  me]  It  is  observable  that  after  his  grant 
to  Nehemiah  the  affairs  of  the  Persians  under  Artaxerxes,  which 
before  had  been  unprosperous,  especially  in  Egypt,  appear  to 
have  been  blessed  by  God.  See  the  course  of  events  as  recorded 
in  Thucydides,  Ctesias,  and  Diodorus,  and  as  summarized  by 
Abp.  Ussher,  Annales  p.  110:  cp.  above,  Introd.  p.  300. 

10.  the  Horonite]  Not  of  Beth-horou,  about  twelve  miles 
N.w.  of  Jerusalem  (see  Josh.  x.  10),  as  is  supposed  by  some,  e.  g. 
Bertheau,  for  then  he  would  not  have  been  an  alien,  as  he  was 
(see  xiii.  27,  28),  namely,  a  Moabite.  Cp.  Isa.  xv.  5.  Jer.  xlviii. 
3.  5.  34. 

—  the  servant]  Perhaps  he  had  been  a  slave  (see  Gesen. 
599),  and  is  called  the  servant,  or  slave,  as  Simon  is  called  the 
"  leper "  (Matt.  xxvi.  6),  and  Matthew  is  called  the  PubHcan 
(Matt.  X.  3),  though  they  had  ceased  to  be  such. 

—  the  Ammonite]  And  therefore  an  enemy  of  the  Jews. 
Perhaps  also  he  was  connected  with  some  of  the  Ammonitish 
strange  wives  who  had  been  put  away.     See  Ezra  ix.  1. 

Nehemiah  at  Jeeusalem. 

12.  I  arose]  See  on  Ps.  cii.,  probably  written  now. 

13.  I  went  out  by  night]  This  was  a  journey  in  darkness  and 
sorrow.  Very  difi'erent  was  Nehemiah's  circuit  of  Jerusalem 
when  he  joined  in  the  festal  procession  a  short  time  afterwards, 
at  the  Dedication  of  the  walls.     See  below,  xii.  31 — 40. 

—  gate  of  the  valley]  Probably  on  the  west,  near  the  present 
Jaffa  Gate,  and  so   called  from   leading   into  the  Valley  of 


Nehemiah's  ride  hj  night     NEHEMIAH  11.  14—20.     III.  1.      Rebuilding  of  the  Walls. 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
]  ch.  1.  3.  & 
ver.  17. 
mch.  3.  15. 


n2  Sam.  15.  23. 
Jer.  31.  40. 


och.  1.  3. 
Ps.  44.  13.  & 
79.  4. 
Jer.  24.  9. 
Ezek.  5.  14,  15 

n.i. 

p  ver.  8. 

q  2  Sam.  2.  7. 


r  Vs.  44.  13.  & 
7y.  4.  &  80.  c. 
8  ch.  C.  6. 


valley,  even  before  the  dragon  well,  and  to  the  dung  port,  and  viewed  the  walls 
of  Jerusalem,  which  were  '  broken  down,  and  the  gates  thereof  were  consumed 
with  fire.  ^^  Then  I  went  on  to  the  ""  gate  of  the  fountain,  and  to  the  king's 
pool :  but  there  ivas  no  place  for  the  beast  that  ims  under  me  to  pass.  ^^  Then 
went  I  up  in  the  night  by  the  "  brook,  and  viewed  the  wall,  and  turned  back, 
and  entered  by  the  gate  of  the  valley,  and  so  returned. 

1^  And  the  rulers  knew  not  whither  I  went,  or  what  I  did ;  neither  had  I  as 
yet  told  it  to  the  Jews,  nor  to  the  priests,  nor  to  the  nobles,  nor  to  the  rulers, 
nor  to  the  rest  that  did  the  work.  ^^  Then  said  I  unto  them.  Ye  see  the  dis- 
tress that  we  are-  in,  how  Jerusalem  lietli  waste,  and  the  gates  thereof  are  burned 
with  fire  :  come,  and  let  us  build  up  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  that  we  be  no  more 
"  a  reproach.  ^^  Then  I  told  them  of  ^  the  hand  of  my  God  which  was  good 
upon  me ;  as  also  the  king's  words  that  he  had  spoken  unto  me.  And  they 
''  said,  Let  us  rise  up  and  build.  So  they  '^  strengthened  their  hands  for  this 
good  ivorli. 

19  But  when  Sanballat  the  Horonite,  and  Tobiah  the  servant,  the  Ammonite, 
and  Geshem  the  Arabian,  heard  it^  they  '  laughed  us  to  scorn,  and  despised 
us,  and  said.  What  is  this  tiling  that  ye  do  ?  '  will  ye  rebel  against  the  king  ? 
20  Then  answered  I  them,  and  said  unto  them.  The  God  of  heaven,  he  will 
prosper  us ;  therefore  we  his  servants  will  arise  and  build  :  '  but  ye  have  no 
portion,  nor  right,  nor  memorial,  in  Jerusalem. 

III.  1  Then  ^  Eliashib  the  high  priest  rose  up  with  his  brethren  the  priests, 


Hinnom  (cp.  iii.  13).  The  sites  of  the  places  here  named  cannot 
be  determined  precisely.  See  Robinson,  i.  472.  Fergusson, 
B.  D.  i.  1027 ;  Thenius ;  Bertheau. 

Neheraiah  appears  to  have  issued  forth  on  the  west  side  of 
the  city,  and  to  have  ridden  in  a  southerly  course,  with  the  line 
of  the  ruined  walls  of  the  city  on  his  left  hand,  and  to  have 
turned  round  along  the  southern  side  of  the  city  till  he  came  to 
the  Brook  Kidron.     See  v.  15. 

This  route  is  to  be  compared  with  the  description  of  the 
building  of  the  walls  in  the  following  chapter  (iii.  1 — 32),  and 
with  the  account  of  their  Dedication  in  xii.  31 — 40. 

For  a  representation  of  the  places  mentioned  in  this  and 
iho  following  chapter,  see  the  first  volume  of  Dr.  Robinson's 
Researches,  with  the  Plan  annexed,  and  the  works  of  Williams, 
Vandevelde,  Thrupp,  Thenius,  Tobler,  and  Pierotti. 

—  dragon  weW]  Probably  on  the  west  of  Jerusalem,  near 
Gihon  {Robinson,  i.  514). 

—  dung  porf]  Probably  on  the  west  of  Jerusalem,  not  far 
from  the  modern  Jajfa  Oate  {Bertheau,  p.  108). 

—  which  tvere']  On  the  unusual  form  of  the  Hebrew  mem 
final  herCj  see  Pfeiffer,  Dubia  ii.  254. 

14.  the  Icing's  pool]  Or  pool  of  Solomon  {Josephy,s,  B.  J. 
V.  4.  2),  south  of  Moriah,  near  the  well  of  the  Virgin  {Thenius). 

—  no  place  for  the  heasf]  No  beaten  track  for  my  horse ; 
being  full  of  rubbish. 

15.  the  brook']  Kidron,  on  the  east  of  the  city.  He  probably 
then  rode  on  the  western  edge  of  the  Kidron  Valley,  and  skirted 
the  eastern  walls  in  a  northerly  direction,  till  he  came  to  the 
N.E.  angle  of  the  city,  and  then  turned  in  a  westerly  direction, 
and  coasted  the  northern  side,  and  so  came  round  again  to  the 
western  edge  of  the  city  {Bertheau  :  cp.  Robinson,  i.  474). 

19.  Oeshein  the  Arabian]  See  vi.  1,  2.  6.  Probably  he  was 
the  head  of  a  clan  of  the  Arabians  who  were  then  settled  near 
Jerusalem  (iv.  7). 

Peeliminaey  Note  to  Chapter  III. 
The  Rebuilding  of  the  Walls. 
With  regard  to  the  order  of  building,    and .  the  persons 
who  performed  the  work,  it  may  be  remarked  :  — 

(1)  That  the  writer  of  this  description  of  the  rebuilding 
begins  at  the  Sheep  gate,  on  the  cast  side  of  the  City,  and  pro- 
ceeds first  northwards ;  and,  after  passing  the  north-east  corner, 
goes  westward,  and  so  around  the  City,  till  he  comes  back  to 
the  same  gate  :  cp.  Robinson,  i.  472.  With  regard  to  the 
places  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  the  reader  may  refer  to  the 
328 


description  of  Nehemiah'a  solitary  ride  by  night  (in  chap.  ii. 
13 — 15),  and  to  the  subsequent  account  of  the  festal  procession 
round  the  walls  at  their  dedication  (chap.  xii.  31 — 40). 

(2)  That  the  portion  of  the  wall,  near  the  Temple, 
especially  on  the  east  side  of  it,  was,  as  might  have  been 
anticipated,  executed  in  great  part  by  Priests,  v.  1. 

(3)  That  inhabitants  of  outlying  towns  (Jericho,  v.  2 ; 
Gibeon  and  Mizpah,  v.  7 ;  Zanoah,  v.  13,  &c.)  helped  in  building 
parts  of  the  wall,  and  in  setting  up  gates,  which  looked  toioards 
their  own  cities. 

(4)  That  many  persons  built  the  parts  of  the  wall  that 
were  contiguous  to  their  own  houses  (vv.  10.  13,  &c.). 

(5)  The  numbers  of  portions  of  walls,  gates  iucludod,  is 
forty-two  ;  the  number  of  stations  in  the  wilderness,  see  above, 

on  Exod.  xii.  37.     Num.  xxxiii.  1. 

The  moral  and  spiritual  application  of  these  incidents  is 
obvious. 

The  history  of  the  rebuilding  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem 
has  a  deep  interest  for  every  age  of  the  Church,  as  exhibiting 
a  pattern  of  pious  and  loyal  zeal  in  Nehemiah,  a  courtier  of 
Susa,  quitting  his  post  of  honour  in  the  royal  palace,  and 
devoting  himself  to  the  work  of  religion  and  patriotism,  and 
stimulating  others  to  co-operate  in  it. 

But  it  has  also  a  still  deeper  interest  when  regarded  in  its 
spiritual  sense.  To  adopt  the  words  of  an  ancient  expositor, 
slightly  modified : — 

"  It  would  be  a  tedious  task  to  apply,  in  a  spiritual  sense, 
all  the  details  of  the  chapter  before  us.  The  reader  himself  wiU 
anticipate  them,  .  .  .  Suffice  it  to  remark,  that  they  who  built 
the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  and  set  up  its  gates,  so  as  to  keep  off 
its  enemies,  and  to  give  ingress  and  egress  to  its  citizens,  fore- 
shadowed the  work  of  Christ's  holy  Apostles  and  Evangelists 
in  building  up  the  Christian  Church,  and  in  warding  off  its 
enemies,  and  in  admitting  others,  by  the  ordered  means  of 
grace,  into  communion  of  faith  and  worship ;  and  this  is  a  work 
which  is  continued  in  every  age  by  those  spiritual  Architects 
of  the  Church,  who  build  up  the  IJnity  of  the  Faith  of  tlie 
Catholic  Church  throughout  the  world.  And  as  Nehemiah, 
whose  name  signifies  the  Lord  the  Comforter,  in  this  chapter, 
sets  down  the  names  of  those  who  took  part  in  building  up 
Jerusalem,  and  consigns  them  to  eternal  remembrance  in  Holy 
Scripture,  so  we  doubt  not,  that  God  Himself,  Who  is  our 
Help  and  Comfort,  registers  in  His  own  Book  of  remem- 
brances the  names  of  all  who  build  up  His  Church  upon  earth  " 
{Bede).     Cp.  above,  on  Ezra  x.  20. 


The  names  and  order 


NEHEMIAH  III.  2—7.  of  those  ivho  rehuilt  the  ivalls. 


'■  and  they  builded  the  sheep  gate  ;  they  sanctified  it,  and  set  up  the  doors  of  it  ; 
"  even  unto  the  tower  of  Meah  they  sanctified  it,  unto  the  tower  of  ^  Hananeel. 
2  And  f  next  unto  him  builded  '  the  men  of  Jericho.  And  next  to  them  builded 
Zaccur  the  son  of  Imri. 

2^  But  the  fish  gate  did  the  sons  of  Hassenaah  build,  who  also  laid  the  beams 
thereof,  and  ^  set  up  the  doors  thereof,  the  locks  thereof,  and  the  bars  thereof. 
*And  next  unto  them  repaired  Meremoth  the  son  of  Urijah,  the  son  of  Koz. 
And  next  unto  them  repaired  MeshuUam  the  son  of  Berechiah,  the  son  of 
Meshezabeel.  And  next  unto  them  repaired  Zadok  the  son  of  Baana.  ^  And 
next  unto  them  the  Tekoites  repaired  ;  but  their  nobles  put  not  their  necks  to 
^  the  work  of  their  Lord. 

^  Moreover '  the  old  gate  repaired  Jehoiada  the  son  of  Paseah,  and  MeshuUam 
the  son  of  Besodeiah;  they  laid  the  beams  thereof,  and  set  up  the  doors  thereof, 
and  the  locks  thereof,  and  the  bars  thereof.     ^And  next  unto  them  repaired 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
b  John  5.  2. 
c  ch.  12.  39. 
d  Jer.  31.  »S. 
Zech.  14.  10. 
t  Heb.  at  Uis 
hand. 

e  Ezra  2.  34. 
f  2  Chron.  33.  14 
ch.  12.  39. 
Zeph.  1.  10. 
g  See  ch.  6.  1.  & 
7.  1. 


h  Judg.  5.  23. 
i  ch.  12.  39. 


This  enlarged  view  of  Nehemiah's  work  is  suggested  by 
the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah,  which  were  doubtless  familiar  to 
Nehemiah  (cp.  below,  on  xiii.  15),  and  strengthened  and 
cheered  him  in  his  labours.  Jeremiah  had  foretold  what  Nehe- 
miah was  now  doing.  His  order  of  proceeding  round  the  walls 
from  the  east  to  the  north,  thence  to  the  west,  and  so  round 
to  the  east,  is  the  same  as  here  (see  Vitringa,  on  Isa.  xxx.  30 ; 
Uengst.  Christol.  on  Jer.  xxxi.  38 ;  and  on  Zech.  xiv.  10) ;  and 
he  extends  his  prophetic  announcements  forward,  even  to  the 
Coming  of  Christ,  and  to  the  building  up  of  the  walls  of  the 
spiritual  Jerusalem,  the  Church  Universal ;  and  he  connects 
the  imagery  of  the  spiritual  city  with  that  of  the  material. 
See  the  whole  of  the  thirty-first  chapter  of  Jeremiah,  which  is 
expounded  by  this  third  chapter  of  Nehemiah,  and  is  a  divinely 
inspired  commentary  upon  it. 

Ch.  III.  1.  miashib  the  high  priesf]  The  son  of  Joiakim, 
the  son  of  Jeshua  :  see  xii.  10.  His  name  signifies  God  restores, 
and  is  very  appropriate  to  the  Priest,  who  set  the  example  in 
restoring  Jenisalem.     God  worked  in  him,  and  by  him. 

Eliashib,  the  High  Priest,  was  forward  in  building  up  the 
material  walls  of  the  Holy  City  ;  but,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter, 
he  was  very  negligent  of  its  iwjier  life  (see  xiii.  4.7),  and  allowed 
it  to  be  marred  and  defiled  by  its  enemies.  He  is  an  example 
of  persons  who  are  zealous  for  the  restoration  and  embellish- 
ment of  the  outward  fabric  of  Churches,  but  are  not  zealous 
for  the  purity  of  its  faith,  and  for  the  holiness  of  its  life. 

Nehemiah,  however,  who  was  constrained  to  resist  him  in 
his  evil  deeds  (xiii.  7),  does  not  forget  the  good  that  he  did, 
and  bore  records  with  impartiality  his  zealous  promptitude  in 
rebuilding  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 

Nehemiah  himself  is  an  example  of  a  happy  union  of  zeal 
for  spiritual  reformation,  and  of  energy  in  the  restoration  of 
godly  discipline,  and  in  practical  and  persevering  efforts  for 
external  order,  decency,  and  strength. 

—  the  sheep  gate']  On  the  east  side  of  Jerusalem,  not  far 
from  the  present  St.  Stephen's  gate,  and  probably  near  the 
uorth-east  angle  of  the  Temple  area.  By  this  word  sheep  gate, 
rendered  irpo^artKr]  in  the  Septuagint,  this  narrative  is  linked 
with  the  Gospel  history,  where  the  same  word  occurs.  See 
below,  on  John  v.  2,  where  the  sheep  gate  is  mentioned  as 
near  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  with  its  five  porches,  at  which  our 
Blessed  Lord  healed  the  impotent  man,  who  had  been  thirty- 
eight  years  in  that  state.  On  its  site,  see  Mede's  note  here, 
and  Hohinson,  i.  507,  who  observes,  that  the  fact  here  men- 
tioned by  Nehemiah,  that  the  sheep  gate  was  restored  by  the 
Priests,  is  explained  by  its  proximity  to  the  Temple. 

The  building  of  the  walls  was  begun,  as  might  have  been 
expected,  with  a  restoration  of  the  fortifications  nearest  to  the 
Temple,  in  order  to  defend  the  House  of  God  and  its  services 
from  the  enemies  and  assailants  of  Jerusalem.  The  sheep  gate 
led  to  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  and  to  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
and  toward  Bethany. 

On  the  sheep  gate,  the  starting-point,  and  the  terminus 
also  of  this  description  of  the  walls,  see  below,  at  v.  32. 

—  Meah]  There  ought  to  be  a  comma  here.     The  following 
words,    theg  sanctified  it,  refer   to  the  tower  of  Meah.     The 
origin  of  tjie  name  Meah,  which  signifies   a  hundred  (and  is 
329 


so  rendered  by  Sept.  and   Vulg.),  is  uncertain.     Its  site  was 
between  the  sheep  gate  and  the  tower  of  Hananeel. 

—  theg  sanctified  it]  They  celebrated  the  building  of  the 
gate  with  a  religious  dedication  :  cp.  below,  xii.  27. 

—  Hananeel]  Which  signifies  graciouslg  vouchsafed  bt/  God. 
This  tower  seems  to  have  been  at  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
city.  It  is  mentioned  below  (xii.  39.  Jer.  xxxi.  38.  Zech. 
xiv.  10).  The  tower  of  Meah  seems  to  have  been  between  it 
and  the  sheep  gate. 

Here  was  a  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah,  which, 
as  was  before  observed  (see  Prelim.  Note  to  this  chapter), 
teaches  us  to  see,  in  the  rebuilding  of  Jerusalem  by  Nehemiah, 
after  the  return  from  the  captivity  at  Babylon,  a  foreshadow- 
ing of  the  work  of  Christ  in  building  up  the  ruins  of  fallen 
Human  Nature  by  His  Incarnation  (see  Jer.  xxxi.  22),  and 
in  raising  up  the  walls  of  the  spiritual  Jerusalem,  His  Church. 
The  prophet  introduces  the  names  of  the  towers  and  gates  of 
Jerusalem  in  his  prophecy,  and  leads  us  to  connect  the  type 
with  the  Antitype  :  "  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord, 
that  the  city  shall  be  built  to  the  Lord  from  the  toioer  of 
Hananeel  unto  the  gate  of  the  corner.  And  the  measuring 
line  shall  yet  go  forth  over  against  it  upon  the  hill  Gareb,  and 
shall  compass  about  to  Goath"  (on  the  west  of  Jerusalem). 
"  And  the  whole  valley  of  the  dead  bodies,  and  of  the  ashes, 
and  all  the  fields  unto  the  brook  of  Kidron,  unto  the  corner 
of  the  horse  gate  toioards  the  east "  (see  v.  28),  "  shall  be  holy 
unto  the  Lord  "  (Jer.  xxxi.  38—40).  By  this  amplification  of 
the  city  on  the  west  and  east,  the  prophet  intimates  that  the 
glory  of  the  spiritual  city  will  far  exceed  that  of  the  material 
city,  and  that  by  reason  of  grace  in  Christ  it  will  comprise  what 
had  before  been  regarded  as  unclean,  and  had  been  rejected  as 
such.     Cp.  Hengst.  Christol.  on  Jer.  xxxi.  33. 

2.  the  men  of  Jericho]  Cp.  Ezra  ii.  34.  They  continued  the 
work  of  the  Priests.  On  the  east  side  of  Jerusalem,  the  side 
toward  their  own  city,  Jericho,  they  probably  built  up  the  gate, 
called  the  High  Gate,  from  which  the  road  issued,  which  led 
from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho. 

We  shall  find  that  in  many  other  cases  in  this  work  of 
restoration  the  inhabitants  of  peighbouring  towns  repaired  those 
parts  of  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  which  looked  toward  their  own 
country, 

—  Imri]  Promise  of  the  Lord.  The  name  occurs  among 
the  children  of  Judah  (1  Chron.  ix.  4). 

3.  thefi^h  gate]  Probably  on  the  north  side,  and  north-west 
of  the  tower  of  Hananeel,  and  near  the  fish-market,  mentioned 
in  xiii.  16,  which  was  frequented  by  salesmen  of  fish  coming 
from  the  north,  viz.  Tyre.     Cp.  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  14. 

4.  next  unto  them]  He  is  proceeding  westwards,  on  the  north 
side. 

5.  of  their  Lord]  Supposed  by  some  to  mean  Nehemiah 
himself.  Cp.  Gen.  xl.  1.  2  Sam.  x.  3.  1  Kings  xii.  27.  But 
it  seems  more  probable  that  it  means  God  Himself.  Cp. 
Ps.  viii.  1.  9,  where  the  word  Adonai  (Lord)  has  a  pronominal 
suffix,  as  here. 

6.  the  old  gate]  On  the  north  side  of  the  city,  between  the 
fish  gate  and  the  gate  of_Ephraim.  It  led  toward  Anathoth, 
Gibeah,  Eamah,  Bethel,  Shiloh,  and  Samaria.  It  may  have 
been  called  the  old  gate,  as  being  a  remnant  of  the  fortification! 
of  the  old  city  of  the  Jebusites. 


The  names  of  tliose 


NEHEMIAH  III.  8—15. 


who  rehuilt  Jerusalem. 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
k  ch.  2.  8. 


II  Or,  l-ft 
Jerusalem  unto 
the  broad  wall. 
1  ch.  12.  38. 


\  Heb.  second 

measure. 

m  eh   12.  38. 


O  ch.  2.  13. 


p  ch.  2.  14. 


q  John  9.  7. 


Melatiah  the  Gibeonite,  and  Jadon  the  Meronothite,  the  men  of  Gibeon,  and 
of  Mizpah,  unto  the  "^  throne  of  the  governor  on  this  side  the  river.  ^  Next 
unto  him  repaired  Uzziel  the  son  of  Harhaiah,  of  the  goldsmiths.  Next  unto 
him  also  repaired  Hananiah  the  son  of  one  of  the  apothecaries,  and  they  |]  forti- 
fied Jerusalem  unto  the  '  broad  wall.  ^  And  next  unto  them  repaired  Rephaiah 
the  son  of  Hur,  the  ruler  of  the  half  part  of  Jerusalem.  ^^  And  next  unto  them 
repaired  Jedaiah  the  son  of  Harumaph,  even  over  against  his  house.  And 
next  unto  him  repaired  Hattush  the  son  of  Hashabniah.  ^^  Malchijah  the  son 
of  Harim,  and  Hashubthe  son  of  Pahath-moab,  repaired  the  f  other  piece,  "'and 
the  tower  of  the  furnaces,  ^^^^j  j^ext  unto  him  repaired  Shallum  the  son  of 
Halohesh,  the  ruler  of  the  half  part  of  Jerusalem,  he  and  his  daughters. 

^^  °  The  valley  gate  repaired  Hanun,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Zanoah ;  they 
built  it,  and  set  up  the  doors  thereof,  the  locks  thereof,  and  the  bars  thereof, 
and  a  thousand  cubits  on  the  wall  unto  "  the  dung  gate. 

^*  But  the  dung  gate  repaired  Malchiah  the  son  of  Kechab,  the  ruler  of  part 
of  Beth-haccerem  ;  he  built  it,  and  set  up  the  doors  thereof,  the  locks  thereof, 
and  the  bars  thereof. 

^^  But  p  the  gate  of  the  fountain  repaired  Shallun  the  son  of  Col-hozeh,  the 
ruler  of  part  of  Mizpah ;  he  built  it,  and  covered  it,  and  set  up  the  doors  thereof, 
the  locks  thereof,  and  the  bars  thereof,  and  the  wall  of  the  pool  of ''  Siloah  by 


7.  the  men  of  Gibeon,  and  of  MizpaK]  Mizpah  and  Gibeon 
were  about  four  miles,  and  five  miles  and  a  half,  N.N.w.  of 
Jerusalem :  and  the  part  of  the  walls,  which  the  men  of  these 
places  builded,  faced  that  point  of  the  compass. 

—  unto  the  throne  of  the  governor  on  this  side  the  river'] 
The  Persian  Exarch,  or  Governor,  who,  it  seems,  had  an  oflBcial 
residence  near  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  as,  in  later  times,  the 
Roman  Governor  had  his  prsetorium  in  the  city  itself  (Matt. 
xxvii.  27.  Mark  xv.  16).  It  is  supposed  by  some  {Le  Clerc, 
Sertheau,  and  others)  that  the  words,  unto  the  throne  of  the 
governor,  mean  that  these  persons  were  subject  to  his  juris- 
diction and  rule.  But  the  former  interpretation  seems  the 
most  natural,  and  is  confirmed  by  Sept. 

8.  goldsmiths — apothecaries']  Or  spice  compounders.  See 
Exod.  XXX.  33.  1  Sam.  viii,  13.  Cant.  iii.  6.  The  word  son 
is  here  used  in  the  sense  of  member  of  a  guild,  or  company ; 
and  the  words  one  of  would  be  better  omitted. 

—  they  fortified  Jerusalem  unto  the  broad  walT]  Rather, 
they  left  out.  The  word  here  rendered  they  fortified  is  the  Jcal 
of  azab  (see  Oesen.  617),  and  it  almost  always  signifies  to  leave, 
to  forsake ;  it  is  a  word  of  very  frequent  occurrence,  being 
found  more  than  200  times  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  it  is  only 
rendered  here  and  iv.  2  h'^  fortify,  and  this  rendering  (though 
defended  by  Fuerst,  1034)  is  not  authorized  by  the  Ancient 
Versions.  There  seems  little  doubt  that  the  true  meaning  is, 
they  left  out  Jerusalem  unto  the  broad  walls,  that  is,  they  gave 
up,  or  omitted,  a  part  of  the  old  city,  and  restricted  the 
circuit  within  a  narrower  range.  Compare  the  Apocalypse, 
xi.  2,  where  a  similar  act  is  described  with  regard  to  the  spi- 
ritual Jerusalem. 

The  presence  of  guilds  of  goldsmiths  and  compounders  of 
spices  and  perfumes  at  Jerusalem  at  this  time,  illustrates  the 
statements  of  Haggai  the  prophet,  reprehending  the  prevalence 
of  luxury  in  private  houses  at  a  time  when  the  walls  of  the 
Temple  and  City  were  allowed  to  lie  waste.     See  Hag.  i.  4. 

9.  the  ruler  of  the  half  part  of  Jerusalem]  Rather,  of  the 
half  of  the  district  round  Jerusalem :  not  the  half  of  the  city 
itself.  Cp.  V.  15  with  v.  19,  where  Mizpah  is  distinguished 
from  the  region  round  it.     Cp.  vv.  16,  17,  18. 

10.  over  against  his  house]  He  restored  the  part  of  the  wall 
which  faced  his  own  house  (cp.  v.  23).  An  example  to  all  Church- 
reformers  and  restorers.  Let  them  look  first  to  their  own 
hearts  and  lives,  and  to  their  own  houses  and  parishes ;  and 
then  to  the  Church  at  home  and  abroad.  If  every  one  would 
Duild  over  against  his  own  house,  Jerusalem  would  soon  be 
restored.  As  Bede  says  here,  "  In  the  Church  of  God,  every 
man  ought  to  endeavour  to  build  up  a  wall  of  Christian  virtues 
over  against  his  own  house,  and  to  fortify  his  own  heart  against 
the  assaults  of  his  spiritual  enemy."     And  every  one  ought  to 

330 


build  over  against  his  own  house,  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  one  to  protect  those  who  are  committed  to  his  charge 
with  the  fence  of  wholesome  discipline,  so  that  they  may  not  be 
corrupted  by  vicious  practices,  or  be  deceived  by  heretical 
doctrines. 

—  Sattush]  Who  seems  to  have  been  a  priest.  See  x.  4; 
xii.  2. 

11.  the  other  piece]  Literally,  a  second  piece,  or  measure, 
following  that  of  Hattush. 

—  the  toiver  of  the  furnaces]  See  below,  xii.  38.  It  was  pro- 
bably a  tower  for  the  protection  of  those  who  worked  in  the 
brick-kilns  which  were  made  there,  for  rebuilding  the  city 
{Malvenda,  and  so  Arabic). 

This  tower  was  on  the  N.w.  corner  of  the  city,  between 
the  Ephraim  Gate,  which  was  to  the  east  of  it,  and  the  Valley 
Gate,  which  was  on  the  south  of  it.  It  is  probable  that  this 
tower  was  near  the  corner  gate,  mentioned  2  Kings,  xiv.  13. 
2  Chron.  xxvi.  9.     Jer.  xxxi.  38.     Zech.  xiv.  10. 

12.  the  half  piart  of  Jerusalem]  The  second  half.     See  v.  9. 

—  his  daughters]  Who  contributed  to  the  work.  Women  as 
well  as  men  are  ministerial  in  the  buQding  up  of  the  walls  of 
the  Church  of  God.  Cp.  below,  on  Rom.  xvi.  1.  1  Tim.  iii. 
11 ;  v.  3—13. 

13.  the  valley  gate]  On  the  west  side  of  Jerusalem  (see  ii.  13), 
not  far  from  the  Church  of  the  Soly  Sepulchre. 

—  Zanoah]  About  eleven  miles  w.s.w.  of  Jerusalem,  now 
Zannah.  The  inhabitants  of  Zanoah  built  up  that  part  of  Jeru- 
salem which  looked  toward  their  own  city :  cp.  v.  7. 

—  a  thousand  cubits  on  the  icall  unio  the  dung  gate]  Perhaps 
from  the  valley  gate.  On  the  dung  gate,  which  was  west  of 
Jerusalem  and  south  of  the  valley  gate,  see  ii.  13  ;  xii.  31. 

14.  Beth-haccerem]  House  of  the  vineyard  (see  Jer.  vi.  1), 
supposed  to  he  between  Jerusalem  and  Tekoah>  but  its  site  is 
not  certain. 

15.  the  gate  of  the  fountain]  On  the  west  of  the  city,  south 
of  the  valley  gate  (see  ii.  14;  and  xii.  37),  not  far  from  the 
present  Jaffa  gate. 

—  part  of  Mizpah^  The  district  round  it.     See  v.  19. 

SlLOAM. 

—  the  wall  of  the  pool  of  Siloah]  The  Hebrew  word,  rendered 
Siloah  here,  is  Shelach,  which  signifies  a  sending  forth  ;  hence 
a  flowing  forth  of  water,  a  water-course. 

Here  is  another  site,  by  means  of  which  this  narrative  of 
the  rebuilding  of  Jerusalem  is  connected  with  the  EvangeUcal 
history  :  see  v.  1. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  this  description  begins  with 
the  TTpoSaTiKTi,  or  sheep  gate  (so  our  Margin,  rightly,  in  John 
V.  2),  which  is  associated  in  St.  John's  Gospel  with  one  of  our 


The  names  of  those 


NEHEMIAH  III.  16—25. 


who  rebuilt  Jerusalem, 


Before 
CHRIST 

445. 


the  king's  gardon,  and  unto  the  stairs  that  go  down  from  the  city  of  David. 
^^  After  him  repaired  Nehemiah  the  son  of  Azbuk,  the  ruler  of  the  half  part  of 
Beth-zur,  unto  the  place  over  against  the  sepulchres  of  David,  and  to  the  '  pool  uJ^zt^u."'  ^°* 
that  was  made,  and  unto  the  house  of  the  mighty.     ^^  After  him  repaired  the 
Levites,  Kehum  the  son  of  Bani.     Next  unto  him  repaired  Hashabiah,  the 
ruler  of  the  half  part  of  Keilah,  in  his  part.    ^^  After  him  repaired  their  brethren, 
Bavai  the  son  of  Henadad,  the  ruler  of  the  half  part  of  Keilah.     ^^  And  next  to 
him  repaired  Ezer  the  son  of  Jeshua,  the  ruler  of  Mizpah,  another  piece  over 
against  the  going  up  to  the  armoury  at  the  "  turning  of  the  wall,     ^o  After  him  '  ^  •^'^f""-  ^e  9. 
Baruch  the  son  of  ||  Zabbai  earnestly  repaired  the  other  piece,  from  the  turning  "  °''  ^'""''■ 
of  the  umll  unto  the  door  of  the  house  of  Eliashib  the  high  priest,     ^i  After  him 
repaired  Meremoth  the  son  of  Urijah  the  son  of  Koz  another  piece,  from  the 
door  of  the  house  of  Eliashib  even  to  the  end  of  the  house  of  Ehashib.     ^^  And 
after  him  repaired  the  priests,  the  men  of  the  plain.     ^3  After  him  repaired  Ben- 
jamin and  Hashub  over  against  their  house.     After  him  repaired  Azariah  the 
son  of  Maaseiah  the  son  of  Ananiah  by  his  house.     ^-^  After  him  repaired  Binnui 
the  son  of  Henadad  another  piece,  from  the  house  of  Azariah  unto  '  the  turning  *^"-  ^^■ 
of  the  wallj  even  unto  the  corner.     ^^  Palal  the  son  of  Uzai,  over  against  the 
turning  of  the  wall,  and  the  tower  which  lieth  out  from  the  king's  high  house, 
that  icas  by  the  " court  of  the  prison.     After  him  Pedaiah  the  son  of  Parosh.  33^"& sV^^f. 


Lord's  miracles  at  one  of  its  pools,  that  of  Bethesda  (see  above, 
V.  1) ;  and  that  it  brings  us  into  contact  with  the  scene  of  another 
of  His  gracious  works  of  restoration,  that  which  He  wrought  at 
another  pool,  and  which  is  also  recorded  in  St.  John's  Gospel, 
the  pool  of  Siloam.  See  John  ix.  7,  where  He  says  to  the  blind 
man  "  Go  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam,"  and  the  Evangelist  adds, 
"  which  is,  by  interpretation,  sent."  On  the  connexion  of  these 
two  Miracles,  wrought  by  the  Great  Restorer  of  our  Jerusalem, 
the  Divine  Nehemiah,  the  Consoler  from  the  Lord,  see  below, 
the  notes  on  John  v.  2,  and  John  ix.  7.  The  two  miracles 
at  the  two  pools  exhibit  in  a  picture  the  divine  work  of  the 
restoration  of  our  Jerusalem  by  means  of  the  Incarnation  of 
Christ. 

TaQ  pool  of  Siloam,  according  to  all  recent  Topographers, 
is  near  Kefr  Silwdn,  to  the  S.E.  of  the  city,  and  is  supplied  by 
a  subterranean  water-course  (about  1750  feet  long)  from  the 
fotmt  of  the  Virgin,  which  is  conjectured  by  Rohinson  (i.  507) 
to  be  Bethesda,  and  which  is  on  the  N.E.  side  of  the  saddle- 
shaped  shelving  hill  thrown  out  from  the  Temple-hill,  an4  sup- 
posed to  be  Ophel,  parallel  to  the  valley  of  Tyropoeon,  which  is 
on  the  west  of  it. 

If  we  consider  the  context  of  the  present  verse,  and  study 
the  topographical  sites  of  the  places  mentioned  in  connexion 
with  Siloam  here,  it  seems  most  probable  that  the  Sacred 
Writer  is  not  referring  to  the  pool  at  the  S.E.,  which  is  now 
called  Siloam,  but  to  some  pool  to  the  west  of  it,  and  which 
was  tributary  to  it.  Vestiges  of  such  feeders  of  the  present 
Siloam  are  stiU  visible  (see  Barclay,  City  of  the  Great  King, 
p.  309 ;  and  Dr.  Bonar,  B.  D.  ii.  1313,  1314) ;  and  there  may 
be  some  gi-ound  for  the  Jewish  tradition  connecting  Gihon 
itself  with  Siloam  {Lightfoot  in  Matt.,  p.  51). 

There  is  something  very  interesting,  and  almost  mysterious, 
in  the  secret,  subterranean,  courses  and  charmels  by  which  the 
water  in  the  pool  of  Siloam  (see  Robinson,  i.  sect,  vii.)  seems  to 
have  been  supplied,  especially  when  we  consider  it  in  reference 
to  the  history  of  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  where  the  Evangelist 
pi-esents  it  to  us  as  a  type  of  our  Blessed  Lord  Himself.  See 
on  John  Lx.  7—11 :  cp.Luke  iv.  18.  John  x.  36;  and  S.  Basil 
on  Isa.  \\i\.  6,  where  he  traces  the  resemblance.  The  secret 
mystery  of  His  generation,  and  the  unperceived  emission  and 
going  forth  of  Him  Who  cleanses  and  heals  those  who  are  born 
blind  in  the  spiritual  Jerusalem,  had  their  physical  type  in  the 
waters  of  Siloam.  Compare  Bede  here,  who  says,  "  Siloa,  quod 
interpretatur  missus,  ubi  ca;cus  natus  illuminatus  est,  Dominum 
Salvatorem,  qui  ad  nostram  illuminationem  a  Deo  Patre  missus 
est,  siguificat.  iEdificantur  muri  piscince  Siloam,  cum  firmissima 
331 


et  inexpugnabilia  Scripturarum  testimonia,  quibus  sacramentum 
Dominicse  Incamationis  designatur,  in  mente  fidelium  radi< 
cantur." 

—  king's  garden]  See  2  Kings  xxv.  4.  Robinson,  i.  341. 
410.  473. 

—  the  stairs  that  go  dotcnfrom  the  city  of  David]  Probably 
near  the  present  Zion  gate,  or  at  the  south  of  Jerusalem.  See 
Robinson,  i.  388  :  and  compare  below,  xii.  37. 

16.  half  part]  See  v.  9. 

—  Beth-zur]  About  fifteen  miles  south  of  Jerusalem.  The 
men  of  Beth-zur  repaired  that  part  of  tlie  wall  which  looked 
toward  their  city  :  cp.  vv.  7.  13.  17. 

—  the  sepulchres  of  David]  In  Zion  ;  the  exact  site  is  un- 
known.    See  Robinson,  i.  358 ;   Tobler,  145  ;  Stanley,  456. 

—  the  pool  that  was  npade]  Probably  in  the  days  of  Nehe- 
miah. 

—  Jiouse  of  the  mighty]  Perhaps  the  King's  body-guard,  or 
of  the  guards  of  the  Temple  (1  Chron.  ix.  26). 

It  has  been  supposed  by  some  topographers  (as  Fergusson, 
B.  D.  i.  1027),  that  the  former  portion  of  this  chapter  is  a 
description  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  that  what  follows,  to 
the  end  of  the  chapter,  refers  only  to  Zion,  or  the  city  of  David. 
But  this  opinion  can  hardly  be  accepted. 

17.  Keilah]  About  fifteen  miles  south-east  of  Jerusalem. 
They  also  repaired  that  part  of  the  wall  which  faced  their  own 
country. 

19.  another  piece]  A  second  piece.  Perhaps  the  first  is  that 
numbered  in  v.  17,  or  v.  15. 

20.  earnestly  repaired]  The  verb  here  used  is  the  hiphil  of 
char  ah,  to  be  hot  (Oesen.  303).  Barach  being  fii'ed  with  zeal 
and  emulation,  repaired  the  other  piece.  He  was  provoked  to 
godly  jealousy  by  Ezra. 

21.  Eliashib]  The  High  Priest:  see  v.  1. 

22.  the  men  ^  the  plain]  Either  of  Jordan  (F?<(9'.),  or  rather 
of  the  plain  near  Jerusalem  :  see  xii.  28.  The  part  of  the  wall 
repaired  by  these  priests  was  near  the  Temple,  on  the  south 
side  of  it. 

23.  over  against  their  house]  Cp.  v.  10. 

24.  another  piece]  Cp.  v.  19. 

25.  the  king's  high  house]  The  royal  upper  house  (contrasted 
with  the  palace,  which  was  lower,  in  the  city  of  David),  con- 
nected with  the  Temple.  This  royal  house  was  near  the  house 
of  the  prison,  which  was  also  near  the  Temple  :  cp.  Jer.  xxxix. 
14. 

—  court  of  the  prison]  Where  Jeremiah  had  been  confined 
(Jer.  xxxii.  2 ;  xxxiii.  1). 


The  Sheep  Gate. 


NEHEMIAH  III.  2G— 32.     IV.  1,  2. 


Their  adversaries. 


Before 
CH  RIST 
4-15. 
\  Kzra  2  43. 
ch.  II.  21. 
II  Or,  which  (fwelt 
in  Ophel,  repaired 
unto. 

y  2  Chron.  27.  3. 
li  Or,  the  lower. 
z  ch.  8.  1,  3.  & 
12.  37. 

a  2  Kings  11.  16. 
2  Chron.  23.  15. 
Jer.  31.  40. 


I  Or,  corner 
chamber. 


ach.  2.  10,  19. 


+  Heb.  leave  to 
themselves. 


2*^ Moreover  ''the  Nethinims  ||  dwelt  in  ^  \\  Ophel,  unto  the  place  over  against  Hhe 
water  gate  toward  the  east,  and  the  tower  that  lieth  out. 

27  After  them  the  Tekoites  repaired  another  piece,  over  against  the  great  tower 
that  lieth  out,  even  unto  the  wall  of  Ophel. 

28  From  ahove  the  ""  horse  gate  repaired  the  priests,  every  one  over  against  his 
house.  29  After  them  repaired  Zadok  the  son  of  Immer  over  against  liis  house. 
After  him  repaired  also  Shemaiah  the  son  of  Shechaniah,  the  keeper  of  the  east 
gate.  ^^  After  him  repaired  Hananiah  the  son  of  Shelemiah,  and  Hanun  the 
sixth  son  of  Zalaph,  another  piece.  After  him  repaired  Meshullam  the  son  of 
Berechiah  over  against  his  chamber.  ^^  After  him  repaired  Malchiah  the  gold- 
smith's son  unto  the  place  of  the  Nethinims,  and  of  the  merchants,  over  against 
the  gate  Miphkad,  a^d  to  the  ||  going  up  of  the  corner.  ^2  ^nd  between  the 
going  up  of  the  corner  unto  the  sheep  gate  repaired  the  goldsmiths  and  the 
merchants. 

IV.  ^  But  it  came  to  pass,  ^  that  when  Sanballat  heard  that  we  builded  the 
wall,  he  was  wroth,  and  took  great  indignation,  and  mocked  the  Jews.  ^  And 
he  spake  before  his  brethren  and  the  army  of  Samaria,  and  said.  What  do  these 
feeble  Jews  ?  will  they  f  fortify  themselves  ?  will  they  sacrifice  ?  will  they  make 
an  end  in  a  day  ?  will  they  revive  the  stones  out  of  the  heaps  of  the  rubbish 


26.  the  Nethinims']  See  1  Chron.  ix.  2. 

—  OpheV]  The  shelving  hill,  on  the  south  of  the  Temple, 
and  between  the  valley  of  Kidron  on  the  east,  and  the  Tyro- 
poeon  on  the  west.  See  2  Chi'on.  xxvii.  3.  Above,  on  v.  15. 
Hence  we  see  that  the  Nethinims,  who  served  in  the  Temple, 
had  an  abode  assigned  to  them  near  it. 

—  the  toater  gate]  Perhaps  so  called  from  its  nearness  to 
Siloam.  It  was  toward  the  north  of  Ophel  j  and  there  was 
an  open  space,  where  Ezra  addressed  the  assembled  people 
(viii.  1.  3.  16.     Cp.  xii.  36,  37.  40). 

—  the  tower  that  lieth  out]  That  springeth  up  from  Ophel. 
Was  this  the  "  Tower  of  Siloam,"  in  Luke  xiii.  4  ? 

28.  horse  gate]  Which  seems  to  have  been  near  the  south- 
east of  the  Temple  area.  Cp.  Jer.  xxxi.  40;  and  Joseph,  ix. 
7.  3,  who  says  that  it  led  to  Kidron. 

29.  Zadok  the  son  of  Immer]  See  Ezra  ii.  37.  The  Priests 
and  Levites  repaired  the  wall  that  was  east  of  the  Temple : 
cp.  V.  1. 

—  the  east  gate]  East  of  the  Temple. 

30.  After  him]  The  Chetib  has,  after  me ;  but  this  reading  is 
not  supported  by  the  ancient  Versions,  which  all  follow  the 
Keri,  after  him. 

—  his  chamber]  A  store  chamber  m  the  Temj^le ;  gazo- 
phylaciura  {Sept.  and  Vulg.). 

31.  the  goldsmith's  son]  See  vv.  8.  32. 

'■ —  the  gate  Miphkad]  Probably  on  the  north-east  of  the 
Temple.  Cp.  Ezek.  xliii.  21  {Oesen.  499).  It  is  rendered  gate 
of  judgment  by  Vulg.  May  wo  not  derive  a  spiritual  sugges- 
tion from  this  name — the  Oate  Miphkad,  the  Oaie  of  Visita- 
tion, the  Oate  of  Judgment  ?  It  occurs  at  the  close  of  the 
circuit.  When  the  walls  of  the  Jerusalem  of  the  Church 
Universal  are  set  up,  then  will  the  End  be,  "  the  day  of  Visita- 
tion;" and  Christ  will  come  to  judgment  (Matt.  xxiv.  14). 

Ti^E  Sbeep  Gate. 

32.  the  sheep  gate]  Thus  we  have  been  carried  round  the 
circuit  of  the  walls,  beginning  with  the  sheep  gate,  mentioned 
in  V.  1 ;  and  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  as  the  scene  of  one  of 
our  Lord's  miracles,  which  has  justly  been  regarded  by  ancient 
expositors  as  significant  of  the  great  work  performed  by  Him 
as  the  Restorer  of  the  City  of  God.  See  above,  on  Num. 
xiv.  34 ;  and  below,  on  John  v.  2—8. 

We  have  viewed  the  restoration  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem, 
commenced  by  the  High  Priest  Eliashib,  at  that  point, 
the  shoep  gate,  probably  the  vei'y  gate  through  which  the 
"Good  Shepherd"  passed  to  His  agony  in  Gethsemane,  when 
Jle  quoted  the  words  of  Zechariah  (xiii.  7),  and  applied  them 
to  Himself:  "I  will  smite  the  Shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be 
Bcattered;"  and  it  is  probable,  that  through  the  same  sheep 
gate  the  Good  Shepherd,  Who  had  left  the  ninety  and  nine  to 
332 


seek  the  one  lost  sheep,  and  Who  shed  His  blood  for  Hjs  sheep, 
returned  to  His  heavenly  fold,  in  order  that  He  might  prepare 
a  place  for  those  whom  He  will  gather  together  in  one  in  His 
Heavenly  Jerusalem,  that  there  may  be  "one  fold  and  one 
Shepherd  "  (John  x.  16). 

We  have  now  gone  round  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  from  that 
point  northward,  and  have  then  turned  westward,  and  skirted 
the  west  side  of  the  city,  and  have  passed  near  Calvary,  and 
thence  by  the  sepulchres  of  David,  and  the  pool  of  Siloam, 
hallowed  by  the  miracle  of  Christ  (see  on  v.  15),  and  near  the 
brook  Kidron,  and  to  the  gate  Miphkad,  the  gate  of  Judg- 
ment, to  the  same  point  from  which  we  started,  the  Sheep 
Gate. 

It  is  observable  that  the  Priests  began  the  work  there,  and 
it  was  finished  by  the  goldsmiths  and  merchants.  May  not 
this  circumstance  suggest  a  cheering  assurance,  that  the  work 
of  Church  Restoration,  which  is  wrought  by  the  Divine  Nehe- 
miah,  Jesus  Cheist,  and  was  begun  by  His  Apostles  and 
Priests,  will,  in  these  latter  days,  be  continued  by  zealous 
laymen,  goldsmifhs  and  merchants,  "rich  men  furnished  with 
ability"  (Ecclus.  xliv.  6),  and  deeming  it  the  noblest  use  of 
their  wealth  to  consecrate  it  to  repair  the  breaches  of  the 
spiritual  Jerusalem,  and  to  build  up  the  old  waste  places  of 
the  Church  of  God  ? 

Ch.  IV.  1.  Sanballat]  See  ii.  10.  19. 

—  that  we  builded]  The  writer  returns  to  an  earlier  point 
in  the  history,  and  relates  what  occurred  before  the  completion 
of  the  building,  which  is  described  in  the  foregoing  chapter. 

2.  the  army]  Cp.  Esther  i.  3. 

—  will  they  fortify  themselves  7]  Literally,  toill  they  leave 
to  them  ?  The  verb  here  used  is  azab,  the  same  as  in  iii.  8  : 
see  the  note  there. 

It  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  the  verb  azab  has  its  usual 
sense  here  of  leaving ;  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  ascertain  what 
is  the  particular  application  of  that  sense  here.  The  Vulg. 
renders  it,  "  Will  the  nations  "  (i.  e.  the  neighbouring  tribes  of 
Canaan)  "  leave  them  1 "  Will  they  let  them  go  on  unmolested, 
and  allow  them  to  finish  the  work  ?  But  this  seems  a  harsh 
rendering,  and  would  introduce  an  abrupt  change  of  person 
into  the  order  of  the  questions  which  Sanballat  and  his  com- 
panions ask.  The  sense  appears  to  be  this  :  "  Wliat  do  these 
feeble  Jews  ?  Will  they  leave  to  them  ? "  that  is,  wiU  they 
trust  in  them  ?  Will  they  commit  themselves  to  the  guardian- 
ship of  those  weak  walls  ?  Will  they  even  sacrifice  to  them, 
as  if  they  were  their  tutelary  deities  ?  Cp.  Hab.  i.  16.  On 
this  sense  of  azah,  cp.  Job  xxxix.  11,  Ps.  x.  14.  Some 
expositors  (e.  g.  Bertheau),  who  rightly  render  the  words,  by 
"Will  they  put  their  trust  in  them?"  suppose  that  Elohim 
is  to  be  supplied ;  but  this  seems  less  probable. 


The  enemies  scoff. 


NEHEMIAH  IV.  3—17.         Nehemiah  prays  and  ivories. 


Before 
C  H  H  I  S  T 
445. 
2.  10.  19. 


which  are  bnmed  ?     ^  Now  ^  Tobiah  the  Ammonite  icas  by  him,  and  he  said, 
Even  that  which  they  build,  if  a  fox  go  up,  he  shall  even  break  down  their  b  ch. 
stone  wall. 

*"  Hear,  0  our  God;  for  we  are  f  despised  :  and  ''turn  their  reproach  upon  cPs.  123.3,4. 
their  own  head,  and  give  them  for  a  prey  in  the  land  of  captivity  :  ^And  ^  cover  prov  s^'sF ' 
not  their  iniquity,  and  let  not  their  sin  be  blotted  out  from  before  thee :  for  they  m^.\f,\ll'^^-^ 
have  provoked  thee  to  anger  before  the  builders.  ^"'  '^"  ^^' 

^  So  built  we  the  wall ;  and  all  the  wall  was  joined  together  unto  the  half 
thereof :  for  the  people  had  a  mind  to  work. 

7  But  it  came  to  pass,  that  *"when  Sanballat,  and  Tobiah,  and  the  Arabians,  f^cr, '. 
and  the  Ammonites,  and  the  Ashdodites,  heard  that  the  walls  of  Jerusalem 
f  were  made  up,  ai^d  that  the  breaches  began  to  be  stopped,  then  they  were  very  t  Heb.  a,cended. 
wroth,  ^And  ^conspired  all  of  them  together  to  come  a7id  to  fight  against  Jeru-  gPs.  83.3. 4, 5. 
salem,  and  f  to  hinder  it.     ^  Nevertheless  ^  we  made  our  prayer  unto  our  God,  +  ^eb.  to  make 

^        "  'an  error  to  it. 

and  set  a  watch  against  them  day  and  night,  because  of  them.     ^^  And  Judah  ^  ^'-  ^^-  "• 
said,  The  strength  of  the  bearers  of  burdens  is  decayed,  and  there  is  much  rub- 
bish ;  so  that  we  are  not  able  to  build  the  wall.     ^^  And  our  adversaries  said, 
They  shall  not  know,  neither  see,  till  we  come  in  the  midst  among  them,  and 
slay  them,  and  cause  the  work  to  cease. 

^-  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  the  Jews  which  dwelt  by  them  came,  they 
said  unto  us  ten  times,  11  From  all  places  whence  ye  shall  return  unto  us  then  "  ^''  That  from 

11  ■*■  "  J    all  places  ye 

ivill  be  upon  you.     ^^  Therefore  set  I  fin  the  lower  places  behind  the  wall,  and  ^«*"-«'«''» '" 
on  the  higher  places,  I  even  set  the  people  after  their  famihes  with  their  swords,  lwerpar''t7of'L 
their  spears,  and  their  bows.     ^^  And  I  looked,  and  rose  up,  and  said  unto  the  ^''"'^'  *"' 
nobles,  and  to  the  rulers,  and  to  the  rest  of  the  people,  'Be  not  ye  afraid  of  i^^^^i '^g ^• 
them:  remember  the  Lord,  which  is  ^  great  and  terrible,  and  '  fight  for  your  ^Deut.  10. 17. 
brethren,  yom*  sons,  and  your  daughters,  your  wives,  and  your  houses. 

'^And  it  came  to  pass,  when  our  enemies  heard  that  it  was  known  unto  us, 
■"  and  God  had  brought  their  counsel  to  nought,  that  we  returned  all  of  us  to  ^  J"^ «.  12 
the  wall,  every  one  unto  his  work.  ^^  And  it  came  to  pass  from  that  time  forth, 
that  the  half  of  my  servants  wrought  in  the  work,  and  the  other  half  of  them 
held  both  the  spears,  the  shields,  and  the  bows,  and  the  habergeons ;  and  the 
rulers  icere  behind  all  the  house  of  Judah.  ^^  They  which  builded  on  the  wall, 
and  they  that  bare  burdens,  with  those  that  laded,  every  one  with  one  of  his 


8.  a  fox]  Heb.  shual  {Oesen.  811). 

4.  Hear,  O  our  Ood ;  for  we  are  despised']  The  feelings  of 
Nehemiah,  and  other  devout  Israelites  at  this  time,  seem  to 
have  found  their  utterance  in  several  Psalms,  either  composed 
or  adopted  by  them,  amid  these  trials  and  afSictions  : — 

"  Have  mercy  upon  us,  0  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us ; 
For  we  are  utterly  despised ; 

Our  soul  is  filled  with  the  scornful  reproof  of  the  wealthy. 
And  with  the  despitefulness  of  the  proud." 

(Ps.  cxxiii.  3,  4,     See  also  Ps.  cxxiv.  cxxv. ;  and  Ps.  cxx.  cxxi, 
cxxvii.  cxxix.). 

5.  cover  not  their  iniquity— Hotted  out]  He  adopts  the 
words  of  the  Psalms  (Ps.  Ixxxv.  2 ;  cix.  14). 

—  they  have  provoked]  The  verb  here  is  used  absolutely 
for  provoking  God ;  as  Deut.  xxxi.  29. 

6.  unto  the  half]  Of  the  height. 

7.-  that  the  icalls  of  Jerusalem  were  made  upl  Literally, 
that  the  handaye  (as  of  a  wound :  see  Oesen.  77)  of  Jerusalem 
went  up,  i.  e.  was  raised  :  cp.  Jer,  viii.  22. 

8.  to  hinder  if]  Literally,  to  make  an  error  or  confusion 
in  it. 

12.  ten  times]  Geiu  xxxi.  7. 
333 


—  From  all  places — upon  you]  Rather,  they  (i.e.)  the 
enemies  will  be  upon  us  from  all  places,  when  ye  shall  have 
returned  from  helping  us.  The  Jews,  who  dwelt  near  the 
enemy,  and  were  harassed  by  them,  and  appealed  to  Nehemiah 
for  help,  sent  to  him  ten  times,  and  said  that  their  foes  would 
be  upon  them  every  where,  whenever  their  brethren  had  left 
them  to  return,  and  buUd  the  city;  see  v.  15,  we  returned  all 
of  us  to  the  wall ;  and  see  also  v.  22,  whence  it  appears  that 
some  of  the  builders  came  up  from  neighbouring  villages  to 
build,  as  is  related  above  (iii.  2,  3.  5.  7). 

13.  in  the  lower  places]  Where,  on  account  of  the  lowness 
of  the  wall  (see  v.  6),  an  attack  might  be  expected.  This  was 
a  defensive  measure :  what  follows  was  designed  to  be  an 
aggressive  one. 

—  the  hiyher  places]  Where,  on  account  of  the  height  of 
the  position,  the  enemy  might  more  easily  be  attacked. 

—  after  their  families]  A  wise  measure ;  that  one  member 
of  the  familj-  might  stimulate  another.  The  advice  of  Nestor 
to  Agamemnon,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  Athenian  troops  at 
Marathon,  were  founded  on  the  same  principle. 

16.  habergeons']  Corselets. 

—  the  rulers  were  behind]  To  encourage  thenij  and  as  a 
reserve  in  case  of  emergency. 


The  huihlers  are  armed.     NEHEMIAH  IV.  18—23.    V.  1—5.    The  complaints  of  the  poor. 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
t  Heb.  on  hia 
loins. 


n  Exod.  14.  11, 

25. 

Deut.  1.  30.  & 

3.  22.  &  20.  4. 

Josh.  23.  10. 


II  Or,  every  one 
went  with  his 
weapon  for 
water.    See 
Judg.  5.  11. 
a  Isa.  5.  7. 

b  Lev.  25.  35,  36, 

87. 

Deut.  15.  7. 


c  Isa.  58.  7. 


d  Exod.  21.  7. 
Lev.  25.  39. 


hands  wrought  in  the  work,  and  with  the  other  hand  held  a  weapon.  ^^  For  the 
builders,  every  one  had  his  sword  girded  f  by  his  side,  and  so  builded.  And  he 
that  sounded  the  trumpet  ivas  by  me.  ^^  And  I  said  unto  the  nobles,  and  to 
the  rulers,  and  to  the  rest  of  the  people,  The  work  is  great  and  large,  and  we 
are  separated  upon  the  wall,  one  far  from  another.  '■^*^  In  what  place  therefore 
ye  hear  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  resort  ye  thither  unto  us :  "  our  God  shall 
fight  for  us. 

21  So  we  laboured  in  the  work  :  and  half  of  them  held  the  spears  from  the 
rising  of  the  morning  till  the  stars  appeared.  22  Likewise  at  the  same  time  said 
I  unto  the  people,  Let  every  one  with  his  servant  lodge  within  Jerusalem,  that 
in  the  night  they  may  be  a  guard  to  us,  and  labour  on  the  day.  ^^  So  neither 
I,  nor  my  brethi*en,  nor  my  servants,  nor  the  men  of  the  guard  which  followed 
me,  none  of  us  put  off  our  clothes,  ||  saving  that  every  one  put  them  off  for 
wasliing. 

V.  1  And  there  was  a  great  ^  cry  of  the  people  and  of  their  wives  against 
their  ^  brethren  the  Jews.  2  For  there  were  that  said.  We,  our  sons,  and  our 
daughters,  are  many  :  therefore  we  take  up  corn  for  them,  that  we  may  eat,  and 
Hve.  2  Some  also  there  were  that  said.  We  have  mortgaged  our  lands,  vineyards, 
and  houses,  that  we  might  buy  com,  because  of  the  dearth.  ^  There  were  also 
that  said.  We  have  borrowed  money  for  the  king's  tribute,  and  that  upon  our 
lands  and  vineyards.  ^  Yet  now  "  our  flesh  is  as  the  flesh  of  our  brethren,  our 
children  as  their  children :  and,  lo,  we  •*  bring  into  bondage  our  sons  and  our 
daughters  to  be  servants,  and  some  of  our  daughters  are  brought  unto  bondage 
already :  neither  is  it  in  our  power  to  redeem  them ;  for  other  men  have  our  lands 
and  vineyards. 


