2 Chronicles 5

2Ch 5:1  Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

2Ch_5:1 contains the conclusion of the account of the preparation of the sacred utensils as in 1Ki_7:51, and with it also the whole account of the building of the temple is brought to an end.

Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated — the immense sums and the store of valuable articles which his father and other generals had reserved and appropriated for the temple (1Ch_22:14; 1Ch_26:26).

2Ch 5:2  Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

Then Solomon assembled - in the feast which was in the seventh month. The feast of the dedication of the temple was on the eighth day of that month. This is related, word for word, the same as in 1Ki_8:1-10.

The first part of the celebration was the transfer of the ark from Mount Zion to the temple (2Ch_5:2-14), and in connection with this we have the words in which Solomon celebrates the entry of the Lord into the new temple (2Ch_6:1-11).

The ark was a type of Christ, and, as such, a token of the presence of God. That gracious promise, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, does, in effect, bring the ark into our religious assemblies, if we by faith and prayer plead that promise; and this we should be most earnest for. When Christ is formed in a soul, the law written in the heart, the ark of the covenant settled there, so that it becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost, there is true satisfaction in that soul.

2Ch 5:3  Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

The feast - That is, the feast of tabernacles, which was held in the seventh month.

2Ch 5:4  And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

The Levites took up the ark - such of the Levites as were also priests.

2Ch 5:5  And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

2Ch 5:6  Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

2Ch 5:7  And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

2Ch 5:8  For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

2Ch 5:9  And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

They drew out the staves - As the ark was no longer to be carried about, these were unnecessary.

there it is unto this day — That is, the day when these events were recorded; for after the Babylonian captivity there is no trace of either ark or staves.

2Ch 5:10  There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

There was nothing in the ark - In the parallel passage in Hebrews, it is expressly stated that in the ark were "the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant. Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; but it is evident that the apostle speaks there of the tabernacle erected by Moses, and of the state and contents of that tabernacle in the time of Moses; and in the temple there were several things added, and several left out.

2Ch 5:11  And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

When the priests were come out - After having carried the ark into the holy of holies, before the sacred service had commenced. The rotation system of weekly service introduced by David was intended for the ordinary duties of the priesthood; on extraordinary occasions, or when more than wonted solemnity attached to them, the priests attended in a body.

2Ch_5:11-13 describe the part which the priests and Levitical singers and musicians took in the solemn act of transferring the ark to the temple-a matter entirely passed over in the narrative in 1Ki_8:11, which confines itself to the main transaction.

2Ch 5:12  Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

2Ch 5:13  It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

Even the house of the Lord – 2 Chronicles 5:13 And there was one voice in the trumpeting and in the psalm-singing, and in the loud utterance with one voice to give thanks and praise the Lord; and when they raised their voice together with trumpets and cymbals, and instruments of music, and said, Give thanks to the Lord, for [it is] good, for his mercy [endures] for ever:-- then the house was filled with the cloud of the glory of the Lord. (Septuagint)

For he is good - This was either the whole of the song, or the refrain of each verse.

2Ch 5:14  So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

The priests could not stand - God took possession of the temple; he filled it with a cloud. Thus He signified His acceptance of this temple, to be the same to Him that the tabernacle of Moses was, and assured His people that He would be the same in it.

2 Chronicles 4

2Ch 4:1  Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

he made an altar of brass — The supplementary character of Chronicles is here once more apparent. The author of Kings had omitted to record the dimensions of the brass altar. It stood in the great court 2Ch_6:12-13.

he made an altar of brass — Steps must have been necessary for ascending so elevated an altar, but the use of these could be no longer forbidden Exo 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. after the introduction of an official costume for the priests Exo 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: It measured roughly thirty-five feet by thirty-five, and in height seventeen and a half feet, depending on the length of the cubit.

2Ch 4:2  Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

2Ch 4:3  And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

Under it was the similitude of oxen - For “oxen” we find in 1Ki_7:24, “knops” or “gourds.” An early copyist, not comprehending the comparatively rare word here used for “gourd,” and expecting to hear of oxen, as soon as the molten sea was mentioned, changed the reading. What we call knops may signify grapes, mushrooms, apples, or some such ornaments placed round about under the turned over lip or brim of this caldron.

Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast — The meaning is, that the circular basin and the brazen oxen which supported it were all of one piece, being cast in one and the same mold.

2Ch 4:4  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

2Ch 4:5  And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

Three thousand baths - In 1Ki_7:26, it is said to hold only two thousand baths. As this book was written after the Babylonian captivity, it is very possible that reference is here made to the Babylonian measure of bath which might have been less than the Jewish measure. We have already seen that the cubit of Moses, or of the ancient Hebrews, was longer than the Babylonian one. Another commentary states that some think it may be reconciled by supposing that the quantity of water which was commonly in it was 2,000 baths, but that, if filled up to the top, it would hold 3,000. The Targum claims: "It received 3,000 baths of dry measure, and held 2,000 of liquid measure."

Three thousand baths - There is a difference in the accounts given of the capacity of this basin, for while in 1Ki_7:26 it is said that two thousand baths of water could be contained in it, in this passage no less than three thousand are stated. It has been suggested that there is here a statement not merely of the quantity of water which the basin held, but that also which was necessary to work it, to keep it flowing as a fountain; that which was required to fill both it and its accompaniments. In support of this view, it may be remarked that different words are employed: the one in 1Ki_7:26 rendered contained; the two here rendered, received and held. There was a difference between receiving and holding. When the basin played as a fountain, and all its parts were filled for that purpose, the latter, together with the sea itself, received three thousand baths; but the sea exclusively held only two thousand baths, when its contents were restricted to those of the circular basin. It received and held three thousand baths

2Ch 4:6  He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

He made also ten lavers - The lavers served to wash the different parts of the sacrifices in; and the molten sea was for the use of the priests. In this they bathed, or drew water from it for their personal purification.

He made also ten lavers - The ten lavers were placed between the porch and the altar, and while the molten sea was for the priests to cleanse their hands and feet, these were intended for washing the sacrifices.

He made also ten lavers - The ten lavers which, according to 1Ki_7:38, stood upon ten brazen stands, i.e., chests provided with carriage wheels. These stands, the artistic work on which is circumstantially described in 1Ki_7:27-37, are omitted in the Chronicle, because they are merely subordinate parts of the lavers. The size or capacity of the lavers is not stated, only their position on both sides of the temple porch, and the purpose for which they were designed being mentioned.

2Ch 4:7  And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

According to their form - Rather, “after their manner”. There is no allusion to the shape of the candlesticks, which were made, no doubt, after the pattern of the original candlestick of Moses.

ten candlesticks —The increased number was not only in conformity with the characteristic splendor of the edifice, but also a standing emblem to the Hebrews, that the growing light of the word was necessary to counteract the growing darkness in the world

2Ch 4:8  He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.

Ten golden tables - corresponding to the ten candlesticks, and, like these, placed five on the right and five on the left side of the holy place. The tables were not intended to bear the candlesticks but for the shewbread; 2Ch 4:19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set; 1Ch 28:16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver:

And a hundred golden basins - not for the catching and sprinkling of the blood, but, as their connection with the tables for the shewbread shows, wine flagons, or sacrificial vessels for wine libations, probably corresponding to those on the table of shewbread in the tabernacle Exo 25:29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

2Ch 4:9  Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.

He made the court of the priests - This was the inner court. The two courts are not further described. For the court of the priests, see on 1Ki_6:36 and 1Ki_7:12.

And the great court - This was the outer court, or place for the assembling of the people.

2Ch 4:10  And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

2Ch 4:11  And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;

2Ch 4:12  To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars;

2Ch 4:13  And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were upon the pillars.

2Ch 4:14  He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

2Ch 4:15  One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

2Ch 4:16  The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass.

Huram his father - ab, father, is often used in Hebrew to signify a master, inventor, chief operator, and is very probably used here in the former sense: All these Chiram his master made for King Solomon; or Chiram Abi, or rather Hiram, made for the king

2Ch 4:17  In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

In the clay ground - Some suppose that he did not actually cast those instruments at those places, but that he brought the clay from that quarter, as being the most proper for making molds to cast in.

2Ch 4:18  Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out.

2Ch 4:19  And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;

The tables - A single table only is mentioned in 1Ki 7:48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was, 2Ch 29:18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof. It is supposed that Solomon made ten similar tables, any one of which might be used for the showbread; but that the bread was never placed on more than one table at a time.

2Ch 4:20  Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;

2Ch 4:21  And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;

And the flowers, and the lamps - Probably each branch of the chandelier was made like a plant in flower, and the opening of the flower was either the lamp, or served to support it.

perfect gold - That is, the purest and best gold.

2Ch 4:22  And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold. 

Miscellaneous Studies Index

Psalms 42 and 43
The Sons of Korah

2 Chronicles Index

2 Chronicles 1
2 Chronicles 2
2 Chronicles 3
2 Chronicles 4
2 Chronicles 5

2 Chronicles 6
2 Chronicles 7
2 Chronicles 8
2 Chronicles 9
2 Chronicles 10

2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3

2Ch 3:1  Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Where the Lord appeared unto David - The expression is understood to point out to David the proper site for the temple by the appearance of the Lord and the command to build an altar 2Sa_24:17-25; 1Ch_21:16-26.

