For ever — As long as the Mosaic dispensation lasts; whereas hitherto my worship has been successively in several places. Eyes — My watchful and gracious providence. Heart — My tender affection. Shall be there — Shall be towards this place and people.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then — Upon that condition; for my promise to David was conditional.... [ Continue Reading ]
High — Glorious and renowned. Astonished — At its unexpected and wonderful ruin. Hiss — By way of contempt and derision.... [ Continue Reading ]
Galilee — Or, near the land of Galilee, bordering upon it; in those parts which were near, and adjoining to Hiram's dominions: with the cities, understand the territories belonging to them. These cities, though they were within those large bounds which God fixed to the land of promise, Genesis 15:18... [ Continue Reading ]
Cabul — That is, of dirt, as most interpret it. Because, though the land was very good, yet being a thick and stiff clay, and therefore requiring great pains to manure it, it was very unsuitable to the disposition of the Tyrians, who were delicate, and lazy, and luxurious, and wholly given to mercha... [ Continue Reading ]
Sent — And this seems to be here added, both to declare the quantity of the gold sent, which had been only named before, 1 Kings 9:11, and as the reason why he resented Solomon's action, because so great a sum required a better recompense.... [ Continue Reading ]
Raised — Both the levy of men; of which, 1 Kings 5:13, and the levy of money upon his people and subjects. He raised this levy, both to pay what he owed to Hiram, and to build the works following.... [ Continue Reading ]
Those — He used them as bondmen, and imposed bodily labours upon them. But why did not Solomon destroy them as God had commanded, when now it was fully in his power to do so? The command of destroying them, Deuteronomy 7:2, did chiefly, if not only, concern that generation of Canaanites, who lived i... [ Continue Reading ]
Three times — That is, at the three solemn feasts: and undoubtedly at all other appointed times.... [ Continue Reading ]
Made — Not now, but in the beginning of his reign.... [ Continue Reading ]
Knowledge of the sea — For which the Tyrians were famous. He sent also ships to join with Solomon's, not from Tyre, the city of Phoenicia; but from an island in the Red — sea, called Tyre, because it was a colony of the Tyrians, as Strabo notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ophir — A place famous for the plenty and fineness of the gold there. It is agreed, that it was a part of the East — Indies, probably Ceylon, which though very remote from us, yet was far nearer the Red — sea, from whence they might easily sail to it in those ancient times, because they might (accor... [ Continue Reading ]