John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
1 Kings 10:1
INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 10
This chapter contains an account of the queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon to her great satisfaction, 1Ki 10:1, of Solomon's merchandise and riches, and the magnificence of his court, 1Ki 10:14, of the rich presents sent to him, and of the purchase of chariots and horses, and other things, he made, 1Ki 10:24.
Ver. 1. And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon,.... Josephus {u} calls her a queen of Egypt and Ethiopia; but Sheba was in the southern part of Arabia Felix; her name with the Ethiopians is Maqueda {w}, and with the Arabic geographer {x} Belequis. Some {y} think that Sheba, or Saba, is not the name of a country, but of the queen herself; and that she is the same with Sabbe the sibyl mentioned by Pausanias {z}; but no doubt Sheba or Saba, the metropolis of Arabia Felix, as Philostorgius {a} calls it, is here meant; which Benjamin of Tudela says {b} is called the country of Al Yeman, or the south; and the name of Queen Teiman, given to this queen by an Arabic writer {c}, seems to be the same as the queen of the south, See Gill on "Mt 12:42". The fame of Solomon's greatness and goodness, of his wealth and riches, and especially of his wisdom, had reached her ears; perhaps by means of the ambassadors of princes that had been at Solomon's court, and attended her's. According to an Ethiopic writer {d} it was by Tamerinus, a merchant of her's, she came to hear of him: particularly she heard of his fame
concerning the name of the Lord; his knowledge of the true God, the favour he was in with him, the excellent wisdom he had received from him, and what he had done for his honour and glory:
she came to prove him with hard questions; in things natural, civil, and divine; to try whether he had such a share of knowledge and wisdom it was said he had, she posed him with enigmas, riddles, dark and intricate sayings, to unravel and tell the meaning of. She might be an emblem of the Gentiles, seeking unto Christ, having heard of him, Isa 11:10. In Mt 12:42 she is said to come from the "uttermost parts of the earth"; wherefore some fetch her from Sumatra in the East Indies, where in an old map no other name is put but Sheba {e}.
{u} Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 2, 5. {w} Ludolf. Ethiop. Hist. l. 2. c. 3. {x} Clim 1. par. 6. {y} Vid. Coryli Disser. de Reg. Austral. c. l. sect. 1, 2. {z} Phocica, sive, l. 10. p. 631. {a} Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 4. {b} Itinerar. p. 82. {c} Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 54. {d} Tellezius apud Ludolf. Ethiop. Hist. l. 2. c. 3. {e} Dampier's Voyages, vol. 2. p. 139.
1 Kings 10:2
Ver. 2. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train,.... With many of her courtiers and principal men, as well as with a large retinue of servants:
with camels that bare spices; her country abounded both with camels and spices; See Gill on "Isa 60:6",
See Gill on "Jer 6:20", and as Pliny {f} observes, who says their spices used to be carried on camels, particularly frankincense, for which Sheba was famous, and is therefore called by him "regio thurifera", the frankincense country {g}, being to be had nowhere else; and Strabo {h} speaks of "cinamon, cassia", and other spices here in such plenty, that the inhabitants burnt the wood of them for fuel; and Diodorus Siculus {i} represents this country as exceeding odoriferous, and as having besides the above spices, balsam, myrrh, calamus, costus, and others, in such abundance that they heated their ovens with them:
and very much gold; see 1Ki 10:10, the gold of Sheba is spoken of in Ps 72:15 and Pliny {k} observes, that the Sabeans are exceeding rich, as in other things, so in gold; and Diodorus Siculus {l} and Strabo {m} speak of gold found here in large lumps, very pure, and of a fine colour:
and precious stones; as crystals, emeralds, beryls, and chrysolites, mentioned by Diodorus {n} as in those parts; and a late traveller says {o}, that Arabia Felix abounds with balsam, myrrh, cassia, manna, dates, gold, frankincense, and pearl:
and when she was come to Solomon; unto his palace, and admitted into his presence:
she communed with him of all that was in her heart; which she had in her mind to discourse with him about, and which she had laid up in her memory for that purpose; and some things which she had kept to herself, and had never imparted to any before, as some think; all which she had full liberty from Solomon to propound unto him.
{f} Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 14. {g} Ibid. "----Molles sua thura Sabaei", Virg. Georg l. 1. v. 57. & l. 2. v. 117. Thurilegos Arabes, Ovid. Fast. l. 4. Vid. Plant. Trinum. Act. 4. Sc. 2. v. 89. {h} Geograph. l. 16. p. 535. {i} Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 132. {k} Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 28. {l} Ut supra, (Bibliothec. l. 2.) p. 133. l. 3. p. 181. {m} Ut supra. (Geograph. l. 16. p. 535.) {n} Ut supra, (Bibliothec. l. 2.) p. 134. & l. 3. p. 181. {o} Ovington's Voyage to Surat, p. 421.
1 Kings 10:3
Ver. 3. And Solomon told her all her questions,.... Answered them, told her the meaning of everything she inquired about, expounded her riddles, solved her objections, and gave her satisfaction in all things she proposed unto him:
there was not anything hid from the king, which he told her not; there was not anything, though ever so abstruse and difficult, but what he understood, and gave her a clear and plain solution of.
1 Kings 10:4
Ver. 4. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom,.... Which she perceived by his answers to things relative to all sorts of science, natural, civil, and divine:
and the house that he had built; the singular for the plural, "house for houses"; the house of the Lord, his own house, that for Pharaoh's daughter, and the house of the forest of Lebanon; in all which there appeared not only surprising grandeur and magnificence, but exquisite art and skill; there was a great display of his wisdom in the form and contrivance of them. Josephus {p} says, what exceedingly surprised her, and raised her admiration, was the house of the forest of Lebanon.
{p} Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 5.