17.  with  the  other  hand  held  a  toeapon]  A  figurative 
mode  of  expression.     Cp.  Ovid,  Epist.  xi.  3  : — 

"  Dextra  tenet  calamum,  strictum  tenet  altera  ferrum." 

22.  lodge  tvithin  Jerusalem]  Not  in  the  neighbouring 
villages  :  see  v.  12. 

23.  evert/  one  put  them  off  for  washing']  A  difficult  passage. 
The  Hebrew  is,  ish  shilecho  ham-mayim ;  literally,  a  man,  his 
weapon,  the  waters.  The  substantive,  shelach,  a  weapon,  occurs 
above,  in  v.  17 ;  and  the  combination  ish  shilecho  is  found  in 
2  Chron.  xxiii.  10,  every  man  having  his  weapon;  and  thus 
we  are  authorized  to  supply  the  participle,  having,  here. 

The  sentence  seems  to  be  clear  so  far  j  but  what  is  meant 
by  ham-mayim,  the  waters  ?  The  Vulgate  has  "  ad  baptismum  j" 
and  one  MS.,  in  Kennicott,  has  al  ham-mayim,  at  the  waters. 
Some  of  the  ancient  Versions  (Syriac  and  Arabic)  seem  to 
have  read  yamim,  days,  instead  of  mayim. 

On  the  whole,  the  meaning  seems  to  be,  that  such  was  their 
vigilance,  that  they  did  not  lay  aside  their  garments  even  for 
sleeping,  and  that  every  man  held  his  weapon,  for,  or  at,  the 
watei-s;  that  is,  when  he  drank,  washed,  or  purified  himself; 
and  it  may  be  a  proverbial  expression,  that  even  in  the  most 
necessary  acts  of  life,  he  still  held  his  weapon. 

It  has  been  suggested  by  some,  that  mayim  is  used  here  in 
the  same  sense  as  in  2  Kings  xviii.  27.  Isa.  xxxvi.  12  (De  Dieu, 
Ewald,  Bertheau).    That  sense  may  perhaps  be  included. 

Building  and  Fighting. 

The  history  which  is  presented  to  us  in  the  foregoing 
chapter  displays  as  in  a  picture  the  mission  of  the  Church  in 
every  age  of  the  world.  She  is  beleagured  by  foes ;  her  life  is 
a  Warfare.  In  this  respect  she  resembles  Nehemiah  and  his 
associates  engaged  in  restoring  the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  Her 
duty  is  to  repair  her  walls  wherever  they  are  broken  down,  to 
eet  up  her  gates,  to  strengthen  her  towers  and  bulwarks.  She 
has,  hke  him,  a  double  work  to  perform ;  she  must  fight  and 
also  build;  she  must  build  and  also  fight.  And  all  her 
members,  especially  her  clergy,  have  the  same  duty.  Every 
one  is  a  soldier,  and  must  also  be  a  builder.  Every  one  is 
obliged  to  hold  a  weapon  in  one  hand,  and  with  the  other  hand 
334 


to  labour  in  the  work.  Every  one  must  "  contend  earnestly  for 
the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  Saints"  (Jude  3),  and  every  one 
must  endeavour  to  repair  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  "to  build 
the  old  waste  places,  and  raise  up  the  foimdations  of  many 
generations,  that  he  may  be  called  a  repairer  of  the  breach,  a 
restorer  of  paths  to  dwell  in  "  (Isa.  Iviii.  12). 

The  reader  may  be  left  to  make  the  application  of  this 
lesson  to  the  Church  of  England  at  this  time.  They  (says 
our  own  great  Anglo-Saxon  doctor,  the  venerable  Bede,  here) 
who  edify  the  Church  by  teaching  the  faithful,  have  also  a  duty 
to  perform,  in  refuting  the  unbeliever  and  the  caviller,  and  in 
repelling  their  attacks  upon  her. 

The  Chui-ch  has  to  perform  the  duty  of  protesting  against 
error,  whether  of  Romanism  or  of  Rationalism,  and  of  maintain- 
ing, in  all  their  purity  and  integrity,  the  doctrines  of  Scriptural  and 
Catholic  Truth,  and  of  preserving  and  extending  the  principles 
of  Apostolic  government  and  discipline  at  home  and  abroad. 

Ch.  V.  1.  And  there  was  a  great  cry]  In  addition  to  the 
assaults  from  without,  there  were  murmurings  within.  "  With- 
out were  fightings,  within  were  fears "  (2  Cor.  vii.  5). 

2.  we  take  up  corn]  We  desire  to  have  com  supplied  to  us. 
The  word  here  for  take  up  is  the  same  as  is  rendered  buy  in  the 
next  verse.  In  Vulg.  it  is  rendered  "accipiamus"  in  both 
places ;  and  by  a  similar  word  in  Sept. 

4.  We  have  borrowed]  Upon  usury  (see  v.  7),  exacted  by 
them  against  the  Law  (Exod.  xxii.  25). 

5.  Tet  now]  Or,  And  now — we  are  of  the  same  flesh  and 
blood  as  our  wealtliier  brethren,  and  yet  they  oppress  us  as  if 
we  were  aliens  and  enemies,  and  they  compel  us  to  bring  our 
children  into  bondage.  If  this  slavery  was  perpetual,  it  was  a 
violation  of  the  Law.  See  Lev.  xxv.  39.  46,  and  Exod.  xxi.  2, 
where  it  is  commanded  that  a  Hebrew  servant  was  to  go  out 
free  in  the  seventh  year.     Cp.  Jer.  xxxiv.  8 — 22. 

—  neither  is  it  in  our  power  to  redeem  them]  Literally,  it  \a 
not  in  the  poioer  (le-el)  of  our  hands.  On  the  phrase  le-el, 
which  is  incorrectly  rendered  by  some,  to  the  god,  see  Qesen.  45 ; 
Fuerst,  90.  It  is  not  within  our  power  .to  relieve  ourselves. 
Therefore  they  appealed  to  Nehemiah  for  redress. 


Nehemiah's  courcuje 


NEHEMIAH  V.  6—18. 


and  self-sacrifice. 


^  And  I  was  very  angry  when  I  heard  their  cry  and  these  words.  ^  Then  f  I 
consulted  with  myself,  and  I  rebuked  the  nobles,  and  the  rulers,  and  said  unto 
them,  ^  Ye>  exact  usury,  every  one  of  his  brother.  And  I  set  a  great  assembly 
against  them.  ^  And  I  said  unto  them,  We  after  our  ability  have  ^redeemed 
our  brethren  the  Jews,  which  were  sold  unto  the  heathen  ;  and  will  ye  even  sell 
your  brethren  ?  or  shall  they  be  sold  unto  us  ?  Then  held  they  their  peace, 
and  found  nothing  to  answer.  ^  Also  I  said.  It  is  not  good  that  ye  do :  ought 
ye  not  to  walk  ^  in  the  fear  of  our  God  ''  because  of  the  reproach  of  the  heathen 
our  enemies  ?  ^^I  hkewise,  and  my  brethren,  and  my  servants,  might  exact  of 
them  money  and  corn  :  I  pray  you,  let  us  leave  off  this  usury.  ^^  Kestore,  I 
pray  you,  to  them,  even  this  day,  their  lands,  their  vineyards,  their  oliveyards, 
and  their  houses,  also  the  hundredth  imrt  of  the  money,  and  of  the  corn,  the 
wine,  and  the  oil,  that  ye  exact  of  them.  ^^  Then  said  they.  We  will  restore 
them,  and  will  require  nothing  of  them ;  so  will  we  do  as  thou  sayest.  Then  I 
called  the  priests,  '  and  took  an  oath  of  them,  that  they  should  do  according  to 
this  promise.  ^^  Also  *"  I  shook  my  lap,  and  said.  So  God  shake  out  every  man 
from  his  house,  and  from  his  labour,  that  performeth  not  this  promise,  even 
thus  be  he  shaken  out,  and  f  emptied.  And  all  the  congregation  said.  Amen, 
and  praised  the  Lord.     '  And  the  people  did  according  to  this  promise. 

'■^  Moreover  from  the  time  that  I  was  appointed  to  be  their  governor  in  the 
land  of  Judah,  from  the  twentieth  year  ■"  even  unto  the  two  and  thirtieth  year 
of  Artaxerxes  the  king,  that  is,  twelve  years,  I  and  my  brethren  have  not  "eaten 
the  bread  of  the  governor.  ^^  But  the  former  governors  that  had  been  before 
me  were  chargeable  unto  the  people,  and  had  taken  of  them  bread  and  wine, 
beside  forty  shekels  of  silver ;  yea,  even  their  servants  bare  rule  over  the  people : 
but  °  so  did  not  I,  because  of  the  ^  fear  of  God.  ^^  Yea,  also  I  continued  in  the 
work  of  this  wall,  neither  bought  we  any  land :  and  all  my  servants  were  gathered 
thither  unto  the  work.  ^"^  Moreover  there  ivere  "^  at  my  table  an  hundred  and 
fifty  of  the  Jews  and  rulers,  beside  those  that  came  unto  us  from  among  the 
heathen  that  are  about  us.     ^^  Now  that  ■"  which  was  prepared  for  me  daily  was 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
t  Heb.  tny  heart 
consulted  in  me. 
e  Exod.  22.  25. 
Lev.  25.  3G. 
Ezek.  22.  12. 
f  Lev  25.48. 


g  Lev.  25.  36. 
h  2  Sam.  12.  U 
Rom.  2.  24. 
1  Pet.  2.  12. 


i  Ezra  10.  5. 
Jer.  34.  8,  9. 
k  Matt.  10.  14. 
Acts  13.51.  & 
18.  6. 


t  Heb.  empty,  or, 

void. 

1  2  Kings  23.  3. 


m  ch.  13.6. 
n  1  Cor.  9.  4,  13. 


0  2  Cor.  11.  9.  S 
12,  13. 

p  ver.  9. 

q  2  Sam.  9.  7. 

1  Kings  18.  19. 


r  1  Kings  4.  22. 


7.  Ye  exact  usury']  The  Hebrew  word  here  used  is  nasJiah, 
literally,  to  take,  whence  nosheh,  an  usurer  (E.xod.  xxii.  25. 
Oesen.  570).  The  usury  taken  was  twelve  per  cent.  See 
V.  11. 

—  a  great  assemhJy']  See  Deut.  xxxiii.  4.  Here  was  an 
example  of  what  our  Lord  afterwards  embodied  in  His  legis- 
lation, "Tell  it  to  the  Church"  (Matt,  xviii.  17  :  cp.  1  Cor.  vi. 
1-4). 

8.  shall  they  be  sold  unto  us  ?]  Must  we  buy  them  of  you  if 
they  are  to  become  free  ?  or  do  you  expect  that  we  will  imitate 
you  in  this  traffic,  and  become  slave-owners  of  our  brethren  ? 

10.  money  and  corn]  Which  we  had  lent  them. 

—  this  usury]  Heb.  mash-sha,  from  nasha,  to  lend  (Oesen. 
513.  570). 

11.  the  hundredth]  Paid  monthly,  and  therefore  equivalent 
to  twelve  per  cent  per  annum,  the  Roman  centesima  (Salmasius, 
Oesen.  444).  It  is  stated  by  Volney  (Travels,  ii.  410)  that  the 
ordinary  rate  of  interest  in  Syria,  in  his  time,  was  twenty 
per  cent. 

12.  I  called  the  priests]  To  be  witnesses. 

13.  I  shook  my  lap]  The  bosom  (Lat.  sinum),  made  by  the 
garment  gathered  up  by  the  two  hands.  Cp.  Ps.  cxxix.  7. 
Isa.  xlix.  22;  and  see  Ruth  iii.  15.  For  a  remarkable  example 
of  the  '_'  eflusio  sinus  "  as  a  symbolic  act,  see  the  Roman  history, 
Liv,  xxi.  18.  Compare  also  the  metaphor  of  a  sling,  in  1  Sam. 
XXV.  29 ;  and  of  a  girdle,  in  Jer.  xiii.  9—11 ;  and  of  an  earthen 
vase,  Jer.  xix.  10,  11. 

14.  unto  the  two  and  thirtieth  year]  When  Nehemiah  re- 
turned to  the  court  of  Artaxerxes.    See  xiii.  6. 

335 


The  period  of  time  here  specified  extended  from  B.C.  483 
to  B.C.  445. 

—  have  not  eaten  the  bread  of  the  governor]  Have  not 
claimed  of  the  people  under  my  charge  at  Jerusalem  any  main- 
tenance and  salary  (see  v.  15),  to  which  I  was  entitled  for 
myself  and  my  retinue,  in  virtue  of  my  office  as  Governor. 

In  this  respect  Nehemiah,  as  a  civil  ruler,  acted  in  the  same 
spirit  as  that  which  animated  St.  Paul  as  an  Apostle.  See 
1  Thess.  ii,  6.  2  Cor.  ix.  12.  15;  xi.  7.  9;  xii.  13,  14.  17. 
Nehemiah's  statement  is  justified  by  the  same  considerations  as 
St.  Paul's.     It  was  not  self-praise,  but  self-vindication. 

15.  bread  and  wine,  beside  forty  shekels  of  silver]  So  most 
earlier  interpreters ;  and  ^wald.  The  Vulg.  renders  this,  forty 
shekels  of  silver  (daily)  for  bread  and  wine;  and  Bertheau 
explains  it  as  more  than  forty  shekels  for  bread  and  wine.  The 
literal  interpretation  is,  bread  and  wine  after  (Heb.  achar,  i.  e. 
after  the  rate  of,  according  to)  forty  shekels.  The  Hebrew 
word  achar,  here  rendered  beside,  occurs  several  himdred  times 
in  the  Bible,  but  is  not  rendered  beside  by  our  Translators  in 
any  passage  except  the  present.  For  the  sense  according  to 
suggested  here,  compare  Jer.  iii.  17 ;  xviii.  12. 

—  so  did  not  I]  His  meaning  is,  that  he  did  not  suffisr  his 
servants  to  do  as  his  predecessors  suffered  theirs,  implying 
thereby  that  when  the  servants  of  governors  oppress  the  people, 
it  is  their  masters'  doing,  or  at  least  their  suffering  {Bp.  San- 
derson, ii.  237). 

16.  neither  bought  we  any  land]  We  did  not  take  advantage 
of  the  necessities  of  the  people,  or  of  the  influence  of  our  official 
position,  to  enrich  ourselves.  How  different  was  the  conduct 
of  Roman  governors  !  (Juvenal,  viii.  107.) 

18.  were  prepared  for  me]  At  mine  own  cost. 


The  wiles  of  the  enemy 


NEIIEMIAH  V.  19.     VL  1—9. 


against  NehemiaK 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
6  ver.  14,  15. 


t  ch.  13.  22. 


ach.  2.  10,  19.  & 

4.  1,  7. 

II  Or,  Gashmu, 

ver.  6. 

1)  ch.  3.  1,  3. 

c  Prov.  26.24,25. 


d  1  Chron.  8.  12. 

ch.  11.  35. 

e  Ps.  37.  12,  32. 


I  Or,  Geshem, 
ver.  1. 
fch.  2.  19. 


one  ox  and  six  clioico  sheep  ;  also  fowls  were  prepared  for  me,  and  once  in  ten 
days  store  of  all  sorts  of  wine  :  yet  for  all  this  '  required  not  I  the  bread  of  the 
governor,  because  the  bondage  was  heavy  upon  tliis  people. 

^^ '  Think  upon  me,  my  God,  for  good,  according  to  all  that  I  have  done  for 
this  people. 

VI.  ^  Now  it  came  to  pass,  "  when  Sanballat,  and  Tobiah,  and  ||  Geshem  the 
Arabian,  and  the  rest  of  our  enemies,  heard  that  I  had  builded  the  wall,  and 
that  there  was  no  breach  left  therein ;  (though  at  that  time  I  had  not  set  up 
the  doors  upon  the  gates  ;)  ^  That  Sanballat  and  Geshem  ""  sent  unto  me,  say- 
ing, Come,  let  us  meet  together  in  some  one  of  the  villages  in  the  plain  of  ^  Ono. 
But  they  ^  thought  to  do  me  mischief.  ^  And  I  sent  messengers  unto  them, 
saying,  I  am  doing  a  great  work,  so  that  I  cannot  come  down  :  why  should  the 
work  cease,  whilst  I  leave  it,  and  come  down  to  you  ?  ^  Yet  they  sent  unto  me 
four  times  after  this  sort ;  and  I  answered  them  after  the  same  manner. 

^  Then  sent  Sanballat  his  servant  unto  me  in  like  manner  the  fifth  time  with 
an  open  letter  in  his  hand ;  ^Wherein  urns  written.  It  is  reported  among  the 
heathen,  and  ||  Gashmu  saith  it,  Uhat  thou  and  the  Jews  think  to  rebel:  for 
which  cause  thou  buildest  the  wall,  that  thou  mayest  be  their  king,  according 
to  these  words.  ^  And  thou  hast  also  appointed  prophets  to  preach  of  thee  at 
Jerusalem,  saying.  There  is  a  king  in  Judah :  and  now  shall  it  be  reported  to 
the  king  according  to  these  words.  Come  now  therefore,  and  let  us  take  counsel 
together.  ^  Then  I  sent  unto  him,  saying.  There  are  no  such  things  done  as 
thou  sayest,  but  thou  feignest  them  out  of  thine  own  heart.   ^  For  they  all  made 


Nehemiah's  Eefeeence  to  Himself. 

19.  Think  upon  me,  my  Ood,  for  good']  Cp.  xiii.  14.  31. 
These  expressions  of  Nehemiali  have  been  censured  by  some. 
But  Nehemiah  did  not  seek  any  reward  in  this  world  for  what 
he  had  done,  and  he  does  not  disguise  the  fact  that  he  looked 
forward  with  faith,  and  had  "  respect  unto  the  recompense  of 
the  reward  "  of  a  future  state  (Heb.  xi.  26)i 

There  is  something  prophetic  in  these  ejaculations  of 
Nehemiah.  As  the  succeediug  history  of  the  Jewish  nation 
showed,  he  thus  taught  a  salutary  and  necessary  lesson.  The 
sects  which  grew  up  among  the  Jews  were  influenced  by  a 
very  different  spirit.  The  Pharisees  regarded  the  glory  and 
wealth  of  this  world  as  a  measure  and  standard  of  God's 
favour  (Liike  xvi.  14);  and  the  Sadducees  denied  the  resur- 
rection of  the  body  (Matt.  xxii.  23).  Neither  of  these  sought 
their  reward  from  God,  by  the  sacrifice  of  their  own  comfort 
and  advantage,  or  by  exposing  themselves  to  reproach,  and  by 
incurring  danger  for  His  sake.  See  Matt.  vi.  2.  5.  16,  where 
our  Lord  is  referring  to  their  practices.  They  did  all  their 
good  deeds  "to  be  seen  of  men;"  and  loved  "the  praise  of  men 
rather  than  the  praise  of  God"  (John  v.  44;  xii.  43).  If  we 
contemplate  the  character  and  acts  of  Nehemiah  from  the 
point  of  view  which  the  moral  condition  of  his  own  nation 
suggests  to  us,  we  shall  acknowledge  that  his  example  and  his 
language  aflbrd  a  noble  protest  against  the  besetting  sins  of 
Judaism,  and  perhaps  also  even  of  some  in  Christendom,  who 
are  blest  with  clearer  knowledge  of  future  joys. 

The  Book  of  Nehemiah  is  a  part  of  the  Canon  of  Scripture. 
Whatever  holy  men,  who  wTote  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  Wlio  is  the  Author  of  Scripture,  were  guided  by  Him 
to  relate  therein  concerning  themselves,  was  not  written  in  a 
tone  of  egotistical  vainglory,  but  for  the  instruction  of  others, 
by  means  of  virtuous  examples.  They  look  on  themselves, 
ab  extra.  This  is  unselfishness.  Such  nan-atives  are  not  words 
of  self-praise,  but  are  utterances  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  teaching  us 
by  their  means  what  ought  to  be  the  ride  of  our  lives,  and 
what  ought  to  be  the  aim  and  end  of  our  own  actions,  namely, 
the  Law  of  God,  and  the  Glory  of  God.  See  above,  on  the 
language  of  Moses  concerning  himself  (Num.  xii.  3 ;  and  on 
the  language  of  Samuel  (1  Sam.  xii.  11);  and  of  St.  Paul 
(2  Cor.  xii.  3.  1  Cor.  xv.  9). 
33r> 


CONSPIEACIES  A&AINST  NeHEMIAH. 

Ca.  VI.  1.  Sanballat]  See  ii.  19;  iv.  7. 

2.  Ono]  Near  Lydda  (1  Chron.  viii.  12).  Perhaps  at  Kefr- 
Auna,  about  eight  miles  east  of  Jaffa,  and  six  north  of  Lydda 
(Vandevelde).  A  place  was  chosen  near  the  Philistines, perhaps 
for  the  sake  of  the  Ashdodites  :  see  xiii.  24. 

4.  they  sent  unto  me  four  times]  The  insidious  endeavours 
of  the  enemies  of  Nehemiah  and  of  Jerusalem  to  entrap  him 
by  means  of  conferences  with  him,  are  compared  by  ancient 
Expositors  to  the  specious  overtures  of  false  Teachers  seeking  to 
gain  advantage  over  the  orthodox  by  religious  communion  with 
them.  See  £ede  here,  who  says,  "  Falsi  fratres  orationis  suae 
hostias  una  cum  catholicis  gestiunt  oflerre,  quatenus  et  ipsi, 
veraciter  fideles  crediti,  per  viciniam  communionis  veros  ca- 
tholicos  con-umpere  possint."  And  he  adds  also,  that  the  true 
Catholic,  like  Nehemiah,  wiU  not  consent  to  descend  from  the 
spiritual  heights  of  his  own  Jerusalem,  and  fi'om  his  religious 
work  there,  to  make  hollow  truces  vnth  hypocritical  pretenders 
to  orthodoxy,  in  the  lowlands  of  Philistia. 

5.  ivith  an  open  letter]  At  first  Sanballat  had  tried  to  allure 
Nehemiah  by  specious  professions  of  friendship,  and  by  plausible 
and  flattering  speeches ;  but  these  wiles  had  failed,  and  he  now 
tries  to  terrify  him  by  menaces  and  accusations.  This  open 
letter  was  doubtless  to  be  shown  to  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  in 
order  to  excite  them  to  rebel  against  Nehemiah.  In  like 
manner,  the  Pharisees  tried  at  first  to  win  our  Lord  to  them- 
selves by  sycophantic  speeches  (Matt.  xxii.  16)  ;  and  afterwards 
they  stirred  up  the  people  to  cry,  "  Crucify  Him  !  "  and  accused 
Him  to  Pilate  as  a  rebel  (Matt,  xxvii.  22.     Mark  xv.  13.). 

6.  GasJimu]  Geshem  (v.  1 ;  ii.  19). 

—  that  thou  mayest  be  their  king]  Sanballat,  who  was 
plotting  against  Nehemiah,  the  lawful  representative  of  the 
King,  charged  him  with  rebellious  designs  against  the  King. 
So  the  Chief  Priests  and  Pharisees,  who  fomented  rebellion 
against  Rome,  accused  Clu-ist  of  aspiring  to  be  King  in  the 
pkce  of  Ca3sar  (Luke  xxiii.  2.    John  xix.  12). 

7.  thou  hast  also  appointed  prophets]  He  accuses  Nehemiah 
of  doing  what  he  himself  did  (v.  14).  Here  also  Sanballat  and 
his  friends  were  forerunners  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 

9.  they  all  made  us  afraid]  They  all  endeavoured  to  terrify 
us;  not  that  Nehemiah  was  frightened  by  thom  :  see  v.  11. 


llie  building  is  finished. 


NEHEMIAH  VI.  10—18. 


Treachery  and  enmity. 


us  afraid,  saying,  Their  hands  shall  be  weakened  from  the  work,  that  it  be  not     c  h  rTs  t 
done.     Now  therefore,  0  God,  strengthen  my  hands.  ^*^- 

^°  Afterward  I  came  unto  the  house  of  Shemaiah  the  son  of  Delaiah  the  son 
of  Mehetabeel,  who  ivas  shut  up ;  and  he  said,  Let  us  meet  together  in  the 
house  of  God,  within  the  temple,  and  let  us  shut  the  doors  of  the  temple :  for 
they  will  come  to  slay  thee ;  yea,  in  the  night  will  they  come  to  slay  thee. 
^^  And  I  said.  Should  such  a  man  as  I  flee  ?  and  who  is  there,  that,  being  as  I 
am,  would  go  into  the  temple  to  save  his  life  ?  I  will  not  go  in.  ^^  And,  lo, 
I  perceived  that  God  had  not  sent  him ;  but  that  ^  he  pronounced  this  prophecy  s  Ezek.  is.  22. 
against  me:  for  Tobiah  and  Sanballat  had  hired  him.  ^^ Therefore  ivas  he 
hired,  that  I  should  be  afraid,  and  do  so,  and  sin,  and  that  they  might  have 
matter  for  an  evil  report,  that  they  might  reproach  me. 

'^  ^  My  God,  think  thou  upon  Tobiah  and  Sanballat  according  to  these  their  ^  ch.  is.  29. 
works,  and  on  the  '  prophetess  Noadiah,  and  the  rest  of  the  prophets,  that  would  ^  Ezek.  13. 17. 
have  put  me  in  fear. 

^^  So  the  wall  was  finished  in  the  twenty  and  fifth  day  of  the  month  Elul,  in        about 
fifty  and  two  days.     ^^And  it  came  to  pass,  that  "when  all  our  enemies  heard  \''^■^^^\^^ 
thereof,  and  all  the  heathen  that  ivere  about  us  saw  these  things,  they  were  much 
cast  do^n  in  their  own  eyes  :  for  '  they  perceived  that  this  work  was  wrought  of '  p^.  126. 2. 
our  God. 

^^  Moreover  in  those  days  the  nobles  of  Judah  f  sent  many  letters  unto  Tobiah,  \^^XTterl'''^"^ 
and  the  letters  of  Tobiah  came  unto  them.     ^^  For  there  ivere  many  in  Judah  73.'" 
sworn  unto  him,  because  he  ivas  the  son  in  law  of  Shechaniah  the  son  of  Arah ; 
and  his  son  Johanan  had  taken  the  daughter  of  Meshullam  the  son  of  Bere- 


10.  Shemaiali]  Who  professed  to  be  Ncliemiali's  friend,  but 
was  a  false  prophet,  and  conspired  against  him  («.  12). 

—  loTio  was  shut  up']  Shemaiah  pretended  to  be  a  martyr 
for  the  truth,  and  to  be  confined  as  a  prisoner  for  his  friendship 
to  Nehemiah ;  and  thus  he  induced  Nehemiah  to  come  and 
visit  him  in  his  confinement ;  and  Sanballat,  by  an  act  of  col- 
lusion, made  a  feint  of  keeping  him  a  prisoner.  The  original 
word  here  rightly  rendered  shut  up,  is  atsur.  The  same  word 
is  used  to  describe  the  condition  of  the  true  prophet  Jeremiah, 
when  he  was  shut  up.  See  Jer.  xxxiii.  1  j  xxxvi.  5 ;  xxxix.  15 ; 
and  cp.  Sept.  here. 

—  Let  us  meet  together  in  the  house  of  God,  loithin  the 
temple']  Shemaiah  pretended  a  reverence  for  the  Temple,  and 
feigned  that  he  desired  to  flee  to  it  as  to  a  sanctuary  and  asylum 
from  Sanballat,  whose  tool  he  was.  Pretending  to  be  a  prophet 
of  the  Lord,  he  professed  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  Nehemiah, 
and  told  him  that  his  life  was  in  danger,  and  implored  him  to 
take  refuge  with  him  ii  the  Temple.  But  his  real  des.gu  was 
to  bring  Nehemiah  into  disrepute  with  the  people,  as  guilty  cf 
cowardice,  and  as  unfit  to  be  their  leader  and  protector,  and 
probably  also  as  chargeable  with  an  ofience  against  the  dignity 
of  the  Priesthood,  and  against  the  sanctity  of  the  holy  place, 
which  he  ought  not  to  enter. 

11.  Should  such  a  man  as  I  flee  ?]  I,  who  as  Governor  of 
Jerusalem,  ought  to  lead  and  encourage  the  people,  and  who 
have  been  mercifully  defended  by  my  God,  shall  I  show  dis- 
trust in  Him,  and  dishonour  myself,  and  destroy  them,  by 
cowardice  and  flight  ?     No ;  heaven  forbid  ! 

12.  And,  lo,  I  perceived]  On  reflection  I  discovered,  from 
the  fact  of  his  having  exhorted  me  to  do  an  immoral  and 
irreligious  act  (see  v.  13),  that  he  could  not  be  a  true  prophet 
of  God.  Nehemiah  exercised  that  logical  and  moral  prudence, 
which  preserved  him  from  the  snares  of  Shemaiah ;  and  which 
would  have  saved  the  man  of  Judah  from  being  deceived  by 
the  old  prophet  of  Bethel,  and  from  being  slain  by  the  lion. 
See  above,  on  1  Kings  xiii. 

14.  My  God,  thinh  thou  upon  Tobiah]  Nehemiah  did  not 
endeavour  to  return  evil  for  evil,  but  "committed  himself  to 
Him  that  judgeth  righteously."      Thus  he  was  animated  by 

Vol.  Hi.  337 


the  same   spirit  as  showed    itself  in   Michael  the  Archangel 
(2  Pet.  ii.  11),  and  in  Christ  (1  Pet.  ii.  23). 

—  the  prophetess  Noadiah]  Cp.  on  Rev.  ii.  20. 

The  Walls  aee  finished. 

15.  Elul— fifty  and  tioo  days]  Elul  was  the  sixth  month 
(Gesen.  50). 

In  the  month  of  Chisleu,  the  ninth  month,  Nehemiah, 
when  at  Susa,  had  heard  the  tidings  of  the  desolation  of  Jeru- 
salem (i.  1).  In  Nisau,  the  first  month,  in  the  twentieth  year 
of  Artaxerxes,  he  obtained  leave  to  visit  Jerusalem  (ii.  1),  and 
came  in  that  year  to  the  city ;  and  if  he  began  to  build  in  that 
year,  and  finished  the  work  in  fifty-two  days,  on  the  25th  day 
of  Elul,  he  must  have  commenced  the  building  on  the  3rd  da  v 
of  the  month  Ah,  the  5th  month,  B.C.  444. 

The  causes  which  facilitated  the  execution  of  the  work  in 
so  short  a  time  as  fifty-two  days  were  as  follows : — The  wall 
had  been  broken  down  by  the  Chaldseans,  but  the  materials 
remained,  and  could  soon  be  restored  to  their  place  :  and  great 
was  the  zeal  and  harmony  of  the  builders.  But  the  principal 
cause  of  the  expedition  of  the  work  was,  as  Nehemiah  himself 
declares,  and  as  his  enemies  perceived,  that  it  was  wrought  by 
God  (v.  16).  The  miraculous  rapidity  with  which  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem  were  rebuilt,  may  remind  the  devout  reader  of  the 
wonderful  speed  with  which  the  spiritual  Jerusalem,  the  Church 
of  God,  arose  on  and  after  the  day  of  Pentecost  (the  fifty -second 
day  after  Christ's  Passion),  when  it  received  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.     See  Acts  ii.  41 ;  iv.  4 ;  v.  14. 

17.  the  nobles  of  Judah]  Rather,  nobles  of  Judah ;  not  the 
nobles  generally,  but  some  of  them,  corresponded  with  Tobiah, 
literally,  lorote  many  letters  which  luent  to  him,  and  his  (letters) 
came  to  them;  and  they  connived  at  and  abetted  his  designs 
against  me  and  their  country. 

In  this  respect  also  the  history  of  Nehemiah  represents  the 
condition  of  the  faithful  in  God's  Church,  who,  like  the  Apostles, 
are  "  in  perils  among  false  brethren"  (2  Cor.  xi.  26.     Bede). 

18.  Shechaniah  the  son  of  Arah]  See  Ezra  ii.  5. 

—  Meshullam]  See  above,  iii.  4.  30,  whence  it  seems  that  he 
was  either  a  Priest  or  a  Levite.  Besides  this,  Tobiah  was 
connected  by  afiinity  with  the  High  Priest  himself,  Eliashib. 
See  xiii.  4. 

Z 


Names  of  those 


NEHEMIAH  VI.  19.     VII.  1—27. 


tvho  first  returned. 


Before 

C  H  R  I  S  T 

about 

445. 

II  Or,  matters. 

ach.  6. 1. 


c  Exod.  18.  21. 


t  Heb.  broad  in 
spaces. 


about 

536. 

d  Ezra  2.  I, 


II  Or,  Seraiah: 
See  Ezra  2.  2. 


n  Or,  Bani. 


II  Or,  Jora. 
II  Or,  Gibbar. 


chiah.     ^^  Also  they  reported  his  good  deeds  before  me,  and  uttered  my  ]]  words 
to  hun.     And  Tobiah  sent  letters  to  put  me  in  fear. 

VII.  ^  Now  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  wall  was  built,  and  I  had  ^  set  up  the 
doors,  and  the  porters  and  the  singers  and  the  Levites  were  appointed,  2  That  I 
gave  my  brother  Hanani,  and  Hananiah  the  ruler  ^  of  the  palace,  charge  over 
Jerusalem  :  for  he  ivas  a  faithful  man,  and  ^  feared  God  above  many.  ^  And  I 
said  unto  them,  Let  not  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  be  opened  until  the  sun  be  hot; 
and  while  they  stand  by,  let  them  shut  the  doors,  and  bar  them :  and  appoint 
watches  of  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  every  one  in  his  watch,  and  every  one 
to  be  over  against  his  house. 

^  Now  the  city  ivas  f  large  and  great :  but  the  people  were  few  therein,  and 
the  houses  ivere  not  builded.  ^  And  my  God  put  into  mine  heart  to  gather 
together  the  nobles,  and  the  rulers,  and  the  people,  that  they  might  be  reckoned 
by  genealogy.  And  I  found  a  register  of  the  genealogy  of  them  which  came 
up  at  the  first,  and  found  written  therein, 

^  ^  These  are  the  children  of  the  province,  that  went  up  out  of  the  captivity, 
of  those  that  had  been  carried  away,  whom  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  of  Baby- 
lon had  carried  away,  and  came  again  to  Jerusalem  and  to  Judah,  every  one 
unto  his  city ;  ^  Who  came  with  Zerubbabel,  Jeshua,  Nehemiah,  ||  Azariah, 
Raamiah,  Nahamani,  Mordecai,  Bilshan,  Mispereth,  Bigvai,  Nehum,  Baanah. 
The  number,  I  say,  of  the  men  of  the  people  of  Israel  was  this ;  ^  The  children 
of  Parosh,  two  thousand  an  hundred  seventy  and  two.  ^  The  children  of  She- 
phatiah,  three  hundred  seventy  and  two.  ^^  The  children  of  Arab,  six  hundred 
fifty  and  two.  ^^  The  children  of  Pahath-moab,  of  the  children  of  Jeshua  and 
Joab,  two  thousand  and  eight  hundred  and  eighteen.  ^-  The  children  of  Elam, 
a  thousand  two  hundred  fifty  and  four.  ^^  The  children  of  Zattu,  eight  hun- 
dred forty  and  five.  ^'^  The  children  of  Zaccai,  seven  hundred  and  threescore. 
1^  The  children  of  ||  Binnui,  six  hundred  forty  and  eight.  ^^  The  children  of 
Bebai,  six  hundred  twenty  and  eight.  ^"^  The  children  of  Azgad,  two  thousand 
three  hundred  twenty  and  two.  ^^  The  children  of  Adonikam,  six  hundred 
threescore  and  seven.  ^^  The  children  of  Bigvai,  two  thousand  threescore  and 
seven.  ^^  The  children  of  Adin,  six  hundred  fifty  and  five.  ^^  The  children  of 
Ater  of  Hezekiah,  ninety  and  eight.  '^^  The  children  of  Hashum,  three  hun- 
dred twenty  and  eight.  ^^  The  children  of  Bezai,  three  hundred  twenty  and 
four.  '^  The  children  of  ||  Hariph,  an  hundred  and  twelve.  ^5  ^he  children  of 
|1  Gibeon,  ninety  and  five.  ^^  The  men  of  Beth-lehem  and  Netophah,  an  hun- 
dred fourscore  and  eight.     -^  The  men  of  Anathoth,  an  hundred  twenty  and 


19.  Also  they  reported  his  good  deeds  hefore  me']  According 
to  the  Hebrew  original,  they  eulogized  the  toboth  (good  deeds)  of 
Tobiah,  who  plotted  against  Nehemiah !  Observe  the  malignity 
of  these  Jews,  and  the  affliction  which  Nehemiah  had  to  suffer 
from  them.  They  praised  the  enemies  of  Jerusalem  in  the 
presence  of  Nehemiah,  who  was  restoring  Jerusalem.  Such 
was  their  insolence  and  treachery  !  And  he  patiently  endured 
it.  Such  is  the  condition  of  faithful  leaders  in  the  Church  of 
God  in  every  age.  They  must  expect  to  listen  to  praises  of  the 
toboth  of  Tobiahs  ;  they  must  be  prepared  to  hear  panegyrics  of 
the  virtues  of  Heresiarchs,  from  the  li^is  even  of  some  in  the 
Church  of  God. 

Ch.  VII.  1.  the  porters']  Of  the  Temple  (1  Chron.  ix.  17— 
27). 

2.  my  brother  Sanani]  See  i.  2. 

—  ruler  of  the  palace^  Or,   rather,   of  the  fortress  (Heb. 
birah :  see  ii.  8)  at  the  North  of  the  Temple. 
338 


—  charge  over  Jerusalem]  Over  its  gates,  to  pi-ovide  for  the 
public  safety. 

3.  and  while  they  stand  by]  While  Hanani  and  Hananiah 
personally  inspect  them. 

—  let  them  shut  the  doors]  The  porters  shall  shut  the  doors, 
i.  e.  the  valves  of  the  gates. 

4.  the  people  Vi^Qxe  few]  And  therefore  required  more  watch- 
fulness on  the  part  of  its  magistrates.  The  remedy  which 
Nehemiah  adopted  for  this  fewness  is  stated  hereafter.  See  on 
xi.  1,  2,  which  shows  a  continuity  of  authorship. 

5.  I  found  a  register]  Which  is  inserted  in  this  chapter. 

—  of  them  which  came  up  at  the  first]  With  Zerubbabel  and 
Jeshua  to  Jerusalem,  B.C.  536  (Ezra  ii.  1,  2,  &c.),  about  a 
hundred  years  before. 

6.  These  are  the  children  of  the  province]  See  above,  Ezra 
ii.  1 — 70;  and  compare  the  list  there,  with  that  in  the  present 
chapter;  and  the  notes  there  (especially  v.  64)  on  the  dis- 
crepancy of  some  of  the  numbers  in  detail,  and  on  the  identity 
of  their  totals. 


Names  of  those  NEHEMIAH  VII.  28— G5.  ivho  first  returned. 

eiglit.     28  The  men  of  [|  Betli-azmavctli,  forty  and  two.     29  The  men  of  ||  Kk-     chrTst 
jath-jearim,  Chephirah,  and  Beeroth,  seven  hmidred  forty  and  three,     ^o  The        ts'cf 
men  of  Ramah  and  Gaha,  six  hundred  twenty  and  one.     ^i  The  men  of  Mich-  !  Cr!  i'lrjatif'' 
mas,  an  hundred  and  twenty  and  two.     ^^  The  men  of  Beth-el  and  Ai,  an  hun-  "' '"' 
dred  twenty  and  three.     ^^  The  men  of  the  other  Nebo,  fifty  and  two.     ^^  The 
children  of  the  other  ^Elam,   a  thousand  two  hundred  fifty  and  four.     ^^  The  eseever.  12. 
children  of  Harim,  three  hundred  and  twenty.     ^^  The  children  of  Jericho,  three 
hundred  forty  and  five.     ^'^  The  children  of  Lod,  Hadid,  and  Ono,  seven  hun- 
dred twenty  and  one.     ^^  The  children  of  Senaah,  three  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  thirty. 

^^  The  j^riests  :  the  children  of  ''Jedaiah,  of  the  house  of  Jeshua,  nine  hun-  f  1  chron.  24. 7. 
dred  seventy  and  three.     ^"  The  children  of  ^Immer,  a  thousand  fifty  and  two.  g  1  ciuon.  24.  u 
^'  The  children  of  ^  Pashur,  a  thousand  two  hundred  forty  and  seven.     ^"  The  i'  see  1  curon. 

'  "J  9.  12.  &  24.  9. 

children  of  '  Harim,  a  thousand  and  seventeen.  i  1  ciuon.  24.  s. 

^^  The  Levites :  the  children  of  Jeshua,  of  Kadmiel,  and  of  the  children  of 
II  Hodevah,  seventy  and  four.  11  or,  mda,:ah, 

"  .  .  Ezra  2.  40. 

^^  The  singers  :  the  children  of  Asaph,  an  hundred  forty  and  eight.  Ezri"tv' 

^^  The  porters  :  the  children  of  Shallum,  the  children  of  Ater,  the  children  of 
Talmon,  the  children  of  Akkub,  the  children  of  Hatita,  the  children  of  Shobai, 
an  hundred  thirty  and  eight. 

^^"  The  Nethinims :  the  children  of  Ziha,  the  children  of  Hashupha,   the 
children  of  Tabbaoth,  '^^  The  children  of  Keros,   the  children  of  ||  Sia,   the  11  or,  5/«a«. 
children  of  Padon,  '^^The  children  of  Lebana,  the  children  of  Hagaba,  the 
children  of  ||  Shalmai,  ^^  The  children  of  Hanan,  the  children  of  Giddel,  the  u  or,  shamiai. 
children   of  Gahar,    ^°The  children  of  Reaiah,   the  children   of  Rezin,   the 
cliildren  of  Nekoda,    ^^  The  children  of  Gazzam,  the  children  of  Uzza,  the 
children  of  Phaseah,  ^^  The  children  of  Besai,  the  children  of  Meunim,  the 
children  of  ||  Nephishesim,    ^^  The  children  of  Bakbuk,  the  children  of  Ha-  11  or,  Nephusim. 
kupha,  the  children  of  Harhur,  ^*  The  children  of  ||  Bazlith,  the  cliildren  of "  ^r.  Baziutn. 
Mehida,  the  children  of  Harsha,  ^^The  children  of  Barkos,  the  children  of 
Sisera,  the  children  of  Tamah,    ^^The   children  of  Neziah,  the  children  of 
Hatipha.     ^"^  The  children  of  Solomon's  servants  :  the  children  of  Sotai,  the 
children  of  Sophereth,  the  children  of  ||  Perida,  ^^  The  children  of  Jaala,  the  11  or,  Peruda. 
children  of  Darken,  the  children  of  Giddel,  ^^  The  children  of  Shephatiah,  the 
children  of  Hattil,  the  children  of  Pochereth  of  Zebaim,  the  children  of  ||  Amon.  n  or,  Ami. 
^^  All  the  Nethinims,  and  the  children  of  Solomon's  servants,  ivere  three  hundred 
ninety  and  two. 

^^  "And  these  iccre  they  which  went  up  also  from  Tel-melah,  Tel-haresha,  k Ezra 2  59. 
Cherub,  ||  Addon,  and  Immer :  but  they  could  not  shew  their  father's  house,  w  or,  Adda,,. 
nor  their  ||  seed,  whether  they  locre  of  Israel.     ®^  The  children  of  Delaiah,  the  ^  or,  pedigree. 
children  of  Tobiah,  the  children  of  Nekoda,  six  hundred  forty  and  two. 

^^  And  of  the  priests  :  the  children  of  Habaiah,  the  children  of  Koz,  the 
children  of  Barzillai,  which  took  one  of  the  daughters  of  Barzillai  the  Gileadite 
to  wife,  and  was  called  after  their  name.  ^^  These  sought  their  register  among 
those  that  were  reckoned  by  genealogy,  but  it  was  not  found  :  therefore  were 
they,  as  polluted,  put  from  the  priesthood.  ^^  And  ||  the  Tirshatha  said  unto  lor;J^'i"r' 
them,  that  they  should  not  eat  of  the  most  holy  things,  till  there  stood  up  a 
priest  mth  Urim  and  Thummim. 

65.  with  Urim  and  Thummiin]  See  above,  on  Ezra  ii.  63. 
339 


Ezra  the  priest  and  scribe 


VII.  66—73.     VIII.  1—3. 


reads  the  Law  of  Moses. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

536. 


t  Heb.  part. 
1  ch.  8.  9. 


ni  So  Ezra  2.  C9. 


about 
445. 

a  Ezra  3.  1. 

b  ch.  3.  2G. 

c  Ezra  7.  6 


d  Deut.  31.  11, 
12. 

t  Heb.  that 
understood  in 
hearing. 
e  Lev.  23.  24. 


^^  The  whole  congregation  together  ivas  forty  and  two  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  threescore,  ^^  Beside  their  manservants  and  their  maidservants,  of 
■whom  there  ivere  seven  thousand  three  hundred  thirty  and  seven  :  and  they  had 
two  hundred  forty  and  five  singing  men  and  singing  women.  ^^  Their  horses, 
seven  hundred  tliirt}^  and  six  :  their  mules,  two  hundred  forty  and  five  :  '^^  Their 
camels,  four  hundi'ed  thirty  and  five  :  six  thousand  seven  hundred  and  twenty 
asses. 

7"^  And  f  some  of  the  chief  of  the  fathers  gave  unto  the  work.  '  The  Tir- 
shatha  gave  to  the  treasure  a  thousand  drams  of  gold,  fifty  basons,  five  hundred 
and  thirty  priests'  garments.  ^^  And  some  of  the  chief  of  the  fathers  gave  to  the 
treasure  of  the  work  ""  twenty  thousand  drams  of  gold,  and  two  thousand  and 
two  hundred  pound  of  silver.  ^"^  And  that  w^hich  the  rest  of  the  people  gave  ivas 
twenty  thousand  drams  of  gold,  and  two  thousand  pound  of  silver,  and  three- 
score and  seven  priests'  garments. 

''^  So  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  and  the  porters,  and  the  singers,  and  some 
of  the  people,  and  the  Nethinims,  and  all  Israel,  dwelt  in  their  cities ;  "  and 
when  the  seventh  month  came,  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  their  cities. 

VIII.  ^  And  all '''  the  people  gathered  themselves  together  as  one  man  into 
the  street  that  ?yas  ''before  the  water  gate;  and  they  spake  unto  Ezra  the  '^ scribe 
to  bring  the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses,  which  the  Lord  had  commanded  to 
Israel.  ^And  Ezra  the  priest  brought  "^the  law  before  the  congregation  both 
of  men  and  women,  and  all  f  that  could  hear  with  understanding,  ^  upon  the 
first  day  of  the  seventh  month.     ^And  he  read  therein  before  the  street  that 


70.  And  some  of  the  chief— fathers  gave']  See  Ezra  ii.  68. 
73.  the  seventh  month']  Tisri :  see  Ezra.  iii.  1. 

EzEA  Reading  A^'D  Expotjitding  the  Law  of  Moses. 

Ch.  VIII.  1.  all  the  people  gathered  themselves  together  as 
one  man]  On  the  first  day  of  the  seventh  month,  Tisri ;  the 
month  next  following  that  of  Elul,  on  which  the  works  were 
finished  (vi.  15). 

There  is  a  remarkable  coincidence  between  this  public 
action,  done  under  the  direction  of  Nehemiah  and  Ezra  at 
Jerusalem,  and  that  which  had  been  done  there  about  a  hundred 
years  before,  under  the  guidance  of  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua : 
and  it  is  also  observable,  that  this  congregation  of  the  people 
under  Nehemiah  and  Ezra,  is  mentioned  here  in  immediate 
connexion  with  the  catalogue,  just  given,  of  those  who  returned 
with  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua,  and  who  dwelt  in  their  cities,  and 
who,  when  the  seventh  month  toas  come,  gathered  themselves 
together  as  one  man  to  Jerusalem.  See  Ezra  ii.  70 ;  and  iii.  1. 
Evidently  Nehemiah  and  Ezra  had  their  minds  fixed  on  the 
solemn  celebration,  which  had  inaugurated  the  religious  work  of 
Zenibbabel  and  Jeshua,  at  the  same  season  of  the  year,  a  century 
before,  and  they  intended  that  their  owti  proceedings  should  be 
regarded  as  a  continuation  and  completion  of  the  acts  of  their 
godly  forefathers. 

This  act  of  Nehemiah,  and  the  language  in  which  it  is 
described  (which  is  precisely  similar  to  that  of  Ezra,  relating 
the  act  of  Zerubbabel)  is  tantamount  to  a  recognition  of  the 
truth  of  Ezra's  history,  and  is  grouuded  upon  it. 

—  the  street]  Rather,  the  broad  open  place,  or  square,  pro- 
bably on  the  south,  or  south-east  of  the  Temple.  See  iii.  26 ; 
and  below,  vv.  3.  16 ;  xii.  36,  37.  40.  Bede  says  that  it  was 
on  the  east  of  the  Temple ;  and  so  Bertheau.  Bede  remarks 
that  in  a  spiritual  sense  there  was  something  appropriate  in  the 
use  of  this  open  place  at  the  water  gate,  before  the  Temple,  for 
the  reading  of  the  Law  of  God  to  the  People.  Christ  is  the 
True  Temple,  and  from  Him  flow  the  living  waters  of  Divine 
Truth  which  refresh  all  Nations,  gathered  together  in  His 
Church  Universal. 

Co-opeeation  of  Ezra  with  Nehemiah. 

—  unto  'Ezra  the  scribe]  See  above,  Ezra  vii.  6.     Ezra  had 
come  to  Jerusalem,  with  a  commission  from  Artaxerxes,  in  his 
seventli  vear  B  C.  458  (Ezra  vii.  8—28;  viii.  1). 
3'lO 


Here  we  see  an  evidence  of  Ezra's  modesty,  and  love  of 
peace  and  iinity.  He  himself  had  received  a  commission  from 
Artaxerxes  thirteen  years  before  the  appointment  of  Nehemiah 
(Neh.  i.  1);  but  he  was  not  jealous  of  Nehemiah;  he  did  not 
complain  that  he  was  superseded  by  him,  but  he  co-operated 
heartily  with  him. 

The  commission  given  to  Ezra,  the  Priest  and  Scribe, 
concerned  the  afl"airs  of  Jerusalem  as  a  Church;  and  the  com- 
mission given  to  Nehemiah,  the  cupbearer  of  Artaxerxes,  referred 
to  Jerusalem  as  a  State ;  the  rebuilding  of  the  tvalls,  the  setting 
up  of  the  gates  of  the  city,  and  the  provision  for  its  police,  the 
defence  and  relief  of  its  population  by  secular  enactments. 

By  this  sub-division  and  adjustment  of  duties  and  employ- 
ments between  Ezra  the  Priest  and  Nehemiah  the  layman,  the 
co-operation  of  both,  in  their  respective  spheres,  was  faciliated 
and  ensured,  and  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  Church  and  State 
were  promoted  and  established.  Here  is  instruction  and  en- 
couragement for  all  ages  of  the  Church. 

A  question  arises  here,— How  was  it,  that  the  Law  had  not 
been  read  by  Ezra  to  the  people  before  this  time  ? 

It  seems  that  the  Civil  Governors,  before  Nehemiah,  had 
not  been  exemplary  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty ;  they  op- 
pressed the  people  by  means  of  their  servants  (see  v.  15),  and 
they  were  not  likely  to  have  authorized  any  general  convention 
of  the  people,  such  as  that  which  Nehemiah  held,  for  the  sake 
of  hearing  the  Law  of  Moses,  in  which  their  own  deeds  were 
reprehended. 

But  as  soon  as  the  godly  and  religious  Governor,  Nehe- 
miah, had  finished  the  work  of  building  the  walls,  he  convoked 
an  assembly  of  all. Israel,  in  order  that  they  might  hear  the  Law 
of  God  from  the  lips  of  Ezra.  Here  was  an  instance  of  that 
happy  union  between  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  authorities, 
which  conduces  to  the  efficiency  of  both,  and  to  the  happiness 
of  the  people  committed  by  God  to  their  charge. 

—  to  bring  the  book  of  the  law  of  3Ioses]  They  speak  of 
"  the  Law  of  Moses "  as  a  well-known  document,  and  they 
desire  Ezra,  the  Priest  and  Scribe,  to  read  it  to  them  publicly 
at  this  season,  the  seventh  month,  according  to  the  spirit  of  the 
command  of  God  in  the  Law  (Deut.  xxxi.  10,  11). 

The  Law  required  that  it  should  be  read  at  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles,  in  the  seventh  month,  in  the  year  of  release ;  the 
people,  in  their  eagerness  to  hear  it,  anticipated  the  time. 


The  reading  of  the  Law  ; 


NEHEMIAH  VIII.  4—10. 


its  explanation. 


was  before  the  water  gate  f  from  tlie  morning  until  midday,  before  the  men  and 
the  women,  and  those  that  could  understand ;  and  the  ears  of  all  the  people 
were  attentive  unto  the  book  of  the  law.  ^  And  Ezra  the  scribe  stood  upon  a 
f  pulpit  of  wood,  which  they  had  made  for  the  purpose  ;  and  beside  him  stood 
Mattithiah,  and  Shema,  and  Anaiah,  and  Urijah,  and  Hilkiah,  and  Maaseiah, 
on  his  right  hand ;  and  on  his  left  hand,  Pedaiah,  and  Mishael,  and  Malchiah, 
and  Hashum,  and  Hashbadana,  Zechariah,  ami  Meshullam.  ^And  Ezra 
opened  the  book  in  the  f  sight  of  all  the  people  ;  (for  he  was  above  all  the 
people;)  and  when  he  opened  it,  all  the  people  ^ stood  up  :  ^And  Ezra  blessed 
the  Lord,  the  great  God.  And  all  the  people  ^  answered.  Amen,  Amen,  with 
''  lifting  up  their  hands :  and  they  '  bowed  their  heads,  and  worshipped  the 
Lord  with  their  faces  to  the  ground.  ^  Also  Jeshua,  and  Bani,  and  Sherebiah, 
Jamin,  Akkub,  Shabbethai,  Hodijah,  Maaseiah,  Kehta,  Azariah,  Jozabad, 
Hanan,  Pelaiah,  and  the  Levites,  *"  caused  the  people  to  understand  the  law : 
and  the  people  stood  in  their  place.  ^  So  they  read  in  the  book  in  the  law 
of  God  distinctly,  and  gave  the  sense,  and  caused  them  to  understand  the 
reading. 

^ '  And  Nehemiah,  wliich  is  \\  the  Tirshatha,  and  Ezra  the  priest  the  scribe, 
""  and  the  Levites  that  taught  the  people,  said  unto  all  the  people, "  This  day  is 
holy  unto  the  Lord  your  God ;  "mourn  not,  nor  weep.  For  all  the  people 
wept,  when  they  heard  the  words  of  the  law.  ^^  Then  he  said  unto  them.  Go 
your  way,  eat  the  fat,  and  drink  the  sweet,  ^  and  send  portions  unto  them  for 

p  Esth.  9.  19 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

445. 

t  Heb./ro»j  the 

light. 

+  Heb.  tower  of 
wood. 


t  Heb.  eyes. 
f  Judg.  3.  20. 
g  1  Cor.  14.  10. 

hLam.  3.  41. 

1  Tim.  2.  8. 

i  Exod.  4.  .•?!.  & 
12.  27. 

2  Chron.  20.  18. 

k  Lev.  10.  11. 
Deut.  33.  10. 
2  Chron.  17.  7, 
8,  9. 
Mai.  2.  7. 


I  Ezra  2.  63. 

ch.  7.  65.  &  10.  1. 

II  Or,  the 
yoi'errior. 

m  2  Chron.  35.  3. 
ver.  8. 

n  Lev.  23.  24. 
Num.  29.  1. 
o  Deut.  16.  14, 
15. 

Eccles.  3.  4. 
,22.     Rev.  11.10. 


3.  the  ears  of  all  the  people  were — unto  the  book']  A  striking 
expression.  The  people  hung  upon  the  book;  their  ears,  eyes, 
and  minds  were  riveted  to  it ;  as  they  well  might  be.  What 
an  attentive  congregation  was  that ! 

4.  a  pulpit  of  wood~\  Literally,  a  tower  of  wood;  a  high 
platform,  which  would  hold  many  persons  (cp.  ix.  4).  Ezra, 
and  thirteen  others,  who  (as  Bertheau  observes)  appear  to  have 
been  Priests  (see  iii.  4.  6.  11.  14.  21.  23.  25.  31)  stood  upon  it. 

— for  the  purpose']  Rather,  for  the  word ;  a  remarkable 
expression:  " ad  loqueudum "  {Vulg.). 

5.  opened  the  iooJc]  Unrolled  it. 

—  stood  up]  In  reverence  for  the  Word  of  God  (Judges 
iii.  20.     Job  xxix.  8;  xxxvii.  14). 

6.  Amen,  Amen]  This  was  a  devout  expression  of  thank- 
fulness for  God's  Holy  Word.  The  119th  Psalm  is  probably  a 
record  of  Ezra's  feelings  at  this  time. 

7.  Bani — Sherehiah — Pelaiah]  Some  of  these  names  occur 
again  in  xii.  8,  among  the  Levites. 

—  and  the  Levites]  That  is,  and  the  other  Levites.  Cp.  the 
phrase  in  Acts  ii.  37. 

7,  8.  caused  the  people  to  understand  the  law]  Ezra,  as 
president  of  the  assembly,  superintended  the  reading  of  the 
Law,  and  took  the  lead  in  the  exposition  of  it;  and  he  was 
ai^sisted  by  the  Levites,  who  spoke  by  his  direction  and  in- 
struction. They  read  distinctly  (litei'ally,  they  read  it,  so  tliat 
it  was  clearly  laid  out,  spread  out :  see  Gesen.  693).  They 
gave  the  sense,  and  explained  what  they  read  (cp.  Ezra  iv.  7). 
Some  suppose  that  this  was  done  by  means  of  a  translation,  or 
paraphrase  of  the  Hebrew,  into  Aramaic  or  Chaldee.  See  Bp. 
Pearson  on  the  Creed,  Art.  ii.  p.  81.  And  this  is  the  opinion 
of  many  of  the  Rabbis.  See  Lightfoot,  Hor.  Heb.  p.  250; 
Pfeiffer,  Dubia,  p.  254. 

This  at  least  is  evident  from  the  words  of  the  original 
here,  that  Ezra  and  the  Le^^tes  with  him,  read  the  Hebrew 
Pentateuch  to  the  people  in  an  audible  and  clear  voice, 
and  that  wherever  he  thought  it  necessary,  it  was  accompanied 
with  an  exposition  (see  Pfeiffer,  p.  254;  Gesen.,  p.  693; 
Bertheau,  p.  213).  This  was  imitated  in  the  primitive  Church 
of  Christ  (1  Cor.  xii.  10 ;  xiv.  26). 

The  reading  of  Holy  Scripture  with  intelligence,  and  in  a 
clear,  audible  voice,  so  that  the  People  may  hear  and  under- 
stand what  is  read,  is  here  inculcated  by  the  Divine  Author  of 
Scripture.  It  is  a  duty  "  to  pray  with  the  spirit,  and  to  pray 
with  the  understanding  also ;  and  to  smg  with  the  spirit,  and  to 
341 


sing  with  the  understanding  also,"  and  it  is  not  less  necessary  to 
imitate  Ezra  "  the  Priest  the  Scribe "  in  the  reading  of  Holy 
Scripture  in  the  public  congregation.  May  not  the  Christian 
Church  profit  by  this  example  in  the  present  times  ? 

