232. And after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand.

232. And after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand.

Ahab's Wars with Syria

1 KINGS 20 †Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. Thirtytwo kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. 2And he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad: 3'Your silver and your gold are mine; your best wives and children also are mine.'" 4And the king of Israel answered, "As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have." 5The messengers came again and said, "Thus says Ben-hadad: 'I sent to you, saying, "Deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children." 6Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.'"

7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, "Mark, now, and see how this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him." 8And all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent." 9†So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, "Tell my lord the king, 'All that you first demanded of your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do.'" And the messengers departed and brought him word again. 10‡Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me." 11And the king of Israel answered, "Tell him, 'Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.'" 12When Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking with the kings in the booths, he said to his men, "Take your positions." And they took their positions against the city.

Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad

13†And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the LORD." 14And Ahab said, "By whom?" He said, "Thus says the LORD, By the servants of the governors of the districts." Then he said, "Who shall begin the battle?" He answered, "You." 15Then he mustered the servants of the governors of the districts, and they were 232. And after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand.

16And they went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him. 17‡The servants of the governors of the districts went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, "Men are coming out from Samaria." 18He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive. Or if they have come out for war, take them alive."

19So these went out of the city, the servants of the governors of the districts and the army that followed them. 20And each struck down his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them, but Ben-hadad king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and struck the Syrians with a great blow.

22†Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, "Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Syria will come up against you."

23†And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places, 25and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they." And he listened to their voice and did so.

Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad Again

26†In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27†And the people of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went against them. The people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country. 28†And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because the Syrians have said, "The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys," therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'" 29And they encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was joined. And the people of Israel struck down of the Syrians 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. 30†And the rest fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell upon 27,000 men who were left.

Ben-hadad also fled and entered an inner chamber in the city. 31†And his servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life." 32So they tied sackcloth around their waists and put ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please, let me live.'" And he said, "Does he still live? He is my brother." 33Now the men were watching for a sign, and they quickly took it up from him and said, "Yes, your brother Ben-hadad." Then he said, "Go and bring him." Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 34†And Ben-hadad said to him, "The cities that my father took from your father I will restore, and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." And Ahab said, "I will let you go on these terms." So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

A Prophet Condemns Ben-hadad's Release

35‡†And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow at the command of the LORD, "Strike me, please." But the man refused to strike him. 36Then he said to him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have gone from me, a lion shall strike you down." And as soon as he had departed from him, a lion met him and struck him down. 37Then he found another man and said, "Strike me, please." And the man struck him— struck him and wounded him. 38So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39‡†And as the king passed, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a soldier turned and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent [1] of silver.' 40†And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." The king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it." 41Then he hurried to take the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42†And he said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, [2] therefore your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.'" 43†And the king of Israel went to his house vexed and sullen and came to Samaria.

Naboth's Vineyard

1 KINGS 21 †Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2†And after this Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money." 3†But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." 4And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.

5But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, "Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?" 6And he said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.' And he answered, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'" 7†And Jezebel his wife said to him, "Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

8†So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. 9†And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. 10†And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed [1] God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death." 11And the men of his city, the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, 12they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. 13†And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned; he is dead."

15As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead." 16And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to

the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

The LORD Condemns Ahab

17Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. 19†And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"' And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'"

20Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD. 21‡Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 22And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. 23†And of Jezebel the LORD also said, 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.' 24Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat."

Ahab's Repentance

25(There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.) 27†And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 28And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29†"Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house."

Ahab and the False Prophets

1 KINGS 22 †For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. 2†But in the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3†And the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?" 4And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

5†And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire first for the word of the LORD." 6†Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." 7†But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?" 8†And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." 9Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah." 10†Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11†And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.'" 12And all the prophets prophesied so and said, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab

13And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably." 14But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak." 15†And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king." 16But the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in

the name of the LORD?" 17†And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.'" 18And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?" 19And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20and the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. 21Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, 'I will entice him.' 22†And the LORD said to him, 'By what means?' And he said, 'I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.' 23Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you."

24†Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?" 25And Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself." 26And the king of Israel said, "Seize Micaiah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, 27and say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, until I come in peace."'" 28†And Micaiah said, "If you return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Hear, all you peoples!"

Ahab Killed in Battle

29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. 30†And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes." And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31†Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, "Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel." 32†And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is surely the king of Israel." So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. 33And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 34†But a certain man drew his bow at random [1] and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded." 35And the battle continued

that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. 36And about sunset a cry went through the army, "Every man to his city, and every man to his country!"

37So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. 38†And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken. 39†Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah

41†Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42†Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43†He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 44†Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45†Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.

47‡There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. 48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. 49Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships," but Jehoshaphat was not willing. 50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

Ahaziah Reigns in Israel

51‡Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the

seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. 52He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 53†He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done.

Footnotes

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 1

[1] 1:2 Or in your bosom

[2] 1:14 Or expand on

[3] 1:25 Hebrew; Septuagint Joab the commander

[4] 1:48 Septuagint one of my offspring

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 2

[1] 2:4 Hebrew there shall not be cut off for you

[2] 2:5 Septuagint; Hebrew placing

[3] 2:5 Septuagint innocent blood

[4] 2:5 Septuagint my; twice in this verse [5] 2:7 Or steadfast love

[6] 2:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew and for him and for Abiathar

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 4

[1] 4:21 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew

[2] 4:22 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 5

[1] 5:1 Ch 5:15 in Hebrew

[2] 5:11 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters [3] 5:11 Septuagint; Hebrew

twenty

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 6

[1] 6:2 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 6:4 Or blocked lattice

windows

[3] 6:5 Or platform; also verse 10

[4] 6:6 Septuagint; Hebrew structure, or platform

[5] 6:8 Septuagint, Targum; Hebrew middle

[6] 6:20 Vulgate; Hebrew and before the inner sanctuary

[7] 6:20 Septuagint made

[8] 6:31 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 7

[1] 7:2 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 7:2 Septuagint three

[3] 7:5 Septuagint; Hebrew posts

[4] 7:7 Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew floor

[5] 7:15 Targum, Syriac (compare Septuagint and Jeremiah 52:21); Hebrew

fingers. And a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of the second pillar

[6] 7:17 Septuagint; Hebrew seven; twice in this verse [7] 7:18 Two manuscripts

(compare Septuagint); Hebrew pillars

[8] 7:26 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters [9] 7:26 A bath

was about 6 gallons or 22 liters

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 8

[1] 8:12 Septuagint The LORD has set the sun in the heavens, but

[2] 8:37 Septuagint, Syriac in any of their cities

[3] 8:65 Septuagint; Hebrew seven days and seven days, fourteen days

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 9

[1] 9:8 Syriac, Old Latin; Hebrew will become high

[2] 9:14 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [3] 9:18 Hebrew lacks of

Judah

[4] 9:21 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction) [5]

9:25 Septuagint lacks with it

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 10

[1] 10:10 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [2] 10:16 A shekel was

about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 10:17 A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram [4] 10:22 Or baboons

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 11

[1] 11:33 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate he has; twice in this verse

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 12

[1] 12:2 Septuagint, Vulgate (compare 2 Chronicles 10:2); Hebrew lived in

[2] 12:30 Septuagint went to the one at Bethel and to the other as far as Dan

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 13

[1] 13:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew son

[2] 13:29 Septuagint; Hebrew he came to the city of the old prophet

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 15

[1] 15:19 Or treaty; twice in this verse

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 16

[1] 16:24 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 17

[1] 17:1 Septuagint; Hebrew of the settlers

[2] 17:21 Or soul; also verse 22

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 18

[1] 18:32 A seah was about 7 quarts or 7.3 liters

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 19

[1] 19:12 Or a sound, a thin silence

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 20

[1] 20:39 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [2] 20:42 That is, set

apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 21

[1] 21:10 Hebrew blessed; also verse 13

Footnotes for 1 Kings, Chapter 22

[1] 22:34 Hebrew in his innocence

Study Notes

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:1–11:43 The first division of Kings chronicles the reign of Solomon. The literary structure centers upon the building activities of Solomon (6:1–9:9) and climaxes with the failure of Solomon to follow the Lord wholeheartedly (11:1–43).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:1 advanced in years. David was 70 years old (cf. 2 Sam. 5:4–5).

The Kings of Israel and Judah

The Kings of Israel and Judah KING SCRIPTURE KING SCRIPTURE United Kingdom Saul 1 Samuel 9:1–31:13; 1 Chronicles 10:1–14

David 2 Samuel; 1 Kings 1:1–2:9; 1 Chronicles 11:1–29:30 Solomon 1 Kings 2:10–11:43; 2 Chronicles 1:1–9:31 Southern Kingdom (Judah) Northern Kingdom (Israel)

Rehoboam 1 Kings 12:1–14:31; 2 Chronicles 10:1– 12:16 Jeroboam I 1 Kings 12:25–14:20

Abijam (Abijah) 1 Kings 15:1–8; 2 Chronicles 13:1–22 Nadab 1 Kings 15:25–31

Asa 1 Kings 15:9–24; 2 Chronicles 14:1–16:14 Baasha 1 Kings 15:32–16:7 Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 22:41–50; 2 Chronicles 17:1–20:37 Elah 1 Kings 16:8–14 Joram (Jehoram) 2 Kings 8:16–24; 2 Chronicles 21:1–20 Zimri 1 Kings 16:15–20

Ahaziah 2 Kings 8:25–29; 2 Chronicles 22:1–9 Tibni 1 Kings 16:21–22 Athaliah (queen) 2 Kings 11:1–16; 2 Chronicles 22:1–23:21 Omri 1 Kings 16:21–28

Joash (Jehoash)

2 Kings 11:17–12:21; 2 Chronicles 23:16– 24:27 Ahab 1 Kings 16:29–22:40

Amaziah 2 Kings 14:1–22; 2 Chronicles 25:1–28 Ahaziah 1 Kings 22:51–53; 2 Kings 1:1–18 Uzziah (Azariah) 2 Kings 15:1–7; 2 Chronicles 26:1–23 Jehoram (Joram) 2 Kings 2:1–8:15

Jotham 2 Kings 15:32–38; 2 Chronicles 27:1–9 Jehu 2 Kings 9:1–10:36 Ahaz 2 Kings 16:1–20; 2 Chronicles 28:1–27 Jehoahaz 2 Kings 13:1–9

Hezekiah 2 Kings 18:1–20:21; 2 Chronicles 29:1– 32:33 Jehoash (Joash) 2 Kings 13:10–25

Manasseh 2 Kings 21:1–18; 2 Chronicles 33:1–20 Jeroboam II 2 Kings 14:23–29 Amon 2 Kings 21:19–26; 2 Chronicles 33:21–25 Zechariah 2 Kings 15:8–12

Josiah 2 Kings 22:1–23:30; 2 Chronicles 34:1– 35:27 Shallum 2 Kings 15:13–15

Jehoahaz 2 Kings 23:31–33; 2 Chronicles 36:1–4 Menahem 2 Kings 15:16–22 Jehoiakim 2 Kings 23:34–24:7; 2 Chronicles 36:5–8 Pekahiah 2 Kings 15:23–26 Jehoiachin 2 Kings 24:8–16; 2 Chronicles 36:9–10 Pekah 2 Kings 15:27–31