In Mount Moriah - Supposed to be the same place where Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac; here the angel of the Lord appeared to David, at which time David built an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor which he bought from Ornan the Jebusite.

The building of the temple - The statement as to the place where the temple was built are found here only. Mount Moriah is manifestly the mountain in the land of Moriah where Abraham was to have sacrificed his son Isaac (Gen_22:2. It is the mountain which lies to the north-east of Zion.

2Ch 3:2  And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

2Ch 3:3  Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.

Cubits after the first measure - cubits according to the ancient standard. The Jews, it is probable, adopted the Babylonian measures during the captivity, and carried them back into their own country. The writer notes that the cubit of which he here speaks is the old (Mosaic) cubit.

Cubits after the first measure - It is supposed that the first measure means the cubit used in the time of Moses, contradistinguished from that used in Babylon, and which the Israelites used after their return from captivity; and, as the books of Chronicles were written after the captivity, it was necessary for the writer to make this remark, lest it should be thought that the measurement was by the Babylonian cubit, which was a palm or one-sixth shorter than the cubit of Moses. The prophet Ezekiel made same distinction.

wherein Solomon was instructed — by the written plan and specifications given him by his father.

2Ch 3:4  And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

The height was an hundred and twenty cubits - Some think this should be twenty only; but if the same building is spoken of as in 1Ki_6:2, the height was only thirty cubits. Twenty is the reading of the Syriac, the Arabic, and the Septuagint in the Codex Alexandrinus. There is probably a copy error here, which, from the similarity of the letters, might easily occur. This will bring it within the proportion of the other measures, but a hundred and twenty seems too great a height.

2Ch 3:5  And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.

The greater house - the holy place, or main chamber of the temple, intervening between the porch and the holy of holies.

He cieled with fir tree - Rather, “he covered,” or “lined.” He wainscotted with cypresses, and overlaid it with good gold, and carved thereon palms and garlands.

2Ch 3:6  And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.

Precious stones for beauty - The phrase translated “for beauty” means “for its beautification,” “to beautify it.” The ornamenting of the walls with precious stones is very easily credible, since among the things which Solomon brought in quantity from Ophir they are expressly mentioned (1Ki_10:11)

Gold of Parvaim - We know not what this place was. Jewish scholars claim the gold was of a reddish hue. Gold in ancient Egyptian tombs was of this color.

2Ch 3:7  He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.

2Ch 3:8  And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

The most holy house - the holy of holies. It was a perfect cube.

2Ch 3:9  And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

2Ch 3:10  And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold.

two cherubims of image work - The word translated “image work,” occurs only in this passage. The word means “carved work.”

two cherubims — These figures in the tabernacle were of pure gold (Exo_25:1-40) and overshadowed the mercy seat. The two placed in the temple were made of olive wood, overlaid with gold. They were of colossal size; for each, with expanded wings, covered a space of ten cubits in height and length - two wings touched each other, while the other two reached the opposite walls; their faces were inward, that is, towards the most holy house, conformably to their use, which was to veil the ark.

2Ch 3:11  And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

2Ch 3:12  And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

2Ch 3:13  The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.

2Ch 3:14  And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

This is an important addition to the description in Kings, where the veil is not mentioned. It was made of exactly the same colors as the veil of the tabernacle Exo 26:31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: The veil between the holy place and the most holy, not mentioned in 1Ki_6:21, was made of the same materials and colors as the veil on the tabernacle, and was interwoven with similar cherub figures.

2Ch 3:15  Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

Of thirty and five cubits - The two pillars before the house whose form is more accurately described in 1Ki_7:15-22. The height of it is here given at thirty-five cubits, while, according to 1Ki_7:15; 2Ki_25:17; Jer_52:21, it was only eighteen cubits.

2Ch 3:16  And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

As in the oracle – This has no meaning, for the most holy place is not here being discussed, but the pillars before the porch, or rather an ornament on the capital of these pillars.

2Ch 3:17  And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

2 Chronicles 2

2Ch 2:1  And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

A house for the name of the Lord – For the worship and service of God, and for His honor and glory, being directed, enjoined, and encouraged to it by his father David:

A house for his kingdom - A royal palace for his own use as king of Israel.

Solomon determined to build — The temple is the grand subject of this narrative, while the palace here and in other parts of this book is only incidentally noticed. The duty of building the temple was reserved for Solomon before his birth. As soon as he became king, he addressed himself to the work, and the historian, in proceeding to give an account of the edifice, begins with relating the preliminary arrangements.

2Ch 2:2  And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

2Ch 2:3  And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

Solomon sent to Huram king of Tyre - The same with Hiram, 1Ki_5:1 and from whence it appears, that Huram first sent a letter to Solomon to congratulate him on his accession to the throne, which is not taken notice of here: Huram is the form used throughout Chronicles (except 1Ch_14:1) for the name both of the king and of the artisan whom he lent to Solomon.

Solomon sent to Huram king of Tyre - Solomon grounded his request for Tyrian aid on two reasons: 1. The temple he proposed to build must be a solid and permanent building because the worship was to be continued in perpetuity; and therefore the building materials must be of the most durable quality. 2. It must be a magnificent structure because it was to be dedicated to the God who was greater than all gods; and, therefore, as it might seem a presumptuous idea to erect an edifice for a Being “whom the heaven and the heaven of heavens do not contain,” it was explained that Solomon’s object was not to build a house for Him to dwell in, but a temple in which His worshippers might offer sacrifices to His honor.  

Solomon sent to Huram king of Tyre - According to the account in 1 Kings 5, Solomon asked cedar wood from Lebanon from Hiram; according to this account, which is more exact, he desired an architect, and cedar, cypress, and other wood. In 1 Kings 5 the motive of Solomon's request is given in the communication to Hiram, that David could not carry out the building of the proposed temple on account of his wars, but that the Lord had given Solomon rest and peace, so that he now, in accordance with the divine promise to David, desired to carry on the building (1Ki_5:3-5). In 2Ch_2:2-5, on the contrary, Solomon reminds the Tyrian king of the friendliness with which he had supplied his father David with cedar wood for his palace, and then announces to him his purpose to build a temple to the Lord, at the same time stating that it was designed for the worship of God, whom the heavens and the earth cannot contain. It is clear, therefore, that both authors have expanded the fundamental thoughts of their authority in somewhat freer fashion.

2Ch 2:4  Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

The solemn feasts - The three great annnual festivals, the Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of tabernacles Lev. 23:4-44; Deut. 16:1-17.

to burn before him sweet incense - on the altar of incense: The symbolic meaning of “burning incense” is indicated in Rev_8:3-4 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 

the burnt offerings morning and evening; the daily sacrifice: on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God - at which seasons, besides the daily sacrifice, additional burnt offerings were offered, and all on the brazen altar in the court: this is an ordinance

for ever unto Israel - to offer the above sacrifices, even for a long time to come, until the Messiah comes.

2Ch 2:5  And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.

Great is our God - This may seem inappropriate as addressed to a pagan king. But it appears 2Ch_2:11-12 that Hiram acknowledged the Lord as the supreme deity. 2Ch_2:11-12 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them. Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

Great is our God above all other gods - and therefore ought to have a temple to exceed all others, as the temple at Jerusalem did.

2Ch 2:6  But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

Save only to burn sacrifice before him - Solomon seems to mean that to build the temple can only be justified on the human - not on the divine - side. God is not confined in temples made with hands; He does not need them. The sole reason for building a temple lies in the needs of man: His worship must be local; the sacrifices commanded in the Law had of necessity to be offered somewhere.

Save only to burn sacrifice - It is not under the hope that the house shall be able to contain him, but merely for the purpose of burning incense to him, and offering him sacrifice, that I have erected it.

Seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens - Heaven is the throne of his glory, the earth his footstool; the deep, and the whole world, are sustained by the spirit of his Word,

2Ch 2:7  Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

Purple, crimson, and blue - would be needed for the hangings of the temple, which was conformed to the pattern of the tabernacle. Hiram probably had a knowledge of the best modes of dyeing cloth these colors. The Phoenicians, off whose coast the murex was commonly taken, were famous as purple dyers from a very remote period.

Crimson - the word here and elsewhere translated “crimson,” is unique to Chronicles and possibly of Persian origin. The famous red dye of Persia and India is obtained from an insect. Whether the “scarlet” of Exodus (Exo_25:4, etc.) is the same or a different red, cannot be certainly determined.

Send me now therefore a man cunning to work — Masons and carpenters were not asked for. Those whom David had obtained (1Ch_14:1) were probably still remaining in Jerusalem, and had instructed others. But he required a master of works; a person capable, like Bezaleel (Exo_35:31), of superintending and directing every department; for, as the division of labor was at that time little known or observed, an overseer had to be possessed of very versatile talents and experience. The things specified, in which he was to be skilled, relate not to the building, but the furniture of the temple. Iron, which could not be obtained in the wilderness when the tabernacle was built, was now, through intercourse with the coast, plentiful and much used. The cloths intended for curtains were, from the crimson or scarlet-red and hyacinth colors named, evidently those stuffs, for the manufacture and dyeing of which the Tyrians were so famous. “The graving,” probably, included embroidery of figures like cherubim in needlework, as well as wood carving of pomegranates and other ornaments.