—  and  caused  them  to  undei'stand  the  reading]  Rather,  and 
they  (i.  e.  the  people)  understood  the  reading  (so  Sept.,  Vulg. : 
cp.  below,  V.  12.  Dan.  ix.  23 ;  x.  1)  :  and  (as  we  read  in  v.  12) 
they  rejoiced  greatly  because  they  understood  lohat  they  heard. 
Here  is  instruction  for  the  Church  of  God  in  every  age.  The 
Ministers  of  God's  Word,  who  are  appointed  to  read  the  Holy 
Scripture  to  the  People,  are  bound  (as  has  been  already  said) 
to  take  care  to  read  it  clearly,  audibly,  and  intelligently;  and 
the  result  of  their  reading  ought  to  be,  that  the  people  on  their 
part  may  be  able  to  understand  it,  and  may  take  delight  in 
listening  to  it,  and  may  rejoice  with  holy  joy  in  understanding 
what  they  hear.  It  is  never  to  be  forgotten,  that  the  reading 
of  the  Holy  Bible  to  the  people  is  the  best  preaching ;  as  has 
been  shown  by  Richard  Hooker,  V.  xxi.  xxii. 

9.  And  Nehemiah]  Observe  the  change  of  person.  Ezra  the 
Priest  now  holds  the  most  prominent  place,  the  act  which  is 
being  described  being  a  sacred  one ;  and  therefore  Nehemiah, 
the  lay  governor,  retires  into  the  back-ground,  and  no  longer 
speaks  of  himself  in  the  first  person  (which  he  had  done  when 
he  was  relating  his  own  civil  acts),  but  in  the  third,  or  in  the 
inst plural  "we"  (see  ix.  38;  x.  1).  All  this  is  quite  natural, 
and  is  no  sign  (as  some  have  supposed)  of  difference  of  author- 
ship. Cp.  Keil,  Versuch  ii.  d.  Chronik.  p.  107;  and  see  above, 
on  i.  1.    Introduction,  p.  300. 

—  the  Tirshatha]  Or  Governor :  the  Persian  title  of  that 
office  (see  above,  Ezra  ii.  63.  Neh.  vii.  65.  70).  The  Hebrew 
title  was  Pechah  (v.  14). 

—  all  the  people  wept]  Compare  what  Josiah  had  done 
(2  Kings  xxii.  11). 

10.  drink  the  sweet]  The  new  wine  of  that  season  of  the 
year. 

The  people  were  now  fed  with  the  bread  of  life,  and  were 
being  refreshed  with  the  water  of  life,  without  money  and 
without  price  (Isa.  Iv.  1),  in  hearing  the  Word  of  God.  Fit, 
therefore,  it  was,  that  they,  who  were  enriched  with  spiritual 
things,  should  show  their  thankfulness  by  dispensing  of  their 
carnal  things  to  their  poorer  brethren.  Some  there  are  who 
eat  the  fat,  and  drink  the  sweet,  and  give  no  portion,  no,  not 
even  crumbs,  to  the  poor ;  but  God's  bounty  should  make  us 
bountiful. 

—  send  portions]  Cp.  Deut.  xvi.  14.     Esther  \\.  19.  22. 


''  The  joij  of  the  Lord." 


NEHEMIAH  VIII.  11—17.  The  Feast  of  Tahcrnacies. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

445. 


fl  ver.  10. 
r  ver.  7,  8. 


II  Or,  that  Ihey 
might  instruct  in 
the  words  of  the 
law. 

t  Heb.  by  the 
hand  of. 

s  Lev.  23.  34,  42. 
Deut.  16.  13. 
t  Lev.  23.  4. 
u  Deut.  16.  16. 

■X  Lev.  23.  40. 


V  Deut.  22.  8. 

z  ch.  12.  37. 

a  2  Kings  14.  13. 

ch.  12.  39. 


b  2  Chron.  30.21, 


whom  nothing  is  prepared  :  for  this  day  is  holy  unto  our  Lord  :  neither  be  ye 
sorry  ;  for  the  joy  of  the  Lokd  is  your  strength.  ^^  So  the  Levites  stilled  all 
the  people,  saying,  Hold  your  peace,  for  the  day  is  holy ;  neither  be  ye  grieved. 
12 And  all  the  people  went  their  way  to  eat,  and  to  drink,  and  to  '•send  portions, 
and  to  make  great  mirth,  because  they  had  •"  understood  the  words  that  were 
declared  unto  them. 

1^  And  on  the  second  day  were  gathered  together  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of 
all  the  people,  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  unto  Ezra  the  scribe,  even  ||  to 
understand  the  words  of  the  law.  ^'^And  they  found  written  in  the  law  which 
the  Lord  had  commanded  f  by  Moses,  that  the  children  of  Israel  should  dwell 
in  ^  booths  in  the  feast  of  the  seventh  month  :  ^^  And  '  that  they  should  publish 
and  proclaim  in  all  their  cities,  and  "  in  Jerusalem,  saying.  Go  forth  unto  the 
mount,  and  "  fetch  olive  branches,  and  pine  branches,  and  myrtle  branches, 
and  palm  branches,  and  branches  of  thick  trees,  to  make  booths,  as  it  is  written. 
^^  So  the  people  went  forth,  and  brought  them,  and  made  themselves  booths, 
every  one  upon  the  ^  roof  of  his  house,  and  in  their  courts,  and  in  the  courts  of 
the  house  of  God,  and  in  the  street  of  the  Mvater  gate,  ''and  in  the  street  of 
the  gate  of  Ephraim.  i'' And  all  the  congregation  of  them  that  were  come  again 
out  of  the  captivity  made  booths,  and  sat  under  the  booths  :  for  since  the  days 
of  Jeshua  the  son  of  Nun  unto  that  day  had  not  the  children  of  Israel  done  so. 
And  there  was  very  ^ great  gladness. 


—  this  day — holy'\  The  new  moon  of  the  seventh  month 
(«.  2),  the  feast  of  trumpets.  Cp.  Lev.  xxiii.  24.  Num. 
xxix.  1. 

—  the  joy  of  tlie  Lord  is  your  strengtli]  Joy  in  God  is  a 
religious  duty.  The  devout  soul  derives  strength  from  godly 
thankfulness  and  holy  joy,  because  it  knows  that  God  will  help 
those  who  praise  Him,  and  rejoice  in  Him.  If  the  strength  of 
the  Lord  is  our  joy,  then  the  joy  of  the  Lord  will  be  our 
strength  ( Bp.  Andretves,  iv.  217  ;  Dr.  Barrow,  Sermon  on 
the  Nativity,  iii.  427 — 450).  Holy  joy  is  like  oil  to  the  wheels 
of  our  obedience  {M.  Henry).  The  original  word  here  ren- 
dered joy  (chedevah),  is  found  only  here,  and  1  Chron.  xvi.  27 ; 
and  Ezra  vi.  16. 

The  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 

14.  they  found  ivritten]  Not  that  this  was  a  discovery.  It 
could  not  but  be  well  known  to  "  Ezra  the  Scribe,"  who  was 
learned  in  the  Law  of  Moses;  and  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles 
had  been  celebrated  before  this  time  by  those  who  returned  with 
Zerubbabel  (Ezra  iii.  4).  But  the  verb,  they  found,  means  they 
came  to  that  passage,  in  the  course  of  their  public  reading.  Cp. 
Luke  iv.  17,  where  it  seems  that  the  phrase,  he  found  written, 
ilescribes  the  act  of  turning  to  the  appointed  Proper  Lesson  in 
the  Calendar.  Cp.  below,  xiii.  1,  "  They  read  in  the  Book  of 
Moses  in  the  audience  of  the  people,  and  therein  was  found 
written." 

—  they  found  written  in  the  law — that  the  children  of  Israel 
should  dwell  in  booths']  See  Lev.  xxiii.  39 — 43.  Deut.  xvi. 
13 — 15;  and  the  notes  there  concerning  the  institution,  cere- 
monial, and  spiritual  meaning  of  the  Feast  of  Booths  or 
Tabernacles. 

The  Feast  of  Tabernacles  commemorated  the  dwelling  of 
the  Israelites  in  booths  in  the  wilderness :  it  was  a  record  also 
of  God's  Presence  dwelling  with  them  in  the  Tabernacle  of 
Witness,  which  jouraeyed  with  them  through  the  wilderness  to 
Canaan  ;  and  it  foreshadowed  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of 
God,  tabernacling  in  human  flesh,  as  in  a  temple;  and  it  pre- 
figured also  the  everlasting  union  of  God,  dwelling  with  His 
saints,  glorified  in  heaven. 

Solomon's  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  the  type  of  Christ's  Body 
(John  ii.  19.  21),  had  been  inaugurated  with  a  seven  days' 
Feast  of  Dedication,  which  flowed  on  in  a  continuous  stream 
into  the  seven  days  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  See  on 
1  Kings  viii.  65.  The  return  of  the  Jews  to  Jerusalem  from 
the  Babylonian  Captivity,  which  was  an  historical  adumbration 
of  the  restoration  of  Mankind  from  the  bondage  of  sin  to  tlie 
favour  of  God  in  Christ,  was  also  celebrated  liv  the  settiny  un 
342 


of  the  Altar  at  Jei'usalem,  with  praise  and  thanksgiving,  at  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles.  See  above,  on  Ezra  iii.  4.  And  now 
the  completion  of  the  building  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  which 
had  been  connected  by  the  voice  of  Divine  prophecy,  speaking 
by  Daniel,  with  the  Coming  of  Messiah  the  Prince  (Dan.  ix. 
24—27),  is  followed  by  the  celebration  of  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles, which  prefigured  the  Advent  of  Christ,  Emmanuel,  God 
with  us,  God  manifested  in  the  flesh.  And,  therefore,  the  con- 
version of  the  nations  to  the  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  Incarnate, 
is  described  by  the  prophet  Zeehariah  (who  perhaps  saw  this 
very  celebration),  as  a  keeping  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  at 
Jerusalem  (Zech.  xiv.  16). 

These  celebrations  of  the  Festival  of  Tabernacles,  at  these 
critical  eras  of  Hebrew  history,  were  like  golden  links  in  a 
continuous  chain,  reaching  down  from  the  first  Institution  of 
the  Festival  in  the  wilderness  at  Mount  Sinai  for  a  thousand 
years,  and  leading  the  faithful  onward  to  the  consummation  of 
the  Festival  in  the  Incarnation  of  Christ,  and  to  His  future 
everlasting  union  with  His  saints  in  visible  presence  in  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem.     See  on  Rev.  vii.  15 ;  xxi.  3. 

15.  Oo  forth  unto  the  mount]  Of  Olives. 

—  olive — pine]  Rather,  olive,  and  wild  olive.  The  former 
is  the  Heb.  zdith,  the  latter  is  shemen  {Cresen.  835),  whence 
Gethsemane. 

—  thick  trees']  See  Lev.  xxiii.  40. 

16.  every  one  upon  the  roof  of  his  house]  The  roofs  being 
flat  (Deut.  xxii.  8),  became  places  for  joyful  entertainment  in 
these  leafy  arbours  of  olive-branches,  myrtle  and  palm,  in  the 
fresh  air,  with  a  pleasant  prospect  of  the  Temple,  and  of  the 
walls  and  gates  of  Jerusalem,  now  completed,  and  of  the  sur- 
rounding country ;  and  for  sweet  converse  and  holy  meditation 
on  the  blessings  vouchsafed  to  their  forefathers  for  a  thousand 
years  since  the  Institution  of  the  Festival  of  Tabernacles,  and 
on  the  history,  prophecies,  promises  and  warnings,  of  the  Books 
of  Moses,  which  they  had  just  heard  read  to  them  by  Ezra  near 
the  Temple. 

Did  not  those  roofs  of  the  houses  of  Jerusalem,  in  such 
circumstances  as  these,  become  to  the  faithful  Israelites  like 
holy  Pisgahs  of  spiritual  contemplation,  whence  they  looked 
forward  to  the  still  greater  blessings  to  be  vouchsafed  to  them 
by  the  Incarnation  of  Christ,  prefigured  by  that  festival  which 
they  were  then  celebrating,  and  to  all  those  evangelical  mercies 
which  were  promised  and  presiguified  by  the  Law  of  Moses, 
which  they  had  heard  ? 

—  in  the  street  of  the  gate  of  Ephraim]  In  the  broad  open 
space  within  the  gate,  which  led  from  Jerusalem,  northward, 
toward  Shiloh.     See  above,  iii.  6,  7. 

17.  had  not — done  so.    And  there  ivas  very  great  gladness] 


The  solemn  assembly.         NEHEMIAH  VIII.  18.     IX.  1 — 11.       Fasting  and  confession. 


Before 
CHRIST 
about 
445. 
c  Deut.  31.  10, 
&c. 
+  Heb.  a 


d  ch.  8.  7,  8. 
II  Or,  scaffold. 


^^  Also  '^  day  by  clay,  from  the  first  day  unto  the  last  day,  he  read  in  the  book 
of  the  law  of  God.  And  they  kept  the  feast  seven  days  ;  and  on  the  eighth 
day  2uas  f  a  solemn  assembly,  "^  according  unto  the  manner. 

IX.  ^  Now  in  the  twenty  and  fourth  day  of  **  this  month  the  children  of  Israel  ^"^p^^^^'g 
were  assembled  with  fasting,  and  with  sackclothes,  ^and  earth  upon  them.  ^""'•445^^- 
2 And  ''the  seed  of  Israel  separated  themselves  from  all  f  strangers,  and  stood  bjosh.r'.e. 
and  confessed  their  sins,  and  the  iniquities  of  their  fathers.     ^  And  they  stood  ^^sam.^h  2. 
up  in  their  place,  and  ''read  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  the  Lord  their  God  one  l^^'s^'sl' 
fourth  part  of  the  day  ;  and  another  fourth  part  they  confessed,  and  worshipped  thfid^en^"'"^" 
the  Lord  their  God.     ^  Then  stood  up  upon  the  ||  stairs,  of  the  Levites,  Jeshua, 
and  Bani,  Kadmiel,   Shebaniah,  Bunni,  Sherebiah,  Bani,  and  Chenani,   and 
cried  with  a  loud  voice  unto  the  Lord  their  God.     ^  Then  the  Levites,  Jeshua, 
and  Kadmiel,  Bani,  Hashabniah,  Sherebiah,  Hodijah,  Shebaniah,  .a?it^  Petha- 
hiah,  said, 

Stand  up  a7id  bless  the  Lord  your  God  for  ever  and  ever :  and  blessed  be 
Uhy  glorious  name,  which  is  exalted  above  all  blessing  and  praise.  '^'^Thou, 
even  thou,  art  Lord  alone;  ^thou  hast  made  heaven,  ""the  heaven  of  heavens, 
with  '  all  their  host,  the  earth,  and  all  thinqs  that  are  therein,  the  seas,  and  all  /cen.!.  1 

'  '  '^  Exod   20.  II. 

"preservest  them  all;  and  the  host  of  heaven  wor-  ^^jJ^^'j^/q  ,4 

1  Kings  8.  27. 
i  Gen.  2.  1. 


e  1  Chron.  29.  13. 

f  2  Kings  19.  15, 

19. 

Ps.  86.  10. 


that  is  therein,  and  thou 
shippeth  thee. 


7  Thou  art  the  Lord  the  God,  who  didst  choose  '  Abram,  and  broughtest  him  icen.  li.si.  & 
forth  out  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  and  gavest  him  the  name  of  "  Abraham ;  ^  And  moen.  17. 5. 
foundest  his  heart  "faithful  before  thee,  and  madest  a  "covenant  with  him  to  "^en.  15. 6. 

'  _  o  Gen.  12.  7.  & 

give  the  land  of  the  Canaanites,  the  Hittites,  the  Amorites,  and  the  Perizzites,  '^-  '^-  ^  '^-  ^'  *• 
and  the  Jebusites,  and  the  Girgashites,  to  give  it,  I  say,  to  his  seed,  and  ^hast  p  Josh.  23.  h. 
performed  thy  w^ords ;  for  thou  art  righteous  : 

^  '^  And  didst  see  the  affliction  of  our  fathers  in  Egypt,  and  '  heardest  their  1  ^xod.  2. 25.  & 
cry  by  the  Red  sea;  ^^And  'shewedst  signs  and  wonders  upon  Pharaoh,  and  on  slxod  7%l9, 
all  his  servants,  and  on  all  the  people  of  his  land :  for  thou  knewest  that  they  Jhajtert**' 
*■  dealt  proudly  against  them.     So  didst  thou  "get  thee  a  name,  as  it  is  this  day.  u Exod. s.ie.' 
^^'^  And  thou  didst  divide  the  sea  before  them,  so  that  they  went  through  the  ]^l;,^l-'{f- 


X  Exod.  14.  21, 
22,  27,  28.     Ps.  78.  13. 


This  statement  is  not  at  variance  (as  some  allege)  with  the 
record  of  the  observance  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  under 
Zerubbabel  (Ezra  iii.  4).  What  it  means  is,  they  had  not 
celebrated  the  festival  with  so  much  general  joy,  and  careful 
observance  of  the  requirements  of  the  Law.  Cp.  2  Chrou. 
XXXV.  18.  As  was  before  observed,  the  building  of  the  Walls  of 
the  city,  which  was  now  finished,  was  the  prophetic  era,  from 
which  the  Coming  of  Messiah,  the  Prince,  was  to  be  dated 
(Dan.  ix.  24.  27).  Well  then  might  they  celebrate  with  ex- 
ceeding joy  the  festival  which  prefigured  His  Incarnation,  and 
was  fulfilled  in  it. 

18.  from  the  first  day  unto  the  last  day,  he  read  in  the  hooh'] 
They  had  listened  on  the  first  day  of  the  month  from  morning 
unto  mid-day ;  but  the  more  they  heard  the  Word  of  God,  the 
more  desirous  were  they  to  hear  it.  The  more  men  converse 
with  the  Scriptures,  the  more  they  will  wish  and  love  to  do  so. 

—  the  eighth  day']  The  great  day  of  the  feast.  See  Lev. 
xxiii.  36;  and  John  vii.  37. 

Ch.  IX.  1.  in  the  twenty  and  fourth  day']  The  festival  being 
over  on  the  22nd,  the  23rd  was  an  ordinary  day.  The  Jews  now 
observe  the  23rd  as  the  "  festival  of  the  Law ;"  and  on  the 
Sabbath  after  it,  they  begin  their  Calendar  of  Lessons  with  the 
first  parashah  of  Genesis  (see  above,  on  Gen.  i.  1 ;  vi.  8),  and  so 
proceed  through  the  Pentateuch  to  the  end  of  it. 

The  Fasting  and  Confession  of  Sins. 

—  tvith fasting]  See  viii.  9,  which  describes  the  mourning 
of  the  people  when  they  lieard  the  words  of  the  Law.  They 
did  not  allow  the  joys  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  to  efface  the 

343 


penitential  sorrow  which  they  had  felt  before  it.  Holy  joy  had 
not  indisposed  them  for  godly  sorrow,  but  rather  quickened 
it. 

—  earth  upon  them]  Cp.  1  Sam.  iv.  12.  2  Sam.  i.  2. 
Job  ii.  12. 

2.  from  all  strangers]  Children  of  strange  marriages.  See 
Ezra  ix.  2 ;  x.  2. 

3.  their  place]  Probably  the  scaffold  described  in  viii.  4. 

4.  the  stairs]  The  scaffold. 

—  Jeshua — Chenani'\  As  to  these  names  of  Levites,  com- 
pare iii.  17 ;  vii.  43 ;  x.  10.  14 ;  xii.  8.  24 ;  and  Ezra  ii.  40 ; 
iii.  9. 

6.  Thou—vivi  LoED  alone]  This  confession  of  the  Unity, 
Omnipresence,  and  Omnipotence  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel 
(see  V.  7),  as  Creator  and  Preserver  of  all  things,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  all  rival,  co-ordinate,  and  local  deities,  is  a  protest 
against  the  Polytheism  of  the  heathen,  and  against  the 
Dualism  of  the  Magians  of  Persia.  Cp.  Bp.  Fearson,  Art.  i. 
pp.  64 — 66. 

—  the  heaven  of  heavens]  They  adopt  the  words  of  the 
Pentateuch  (Deut.  x.  14),  and  of  Solomon,  at  the  Dedication 
of  the  Temple  (1  Kings  viii.  27). 

7.  hroughtest  him  forth  out  of  Ur]  Sec  above,  on  Gen.  xi.  31  ; 
xii.  1. 

—  name  of  Abraham]  See  above.  Gen.  xvii.  5. 

9.  and  didst  see]  They  borrow  the  words  of  the  PentateucL 
(Exod.  iii.  7 ;  xiv.  10 ;  xv.  4). 

10.  sheivedst  signs— Pharaoh]  From  Ps.  cv.  27;  cvi.  7; 
cxxxv.  9. 

—  get  thee  a  name]  See  Exod.  ix.  16 ;  xiv.  17,  18. 


Restrospective  view 


NEHEMIAH  IX.  12—25. 


of  Hebreiu  history. 


Before 

CHRIST 

445. 

y  Exod.  15.  5,  10. 

7.  Esod.  13.  21. 

a  E.\od.  19.  20.  & 

20.  1. 

b  Ps.  19.  S,  9. 

Rom.  7.  12. 

t  Heb.  laws  of 

truth. 

c  Gen.  2.  3. 

Exod.  20.  8,  11. 

d  Exod.  16.  14, 

15. 

John  6.  31. 

e  Exod.  17.  6. 

Num.  20.9,  &c. 

f  Deut.  I    8. 

+  Heb.  which 

thou  hadst  lift  up 

thine  hand  to 

give  them, 

Num.  14.  30. 

g  ver.  29. 

Ps.  106.  6. 

h  Deut.  31.  27. 

2  Kings  17. 14. 

2  Chron.  30.  8. 

Jer.  19.  15. 

i  Ps.  78.  11,  42, 

43. 

k  Num.  14.  4. 

t  Heb.  a  God  of 

pardons. 

1  Exod.  34.  6. 

Nun..  14.  18. 

Ps.  86.  5,  15. 

Joel  2.  13. 

m  Exod.  32.  4. 

n  ver.  27. 

Ps.  106.45. 

0  Exod.  13.  21, 
22. 

Num.  14.  14. 

1  Cor.  10.  1. 

pNum.  11.  17. 
Isa.  63.  11. 
q  Exod.  16.  15. 
Josh.  5.  12. 
r  Exod.  17.  6. 
8  Deut.  2.  7. 
t  Deut.  8.  4.  & 
29.  5. 


u  Num.  21.  21, 
&c. 

x  Gen.  22.  17. 


y  Josh.  1.  2,  &c. 
z  Ps.  44.  2,  3. 


t  Heb.  according 
to  their  will. 
a  ver.  35. 
Num.  13.  27. 
Deut.  8.  7,  8. 
Ezek.  20.  6. 
b  Deut.  6.  11. 
II  Or,  cisterns. 


midst  of  the  sea  on  the  dry  land ;  and  their  persecutors  thou  threwest  into  the 
deeps,  ^as  a  stone  into  the  mighty  waters.  ^'^  Moreover  thou  ^leddest  them  in 
the  day  by  a  cloudy  pillar;  and  in  the  night  by  a  pillar  of  fire,  to  give  them 
light  in  the  way  wherein  they  should  go.  *^  ^  Thou  camest  down  also  upon 
mount  Sinai,  and  spakest  with  them  from  heaven,  and  gavest  them  ^  right 
judgments,  and  f  true  laws,  good  statutes  and  commandments  :  ^^  And  madest 
known  unto  them  thy  ''holy  sabbath,  and  commandedst  them  precepts,  statutes, 
and  laws,  by  the  hand  of  Moses  thy  servant :  ^^  And  ^  gavest  them  bread  from 
heaven  for  their  hunger,  and  ^  broughtest  forth  water  for  them  out  of  the  rock 
for  their  thirst,  and  promisedst  them  that  they  should  *"go  in  to  possess  the 
land  f  w^hich  thou  hadst  sworn  to  give  them. 

^^  ^  But  they  and  our  fathers  dealt  proudly,  and  ^  hardened  their  necks,  and 
hearkened  not  to  thy  commandments,  ^^  And  refused  to  obey,  '  neither  were 
mindful  of  thy  wonders  that  thou  didst  among  them ;  but  hardened  their  necks, 
and  in  their  rebellion  appointed  "  a  captain  to  return  to  their  bondage :  but  thou 
art  f  a  God  ready  to  pardon,  '  gracious  and  merciful,  slow  to  anger,  and  of  great 
kindness,  and  forsookest  them  not.  ^^Yea,  ""when  they  had  made  them  a 
molten  calf,  and  said.  This  is  thy  God  that  brought  thee  up  out  of  Egypt,  and 
had  wrought  great  provocations ;  ^^  Yet  thou  in  thy  "  manifold  mercies  for- 
sookest them  not  in  the  wilderness  :  the  •  pillar  of  the  cloud  departed  not  from 
them  by  day,  to  lead  them  in  the  way ;  neither  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  to 
shew  them  hght,  and  the  way  wherein  they  should  go.  '^^  Thou  gavest  also 
thy  p  good  spirit  to  instruct  them,  and  withheldest  not  thy  '^  manna  from  their 
mouth,  and  gavest  them  'water  for  their  thirst.  ^^  Yea,  '  forty  years  didst  thou 
sustain  them  in  the  wilderness,  so  that  they  lacked  nothing;  their  *  clothes 
waxed  not  old,  and  their  feet  swelled  not.  22  ]\/[Qj.gQyg2,  Hiq-o,  gavest  them  king- 
doms and  nations,  and  didst  divide  them  into  corners :  so  they  possessed  the 
land  of "  Sihon,  and  the  land  of  the  king  of  Heshbon,  and  the  land  of  Og  king 
of  Bashan.  ^^ ""  Their  children  also  multiphedst  thou  as  the  stars  of  heaven, 
and  broughtest  them  into  the  land,  concerning  which  thou  hadst  promised  to 
their  fathers,  that  they  should  go  in  to  possess  it.  ^^  So  ^  the  children  went  in 
and  possessed  the  land,  and  Uhou  subduedst  before  them  the  inhabitants  of 
the  land,  the  Canaanites,  and  gavest  them  into  their  hands,  with  then'  kings, 
and  the  people  of  the  land,  that  they  might  do  with  them  f  as  they  would. 
2^  And  they  took  strong  cities,  and  a  ^  fat  land,  and  possessed  ''  houses  full  of 
all  goods,  II  wells  digged,  vineyards,  and  oliveyards,  and  f  fruit  trees  in  abun- 

t  Heb.  Ircc  offuod. 


12.  cloudy  pillar — pillar  of  fire]  From  Ps.  Ixxviii.  15; 
cv.  38.  The  Margin  will  supply  the  references  to  the  Penta- 
teuch, and  other  portions  of  the  Old  Testament  which  form  the 
substance  of  this  supplication.  Suffice  it  to  observe,  once  for 
all,  that  the  spu-it  of  the  Pentateuch,  the  Psalms,  and  the 
Prophets,  especially  Daniel,  breathes  through  this  prayer. 

14.  madest  known  unto  them  thy  holy  sabbath']  Here  is  a 
confirmation  of  the  opinion  that  the  Sabbath  existed  before 
the  legislation  of  Sinai.  See  above,  on  Exod.  xvi.  23; 
XX.  8. 

17.  appointed  a  captain]  See  Num.  xiv.  4.  The  meaning 
of  the  Hebrew  phrase  (nathan  rosh)  has  been  disputed.  It 
has  been  supposed  that  it  means,  to  turn  the  head,  with  a  view 
of  doing  a  thing;  and  this  sense  is  in  accordance  with  the 
rendering  of  the  Sept.  here,  and  is  adopted  by  Qrotius,  Tirinus, 
and  Bertheau.  But  the  rendering  in  our  Authorized  Version 
seems  preferable,  and  is  confirmed  by  the  Sept.  in  Num.  xiv.  4. 
The  meaning  is,  in  their  heart,  they  appointed  a  head  ;  the  thing 
was  as  good  as  done ;  the  will  is  taken  for  the  deed. 
344 


20.  thy  good  spirit]  Which  was  upon  Moses  and  the  elders 
(Num.  xi.  16,  17),  and  Joshua  (Deut.  xxxiv.  9.  Cp.  Ps.  cxliii. 
10 ;  ajid  below,  v.  30). 

21.  their  clothes  waxed  not  old]  See  Deut.  viii.  4;  xxix.  5. 
The  opinion  of  some  expositors  {Peyrerius,  Kurtz,  Gesch.  ii.  407 ; 
Bertheau,  p.  223;  and  which  is  called  by  him  the  popular 
opinion),  rejecting  the  literal  meaning  of  these  words,  and 
resolving  thern  into  a  mere  assertion,  that  the  Israelites  were 
abundantly  supplied  with  clothing  in  the  wilderness,  will 
hardly  gain  acceptance  with  the  reverent  readers  of  Holy 
Scripture. 

22.  didst  divide  them  into  corners]  Or,  didst  divide  them  to 
a  corner  (Heb.  peah ;  see  Lev.  xix.  9 ;  xxiii.  22 :  cp.  Jer. 
ix.  26 ;  xlix.  32).  Thou  didst  apportion  thy  people  by  tribes 
to  every  extremity  of  the  Promised  Land,  thou  gavest  the  wholo 
to  them  without  any  reservation  to  the  heathen  (Ea^nbach, 
Gusset).  This  word  peah  occurs  several  times  in  the  description 
of  the  allotment  of  the  laud  by  Joshua  (Josh.  xv.  5 ;  xviii.  12. 
14,  15.  20). 


Confession  and  praijer.         NEHEMIAH  IX.  26— 38.    X.  1.     The  sealing  of  the  covenant. 


dauce  :  so  they  did  eat,  and  were  filled,  and  "^  became  fat,  and  delighted  them- 
selves in  thy  great  "^  goodness. 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
c  Deut.  32.  15. 

2^  Nevertheless  they  ^were  disobedient,  and  rebelled  against  thee,  and  ''cast  ejudg.^2.^i,  12. 

Kzek   20  21 

thy  law  behind  their  backs,  and  slew  thy  ^  prophets  which  testified  against  them  f  1  ^ings  h.9. 
to  tm-nthem  to  thee,  and  they  wrought  great  provocations.     27 1'  Therefore  thou  i\^%^^  ^^•*- 
deliveredst  them  into  the  hand  of  their  enemies,  who  vexed  them :  and  in  the  2k'"°"-^*-^"' 
time  of  their  trouble,  when  they  cried  unto  thee,  thou  '  heardest  them  from  Ac't'sV^s^!'' 
heaven :  and  accordmj^f  to  thy  manifold  mercies  "  thou  cjavest  them  saviours,  h  «•  ^^- 

'  o  >J  o  7    Ps.  lOO.  41,  42. 

i  Ps.  106.  44. 
k  Judg.  2.  18.  & 


23  But  after  they  had  rest,  iP^'"«" 


who  saved  them  out  of  the  hand  of  their  enemies. 

f 'they  did  evil  again  before  thee:  therefore  leftest  thou  them  in  the  hand  of  tHeb./A^y 
their  enemies,  so  that  they  had  the  dominion  over  them :  yet  when  they  re-  eliZ"' 
turned,  and  cried  unto  thee,  thou  heardest  ^/i<3?«  from  heaven :  and  ""manv  times  '2.30  &4.  i.&' 

•^  ^  5.  31.  &  6.  1. 

didst  thou  deliver  them  according  to  thy  mercies ;  ^^  And  testifiedst  against  '"  ^'-  '""•  ''^• 
them,  that  thou  mightest  bring  them  again  unto  thy  law :  yet  they  "  dealt  °  ^^r.  ig. 
proudly,  and  hearkened  not  unto  thy  commandments,  but  sinned  against  thy 
judgments,  ("which  if  a  man  do,  he  shall  live  in  them;)  and  f  withdrew  the  oLev. is. 5. 
shoulder,  and  hardened  their  neck,  and  would  not  hear.     ^^Yet  many  years  ^""'g'j"-^- 
didst  thou  f  forbear  them,  and  testifiedst  ^  against  them  by  thy  spirit  f  "^  in  thy  I  ^uMmwiiT 
prophets:  yet  would  they  not  give  ear:  ""therefore  gavest  thou  them  into  the  tlch'i'.n. 
hand  of  the  people  of  the  lands.     ^^  Nevertheless  for  thy  great  mercies'  sake 
Hhou  didst  not  utterly  consume  them,  nor   forsake  them;  for  thou   art  *a 
gracious  and  merciful  God. 


t  Heb.  protract 

over  them. 

p  2  Kings  17.  13. 

2  Chron.  36.  15. 

Jer.  7.  25.  & 

25.  4. 

i  Heb.  in  the 

^2  Now  therefore,  our  God,  the  great,  the  "  mighty,  and  the  terrible  God,  who  iroXV.'"-^ 

o  See  Acts  7    51 

keenest  covenant  and  mercy,  let  not  all  the  f  trouble  seem  little  before  thee,  iPet.  i.  n.' 

•■•  "^  '  '2  Pet.  1.  21. 


r  Isa.  5.  5.  & 
42.  24. 


f  that  hath  come  upon  us,  on  our  kings,  on  our  princes,  and  on  our  priests, 
and  on  our  prophets,  and  on  our  fathers,  and  on  all  thy  people,  "since  the  time  1.^"; Is.^^' * 
of  the  kings  of  Assyria  unto  this  day.     ^^  Howbeit  ^  thou  art  just  in  all  that  is  u  Exod^'34.  c,  ?. 
brought  upon  us ;  for  thou  hast  done  risfht,  but  "^  we  have  done  wickedlv :  +  Hek  weariness. 

?(   XT    •    1  1  1   •  •  -1  ^1  "^        i  Heb.  that  hath 

^  Neither  have  our  kings,  our  princes,  our  priests,  nor  our  fathers,  kept  thy  {"""Kind's  v  3 
law,  nor  hearkened  unto  thy  commandments  and  thy  testimonies,  wherewith  Dfn.'p.'H.'^^" 
thou  didst  testify  against  them.     ^^For  they  have  ^not  served  thee  in  their  dm.' g.^sJis. 
kingdom,  and  in  ^thy  great  goodness  that  thou  gavest  them,  and  in  the  large  tve^nk  ' 
and  "  fat  land  which  thou  gavest  before  them,  neither  turned  they  from  their  <=  ^er.  25. 
wicked  works.     ^^  Behold,  "^  we  are  servants  this  day,  and  for  the  land  that  thou  ^  Deut.28.48. 

Ezra  9.  9. 

gavest  unto  our  fathers  to  eat  the  fi-uit  thereof  and  the  good  thereof,  behold,  we 
are  servants  in  it :  ^"^  And  *  it  yieldeth  much  increase  unto  the  kings  whom  thou  « ^eut.  28. 33, 
hast  set  over  us  because  of  our  sins  :  also  they  have  ^dominion  over  our  bodies,  f  Deut.  28, 48. 
and  over  our  cattle,  at  their  pleasure,  and  we  are  in  great  distress. 

^^  And  because  of  all  this  we  ^  make  a  sure  covenant,  and  write  it :  and  our  s  2  Kings  23. 3. 

.  7-ihi  •  ■'  2  Chron.  29.  10. 

prmces,  Levites,  and  priests,  f    seal  unto  it.  Ezrau''3 

X.  ^Now  f  those  that  sealed  ivcre,  ''Nehemiah,  ||  the  Tirshatha,  ''the  son  of  f Heb. are «< «« 


+  Heb.  at  the  sealings,  cli.  9.  38. 


son 

Or,  the  governor 


sealing,  or, 

b  ch.  1.  1. 


26.  slew  thy  prophets^  Cp.  Matt.  x.\iii.  37.     Acts  vii.  52. 

27.  savioViTs^  See  ou  Judges  iii.  9;  and  Bp.  Pearson,  Art. 
ii.  p.  75. 

29.  withdrew  the  shoulder']  Like  a  restive  animal,  impatient 
of  the  yoke  (Zech.  vii.  11,     Hos.  iv.  16). 

30.  thy  spirit  in  thy  prophets']  See  1  Pet.  i.  10,  11.  2  Pet. 
i.  2  ',  21. 

3S.  we  have  done  wickedly]  They  identify  themselves  with 
their  forefathers.  Cp.  the  prayer  of  Daniel  (Dan.  ix.  5 — 20), 
which  seems  to  have  heen  in  the  minds  of  the  Levites  here,  us 
it  was  in  the  mind  of  Ezra  (ix.  6 — 11). 

38.  a  sure  covenant]  Cp.  Exod.  xix.  5.  8.     Josh.  xxiv.  21. 
2  Kings  rxiii.  8.     2  Chron.  xxxiv.  31.     Ezra  x.  3. 
345 


The  Sealing  to  the  Covenant. 

Ch.  X.  1.  those  that  sealed]  Or,  over  the  sealed  (Sept.) 
They  who  took  the  lead  in  sealing  and  subscribing  their  names 
to  the  covenant,  as  representatives  of  the  rest,  were  the  follow- 
ing. On  the  sealing  of  documents  by  way  of  attestation,  see 
Jer.  xxxii.  10;  and  2  Tim.  ii.  19.  Rev.  vii.  3;  x.  4.  John 
iii.  33. 

The  Sacred  Writer  sets  down  the  names  of  those  who 
sealed  the  Covenant  with  God :  and  we  are  thus  led  to  look 
forward  to  the  enumeration  of  the  True  Israel,  who  are  described 
in  the  Apocalypse  as  sealed  with  the  seal  of  God  (Rev.  vii. 
2-7). 


Ezra  and  Eliashib 


NEHEMIAH  X.  2—29. 


not  mentioned  in  the  list. 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
c  See  ch.  12. 
1—21. 


d  See  Ezra  2.  3, 

&c. 

ch.  7.  8,  Src. 


e  Ezra  2.  36—43. 

f  Ezras.  1.  & 
10.  11,  12,  19. 
ch.  13.3. 


Haclialiali,  and  Zidkijali,  ^  '^  Seraiah,  Azariah,  Jeremiah,  ^  Pasliur,  Amariah, 
Malcliijah,  ^Hattusli,  Sliebaniah,  Malluch,  ^Harim,  Meremoth,  Obadiah, 
^  Daniel,  Ginnethon,  Barncli,  ^Mesliullam,  Abijah,  Mijamin,  ^  Maaziah,  Bilgai, 
Sliemaiah  :  these  were  the  priests. 

^  And  the  Levites :  both  Jeshua  the  son  of  Azaniah,  Binnui  of  the  sons  of 
Henadad,  Kadmiel ;  '^  And  their  brethren,  Shebaniah,  Hodijah,  Kehta,  Pelaiah, 
Hanan,  J^Micha,  Kehob,  Hashabiah,  ^^Zaccur,  Sherebiah,  Shebaniah,  ^^  Ho- 
dijah, Bani,  Beninu. 

^'^  The  chief  of  the  people ;  •*  Parosh,  Pahath-moab,  Elam,  Zatthu,  Bani, 
^^Bunni,  Azgad,  Bebai,  ^^Adonijah,  Bigvai,  Adin,  ^^  Ater,  Hizkijah,  Azzur, 
1^  Hodijah,  Hashum,  Bezai,  ^^Hariph,  Anathoth,  Nebai,  -^Magpiash,  Me- 
shiillam,  Hezir,  ^^  Meshezabeel,  Zadok,  Jaddua,  -^  Pelatiah,  Hanan,  Anaiah, 
^  Hoshea,  Hananiah,  Hashub,  ^^  Hallohesh,  Pileha,  Shobek,  ^^  Kehum, 
Hashabnah,  Maaseiah,  ^6  ^j^^  Ahijah,  Hanan,  Anan,  ^7  Malluch,  Harim, 
Baanah. 

-^^'And  the  rest  of  the  people,  the  priests,  the  Levites,  the  porters,  the 
singers,  the  Nethinims,  *"  and  all  they  that  had  separated  themselves  from  the 
people  of  the  lands  unto  the  law  of  God,  their  wives,  their  sons,  and  their 
daughters,  every  one  having  knowledge,   and  having  understanding;  ^^They 


—  Nehemiah,   the    Tirshatlia]    The    representative   of    the 
People,  as  being  the  Civil  Governor. 

Ezra  and  Eliashib; — Absence  of  their  Names. 

Two  names  of  eminent  persons,  I^zra,  "the  Priest  and 
Scribe,"  and  Eliashib,  the  High  Priest,  do  not  appear  in  this 
list.  This  absence  of  their  names,  says  Menochius,  is  almost 
inexplicable. 

Some  have  svipposed  that  Ezra  was  not  at  Jerusalem  at  the 
time  when  this  engagement  was  made.  But  this  is  scarcely 
credible.  The  Covenant  appears  to  have  been  made  immediately 
after  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  in  which  Ezra  had  the  principal 
part  (viii.  1—13). 

The  reason  seems  to  be,  that  this  Covenant  was  a  Covenant 
between  two  parties,  viz.,  God  on  the  one  side,  and  Israel  on 
the  other. 

Ezra,  the  Priest  and  Scribe,  was  a  divinely  commissioned 
and  divinely  inspired  personage ;  he  was  a  second  Moses,  a 
mediator  between  God  and  the  People  (Gal.  iii.  19).  He  declared 
the  terms  of  the  Covenant  in  God's  name,  and  he  received  the 
stipulation  of  Nehemiah  the  Tirshatha,  and  of  the  Priests, 
Levites,  and  People,  subscribing  the  Covenant  and  setting  their 
seals  to  it. 

This  being  Ezra's  character  and  office  on  this  occasion,  we 
should  not  expect  his  name  to  be  added  to  those  of  the  persons 
who  contracted  with  God,  and  affixed  their  signatures  to  the 
engagement. 

Ezra,  the  Priest  and  Scribe,  was  raised  up  by  an  ex- 
traordinary commission  from  God  to  do  what  he  did. 

This  was  the  more  providential,  because,  as  we  may  now 
proceed  to  observe,  there  is  another  remarkable  name  which 
does  not  appear  in  this  list. 

This  name  is  the  name  of  Eliashib,  the  High  Priest. 
Eliashib  the  High  Priest  did  not  subscribe  the  covenant.  Nor 
does  he  seem  to  have  taken  any  part  in  the  solemn  reading  and 
exposition  of  the  Law  of  Moses  to  the  People  at  the  Festival  of 
Tabernacles,  and  in  the  public  penitential  exercises,  described 
in  the  foregoing  chapters  (chapters  viii.  and  ix.). 

Eliashib  the  High  Priest  seems  to  have  been  under  a  cloud 
at  this  time.  This  is  more  surprising,  because  he  had  taken  an 
active  part  in  building  the  walls  (iii.  1). 

'Uiiat  was  the  cause  of  this  ? 

The  clue  to  the  omission  of  Eliashib's  name  from  the  list, 
and  to  his  non-intervention  on  the  solemn  religious  occasion 
just  mentioned,  appears  to  be  aflbrded  by  an  incident  related 
below,  in  chap.  xiii.  4.  7.  28.  There  we  find  that  Eliashib  was 
allied  by  friendship  with  Tobiah  the  Ammonite,  and  by  affinity 
with  Sanballat  the  Horonite. 

Eliashib,  therefore,  could  not  have  joined  in  this  Covenant 
346 


with  a  good  conscience.  He  could  not  have  set  his  seal  and 
signature  to  such  a  contract  as  this  (see  vv.  28—30),  which  he 
had  violated,  and  was  still  violating  at  this  time :  and  even  if 
he  had  been  willing,  he  would  not  have  been  allowed  by  Ezra 
and  Nehemiah  to  do  so. 

This  moral  incapacity  of  Eliashib  accounts  for  the  part 
which  Ezra  took  on  the  occasion  just  described.  Almighty  God 
supplied  the  lack  of  the  ministry  of  the  lawful  hierarchical 
Head  of  the  Hebrew  Nation,  by  raising  np  Eifi-a  with  an  extra- 
ordinary commission  to  read  and  explain  the  Law,  and  to  du-ect 
His  Church  in  its  public  religious  exercises,  and  to  invite  the 
people  to  make  a  solemn  covenant  with  the  Lord. 

Here  is  comfort  for  the  Church  in  times  of  Priestly  or 
Episcopal  degeneracy,  and  of  Pontifical  corruption.  Her 
EUashibs  may  fail,  but  God  will  raise  up  Ezras  in  their  room. 

In  this  respect  Ezra  was  a  signal  type  of  the  Great 
Mediator,  Jesus  Christ,  Who  was  not  an  High  Priest  of  the 
order  of  Aaron,  and  Wlio,  in  times  of  Priestly  degeneracy,  came 
forth  to  preach  the  Law  of  God  to  the  Jewish  Nation  and  to 
the  World ;  and  to  expound  its  true  meaning  in  the  Gospel, 
and  to  invite  Mankind  to  subscribe  their  names  to  a  new 
Covenant  with  God. 

■ —  Zidkijah']  Who  was  probably  associated  with  Nehemiah, 
as  Jeshua  and  the  Levites  had  been  with  Ezra  (viii.  7). 

2 — 8.  Seraiah — priests']  There  are  twenty-one  names  of  Priests 
in  these  seven  verses ;  it  has  been  supposed  with  probabiHty  that 
these  twenty-one  Priests  were  the  heads  of  twenty -one  out  of  the 
twenty-four  classes  of  Priests  (Bertheav).  Cp.  Ezra  ii.  1,  2. 
36—39;  and  below,  xii.  1—8.  12—21. 
But  what  became  of  the  other  three  ? 

Perhaps  these  three  classes  may  have  been  in  the  same 
predicament  as  Eliashib  the  High  Priest  (see  on  v.  1),  and  may 
liave  disqualified  themselves  from  entering  into  the  Covenant 
by  affinity  with  strange  wives  (see  below,  vv.  29,  30).  We 
miss  the  names  of  Innner,  Joarib,  and  Jedaiah  from  this  list ; 
and  if  we  turn  to  Ezra  x.  18  and  following  verses,  we  find  that 
some  of  the  sons  of  Immer  had  contracted  marriages  with 
strange  wives. 

The  words  of  Malachi  reveal  a  state  of  moral  degeneracy 
among  the  Priests,  or  connived  at  by  them,  at  this  time,  especially 
as  to  strange  marriages  (Mai.  ii.  1 — 4.  11 — 13). 

9 — 13.  Jeshua — Benimi]  Here  are  names  of  Levites,  pro- 
bably heads  of  classes  among  them.     Cp.  xii.  4.  8. 

14 — 27.  the  chief  of  the  people']  Here  are  forty-four  names. 
Cp.  above,  Ezra  ii.  1 — 39,  where  are  thirty-three  who  came  to 
Jerusalem  a  century  before,  with  Zerubbabel.  Doubtless,  those 
who  are  added  here,  and  probably  more,  who  did  not  subscribe 
the  Covenant,  had  come  to  Jerusalem  in  the  interval  between 
Zerubbabel's  commission  from  Cyrus  and  the  date  of  this  solemn 
engagement. 


The  Snhhath. 


NEHEMIAH  X.  30—38. 


Tithes  and  offering s. 


clave  to  their  brethren,  their  nobles,  ^  and  entered  into  a  curse,  and  into  an 
oath,  ''  to  walk  in  God's  law,  which  was  given  f  by  Moses  the  servant  of  God, 
and  to  observe  and  do  all  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  our  Lord,  and  his 
judgments  and  his  statutes ;  ^^  And  that  we  would  not  give  '  our  daughters 
unto  the  people  of  the  land,  nor  take  their  daughters  for  our  sons :  ^^ "  And  if 
the  people  of  the  land  bring  ware  or  any  victuals  on  the  sabbath  day  to  sell, 
that  we  would  not  buy  it  of  them  on  the  sabbath,  or  on  the  holy  day  :  and  that 
we  would  leave  the  '  seventh  year,  and  the  '"  exaction  of  f  every  debt. 

^-  Also  we  made  ordinances  for  us,  to  charge  ourselves  yearly  with  the  third 
part  of  a  shekel  for  the  service  of  the  house  of  our  God ;  ^^  For  "  the  shewbread, 
and  for  the  "  continual  meat  offering,  and  for  the  continual  burnt  offering,  of 
the  sabbaths,  of  the  new  moons,  for  the  set  feasts,  and  for  the  holy  things,  and 
for  the  sin  offerings  to  make  an  atonement  for  Israel,  and  for  all  the  work  of 
the  house  of  our  God. 

^^  And  we  cast  the  lots  among  the  priests,  the  Levites,  and  the  people,  ''  for 
the  wood  offering,  to  bring  it  into  the  house  of  our  God,  after  the  houses  of  our 
fathers,  at  times  appointed  year  by  year,  to  burn  upon  the  altar  of  the  Lord 
our  God,  ''  as  it  is  written  in  the  law :  ^^  And  '  to  bring  the  firstfruits  of  our 
ground,  and  the  firstfruits  of  all  fruit  of  all  trees,  year  by  year,  unto  the  house 
of  the  Lord  :  ^^  Also  the  firstborn  of  our  sons,  and  of  our  cattle,  as  it  is  written 
*  in  the  law,  and  the  firstlings  of  our  herds  and  of  our  flocks,  to  bring  to  the 
house  of  our  God,  unto  the  priests  that  minister  in  the  house  of  our  God : 
27 '  And  that  we  should  bring  the  firstfruits  of  our  dough,  and  our  offerings,  and 
the  fruit  of  all  manner  of  trees,  of  wine  and  of  oil,  unto  the  priests,  to  the 
chambers  of  the  house  of  our  God ;  and  "  the  tithes  of  our  ground  unto  the 
Levites,  that  the  same  Levites  might  have  the  tithes  in  all  the  cities  of  our 
tillage.  38  And  the  priest  the  son  of  Aaron  shall  be  with  the  Levites,  ^  when 
the  Levites  take  tithes :  and  the  Levites  shall  bring  up  the  tithe  of  the  tithes 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
p  Deut.  29.  12, 
14. 

ch.  5.  12,  13. 
Ps.  119.  106. 
h  2  Kings  23.  3 
2  Chron.  34.  31. 
t  Heh.  by  the 
hand  of. 
i  Exod.  34.  16. 
Deut.  1.  3 
Ezra  9.  12,  14. 
k  Exod.  20.  10. 
Lev.  23.  3. 
Deut.  5.  12. 
ch.  13.  15,  kc. 

1  Exod.23.  10,  11. 
Lev.  25.  4. 

m  Deut.  15.  1,  2. 

ch.  5.  12. 

t  Heb.  every 

hand. 

n  Lev.  24.  5,  &c. 

2  Chron.  2.  4. 

o  See  Num.  23, 


pch.  13.31. 
Isa.  40.  16. 


q  Lev.  6.  12. 
r  Exod.  23.  19.  & 
34.  26. 
Lev.  19.  23. 
Num.  18.  12. 
Deut.  26.  2. 

s  E.xod.  13.  2,  12, 

13. 

Lev.  27.  26,  27. 

Num.  18.  15,  16. 

t  Lev.  23.  17. 

Num.  15.  19.  & 

18.  12,  &c. 

Deut.  IS.  4.  & 

26.  2. 

u  Lev.  27.  30. 

Num.  18.  21,  &c. 


X  Num.  18.  26. 


30.  toe]  In  the  former  verse  he  had  suid  they.  Nehemiah 
was  the  chief  among  them  (v.  1),  and  might  well  use  both 
pronouns. 

The  Sabbath,  the  Law,  and  the  PEornETS. 

31.  on  the  sabbath']  A  special  regard  for  the  sanctity  of  the 
Sabbath  is  shown  by  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  See  ix.  14 ;  xiii.  15, 
16.  18,  19.  21. 

This  was  providential.  Synagogues  were  now  rising  in 
all  parts  where  the  Hebrew  people  were  scattered.  And  one  of 
the  principal  duties  of  the  Sabbath  consisted  in  the  reading  of 
the  Books  of  Moses  in  the  Synagogues  on  the  Sabbaths. 
Every  word  of  the  Law  was  read  yearly,  by  portions,  in  the 
Synagogues  of  the  Jews,  dispersed  throughout  the  world.  See 
above,  on  Gen.  i.  1. 

Thus  by  the  multiplication  of  copies,  and  by  the  public 
reading  of  it,  a  provision  was  made  for  the  safe  custody,  and 
general  diffusion,  of  the  Pentateuch.  And  in  course  of  time 
parallel  sections,  or  Proper  Lessons,  from  the  prophetical  books, 
were  coupled  with  the  reading  of  tlie  Law;  and  thus  a  know- 
ledge of  the  Law  and  of  the  Prophets  was  maintained  among 
the  people. 

Another  result  of  this  observance  of  the  Sabbath  was, 
that  when  Christianity  was  preached  by  the  Apostles,  they 
found  Synagogues  in  all  the  great  cities  where  Jews  dwelt; 
and  they  found  also  congregations  assembled  there  on  the 
weekly  Sabbaths,  and  listening  to  the  reading  of  "  the  Law  and 
the  Prophets;"  and  thus  they  had  every  where  favourable 
opportunities  for  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  for  showing  its 
agreement  with  the  Old  Testament.  See  below.  Introduction 
to  the  Acts,  pp.  8,  9.  Every  where,  to  use  our  Lord's  simile, 
when  they  lifted  up  their  eyes  in  those  Synagogues  on  the 
Sabbath-day,  they  saw  "  fields  white  unto  the  harvest  "  of  the 
Gospel.  "  One  soweth,  and  another  reapeth."  Other  men 
347 


(Moses  and  the  Prophets,  Ezra  and  Nehemiah)  had  laboured, 
and  they  (the  Apostles,  and  other  first  Preachers  of  Christianity) 
entered  into  their  labours  (John  iv.  35  —  38). 

—  the  seventh  year]    See   Exod.  xxiii.  10,   11.     Lev.  xxv. 

2-7. 

—  the  exaction  of  every  debt]  Literally,  the  burden  or 
oppression  of  every  bond ;  all  harsh,  oppressive  exaction  (Heb. 
mashsha :  see  v.  7 ;  and  Deut.  xv.  2),  especially  in  the  year  of 
release. 

As  to  the  sense  generally,  compare  the  words  of  Isaiah 
(Iviii.  5,  6.  13),  where  the  prophet  combines  the  duties,  which 
are  here  coupled  together,  viz.  tender  forbearance  to  the  poor, 
and  religious  observance  of  the  Sabbath.    Cp.  Mai.  iii.  5. 

32.  third  part  of  a  shekel]  This  was  in  the  spirit  of  the 
Mosaic  Law  (Exod.  xxx.  13.  Cp.  2  Chron.  xxiv.  6),  but  was 
not  prescribed  by  the  letter  of  it.  In  our  Lord's  time  the 
Temple  rate  w.as  half  a  shekel  yearly  (Matt.  xvii.  24). 

34.  for  the  tvood  offering]  This  is  supposed  by  the  Lcvitical 
Law  (Lev.  vi.  12),  biit  is  not  literally  prescribed  in  it.  In  later 
days,  there  was  a  festival  among  the  Jews,  called  the  festival 
of'"  Wood  bearing,"  for  the  uses  of  the  Temple,  on  the  22nd  of 
the  month  Ab,  the  fifth  month,  and  at  other  times  (Josephus, 
B.  J.  ii.  17.  6).     The  Mishna  is  quoted  by  Bp.  Patrick  here. 

36.  firstborn— firstlings]  Exod.  xiii.  1.  11,  12,  13.  Num. 
xviii.  12.  15,  16.  In  the  time  of  the  prophet  Malachi,  the 
priests  and  people  seem  to  have  declined  from  then-  first  fervour 
in  this  respect.     See  Mai.  i.  7 — 14. 

38.  The  priest— ivith  the  Levites]  The  people  paid  tithes  to 
the  Levites,  and  the  Levites  to  the  Priests  (see  Num.  xviii. 
26 ;  below,  xii.  47)  ;  and  in  order  that  the  Priests  might  have 
their  fair  proportion,  some  of  their  number  were  appointed  to 
be  present  at  the  payment  of  tithes  by  the  people  to  the  Levites, 
and  they  took  care  that  the  tithes  themselves  were  duly 
tithed. 


Offerings  for  the  Temple.      NEHEMIAH  X.  39.     XL 


1—12. 


Jerusalem  is  peopled. 


Before 
CHRIST 
445. 
y  1  Chro'i.  9.  26. 
2  Chron.  31.  11. 
zDeut.  12.  6,  11. 
2  Chron.  31.  12. 
ch.  13.  12. 

ach.  13.  10,11. 


a  ver.  18. 
Matt.  4.  5.  & 
2?.  53. 

b  Judg.  5.  9. 

c  1  Chron.  9.  2,3. 


d  Ezra  2.  43. 
e  Ezra  2.  55. 
f  1  Chron.  9.  3, 
&c. 


g  Gen.  38.  29, 
Pharez, 


h  1  Chron.  9.  10, 


unto  the  house  of  our  God,  to  ^  the  chambers,  into  the  treasure  house.  ^^  For 
the  children  of  Israel  and  the  children  of  Levi  ^  shall  bring  the  offering  of  the 
corn,  of  the  new  wine,  and  the  oil,  unto  the  chambers,  where  are  the  vessels  of 
the  sanctuary,  and  the  priests  that  minister,  and  the  porters,  and  the  singers : 
"  and  we  will  not  forsake  the  house  of  our  God. 

XI.  ^  And  the  rulers  of  the  people  dwelt  at  Jerusalem :  the  rest  of  the  people 
also  cast  lots,  to  bring  one  of  ten  to  dwell  in  Jerusalem  ^  the  holy  city,  and 
nine  parts  to  dwell  in  otlier  cities.  ^And  the  people  blessed  all  the  men,  that 
^  willingly  offered  themselves  to  dwell  at  Jerusalem. 

3 '  Now  these  are  the  chief  of  the  province  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem :  but  in 
the  cities  of  Judah  dwelt  every  one  in  his  possession  in  their  cities,  to  ivit, 
Israel,  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  and  '^  the  Nethinims,  and  *  the  children  of 
Solomon's  servants.  ^  And  *^at  Jerusalem  dwelt  certain  of  the  children  of  Judah, 
and  of  the  children  of  Benjamin. 

Of  the  children  of  Judah ;  Athaiah  the  son  of  Uzziah,  the  son  of  Zechariah, 
the  son  of  Amariah,  the  son  of  Shephatiah,  the  son  of  Mahalaleel,  of  the 
children  of  ^  Perez  ;  ^  And  Maaseiah  the  son  of  Baruch,  the  son  of  Col-hozeh, 
the  son  of  Hazaiah,  the  son  of  Adaiah,  the  son  of  Joiarib,  the  son  of  Zechariah, 
the  son  of  Shiloni.  ^  All  the  sons  of  Perez  that  dwelt  at  Jerusalem  ivere  four 
hundred  threescore  and  eight  valiant  men. 

7  And  these  are  the  sons  of  Benjamin ;  Sallu  the  son  of  MeshuUam,  the 
son  of  Joed,  the  son  of  Pedaiah,  the  son  of  Kolaiah,  the  son  of  Maaseiah,  the 
son  of  Ithiel,  the  son  of  Jesaiah.  ^  And  after  him  Gabbai,  Sallai,  nine  hun- 
dred twenty  and  eight.  ^And  Joel  the  son  of  Zichri  ivas  their  overseer:  and 
Judah  the  son  of  Senuah  was  second  over  the  city. 

^^''  Of  the  priests  :  Jedaiah  the  son  of  Joiarib,  Jachin.  i'  Seraiah  the  son  of 
Hilkiah,  the  son  of  Meshullam,  the  son  of  Zadok,  the  son  of  Meraioth,  the  son 
of  Ahitub,  ivas  the  ruler  of  the  house  of  God.     ^-And  their  brethren  that  did 


39.  we  will  not  forsake  the  house  of  our  GodT]  Even  though 
that  house  has  some  unworthy  ministers,  and  even  an  unworthy 
High  Priest  (see  on  v.  1).  A  lesson  against  schism.  The 
Septuagint  here  has,  ovk  eyKaraXei^oixev,  —  a  word  adopted 
by  the  Author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  HeliviiViS,—"  not  forsaking  " 
(/XT]  iyKaraXiiirovTes)  "the  assembling  of  ourselves  together, 
as  the  manner  of  some  is  "  (Heh.  x.  25). 