1 Kings 10:5
Ver. 5. And the meat of his table,.... The various sorts of it, the different dishes, and the multitude of them; see 1Ki 4:22
and the sitting of his servants; at table, either with him, or at tables by themselves, yet in his presence; for these were his nobles and courtiers, who were placed in order, according to their rank and degree, which showed wisdom:
and the attendance of his ministers; or the "standing" {q} of those that waited, both at the king's table, and the tables of the lords, who each had their proper place and business assigned; so that the utmost decorum was observed, and no confusion or disorder to be seen:
and their apparel: their several liveries, which were distinct according to the posts and offices in which they were, and which no doubt were rich and splendid, as well as various:
and his cup bearers; to serve him and his nobles with wine when called for; though the word signifies liquors {r}, and may design the various sorts of wines, and other drinkables, used by him, of which there was great plenty:
and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; the steps which he had made to go up from his palace to the temple; which were so curiously devised, and so artificially wrought, that it gave the queen, among other things, a sensible proof of his great wisdom, as well as of his religion and piety. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and some others, render the words, "and the burnt offerings which he offered in the house of the Lord"; and so Josephus {s} understood them; she was shown the service of the house of the Lord, as much as could be admitted, and perhaps was told the meaning of it; all which she saw, both in his own house, and in the house of God, and greatly surprised her:
so that there was no more spirit in her; she was quite astonished; like one in an ecstasy, she had no power for a time to speak, what she saw and heard so affected her.
{q} Kmem "statum", Tigurine version, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius; "stationem", Piscator. {r} wyqvm "et potum ejus", Tig. vers. so Abarbinel {s} Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 5.)
1 Kings 10:6
Ver. 6. And she said to the king,.... When she was a little come to herself:
it was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom; which she was ready to call in question when she first heard it; at least she thought it was greatly exaggerated, but now she found it was strictly true.
1 Kings 10:7
Ver. 7. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it,.... That is, she did not believe the whole of what was related to her; somewhat of it she credited, and supposed there was something grand and extraordinary in it, or she would never have taken such a journey; but she did not believe that all could be true; she thought things were too much magnified:
and, behold, the half was not told me; of what she now saw and heard:
thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard; the inward endowments of his mind, and the outward magnificence of his court, exceeded the relation of them to her; they were beyond expression, they were so great that reporters could not hyperbolize upon them, nor even come up to them in their account of them, and in which yet men are apt to exceed.
1 Kings 10:8
Ver. 8. Happy are thy men,.... The men of Israel, that had a king over them so wise, so great, so good:
happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom; who were now present, and to whom she pointed, and may respect not his nobles and courtiers only, but his menial servants, who had an opportunity of often hearing the wise sayings which dropped from his lips; and which no doubt were means of greatly improving their knowledge and understanding in things natural and divine.
1 Kings 10:9
Ver. 9. Blessed be the Lord thy God,.... Of whom she might have better notions than when she came out of her own country:
which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel; loved him with a love of complacency and delight, was Jedidiah, as he called him, beloved of the Lord, and therefore he chose him and preferred him to be king before his elder brother:
because the Lord loved Israel for ever; to establish them as a kingdom for ever as they were, so long as obedient to him; see 2Ch 9:8,
therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice; not merely for the sake of honour and glory, much less to indulge to pleasure and luxury, and still less to oppression and tyranny; but to administer justice and judgment to the people, which is the principal end of government; see Ps 72:1.
1 Kings 10:10
Ver. 10. And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold,.... The same sum that Hiram sent him, See Gill on "1Ki 9:14" this fulfilled the prophecy, so far as it respected Solomon, Ps 72:15
and of spices very great store, and precious stones; see 1Ki 10:2 there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon; that is, into Judea. Josephus reports {t}, that some say that the balsamic plant, which Judea was afterwards so famous for, was brought by this queen, and a gift of hers to Solomon; and Diodorus Siculus {u} speaks of it as in Arabia, and not to be found in any other part of the world.
{t} Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6.) sect. 6. {u} Bibliotec. l. 2. p. 132.
1 Kings 10:11
Ver. 11. And the navy also of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir,.... This perhaps was before Solomon was concerned with Hiram in navigation and merchandise; though in 2Ch 9:10 both their servants are said to bring it; and it is here inserted perhaps to show that Solomon had not his gold, at least all of it, from the queen of Sheba; but much from Hiram, who fetched it from Ophir; and as this was in India, as observed on 1Ki 9:28, many writers make mention of gold in that part of the world, as Diodorus Siculus {w}, Strabo {x}, Dionysius {y}, Curtius {z}, Pliny {a}, and others: and this navy also
brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees: or algum trees, by transposition of letters, 2Ch 9:10, which some of the Jewish writers {b} take to be coral, which is not likely; others Brasil, rather ebony, which was peculiar to India, as both Solinus {c} and Virgil {d} say; Strabo {e} makes mention of strange trees in India:
and precious stones; of which there is great variety and plenty in that country, as related by Dionysius {f}, as diamonds, beryls, jaspers, topazes, and amethysts, and by Curtius {g}, Solinus {h}, and others.
{w} Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 121. {x} Geograph l. 15. p. 481. {y} Perieg. v. 1144. {z} Hist. l. 8. sect. 9. {a} Nat. Hist. 1. 6. c. 19, 20. {b} Daved de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 70. 3. {c} Polyhistor. c. 64. {d} "Sola India nigrum fert ebenum." Georgie. l. 2. ver. 116, 117. {e} Geograph. l. 15. p. 477. {f} Perieget, ver. 1119, &c. {g} Hist. l. 8. c. 9. {h} Polyhistor. c. 65.