2Ch 2:8  Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees - Of the two first of these, and which Hiram sent, see 1Ki_5:10. The algum trees are the same with the almug trees. The cedar and cypress were valued as being both rare and durable; the algum or almug trees (likewise a foreign wood), though not found on Lebanon, are mentioned as being procured through Huram.

2Ch 2:9  Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

Even to prepare me timber in abundance - Since he would want a large quantity for raftering, cieling, wainscoting, and flooring the temple:

2Ch 2:10  And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

Behold, I will give to thy servants - The barley and the wine are omitted in Kings. The author of Chronicles probably filled out the statement which the writer of Kings has given in brief; the barley, wine, and ordinary oil, would be applied to the sustenance of the foreign laborers.

measures of beaten wheat - Meaning, not what was beaten out of the husk with the flail, as some; nor bruised or half broke for pottage, as others; but ground into flour or rather, perhaps, it should be rendered "food" that is, for his household, as in 1Ki_5:11, and the hire of these servants is proposed to be given in this way, perhaps because wheat was scarce with the Tyrians, and they were obliged to have it from the Jews as it was in Act_12:20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.

twenty thousand baths - which measure was the tenth part of a "cor".

I will give to thy servants — There is no discrepancy between 1Ki_5:11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. and this. The yearly supplies of wine and oil, mentioned in the former, were intended for Huram’s court in return for the cedars sent him; while the articles of meat and drink specified here were for the workmen on Lebanon.

2Ch 2:11  Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

because the Lord hath loved his people - he hath made thee king over them; which are much the same words the queen of Sheba said to Solomon.

2Ch 2:12  Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

2Ch 2:13  And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,

of Huram my father's - a workman of his, whom he employed, and so might be depended upon as a good artificer; though rather Huram is the artificer's name:

Of Huram my father’s - Huram here is the workman sent by the king of Tyre. The words in the original are Huram Abi, and the latter word is now commonly thought to be either a proper name or an epithet of honor, e. g., my master-workman.

2Ch 2:14  The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

To find out every device - The “devices” intended are plans or designs connected with art, which Huram could invent on any subject that was “put to him.”

The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan - 1Ki 7:14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work. In 1Ki 7:14, Hiram is said to be of the tribe of Naphtali. Here his mother is a daughter of Dan. One commentator states that both statements may easily be united thus: she was a Danite by birth, and married into the tribe of Naphtali. When her husband died, she was married again as the widow of a Naphtalite, and became the wife of a Tyrian, to whom she bore a son, Hiram.

2Ch 2:15  Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

let him send unto his servants - Hiram accepted thereof as a proper reward for the work of his servants.

2Ch 2:16  And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

2Ch 2:17  And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

the strangers that were in the land of Israel - The strangers are the non-Israelite population of the holy land, chiefly the descendants of those Canaanites whom the children of Israel did not drive out. The reimposition of the bond-service imposed on the Canaanites at the time of the conquest Jdg_1:28, Jdg_1:30, Jdg_1:33, Jdg_1:35, but discontinued in the period between Joshua and Saul, was due to David, whom Solomon merely imitated in the arrangements described in these verses.

after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them - not at the time Israel was numbered by him, but in order to provide workmen for the building of the temple, 1Ch_22:2,

2Ch 2:18  And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.

And he set threescore and ten thousand of them - Which is repeated from 2Ch_2:2, to show how the above number of strangers were disposed of; This is a symbol of the Gentiles employed in building the spiritual temple, the church, Zec 6:15 And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.

three thousand and six hundred overseers - 3600 foremen or overseers over the workmen. In 1Ki_5:15 the number of the overseers is stated at 33001Ki 5:16 Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work. This difference is explained by the fact that in the Chronicle the total number of overseers, of higher and lower rank, is given, while in the book of Kings only the number of overseers of the lower rank is given without the higher overseers. Solomon had in all 550 higher overseers of the builders (Israelite and Canaanite), - 1Ki 9:23 These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work. and of these, 250 were Israelites, who alone are mentioned in 2Ch 8:10 And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people. while the remaining 300 were Canaanites. The total number of overseers is the same in both accounts, - 3850; who are divided in the Chronicle into 3600 Canaanite and 250 Israelite, in the book of Kings into 3300 lower and 550 higher overseers. 

Psalm 63

This psalm is about David’s desire toward God and joyful dependence upon Him.

This psalm is said to be a psalm of David. The psalm further claims to have been composed by David “when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” The “wilderness of Judah” was that wild and uncultivated tract of country lying on the east side of the territory of the tribe of Judah, commonly called “the wilderness of Judea”, lying along the Jordan. David was repeatedly driven into that wilderness in the time of Saul; and the general structure of the psalm would accord well with any one of those occasions; but the mention of the “king” in Psa_63:11, referring to David, makes it necessary to place the composition of the psalm to a later period in his life, since the title “king” was not given to him in the time of Saul. The psalm, therefore, was probably composed in the time of Absalom - the period when David was driven away by the rebellion, and compelled to seek a refuge in that wilderness. It belongs, if this view is correct, to the same period in the life of David as Psa_42:1-11; Psa_43:1-5; Psa_61:1-8; and probably some others.

Psa 63:1  A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

O God, thou art my God – Two different words in Hebrew are used here for God. The first, Elohiym, is the word which is usually employed to designate God, Strong’s word H430; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used of the supreme God. The second, Êl, is a word which is very often applied to God with the idea of strength - a strong, a mighty One. It is Strong’s word H410; strength; as adjective mighty; especially the Almighty. Probably the underlying idea here is that God was the source of his strength, or that in speaking of God as his God, he was conscious of referring to him as Almighty. It was the divine attribute of power on which his mind mainly rested when he spoke of him as his God. He did not appeal to him merely as God, with no reference to a particular attribute; but he had particularly in his eye his power or his ability to deliver and save him.

Early will I seek thee - The word used here has reference to the early dawn, or the morning; and the noun which is derived from the verb, means the aurora, the dawn, the morning. The meaning here is, that he would seek God as the first thing in the day; first in his plans and purposes; first in all things. He would seek God eagerly.

my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee - The two words - “soul” and “flesh,” are designed to embrace the entire man, and to express the idea that he longed supremely for God; that all his desires, whether springing directly from the soul, or the needs of the body, rose to God as the only source from which they could be gratified. Compare to how we are told to love the Lord. Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

In a dry and thirsty land - where no water is; such was the wilderness of Judea, where he now was, and where he was destitute of the means of grace, of the ordinances of God's house, and wanted comfort and refreshment for his soul. That is, As one longs for water in a parched desert, so his soul longs for God.

Psa 63:2  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

To see thy power and thy glory - The reference here is to what was manifested of the presence and the power of God in the services of public worship; the praises, the prayers, the rejoicings, the evidences of the divine presence.

So as I have seen thee in the sanctuary - At the tabernacle, amidst the solenm services of divine worship. There seems to be no reason for supposing that he here refers to the mere external pomp and splendor of public worship, but he doubtless includes the power of the divine presence which he had felt in such services on his own soul.

Psa 63:3  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Because thy loving-kindness is better than life – The Lord’s favor; His mercy. This is of more value than life; more to be desired than life. Life is the most valued and valuable thing pertaining to this world which we can possess. But, above this, David valued the favor and friendship of God. If one or the other was to be sacrificed, he preferred that it should be his life; he would be willing to exchange that for the favor of God. Life was not desirable, life furnished no comforts - no joys - without the divine favor.

My lips shall praise thee - Men praise, or speak well, of power, glory, honor, riches, worldly prospects and pleasures; but the truly religious speak well of God, in whom they find infinitely more satisfaction and happiness than worldly men can find in the possession of all earthly good.

My lips shall praise thee - Even in affliction we need not want matter for praise. When this is the regular frame of a believer's mind, he values the loving-kindness of God more than life. God's loving-kindness is our spiritual life, and that is better than temporal life. We must praise God with joyful lips; we must address ourselves to the duties of religion with cheerfulness, and speak forth the praises of God from a principle of holy joy. Praising lips must be joyful lips. David was in continual danger; care and fear held his eyes waking, and gave him wearisome nights; but he comforted himself with thoughts of God.

Psa 63:4  Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

Thus will I bless thee while I live - In my life; or, as long as life lasts, will I praise thee. The word “thus” refers to the sentiment in the previous verse, meaning that as the result of his deep sense of the value of the loving kindness of God, he would praise Him through all the remainder of his life, or would never cease to praise Him. A true purpose of serving God embraces the whole of this life, and the whole of eternity. He who loves God, and who has any proper sense of His mercy, does not anticipate a time when he will cease to praise and bless Him, or when he will have any desire or wish not to be engaged in His service.

Thus will I bless thee while I live - With his whole heart and soul, as he had sought after Him, and as under a sense of His lovingkindness; and as he now praised Him with his lips, so he determined to do as long as he had life and being; by proclaiming His blessedness, by ascribing blessing and honor to Him, and by giving Him the glory of all mercies temporal and spiritual;

I will lift up my hands in thy name - not against his enemies, against those that fought against him, but unto God in heaven; and that not as a gesture used in swearing, but either in blessing or in prayer, or in both,

Psa 63:5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

My soul shall be satisfied - The idea is, that his soul now longed for the service of God as one who is hungry longs for food, or as one who is thirsty longs for drink; and that the time would come when this longing desire would be satisfied. He would engage in the service of God as he desired to do; he would be permitted to enjoy that service without interruption.

