SOLOMON'S ERRORS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. HIS DEATH
This chapter furnishes an account of Solomon's marriages with numerous
foreign princesses, and traces the evil effect of such in the
toleration of idolatry, which provoked the Lord's anger. This was
manifested in the growth of opposition abroad and... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES] The Persian king Darius Codomannus is said to
have had, besides his own wife, 329 concubines.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT PERFECT] Solomon's heart was divided between the Lord and other
gods. Without abandoning the service of Jehovah, he tolerated, and
even took part in, the religious rites practised by his wives. His
luxury and sensuality led to more serious errors still.... [ Continue Reading ]
ASHTORETH] the Phœnician name of the goddess worshipped by the
Babylonians under the title of Ishtar, the goddess of love. MILCOM]
identical with the Molech of 1 Kings 11:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUILD AN HIGH PLACE] i.e. construct an altar or sanctuary upon a
height. Chemosh] The name of this god occurs on the inscription of
Mesha, king of Moab, who was contemporary with Ahab. BEFORE JERUSALEM]
i.e. E. of Jerusalem, the corresponding expression 'behind' being used
to denote the W. (Joshua 8... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID.. EDOM] see 2 Samuel 8:14. JOAB] cp. Psalms 60 (title).
According to 1 Chronicles 18:12 the actual victory over the Edomites
was gained by Abishai, the brother of Joab.... [ Continue Reading ]
MIDIAN.. PARAN] NE. and N. of the Sinaitic peninsula.... [ Continue Reading ]
PHARAOH] either the Egyptian king whose daughter Solomon had married,
or his predecessor.... [ Continue Reading ]
ZOBAH] a small Syrian state lying eastward of Mt. Hermon.... [ Continue Reading ]
DAMASCUS] According to 2 Samuel 8:6; David had placed garrisons in
Damascus, which Rezon and his followers must have expelled.... [ Continue Reading ]
EPHRATHITE] i.e. an Ephraimite (as in 1 Samuel 1:1), not a
Bethlehemite (as in Ruth 1:2).... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE HIM.. CHARGE] RV 'gave him charge over all the labour'; see 1
Kings 5:13; 1 Kings 5:14. As the system of forced labour introduced by
Solomon had as its object the adornment of his capital, which was most
closely connected with Judah and Benjamin, it would be the more
resented by the other tribe... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SHILONITE] i.e. a native of Shiloh (1 Kings 14:2).... [ Continue Reading ]
RENT IT.. PIECES] The prophets frequently illustrated the meaning of
their utterances by the use of impressive symbolic actions: see 1
Kings 22:11; Isaiah 20:2; Jeremiah 19:1; Ezekiel 12 Zechariah 11:7;
Zechariah 11:10; Zechariah 11:14... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE TRIBE] in 1 Kings 12:21; 1 Kings 12:23; Benjamin is reckoned with
Judah, but see on 1 Kings 12:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
A LIGHT] cp. Psalms 132:17 and contrast Job 18:6. The figure is drawn
from the fire or lamp which is usually associated with a permanent
habitation.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU WILT HEARKEN] the same condition as in Job 9:4. A SURE HOUSE]
i.e. a long and unbroken line of descendants. As the condition imposed
was not fulfilled, the promise was not carried out, and Jeroboam's
house was extirpated in the second generation by Baasha.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT FOR EVER] in spite of the humiliation suffered by the house of
David through Jeroboam's revolt, the Davidic dynasty in Judah
outlasted the kingdom of the Ten Tribes; and though it finally lost
all temporal power, it attained higher preëminence than ever when
Christ was born of Mary, a descendant... [ Continue Reading ]
SOUGHT.. TO KILL] This implies that Jeroboam had excited the king's
suspicions by some open act of disloyalty. SHISHAK] i.e. Sheshonk, the
first king of the 22nd dynasty, of Libyan descent.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BOOK, etc.] probably a history based on the official documents
kept by the. 'recorder.' The instructiveness of Solomon's history is
twofold. (1) Outward zeal for the honour of the Lord, such as Solomon
showed by building the Temple, is no proof of inward devotion. (2)
Material blessings bestowed... [ Continue Reading ]