1 Kings 10:12
Ver. 12. And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house,.... Or terraces, as in 2Ch 9:11, causeways; and means the ascent or causeway he made from his own house to the temple; the pavement of which, as Jarchi interprets the word here, was made of the wood of these trees; or the supports of it, or rather the rails on each side, on which men might stay themselves as they passed along, as Ben Gersom; and since this ascent was admired by the queen of Sheba, it is particularly observed what wood it was made of, and from whence it came:
harps also, and psalteries for singers; these musical instruments were made of the same wood; Josephus {i} says of amber, and that their number was 400,000:
there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day; not in the land of Israel, neither before nor since, see 2Ch 9:11.
{i} Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 8.
1 Kings 10:13
Ver. 13. And King Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire,
whatsoever she asked,.... Some curious things she saw, and was desirous of, she asked for, and had them:
besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty; of his own good will and pleasure, without asking:
so she turned and went to her own country: the country of Sheba in Arabia Felix:
she and her sergeants: the train or retinue she brought with her, which was large, 1Ki 10:2.
1 Kings 10:14
Ver. 14. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty and six talents of gold. From Ophir and Tarshish, and wherever he traded; which was of our money, according to Berewood {k}, 2,997,000 pounds; or as another learned man {l}, who makes it equal to 5,138,520 ducats of gold.
{k} De Ponder. & Pret. c. 5. {l} Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p. 580.
1 Kings 10:15
Ver. 15. Besides that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants,.... What they paid him as a duty or custom for the importation of their goods:
and of all the kings of Arabia; who were subject to him, and paid him a yearly tribute, or at least made presents, see 1Ki 4:21
and of the governors of the country; who were viceroys or deputy governors of countries conquered by his father, and who collected tribute from the people, and paid it to him.
1 Kings 10:16
Ver. 16. And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold,.... Which were a larger sort of shields, which covered the whole body; and these were made of gold beaten with the hammer, or drawn into plates, being melted like wax; so the Poeni or Carthaginians made shields of gold {m}:
six hundred shekels of gold went to one target; which is to be understood not of the weight, but of the price or value of them, which amounted to four hundred and fifty pounds of our money; so Brerewood {n}.
{m} Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 35. 3. {n} Ut supra. (De Ponder. & Pret. c. 5.)
1 Kings 10:17
Ver. 17. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold,.... Which were a lesser sort:
three pounds of gold went to one shield; or three hundred shekels, as in 2Ch 9:16 a hundred shekels made one pound; so that these were but half the value of the former, and one of them was worth but two hundred and twenty five pounds: Eupolemus {o}, an Heathen writer, makes mention of those golden shields Solomon made, and which were made for show, and not for war, as follows:
and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon; one part of which was made an armoury of, see So 4:4.
{o} Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 34.
1 Kings 10:18
Ver. 18. Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory,.... To sit on and judge his people; and ivory being white, may denote the purity, justice, and equity with which he judged; the white throne in Re 20:11 may be an allusion to this; the ivory he had from Tarshish, 1Ki 10:22
and overlaid it with the best gold; for the greater splendour and majesty of it; not that he covered it all over, for then the ivory would not be seen, but interlined it, or studded it with it, whereby it appeared the more beautiful and magnificent. Such a throne of gold and ivory was decreed to Caesar by the Romans {p}.
{p} Appian. Alex. l. 2.
1 Kings 10:19
Ver. 19. The throne had six steps,.... Up to the footstool of the throne, which was of gold, 2Ch 9:18 and was high, that everyone in court might see him, and the better hear the sentence he gave:
and the top of the throne was round behind; had a semicircle at the top of it, like an alcove:
and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat; or "hands" {q}, such as the arms of a chair, to lean and rest upon:
and two lions stood beside the stays; which were not only ornamental, and for support of the stays, but expressive of majesty, and of undaunted courage and resolution to do justice, and of the danger such expose themselves to, who oppose magistrates in the discharge of their office; and in which Solomon was a type of Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah; and for the same reasons were the like portraits on the steps, as follows.
{q} tdy "manus", V. L. Montanus, &c. agkwnev "brachiola", Sept. in 2 Chron. ix. 18.
1 Kings 10:20
Ver. 20. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps,.... There was a lion on each side of every step, a symbol of royal power, as before observed; so the Egyptians placed lions under the throne of Orus {r}:
there was not the like made in any kingdom; for the matter and form of it, for its grandeur and magnificence; there was none at least at that time, whatever has been since; for this is the first throne of ivory we read of.
{r} Hori Apoll. Hieroglyph, l. 1. c. 17.
1 Kings 10:21
Ver. 21. And all King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold,.... Such quantities of it were brought to him from Ophir, and paid to him in tribute, and given him as presents:
and all the vessels of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; not only what were used in his palace at Jerusalem, but in his country house at some little distance:
none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon; to make plate of; or silver plate was but little esteemed, and scarce any use of it made in Solomon's palace, if at all: though doubtless it was elsewhere, and especially silver as money.