Ch.  XI.  1.  The  rulers  —  dwelt  at  Jerusalem]  Although 
Jerusalem  was  exposed  to  the  malicious  and  envious  assaults 
of  Sanballat  and  his  associates,  and  was  thinly  peopled  (vii.  4), 
yet  the  ruler.s  remained  there  :  see  x.  39. 

So,  after  the  Ascension  of  Christ,  the  Apostles,  the  rulers 
of  His  Chiurch,  tarried  at  Jerusalem,  when  others  were 
scattered  abroad,  for  fear  of  persecution  :  see  on  Acts  viii.  1. 

Here  is  a  lesson  to  civil  and  spiritual  rulers.  Let  them 
love  to  be  near  God's  house,  and  rally  round  it,  especially  when 
it  is  in  danger.     Cp.  Bede  here. 

—  one  of  ten]  Jerusalem,  the  holt/  citg,  was  to  receive  a 
tithe  of  the  holy  people. 

—  the  holy  city]  Jerusalem  is  twice  called  the  Holy  City 
in  this  chapter  (see  v.  18) ;  when  these  words  were  written,  the 
Dedication  of  the  Walls,  described  in  xii.  27,  had  taken  place. 
See  below,  on  xii.  27.  Jerusalem  is  called  "  the  Holy  City " 
by  Isaiah  (xlviii.  2 ;  lii.  1.  Dan.  Lx.  24.  Matt.  iv.  5 ;  xxvii. 
53). 

and  nine  parts]  Literally,   and  the  hands  in  the  cities 

(the  other  cities)  were  nine.     On  this  use  of  the  word  yad,  cp. 
Gen.  xlvii.  24.     2  Kings  xi.  7.     Qesen.  332. 

2.  that  tvillingh/  offered  themselves]  The  rulers  and  others 
settled  there,  in  addition  to  those  who  were  chosen  by  lot. 

3.  of  the  province]  Of  Judah  (Ezra  ii.  1). 

Jerusalem :    but   in    the   cities   of  Judah]    Rather,   in 

Jerusalem,  and  in  the  cities  of  Judah  {Sept.,    Vulg.).     There 
348 


ought  not  to  be  a  colon  at  Jerusalem ;  and  but  ought  to  be 
altered  into  and :  cp.  v.  20. 

—  dwelt  every  one]  A  new  paragraph  begins  here.  Every 
one  dwelt  in  his  possession ;  that  is,  every  one  had  his  own 
place  assigned  to  him :  cp.  1  Chron.  ix.  2. 

—  Israel]  The  common  name  of  the  nation  (Ezra  ii.  70 
X.  11.    Neh.  vii.  61  j  xiii.  3.) 

—  the  children  of  Solomon's  servants]  See  Ezra  ii.  55.  58. 
Neh.  vii.  57.  60. 

4.  Judah  —  Benjamin]  In  1  Chron.  ix.  3,  we  have  also 
mention  of  some  of  Ephraira  and  Manasseh ;  but  they  seem  to 
have  migrated  from  Jerusalem,  when  this  list  was  made. 

4 — 6.  Athaiah  —  Perez]  Cp.  above,  on  1  Chron.  ix.  46, 
whence  it  appears  that  some  of  the  families  of  Zerah  also  dwelt 
at  Jerusalem :  cp.  below,  v.  6. 

On  the  relation  of  the  following  list  to  that  contained  in 
that  chapter,  see  Frelim.  Note  to  1  Chron.  ix.  The  present 
list  seems  to  refer  to  a  time  nearly  a  century  later  than  that  list, 
i.  e.  to  about  B.C.  443. 

5.  Shiloni]  Compare  on  1  Chron.  ix.  5. 
7.  Sallu]  See  1  Chron.  ix.  7. 

9.  Judah — second  over  the  city]  Second  in  command  over 
the  city.  So  Sept.,  Vulg.,  and  most  expositors.  Some  (as 
Oesenius  and  Rodiger)  suppose  the  words  to  mean  that 
he  was  over  the  second  portion  of  the  city.  Cp.  2  Kings 
xxiii.  4.  Zeph.  i.  10.  But  the  other  interpretation  seems 
preferable.  Cp.  1  Chron.  xv.  18.  Joel,  a  Benjamite,  was  the 
chief  of  the  Benjamites,  and  Judah ;  another  Benjamite  was 
second  in  command  over  the  city,  perhaps  second  to  Nehemiah. 

—  Senuah]  See  1  Chron.  ix.  7. 

10.  Of  the  priests]  See  1  Chron.  ix.  10. 

—  Jedaiah]  This  and  the  following  names  seem  to  be  names 
of  heads  of  classes  of  Priests, 


The  names  of  those 


NEHEMIAH  XI.  13—33. 


ivho  settled  at  Jerusalem. 


BefoTe 
CHRIST 

445. 


the  work  of  the  house  tvere  eight  hundred  twenty  and  two  :  and  Adaiah  the  son 
of  Jeroham,  the  son  of  Pelaliah,  the  son  of  Amzi,  the  son  of  Zechariah,  the  son 
of  Pashur,  the  son  of  Malchiah,  ^^And  his  brethren,  chief  of  the  fathers,  two 
hundred  forty  and  two  :  and  Amashai  the  son  of  Azareel,  the  son  of  Ahasai, 
the  son  of  Meshillemoth,  the  son  of  Immer,  ^^  And  their  brethren,  mighty  men 
of  valour,  an  hundred  twenty  and  eight :  and  their  overseer  was  Zabdiel,  lithe  ii  or,  the  son  „/ 

HaggedoHm. 

son  of  one  of  the  great  men. 

'^  Also  of  the  Levites  :  Shemaiah  the  son  of  Hashub,  the  son  of  Azrikam,  the 
son  of  Hashabiah,  the  son  of  Bunni ;  '^And  Shabbethai  and  Jozabad,  of  the 
chief  of  the  Levites,  f  had  the  oversight  of '  the  outward  business  of  the  house  +  Heb.  were 

'  '-'  ^  over. 

of  God.     17  ^d  Mattaniah  the  son  of  Micha,  the  son  of  Zabdi,  the  son  of  *  •  chron.  2f..  29 
Asaph,  ivas  the  principal  to  begin  the  thanksgiving  in  prayer  :  and  Bakbukiah 
the  second  among  his  brethren,  and  Abda  the  son  of  Shammua,  the  son  of 
Galal,  the  son  of  Jeduthun.     ^^  All  the  Levites  in  ''the  holy  city  were  two  hun-  ^' ver.  1. 
dred  fourscore  and  four. 

1^  Moreover  the  porters,  Akkub,  Talmon,  and  their  brethren  that  kept  f  the  l^^^-"*"" 
gates,  were  an  hundred  seventy  and  two. 

20  And  the  residue  of  Israel,  of  the  priests,  aiid  the  Levites,  were  in  all  the 
cities  of  Judah,  every  one  in  his  inheritance. 

21 'But  the  Nethinims  dwelt  in  ||Ophel:  and  Ziha  and  Gispa  were  over  the  Y^lf^-^]-Jf;^^ 
Nethinims. 

22  The  overseer  also  of  the  Levites  at  Jerusalem  was  Uzzi  the  son  of  Bani, 
the  son  of  Hashabiah,  the  son  of  Mattaniah,  the  son  of  Micha.  Of  the  sons  of 
Asaph,  the  singers  ivere  over  the  business  of  the  house  of  God.  ^3  -pox 
the  king's  commandment  concerning  them,  that  ||a  certain  portion  should  be  for  ii^or,« 
the  singers,  due  for  every  day. 

24  And  Pethahiah  the  son  of  Meshezabeel,  of  the  children  of  "  Zerah  the  son  ^„^;„",/«- '"• 
of  Judah,  loas  °  at  the  king's  hand  in  all  matters  concerning  the  people.  &'23.*'2T"  '^' 

-^  And  for  the  villages,  with  their  fields,  some  of  the  children  of  Judah  dwelt 
at  PKirjath-arba,  and  in  the  villages  thereof,  and  at  Dibon,  and  in  the  villages  pJosh.n.  15 
thereof,  and  at  Jekabzeel,  and  in  the  villages  thereof,  ^e  And  at  Jeshua,  and  at 
Moladah,  and  at  Beth-phelet,  ^7  And  at  Hazar-shual,  and  at  Beer-sheba,  and 
in  the  villages  thereof,  ^s  And  at  Ziklag,  and  at  Mekonah,  and  in  the  villages 
thereof,  20  And  at  En-rimmon,  and  au  Zareah,  and  at  Jarmuth,  so^anoah, 
AduUam,  and  in  then-  villages,  at  Lachish,  and  the  fields  thereof,  at  Azekah, 
and  in  the  villages  thereof.  And  they  dwelt  from  Beer-sheba  unto  the  valley 
of  Hinnom. 

31  The  children  also  of  Benjamin  ||  from  Geba  dwelt  \\  at  Michmash,  and  Aija,  j  ^,\%^''"' 
and  Beth-el,  and  in  their  villages,  22  And  at  Anathoth,  Nob,  Ananiah,  ^3  Hazor,  '''^'""'^'■ 


it  2VaS  m  See  Ezra  6. 

8,  9.  &  7.  20,  &c. 


sure 
ordinance. 


12.  eight  hundred  twenty  and  tivo]  Cp.  1  Cbron.  ix.  13. 

—  Adaiah]  See  1  Chron.  ix.  12. 

14.  the  son  of  one  of  the  great  men]  So  Sept.  and  Vulg. 
Others  suppose  that  Haggedolim  (the  great  men)  is  a  proper 
name. 

16.  outward  htisiness'\  Such  as  mixed  causes  in  judicial 
tribunals.    See  1  Chron.  xxvi.  29. 

17.  to  begin  the  thanksgiving!  As  precentor  (1  Chron.  xvi. 
7,8). 

21.  Ophel]  In  the  sloping  hill,  on  the  south  of  the  Temple  : 
see  iii.  26. 

22.  the  business  of  the  house  of  God]  As  distinguished  from 
the  outward  business  (v.  16). 

349 


23.  tlie  Tcing's  commandment]  The  Persian  King.  Cp. 
Ezra  vi.  8—10;  vii.  20—23. 

—  that  a  certain  portion  should  be  for  the  singers]  Or,  and 
a  settled  constitution  (literally, /rmwcss  or  faithfulness  (Oesen. 
59)  for  the  singers :  Heb.  Amdnah.  Hence  the  river  Amanah, 
which  never  fails. 

25.  Kirjath-arba]   Or  Hebron  (Gen.  xxiii.  2). 

—  Bibon]  Josh.  xv.  22. 

—  villages]  Literally,  daughters  (Josh.  xv.  45). 

—  Jekabzeel]  Kabzeel  (Tosh.  xv.  21). 

26.  Moladah— Beth-phelet]  Josh.  xv.  27.  Most  of  the 
towns  mentioned  here,  may  be  found  in  the  list  in  Joshua 
(xv.  26-40).  .      ^     „^ 

31.   Oeba,  &c.]   See  Josh.  xii.  12—24.     Ezra  n.  26—35. 


The  Priests  and  Levites     NEHEMIAH  XI.  34— 3G.    XII.  1—13.    ivJio  had  first  come  up. 


Before 

CHRIST 

445. 

q  1  Chron.  4.  14. 


about 
536. 
a  Ezra  2.  1,  2. 
'b  Seech.  10. 
2—8. 

II  Or,  Melicu, 
ver.  14. 

II  Or,  Shebaniah^ 
ver.  14. 
II  Or,  Harim, 
ver.  15. 

II  Or,  Meraioth, 
ver.  15. 

II  Or,  Ginnet/wn, 
ver.  16. 
c  Luke  1.  5. 
II  Or,  Miniamin, 
ver.  17. 

II  Or,  Moadiah, 
ver.  1?. 
II  Or,  Sallai, 
ver.  20. 
d  Ezra  3.  2. 
Hag.  1.  1. 
Zech.  3.  1. 
ech.  II.  17. 
II  That  is,  the 
psalms  of 
ilianksqiving. 


Kamah,  Gittaim,  ^  Hadid,  Zeboim,  Neballat,  ^^  Lod,  and  Ono,  '^  the  valley  of 
craftsmen. 

^^  And  of  the  Levites  were  divisions  in  Judah,  and  in  Benjamin. 

XII.  ^  Now  these  are  the  ^  priests  and  the  Levites  that  went  up  with  Zeruh- 
babel  the  son  of  Shealtiel,  and  Jeshua:  ''  Seraiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezra,  -  Amariah, 
||Malluch,  Hattush,  ^  ||  Shechaniah,  ||  Kehum,  ||  Meremoth,  ^Iddo,  ||  Ginnetho, 
•^  Abijah,  '"  jj  Miamin,  ||  Maadiah,  Bilgah,  ^  Shemaiah,  and  Joiarib,  Jedaiah, 
7 II  Sallu,  Amok,  Hilkiah,  Jedaiah.  These  were  the  chief  of  the  priests  and  of 
their  brethren  in  the  days  of  ^  Jeshua. 

^  Moreover  the  Levites :  Jeshua,  Binnui,  Kadmiel,  Sherebiah,  Judah,  and 
Mattaniah,  ^2/;/iicfe  was  over  ||  the  thanksgiving,  he  and  his  brethren.  ^Also 
Bakbukiah  and  Unni,  their  brethren,  ivcre  over  against  them  in  the  watches. 

^"And  Jeshua  begat  Joialdm,  Joiakim  also  begat  Eliashib,  and  Eliashib 
begat  Joiada,  ^^  And  Joiada  begat  Jonathan,  and  Jonathan  begat  Jaddua. 

^'^  And  in  the  days  of  Joiakim  were  priests,  the  chief  of  the  fathers  :  of  Se- 
raiah, Meraiah ;  of  Jeremiah,  Hananiah  ;  ^^  Of  Ezra,  Meshullam ;  of  Amariah, 


35.  Lod,  and  Ono']  See  Ezra  ii.  33.  Above,  vi.  2;  vii. 
37. 

—  the  valley  of  craftsmen']  See  1  Chron.  iv.  14. 

36.  And  of  the  Levites — Benjamin]  So  Vulg.  But  the 
words  rendered  literally  are.  And  of  the  Levites'  portions  of 
Judah  to  Benjamin]  He  is  speaking  here  of  what  belonged  to 
Benjamin  (see  v.  31) ;  and  he  intimates  that  some  Levitical 
portions,  which  had  belonged  to  Judah,  were  assigned  to 
Benjamin.     So  Sept.  and  Bertheau. 

Ch.  XII.  1.  Noiv  these  are  the  priests — Jeshua]  He  had 
before  given  a  general  list  of  heads  of  fathers'  houses,  who  had 
come  with  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua  from  Babylon,  in  consequence 
of  the  edict  of  Cyrus,  B.C.  535,  about  a  century  before  his  own 
commission  (see  above,  vii.  6 — 73) ;  and  he  had  there  men- 
tioned the  numbers  of  the  ehiklren  of  four  classes  of  Priests 
(vv.  39 — 42),  viz.  of  Jedaiah,  Immer,  Pashur,  Harim.  C^j. 
Ezra  ii.  36—39. 

He  inserts  here  twenty-two  names,  which  seem  to  re- 
present heads  of  Priests,  of  classes  or  courses  formed  out  of 
these  four,  in  the  days  of  Jeshua  (v.  7)  :  see  Ezra  vi.  18. 

—  Ezra]  Not,  it  seems,  the  Ezra,  who  came  with  a  com- 
mission from  Artaxerxes,  B.C.  458,  seventy-eight  years  after  the 
date  of  the  return  under  Zerubbabel,  and  who  actively  co- 
operated with  Nehemiah  a  century  after  that  return :  see 
viii.  2. 

8.  Levites — Jeshua]  See  Ezra  ii.  40;  and  above,  vii.  43. 
He  inserts  here  the  names  of  the  heads  of  eight  courses  of 
Levites,  which  seem  to  have  been  formed  out  of  the  three  there 
mentioned. 

9.  over  against  them  in  the  toatclies]  The  attendance  of 
their  courses  in  their  watches,  or  waitings  at  the  Temple,  were 
over  against  (Heb.  le-neged),  i.  e.  corresponded  to  the  courses 
of  the  others,  who  were  over  the  thanksgiving,  i.  e.  who  were 
appointed  to  sing  the  psalms  at  the  morning  and  evening 
sacrifices,    Cp.  1  Chron.  xxvi.  12. 

Jeshua,  the  High  Priest,  who  had  come  up  with  Zerub- 
babel, begat  Joiakim,  the  father  of  Eliashib,  who  was  High 
Priest  in  the  days  of  Nehemiah.  See  above,  iii.  1 :  below,  xiii. 
4.28. 

11.  Joiada]  The  son  of  Eliashib,  the  High  Priest,  had 
arrived  at  a  considerable  age  in  the  days  of  Nehemiah ;  for  he 
had  had  a  son  who  had  married  a  daughter  of  Sanballat  : 
see  xiii.  28. 

We  have,  therefore,  three  generations  contemporary  with 
Nehemiah  : — 

1.  Eliashib. 

2.  Joiada. 

3.  Joiada's  son,  probably  called  Manasseh  (see  Josephus, 
Antt.  xi.  7  and  8),  the  husband  of  Sanballat's  daughter,  the 
brother  of  the  Johanan,  here  mentioned.  See  below,  on 
xiii.  28. 

350 


Jaddua. 

—  Jaddua]  The  son  of  Jonathan  (or  Johanan,  v.  22),  and 
the  fourth  generation  from  Eliashib. 

When  we  consider  the  early  marriages  of  the  Hebrews, 
it  is  not  impossible  that  four  generations  should  be  living  at 
the  same  time.  Joseph  lived  only  to  the  age  of  110,  and  he 
saw  the  children  of  Machir,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  his  own  son ; 
and  he  saw  the  children  of  the  children  of  Ephraim,  i.  e. 
there  were  four  generations  living  at  the  same  time  :  see  Gen. 
1.23. 

Some  have  supposed  that  this  Jaddua  was  the  High  Priest, 
who  was  contempoi-ary  with  Alexander  the  Great,  and  who 
met  him  on  his  approach  to  Jerusalem,  and  showed  him,  as 
Josephus  affirms,  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  concerning  himself, 
and  the  kingdom  of  Persia  [Josephus,  Antt.  xi.  8.  5),  B.C. 
332. 

This  would  place  Jaddua's  pontificate  more  than  a  century 
after  the  commission  of  Nehemiah.  Accordingly,  it  has  been 
conjectured  by  some,  that  these  notices  of  Jaddua  (xii.  10,  11. 
22)  are  glosses,  which  did  not  belong  to  the  original  text  of 
Nehemiah,  but  have  been  imported  by  inadvertence  into  the  text 
from  the  margin.    So  Dr.  Pusey,  on  Daniel,  pp.  344 — 346. 

But  it  seems  hardly  probable,  that  so  large  an  addition 
should  have  found  its  way  into  the  Hebrew  MSS.  and  the 
ancient  Versions. 

It  is  not  expressly  asserted  here,  that  these  persons  men- 
tioned in  this  list  were  all  High  Priests  in  the  time  of  the 
Writer  of  this  Book.  It  is  merely  stated  that  this  was  the 
hereditary  succession  of  eldest  sons  from  Eliashib. 

It  is  not  impossible  that  Jaddua,  a  boy  in  Nehemiah's 
time,  might  have  been  High  Priest  in  the  time  of  Alexander ; 
but  inasmuch  as  we  meet  with  the  same  names  in  this  book 
(we  have  another  Jaddua  in  it,  in  x.  21),  and  considering  also 
the  frequency  with  which  the  same  names  recur  in  the  pon- 
tifical family  of  the  Hebrews  (in  which  we  find  five  Azariahs), 
it  is  precarious  to  conclude,  that  the  Jaddua,  here  mentioned, 
was  the  same  Jaddua  as  was  High  Priest  in  the  days  of 
Alexander;  and  still  more  arbitrary  is  it,  to  infer  that  this 
chapter  could  not  have  been  written  by  Nehemiah,  because  the 
name  Jaddua  occurs  in  it. 

On  the  contrary,  in  v.  22,  the  range  of  the  genealogy  is 
confined  to  the  time  of  Darius  Nothus,  who  died  B.C.  401, 
about  sixty-eight  years  before  the  accession  of  Alexander ;  and, 
it  appears  from  v.  26,  compared  with  v.  22,  that  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah  were  living  to  that  time,  and  in  the  days  of 
Jaddua. 

12 — 21.  priests,  the  chief  of  the  fathers]  He  gives  the  suc- 
cession of  heads  of  courses,  or  classes  of  Priests  in  the  days  of 
Joiakim,  the  son  and  successor  of  Jeshua,  who  had  come  up 
with  Zerubbabel. 

Hattush,  mentioned  in  v.  2,  does  not  appear  here ;  Malluch 
(y.  2)  is  here  called  Melicu ;  Shecaniah,  in  v.  2,  is  here  called  She- 
baniah;  Rehum  {v.  3)  seems  here  to  be  called  Havim;  and 
Meremoth  is  called  Meraioth. 


Darius  the  Persian. 


NEHEMIAH  XII.  14—27. 


Dedication  of  the  walls. 


Jehohanan;  '•'Of  Melicu,  Jonathan;  of  Shebaniah,  Joseph;  '^Of  Harim, 
Adua  ;  of  Meraioth,  Helkai ;  '**  Of  Icldo,  Zechariah  ;  of  Ginnethon,  Meshullam  ; 
•''  Of  Abijah,  Zichri;  of  Miniamin,  of  Moadiah,  Piltai ;  '^  Of  Bilgah,  Shammua ; 
of  Shemaiah,  Jehonathan ;  ^^And  of  Joiarib,  Mattenai;  of  Jedaiah,  Uzzi;  -^Of 
Sallai,  Kallai ;  of  Amok,  Eber ;  -'  Of  Hilkiah,  Hashabiah ;  of  Jedaiah,  Ne- 
thaneel. 

^•^  The  Levites  in  the  days  of  Ehashib,  Joiada,  and  Johanan,  and  Jaddua, 
were  recorded  chief  of  the  fathers :  also  the  priests,  to  the  reign  of  Darius  the 
Persian.  ^^  The  sons  of  Levi,  the  chief  of  the  fathers,  ivere  written  in  the  book 
of  the  '^  chronicles,  even  until  the  days  of  Johanan  the  son  of  Eliashib.  ^^And 
the  chief  of  the  Levites  :  Hashabiah,  Sherebiah,  and  Jeshua  the  son  of  Kadmiel, 
with  their  brethren  over  against  them,  to  praise  and  to  give  thanks,  ^  according 
to  the  commandment  of  David  the  man  of  God,  ''ward  over  against  ward. 
^^  Mattaniah,  and  Bakbukiah,  Obadiah,  Meshullam,  Talmon,  Akkub,  ivere  por- 
ters keeping  the  ward  at  the  ||  thresholds  of  the  gates.  -^  These  ivere  in  the 
days  of  Joiakim  the  son  of  Jeshua,  the  son  of  Jozadak,  and  in  the  days  of 
Nehemiah  '  the  governor,  and  of  Ezra  the  priest,  ^  the  scribe. 

^  And  at  '  the  dedication  of  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  they  sought  the  Levites  out 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
536. 


f  1  Chron.  9.  14, 
&c. 


g  1  Chron.  23,  & 
25,  &  20. 
h  Ezras.  11. 


II  Or,  treasuries, 
or,  assemblies. 


i  ch.  8.  9. 

k  Ezra?.  6,  11. 

445. 
1  Deut.  20.  5. 
Ps.  30,  title. 


22.  The  Levites']  Levites  were  registered  wlio  were  chiefs 
of  the  fathers. 

—  also  the  priests']  Who  were  chiefs  of  the  fathers,  were 
registered. 

—  Eliashib— Jaddua]  See  on  v.  11. 

Darius  the  Peesian. 

—  Darius]  Not  (as  some  suppose)  Darius  Codomanus, 
who  came  to  the  throne  of  Persia  in  B.C.  336,  a  century  after 
the  commission  of  Nehemiah,  hut  Darius  the  second,  called 
Darius  Nothus,  who  came  to  the  throne,  B.C.  424,  and  reigned 
twenty  years. 

If  Darius  Codomanus  had  heen  intended,  the  historian 
would  have  taken  good  care  that  he  should  not  be  confounded 
with  Darius  Nothus,  whose  name  would  naturally  suggest  itself 
as  Darius  the  Persian,  both  to  the  writer  himself,  and  to  the 
reader.   Cp.  Prideaux,  on  B.C.  409. 

It  is  well  said  by  Abp.  Ussher  (Ann.  p.  116),  that  the 
present  passage  is  not  to  be  understood  as  referring  to  the  last 
King  of  Persia,  Darius  (viz.  Codomanus),  but  to  Darius 
Nothus,  in  whose  time  Johanan,  or  Jonathan,  the  son  of 
Joiada,  succeeded  to  the  High  Priesthood,  and  he  was  followed 
by  his  son  Jaddua.  "But"  (adds  Ussher)  "Nehemiah  men- 
tions these  High  Priests  only  incidentally,  because  he  restrains 
his  history  within  the  times  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  the 
father  of  this  Darius."  Cp.  above,  on  v.  11,  and  v.  26,  where 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah  are  mentioned  as  living  to  the  date  here 
mentioned. 

23.  in  the  looJc  of  the  chronicles]  The  public  records  of  the 
nation,  not  the  extant  book  bearing  that  name. 

—  until  the  days  of  Johanan]  Not  of  Jaddua  {v.  10)  :  see 
also  V.  26. 

24.  over  against  them]  Antistrophically.  So  Sept.,  Vulg., 
Sj/riac. 

26.  in  the  dags  of  Nehemiah  the  governor,  and  of  Ezra  the 
priest,  the  scribe]  Therefore  Jaddua,  in  v.  22,  lived  in  the 
times  of  Nehemiah  and  Ezra,  and  cannot  have  been  the  Jaddua, 
who  was  High  Priest  in  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great.  Cp. 
on  V.  11,  and  v.  22. 

The  Dedication  of  the  Walls. 

27.  And  at  the  dedication  of  the  tvall]  He  reverts  to  an 
earlier  point  in  the  history  (vi.  15),  relating  the  completion  of 
the  wall,  which  was  followed  by  the  reading  and  expounding  of 
the  Law  by  Ezra  (viii.  1—9. 13),  and  by  the  celebration  of  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  (viii.  14—18),  and  by  penitential  exercises 
(ix.  1—37),  and  by  a  solemn  renewal  of  the  covenant  with  God 
(ix.  38 ;  X.  1—39). 

This  Dedication,  which  took  place  in  the  year,  B.C.  444, 
was  a  remarkable  era  in  the  history  of  the  Hebrew  nation. 

In  Solomon's  days  the  Temple  had  been  dedicated  by  a  solemn 
religious  service  (1  Kings  viii.  1—66).  And  when  the  Temple 
351 


was  rebuilt  by  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua,  the  Feast  of  the  Dedica- 
tion had  been  kept  with  joy  (Ezra  vi.  16). 

The  city  is  now  completed.  Its  walls  have  been  built,  and 
its  gates  have  been  set  up ;  and  those  walls  and  gates  are  de- 
scribed with  minute  detail  in  this  book  (see  iii.  1 — 32;  and 
here,  vv.  30 — 40),  and  the  city  itself  is  dedicated. 

This  suggests  something  more  than  appears  on  the  surface, 
and  than  is  expressed  by  the  letter  of  the  history. 

This  act  of  Dedication  of  the  city  betokened  an  extension 
of  sanctity;  and  may,  perhaps,  be  regarded  as  indicating  a 
tendency  to  that  diflusive  sanctification  which  finds  its  earthly 
consummation  in  the  Church  of  Christ  Universal,  and  will  be 
realized  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  whose  tvalls  and  gates  are 
described  with  such  precision  in  the  Apocalypse  (Rev.  xxi.  12 — • 
27).     This  will  appear  from  the  sequel. 

—  theg  sought  the  Levites  out  of  all  their  places]  In  the 
country  towns  and  villages,  and  they  summoned  them  to  Jeru- 
salem for  the  festival  of  Dedication  :  cp.  xi.  15 — 18.  36. 

—  with  thanksgivings,  and  tvith  singing]  Perhaps,  in  their 
utterance  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  they  joined  in  singing  the 
cxlviith  Psalm.  May  it  not  have  been  composed  for  that  occa- 
sion ? 

"  The  Lord  doth  build  up  Jerusalem, 
And  gather  together  the  outcasts  of  Israel. 
O  sing  unto  the  Lord  with  thanksgiving; 
Sing  praises  upon  the  harp  unto  our  God. 
Praise  the  Lord,  O  Jerusalem ; 
Praise  thy  God,  O  Zion. 

For  He  hath  made  fast  the  bars  of  thy  gates ; 
And  hath  blessed  thy  childi-en  within  thee." 

This  Dedication  seems  to  have  been  late  in  the  year.  It 
was  after  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  which  was  in  the  autumn. 
And  the  Levites,  having  been  dispersed,  were  summoned  to 
Jerusalem.  Did  it  correspond  in  time  to  what  was  afterwards 
reckoned  as  the  feast  of  Dedication,  which  was  in  winter  (see  on 
John  X.  22),  and  does  this  circumstance  account  not  only  for 
the  reference  in  that  Psalm  to  the  ingathering  of  the  "flour  of 
wheat "  {v.  14),  but  also  for  the  somewhat  unexpected  mention 
of  snow,  hoar  frost,  and  ice,  in  the  festal  utterances  of  Psalm 
cxlvii.  16,  17  ? 

It  may  also  be  supposed  that  Psalm  cxxii.  also  was  sung 
by  the  choir  on  this  joyful  occasion  of  the  Dedication  of  tiio 
walls  and  gates  of  the  city. 

"  I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me. 

We  will  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

Our  feet  shall  stand  in  thy  gates,  O  Jerusalem. 

Jerusalem  is  built  as  a  city 

That  is  at  unity  with  itself: 

For  thither  the  tribes  go  up. 

Even  the  tribes  of  the  Lord, 

To  testify  unto  Israel, 

To  give  thanks  unto  the  Name  of  the  Lord. 


The  solemnity  of  the 


NEHEMIAH  XII.  28—42. 


dedication  of  the  walls. 


Before 

CHRIST 

445. 

ni  1  ehron.  25.  6. 

2  Chron.  5.  13.  & 

7.6. 


n  See  ver.  38. 


o  ch.  2.  13.  & 
3.  13. 


p  Num.  10.  2,  8. 


q  1  Chro-  .  23.  5. 

r  ch.  2.  14.  & 

3.  15. 

s  ch.  3.  15. 

t  ch.  3.  26.  & 
8.  1,  3,  16. 


u  See  ver.  31. 

X  ch.  3.  11. 

y  ch.  3.  8. 

z2  Kings  14.  13. 

ch.  8.  16. 

a  ch.  3.  6. 

bch.  3.  3. 

c  ch.  3.  1. 

d  ch.  3.  32. 

e  Jer.  32.  2. 


■(■  Heb.  made 
their  voice  lo  be 
heard. 


of  all  their  places,  to  bring  them  to  Jerusalem,  to  keep  the  dedication  with 
gladness,  "*  both  with  thanksgivings,  and  with  singing,  with  cymbals,  psalteries, 
and  with  harps.  ^^  And  the  sons  of  the  singers  gathered  themselves  together, 
both  out  of  the  plain  country  round  about  Jerusalem,  and  from  the  villages  of 
Netophathi ;  ^^  Also  from  the  house  of  Gilgal,  and  out  of  the  fields  of  Geba 
and  Azmaveth :  for  the  singers  had  builded  them  villages  round  about  Jeru- 
salem. 2°  And  the  priests  and  the  Levites  purified  themselves,  and  purified  the 
people,  and  the  gates,  and  the  wall. 

^'  Then  I  brought  up  the  princes  of  Judah  upon  the  wall,  and  appointed  two 
great  companies  of  them  that  gave  thanks,  whereof  ""one  went  on  the  right  hand 
upon  the  wall  °  toward  the  dung  gate :  ^^  And  after  them  went  Hoshaiah,  and 
half  of  the  princes  of  Judah,  ^^  And  Azariah,  Ezra,  and  MeshuUam,  ^^  Judah, 
and  Benjamin,  and  Shemaiah,  and  Jeremiah,  ^^  And  certain  of  the  priests'  sons 
p  with  trumpets ;  namely,  Zechariah  the  son  of  Jonathan,  the  son  of  Shemaiah, 
the  son  of  Mattaniah,  the  son  of  Micaiah,  the  son  of  Zaccur,  the  son  of  Asaph  : 
^^  And  his  brethren,  Shemaiah,  and  Azarael,  Milalai,  Gilalai,  Maai,  Nethaneel, 
and  Judah,  Hanani,  with  ''the  musical  instruments  of  David  the  man  of  God, 
and  Ezra  the  scribe  before  them.  ^'"' And  at  the  fountain  gate,  which  was  over 
against  them,  they  went  up  by  '  the  stairs  of  the  city  of  David,  at  the  going 
up  of  the  wall,  above  the  house  of  David,  even  unto  Hhe  water  gate  east- 
ward. 

2^ "  And  the  other  company  of  them  that  gave  thanks  went  over  against  them, 
and  I  after  them,  and  the  half  of  the  people  upon  the  wall,  from  beyond  "  the 
tower  of  the  furnaces  even  unto  ^  the  broad  wall ;  ^^  ^  And  from  above  the 
gate  of  Ephraim,  and  above  ^  the  old  gate,  and  above  ^  the  fish  gate,  "  and  the 
tower  of  Hananeel,  and  the  tower  of  Meah,  even  unto  "^  the  sheep  gate  :  and 
they  stood  still  in  ^  the  prison  gate. 

^^  So  stood  the  two  companies  of  them  that  gave  thanks  in  the  house  of  God, 
and  I,  and  the  half  of  the  rulers  with  me :  ^^  And  the  priests  ;  Ehakim, 
Maaseiah,  Miniamin,  Michaiah,  Elioenai,  Zechariah,  and  Hananiah,  with 
trumpets  ;  ^'^  And  Maaseiah,  and  Shemaiah,  and  Eleazar,  and  Uzzi,  and  Jeho- 
hanan,  and  Malchijah,  and  Elam,  and  Ezer.     And  the  singers  f  sang  loud. 


For  there  is  the  seat  of  judgment, 
Even  the  seat  of  the  house  of  David. 

0  pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem : 
They  shall  prosper  that  love  thee. 
Peace  be  within  thy  walls. 

And  plenteousness  within  thy  palaces. 
For  my  brethren  and  companions'  sakes, 

1  will  wish  thee  prosperity. 

Yea,  because  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  our  God, 
I  will  seek  to  do  thee  good." 

28.  the  sons  of  the  singers']  Of  the  chief  singers  mentioned  in 
V.  24. 

—  Netophathi']  Probably  near  Bethlehem :  see  vii.  26,  and 
1  Chron.  ii.  54 ;  ix.  56. 

29.  Azmaveth^  Above,  vii.  28 ;  probably  in  the  tribe  of  Ben- 
jamin. 

31.  I  hrought  up]  Nehemiah,  the  Tirshatha,  or  Governor, 
now  adopts  again  the  first  person ;  as  might  be  expected  (see 
above,  on  viii.  1).  He  was  the  principal  official  person  on  the 
present  occasion. 

—  tioo  great  companies  of  them  that  gave  thanTcs]  Nehemi.ih 
arranged  the  two  companies  together  at  a  point  on  the  west  of 
the  city  of  Jerusalem,  near  the  Valley  Gate — probably  not  far 
from  what  was  afterwards  the  scene  of  the  Crucifixion — and 
he  commanded  one  company,  in  which  Nehemiah  himself  was 
(v.  38),  to  go  southward,  and  the  other,  in  which  Ezra  was 
{v.  36),  to  go  northward  from  that  point.     The  former  party 

352 


skirted  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  and  the  other  proceeded 
round  the  northern  part;  and  the  two  companies,  having  com- 
pleted their  progress,  met  together  on  the  east  side  of  th? 
city,  near  the  Temple,  and  joined  there  in  a  chorus  of  praise: 
see  V.  40. 

How  different  was  this  festal  procession  from  Nehemiah's 
lonely  ride,  at  night  time,  round  the  desolate  and  ruined  walls  of 
Jerusalem  a  short  time  before !     See  above,  ii.  13. 

He  seems  to  have  chosen  the  same  point  for  the  starting 
place  of  this  joyful  procession,  as  that  on  which  he  had  ridden 
forth  alone  on  that  night  of  sorrow. 

33.  And  Azariah]  After  the  Princes  followed  the  Priests. 

—  Ezra]  Not  Ezra  the  Scribe,  who  was  in  a  more  conspicuous 
place  :  see  v.  36. 

37.  fountain  gate]  West  of  the  city,  and  south  of  the  dung- 
gate  :  see  iii.  15. 

—  the  stairs  of  the  city  of  David]  The  steps  leading  up  t( 
Zion  :  see  iii.  15. 

—  the  water  gate  eastioard]  On  the  east  side  of  the  city 
probably  near  the  Temple  area :  see  above,  on  iii.  26. 

38.  the  other  company]  In  which  Nehemiah  was,  went  north 
ward  from  the  same  point,  on  the  west  side  of  the  city,  and  sc 
skirted  it  till  they  joined  the  other  company,  on  the  east  side  oi 
the  city,  near  the  Temple  :  see  v.  31. 

38,  39.  tower  of  the  furnaces — broad  loall — gate  of  Ephraim 
—fish  gate — toioer  of  Hananeel — tower  of  Meah — sheep  gate 
See  these  places  described  above,  in  an  inverted  order,  ii.  1 — 11 
and  cp.  iii.  32. 


The  joy  at  the  dedication.     NEHEMIAH  XII.  43— 47.    XIII.  1—3.       The  mixed  multitude. 


with  Jczrahiah  their  overseer.  '*^Also  that  day  they  offered  great  sacrifices, 
and  rejoiced  :  for  God  had  made  them  rejoice  with  great  joy :  the  wives 
also  and  the  children  rejoiced :  so  that  the  joy  of  Jerusalem  was  heard  even 
afar  off. 

^^  ^  And  at  that  time  were  some  appointed  over  the  chamhers  for  the  trea- 
sm-es,  for  the  offerings,  for  the  firstfruits,  and  for  the  tithes,  to  gather  into 
them  out  of  the  fields  of  the  cities  the  portions  ||  of  the  law  for  the  priests  and 
Levites  :  f  for  Judah  rejoiced  for  the  priests  and  for  the  Levites  f  that  waited. 
^•^  And  both  the  singers  and  the  porters  kept  the  ward  of  their  God,  and  the  ward 
of  the  purification,  ^  according  to  the  commandment  of  David,  and  of  Solomon 
his  son.  ^^  For  in  the  days  of  David  *"  and  Asaph  of  old  there  ivere  chief  of  the 
singers,  and  songs  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  unto  God.  ^^  And  all  Israel  in 
the  days  of  Zerubbahel,  and  in  the  days  of  Nehemiah,  gave  the  portions  of  the 
singers  and  the  porters,  every  day  his  portion :  '  and  they  [|  sanctified  holy 
things  unto  the  Levites;  ^  and  the  Levites  sanctified  them  unto  the  children  of 
Aaron. 

XIII.  1  On  that  day  ^  f  they  read  in  the  book  of  Moses  in  the  f  audience  of 
the  people ;  and  therein  was  found  written,  ^  that  the  Ammonite  and  the 
Moabite  should  not  come  into  the  congregation  of  God  for  ever  ;  ^  Because  they 
met  not  the  children  of  Israel  with  bread  and  with  water,  but "  hired  Balaam 
against  them,  that  he  should  curse  them :  ^  howbeit  our  God  turned  the  curse 
into  a  blessing.  ^  Now  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  had  heard  the  law,  ^  that 
they  separated  from  Israel  all  the  mixed  multitude. 


Before 
C  II  It  1ST 

4  1.'). 


f  2  Chron.  31.  1 1, 

12. 

ch.  13.  5,  12,  13. 

II  That  is, 
api>uintcd  by  the 
law. 

t  Heb.  for  the 
joil  of  J  ml  all. 
t  Hch.  tliat 
stood. 

g  1  Chron.  25. 
Hi  2G. 

h  1  Chron.  25.  1, 
&c. 
2  Chron.  29.  30. 


iNum.  18.21,24. 

y  That  is,  set 

apart. 

k  Num.  18.  2G. 


aDeut.3I.n,  12. 
2  Kings  23.  2. 
ch.  8.  3,  8.  & 

9.  3. 
Isa.'34.  16. 

t  Heb.  there  was 
read. 

t  Heb.  ears. 
h  Deut.  23.  3,  4. 
c  Num.  22.  5. 
Josh.  24.  9,  10. 
d  Num.23.  11.  & 
24.  10. 
Deut.  23.  5. 
e  ch.  9.  2.  ic 

10.  28. 


The  jot  of  jEiirsALEM. 

43.  the  joy  of  Jerusalem  teas  heard  even  afar  ojf]  He  calls  it 
the  joy  of  Jerusalem,  and  says  that  it  ivas  heard  afar  off.  This 
festal  gathering',  these  two  united  choirs  of  Princes,  Priests,  and 
Levites,  and  People,  assembled  on  Mount  Moriah,  near  the 
Temple  now  restored,  and  having  made  the  circuit  of  the  walls, 
now  rebuilt  "  in  troublous  times,"  gave  utterance  to  the  joy  of 
Jerusalem  for  these  mercies,  and  for  the  blessings  associated  in 
their  memory  with  that  holy  place,  since  the  days  of  Solomon, 
of  David,  and  Abraham.  They  may  be  supposed  also  to  have  had 
some  visions  of  the  future,  and  to  have  been  animated  with  a 
feeling  of  holy  joy  in  the  prospect  of  the  Coming  of  "  the  Desire 
of  all  Nations,"  the  "  Messenger  of  the  Covenant,"  to  that  Holy 
City,  and  to  that  Holy  House,  which  would  thereby  be  made 
"moi-e  glorious"  than  the  Temple  of  Solomon  itself  (Hagg.  ii. 
7 — 9;  Mai.  iii.  1),  and  Whose  Advent  was  to  be  dated,  according 
to  the  voice  of  prophecy  (Dan.  ix.  24 — 27),  from  the  completion 
of  those  Walls,  which  they  had  just  perambulated,  and  which 
they  were  then  dedicating  to  God. 

It  is  related  that  the  joy  of  Jerusalem  was  heard  afar 
off,  when  the  walls  of  the  city  were  built,  and  the  gates  were  set 
up  and  dedicated.  Hosannas  of  praise  then  ascended  to  heaven 
for  these  benefits,  from  this  united  choir  in  the  Temple  area  of 
Jerusalem ;  and  these  hosannas  may  be  caught  up  and  re-echoed 
by  us,  when  we  look  forward  to  that  time  in  which  the  Church 
Militant  on  earth  will  have  encircled  the  world,  and  have  com- 
pleted her  mission  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  in  building  up 
her  walls ;  and  when  the  two  companies  of  Gentile  and  Jew  will 
meet  together  at  the  heavenly  Sion,  and  join  in  one  song  of 
united  praise  to  God,  and  the  Church  Militant  on  earth  will 
become  the  Church  glorified  in  heaven.  Then  will  the  Saints  see 
the  jewelled  walls,  and  the  gates  of  pearl,  and  the  streets  of  pure 
gold,  like  clear  crystal,  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  as  described 
in  the  Apocalypse  (Eev.  xxi.  11—21),  and  will  sing  Hallelujahs 
to  God  and  the  Lamb,  and  dwell  for  ever  there. 

To  adopt  the  words  of  Bede  here,  slightly  modified,—"  In 
a  spiritual  sense,  the  Holy  City  will  be  dedicated,  when,  at  the 
end  of  the  World,  the  number  of  the  elect  will  be  completed, 
and  the  Church  will  be  admitted  in  heaven  to  the  vision  of  her 
Creator.  And  whenever  we  feel  a  holy  desire  for  that  better, 
heavenly  life,  we  mav  be  said  to  rejoice  in  the  dedication  of  our 

Vol.  Ill  353 


Jerusalem,  which  is  above,  and  which  is  the  mother  of  us  all" 
(Gal.  iv.  26). 

45.  Tcept  the  ward  of—piirijtcation]  Religiously  observed  the 
order  of  the  Levitical  Law  for  purification,  in  not  suffering  any 
thing  that  was  unclean  to  enter  the  sanctuary.  See  1  Chron. 
xxiii.  28  ;  above,  v.  30 ;  cp.  Num.  xix.  20. 

This  will  be  done  in  the  heavenly  city,  into  which  nothing 
that  defileth  will  be  allowed  to  enter,  or  "  that  maketli  a  lie " 
(Rev.  xxi.  27). 

46.  Asaph']  See  2  Chron.  xxix.  30;  xxxv.  15. 

47.  the  children  of  Aaron]  The  Priests :  see  x.  38. 

Cir.  XIII.  1.  On  that  day]  Of  which  he  is  about  to  speak. 

—  tvas  found  tvritten]  The  portion  of  Deuteronomy  here 
referred  to  was  read  at  that  time  in  the  public  assembly.  It  is 
the  49th  Parashah  of  the  Law,  as  read  in  the  Synagogue.  Ou 
the  phrase  it  vfas  found  tvritten,  see  above,  viii.  14. 

—  that  the  Ammonite  and  the  Moabite  should  not  come  into 
the  congregation  of  Ood  for  ever]  See  above,  on  Deut.  xxiii. 
3 — 6,  where  the  words  are,  "  even  to  the  tenth  generation  they 
shall  not  enter  into  the  congregation  of  the  Lord  for  ever." 

This  Law  did  not  exclude  them  from  becoming  proselytes, 
but  debarred  them  from  marrying  an  Israelitish  woman 
{Maimonides,  as  quoted  by  Prideaiix,  on  B.C.  431) ;  nor  did  it 
prevent  an  Israelite  from  marrying  a  Moabitish  woman,  if  she 
was  converted  to  the  religion  of  Israel,  as  Ruth  was :  see  on 
Deut.  xxiii.  3. 

On  the  necessity  of  this  separation  of  the  strange  wives,  see 
above,  on  Ezra  ix.  2. 

2.  Because  they  met  not]  See  on  Deut.  xxiii.  4,  which  is  here 
quoted. 

3.  separated— the  mixed  multitude]  WTiich  of  old  had  been  a 
snare  to  them ;  as  it  is  written,  "  the  mixed  multitude  fell  a 
lusting"  (Num.  xi.  4). 

In  a  spiritual  sense  (as  Bede  observes),  this  separation  of 
"the  mixed  multitude,"  after  the  walls  of  the  city  were  built  and 
dedicated,  suggests  tlie  duty  of  the  Church  to  exercise  godly- 
discipline  for  the  maintenance  of  her  own  doctrine,  by  casting 
out  wilful  heretics  and  schismatics  from  her  communion  ("  sec- 
tatores  haresium  nullani  in  EcclesiA,  Domini  partem  habere 
queuut"),  and  also  in  taking  vigilant  heed  for  the  custody  of  her 

A  A 


Nehemiah  cleanses  the  Temple.      KEHEMIAH  XIII.  4—10. 


EUcishib,  the  High  Priest. 


Before 

CHRIST 

445. 

\  Heb.  being  set 

over, 

ch.  12.  44. 
f  ch.  12.  44. 


t  Heb.  the 
cnmmandment  of 
ilip  Levites. 
g  Num.  18.  21, 
24. 

h  ch.  5.  14. 
about 
432 
t  Heb.  at  the 
end  of  days. 
II  Or,  /  earnestly 
requested. 
i  ver.  1,  5. 


k  2  Chron.  29.  5, 
15,  16,  18. 


1  Mai.  3.  8. 


^  And  before  this,  Eliasliib  the  priest,  f  having  the  oversight  of  the  chamber 
of  the  house  of  our  God,  loas  aUied  unto  Tobiah :  ^  And  he  had  prepared  for 
him  a  great  chamber,  *^  where  aforetime  they  laid  the  meat  offerings,  the  frank- 
incense, and  the  vessels,  and  the  tithes  of  the  corn,  the  new  wine,  and  the  oil, 
f  ^  which  was  commanded  to  he  given  to  the  Levites,  and  the  singers,  and  the 
porters ;  and  the  offerings  of  the  priests.  ^  But  in  all  this  time  was  not  I  at 
Jerusalem :  ^  for  in  the  two  and  thirtieth  year  of  Artaxerxes  king  of  Babylon 
came  I  unto  the  king,  and  f  after  certain  days  ||  obtained  I  leave  of  the  king : 
7  And  I  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  understood  of  the  evil  that  Eliashib  did  for 
Tobiah,  in  'preparing  him  a  chamber  in  the  courts  of  the  house  of  God.  ^And 
it  grieved  me  sore  :  therefore  I  cast  forth  all  the  household  stuff  of  Tobiah  out 
of  the  chamber.  ®  Then  I  commanded,  and  they  "  cleansed  the  chambers  :  and 
thither  brought  I  again  the  vessels  of  the  house  of  God,  with  the  meat  offering 
and  the  frankincense. 

^•^  And  I  perceived  that  the  portions  of  the  Levites  had  '  not  been  given  them  : 


own  internal  holiness ;  "  ut  omne  quicquid  in  nobis  vitii  depre- 
hcndimus,  a  nostra  couscientia  repurgemus." 

Each  individual  soul  is  bound  to  examine  itself,  whether  it 
may  not  have  contracted  a  strange  marriage  with  some  worldly 
object  of  illicit  aft'ection,  and  whether  it  may  not  have  broken 
its  nuptial  troth  to  Christ,  to  Whom  it  was  espoused  as  a  chaste 
Virgin  in  the  holy  Sacrament  of  Baptism :  see  on  2  Cor.  xi.  2. 

Nehemiah  cleanses  the  Temple, 

4.  Miasliih  the  Priest]  The  High  Priest,  who  had  failed  in  the 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  high  office.  See  above,  on  x.  1,  and 
below,  V.  28. 

—  having  the  oversight  of  the  cJiamler']  Literally,  q/"  a  cham- 
ber; viz.,  the  chamber  which  he  pei-verted  to  improper  uses.  It 
was  a  chamber  of  the  house  of  our  God,  and  it  was  committed  to 
his  oversight,  in  order  that  he  might  defend  it ;  but  he  delivered 
it  up  to  an  Ammonite,  for  his  own  habitation.  Here  we  have  an 
-example  of  faithlessness,  and  betrayal  of  trust,  in  the  highest 
office  of  the  Church  of  God. 

—  allied  tmto  Tobiah]  The  Ammonite,  the  adversary  of 
Nehemiah,  and  of  God's  people  (ii.  10 ;  iv.  3 ;  vi.  1.  14.  17). 
Johanan  the  son  of  Tobiah  had  married  the  daughter  of  Me- 
shullam,  the  son  of  Berechiah ;  and  Tobiah  was  son-in-law  of 
Shecaniah,  the  son  of  Ai-ah  (see  vi.  18),  and  Meshullam  and 
Shecaniah  appear  to  have  been  Priests  (see  iii.  29,  30),  and  thus 
were  connected  with  Eliashib,  the  High  Priest.  Their  relation 
to  him  may  be  compared,  in  some  respects,  to  that  of  of  Hophni 
and  Phinehas  to  Eli. 

Here,  therefore,  was  a  severe  trial  for  the  Church  of  God. 
The  High  Priest  himself,  the  Chief  Minister  of  God's  house, 
and  the  appointed  Guardian  of  God's  Law,  was  allied  with  the 
enemy  ofooth.  But  Nehemiah  was  not  disheartened  by  this 
combination. 

5.  a  great  cJiamler]  Perhaps  formed  out  of  several  smaller 
ones,  of  which  the  partition  walls  were  removed  :  see  v.  9. 

Eliashib,  the  High  Priest,  abused  his  power  over  the  pre- 
cincts of  the  Temple,  and  betrayed  his  trust,  and  profaned  the 
Sanctuary,  by  alienating  a  chamber  of  it  from  its  holy  uses,  and 
assigning  it  as  a  lodging  to  Tobiah. 

In  a  spiritual  sense,  this  example  of  Eliashib  is  imitated, 
when  Bishops  of  God's  Church,  who  are  pledged  to  banish  and 
drive  away  erroneous  and  strange  doctrines,  give  countenance 
and  encouragement  to  those  who  teach  heresy,  and  harbour  them 
in  the  Sanctuary  of  God. 

6.  iti  all  this  time  was  not  I  at  Jerusalem']  Nehemiah  had 
come  to  Jerusalem  in  the  twentieth  year  of  Artaxerxes,  and 
abode  there  as  Governor  twelve  years ;  and  in  the  thirty-second 
year  of  Artaxerxes  (i.  e.  B.C.  433),  he  had  returned  to  the  King 
(see  v.  14).  He  would  not  have  permitted  such  a  profonation  of 
the  Temple,  if  ho  had  been  on  the  spot.  He  was  absent  from 
Jerusalem  when  the  Temple  was  desecrated  by  Eliashib;  as 
Moses  was  on  the  Mount  when  the  golden  calf  was  made  by 
Aaron.  But  Nehemiah  did  not  therefore  winli  at  the  sin,  but 
set  himself  to  correct  it  immediately  after  his  return. 

—  king  of  Babylon^  Cp.  Ezra  vi.  23,  where  the  Medo-Per- 
sian  Kmg  is  called  "  King  of  Assyria." 

354 


—  obtained  I  leave]  To  return  to  Jerusalem,  as  he  had  done 
more  than  twelve  years  before  (ii.  6). 

7-  the  evil  that  JSliashib  did]  The  profanation  of  the  Temple, 
which  was  perpetrated  by  Tobiah  the  Ammonite,  with  the  suffer- 
ance and  encouragement  of  Eliashib  the  High  Priest,  is  imputed 
by  Nehemiah  to  Eliashib  himself.  Here  is  a  warning  to  Chief 
Pastors  of  the  Church.  The  faults  of  the  Churches  in  the  Apo- 
calyjise  are  laid  to  the  charge  of  their  rulers.  See  below,  on  Rev. 
ii.  1. 

8,  9.  I  cast  forth  all  the  household  stuff  of  Tobiah — and  they 
cleansed  the  chambers]  The  High  Priest  had  betrayed  his  trust, 
and  the  civU  Governor  took  the  matter  into  his  own  hands. 

Nehemiah's  example  in  purging  the  Temple,  is  a  foresha- 
dowing of  the  work  of  Christ,  of  Whom  it  was  prophesied  by 
Nehemiah's  contemporary,  Malachi, that  Ho  would  "purify  the 
sons  of  Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and  silver  "  (Mai.  iii.  3) ; 
and  Who  twice  purged  the  outer  courts  of  the  Temple  (John  ii. 
14—16.     Matt.  xxi.  12). 

His  act  was  one  of  holy  courage  and  magnanimity  in  the  exer- 
cise of  godly  discijjline,  in  times  when  the  High  Priesthood  itself 
was  corrupt,  and  betrayed  its  trust,  and  encouraged  iudisciiiline 
and  sacrilege.  A  noble  example  for  these  latter  days.  It  is  also 
instructive  to  every  individual  in  the  Church.  Thou  thyself  art 
a  Temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  (1  Cor.  iii.  16,  17 ;  vi.  19 ;  2  Cor. 
vi.  16).  Examine  the  secret  chambers  of  thine  own  heart.  Is 
there  no  household  stuff  of  Tobiah  the  Ammonite  there  ?  If 
there  is,  be  a  Nehemiah  to  thyself,  cast  it  out ;  cleanse  the  secret 
chamber  of  thy  heart,  and  bring  again  the  "  pure  offering,  and 
sweet  incense  "  of  holy  living  and  prayer  into  it. 

9.  the  meat  offering  and  the  frankincense]  Here,  also,  the 
prophecy  of  Malachi,  the  contemporary  of  Nehemiah,  reflects 
light  on  the  history,  and  is  illustrated  by  it.  Eliashib  the  High 
Priest  at  Jerusalem,  had  surrendered  to  the  domestic  use  of  an 
Ammonite,  the  sacred  chamber,  where  the  meat  offering  (Heb. 
minchah),  and  the  incense  of  God's  house  were  kept. 

Nehemiah  cast  out  Tobiah's  household  stuff,  and  purified 
the  chamber,  and  bi'ought  again  into  it  the  offering  and  the 
incense. 

Malachi  seems  to  have  recognized  here  a  prophetic  foresha- 
dowing of  the  future.  He  rebukes  the  Priests  for  their  degene- 
racy (Mai.  ii.  1),  and  he  looks  forward  to  the  days  of  the  Gospel, 
when  the  Levitical  Priesthood  would  be  purified  by  Christ, 
coming  to  that  very  Temple  which  Eliashib  had  profaned  by 
removing  from  it  its  incense,  and  its  meat  offering,  and  by  sur- 
rendering it  to  be  desecrated  by  a  heathen  Tobiah ;  and  he  speaks 
of  that  glorious  time,  when  "  from  the  rising  of  the  sun,  even  to 
the  going  down  of  the  same,  the  Lord's  Name  should  be  great 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  in  every  place  incense  should  be  offered, 
and  a  ^;«<re  offering :"  see  Mai.  i.  11,  where  the  prophet  uses 
the  same  words  as  are  used  here. 

As  the  writings  of  the  prophets  Haggai  and,  Zechariah  are 
inspired  commentaries  on  the  Book  of  Ezra  (see  on  Ezra  v.  1), 
so  the  prophet  Malachi  is  an  inspired  expositor  of  the  Book  of 
Nehemiah;  and  the  historical  booksof  Ezra  andNehemiah  supply, 
in  their  turn,  the  best  elucidation  of  the  prophecies  of  Haggai, 
Zechariah,  and  Malachi.    Let  the  reader  note  this. 


Nehemiah's  godhj  zeal. 


NEHEMIAH  XIII.  11—20. 


The  Sabhath 


for  the  Levites  and  the  singers,  that  did  the  work,  were  fled  eveiy  one  to  ""  his 
field.  ^1  Then  "contended  I  with  the  rulers,  and  said,  "Why  is  the  house  of 
God  forsaken  ?  And  I  gathered  them  together,  and  set  them  in  their  f  place. 
12  p  Then  brousrht  all  Judali  the  tithe  of  the  corn  and  the  new  wine  and  the  oil 
unto  the  |j  treasuries.  ^^""And  I  made  treasurers  over  the  treasuries,  Shelemiah 
the  priest,  and  Zadok  the  scribe,  and  of  the  Levites,  Pedaiah  :  and  f  next  to 
them  ivas  Hanan  the  son  of  Zaccur,  the  son  of  Mattaniah :  for  they  were 
counted  '  faithful,  and  f  their  office  was  to  distribute  unto  their  brethren. 

^■^'Eemember  me,  0  my  God,  concerning  this,  and  wipe  not  out  my 
t  good  deeds  that  I  have  done  for  the  house  of  my  God,  and  for  the  ||  offices 
thereof. 

^^  In  those  days  saw  I  in  Judah  some  treading  wine  presses  'on  the  sabbath, 
and  bringing  in  sheaves,  and  lading  asses ;  as  also  wine,  grapes,  and  figs,  and 
all  manlier  of  burdens,  "  which  they  brought  into  Jerusalem  on  the  sabbath  day: 
and  I  testified  against  them  in  the  day  wherein  they  sold  victuals.  ^^  There 
dwelt  men  of  Tyre  also  therein,  which  brought  fish,  and  all  manner  of  ware, 
and  sold  on  the  sabbath  unto  the  children  of  Judah,  and  in  Jerusalem.  ^^"Then 
I  contended  with  the  nobles  of  Judah,  and  said  unto  them.  What  evil  thing  is 
this  that  ye  do,  and  profane  the  sabbath  day?  ^^^Did  not  your  fathers  thus, 
and  did  not  our  God  bring  all  this  evil  upon  us,  and  upon  this  city  ?  yet  ye 
bring  more  wrath  upon  Israel  by  profaning  the  sabbath. 