As with marrow and fatness - The words here employed denote rich food; and the comparison is between the pleasure of serving God, and the satisfaction derived from food when one is hungry. It is not uncommon to compare the pleasures of the Lord with a feast or banquet.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness - When he should return to the house of the Lord, and partake of the provisions of it, called the fatness of his house; by the fatness of it the provisions there, the word and ordinances, and the blessings of grace which they hold forth; The phrase denotes the abundance of spiritual refreshment and delight in the word and ordinances, and the great satisfaction had in them; and may have some regard to benefits arising from prayer, as well as other ordinances. Fat was not to be eaten under the legal dispensation, and therefore not to be literally taken; but in the typical and spiritual sense which David understood: he refers to those spiritual good things which they typified, and give spiritual pleasure and satisfaction;

my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips - Lips full of joy; or, which give utterance to the joy of the heart.

my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips - such a full meal calls for abundant thankfulness; which is here signified by the mouth praising the Lord, and doing this with lips of shouting, expressions of joy, songs of praise, jubilee songs. The allusion is to the use of music and singing at festivals.

my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips – Despite all his troubles, David offers praise and not complaints. So should Christians do today during times of hardship.

Psa 63:6  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

When I remember thee upon my bed - That is, when he lay down at night; when he composed himself to sleep. Nothing can be more proper than that his last thoughts, as he sinks into quiet slumber, should be of God; of His being, His character, His mercy, His loving-kindness; of the dealings of His providence, and the manifestations of His grace toward us, during the day; and nothing is better suited to compose the mind to rest, and to induce quiet and gentle slumber, than the calmness of soul which arises from the idea of an Infinite God, and from confidence in Him.

meditate on thee in the nightwatches - The word watches here refers to the ancient divisions of the night for municipal or military purposes - periods of the night assigned to different persons to keep watch around a camp or city. The most common division of the night was into three parts, though the arrangement varied at different times.

Psa 63:7  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

Because thou hast been my help - The idea is, that he had experienced divine intervention in times of danger, and that this was a reason why he should still confide in God. The argument is, that God’s mercy and favor in the past is a reason why we should confide in him in time to come.

Therefore in the shadow of thy wings - If the psalmist does not allude to the overshadowing of the mercy seat by the extended wings of the cherubim, he may have in view, as a metaphor, the young of fowls, seeking shelter, protection, and warmth under the wings of their mothers. When a bird of prey appears, the chickens will, by natural instinct, run under the wings of their mothers for protection.

Because thou hast been my help - the words may be considered as the subject of his meditation in the night watches, at least as a part of it; and as what gave him a great deal of pleasure to reflect upon, how the Lord had been in times past a present help to him in time of trouble;

Psa 63:8  My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

My soul followeth hard after thee - The word used here means properly to cleave to; to adhere; to be glued to; to stick fast. Then it means to attach oneself to anything; and then, to pursue or follow after. The idea here is that of adhering to, or cleaving to; the psalmist adhered firmly to God, as pieces of wood glued together adhere to each other; that he stuck fast to Him; that he would not leave Him or be separated from Him. The language represents the feelings of true piety in adhering firmly and constantly to God, whatever there may be that tends to separate us from Him. The adhesion of bodies by glue is a striking but not an adequate representation of the firmness with which the soul adheres to God. Portions of matter held together by glue may be separated; the soul of the true believer never can be separated from God.

My soul followeth hard after thee - This phrase not only shows the diligence of the pursuit, and the nearness of the attainment, but also the fast hold he had got of the mercy of his God.

My soul followeth hard after thee – David has an active faith, not a passive one. He clings to the Lord in a submissive faith and an active pursuit of God.

Thy right hand upholdeth me – This is a Messianic prophecy reference. The term "God's right hand" in prophecy refers to the Messiah to whom is given the power and authority to subdue His enemies Psa 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Psa 118:16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. Consider in Matthew Mat 22:43-45 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

Where Jesus refers to Psalm 110 and shows how this refers to Himself. Later, Stephen in Acts sees Jesus at the right hand of God. Act 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. The position of the Messiah is at God's right hand. Paul confirms the place of Jesus at the right hand of God. Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. "God's right hand" refers to the Messiah, the LORD Jesus Christ and He is of equal position, honor, power and authority with God.

thy right hand upholdeth me - that he fell not through the snares laid for him, and the stumbling blocks thrown in his way; that he stood and bore up under all his afflictions, temptations, and difficulties; that he was enabled to follow hard after the Lord, and cleave unto him; this supported, supplied, and protected him, even the mighty power and grace of God.

Psa 63:9  But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

Shall go into the lower parts of the earth - Shall descend into the earth; into the deepest graves. He would live; but they would perish.

Lower parts of the earth - They are appointed, in the just judgment of God, to destruction; they shall be slain and buried in the earth, and shall be seen no more. Some understand the passage as referring to the punishment of hell; which many supposed to be in the center of the earth.

those that seek my soul to destroy it - Meaning his life; for as for his soul, that was immaterial and immortal, and could never be destroyed by man: but as for his natural life, his enemies laid snares for that, and sought to take it away, and nothing less would satisfy them;

Psa 63:10  They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

They shall fall by the sword - The word rendered in the text “they shall fall” means properly, to flow, to pour out, as water; and then, to pour out; then, to give up or deliver. The idea here is that of delivering over, as one pours out water from a basin or pitcher: they shall be delivered over to the sword.

They shall fall by the sword - They shall be poured out by the hand of the sword, Hebrews That is, their life’s blood shall be shed either in war, or by the hand of justice.

They shall be a portion for foxes - The original word means a fox. But under this general name fox, they seem to have comprehended other animals also, having some resemblance to a fox, and particularly jackals. Jackals are wild, fierce, savage; they howl around dwellings at night, ready to gather at any moment when there is prey to be devoured.

They shall be a portion for foxes - They shall be left unburied, and the jackals shall feed upon their dead bodies. Or, being all cut off by utter destruction, their Inheritance shall be left for the wild beasts. That which was their portion shall shortly be the portion of the wild beasts of the forest.

Psa 63:11  But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

But the king shall rejoice in God - This passage shows that this psalm could not have been composed in the time of Saul, since the title king was not then given to David. The title was his; the throne belonged to him, and not to Absalom who had driven him from it. It was not improper to allude to this fact in the manner in which it is referred to here, and to say that “the king” - the true, the real king - himself - should and would rejoice in God. He would find God to be his helper; and by God he would yet be restored to his throne.

Every one that sweareth by him shall glory - Everyone that sweareth to him, or maintains his oath of allegiance to him, shall be honored.

Every one that sweareth by him shall glory - all that call on the Lord shall glory in Him.

But the mouth of them that speak lies - All who have sworn falsely; all who have professed allegiance and have proved unfaithful; all those who, contrary to their oaths and their obligations, have been found in the rebellion. They shall not be permitted to exult or rejoice, but they shall be confounded and silenced. This expresses, therefore, the fullest confidence in God; the absolute belief of David that he would be again placed on his throne, and again permitted “to see the power and glory of God as” he had “seen it in the sanctuary” Psa_63:2; the belief that he would be restored to prosperity, and that his enemies would be humbled and destroyed So it will be with all who put their trust in God. There is certain joy and triumph for them, if not in this world, at least in the world to come.

The mouth of them that speak lies - The mouth of those who acknowledge lying vanities, that worship false gods, shall be stopped. All false religions shall be destroyed by the prevalence of the truth. For he, Christ, shall reign till all his enemies are put under his feet.

2 Chronicles 1

2Ch 1:1  And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.

Solomon the son of David - The very beginning of this book shows that it is a continuation of the 1 Chronicles.

Solomon was strengthened in his kingdom - Well settled and established on the throne of his father, after the death of some persons, from whom he might expect trouble, 1Ki_2:46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

the Lord God was with him - directing and instructing him, prospering and succeeding him: 1Ch 29:25 And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

We have an account of the sacrifice at Gibeon (2Ch_1:7-13) in 1Ki_3:4-15 also. The two narratives agree in all the main points, but, in so far as their form is concerned, it is at once discernible that they are two independent descriptions of the same thing, but derived from the same sources.

2Ch 1:2  Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.

While in 1Ki_3:4 it is briefly said the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, in this chapter the historian records that Solomon summoned the princes and representatives of the people to this solemn act, and accompanied by them went to Gibeon. This sacrifice was no mere private sacrifice-it was the religious consecration of the opening of his reign, at which the estates of the kingdom were present as a matter of course.

The narrative here corresponds with 1Ki_3:4; but gives greater detail. We learn from the present passage:

1) that Solomon’s sacrifice at Gibeon was a great public festivity, to which he collected vast numbers of the people;

2) that it was made upon the brass altar of Bezaleel, which

3) stood before the tabernacle; and

4) that Solomon’s vision was on the night of his sacrifice.