1 Kings 10:22
Ver. 22. For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish, with the navy of Hiram,.... Tharshish was not the place the navy went from, but whither it went to, as appears from 2Ch 9:21 and designs not Tarsus in Cilicia; nor Tartessus in Spain, or Gades, or which was however near it; though it appears from Strabo {s} and Mela {t} that the Phoenicians were acquainted with those parts, and were possessed of them; and particularly, according to Velleius Paterculus {u}, the navy of Tyre traded thither before the days of Solomen; and Vitringa {w} is clear in it, that these were ships that traded to Tartessus, with the ships of Tyre; and it is more likely that that place is meant than Carthage, now called Tunis, in Africa; though the Targum here calls it the navy, the navy of Africa; but as Tharshish is sometimes used for the sea in general, here it may signify a particular sea, so called: and which Josephus {x} names the Tarsic sea, the same with the Indian sea; and points to the same country where Ophir was, which was washed by it, and to which the two fleets joined were bound. This is observed, to account for it how Solomon came by so much gold:
once in three years came the navy of Tharshish; it returned in such a space of time; navigation not being improved as now, and sailing by coasts, and what with their stay abroad to sell and purchase goods, and to refit their ships, as well as sometimes contrary winds, they were so long in performing this voyage, which is now done in a few months:
bringing gold and silver; so that silver was accounted of, and used for some purposes, though not for the king's plate:
ivory, and apes, and peacocks; ivory is the elephant's tooth, as the word signifies; some of those are of an almost incredible size; some are said to be of ninety, others one hundred and twenty five pounds weight; Vartomannus {y} says, he saw in Sumatra, where some place Ophir, one that weighed three hundred and thirty pounds; though, according to the Ethiopians {z} the ivory is from the horns; and so say {a} Pausanias and others, see Eze 27:15 but it is commonly supposed to be of the two teeth in the upper jaw that stands out; and whether they are called horns or teeth, they are the same of which ivory is: of elephants there were large numbers in India, bigger and stronger than those in Africa; which latter were afraid of the former, as Diodorus Siculus {b}, Curtius {c}, and Pliny {d} relate; so Virgil {e} speaks of ivory as fetched from India and Horace {f} also, which must be East India, for there are no ivory nor apes in the West Indies {g}: "apes" or "monkeys" were then, as now, brought from those parts. Strabo {h} reports, that when the Macedonians under Alexander were there, such a vast number of them came out of the woods, and placed themselves on the open hills, that they took them for an army of men set in battle array to fight them. Vartomannus {i} speaks of monkeys in the country of Calecut, of a very small price: near Surat apes are in great esteem, nor will they suffer them to be killed on any account {k}. There are various sorts of apes, some more like to goats, others to dogs, others to lions, and some to other animals, as Philostorgius {l} relates; and who also says the sphinx is one sort of them, and which he describes on his own sight of it as resembling mankind in many things, and as a very subtle animal; and so Solinus {m} reckons such among apes; but what come nearest in name and sound to the "kuphim" of Solomon here are those Pliny {n} calls "cephi", whose fore feet he says are like the hands of men, and their hinder feet like the feet and thighs of men; and Strabo {o} describes a creature found in Ethiopia, called by him "ceipus" or "cepus", which has a face like a satyr, and the rest of it is between a dog and a bear. There is a creature called "cebus" by Aristotle {p}, and is described as having a tail, and all the rest like a man; according to Ludolf {q}, "cephus" is the "orangoutang" of the Indians. The word for peacocks should rather be rendered "parrots", so Junius; which are well known to come from India {r}, and from thence only, according to Pausanias {s}; Vartomannus {t} says, that at Calecut there are parrots of sundry colours, as green and purple, and others of mixed colours, and such a multitude of them, that men are appointed to keep them from the rice in the fields, as we keep crows from corn; and that they are of a small price, one is sold for two pence, or half a souse; and the number of them may be accounted for, because the Brachmans, the priests, reckon them sacred, and therefore the Indians eat them not {u}. Curtius {w} designs these, when he says, in India are birds, which are taught to imitate man's voice; and Solinus {x} says, that India only produces the green parrot, that is, the East Indies, the West Indies not being then discovered; though some {y} think they were, and that it was thither Solomon's navy went: certain it is there are parrots of various colours in the West Indies, which P. Martyr of Angleria frequently makes mention of in his Decades. Huetius {z} derives the Hebrew word here used from hkt, which he says signifies to "join" or "adhere" to anything, as these birds will; cling to, and hang by their bills and nails on a branch of a tree, &c. so that they are not easily separated from it; the word is used in
De 33:3 and, according to some, in this sense. But, after all, if it should be insisted on, as it is by many, that "peacocks" are meant, these also are found in India. Alexander the great first saw them in this country, which so amazed him, that he threatened to punish those severely that should kill any of them {a}. Vartomannus {b} makes mention of them as in great numbers in some parts of India; and they are caught and sold at an easy rate at Surat {c}, and make part both of their game, and of their grand entertainments {d}; Aeianus {e} often speaks of them as in India in great numbers, and in great esteem.
{s} Geograph. l. 3. p. 104. {t} De Situ Orbis, l. 2. c. 6. {u} Hist. l. 1. in principio. {w} Comment. in Jesaiam, c. 23. 1. {x} Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. sect. 2. {y} Navigat. l. 6. c. 22. {z} Ludolf. Ethiop. Hist. l. 1. c. 10. {a} Eliac. 1. p. 308, 309. Vid. Plin. l. 8. c. 3. Aelian. Hist. Animal. l. 4. c. 21. & 7. 2. & 11. 37. & 14. 5. Varro apud Schindler. Lexic Pentaglott. col. 1905. {b} Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 121. So Polybius, Hist. l. 5. {c} Hist. l. 8. c. 9. {d} Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 9. {e} "India mittit ebur". Georgic. l. 1. ver. 57. {f} "---Non aurum et ebur Indicum". Carmin. l. 1. Ode 31. indogenouv
elefantov Manetho. Apotelesm. ver. 297. & l. 4. ver. 149. Philo. de Praemiis, p. 924. {g} Manasseh Spes Israelis, sect. 2. p. 21. Ortel. Thesaur. Geograh. Varrerius de Ophyra. {h} Geograph. l. 15. p. 480. {i} Navigat. l. 5. c. 20. {k} Ovington's Voyage to Sarat, p. 360, 361, 596. {l} Eccl. Hist. l. 3. c. 11. {m} Polyhist. c. 40. {n} Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 19. {o} Ut supra, (Geograph.) l. 17. p. 559. {p} Hist. Animal. l. 2. c. 8, 9. {q} Ethiop. Hist. l. 1. c. 10. {r} Aelian. de Animal. l. 16. c. 2. "Psittacus eois ales mihi missus ab India". Ovid. Amor. l. 2. Eleg. 6. {s} Corinthiaca, sive, l. 2. p. 136. {t} Ut supra. (Navigat. l. 5. c. 20.) {u} Aelian de Animal. l. 13. c. 18. {w} Ut supra. (Hist. l. 8. c. 9.) {x} Polyhistor. c. 65. {y} Erasm. Schmid. de America Orat. ad. Calc. Pindari, p. 261. Vatablus in loc. & in c. 9. 28. Hornius de Gent. Americ. l. 2. c. 6, 7, 8. {z} De Navigat. Solomon. c. 7. sect. 6. {a} Aelian. ut supra, (de Animal. l. 16. c. 2.) & l. 5. c. 21. Curtii Hist. l. 9. c. 1. {b} Navigat. l. 6. c. 7. {c} Ovington's Voyage to Surat, p. 268, 269. {d} lbid. p. 398. {e} De Animal. l. 11. c. 33. & l. 13, 18. & l. 16. c. 2.