Zedekiah 2 Kings 24:18–25:21; 2 Chronicles 36:11– 21 Hoshea 2 Kings 17:1–41

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:2 the king may be warm. In his old age, circulatory problems plagued King David so he had trouble keeping warm. The royal staff proposed a solution that a young virgin nurse watch over him and, at night, warm him with her body heat. This was in harmony with the medical customs of that day; both the Jewish historian Josephus (first century A.D.) and the Greek physician Galen (second century A.D.) record such a practice.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:3 Abishag the Shunammite. Abishag was a very beautiful teenager from the town of Shunem, in the territory of Issachar located 3 miles north of Jezreel (Josh. 19:18; 1 Sam. 28:4; 2 Kings 4:8). Though from the same town, she is not to be identified with the Shulammite in the Song of Solomon (Song 6:13).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:4 the king knew her not. Although apparently joining David's harem (cf. 2:17, 22–24), Abishag remained a virgin.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:5 Adonijah. Adonijah was the fourth son of David (2 Sam. 3:4) and probably the oldest living son, since Amnon (2 Sam. 13:28–29) and Absalom (2 Sam. 18:14–15) had been killed, and Chileab apparently died in his youth, since there is no mention of him beyond his birth. As David's oldest surviving heir, Adonijah attempted to claim the kingship. chariots and horsemen. Like Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1), Adonijah sought to confirm and support his claim to kingship by raising a small army.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:7 Joab. David's nephew (1 Chron. 2:16), the commander of the army of Israel (2 Sam. 8:16) and a faithful supporter of David's kingship (2 Sam. 18:2; 20:22). He was guilty of the illegal killings of Abner and Amasa (1 Kings 2:5; cf. 2 Sam. 3:39; 20:10). Adonijah wanted his support in his bid for

the throne. Abiathar. One of the two high priests serving concurrently during David's reign (2 Sam. 8:17), whose influence Adonijah sought.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:8 Zadok. The other high priest serving during David's reign (2 Sam. 8:17), whose descendants will serve the millennial temple (see Ezek. 44:15). He had been high priest in the tabernacle at Gibeon under Saul (1 Chron. 16:39). Benaiah. The commander of the Cherethites and Pelethites (1 Kings 1:44), David's official guards distinguished for bravery (see 2 Sam. 23:20). See note on 1 Sam. 30:14. He was regarded by Joab as a rival. Nathan. The most influential prophet during David's reign (2 Sam. 7:1–17; 12:1–15, 25). Shimei. Cf. 1 Kings 4:18. A different individual from the Shimei referred to in 2:8, 36– 46; 2 Sam. 16:5–8. mighty men. See 2 Sam. 23:8–39.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:9 Serpent's Stone. A standard landmark identified with a previous Jebusite snake worship location. En-rogel. Lit., "the spring of the fuller." Typically identified as being located at the northwest confluence of the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys. Here Adonijah held a political event to court popularity and secure his claim to the throne.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:11–27 The revolt of Adonijah was defeated by Nathan, who knew the Lord's will (see 2 Sam. 7:12; 1 Chron. 22:9) and acted quickly, by having Bathsheba go to David first to report what was happening, after which he would follow (1 Kings 1:23).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:11 Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. The mothers of the kings of the Davidic line are continually noted (2:13, 19; 14:21; 15:2; 2 Kings 8:26; 12:1; 14:2; 15:2, 33; 18:2; 21:1, 19; 22:1; 23:31, 36; 24:8). The queen mother held an influential position in the royal court. For the story of how David sinfully took her, see 2 Sam. 11.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:12 save . . . the life of your son. If Adonijah had become king, the lives of Bathsheba and Solomon would have been in jeopardy, because often in the ancient Near East potential claimants to the throne and their families were put to death (cf. 15:29; 16:11; 2 Kings 10:11).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:13 Did you not . . . swear. This oath was given privately (unrecorded in Scripture) by David, perhaps to both Nathan and Bathsheba. Solomon's choice by the Lord was implicit in his name Jedidiah, meaning "beloved of the Lord" (2 Sam. 12:24–25) and explicit in David's declaration to

Solomon (1 Chron. 22:6–13). Cf. 1 Kings 1:17, 20, 35.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:28–53 See 1 Chron. 29:21–25.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:29 the king swore. David swore another oath to carry out his earlier commitment to make Solomon king, and he made good on it that very day.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:33 my own mule. The riding of David's royal mule showed Israel that Solomon was David's chosen successor (see 2 Sam. 13:29). Gihon. This spring, which was Jerusalem's main water supply, was located about onehalf mile north of En-rogel (1 Kings 1:9) and hidden from it by an intervening hill. Thus, the sound of Solomon's anointing ceremony could have been heard without being seen by Adonijah's party.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:34 anoint him king. Saul and David had been anointed by Samuel, the Lord's priest and prophet (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13); Solomon was also to be recognized by priest and prophet. The participation of the prophet Nathan gave Solomon's coronation evidence of the Lord's blessing. Throughout the book of Kings, God identified his chosen kings through prophets (11:37; 15:28– 29; 16:12; 2 Kings 9:3). blow the trumpet. The blowing of the trumpet signaled a public assembly where the people corporately recognized Solomon's new status as co-regent with and successor to David (1 Kings 1:39–40).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:35 over Israel and over Judah. The two major geographical components of David's and Solomon's kingdoms. Even while still unified these two separate entities, that would later divide (12:20), were clearly identifiable.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:39 tent. This was the tent David set up in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:17; 1 Chron. 15:1) to house the ark of the covenant, not the tabernacle of Moses (see 1 Kings 3:4).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:41–49 Adonijah . . . heard it. The loud shouts hailing Solomon as king reached the ears of those at Adonijah's feast at En-rogel nearby. A messenger came with the full report of the coronation of Solomon, so that the cause of Adonijah was lost and the party ended with the people leaving in fear.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:42 Jonathan. The son of Abiathar the priest was an experienced messenger (2 Sam. 15:36; 17:17).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1:50 horns of the altar. Cf. 2:28. The "horns" were corner projections on the altar of burnt offering on which the priests smeared the blood of the sacrifices (Ex. 27:2; 29:12). By taking hold of the horns, Adonijah sought to place himself under the protection of God (see Ex. 21:13–14).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:1 he commanded Solomon. Leaders typically exhorted their successors, e.g., Moses (Deut. 31:7–8), Joshua (Josh. 23:1–6), and Samuel (1 Sam. 12:1–25). So also David gave Solomon a final exhortation.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:2 the way of all the earth. An expression for death (Josh. 23:14; cf. Gen. 3:19). Be strong . . . show yourself a man. An expression of encouragement (Deut. 31:7, 23; Josh. 1:6–7, 9, 18; 1 Sam. 4:9) with which David sought to prepare Solomon for the difficult tasks and the battles in his future.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:3 keep the charge of the Lord your God. David admonished Solomon to obey the Mosaic law so he could have a successful kingship (cf. Deut. 17:18–20).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:4 his word. The unconditional Davidic Covenant was made by God with David in 2 Sam. 7:4–17 and confirmed to Solomon in 1 Kings 9:5, promising the perpetuation of the Davidic dynasty over Israel. If your sons pay close attention to their way. David declared that the king's obedience to the law of Moses was a necessary condition for the fulfillment of the divine promise. The book of Kings demonstrates that none of the descendants of David remained faithful to God's law; none of them met the conditions for the fulfillment of the divine promise. Rather, David's words provided a basis for explaining the exile. Thus, the ultimate and final King of Israel would appear at a later, undesignated time.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:5 Abner . . . Amasa. These were victims of Joab's jealousy and vengeance, who were killed after warfare had ceased (2 Sam. 3:27; 20:10), thus bringing Joab's punishment as a murderer (Deut. 19:11–13).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:7 sons of Barzillai. David told Solomon to repay Barzillai's kindness to David (2 Sam. 17:27–29) by showing similar kindness to Barzillai's sons. eat at your table. A position of honor that could include a royal stipend (2 Sam. 9:7; 1 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 25:29).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:8 Shimei. He had angrily stoned and vehemently cursed

David when David was escaping from Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5–13). Shimei's actions were worthy of death (Ex. 22:28), and David counseled Solomon through subtle means to arrange for his just punishment (1 Kings 2:36–46).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:10–12 See 2 Sam. 5:5 and 1 Chron. 29:26–28.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:10 the city of David. I.e., Jerusalem (cf. 8:1).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:11 forty years. David ruled from c. 1011–971 B.C., probably with Solomon as co-regent during his final year (cf. 11:41).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:12 firmly established. Solomon's succession enjoyed the Lord's approval, and Solomon experienced unchallenged authority, prosperity, and renown (v. 46).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:15 all Israel fully expected me to reign. A reference to Adonijah's perceived right to the kingship as the oldest surviving son according to ancient Near East custom.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:17 give me Abishag. In the ancient Near East, possession of the royal harem was a sign of kingship (cf. 2 Sam. 3:8; 12:8; 16:20–22). Adonijah's request for Abishag was an attempt to support his claim to the kingship and perhaps generate a revolt to usurp the throne. Bathsheba didn't see the treachery (1 Kings 2:18–21).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:22 Ask for him the kingdom also. Solomon recognized Adonijah's request as the prelude to his usurping of the throne. Because Adonijah's request violated the terms of loyalty Solomon had previously specified (1:52), he pronounced a formal, legal death sentence on Adonijah (2:23–24).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:24 as he promised. Solomon viewed himself as the fulfillment of the Lord's promise to David in 2 Sam. 7:12–16 (see also 1 Kings 5:5; 8:18–21). The ultimate fulfillment will be the Messiah, Jesus, who will return to Israel and set up his kingdom (see Isa. 9:6–7).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:26 Anathoth. A priestly town, 3 miles northeast of Jerusalem (cf. Jer. 1:1). There Abiathar, the disloyal high priest (1 Kings 1:7), lived in banishment.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:27 fulfilling the word of the Lord. Solomon's removal of Abiathar from the office of priest fulfilled God's prophecy that Eli's line of priests would be cut off (1 Sam. 2:30–35). This reestablished the line of Eleazar/Phinehas in Zadok (1 Kings 2:35), as promised by God (cf. Num. 25:10– 13).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:28 Joab fled to the tent. Cf. 1:50. He knew he would have been killed already if he had not been so popular with the army. The altar provided no real sanctuary to the rebel and murderer (cf. Ex. 21:14).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:31 strike him down. Like Adonijah (1:50), Joab sought asylum at the altar (2:28). The protection of the Lord at the altar applied only to accidental crimes, not premeditated murder (Ex. 21:14), so Solomon ordered Benaiah to administer the violent death sought by David (1 Kings 2:6).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:33 peace . . . forevermore. This pledge is ultimately to be fulfilled in the Messiah's kingdom (see Isa. 2:2–4; 9:6–7).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:34 wilderness. The tomb of Joab's father was near Bethlehem (2 Sam. 2:32). Joab's house was probably on the edge of the Judean wilderness, east of Bethlehem.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:36 do not go out. Shimei had not provoked Solomon directly as Adonijah had. Therefore, Solomon determined to keep Shimei under close watch by confining him to Jerusalem.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:39 Gath. A major Philistine city about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:45 throne of David. In contrast to Shimei's curse (2 Sam. 16:5–8), the Lord's blessing was to come through the ruler of David's, not Saul's, line (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–16).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 2:46 With the death of Shimei, all the rival factions were eliminated.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:1 a marriage alliance with Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was probably Siamun, the next-to-last ruler of the weak twenty-first dynasty. Solomon's treaty with Pharaoh signified that he held a high standing in the world of his day. Pharaoh's daughter was the most politically significant of Solomon's