Then Solomon spake unto all Israel — The heads, or leading officers, who are afterwards specified, were summoned to attend their sovereign in a solemn religious procession. The date of this occurrence was the second year of Solomon’s reign, and the high place at Gibeon was chosen for the performance of the sacred rites, because the tabernacle and all the ancient furniture connected with the national worship were deposited there. Zadok was the officiating high priest (1Ch_16:39). It is true that the ark had been removed and placed in a new tent which David had made for it at Jerusalem [2Ch_1:4]. But the brazen altar, “before the tabernacle of the Lord,” on which the burnt offerings were appointed by the law to be made, was at Gibeon. And although David had been led by extraordinary events and tokens of the divine presence to sacrifice on the threshing-floor of Araunah, Solomon considered it his duty to present his offerings on the legally appointed spot “before the tabernacle,” and on the time-honored altar prepared by the skill of Bezaleel in the wilderness (Exo_38:1).

2Ch 1:3  So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

The reason why he offered his sacrifice here is given in 2Ch_1:3. There the Mosaic tabernacle stood, yet without the ark, which David had caused to be brought up from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem (1Ch_13:1-14 and 15). Although the ark was separated from the tabernacle, yet by the latter at Gibeon was the Mosaic altar of burnt-offering, and on that account the sanctuary at Gibeon was the Lord’s dwelling, and the legal place of worship for burnt-offerings of this magnitude. “As our historian here brings forward emphatically the fact that Solomon offered his burnt-offering at the legal place of worship, so he points out in 1Ch_21:28-30 :1, how David was only brought by extraordinary events, and special signs from God, to sacrifice on the altar of burnt-offering erected by him on the threshing-floor of Ornan, and also states how he was prevented from offering his burnt-offering in Gibeon.

there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God - where was also the altar of the Lord, and so most proper to offer sacrifice on, which was what Solomon went thither to do; 1Ch_21:29.

2Ch 1:4  But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

But the ark - The tabernacle and the brazen altar remained still at Gibeon; but David had brought away the ark out of the tabernacle, and placed it in a tent at Jerusalem; 2Sa_6:2, 2Sa_6:17.

2Ch 1:5  Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

Sought unto it - Went to seek the Lord there.

the brasen altar that Bezaleel had made - According to the pattern given by Moses, at the direction of God, Exo_38:1,

2Ch 1:6  And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

Solomon went up thither - To the high place at Gibeon:

to the brasen altar before the Lord - where He used to be, and accept the sacrifices of His people, though the ark, the symbol of His presence, was not there:

offered a thousand burnt offerings — This sacrifice he offered, of course, by the hands of the priests. The magnitude of the offering became the rank of the one offering on this occasion of national solemnity.

2Ch 1:7  In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

The verbal differences between this passage and the corresponding one of Kings 1Ki_3:5-14 are very considerable, and indicate the general truth that the object of the sacred historians is to give a true account of the real bearing of what was said: not ordinarily to furnish us with all or the exact words that were uttered. The most important point omitted in Chronicles, and supplied by Kings, is the conditional promise of long life made to Solomon 1Ki_3:14; while the chief point absent from Kings, and recorded by our author, is the solemn appeal made by Solomon to the promise of God to David his father 2Ch_1:9, which he now called upon God to “establish,” or to perform.

In that night - The appearance of God by night points to a dream, and in 1Ki_3:5-15 we are expressly informed that He appeared in a vision.

2Ch 1:8  And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.

2Ch 1:9  Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

2Ch 1:10  Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

2Ch 1:11  And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

Because this was in your heart - This does not occur in Kings, and it implies that the request of Solomon, as arising from a spiritual judgment and heart, was peculiarly acceptable to that God who searches, regards, and demands the heart. God promised Solomon all the things which he had not asked, except the life of his enemies; for he was to be a peaceable king, a type of the Prince of peace.

According to 1Ki_3:15, Solomon, on his return to Jerusalem, offered before the ark still other burnt-offerings and thank-offerings, and prepared a meal for his servants. This is omitted by the author of the Chronicle.

2Ch 1:12  Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor - Remark that the writer says nothing of any promise to Solomon of “long life,” which, however, had been mentioned in 2Ch_1:11 among the blessings which he might have been expected to ask. Long life was included in the promises made to him; but it was granted conditionally; and Solomon not fulfilling the conditions, it did not take effect

2Ch 1:13  Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

From his journey - These words are not in the original text. It is best to translate: “And Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem.”

2Ch 1:14  And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen — His passion for horses was greater than that of any Israelite monarch before or after him. His stud comprised fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. This was a prohibited indulgence, whether as an instrument of luxury or power. But it was not merely for his own use that he imported the horses of Egypt. The immense equestrian establishment he erected was not for show merely, but also for profit.

This passage is very nearly identical with 1Ki_10:26-29. The verses here, 2Ch_1:14, 2Ch_1:15, with the exception of one divergence in form and one in matter, correspond word for word to 1Ki_10:26 and 1Ki_10:27.

2Ch 1:15  And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance.

2Ch 1:16  And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

linen yarn - The original word is hard to be understood.

The versions are all puzzled with it: some versions make it a proper name. The word was regarded by the ancient translators as a proper name. 2Ch 1:16 And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. (NKJV) 2Ch 1:16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s traders procured them from Kue for a price. (NASB)

2Ch 1:17  And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.

for all the kings of the Hittites — A branch of this powerful tribe, when expelled from Palestine, had settled north of Lebanon, where they acquired large possessions contiguous to the Syrians.

1 Kings 11

1Ki 11:1  But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

In noticing successively Solomon’s excessive accumulation of silver and gold 1Ki_10:14-25, his multiplication of horses 1Ki_10:26-29, and his multiplication of wives, the writer has in mind the warning of Moses against these three forms of princely ostentation, all alike forbidden to an Israelite monarch. A melancholy account is here given of Solomon’s fall. His many wives and concubines, in his old age, lead him into idolatry. The Lord’s displeasure. Solomon’s chastisement, and death. An account of his successor in the kingdom.

Zidonians - Phoenician women. A tradition states that Solomon married a daughter of Hiram, king of Tyre.

Many strange women - That is, idolaters; together with the daughter of Pharaoh.

Solomon loved many strange women - His love was a lustful and not a lawful one, and of women who were not only of foreign countries, some who were not his lawful wives. Strange women; that is haters of the God of Israel, concerning which the Lord had strictly commanded Israel never to intermarry. Deu_7:2-4 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. It was a direct and outrageous violation of the divine law Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. and the very result which that statute was ordained to prevent was realized in him. His marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh is not censured either here or elsewhere 1Ki 3:1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. It was only his love for many strange women.

The idolatry into which Solomon fell in his old age appears strange in a king so wise and God-fearing as Solomon showed himself to be at the dedication of the temple. It shows that great wisdom and a refined knowledge of God are not a defense against the folly of idolatry, since this has its roots in the heart, and springs from sensual desires and the lust of the flesh.  Jas 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. The cause assigned in the biblical account for Solomon's falling away from the Lord, is that he loved many strange foreign or heathen wives, who turned his heart from the Lord to their own gods in his old age. Consequently the falling away did not take place suddenly, but gradually, as Solomon got old, and was not a complete renunciation of the worship of the Lord, to whom he offered solemn sacrifices three times a year, and that certainly to the day of his death (1Ki_9:25), but consisted simply in the fact that his heart was no longer thoroughly devoted to the Lord (1Ki_11:4), and that he inclined towards the idols of his foreign wives and built them altars (1Ki_11:5-8); We may even infer from the repeated warnings of God (1Ki_3:14; 1Ki_6:12; 1Ki_9:4), that from the earliest years of his reign Solomon was in danger of falling into idolatry.

Despite the call to love the Lord with all his heart Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  Solomon turned to the world. Solomon was at first friendly with the world Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.  then tainted by the world Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. then he loved the world1Jn 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. then he conformed with the world Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. A steady progression further from the Lord and further into sin, as warned by Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  For this, Solomon was judged and chastened. 1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

the daughter of Pharaoh – some speculate that because she was specifically mentioned that she was a convert to Judaism, and had no hand in turning him to idolatry nor is there any mention of any high place built for an Egyptian idol: There is no biblical support for that view.

women of the Moabites, Anmonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites - all of the neighboring nations. Some think he did this for political reasons; but it rather seems to be the fruit of lust or pride.

Solomon loved many strange women - The daughter of Pharaoh is distinguished from the foreign wives who turned away Solomon's heart from the Lord, so that the blame pronounced upon those marriages does not apply to his marriage to the Egyptian princess (1Ki_3:1). All that is blamed is that, in opposition to the command in Deu_17:17, Solomon loved many foreign wives of the nations with whom the Israelites were not to intermarry, Moabitish, Ammonitish, and other wives,. All that the law expressly prohibited was marriage with Canaanitish women (Deu_7:1-3; Exo_34:16. The Moabites and Ammonites, moreover, were not to be received into the congregation at all, not even to the tenth generation, and of the Edomites only the children in the third generation were to be received (Deu_23:4, Deu_23:8-9). There was all the less reason, therefore, for permitting marriages with them, that is to say, so long as they retained their nationality or their heathen ways.

