Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
SulomorCi Twelve OJ/icers. 1 KINGS V. Hivum Sends to Congraiulate hinu vation of the Egyptian people. 31. wiser than all men —i.e., all his contemporaries, either at home or abroad, than Ethan—Or Jeduthun, of the family of Merari (1 Chronicles 6.11). Heman—(1 Chronicles 1.5. 17-1.4). The chief of the temple musicians, and the king's seers (1 Chronicles 25. oj; the other I wo are not known, the sons of Mahol—Either another name for Zerah (1 Chronicles nalist—an office of };irat iiiiportanre in Oriental courts, and the duties of wlii<-U consisted in chronicling tlie occurrences of every day. 4. Bella lali was over tlie Uost Formerly captain ol the guard; he lia<l sucoe<'de(l Joal) as commander of the forces. Za<lok aiui Atciatliar were the priests—Tlie tirst otiiy discilar)^e(l tlie sacred functions—tlie latter had lieen l);inislii-d to his country seat. Hud retiiined notliing more than the name r»f liigh priest.
2. ti), or taking it a-s a common noun, signilying a dance, a chorus, "the sons of Mahol" signily persons eminently skilled in poetry and music. 32. he spake three thousand proverlM!—Embodying his moral sentiments and sage observations on human life and character, a thousanil and five songs—Psalm 72., 127., 132., and the Song of Smigs are his. 33. lie spake of trees, fi-om the cedar . . . to the hyssop—All plants, from the greatest to the least. The Spirit of God has seen fit to preserve comparatively few memorials of tlie fiuits of his gigantic min<l. The greater part of those here a.scribed to him have long since fallen a pre.v to the raviiges of time, or perished in the Bal).vlonish captivity, probably because they were not inspired.
over the officent i.e., the provincial governors enumerated in V 17-19. the princlpnl officer, and t Jie king's friend—Perhaps president of the privy council, and .Solomon's confidential frienif or lavourite. Tliis high functionary had probably heen reared along with .Solomon. That hesi7ould heap those lionours on the sons of Xathan was most natural, considering the close intimiicy of the fatlier with tlie late king, and ine deep obligations under which Solomon personally lay to the prophet, fi. AhUliar was over tlie lioiuiehold—Steward or cliaiuber Uiin of the palace. Adoniraiii—Or -•VdolaJU (2 Samuel 20.21; ch. 12. 18), or Hadoram (2 Chronicles ID. IKj, wns ovtr tlie tribute—Not tlie collection of money or goods, but tlie levy of compulsory laliourers (cf. ch. '>. 18, U;.
CHAPTER V.
7-21. Hl.s Twelve OFficKlw. 7. Solomon had twelve officers over all Isi-ael. The royal revenues were rai.sed according to the ancient, and still, it) nian.v parts, existing usage of the East, not in mone.y pa.vmcnts, but in the produce of the soil. There would be always a considerable difficulty in the collection anil tran.smission of these tithes (1 Samuel 8. loj, and, therefore, to lacilitate the work, Solomon appointed twelve otficer*., who had e;icli the charge of a tritje or particular district of country, from
Ver. 1-6. HiKAM Senus to Congkatulate Solomon.
