XI. The historical order in this chapter is curiously broken. (_a_) In 1 Kings 11:1 we have a notice of the polygamy and idolatry of Solomon, and the prediction of the transference of the kingdom to his servant; (_b_) This reference to Jeroboam suggests a brief record of the rising up of “adversari... [ Continue Reading ]
MOABITES, AMMONITES, EDOMITES, ZIDONIANS, HITTITES. — The first three of these races were kindred to Israel and of the stock of Abraham, and were now among the subjects of Solomon; the last two were of the old Canaanitish stock, and were now inferior allies. To the last alone properly attached the p... [ Continue Reading ]
(1-8) The defection of Solomon is distinctly traced to his polygamy, contracting numerous marriages with “strange women.” Polygamy is also attributed to David (see 2 Samuel 3:2; 2 Samuel 15:16), marking perhaps the characteristic temperament of voluptuousness, which seduced him into his great sin; b... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES AND THREE HUNDRED CONCUBINES. — The harem of an Eastern king is simply an adjunct of his magnificence, and the relation of the wives to him little more than nominal. (Comp. Esther 2:14.) Nor does the statement here made necessarily imply that at any one time the whole number exis... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN SOLOMON WAS OLD. — It is clearly implied that the evil influence belonged to the time of senile feebleness, possibly the premature result of a life of indulgence; for he could not have been very old, if he was “but a child” at the time of his accession. But, as it is not at all likely that Solo... [ Continue Reading ]
ASHTORETH (or, _Astarte_). — The goddess of the Zidonians, and possibly the Hittites, corresponding to Baal, the great Tyrian god, and representing the receptive and productive, as Baal the active and originative, power in Nature. As usual in all phases of Natureworship, Ashtoreth is variously repre... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE HILL THAT IS BEFORE JERUSALEM. — evidently on the Mount of Olives (part of which still traditionally bears the name of the “Mount of Offence”), facing and rivalling the Temple on Mount Moriah. Tophet, the place of actual sacrifice to Molech, was “in the valley of the son of Hinnom” (2 Kings 2... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH HAD APPEARED UNTO HIM TWICE. — See 1 Kings 3:5; 1 Kings 9:2.) Stress is laid on these direct visions of the Lord to Solomon, as contrasted with the usual indirect revelation through the prophets, and so carrying with them peculiar privilege and responsibility.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR DAVID MY SERVANT’S SAKE — that is, evidently, in order to fulfil the promise to David. By the postponement of the chastisement, the blessing promised to his son personally would be still preserved; by the retaining of the kingdom, though shorn of its splendour, and limited to Judah, the larger a... [ Continue Reading ]
HADAD THE EDOMITE. — The name (or rather, title) _Hadad_ (with the kindred names _Hadar, Hadadezer_ or _Hadarezer_, and _Benhadad_) is most frequently found as a designation of the kings of Syria. Here, however, as also in Genesis 36:35; 1 Chronicles 1:46; 1 Chronicles 1:50, it is given to members o... [ Continue Reading ]
(14-25) The events recorded in this section belong, at least in part, to the early years of the reign of Solomon. when the deaths of the warlike David and Joab, and the accession of a mere youth of avowedly peaceful character, may have naturally encouraged insurrection against the dominion of Israel... [ Continue Reading ]
The war here described is briefly noted, with some differences of detail, in 2 Samuel 8:12; 1 Chronicles 18:11, and Psalms 60 (title and 1 Kings 11:8). It is there closely connected with the great struggle with the Syrians, and the victory is ascribed in one record to Joab, in the other to Abishai.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY AROSE OUT OF MIDIAN. — The expression is a curious one; for we should have expected the starting-point of the flight to have been described in Edom itself. If the reading of the text is correct, the reference must be either to some branch of the Midianitish tribes settled between Edom and the d... [ Continue Reading ]
TAHPENES THE QUEEN — a name unknown, either in history or in the Egyptian monuments.... [ Continue Reading ]
GENUBATH is similarly unknown. The weaning in the house of Pharaoh, no doubt with the customary festival (comp. Genesis 20:18), indicated the admittance of the child into the royal family of Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HADAD HEARD. — If (as the text seems to suggest) this took place on the news of the death of David and of Joab, the scourge of Edom, it belongs, of course, to the early part of the reign of Solomon, before his power was established. The courteous evasion by the Pharaoh of that time of Hadad’s r... [ Continue Reading ]
REZON THE SON OF ELIADAH. — The name _Rezon_, which is not unlike the “Rezin” of 2 Kings 16, appears to signify “prince,” and might naturally mark the founder of a new power. In 1 Kings 20:18 we read of a Hezion, king of Damascus, who would belong to this generation, and may be identical with Rezon.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN DAVID SLEW THEM OF ZOBAH. — The account of this war is found in 2 Samuel 8:1. The kingdom of Zobah was evidently a powerful state at that time, at war with the Syrian kingdom of Hamath, but holding supremacy over the Syrians of Damascus, and the “Syrians beyond the river” Euphrates; and (as the... [ Continue Reading ]
BESIDE THE MISCHIEF THAT HADAD DID. — The expression, as it stands, is curiously abrupt in its recurrence to Hadad. But the text is doubtful. (See Note on 1 Kings 11:21.) If the general reading of the LXX. be taken, the substitution of Edom for Syria (_Aram_) (it involves but slight change in the He... [ Continue Reading ]
JEROBOAM THE SON OF NEBAT. — The life and character of Jeroboam are given in considerable detail in the history; and it is also remarkable that in some of the MSS. of the LXX. we find inserted after 1 Kings 12:24 an independent account of his early history (see Note at the end of the chapter), gener... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON BUILT MILLO. — See 1 Kings 9:15; 1 Kings 9:24. This was apparently after he had built the Temple and the palace, some twenty years after his accession, when the delight in magnificence of building apparently grew upon him, and with it the burdens of the people.... [ Continue Reading ]
A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOUR. — The phrase, like the “mighty valiant man,” applied to the young David (1 Samuel 16:18), has nothing to do with war, but simply signifies “strong and capable.” THE CHARGE (or in margin “the burden”), is, of course, the taskwork assigned to the levy from the tribe of Ephraim... [ Continue Reading ]
RENT IT IN TWELVE PIECES. — The use of symbolical acts is frequent in subsequent prophecy (especially see Jeremiah 13:1; Jeremiah 19:1; Jeremiah 27:2; Ezekiel 4:5; Ezekiel 12:1; Ezekiel 24:3; Ezekiel 24:15), often alternating with symbolical visions and symbolical parables or allegories. The object... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THEE TEN PIECES. — The message delivered by Ahijah first repeats exactly the former warning to Solomon (1 Kings 11:9), marking, by the two reserved pieces of the garment, the duality of the “one tribe” reserved for the house of David; next, it conveys to Jeroboam a promise like that given to Da... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON SOUGHT THEREFORE TO KILL JEROBOAM. — The knowledge of the promise in itself would be sufficient to excite the jealousy of the old king, and incite him to endeavour to falsify it by the death of Jeroboam. But from 1 Kings 11:26 it may be inferred that Jeroboam, characteristically enough, had... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BOOK OF THE ACTS OF SOLOMON. — In 2 Chronicles 9:29 the acts of Solomon are said to be “written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” The prophets appear here in the character of ann... [ Continue Reading ]
FORTY YEARS. — The reign of Solomon was thus of the same length as that of his father. (See 1 Kings 2:11.) The coincidence is curious; but the accurate historical character of the whole narrative forbids the idea that the numbers given are merely round numbers, signifying long duration. Josephus giv... [ Continue Reading ]