^^  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  ^  began  to  be  dark 
before  the  sabbath,  I  commanded  that  the  gates  should  be  shut,  and  charged 
that  they  should  not  be  opened  till  after  the  sabbath :  ^  and  some  of  my  ser- 
vants set  I  at  the  gates,  that  there  should  no  burden  be  brought  in  on  the  sab- 
bath day.     20  gQ  ^jjg  merchants  and  sellers  of  all  kind  of  ware  lodged  without 


Before 
CHRIST 

about 
430. 
m  Num.  35.  2. 
n  ver.  17,  25. 
Prov.  28.  4. 

0  cli.  10.  39. 

t  Ileb.  standing. 

p  ch.  10.  38,  39. 

&  12.  44. 

II  Or,  storehouse^. 

Q  2  Chron.  31.  12. 

ch.  12.  44. 

t  Heb.  at  their 

hand. 

r  ch.  7.  2. 

1  Cor.  4.  2. 

t  Heb.  it  was 
upon  them. 
s  ver.  22,  31. 
ch.  5.  19. 
t  Heb.  kind- 
nesses. 

II  Or,  ohserra- 
tion's. 
t  Exod.  20.  10. 


uch.  10.  31 
Jer.  17.  21,22. 


y  Jer.  17.21,  22, 

23. 


z  Lev.  23.  32. 


a  Jer.  17.  21,  22. 


10.  the  Levites — tcere  fled  every  one  to  Ms  field']  The  Levites 
had  left  the  service  of  the  Temple,  and  betaken  themselves  to 
their  country  villages  and  farms; — another  mark  of  spiritual 
degeneracy.  They  had  been  deprived  of  their  tithes  by  the 
rulers  (v.  11),  acting  contrary  to  the  covenant  (x.  37 — 39)  j 
and  the  house  of  God  was  forsaken,  and  the  Levites  were  forced 
to  give  themselves  to  agriculture.  "  A  scandalous  maintenance 
makes  a  scandalous  ministry;"  a  pauperized  clergy  brings  the 
service  of  God  into  contempt. 

Nehemiah  reformed  this  grievance  also;  and  here,  too, 
the  prophecy  of  Malachi  comes  in  to  illustrate  the  history : 
*'  Will  a  man  rob  God  ?  Yet  ye  have  robbed  Me.  But  ye  say, 
Wherein  have  we  robbed  Thee  ?  In  tithes  and  offerings.  Ye 
are  cursed  with  a  cui-se :  for  ye  have  robbed  Me,  even  this 
whole  nation.  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the  storehouse, 
that  there  may  be  meat  in  Mine  house  "  (Mai.  iii.  8 — 10). 

We  may  reasonably  suppose  that  Nehemiah  was  animated 
and  invigorated  in  his  work  of  religious  restoration  by  the 
voice  of  the  Holy  Spirit  speaking  by  the  prophet  Malachi. 

11.  Then  contended  I  with  the  rulers]  The  good  Magistrate 
uses  his  influence  to  make  the  People  do  their  duty  to  the  Clergy, 
and  to  oblige  the  Clergy  to  do  their  duty  to  their  People. 
Nehemiah  began  with  the  rulers,  and  called  them  to  account 
first.  They ybr^ooA  the  Levites,  which  was  expressly  forbidden 
by  the  Law  (Deut.  xii.  19),  and  the  Levites  forsook  their  post, 
and  the  house  of  God  was  forsaken.  Ministers  and  People, 
who  forsake  religion  and  its  services,  and  Magistrates  who  do 
not  what  they  can  to  keep  them  to  it,  will  have  much  to 
answer  for  hereafter  {M.  Henry). 

12.  Then  brought  all  Judah  the  tithe — unto  the  treasuries] 
Observe  these  words.  They  are  like  an  echo  to  the  words  of 
God,  spoken  by  Malachi.  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the 
storehouses  (iii.  10).  The  Hebrew  word  for  treasuries  here 
is  the  same  as  that  for  storehouses  in  Malachi  {otsaroth) ;  and 
if  our  Translators  had  used  the  same  word  in  both  places,  the 
verbal  parallehsm  would  be  more  obvious  to  the  English 
reader. 

:.  355 


14.  Sememher  me]  Cp.  above,  v.  19 ;  and  below,  vv.  2i  31 ; 
and  see  Joseph  Mede,  Works,  book  i.  disc,  xxxiv.  p.  177,  on 
tnese  words  ot  Nehemiah,  where  he  shows  that  it  is  lawful  to  do 
good  works  with  a  view  to  a  ftiture  reward. 

Nehemiah  having  no  recompense  from  man,  and  having 
doubtless  much  enmity  to  bear,  for  his  zeal  in  God's  service, 
looks  to  Him  as  his  Paymaster.  He  is  an  example  of  the  devout 
soul,  which  in  all  the  ii'ksome  duties  of  a  life  of  conflict  vents 
itself  in  pious  ejaculations  of  prayer  and  thankfulness  to  God, 
and  while  it  is  struggling  on  earth,  has  "  its  conversation  in 
heaven."  Observe  the  modesty  of  his  language.  He  does  not 
say,  "Publish  to  the  world  my  good  deeds,"  but  "Wipe  them, 
not  out ;"  he  does  not  say,  "  Eeward  me,"  but  "  Eemember 
me," — the  prayer  of  the  penitent  on  the  Cross,  which  was 
blessed  by  Christ  (Luke  xxiii.  42,  43);  and  he  does  not  say, 
"  Remember  me  for  my  merit,"  but  "  According  to  the  greatness 
of  Thy  mercies," 

15.  on  the  sabbath]  Notwithstanding  the  covenant;  see 
above,  x.  31 ;  and  cp.  below,  vv.  16.  18 ;  and  above,  ix.  14. 
Nehemiah  was  not  only  zealous  for  holy  places,  but  for  holy 
seasons. 

The  language,  as  well  as  the  acts  of  Nehemiah,  especially 
on  this  occasion,  show  that  he  was  acquainted  with  the  pro- 
phecies of  Jeremiah,  and  was  stimulated  by  them,  and  they  bear 
testimony  to  those  prophecies.  Compare  with  the  narrative 
here,  the  words  of  Jeremiah  (xvii.  20 — 26) :  "  Hear  ye  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  that 
enter  in  by  these  gates :  thus  saith  the  Lord ;  Take  heed  to 
yourselves,  and  bear  no  burden  on  the  Sabbath  day,  nor  bring 
it  in  by  the  gates  of  Jerusalem ;  neither  carry  forth  a  burden 
out  of  your  houses  on  the  Sabbath  day,  neither  do  ye  any  work, 
but  hallow  ye  the  Sabbath  day,  as  I  commanded  your  fiithers. . .  . 
Then  they  shall  come  from  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  from  the 
places  about  Jerusalem,  and  from  the  land  of  Benjamin,  and 
from  the  plain,  and  from  the  mountains,  and  from  the  south, 
bringing  burnt  offerings,  and  sacrifices,  and  meat  offerings,  and 
incense,  and  bringing  sacrifices  of  praise,  unto  the  house  of  tho 
Lord." 


Beformation 


NEHEMIAH  XIII.  21—28. 


of  strange  marriages. 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

430. 

f  Heh.  before  the 

wall! 

b  ell.  12.  30. 


c  ver.  14,  31. 
II  Or,  multitude. 

about 

434. 
t  Het).  had  made 
to  dwell  wilh 
tliem. 

d  Ezra  9.  2. 
f  Heb.  thdj 
discerned  not  to 
speak. 

t  Heb.  of  people 
and  people. 
e  ver.  1 1 . 
Prov.  28.  4. 
II  Or,  reviled 
them. 

f  Ezra  10.  5. 
ch.  10.  29,  .'^0. 
g  1  Kings  11. 
1,  &c. 

h  1  Kings  3.  13. 
2  Chron.  1.  12. 
i  2  Sam.  12.  24. 
k  1  Kings  11.  4, 
Src. 
1  Ezra  10.  2. 


in  ch.  12.  10,  22. 
n  ch.  6.  14. 


Jerusalem  once  or  twice.  -'  Then  I  testified  against  tliem,  and  said  unto  them, 
Why  lodge  ye  f  about  the  wall  ?  if  ye  do  so  again,  I  will  lay  hands  on  you. 
From  that  time  forth  came  they  no  more  on  the  sabbath.  ^'^  And  I  commanded 
the  Levites  that  *"  they  should  cleanse  themselves,  and  tliat  they  should  come 
and  keep  the  gates,  to  sanctify  the  sabbath  day. 

"  Kemember  me,  0  my  God,  concerning  this  also,  and  spare  me  according  to 
the  II  greatness  of  thy  mercy. 

23  In  those  days  also  saw  I  Jews  that  f  "^had  married  wives  of  Ashdod,  of 
Ammon,  and  of  Moab  :  ^^  And  their  children  spake  half  in  the  speech  of  Ash- 
dod, and  f  could  not  speak  in  the  Jews'  language,  but  according  to  the  language 
f  of  each  people.  ^^  And  I  ^  contended  with  them,  and  ||  cursed  them,  and 
smote  certain  of  them,  and  plucked  off  their  hair,  and  made  them  ^  swear  by 
God,  saying,  Ye  shall  not  give  your  daughters  unto  their  sons,  nor  take  their 
daughters  unto  your  sons,  or  for  yourselves.  ^^^Did  not  Solomon  king  of 
Israel  sin  by  these  things  ?  yet  ''  among  many  nations  was  there  no  king  like 
him,  •  who  was  beloved  of  his  God,  and  God  made  him  king  over  all  Israel : 
^  nevertheless  even  him  did  outlandish  women  cause  to  sin.  ^^  Shall  we  then 
hearken  unto  you  to  do  all  this  great  evil,  to  '  transgress  against  our  God  in 
marrying  strange  wives  ? 

2^  And  one  of  the  sons  ""  of  Joiada,  the  son  of  Eliashib  the  high  priest,  was 
son   in  law  to    Sanballat  the   Horonite :   therefore  I   chased  him  from  me. 


23.  Jews  that  had  married  wives  of  Ashdod,  of  Ammonj  and 
of  Moab^  Notwithstauding  the  covenant  in  x.  30,  and  Ezra's 
ctlbrts  (Ezra  ix.  12.  14). 

On  Ashdod,  or  Azotus,  see  Josh.  xv.  46.  1  Sara.  v.  and  vi. 
Acts  viii.  40. 

24.  speech  of  Ashdod']  The  language  of  Philistia.  Probably 
an  Indo-Germanic  dialect  {Hitzig,  Urgeschicbte  d.  Pbilistaer, 
p.  53).  It  seems,  from  the  mention  of  Ashdod  only,  that  the 
Ammonitish  and  Moabitish  dialect  was  not  difl'erent  from  that 
of  the  Jews  (Bertheau). 

25.  cursed  them']  Cp.  Mai.  iii.  9;  iv.  6,  where  the  breakers 
of  God's  Law  are  described  as  subject  to  malediction. 

The  word  here  used  for  curse  [kalal),  is  the  same  as  v.  2, 
and  as  is  used  in  2  Kings  ii.  24. 

It  must  be  remembered,  that  Neiiemiah  was  a  person 
invested  with  public  authority,  and  that,  as  such,  he  was 
authorized  to  denounce  God's  judgments  on  those  who  broke 
His  Law.  It  is  supposed  by  some  of  the  Rabbis  {asAheti  JEzra), 
that  this  word  implies  that  he  caused  sentence  of  excom- 
munication to  be  pronounced  on  them;  and  so  Sanctius  and 
A  Lap  id e. 

—  smote  certain  of  them]  That  Is,  as  a  public  magistrate, 
he  executed  a  judicial  sentence  upon  them,  by  ordering  the 
officers  of  the  court  to  scourge  them.     See  Deut.  xxv.  2. 

—  and  plucTced  off  their  hair]  Literally,  I  made  them  hald. 
The  Hebrew  word  marat,  here  used,  is  to  make  smooth,  to 
polish,  to  peel  (see  Oesen.  509)  :  the  word  hair  is  not  in  the 
original. 

It  is  not  to  be  imagined,  that  Nebemiah  bimself,  an  Eastern 
Magistrate,  went  about  in  a  fit  of  passionate  excitement,  and 
pluclced  off  the  hair  of  these  offenders.  Sucb  a  notion  is  alto- 
gether foreign  to  his  high  office,  and  to  his  character,  which 
was  one  of  dignified  gravity.  What  he  did  was  tbis : — he 
inflicted  a  judicial  punishment  upon  them;  he  stigmatized 
them  by  a  public  censure  on  their  persons,  visible  in  its  eflects 
to  all.  This  punishment  (called  depilatio  by  the  Romans, 
■jrapaTiXfihs  in  Greek)  was  sometimes  joined,  as  here,  with 
scourging.  See  Isa.  1.  6.  Cp.  Malvenda,  Sanctius,  and 
A  Lapide  here. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Nebemiah,  the  Jewish 
governor,  executed  this  punishment  in  person,  any  more  than 
that  Pilate,  the  Roman  governor  (of  whom  it  is  said  that  he  took 
Jesus,  and  scourged  Him,  Matt,  xxviii.  26.  Mark  xv.  15. 
.Tohn  xix.  1)  scourged  our  Lord  with  his  own  hands.  Compare 
above,  on  the  judicial  act  of  Samuel  (1  Sam.  xv.  33). 
356 


The  plucking  off"  the  hair  was  a  chastisement,  which  signi- 
fied that  they  who  were  thus  punished,  had  divested  themselves 
of  shame,  and  had  plucked  off",  as  it  were,  the  crown  of  their 
own  good  name.  This  was  the  case  with  those  Israelites,  who 
had  forfeited  their  dignity  and  holiness  by  marriage  with 
Moabites  and  Philistines. 

The  hair  was  regarded  by  the  Jews  as  a  diadem  of  glory. 
There  is  a  pious  paradox,  in  the  words  of  Solomon, — "  the  hoai-y 
head  is  a  crown  of  glory,  if  it  be  found  in  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness "  (Prov.  xvi.  31).  In  such  a  case  the  silver  hair  of  old 
age  is  like  a  spiritual  halo. 

This  view  of  the  symbolic  significance  of  the  hair  was 
remarkably  exemplified  in  the  account  of  the  Nazarite's  vow 
(see  above,  on  Num.  vi.  2) ;  and  to  lose  the  hair  by  a  judicial 
sentence,  was  an  ignominious  punishment  inflicted  on  those 
who  had  disgraced  themselves.  We  may  compare  the  punish- 
ment inflicted  on  David's  servants  (2  Sam.  x.  4).  In  our  own 
prison  and  workhouse  discipline,  the  cropping  close  of  the  hair 
is  regarded  by  many,  especially  by  women,  as  the  severest 
punishment. 

26.  Did  not  Solomon  "king  of  Israel  sin  hy  these  things  ?J 
See  above,  on  1  Kings  xi.,  Prelim.  Note. 

28.  one  of  the  sons  of  Joiada,  the  son  of  Eliashib  the  high 
priest,  was  son  in  law  to  Sanballat]  Joiada,  the  son  of 
Eliashib,  was  led  astray  by  the  degeneracy  of  his  fiither,  the 
High  Priest,  the  ally  of  Tobiah,  the  Ammonite  (v.  4),  and 
married  the  daughter  of  Sanballat,  the  Horonite,  of  Moab 
(see  ii.  10).  Therefore  Nehemiah  chased  Mm  from  him;  ex- 
communicated, and  banished  him. 

This  son  of  Joiada  seems  to  have  been  called  Manasseh, 
Josephus  says  (Antt.  xi.  8.  3),  that  Manasseh,  being  degraded 
from  the  sacerdotal  dignity,  fled  to  Samaria,  to  his  father-in- 
law,  Sanballat,  who  built  the  Samaritan  Temple  at  Gerizim, 
and  made  Manasseh  High  Priest  of  it. 

Josephus  appears  to  have  been  misled  as  to  the  chronology 
of  this  period  by  a  confusion  of  Darius  Nothus  (in  whose  time 
those  events  occurred)  with  Darius  Codomanus,  who  did  not 
come  to  the  throne  till  seventy  years  after  the  death  of  Dariu 
Nothus;  but  there  may  be  ground  for  his  statement,  that  r 
Jewish    Priest   (Manasseh)    was  son-in-law   of  Sanballat,    ant 
became  High  Priest  of  the  Samaritan  Temple.     See  Prideaux, 
on  B.C.   409,  where  is  a  clear  account  of  the  transaction.     Cp. 
Br.  W.  Smith,  Old  Test.  Hist.  p.  552 ;  and  Bertheau,  p.  27 
who  adopts  this  view;  and  see  the  notes  above,  on  2  K' 
xvii.  41. 


Cleansing  of  the  Priesthood.      NEHEMIAH  XIII.  29—31. 


The  Conclusion, 


Before 

CHRIST 

about 

434. 

+  lleh.fortlw 


"^ "  Remember  them,  0  my  God,  f  because  they  have  defiled  the  priesthood,  and 
"the  covenant  of  the  priesthood,  and  of  the  Levites. 

30  p  Thus  cleansed  I  them  from  all  stranejers,  and  "^  appointed  the  wards  of  lefiZgZ '"" 
the  priests  and  the  Levites,  every  one  m  his  business  ;  ^^  And  for  'the  wood  ^\^  ^ 
offering,  at  times  appointed,  and  for  the  firstfruits. 

'  Remember  me,  0  my  God,  for  good.  ^  ver.  h,  22 


0.  30. 
q  ch.  12.  1,  &c, 
r  ch.  10.  34. 


29.  liemember  thent]  Convince  and  convert  them.  Compare 
the  prayer  of  Michael,  the  Archangel,  when  contending  with 
Satan  about  the  body  of  Moses,  "The  Lord  rebuke  thee" 
(Jude  9). 

—  they  have  defiled  —  tJie  covenant  of  the  priesthood, 
and  of  the  Levites']  Here  also  is  another  echo  to  the  words  of 
God,  by  the  Prophet  Malachi  (cp.  v.  10),  the  contemporary  of 
Nehemiah  :  "  O  ye  Priests,  this  commandment  is  for  you.  .  .  . 
Ye  shall  know  that  I  have  sent  this  commandment  unto  you, 
that  My  covenant  might  be  with  Levi.  My  covenant  was  with 
him  ....  but  ye  have  corrupted  the  covenant  of  Levi,  saith 
the  Lord  of  Hosts"  (Mai,  ii.  1—8), 

31,  the  wood  offering"]  See  x,  34,  35. 

The  Conclusion. 

—  the  firstfruits']  See  x,  36. 

The  Book  of  Nehemiah  closes  with  the  history  of  the 
Dedication  of  the  Walls  of  Jerusalem,  and  with  a  song  of 
thanksgiving  to  God,  and  with  an  account  of  the  religious 
reformation  effected  by  Nehemiah,  in  causing  the  courts  of  the 
Temple  to  be  cleansed,  and  in  vindicating  the  Sabbath  from 
profanation,  and  in  putting  an  end  to  the  evils  arising  from 
the  Marriage  of  Israelites  with  alien  and  idolatrous  wives,  and 
in  restoring  the  maintenance  of  the  Levites,  and  in  recovering 
the  offerings  to  the  Temple  of  God. 

These  things  have  a  spiritual  significance  for  every  age  of 
the  Church.  The  building  of  the  House  of  the  Lord,  and  of 
the  Holy  City,  which  is  the  Church  (says  Beds'),  cannot  bo 
duly  consummated,  unless  the  citizens  are  cleansed  from 
all  spiritual  contamination,  and  the  Priesthood  is  trained  and 
ordered  in  the  regular  exercise  of  their  holy  functions,  and  the 
ofTerings  of  God  are  daily  presented  to  Him,  with  the  self- 
dedication  of  the  people,  in  holiness  of  life,  and  in  mutual  amity 
and  love. 

The  ending  of  this  Book  may  at  first  seem  rather  abrupt ; 
and,  since  the  date  of  the  book  of  Esther  is  prior  to  that  of 
Nehemiah,  the  last  words  of  Nehemiah  are  the  last  words  of 
Biblical  History, 

But  it  is  to  be  borne  in  mind,  that  these  books,  which  we 


call  historical  books,  have  really  a  prophetical  character.  The 
whole  of  the  Old  Testament  is  called  "  The  Law  and  the 
Prophets"  (Matt.  xxii.  40.  Luke  xvi.  16.  29.  John  i.  46, 
Acts  xili.  15;  xxviii.  23).  The  Books  of  Joshua,  Judges, 
Samuel,  and  Kings  are  called  by  the  Jews  the  former  Prophets. 
And  the  Prophet  Malachi  is  called  by  the  Hebrew  Church, 
"  The  Seal  of  the  Prophets,"  as  closing  the  sacred  Canou 
{Hottinger,  Thesaurus,  p.  483).  Not  the  last  words  of  Nehe- 
miah, but  the  last  words  of  Malachi,  who  was  his  contemporary, 
are  to  be  regarded  as  the  last  words  of  the  Old  Testament; 
and  these  last  words  of  Malachi  supply  a  sacred  commentary 
on  the  Book  of  Nehemiah.  They  associate  Sinai  with  Sion, 
and  connect  both  with  Eternity.  They  look  backward,  and 
carry  the  mind  to  Moses  and  the  Pentateuch ;  and  they  also 
look  forward,  and  lead  the  faithful  onward  to  the  mission  of 
John  the  Baptist,  and  to  the  Advent  of  Christ :  "  Unto  you 
that  fear  My  Name,  the  SrN  of  Righteousness  shall  arise 
with  healing  in  His  wings.  ^  >  •  Pemember  ye  the  Law  of 
Moses  My  servant,  which  I  commanded  -anto  him  in  Horeb, 
with  the  statutes  and  judgments"  (Exod.  xxi.  Lev.  xviii.  5; 
xix.  37.  Dent.  vii.  11).  "  Behold,  I  ivill  send  you  Elijah  the 
prophet  before  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of 
the  Lord  :  and  he  shall  turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the 
children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children  to  their  fathers,  lest  I 
come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a  curse "  (Mai.  iv.  2 — 6).  So 
ends  the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament.  It  closes  with  a  re- 
trospective appeal  to  Moses  and  the  Law,  and  with  a  prospec- 
tive anticipation  of  the  Coming  of  Christ.  And  thus  the  Malachi 
of  the  Neiv  Testament,  St.  John,  who  may  be  called  the  "  Seal 
of  all  the  Prophets,"  ends  the  Apocalypse.  His  eye  also 
is  fixed  on  Christ.  But  it  is  on  His  second  Coming,  and  on 
the  consummation  of  all  things :  "  The  Spirit  and  the  Bride 
say.  Come.  And  let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come.  ...  If  any 
man  shall  add  unto  these  things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the 
plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book :  and  if  any  man  shall 
take  away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God 
shall  take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life.  .  .  .  He  which 
testifieth  of  these  things,  saith,  Sm-ely  I  come  quickly.  Amen. 
Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus.  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  you  all.    Amen  "  (liev,  xxii,  17 — 21), 


flG7 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER. 


There  are  few  portions  of  Holy  Scripture  wliicli  demand  more  thoughtful  attention  in  their  perusal 
than  the  Book  of  Esther. 

To  a  cursory  reader  it  may  seem  to  be  like  an  Oriental  Romance,  or  an  Arabian  Nights' 
Entertainment.  On  opening  the  Book,  we  behold  a  scene  which  may  remind  us  of  the  glowing 
imagery  of  a  fairy  tale.  The  Garden,  or  Park,  of  the  royal  palace  of  Ahasuerus  at  Susa  is  thrown 
open  before  us ;  and  we  see  a  vast  assemblage  there  of  Eastern  Princes  and  Potentates  in  festal 
attire,  gathered  together  from  every  province  of  the  empire  of  Persia.  We  see  couches  of  gold  and 
silver,  ranged  under  canopies  "of  white,  green,  and  blue  hangings,  fastened  with  cords  of  fine  linen 
and  purple  to  silver  rings  and  pillars  of  marble ',"  and  placed  on  pavements  of  porphyry,  and 
marble,  and  alabaster,  and  tables  before  them  which  dazzle  the  eye  with  vessels  of  gold.  This 
royal  banquet  is  continued  day  after  day  for  nearly  half  a  year ;  and  the  greatest  Empire  of  the 
world  seems  to  be  forgetting  the  cares  of  the  state  in  this  six  months'  gala  day,  and  to  be  beguiling 
away  the  time  in  the  jovial  glee  of  an  universal  holiday. 

This  is  a  specimen  of  the  contents  of  the  Book :  and  if  we  proceed  further,  we  listen  with 
feelings  of  wonder  to  a  narrative  of  strange  incidents,  coloured,  we  may  deem,  with  a  strong  tinge 
of  the  marvellous,  and  borrowed  from  the  realm  of  fiction.  A  Queen  is  divorced  by  her  royal 
consort,  and  is  degraded  from  her  high  estate,  on  account  of  her  refusal  to  comply  with  an  arbitrary 
summons  issued  on  a  sudden  impulse  in  an  hour  of  revelry  :  an  edict  is  committed  to  writing  on  the 
spot,  which  proclaims  that  her  dignity  is  forfeited ;  a  royal  mandate  is  sent  forth  to  every  province 
of  the  Kingdom,  that  every  one  should  bear  rule  in  his  own  house.  These  are  some  of  the 
occurrences  which  are  here  presented  to  the  view.  Next  follow  the  extraordinary  events  which 
resulted  in  the  elevation  of  a  Jewish  maiden  to  be  a  partner  of  the  throne  of  Persia ;  and  the 
scarcely  less  wonderful  exaltation  of  Haman,  probably  a  stranger  and  an  Amalekite,  to  be  Grand 
Yizier  of  the  Persian  Empire.  We  are  astounded  by  the  lavish  prodigality  with  which  the  great 
King  squanders  in  a  moment  a  large  portion  of  the  population  of  his  empire,  and  surrenders  them 
with  reckless  indifierence  to  the  vindictive  passion  of  a  haughty  favourite.  Next  comes  an  un- 
expected catastrophe ;  the  fall  of  that  proud  favourite,  not  less  sudden  than  his  rise,  and  the  no  less 
marvellous  succession  of  Mordecai,  a  Jew,  whom  he  had  doomed  to  destruction,  to  be  Prime  Minister 
in  his  room ;  and  the  execution  of  Haman  on  that  very  Cross  which  he  had  set  up  for  Mordecai. 
Then  follows  the  deliverance  of  the  Jews  by  a  marvellous  providential  interposition  when  on  the 
very  brink  of  destruction.  Surely,  it  may  be  said,  such  a  series  of  incidents  is  so  strange  and 
extraordinary,  that  it  ought  not  to  be  accepted  as  historically  true,  unless  the  strongest  evidence  can 
be  adduced  in  its  behalf. 

Nor  is  this  all.  The  persons  whose  characters  are  presented  to  our  notice  in  this  Book  are  of  a 
worldly  type,  and  of  a  low  religious  tone. 

To  say  nothing  of  Ahasuerus,  an  Oriental  despot,  making  his  wayward  will  to  be  the  supreme 
law  of  his  empire,  and  seeming  to  have  no  other  purpose  in  life  than  the  gratification  of  his  un- 
bridled passions,  and  the  indulgence  of  his  sensual  appetites ;  and  not  to  speak  of  the  fiendish 
malignity  of  Haman,  thirsting  to  destroy  a  whole  nation  at  one  fell  swoop  ;  even  the  characters  of 
Mordecai  and  Esther  are  not  very  amiable  and  attractive.  Mordecai,  a  Jew  of  the  favoured  tribe 
of  Benjamin,  is  content  to  spend  his  life  at  Susa,  as  a  courtier  at  the  gate  of  a  heathen  sovereign 
like  Ahasuerus.  He  does  not  cast  a  wistful  eye,  like  Daniel  with  his  windows  opened  toward 
Jerusalem.     He  does  not  avail  himself  joyfully,  like  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua,  and  their  companions, 

1  Esther!.  6. 
358 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER. 

of  tte  royal  invitation  and  encouragement  to  return  to  the  land  of  his  forefathers.  lie  does  not 
associate  himself  in  holy  sj^mpathy  with  those  who  said,  "  When  the  Lord  turned  again  the  captivity 
of  Sion,  then  were  we  like  unto  them  that  dream;  then  were  our  hearts  filled  with  laughter  and  our 
tongues  with  joy  \"  He  does  not  sue  to  Ahasuerus,  as  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  did  to  Artaxerxes  Longima- 
nus,  for  help  in  building  up  its  desolations.  He  does  not  adopt  the  words  of  the  Psalm  which  expresses 
the  feelings  of  devout  Jews  in  the  Captivity'-,  "  If  I  forget  thee,  0  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  forget 
her  cunning ;  if  I  do  not  remember  thee,  let  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth  ^ !"  He  has 
no  yearnings  for  Jerusalem,  but  is  content  to  live  and  die  in  Persia.  He  prefers  the  banks  of  the 
Choaspes  to  the  waters  of  Jordan  and  fSiloam.  He  has  none  of  the  spirit  of  the  Hebrew  Martyr  or 
Confessor ;  he  is  not  willing,  like  Ezra  and  Neliemiah,  to  own  himself  boldly,  in  the  presence  of  the 
Persian  King  and  court,  a  servant  of  Jehovah ;  and  he  instructs  Esther  to  disguise  her  Jewish 
origin ;  his  only  ambition  for  his  youthful  and  beautiful  cousin  seems  to  be  that  she  should  bo 
foremost  among  the  virgin  candidates  for  the  vacant  place  in  the  royal  seraglio  of  Ahasuerus. 
And  Esther  follows  his  counsel,  and  complies  with  his  desires.  As  the  Writer  of  this  Book 
expresses  it,  "she  did  the  commandment  of  Mordecai,  like  as  when  she  was  brought  up  with 
him  ^ 

In  accordance  with  this  low  moral  and  spiritual  tone  in  the  principal  Jewish  actors  of  this 
history,  we  do  not  find  any  reference  to  devout  exercises  of  religion  on  their  part.  Mordecai  is 
represented  as  resorting  for  help,  not  to  Ood,  but  to  Esther  the  Queen.  When  he  intreats  her  to 
intercede  with  the  King,  he  dqes  not  try  to  work  upon  her  mind  by  high  and  holy  motives,  such  as 
zeal  for  God's  glory,  and  for  the  welfare  of  the  people  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  but  by  meaner 
considerations  of  personal  safety*.  Esther  the  Queen  exhorts  Mordecai  and  the  Jews  to  join 
together  in  fasting^  three  days,  and  says  that  she  and  her  maidens  will  fast  three  days;  but  we 
hear  nothing  of  prayer  ®,  She  makes  several  intercessions  with  King  Ahasuerus ;  but  we  hear  of 
no  supplication  to  the  King  of  kings.  The  Jews  are  ready  to  perish  ;  but  we  are  not  told  that  they 
met  together  to  invoke  the  aid  of  the  God  of  Abraham.  If  they  trust  to  any  thing,  it  seems  to  be 
to  earthly  helps.  No  prophet's  voice  is  heard ;  no  priest's  intercession.  If  the  Jews  came  to  God 
at  all  in  the  hour  of  peril,  it  was,  like  Nicodemus,  by  night.  The  name  of  God  is  not  once  men- 
tioned in  the  whole  Book. 

It  has  been  also  alleged  by  some,  that  in  the  Book  of  Esther,  the  Jews,  being  instigated  by 
Mordecai  and  Esther,  exhibited  a  revengeful  spirit,  and  that  the  annual  festival  of  Purim,  which 
commemorates  this  deliverance,  is  a  record  also  of  their  resentment  and  cruelty ;  and  that  in  the 
shouts  and  clapping  of  hands,  and  in  the  stamping  of  the  feet,  and  in  the  exultation  over  the  fall 
of  Haman,  and  in  the  execration  of  his  memory,  with  which  the  Jews  of  the  present  day  accompany 
the  reading  of  the  Book  of  Esther  in  their  Synagogues  ^,  we  have  only  a  natural  result  of  the  Book 
itself,  and  of  the  character  and  conduct  of  Esther  and  Mordecai  and  of  the  Jewish  Nation  in  the  days 
of  Ahasuerus,  as  depicted  in  it. 

The  question  therefore  arises, —  Can  the  Book  of  Esther  rightly  be  regarded  as  a  true  history? 
Can  it  be  received  as  a  part  of  Canonical  Scripture  ?  Can  we  suppose  that  such  a  Book  was  dictated 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  ?  Does  the  Book  of  Esther  fulfil  the  conditions  which  are  implied  in 
the  name  of  Scripture  ?  Does  it  correspond  to  the  character  given  of  Holy  Scripture  by  the  Apostle 
St.  Paul  ^  ?  "  All  Scripture  is  given  by  Inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof, 
for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness."  Or,  again,  if  we  accept  it  as  inspired,  can  we 
concede  to  it,  it  is  asked,  any  thing  more  than  a  low  degree  of  Inspiration  ?  Can  any  one  pretend 
that  the  Book  of  Esther  is  equally  inspired  y^^'xth.  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah,  or  with  the  Gospel  of 
St.  John  ? 

These  are  important  questions  ;  and  many  have  replied  to  them  in  the  negative.  We  need  not 
be  surprised  at  the  dictum  of  Voltaire®,  "Le  livre  d'Esther  est  un  roman  sans  vraisemblance." 
It  is  even  related  of  Martin  Luther,  that  he  expressed  a  wish  that  the  Book  of  Esther  was  not 
contained  in  the  Bible '°.  Some  recent  critics  have  urged  objections  against  its  Inspiration  with 
much  confidence  and  force ;  and  it  has  had  to  encounter  a  searching  ordeal  at  their  hands.     Some 

'  Ps.  cxxvi.  1,  2.                         2  Pj,_  cxxxvii.  5,  6.  "  AUez  :  que  tous  les  Juifs  clans  Suze  reimndus, 

^  ii.  20.                                         *  iv.  13.  A  ^n'er  avec  vous,  joiu- et  nuit  assidus, " 

'  iv.  16. 

6  It  is  observable  that  the  framers  of  the  Vulgate  seem  to  7  See  Buxtorf,  Syn.  Jud.  c.  xxsix.  pp.  553—583. 

have  felt  keenly  this  absence  of  prayer,  and  they  have  done  '  2  Tim.  iii.  16. 

violence  to  the  Hebrew  by  rendering  iv.   16  thus,  "  Vade  et  9  See  Migne's  Cursus,  torn.  xiii.  p.  14. 

congrega  omnes  Judocos,  ct  orate  pro  me :"  and  hence  Bacine  '»  Lnither,  De  Servo  Arbitrio,  p.  118,  CoUoq.  Couviv.  fol.  30. 

makes  Esther  say  (Acte  II.  sc.  1)  to  Mordecai, —  It  is  said  that  Luther  modified  tliis  opinion. 
359 


INTRODTTCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER. 

of  them  have  characterized  it  as  a  fabulous  allegory,  engendered  by  the  arrogance  of  Judaism  \ 
Others  have  collected  together  those  incidents  in  it  which  they  deem  incredible,  and  even  impossible, 
and  then  they  have  pronounced  judgment  upon  it  as  unworthy  to  be  received  as  historically  true, 
and,  still  less,  as  divinely  inspired  ^.  Others  have  recognized  in  it  the  substance  of  an  historical 
groundwork,  but  have  also  expressed  an  opinion  that  this  groundwork  has  been  so  much  overlaid 
with  the  embellishments  of  fiction,  as  not  to  be  clearly  discernible  ^ 

Such  assertions  as  these  will  not  have  much  weight  with  those  who  have  clear  views  of  the 
fundamental  principles  on  which  a  belief  in  the  Truth  and  Inspiration  of  Holy  Scripture  rests. 

If  we  were  among  those  persons  who  receive  the  Canon  of  Scripture  on  the  grounds  of  a  mere 
subjective  criticism,  and  who  resolve  their  belief  in  its  Truth  and  Inspiration  into  what  they  call 
"  inner  consciousness,"  we  might  be  swayed  by  such  allegations  as  these  ;  but  this  is  not  the  case. 
We  receive  the  Old  Testament  as  true  and  inspired,  because  we  can  prove  that  Jesus  Christ  is  God, 
and  because  He  received  it  as  true  and  inspired,  and  has  commanded  us  to  receive  it  as  such  ■*. 

The  Book  of  Esther  is  an  integral  part  of  the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament ;  it  is,  and  ever  has 
been  regarded  with  special  veneration  by  the  Hebrew  Church,  to  which,  as  St.  Paul  expresses  it, 
"were  committed  the  Oracles  of  God'."  The  Jews  call  the  Book  of  Esther  by  an  honourable 
distinctive  appellation,  the  Megillah  ^  or  Roll,  and  read  the  whole  of  it  yearly  in  their  Synagogues, 
at  the  Feast  of  Purim. 

The  Son  of  God,  when  He  came  into  the  world,  recognized  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  in  the 
hands  of  the  Jews ''.  He  communicated  with  them  in  their  synagogues,  in  receiving  as  true  and  as 
divine  all  those  Books,  which  they  received  and  read  there  as  such.  The  Book  of  Esther  is  delivered 
to  us  as  a  true  history,  and  as  divinely  inspired  Scripture,  by  Jesus  Christ  Himself;  and  has  been 
received  as  such  from  His  hands  by  the  Universal  Church  of  God  ^. 

But,  while  we  assert  this  principle  as  irrefragable,  we  do  not  plead  it  as  any  bar  to  sound  and 
sober  criticism.  Rather,  we  gladly  hail  all  such  criticism,  because  we  feel  persuaded  that  it  will 
eventually  tend  to  strengthen  us  in  the  faith. 

So  it  is  here.  The  Book  of  Esther  has  been  subjected  to  the  test  of  a  most  scrutinizing 
examination,  and  has  come  forth  unscathed ;  or  rather,  is  now  manifested  with  more  strength  and 
beauty  than  before. 

This  is  not  the  place  for  analyzing  each  of  the  several  objections  that  have  been  alleged  against 
its  historical  veracity.  They  will  be  discussed  in  detail,  in  the  following  notes  upon  it.  They  have 
given  occasion  to  some  valuable  publications  in  vindication  of  this  book  ^  and  have  tended  greatly 
to  enhance  its  interest. 

One  general  remark  upon  these  objections  may  suffice  here.  Modern  Criticism  has  done  good 
service  to  this  Book  by  confirming  the  opinion  of  Joseph  Scaliger,  anticipated  by  the  Armenian 
Chronicon  of  Easehius  (p.  190,  ed  Yenet.  1818),  that  the  Ahasuerus  of  the  Book  of  Esther  is  the  Xerxes 
of  Herodotus  and  ^schylus '".  This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  this  Book.  It  brings 
Asia  into  contact  with  Greece,  and  combines  the  Oriental  scenery  of  the  beautiful  gardens  of  Susa 
with  the  stirring  conflicts  of  the  mountainous  and  woody  defile  of  Thermopylae,  and  of  the  blue  waters 
of  the  Gulf  of  Salarais.  In  this  Book  we  see  the  same  Monarch  sitting  on  his  royal  throne  in  his 
stately  solitude,  in  the  inner  court  of  his  palace  at  Susa,  who  is  pourtrayed  to  us  by  secular  history 
as  sitting  on  a  royal  throne,  to  witness  the  courageous  martyrdom  of  Leonidas  and  his  three  hundred 
Spartans,  and  viewing  the  victorious  prowess  of  Themistocles  and  his  Grecian  armament  at  Salamis, 
that  eventful  day  for  Greece,  Asia,  and  the  World,  when  the  Great  King  beheld  with  dismay  the 
total  rout  of  his  vast  armament,  and  rushed  away  in  consternation  from  his  silver-footed  throne 
on  the  Athenian  hill  of  ^galeos. 

But  this  is  not  all.  The  Book  of  Esther,  being  brought  fiice  to  face  with  secular  history, 
challenges  and  courts  comparison  with  it.  It  has  been  shown  with  triumphant  success  ",  that  this 
Book  evinces  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  manners  and  customs  of  Persia,  its  palace,  its  court, 

'  So  Sender,  Apparatus  ad  libcralem  V.  T.  Interpret,  p.  152.  ^  See  above,  Introd.  to  Part  I. 

2  So  Oeder,  Freie  Untersueh.  iiber  den  Canon  des  A.  T.  p.  12.  *  See  Carpzov,  Introd.  i.  366.     Natalis  Alexander,  iii.  675. 

Corrodi,  Beluucbt.  des  Bibel  Canons,  p.  64.  »  Let  me  specify  tbe  excellent  treatise  of  Baumgarten,  De 

»  So  Bichhorn,  Michaelis,  Oramberg,  Vatke,  Eivald,  Bleek,  fide  libri  Esthers  commentatio  historico-critica.     Halle,  1839 ; 

and  otbcrs :    and  in  our  own  country.  Dr.  Davidson,  Introd.  and  KamrnicVs  Einleitung,  publisbed  in    the    same  year  at 

ii.   162,   "has   said  the  basis  is  true,  but  a  good  part  of  the  Erlangen,  torn.  i'i.  pp.  328— 364;  and  Keil's  Einleitung,  1859, 

superstructure,  and  the  air  thrown  over  it,  are  fabulous."  §  151 ;  and  Lord  Arthur  Servey's  article  in  Bib.  Diet.  i.  584. 

*  See  above.  Introduction  to  Part  I.  of  the  present  work.  'o  See  below,  on  i.  1. 

*  Rom.  iii.  2.  i'  By  Baumgarten,   De  fide  libri  EstheriB  passim,  and  also 
«  See  Carpzov,  Introd.  ad  lib.  Bib.  V.  T.  i.  p.  351.  Savernick,  Einleit.  ii.  350—355. 

860 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER. 

its  council,  its  seraglio,  its  fiscal  and  postal  arrangements,  its  religious  superstitions,  its  palatial 
sumptuousness  and  splendour.  The  more  minutely  the  Book  is  examined,  the  more  faithful  will  the 
picture  be  found  to  be.  It  has  all  the  marks  of  having  been  drawn  by  an  eye-witness.  And  when 
we  have  accepted  the  opinion,  which  has  now  been  placed  beyond  all  doubt,  that  the  Ahasuerus  of 
this  Book  is  Xerxes  the  son  of  Darius,  then  those  things  which  at  first  staggered  and  perplexed  us 
become  arguments  in  its  favour. 

In  the  waywardness  and  voluptuousness  of  Ahasuerus,  in  his  arbitrary  despotism,  in  his  wanton 
cruelty,  in  his  fickle  caprice,  almost  bordering  on  frenzy,  yet  relieved  by  some  fitful  gleams  and 
glimpses  of  gratitude  and  good  nature,  we  recognize  at  once  the  features  of  Xerxes,  as  pourtrayed  by 
the  Greek  historians.  We  are  not  astonished  by  any  feat,  however  portentous,  of  Ahasuerus.  We 
do  not  compare  the  court  of  Persia  with  that  of  London  or  Paris ;  we  do  not  measure  its  king  by 
the  standard  of  common  men.  If  we  disbelieve  the  Book  of  Esther,  we  must  also  reject  Herodotus. 
Extravagances  here  are  evidences  of  truth,  paradoxes  become  probabilities.  Nothing  ought  to  seem 
strange  and  incredible  in  a  king  who  dictated  an  imperious  letter  to  Mount  Athos ',  v/ho  ordered 
three  hundred  stripes  to  be  inflicted  on  the  Hellespont,  which  had  dared  to  lift  up  its  waves  against 
him ;  and  who  condemned  his  Phoenician  mechanics  and  others, — the  builders  of  his  bridge  of  boats 
between  Sestos  and  Abydos, — to  be  beheaded,  because  the  storm  of  the  winds  and  surf  of  the  sea 
had  spoiled  their  work,  and  had  shattered  his  ships '. 

But  it  may  now  be  said, — 

Let  the  Book  of  Esther  be  received  as  a  true  history.  But  something  more  is  claimed  for  it. 
We  are  asked  to  acknowledge  it  as  a  portion  of  Holy  Scripture ;  as  dictated  by  divine  inspiration  ; 
and  as  given  to  us  for  "  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness,"  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  God. 

Here,  then,  we  are  brought  to  a  consideration  of  the  objections  against  it  which  have  been 
already  specified ;  the  low  tone  of  morality  and  religion  which  is  seen  in  its  principal  Jewish  actors, 
Mordecai  and  Esther ;  their  alleged  vindictive  spirit ;  the  lack  of  any  direct  reference  in  it  to  the 
divine  working ;  the  absence  of  the  Divine  Name  from  the  Book. 

As  to  the  first  of  these  allegations  be  it  observed,  that,  as  the  Sun  in  the  heavens  does  not  maJce 
the  objects  on  which  it  shines,  and  does  not  create  the  things,  however  unlovely  or  hideous,  which  it 
reveals  to  our  sight,  neither  does  Holy  Scripture  make  what  it  relates.  Let  the  tone  of  morality 
and  religion  of  Esther  and  Mordecai  be  as  low  as  is  generally  supposed,  let  their  deeds  be  as  cruel 
and  revengeful,  as  by  some  they  are  alleged  to  be ',  still  the  historian  is  not  responsible  for  the  acts 
which  are  described  in  his  history.  Indeed,  these  things,  as  far  as  they  are  seen  in  his  history,  are 
arguments  in  favour  of  his  veracity.  If  the  writer's  purpose  had  been  to  dress  up  a  picturesque 
story,  favourable  to  the  Jewish  Nation,  and  attractive  in  their  eyes,  his  style  would  not  have  been 
so  simple,  artless,  and  unaS'ected  as  it  is ;  it  would  have  been  more  ornate  and  florid ;  he  would 
have  pourtrayed  Esther  and  Mordecai  as  holy  and  devout  personages ;  he  would  have  represented 
them  like  Martyrs  and  Confessors,  pouring  out  devout  ejaculations  to  God  in  the  hour  of  their 
distress.  This  is  precisely  what  is  done  in  the  Apocryphal  Book  of  Esther  ■*,  and  in  the  Chaldee 
Targum  \  in  wliich  a  later  Judaism  sought  to  cast  an  air  of  religion  over  Esther  and  Mordecai,  and 
to  encircle  their  heads  with  a  halo  of  sanctity.  The  Name  of  God  would  not  have  been  absent  from 
the  history,  it  would  have  occurred  frequently,  it  would  have  been  emblazoned  in  bright  characters 
on  every  page  of  it. 

»  Plutarch  de  Anim.  Tranquill.  p.  470.  of  the  Council  of  Trent  (See  Natalis  Alexander,  iii.  675;  Sera- 

*  Herod,  vii.  35.  rius,  PrEedicenda  on  Esther,  §  iv.) ;  and  thus  by  the  mixing  up 
3  Without    adequate  reason;,  see  below,  on  k.  6—10.  12.       of  the  dross  with  the  ore,  the   sterling   book  of  Esther  was 

15,  16.  ^  ^  '  ^  deprived  of  a  strong  argument  in  its  favour.     The  bad  effects 

*  Which,  as  is  well  known,  is  not  found  as  a  whole  in  of  the  canonization,  by  the  Roman  Church,  of  the  Apocryphal 
Hebrew,  but  in  Greek  and  Latin  only.  The  interpolations  additions  to  the  book  of  Esther,  have  shown  themselves  in  the 
which  were  made  in  the  Greek  Version,  and  which  were  dis-  popular  estimate  of  Esther's  character  in  Roman  Catholic 
tinguished  by  S.  Jerome  from  those  parts  which  were  derived  literature ;  and  nowhere  more  conspicuously  than  in  Racine's 
from  the  Hebrew,  have  now  been  thrown  together  into  a  celebrated  drama  of  Esther,  acted  by  the  young  ladies  of 
heterogeneous  mass,  and  make  what  is  called  the  xth  (chapter  in  St.  Cyr  (the  character  of  King  Ahasuerus  himself  being  sus- 
part),  xith,  to  xvth  chapters,  S.  Jerome's  note  on  cap.  x.  3  is  tained  by  Mademoiselle  De  LaUy),  in  presence  of  Louis  XIV. 
as  follows:  "Quae  habentur  in  Sehrceo,  plena  fide  expressi;  and  King  James  II.  of  England,  in  1689.  There  Esther  is 
quae  autem  sequuntur,  scripta  reperi  in  editione  vulgata,  quae  represented  as  a  Hebrew  Saint  and  Confessor;  and  yet  with 
Graecorum  lingua  et  litteris  contincntur,  et  interim  post  finem  striking  inconsistency,  the  drama  closes  with  a  chorus  of 
libri  hoc  capitulum  ferebatur;  quod  juxta  consuetudinem  nos-  Hebrew  maidens  at  Susa,  who  are  hastening  to  show  their  love 
tram  veru,  id  est  obelo,  praenotavimus."  for  their  coimtry,  and  thankfulness  to  God,  by  returning  to 

Then  follow  the  Apocryphal  portions,  viz.   chaps,  x.  4 —       Judaea;  and  a  censure  is  thus  cast  by  implication  on  Queeu 
xvi.  inclusive.     Cp.  Bertheau,  Einleitung,  p.  280.  Esther  herself,  who  had  evinced  no  such  desire. 

Unhappily    these    Apocryphal    interpolations    were    pro-  '  See  Bertheau,  Einleitung,  p.  280. 

nounced  canonical  by  the  Church  of  Rome  in  the  4th  session 
361 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER. 

But  the  question,  it  will  be  said,  is  not  now  concerning  the  truth  of  the  historj^,  but  concerning 
its  inspiration. 

No  doubt  it  is ;  and  we  need  not  scruple  to  add,  that  these  very  characteristics,  to  which  we 
have  just  adverted,  are  proofs,  not  only  of  its  truth,  but  of  its  insjnration  also. 

And  here  we  come  to  consider  the  question,  whether  the  inspiration  of  the  Book  of  Esther  is  of 
a  low  degree,  and  whether  it  can,  or  can  not,  be  compared  with  the  inspiration  of  the  prophecies  of 
Isaiah,  or  the  Gospel  of  St  John  ? 

There  is  an  insjnration  in  silence.  There  are  signs  of  God's  presence  and  working  in  religious 
reserve ;  and,  as  St.  Ignatius  says,  they  who  understand  God's  Word,  are  intelligent  listeners  to  His 
quietness.  It  is  the  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  Divine  Inspiration,  to  perform  perfectly  those 
purposes  which  He  intends  to  perform.  He  regulates  His  action  with  deliberate  wisdom  according 
to  the  subject  with  which  He  has  to  deal,  and  the  characters  He  has  to  describe. 

If,  in  delineating  the  characters  of  Mordecai  and  Esther  at  the  Court  of  Ahasuerus,  the  writer 
had  acted  differently  from  what  he  has  done  in  the  Book  of  Esther,  i/  he  had  represented  Mordecai 
as  a  Saint,  breathing  out  devout  prayers  to  God,  all  the  while  when  he  was  sitting  as  a  courtier  at 
the  king's  gate,  and  while  he  was  counselling  his  cousin  Esther  how  to  demean  herself  in  the 
seraglio  of  Ahasuerus,  sui'ely  there  would  have  been  a  glaring  inconsistency  and  contradiction.  He 
would  then  have  produced  a  work,  which  some  indeed,  who  confine  their  criticism  to  words  and 
syllables,  might  have  thought  to  be  more  like  Isaiah  and  St.  John,  because  it  teemed  with  repetitions 
of  the  Divine  Name,  but  which  tvoulci  have  been  utterly  unlike  them  in  spirit,  and  would  have  been 
no  better  than  the  Apocr^^phal  Book,  or  Chaldee  Targum,  which  are  inscribed  with  Esther's  name, 
and  abound  with  frequent  repetitious  of  the  Name  of  God. 

The  writer  of  the  Book  of  Esther  was  inspired  to  do  perfectly  what  the  Holy  Spirit  intended  to 
be  done  by  his  means ;  and  this  intention  was  efiected  even  by  means  of  that  silence  and  reserve 
which  some  censure  as  a  defect,  but  which  is,  in  fact,  a  note  of  inspiration. 

Let  us  consider  how  this  appears.  For  this  purpose,  we  cannot  do  better  than  place  the  Book 
of  Esther,  by  way  of  contrast,  side  by  side  with  the  Books  of  Scripture  which  belong  to  the 
same  period  of  Hebrew  history,  the  Books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah. 

In  the  Book  of  Ezra  we  see  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua,  the  Prince  and  the  Priest,  after  the 
expiration  of  the  seventy  years  of  the  captivity,  listening  with  eager  joy  to  the  edict  of  Cyrus, 
and  hastening  to  quit  the  land  of  their  captivity,  and  carrying  back  the  sacred  vessels  of  the 
Temple,  and  leading  a  joyful  train  of  Jewish  exiles  to  their  home.  Thei/  were  not  ashamed  of 
their  faith.  They  were  worthy  followers  of  those  three  children  at  Babylon  who  had  chosen  to 
be  cast  into  the  fiery  furnace  rather  than  to  bow  down  before  the  golden  image  set  up  by  King 
Nebuchadnezzar  on  the  plain  of  Dura\  They  remembered  the  example  of  Daniel  at  the  Court 
of  Persia,  who  refused  to  omit  his  prayers  for  a  single  day,  though  he  knew  that  if  he  said  them 
he  would  be  cast  into  the  den  of  lions  ^  They  rejoiced  to  proclaim  themselves  Jews,  and  they 
were  "gathered  as  one  man  to  Jerusalem^."  They  set  up  an  altar  there,  and  kept  the  Feast 
of  Tabernacles,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the  Temple  with  shouting,  and  praised  the  Lord  *. 

Almighty  God  acknowledged  them  as  His  own  by  sending  to  them  the  Prophets  Haggai  and 
Zechariah  to  encourage  them ;  and  so  the  Temple  was  built  \ 

A  few  years  only  after  this  had  been  done,  Xerxes  succeeded  Darius  on  the  throne  of  Persia ; 
and  the  events  took  place  which  are  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Esther. 

The  first  six  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Ezra  relate  how  the  Jews  who  returned  to  Jerusalem 
confessed  God  by  word  and  deed ;  and  how  God  in  reply  acknowledged  and  blessed  them.  The 
Book  of  Esther  comes  in,  as  a  parenthesis,  between  the  first  portion  of  Ezra  and  the  latter  part " 
of  that  Book,' which  is  continued  in  its  natural  sequel,  the  Book  of  Nch'emiah.  There  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah,  the  priest  and  the  layman,  the  scribe  and  the  courtier,  are  displayed  to  us,  quitting 
the  palaces  of  Babylon  and  Susa  in  order  to  return  to  Jerusalem  and  build  up  its  ruined  walls. 
We  see  them  relinquishing  their  ease,  their  wealth,  their  hopes  of  preferment  from  the  King  of 
Persia,  Artaxerxes,  who  was  favourably  inclined  toward  them,  and  going  to  Jerusalem,  where  they 
encountered  dangers  innumerable  in  the  service  of  God  and  their  country.  We  see  that  holy 
priest,  Ezra,  and  that  devout  layman,  Nehemiah,  joined  together  in  a  happy  co-operation,  by  acts 
of  faith  and  piety,  and  of  self-sacrifice  for  God ;  and  in  pviblic  prayer  and  praise  to  Him,  and  in 

1  Daniel  iii.  16— 21.  2  Daniel  vi.  10.  s  Ezra  v.  1;  vi.  14, 

»  Ezra  iii.  1.  *  Ezra  iii.  11,  12.  o  Beffinning  with  the  seventh  chapter. 

362  a  o  f 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER. 

the  reading  and  hearing  of  God's  Holy  "Word ;  and  we  see  them  cheered  by  Him  with  visitations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Who  inspired  them  both,  and  with  the  stirring  tones  of  the  prophet 
Malachi. 

The  Book  of  Esther  has  a  niche  of  its  own  between  these  two  portions  of  Holy  Scripture', 
and  very  significant  it  is. 

Esther,  the  Queen  of  Ahasuerus,  and  Mordecai,  the  courtier  and  prime  minister  of  the  same 
sovereign,  are  contrasted  with  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua,  and  with  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  The  Jews 
who  lingered  in  Persia  with  Mordecai  and  Esther  are  contrasted  with  those  who  returned  to 
Jerusalem  with  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua,  and  with  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  Mordecai  and  Esther 
are  content  to  dwell  at  Susa,  and  seek  for  prosperity  there.  They  have  almost  something  of  the 
spirit  of  Lot's  wife  in  them.  To  them  the  edict  of  Cyrus  was  a  dead  letter.  They  seem  to  have 
no  longing  for  Sion.  They  prefer  the  courts  of  the  palace  of  Ahasuerus  to  those  of  the  Temple 
of  Jehovah.  They  almost  appear  to  forget  their  allegiance  to  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  seek 
for  preferment  at  the  hands  of  the  Xerxes  of  Greek  history.  No  wonder  that  their  spiritual  tone 
is  low ;  how  could  it  be  otherwise  ? 

The  Jews  who  would  not  avail  themselves  of  the  edict  of  Cyrus,  encouraging  them  to  return 
to  Jerusalem,  were  a  degenerate  race ;  and  their  descendants,  who  were  not  stirred  by  such  noble 
examples  as  those  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  became  more  and  more  acclimatized  in  the  heathen 
land  of  their  captivity.  They  were  like  the  degenerate  Roman  soldiers  of  Marcus  Crassus,  of 
whom  Horace  ^  speaks,  contented  to  dwell  together  with  barbarian  wives,  and  grow  old  in  tilling 
the  far-off  fields  of  Media,  forgetful  of  the  glories  of  the  Roman  name,  and  the  Roman  Capitol. 
The  character  of  such  Jews  was  "  of  the  earth  earthy ;"  and  it  must  needs  have  been  delineated  as 
such  by  an  honest  writer.  If  it  had  been  represented,  as  it  is  represented  in  the  Apocryphal 
Book  of  Esther  and  in  the  Chaldee  Targum,  it  might  have  been  more  attractive,  but  it  would 
have  been  less  true. 

Is  there  no  moral  in  this  ?  Is  there  nothing  here  "  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction, 
for  instruction  in  righteousness?"  Surely  there  is  much,  very  much.  By  the  Book  of  Esther 
the  Holy  Spirit  teaches  us,  that  if  we  loiter  in  Persia,  when  we  ought  to  return  to  Jerusalem, 
if  we  love  the  Courts  of  earthly  Princes  more  than  the  Church  of  the  Living  God,  if  we  prefer 
Earth  to  Heaven,  and  Time  to  Eternity,  then  our  moral  and  religious  tone  will  infallibly  decline 
and  decay.  It  teaches  us  more  than  this ;  it  teaches  us  that  God  is  to  Man,  as  Man  is  to  God ;  ; 
that  He  deals  with  men  as  they  deal  with  Him,  that  -He  treats  us  as  we  treat  Him,  that  He 
meets  us  half-way,  and  more  than  half-way.  As  the  Psalmist  says,  "  The  Lord  hath  recompensed 
me  according  to  my  righteousness.  With  the  merciful  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  merciful;  with 
an  upright  man  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  upright ;  with  the  pure  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  pure ; 
and  with  the  froward  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  froward  ^." 

If  men  are  ready  to  act  and  sufier  for  God,  as  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  were,  if  they  deem  it  a 
high  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  live  for  Him,  and  to  die  for  Him ;  to  confess  Him  boldly  before 
Kings,  in  Courts  and  Council  Chambers,  in  Palaces  and  Parliaments,  then  God  will  manifest 
Himself  to  them,  as  He  did  to  Ezra  and  Nehemiah ;  He  will  send  prophets  to  them,  as  He  sent 
Malachi  to  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  and  as  He  sent  Haggai  and  Zechariah  to  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua ; 
He  will  cheer  them  with  His  presence,  and  comfort  them  with  His  grace,  and  strengthen  them 
with  His  power.  But,  if  they  are  cowards,  and  worldlings  in  religion,  if  they  will  not  listen 
to  His  voice,  exhorting  them  to  leave  Susa  for  Sion,  if  they  seek  man's  favour  rather  than  God's, 
if  they  will  not  confess  Him  before  men,  but  are  ashamed  of  His  Holy  Name,  then  He  hides 
Himself  from  them.  Esther  and  Mordecai  did  not  join  together  in  calling  on  the  Name  of  God 
in  their  distress ;  but  Esther,  at  Mordecai's  bidding,  made  her  petition  to  King  Ahasuerus.  The 
King  is  revealed  sitting  on  his  throne,  with  his  golden  sceptre  in  his  hand.  But  God  is  not  made 
manifest,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  in  writing  this  history  does  not  even  mention  His  Name.  The 
silence  of  Man  finds  its  response  in  the  silence  of  God. 