700 wives (cf. 7:8; 9:16; 11:1).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:2 the high places. The open-air, hilltop worship centers that the Israelites inherited from the Canaanites had been rededicated to the Lord; the use of pagan altars had been forbidden (Num. 33:52; Deut. 7:5; 12:3). After the building of the temple, worship at the high places was condemned (1 Kings 11:7–8; 12:31; 2 Kings 16:17–20; 21:3; 23:26). no house . . . for the name of the Lord. "Name" represented the character and presence of the Lord (cf. Ex. 3:13–14). He had promised to choose one place "to put his name and make his habitation" (Deut. 12:5). The temple at Jerusalem was to be that place (cf. 1 Kings 5:3–5; 8:16–48; 9:3–7). In the ancient Near East, to identify a temple with a god's name meant that the god owned the place and dwelt there.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:3 only he. Solomon's failure in completely following the Lord was exhibited in his continual worship at the high places.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:4–15 See 2 Chron. 1:7–13.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:4 Gibeon. A town about 7 miles northwest of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle of Moses and the original bronze altar were located (1 Chron. 21:29; 2 Chron. 1:2–6).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:5 dream. God often gave revelation in dreams (Gen. 26:24; 28:12; 46:2; Dan. 2:7; 7:1; Matt. 1:20; 2:12–22). However, this dream was unique, a two-way conversation between the Lord and Solomon.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:6 great and steadfast love. This term implies covenant faithfulness. Solomon viewed his succession to David as evidence of the Lord's faithfulness to his promises to David.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:7 little child. Since Solomon was probably only about 20 years of age, he readily admitted his lack of qualification and experience to be king (cf. 1 Chron. 22:5; 29:1). See note on Num. 27:15–17.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:8 a great people. Based on the census, which recorded 800,000 men of fighting age in Israel and 500,000 in Judah (2 Sam. 24:9), the total population was over four million, approximately double what it had been at the time of the conquest (see Num. 26:1–65).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:9 an understanding mind. Humbly admitting his need,

Solomon sought "a listening heart" to govern God's people with wisdom.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:10 pleased the Lord. The Lord was delighted that Solomon had not asked for personal benefits, e.g., long life, wealth, or the death of his enemies.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:12 none like you. Solomon was one of a kind in judicial insight, as illustrated in vv. 16–27.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:14 lengthen your days. In contrast to riches and honor that were already his, a long life was dependent on Solomon's future obedience to the Lord's commands. Because of his disobedience, Solomon died before reaching 70 years of age (cf. Ps. 90:10).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:16–27 prostitutes came to the king. Here is an illustration of how wisely Solomon ruled. In Israel, the king was the ultimate "judge" of the land, and any citizen, even the basest prostitute, could petition him for a verdict (2 Sam. 14:2–21; 15:1–4; 2 Kings 8:1–6).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:25 half . . . half. In ordering his servants to cut the child in two, he knew the liar would not object, but out of maternal compassion the real mother would (cf. Ex. 21:35).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 3:28 awe of the king. Israel was in awe of and willing to submit to the rule of Solomon because of his wisdom from God.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:1 all Israel. Solomon was in firm control of all of the people. Israel's squabbling factions had fallen in line behind the king.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:2 Azariah the son of Zadok. Actually, he was the son of Ahimaaz and the grandson of Zadok, as "son of " can mean "descendant of " (cf. 1 Chron. 6:8–9). In David's roster of officials, the army commander came first (2 Sam. 8:16; 20:23). Under Solomon, the priest and other officials preceded the military leader.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:3 secretaries. Probably they prepared royal edicts and kept official records. recorder. Likely, he maintained the records of all important daily affairs in the kingdom.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:4 priests. Zadok and Abiathar had served together as high

priests under David (2 Sam. 8:17; 20:25). Although Abiathar had been removed from priestly service and exiled (1 Kings 2:26–27, 35), he maintained his priestly title until his death.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:5 Nathan. Whether this is the prophet Nathan (see note on 1:8) or another person by that name is uncertain, but it could be that Solomon was honoring the sons of the prophet.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:6 charge of the palace. One who managed Solomon's properties, both lands and buildings (cf. 16:9; 18:3; 2 Kings 18:18, 37; 19:2). in charge of the forced labor. One who oversaw the conscripted workers of Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 5:13–18).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:7 twelve officers. Solomon divided the land into 12 geographical districts (different from the tribal boundaries), each supervised by a deputy. Each month a different deputy collected provisions in his district to supply the king and his staff.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:20 as many as the sand by the sea. A clear allusion to the Lord's promise to Abraham in Gen. 22:17. The early years of Solomon's reign, characterized by population growth, peace, and prosperity, were a foreshadowing of the blessings that will prevail in Israel when the Abrahamic Covenant is fulfilled.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:21 all the kingdoms. The borders of the kingdoms that Solomon influenced echoed the Lord's promise to Abram in Gen. 15:18. However, Solomon's reign was not the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant for three reasons: 1) Israel still only lived in the land "from Dan even to Beersheba" (1 Kings 4:25). Abraham's descendants did not inhabit all the land promised to Abraham. 2) The non-Israelite kingdoms did not lose their identity and independence, but rather recognized Solomon's authority and brought him tribute without surrendering title to their lands. 3) According to Num. 34:6, the Mediterranean Sea is to be the western border of the Land of Promise, indicating that Tyre was to be a part of the Promised Land. However, Hiram king of Tyre was a sovereign who entered into a bilateral or parity treaty (between equals) with Solomon (1 Kings 5:1–12).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:22 provision. I.e., the daily provisions for Solomon's palace.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:24 Tiphsah . . . Gaza. Tiphsah was located on the west bank of the Euphrates and Gaza on the southwestern Mediterranean coast. These towns represented the northeast and southwest points of Solomon's influence.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:26 had 40,000 stalls. Though the Hebrew text reads 40,000, this was probably a copyist's error in transcribing the text, and it should read 4,000 as in 2 Chron. 9:25.

Jerusalem at the Time of Solomon

c. 950 B.C.

Through various building projects Solomon began to transform the small military stronghold of the city of David into a full-scale city that would be the geographical center of Israelite religion. He built the temple of the Lord and the royal palace complex on the hill to the north of the stronghold and encircled it with a wall. Ironically, Solomon also allowed his many foreign wives to establish pagan shrines on the hill to the east of the city, which would later be called the Mount of Corruption.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:30 the east . . . Egypt. The men to the east of Israel in Mesopotamia and Arabia (cf. Job 1:3) and in Egypt were known for their wisdom. Egypt had been renowned for learning and science, as well as culture. Solomon's wisdom was superior to all at home or abroad (1 Kings 4:31).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:31 sons of Mahol. This probably meant "singers," a guild of musicians who created sacred songs.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:32 proverbs . . . songs. Hundreds of Solomon's proverbs have been preserved in the book of Proverbs (see Introduction to Proverbs). One of his songs is the Song of Solomon.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:33 trees . . . beasts . . . birds. Solomon described and taught about all kinds of plant and animal life, e.g., Prov. 6:6–8; 28:15; 30:19.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 4:34 people of all nations. Solomon acquired an international reputation for his wisdom. Many important visitors came from faraway places to learn from Solomon's wisdom (cf. 10:1–13).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:1–16 See 2 Chron. 2:1–18.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:1 Hiram king of Tyre. Tyre was an important port city on the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel. Two towering mountain ranges ran within Lebanon's borders, and on their slopes grew thick forests of cedars. Hiram I ruled there c. 978–944 B.C. He had earlier provided building materials and workers for David to build his palace (2 Sam. 5:11). Solomon maintained the friendly relations with Hiram established by David. They were beneficial to both as Israel exchanged wheat and oil for timber (see 1 Kings 5:9–11).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:4 rest. The guarantee of peace with the peoples surrounding Israel allowed Solomon to build the temple (cf. 4:24).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:5 the name. "Name" represents the character and nature of the person indicated. See note on 3:2. Your son. Solomon claimed to be the promised offspring of David, the fulfillment of the Lord's promise to David in 2 Sam. 7:12–13. However, Solomon's later disobedience proved that he was not the ultimate, promised offspring (1 Kings11:9–13).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:6 cedars of Lebanon. The cedars of Lebanon symbolized majesty and might (Ps. 92:12; Ezek. 31:3). Because it was durable, resistant to rot and worms, closely-grained, and could be polished to a fine shine, its wood was regarded as the best timber for building. The logs were tied together and floated down the Mediterranean to Joppa (see 1 Kings 5:9; 2 Chron. 2:16), from where they could be transported to Jerusalem, 35 miles inland. Sidonians. These are the inhabitants of the city of Sidon, located on the Mediterranean Sea about 22 miles north of Tyre. Here, the term probably referred, in a general sense, to the Phoenicians, who were skilled craftsmen.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:7 Blessed be the Lord. Perhaps Hiram was a worshiper of the true God, but it is equally possible that he was only acknowledging Jehovah as the God of the Hebrews (cf. 2 Chron. 2:16). a wise son. Hiram recognized Solomon's wisdom in seeking to honor his father David's desires.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:9 food for my household. Tyre's rocky terrain grew great trees, but little good food. Hiram asked Solomon for food for his court in exchange for his lumber.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:13 forced labor out of all Israel. Lit., "conscripted labor." These 30,000 men who labored in Lebanon were Israelites of the land. They were sent to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in rotation. For every month they worked, they were off two months, which meant they worked only four months per year. These Israelite laborers must be distinguished from the Canaanite remnant who were made into permanent slaves. See note on 9:21–22. The 30,000 Israelites were free and performed the task of felling trees.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:16 Solomon's 3,300. See note on 2 Chron. 2:2. people who carried on the work. According to 2 Chron. 2:17–18, these 150,000 laborers (1 Kings 5:15) and their supervisors were non-Israelite inhabitants of the land.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 5:18 men of Gebal. Inhabitants of Gebal, a town located about 60 miles north of Tyre.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:1–38 See 2 Chron. 3:1–17 and 7:15–22.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:1 four hundred and eightieth year. Solomon began to build the temple by laying its foundation (v. 37) 480 years after the exodus from Egypt. The 480 years are to be taken as the actual years between the exodus and the building of the temple, because references to numbers of years in the book of Kings are consistently taken in a literal fashion. Also, the literal interpretation correlates with Jephthah's statement recorded in Judg. 11:26. fourth year. I.e., 966 B.C. Thus, the exodus is to be dated 1445 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:2 cubits. Normally the cubit was about 18 inches. This would make the temple structure proper 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. However, 2 Chron. 3:3 may indicate that the longer royal cubit of approximately 21 inches was used in the construction of the temple. On this measurement, the temple structure proper would have been 105 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 52.5 feet high. The dimensions of the temple seem to be double those