1 Kings 10:23
Ver. 23. So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. In which he was an eminent type of Christ; see Eph 3:8.
1 Kings 10:24
Ver. 24. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. For it was all of God, a peculiar gift of his; by "all the earth" is meant the inhabitants of it, and only them, and those the more principal; who came from the several parts of it, hearing the fame of his wisdom, to know the truth of it, and to improve themselves by it.
1 Kings 10:25
Ver. 25. And they brought every man his present,.... To recommend them, and introduce them into his presence:
vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules, a rate year by year; everyone brought according to the commodities of his country; and they did yearly, out of great respect to him, and in veneration of him for his wisdom, and for the advantages they received by his wise counsels and instructions; besides, it was the custom of the eastern countries not to pay a visit, especially to great personages, without carrying a present.
1 Kings 10:26
Ver. 26. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen,.... Both for war; for though it was a time of peace, he provided against the worst, lest an enemy should come upon him suddenly, and when unprepared:
and he had one thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; of the latter See Gill on "1Ki 4:26"
whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem; some of the horsemen were quartered in the cities where the chariots were placed, and some of them in Jerusalem, to be near the king's person, and to be a guard to him on occasion. Josephus {f} says, half of them were in Jerusalem about the king, and the rest were dispersed through the king's villages.
{f} Antiqu l. 8. c. 2. sect. 4.
1 Kings 10:27
Ver. 27. And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones,.... By the vast quantity he received from Tarshish; this is an hyperbolical expression:
and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are the vale for abundance; not by the growth of them, but by the importation of them from the dominion of Hiram; this is said in the same figurative way; of the sycamore trees, Rauwolff says {g}, they are what the Moors and Arabians calls "mumeitz"; which he describes to be as large and as high as white mulberry trees, and having almost the same leaves, but rounder, and their fruit not unlike our figs, only sweeter, and no little seeds within, and not so good; and are therefore not esteemed, and are commonly sold to the poorer sort, and that they grow in all fields and grounds; of which See Gill on "Am 7:14".
{g} Travels, par. 1. c. 4. p. 37.
1 Kings 10:28
Ver. 28. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt,.... To mount his horsemen with, and draw his chariots; which seems contrary to the command in De 17:16
and linen yarn; the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price; or rather linen itself; or linen garments, as Ben Gersom; linen being the staple commodity of Egypt, see Isa 19:9, but no mention is made of yarn in 2Ch 9:28, and the word rendered "linen yarn" signifies a confluence or collection of waters and other things; and the words may be rendered, "as for the collection, the king's merchants received the collection at a price"; that is, the collection of horses, a large number of them got together for sale; these they took at a price set upon them {h}, which is as follows.
{h} Vid. Braunium de Vest. Sacerdot. Heb. l. 1. c. 8. sect. 9, 10, 11.
1 Kings 10:29
Ver. 29. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver,.... Which, reckoning at two shillings and six pence a shekel, amounted to seventy five pounds; but a shekel was not worth more than two shillings and four pence farthing:
and an horse for one hundred and fifty; and this being the fourth part of the above sum, the Jews gather from hence that there were four horses in a chariot; the horses must be reckoned one with another, the whole collection of them, or otherwise no doubt but one horse was better than another; and it was a pretty large price to give for a horse in those times; which, taking a shekel at the lowest rate, must be upwards of ten pounds; and which is too great a sum still for a custom or tribute to be paid for them, whether to Pharaoh or Solomon, as some understand it:
and so for all the kings of the Hittites; perhaps the same with the kings of Arabia, 1Ki 10:15 and for the kings of Syria; those of Damascus, Zobah, &c.
did they bring them out by their means; that is, by the means of Solomon's merchants, who bought them out of Egypt, and sold them to these kings.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
1 Kings 11:1
INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 11
This chapter relates the false steps Solomon took, notwithstanding all his wisdom, in marrying strange wives, and worshipping other gods, 1Ki 11:1 upon which the Lord threatens him to rend the kingdom in his son's time, 1Ki 11:9 and he raised up adversaries against him, Hadad, Rezon, and Jeroboam, 1Ki 11:14 of which last an account is given, and of his being assured by Ahijah the prophet of his having ten of the tribes of Israel given to him; which Solomon having notice of sought to slay him, 1Ki 11:27 and the chapter is concluded with an account of Solomon's death and burial, 1Ki 11:41.
Ver. 1. But King 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, but not his lawful wives, and these many:
together with the daughter of Pharaoh; besides her, or as he loved her, and perhaps more; his sin was not that he loved her who was his lawful wife, but others with her; it is very probable she was a proselytess, and had no hand in turning him to idolatry, since we read not of any high place built for an Egyptian idol:
women of the Moabites, Anmonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; all of the neighbouring nations. Some think he did this with political views, to get intelligence of the state of those countries, or to abate and extinguish their enmity; but it rather seems to be the fruit of lust or pride.
