IX. (ii) SOLOMON’S WISDOM, WEALTH, AND GLORY. HIS DEATH. (_a_) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 9:1). Comp. 1 Kings 10:1. The Hebrew text coincides with Kings, allowing for a few characteristic alterations, the chief of which will be noticed. (1) AND WHEN THE QUEEN OF SHEBA HEARD. —... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS ASCENT BY WHICH HE WENT UP INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. — Kings, “And his _burnt offering which he offered_ in the house of the Lord.” The LXX., Syr., and Vulg. here agree with Kings; and the Arab. reads, “the altar on which he offered.” In all other passages, the word used in our text (_‘alî... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THINE ACTS. — Literally, _words._ LXX., περὶ τῶν λόγων σου. We might render _matters, affairs. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ONE HALF OF THE GREATNESS OF THY WISDOM. — Kings has simply, “the half was not told me.” The chronicler has made an explanatory addition. (See 1 Chronicles 12:29, and 2 Chronicles 30:18, for the word _marbith,_ “increase,” “multitude,” which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAPPY... AND HEAR. — The conjunctions weaken the rhetorical effect of the verse, and are not read in Kings.... [ Continue Reading ]
ON HIS THRONE — i.e., Jehovah’s throne. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 28:5.) Kings has, “on the throne of Israel.” TO BE KING FOR THE LORD THY GOD. — A further insistance on the idea that Solomon was but the vicegerent of Jehovah. The clause is added by the chronicler, but need not be called “an evidently wi... [ Continue Reading ]
SPICES. — _B’sâmîm,_ from which come our words _balsam_ and _balm._ GREAT ABUNDANCE. — See Note on 2 Chronicles 9:1. Here _lârôb_ is substituted for the ancient _harbçh._ NEITHER WAS THERE ANY SUCH SPICE. — Or, _there had not been such spicery, i.e.,_ in Jerusalem. A defect in the chronicler’s MS.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SERVANTS ALSO OF HURAM, AND THE SERVANTS OF SOLOMON. — Kings, “And the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophir.” The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 8:18. BROUGHT ALGUM TREES. — See 2 Chronicles 2:8. LXX., ξύλα πεύκιυα; Vulg., “ligna thyina;” Syriac, “acacia... [ Continue Reading ]
TERRACES. — _M’sillôth,_ which usually means _highways,_ that is, raised paths. The word is an interpretation of _mis‘âd,_ which only occurs in 1 Kings 11:12. LXX., ἀναβάσεις; Vulg., “gradus;” Arabic, “pillars.” SINGERS. — _The singers._ AND THERE WERE NONE SUCH SEEN BEFORE IN THE LAND OF JUDAH. —... [ Continue Reading ]
BESIDE THAT WHICH SHE HAD BROUGHT UNTO THE KING. — It can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents. If the reading be sound, we may understand _return presents, i.e.,_ gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed. Or better, we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the... [ Continue Reading ]
(_b_) SOLOMON’S INCOME, SPLENDOUR, AND DOMINION — (2 Chronicles 9:13). Comp. 1 Kings 10:14, and 1 Kings 4:26. (13) NOW THE WEIGHT OF GOLD. — See 1 Kings 10:14, with which this verse coincides.... [ Continue Reading ]
BESIDES THAT WHICH CHAPMEN AND MERCHANTS BROUGHT. — The Hebrew is difficult, and probably corrupt. Literally it seems to run, _besides the men of the itinerants_ (a strange phrase), _and that which the merchants were bringing;_ or, perhaps, _apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bri... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING SOLOMON MADE. — Word for word as 1 Kings 10:16. BEATEN GOLD. — Rather, according to Gesenius, _mixed_ or _alloyed gold._ But the word (_shahût, i.e., shatûah_) seems to mean gold _beaten out, gold-leaf._ So LXX., ἐλατούς. WENT TO. — _He put on, i.e.,_ he plated the “targets,” which were l... [ Continue Reading ]
SHIELDS. — _Maginnîm._ The _mâgçn_ was a rouud or oval shield, about half the size of the “target” (_çinnah_)_,_ with which it is often contrasted; _e.g.,_ Psalms 35:2; LXX., ἀσπίδα. THREE HUNDRED SHEKELS OF GOLD. — Kings, _three manehs of gold._ The maneh or mina (Assyrian, _mana_)_,_ was 1-60th p... [ Continue Reading ]
PURE. — _Tahôr,_ a common word, for the once occurring _mûphaz_ of Kings.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH A FOOTSTOOL OF GOLD, WHICH WERE FASTENED TO THE THRONE. — Instead of this Kings has, _And the throne had a rounded top behind._ Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones, it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in... [ Continue Reading ]
NONE WERE OF SILVER; IT WAS NOT ANYTHING ACCOUNTED OF. — The _not_ appears to be rightly supplied by our version; comp. 1 Kings 10:21, with which the verse otherwise entirely agrees.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE KING’S SHIPS WENT TO TARSHISH. — 1 Kings 10:22, _“_For the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea, with the fleet of Hiram.” It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression, “Tarshish fleet,” _i.e.,_ a fleet of ships fitted for long voyage... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING SOLOMON. — See 1 Kings 10:23. PASSED ALL. — _Was great above all. _... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. — Explanatory of “all the earth were seeking” (Kings). _The earth,_ an expression defined in 2 Chronicles 9:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY BROUGHT. — _Used to bring._ (Comp. 2 Chronicles 9:14.) HARNESS — _i.e.,_ weapons and armour. Compare Macbeth’s “At least we’ll die with _harness_ on our back.” A RATE YEAR BY YEAR. — Literally, _a year’s matter in a year._ Solomon’s vassal kings are intended.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOLOMON HAD FOUR THOUSAND STALLS FOR HORSES AND CHARIOTS, AND TWELVE THOUSAND HORSEMEN. — See 1 Kings 4:26 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40,000). The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 10:26. Having already given an account of Solomon’s chariots and horses, an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE REIGNED OVER ALL THE KINGS. — This verse corresponds to 1 Kings 4:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING MADE SILVER. — Identical with 1 Kings 10:27. On this and the following verse, comp. the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 17:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY BROUGHT. — _Used to bring._ The verse summarises 1 Kings 10:28 (=2 Chronicles 1:16), and adds that Solomon imported horses “out of all the lands,” as well as from Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
(_c_) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTS. — CLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 9:29). (Comp. 1 Kings 11:41.) (29) NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS OF SOLOMON. — Or, _story, history_; literally, _words._ (Comp. 1 Chronicles 29:29.) FIRST AND LAST. — Or, _the former and the latter._ Instead of this, Kings has, “and all t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOLOMON REIGNED. — So 1 Kings 11:42, “And the days that Solomon reigned,” etc., as here. OVER ALL ISRAEL — i.e., the undivided nation.... [ Continue Reading ]
SLEPT. — Literally, _lay down._ HE WAS BURIED. — _They buried him._ Kings has, “he was buried.” The two texts are otherwise identical.... [ Continue Reading ]