of the tabernacle (see Ex. 26:15–30; 36:20–34).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:3 vestibule. A porch about 15 feet long in front of the temple building proper.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:4 windows. Placed high on the inner side of the temple wall, these openings had lattices or shutters capable of being opened, shut, or partially opened. They served to let out the vapors of the lamps and the smoke of incense, as well as to give light.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:5 chambers. Another attached structure surrounded the main building, excluding the porch. It provided rooms off of the main hall to house temple personnel and to store equipment and treasure (cf. 7:51).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:6 lowest . . . middle . . . third. This attached structure to the temple was three stories high. Each upper story was one cubit wider than the one below it. Instead of being inserted into the temple walls, beams supporting the stories rested on recessed ledges in the temple walls themselves.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:7 stone prepared at the quarry. The erection of the temple went much faster by utilizing precut and prefitted materials moved on rollers to the temple site. In addition, the relative quiet would be consistent with the sacredness of the undertaking.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:8 entrance . . . stairs. The entrance to the side rooms was on the south side, probably in the middle. Access to the second and third stories was by means of a spiral staircase that led through the middle story to the third floor.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:11–13 During the construction of the temple, the Lord spoke to Solomon, probably through a prophet, and reiterated that the fulfillment of his word to David through his son was contingent on Solomon's obedience to his commands (cf. 2:3–4; 3:14; 9:4–8). The use of the same words, "I will dwell among the children of Israel," in 6:13 as in Ex. 29:45, implied that Solomon's temple was the legitimate successor to the tabernacle. The Lord forewarned Solomon and Israel that the temple was no guarantee of his presence; only their continued obedience would assure that.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:16 the Most Holy Place. This inner sanctuary, partitioned off from the main hall by cedar planks, was a perfect cube about 30 feet on a

side (v. 20) and was the most sacred area of the temple. The Most Holy Place is further described in vv. 19–28. The tabernacle also had a "Most Holy Place" (Ex. 26:33–34).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:17 the nave. This was the Holy Place, just outside the Most Holy Place, 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high, that housed the altar of incense, the golden tables of the bread of the Presence, and the golden lampstands (7:48–49).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:19 the ark of the covenant of the Lord. The ark was a rectangular box made of acacia wood. The ark was made at Sinai by Bezalel according to the pattern given to Moses (Ex. 25:10–22; 37:1–9). The ark served as the receptacle for the two tablets of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 25:16, 21; 40:20; Deut. 10:1–5) and the place in the inner sanctuary where the presence of the Lord met Israel (Ex. 25:22).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:20 overlaid it with pure gold. Cf. vv. 21, 22, 28, 30, 32, 35. Gold was beaten into fine sheets, and then hammered to fit over the beautifully embellished wood (vv. 18, 29), then attached to every surface in the temple proper, both in the Holy Place and in the Most Holy Place, so that no wood or stone was visible (v. 22).

Solomon's Temple

Solomon constructed the temple on Mount Moriah, north of the ancient city of David. The temple was built according to plans that David received from the Lord and passed on to Solomon (1 Chron. 28:11–13, 19). The division into a nave and inner sanctuary corresponds to the division of the tabernacle into the Holy Place and Most Holy Place.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:23 cherubim. These two sculptured winged creatures, with human faces overlaid with gold (cf. Gen. 3:24; Ezek. 41:18–19), stood as guards on either side of the ark (see 2 Chron. 3:10–13) and are not to be confused with the cherubim on the mercy seat (see Ex. 25:17–22). The cherubim represented angelic beings who were guardians of God's presence and stood on either side of the ark (1 Kings 8:6–7) in the Most Holy Place. They were 15 feet tall and 15 feet between wing tips (1 Kings 6:24–26). See note on Ex. 25:18.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:29 palm trees. An image reminiscent of the Garden of Eden in Gen. 2. The palm tree represented the tree of life from the Garden.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:31–35 There was distinct and magnificent separation by doors between the inner court of the temple (v. 36) and the Holy Place, as well as between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:36 the inner court. This walled-in, open space that surrounded the temple was also called "the court of the priests" (2 Chron. 4:9) or the "upper court" (Jer. 36:10). The wall of that court had a layer of wood

between each of the three courses of stone. The alternation of timber beams with masonry was common in Mediterranean construction.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:37 fourth year . . . month of Ziv. Cf. 6:1.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 6:38 seven years. From foundation to finishing, the temple took seven years and six months to build. See note on 2 Chron. 5:1.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:1 thirteen years. Having built the house for the Lord, Solomon then built one for himself. Solomon's "house" was a complex of structures that took almost twice as long to build as the temple. The time involved was probably because there was not the same preparation for building or urgency as for the national place of worship. The temple and Solomon's house together took 20 years to complete (cf. 9:10).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:2–5 the House of the Forest of Lebanon. As a part of the palace complex, Solomon also built this large rectangular building, 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It was built of a "Forest" of cedar pillars from Lebanon. Three rows of cedar columns supported trimmed cedar beams and a cedar roof.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:6 the Hall of Pillars. This colonnade was probably an entry hall or waiting area for the Hall of Judgment, which was probably used for the transaction of public business.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:7 the Hall of Judgment. The place where Solomon would publicly hear petitions from Israelites and render judgments was added to the grand palace site.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:8 house . . . court . . . house. Behind the Hall of Judgment was an open court. Within this court, Solomon built his own personal residence, a palace for his harem, and royal apartments for the Egyptian princess he had married.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:9–12 A fortune was spent on building, adjacent to the temple, the whole palace with its three parts: 1) the king's home, 2) the courtyard in the middle, and 3) the house of the women on the other side.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:13 Hiram. Although having the same Hebrew name, this individual was distinct from the King of Tyre (5:1). Hiram had a Tyrian father,

but his mother was of the tribe of Naphtali. Second Chronicles 2:14 states that Hiram's mother came from the tribe of Dan. Probably one verse refers to her place of birth and the other to her place of residence. Or, if her parents were originally from the two tribes, then he could legitimately claim either. The description of Hiram's skills in 1 Kings 7:14 is exactly the same as that of Bezalel who made the tabernacle (Ex. 31:3; 36:1). Hiram made the pillars (1 Kings 7:14–22). See note on 2 Chron. 2:13–14.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:15 two pillars. One bronze pillar was on each side of the temple's entrance (v. 21). Each pillar was 27 feet high and 18 feet around. See note on 2 Chron. 3:15.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:16 capitals. These distinctively treated upper ends of the bronze pillars added 7.5 feet to the height of each pillar.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:18 pomegranates. One of the fruits of the Promised Land (Num. 13:23; Deut. 8:8), these were popular decorative motifs used on the hem of Aaron's priestly garment (Ex. 28:33–34).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:21 Jachin . . . Boaz. I.e. "he shall establish" and "in it is strength," respectively. It is likely that each name recalls promises given to the Davidic house, and that they perpetually reminded the worshipers of God's grace in providing the Davidic monarchy as well as each king's need to depend on God for his success. See note on 2 Chron. 3:17. They were also symbolic of the strength and stability of God's promise of a kingdom forever, even though the temple would come down (see Jer. 52:17).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:23 the sea. A huge circular bronze basin corresponding to the laver of the tabernacle. According to v. 26, this great basin's capacity was about 12,000 gallons (see note on 2 Chron. 4:5). The sea stood in the courtyard on the temple's southeast side and provided the priests water to wash themselves and their sacrifices (2 Chron. 4:6). It probably also supplied water for the 10 movable basins (1 Kings 7:38–39). See note on 2 Chron. 4:2.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:25 twelve oxen. Hiram arranged three oxen facing in each of the four directions of the compass to support the sea. See note on 2 Chron. 4:4.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:26 two thousand baths. See note on 2 Chron. 4:5.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:27–37 stands. Hiram made 10 movable stands of bronze 6 feet square and 4.5 feet high. Each consisted of four upright corner poles joined together by square panels. For mobility, the stands rode on four wheels of bronze (v. 30).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:38 basins. Hiram made 10 bronze basins as water containers for the stands. Each measured 6 feet across and held about 240 gallons of water.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:40 the shovels, and the basins. Shovels were used to scoop up the ashes that were then emptied into the bowls for disposal. The same tools served the same purpose in the tabernacle (Ex. 27:3).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:45 burnished bronze. I.e., bronze polished to a high shine.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:46 between Succoth and Zarethan. Succoth was located on the east side of the Jordan River just north of the Jabbok River (Gen. 33:17; Josh. 13:27; Judg. 8:4–5). Zarethan was nearby. This location was conducive to good metallurgy, because it abounded in clay suitable for molds and lay close to a source of charcoal for heat, namely the forests across the Jordan.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:48 the golden altar. The altar of incense stood in front of the Most Holy Place (cf. Ex. 30:1–4). the golden table. The table on which the bread of the Presence was placed, which the law required to be continually in God's presence (Ex. 25:30).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:49 lampstands. Ten golden lampstands standing directly in front of the Most Holy Place, five on either side of the doors, provided a corridor of light.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 7:51 David . . . had dedicated. Solomon deposited that which David had dedicated to the Lord (2 Sam. 8:7–12) in the side rooms of the temple.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:1–21 See 2 Chron. 5:2–6:11.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:1 elders . . . heads. The "elders" of Israel were respected men who were in charge of local government and justice throughout Israel (Ex. 18:13–26; Num. 11:16–30; 1 Sam. 8:1–9). They advised the king on important matters of state (1 Sam. 15:30; 2 Sam. 17:5; 1 Kings 12:6–11). The "heads" of