1 Kings 11:2
Ver. 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,.... That is, they should not intermarry with one another; this is to be understood of the last mentioned, the Hittites, who were one of the seven nations this law respected, De 7:1
for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods; which is the reason given for the making the above law, and was sadly verified in Solomon:
Solomon clave unto these in love; he not only took them, but kept them, and expressed a strong affection for them.
1 Kings 11:3
Ver. 3. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines,.... In all 1000, a prodigious number; though these might not be all for use, but for state after the manner of the eastern monarchs; these were a far greater number than are alluded to in So 6:8, unless the virgins without number there, were such of these as were not defiled by him; but the number here seems plainly referred to in Ec 7:28,
and his wives turned away his heart; both from his duty to his God, and from attendance to his business as a king, especially the former, as follows.
1 Kings 11:4
Ver. 4. And it came to pass, 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
that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; or as pointing at the advantage his wives took of his age:
and 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, see Ps 18:20.
1 Kings 11:5
Ver. 5. And Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians,.... Enticed by the Zidonian women, or woman, he had, 1Ki 11:1. According to the Phoenician histories {i}, Solomon married a daughter of Hiram, king of Tyre and Zidon; so Clemens of Alexandria says {k}, that Hiram gave his daughter to Solomon; Ashtoreth is Astarte, the same with the Venus of the Greeks, so Suidas {l}; and Lucian {m} expressly says, the Sidonians had a temple, said by them to belong to Astarte, which he takes to be the moon; and both Venus and Juno signify the same planet; See Gill on "Jud 2:13"
and after Milcom the abomination of the Amnonites; the same with Molech, 1Ki 11:7.
See Gill on "Le 18:21".
See Gill on "Am 1:13". After this he was drawn by his Ammonitish wife, or wives, 1Ki 11:1, though the Jewish writers think he did not worship these idols, but suffered his wives to do it, and connived at it, which was his sin; so Ben Gersom and Abarbinel.
{i} Apud Tatian. contr. Graecos, p. 171. {k} Stromat. l. 1. p. 325. {l} In voce Astarth. {m} De Dea Syria.
1 Kings 11:6
Ver. 6. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord,.... As idolatry is, nothing more provoking to him:
and 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.
1 Kings 11:7
Ver. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Mesh,.... Of this idol, See Gill on "Jer 48:7", an high place for which he ordered to be built, or at least suffered it to be built, at the instigation of his Moabitish woman or women, 1Ki 11:1, this was built in the hill that is before Jerusalem; on the mount of Olives, as Jarchi, called from hence afterwards the mount of corruption, 2Ki 23:15 and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon, 1Ki 11:5.
1 Kings 11:8
Ver. 8. 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.
1 Kings 11:9
Ver. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel,.... Or from the fear of him, as the Targum, which must in a great measure be cast off, or he could not have given in to idolatry in any shape as he did; for it was for that the Lord was displeased, the which nothing is more provoking to him, as may be often observed:
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.
1 Kings 11:10
Ver. 10. And had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods,.... 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:
but he kept not that which the Lord commanded: see 1Ki 9:5.
1 Kings 11:11
Ver. 11. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon,.... Not in a vision, as before, but by a prophet; the Jews say {n}, Ahijah the Shilonite, which is probable, see 1Ki 11:29
forasmuch as this is done of thee, that thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded thee; but broke them by his idolatry:
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.
{n} Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. p. 53. Kimchi in loc.
1 Kings 11:12
Ver. 12. 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,
but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son; and immediate successor, Rehoboam.
1 Kings 11:13
Ver. 13. Howbeit, I will not rend away all the kingdom,.... The whole kingdom of Israel:
but will give one tribe to thy son; but 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: and this tribe was given
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
and for Jerusalem's sake, whom I have chosen; to have the house of his sanctuary and worship in, and therefore thought fit to have one rule there, that, would have a regard to his service in it.
1 Kings 11:14
Ver. 14. And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite,.... 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, see 2Sa 7:14
he was of the king's seed in Edom; of the blood royal.
1 Kings 11:15
Ver. 15. For it came to pass, when David was in Edom,.... Fighting with the Edomites, and subduing them, and putting garrisons in the land, 2Sa 8:14
and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain: the Israelites that fell in battle, or whom the Edomites afterwards, through stratagem and surprise, fell upon in their garrisons and destroyed, and which caused Joab to go thither to bury them, and take vengeance on the Edomites for it; or these were the Edomites slain by David and Joab; and it has been always reckoned a piece of humanity to bury the dead of an enemy, and is to the honour of the conqueror, see
Eze 39:12 or to suffer the enemy to bury them themselves: it is said {o}, that Hercules was the first that brought up this practice, and that before they were left on the field, to be devoured by dogs; so they were in the times of the Trojan war, as appears by the writings of Homer; but burying them, in later times, was used by the Romans {p} and Greeks; and Josephus {q} delivers it as a law of Moses to bury enemies, and not suffer any dead to lie without partaking of the earth, nor to pass by or overlook any unburied; but from whence he took it, or grounds it upon, is not very evident; this is the first mention of it; though the Targum is,
"to strip the slain:''
after he had smitten every male in Edom; as he thought, intending to root out the name of them; being enraged at their falling upon the garrisons, if that was the case.
{o} Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 27. {p} Liv. Hist. l. 39. c. 21. Vid. Kirchman. Append. ad. lib. de Funer. Roman. c. 3, 4, & 5. {q} Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 24. contr. Apion. l. 2. c. 29.
1 Kings 11:16
Ver. 16. For six months did Joab remain with all Israel,.... With the whole army:
until he had cut off every male in Edom; as he supposed; for it was not fact, since after this they increased again, and became a powerful people, and had a king over them, and revolted from Judah, 2Ki 8:20.