1Ki 11:2  Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

Ye shall not go in unto them - These words are not a quotation from the Pentateuch. They merely give the general meaning of the two passages prohibiting intermarriage with neighboring idolators. Strictly speaking, the prohibition in the Law of intermarriage was confined to the Canaanite nations. But the principle of the prohibition applied equally to the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites who all bordered on the holy land; and was so applied by Ezra and Nehemiah Ezr 9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. Neh 13:23 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:

Of the nations concerning which the Lord said - That is, they should not intermarry with one another; the Hittites were one of the seven nations this law respected, Deu 7:1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

surely they will turn away your heart after their gods - which is the reason given for the making the above law, and was sadly seen in Solomon:

1Ki 11:3  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

He had seven hundred wives, princesses - possibly the daughters of noblemen, generals, etc., may be included. In Son_6:8 the number of Solomon’s legitimate wives is said to be sixty, and that of his concubines eighty. Some think that the text has in this place suffered corruption. For “700” should read “70” in their view.

he had seven hundred wives, princesses — Some were possibly, according to an existing custom, the daughters of tributary chiefs, given as hostages for good conduct of their fathers.

three hundred concubines - These were wives of the second rank, who were taken according to the usages of those times; but their offspring could not inherit. Sarah was to Abraham what these seven hundred princesses were to Solomon; and the three hundred concubines stood in the same relation to the Israelite king as Hagar and Keturah did to the patriarch.

1Ki 11:4  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Solomon was old - About fifty or fifty-five. From his age at his accession he could not have been more than about sixty at his death.

when Solomon was old - Toward the latter end of his reign, when he might be near sixty years of age; for Rehoboam his son and successor was forty one when he began to reign, 1Ki_14:21 which is observed either as an aggravation of the sin of Solomon, that in his old age, when by long experience he might have been thought to be still wiser, and less lustful: and yet he strayed into sin.

his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father - who, though guilty of many sins, never inclined to idolatry; his heart was always right in that point, and sincere in his worship.

his wives turned away his heart after other gods — There seems no possibility of explaining the language of the sacred historian, but as intimating that Solomon became an actual and open idolater, worshipping images of wood or stone in sight of the very temple which, in early life, he had erected to the true God.

his wives turned away his heart after other gods — Was his apostasy final? Yes, so far as we can gather from the narrative. Not only is there no statement of his repentance, but the silence with which he receives the divine announcement of retribution is suspicious; and the prophecy of Ahijah to Jeroboam, which obviously comes later in time than the threatenings of the text, treats the idolatry as still existing (1Ki_11:33). Further, we learn from 2Ki_23:13 that the shrines which he built stood till Josiah’s time. If Solomon had ever abandoned his idolatry, he would not have left them standing. So we seem to have in him a case of a fall which knew no recovery.

1Ki 11:5  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

Went after - This expression is common in the Pentateuch, and always signifies actual idolatry.

Ashtoreth – same as Astarte. Astarte was the chief female deity of all the Canaanite tribes; her worship was also transplanted from Tyre to Carthage, where it flourished greatly.

Milcom – same as Molech.

1Ki 11:6  And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord - As idolatry is, nothing more provoking to him: In his final years of life, the Preacher Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. Were these words written in hindsight? Ecc 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father - for though he did not relinquish the worship of the true God, and the service of the temple, yet inasmuch as he worshipped other gods besides, or connived at the worship of them, he did not wholly, and constantly, and solely serve the Lord, as his father did.

1Ki 11:7  Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

Chemosh - Chemosh seems to have been widely worshipped in Western Asia. His name occurs frequently on the “Moabite-Stone.” Car-Chemish, “the fort of Chemosh,” a great city of the northern Hittites, must have been under his protection. In Babylon he seems to have been known as Chomus-belus, or Chemosh-Bel.

The hill which is before Jerusalem - This was the Mount of Olives. This lay east of Jerusalem;

1Ki 11:8  And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

And likewise did he for all his strange wives - That is, built high places for their idols, or suffered them to be built; for when he had done it for one, he could not refuse it to another, without greatly disobliging them; even for as many of them,

which burnt incense, and sacrificed unto their gods - the gods of the countries from whence they came, and in the worship of which they had been brought up: this shows that the best and wisest of men, when left to themselves, may do the worst and most foolish of all things; as nothing can be more so than the worship of such wretched deities.

burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods — The first was considered a higher act of homage, and is often used as synonymous with worship (2Ki_22:17; 2Ki_23:5). Burning incense is mentioned before sacrificing, because vegetable offerings took precedence of animal sacrifices in the nature-worship of that region.

And likewise did he for all his strange wives - built altars for their gods. These three altars, which are only mentioned in the complete account in 2Ki 23:13 And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. were sufficient for all the deities of the foreign wives. For the Hittites and Edomites do not appear to have had any deities of their own that were peculiar to themselves. The Hittites no doubt worshipped Astarte in common with the Sidonians, and the Edomites probably worshipped Milcom. In the whole of the Old Testament the only place in which gods of the Edomite are mentioned is in 2Ch_25:20, and there no names are given. Of course we must except Pharaoh's daughter, according to 1Ki_11:1, and the remarks already made in connection with that verse; for she brought no idolatrous worship to Jerusalem, and consequently even in later times we do not find the slightest trace of Egyptian idolatry in Jerusalem and Judah.

1Ki 11:9  And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

which had appeared unto him twice - once at Gibeon, and again after his prayer at the dedication of the temple, 1Ki_3:5, which is mentioned here as an aggravation of his sin, that he should fall into it, when the Lord had condescended to appear to him so graciously.

1Ki 11:10  And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

And had commanded him concerning this thing - Which is another aggravation of his sin that it was against an express command of God, and was particularly given him, and he was warned to observe it, and threatened with evil should he break it:

1Ki 11:11  Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

Forasmuch as this is done of thee - that he did not kept His covenant and statutes which the Lord commanded but broke them by his idolatry:

Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon - Not in a vision, as before, but by a prophet; Jewish scholars believe Ahijah the Shilonite, which is probable, 1Ki 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:

I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and I will give it to thy servant - meaning Jeroboam, who was not only a subject, but in office under him, 1Ki_11:26.

I will surely rend the kingdom from thee – Note the contrast between the language used here and the actions from the prophet Ahijah in 1 Kings 11:30, where he tears Jeroboam’s robe into 12 pieces, signifying not only the loss of the domain of Solomon’s kingdom but also the ferocity of it. The division of the kingdom will not occur easily.

1Ki 11:12  Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake - Not for the merits of David, but the promises made to him, 2Sa 7:12=15 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

1Ki 11:13  Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

Will give one tribe - the tribe of Judah. Benjamin was looked upon as absorbed in Judah, so as not to be really a tribe in the same sense as the others. Still, in memory of the fact that the existing tribe of Judah was a double one 1Ki_12:2 l, the prophet Ahijah tore his garment into twelve parts, and kept back two from Jeroboam 1Ki_11:30-31.

Will give one tribe - The line of the Messiah must be preserved. The prevailing lion must come out of the tribe of Judah: not only the tribe must be preserved, but the regal line and the regal right. All this must be done for the true David’s sake: and this was undoubtedly what God had in view by thus miraculously preserving the tribe of Judah and the royal line, in the midst of so general a defection.

And for Jerusalem’s sake - As David was a type of the Messiah, so was Jerusalem a type of the true Church: therefore the Old Jerusalem must be preserved in the hands of the tribe of Judah, till the true David should establish the New Jerusalem in the same land, and in the same city.

but will give one tribe to thy son - it seems he had both Benjamin and Judah, and only ten tribes were rent from him; the reason of this mode of expression may be, either because he gave him one of the tribes of Israel, besides that of Judah, which was his own tribe; or only the tribe of Judah is meant, the whole tribe of Benjamin not being his, since Bethel, and some other places in that tribe, were in the possession of Jeroboam; or rather both these are called but one, because their inheritances lay together, and were mixed with one another; and particularly both had a share in the city of Jerusalem, and the kingdom always after the division went by the name of Judah only.

for David my servant's sake - because of the promise to him, that there should not want one of his seed to sit on his throne, 1Ki 9:5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

I will give one tribe to thy son — There were left to Rehoboam the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi (2Ch_11:12, 2Ch_11:13); and multitudes of Israelites, who, after the schism of the kingdom, established their residence within the territory of Judah to enjoy the privileges of the true religion (1Ki_12:17). These are all reckoned as one tribe.

1Ki 11:14  And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.

Hadad the Edomite - Hadad was a royal title both in Syria and in Idumaea

The Lord stirred up an adversary - The writer has reserved for this place the various troubles of Solomon’s reign, not allowing them to interrupt his previous narrative. He has, consequently, not followed chronological order. Hadad’s 1Ki_11:23 and Rezon’s opposition belong to the early years of Solomon’s reign. During the war of extermination, which Joab carried on in Edom (2Sa_8:13), this Hadad, of the royal family, a mere boy when rescued from the sword of the ruthless conqueror, was carried into Egypt, hospitably entertained, and became allied with the house of the Egyptian king. In after years, the thought of his native land and his lost kingdom taking possession of his mind, he, on learning the death of David and Joab, renounced the ease, possessions, and glory of his Egyptian residence, to return to Edom and attempt the recovery of his ancestral throne. The movements of this prince seem to have given much annoyance to the Hebrew government; but as he was defeated by the numerous and strong garrisons planted throughout the Edomite territory, Hadad seems to have offered his services to Rezon, another of Solomon’s adversaries (1Ki_11:23-25).

the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon -Though He did not take his kingdom from him for his sin, He chastised him with the rod of men, as He said He would; suffering one, and then another, to rise up and disturb his peace in his old age, 2Sa 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon -Although the punishment with which Solomon was threatened for his apostasy was not to be inflicted till after his death, the Lord raised up several adversaries even during his lifetime, who endangered the peace of his kingdom, and were to serve as constant reminders that he owed his throne and his peaceable rule over the whole of the kingdom inherited from his father solely to the mercy, the fidelity, and the long-suffering of God. - The rising up of Hadad and Rezon took place even before the commencement of Solomon's idolatry, but it is brought by (1Ki_11:14) into logical connection with the punishment with which he is threatened in consequence of that idolatry, because it was not till a later period that it produced any perceptible effect upon his government, yet it ought from the very first to have preserved him from self-security.

