_Azarias. Some translate, "grandson of Sadoc, (and son of Achimaas) was priest," to assist his father, unless he was born of some other. Cohen signifies also prince, ver. 5. Azarias was scribe, as well as the two following, though not all at the same time. The office was very important, Judges v. 14... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sisa. Perhaps the same with Siva, who was under David. --- Recorder. Historiographer; (Calmet) the presenter of petitions. (Grotius) (2 Kings viii. 16.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Abiathar. By this it appears that Abiathar was not altogether deposed from the high priesthood; but only banished to his country house; and by that means excluded from the exercise of his functions. (Challoner) --- He retained the name, as bishops still do, after they have resigned their see. (Calm... [ Continue Reading ]
_King. President of the council, (Menochius) steward of the household. --- Priest refers to Zabud here, though the Hebrew is ambiguous. It means also a prince. (Haydock) --- He was chief officer and favourite of Solomon, (Calmet) as Chusai had been of David, 2 Kings xvi. 16._... [ Continue Reading ]
_House. Septuagint, "Eliak was also director of the house," Greek: oikonomos. (Haydock) --- It is impossible to mark, with precision, the extent of these offices. --- Tribute, or levy of workmen, as it is expressed, chap. v. 14._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Month. The lunar year was not then in use; (Calmet) or else, the first of these governors, was in office during the 13th, or intercalary month, every third year, and the rest in succession. (Tostat)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Benhur. Ben here, and in the following verses, may signify "the son of Hur, " &c. (Calmet) --- Septuagint retain both the original term, and its explanation, "Ben the son of Or." But they afterwards read only "the son of Dakar....of Esed....of Abinadab....and Gaber."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_To wife. Not at the beginning of his reign, ver. 15. (Menochius) --- This chapter gives a general idea of the officers who lived under Solomon. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Manaim, which is often rendered the camp. The word is read Mahanaim, by the Masorets, (2 Kings ii. 8,) and by the Vulgate, Genesis xxxii. 2. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Land. Hebrew, "the only officer who was in the land," (Haydock) except in the towns of Jair, ver. 13. (Calmet) --- His province had belonged to two kings. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Multitude. We may suppose seven millions; though, if the calculation of Chronicles be more accurate, they were much more numerous. See 2 Kings xxiv. 9. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_The river. Euphrates. (Challoner) --- To, or "of the land," terræ. (Haydock) --- This river may denote the torrent Besor, as Solomon's dominions extended not only as far as Gaza, but also to the oriental branch of the Nile, ver. 24. Thus one verse explains the other. There were, indeed, no kingdoms... [ Continue Reading ]
_Measures, ( cori.) Each of which contained little less than 300 pints. (Calmet) --- A corus is equivalent to 30 modii, and would support as many men a day; so that the family of Solomon would contain 2,700 people. (Cornelius a Lapide) (Menochius) --- Villalpand calculates 48,600, and Calvisius 54,0... [ Continue Reading ]
_Buffaloes. Yachmur means also a sort of wild-goat, like a stag, Deuteronomy xiv. 5. (Bochart, Anim. i. B. iii. 22.) --- Fowls. Some Rabbins explain barburim, (or borbrim) of capons, or birds from Barbary; as if this name had been known in the days of Solomon. (Calmet) --- There was an ancient Ethio... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beyond. Hebrew, "on the side of," without determining on which, Deuteronomy i. --- Thaphsa. The famous Thapsacus, on the Euphrates. --- To Gazan. Hebrew Hazza. This name is written in a different manner from Gaza, and may signify a country of the Medes, on the frontiers of Armenia. But, as it is pr... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER IV. _ Vine. this expression is often used to imply a state of peace and happiness. The people were then content with rural pleasures. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Forty: 2 Paralipomenon ix. 25., has four in the Hebrew. Septuagint read in both places 40,000 mares, for chariots, and 12,000 horses. (Calmet) --- The Alexandrian copy has 40 here, and 4000 in the latter place; where, instead of horses, it gives horsemen, with the Vulgate. These two words are often... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fed them and is omitted in Hebrew and Septuagint. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beasts. Racesh denotes horses of extraordinary swiftness, (Bochart) or dromedaries, &c. Junius translates, "post-horses." --- King: so also the Septuagint. Protestants, " the officers were, every man according to his charge." The twelve governors employed others to bring all necessary provisions, ... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hart; magnanimity, which pride often attempts to imitate, and is therefore designated by the same expression, Proverbs xxi. 4. The genius of Solomon was also most penetrating and comprehensive. (Calmet) --- \'c6nomaus thus addresses Apollo, "Thou who knowest, both the number of the sands and the ex... [ Continue Reading ]
Orientals of Chaldea, Arabia, Idumea, &c., Daniel ii. 2., Abdias viii., Numbers xxii. 5. Job and his friends were of this description. The Greeks acknowledged that they had received their philosophy from the barbarians; (Laertius, proem.) and Casaubon observes, that the ancient defendants of the Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
All men, of his time (Lyranus) and nation. (Munster) --- But why should we limit these general statements? (Calmet) See chap. iii. 12, 13. (Haydock) --- Ethan is the same as Idithun. The title of Ezrahite does not seem to belong to him; and Chalcol and Dorda seem to be inserted here by some transcri... [ Continue Reading ]
_Three thousand parables. These works are all lost, excepting some part of the parables extant in the book of Proverbs; and his chief poem called the Canticle of Canticles. (Challoner) --- The title of Psalm cxxvi., attributes it to Solomon. But its authority is not sufficiently established. The boo... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wall. Some deny that ezob means hyssop. (Kimchi; Levinus, &c.) But there is a species which grows on mountains, and even out of walls. (Bochart) (Sanctius) --- It is a small odoriferous plant; whereas the cedar was the largest tree with which the Jews were acquainted. (Calmet) --- On Libanus there... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wisdom. The Scriptures relate the coming of the queen of Saba, chap. x. Thus Livy attracted the attention of distant nations, who neglected the grandeur of Rome, to visit him. (St. Jerome, Ep. ad Paulin.) Solomon's wisdom is compared to a great river, inundating the whole earth. (Ecclesiasticus xlv... [ Continue Reading ]