1. Iliram sent his servants lutto Solomon—The grandson of David's contemporary. [Kitto.] The same Hiram. [WiNEK and others.] The friendly relations which the icing of Tyre had cultivated with David are here seen renewed with his son and successor, by a message of condolence as v/cll as of congratulation on his accession to the throne of Israel. The alliance between the two nations liad been mutually beneficial b.y the encouragement of useful traffic. Lsrael, being agricultural, furnished corn and oil, while the T.vrians, who were a commercial people, gave in exchf.nge their Phoenician manufactures, as well as the produce of foreign lands. A special treaty was now entered into in furtherance of that undertaking which was the great work of Solomon's splendid and peaceful reign. 6. command tliat they liew me cedajr trees out of Lebanon—Nowhere else could Solomon have procured materials for the wood-work of his contemplated building. The forests of Ijcbanon, adjoining the seas in Solomon's time, belonged to the Phoenicians, and the timber being a lucrative branch of their exports, immense numbers of workmen were constantly employed in the felling of trees as well as the transportation and preparation of the wood. Hiram stipulated to furnish Solomon with as large a quantity of cedars and cypresses as he might require ; and it was a great additional obligation, that he engaged to render the important service of having it brought down, probably by the Dog river, to the seaside, and conveyed along the coast in floats; i. e., the logs being bound together, to the harbour of Joppa (2 Chronicles 2. hi), whence they could easily find the means of transport to Jerusalem, my servants shall be with thy servants—The operations were to be on so extensive a scale that the Tyrians alone would be insuflicient. A division of labour was necessary, and while the former would do the work that required skilful artisans, Solomon engaged to supply the labourers.
which, in monthly rotation, the supplies for the maintenance of the king s household were ilrawn, liaving first been deposited in "the store cities" which were erected for their reception (ch. 9. 19; 2 Chronicles 8. 4, Oi. 8, The sou of Hnr—Or, as the margin has it, Bcnhur, liei Mlekar. In the rural partsof Syria, and among the Arabs, it i.s still common to designate persons not b.v their own names, but as the Hons of their fatliers. 31. Solomon reigned overall kingdoms, from the river—All the potty kingdoms between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean were tributary to him. Similar is the statement in v. 24. 34. from Tlphsah—I. p., Thapsacus, a large and flourishing town on the west bank of the Euphrates, the name of which was derived from a celebrateil ford near it, the lowest on that river, even to Azzah— (. e., Gaza, on the south-western extremity, not far from the Mediterranean. 22. Solomon's prov Uion for one day—Not for the king's table only, but for all connected with the court, including, besides the royal establishment, those of his royal consorts, his principal oillrers, his body-guards, his foreign visitors, Ac. The (junntity of line tlour used is estimated at 24<) bushels: that of meal or common flour at 180. The numl)erof cattle required for consumption, besides poultry and several kinds of game, which were got in abundance on the mountains, did not exceed in proportion what is needed in other courts of the East. 2.5. every man under his vine aitd . . . fig tree—This is a common and beautiful metaphor for peace and sei-urily (Micah 1. 1
Zechariah 3. 10), founded on the practice, still common in modern Syria, of training these froit-trees up the walls and stairs of houses, so as to make a shady arbor, beneath which the people sit and recreate themselves. 2G. forty thousand stalls—For the royal mews (see on 2 Chronicles
7-12. FlIKNISHES TiMBEU TO BUILD THE TBMPLE. 7. Blessed be the Lord—This language is no decisive evidence that Hiram was a worshipper of the true God, as he might use it only on the polytheistic principle of acknowledging .leliovah as the God of the Hebrews (see on 2 Chronicles 2. 12). 8. Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things . . . and I will do—The contract was drawn out formally in a written document (2 Chronicles 2. 11), which, according to Josephus, was preserved both in the Jewisli and Tyrian records. 10. fir trees—Rather, the cypress. 11. food to his household This was an annual supply for the palace, dill'erent from that mentioned in 2 Chronicles 2. 10, which was for the workmen in the forests.
9. iV). 28. barley . . . and straw—Straw is not useil for litter, but barley mixed with chopped straw is the usual fodder of horses. Dromedaries—The one-humped camel, distinguished for their great fleetness.