But  because  God  is  invisible,  it  does  not  follow  that  God  is  inactive.  Because  He  is  silent 
He  is  not  asleep.  Whether  God  speaks,  or  holds  his  peace.  He  is  still  God.  As  it  was  said 
of  old  of  the  statues  of  two  great  men,  which  were  not  carried,  as  might  have  been  expected,  in  a 

1  viz.,  between  the  first  six  chapters  of  Ezra,  and  the  rest  of  ^  B.orat.  3  Carmin.  v.  5 — 

Ezra,  and  the  whole  of  Nehemiah.  «  Milesne  Crassi  conjuge  barbara 

Turpis  maritus  vixit,"  &c. 

3  Ps,  xviii.  24—26. 
363 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER 

solemn  procession,  "Eo  ipso  prwfuhjehant,  quia  non  visehantur^,"  so,  in  a  certain  sense,  the 
presence  of  God  is  more  visible  in  this  Book  of  Esther  even  because  it  is  not  proclaimed.  The 
very  absence  of  the  Divine  Name  sets  us  about  inquiring,  Why  it  is  absent  ?  It  excites  our 
curiosit}"-,  and  stimulates  examination.  What  is  the  reason  of  it  ?  The  reason  of  it  is,  because 
God's  revelations  of  Himself  are  proportioned  to  man's  acknowledgments  of  Him ;  they  are 
adjusted  to  man's  actions  by  a  nice  balance  and  delicate  equipoise.  So  it  is  in  the  Book  of  Esther. 
Mordecai  was  not  a  Martyr  or  a  Confessor,  but  yet  he  was  not  an  apostate  or  an  idolater.  He  did 
not  openly  confess  God,  but  he  withheld  from  Haman  that  reverence  which  he  thought  in  his 
conscience  to  be  due  to  Jehovah  alone.  His  religion  was  not  a  demonstrative  and  positive  one ; 
it  was  one  of  silence  and  negation ;  it  was  a  religion  of  stubborn  and  surly  protests,  rather  than  of 
courageous  professions.  Yet  God  did  not  overlook  even  that  modicum  of  religion.  He  did  not 
despise  the  day  of  small  things.  He  did  not  send  to  him  an  angel  Gabriel,  as  He  did  to  Daniel ; 
He  did  not  send  to  him  prophets,  as  He  did  to  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua ;  He  did  not  endue  him  with 
Divine  Inspiration,  as  he  did  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  God  dealt  with  him  as  He  had  dealt  with  the 
midwives  in  Egypt  ^  and  with  Ahab  on  his  external  signs  of  repentance  ^  and  with  Jehu  in  his 
acts  of  partial  obedience  ^,  He  gave  him  an  earthly  reward  and  a  temporal  deliverance. 

By  that  marvellous  temporal  deliverance  of  Mordecai,  and  of  Esther,  and  of  their  people, — 
a  deliverance  brought  about  by  no  violent  intervention  or  visible  shock,  but  with  quiet  and  noiseless 
power,  like  that  of  gravitation,  never  seen  but  ever  felt,  and  which  keeps  the  planets  in  their 
course, — God  teaches  us  in  this  Book,  that,  though  His  Presence  is  not  visible  and  even  His  Name 
is  unheard,  yet  He  is  ever  working  in  the  Government  of  the  world,  and  especially  in  the 
preservation  of  His  Church  \  "We  see  the  face  and  the  hands  of  the  earthly  dial,  but  we  do  not  see 
the  divine  main-spring,  which  rules  all. 

By  this  history,  in  which  the  Name  of  God  is  nowhere  seen,  but  the  ^corking  of  God  is  every 
where  apparent,  the  Holy  Spirit  applies  to  us  a  moral  test  and  spiritual  touchstone.  By  this 
reserve  He  tries  us,  whether  of  our  own  accord  we  will  acknowledge  God's  hand  or  no.  He  guides 
us  with  His  Eye,  as  the  Psalmist  says  (Ps.  xxxii.  9),  and  not  only  with  His  Voice.  Blessed  are 
they  whose  faith  is  endued  with  that  lucid  clearness  and  delicate  sensibility,  that  they  can  see 
God  when  no  sound  is  uttered  to  announce  His  approach. 

The  Book  of  Esther  has  also  another  special  use.  In  it  the  Holy  Spirit  teaches  us  by  that 
marvellous  deliverance  of  the  Jews  from  utter  destruction,  that  His  Divine  Eye  is  ever  upon  the 
Hebrew  People,  scattered  abroad  though  they  be,  and  though  unthankful  to  God ;  and  that  He  will 
one  day  gather  them  together. 

Thus  this  Book  of  Esther  is  a  prophecy,  and  speaks  comfort  to  Israel.  It  suggests  bright 
hopes  of  a  future  day  of  revival  and  restoration  to  the  Jews. 

It  is  a  prophecy  also  in  a  still  deeper  sense. 
.  As  the  Ancient  Christian  Church  percei  ed  °,  this  Book  of  Esther  is  so  composed  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  to  display,  to  the  keen  and  sensitive  eye  of  faith,  a  foreshadowing  of  the  most  glorious 
victory  and  greatest  deliverance  which  the  World  ever  has  seen  or  can  see,  the  victory  of  Jesus 
Christ  over  Satan  (the  spiritual  Haman),  by  means  of  His  Cross,  and  the  deliverance  of  His  Church 
from  the  power  of  the  Enemy. 

We  will  not  anticipate  here  what  will  be  more  fully  developed  in  the  following  notes  ;  we  will 
only  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  light  of  deliverance  shone  on  the  Jews  on  the  third  day '' ; 
and  that,  on  the  issuing  of  the  decree  on  the  Eve  of  the  Passover  for  the  destruction  of  Israel,  the 
Cross  ^,  which  Haman  had  erected  for  Mordecai,  became  the  occasion  of  Haman's  destruction,  and 
of  the  deliverance  of  the  Jews ;  and  in  like  manner  the  Cross,  which  Satan  set  up  for  Christ,  was 
made  the  instrument  of  Satan's  defeat  and  shame,  and  of  the  glory  and  victory  of  Christ  in  the 
redemption  of  the  World. 

There  are  minute  traits  and  touches  in  this  Book  which,  connect  it  with  the  history  of  Christ's 
Passion  and  Eesurrection,  and  with  the  World's  redemption  thereby.  Such  points  of  resemblance 
between  the  type  and  antitype  would  have  been  missed  by  a  secular  historian,  and  they  are 
silent  evidences  of  divine  guidance  in  the  composition. 

If  the  Book  of  Esther  is  read  in  the  light  of  the  Gospel,  its  inspiration  will  be  readily 

'  The  statues  of  Brutus  and  Cassius,  at  the  funeral  of  Junia,  ^  2  Kings  x.  30. 

wife  of  Cassius,  and  sister  of  Brutus.     Tacitus,  Aunales,  iii.  6.  '  Cp.  Archdeacon  Lee  on  Inspiration,  p.  441. 

*  See  above,  on  Exod.  i.  21.  *  See  below,  on  chap.  vii.  9,  10. 

'  See  above,  on  1  Kings  xxi.  29.  ^  See  note  on  v.  1.  ^  See  note  on  iii.  12. 

364 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER. 

acknowleclgccl.     It  will  bo  seen,  by  the  careful  and  devout  reader,  to  be  not  only  a  true  historj', 
but  a  divine  prophecy  of  Christ  and  His  Church. 

Let  it  also  not  be  forgotten,  that  if  there  is  any  one  Book  in  the  Old  Testament  which  shows 
in  the  clearest  lijrht  the  need  which  the  World  had  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God  and  the 
blessings  it  has  thence  derived,  it  is  the  Book  of  Esther. 

Look  at  the  moral  condition  of  Persia, — one  of  the  most  celebrated  nations  of  antiquity, — as 
displayed  in  this  Book.  Look  at  the  degradation  to  which  Womanhood  was  reduced,— even  Hebrew- 
Womanhood, — in  that  Nation.  Surely  it  was  a  worthy  purpose  for  the  Holy  Spirit  to  reveal  to  us 
the  arbitrary  tyranny  of  the  Court  of  Susa,  and  the  voluptuous  sensuality  of  its  Seraglio,  in  order 
to  teach  us  by  that  awful  lesson  what  Man  is,  and  what  Woman  may  be,  and  is,  and  ever  will  be, 
iritltout  the  Gospel  of  Christ ' ;  and  also  to  remind  us,— and  we  surely  need  to  be  now  reminded, — what 
benefits  the  world  has  received  from  the  abolition  of  Polygamy,  and  from  the  elevation  of  Woman, 
and  from  the  consecration  of  Marriage  by  the  Incarnation  of  Christ,  the  promised  Seed  of  the 
AYoman,  Who  has  joined  the  Church,  His  Bride,  in  mystical  Wedlock  to  Himself. 

The  woes  which  came  like  a  flood  upon  Persia, — woes  arrested  for  a  time  by  the  pious  zeal  of 
the  son  and  successor  of  Xerxes,  Artaxerxes,  for  the  City  of  God,  whose  reign  was  mercifully 
prolonged  for  forty  years, — are  justified  by  what  is  revealed  to  us  in  the  Book  of  Esther,  which 
suggests  to  us  the  question.  What  would  have  become  of  human  civilization,  if  Ahasuerus  had  been 
victorious  at  Salamis,  and  if  God  had  not  crushed  the  pride  of  Persia  by  the  arms  of  Athens  and 
Sparta,  and  afterwards  by  the  conquests  of  Alexander  the  Great  of  Macedon,  and  paved  the 
way,  by  the  diffusion  of  the  literature  of  Greece,  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world  by 
Christianity  ^. 

The  deliverance  of  the  Jews  throughout  the  vast  Empire  of  the  East  by  the  intervention  of 
God's  Providence,  was  a  marvellous  deliverance.  The  Sacred  Writer  of  this  Book  does  not  mention 
God's  name,  in  describing  it,  but  the  hand  of  God  is  clearly  visible  in  every  line  of  the  record. 
And  by  this  silence  he  teaches  us  to  interpret  what  is  sometimes  called  profane  history.  All  history 
is  sacred;  for  God's  footsteps  are  visible  in  it.  And  the  Book  of  Esther,  which  is  a  Book  of 
divinely  inspired  Scripture,  and  which  describes  the  providential  deliverance  of  the  Jewish  Nation 
in  the  East,  in  the  reign  of  Xerxes,  without  any  mention  of  God's  name,  may  teach  us  hoiv  to  read 
the  history  of  Herodotus,  especially  the  narrative  of  the  providential  deliverance  of  the  World 
in  the  West  from  the  myriads  of  Xerxes,  and  from  the  despotism  and  profligacy  of  the  East. 

The  whole  World  may  well  celebrate  a  feast  of  Purim  for  the  victories  of  Salamis. 

The  Book  of  Esther  may  suggest  to  us  the  important  truth,  that  profane  history,  as  it  is 
called,  although  it  does  not  bear  the  name  of  God  on  its  surface,  yet  it  is  a  record  of  His  working, 
and  ought  to  be  read  with  the  eye  of  the  heart  steadily  fixed  upon  Him  ^. 

With  regard  to  the  Authorship  of  this  Book  nothing  can  be  affirmed  with  certainty.  From 
the  style  and  language  of  it,  and  from  its  internal  evidence,  we  may  infer  that  it  was  composed  by 
a  writer  who  lived  in  Persia,  and  was  intimately  acquainted  with  what  ^e  describes  ■* ;  and  this 
person  was  a  holy  man  divinely  guided  and  inspired  to  write  it.  It  has  been  attributed  by  some 
learned  waiters  to  Mordecai ;  but  the  characteristics  above  specified  seem  rather  to  point  to  Ezra ; 
and  it  is  observable  that  the  Book  of  Esther  falls,  with  singular  fitness  and  propriety,  into  the 
interval  between  the  two  distinct  portions  of  the  Book  of  Ezra  \     The  Book  of  Esther  is  an  episode 

'  For  a  description  of  the  moral  condition  of  the  Court  and  of  ns  have  been  accustomed  to  suppose  ?     Cp.  notes  above,  on 

Empire  of  Persia  at  this  time,  the  reader  may  refer  to  Dr.  Ezta  vii.  24,  25,  and  Introduction  to  that  book,  p.  300. 

Fusey's  Lectures  on  Daniel,  pp.  134,  135.  *  Cp.  Keil,  Einleitung,  pp.  473,  474,  who  places  it  in  the  age 

2  See  above,  Introd.  on  Acts,  pp.  9,  10.  of  Ezra;  and  so  Hdvernick,  Einleitung,  ii.  361,  364;  and  Dr. 

'  This  is  not  the  place  for  enlarging  upon  the  prophecies  of  Pusey  (Lectures  on  Daniel,  p.  328),  who  thus  speaks;  "The 

Daniel  in  their  relation  to  Persia  and  Greece.     But  every  one  Book  of  Esther  marks  itself  to  have  been  written  by  a  contem- 

who  remembers  the  position  that  Daniel  held  in  the  Court  of  porary.     With  this  agrees  the  very  accurate  yet  simple  descrip- 

Persia  (see  Daniel  vi.  1 — 3.  28),  and  tliat  Cyrus  was  acquainted  tion  of  Persian  customs,  entering  natur.illy  into  minute  details ; 

in  all  probability  through  his   means  with  the  prophecies  of  its    exact   yet    incidental    agreement  with   the   chronology  of 

Isaiah  and  Jeremiah,  and  that  Cyrus  acted  on  that  knowledge  the  reign  of  Ahasuerus  (in  Greek  Xerxes) ;  the  touching  traits 

(see  above,  on  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23.     Ezra  i.  1—4),  will  have  of  her  relation  to  her  uncle  Mordecai.     The  difficulties  alleged 

no  difficulty  in  believing  that  the  prophecies  of  Dauiel  himself  are  but  illustrations  of  its  accuracy.     Ending,  as  it  does,  ^n  ith 

(the  Prime  Minister  of  Persia)  concerning  Persia  and  Greece  the  elevation  of  Mordecai,  and  appealing  for  lurther  accounts  to 

(see  Daniel  viii.  3 — 8.  20)  were  not  unknown  to  Darius  Hystas-  the  Chronicles  of  Media  and  Persia,  it  was  very  probably  written 

pes,   and  to  Xerxes  his  son.     Is  it  an    improbable  conjecture,  by  Mordecai  himself;  and  it  would  be  an  unmarked  coincidence, 

thac  the  invasion  of  Greece  first  by  the  armies  of  Darius,  and  that  the  historical  books  of  the  times  in  or  after  the  captivity, 

then  by  Xerxes  in  person,  were  due,  among  other  causes,  to  a  the  historical  parts  of  Daniel,  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  Esther,  weie 

desire  to  crush  the  rising  power  of  Greece,  and  to  avert  tho  written  by  those  concerned  in  them.     The  Book  of  Esther  does 

portended  invasion  of  Persia,  at  least  in  their  days,  by  the  force  not  imply  that  it  was  written  by  Mordecai,  but  it  does  that  it 

of  Greece  ?     May  not  the  battles  of  Marathon  and  Salamis  be  was  written  very  shortly  after  the  events." 

more  nearly  connected  with  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  than  'wme  *  Sec  above,  Prelim.  Note  to  Esther  viu 
365 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  ESTHER. 

to  the  Book  of  Ezra,  and  has  been  ascribed  to  Ezra  by  some  early  Christian  writers ' ;  and  if 
we  were  required  to  specify  one  name  rather  than  another,  this  opinion  may  perhaps  seem  on 
the  whole  to  be  the  best  entitled  to  acceptance. 

The  Book  of  Esther  has  been  commented  on  by  a  large  number  of  Jewish  Expositors ' ;  among 
Christian  Interpreters  may  be  mentioned  Bonartius,  Makenda,  Hugo  de  S.  Caro,  Sanctiiis,  Serarius, 
A  Lapide,  Lamter,  Le  Clerc,  Bp.  Patrick,  and  Bertheau,  Leipz.,  1862.  The  valuable  work  of 
Baimgarten,  de  fide  libri  Estherse,  Halae,  1839,  has  been  already  noticed. 

1  S.  Augustine,  de  Civ.  Dei,  xviii.  36,  but  Lis  language  there       Origines,  vi.  2 :  cp.  Carpzov,  Intr.  i.  360. 
is  not  decisive.     Epiphanius,  de  Ponderibus,  c.  4.    Isidorus,  ^  Wliose  names  may  be  seen  m  Carpzov,  i.  375. 


360 


THE  BOOK   OF   ESTHEE. 


Ezra  4.  6. 
Dan.  9.  1. 


I.  ^  NOW  it  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  ^  Ahasuerus,  (this  is  Ahasuerus  d, 
^^'hich  reigned,  ''from  India  even  unto  Ethiopia,  ""over  an  hundred  and  seven  and  cDan^'e^i. 
twenty  provinces  :)  '^  That  in  those  days,  when  the  king  Ahasuerus  ^  sat  on  the  ^  i  Kings  i.4fi. 
throne  of  his  kingdom,  which  teas  in  ^  Shushan  the  palace,  ^In  the  third  year  ^Neh.  i.i. 


Ch.  I.  1.  Aliasxerus']  i.e.  Xerxes,  whose  expedition  iuto 
Greece,  and  ignominious  defeat  at  Salamis,  in  the  autumn  of 
the  year  B.C.  4S0,  is  well  known,  from  the  history  of  Herodotus 
(vii.  1 — 139 ;  viii.  1 — 90),  and  from  the  drama,  entitled,  "  The 
Persre"  of  the  Athenian  poet,  ^schyliis.  Xerxes  had  suc- 
ceeded his  flither,  Darius,  in  the  throne  of  Persia,  in  the 
beginning  of  B.C.  485,  and,  after  a  reign  of  twenty  years  and  a 
half,  he  was  slain  at  night  in  his  bed-chamber  by  the  chief  of  his 
body-guard,  Artabanus,  who  conspired  with  his  chamberlain, 
Mithridates,  and  was  succeeded,  after  an  interregnum  of  about 
seven  months,  by  his  son,  Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  whose  good 
deeds  to  Jerusalem  have  been  recorded  in  the  books  of  Ezra 
and  Nehemiah,  and  who  reigned  forty  years  {Ussher,  Ann. 
p.  105  ;    Clinfon,  Fasti,  ii.  31 1). 

That  Ahasuerus  is  Xerxes,  may  be  inferred  from  the 
following  considerations  :  — 

(1)  The  Ahasuerus  of  this  book  is  a  Persian  King,  who 
resides  at  Shushan  (or  Susa,  i.  5 ;  iii.  15 ;  iv.  8 ;  and  passim), 
the  capital  of  the  Persian  empire.  Among  the  Kings  of  Persia 
Xerxes  corresponds  in  time  with  Ahasuerus.  Xerxes  came  to 
the  throne,  B.C.  485.  Ahasuerus  made  Mordecai  his  prime 
minister  after  the  death  of  Haman  (viii.  1).  Mordecai  was 
either  the  uncle  or  cousin  of  Esther  (ii.  7),  and  he  stood  in  the 
third  generation  after  the  captivity  of  Jecouiah,  King  of 
Jerusalem  (ii.  5),  which  took  place,  B.C.  597,  about  112  years 
before  the  accession  of  Xerxes.  A  generation  may  be  reckoned 
at  rather  more  than  thirty  years,  and  therefore  Mordecai  would 
thus  be  a  contemporary  of  Xerxes,  and  Esther,  who  was  younger 
than  Mordecai  (ii.  7),  would  be  of  a  suitable  age  to  become  his 
Queen. 

(2)  In  his  temper  and  actions,  the  Ahasuerus  of  the  Book 
of  Esther  closely  resembles  Xerxes,  as  pourtrayedto  us  in  history. 
In  both  there  are  the  same  characteristics  of  wayward  caprice, 
uncontrolled  passion,  and  fitful  violence,  almost  amounting  to 
furious  phrenzy ;  of  arbitrary  wilfulness,  and  despotic  tj-ranny  ; 
of  reckless  and  ruthless  cruelty,  not  uumingled  with  some  lucid 
intervals  of  kindness  and  generosity.  There  are  the  same  traits 
of  voluptuous  sensuality,  combined  with  boundless  prodigality,, 
and  proud  ostentation  of  power  and  dominion,  and  with  the 
brilliant  and  gorgeous  display  of  Oriental  magnificence.  See 
Herod,  vii.  34,  35.  44.  105.  136 ;  ix.  107 ;  Juvenal,  x.  180 ; 
Baumr/arten,  p.  135 ;  Kitto,  Bib.  Illust.  p.  439. 

(3)  There  is  also  a  similarity  in  the  names  of  the  two 
sovereigns.  This  has  been  shown  by  Heeren,  Gesenius,  Grote- 
fsnd,  and  especially  by  those  who  have  recently  examined  the 
cuneiform  inscriptions  {ChampolUon,  Lassen,  Benfey,  and 
Spietjel).  The  Hebrew  name  of  Ahasuerus  is  A-chash-verosh. 
The  initial  A  is  an  affix,  and  the  other  syllables  are  a  Hebrew 
modification  of  the  Persian  name  Ksayarsa,  which  occurs 
frequently  in  the  extant  cuneiform  inscriptions  of  Xerxes.  See 
the  collection  of  them  in  Spiegel,  Die  alt-Persischen  Keil- 
Inschriften  :  Leipzig,  1862,  pp.  51—63.  Cp.  Lassen,  Keil- 
Inschriften,  p.  33  ;  and  Fuerst,  p.  66.  Cp.  above,  on  Ezra 
iv.  6;  and  see  Baumgarten,  De  fide  Esthera3,  131—135. 
This  Persian  name,  Ksayarsa,  was  Grajcised  into  Xerxes.  In 
the  Syriac  Version  here  he  is  called  Ach-shirash,  the  son  of 
Ach-sherash. 

(4)  Other  points  of  resemblance  between  Ahasuerus  and 
367 


Xei'xes  will  be  pointed  out  in  the  following  notes ;  and  it  seems 
scarcely  possible  for  any  one  to  doubt  their  identity,  after  what 
has  been  said  on  this  subject  by  Scaliger  (de  Emend.  Temper, 
p.  483  ;  ad  Eusehii  Chronicon,  p.  1011),  and  by  others,  such  as 
Drusius,  Junius,  Pfeiffer  (Dubia,  p.  256),  Bp.  Hall,  Carpzov, 
Bengel,  Jahn,  Rosenmiiller,  Gesenius,  Justi,  Herzfeld,  Winer, 
Baumgarten,  HdvernicTc,  Keil,  Dr.  Kitto,  Bertheau,  Lord 
Arthur  Hervey,  Dr.  Davidson,  Bp.  Cotton,  Dr.  W.  Smith, 
Dr.  Pusey  (on  Daniel,  328),  who  all  agree  in  this  conclusion, 
that  the  Ahasuerus  of  the  Book  of  Esther  is  the  Xerxes  of 
Herodotus  and  Jischylus. 

It  has  been  urged  by  some  critics  (as  Hengstenherg, 
Kriiger,  and  others),  that  Ahasuerus  cannot  be  Xerxes,  because 
the  twelfth  year  of  Ahasuerus  is  mentioned  in  this  book  (iii.  7), 
and  events  happening  after  that  year  are  narrated  as  occurring 
in  his  reign,  whereas  Xerxes  reigned  only  eleven  years,  as 
Ussher  and  other  chronologers  have  supposed.  But  this 
objection  has  been  removed  by  the  establishment  of  a  counter 
opinion,  viz.  that  the  reign  of  Xerxes  extended  to  tiventy-one  years. 
See  Diodorus,  xi.  69;  Wesseling ;  Clinton,  Fasti  Hellenici,  ii. 
314;  Herzfeld,  Geschichte,  ii.  397. 

—  this  is  Ahasuerus']  The  author  thus  distinguishes  this 
Ahasuerus  from  others  who  bore  the  same  name.  Ahasuerus, 
(as  has  been  before  observed,  Ezra  iv.  6),  was  an  official  name 
of  Persian  Kings. 

—  India]  Heb.  Hoddu,  from  Syriac,  Honedu  {Gesen.  216). 
In  the  cuneiform  inscriptions,  the  country  on  the  banks  of  the 
Indus  is  called  Hindu  {Spiegel,  222),  whence  Hindustan. 

—  even  unto  Ethiopia,  over  an  hundred  and  seven  and 
twenty  provinces']  In  the  Book  of  Daniel  (vi.  1)  it  is  said, 
that  Darius  the  Mede  set  120  princes  over  his  provinces.  The 
twenty  satrapies  oi  Herodotus  (iii.  89)  are  different  in  character 
from  the  provinces  (medinoth)  here  mentioned,  and  describtf 
nations  rather  than  districts  (Heeren,  Rosenmiiller,  Baum- 
garten). Herodotus  himself  speaks  of  the  Lidians  and  Ethio- 
pians as  being  tributary  to  the  King  of  Persia  (iii.  97,  98.  Cp. 
iv.  44 ;  vii.  9.  15.  69).  See  also  the  speech  of  Xerxes  on  the 
size  of  his  ovm  dominions,  which  he  boasts  to  be  co-extensive 
with  the  heavens  (vii.  8).  Cp.  Hdverniolc,  Einleit.  ii.  341; 
Dr.  Pusey,  Lect.  on  Daniel,  410 — 414. 

In  extant  cuneiform  inscriptions,  Ahasuerus  (i.  e.  Xerxes) 
thus  speaks  of  himself: — 

"  I,  Ksayars "  (or,  Ksayarsa  =  Xerxes),  "  the  King  of 
Kings,  King  of  the  Provinces,  which  consist  of  many  nations. 
King  of  this  great  Earth  far  away,  son  of  King  Darius,  the 
Achajmenid ;  thus  saith  Ksayursur,  the  Great  King,  by  the 
favour  of  Auramazdas,  I  have  built  this  building.  I  am 
Ksayarsa,  the  Great  King,  the  King  of  Kings,  the  King  of  the 
lands,  which  consist  of  many  races."  See  Spiegel,  pp.  59. 
61.  63. 

The  word  medinah,  here  used  to  describe  a  province,  pro- 
perly signifies  a  judicial  district,  within  which  the  Satrap,  who 
was  entrusted  with  the  charge  of  it,  exercised  jurisdiction  : 
the  word  is  connected  with  din,  judgment,  dan,  judge,  &c. 
(Gesen.  451.) 

2.  in  Shushan]  Susa,  the  Persian  capital.  See  Neh.  i.  1 ; 
and  described  as  the  residence  of  Xerxes  by  Herodotus,  vii.  6. 
135,  136;  ix.  107;  Mschylus,  Pers.  15.  124.  563. 


The  feast  of  Ahastierus 


ESTHER  I.  4—10. 


at  Shushan. 


f  Gen.  40.  20. 
ch.  2.  18. 
Mark  6.  21. 


t  neb./uiiKU. 


II  Or,  violet. 

g  See  ch.  7.  8. 
Kzek.  23.  41. 
Amos  2.  8.  & 
6.  4. 

II Or,  of  porphyre, 

and  marble,  and 

alabaster,  and 

stiine  of  blue 

coliiur. 

+  Heb.  wine  of 

the  kingdom. 

i  Heb.  according 

to  llie  hand  of 

the  king. 


h  2  Sam.  13.  28. 

i  ch.  7.  9. 

U  Or,  eunuchs. 


of  his  reign,  he  ^  made  a  feast  unto  all  his  princes  and  his  servants ;  the  power 
of  Persia  and  Media,  the  nohles  and  princes  of  the  provinces,  being  before  him  : 
^  When  he  shewed  the  riches  of  his  glorious  kingdom  and  the  honour  of  his 
excellent  majesty  many  days,  even  an  hundred  and  fourscore  days. 

^Aud  when  these  days  were  expired,  the  king  made  a  feast  unto  all  the 
people  that  were  f  present  in  Shushan  the  palace,  both  unto  great  and  small, 
seven  days,  in  the  court  of  the  garden  of  the  king's  palace ;  -^  Where  ivere  white, 
green,  and  ||  blue,  hangings,  fastened  with  cords  of  fine  linen  and  purple  to  silver 
rings  and  pillars  of  marble  :  ^  the  beds  ivere  of  gold  and  silver,  upon  a  pavement 
II  of  red,  and  blue,  and  white,  and  black,  marble.  ^  And  they  gave  them  drink 
in  vessels  of  gold,  (the  vessels  being  diverse  one  from  another,)  and  f  royal 
wine  in  abundance,  f  according  to  the  state  of  the  king.  ^  And  the  drinking 
was  according  to  the  law ;  none  did  compel :  for  so  the  king  had  appointed 
to  all  the  officers  of  his  house,  that  they  should  do  according  to  every  man's 
pleasure.  ^  Also  Vashti  the  queen  made  a  feast  for  the  women  in  the  royal 
house  which  belonged  to  king  Ahasuerus. 

1°  On  the  seventh  day,  when  ''  the  heart  of  the  king  was  merry  with  wine,  he 
commanded  Mehuman,  Biztha,  '  Harbona,  Bigtha,  and  Abagtha,  Zethar,  and 
Carcas,  the  seven  ||  chamberlains  that  served  in  the  presence  of  Ahasuerus  the 


The  Feast  at  Susa. 

3.  In  the  third  year  of  his  reign,  he  made  a  feast  unto  all 
his  princes']  In  the  third  year  of  his  reign,  Xerxes  (as  Diodorus 
Siculus  states,  xi.  2)  was  engaged  in  making  preparations  for 
his  expedition  against  Greece,  and  gathered  together  his  princes, 
in  order  to  take  counsel  with  them  on  that  expedition,  and  he 
then  promised  to  reward  those  princes  who  should  bring  the 
best  forces  into  the  field  (Herod,  vii.  8.  Cp.  Diod.  Sic.  xi.  2 ; 
Baumg.  138).  It  was  the  custom  of  the  Persians  to  combine 
great  councils  with  great  festivities  {Herod,  i.  133 ;  Straho,  xv. 
p.  329 ;  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  229) ;  and  Consequently  there  is 
good  reason  for  believing  that  this  great  festival  of  AhasUerus, 
at  Susa,  was  held  on  the  occasion  of  the  projected  invasion  of 
Greece.  Cp.  HdvernicTc,  Eiuleit.  ii.  340.  We  have  a  parallel 
instance  in  the  history  of  Nabuchodouosor,  who  feasted  his 
army  120  days  at  Nineveh  (Jud.  i.  16). 

It  had  been  long  ago  suggested  by  Bp.  Hall,  that  this 
feast  of  Ahasuerus  (or  Xerxes)  at  Susa  was  held  partly  in 
triumphal  joy  "  for  the  great  victories  which  Xerxes  had  lately 
won  in  Egypt,  and  partly  for  the  animation  of  his  princes  and 
soldiers  to  future  exploits  in  Greece."  And  as  that  campaign 
was  preceded  by  muster  of  troops,  as  well  as  by  deliberations 
on  the  plan  of  the  expedition,  we  recognize  there  a  reason  for 
a  statement,  which  otherwise  might  seem  unaccountable  (and 
which  has  been  rejected  by  some  critics  as  fabulous),  the  pro- 
longation of  the  festival  of  Ahasuerus  for  so  long  a  time  as  a 
hundred  and  fourscore  days  {v.  4) ;  and  we  see  also  how 
appropriate  on  such  an  occasion,  when  such  vast  forces  were 
gathered  together,  would  be  the  words  of  the  sacred  writer, — 
"He  showed  the  riches  of  his  glorious  kingdom,  and  the 
honotir  of  his  excellent  majesty." 

The  reader  may  be  reminded  of  the  magnificent  spectacle 
of  the  riches  of  this  glorious  kingdom,  and  excellent  majesty, 
which  was  displayed  to  the  eyes  of  Xerxes,  when  he  con- 
templated his  collected  forces  at  Abydos,  in  Lis  march  to 
Greece  (Herod,  vii.  44,  45 ;   Val.  Max.  ix.  13). 

The  person  of  Xerxes  himself  was  distinguished  by  the 
majestic  dignity  and  beauty  of  his  stature  (Herod,  vii.  187). 
He  was  now  in  the  flower  of  youth  (^schyl.,  Pers.  13.  741. 
779  :  Eeps''?^'  */'^^s  iraiy,  iiv  v4os  cppovei  via). 

—  nobles']  Heb.  partemini,  a  Persian  word,  which  signifies 
first,  or  principal  (Gesew.  694) ;  Sanscrit,  prathama ;  Greek, 
vpSiroi,  TrpaTos  (Haumg.  98). 

6.  in  the  court  of  the  garden]  The  custom  of  banqueting  in 
parks,  or  paradises,  and  gardens,  is  common  to  this  day  in 
Persia  (Dereser,  Havernick).  This  mention  of  the  garden 
seems  to  show  that  this  festival  took  place  in  the  earlier  part  of 
the  year. 
368 


6.  fine  linen]  Heb.  carpas :  whence  Gr.  /capirocros ;  and 
Lat.  carbasus  ;  Sanscrit  kari^dsa  (Oesen.  416). 

—  the  beds  were  of  gold  and  silver]  The  gold  and  silver 
beds  of  the  Persian  army  of  Xerxes  are  mentioned  by  Herodotus 
(ix.  82),  and  the  variegated  hangings,  and  the  golden  and  silver 
tables,  as  exciting  the  wonder  of  Pausanias.  Cp.  Athenceus, 
ii.  31;  Plutarch,  Pelop.  c.  30,  where  the  splendid  accoutre- 
ments of  the  Persian  couches  are  described.  The  effeminacy  of 
the  Persians  in  those  respects  gave  occasion  to  the  Athenian 
Dramatist,  Phrynichus,  to  begin  his  play,  "The  PhoinissfB," 
which  was  the  model  of  the  Persse  of  Jischylus,  with  a  sceno 
in  which  he  introduced  Persian  attendants  strewing  the  seats 
of  Persian  nobles  with  tapestry.  See  the  Greek  "  Argument," 
prefixed  to  the  Persaj  of  jEschylus. 

—  red,  and  blue]  Rather,  green,  malachite,  or  serpentine 
(Bertheau,  p.  296.     Cp.  Gesen.  105). 

—  u'hite]  Properly  pearl-coloured  (Gesen). 

7.  in  vessels  of  gold]  For  this  vast  multitude.  The  immense 
quantity  of  gold  belonging  to  the  Kings  of  Persia,  became 
proverbial  (Q.  Curt.  iii.  13  j  v.  6).  ^schylus  (Pers.  3)  gives  to 
Susa  the  epithets  noXvxpvcros.     Cp.  ibid.  9.  80.  161. 

—  royal  loine]  Perhaps  chalybonian,  which  was  called  the 
wine  of  the  Persian  Kings.  Cp.  Ezek.  xxvii.18.  Slrabo,  xv. 
p.  330;  Athen.  i.  51. 

—  according  to  the  state]  Literally,  according  to  the  hand. 
Cp.  1  Kings  X.  13.     Neh.  ii.  18. 

8.  none  did  compel]  As  was  sometimes  the  custom  among 
the  Persians  and  their  imitators.  See  Baumg.  p.  12.  But 
now  that  Ahasuerus  (i.  e.  Xerxes)  had  invited  princes  of  all 
his  provinces,  he  respected  their  national  habits,  and  did  not 
forget  that  some  of  the  mountaineer  Persian  tribes,  which  re- 
tained the  simplicity  and  strictness  of  their  ancient  customs, 
were  famous  for  their  temperance  (Xenophon,  Cyrop.  i.  2.  16 ; 
Ammian.  Marcellin.  xxiii.  6). 

9.  'Vashti  the  queen]  Though  the  Persian  sovereigns  had  a 
large  number  of  wives  and  concubines,  yet  one  was  supreme 
over  the  rest,  and  often  exercised  great  power  in  affairs  of 
state,  as  Atossa,  the  Queen  of  Darius,  and  mother  of  Xerxes 
(Herod,  iii.  134;  vii.  7;  Mschyl.,  Pers.  158—160;  Ctesias, 
Persic,  ed.  Bahr.  p.  127  ;  Athenceus,  xiii.).  The  children  of 
the  concubines  were  not  admissible  to  the  throne.  Cp.  Brisson, 
de  Imperio  Persarum,  i.  106.  110.  157;  Bdhr,  ad  Ctesiam, 
152.178;  Baiimg.  123). 

10.  Mehuman— Carcas]  The  exact  specification  of  the  names 
of  the  chamberlains  here,  and  of  the  names  of  tlie  seven  coun- 
sellors (v.  14),  and  other  minute  details  throughout  this  book, 
show  that  the  author  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  subject 
on  which  he  writes. 

—  seven  chamberlains]  The  number  seven  was  a  favourite 


Vashfd  degraded. 


ESTHER  I.  11—22. 


The  royal  decree. 


king,  ''  To  bring  Vasliti  the  queen  before  the  king  with  the  crown  royal,  to 
shew  the  people  and  the  princes  her  beauty :  for  she  was  -f  fair  to  look  on. 
^2  But  the  queen  Vashti  refused  to  come  at  the  king's  commandment  f  by  his 
chamberlains  :  therefore  was  the  king  very  wroth,  and  his  anger  burned  in 
him. 

^^  Then  the  king  said  to  the  ^  wise  men,  '  which  knew  the  times,  (for  so  was 
the  king's  manner  toward  all  that  knew  law  and  judgment :  ^'*  And  the  next 
unto  him  was  Carshena,  Shethar,  Admatha,  Tarshish,  Meres,  Marsena,  and 
Memucan,  the  ""  seven  princes  of  Persia  and  Media,  "  which  saw  the  king's 
face,  and  which  sat  the  first  in  the  kingdom ;)  ^^  f  What  shall  we  do  unto  the 
queen  Vashti  according  to  law,  because  she  hath  not  performed  the  command- 
ment of  the  king  Ahasuerus  by  the  chamberlains  ? 

^^  And  Memucan  answered  before  the  king  and  the  princes,  Vashti  the  queen 
hath  not  done  wrong  to  the  king  only,  but  also  to  all  the  princes,  and  to  all 
the  people  that  are  in  all  the  provinces  of  the  king  Ahasuerus.  ^''For  this  deed 
of  the  queen  shall  come  abroad  unto  all  women,  so  that  they  shall  °  despise 
their  husbands  in  their  eyes,  when  it  shall  be  reported.  The  king  Ahasuerus 
commanded  Vashti  the  queen  to  be  brought  in  before  him,  but  she  came  not. 
^^Lihewise  shall  the  ladies  of  Persia  and  Media  say  this  day  unto  all  the  king's 
princes,  which  have  heard  of  the  deed  of  the  queen.  Thus  shall  there  arise  too 
much  contempt  and  wrath.  ^^  f  If  it  please  the  king,  let  there  go  a  royal  com- 
mandment t  from  him,  and  let  it  be  written  among  the  laws  of  the  Persians 
and  the  Medes,  f  that  it  be  not  altered.  That  Vashti  come  no  more  before  king 
Ahasuerus ;  and  let  the  king  give  her  royal  estate  f  unto  another  that  is  better 
than  she.  -"  And  when  the  king's  decree  which  he  shall  make  shall  be  pub- 
lished throughout  all  his  empire,  (for  it  is  great,)  all  the  wives  shall  ^  give  to 
their  husbands  honour,  both  to  great  and  small. 

2^  And  the  saying  f  pleased  the  king  and  the  princes ;  and  the  king  did 
according  to  the  word  of  Memucan  :  ^^  For  he  sent  letters  into  all  the  king's 
provinces,  "^  into  every  province  according  to  the  writing  thereof,  and  to  every 
people  after  their  language,  that  every  man  should  'bear  rule  in  his  own 


t  Helj.  good  of 
countenance. 

\  Heb.  which 
was  by  the  hand 
cf  his  eunuchs. 


k  Jer.  10.  7. 
Dan.  2.  12. 
Matt.  2.  1. 
1  1  Chron.  12.  32. 


m  Ezra  7.  14. 
n  2  Kings  25.  19, 

t  Heb.  what  to 
do. 


0  Eph.  5.  33. 


t  Heb.  if  it  be 

good  with  the 

king. 

t  H eh.  from 

before  him. 

t  Heb.  that  it 

pass  not  away, 

ch.  8.  8. 

Dan.  6.  8,  12,  15. 

t  Heb.  unto  Iter 

companion. 

p  Eph.  5.  33. 

Col.  3.  18. 

1  Pet.  3.  1. 

t  Heb.  was  good 
in  the  eyes  of  the 
king. 

q  ch.  8.  P. 

r  Eph.  5.  22, 

23,  24. 

1  Tim.  2.  12. 


one  with  the  Persians.  Cp.  v.  14 ;  ii.  9 ;  iv.  4,  5.  Serod.  iii. 
17,  84;  Hdvernicfc,  ii.  343.  It  may  have  been  founded  on 
some  notions  of  astrology,  to  which  they  were  devoted  {Batimg.). 
It  has  been  thought  by  some  to  have  been  due  to  the  influence 
of  Daniel  (Mede,  book  i.  disc,  x.),  but  this  is  hardly  probable. 

11.  Vashti — to  shew — her  beauty]  The  name  Vashti  signifies 
in  Persian  beautiful  woman  (Oesen.  236 j  Fuerst,  380;  Zend, 
Wahisti). 

—  crowTi]  Heb.  cether :  the  Persian  KtSapis,  or  tiara.  Cp. 
ii.  17;  vi.  8.  .^schyl.,  Pers.  663;  and  Ctesias,  Persic.  47; 
and  Bdhr's  note,  p.  191. 

12.  the  queen  Vashti  refused  to  come'}  "  Stulto  rege  con- 
sultior"  (says  Sulpicius  Severus),  knowing  the  licentiousness 
of  Persian  princes  in  such  times  of  revelry.     Cp.  Herod,  v.  18. 

13.  which  knew  the  times]  Who  were  acquainted  with  the 
precedents  of  the  Persian  jurisprudence,  and  could  advise  what 
was  to  be  done  according  to  ancient  usage. 

14.  the  seven  princes  of  Persia]  Cp.  Ezra  vii.  14. 

—  which  saw  the  king's  face']  Who  were  admitted  to  his 
presence.  The  privacy  of  the  Median  and  Persian  Kings  was 
held  inviolable, — "  Apud  Persas  persona  regis  occulitur"  {Justin, 
i.  9).  Cp.  Berod.  i.  99;  Xenophon,  Ages.  9.  1.  1;  Aristot. 
de  Mundo,  c.  6,  where  the  King  is  described  as  "  sitting  at 
Susa,  invisible."  It  was  a  stipulation  of  the  sbc  associates  of 
Darius  Hystaspis,  that  they  should  have  the  privilege  of  ad- 
mission to  see  the  King's  face.     Cp.  below,  v.  1. 

16.  Memucan]  Mentioned  last  in  order  {v.  14) ;  but  here  he 
is  said  to  have  spoken  first,— a  small  matter,  seeming  to  show 
the  historian's  accurate  knowledge  of  the  facts  of  the  case. 


18 


.  the  ladies]  The  wives  of  princes  and  nobles 
Vol.  III.  369 


—  too  much,  contempt  and  wrath]  Contempt  in  the  women, 
and  wrath  in  the  men,  and  continual  discord  in  families. 

19.  let  it  be  written]  Let  it  be  enrolled  among  the  laws, 
which'  are  immutable.  This  was  desired  by  them,  in  order  that 
the  Queen  might  not  be  able  afterwards  to  regain  her  power 
over  the  King,  and  punish  those  who  now  gave  their  counsel 
for  her  degradation. 

—  that  it  be  not  altered]  Literally,  let  it  not  pass  away, 
so  as  to  become  void.  What  was  spoken  by  the  King  was 
often  altered,  and  often  passed  aioay.  We  find  frequent  in- 
stances of  sudden  changes  of  resolves  of  Persian  Kings,  and 
of  Ahasuerus  himself  (Xerxes).  See  Herod,  vii.  4.  11.  13.  18. 
But  what  was  written  and  enrolled  among  the  laws  of  Persia 
could  not  be  altered.  Cp.  Dan.  vi.  8 — 10.  Cp.  below,  iii.  9; 
viii.  5.  8,  where  the  writing  of  the  decree  is  insisted  iipon,  as 
necessary  to  give  it  validity. 

—  her  royal  estate]  As  Queen.     Cp.  v.  9. 

The  EoTAi  Deceee. 

20.  decree]  Heb.  pithegam ;  from  a  Persian  word,  pedam, 
an  edict  (Gesen.  696.     Cp.  Dan.  iv.  14.     Ezra  iv.  17). 

—  for  it  is  great]  Mardonius,  in  Herodotus  (vii.  9),  flatters 
Xerxes  in  a  similar  strain  to  this. 

22.  according  to  the  toriting  thereof]  According  to  the 
alphabetical  character  used  in  the  provinces  respectively. 

—  that  every  man  should  bear  rule  in  his  own  hoiise,  and 
that  it  should  be  published  according  to  the  language  of  eve^-y 
people]  This  statement  has  been  rejected  as  incredible,  and 
the  decree  has  been  ridiculed  as  absurd  by  some.  But  they 
do  not  seem  to  have  carefully  examined  the  writer's  words. 

B   B 


A  Queen  to  he  chosen 


ESTHER  II.  1—5. 


in  Vashtis  'place. 


+  Heb.  thai  oiie 
should  publish  it 
according  to  the 
language  of  his 
people. 

518. 

ach.  1.  19,  20. 


t  Heb.  unto  the 
hand. 

II  Or,  Hegai, 
ver.  8. 


house,  and  f  that  it  should  be  pubhshed  according  to  the  language  of  every 
people. 

II.  ^  After  these  things,  when  the  wrath  of  king  Ahasuerus  was  appeased, 
he  remembered  Vashti,  and  what  she  had  done,  and  '^  what  was  decreed  against 
her.  2  Then  said  the  king's  servants  that  ministered  unto  him,  Let  there  be 
fair  young  virgins  sought  for  the  king  :  ^  And  let  the  king  appoint  officers  in 
all  the  provinces  of  his  kingdom,  that  they  may  gather  together  all  the  fair 
young  virgins  unto  Shushan  the  palace,  to  the  house  of  the  women,  f  unto  the 
custody  of  II  Hege  the  king's  chamberlain,  keeper  of  the  women  ;  and  let  their 
things  for  purification  be  given  them :  *  And  let  the  maiden  which  pleaseth  the 
king  be  queen  instead  of  Vashti.  And  the  thing  pleased  the  king ;  and  he 
did  so. 

^Noiv  in  Shushan  the  palace  there  was  a  certain  Jew,  whose  name  ivas 


The  sense  is,  that  every  man  should  be  ruler  in  his  own  house, 
and  be  usincf  the  language  of  his  own  people;  that  is,  he 
should  not  adopt  the  language  of  any  of  his  numerous  wives, 
who  might  be  foreigners,  but  should  speak  to  them  in  the 
language  of  his  people,  and  constrain  them  to  use  that  lan- 
guage also.  So  Targum,  Jarchi,  Aben  Ezra,  De  Dieu, 
Baunig.,  Bertheau.  The  number  and  diversity  of  languages 
spoken  in  the  Persian  dominions  have  been  already  adverted 
to,  in  the  notice  of  this  decree  itself.  The  Persians  being 
polygamists,  a  jargon  of  language  was  introduced  into  their 
families,  and  some  of  them  adopted  the  dialects  of  their  foreign 
wives. 

This  decree  was  designed  to  correct  this  evil;  and  the 
need  of  such  a  law  in  such  cases  is  seen  by  what  is  related  in 
Neh.  xiii.  23,  24,  where  the  children  of  the  strange  wives  are  said 
to  speak  a  dialect  of  Philistia,  mingled  with  Hebrew,  We 
may  compare  Juvenal's  description  of  the  corruption  of  the 
Roman  language  by  the  influence  of  Greek  women  (Juvenal, 
vi.  186). 

The  influence  which  many  strange  women  gained  over  the 
heart  of  Solomon  (1  Kings  xi.  1—8),  and  the  great  power 
exercised  by  Queens,  and  other  great  women  in  Persia,  over 
their  own  husbands,  although  they  were  polygamists,  are  matters 
of  history.     See  Baumg.  p.  22 — 24. 

The  Inteetal  of  Four  Yeaes. 

Ch.  II.  1.  After  these  things']  The  events  of  the  former  chapter 
occurred  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  third  year  of  Ahasuerus 
(i.  3)  ;  but  his  marriage  with  Esther,  the  successor  of  Vashti, 
did  not  take  place  till  near  the  end  of  the  tenth  month  of  the 
seventh  year  of  his  reign  {v.  16). 

Ahasuerus  was  a  man  of  violent  passions.  Is  this  delay 
credible  ?     How  is  it  to  be  accounted  for  ? 

The  answer  is  to  be  suggested  by  what  has  been  already 
stated,  namely,  that  Ahasuerus  was  Xerxes  (see  on  i.  1).  We 
know  from  secular  historians  that  Xerxes  was  absent  from 
Persia  in  his  fourth  year.  He  came  to  the  throne,  B.C.  485, 
and  set  forth  from  Susa  in  the  spring  of  B.C.  481  {Herod,  vii. 
20),  and  arrived  at  Sardis  in  the  autumn  of  B.C.  481,  and 
there  passed  the  winter  {Herod,  vii.  32 — 37).  He  set  forward 
from  Sardis  in  the  spring  of  B.C.  480  {Herod,  vii.  37).  The 
battle  of  Thermopylaj  was  fought  in  the  summer  {Herod,  vii. 
110),  and  that  of  Salamis  was  fought  in  the  autumn  of  that 
year  {Herod,  viii.  65.  113) ;  and  the  battles  of  Plata;a  and 
Mycale  took  place  in  the  September  of  B.C.  479  {Herod,  ix. 
101;  Plutarch,  Aristid.  c.  19;  Clinton,  Fasti,  ii.  28.  30. 
247). 

After  the  battle  of  Mycale,  some  of  the  Persians,  who 
escaped  from  the  defeat  there,  came  to  Sardis,  and  found 
Xerxes  there  after  his  ignominious  return  from  Greece  {Herod. 
viii,  117 ;  ix.  107). 

There  he  was  entangled  in  a  guilty  passion  for  the  wife 
of  his  brother  Masistes,  and  then  returned  to  Susa,  where  he 
formed  a  lawless  connexion  with  her  daughter,  Artaynta,  the 
wife  of  his  own  son,  and  thus  excited  the  jealousy  of  Amestris, 
the  daughter  of  Otanes,  a  Persian  noble  {Herod,  vii.  61),  one 
of  his  own  wives,  who  avenged  herself  in  a  most  barbarous 
manner  on  the  wife  of  Masistes;  and  Masistes,  the  brother  of 
Xerxes,  being  resolved  to  excite  a  rebellion  in  Bactra  against 
the  King,  was  cut  off  in  his  way  thither  by  the  command  of 
Xerxes.  It  is  not  certain  whether  Xerxes  returned  by  a  direct 
370 


route  from  Sardis  to  Susa,  or  whether  he  did  not  first  go  to 
Ecbatana,  or  to  Babylon.  There  is  a  diS"erence  among  the 
historians  {Herodottis,  Ctesias,  and  Diodorus)  as  to  this  point. 
See  Ussher,  Ann.  p.  104.  These  events,  it  is  probable,  filled 
up  a  great  part  of  the  interval  between  the  third  and  seventh 
year  of  the  reign  of  Xerxes. 

Thus  we  may  explain  the  delay  between  the  repudiation 
of  Vashti,  and  the  elevation  of  Esther  to  be  Queen.  Cp. 
Baumgarten,  p.  141 ;  Pusey,  on  Daniel,  p.  329. 

It  has  been  objected,  that  Xerxes  had  a  Queen  Amestris, 
already  mentioned;  and  that  it  would  not  be  likely  that  he 
would  make  such  an  order,  as  is  described  in  this  chapter,  for 
su2>plyiug  the  place  of  Vashti. 

Some  have  answered  this  objection  by  saying  that  Amestris 
herself  was  no  other  than  Esther.  So  Scaliger,  Pfeiffer, 
Eichhorn,  Bunsen,  and  others.  But  this  is  impossible.  Amestris 
was  not  a  Jewess,  as  Esther  was,  but  the  daughter  of  a  Persian 
officer,  Otanes,  a  brother  of  Darius,  the  father  of  Xei'xes  {Herod. 
vii.  61.  82) ;  and  it  is  probable  tliat  the  sons  of  Xerxes,  whom 
he  took  with  him  to  Greece  {Herod,  vii.  39),  were  her  children. 
Her  character  was  very  different  from  that  of  Esther.  She 
was  a  Persian  Jezebel.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  Esther's 
acts  in  behalf  of  her  own  nation,  it  cannot  be  supposed  that 
she  would  be  guilty  of  such  barbarous  acts  of  personal  cruelty 
and  revenge,  as  were  perpetrated  by  Amestris.  See  Herod. 
vii.  114;  ix.  112;  Ctesias,  Persic.  43. 

Let  us  suppose  Xei-xes  to  be  Ahasuerus,  as  is  most  pro- 
bable. Then  we  may  say  that  Amestris  was  wife  of  Ahasuerus, 
and  after  the  repvidiation  of  Vashti,  and  before  the  elevation 
of  Esther,  may  have  had  great  influence  with  him.  But  the 
Persian  Kings  had  many  wives,  besides  concubines  {Herod, 
i.  135 ;  iii.  7) ;  and  we  read  here  that  Ahasuerus  loved  Esther 
above  all  his  wives  (ii.  17).  Amestris  was  a  dissolute  and 
profligate  woman;  see  Ctesias,  Pers.  42,  who  speaks  of  her 
illicit  connexions;  and  the  affections  of  the  Kiug  had  been 
entangled  by  that  very  woman,  who  was  afterwards  so  cruelly 
treated  by  Amestris  {Herod,  ix.  108.    Cp.  Baumg.  p.  145). 

It  is  observable,  that  in  the  drama  of  JEschglus,  which 
belongs  to  this  period,  the  principal  female  royal  personage  is 
not  the  Queen  Consort,  but  the  Queen  Mother,  Atossa,  who 
had  the  most  prominent  position  at  Susa,  during  the  absence  of 
Xerxes  in  Greece.  Does  not  this  seem  to  intimate  that  the 
place  of  Queen  Consort  was  regarded  as  vacant  at  this 
time  ? 

3.  that  they  may  gather  together  all  the  fair  young  virgins] 
The  details  in  this  and  the  following  verses  {pv.  3 — 16)  display  a 
picture  of  the  degradation  to  which  Woman  was  reduced  in 
Persia  at  that  time,  when  Persia  was  rcgai-ded  as  holding  the 
highest  place  among  the  nations  of  the  world  for  extent  of 
dominion,  and  abundance  of  wealth,  and  brilliant  splendour, 
and  arts  of  civilization  and  refinement.  The  degradation  of 
Woman  was  accompanied,  as  it  always  is,  with  savage  brutality, 
and  foul  sensuality,  in  the  other  sex.  This  chapter,  therefore, 
is  of  priceless  worth,  as  showing  the  need  under  which  the 
human  race  then  lay,  of  that  deliverance,  which  has  been 
wrought  by  the  Incaenation  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  Seed  of 
the  Woman,  who  raised  Womanhood  to  a  high  and  holy  dignity, 
and  by  that  spiritual  espousal  of  a  Church  Universal,  by  which 
He  has  sanctified  Marriage,  and  made  it  "  a  great  mystery " 
(Eph.  V.  32)  :  and  it  may  remind  the  world  of  the  inestimable 
benefits  it  owes  to  Christianity.     See  above,  Introd.  p.  365. 


Mordecai. 


ESTHER  II.  6—16. 


Esther. 


Mordecai,  the  son  of  Jair,  the  son  of  Shimei,  the  son  of  Kish,  a  Benjamite ; 
^''Who  had  been  carried  away  from  Jerusalem  with  the  captivity  which  had  ^^2  Kings 24. h, 
been  carried  away  with  ||  Jeconiah  king  of  Judah,  whom  Nebuchadnezzar  the  20^'"°""  ^°'  '*'' 
king  of  Babylon  had  carried  away.     ^  And  he  f  brought  up  Hadassah,  that  is,  J  orf j^i;mr/»«. 
Esther,  ""  his  uncle's  dau2fhter  ;  for  she  had  neither  father  nor  mother,  and  the  t  ne^Xlt'ruhed, 

.  .  Eph.  G.  4. 

maid  ?m5  t  fair  and  beautiful:   whom  Mordecai,  when  her  father  and  mother  <=  ^w.  is.' 

I  '  '  t  Heb.  fair  of 

were  dead,  took  for  his  own  daughter.  form  and  good  of 

'  O  countenance. 

^  So  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king's  commandment  and  his  decree  was 
heard,  and  when  many  maidens  were  ''  gathered  together  unto   Shushan  the  ^  ver.  3. 
palace,  to  the  custody  of  Hegai,  that  Esther  was  brought  also  unto  the  king's 
house,  to  the  custody  of  Hegai,   keeper  of  the  women.     ^And  the  maiden 
pleased  him,   and  she  obtained  kindness  of  him  ;  and  he  speedily  gave  her 
her  "  things  for  purification,  with  f  such  things  as  belonged  to  her,  and  seven  «^  ^^]:y^\\~- 
maidens,  ivliich  ivere  meet  to  be  given  her,  out  of  the  king's  house :  and  f  he  '"Heb"*;^ 
preferred  her  and  her  maids  unto  the  best  place  of  the  house  of  the  women.  '^ "'"^'^'^ '""'■ 
^'^'^ Esther  had  not  shewed  her  people  nor   her  kindred:   for  Mordecai  had  f ver. 20. 
charged  her  that  she  should  not  shew  it. 

^^  And  Mordecai  walked  every  day  before  the  court  of  the  women's  house, 
t  to  know  how  Esther  did,  and  what  should  become  of  her.     ^~  Now  when  +  Heb.  to  know 

'  the  peace. 

every  maid's  turn  was  come  to  go  in  to  king  Ahasuerus,  after  that  she  had  ''^°^]^ 
been  twelve  months,  according  to  the  manner  of  the  women,  (for  so  were  the 
days  of  their  purifications  accomplished,  to  ivit,  six  months  with  oil  of  myrrh, 
and  six  months  with  sweet  odours,  and  with  other  things  for  the  purifying  of 
the  women ;)  ^^  Then  thus  came  every  maiden  unto  the  king ;  whatsoever  she 
desired  was  given  her  to  go  with  her  out  of  the  house  of  the  women  unto  the 
king's  house.  ^^  In  the  evening  she  went,  and  on  the  morrow  she  returned 
into  the  second  house  of  the  women,  to  the  custody  of  Shaashgaz,  the  king's 
chamberlain,  which  kept  the  concubines  :  she  came  in  unto  the  king  no  more, 
except  the  king  delighted  in  her,  and  that  she  were  called  by  name. 

^^  Now  when  the  turn  of  Esther,  ^  the  daughter  of   Abihail  the  uncle  of       ''5^°5"' 
Mordecai,  who  had  taken  her  for  his  daughter,  was  come  to  go  in  unto  the  ^ """'  ^ 
king,  she  required  nothing  but  what  Hegai  the  king's  chamberlain,  the  keeper 
of  the  women,  appointed.     And  Esther  obtained  favour  in  the  sight  of  all  them 
that  looked  upon  her.     ^^  So  Esther  was  taken  unto  king  Ahasuerus  into  his 
house  royal  in  the  tenth  month,  which  is  the  month  Tebeth,  in  the  seventh 


5.  Mordecai]  Probably  a  name  connected  with  Merodach. 
It  occurs  also  in  Ezra  ii.  2.     Neb.  vii.  7. 

6.  Who  had  been  carried  away  from  Jerusalem]  That  is, 
Kish  bad  been  carried  away  from  Jerusalem,  with  Jeconiah, 
about  117  years  before  this  time.  See  Baiimgarten,  pp.  125 — 
127  ;  Davidson,  157.  159. 