1 Kings 11:17
Ver. 17. That Hadad fled,.... While Joab was burying the slain:
he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him; who either was a king, and these some of his officers and courtiers; or however was of the royal family, and had an equipage, and these some of them:
to go into Egypt; that was their view at first setting out, where they might hope for help, at least shelter:
Hadad being yet a little child; whom his father's servants hid, while Joab was making the slaughter he did, and took the opportunity of fleeing with him while he was burying the dead.
1 Kings 11:18
Ver. 18. And they arose out of Midian,.... A country which lay in their way to Egypt, and where it seems they made some stay, and then departed:
and came to Paran; near to which was a wilderness of the same name, in which the Israelites wandered when they came out of Egypt, and which lay between Edom and Egypt:
and 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 they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; and told their case, and informed him who Hadad was: who, pitying an unfortunate young prince,
gave him an house; for him and his servants to dwell in:
and appointed him victuals; a daily provision for him and his men:
and gave him land; for his servants to cultivate, and from thence to raise a revenue for his support; the Jewish writers say he gave him cities to rule over; but as he was but a little child when he came, it cannot be thought that was done, at least directly.
1 Kings 11:19
Ver. 19. And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh,.... Perhaps for his comely personage, princely qualities, and good behaviour, as he grew up:
so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen; it seems the kings of Egypt used to marry their favourites to great personages; see Ge 41:45.
1 Kings 11:20
Ver. 20. And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son,.... Which signifies "stealth", and the name might be given in memory of himself being carried away by stealth from his own land:
whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: who was so fond of the child, that she took it, and weaned it for her in the king's palace:
and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh; brought up among them, as if he was one of them.
1 Kings 11:21
Ver. 21. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that 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:
and that 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:
Hadad said unto Pharaoh, let me depart, that I may go to mine own country; with a view and an hope to recover it, now David and Joab were dead.
1 Kings 11:22
Ver. 22. Then Pharaoh said unto him, but what hast thou lacked with me,.... Either of an equipage suitable to his birth and marriage, or of provisions for his household, or of honour and respect, or of any favour from him:
that, behold, thou seekest to go into thine own country? as if not well used where he was, or would be better provided for there:
and he answered, nothing; he wanted nothing at all, had all he could wish for:
howbeit, let me go in any wise: he had such an extreme desire to go, that he begged it might not be denied him on any account; whether he acquainted Pharaoh with his view in this request is not said, but it is probable he did, and it is certain Pharaoh gave him leave to go, see
1Ki 11:25.
1 Kings 11:23
Ver. 23. And 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, see 2Sa 8:3.
1 Kings 11:24
Ver. 24. And he gathered men unto him,.... Perhaps some of the scattered forces of his master:
and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah; some that escaped enlisted under this man, and lived by plunder the remainder of David's reign, and so in the reign of Solomon unto his old age, when his heart was turned away from God to idols, by his wives:
and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus; Rezon and his men went thither, not in David's time, for he put a garrison there, 2Sa 8:6 but towards the close of Solomon's days, and when Hadad set up in Edom, which gave him the hint to do the same at Damascus, of which he became king, and was the founder of that kingdom; after him there was a long race of kings there.
1 Kings 11:25
Ver. 25. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon,.... Not all the days of his life, see 1Ki 5:4, but all his days, from his first going into idolatry, to the end of his life:
beside the mischief that Hadad did; and which, whatever it was, was not done till this time; for either, when he got leave from Pharaoh to go into his country, he lay hid there, waiting an opportunity to seize upon it; or by means of Pharaoh he got himself to be king of it, through the permission of Solomon, paying a tribute to him; but when Solomon was grown old, he revolted and refused to pay it, and rebelled against him, and gave him much trouble:
and 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.
1 Kings 11:26
Ver. 26. And Jeroboam the son of Nebat,.... According to some Jewish writers {r}, this was Sheba the son of Bichri; but, as Kimchi observes, he was of the tribe of Benjamin, this of Ephraim; and besides, his head was cut off, and thrown over the wall to Joab, 2Sa 20:1,
an Ephrathite of Zereda; some where in the tribe of Ephraim, but nowhere else mentioned. There was a famous Jewish doctor, before the times of Christ, of this place, as it seems, who was called Jose ben Joezer, a man of Zereda {s}:
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,
whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman; who very probably was supported by this her son, an industrious and ingenious man:
even he lifted up his hand against the king; either against Solomon, by reproaching and reproving him for some things he did; or rather against Rehoboam his son, which was very ungrateful.
{r} Shalshalet Hakabala, p. 11. {s} Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 4.
1 Kings 11:27
Ver. 27. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king,.... The occasion of it, his being advanced to some posts under Solomon, which elated him, and what passed between him and the prophet Ahijah, after related:
Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father: in the oversight of which, it is supposed by the Jews, he employed this man, who reproached him for doing these works; building an house in Millo for Pharaoh's daughter, and stopping up the passage to the city of David, and the people's access thither upon occasion.
1 Kings 11:28
Ver. 28. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour,.... A man of great strength of body, and fortitude of mind:
and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious; in what he was set about in the above buildings and repairs:
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, see Pro 22:29.
1 Kings 11:29
Ver. 29. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem,.... Either to enter upon his new office: or having been with Solomon to pay in the revenues, and to make up his accounts with him was going back to the country to do the duty of his office:
that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; not accidentally, but purposely was in the way to meet him, and converse with him; this prophet was of the city of Shiloh, and where was now his abode, see 1Ki 14:2
and he had clad himself with a new garment; not Jeroboam, but the prophet, and that by the direction of the Lord, for the following purpose:
and 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, though not of hearing what was said; or otherwise how should Solomon come to the knowledge of it? 1Ki 11:40.
1 Kings 11:30
Ver. 30. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him,.... This looks as if it was Jeroboam's garment, having got a new one to appear before the king in; though the sense may be this, that the prophet took hold of his own garment that was upon himself:
and rent it in twelve pieces; as symbolical of the twelve tribes of Israel.