His Wisdom. 29. God gave wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart —<. e., High powers of mind, great capacity for receiving as well as aptitude for communicating knowledge, 30. Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of the children of the East— i. e., the Arabians, Chaldeans and" Perslans(Genesi8 2i. 6). ell the wisdom of Egypt—Egypt wa« renowned as the seat of learning and sc Iciku-s, and the existing monuments, which so clearly describe the ancient state ol society and the arts, show the high cultii:>-18. Solomon's Woukmen and LAnouiiEBS. 13. Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel—The renewed notice of Solomon's divine gift of wisdom (v. 12) Is evU den'ly 'ntroduced to prepare for this record of the struos
Tm Building of the Temple. 1 KINGS VI, VIT. Tlie Building of Sulumoii's limine.
liord came to Solomon—Probably by a prophet. It was very seasonable, being designeil first to encourage him to go on Willi the building, by confirming anew the promisf* made to his father David (2 Samuel 7.); and secondly, to warn him against the pride and presumption of supposing that after the erection of -so magnificent a temple, he and his people would always be sure of the presence and favour of God. The condition on which that blessing could alone be expected was expressly stated. The dwelling of God among the children of Israel refers to those symbols of his presence in the temple, which were the visible tokens of his spiritual relation to that people.
but pindent measures he took towards tne accomplishmeut of his work. So great a stretch of arbitrary power as is implied in this compulsory lety must have raised great discontent, if not opposition, had not his wise arrangement of letting the labourers remain at home two months out of three, added to the saeredness of the work, reconciled the people to this forced labour. The carriage of burdens, and the Irksome work of excavating the quarries was assigned to the remnant of the Canaanites (eh. 9; 20; 2 Chronicles 8. 7-9) and war prisoners made by David—amounting to 153,600. The employment of persons of that condition in Eastern countries for carrying on Hny public work, would make this part of the arrangements the less thought of. 17. browglit great stoiit'S— The stone of Lebanon is "hard, calcareous, whitish and sonorous, like free-stone." [Shaw.] The same white and beautiful stone is to be got in every part of Syria and Palestine. Iiewed stones—Or neatly polished, as the Hebreiv word signifies (Exodus 20. 25). Both Jewish and Tyrian builders were employed in hewing these great stones. 18. ami tlie stoiie-squarers—The margin, which renders it "the Giblites" (Joshua 13. 5), has long been considered a preferable translation. This marginal translation also must yield to anotlier wliich has lately been proposed, by a slight change in the Hebrew text, and which would be rendered thus: "Solomon's builders, and Hiram's builders, did hew them and bevel them." [TheNius.] These great bevelled or grooved stones, measuring some twenty, others thirty feet in length, and from five to six feet in breadth, are still seen in the substructures about the ancient site of the temple; and, in the judgment of the most competent observers, were those originally employed " to lay the foundation of the house."
15-22. The Ceiling and Adokning of it. 13. he built the wails of tlie liouse within—Tiie walls were wainscotted with cedar wood—the floor paveil with cypress planks—the interior was divided by a partition consisting of folding doors, which were opened and shut with golden chains, into two apartmeut-s—the back or inner room, i. e., the most holy place, was twenty cubits long and broad—the front, or outer room, t. e., the holy place, was forty cubits. The cedar wootl was beautifully embellished with figures in relievo, representing clusters of foliage, and open flowers, cherubims, and palm trees; and the whole interior was overlaid with gold, so that neither wood nor stone was seen ; nothing met the eye but pure gold, either plain or richly chased. 31-35. for the eittering of the oracle—The door of the most holy place was made of solid olive tree and adorned with figures—that of the holj' place was made of cypress wood, the sides being of olive wood. 36. tlie iititer court—Was for the priests, and its wall, which had a coping of cedar, is said to have been so low that the people could see over it.
37,38. The Time Taken TO BuiLn IT. 37. In the fourth year was tlie foundation laid—The building was begun in the second month of the fourth year, and completed in the eighth month of the eleventh year of Solomon's reign, comprising a periwl of seven and a lialf years, which is reckoned here in round numbers. It was not a very large, but a very splendid building, requiring great care, and ingenuity, and division of labour. The immense number of workmen employed, together with the previous preparat ion of the materials, serves to account for the short time occupied in the process of building.