It  has  been  supposed  by  some  (e.  g.  Bertheau,  p.  306), 
that  Mordecai  himself  might  be  reckoned,  according  to  a 
popular  use  of  the  term,  among  the  captives  brought  from 
Jerusalem  a  century  before,  as  being  included  in  his  ancestors, 
by  an  usus  loquendi,  not  uncommon  among  the  Hebrews,  and 
that  Jair,  Shimei,  and  Kish  are  the  celebrated  Benjamites, 
bearing  those  names,  and  are  mentioned  here  on  account  of 
their  celebrity,  while  other  links  of  the  genealogical  chain  are 
cancelled;  but  the  former  interpretation  (which  is  that  also 
of  Petavius,  Le  Clerc,  Rainold,  and  Bonfrerius)  seems 
preferable.     See  above,  on  i.  1. 

It  might  have  been  expected,  that  Mordecai,  being  of  the 
favoured  tribe  of  Benjamin,  would  not  have  been  content  to 
remain  in  Persia,  but  would  have  earnestly  desired  to  return  to 
Jerusalem.  See  above.  Introduction,  as  to  his  character,  con- 
trasted with  that  of  such  persons  as  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua, 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  who  made  great  worldly  sacrifices,  in  order 
to  return,  and  encountered  great  hardships  at  Jerusalem, 
371 


7.  Hadassah]  Which. -mediaa  myrtle  (Gesen.  211 ;  Bertheau, 
308). 

—  Esther]  The  Persian  name  for  star  {Pfeiffer,  257 ;  Oesen. 
69).  Her  maiden  name  was  Myrtle ;  her  name  as  Queen  was 
Star  {Bertheau). 

—  uncle's]  By  her  father,  Abihail's  side  {v.  15.  Qesen.  191). 
Josephus  (x.  6.  2)  makes  Mordecai  himself  to  be  her  uncle. 

10.  Esther  had  not  shewed  her  people]  And  she  continued 
to  conceal  it  (see  vii.  4),  by  the  direction  of  Mordecai,  as  here 
stated  :  cp.  v.  20.  Mordecai  probably  thought  that  the  know- 
ledge of  it  would  be  a  prejudice  to  her  admission  into  the 
King's  favour,  and  a  hindrance  to  her  influence  over  him. 
Here  we  have  a  specimen  of  that  lower  tone  of  morality,  which 
chai'acterizes  Mordecai,  and  which  places  him  in  a  striking  con- 
trast to  the  noble  and  generous  spirits  of  such  confessors  as 
Ezra  (see  Ezra  vii.  1  —  28)  and  Nehemiah  (see  Neh.  i.  and 
ii. ;  and  xiii.  9 ;  and  cp.  above,  Introd.  p.  359 — 364).  How 
difl'erent  is  the  language  of  the  Psalmist  (cxLx.  46),  "  I  wiU 
speak  of  Thy  testimonies  also  even  before  kings,  and  will  not 
be  ashamed."  Cp.  below,  iv.  14 ;  and  above.  Introduction  to 
this  Book. 

16.  Tebeth]  The  month  from  the  new  moon  in  January  to 
that  in  February  {Oesen.  318). 

—  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reiyn]  Probably  B.C.  479-8. 


The  loyalty  of  Mordecai.        ESTHER  II.  17—23.     III.  1, 


Haman  the  Agagite. 


H  Or,  kindness. 
t  Heb.  before 
him. 

about 
514. 
hch.  1.  3. 
t  Heb,  rest. 


>  ver.  21. 
ch.  3.  2. 
k  ver.  10. 


II  Or,  Big'hana, 
ch  6.  2. 
t  Heb.  the 
threshold. 

1  ch.  G.  2. 


a  Num.  24.  7 
1  Sam.  15.  8. 


year  of  his  reign.  ^^  And  tlie  king  loved  Esther  above  all  the  women,  and  she 
obtained  grace  and  ||  favour  f  in  his  sight  more  than  all  the  virgins  ;  so  that  he 
set  the  royal  crown  upon  her  head,  and  made  her  queen  instead  of  Vashti. 
^^  Then  the  king  ^  made  a  great  feast  unto  all  his  princes  and  his  servants,  even 
Esther's  feast ;  and  he  made  a  f  release  to  the  provinces,  and  gave  gifts, 
according  to  the  state  of  the  king. 

^^And  when  the  virgins  were  gathered  together  the  second  time,  then  Mor- 
decai sat '  in  the  king's  gate.  ^"  ^  Esther  had  not  yet  shewed  her  kindred  nor 
her  people ;  as  Mordecai  had  charged  her :  for  Esther  did  the  commandment  of 
Mordecai,  like  as  when  she  was  brought  up  with  him.  21 1^  those  days,  while 
Mordecai  sat  in  the  king's  gate,  two  of  the  king's  chamberlains,  ||  Bigthan  and 
Teresh,  of  those  which  kept  f  the  door,  were  wi-oth,  and  sought  to  lay  hand  on 
the  king  Ahasuerus.  ^-  And  the  thing  was  known  to  Mordecai,  '  who  told  it 
unto  Esther  the  queen ;  and  Esther  certified  the  king  thereof  in  Mordecai' s 
name.  ^^And  when  inquisition  was  made  of  the  matter,  it  was  found  out; 
therefore  they  were  both  hanged  on  a  tree :  and  it  was  written  in  ""  the  book  of 
the  chronicles  before  the  king. 

III.  ^  After  these  things  did  king  Ahasuerus  promote  Haman  the  son  of 
Hammedatha  the  ''Agagite,  and  advanced  him,  and  set  his  seat  above  all  the 


17.  all  the  women]  His  wives.  The  tvomen  are  here  dis- 
tinguished from  the  virgins. 

18.  a  release']  Or  redemption  of  tribute,  as  was  usual  with 
the  Persian  Kiugs,  on  their  accession  to  the  throne  {Herod. 
vi.  59). 

The  Loyalty  of  Moedecai  and  Esther. 

19 — 22.  And  ivhen  the  virgins  were  gathered  together  the 
second  time]  This  passage  has  been  considered  a  difficult  one. 
Some  suppose  that  the^r*^  gathering  of  virgins  had  been  before 
the  marriage  of  Vashti.     But  this  is  improbable. 

Let  us  examine  the  literal  sense, — And  when  virgins  were 
gathered  together  a  second  time.  Hence  it  appears,  that  even 
after  Esther's  marriage,  and  after  her  elevation  to  the  dignity 
of  Queen  (see  v.  22),  there  was  another  gathering  together  of 
virgins  (not  "  the  virgins ;"  there  is  no  article  in  the  original), 
as  there  had  been  before  it :  see  v.  8). 

This  second  gathering  was  not  in  consequence  of  any 
prejudice  of  the  King  against  Esther  as  a  Jewess.  This  surmise 
is  obviated  by  the  historian,  who  tells  us  here  (v.  20)  that 
Esther  had  not  showed  her  kindred  nor  her  people.  But  this 
"  gathering  together  of  virgins  a  second  time,"  namely,  after 
Esther's  marriage,  shows  (as  Tirenius  and  Bonfrerius  have 
observed)  the  uufiiithfulness  and  licentiousness  of  Ahasuerus. 
Esther  was  his  Queen ;  but  he  was  not  content  with  her :  he 
loved  her  better  than  his  other  wives ;  but  he  was  fickle  and 
capricious  in  his  affection ;  he  sought  new  indulgences  for 
his  roving  appetite.  Such  is  Polj'gamy,  especially  among 
Princes. 

This  "  second  gathering  together  of  virgins "  took  place 
at  some  time  in  the  five  years'  interval  between  the  seventh 
year  of  Ahasuerus'  reign  (ii.  16)  and  the  twelfth  year  (iii.  7). 
In  those  five  years  the  first  ardour  of  the  King's  love  for 
Esther  had  passed  away;  and  therefore  we  need  not  be  sur- 
prised, that  Haman  should  have  ventured  to  attempt  to  destroy 
the  nation  of  the  Jews,  to  which  Esther  the  Queen  belonged. 

This  "  second  gathering  together  of  virgins  "  is  also  men- 
tioned for  another  purpose,  to  show  \h&  faithfulness  and  loyalty 
of  Esther  and  Mordecai  to  Ahasuerus. 

Though  he  was  untrue  to  her,  and  though  this  "  second 
gathering"  was  an  insult  to  the  Queen,  yet  Esther  and 
Mordecai,  her  cousin,  did  not  bear  malice  against  the  King 
for  this  injury.  They  might  have  harboured  a  spirit  of  revenge, 
but  they  did  not ;  on  the  contrary,  they  returned  good  for 
evil ;  they  saved  the  King's  life  from  the  conspiracy  of  the 
two  chamberlains,  Bigthan  and  Teresh  (v.  21).  Mordecai  re- 
vealed the  conspiracy  to  "  Esther  the  Queen,  and  Esther  certified 
the  King  thereof"  {v.  22),  and  thus  the  plot  was  discovered,  the 
traitors  were  punished,  and  the  King's  life  saved  («.  23). 

Doubtless  this  act  of  loyalty  on  Esther's  part,  as  well  as 
372 


on  Mordecai' s,  strengthened  her  influence  with  the  King,  and 
rendered  him  more  favourable  to  her  requests. 

21.  chamberlains,  Bigthan  and  Teresh]  On  these  Persian 
names,  see  Bertheau,  315.     Their  meaning  is  not  certain. 

—  sought  to  lay  hand  on  the  king  Ahasuerus]  A  remarkable 
evidence  of  the  probability  of  this  narrative  is  supplied  by  the 
fact  that  Ahasuerus  (i.  e.  Xerxes)  was  afterwards  actually 
murdered  at  night  in  his  bed  {JElian,  v.  Hist.  xiii.  3)  by  two' 
persons,  one  of  whom  was  a  chamberlain,  and  the  other  a  chief 
captain  of  his  guard.  Sec  Aristot.,  Polit.  v.  10 ;  Ctesias,  Pers. 
c.  29 ;  Diodorus  Sicidus,  xi.  69 ;  Justin,  Hist.  iii.  1 ;  and  the 
life  of  Artaserxes  himself  was  afterwards  attempted  by  the 
same  Artabanus  {Ctesias,  c.  30).  Indeed,  such  events  were  of 
frequent  occurrence  in  Persian  history.  "  Vides  ut  in  tabula 
pictas  cffides  regum  turn  ab  eunuchis,  tum  ab  ipsis  cognatis 
perpetratas "  (says  Bohr,  Prajf.  to  the  remains  of  Ctesias,  the 
historian  of  Persia,  p.  46). 

23.  they  were  both  hanged  on  a  tree]  By  crucifision, — a 
common  punishment  among  the  Persians.  See  Herod,  iii.  120. 
125;  iv.  43;  vi.  30;  vii.  194;  Thiicyd.  i.  110;  Ctesias,  Pers. 
c.  36 ;  Plutarch,  Artax.  c.  17.  Cp.  below,  v.  14 ;  vii.  9,  10 ; 
ix.  13.  Ezra  vi.  11.  Hdvernick,  ii.  351.  Xerxes  (Ahasuerus) 
was  so  furious  against  the  Spartans,  after  the  battle  of  Ther- 
mopylae, that  he  ordered  the  dead  body  of  Leonidas  to  be 
crucified  (Herod,  vii.  238 ;  ix.  78). 

—  the  book  of  the  chronicles]  Which  was  afterwards  read 
to  Ahasuerus,  when  he  could  not  sleep  (vi.  1).  The  Persian 
custom,  in  the  age  of  Xerxes,  of  registering  the  good  deeds  of 
his  subjects,  was  seen  in  the  records  made  by  his  royal  chro- 
niclers, who  stood  by  the  side  of  his  silver-footed  throne,  on 
Mount  Ji^galeos,  at  the  battle  of  Salamis.  See  Herod,  viii.  90  j 
^schyl.,  Pers.  472. 

On  this  text  (ii.  21 — 23),  see  the  Sermon  of  Bp.  Andretoes, 
preached  Aug.  6,  1616,  vol.  iv.  p.  126. 

Haman  the  Agagite. 

Ch.  III.  1.  Haman]  A  name  which  seems  to  signify  illus- 
trious, and,  perhaps,  to  be  connected  with  the  Indian  Hermes 
{Gesen.  228;  Fuerst,  366).  The  Haman  mentioned  in  Tobit 
xiv.  10,  has  been  supposed  by  some  (Ewald,  iv.  237)  to  be  the 
same  as  this  Haman,  but  this  is  not  probable. 

—  Agagite]  A  descendant  of  the  Amalckite  Kings,  called 
Agag  (Num.  xxiv.  7 ;  1  Sam.  xv.  8.  32).  He  is,  therefore,  called 
an  Amalekite  hy  Josephus  (Antt.  xi.  6.  5).  It  has  been  objected, 
that  if  Haman  was  not  a  Persian,  but  of  Amalekite  extraction, 
it  is  not  likely  that  he  would  have  been  made  chief  Vizier  of 
Ahasuerus ;  but  this  allegation  may  be  refuted  by  reference  to 
the  many  examples  on  record  of  strangers  who  were  highly  ad- 
vanced in  the  court  of  Persia.  It  may  suffice  to  mention  Daniel 
(Dan.  vi.  2.  28).  Among  Gentile  foreigners  who  gained  influence: 


Mordecai  bowed  not. 


ESTHER  III.  2—11. 


jOts  cast* 


princes  that  toere  with  him.  ^  And  all  the  king's  servants,  that  ivere  ^  in  the 
king's  gate,  bowed,  and  reverenced  Haman :  for  the  king  had  so  commanded 
concerning  him.  But  Mordecai  "^  bowed  not,  nor  did  him  reverence.  '^Then 
the  king's  servants,  which  ivere  in  the  king's  gate,  said  unto  Mordecai,  Why 
transgressest  thou  the  ^  king's  commandment  ? 

^  Now  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  spake  daily  unto  him,  and  he  hearkened 
not  unto  them,  that  they  told  Haman,  to  see  whether  Mordecai's  matters  would 
stand :  for  he  had  told  them  that  he  ivas  a  Jew.  ^  And  when  Haman  saw  that 
Mordecai  ^  bowed  not,  nor  did  him  reverence,  then  was  Haman  ^full  of  wrath. 
*"  And  he  thought  scorn  to  lay  hands  on  Mordecai  alone ;  for  they  had  shewed 
him  the  people  of  Mordecai :  wherefore  Haman  ^  sought  to  destroy  all  the 
Jews  that  ivere  throughout  the  whole  kingdom  of  Ahasuerus,  even  the  people  of 
Mordecai. 

'^  In  the  first  month,  that  is,  the  month  Nisan,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  king 
Ahasuerus,  ''  they  cast  Pur,  that  is,  the  lot,  before  Haman  from  day  to  day,  and 
from  month  to  month,  to  the  twelfth  month,  that  is,  the  month  Adar.  ^  And 
Haman  said  unto  king  Ahasuerus,  There  is  a  certain  people  scattered  abroad 
and  dispersed  among  the  people  in  all  the  provinces  of  thy  kingdom ;  and  '  their 
laws  are  diverse  from  all  people  ;  neither  keep  they  the  king's  laws  :  therefore 
it  is  not  f  for  the  king's  profit  to  suffer  them.  ^If  it  please  the  king,  let  it  be 
written  f  that  they  may  be  destroyed :  and  I  will  f  pay  ten  thousand  talents  of 
silver  to  the  hands  of  those  that  have  the  charge  of  the  business,  to  bring  it  into 
the  king's  treasuries.  ^^And  the  king  ''took  'his  ring  from  his  hand,  and  gave 
it  unto  Haman  the  son  of  Hammedatha  the  Agagite,  the  Jews'  ||  enemy.    '^And 


b  ch.  2.  IV. 


c  ver.  5. 
Ps.  15.  4. 


e  ver.  2. 
ch.  5.  9. 
f  Dan.  3.  11). 

g  Ps.  83.  4. 


510. 
h  ch.  9.  24. 


i  Ezra  4.  13. 
Acts  Iti.  20. 


t  Heb.  meet,  or, 

equal. 

t  Heb.  to  destroy 

them. 

t  Heb.  weigh. 


k  Gen.  41.  42. 

I  ch.  8.  2,  8. 

II  Or,  oppressor, 
ch.  7.  6. 


with  Kings  of  Persia,  may  be  mentioned  Democedes,  Demara- 
tus,  Tbemistocles,  Timagoras,  and  Ctesias  :  cp.  Baumg.  p.  27. 
Haman  is  called  a  Macedonian  in  the  Apocryphal  additions  to 
ix.  24 ;  an  evidence  of  their  later  composition. 

2.  in  the  king's  gate]  A  station  of  honour  {Baumg.  p.  96). 

—  Mordecai  bowed  nof]  This  bowing  implied  prostration 
(cp.  Herod,  iii.  86;  vii.  134.  136;  vfii.  118,  Mscliyl.,  Pers.  155. 
Xenophon,  Cyrop.  v.  3.  Q.  Curt.  v.  8).  Mordecai  would  not  pay 
to  man  that  reverence  which  was  due  to  God  (Josephus  xi.  6.  8), 
and  which  he  would  not  probably  have  scrupled  to  paj'  to  the 
King  himself,  as  God's  minister  and  representative ;  otherwise, 
he  himself  could  not  afterwards  have  become  Prime  Minister  in 
Haman's  stead  (viii.  2.  15 ;  cp.  Baumg.  p.  29).  The  King  of 
Persia  was  regarded  by  his  subjects  as  an  incarnation  of  Ormuzd 
(Huvernick,  ii.  347). 

Besides,  Mordecai  would  have  a  special  repugnance  to  such 
an  act  of  reverence  to  Haman,  because  the  Amalekites,  to 
whom  Haman  belonged  (see  v.  1),  were  under  God's  curse,  for 
their  treachery  and  cruelty  to  Israel  at  Rephidim.  See  above, 
note  on  Exod.  xvii.  14  and  16 ;  and  on  Num.  xxiv.  20,  where  it 
is  observed  that  Amalek  is  a  Scriptural  type  of  Satan  and  his 
powers,  the  spiritual  enemy  of  God  and  His  people.  See  also 
Deut.  XXV.  17.     1  Sara.  xv.  3. 

Haman,  the  enemy  of  the  people  of  God,  is  a  type  of  the  spi- 
ritual enemy  of  Christ's  Church.  Haman  demanded  the  homage 
of  Mordecai,  and  was  full  of  wrath,  because  he  bowed  not  (v.  5). 
Satan  craved  adoration  from  Christ  Himself  at  the  Tempta- 
tion (Matt,  iv,  9),  and  Satan  is  the  author  of  idolatry. 

4.  whether  Mordecai's  matters  tvotild  stand]  Or  rather, 
■whether  his  words  loould  hold  good,  "for  he  had  told  them  that 
lie  was  a  Jew,"  and  that  a  Jew  was  forbidden  by  his  law  to  pay 
this  reverence  to  men,  as  Josephus  explains  the  passage  (Antt. 
xi.  6.  5). 

7.  In  the  first  month— Nisan]  The  month  of  the  Passover  ; 
the  month  on  which  the  redemption  of  Israel  from  Egypt  had 
been  accomplished;  the  month  on  which  Mankind  was  deli- 
vered by  the  Death  and  Resurrection  of  Christ :  see  below,  on 
V.  12. 

—  twelfth  year]  Probably  B.C.  474. 

—  they  cast  Pur]  In  Persian,  pdreh,'  a  portion,  a  lot,  con- 
nected with  Latin  pars  (Pfei/Fer,  258.     Oesen.  670.     Fuerst, 

1121).  Jr  K   J    M      , 

373 


The  Per.sians,  like  the  Chaldseans  (see  Isa.  xlvii.  10—15. 
Dan.  ii.  2  ;  v.  7),  were  superstitiously  addicted  to  the  inquisition 
of  times  and  seasons  favourable  for  any  enterprise  to  which  they 
were  inclined;  and  for  this  purpose  they  resorted  to  divination 
by  lots  and  astrology ;  and  this  propensity  remains  among  them 
still;  see  the  passages  from  Tavernier  (i.  261),  and  Char  din 
(iii.  163.  304),  quoted  by  Baumgarten,  p.  101.  Cp.  BerVieav, 
320.     Cp.  HcivernicTc,  Einleit.  ii.  347. 

—  the  twelfth  month — the  month  Adar]  "The  lot  is  cast 
into  the  lap ;  but  the  whole  disposing  of  it  is  of  the  Lord " 
(Prov.  xvi.  33) ;  and  it  was  providentially  ordered,  that  the  lot 
(for  the  appointment  of  a  day  on  which  Haman's  design  against 
the  Jews  was  to  be  perpetrated)  fell  on  a  day  in  the  most  distant 
month  in  the  year.  The  casting  of  lots  took  place  on  the  first 
month,  and  they  made  trial  of  each  month  in  succession ;  but  no 
month  was  found,  by  their  process,  to  be  favourable  till  the  last. 
month. 

Thus  ample  time  was  given  for  the  intercession  of  Esther, 
and  for  the  dispatch  of  the  posts,  and  for  the  pubHcation  of  an 
edict  favourable  to  the  Jews  :  see  viii.  9 — 12. 

It  may  at  first  be  thought  strange,  that  Haman  should  be 
content  with  this  long  prorogation  of  his  murderous  design. 
But  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  he  took  care  to  secure  the  royal 
authority  for  it  in  loriting  (see  v.  9),  and  by  the  King's  seal 
(seev.  12),  and  he  knew  that  any  decree  which  was  thus  rati- 
fied, could  not  he  revoked,  but,  according  to  the  law  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians,  was  unalterable  (see  on  i.  19.  Cp.  viii.  2. 
8.  10).  Besides,  his  superstitious  reverence  for  divination  would 
not  allow  him  to  alter  the  day  prescribed  by  the  lots ;  and  he 
might  hope  that  the  interval  of  time  would  afford  greater  faci- 
lities for  making  sure  preparations  for  the  total  extermination 
of  the  Jews,  by  a  well-organized  conspiracy  against  them  among 
their  heathen  enemies,  whom  he  probably  gratified  with  a  pro- 
mise of  a  share  in  the  spoil,  as  he  did  to  Ahasuerus  {v.  9). 

8.  a  certain  people,  scattered  abroad — in  all  the  provinces 
of  thy  kingdom]  See  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  23.     Ezra  i.  1 — 4. 

9.  ten  thousand  talents]  Out  of  the  spoil  of  the  Jews  who 
were  to  be  slain  (v.  13).  Hence  it  may  he  inferred,  that  many 
of  the  Jews  of  the  dispersion  had  amassed  considerable  wealth ; 
this  was  a  snare  to  them,  and  indisposed  them  to  return  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  attached  them  to  the  heathen  land  of  their  captivity. 
Cp.  Ezra  ii.  61. 


The  eve  of  the  Passover. 


ESTHER  III.  12— 15.    IV.   1.        The  decree  against  the  Jeivs. 


m  ch.  8.  9. 

II  Or,  secretaries. 


n  ch.  1.  22.  & 
8.  9. 

o  1  Kings  21.  8. 
ch.  8.  8,  10. 


p  ch.  8.  10. 
q  ch.  8.  12,  &c. 


rch.  8.11. 
s  ch.  8.  13,  14. 


t  See  ch.  8.  15. 

Prov.  29.  2. 

ahout 

510. 

a  2  Sam.  1.  11. 

b  Josh.  7.  6. 

Ezek.  27.  30. 

the  king  said  unto  Haman,  Tlie  silver  is  given  to  tliee,  the  people  also,  to  do 
with  them  as  it  seemeth  good  to  thee. 

12  m  "ji^gji  vfere  the  king's  ||  scribes  called  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  first 
month,  and  there  was  written  according  to  all  that  Haman  had  commanded 
unto  the  king's  lieutenants,  and  to  the  governors  that  tvere  over  every  province, 
and  to  the  rulers  of  every  people  of  every  province  "  according  to  the  writing 
thereof,  and  to  every  people  after  their  language  ;  °  in  the  name  of  king  Aha- 
suerus  was  it  written,  and  sealed  with  the  king's  ring.  ^^And  the  letters  were 
Psent  by  posts  into  all  the  king's  provinces,  to  destroy,  to  kill,  and  to  cause  to 
perish,  all  Jews,  both  young  and  old,  little  children  and  women,  *>  in  one  day, 
even  upon  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  twelfth  month,  which  is  the  month  Adar, 
and  '  to  take  the  spoil  of  them  for  a  prey.  ^'^ '  The  copy  of  the  writing  for  a 
commandment  to  be  given  in  every  province  was  published  unto  all  people,  that 
they  should  be  ready  against  that  day.  '^  The  posts  went  out,  being  hastened 
by  the  Idng's  commandment,  and  the  decree  was  given  in  Shushan  the  palace. 
Aiid  the  king  and  Haman  sat  down  to  drink;  but  Hhe  city  Shushan  was 
perplexed. 

IV.  ^  When  Mordecai  perceived  all  that  was  done,  Mordecai  ""  rent  his 
clothes,  and  put  on  sackcloth  ^  with  ashes,  and  went  out  into  the  midst  of  the 


11.  the  people  also']  This  ready  compliance  on  the  part  of 
Ahasuerus  with  Haman's  proposal,  has  been  thought  incredible 
by  some.  Would  the  King  permit  so  easily  this  wanton  sacri- 
fice of  the  lives  of  so  many  of  his  own  subjects? 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  Haman  was  Grand  Vizier  of 
Ahasuerus,  and  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Persian  Kings  to 
save  themselves  trouble,  and  to  procure  free  indulgence  in  their 
pleasures,  by  devolving  all  matters  of  state  on  their  favourite 
ministers ;  and  that  Haman  had  excited  the  King's  wrath  against 
the  dispersed  nation,  whose  name  he  had  not  specified,  by  repre- 
senting them  as  disloyal  and  rebellious  to  the  monarchy.  We 
have  some  specimens  of  the  reckless  cruelty  of  Xerxes  himself, 
in  Herodotus,  to  his  friends  (vii.  39),  to  the  Phoenicians  at 
Salamis  (viii.  90),  and  to  his  own  brother  (ix.  111—113).  Cp. 
Baumg.  (31—36)  ;  and  Introduction,  above,  pp.  360,  361. 

Probably,  Haman  took  occasion  to  prefer  this  request  to  the 
King,  where  he  was  at  a  banquet  (cp.  v.  15),  as  it  was  usual  to 
do  when  any  one  desired  to  obtain  a  favour  from  the  Kings  of 
Persia.  See  Herod,  ix.  110  ;  and  compare  Esther's  procedure, 
v.  4,  and  v.  8 ;  and  cp.  also  the  request  of  Herodias,  at  the  ban- 
quet, for  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist  (Matt.  xiv.  8). 

The  Eve  of  the  Passovee. 

12.  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  first  month']  That  is,  on  the 
day  before  the  Passover. 

This  is  remarkable,  and  it  almost  constrains  the  reader,  who 
considers  all  the  circumstances  of  this  history,  especially  the 
wonderful  deliverance  of  God's  people  by  His  merciful  interven- 
tion, and  the  destruction  of  their  Enemy  Ilaman,  by  Crucifixion 
on  the  gallows  which  he  himself  had  erected  for  Mordecai  (vii. 
10),  to  regard  this  plot  of  Haman,  availing  himself  of  the  power 
of  Ahasuerus,  against  the  Jews,  as  a  foreshadowing  of  the  work 
of  Satan,  and  the  Powers  of  Darkness,  enlisting  the  Heathen 
and  Jewish  world  in  a  conspiracy  against  Christ  at  that  great 
Passover,  when  Satan  himself  was  overthrown,  and  the  people 
of  God  were  delivered  by  means  of  the  Cross  of  Christ.  Cp. 
below,  on  V.  1.  14 ;  and  vii.  10 ;  and  above.  Introduction,  p.  364. 
—  king's  lieutenants]  The  satraps.  The  Hebrew  word  here 
used,  a-chashdarhan,  is  a  softer  form  of  the  Persian  word  kshatra- 
pan,  preceded  (as  usual  in  Hebrew)  by  the  prosthetic  aleph, 
which  is  found  in  the  name  A-hasuerus  himself,  A-chasverosh, 
the  softer  form  of  Ksayarsa  (i.  e.  Xerxes.  See  on  i.  1).  See 
Oesen.  p.  34,  and  Fuerst,  p.  65,  by  whom  the  Persian  word 
Jcshatrapan  (satrap),  is  said  to  signify  guardian  of  the  King's 
court,  ov  guardian  of  the  province;  from  khsatra,  kingdom,  and 
pa,  a  guardian.  The  word  may  still  be  read  in  the  cuneiform 
inscriptions  of  Darius,  found  at  Behistun  (s.w.  of  Ecbatana), 
where  the  King  calls  certain  persons  his  satraps ;  their  names 
may  be  seen  in  Spiegel,  pp.  22.  26. 

The  word  here  used  (signifying  satra'p),  is  found  several 
374 


times  in  this  book,  iii.  12 ;  viii.  9  ;  ix.  3 ;  and  above,  in  Ezra  viii. 
36  (in  all  which  places  it  is  rendered  lieutenants  in  our  version), 
and  in  Dan.  iii.  2,  3.  27 ;  vi.  1.  3,  4.  6,  7  ;  in  all  which  places 
it  is  rendered  princes. 

13.  sent  by  posts]  By  posts;  literally,  runners  {Gesen.  763). 
See  1  Sam.  xxii.  17.  2  Kings  x.  25 ;  xi.  6.  The  organization 
of  a  system  of  coui'iers  {&yyapoL,  see  on  Matt.  v.  41),  for  commu- 
nicating royal  decrees  and  other  intelligence  to  all  parts  of  the 
vast  empire  of  Persia  (cp.  viii.  15),  is  well  known  from  secular 
historians  {Herod,  viii.  98.     Xenophon,  Cyrop.  vii.  6.  17). 

16.  the  king  and  Haman  sat  down  to  drink]  Probably  Haman 
desired  to  drown  all  compunctious  visitings  of  his  own  con- 
science and  that  of  the  King  ;  and  he  exulted  in  the  prospect  of 
revenge  by  the  destruction  of  Mordecai  and  his  nation. 

The  resemblance  between  the  character  and  acts  of  Haman, 
the  proud  and  malignant  enemy  of  God's  people,  and  the  spiri- 
tual Adversary  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  has  been  already  noticed 
(on  vv.  2  and  12),  and  will  come  before  us  again,  when  we  con- 
sider how  Haman's  malice  recoiled  on  himself,  and  how  he 
was  crucified  on  the  cross  which  he  erected  for  Mordecai  (vii. 
9,  10). 

The  ghostly  Enemy  of  God's  people  rejoiced  at  the  prospect 
of  their  destruction,  when  he  had  prevailed  on  the  rulers  and 
people  of  Jerusalem  to  kill  Christ ;  and  the  people  of  God  were 
perplexed ;  but  their  sorrow  was  only  for  a  time,  and  was  changed 
iuto  joy  (see  John  xvi.  22;  xxii.  1.     Cp.  Rev.  xi.  10). 

—  the  city  Shushan  was  perplexed]  Being  grieved  that  the 
King's  name  and  authority  should  be  abused  by  a  wicked  coun- 
sellor, and  to  "see  wickedness  in  the  place  of  judgment"  (Eccl. 
iii.  16).  Cp.  viii.  15,  where  it  is  said  that  the  city  of  Shushan 
rejoiced  and  was  glad,  after  the  fall  of  Haman,  and  the  dehver- 
ance  of  the  Jews. 

MOEDECAI  FASTING. 
Ch.  IV.  1.  Ilordecai  rent  his  clothes]  Mordecai  rends  his 
clothes,  puts  on  sackcloth  and  ashes,  and  cries  with  a  loud  and 
bitter  cry ;  he  makes  outward  demonstrations  of  grief  and  sor- 
row ;  but  it  is  not  said  that  he  retired  to  his  chamber  to  pray 
as  Daniel  did  (Dan.  vi.  10;  ix.  3—19),  or  that  he  resorted  to 
God  with  confession  and  supplication  for  help,  as  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah  did  (Ezra  viii.  23;  ix.  5—15.  Neb.  i.  4—11;  ix. 
4^38). 

In  like  manner  it  is  said  of  the  Jews,  that  they  made  great 
mourning  and  fasting,  and  weeping  and  wailing,  and  many  lay 
in  sackcloth  and  ashes  («.  3) ;  but  it  is  not  said  that  they  cried 
to  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  for  deliverance. 

The  religion  of  Mordecai  and  Esther  (cp.  v.  16),  who  are 
favourable  specimens  of  those  Jews  who  did  not  avail  themselves 
of  the  edict  of  Cyrus,  inviting  them  to  return  to  Jerusalem, 
stands  in  strong  contrast  with  the  more  spiritual  and  saintly 


Mordecai  fasts ; 


ESTHEK  IV.  2—14. 


his  message  to  Esther. 


city,  and  "  cried  with  a  loud  and  a  bitter  cry  ;  ^  And  came  even  before  the  king's 
gate:  for  none  might  enter  into  the  king's  gate  clothed  with  sackcloth.  ^And 
in_-every  province,  whithersoever  the  king's  commandment  and  his  decree  came, 
there  was  great  mourning  among  the  Jews,  and  fasting,  and  weeping,  and 
wailing ;  and  f  many  lay  in  sackcloth  and  ashes. 

^  So  Esther's  maids  and  her  f  chamberlains  came  and  told  it  her.  Then  was 
the  queen  exceedingly  giieved ;  and  she  sent  raiment  to  clothe  Mordecai,  and 
to  take  away  his  sackcloth  from  him :  but  he  received  it  not.  ^  Then  called 
Esther  for  Hatach,  one  of  the  king's  chamberlains,  f  whom  he  had  appointed 
to  attend  upon  her,  and  gave  him  a  commandment  to  Mordecai,  to  know  what 
it  was,  and  why  it  ivas.  ^  So  Hatach  went  forth  to  Mordecai  unto  the  street  of 
the  city,  which  was  before  the  king's  gate.  ^  And  Mordecai  told  him  of  all  that 
had  happened  unto  him,  and  of  ''  the  sum  of  the  money  that  Haman  had  pro- 
mised to  pay  to  the  king's  treasuries  for  the  Jews,  to  destroy  them.  ^  Also  he 
gave  him  *  the  copy  of  the  writing  of  the  decree  that  was  given  at  Shushan  to 
destroy  them,  to  shew  it  unto  Esther,  and  to  declare  it  unto  her,  and  to  charge 
her  that  she  should  go  in  unto  the  king,  to  make  supplication  unto  him,  and  to 
make  request  before  him  for  her  people. 

^  And  Hatach  came  and  told  Esther  the  words  of  Mordecai.  ^^  Again  Esther 
spake  unto  Hatach,  and  gave  him  commandment  unto  Mordecai ;  ^^  All  the 
king's  servants,  and  the  people  of  the  king's  provinces,  do  know,  that  whoso- 
ever, whether  man  or  woman,  shall  come  unto  the  king  into  ^  the  inner  court, 
who  is  not  called,  ^  there  is  one  law  of  his  to  put  him  to  death,  except  such  ^  to 
whom  the  king  shall  hold  out  the  golden  sceptre,  that  he  may  live :  but  I  have 
not  been  called  to  come  in  unto  the  king  these  thirty  days.  ^"^  And  they  told 
to  Mordecai  Esther's  words. 

^^  Then  Mordecai  commanded  to  answer  Esther,  Think  not  with  thyself  that 
thou  shalt  escape  in  the  king's  house,  more  than  all  the  Jews.  ^^  For  if  thou 
altogether  boldest  thy  peace  at  this  time,  thoi  shall  there  f  enlargement  and 
deliverance  arise  to  the  Jews  from  another  place ;  but  thou  and  thy  father's 


c  Gen.  27.  34. 


+  Heb.  sackcloth 
and  ashes  were 
laid  under  many, 
Isa.  58.  5. 
Dan.  9.  3. 
+  Heb.  eunuchs. 


t  Heb.  whom  he 
had  set  before 
her. 


A  ch.  3.  9. 


ech.  3.  14,  15. 


g  Dan.  2.  9. 
h  ch.  5.  2.  & 
8.4. 


t  Heb.  respira- 
tion, 
Job  9.  18. 


devotion  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  who  relinquished  temporal  pre- 
ferment and  honour,  and  made  gi-eat  sacrifices  of  worldly  good 
things,  in  order  to  serve  the  God  of  their  fathers  at  Jerusa- 
lem, according  to  His  appointed  ordinances.  See  above,  Intro- 
duction, pp.  361 — 364. 

11.  unto  the  Icing  into  the  inner  courf]  Where  the  Persian 
King  sat,  with  his  golden  sceptre  in  his  hand,  like  a  deity  upon 
earth,  on  his  royal  throne.  See  Herod,  i.  99;  iii.  72.  77.  84; 
vii.  212.  Athenceus,  xii.  8,  and  Philost.,  Icon.  ii.  32,  where  the 
Persian  King  is  described  sitting  on  his  golden  throne,  in  a 
splendid  attire,  "  variegated  like  a  peacock,"  and  above,  on  i. 
14,  and  Baumg.  86,  and  the  notes  of  Serarins,  and  A  Lapide,  on 
iii.  2,  where  it  is  shown  from  various  authorities,  that  the  Per- 
sians revered  tlieir  Kings  as  gods ;  a  feeling  which  is  briefly 
expressed  in  the  words  of  the  Persians  to  Atossa,  tlie  Queen  of 
Darius,  and  mother  of  Xerxes,  Qiov  fxei/  ivvaTupa  Ufpawf,  Oeov 
5f  Kol  /x'^TTjp  €(pvs  {^schyl.  Pers.  160). 

—  these  thirty  days']  See  above,  on  iii.  19 — 22. 

The  Religion  oe  Mordecai  and  Esther. 

14.  from  another  place — and  who  knoweth — such  a  time  as 
this  1\  He  does  not  mention  tlie  name  of  God,  but  we  may  sup- 
pose that  it  was  in  his  thoughts ;  and  tliough  he  does  not  openly 
declare  that  it  is  God's  hand  alone  which  setteth  up  princes,  yet 
he  seems  to  have  some  surmise  that  there  is  a  providential 
purpose  to  be  accomplished  by  the  elevation  of  Esther  to  the 
kingdom. 

The  circumstances  of  those  Jews  who  were  born  in  heathen- 
dom, and  nursed  with  heathens  in  cities  and  courts,  naturally 
375 


produced  a  habit  of  reserve  and  constraint,  unfavourable  to  spi- 
ritual life,  even  among  themselves :  cp.  above,  ii.  10. 

Here  is  one  of  the  evidences  of  the  truth  and  divine  inspi- 
ration of  this  Book.  The  Apocryphal  Book  of  Esther  over- 
flows with  abundant  ebullitions  of  religious  sentiment  in  Mor- 
decai and  Esther,  especially  at  this  crisis,  and  so  does  the  Chaldee 
Targum.  The  Jewish  composers  of  those  Books  aspired  to 
make  a  hero  of  the  one,  and  a  female  saint  of  the  other.  But 
the  Holy  Spirit  pourtrays  them  as  they  were. 

Mordecai  fasts,  and  Esther  and  her  maidens  fast  in  their 
distress  {y.  16) ;  but  we  do  not  hear  that  they  encourage  one 
another  by  prayer,  or  by  commemoration  of  God's  glorious  acts 
to  their  forefathers.  There  is  inspiration  in  this  silence  and  re- 
serve of  the  narrative,  and  in  the  non-appearance  of  the  Divine 
Name  in  this  Book.  God  deals  with  men  as  they  are  ;  He  is  to 
them  as  they  are  to  Him,  and  adjusts  His  dealing  to  theirs.  If 
they  are  actuated  by  high  and  noble  motives,  and  if  they  com- 
mune with  Him  in  prayer,  and  confess  Him  boldly  even  unto 
death,  He  reveals  Himself  to  them  as  He  did  to  Daniel,  He 
sends  to  them  Prophets,  as  He  did  to  Zerubbabel  and  Jeshua, 
who  were  cheered  by  His  voice  sf)eaking  to  them  by  Haggai  and 
Zechariah.  He  gives  them  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  He  did 
to  Ezra.  He  sends  to  them  a  Malachi,  as  He  did  to  Nehemiah, 
who  had  also  the  help  of  Ezra.  But  if  they  are  influenced  by 
lower  considerations  of  worldly  prudence.  He  does  not  overlook 
what  is  good  in  them,  but  rewards  it  accordingly.  He  speaks 
to  them  as  it  were  anonymously ,  as  He  did  to  Mordecai  and 
Esther.  He  acts  behind  a  veil  of  historical  events,  which  are 
brought  about  by  His  Providence,  but  in  which  the  World  does 
not  recognize  His  presence.  See  above.  Introduction  to  this 
Book,  pp.  361—364, 


The  third  day. 


ESTHEK  IV.  15—17.     V.  1—11. 


Esth 


cr  s  intercession. 


t  Keb.  found. 
i  See  ch.  5.  1. 


t  Heb.  passed. 


a  See  ch.  4.  IG. 


c  Prov.  21.  1. 
d  ch.  4.  11.  & 
8.4. 


e  So  Mark  G.  23. 


house  shall  be  destroyed :  and  who  knoweth  whether  thou  art  come  to  the 
kingdom  for  such  a  time  as  this  ?  ^^  Then  Esther  bade  them  return  Mordecai 
this  answer,  ^^  Go,  gather  together  all  the  Jews  that  are  f  present  in  Shushan, 
and  fast  ye  for  me,  and  neither  eat  nor  drink  '  three  days,  night  or  day  :  I  also 
and  my  maidens  will  fast  likewise  ;  and  so  will  I  go  in  unto  the  king,  which  is 
k  See  Gen.  43.14.  uot  accordlug  to  tho  kw  I  "^  and  if  I  perish,  I  perish.  ^^So  Mordecai  f  went  his 
way,  anc.  did  according  to  all  that  Esther  had  commanded  him. 

V.  ^  Now  it  came  to  pass  ^  on  the  third  day,  that  Esther  put  on  her  royal 
h  See  ch.i.n.sc  apparel,  and  stood  in  **  the  inner  court  of  the  king's  house,  over  against  the 
king's  house  :  and  the  king  sat  upon  his  royal  throne  in  the  royal  house,  over 
against  the  gate  of  the  house.  ^  And  it  was  so,  when  the  king  saw  Esther  the 
queen  standing  in  the  court,  that  "  she  obtained  favour  in  his  sight :  and  '^  the 
king  held  out  to  Esther  the  golden  sceptre  that  ivas  in  his  hand.  So  Esther 
drew  near,  and  touched  the  top  of  the  sceptre.  ^  Then  said  the  king  unto  her, 
What  wilt  thou,  queen  Esther  ?  and  what  is  thy  request  ?  ^it  shall  be  even 
given  thee  to  the  half  of  the  kingdom.  "^And  Esther  answered,  If  it  seem  good 
unto  the  king,  let  the  king  and  Haman  come  this  day  unto  the  banquet  that  I 
have  prepared  for  him.  ^  Then  the  king  said.  Cause  Haman  to  make  haste, 
that  he  may  do  as  Esther  hath  said.  So  the  king  and  Haman  came  to  the 
banquet  that  Esther  had  prepared. 

^  ^  And  the  king  said  unto  Esther  at  the  banquet  of  wine,  ^  What  is  thy  peti- 
tion ?  and  it  shall  be  granted  thee  :  and  v/hat  is  thy  request  ?  even  to  the  half 
of  the  kingdom  it  shall  be  performed.  ^  Then  answered  Esther,  and  said,  My 
petition  and  my  request  is;  ^  If  I  have  found  favour  in  the  sight  of  the  king, 
and  if  it  please  the  king  to  grant  my  petition,  and  f  to  perform  my  request,  let 
+he  king  and  Haman  come  to  the  banquet  that  I  shall  prepare  for  them,  and  I 
,vill  do  to  morrow  as  the  king  hath  said. 

^  Then  went  Haman  forth  that  day  joyful  and  with  a  glad  heart :  but  when 
Haman  saw  Mordecai  in  the  king's  gate,  ^  that  he  stood  not  up,  nor  moved  for 
him,  he  was  full  of  indignation  against  Mordecai.  ^^  Nevertheless  Haman  '  re- 
frained himself :  and  when  he  came  home,  he  sent  and  f  called  for  his  friends, 
and  Zeresh  his  wife.     ^^  And  Haman  told  them  of  the  glory  of  his  riches,  and 


f  ch.  7.  2. 
g  ch.  9.  12 


h  ch.  3.  5. 

i  So  2  Sam.  13. 
22. 

t  Heb.  caused  to 
come. 


Ch.  V.  1.  tJie  third  dai/]  Of  the  Passover  {Targum).  This 
is  observable.  The  destruction  of  the  people  of  God  was  deter- 
mined by  theh'  enemies  on  the  day  before  the  Passover  (see  iii. 
12),  and  now  their  deliverance  begins  to  reveal  itself  on  the 
third  day. 

Here  is  another  confirmation  of  the  opinion  that  in  this 
wonderful  deliverance  of  the  people  of  God,  and  in  this  destruc- 
tion of  their  enemy,  by  the  very  means  which  he  devised  against 
_  them,  we  may  recognize  a  foreshadowing  of  the  deliverance 
wrought  for  the  Universal  Church  of  God,  by  Him  Who  suffered 
at  the  Passover,  and  Who  rose  on  the  third  day.  See  above,  on 
iii.  12  ;  below,  v.  14;  and  above,  on  Gen.  xxii.  4.  2  Kuigs  xix. 
29,  as  to  deliverances  on  the  third  day,  after  severe  trial. 

—  her  royal  apparel]  Literally,  Iter  royalty  (see  Gesen,4:7S). 
The  word  apparel  is  not  in  the  original. 

In  a  spiritual  sense  Esther  is  a  figure  of  God's  Church  (as 
Jerome  says,  ad  Paulln.  Ep.  50,  Vol.  iv.  p.  574 ;  see  below,  on 
vii.  9,  10 :  "  Esther  iu  Ecclesia3  typo  populum  liberat  de  peri- 
culo");  and  when  we  read  of  her  going  forth  on  the  third  day  in 
her  royal  apparel,  we  may  remember  what  the  Prophet  Isaiah 
said  to  the  Church,  in  the  prospect  of  the  redemption  to  be 
wrought  for  God's  People,  by  the  Passion  and  Resm-rection  of 
Christ.  "Awake,  awake,  O  Zion;  put  on  thy  beautiful  gar- 
ments, O  Jerusalem,  the  holy  city.  Shake  thyself  from  the 
dust  .  .  .  Break  forth  into  joy,  for  the  Lord  hath  comforted 
His  people,  He  hath  redeemed  Jerusalem.  The  Lord  hath  made 
bare  His  holy  arm  in  the  sight  of  all  the  nations :  and  all  the 
376 


ends  of  the  earth  shall  see  the  salvation  of  our  God"  (Isa.  Iii. 
1—10). 

—  the  king  sat  upon  his  royal  throne']  See  above,  on  iv. 
11. 

3.  to  the  half  of  the  kingdom']  Compare  v.  6 ;  vii.  2  j  and  Mark 
vi.  23. 

4.  If  it  seem  good  unto  the  Icing]  Esther  uses  the  third  per- 
son (the  King)  here,  and  v.  8,  till  she  has  been  assured  of  the 
royal  favour,  and  then  adopts  the  second  person,  vii.  3. 

—  let  the  king  and  Saman  come  this  day  unto  the  banquet] 
Esther  does  not  immediately  divulge  her  petition,  but  invites 
the  King  to  a  banquet,  once  and  again,  «.  8,  because  a  banquet 
would  afford  the  "  moUia  tempora  fandi,"  and  because  it  was 
the  custom  of  Persian  Kings  to  grant  requests  at  banquets.  See 
Herod,  ix.  110.  Baumg.  p.  67;  above,  on  iii.  11 ;  and  cp.  w.  6; 
and  vii.  2,  when  at  the  banquet  Ahasuerus  anticipates  Esther, 
and  asks  her  of  his  own  accord  what  her  request  is. 

10.  Zeresh  his  wije]  She  is  called  by  the  Targum  the 
daughter  of  Tatnai,  the  Persian  Governor  on  the  western  side 
of  the  Euphrates,  in  the  times  of  Darius,  the  father  of  Xerxes, 
mentioned  m  Ezra  v.  3.  6;  vi.  6.  13. 

On  the  comparatively  free  social  position  and  influence  of 
the  wives  of  nobles  in  Persia,  see  Niebuhr  and  others  quoted 
by  Baumg.  p.  22. 

11.  told  them]  Rather,  recounted,  enumerated,  showed  forth. 
The  Hebrew  verb  is  saphar  ;  he  was  not  telling  them  any  thing 
that  was  new,  this  might  have  been  bearable ;  but  was  dilating 


The  king's  sleepless  night.     ESTHER  V.   12—14.     VI.   1—5. 


The  records  read. 


^  the  multitude  of  his  children,  and  all  the  things  wherein  the  king  had  promoted  ^  ch.  9. 7,  &c. 
him,  and  how  he  had '  advanced  him  ahove  the  princes  and  servants  of  the  king,  i  ei..  3.  i. 
^^  Haman  said  moreover.  Yea,  Esther  the  queen  did  let  no  man  come  in  with 
the  king  unto  the  banquet  that  she  had  prepared  but  myself ;  and  to  morrow 
am  I  invited  unto  her  also  with  the  king.  ^^  Yet  all  this  availeth  me  nothing, 
so  long  as  I  see  Mordecai  the  Jew  sitting  at  the  king's  gate.  ^^  Then  said 
Zeresli  his  wife  and  all  his  friends  unto  him,  Let  a  f  ""  ofallows  be  mad    of  fiftv  +  "«''•  "■^'^• 

'         "^  '  «/     m  ch.  7.  9. 

cubits  high,  and  to  morrow  "  speak  thou  unto  the  king  that  Mordecai  may  be  "  "^^  ^-  *• 

hanged  thereon  :  then  go  thou  in  merrily  with  the  king  unto  the  banquet.    And 

the  thing  pleased  Haman ;  and  he  caused  "  the  gallows  to  be  made.  « ch.  7. 10. 

VI.  ^On  that  night  f  could  not  the  king  sleep,  and  he  commanded  to  bring  t  Heh.  <*.  */„/,, 
^  the  book  of  records  of  the  chronicles ;  and  they  were  read  before  the  king,  a  cu  2. 23. 
2  And  it  was  found  written,  that  Mordecai  had  tcld  of  ||  Bigthana  and  Teresh, 
two  of  the  king's  chamberlains,  the  keepers  of  the  f  door,  who  sought  to  lay 
hand  on  the  king  Ahasuerus. 

^  And  the  king  said.  What  honour  and  dignity  hath  been  done  to  Mordecai 
for  this  ?  Then  said  the  king's  servants  that  ministered  unto  him,  There  is 
nothing  done  for  him.  ^  And  the  king  said,  Who  is  in  the  court  ?  Now 
Haman  was  come  into  ''the  outward  court  of  the  king's  house,  ''to  speak  unto  ^seech.s. 
the  king  to  hang  Mordecai  on  the  gallows  that  he  had  prepared  for  him. 
^  And  the  king's  servants  said  unto  him.  Behold,  Haman  standeth  in  the  court. 
And  the  king  said.  Let  him  come  in. 


Or,  Biythan, 
ch.  2.  21. 

t  Heh.  thresltold. 


with  proud  complacency  on  all  the  items  of  his  happiness  and 
glory,  with  which  they  were  already  familiar. 

—  the  multitude  of  his  children]  He  had  ten  sons  (i.^.  10). 

The  Cross. 

14.  a  galloius]  Literall}"^,  toood,  tree  (Gr.  iyXov) ;  the  word 
used  above  for  a  cross  :  see  ii.  23.  It  would  have  been  weU  if 
the  same  word  had  been  used  in  both  places  in  our  Translation, 
especially  when  the  spiritual  significance  of  this  history  is  borne 
in  mind  :  see  below,  vii.  9.  The  word  "crux"  is  propei-ly  used 
here  in  the  Vulgate,  and  in  Josephus  (xi.  6. 10),  and  in  the  Sept. 
it  is  luAoj/,  the  word  used  for  the  Cross  of  Christ  by  the  Apos- 
tles. (Acts  V.  30;  X.  39;  xiii.  29;  xvi.  24.  1  Pet.  ii.  24).  It 
would  have  been  a  help  to  Christian  English  readers,  if  the  cor- 
responding word  cross,  had  been  adopted  in  our  Version. 

—  Jlf^y  ^"^»^*  kiffh^  About  seventy-five  feet ;  this  statement 
has  been  rejected  by  some  as  incredible ;  but,  doubtless,  Haman 
and  his  friends  desired  that  his  own  victory,  and  Mordecai's 
shame,  should  be  published  as  conspicuously  as  possible  to  the 
world. 

So,  with  reverence  be  it  said,  in  the  Crucifixion  of  Christ 
at  Jerusalem,  at  the  Passover,  it  was  intended  by  Satan  that  his 
own  triumph,  and  Christ's  shame,  should  be  proclaimed  to  all ; 
but  God  overruled  that  design,  to  the  manifestation  of  Satan's 
shame,  and  of  Christ's  glory  and  victory. 

Peeliminaey  Note  to  Chapter  VI. 

The  King's  sleepless  Night — Workings  of  Divine 
Providence. 

Some  reflection  has  been  cast  upon  the  Book  of  Esther,  on 
the  ground  that  the  name  of  God  does  not  once  occur  in  it.  That 
is  true  ;  and  it  is  a  remarkable  fact.  But  God  Himself  is  there, 
though  His  Name  be  absent.  We  trace  Ilira  at  everj'  step 
through  this  wonderful  Book,  and  every  where  behold  the  lead- 
ings of  His  Providence.  To  name  one  instance  among  many, — 
What  was  it,  or  rather.  Who  was  it,  that  kept  the  King's  eyes 
from  slumber,  on  a  night  big  with  the  doom  of  the  Hebrew 
nation  ?  Who  moved  him  to  call  for  the  chronicles  of  his  reign, 
and  not  to  summon  the  tale-reciter,  or  the  minstrel,  to  beguile 
his  waking  hours  ?  Who  moved  the  reader  to  open  at  that  part 
which  related  to  the  service  of  Mordecai  in  disclosing  a  plot 
against  the  King's  Ufe  ?  Who  quickened  the  King's  languid 
attention  and  interest,  and  stirred  him  to  inquire  what  rewards 
had  been  bestowed  upon  the  man  to  whose  fideUty  he  owed  his 
377 


hfe  and  crown  ?  Who  timed  this  so,  that  this  glow  of  kindly 
feeling  towards  Mordecai,  and  the  determination  right  royally 
to  acknowledge  his  unrequited  services,  occurred  at  the  very 
moment  that  Haman  had  arrived  at  the  palace,  to  ask  leave  to 
hang  this  very  Mordecai  upon  a  gallows  fifty  cubits  high,  which 
he  had  caused  already  to  be  set  up,  in  the  assured  convic- 
tion that  the  King  would  not  refuse  him  his  request,  and 
liUle  anticipating  that  he  himself  was  destined  to  hang  high  in 
air  upon  it  ?  Lastly,  Who  ordered  it  so,  that  coming  with  this 
errand  in  his  mouth,  he  was  only  stopped  from  uttering  it,  by 
an  order  to  hasten  to  confer  upon  this  Mordecai,  with  his  own 
hands,  the  highest  distinctions  the  King  could  bestow  upon  the 
man  he  "delighted  to  honour?"  God  not  in  the  Book  of 
Esther  !  If  not  there,  where  is  He  ?  To  our  view.  His  glory — 
the  glory  of  His  goodness,  in  caring  for,  and  shielding  from  harm. 
His  affiictcd  Church,  shines  through  every  page  (Br.  Kitto, 
Daily  Bible  Illustrations,  52nd  Week,  7th  Day.  Cp.  above. 
Introduction,  pp.  361 — 364.). 

Ch.  VI.  1.  could  not  the  Mng  sleep']  Literally,  the  King's 
sleep  fled  away.  The  Hebrew  verb  nadad  used  here,  describes 
the  fluttering,  undulatory  movement  of  a  bird's  wings.  Isa. 
X.  14.     Prov.  xxvii.  8.     Jer.  iv.  25.     Gesen.  534. 

2.  And  it  ivas  found  loritten']  Observe  the  coincidence  of 
events.  The  cross  had  been  erected  that  evening  by  Haman  for 
Mordecai.  The  King  was  in  good  health,  and  had  banqueted 
with  Esther,  but  his  sleep  fled  from  him.  Ho  does  not  ask  for 
music,  but  he  sends  an  attendant  to  bring  the  Book  of  chronicles 
of  the  kingdom,  and  the  reader,  probably  a  Prince,  lays  open 
that  passage,  and  reads  it,  which  recounted  how  the  King's  life 
had  been  saved  by  Mordecai.  Surely,  this  was  the  Lord's  doing, 
and  does  not  need  the  appendage  of  miraculous  circumstances, 
which  are  added  here  by  the  latter  Tar  gum,  or  even  the  para- 
phrase of  the  Apocryphal  Book  of  Esther,  where  it  is  said, 
that  "the  Lord  drave  away  sleep  from  the  king."  Cp.  Bp. 
Andretves,  iv.  396. 

4.  TFho  is  in  the  court  1  Noio  Haman  ivas  come']  Such  was 
his  haste  to  destroy  Mordecai ;  he  had  come  early  in  the  morn- 
ing to  request  the  King  that  he  might  be  crucified.  Here  is 
another  point  of  resemblance  between  the  act  of  Haman  and 
that  of  those  who  met  early  in  the  morning,  in  the  palace  of  the 
High  Priest,  in  order  to  bring  about  the  Crucifixion  of  Christ : 
Luke  xxii.  66.  But  He  it  was,  WTiom  the  Great  King  of  heaven 
and  earth  "  delighted  to  honour." 


The  man  icliom  the  king 


ESTHER  VI.  6—13. 


deliglitetli  to  honour. 


t  Ileb.  171  whose 
honour  the  ki7ig 
delightelh. 

+  Heb   in  whose 
honour  the  king 
delighteth. 
t  Heb.  lei  them 
bring  the  royal 
apparel. 
t  Heb.  where- 
with the  king 
clotheth  himself, 
d  1  Kings  1.  33. 

t  Heb.  cause  him 
to  ride. 

e  Gen.  41.  43. 


t  Heb.  suffer  not 
a  whit  to  fall. 


f2  Chron.  2G.  20. 


g  2  Sam.  15.  30. 
Jer.  14.  3,  4. 


^  So  Haman  came  in.  And  the  king  said  unto  him,  What  sJiall  he  done  unto 
the  man  f  whom  the  king  dehghteth  to  honour  ?  Now  Haman  thought  in  his 
heart,  To  whom  would  the  Idng  dehght  to  do  honour  more  than  to  myself  ? 
''And  Haman  answered  the  king,  For  the  man  f whom  the  king  delighteth  to 
honour,  ^  f  Let  the  royal  apparel  be  brought  f  which  the  king  usctli  to  wear, 
and  ^  the  horse  that  the  king  rideth  upon,  and  the  crown  royal  which  is  set 
upon  his  head  :  ^  And  let  this  apparel  and  horse  be  delivered  to  the  hand  of 
one  of  the  king's  most  noble  princes,  that  they  may  array  the  man  ivitlial  whom 
the  king  delighteth  to  honour,  and  f  bring  him  on  horseback  through  the  street 
of  the  city,  "  and  proclaim  before  him.  Thus  shall  it  be  done  to  the  man  whom 
the  king  dehghteth  to  honour.  ^^  Then  the  king  said  to  Haman,  Make  haste, 
and  take  the  apparel  and  the  horse,  as  thou  hast  said,  and  do  even  so  to 
Mordecai  the  Jew,  that  sitteth  at  the  king's  gate  :  f  let  nothing  fail  of  all  that 
thou  hast  spoken. 

