So king Solomon was king over all Israel. Ver. 1. _So king Solomon was king over all Israel._] So did not his father for the first seven years of his reign; nor any of his successors, save Rehoboam, only for a short space, 1Ki 12:16 for he soon lost ten tribes with one churlish breath. The Hebrews... [ Continue Reading ]
_And these [were] the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,_ Ver. 2. _Azariah the son of Zadok,_] _i.e., _ The son's son. 1Ch 6:8-9 Priests and their sons were in great request in those days. Our king Edward III made clergymen his chief officers.... [ Continue Reading ]
Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. Ver. 3. _Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha._] Otherwise called Sheva, 2Sa 20:25 as Martyr thinketh, trained up by their father in his own calling, and therein employed by Solomon, who had two scribe... [ Continue Reading ]
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar [were] the priests: Ver. 4: And Zadok and Abiathar were the priests.] Abiathar had been so, and still retained the title. It may be also that upon his suit, Solomon had re-admitted him, though degraded, to serve at the alta... [ Continue Reading ]
And Azariah the son of Nathan [was] over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan [was] principal officer, [and] the king's friend: Ver. 5. _And Azariah the son of Nathan, &c._] These two had been Solomon's fellow pupils, his play fellows, likely, and sons to his tutor, Nathan the prophet, who had... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ahishar [was] over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda [was] over the tribute. Ver. 6. _And Abishar was over the household._] _Magister Aulae magnus._ _Le grand maistre,_ comptroller of the court, or governor of the king's house. _ Was over the tribute._] Or, Levy; _praefectus delectui... [ Continue Reading ]
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 provision. Ver. 7. _And Solomon had twelve officers._] Purveyors, which were to cater for the court, and send in provision. God hath taken the best of his creat... [ Continue Reading ]
And these [are] their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: Ver. 8. _And these are their names._] They were men of renown, and are therefore here memorised. _ The son of Hur_] Or, Benhur - so 1 Kings 4:9,10, &c. - Bendekar, Benhesed, Benabinadab, Baana [Benahilud], Bengeber.... [ Continue Reading ]
The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife: Ver. 11. _Which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife._] He was, therefore, a man of worth: for Solomon, likely, was of Cato's mind; who, being to bestow a daughter, said, _Malo virum pecunia, qu... [ Continue Reading ]
Baana the son of Ahilud; [to him pertained] Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which [is] by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, [even] unto [the place that is] beyond Jokneam: Ver. 12. _Taanach and Megiddo._] These were in the tribe of Manasseh: he had also part of Issach... [ Continue Reading ]
The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; 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: Ver. 13. _With walls and brazen bars._] To keep out the enemies,... [ Continue Reading ]
Ahinadab the son of Iddo [had] Mahanaim: Ver. 14. _Abinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim._] Where Jacob met two troops of angels in a visible apparition; and gave it therehence the name. Gen 32:2... [ Continue Reading ]
Ahimaaz [was] in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife: Ver. 15. _He also took Basmath._] See on 1 Kings 4:11 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Baanah the son of Hushai [was] in Asher and in Aloth: Ver. 16. _And in Aloth._] Called also Elath. Deu 2:8... [ Continue Reading ]
Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: Ver. 17. _Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah._] And, therefore, not the same with that Jehoshaphat in 1 Kings 4:3 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin: Ver. 18. _Shimei the son of Elah._] See on 1 Kings 1:8 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Geber the son of Uri [was] in the country of Gilead, [in] the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and [he was] the only officer which [was] in the land. Ver. 19. _He was the only officer._] _Sitarchus unus,_ the arch-prefect.... [ Continue Reading ]
Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. Ver. 20. _As the sand which is by the sea._] A proverbial expression, and hyperbolical. See Genesis 22:17; Genesis 32:12 . _ Eating and drinking, and making merry._] They were in a... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 21. _And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms._] Not all the kingdoms of the world, a κοσμοκρατωρ, - as some Heb... [ Continue Reading ]
And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, Ver. 22. _Thirty measures of fine flour._] Heb., Cors or homers, the greatest measure mentioned in Scripture. And for fine flour, “ _Non poteris similae dotes numerare nec usus._ ” - _Martial,_... [ Continue Reading ]
Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. Ver. 23. Ten fat oxen … and fatted fowl.] _Lectissima quaeque altilia; _ yet not with such luxury and gormandise as sundry Roman emperors. Anthony, who contended wit... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 24. _On this side the river,_] viz., Euphrates. _ From Tiphsah._] Called afterwards Amphipolis. _a_ Even to... [ Continue Reading ]
And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. Ver. 25. _And Judah and Israel dwelt safely._] Heb., Confidently or securely, without fear of foreign invasions, or danger of homebred conspiracies: yet were they... [ Continue Reading ]
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. Ver. 26. _Forty thousand stalls of horses._] In his four thousand stables, 2Ch 9:25 each of which had ten stalls or partitions, for ten horses at least. And this might be a piece of that yoke the people... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 27. And for all that came unto king Solomon's table.] Who were not a few, not only natives, but foreigners; not ambassadors only, but others, who... [ Continue Reading ]
Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where [the officers] were, every man according to his charge. Ver. 28. _And dromedaries._] Which are _animalia citissima, vecturae apta et equitatui,_ very swift creatures. It is therefore by antiphrasis that we call s... [ Continue Reading ]
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore. Ver. 29. _Even as the sand which is on the seashore._] Which as it taketh up a great deal of ground, and comprehendeth many grains, so did Solomon's heart innumerable n... [ Continue Reading ]
And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. Ver. 30. _The wisdom of all the children of the east._] The Arabians and Chaldeans, Mat 2:1 Dan 2:2 philosophers and astronomers. _ And all the wisdom of Egypt._] See Isa 19:11-12 Acts 7:... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 31. _For he was wiser than all men._] Far beyond Socrates, whom Apollo pronounced the wisest of men. _ Than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. Ver. 32. _And he spake three thousand proverbs._] Which others, likely, took from his mouth, and made books of them; such as contained _cunctam saeculi doctrinam,_ as Jerome saith of Tertullian's works, who was, saith Lac... [ Continue Reading ]
And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that [is] in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. Ver. 33. _For he spake of trees._] This was a discourse, doubtless, of singular use; and of it we may say... [ Continue Reading ]
And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom. Ver. 34. _To hear the wisdom of Solomon._] Who, though a great prince, yet he disdained not to read lectures both of divinity and philosophy, that his hearers might be παναρετοι,... [ Continue Reading ]