X. (iii) HISTORY OF THE KINGS WHO REIGNED IN JERUSALEM, FROM REHOBOAM TO THE EXILE (2 Chronicles 10:1). (1) The Revolt of the Ten Tribes. The Reign of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10-12.). (_a_) The Revolt of the Ten Tribes against the Dynasty of David (2 Chronicles 10:1 to 2 Chronicles 11:4). Comp. the... [ Continue Reading ]
TO SHECHEM. — _Sh’kémah,_ with accusative ending; Kings, _Sh’kem._ “Were come,” pf. plural; Kings, singular.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO WAS IN EGYPT. — Really a parenthesis, “And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard (now he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the face of Solomon the king), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt.” The chronicler has omitted to say he was _still_ in Egypt (_‘ôdennû,_ Kings), because... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SENT AND CALLED HIM. — To the assembly. (Comp. 1 Kings 12:20.) ALL ISRAEL. — Chron. omits _assembly of._ “Came,” singular; Kings, plural.... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE... GRIEVOUS... EASE THOU. — Made _hard_... _lighten._ NOW THEREFORE. — _And now._ Kings and the Syriac here, “and thou now” — _w’attah ‘attah:_ an assonance which the chronicler has avoided, at the expense of the proper emphasis, which lies on _thou._ (Some Hebrew MSS. and the Vulgate and Arab... [ Continue Reading ]
COME AGAIN UNTO ME AFTER THREE DAYS. — Hob., _Yet three days and return unto me._ The verb _go ye_ (Kings) seems to have fallen out before the first words. The LXX., Syriac, and Arabic have it. DEPARTED. — Singular; Kings, plural. Contrast 2 Chronicles 10:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE SOLOMON. — _“Liphnê Sh’lomoh”_ the common formula for “‘_eth-p’nê Sh’lomoh”_ (Kings). TO RETURN ANSWER TO ... — Literally, _to return to this people a word;_ Kings, “to return this people a word” (double accusative) — a construction preserved in 2 Chronicles 10:9 below.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU BE KIND TO THIS PEOPLE. — A free paraphrase of, “If _to-day_ thou become _a servant_ to this people and _serve_ them” (Kings) — words which may have seemed inappropriate to the redactor, in connection with _the king,_ but which form a pointed antithesis to the last clause of the verse, “they... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT STOOD BEFORE HIM. — The chronicler has omitted a redundant expression (_‘asher_)_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THEM. — The verse agrees with Kings to the letter.... [ Continue Reading ]
SPAKE UNTO HIM. — Heb., _with him_; probably a mistaken repetition. Kings, “unto him,” and so LXX.; but Syriac, “with him.” ANSWER. — _Say to._ THE PEOPLE. — _This people_ (Kings). BUT MAKE THOU IT SOMEWHAT LIGHTER FOR US. — Literally, _And thou lighten from upon us._ LXX., well: καὶ σὺ ἄφες�. T... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHEREAS ... — Literally, _And now, my father_... _and I, I will add to your yoke._ WHIPS... SCORPIONS. — _The whips_... _the scorpions._ I WILL CHASTISE YOU. — These words are found in the text of Kings, both here and in 2 Chronicles 10:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JEROBOAM. — _Literatim_ as Kings.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEM. — Kings, “the people.” ROUGHLY. — _Hardly._ KING REHOBOAM. — Not in Kings, which adds, “that they counselled him.”... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ANSWERED THEM. — _And spake unto them._ ADVICE. — _Counsel._ MY FATHER MADE YOUR YOKE HEAVY. — The Targum and a large number of Hebrew MSS. read, “I will make heavy.” This appears to be an error arising out of a fusion of the two words _‘abî hikhbîd_ into _’ahhbîd._ All the versions have the r... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CAUSE WAS OF GOD. — _It was brought about by God._ Literally, _it was a turn_ or _turning-point_ (_of events_)_ from with God._ The word _n’sibbah_ is equivalent to _sibbah_ of Kings. Both are isolated in the Old Testament. The latter is the common word for “cause” in Rabbinic, as _sibbath sibbô... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN ALL ISRAEL SAW. — Now _all Israel had seen._ Kings: “And all Israel saw.” The chronicler makes a new start. (The word “saw” is wanting in very many Hebrew MSS., and in LXX., Vulg., and Targ., and some Hebrew editions.) ANSWERED. — _Returned the king_ — scil., _a word,_ which Kings supplies... [ Continue Reading ]
HADORAM. — Kings, “Adoram.” LXX. (Vat.), Adoniram. (Comp. 1 Kings 4:6.) THE TRIBUTE. — _The levy_ (_ha-mas_). THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. — Kings, “all Israel.” MADE SPEED. — _Had made speed._ HIS CHARIOT. — _The_ (_royal_)_ chariot. _... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THIS DAY. — Neither the compiler of Kings nor the chronicler saw fit to alter a phrase which no longer applied to the political circumstances of their own day. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 4:41; 1 Chronicles 4:43; 1 Chronicles 5:26.)... [ Continue Reading ]