^1  Then  took  Haman  the  apparel  and  the  horse,  and  arrayed  Mordecai,  and 
brought  him  on  horseback  through  the  street  of  the  city,  and  proclaimed 
before  him.  Thus  shall  it  be  done  unto  the  man  whom  the  king  delighteth  to 
honour. 

^■^  And  Mordecai  came  again  to  the  king's  gate.  But  Haman  ^  hasted  to  his 
house  mourning,  ^and  having  his  head  covered.  ^^And  Haman  told  Zeresh 
his  wife  and  all  his  friends  every  thing  that  had  befallen  him.  Then  said  his 
wise  men  and  Zeresh  his  wife  unto  him.  If  Mordecai  he  of  the  seed  of  the  Jews, 


6.  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honour  ?]  Literally,  in  ivhose 
honour  the  King  delighteth.  The  Sej)t.  has  t)v  iyoi  diKai  So^daat. 
These  words  also  may  suggest  an  evangelical  application.  See 
John  xvii.  1.  5.  10,  and  the  other  passages  where  the  word 
So^d((o  is  applied  to  the  glorification  of  the  Son  of  God,  by  His 
heavenly  Father. 

8.  Let  the  royal  apparel  he  bronght]  Literally,  Let  them 
bring  a  robe  of  the  Jcingdom  which  the  King  has  tvorn  :  so  that 
he  may  appear  to  be  an  "  alter  ego  "  of  the  King.  This  mode 
of  identifying  the  fiivoured  person  with  the  King  himself,  is 
illustrated  by  the  suggestion  of  this  same  Persian  Monarch, 
Ahasuerus  (Xerxes),  that  his  uncle  Artabanus  should  put  on  the 
King's  robes,  and  sleep  in  the  King's  bed ;  which  was  done,  at 
this  same  palace  of  Susa;  see  Herod,  vii.  15 — 17;  cp.  Flutarch, 
Artax.  in  c.  1 ;  Curtiiu,  vi.  6,  who  speaks  of  a  special  dress  re- 
served for  the  Kings  of  Persia. 

—  the  horse  that  the  Icing  rideth  upon']  The  Persian  Kings 
had  a  special  breed  of  horses  called  Nisican,  reserved  for  their 
use.  This  act  of  homage  to  the  favoured  person  whom  the  King 
honoured,  may  be  compared  to  the  dignity  assigned  by  Pharaoh 
to  Joseph  (Gen.  xli.  43),  and  to  Solomon  by  David  (1  Kings  i. 
33.  44).  Above  all,  in  all  these  we  see  a  faint  foreshadowing 
of  the  glory  given  by  the  Great  King  of  heaven  to  Him  Whom 
He  delighteth  to  honour.  Whom  He  has  clothed  with  the  robe 
of  His  royalty,  and  WHio  rode  "  on  the  heavens  as  on  a  horse," 
in  His  glorious  Ascension,  and  Who  has  "  a  crown  of  pure 
gold  set  on  Hi?  head "  (Ps.  xxi.  3),  and  is  enthroned  at  the 
Ilight  Hand  of  God. 

—  the  crotvn  royal  ivhich  is  set  upon  liis  head]  Rather,  on 
whose  head  the  croivn  of  the  Jcingdom  is  set.  The  Hebrew  word 
nittan  (is  set),  is  the  third  person,  niphal  from  the  verb  nathan, 
to  give,  or  set;  and  the  crown  is  the  Hebrew  cether,  whence 
Gr.  Kirapis,  or  KiSapis,  a  diadem  (see  Berth.  325.     Gesen.  421). 

The  horse,  on  which  the  man  rode  whom  the  King  desired 
to  glorify,  was  the  horse  which  the  King  himself  rode  ;  and  the 
horse  on  whose  head  a  royal  diadem  was  set. 

This  interpretation,  suggested  by  Abenezra  and  De  Dieu, 
has  been  adopted  by  Saumgarten  and  Bertheau,  and  is  con- 
firmed by  reference  to  the  Persian  custom  of  embellishing  the 
royal  horse  with  ornaments,  and  even  with  a  diadem  (Baumg. 
42.  Berth.  336) ;  and  in  the  description  which  follows  we  do 
not  hear  of  a  diadem  being  placed  on  the  head  of  Mordecai  him- 
self. It  is  true  that  iu  viii.  15,  he  is  represented  as  wearing  a 
great  crown  of  gold ;  but  the  word  for  crown  ia  there  not  the 
378 


same  as  here  (it  is  atarah,  not  cether),  and  it  is  not  called  the 
crown  of  the  kingdom.  Haman,  who  thought  that  all  this 
honour  was  designed  for  himself,  would  hardly  have  aisijii'ed  so 
high  as  to  ask  for  the  crown  of  the  Tcingdom;  such  a  request 
might  have  excited  the  King's  pride  and  jealousy,  and  have 
damaged  all. 

10.  to  Mordecai  the  Jew]  The  King  knew  the  Jewish  origin 
of  his  benefactor  Mordecai,  and  was  thus  better  prepared  to  re- 
ceive Esther's  petition  in  behalf  of  herself  and  her  people. 

—  let  nothing  fail]  Literally,  do  not  let  a  word  fall  of  all 
that  thou  hast  spoken.  He  appears  to  grant  Haman's  request 
to  the  letter,  and  makes  him  to  be  the  instrument  of  its  imme- 
diate execution. 

12.  Mordecai  came  again]  Not  elated  by  the  honour,  he 
returned  to  his  post  of  duty  "  in  the  King's  gate,"  v.  9. 

—  having  his  head  covered]  As  in  mourning.     Jer.  xiv.  4. 

13.  his  tiiise  men]  The  diviners  who  had  assisted  him  iu 
casting  lots  (iii.  7). 

—  If  Mordecai]  If  Mordecai,  before  whom  thou  hast  now 
begun  to  fall  (in  the  King's  favour),  be  of  the  seed  of  the  Jews 
(against  whom  thou  hast  obtained  a  decree,  and  of  whom  the 
Queen  Esther  is  one),  then  thou  shalt  not  prevail  against  him,  as 
thou  didst  hope  to  do  by  means  of  the  decree  against  the  Jews, 
but  thou  shalt  utterly  fiiU  before  him.  Haman's  device  in  this 
respect  also  (as  well  as  in  the  erection  of  the  gallows,  see  vii. 
9,  io),  recoiled  on  himself. 

He  obtained  a  decree  from  Ahasuerus  against  the  Jevs. 
This  decree  excited  Mordecai  and  Esther  to  exercise  their  in- 
fluence with  the  King  in  behalf  of  themselves  and  their  people, 
and  it  brought  destruction  upon  Haman. 

So  the  devices  of  Satan,  the  enemy  of  God's  people,  have 
been  overruled  by  God  to  Satan's  greater  confusion. 

On  this  history  the  reader  may  not  regret  to  have  the 
following  comment  from  an  English  Bishop  of  the  17th  cen- 
tury : — 

Great  Ahasuerus,  that  commanded  a  hundred  and  seven 
and  twenty  provinces,  cannot  command  an  hour's  sleep. 
"V^liether  to  deceive  the  time,  or  to  bestow  it  well,  Ahasuerus 
shall  spend  his  restless  hours  in  the  chronicles  of  his  time. 

Amongst  these  voluminous  registers  of  acts  and  monu- 
ments, which  so  many  scores  of  provinces  must  needs  yield,  the 
book  shall  open  upon  Mordecai's  discovery  of  the  late  treason  ot 
the  two  eunuchs :  the  reader  is  turned  thither  by  an  insensible 
sway  of  Providence. 


Esther's  intercession . 


ESTHER  VI.  14.     VII.  1—9. 


Hainan  to  be  hanged. 


before  whom  thou  hast  begun  to  fall,  thou  shalt  not  prevail  against  him,  but 
shalt  surely  fall  before  Mm. 

^*  And  while  they  ivere  yet  talking  with  him,  came  the  king's  chamberlains, 
and  hasted  to  bring  Haman  unto  ''  the  banquet  that  Esther  had  prepared. 

VII.  ^  So  the  king  and  Haman  came  f  to  banquet  with  Esther  the  queen. 
-  And  the  king  said  again  unto  Esther  on  the  second  day  ^  at  the  banquet  of 
wine,  What  is  thy  petition,  queen  Esther  ?  and  it  shall  be  granted  thee  :  and 
what  is  thy  request  ?  and  it  shall  be  performed,  even  to  the  half  of  the  king- 
dom. ^  Then  Esther  the  queen  answered  and  said.  If  I  have  found  favour  in 
thy  sight,  0  iking,  and  if  it  please  the  king,  let  my  life  be  given  me  at  my  peti- 
tion, and  my  people  at  my  request :  ^  For  we  are  ''  sold,  I  and  my  people,  f  to 
be  destroyed,  to  be  slain,  and  to  perish.  But  if  we  had  been  sold  for  bondmen 
and  bondwomen,  I  had  held  my  tongue,  although  the  enemy  could  not  counter- 
vail the  king's  damage. 

^  Then  the  king  Ahasuerus  answered  and  said  unto  Esther  the  queen.  Who 
is  he,  and  where  is  he,  f  that  durst  presume  in  his  heart  to  do  so  ?  ^  And 
Esther  said,  f  The  adversary  and  enemy  is  this  wicked  Haman.  Then  Haman 
was  afraid  |]  before  the  king  and  the  queen. 

^  And  the  king  arising  from  the  banquet  of  wine  in  his  wrath  ivent  into  the 
palace  garden  :  and  Haman  stood  up  to  make  request  for  his  life  to  Esther  the 
queen ;  for  he  saw  that  there  was  evil  determined  against  him  by  the  king. 

^  Then  the  king  returned  out  of  the  palace  garden  into  the  place  of  the  ban- 
quet of  wine ;  and  Haman  was  fallen  upon "  the  bed  whereon  Esther  ivas.  Then 
said  the  king.  Will  he  force  the  queen  also  f  before  me  in  the  house  ?  As  the 
word  \vent  out  of  the  king's  mouth,  they  '^covered  Haman's  face.  ^  And  '^Har- 
bonah,  one  of  the  chamberlains,  said  before  the  king.  Behold  also,  Hhe  f  gallows 
fifty  cubits  high,  which  Haman  had  made  for  Mordecai,  who  had  spoken  good 
for  the  king,  standeth  in  the  house  of  Haman.     Then  the  king  said.  Hang  him 


h  ch.  5.  8. 

t  Heb.  to  drink. 

a  ch.  5.  6. 


b  ch.  3.  9.  & 
4.  7. 

t  Heb.  t/ial  Ihey 
should  destruy, 
and  kill,  and 
cause  to  perish. 


t  Heb.  whose 

heart  hath  filled 

him. 

i  Heb.  The  man 

adnersary. 

II  Or,  at  the 

presence  of. 


c  ch.  1.  6. 

t  Heb.  with  me. 
d  Job  9.  24. 
e  ch.  1.  10. 

f  ch.5.  14. 
Ps.  7.  16. 
Prov.  11.  b,  6. 
t  Heb.  tree. 


That,  which  was  intended  to  procure  rest,  sets  it  off. 
King  Ahasuerus  is  unquiet  in  himself  to  think  that  so  great  a 
merit  should  lie  so  long  neglected ;  neither  can  he  find  any  peace 
in  himself,  till  he  have  given  order  for  a  sj)eedy  retribution. 
Hearing,  therefore,  by  his  servants  that  Haman  was  below  in  the 
court,  he  sends  for  him  up,  to  consult  with  him,  '  What  shall 
be  done  to  the  man  whom  the  King  delighteth  to  honour  ?' 

O  marvellous  concurrence  of  circumstances  drawn  toge- 
ther by  the  infinite  wisdom  and  power  of  the  Almighty  !  Who, 
but  Haman,  should  be  the  man  ?  And  when  should  Haman  be 
called  upon  to  advise  of  Mordecai's  honour,  but  in  the  very  in- 
stant, when  he  came  to  sue  for  Mordecai's  hanging  ? 

Oh  the  wondrous  alteration  that  one  morning  hath  made 
in  the  court  of  Persia  !  He,  that  was  yesternight  despised  by 
Haman's  footmen,  is  now  waited  on  by  Haman  and  all  his  fellow- 
princes.  He  that  yesternight  had  the  homage  of  all  knees  but 
one,  and  was  ready  to  burst  for  the  lack  of  that,  now  doth 
obe',sauce  to  that  one,  by  whom  he  was  wilfully  neglected.  It 
was  not  Ahasuerus  that  wrought  this  strange  mutation.  It  was 
the  overruling  power  of  the  Almighty,  whose  immediate  hand 
would  thus  prevent  Esther's  suit,  that  he  might  challenge  all  the 
thanks  to  himself. 

It  was  but  cold  comfort  that  Haman  finds  from  his  wife 
Zeresh  and  his  friends  :  '  If  Mordecai  be  of  the  seed  of  the  Jews, 
before  whom  thou  hast  begun  to  fall,  thou  shalt  not  prevail 
agamst  him,  but  shalt  surely  fall  before  him.'  'Out  of  the 
mouth  of  Pagans,  O  God,  Thou  hast  ordained  strength,  that  Thou 
niayest  still  the  enemy  and  the  avenger.'  What  credit  hath  Thy 
great  Name  won  with  these  barbarous  nations,  that  they  can  out 
of  all  experience  make  maxims  of  Thine  undoubted  protection  of 
Thy  people,  and  the  certain  ruin  of  their  adversaries  !  There  is 
an  invisible  hand  of  Oranipoteucy,  that  strikes  in  for  His  own, 
and  confounds  their  opposites.  O  God,  neither  is  Thy  hand 
shortened,  nor  Thy  bowels  straitened  in  Thee.  Thou  art  still 
■•».nd  ever  Thyself.  If  we  be  Thy  true  spiritual  Israel,  neither 
379 


earth  nor  hell  shall  prevail  against  us.  We  shall  either  stand 
sure,  or  surely  rise ;  while  our  enemies  shall  lick  the  dust. — 
{Bp.  Hall,  Contemplations). 

Ch.  VII.  4.  although  the  enemy  could  not  countervail  the  Tcing's 
damage']  This  sentence  ought  rather  to  be  interpreted  thus : 
because  the  enemy  (Heb.  tsar,  the  same  word  as  is  rendered 
adversary,  in  v.  6  :  the  man  who  distresses  and  afflicts  us) 
is  not  comparable  with  (Heb.  shoveh,  participle  from  shavah, 
to  be  equal,  to  compensate.     Prov.  iii.  15;  viii.  11). 

The  speech  of  Esther  is  very  courtly.  Her  meaning  is, 
if  we  were  not  to  be  utterly  destroyed,  but  were  only  to  be 
carried  into  captivity,  I  would  have  held  my  tongue,  and  have 
said  nothing  to  his  majesty  about  it ;  because,  in  that  case,  our 
distress  would  not  deserve  to  be  balanced  against  the  trouble 
which  I  am  now  about  to  give  to  the  King  by  my  importunity, 
and  by  the  consequent  annoyance  to  which  he  ^vill  be  subject 
in  being  asked  to  issue  a  counter  order,  to  be  sent  to  all  his 
provinces,  that  we  may  be  rescued  from  the  impending  de- 
struction. The  word  rendered  damage  is  nezek,  and  may  mean 
any  annoyance  or  vexation.  Cp.  Dan.  vi.  2.  Ezra  iv.  13.  15. 
It  may  be  connected  with  the  words  noceo,  nuisance,  &c.  Cp. 
Bertheau,  p.  338. 

6.  before  the  king']  Literally, /ro»i  the  face  of  the  King. 

8.  the  bed]  The  couch  at  the  banquet.     See  above,  i.  6. 

—  they  covered  Haman's  face]  That  he  might  not  see  the 
King's  face  any  more.     See  i.  11. 

The  Crtjcifixion  of  the  Enemy  of  God's  People. 

9.  the  king  said.  Hang  him  thereon]  The  Sept.  here  has  a 
remarkable  word,  —  ffravpwdriTai,  —  "  Let  him  be  crucified  .'" 
It  is  the  same  word  as  that  uttered  by  the  Chief  Priests  and 
Elders,  on  the  morning  of  our  Lord's  Passion  (Matt,  xxvii. 
22,  23).     The  Sejd.  has  also  here  the  word  |uAoj/,  the  word 


Ilaman  hanged  oil  the  cross.    ESTHER  VII.  10.     VIII.  1 — 8.  Mordecai  exalted  in  his  room. 


Ps.  37.  35,  36. 
Jan.  6.  24. 


a  ch.  2.  7. 
b  ch.  3.  10. 


■t  Heb.  a?)d  i/je 
wept,  and 
besought  him. 

c  ch.  4.  11.  & 
5.  2. 


+  Heb.  /Ae 

dew/ce. 

II  Or,  who  wrote. 


i  Heb.  be  able 
that  I  may  see. 
d  Neh.2.  3. 
ch.  7.  4. 


e  ver.  1. 
Prov.  13.  22. 


thereon.  ^^  So  ^  they  hanged  Haman  on  the  gallows  that  he  had  prepared  for 
Mordecai.     Then  was  the  king's  wrath  pacified. 

VIII.  ^  On  that  day  did  the  king  Ahasuerus  give  the  house  of  Haman  the 
Jews'  enemy  unto  Esther  the  queen.  And  Mordecai  came  hefore  the  king ; 
for  Esther  had  told  "  what  he  ivas  unto  her.  ^  And  the  king  took  off  ^  his  ring, 
which  he  had  taken  from  Haman,  and  gave  it  unto  Mordecai.  And  Esther  set 
Mordecai  over  the  house  of  Haman. 

^And  Esther  spake  yet  again  before  the  king,  and  fell  down  at  his  feet, 
f  and  besought  him  with  tears  to  put  away  the  mischief  of  Haman  the  Agagite, 
and  his  device  that  he  had  devised  against  the  Jews.  ^  Then  "  the  king  held 
out  the  golden  sceptre  toward  Esther.  So  Esther  arose,  and  stood  before  the 
king,  ^  And  said,  If  it  please  the  king,  and  if  I  have  found  favour  in  his  sight, 
and  the  thing  seem  right  before  the  king,  and  I  he  pleasing  in  his  eyes,  let  it 
be  written  to  reverse  f  the  letters  devised  by  Haman  the  son  of  Hammedatha 
the  Agagite,  ||  which  he  wrote  to  destroy  the  Jews  which  are  in  all  the  king's 
provinces  :  ^  For  how  can  I  f  endure  to  see  ^  the  evil  that  shall  come  unto  my 
people  ?  or  how  can  I  endure  to  see  the  destruction  of  my  kindred  ? 

7  Then  the  king  Aliasuerus  said  unto  Esther  the  queen  and  to  Mordecai  the 
Jew,  Behold,  '^I  have  given  Esther  the  house  of  Haman,  and  him  they  have 
hanged  upon  the  gallows,  because  he  laid  his  hand  upon  the  Jews.  ^  Write  ye 
also  for  the  Jews,  as  it  liketli  you,  in  the  king's  name,  and  seal  it  with  the 


often  used  iu  the  New  Testament  for  the  Cross.     See  ahovc, 
on  V.  14. 

Haman  erected  a  cross  for  Mordecai,  and  he  himself  was 
crucified  thereon,  and  the  people  of  God  was  delivered  from 
destruction. 

So  Satan  tempted  the  Jews  to  cry,  "  Crucify  Sim  !  crucify 
Him  ! "  He  plotted  with  them  the  death  of  Christ  by  cruci- 
fixion;—<Aa^  death  seemed  to  be  a  death  of  shame,  but  it  be- 
came the  gate  of  life  and  glory.  By  that  death  Satan  himself 
was  overcome,  he  himself  was  crucified  on  the  Cross  which  he 
had  set  up  for  Christ,  and  the  World  was  delivered  out  of  his 
hand  thereby.  As  St.  Paul  says,  "-Christ  by  death  destroyed 
him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  Devil,  and 
delivered  them,  who  through  fear  of  death  wei"e  subject  to 
bondage"  (Heb.  ii.  15).  "By  His  Cross  He  blotted  out 
the  handwriting  of  ordinances  that  was  against  us,  which  was 
contrary  to  us,  and  took  it  out  of  the  way  "  (as  the  eflect  of 
the  edict  of  Ahasuerus  against  the  Jews  was  taken  away  after 
the  crucifixion  of  their  enemy),  "  nailing  it  to  the  Cross ;  and 
having  spoiled  principalities  and  powers.  He  made  a  show  of 
them  openly,  triumphing  over  them  in  it,"  i.  e.  by  His  Cross 
(Col.  ii.  14,  15). 

Satan  was  like  Haman,  nailed  to  his  own  cross,  which 
became  to  Christ  like  a  Throne  of  gloiy,  a  Chariot  of  triumph  ; 
for  by  it  He  delivered  us,  and  overthrew  Sin,  Satan,  and  the 
Grave.  To  the  external  view  of  man,  Christ  was  there  exposed 
to  shame,  but  to  the  eye  of  faith,  which  looks  beyond,  there  our 
Enemy  hung  conquered.  There  the  Devil,  that  spiritual  Haman, 
the  Enemy,  the  Adversary  (such  is  the  meaning  of  Satan), 
did  hang  bound  and  disarmed,  at  the  very  time  when,  and  on 
the  very  cross  by  which,  he  had  hoped  to  destroy  us  for  ever. 
There  he,  who  had  the  power  of  death,  hung  with  his  sting 
plucked  out;  and  we,  who  were  exposed  to  death,  are  now 
freed  from  his  grasp.  Therefore  we  may  say,  with  the  Apostle, 
"  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  Cross  of  Christ" 
(Gal.  vi.  14.  See  Dr.  Barroio  quoted  below,  on  Col.  ii. 
14, 15). 

S.  Paul,  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  gloried  in  the  Cross 
of  Christ,  and  in  his  preaching  at  Corinth,  was  resolved  to 
know  nothing  but  "Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified"  (1  Cor. 
ii.  2). 

The  present  Scripture,  therefore,  may  be  applied  to  the  work 
of  Christ  in  every  age,  overthrowing  the  kingdom  of  Satan,  and 
delivering  souls  from  perdition  by  His  death,  and  by  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Cross.      An  ancient  Christian  writer  says,  "  Esther  is 
380 


a  type  of  the  Church  of  Christ ;  she  was  raised  from  low  estate 
to  royal  dignity.  So  is  the  Church  of  Christ.  When  Esther 
told  the  King  what  destruction  was  devised  against  her  and 
her  people,  he  commanded  that  Haman  should  be  crucified 
on  the  cross  which  he  had  prepared  for  the  innocent  Mordecai. 
So  the  Church  overthrows  her  enemies  by  means  of  the  Cross 
of  Christ,  and  saves  her  people  by  prayer,  and  by  the  Cross 
{S.  Prosper  Aquitamis,  ii.  38).  Compare  S.  Jerome,  ad  PauH- 
num,  Epist.  50  :  "  Esther,  in  Ecclcsiaj  typo  populum  liberat  de 
periculo,  et  interfecto  Aman,  partes  convivii  et  diem  celebrem 
mittit  in  posteros ;"  and  in  his  Prajfat.  ad  Sophoniam,  S.  Jerome 
says,  "  Esther,  in  typo  Ecclesiaj  occldit  adversaries,  et  peri- 
turum  Israel  de  periculo  liberavit." 

The  commemoration  of  the  victory  and  deliverance  of  the 
Jews,  by  the  institution  the  feast  of  Purim,  may  also  be 
paralleled  by  the  institution  of  the  Christian  festival  of  Easter, 
which  blends  together  in  one,  the  characters  of  the  Hebrew 
Passover,  and  of  the  Hebrew  Purim. 

This  Scripture,  in  which  Esther  is  represented  as  co- 
operating with  God,  in  bringing  about  the  deliverance  of  His 
people,  is  used  by  some  of  the  Christian  Fathers  as  an  iUustra- 
tiou  of  the  manner  in  which  the  human  will  is  permitted  and 
encouraged  to  work  together  with  divine  grace  {S.  Augustine, 
contra  Duas  Epistolas  Pelagianorum,  i.  38.  Cp.  S.  Clement, 
ad  Rom.  i.  55). 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  Jews  themselves  saw  in  the 
crucifixion  of  Haman  a  I'esemblance  to  the  crucifixion  of  Christ, 
as  appears  from  the  law  of  Honorius  and  Theodosius,  forbidding 
them  to  represent  the  crucifixion  of  Haman  at  the  feast  of 
Purim,  because  they  took  occasion  therefrom  to  revile  Chris- 
tianity (Cod.  de  Judaeis  et  Ca>licolis). 

Ch.  VIII.  2.  tlie  Icing — gave  it  unto  Mordecai']  It  has  seemed 
to  some  to  be  incredible  that  a  strange^-,  and  a  Jew,  should  be 
made  Grand  Vizier  to  a  Persian  King.  But  Haman,  his  pre- 
decessor, was  a  foreigner  also  (see  iii.  1) ;  and  Daniel,  a  Jew, 
had  great  influence  with  Cyrus,  and  had  been  Prime  Minister 
to  Darius,  the  Mede  (Dan.  vi.  2.  28) ;  and  Mordeeai's  fidelity 
to  the  King,  under  very  trying  circumstances,  had  been  proved 
(see  on  ii.  21 — 23),  and  he  was  now  known  to  be  cousin  to  the 
Queen  {v.  1). 

5.  to  reverse  the  letters]  Literally,  to  bring  hacTc ;  they 
could  not  be  reversed :  see  i.  19.  Esther  represents  them  as 
Saman's  letters,  which  he  wrote  to  injure  the  King,  by  destroy- 
ing the  Jews  that  were  in  the  King's  provinces  :  see  iii.  9.  13. 


The  counter-decree. 


ESTHER  VIII.  9 — 15.     The  Jews  may  defend  themselves. 


ich.  1.  22.  & 
3.  12. 


king's  ring :  for  the  writing  which  is  written  in  the  king's  name,  and  sealed 

with  the  kino^'s  rinc;,  *"may  no  man  reverse.  fseech.  1. 19. 

"  O'  •^  Dan.  6.  8,  12,  15. 

^^  Then  were  the  king's  scribes  called  at  that  time  in  the  third  month,  that  gch.  3. 12. 
is,  the  month  Sivan,  on  the  three  and  twentieth  day  thereof ;  and  it  was  written 
according  to  all  that  Mordecai  commanded  unto  the  Jews,  and  to  the  lieute- 
nants, and  the  deputies  and  rulers  of  the  provinces  which  are  ''from  India  unto  J^ch.  1. 1. 
Ethiopia,  an  hundred  twenty  and  seven  provinces,  unto  every  province  '  accord- 
ing to  the  writing  thereof,  and  unto  every  people  after  their  language,  and  to 
the  Jews  according  to  their  writing,  and  according  to  their  language. 

1°  "^  And  he  wrote  in  the  kin^?  Ahasuerus'  name,  and  sealed  it  with  the  king's  ^  1  Kings  21.  s. 

"  '  O         ch.  3.  12,  13. 

ring,  and  sent  letters  by  posts  on  horseback,  and  riders  on  mules,  camels,  and 
young  dromedaries  :  ^^  Wherein  the  king  granted  the  Jews  which  ivere  in  every 
city  to  gather  themselves  together,  and  to  stand  for  their  life,  to  destroy,  to 
slay,  and  to  cause  to  perish,  all  the  power  of  the  people  and  province  that  would 
assault  them,  both  little  ones  and  women,  and  Uo  take  the  spoil  of  them  for  a  iseech. 
prey,  '-  ™  Upon  one  day  in  all  the  provinces  of  king  Ahasuerus,  namely,  upon 
the  thirteenth  day  of  the  twelfth  month,  which  is  the  month  Adar. 

13  n  rpj-^g  ^^py  q£  ^-^q  writing  for  a  commandment  to  be  given  in  every  province  n  eh.  3. 14, 15. 
ivas  f  published  unto  all  people,  and  that  the  Jews  should  be  ready  against  that  +  Heb.  reveaie,, 
day  to  avenge  themselves  on  their  enemies.     ^^  So  the  posts  that  rode  upon 
mules  and  camels  went  out,  being  hastened  and  pressed  on  by  the  king's  com- 
mandment.    And  the  decree  was  given  at  Shushan  the  palace. 

^^  And  Mordecai  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the  king  in  royal  apparel  of 
II  blue  and  white,  and  with  a  great  crown  of  gold,  and  with  a  garment  of  fine  11  or,  vioiet. 


9. 10, 


m  ch.  3.  13,  &c. 
&  9.  1. 


8.  for  the  loriting — may  no  man  reverse]  The  letters  which 
have  been  already  sigued,  sealed,  and  sent,  cannot  be  reversed, 
revoked,  or  brought  back :  see  v.  5.  This  would  be  contrary 
to  the  law  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  (see  on  i.  19) ;  but  you 
may  wi-ite  as  you  deem  best,  to  modify  the  effect  of  those 
letters,  by  giving  the  Jews  free  liberty  to  stand  on  the  defensive, 
and  to  resist  those  who  attempt  to  destroy  them. 

9.  the  lieutenants]  Satraps.    See  above,  on  iii.  12. 

—  the  deputies]  Or  governors  :  Heb.  pachoth. 

—  from  India  unto  ^Ethiopia]  See  i.  1. 

10.  posts]  Couriers.    See  iii.  13. 

—  inules]  The  Heb.  recesh  (1  Kings  v.  8.  Micah  i.  13), 
from  racash,  to  run  quickly,  represents  a  superior  breed  of 
horses,  distinguished  by  speed  (Qesen.  769). 

—  camels]  Heb.  aehasteranim.  This  word  has  been  diversely 
interpreted : — 

(1)  As  representing  another  kind  o^  mules ;  from  Persian 
estar,  ester,  from  the  old  harsher  form,  ekhshter,  a  mule 
(Gesen.  34),  or  from  achash,  king;  and  estar,  a  mule;  and 
signifying  king's  mules  (Ibn  Ezra). 

(2)  Royal  messengers.  In  modern  Persian  askadur,  from 
achash,  king ;  and  the  word  would  be  equivalent  to  acTKav'Sai, 
royal  couriers.     So  Junius. 

(3)  Camels,  from  Sanskrit,  ashtra  {RasJii). 

(4)  Belonging  to  the  king :  and  then  the  word  would 
be  an  adjunct  to  the  foregoing  words,  horses  and  mules 
{Bertheau). 

—  young  dromedaries]  Or  rather — 

(1)  Sons  of  royal  mares;  Qesen.  770,  who  derives  the 
word  from  the  Arabic ;  or, — 

(2)  Sons  of  the  studs  (of  the  King)  {Bertheau),  and  this 
is  confirmed  by  the  Syriac  Version. 

Fuerst  (p.  66),  who  supposes  the  former  word  to  signify 
royal  couriers,  renders  it,  sons  of  slaves  ;  but  this  is  less  pro- 
bable. The  original  word  here  used,  ramac,  occurs  nowhere 
else  in  the  Bible. 

On  the  whole,  the  rendering  of  Oesenius  appears  to  be 
preferable.  It  is  confirmed  by  the  Targum,  and  was  anticipated 
by  Bochart,  Hieroz.  i.  37 ;  Hottinger,  Smegm.  Orient.  75 ; 
Castell,  Lex.  col.  29;  Pfeiffer,  259;  and  is  approved  by 
Baumgarten,  who  shows  that  the  Persian  mules  were  proverbial 
for  their  strength  and  speed  (p.  95).  The  reason  why  it  is 
381 


mentioned  that  those  mules  were  sons  of  mares  is,  because  such 
mules  as  were  "  ex  asino  et  equd  geniti  sunt  nobiliores  qu^m 
qui  ex  equo  et  asintl "  {Plin.  N.  H.  viii.  44 :  cp.  JElian,  Hist. 
An.  xvi.  9). 

11.  to  stand  for  their  life]  The  Jews  were  not  authorized  to 
attack  any  one,  but  only  to  stand  on  the  defensive  against  those 
who  would  assault  them.  This  must  be  borne  in  mind,  because 
otherwise  the  slaughter  which  ensued  (ix.  12.  16)  might  seem 
to  be  attributable  to  a  vindictive  spirit  of  resentment  on  the 
part  of  the  Jews.  On  the  other  hand,  the  slaughter  represents 
the  malice  of  their  enemies,  and  shows  tvhat  carnage  tvould 
have  ensued,  if  they  had  not  been  allowed  to  defend  themselves. 
The  Jews,  being  a  mere  handful  compared  with  their  heathen 
adversaries,  would  have  been  exterminated,  if  they  had  not  been 
permitted  to  defend  themselves  against  those  who  "  sought  their 
hurt "  (ix.  2),  and  who  assaulted  them ;  and  if  God  had  not 
made  the  fear  of  them  to  fall  upon  many  of  the  people  (v.  17), 
and  if  the  rulers  of  the  provinces  had  not  helped  them  (ix. 
2,3). 

A  Persian  law  might  not  be  reversed.  It  might  be  coun- 
terchanged.  Mordecai  may  not  write  "  let  no  Jew  be  slain," 
he  may  write,  "  let  the  Jews  stand  for  their  lives  against  those 
that  would  slay  them  "  (Bp.  Hall). 

—  to  take  the  spoil  of  them  for  a  prey]  But  this  the  Jews 
declined  to  do,  though  they  were  authorized  by  the  King  to  do 
it.     Sec  ix.  10.  15. 

This  also  proves  that  the  Jews  were  not  actuated  by  a 
desire  of  revenge. 

13.  to  avenge  themselves  on  their  enemies]  The  Hebrew 
word  nakam  liere  used  is  commonly  rendered  in  the  Sept.  by 
iKSiKfw  (see  Mintert  in  voce),  and  like  that  word,  does  not 
necessarily  signify  a  violent  emotion  of  a  resentful  spirit,  but  a 
steady  resolve  to  defend  the  right  (see  below,  on  Luke  xviii.  7). 
It  is  applied  to  the  Almighty  Himself,  rescuing  the  oppressed, 
defending  the  right,  and  punishing  the  assailant  and  oppressor, 
and  requiting  them  for  their  sins,  by  just  retribution.  See 
Deut.  xxxii.  43.  1  Sam.  xxiv.  12.  2  Kings  ix.  7.  Nahum 
i.  2.  Cp.  Deut.  xxxii.  35.  41.  43,  where  the  cognate  substantive 
is  used ;  and  Oesen.  565. 

15.  apparel]  Heb.  lebush,  from  labasJi,  to  put  on  {Qesen, 
428.  430)  :  this  was  the  inner  robe. 

—  blue]  See  Exod.  xxv.  4;  xxvi.  1. 


Shiishan  is  glad. 


ESTHER  VIII.  16,  17.     IX.  1—14. 


Many  become  Jews. 


o  See  ch.  3.  15. 
Prov.  29.  2. 
p  Ps.  97.  U. 


q  1  Sam.  25.  8. 
ch.  9.  19,  22. 
r  Ps.  18.  43. 
s  Gen.  35.  5. 
Exod.  15.  16. 
Deut.  2.  25.  & 
II.  25. 
ch.  9.  2. 

about 

509. 

ach.  8.  12. 

I)  ch.  3.  13. 

c  2  Sam.  22.  41. 

dch.  S.  11.  & 
ver.  16. 


e  Ps.  71.  13,  24 
f  ch.  8.  17. 


t  Heb.  those 
which  did  the 
business  that 
belonged  to  the 
king. 

g  2  Sam.  3.  1. 
1  Chron.  11.  9. 
Prov.  4.  18. 


t  Heb.  according 
to  their  will. 


h  ch.  5.  11. 
Job  18.  19. 
&  27.  13,  14,  15. 
Ps.21.  10. 
iSee  ch.  8.  U. 


t  Heb.  came. 


kch.  5.  e. 
7.2. 


1  ch.8.  11. 

t  Heb.  let  men 

hang. 

m  2  Sam.  21. 

6,  9. 


linen  and  purple:  and  °  the  city  of  Shushan  rejoiced,  and  was  glad.  ^^  The 
Jews  had  Plight,  and  gladness,  and  joy,  and  honour.  ^'' And  in  every  pro- 
vince, and  in  every  city,  whithersoever  the  king's  commandment  and  his  decree 
came,  the  Jews  had  joy  and  gladness,  a  feast  '^  and  a  good  day.  And  many 
of  the  people  of  the  land  '  became  Jews ;  for  '  the  fear  of  the  Jews  fell  upon 
them. 

IX.  ^Now  ^in  the  twelfth  month,  that  is,  the  month  Adar,  on  the  thirteenth 
day  of  the  same,  ''  when  the  king's  commandment  and  his  decree  drew  near  to 
be  put  in  execution,  in  the  day  that  the  enemies  of  the  Jews  hoped  to  have 
power  over  them,  (though  it  was  turned  to  the  contrary,  that  the  Jews  "  had 
rule  over  them  that  hated  them  ;)  ^  The  Jews  ^  gathered  themselves  together 
in  their  cities  throughout  all  the  provinces  of  the  king  Ahasuerus,  to  lay  hand 
on  such  as  *"  sought  their  hurt :  and  no  man  could  withstand  them ;  for  *"  the 
fear  of  them  fell  upon  all  people.  ^And  all  the  rulers  of  the  provinces,  and 
the  lieutenants,  and  the  deputies,  and  f  officers  of  the  king,  helped  the  Jews ; 
because  the  fear  of  Mordecai  fell  upon  them.  ^  For  Mordecai  ivas  great  in  the 
king's  house,  and  his  fame  went  out  throughout  all  the  provinces :  for  this  man 
Mordecai  ^  waxed  greater  and  greater. 

^  Thus  the  Jews  smote  all  their  enemies  with  the  stroke  of  the  sword,  and 
slaughter,  and  destruction,  and  did  f  what  they  would  unto  those  that  hated 
them.  ^  And  in  Shushan  the  palace  the  Jews  slew  and  destroyed  five  hundred 
men.  ^  And  Parshandatha,  and  Dalphon,  and  Aspatha,  ^  And  Poratha,  and 
Adalia,  and  Aridatha,  ^  And  Parmashta,  and  Arisai,  and  Aridai,  and  Vajezatha, 
10  h  ijij^g  |.gjj  gQjjg  q£  jjaman  the  son  of  Hammedatha,  the  enemy  of  the  Jews, 
slew  they ;  '  but  on  the  spoil  laid  they  not  their  hand. 

^1  On  that  day  the  number  of  those  that  were  slain  in  Shushan  the  palace 
f  was  'brought  before  the  king.  ^-^  And  the  king  said  unto  Esther  the  queen, 
The  Jews  have  slain  and  destroyed  five  hundred  men  in  Shushan  the  palace, 
and  the  ten  sons  of  Haman;  what  have  they  done  in  the  rest  of  the  king's 
provinces  ?  now  "^  what  is  thy  petition  ?  and  it  shall  be  granted  thee  :  or  what 
is  thy  request  further  ?  and  it  shall  be  done. 

1^  Then  said  Esther,  If  it  please  the  king,  let  it  be  granted  to  the  Jews  which 
are  in  Shushan  to  do  to  morrow  also  '  according  unto  this  day's  decree,  and 
flet  Haman's  ten  sons  ™be  hanged  upon  the  gallows.  ^*  And  the  king  com- 
manded it  so  to  be  done :  and  the  decree  was  given  at  Shushan ;  and  they 


—  lohite]  Fine  linen  (Sept. ;   Qesen,  267). 

—  crown  of  gold]  See  ou  vi.  8. 

—  a  garm.enf\  A  long  mantle  (Gesen.  414.  864) 

17.  became  Jews]  Proselytes  {Targmn).  So  after  the  over- 
tlirow  of  Satan  by  the  Crucifixion,  multitudes  embraced  the 
Gospel. 

Ch.  IX.  4.  loaxed  greater  and  greater']  lAiQvaWy,  marching, 
and  great. 

6.  Shushan  the  palace]  The  metropolis :  the  word  hirah, 
rendered  palace,  signifies  not  only  the  royal  abode,  but  some- 
times includes,  as  here,  the  royal  eitt/.  Cp.  i.  5 ;  ii.  5 ;  viii.  14 ; 
ix.  12 :  cp.  Ezra  vi.  2  {Oesen.  115). 

7 — 13.  Parshandatha — The  ten  sons  of  Haman]  Who,  as 
appears  from  viii.  11  (see  note),  assaulted  the  Jews,  and  were 
probably  foremost  in  doing  so,  and  instigated  others  against 
them. 

The  names  of  the  ten  sons  of  Haman  are  written  in  the 
Hebrew  MSS.  of  this  Book  in  compact  perpendicular  columns, 
as  if  they  were  hanging  one  over  another;  and  the  reader  of 
this  Book  in  the  Synagogue  is  required  to  pronounce  all  the 
.'iames  at  one  breath.  The  Targum  says  that  they  were  all 
382 


suspended  in  one  line,  at  stated  intervals,  one  above  the  other 
(Buxtorf,  Syn.  Jud.  xxix.  pp.  557,  558). 

12.  five  hundred  men]  Observe  the  word  men,  and  see  it  also 
in  V.  15.  The  Jews  had  leave  to  destroy  little  ones  and  children 
(see  viii.  11) ;  but  they  only  destroyed  men,  and  only  those 
whose  destruction  was  necessary  to  their  own  self-preservation. 

13.  Then  said  Esther]  Esther  asked  for  a  continuance  of 
the  decree  for  a  second  day  in  Shushan. 

It  has  been  alleged  by  some,  that  "the  king,  at  the  re- 
quest of  Esther,  allowed  another  day  for  the  lutchery  in  the 
palace." 

But  this  is  a  misrepresentation.  The  reason,  doubtless, 
of  Esther's  request  was,  that  she  saw  how  matters  stood  in 
Shushan,  and  knew  that  there  was  reason  to  apprehend  a 
renewal  of  the  attacks  of  the  enemies  of  the  Jews ;  and  she 
desired  that  they  might  be  authorized  by  the  king  to  defend 
themselves.  See  viii.  11.  Cp.  Baumg.,  p.  62.  She  made  no 
request  for  an  extension  of  permission  to  the  Jews  in  the  pro- 
vinces to  do  what  she  knew  to  be  necessary  in  the  capital. 

—  let  Haman's  ten  sons  he  lianged]  Not  alive  (see  v.  10), 
but  after  their  death,  in  order  that  others  might  be  deterred  by 
the  sight  from  attacking  the  Jews,  and  that  thus  further  blood- 
shed mi"rht  be  avoided. 


The  two  clays  of  Purim 


ESTHER  IX.  15—25. 


are  made  festival. 


hanged  Hainan's  ten  sons.  ^^For  the  Jews  that  w^r<3  in  Shushan  "  gathered 
themselves  together  on  the  fourteenth  day  also  of  the  month  Adar,  and  slew 
three  hundred  men  at  Shushan  ;  °  but  on  the  prey  they  laid  not  their  hand. 

^^But  the  other  Jews  that  were  in  the  king's  provinces  ^  gathered  themselves 
together,  and  stood  for  their  lives,  and  had  rest  from  their  enemies,  and  slew 
of  their  foes  seventy  and  five  thousand,  "^  but  they  laid  not  their  hands  on  the 
prey,  ^^  On  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  month  Adar  ;  and  on  the  fourteenth  day 
f  of  the  same  rested  they,  and  made  it  a  day  of  feasting  and  gladness.  '^  But 
the  Jews  that  icere  at  Shushan  assembled  together  *■  on  the  thirteenth  day 
thereof,  and  on  the  fourteenth  thereof;  and  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  same 
they  rested,  and  made  it  a  day  of  feasting  and  gladness.  ^^  Therefore  the  Jews 
of  the  villages,  that  dwelt  in  the  unwalled  towns,  made  the  fourteenth  day  of 
the  month  Adar '  a  day  of  gladness  and  feasting,  '  and  a  good  day,  and  of 
"  sending  portions  one  to  another. 

2^  And  Mordecai  wrote  these  things,  and  sent  letters  unto  all  the  Jews 
that  ivere  in  all  the  provinces  of  the  king  Ahasuerus,  both  nigh  and  far, 
2^  To  stablish  this  among  them,  that  they  should  keep  the  fourteenth  day 
of  the  month  Adar,  and  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  same,  yearly,  22  ^g  h^q 
days  wherein  the  Jews  rested  from  their  enemies,  and  the  month  which  was 
"turned  unto  them  from  sorrow  to  joy,  and  from  mourning  into  a  good  day : 
that  they  should  make  them  days  of  feasting  and  joy,  and  of  ^  sending  por- 
tions one  to  another,  and  gifts  to  the  poor.  23^(;[  h^q  Jews  undertook  to  do 
as  they  had  begun,  and  as  Mordecai  had  written  unto  them ;  ^-^  Because 
Haman  the  son  of  Hammedatha,  the  Agagite,  the  enemy  of  all  the  Jews, 
^  had  debased  against  the  Jews  to  destroy  them,  and  had  cast  Pur,  that  is,  the 
lot,  to  f  consume  them,  and  to  destroy  them ;  -^But  -f^vflien  Esther  came  before 
the  king,  he  commanded  by  letters  that  his  wicked  device,  which  he  devised 
against  the  Jews,  should  ^  return  upon  his  own  head,  and  that  he  and  his  sons 


n  ver 
eh.  8. 

2  & 
11. 

0  ver. 

10. 

p  ver 
ch.  8. 

2.& 
11. 

q  See  ch.  8. 

11 

509. 

t  Heh 

.  in  it 

r  ver. 

11,  15 

s  Deut.  16.  11, 

14. 

t  ch.  8.  17. 

u  ver.  22. 

Neh.  8.  10,  12. 


X  Ps.  30.  II. 


y  ver.  19. 
Neh.  8.  II. 


z  ch.  3.  G,  7. 

t  Heb.  crush. 

t  Heb.  when  she 

came. 

a  ver.  13,  14. 

ch.  7.  5,  &c. 

&  8.  3,  &c. 

.7.10.     Ps.  7.  16. 


15.  and  slew  three  hundred]  WTio  attacked  tliem. 

16.  seventy  and  jive  thousand]  This,  it  is  to  be  remembered, 
was  ou  the  thirteenth  day ;  the  day  appointed  by  Haman  for 
the  utter  extermination  of  the  Jews,  as  the  letters  expressed  it, 
which  were  sent  "  to  aU  the  king's  provinces,"  "  to  destroy,  to 
kill,  and  to  cause  to  perish  all  Jews,  both  young  and  old,  little 
children  and  women,  in  one  day,  even  upon  the  thirteenth  day 
of  the  twelfth  month,  which  is  the  month  Adar,  and  to  take  the 
spoil  of  them  for  a  prey  "  (see  iii.  13). 

These  letters  were  still  in  force  (see  viii.  8) ;  but  the  second 
despatch  of  letters  (viii.  11)  authorized  the  Jews  "  to  stand  for 
their  lives,"  and  to  defend  themselves  against  all  who  "  sought 
their  hurt "  and  assaulted  them. 

The  slaughter,  therefore,  of  these  75,000,  shows  that  a  very 
large  number  of  their  heathen  enemies,  who  had  been  exas- 
perated and  stimulated  against  the  Jews  by  the  decree  of 
Haman  issued  nearly  a  year  before,  had  prepared  themselves 
for  an  attack  upon  them ;  and  that,  presuming  upon  their  own 
overwhelming  numbers  and  forces,  as  compared  with  the 
paucity  and  weakness  of  the  Jews,  they  assaulted  them  in 
order  to  destroy  and  despoil  them,  and  to  enrich  themselves 
with  their  property ;  and  that  the  Jews  made  a  vigorous 
resistance,  and,  by  the  help  of  God,  routed  their  assailants  with 
a  great  discomfiture. 

The  slaughter  was  not  a  consequence  of  a  vindictive  spirit 
in  the  Jews,  but  of  the  bitter  animosity  of  their  enemies ;  and 
it  proves  that  the  Jews  would  have  been  extinguished  (as 
Haman's  decree  intended  that  they  should  be),  if  God  had  not 
interfered  to  rescue  them  from  destruction. 

It  is  not  to  be  forgotten  also  that  the  Jews  returned  good 
for  evil  j  they  were  authorized  by  the  royal  decree  to  seize  the 
property  of  their  assailants,  whom  they  overcame,  but  they 
abstained  from  it  {vv.  10.  15,  16). 

Two  other  inferences  may  be  deri-'ed  from  this  his- 
tory ; 

3S3 


It  shows  the  recklessness  of  human  life,  even  of  their  own 
subjects,  which  then  prevailed  among  the  sovereigns  of  the 
most  celebrated  nations  of  the  Eastern  world;  and  it  displavs 
the  ruinous  consequences  which  would  have  resulted  to  human 
civilization,  if  Ahasuerus  (Xerxes)  had  been  victorious  at  Sala- 
niis.  If  Greece  had  not  triumphed  in  that  struggle  with  Asia, 
Oriental  ruthlessness  and  Oriental  polygamy  might  have  be- 
come dominant  in  the  West,  and  greater  difficulties  would  have 
obstructed  the  progress  of  civilization  and  Christianity.  The 
Book  of  Esther  reveals  to  us  that  the  hand  of  God  wrought  for 
the  deliverance  of  mankind  at  the  Straits  of  Salamis,  and  on  the 
banks  of  the  Asopus  at  Platsea;,  as  well  as  for  the  preservation 
of  the  Jews  in  the  provinces  of  Persia. 

It  also  displays  the  unhappy  consequences  of  that  proud 
assumption  of  Infallibility  which  was  implied  in  the  Medo-Per- 
sian  maxim,  that  laws  once  enacted  may  never  be  repealed. 
Such  a  claim  to  the  divine  attribute  of  Infallibility,  whether  it 
be  made  by  Eastern  potentates,  or  by  Western  pontiffs,  shuts 
the  door  against  repentance,  and  involves  them  in  a  perpetual 
necessity  of  erring,  and  is  fraught  with  the  most  disastrous 
consequences  to  all  who  are  under  their  sway, 

19.  of  the  villages  —  timoalled  towns']  Who,  on  account  of 
their  defenceless  condition,  had  been  most  exposed  to  danger, 
and  were  therefore  most  thankful  for  deliverance. 

On  the  Hebrew  word  here  used  {perazoth),  connected  with 
Perjzzites,  see  Oesenius  689. 

24.  Pur]  See  iii.  7. 

—  lot]  Heb.  goral  (Lev.  xvi.  8).  Haman  cast  lots  for  a  day 
on  which  the  Jews  were  to  be  spoiled,  and  that  day  became  to 
them  a  day  of  victory.  The  enemies  of  Christ  cast  lots  for  His 
raiment,  the  spoil  of  His  blessed  body.  "They  parted  His 
raiment  among  them,  and  ou  His  vesture  they  cast  lots  "  (Ps. 
xxii.  18.  Matt,  xxvii.  35.  Mark  xv.  24).  And  on  that  day 
"  He  spoiled  Principalities  and  Powers,  triumphing  over  them 
by  His  Cross  "  (Col.  ii.  15). 


The  Feast  of  Purim. 


ESTHER  IX.  26—32.     X.  1—3. 


Peace. 


II  That  is,  lot. 
c  ver.  20. 


d  ch.  8.  17. 
Isa.  56.  3,  0. 
Zech.  2.  11. 
t  Heb.  pass. 


■t  Ileb.  pass. 

t  Heb.  be  ended. 

ech.2.  15. 

+  Heb.  all 

tlrengih. 

f  Seech.  8.  10.  & 

ver.  20. 

gch.  1.  1. 


t  Heb.  for  their 
souls. 

h  ch.  4.  3,  10. 


a  Gen.  10.  5. 
Ps.  72.  10. 
Isa.  24.  15. 

I)  ch.  8.  15.  & 

9.  4. 

t  Heb.  made  him 

great. 

c  Gen.  41.  40. 
2  Chroii.  28.  7. 

d  Neh.  2.  10. 
P.S.  122.  8,  y. 


should  be  hanged  on  the  gallows.  '^^  Wherefore  they  called  these  days  Purim 
after  the  name  of  ||  Pur.  Therefore  for  all  the  words  of  *^  this  letter,  and  of  that 
which  they  had  seen  concerning  this  matter,  and  which  had  come  unto  them, 
2^  The  Jews  ordained,  and  took  upon  them,  and  upon  their  seed,  and  upon  all 
such  as  **  joined  themselves  unto  them,  so  as  it  should  not  f  fail,  that  they 
would  keep  these  two  days  according  to  their  writing,  and  according  to  their 
appointed  time  every  year ;  ^8  j^j^^  ^/^^^  these  days  should  he  remembered  and 
kept  throughout  every  generation,  every  family,  every  province,  and  every  city; 
and  that  these  .days  of  Purim  should  not  f  fail  from  among  the  Jews,  nor  the 
memorial  of  them  f  perish  from  their  seed. 

^^  Then  Esther  the  queen,  ^  the  daughter  of  Abihail,  and  Mordecai  the  Jew, 
wrote  with  fall  authority,  to  confirm  this  ''second  letter  of  Purim.  2*^  And  he 
sent  the  letters  unto  all  the  Jews,  to  ^  the  hundred  twenty  and  seven  provinces 
of  the  kingdom  of  Ahasuerus,  ivith  words  of  peace  and  truth,  ^^  To  confirm 
these  days  of  Purim  in  their  times  appointed,  according  as  Mordecai  the  Jew 
and  Esther  the  queen  had  enjoined  them,  and  as  they  had  decreed  f  for  them- 
selves and  for  their  seed,  the  matters  of  ''  the  fastings  and  their  cry.  ^^  And 
the  decree  of  Esther  confirmed  these  matters  of  Purim  ;  and  it  was  written  in 
the  book. 

X.  ^  And  the  king  Aliasuerus  laid  a  tribute  upon  the  land,  and  iipon  ""  the 
isles  of  the  sea.  ^  And  all  the  acts  of  his  power  and  of  his  might,  and  the 
declaration  of  the  greatness  of  Mordecai,  *"  whereunto  the  king  f  advanced  him, 
are  they  not  written  in  the  book  of  the  chronicles  of  the  kings  of  Media  and 
Persia  ?  ^  For  Mordecai  the  Jew  loas  *"  next  unto  king  Ahasuerus,  and  great 
among  the  Jev/s,  and  accepted  of  the  multitude  of  his  brethren,  ^  seeking  the 
wealth  of  his  people,  and  speaking  peace  to  all  his  seed. 


26.  Wherefore  tliey  called  these  days  Puritn]  Which  are 
still  observed  by  the  Jews,  and  on  which  this  Book  of  Esther 
(called  the  Megillah,  or  Roll)  is  read  through  in  the  Synagogues 
{Mishna,  Rosh  Hash.  iii.  7  :  cp  2  Mac.  xv.  36.  Joseph.  Antt. 
xi.  6.  13).  The  day  before,  namely,  the  thirteenth,  is  called 
Esther's  fast  {Mishna,  Megill.  ii.  10.  See  Buxtorf,  Syn.  Jud. 
exxix. ;  Winer,  R.  W.  B.  ii.  289 ;  Jahn,  Arch.  §  358 ;  Keil, 
Arch.  §  86;  Clarlc,  B.  D.  ii.  976;  Allen,  Judaism,  p.  418). 
The  continual  observance  of  the  feast  of  Purim  is  a  practical 
testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  history  contained  in  the  Book  of 
Esther  (cp.  Batimg.  119). 

On  the  precedent  thence  derived  for  the  institution  of 
festivals  by  competent  human  authority  in  the  Church  of  God, 
see  Bp.  Andrewes,  Sermon  on  Esther  ix.  31,  Vol.  iv.  385 — 405 ; 
and  the  note  below,  on  the  "  Feast  of  Dedication  "  (John  x.  22). 

32.  and  it  tvas  loritfen  in  the  looTc']  Which  the  reader  has 
now  before  him  (Serarius ;  Kdvernick,  Einleit.  ii.  363 ;  Dr. 
Busey  on  Daniel,  p.  329) ;  or,  as  the  Vulgate  expresses  it, 
"Omnia  quaj  libri  hujus,  qui  vocatur  Esther,  historia  continen- 
tur."  Cp.  tlie  words  of  St.  John  concerning  his  own  Gospel,  John 
XX.  30;  xxi.  25. 

Ch.  X.  1.  Ahasuerus  laid  a  tribute']  Perhaps  in  order  to 
replenish  his  exchequer,  drained  by  the  expenditure  of  the 
expedition  to  Greece,  and  to  provide  means  for  resisting  the 
attempts  of  the  Greeks,  under  Cimon,  who  drove  the  Persians 
out  of  the  cities  on  the  coast  of  Caria  and  Lycia,  and  gained 
other  advantages  over  the  armies  of  Xerxes,  in  the  sixteenth 
and  seventeenth  year  of  his  reign,  B.C.  470,  B.C.  469  (Diod. 
Sic.  xi.  60—62;  Blutarch,  Vit.  Cimon.  Justin,  ii.  ad  fin.; 
Prideaux,  Conn.  B.C.  470).  The  Greek  historian  Ctesias,  who 
was  physician  to  Artaxerxes  Mnemon,  composed  a  book  "  On 
the  Tributes  of  Asia."    See  Bahr's  Edition  of  his  Remains,  p.  9. 

3.  seeHng  the  loealth  of  his  people,  and  speaking  peace  to 


/-     Q 


all  his  seed]  In  our  Authorized  Version  these  are  the  last  words 
of  what  are  sometimes  called  "  The  Historical  Books "  of  the 
Old  Testament.  It  would  not  be  easy  to  suggest  any  better 
arrangement  than  that  which  has  been  adopted  by  our  Trans- 
lators. But  it  has  tliis  disadvantage,  that  the  conclusion  of 
the  Historical  Books  is  not  so  impressive  as  it  might  be.  It 
may  appear  to  be  inadequate.  Let  it,  therefore,  be  borne  in 
mind,  that  the  events  in  this  Book  of  Esther  fall  into  an 
interval  between  the  sixth  and  seventh  chapters  of  the  Book 
of  Ezra,  and  that  it  would  be  well  to  read  the  Book  of  Esther 
in  that  place.  Next,  it  will  be  remembered,  that  in  the 
Hebrew  Bibles,  the  Book  of  Esther  is  placed  either  after  the 
Pentateuch,  together  with  the  Song  of  Solomon,  Ruth,  the 
Lamentations,  and  Ecclesiastes,  which  five  Books  are  read  by 
them  on  certain  holy  days  (see  Introd.  to  Ruth,  p.  158),  or  is 
inserted  with  the  Hagiographa  after  the  Book  of  Job.  In  no  case 
has  the  book  of  Esther  a  final  character  in  their  Bibles.  Indeed, 
there  is  no  finality  in  the  history  of  the  Old  Testament.  The 
Seal  of  the  Old  Testament  is  Malachi,  the  prophet,  who  looks 
forward  to  the  Coming  of  Cheist.  See  above,  the  note  at  the 
end  of  Nehemiah,  p.  357. 

Mordecai  is  here  described  as  speaking  peace  to  all  his 
seed ;  and  thus  he  bears  some  resemblance  to  Christ,  "  Who  is  our 
Peace,"  and  Wlio  made  peace  by  His  Cross  (Eph.  ii.  14,  15),  and 
of  Whom  it  was  foretold,  that  He  "  should  speak  peace  "  to  the 
heathen  (Zech.  ix.  10),  and  Who  came  "  preaching  peace  to  them 
which  were  afar  oft",  and  to  them  that  were  nigh"  (Eph.  ii.  14 — 17), 
and  Wlio  achieved  a  redemption  and  victory  for  His  people,  of 
which  the  deliverance  achieved  by  God,  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  Mordecai  and  Esther,  and  which  was  commemo- 
rated in  the  yearly  festival  of  Purim,  was  a  dim  type  and 
faint  shadow ;  and  to  Whom,  with  the  Father,  aiul  the  Holy 
Ghost,  be  all  honour  and  glory,  dominion  and  power,  thanks- 
giving and  praise,  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 


384 


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