1 Kings 11:31
Ver. 31. And he said to Jeroboam, take thee ten pieces,.... Of the twelve, an emblem of the ten tribes he was to have:
for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon; that is, out of his family:
and will give ten tribes unto thee; to rule over.
1 Kings 11:32
Ver. 32. But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake,....
See Gill on "1Ki 11:13".
1 Kings 11:33
Ver. 33. Because that they have forsaken me,.... My worship, as the Targum; 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:
and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon; of which deities, See Gill on "1Ki 11:5" see Gill on "1Ki 11:7".
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; 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.
1 Kings 11:34
Ver. 34. Howbeit, I will not take the kingdom out of his hand,.... Not any part of it, 1Ki 11:12,
but I will make him prince all the days of his life; that is, he shall continue to hold the government of all the tribes so long as he lives:
for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes; see 1Ki 11:12, or was well pleased with, as the Targum; for keeping the commands of God from right principles, and with right views, is well pleasing to him.
1 Kings 11:35
Ver. 35. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand,.... All but the tribes of Judah and Benjamin:
and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes: signified by ten pieces of the rent garment he had given him, 1Ki 11:31.
1 Kings 11:36
Ver. 36. And unto his son will I give one tribe,.... Judah and Benjamin reckoned as one; See Gill on "1Ki 11:13", that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there; or a kingdom, as the Targum; or an illustrious prince, a successor, shining in royal majesty and glory, to guide and direct, cheer and comfort, the people of Israel; be an honour to David's family, and a means of continuing the pure worship of God in the temple at Jerusalem; see 2Sa 21:17.
1 Kings 11:37
Ver. 37. And I will take thee,.... From the low estate in which he was, to be king:
and 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:
and shall be king over Israel; the ten tribes.
1 Kings 11:38
Ver. 38. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee,.... And be obedient thereunto:
and wilt walk in my ways; directed to in the law of Moses:
and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes, and my commandments; those particularly respecting divine worship:
as David my servant did; who very diligently and constantly attended to the ordinances of religion:
that I will be with thee; to guide and direct, protect and defend, prosper and succeed:
and build thee a sure house, as I built for David; continue the succession of the kingdom in his posterity:
and will give Israel unto thee; to rule over them.
1 Kings 11:39
Ver. 39. And I will for this afflict the seed of David,.... For the idolatry Solomon had been guilty of, and connived at:
but not for ever; for when the ten tribes were carried captive, the kingdom of Judah flourished under Hezekiah, Josiah, &c. 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 he no end, Lu 1:32, and Jarchi's note on the text is,
"for in the days of the Messiah the kingdom shall return to it,''
the seed of David; and Abarbinel says, of a truth, at the coming of our Messiah, this prophecy will be fulfilled; but the true Messiah is come already, in whom it is fulfilled; see Kimchi and Abendana, who refer to
Eze 37:19.
1 Kings 11:40
Ver. 40. 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, 1Ki 11:29, which Solomon would easily understand:
and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt; the common sanctuary of persons in distress in those days:
unto Shishak king of Egypt; either the father in law or the brother in law of Solomon, or one of another family, on whom the kingdom devolved; and who might not have any good respect for Solomon, and therefore Jeroboam thought himself safe with him: this is the only king of Egypt, in Scripture, that is called by his own name, and not Pharaoh; he is generally supposed to be the same with the Sesostris of Herodotus {t}, and the Vexoris or Vexosis of Justin {u}; and the rather he may be meant, since, according to Herodotus {w}, he was the only king of Egypt that ruled over the Ethiopians: and Strabo says {x} he was the first that subdued Ethiopia and the country of the Troglodytes; also Diodorus Siculus affirms {y}, that he fought with the Ethiopians dwelling to the south, and obliged them to pay tribute; out of which countries Shishak brought many with him in his expedition against Jerusalem, 2Ch 12:2
and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon; not daring to return till that time, and then he did.
{t} Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 102. {u} E Trogo, l. 1. c. 1. {w} Ut supra, (Euterpe, sive, l. 2.) c. 110. {x} Geograph. l. 16. p. 529. {y} Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 50.
1 Kings 11:41
Ver. 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?] Either written by himself, as Kimchi suggests, though not in being; or by some chronologer or historiographer employed by him in writing the most memorable things that happened in his reign; or by several prophets, as in 2Ch 9:29 out of which the inspired writer of this book took what he was directed to by the Lord to be transmitted to future ages.
1 Kings 11:42
Ver. 42. And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel, was forty years. The same says Eupolemus {z}, an Heathen writer, who makes him to live but fifty two years; which is the common tradition of the Jews, who suppose he was but twelve years of age when he began to reign; which is to be confuted from the age of his son Rehoboam, see 1Ki 14:21. Josephus {a}, on the other hand, makes him to live to too great an age, who says that he reigned eighty years, and lived to ninety four.
{z} Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 34. {a} Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. sect. 8.
1 Kings 11:43
Ver. 43. And Solomon slept with his fathers,.... Died as they did:
and was buried in the city of David his father; not in Bethlehem, but Zion, 1Ki 2:10
and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead; of whom more in the following chapter. Though nothing is said of Solomon's repentance, there is no doubt but he was a good man, repented of his sins, and was saved; as may be concluded from the commendations of him after his death, 2Ch 11:17 from the promise of God that he made, that his mercy should not depart from him, though he chastised him, 2Sa 7:14 from his being an inspired writer, who were all holy men, 2Pe 1:20, and especially from his writing the book of Ecclesiastes after his fall, which contains a full acknowledgment of all his evils, a recantation of them, and repentance for them. Abulpharagius {b}, an Arabic writer, rashly asserts that he died without repentance.
{b} Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 55.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.