1Ki 11:15  For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;

The verse gives certain additional particulars of David’s conquest of Edom. Joab was left, or sent, to complete the subjugation of the country, with orders to exterminate all the grown male inhabitants. It was not very often that David acted with any extreme severity in his wars; but he may have considered himself justified by policy, as he certainly was by the letter of the Law Deu 20:13-14 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. in adopting this fierce course against Edom.

Was gone up to bury the slain – any of the dead, including the slain Edomites; for Joab had in the course of six months exterminated all the males, except Hadad and his servants, who escaped to Egypt.

when David was in Edom - Fighting with the Edomites, and subduing them, and putting garrisons in the land, 2Sa_8:14.

1Ki 11:16  (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:)

Every male in Edom - every male whom he could find. As did Hadad and his company 1Ki_11:17, so others would escape in various directions. The Edomite nation was not destroyed on the occasion since after this they increased again, and became a powerful people, and had a king over them, and revolted from Judah, 2Ki_8:20.

1Ki 11:17  That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.

1Ki 11:18  And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.

Midian - A town in the south of Judah. Paran is the desert tract immediately to the south of Judaea.

These arose out of Midian - They at first retired to Midian, which lay to the southwest of the Dead Sea. Not supposing themselves in safety there, they went afterwards to Paran in the south of Idumea, and getting a number of persons to join them in Paran, they went straight to Egypt, where we find Hadad became a favorite with Pharaoh, who gave him his sister-in-law to wife; and incorporated him and his family with his own.

Pharaoh king of Egypt - King of the twenty-first dynasty; one commentary says he was Psusennes I, however the dates do not appear to fit the chronology of David’s reign. Siamun was Pharaoh at the time of Joab killed the men of Edom and for 15 years after that. It appears to have been the policy of the Pharaohs about this time to make friends and contract alliances with their eastern neighbors.

they took men with them out of Paran - either as guides and guards through the wilderness, or to make the better appearance before Pharaoh, and that they might meet with the better reception:

and gave him land -  for his servants to cultivate, and from thence to raise a revenue for his support;

1Ki 11:19  And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

1Ki 11:20  And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.

Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh - brought up among them, as if he was one of them.

1Ki 11:21  And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.

Let me depart - That Hadad should wait for the death of Joab before requesting leave to return to Idumaea shows how terrible an impression had been made by the severe measures which that commander had carried out. The inability of refugees to depart from the court without the king’s leave, and his unwillingness ordinarily to grant leave, are illustrated by many passages in the history of that region.

David slept with his fathers - Was dead and buried, as the death of princes is soon known in other countries, and especially a king of such fame as David:

Joab the captain of the host was dead - whose name might be terrible to Hadad, because of the slaughter of men he had made in his country:

1Ki 11:22  Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.

Let me go in any wise - whether he acquainted Pharaoh with his view in this request is not said. At this time there must have been peace between Israel and Egypt, Solomon having married the daughter of Pharaoh.

what hast thou lacked with me - Either of an equipage suitable to his birth and marriage, or of provisions for his household, or of honor and respect, or of any favor from him:

1Ki 11:23  And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:

God stirred him up another adversary -  One from the north, as the other was from the south:

Rezon, the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah - when David fought with him; and this man seeing the battle go against his master, and that he was like to be worsted, deserted him and fled, 2Sa 8:3 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.

Rezon, the son of Eliadah - Rezon probably fled from his lord for some reason which is not mentioned, when the latter was engaged in war with David, before his complete overthrow, and collected together a company from the fugitives, with which he afterwards marched to Damascus, and having taken possession of that city, made himself king over it. This probably did not take place till towards the close of David's reign, or even after his death, though it was at the very beginning of Solomon's reign; for “he became an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon (during the whole of his reign),

1Ki 11:24  And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

And reigned in Damascus - Rezon was one of the captains of Hadadezer, whom David defeated. It seems that at this time Rezon escaped with his men; and; having lived, as is supposed, some time by plunder, he seized on Damascus, and reigned there. But after Solomon’s defection from God, Rezon, finding that God had departed from Israel, harassed Solomon during his reign.

1Ki 11:25  And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria - not Hadad, but Rezon; he had an aversion to them, was a thorn in their side, and gave them much trouble, as well as had them in contempt, and bid them defiance, having made himself not only master of Damascus, but of all Syria. One scholar thinks this was only when Solomon started his idolatry and to the end of his reign. Others think it began early in his reign.

1Ki 11:26  And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.

Jeroboam the son of Nebat - From the context we learn that Jeroboam while a young man was employed by Solomon to superintend the improvements and buildings at Millo, and had so distinguished himself there by his industry and good conduct as to attract general notice, and to induce Solomon to set him over all the laborers employed in that work, belonging to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, called here the house of Joseph.

Jeroboam — This was an internal enemy of a still more formidable character. He was a young man of talent and energy, who, having been appointed by Solomon superintendent of the engineering works projected around Jerusalem, had risen into public notice, and on being informed by a very significant act of the prophet Ahijah of the royal destiny which, by divine appointment, awaited him, his mind took a new turn.

an Ephrathite of Zereda - some where in the tribe of Ephraim, but nowhere else mentioned.

Solomon's servant - not only his subject, but one that had been advanced by him to an office, and served under him, 1Ki_11:28,

In telling the reason why God rent the kingdom from the house of Solomon, Ahijah warned Jeroboam to take heed of sinning away his preferment.

Solomon falls into the background in the last part of the story of his reign, and his enemies are more prominent than himself. So long as he walked with God, he was of importance for the historian; but as soon as he forsook God, and was consequently forsaken of His wisdom, he becomes as insignificant as an empty vessel which has once held sweet perfume.

1Ki 11:27  And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.

Solomon built Millo - Millo was probably fortified in Solomon’s twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth year.

1Ki 11:28  And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

A mighty man of valor - A man of great strength of body, and fortitude of mind: Solomon made Jeroboam superintendent of all the forced labor exacted from his tribe - the tribe of Ephraim - during the time that he was building Millo and fortifying the city of Jerusalem 1Ki_9:15.

he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph - the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, to be a prince or a deputy governor of them; or rather to collect the king's tax from them, or the revenues of that part of the country.

1Ki 11:29  And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:

That is the second stage in the story,-the spark on the tinder. We have heard nothing of prophets during Solomon’s reign; but now this man from Shiloh, the ancient seat of the Tabernacle, meets the ambitious young officer in some solitary spot, with the message which answered to his secret thoughts and made his heart beat fast. The symbolic action preceding the spoken word, as usual, supplied the text, of which the word was the explanation and expansion. How pathetic is the newness of the garment! Unworn, strong, and fresh, it yet is rent in pieces. So the kingdom is so recent, with such possibilities of duration, and yet it must be shattered! It is little more than a century since Saul’s anointing, little more than seventy years since the choice of David, and already the fabric, which had such fair promise of perpetuity, is ready to vanish away. If we may say so, that ‘new garment’ represents the divine disappointment and sorrow over the swift corruption of the kingdom. It was probably merely some loose square of cloth which Ahijah tore, with violence proportioned to its newness, into twelve pieces, ten of which he thrust into the astonished Jeroboam’s hands. The commentary followed.

Ahijah’s prophecy is substantially the same as the previous threatenings to Solomon, which had done no good. Their incipient fulfilment in the wars with Edom and Syria had been equally futile; and therefore God, who never strikes without warning, and never warns without striking if men do not heed, now drops the message into ears that were only too ready to hear. The seed fell on prepared soil, and Jeroboam’s half-formed plans would be consolidated and fixed. The separation of the kingdoms was a divine act, and yet it is treated often in the later books as a crime and rebellion. God works out His purposes through men’s deeds, and their motives determine whether their acts are sins or obedience. The separation of the kingdoms was God’s doing, but it was brought about by the free action of men obeying most secular impulses of political discontent, and led by a cunning, self-seeking schemer.

The Shilonite - An inhabitant of Shiloh in Mount Ephraim, the earliest and most sacred of the Hebrew sanctuaries (Jos_18:10; Jdg_18:31; 1Sa_4:3, etc.) This prophet was of the city of Shiloh, and where was now his abode,

Ahijah the Shilonite - He was one of those who wrote the history of the reign of Solomon, as we find from 2Ch_9:29, and it is supposed that it was by him God spoke twice to Solomon; and particularly delivered the message which we find in this chapter, 1Ki_11:11-13.

Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way - not accidentally, but purposely was in the way to meet him, and converse with him;

he had clad himself with a new garment - Jeroboam, not the prophet.

they two were alone in the field - it is possible Jeroboam might have some servants with him; but Ahijah desiring some private conversation with him, he sent them onwards, or bid them stay at some distance; who yet might be capable of observing what was done otherwise how should Solomon come to the knowledge of it? 1Ki_11:40.