the tribes or "leaders" were the oldest living males within each extended family unit. They were the ones responsible for learning the law and leading their families to obey it.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:2 seventh month. Solomon finished building the temple in the eighth month of the previous year (6:38; see 2 Chron. 5:1); all its detail signifying the magnificence and beauty of God's nature and his transcendent, uncommon glory. The celebration, then, did not take place until 11 months later. Apparently Solomon intentionally scheduled the dedication of the temple to coincide with the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles held in the seventh month, when there would be a general assembly of the people in Jerusalem. That was also a jubilee year, so it was especially appropriate (Lev. 23:33–36, 39–43; Deut. 16:13–15).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:4–6 brought up the ark. The ark of the covenant was transported by the priests and the Levites from the tent that David had made for it in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:17). They also brought to the temple the tabernacle and all its furnishings, which had been located at Gibeon (2 Chron. 1:2–6). The ark was placed into the Most Holy Place (1 Kings 8:6).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:7–8 poles. God had originally commanded that poles be used to carry the ark (Ex. 25:13–15). They were left protruding to serve as a guide so the high priest could be guided by them when he entered the dark inner sanctuary.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:8 to this day. The phrase is used from the perspective of one who lived and wrote before the destruction of the temple in 586 B.C. The writer of 1 Kings incorporated such sources into his book (cf. 9:13, 21; 10:12; 12:19).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:9 two tablets of stone. At this time the ark of the covenant contained only the two tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. The pot of manna (Ex. 16:33) and Aaron's rod that budded (Num. 17:10) were no longer in the ark. See Heb. 9:4.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:10 a cloud. The cloud was "the glory of the Lord" (v. 11), the visible symbol of God's presence. It signaled the Lord's approval of this new temple. A similar manifestation took place when the tabernacle was dedicated (Ex. 40:34–35). See note on Lev. 9:23.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:12–21 See 2 Chron. 6:1–11.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:12–13 Solomon's solemn declaration was addressed to the Lord. Solomon recognized the thick darkness as the manifestation of the Lord's gracious presence among his people (cf. Ex. 19:9; 20:21; Lev. 16:2) and affirmed that he had built the temple so that the Lord could dwell there in the glory of thick darkness.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:14–21 Solomon turned around from addressing the Lord and spoke to the assembly of Israel gathered at the temple. Solomon, in vv. 15– 19 rehearsed the story of 2 Sam. 7:12–16 and claimed that he, having built the temple, had become the fulfillment of God's promise to his father David (1 Kings 8:20–21). However, Solomon's claim was premature because the Lord later appeared to him declaring the necessity of obedience for the establishment of Solomon's throne (9:4–9), an obedience that would be lacking in Solomon (11:6, 9–10).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:22–53 See note on 2 Chron. 6:12–40. Solomon then moved to the altar of burnt offering to offer a lengthy prayer of consecration to the Lord. First, he affirmed that no god could compare to Israel's God, the Lord (1 Kings 8:23–24). Second, he asked the Lord for his continued presence and protection (vv. 25–30). Third, he listed seven typical Israelite prayers that would require the Lord's response (vv. 31–54). These supplications recalled the detailed list of curses that Deut. 28:15–68 ascribed for the breaking of the law. Specifically, Solomon prayed that the Lord would judge between the wicked and the righteous (1 Kings 8:31–32); the Lord would forgive the sins that had caused defeat in battle (vv. 33–34); the Lord would forgive the sins that had brought on drought (vv. 35–36); the Lord would forgive the sins that had resulted in national calamities (vv. 37–40); the Lord would show mercy to God-fearing foreigners (vv. 41–43); the Lord would give victory in battle (vv. 44–45); and the Lord would bring restoration after captivity (vv. 46–54).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:22 spread out his hands. The spreading of open hands toward heaven was a normal posture of individual prayer (Ex. 9:29; Isa. 1:15).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:27 heaven . . . cannot contain you. Solomon confessed that even though the Lord had chosen to dwell among his people in the cloud at the temple, he far transcended containment by anything in all creation.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:54–61 Solomon arose to pronounce a benediction on the people. His words were substantially a brief recapitulation of the preceding prayer in which he affirmed the faithfulness of the Lord to Israel (v. 56) and exhorted Israel to faithfulness to the Lord (vv. 57–61).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:62–66 See 2 Chron. 7:1–10.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:62 offered sacrifice. To complete the temple's dedication, Solomon led the people in offering peace offerings to the Lord (cf. Lev. 3:1–17; 7:11–21), in which they consumed 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep (1 Kings 8:63). Although the number of sacrifices offered seems high, it was in keeping with the magnitude of this event. Obviously, the single bronze altar could not accommodate such an enormous number of sacrifices. Solomon first had to consecrate the entire middle courtyard, the one directly in front of the temple (v. 64). After consecrating the court, Solomon probably had a series of auxiliary altars set up in the court to accommodate all the peace offerings.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:65 from Lebo-Hamath to the Brook of Egypt. "LeboHamath" was located about 20 miles south of Kadesh on the Orontes River and was the northern boundary of the land promised to Israel (Num. 34:7–9; Josh. 13:5). "The Brook of Egypt" is to be equated with Wadi El-Armish in the northeastern Sinai, the southern boundary of the land promised to Israel. These locations show that people from all over Israel attended the dedication of the temple.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:1–9 See 2 Chron. 7:11–22.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:1–2 finished . . . the king's house. According to 6:1, Solomon began building the temple in April/May 966 B.C. The temple was completed in October/November 959 B.C. (6:38). The temple dedication and Solomon's prayer to the Lord occurred 11 months after the completion of the temple in September/October 958 B.C. The Lord did not appear to Solomon this second time (cf. 3:5–14) until Solomon had completed the building of his own palace in 946 B.C. (cf. 7:1). Thus, the Lord's response came approximately 12 years after Solomon's prayer and supplication to the Lord recorded in 8:22–53.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:3 consecrated. The Lord made the temple holy by being present in the cloud (cf. 8:10). As proof of the temple's consecration, the Lord told Solomon that he had put his name there (cf. 3:2). forever. God was not

saying he will dwell in that building forever, since in less than 400 years it was destroyed by the Babylonians (cf. 9:7–9). He was saying that Jerusalem and the temple mount are to be his earthly throne as long as the earth remains, through the millennial kingdom (see Isa. 2:1–4; Zech. 14:16). Even during the new heaven and new earth, the eternal state, there will be the heavenly Jerusalem, where God will eternally dwell (see Rev. 21:1–2). eyes . . . heart. These symbolized, respectively, the Lord's constant attention toward and deep affection for Israel. By implication, he promised them access to his presence and answers to their prayers.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:4–9 See 2 Chron. 7:17–22.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:4 if you will walk. The Lord reiterated to Solomon the importance of obedience to the Mosaic statutes in order to experience the blessings of the Davidic Covenant (cf. 2:3–4).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:6 if you turn. If Israel ("you" is plural) abandoned the Lord to worship other gods, God would expel Israel from the land and destroy the temple (v. 7).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:9 this disaster. The destruction of Jerusalem and exile from the land (v. 8) were predicted by Moses in Deut. 29:24–28. The devastation of the temple, which came in 586 B.C., graphically demonstrated the Lord's anger against Israel's sin, particularly the sin of idolatry.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:10–28 See 2 Chron. 8:1–18.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:10 At the end of twenty years. The completion of the building of the temple (seven years) and the building of Solomon's palace (13 years) would be c. 946 B.C. (see note on 9:1–2).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:11 Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities. Solomon sold these 20 cities in Galilee to Hiram in exchange for the gold (about 4.5 tons) mentioned in v. 14. Probably these cities lay along the border between Tyre and Israel, just outside the territory of Asher. Later, Hiram gave the towns back to Solomon. See note on 2 Chron. 8:2.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:13 to this day. See note on 8:8.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:15 the Millo. A landfill in the depression between the city

of David and the temple and palace complex to the north (see 2 Sam. 5:9). Hazor. Ten miles north of the Sea of Galilee, Hazor protected Israel's northeastern entrance from Syria and Mesopotamia. Megiddo. Megiddo guarded a crucial pass in the Carmel mountains, which linked the valley of Jezreel and the international coastal highway to Egypt. Gezer. Twenty miles west of Jerusalem, Gezer lay in the coastal plain at the intersection of the coastal highway and the main road to Jerusalem.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:17 Lower Beth-horon. About 12 miles northwest of Jerusalem along a road connecting Gibeon with the western lowlands and providing a western approach to Jerusalem. See note on 2 Chron. 8:5.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:18 Baalath. The designation of several cities in Canaan. See note on 2 Chron. 8:6. Tamar. This city was located 16 miles southwest of the Dead Sea on the southeastern boundary of the land (cf. Ezek. 47:19; 48:28).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:19 store cities. Cities whose primary purpose was to store food (2 Chron. 17:12; 32:28). cities for his horsemen. Solomon built military outposts for his chariots and horses. To defend his kingdom, these garrisons were probably located along key roads throughout the nation. All the cities listed in 1 Kings 9:15–19 met this requirement.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:20–23 See 2 Chron. 8:7–10.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:21–22 drafted to be slaves. I.e., "conscripted slave labor." See note on 5:13. Only resident aliens permanently became part of this force since the law did not allow Israelites to make fellow-Israelites slaves against their will (Ex. 21:2–11; Lev. 25:44–46; Deut. 15:12–18). Additionally, 1 Kings 9:22 adds that he did not move someone from an established post, even for a specific project.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:21 to this day. See note on 8:8.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:25 Solomon used to offer. Once the temple had been built, Solomon's practice of sacrificing to God at the various high places ceased (cf. 3:2–4). He kept Israel's three great annual feasts, Passover, Weeks, and Booths (Deut. 16:1–17), at the temple in Jerusalem.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:26 Ezion-geber. Solomon's port located on the modern Gulf of Aqabah.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:28 Ophir. The location of Ophir is unknown. It has been suggested it was located on the southwestern Arabian peninsula. First Kings 10:11–12 possibly suggests that Ophir was close to or a part of the kingdom of Sheba. 420 talents. This was about 16 tons of gold. Second Chronicles 8:18 has 450 talents (see note on 2 Chron. 8:18).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:1–29 See 2 Chron. 9:1–28.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:1 Sheba. Sheba was located in southwestern Arabia, about 1,200 miles from Jerusalem. concerning the name of the Lord. The primary motive for the queen's visit was to verify Solomon's reputation for wisdom and devotion to the Lord. hard questions. Riddles designed to stump the hearer (cf. Judg. 14:12).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:5 no more breath in her. Lit., the experience "left her breathless."

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:9 the Lord your God. The queen was willing to credit Solomon's God with giving him wisdom that resulted in just and righteous decisions. Though she recognized the Lord as Israel's national God, there was no confession that Solomon's God had become her God to the exclusion of all others. There is no record that she made any offerings to God at the temple.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:10 120 talents. About 4.5 tons (cf. 9:28).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:11 almug wood. Probably the strong, long-lasting sandalwood, which is black on the outside and ruby red inside.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:12 to this day. See note on 8:8.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:14 weight . . . was 666 talents. About 25 tons of gold.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:15 Gold also came to Solomon from tolls and tariffs from traders, revenues from loyal administrators, and taxes from Arabian kings who used caravan routes under Solomon's control.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:16–17 shields. From his gold revenues, Solomon made 200 large shields, containing about 7.5 pounds of gold each, and 300 small shields, having 3.75 pounds of gold each, that were ornamental in design and restricted to ceremonial use.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:21 House of the Forest of Lebanon. See note on 7:2–5. silver. To show the wealth of Solomon's kingdom, the writer explains that gold was so plentiful that the value of silver dropped to nothing.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:22 ships of Tarshish. These were large, all-weather cargo vessels designed to make long ocean voyages.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:25 silver and gold . . . horses. The wisdom God had given to Solomon (v. 24) caused many rulers, like the queen of Sheba (vv. 1–13), to bring presents to Solomon as they sought to buy his wisdom to be applied in their own nations. These gifts led Solomon to multiply for himself horses, as well as silver and gold, precisely that which God's king was warned against in Deut. 17:16–17. Solomon became ensnared by the blessings of his own wisdom and disobeyed God's commands.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:28 Kue. Kue was in Cilicia, an area south of the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor. In antiquity, Cilicia was fabled for breeding and selling the best horses.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:29 chariot . . . for 600 shekels. About 15 pounds of silver. horse for 150. About 3.75 pounds of silver. Hittites. The majority of Hittites lived in Anatolia (Asia Minor). From c. 1720–1200 B.C. a unified kingdom ruled over the Hittites. These kings spread the influence of the Hittites throughout the ancient Near East; the Hittite empire reached the peak of its power c. 1380–1350