CHAPTEE VI.
Ver. 1-1. The Building of Solomon's Temple. 2. tUe house Aviiicli King Soloiitoii built for the L<or<l—The Uimensious are given in cubits, wliich are to be reckoned according to the early standard {"2 Chronicles 3. 3), or holy cubit (Ezekiel 40. 5; 43. 13j, a handbreadlh longer than the common or later one. It is probable tjuit the internal elevation only is here stated. 3. the porcli—Or portico, extended across the whole front (see on 2 Chi'ouicles 3. 4). windows of narrow liglits i. e., windows with lattices, capable of being shut and opened at pleasure, partly to
CHAPTER VII.
let out tlie vapour of the lamps, the smoke of the frftukincense, and partly to give light. [Keil.]
Ver. 1. Building of Solomon'.s House. 1. Solomon was building his own house thirteen years—The lime occujiied in building his jialace was nearly double that spent in the erection of the temple, l)eeause neither had there been tiie same previous prepai'alious for it, nor was there the same urgency as in providing a place of wor-.5-10. The Chambi:ks Thkkeof. 5. against the wall of tlic Itouse Ue built cliuinbers—On three sides, there wei'e chambers in three stories, each story wider than the one beneath it, as the walls were narrowed or made thinner as they ascended, by a rebate being made, on which the beams of the side lloor rested, without penetrating the wall. Tliese chambers were approacilu'd from the right hand side, in tlie interior of tlus under story, by a winding staircivse of stone, which led to the middle and uppcr stories. 7. tlicrc ivas neither liantiner nor axe nor any tool of Iron licard in tlic House wUile it was In l>uil(ling—A subterranean quarry has been very recently discovered near Jerusalem, where tlio tein])le stones are supposed to have been hewn. There is luiequlvocal evidence to be found in this quarry that tlie shi)), on which the national well-being so much depended.
2-7. Of THE House OF Lebanon. i2. lie Imilt also the house of the foregt of Lebanon— it is scarcel.v possible to determine whether this was a di lie rent edifice from the former, or whether his house, the house of the forest of Ijfbanon, and the one for Phai-jioli's daughter, were not parts of one grand palace. As difllcult Is it to decide wliat was the origin of tlie iiaine; some supposing it was so called because built on I.ebanon ; others, that it was in or near .Jerusalem, but crontained such a profuse supply stou(!s were dressed there, for there are blocks exact ly similar in size, as well as in tlie nature of the stone, to the ancient remains. Thence, probably, they would of'cediir columns as to have occasioned this peculiar designation. We have a similar peculiarity of name in the building civ Jled the I'.asl India house, tliough situated in London. The description is eonlonnalile to the arrangement of Eastern palaces. The building stood In the lakldle of a great oblong s(]uare, which was surrounded by an enclosing wall, against wliich the houses and ottlces of those atta(!hed to Hit> court were built. 'I'lie buiMIng m<)ve<l on rollers down the Tyropean valley to llu very side of the temple. [Tent and Xhan.] 9, H». built the house—The temple Is here distinguished from the wings or clianibers attached to itand its rooting was of cedar wood. 10. cl»ainl)er8 . . . five culiits liigh—That was the height of tlus whole three storleft. tl>ey rested on the lioiise with timber of eedar—i. c, becausi; the beams of the side-stones rested on the ledges of the tetnph? wall.Itself was oblong, (consisting of two scpiare courts, llanii-
Ing a large oblong ball which formed the centre, ami which being 100 cubits long, by .50 broad, was properly tho hou.se of the forest of Lebanon, being the part where the wing was attached to the house, It was (roiinecl-ed wit li the temple, without, however, Interfering Injuriously With tlie sanctuary. [Keil.]
w(M'e the cedar pillars of this hall. In front was the porch of Judgnieiit. wb'ch was appropriated to the tracit-
11-14. Goo's I'UOMISES UNTO IT. 11. the Word of tlie