1Ki 11:30  And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:

By the tearing of the new garment into twelve pieces, of which Jeroboam was to take ten for himself, the prophetic announcement was symbolized in a very emphatic manner. This symbolical action made the promise a completed fact. There was something significant also in the circumstance that it was a new garment, which is stated twice, and indicates the newness, the still young and vigorous condition, of the kingdom.

The first instance of the “acted parable.” Generally this mode was adopted upon express divine command (Jer_13:1-11; Eze_3:1-3). A connection may be traced between the type selected and the words of the announcement to Solomon

rent it in twelve pieces - as symbolical of the twelve tribes of Israel.

1Ki 11:31  And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LO RD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:

Take thee ten pieces - The garment was the symbol of the kingdom of Israel; the twelve pieces the symbol of the twelve tribes; the ten pieces given to Jeroboam, of the ten tribes which should be given to him, and afterwards form the kingdom of Israel, to distinguish it from the kingdom of Judah, ruling in Jerusalem.

First, 1Ki_11:31-33 announce the punishment, with the reservation of a dwindled dominion to the Davidic house, for the sake of their great ancestor and of God’s choice of Jerusalem, and solemnly charge on the people the idolatry which the king had introduced. The second part (1Ki_11:34-36) postpones the execution of the sentence till after Solomon’s death, and assigns the same two reasons for this further forbearance. The third part (1Ki_11:37-39) promises Jeroboam the kingdom, and lays down the conditions on which the favors promised to David and his house may be his. The whole closes with the assurance that the affliction of the seed of David is not to be for ever.

1Ki 11:32  (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)

1Ki 11:33  Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

Because that they have forsaken me - both Solomon and the children of Israel following his example; which is not to be wondered at, considering how prone they always were to idolatry:

have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father - the several laws of God relating to religious worship especially, which David was a strict observer of; and therefore Solomon, having such a pattern before him, was the more blameworthy.

1Ki 11:34  Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:

1Ki 11:35  But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.

I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand - All but the tribes of Judah and Benjamin:

will give it unto thee, even ten tribes - signified by ten pieces of the rent garment he had given him, 1Ki_11:31.

1Ki 11:36  And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

That David may have a light - That his posterity may never fail, and the regal line never become extinct. This, as we have already seen, was in reference to the Messiah. He was not only David’s light, but he was a light to enlighten the Gentiles.

unto his son will I give one tribe - Judah and Benjamin reckoned as one;

1Ki 11:37  And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

According to all that thy soul desireth - It appears from this that Jeroboam had affected the kingdom, and was seeking for an opportunity to seize on the government. God now tells him, by His prophet, what he shall have, and what he shall not have, in order to prevent him from attempting to seize on the whole kingdom, to the prejudice of the spiritual seed of David.

thou shall reign according to all that thy soul desireth - he being ambitious of the kingdom, and having already formed in his mind some designs upon it:

1Ki 11:38  And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

And build thee a sure house - The condition on which the kingdom of Jeroboam was to last was the same as that on which Solomon had also been promised the continuance of his throne in 1Ki_3:14; 1Ki_6:12; 1Ki_9:4, namely, faithful observance of the commandments of God.

And build thee a sure house - On the condition named, the Lord would build him a lasting house, as He had done for David. In the case of Jeroboam, however, there is no allusion to a lasting duration of the kingdom such as had been ensured to David; for the division of the kingdom was not to last forever, but the seed of David was simply to be chastised because of the apostasy already mentioned. Jeroboam did not fulfil this condition, and therefore his house was destroyed at the death of his son 1Ki_15:28.

And build thee a sure house - He would have continued his posterity on the throne of Israel, had he not by his wickedness forfeited the promises of God, and thrown himself out of the protection of the Most High.

1Ki 11:39  And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.

But not forever - David had been distinctly promised that God should never fail his seed, whatever their shortcomings Psa_89:28-37. The fulfillment of these promises was seen, partly in the Providence which maintained David’s family in a royal position until Zerubbabel, but mainly in the preservation of his seed to the time fixed for the coming of Christ, and in the birth of Christ - the Eternal King - from one of David’s descendants.

But not forever - for when the ten tribes were carried captive, the kingdom of Judah flourished under Hezekiah, Josiah, etc. and though the tribe of Judah was carried captive, yet it returned after seventy years captivity, and had rulers over it of the seed of David; and especially to the Messiah has God given the throne of his father David, of whose kingdom there will be no end, Luk_1:32,

But not forever – The restoration of the division of kingdom comes with promised Messiah.

Eze 37:16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

Eze 37:17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

Eze 37:18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

Eze 37:19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

Eze 37:20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

Eze 37:21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

Eze 37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

Eze 37:23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

Eze 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

Eze 37:25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

Eze 37:26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

Eze 37:27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

hos 3;5 amos 9;11-12

1Ki 11:40  Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

1Ki_11:40 is a continuation of 1Ki_11:26; for 1Ki_11:27-39 contain simply an explanation of Jeroboam's lifting up his hand against Solomon.

The announcement of Ahijah was followed within a little while by rebellion on the part of Jeroboam. As Solomon’s luster faded, as his oppression became greater and its objects more selfish, and as a prospect of deliverance arose from the personal qualities of Jeroboam 1Ki_11:28, the tribe of Ephraim to which he belonged, again aspired after its old position. Jeroboam, active, energetic, and ambitious, placed himself at their head. The step proved premature. The power of Solomon was too firmly fixed to be shaken; and the hopes of the Ephraimites had to be deferred until a fitter season.

Fled to Egypt - the common sanctuary of persons in distress in those days: The “exact” date of Jeroboam’s flight into Egypt cannot be fixed. It was certainly not earlier than Solomon’s twenty-fourth year, since it was after the building of Millo 1Ki_11:27. But it may have been several years later.

Shishak - This king is the first Pharaoh mentioned in Scripture who can be certainly identified with any known Egyptian monarch. He is believed to be Sheshonk I from the 22nd dynasty.  Sheshonk I has left a explicit records of his expedition against Judah, which accords well with what is related of Shishak 1Ki_14:25-26; 2Ch_12:2-4.

Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam - He thought by this means to prevent the punishment due to his sins.

Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam - Which is another instance of his folly, to seek to detest the counsel of God, when he himself was assured by the Lord the kingdom should be rent, and given to his servant, 1Ki_11:11 and especially if he was informed of what passed between Ahijah and Jeroboam, as it should seem by this he was; either through Ahijah's making no secret of it, or through Jeroboam not being able to keep his own counsel, or through the report of the servants what they saw done.

It is obvious from this that Jeroboam had organized a rebellion against Solomon; and also, as 1Ki_11:29 is closely connected with 1Ki_11:28, that this did not take place till after the prophet had foretold his reigning over ten tribes after Solomon's death. But this did not justify Jeroboam's attempt; nor was Ahijah's announcement an inducement or authority to rebel. Ahijah expressly declared to Jeroboam that Jehovah would let Solomon remain prince over Israel during the remainder of his life. This deprived Jeroboam of every pretext for rebellion. Moreover the prophet's announcement, even without this restriction, gave him no right to seize with his own hand and by means of rebellion upon that throne which God intended to give to him. Jeroboam might have learned how he ought to act under these circumstances from the example of David, who had far more ground, according to human opinion, for rebelling against Saul, his persecutor and mortal foe, and who nevertheless, even when God had delivered his enemy into his hand, so that he might have slain him, did not venture to lay his hand upon the anointed of the Lord, but waited in pious submission to the leadings of his God, till the Lord opened the way to the throne through the death of Saul. By the side of David's behavior towards Saul the attempt of Jeroboam has all the appearance of a criminal rebellion, so that Solomon would have been perfectly justified in putting him to death, if Jeroboam had not escaped from his hands by a flight into Egypt.

Shishak - Shishak is campaigned against the Kingdom of Judah in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, as recorded in 1 Kings 14:25 and 2 Chronicles 12:1-12. Shishak carried off many of the treasures of the temple and the royal palace in Jerusalem.

1Ki 11:41  And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

The book of the acts of Solomon - These acts were written by Nathan the prophet, Ahijah the Shilonite, and Iddo the seer; as we learn from 2Ch 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not 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? Possibly the Books of Kings and Chronicles were composed from these but the original documents are long since lost.

1Ki 11:42  And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

1Ki 11:43  And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

Conclusion of the history of Solomon - Whether Solomon turned to the Lord again with all his heart cannot be ascertained from the Scriptures. If the Preacher of Eccelsiastes is Solomon we should find in this evidence of his conversion, or at least a proof that at the close of his life Solomon discovered the vanity of all earthly possessions and aims, and declared the fear of God to be the only abiding good, with which a man can stand before the judgment of God.

Conclusion of the history of Solomon - Though nothing is said of Solomon's repentance, there is evidence that he may have repented of his sins, and was saved; as may be concluded from the commendations of him after his death, 2Ch 11:17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon. He wrote the book of Ecclesiastes after his fall, which contains an acknowledgment of his evils, a recantation of them, and repentance for them. Although some scholars think there is no repentance in that book for the sin of idolatry and that indicates that he did not repent from his sins.