B.C. When the Hittite empire collapsed, c. 1200 B.C., many Hittite city-states developed, each with its own king. These rulers were called "the kings of the Hittites" and were scattered in Solomon's day throughout Anatolia and northern Aram (Syria). kings of Syria. The geographical area within the bounds set by the Taurus Mountains in the north, the western bend of the Euphrates River and the edge of the desert in the east, the Litani River to the south and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, had as its major city, Damascus. Later known by the Greek term "Syria," the land was known in OT times as Aram.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:1–6 loved many foreign women. Many of Solomon's marriages were for the purpose of ratifying treaties with other nations, a common practice in the ancient Near East. The practice of multiplying royal wives, prohibited in Deut. 17:17 because the practice would turn the king's heart away from the Lord, proved to be accurate in the experience of Solomon. His love for his wives (1 Kings 11:1–2) led him to abandon his loyalty to the Lord and worship other gods (vv. 3–6). No sadder picture can be imagined than the ugly apostasy of his later years (over 50), which can be traced back to his sins with foreign wives. Polygamy was tolerated among the ancient Hebrews, though most in the East had only one wife. A number of wives was seen as a sign of

wealth and importance. The king desired to have a larger harem than any of his subjects, and Solomon resorted to this form of state magnificence. But it was a sin directly violating God's law, and the very result which that law was designed to prevent happened.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:1 Moabite. Descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:37) who lived in the land east of the Dead Sea between the Arnon River to the north and the Zered Brook to the south. Ammonite. Descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:38) who were located in the area of the Transjordan beginning about 25 miles east of the Jordan River. Edomite. Descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:1) who were located in the area south of Moab, to the southeast of the Dead Sea. Sidonian. See note on 5:6. Hittite. See note on 10:29.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:4 as . . . David. Cf. v. 6. David is consistently presented in Kings as the standard by which other kings were to act and be judged (3:14; 9:4; 14:8; 15:3; 2 Kings 8:19; 22:2). This was not because David had not sinned (cf. 2 Sam. 11–12), but rather because he repented appropriately from his sin (Ps. 32; 51), and because sin did not continue as the pattern of his life.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:5 Ashtoreth. A deliberate distortion of the Canaanite "ashtart," re-vocalized based on the Hebrew word for "shame." She was the goddess of love and fertility, especially worshiped at Tyre and Sidon. Milcom. Another name for Molech (v. 7), the national god of the Ammonites. His name seems to mean "the one who rules." The worship of Molech was associated with the sacrifice of children in the fire (Lev. 18:21; 20:2–5; Jer. 32:35).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:6 evil in the sight of the Lord. The particular evil of Solomon was his tolerance of and personal practice of idolatry. These same words were used throughout the book of Kings to describe the rulers who promoted and practiced idolatry (15:26, 34; 16:19, 25, 30; 22:52; 2 Kings 3:2; 8:18, 27; 13:2, 11; 14:24; 15:9, 18, 24, 28; 17:2; 21:2, 20; 23:32, 37; 24:9, 19). Solomon became an open idolater, worshiping images of wood and stone in the sight of the temple which, in his early years, he had erected to the one true God.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:7 Chemosh. The god of the Moabites, to whom the sacrifice of children as a burnt offering was customary (2 Kings 3:27). mountain east of Jerusalem. Probably, the Mount of Olives. This is the area called Tophet in Jer. 7:30–34 and the mount of corruption in 2 Kings 23:13.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:9–10 appeared to him twice. Once was at Gibeon (3:5), the next at Jerusalem (9:2). On both occasions, God had warned Solomon, so he had no excuses.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:11 not kept my covenant. Solomon failed to obey the commandments to honor God (Ex. 20:3–6), which were part of the Mosaic Covenant. Obedience to that covenant was necessary for receiving the blessings of the Davidic Covenant (see 1 Kings 2:3–4). tear the kingdom from you. The Lord's tearing of the kingdom from Solomon was announced in Ahijah's symbolic action of tearing his garment in 11:29–39. The tearing of the robe, picturing the loss of the kingdom, recalls the interaction between Samuel and Saul (1 Sam. 15:27–28), when the Lord took the kingdom away from Saul because of his disobedience. The great gifts to Solomon followed by his great abuse warranted such a judgment.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:12 not do it in your days. The Lord's great love for David caused him to temper his judgment with mercy by not disrupting the kingdom in Solomon's lifetime (cf. v. 34). This showed that Solomon's disobedience did not annul the Davidic Covenant; the Lord's commitment to fulfill his word to David remained firm (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–16).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:13 one tribe. The one tribe that remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty was Judah (cf. 12:20). for the sake of Jerusalem. The Lord had chosen Jerusalem as the place where his name would dwell forever (9:3). Therefore, Jerusalem and the temple would remain so that the divine promise might stand.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:14–18 Hadad the Edomite. Even though Hadad belonged to the royal family that ruled Edom, he escaped death at the hands of David's army when he was a child, and he fled to Egypt (cf. 2 Sam. 8:13–14; 1 Chron. 18:12–13).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:18 Midian. The land directly east of Edom, to which Hadad first fled on his way to Egypt. Paran. A wilderness southeast of Kadesh in the central area of the Sinai Peninsula (cf. Num. 12:16; 13:3).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:21 Let me depart. Like Moses (Ex. 2:10), Hadad's son grew up in Pharaoh's household. As did Moses (Ex. 5:1), Hadad requested that Pharaoh allow him to leave Egypt. Hearing of the deaths of David and Joab, he

renounced his easy position and possessions in Egypt to return to Edom in order to regain his throne. His activities gave great trouble to Israel (1 Kings 11:25).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:23–25 Rezon. After David conquered Zobar (2 Sam. 8:3– 8), Rezon and his men took Damascus and established the strong dynasty of Syrian kings that severely troubled Israel in the ninth century B.C. (cf. 1 Kings 15:18; 20:1).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:26 Jeroboam the son of Nebat. In contrast to Hadad and Rezon, who were external adversaries of Solomon, God raised up Jeroboam from a town in Ephraim as an internal adversary. Jeroboam was from Ephraim, the leading tribe of Israel's northern 10 tribes. He was a young man of talent and energy who, having been appointed by Solomon as leader over the building works around Jerusalem, rose to public notice.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:28 forced labor. See note on 5:13.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:29 Ahijah the Shilonite. Ahijah was a prophet of the Lord who lived in Shiloh, a town in Ephraim about 20 miles north of Jerusalem. See note on 1 Sam. 1:3.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:30–32 Here is a monumental prophecy that because of Solomon's sins the kingdom would be divided and Jeroboam would rule in the northern area (cf. vv. 35–37).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:33 See notes on 11:5, 7.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:36 a lamp before me. A lighted lamp represented the life of an individual (Job 18:6; Ps. 132:17). God promised that from the tribe of Judah David would continue to have descendants ruling in Jerusalem (cf. 2 Sam. 21:17; 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:38 if you will listen to all that I command you. The Lord gave to Jeroboam the same promise that he had made to David—an enduring royal dynasty over Israel, the 10 northern tribes, if he obeyed God's law. The Lord imposed on Jeroboam the same conditions for his kingship that he had imposed on David (2:3–4; 3:14).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:39 but not forever. This statement implied that the kingdom's division was not to be permanent and that David's house would

ultimately rule all the tribes of Israel again (cf. Ezek. 37:15–28).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:40 kill Jeroboam. Though the prophecy was private (v. 29), the king heard about it and Jeroboam became a marked man, guilty in Solomon's eyes of rebellion and worthy of the death penalty. Shishak. Shishak was the founder of the twenty-second dynasty in Egypt. He reigned c. 945–924

B.C. He invaded Judah during the reign of Rehoboam (14:25–26).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:42 forty years. 971–931 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:1–2 Kings 17:41 The division of Solomon's kingdom had been predicted by the Lord to Solomon (1 Kings 11:11–13) and through Ahijah to Jeroboam (11:29–37). This section of the books of Kings shows how the word of the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled and narrates the history of the divided kingdom, Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom), from 931–722 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:1–14:31 This section describes the disruption of the kingdom (12:1–24) plus the establishment and royal sanctioning of idolatry in Israel (12:25–14:20) and Judah (14:21–31). The reigns of Solomon's son, Rehoboam, in the south (c. 931–913 B.C.) and Solomon's servant, Jeroboam, in the north (c. 931–910 B.C.) are discussed. See 2 Chron. 10:1–12:16.

The Kingdom Divides

930 B.C.

When Solomon's son Rehoboam arrived at Shechem for his coronation after his father's death, he refused to lighten his father's heavy tax burden on the people, and the 10 northern tribes revolted and set up Jeroboam as their king. The northern kingdom would now be known as Israel and the southern kingdom as Judah. Five years later, Shishak (also called Sheshonq) king of Egypt invaded Judah and Israel and captured a number of towns. Rehoboam avoided Jerusalem's destruction by paying off Shishak with many of the treasures Solomon had placed in the temple.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:1 Shechem. A city located in the hill country of northern Ephraim, 30 miles north of Jerusalem. Shechem had a long and important history as a political and religious center (cf. Gen. 12:6; Josh. 8:30–35; 24:1–28, 32). all Israel. The representatives of the 10 northern tribes assembled to accept Rehoboam as king (cf. 2 Sam. 5:3).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:2 heard of it. Jeroboam, in Egypt (11:40), learned about

the death of Solomon (11:43).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:3 Jeroboam . . . said. The 10 northern tribes summoned Jeroboam from Egypt to become their representative and spokesman in their dealings with Rehoboam.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:4 yoke. The hardships that resulted from Solomon's policy of compulsory labor service (cf. 5:13; 9:22; 11:28) and excessive taxes (cf. 4:7) came because the splendor of his courts, the magnitude of his wealth, and the profits of his enterprises were not enough to sustain his demands.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:6–7 the old men. These were older, experienced counselors and administrators who had served Solomon. They counseled Rehoboam to give concessions to the 10 tribes.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:8–10 the young men. The contemporaries of Rehoboam, about forty years of age (cf. 14:21), who were acquainted only with the royal court life of Solomon, recommended that Rehoboam be even harsher on the 10 tribes than was Solomon.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:10 My little finger . . . my father's thighs. A proverbial manner of saying he was going to come at them with greater force than Solomon had exhibited (vv. 11–14).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:15 brought about by the Lord. God sovereignly used the foolishness of Rehoboam to fulfill Ahijah's prophecy (11:29–39).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:16 David. These words of Israel (v. 16) expressed deliberate, willful rebellion against the dynasty of David (cf. v. 19). Defiantly, the Israelites quoted the rallying cry used in Sheba's failed rebellion against David (2 Sam. 20:1). The northern tribes declared that they had no legal tie with David and went their way.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:17 the people of Israel. People from the northern tribes who had migrated south and settled in Judah.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:18 Adoram. Sending the chief of taxation and forced labor (Adoniram in 4:6; 5:14) to negotiate with the northern tribes was foolish (cf. 1 Kings 12:4).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:19 to this day. See note on 8:8.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:20–24 The kingdom was divided at that point. Israel (the northern 10 tribes) had its own king.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:21 the tribe of Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin had split loyalty and land during the divided-kingdom era. According to v. 20, only the tribe of Judah remained completely loyal to the house of David, but in vv. 21, 23 it is said that Benjamin was associated with "all the house of Judah," the emphasis being on the tribe of Judah. Certain towns of northern Benjamin, most notably Bethel (v. 29), were included in the northern kingdom. Simeon, the tribe originally given land in the southern section of Judah's territory (Josh. 19:1–9), had apparently migrated north and was counted with the 10 northern tribes (cf. 1 Chron. 12:23–25; 2 Chron. 15:9; 34:6). Thus, the 10 northern tribes were Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, and Ephraim. The southern kingdom was the tribe of Judah only. The twelfth tribe, Benjamin, was split between the two kingdoms. The tribe of Levi, originally scattered throughout both kingdoms (Josh. 21:1–42), resided in Judah during the divided kingdom (see 2 Chron. 11:13–16).

The Kings of the Divided Kingdom

The Kings of the Divided Kingdom Judah Israel Rehoboam 931–913 Jeroboam I 931–910 Abijah (Abijam) 913–911 Nadab 910–909 Asa 911–870 Baasha 909–886 Elah 886–885 Zimri 885 Tibni 885–880 Omri 885–874 Jehoshaphat 873–848 Ahab 874–853 Ahaziah 853–852 Jehoram (Joram) 853–841 Joram (Jehoram) 852–841 Ahaziah 841 Jehu 841–814 Athaliah (queen) 841–835 Joash (Jehoash) 835–796 Jehoahaz 814–798 Amaziah 796–767 Jehoash (Joash) 798–782 Azariah (Uzziah) 790–739 Jeroboam II 793–753

Zechariah 753 Shallum 752 Jotham 750–731 Menahem 752–742 Pekahiah 742–740 Ahaz 735–715 Pekah 752–732 Hoshea 732–722 Hezekiah 715–686 Manasseh 695–642 Amon 642–640 Josiah 640–609 Jehoahaz 609 Jehoiakim 609–597 Jehoiachin 597 Zedekiah 597–586

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:22 the man of God. Cf. 17:24. A common OT expression designating a man with a message from God who would speak authoritatively on the Lord's behalf (cf. Deut. 33:1; 2 Tim. 3:17). See note on Deut. 33:1.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:24 this thing is from me. Through the prophet Shemaiah, the Lord commanded Rehoboam and his army not to invade Israel. God, in judgment, had ordained the north-south split (v. 15; 11:29–39), so to attack Israel was to oppose God himself.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:25 Shechem. Cf. v. 1. Jeroboam fortified the city of Shechem and made it into his royal residence. Cf. Judg. 9:1–47. Penuel. Jeroboam also fortified Penuel, a city about 10 miles east of the Jordan River on the River Jabbok, asserting his sovereignty over the Israelites east of the Jordan.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:26 turn back to the house of David. The Lord had ordained a political, not a religious, division of Solomon's kingdom. The Lord had promised Jeroboam political control of the 10 northern tribes (11:31, 35, 37). However, Jeroboam was to religiously follow the Mosaic law, which demanded that he follow the Lord's sacrificial system at the temple in Jerusalem (11:38). Having received the kingdom from God, he should have relied on divine protection, but he did not. Seeking to keep his subjects from being influenced by Rehoboam when they went to Jerusalem to worship, he set up worship in the north (12:27–28).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:28 two calves of gold. These two calves, probably made of wood overlaid with gold, were presented to Israel as pedestals on which the Lord supposedly sat or stood. He publicly presented them with the very words with which idolatrous Israel had welcomed Aaron's golden calf. He repeated Aaron's destructive sin of trying to make an earthly image of God. See note on Ex. 32:4.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:29 Bethel . . . Dan. Bethel was located about 11 miles north of Jerusalem within the territory of Benjamin (Josh. 18:11–13, 22). It lay at the southern end of Jeroboam's kingdom on the main north-south road to Jerusalem. Israel had long revered Bethel as a sacred place because Jacob had worshiped there (Gen. 28:10–22; 35:1–15). Dan was located in the northernmost part of Jeroboam's kingdom, about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. A paganized worship of the Lord was practiced at Dan during the period of the judges (Judg. 18:30–31).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:30 this thing became a sin. Jeroboam's policy promoted gross and flagrant violation of the second commandment (Ex. 20:4–6) and led to violation of the first commandment (Ex. 20:3).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:31 high places. Jeroboam built minor sanctuaries on high places throughout the land of Israel. Over the centuries these high places became the breeding ground of Israel's idolatrous apostasy (cf. Hosea 5:1). See note on 1 Kings 3:2. priests. Jeroboam appointed priests to run his sanctuaries from all his tribes. His action blatantly violated the stipulation that only Aaron's descendants were to hold that office in Israel (Num. 3:10).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:32 appointed a feast. Jeroboam instituted a religious festival to compete with the Feast of Booths held at the temple in Jerusalem and scheduled it for the fifteenth day of the eighth month (October/November), exactly one month after its divinely ordained Judean counterpart (Ex. 34:22–23; Lev. 23:33–36, 39–40).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:1 man of God. See note on 12:22.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:2 Josiah. He ruled Judah about 300 years later c. 640–609

B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 22:1–23:30). sacrifice . . . the priests of the high places. The prophet predicted that Josiah would slaughter the illegitimate priests of the high places of his day who made offerings on the altar at Bethel. This prophecy was realized in 2 Kings 23:15–20, executing the divine judgment on the non-

Levitical priesthood established by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:31–32).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:3 sign. An immediate "wonder" that served to authenticate the reliability of the long-term prediction (cf. Deut. 18:21–22), this sign came to pass in 1 Kings 13:5. the ashes . . . shall be poured out. Proper ritual required the disposal of sacrificial ashes in a special "clean" place (Lev. 4:12; 6:10–11). Contact with the ground would render the ashes "unclean" and nullify the procedure.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:9 commanded me by the word of the Lord. The prophet's divine commission expressly forbade receiving any hospitality at Bethel. It even required him to return home by a different route from the one by which he came, lest he should be recognized. The prophet's own conduct was to symbolize the Lord's total rejection of Israel's false worship and the recognition that all the people had become apostates.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:11 an old prophet. Here was a spokesman for the Lord who had compromised his ministry by his willingness to live at the very center of the false system of worship without speaking out against it.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:18 he lied to him. Why the old prophet deceived the man of God the text does not state. It may be that his own son's were worshipers at Bethel or perhaps priests, and this man wanted to gain favor with the king by showing up the man of God as an imposter who acted contrary to his own claim to have heard from God. Accustomed to receiving direct revelations, the Judean prophet should have regarded the supposed angelic message with suspicion and sought divine verification of this revised order.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:20 the word of the Lord. The lie arose from his own imagination (cf. Jer. 23:16; Ezek. 13:2, 7), but the true prophecy came from the Lord (cf. Ex. 4:16; Deut. 18:18; Jer. 1:9).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:22 your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. Israelites buried their dead with the bones of ancestors in a common grave (Judg. 8:32; 2 Sam. 2:32). The lack of such a burial was considered in Israel a severe punishment and disgrace. See note on Eccles. 6:3–6.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:24 donkey . . . lion. Both the donkey and the lion acted unnaturally: The donkey did not run and the lion did not attack the donkey or disturb the man's body. Unlike the disobedient prophet, the beasts bent their

wills to God's sovereignty.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:32 shall surely come to pass. The old prophet instructed his sons to bury him beside the Judean prophet (v. 31). The old prophet was finally willing to identify himself with the message that the man of God from Judah had given against worship at Bethel.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:33 made priests. Unlike the old prophet, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but continued appointing priests outside the tribe of Levi to serve the high places (12:30–32).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:1 At that time. Probably indicating a time shortly after the incident recorded in ch. 13. Abijah. Meaning "my father is the Lord," Jeroboam's son's name implies that his father desired to be regarded as a worshiper of the Lord at the time of his son's birth. Abijah was referred to as a "child" (14:12, 17), a term which can be used from childhood through young adulthood. Of all of Jeroboam's family, Abijah was the most responsive to the Lord (v. 13). Jeroboam's son, Abijah, should not be confused with Rehoboam's son of the same name (see note on 15:1–8).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:2 disguise yourself. Probably for the avoidance of recognition by the people. Jeroboam did not want his subjects to know that he was consulting a prophet of the Lord. Shiloh. See note on 11:29.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:3 Take . . . ten loaves. A simple ordinary food gift added to the disguise (cf. 1 Sam. 9:7–8; 2 Kings 8:8). Ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey reflected the means of a common person, not royalty.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:9 evil above all. Jeroboam had not only failed to live up to the standard of David, but his wickedness had surpassed even that of Saul and Solomon. He had installed a paganized system of worship for the entire population of the northern kingdom (cf. 16:25, 30; 2 Kings 21:11).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:11 dogs . . . birds. The covenant curse of Deut. 28:26 was applied to Jeroboam's male descendants.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:13 the grave. See note on 13:22.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:14 a king. I.e., Baasha (15:27–30).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:15 Ahijah announced God's stern judgment on Israel for joining Jeroboam's apostasy. Struck by the Lord, Israel would sway like a reed in a rushing river, a biblical metaphor for political instability (cf. Matt. 11:7; Luke 7:24). One day, the Lord would uproot Israel from Palestinian soil and scatter it in exile east of the Euphrates. The fulfillment of this prophecy is recorded in 2 Kings 17:23.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:17 Tirzah. Jeroboam had apparently moved his capital from Shechem to Tirzah (cf. 12:25), located in the tribal region of Manasseh, about 7 miles northeast of Shechem and 35 miles north of Jerusalem. Tirzah was famous for its beauty (Song 6:4).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:20 twenty-two years. 931–910 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:21 seventeen years. 931–913 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:22–24 Judah outdid her ancestors in evil, provoking the Lord to jealous anger (v. 22). Signs of idolatrous practice were everywhere (vv. 23–24). She even practiced sacred prostitution to promote fertility (v. 24). Judah had begun the downward slide toward doom that Israel was in.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:25 fifth year. 927/926 B.C. Shishak. See note on 11:40.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:27 shields of bronze. These bronze shields replaced Solomon's gold shields, which were used as a ransom paid to Shishak. The bronze shields illustrate the sharp decline from the reign of Solomon to Rehoboam.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:30 war . . . continually. Many border skirmishes erupted as the armies in the north and south maneuvered for tactical advantage and control of territory (14:19; 15:6). A major battle ultimately erupted during the reign of Abijam (cf. 2 Chron. 13:1–20).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:1–16:22 Having documented the establishment of idolatry in both Israel and Judah (12:1–14:31), the text moves to a quick survey of the kings of Judah and Israel from 913 to 885 B.C. The author notes that the high places remained in Judah (15:14), and the sins of Jeroboam continued in Israel (15:26, 34; 16:13, 19).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:1–8 Abijam. He was at first called Abijah in 2 Chron.

13:1–2. Since Abijam means "father of the sea," and Abijah, "my father is the Lord," he may have had his name changed because of his sin. See notes on 2 Chron. 13:1–22.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:2 three years. 913–911 B.C. Parts of years were considered as whole years in this reckoning (cf. v. 9).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:3 his heart was not wholly true. Cf. 11:4, where the same statement was made concerning Solomon. Cf. 15:14.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:4 a lamp. See note on 11:36.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:5 what was right in the eyes of the Lord. This commendation is frequently used in speaking of kings of Judah and means only that they did or did not do what was generally acceptable to God, e.g., v. 11.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:7 war. See 14:30 and 2 Chron. 13:1–20.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:9–24 Asa. He was the first of the religiously good kings of Judah (cf. v. 11). See notes on 2 Chron. 14:1–16:14.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:10 forty-one years. 911–870 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:11–15 Asa did four good things: 1) he removed the sacred prostitutes (v. 12); 2) he rid the land of all the idols made by his predecessors (v. 12); 3) he removed the corrupt queen mother and burned the idol she had made; and 4) he placed "sacred gifts," items that he and his father had dedicated to the Lord, back in the temple (v. 15). Though he never engaged in idolatry, Asa's failure was his toleration of "the high places" (v. 14).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:13 abominable image. This term is derived from the verb "to shudder" (Job 9:6). "Horrible, repulsive thing" suggests a shocking, perhaps even a sexually explicit, idol. Asa removed his mother ("grandmother" in some translations), Maacah, the official queen mother, because of her association with this idol. brook Kidron. A seasonal river that ran through the Kidron Valley that marks the eastern boundary of Jerusalem.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:16 Baasha. Asa, who ruled Judah (c. 911–870 B.C.), enjoyed 10 years of peace after Jeroboam's defeat by Abijam (2 Chron. 13:19– 20) until Baasha began attacking. See notes on 1 Kings 15:27–16:7 and 2 Chron.

16:1–6.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:17 Ramah. A strategic town in Benjamin, located about 5 miles north of Jerusalem along the main north-south highway, built by Baasha, king of Israel, to effectively blockade the city of Jerusalem.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:18 Ben-hadad. Ben-hadad I, the grandson of Hezion (probably Rezon; see note on 11:23–25, c. 940–915 B.C.) and the son of Tabrimmon (c. 912–890 B.C.). He was the powerful ruler of the Syrian kingdom (Aramea; see note on 10:29), centered in Damascus. The majority of historians think that Ben-hadad reigned c. 900–860 B.C. and was succeeded by a son or grandson, Ben-hadad II, who ruled c. 860–841 B.C. (cf. 20:34). Asa sent a sizable gift to influence Ben-hadad I to break his treaty with Israel, enter instead a treaty with Judah, and invade Israel from the north.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:20 Ijon . . . Naphtali. The army of Ben-hadad I invaded Israel and took cities in the land north of the Sea of Galilee, a conquest giving Syria control of the trade routes to the Mediterranean coast and Israel's fertile Jezreel Valley, and also making Syria a great military threat to Israel. Baasha gave up fortifying Ramah and went to live in Tirzah, the capital of the northern kingdom.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:22 Geba . . . Mizpah. With the threat to Judah from Israel removed, Asa conscripted a Judean labor force to fortify Geba, about 6 miles northeast of Jerusalem, and Mizpah, about 7 miles north of Jerusalem, using the very building material for those fortifications that Baasha had used at Ramah.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:25 Nadab . . . two years. 910–909 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:27–16:7 Baasha. See note on 15:16.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:27 Gibbethon. This city, located about 32 miles west of Jerusalem, within the territory of Dan, was given to the Levites (Josh. 19:44) but controlled by the Philistines, on whose border it lay.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:29 he killed all the house of Jeroboam. Baasha, the northern king, in a vicious practice too common in the ancient Near East, annihilated all of Jeroboam's family. This act fulfilled Ahijah's prophecy against Jeroboam (cf. 14:9–11). However, Baasha went beyond the words of the prophecy, since 14:10 specified judgment only on every male, while Baasha

killed all men, women, and children.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:30 This epitaph for wicked Jeroboam of Israel follows through the history of the northern kingdom relentlessly as the standard of sin by which judgment fell on the successive kings (see 15:34; 16:2, 19, 31; 22:52; 2 Kings 3:3; 10:29, 31; 13:2, 11; 14:24; 15:9, 18, 24, 28).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:33 twenty-four years. 909–886 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:1 Jehu the son of Hanani. Cf. v. 7. This Hanani may have been the prophet who warned Judah's King Asa (2 Chron. 16:7–9). Jehu, like Ahijah before him (1 Kings 14:7–16), delivered the Lord's message of judgment to the king of Israel. The pattern emerges in the book of Kings that the Lord used his prophets as a legitimate means by which to confront the sin of Israel's kings.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:2–4 Baasha had angered the Lord by following the sinful paths of Jeroboam. Appropriately, he faced the same humiliating judgment Jeroboam had (14:10–11). Though he waded through slaughter to his throne, he owed it to the permission of God, by whom all kings reign. His judgment was that no long line of heirs would succeed him; instead, his family would be totally annihilated and their corpses shamefully scavenged by hungry dogs and birds.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:8–14 Elah . . . two years. C. 886–885 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:11 relatives. I.e., "relatives able to redeem." Cf. Ruth 2:1. Zimri not only killed Elah and his immediate sons, but all of the extended relatives of Baasha who could help his family.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:15 seven days. Zimri's reign (885 B.C.) was the shortest of any king of Israel. Gibbethon. See note on 15:27.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:16 Omri. When the soldiers of Israel in the field heard of Elah's death, they immediately acclaimed Omri, the commander of Israel's army, as the new king.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:21 Tibni. The death of Zimri (vv. 17–18) automatically placed the kingdom in Omri's hands. Half of the population including the army, sided with Omri, but the other half backed Tibni. Nothing further is known of Tibni, but he was strong enough to rival Omri for about four years (cf. v. 15 with v. 23).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:21–28 Omri. Ruled the northern kingdom c. 885–874 B.C.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:23–2 Kings 13:25 This section is strategic in the book(s) of Kings and contains over one third of the total narrative of the book(s). The coming of the dynasty of Omri to the kingship of Israel brought with it the introduction of Baal worship with official sanction in Israel (16:31–32). Through intermarriage with the house of Omri, Baal worship penetrated into Judah and corrupted the line of David (2 Kings 8:18–27), initiating a gigantic struggle before Baalism was officially eradicated in both Israel and Judah (2 Kings 9:14– 12:21).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:23 twelve years. Omri ruled 12 years (c. 885–874 B.C.), from Asa's twenty-seventh year (16:15) to Asa's thirty-eighth year (16:29). This notice of his beginning to reign in Asa's thirty-first year must be a reference to his sole rule.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:24 Samaria. The hill of Samaria, named after its owner, Shemer, was located 7 miles northwest of Shechem and stood 300 feet high. Though ringed by other mountains, it stood by itself so that attackers had to charge uphill from every side. This new capital amounted to the northern equivalent of Jerusalem. Its central location gave Israelites easy access to it.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:29–22:40 Ahab . . . twenty-two years. C. 874–853 B.C.; see notes on 2 Chron. 18:1–34.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:30 evil . . . more than all who were before him. With Ahab, Israel's spiritual decay reached its lowest point. He was even worse than his father, Omri, who was more wicked than all before him (v. 25). Ahab's evil consisted of perpetuating all the sins of Jeroboam and promoting the worship of Baal in Israel (vv. 31–32). Of all Israel's kings, Ahab outraged the Lord most (v. 33).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:31 Jezebel. The wretched wife of Ahab became symbolic of the evil of false religion (cf. Rev. 2:20). Ethbaal. His name meant "Baal is alive." The father of Jezebel was the king of Phoenicia (including Tyre and Sidon) who had murdered his predecessor and, according to Josephus, was a priest of the gods Melqart and Astarte.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:31–32 Baal. Meaning "lord, husband, owner," Baal was the predominant god in Canaanite religion. He was the storm god who provided

the rain necessary for the fertility of the land. The worship of Baal was widespread among the Canaanites with many local manifestations under various other titles, the Tyrians calling him Baal Melqart. The worship of Baal had infiltrated Israel long before the time of Ahab (Judg. 2:11, 13; 3:7; 10:6, 10; 1 Sam. 12:10). However, Ahab gave it official sanction in Samaria through building a temple for Baal (see 2 Kings 3:2). As David had captured Jerusalem and his son Solomon had built a temple for the Lord there, so Omri established Samaria and his son Ahab built a temple for Baal there.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:34 Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. The re-fortification of Jericho was forbidden by God, who had supernaturally destroyed it. But Joshua predicted that a man and his sons would violate God's restriction (see note on Josh. 6:26). Two of Hiel's sons died when they sought to assist him to fortify the city.

Elijah and Elisha

c. 875–797 B.C.

Elijah and his successor Elisha figure prominently in 1 and 2 Kings as they prophesied against the wickedness of Ahab and Joram (also called Jehoram) of Israel. Elijah's opposition to pagan worship also put him at odds with Jezebel, Ahab's Phoenician wife, who supported hundreds of prophets of Baal and Asherah. Eventually Elisha sent someone to anoint Jehu, one of Joram's commanders, to be the next king and to execute judgment on the entire family of Ahab.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:1 Elijah. His name means "the Lord is God." The prophet Elijah's ministry corresponded to his name: He was sent by God to confront Baalism and to declare to Israel that the Lord was God and there was no other. Tishbite. Elijah lived in a town called Tishbe, east of the Jordan River in the vicinity of the Jabbok River. neither dew nor rain. The autumn and spring rains and summer dew were necessities for the crops of Israel. The Lord had threatened to withhold these from the land if his people turned from him to serve

other gods (Lev. 26:18–19; Deut. 11:16–17; 28:23–24). Elijah had prayed for the drought (cf. James 5:17) and God answered. It lasted three years and six months according to James (James 5:17). The drought proved that Baal, the god of the rains and fertility, was impotent before the Lord.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:3 brook Cherith. Probably this was a seasonal brook that flowed during the rainy season but dried up when the weather turned hot. It was located east of the Jordan River.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:6 ravens brought. God's supernatural provision, much like the manna and quail during Israel's wilderness wanderings (Ex. 16:13–36).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:9 Zarephath. A town on the Mediterranean coast about 7 miles south of Sidon. Elijah was sent to live there, in a territory controlled by Ahab's father-in-law, Ethbaal. In this way, he showed the power of God in the very area where the impotent Baal was worshiped, as he provided miraculously for the widow in the famine (vv. 10–16).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:23 your son lives. Canaanite myths claimed that Baal could revive the dead, but here it was the Lord, not Baal, who gave back the boy's life. This conclusively demonstrated that the Lord was the only true God and Elijah was his prophet (v. 24).

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:24 a man of God. See note on 12:22. A man of God has a true word from God.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:1 third year. Cf. James 5:17.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:2 famine. This was to give Ahab opportunity to repent. He was the cause of national judgment in the famine. If he repented, rain would come.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:3 Obadiah. His name means "servant of the Lord." He was the manager of Ahab's royal palace and a devout worshiper of the Lord, who had demonstrated his devotion to the Lord by protecting 100 of the Lord's prophets from death by Jezebel (vv. 4, 13), which had put him on tenuous ground with Ahab.

1 KINGS—NOTE ON 18:12 the Spirit of the Lord will carry you. The servant had been asked to tell Ahab that Elijah was present to speak with him (vv. 7, 18), but

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